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Scanned  from  the  collections  of 
The  Library  of  Congress 


Packard  Campus 
for  Audio  Visual  Conservation 
www.loc.gov/avconservation 

Motion  Picture  and  Television  Reading  Room 
www.loc.gov/rr/mopic 


Recorded  Sound  Reference  Center 
www.loc.gov/rr/record 


1 


f —      -   p 

Accurate 

MOTION  PICTURE  1 

FIRST 

IN 

find 

FILM 

Impartial 

JJAJL.LI 

■  NEWS 

HHhHBHHhHHI 

VOL.  65.  NO.  1 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  JANUARY  3,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Seek  Early 
Vote  in  I.  A., 
SOPEG  Tussle 


Happy  Birthdays  to 
You,  Loew's,  Col., 
Para«,U.A.andMono. 


Rival  Film  Unions  Weigh 
Mass  Elections  Proposal 

Efforts  are  being  made  to  settle 
in  a  single  stroke  the  CIO-AFL 
battle  over  jurisdiction  at  film  com- 
panies' home  offices.  The  single 
stroke  would  be  the  holding  of  shop 
elections  within  a  48-hour  period  at 
all  the  New  York  home  offices  where 
CIO's  Screen  Office  and  Professional 
Employes  Guild  and  AFL's  IATSE 
Motion  Picture  Home  Office  Em- 
ployes Local  No.  H-63  have  been 
vying  for  the  bargaining  representa- 
tion favor  of  hundreds  of  "white  col- 
larites." 

Heretofore,  it  has  been  regarded  as 
unlikely  that  a  settlement  of  the  con- 
test could  be  brought  about  under 
National  Labor  Relations  Board 
auspices  before  next  summer  or  fall. 
Were  the  two  disputants  to  agree 
soon  on  the  proposal  for  mass  shop 
elections,    which    is    currently  being 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Goetz  Cites  Films' 
Two  Aims  for  1949 


Hollywood,  Jan.  2.— In  1949  the 
motion  picture  industry  will  have  to 
scrutinize  more  carefully  than  ever 
the  American  public's  preference  in 
screen  entertainment,  and  the  produc- 
tion of  films  will  have  to  be  geared 
to  what  the  public  wants  to  see  rather 
than  a  producer's  opinion  of  what  the 
public  should  see.  This  was  Univer- 
sal-International production  chief  Wil- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Kearns  Report  on 
Coast  Labor  Is  Due 

Washington,  Jan.  2. — Holly- 
wood will  be  in  the  spotlight 
when  the  new  Congress  con- 
venes tomorrow  with  the  ex- 
pected publication  of  the 
long-delayed  report  on  the 
Coast  labor  situation  based 
on  hearings  conducted  here 
and  in  Hollywood  by  the 
House  Labor  sub-committee 
headed  by  Congressman 
Kearns  (Rep.,  Pa.).  The  re- 
port went  to  press  this  week- 
end and  is  due  to  be  issued 
tomorrow  or  Tuesday. 


Five  companies  will  mark  major 
anniversaries  during  1949.  They  are: 
Loew's-MGM,  Columbia,  Paramount, 
United  Artists  and  Monogram. 

Paramount  will  come  to  its  35th 
birthday,  Paramount  Pictures  Corp. 
having  been  formed  by  W.  W.  Hod- 
kinson  in  1914,  although  Adolph 
Zukor's  Engadine  Corp.,  which  Para- 
mount subsequently  acquired,  ante- 
dated it  by  two  years. 

MGM  will  observe  its  25th  anni- 
versary throughout  1949,  the  com- 
pany having  come  into  being  during 
1924  with  the  successive  acquisitions 
by  the  late  Marcus  Loew  of  Metro, 
Samuel  Goldwyn  and  Louis  B.  Mayer 
enterprises.  Loew's,  Inc.,  was  incor- 
porated five  years  earlier,  in  October, 
1919,  thus  bringing  it  to  its  30th  an- 
niversary this  year.  It,  too,  however, 
was  antedated  by  Loew's  Consolidated 
Enterprises,  formed  in  1910. 

United  Artists,  another  30-year-old 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Film  Actors  Double 
Relief  Fund  Gifts 


Hollywood,  Jan.  2. — Screen  Act- 
ors Guild  members  will  double  their 
contributions  to  the  Motion  Picture 
Relief  Fund  beginning  immediately, 
allocating  one  per  cent  of  their  earn- 
ings instead  of  one-half  of  one  per 
cent  as  heretofore,  the  Guild  has 
revealed  in  a  weekend  report. 

The  report  informs  the  member- 
ship that  large  expenditures  will  be 
required  to  organize  the  television 
field.  It  mentions  a  decrease  in  the 
number  of  dues-paying  SAG  mem- 
bers, together  with  increased  oper- 
ating expenses  due  to  inflation  as 
contributing  to  the  financial  problem 
the  Guild  must  solve. 

Financial  statement  shows  the 
Guild  assets  as  $608,264,  liabilities  as 
$22,329,  and  surplus  as  $585,935. 


$3.60  Per  to  See 
Theatre  Telecast 

Miami,  Jan.  2.  —  First  tele- 
cast from  Miami  to  be  picked 
up  in  the  Olympia  Theatre 
was  given  yesterday.  Sta- 
tion WGBS  televised  the 
Orange  Bowl  game  from  the 
Rodney  Burdine  Stadium. 
RCA  sent  10  technicians  from 
New  York  to  assist.  The  use 
of  "the  world's  largest  tele- 
vision screen"  necessitated 
the  removal  of  a  portion  of 
the  orchestra  seats  to  make 
room  for  it.  Also  prices  were 
advanced  to  $3.60  per  person 
and  included  the  regular 
stage  and  screen  show. 


Films  Unthreatened 
As  Assemblies  Meet 


Washington,  Jan.  2. — Twenty-five 
state  legislatures  will  convene  this 
week,  with  another  19  scheduled  to 
open  in  the  succeeding  weeks  of  1949, 
according  to  Jack  Bryson,  MPAA 
legislative  expert. 

Four  state  legislatures — Kentucky, 
Louisiana,  Mississippi  and  Virginia — 
will  not  meet  at  all  this  year. 

Bryson  said  that  at  this  time  he 
knows  of  no  proposed  legislation  in 
any  of  the  states  that  will  be  harm 
ful  to  the  industry,  but  added  that 
the  Association  will  keep  a  watchful 
eye  out  for  censorship  and  admissions 
tax  bills. 


Para.  Wins  Delay  on 
FCC  Video  Decision 

Washington,  Jan.  2. — Paramount 
has  been  given  an  extension  until  Jan. 
21  by  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission  to  file  exceptions  to  the 
proposed  FCC  ruling  that  Paramount 
controls  DuMont,  thereby  ruling  out 
applications  by  the  two  companies  for 
six  new  television  stations.  Original 
deadline  for  filing  was  Jan.  5. 


Bulk  of  U.  A.  Product  for 
Video  To  Be  Non-Theatrical 


Standard  theatrical  films  will  be 
substantially  outnumbered  by  film 
productions  specially  designed  for 
television  in  the  United  Artists  cata- 
logue of  product  which  it  intends  to 
make  available  to  telecasters  beginning 
this  month. 

Company's  new  video  department, 
at  work  on  preparations  since  its 
formation  was  announced  a  few 
months  ago,  is  about  ready  to  swing 


into  actual  distribution  in  the  new 
field — and,  it  is  believed  by  company 
executives,  will  have  its  operations 
rolling  to  the  extent  that  actual  profits 
will  be  entered  on  the  books  within 
three  months  from  starting  time. 

UA  will  charge  a  distribution  fee 
of  32^  per  cent,  which  is  about  2y2 
per  cent  under  the  standard  rate  in 
the  television  distribution  field,  it  is 
said. 


MPAA-World 
Commerce 
Tie  Continues 


Good  Results  Shown  in 
'De-freezing*  Currencies 

Highly  satisfactory  results — con- 
siderably better  than  were  anticipat- 
ed— were  produced  during  1948 
under  the  so-called  "compensation 
deal"  negotiated  late  in  1947  between 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  and  the  World  Commerce 
Corp.  for  the  purpose  of  unblocking 
U.  S.  film  earnings  in  Europe's  "soft- 
currency"  countries. 

A  current  check-up  on  the  nature  of 
developments  since  World  Commerce 
— international  trading  organization 
with  offices  in  principal  cities  of  the 
globe — disclosed  earlier  that  its  "com- 
mission" arrangement  with  MPAA  is 
suceeding,  shows  that  MPAA  itself 
has  come  to  regard  the  deal  as  an 
important  wheel  in  its  money-unfreez- 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Arbitration  Accord 
Seen  in  New  Meets 


That  the  major  distributors  would 
reach  an  accord  on  terms  of  an  ar- 
bitration system  to  be  proposed  to 
New  York  Federal  Court  became  ap- 
parent at  the  weekend  when  it  was 
disclosed  that  meetings  designed  to 
resolve  certain  differences  will  be  con- 
tinued. 

The  possibility  that  Paramount,  the 
lone    dissenter    among    the  majors, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


BBC,  British  Press, 
Feature  'Fame'  Poll 

London,  Jan.  2. — The  re- 
sults of  the  Motion  Picture 
Herald  -  Fame  international 
poll  of  exhibitors  to  deter- 
mine 1948's  top  money-mak- 
ing players  were  broadcast  at 
seven,  eight  and  nine  o'clock 
on  Friday  morning  over  Brit- 
ish Broadcasting's  network  in 
conjunction  with  regular 
news  bulletins. 

Additionally,  the  results, 
which  put  Bing  Crosby,  Anna 
Neagle  and  Margaret  Lock- 
wood,  respectively,  in  the 
first  three  places,  received 
nationwide  newspaper  cov- 
erage here. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  3,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

ALFRED  CROWN,  vice-president 
and  foreign  sales  manager  of 
Samuel  Goldwyn  Productions,  will 
leave  New  York  for  London  by  air 
tomorrow. 

• 

Thomas  E.  McGeath,  associated 
with  Eastman  Kodak  since  1926,  has 
been  appointed  manager  of  the  com- 
pany's new  distribution  center  which 
is  now  under  construction  in  Roches- 
ter, N.  Y. 

Francis  Harmon,  vice-president  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America,  is  scheduled  to  leave  New 
York  for  Johannesburg,  South  Africa, 
by  plane  today. 

• 

Jack  Zide,  Realart  Pictures  fran- 
chise holder  in  Detroit,  and  Mrs.  Zide 
are  the  parents  of  a  girl,  Carol 
Lillian. 

• 

L.  F.  Gran  of  Standard  Theatres 
has  returned  to  Milwaukee  after  a 
Chicago  visit. 


Many  Increases  in 
New  Postal  Rates 


MPAA  Trade  Tie 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Harry 
manager 
Mass. 


Fischer  has  been  named 
of   the    Strand,  Westfield, 


Washington,  Jan.  2.— Postage 
rate  increases,  which  will  add  an  es- 
timated $125,000,000  to  the  country's 
annual  mailing  bill,  went  into  effect 
yesterday.  Involved  in  the  increases 
are  several  services  including  air  mail 
and  parcel  post.  Letters,  magazines 
and  newspapers  are  not  affected  un- 
less they  go  by  air  mail.  _  _ 

Under  the  new  rates,  air  mail  is 
increased  from  five  to  six  cents  on 
each  ounce  up  to  eight  ounces.  Basic 
rates  for  circulars  and  the  like  are 
increased  from  one-and-a-half  cents 
to  two  cents  for  the  first  two  ounces. 
Each  additional  ounce  costs  one 
cent. 

Other  increases  cover  catalogs, 
heavy  packages,  odd-sized  pieces,  etc. 
In  addition  a  new  fee  of  $10  a  year 
for  bulk  mailing  permits  has  become 
effective.  Special  delivery  charges  have 
risen  from  13  to  15  cents  on  first  class 
mail,  and  special  service  fees  are  also 
up,  as  well  as  registry,  insurance  and 
C.  O.  D. 


St.  Louis  Scales  Cut 
To  75c  as  Tax  Goes 

St.  Louis,  Jan.  2.— Theatres  here 
will  reduce  top  admissions  from  78  to 
75  cents  and  reduce  other  prices  pro- 
portionately in  consequence  of  the  re- 
peal of  the  city's  five  per  cent  amuse- 
ment tax,  which  was  scheduled  to  be 
signed  yesterday  by  Mayor  Kauf- 
mann. 

With  a  companion  cigarette  tax,  the 
amusement  tax  netted  the  city  some 
$800,000  in  1948,  but  was  condemned 
by  the  public  as  a  nuisance  tax  at  a 
city  election  last  April.  Theatres  op- 
posed the  tax  last  year  but  took  no 
part  in  the  actual  campaign  for  repeal. 


TaxRulingDueToday 
On  Benny-CBS  Deal 

Washington,  Jan.  2.— Bureau  of 
Internal  Revenue  is  expected  to  an- 
nounce tomorrow  its  ruling  barring 
capital  gains  tax  treatment  on  deals 
such  as  the  one  under  which  Jack 
Benny  has  been  switched  to  Columbia 
Broadcasting  System.  The  expected 
ruling,  which  will  affect  other  top 
radio  talent  as  well  as  Benny,  will  be 
couched  in  general  terms.  Amos  'n' 
Andy  will  not  be  affected,  since  the 
Bureau  believes  they  can  make  out  a 
case  for  having  sold  a  property,  and 
not  just  a  person. 


'Brotherhood9  Drive 
Co-chairmen  Named 

The  appointment  of  several  terri 
torial  exhibitor  co-chairmen  for 
"Brotherhood  Week"  has  been  an- 
nounced by  Ed  Lachman  and  Gael 
Sullivan,  national  exhibitor  co-chair- 
men. 

The  new  co-chairmen  are:  Boston: 
E.  Harold  Stoneman,  Interstate  Thea- 
tre Corp.,  and  Daniel  J.  Murphy,  of 
Independent  Exhibitors  of  New  En 
gland;  Washington:  A.  Julian  Bry 
lawski,    Warner    Brothers  Theatres: 
and   Lauritz    Garman,    MPTOA  of 
Maryland;  Seattle:  Frank  L.  New 
man,  Evergreen  Theatres  Corp.,  and 
L.  O.  Lukan;  Kansas  City:  R.  R. 
Biechele,    Kansas-Missouri  Theatre 
Ass'n,  and  O.  F.   Sullivan,  AITO ; 
Indianapolis :     Trueman  Rembusch, 
Associated  Theatres  of  Indiana,  and 
Ken   Collins,   Indiana  Theatre;  San 
Francisco:  Roy  Cooper,  Golden  State 
Theatre   and   Realty   Co.,   and  Ben 
Levin,  General  Theatrical  Corp. 


Newsreel  Tn  TO3 
Parade  * 


'Red'  Prober  Resigns 

Washington,  Jan.  2.— Resignation 
of  Robert  Stripling,  chief  investigator 
for  the  House  Un-American  Activities 
Committee  and  widely  regarded  as  the 
sparkplug  of  the  investigation  of  Com- 
munist activity  in  Hollywood,  has 
been  confirmed  here  by  members  of 
the  House  committee 


Morosco  Memorial 
Service  Tomorrow 

Hollywood,  Jan.  2.— A  Christian 
Science  memorial  service  will  be  held 
at  Forest  Lawn  Tuesday  afternoon 
for  Walter  Morosco,  producer,  who 
died  in  a  Coronado  hospital  Thursday. 
The  body  was  cremated  Friday  at 
San  Diego. 

Morosco,  49,  the  son  of  the  late  im- 
presario, Oliver  Morosco,  suffered  a 
stroke  Monday.  Under  contract  to 
20th  Century-Fox  for  the  past  10 
years,  he  produced  such  film  successes 
as  "Margie,"  "Thunderhead,  Son  of 
Flicka,"  and  "Give  My  Regards  to 
Broadway."  His  last  picture,  "Moth- 
er Was  a  Freshman,"  has  not  yet  been 
released.  He  entered  the  industry  as 
a  producer  of  two-reel  educational 
films  and  was  later  associated  with 
United  Artists  and  Paramount. 

Survivors  include  a  son,  Tim,  and 
the  mother  of  the  deceased,  Mrs.  Anne 
Morosco. 


ing  machinery.  The  MPAA-WCC 
operation,  it  is  now  disclosed,  will  be 
a  permanent  fixture,  and  is  expected 
to  become  increasingly  successful. 
MPAA  Withholds  Figures 
Meanwhile,  MPAA  is  closely  guard- 
ing its  figures  relating  to  the  amount 
of  earnings  which  have  been  unfrozen 
under  WCC.  It  is  said  that  while 
some  company  presidents  are  willing 
to  disclose  the  1948  European  earn- 
ings which  were  unfrozen,  others  ad- 
vise withholding  the  information  lest 
other  American  industries  faced  with 
frozen-fund  problems  in  Europe  invite 
the  WCC  to  close  similar  deals,  which 
perhaps  would  serve  to  syphon  off  dol- 
lar benefits  accruing  to  the  MPAA 
companies.  At  least  that  is  the  way 
one  usually  reliable  industry  source 
explains  it.  . 

It  is  understood,  meanwhile,  that  in 
one  country  alone— Italy— some  $200,- 
000  was  unfrozen  in  1948  under  the 
WCC  deal.  This  figure  is  based  on 
estimates  made  earlier  this  year  by 
John  A.  R.  Pepper,  WCC  executive 
vice-president,  in  New  York.  Little 
or  nothing  was  gotten  out  of  France, 
it  is  believed,  because  of  the  extreme- 
ly unstable  financial  condition  of  that 
country. 

'Several  Million  Dollars'  Netted 

The  deal  was  conceived  by  Gerald 
Mayer,  MPAA  Continental  chief  now 
in  Paris,  when  he  was  director  of  the 
MPAA  international  division.  In  a 
statement  issued  last  month  on  the  oc- 
casion of  Mayer's  leaving  here  for 
France,  MPAA  said  that  as  a  result 
of  Mayer's  efforts  during  1948 
toward  procuring  dollar  income  from 
"soft-currency"  territories,  remit- 
tances have  netted  member  companies 
"several  million  dollars."  This  is  in- 
terpreted in  some  industry  circles  as 
a  direct  reference  to  the  MPAA- 
WCC  deal. 

The  arrangement  calls  for  WCC  to 
allot  dollars  for  increasing  a  Euro 
pean  country's  commodities  export 
business,  on  the  provision  that  the 
country  release  an  equal  amount  of 
blocked  American  film  earnings.  Part 
of  WCC's  profit  under  the  deal  comes 
in  the  form  of  "commissions"  from 
U  S  film  companies,  through  the 
MPAA. 


TWO  of  the  newsreels  devote  their 
entire  footage  to  a  sports  review 
of  the  past  year,  while  a  third  covers 
the  news  highlights  of  1948.  Varied 
news  events  of  the  week  are  covered 
by  the  two  other  newsreels.  Complete 
contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  105 — Sports 

highlights  of  1948. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  235 — Sports 
review  of  1948. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  38— Head- 
line events:  Atom-ore  in  Colorado;  U.  S. 
returning  original  Magna  Carta  to  England. 
Pact  signed  ending  recording  ban.  1948  in 
sports. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWS,  No.  209  —  UN 

hears  arguments  on  attack  by  Holland. 
Montreal  fire.  Holland  children  play  with 
munitions.  Ann  Blyth  presents  pup  to  Ma- 
rines. Sled  dog  training.  Weight-lifting. 
Horseracing. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  40— 
News  of  1948  in  review. 


Allen  DuMont  on  Video 

Allen  B.  DuMont,  president  of 
Allen  B.  DuMont  Laboratories,  and 
John  Crosby,  syndicated  columnist, 
will  appear  on  "Critics  at  Large"  over 
WJZ-TV,  New  York,  on  Friday  to 
discuss  "The  Future  of  Television." 


Kay  Van  Riper,  40 

Glendale,  Cal.,  Jan.  2. — Kay  Van 
Riper,  screen  and  radio  writer  who 
wrote  several  of  the  Andy  Hardy  film 
stories,  was  found  dead  at  her  home 
here  Friday.  Police  said  death  was 
caused  by  an  overdose  of  sleepin 
tablets. 


Swedish  Taxes  May 
Cut  Production  50% 


By  SVEN  WINQUIST 

Stockholm,  Dec.  28.  (By  Airmail) 
— Sweden's  usual  production  total  of 
some  50  features  a  year,  is  expected  to 
fall  to  25  or  30  in  1949  as  a  result  of 
the  government's  taxation  program. 

When  admission  taxes  were  in- 
creased in  February  1948,  ticket  prices 
went  up  correspondingly,  with  the  re- 
sult that  attendance  decreased.  While 
an  ordinary  worker  here  earns  around 
150  Kronor  ($42)  a  week,  it  is  diffi- 
cult for  him  to  pay  around  10  Kronor 
($2.80)  for  a  cinema  visit  (including 
theatre  tickets,  railway  fare,  etc.). 

On  the  other  hand,  an  average 
Swedish  film  costs  the  producer 
around  310,000  Kronor  ($86,800). 
For  the  producer  to  get  his  money 
back,  it  must  be  seen  by  about  700,000 
persons.  At  the  same  time,  the  gov- 
ernment gets  nearly  500,000  Kronor 
($140,000)  in  taxes.  The  government 
refuses  to  give  financial  help  to  the 
film  industry  while  governments  in 
other  Scandinavian  countries  are  help- 
ing film  producers. 

It  is  said  that  producers  lost  2,000,- 
000  Kronor  ($560,000)  on  films  pro- 
duced in  1947. 

Stahl  Starts  Filming 
Of  'Beautiful  DolV 

Hollywood,  Jan.  2.— For  the  first 
time  in  his  34-year  film  career,  direc- 
tor John  Stahl  has  rolled  the  cameras 
on  a  musical  comedy,  "Oh,  You  Beau- 
tiful Doll,"  the  George  Jessel  produc- 
tion for  20th  Century-Fox. 

Stahl  used  100  extras  in  the  open- 
ing scene,  shot  in  a  set  representing 
a  Child's  restaurant  in  New  York 
Mark  Stevens  and  June  Haver  head 
the  cast.  Picture  is  a  film  biography 
of  composer  Fred  Fischer. 


Boston  Wins  E-L  Drive 

Boston,  Jan.  2. — Eagle-Lion's  Bos 
ton  branch  has  won  first  prize  m  the 
William  F.  Heineman' sales  ' drive,  it 
was  disclosed  here  at  the  weekend. 


Burbank  in  New  Post 

Williamsburg,  Va.,  Jan.  2. — 
Kershaw  Burbank,  former  20th-Fox 
home  office  and  M-G-M  studio  public- 
ity* man,  has  been  appointed  director 
of  public  information  for  Colonial 
Williamsburg.   


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Q™sl?y.  Jrv_Assoaate  ^tor 

Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20    K.  Y .  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable :  add ress.  Sfg**™* 
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Paramount's 


Yes,  the  "Buttons -and -Bows"  pic- 
ture, like  the  song,  leads  the  Hit 
Parade  as  the  biggest- grossing  attrac- 
tion on  the  market  today  from  any 
company,.. topping  every  expectation 
.  .  .  duplicating  the  sensational  1947 
openings  of  "Road  to  Rio",  one  of 
the  highest  grossing  attractions  in  all 
Paramount  history! 


The  Paleface 


Starring 


BOB  HOPE 
JANE  RUSSELL 

Color  by  Technicolor 

ttoteedty  ROBERT  LWEUBtt 

Original  Screenplay  by  Edmund  Harfmann  and 
Frank  Tashlin  •  Additional  Dialogue  fay  Jack  Rose 
Songs  by  Jay  Livingston  and  Ray  Evans 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  3,  1949 


I.  A.  -  SOPEG  Feud 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

discussed  by  them,  the  companies  in- 
volved and  the  NLRB,  there  would  be 
a  strong  possibility  of  clearing  up  the 
jurisdictional  trouble  before  Feb.  1. 

Companies  around  whose  "white 
collarites"  a  series  of  NLRB  meetings 
has  centered  during  the  past  two 
weeks  are  Columbia,  Loew's,  Repub- 
lic, DeLuxe  Laboratories,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox and  Paramount.  It  was 
SOPEG's  long-standing  refusal  to 
comply  with  the  non-Communist  affi- 
davit provisions  of  the  Taft-Hartley 
Law  that  opened  the  way  for  H-63 
"invasions,"  since  the  companies  had 
refused  to  "do  business"  with  a  non- 
complying  SOPEG.  Meanwhile,  of 
course,  SOPEG  has  complied. 

At  this  point  the  score  is  tied  in  the 
jurisdictional  battle:  one  election  vic- 
tory for  H-63  at  United  Artists  and 
one  for  SOPEG  at  RKO  Radio. 


Allied  Artists  Sets 
Releases  for  Five 

Hollywood,  Jan.  2. — Allied  Artists 
has  set  the  following  releases  for  the 
next  four  months :  "Strike  It  Rich," 
Jack  Wrather  Prod,  starring  Rod 
Cameron,  Bonita  Granville  and  Don 
Castle,  Jan.  1.  "Bad  Men  of  Tomb- 
stone," produced  by  King  Bros.,  _  and 
starring  Barry  Sullivan,  Marjorie 
Reynolds  and  Broderick  Crawford, 
Jan.  22.  "Bad  Boy,"  produced  by  Paul 
Short,  and  starring  Jane  Wyatt  and 
Audie  Murphy,  Feb.  22.  "When  a 
Man's  a  Man,"  produced  by  Windsor 
Pictures,  and  starring  Guy  Madison 
and  Rory  Calhoun,  April  1. 

Also  "Stampede,"  produced  by  John 
C.  Champion  and  Blake  Edwards,  for 
May  1. 


Review 


"Shep  Comes  Home" 


(Screen  Guild) 

ALL  the  elements  of  emotion  and  humor  that  are  traditionally  bound  up  in 
stories  about  a  boy  and  his  dog  are  neatly  blended  in  this  smooth  little 
Robert  L.  Lippert  production  designed  for  family  audiences  and  the  Saturday 
trade.  Told  in  a  running  time  of  58  minutes,  the  boy-and-dog  story  is  inte- 
grated with  a  melodramatic  angle  about  bank  robbers  and  the  immigration 
service,  and  for  good  measure,  there's  a  routine  romance  in  the  background. 

Billy  Kimbley  plays  the  boy,  and  Flame  is  the  dog.  When  Billy  learns,  on 
his  mother's  death,  that  he  is  to  be  sent  to  an  orphanage,  and  deprived  of  his 
dog,  he  and  Flame  run  away  and  hitch-hike  to  a  small  'town  near  the  Mexican 
border,  where  Robert  Lowery  is  in  charge  of  border  immigration  and  J.  Far- 
rell  MacDonald  is  sheriff.  En  route  they  are  befriended  by  a  Mexican,  played 
by  Martin  Garralage,  who  has  lost  his  passport  and  winds  up  sharing  a  cell 
with  Billy,  who  is  held  pending  investigation.  With  Flame's  aid,  they  break 
jail  and  hide  out  in  a  ghost  town  to  which  two  bank  robbers,  fleeing  the  law, 
also  come.  When  a  posse  arrives  the  gangsters  manage  to  get  the  Mexican 
arrested  for  a  shooting  they  have  committed,  but  later  on  Billy,  with  Flame 
assisting  by  overpowering  the  bandits,  brings  the  bank  robbers  to  town  and 
justice. 

Ron  Ormond  produced,  with  Ira  Webb  as  associate  producer,  and  Ford 
Beebe  directed  from  an  original  screenplay  by  himself. 

Running  time,  58  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  not  set. 


Split  Stage  Policy 
For  RKO  Boston 

Boston,  Jan.  2. — An  agreement 
with  the  musicians  union  to  guarantee 
at  least  10  weeks'  work  in  the  current 
theatrical  season  has  resulted  in  a 
policy  for  the  RKO  Boston  under 
which  stage  shows  will  supplement  a 
feature  film  for  four  weeks,  then  re- 
vert to  double  features  for  four  weeks, 
according  to  Ben  Domingo,  New  En- 
gland district  manager  for  RKO 
Theatres.  The  stage  shows  will  be 
booked  in  groups  of  four,  each  to  run 
one  week.  The  policy  was  initiated 
on  Dec.  24. 


ERSKINE 
HAS 
TO 


JOHNSON" 
SWITCHED 
"FAMILY 
HONEYMOON" 

I  thought  You  Can't  Take 
It  With  You'  was  the  best 
comedy  I  had  ever  seen 
...until  I  saw  Claudette 
Colbert  and  Fred  MacMurray 

in  FAMILY  HONEYMOON "' 

*  Noted  NEA  Columnist  and 
Radio  Commentator 


Goetz  Cites 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


liam  Goetz's  New  Year  keynote,  de- 
livered yesterday  in  a  special  Ameri- 
can Broadcasting  program  embody- 
ing speeches  by  U.  S.  industrial,  gov- 
ernmental and  educational  leaders. 

"Not  only  will  the  producers  have 
to  make  motion  pictures  which  will 
interest  the  public,"  said  Goetz,  "but 
the  exhibitors  will  be  required  to  play 
a  more  important  part  in  attracting 
patrons  to  their  theatres  if  the  en- 
tire industry  is  to  prosper  and  in- 
crease its  domestic  revenue." 

The  exhibitor,  Goetz  held,  "will 
have  to  disseminate  more  carefully 
and  emphatically  the  facts  concerning 
the  motion  picture  he  is  showing  in 
order  to  assure  substantial  attend- 
ance." 

Goetz  said  it  was  his  opinion  that 
the  industry  will  achieve  "these  two 
most  important  objectives"  in  1949, 
Thus,  he  said  in  conclusion,  the  in- 
dustry "will  find  itself  not  only  in  a 
sound  financial  condition  but  able  to 
provide  the  theatre-going  public  with 
many  pleasant  hours  of  worthwhile 
entertainment,  which,  of  course,  is  its 
goal  not  only  this  year  but  every 
year." 


Happy  Birthdays 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


company  in  1949,  was  formed  in 
April,  1919. 

Columbia  arrives  at  its  25th  birth- 
day next  Monday,  having  been  incor 
porated  on  Jan.  10,  1924. 

Monogram  also  reaches  its  25th 
year,  having  come  into  being  with 
W.  Ray  Johnston's  Rayart  Prod,  in 
1924. 

Many  happy  returns  ! 


'Pit'  Starts  National 
Release  in  9  Cities 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  launched 
"The  Snake  Pit"  on  its  national  re 
lease  over  the  weekend  with  nine  New 
Year's  Eve  openings. 

The  showings  in  Boston,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Oakland,  San  Jose,  San  Diego, 
Long  Beach,  Bakersfield,  Tucson  and 
Phoenix  will  be  followed  by  day-and 
date  premieres  early  in  January  in  40 
theatres  in  key  cities,  Andy  W.  Smith, 
Jr.,  general  sales  manager,  said. 


Arbitration  Accord 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


would  file  separate  proposals  has  been 
virtually  dismissed. 

The  system  as  it  now  stands,  among 
other  things,  provides  for  damages 
up  to  $5,000  for  an  exhibitor  as  a 
result  of  proven  arbitrary  refusal  of 
run  by  any  single  distributor  and  sub- 
sequent non-compliance  with  the 
award  determined  by  the  arbitrator. 
Some  phases  of  the  plan  are  expected 
to  be  altered  before  it  is  presented 
in  the  majors'  proposed  decree  to  the 
Department  of  Justice  on  Jan.  31. 

There  is  no  indication  yet  that  the 
plan  meets  with  the  approval  of  the 
Little  Three,  Republic,  Eagle-Lion 
and  Allied  Artists-Monogram,  who 
also  have  been  invited  to  participate 
in  the  discussions. 


There's  one  thing 
that  never  fails  to 
surprise  first-flighters  on  "the 
Hollywood,"  United's  onestop 
New  York-Los  Angeles  flight. 


Just  about  10  min- 
utes after  taking 
off  in  the  gray  gloom  of  mid- 
winter, our  giant  DC-6  Main- 
liner  300  suddenly  emerges  into 
clear  blue  skies  and  dazzling 
sunlight ! 


It's  a  remarkable 
change,  and  many 
passengers  ask  me  about  it.  I 
thought  you'd  like  to  know,  too, 
that  "the  Hollywood"  (and 
United's  other  DC-6  Mainliner 
300s)  fly  at  the  sunshine  level — 
thousands  of  feet  above  winter 
weather.  The  air  is  really  smooth 
at  the  sunshine  level.  It  takes 
us  only  a  few  minutes  to  reach 
this  altitude,  and  we  stay  there 
for  the  entire  trip,  except  for 
our  one  stop  at  Chicago. 


,  I  think  you'll  agree 
when  you  fly  "the 
Hollywood" — it's  the  finest  way 
to  travel  coast  to  coast. 


United  Air  Lines  Pilot  on 


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MOTION  PICTURE 

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VOL.  65.  NO.  2 

XTCTI7'    VADF      ¥  T    C      A         HPT  IT7 C T~l  A  "V       T  A  TVTT  T  t  n  ~\r     A       1  A  (n 

INliW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  lUliaDAY,  JANUARY  4,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Deadlock  Ends 
Exchange  Pay 
Raise  Parleys 

'I A'  Demands  Rejected; 
Federal  Gov't  Alerted 


|N.  Y.  Runs  Big  But 
Expected 'Eve' Boom 
Fizzled  in  Sleet 


First  business  day  of  the  New 
Year  yesterday  found  the  industry 
facing  what  threatens  to  become  a 
desperate  labor-management  situa- 
tion. Top-level  negotiations  here  be- 
tween IATSE  president  Richard  F. 
Walsh's  special  committee  and  the  dis- 
tributors' labor  committee,  on  a  new 
contract  for  6,300  office  exchange 
workers  in  the  32  exchange  centers, 
have  broken  down,  it  was  reported 
here  yesterday  following  a  month  of 
meetings. 

The  Federal  Mediation  Board 
in  Washington  has  been  noti- 
fied by  "IA"  assistant  interna- 
tional president  Thomas  J. 
Shea,  chairman  of  the  "IA"  ne- 
gotiating committee,  that  an 
impasse  has  been  reached  in 
the  bargaining. 

It  is  understood  that  the  companies 
have  refused  flatly  to  agree  to  any 
wage  raises  for  the  exchange  workers, 
{Continued  on  page  2) 

11  Theatres  Named 
In  Percentage  Suits 

Asheville,  N.  C,  Jan.  3— George 
D.  Carpenter,  J.  Vernon  Benfield,  J. 
S.  Hinson  and  Colonial  Theatres,  Inc. 
were  named  defendants  in  six  separate 
percentage  suits  filed  today  in  District 
Court  by  RKO,  Columbia,  Universal, 
Paramount,  United  Artists  and  War- 
ner. Each  plaintiff  seeks  punitive 
damages. 

Theatres  involved  are  the  Colonial 
in  Valdese,  Canova  in  Canover,  Main 
in  Granite  Falls,  Carolina  and  Rivoli 
in  Hickory,  Louisburg  in  Louisburg, 
Patovi  in  Madison,  Pickwick  in  May- 
(Continued  on  page  9) 

AdditionalChairmen 
For  'Brotherhood' 

Additional  territorial  exhibitor  co- 
chairmen  for  the  forthcoming  "Broth- 
erhood Week"  drive  have  been  named 
by  Ed  Lachman  and  Gael  Sullivan, 
national  exhibitor  co-chairmen,  as  fol- 
lows : 

Denver :  John  M.  Wolfberg,  Allied 
Rocky  Mountain  Independent  Thea- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


The  impressive  array  of  holiday 
product  at  New  York's  first-runs 
failed  to  produce  the  maximum  income 
expected  at  the  New  Year  weekend 
and  theatremen  blamed  the  bad  weath- 
er. Sleet  and  cold  impaired  business 
considerably  on  New  Year's  Eve  but 
grosses  picked  up  on  Saturday  and 
Sunday. 

This  marks  the  second  successive 
time  that  the  weatherman  played  hav- 
oc with  theatres  over  the  like  holiday 
period.  Last  year's  record  snowfall 
cut  revenue  from  25  to  SO  per  cent. 
The  elements  were  not  so  severe  this 
time,  but  the  unanimous  opinion  of 
operators  was  that  clear  skies  and  dry 
streets  would  have  meant  uniformly 
top  grosses.  Because  of  the  varying 
degree's  of  business  registered  at  first- 
runs,  the  extent  of  the  damage  done 
at  box-offices  by  the  weather  could 
not  be  determined. 

A  full  house  was  reported  for  the 
Fulton  on  Friday  night  when  the  tar- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


End  District  Offices 
Of  America  Circuit 

Boston,  Jan.  3.— All  district  man- 
agers offices  of  American  Theatres 
Corp.  and  New  England  Theatres 
have  been  discontinued  henceforth. 
This  was  done  so  that  closer  super- 
vision over  the  theatres  can  be 
effected.  All  district  managers  will 
work  out  of  the  home  offices  of  their 
respective  companies. 

The  discontinuance  grows  out  of 
last  week's  sales  of  Paramount's  in- 
terest in  Netoco  Theatres  to  Ameri- 
can Theatres. 


Meet  Here  Today  on 
$.  Africa  Situation 

Departure  from  here  yes- 
terday of  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America's 
Francis  S.  Harmon  for  Jo- 
hannesburg to  confer  with 
South  African  government  of- 
ficials on  the  case  of 
MPAA  member  companies 
against  any  cutback  in  remit- 
tances was  postponed  to  en- 
able MPAA  distributor  mem- 
bers to  meet  here  today  to 
map  further  their  policy  on 
the  situation.  A  committee 
may  be  named  to  accompany 
Harmon  who  may  now  leave 
on  Friday. 


Capital  Tax  Deals 
Ruled  Out  by  U.S. 

Washington,  Jan.  3.  — The  U.  S. 
Bureau  of  Internal  Revenue  today 
came  out  flatly  and  firmly  against  capi- 
tal gains  tax  treatment  of  deals  like 
that  made  by  Jack  Benny  with  the 
Columbia  Broadcasting  System  where- 
in sale  of  personal  services  is  the  main 
factor. 

As  expected,  the  Bureau  ruled — 
without  mentioning  any  names  —  that 
such  deals  must  be  taxed  at  ordinary 
income  tax  rates. 

Bureau  chief  George  J.  Schoeneman 
made  the  ruling  in  a  brief  two-para- 
graph statement,  issued,  he  said,  "in 
response  to  numerous  inquiries  as  to 
the_  tax  treatment  of  sales  by  radio 
artists  and  others  where  personal  ser- 
vices are  involved." 

Said  the  statement :  "The  tax  effect 
of  any  business  transaction  is  deter- 

(Continued  on  page  9) 


Laws  on  Sees  Greater 
Stability  in  Canada 


Supreme  Court  Bans 
Closed  Union  Shops 

Washington,  Jan.  3.— The  U. 
S.  Supreme  Court  today  up- 
held the  constitutionality  of 
state  laws  banning  the  closed 
shop,  union  shop,  and  other 
similar  forms  of  unions  re- 
quiring workers  to  be  mem- 
bers. 

It  is  estimated  that  16  or 
17  states  have  such  laws, 
guaranteeing  workers  the 
right  to  work  regardless  of 
membership  in  unions. 


Toronto,  Jan.  3.— "Although  in  the 
motion  picture  ■  industry  it  has  been 
considered  axiomatic  that  the  Cana- 
dian market  was  identical  with  the 
American,  trends  in  the  Dominion's 
film  industry  did  not  parallel  those  in 
the  United  States  during  the  12 
months  ended,"  according  to  J.  Earl 
Lawson,  KC,  president  of  Canadian 
Odeon  Theatres  and  the  J.  Arthur 
Rank  Organization  of  Canada,  who 
added;  "In  1948  the  point  of  difference 
of  chief  importance  was  the  greater 
stability  of  the  Canadian  market." 

Lawson  said  that  "it  is  too  soon  to 
tell  whether  this  was'  a  temporary  con- 
dition due  to  the  special  circumstances 
of  the  year.  _  But  it  has  invariably 
(Continued  on  page  9) 


Mayors  Would 
End  US  Tax  to 
Level  Locally 

Act  Following  Similar 
Move  Made  by  AM  A 

Washington,  Jan.  3. — Still  an- 
other demand  for  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment to  step  out  of  the  admis- 
sion tax  picture  so  that  cities  can 
step  in  will  be  made  in  March,  when 
the  U.  S.  Conference  of  Mayors  meets 
here. 

Last  month,  the  American 
Municipal  Association  went  on 
record  for  an  early  end  of  the 
Federal  20  per  cent  admission 
tax,  and  for  the  states  to  give 
municipalities  the  power  to 
levy  admission  taxes.  The 
AMA  represents  some  7,500 
state  and  municipal  govern- 
ments. 

The  Conference  of  Mayors  will 
meet  here  for  its  annual  conference  on 
March  21-23.  It  represents  mainly  the 
larger  towns  and  cities.  There  is  some 

(Continued  on  page  6) 

Para.  Halts  Court 
Report  on  Theatres 

Paramount  has  elected  to  discon- 
tinue the  filing  of  quarterly  reports 
with  the  New  York  Federal  Court  on 
changes  in  its  theatre  holdings,  having 
taken  the  position  that  the  necessity  of 
them  had  been  obviated  by  the  opin- 
ion of  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court  in 
the  industry  anti-trust  case. 

Loew,  Warner  and  20th  Century- 
Fox  filed  their  fourth-quarter,  1948, 
statements  on  Friday  and  yesterday, 
all  formally  disclosing  changes  which 
they  announced  at  the  court  hearings 
last  month. 

When  it  proscribed  theatre  major 
circuit  interests  of  between  five  and 
95  per  cent  in  its  decree  of  Dec.  31, 
(Continued  on  page  9) 


Conciliation  Set 
For  New  Haven 


New  Haven,  Jan.  3. — A  Theatre 
Owners  of  America  conciliation  board 
has  been  appointed  here  and  is  ready 
to  commence  its  duties  for  the  ex- 
change area,  covering  Connecticut.  The 
two  members  of  the  committee  are 
Maurice  Bailey  and  George  H.  Wil- 
kinson, Jr.  Bailey  is  a  theatre  oper- 
(Continued  on  page  9) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  4,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


ARTHUR  H.  LOCKWOOD,  The- 
atre Owners  of  America  presi- 
dent, is  due  here  Thursday  from  Bos- 
ton for  an  executive  board  meeting. 
• 

Al  Horwits,  Universal  -  Interna- 
tional Eastern  publicity  manager,  and 
Charles  Simonelli,  Eastern  exploi- 
tation manager,  will  leave  here  today 
for  Cincinnati. 

• 

J.  Arthur  Rank  has  contributed 
£45,000  ($180,000)  to  Yale-in-China 
of  New  Haven  for  a  library  for 
Huachung  University  in  Hunan  Prov- 
ince, China. 

• 

Max  Greenwald,  former  general 
manager  of  Elyria  Theatres  in  Ohio, 
will  manage  the  new  Richmond  The- 
atre, Cleveland,  when  it  opens  late 
this  month. 

• 

Ann  Mayo,  former  head  of  the 
Universal-International  accounting  de- 
partment in  Atlanta,  is  now  associated 
with  Eagle-Lion's  accounting  depart- 
ment in  that  city. 

• 

Clyde  R.  Keith,  New  York  engi- 
neering   representative   for  Western 
Electric's  Electrical  Research  Prod- 
ucts, is  on  the  Coast  from  here. 
• 

Jack  A.  Simons,  former  manager 
of  Loew's  Poli  and  Center  theatres  in 
Hartford,  has  been  named  manager  of 
the  Warner  State  in  Washington,  Pa. 
• 

H.  E.  Robinson,  former  Warner 
office  manager  in  Charlotte,  has  joined 
the  Columbia  sales  force  in  that  city. 
• 

Diana  Lynn  and  her  husband, 
John  C.  Lindsey,  are  honeymooning 
in  Nassau,  British  Bahamas. 

• 

Sol  Karp  has  been  named  assist- 
ant manager  of  the  State  Theatre, 
Hartford. 

• 

James  Bello,  special  representative 
for  Astor  Pictures,  has  returned  to 
Atlanta  from  New  York. 

• 

Jimmy  Hobbs,  branch  manager  for 
Monogram  Southern  Exchanges  is  in 
Miami  from  Atlanta. 


Exchange  Deadlock 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


John  Baker,  42 

Hollywood,  Jan.  3. — Services  will 
be  held  tomorrow  morning  for  John 
J.  Baker,  42,  Universal  publicist,  who 
died  on  Saturday  from  a  heart  attack. 
He  was  chief  of  the  studio  publicity 
art  department  for  the  past  six  years. 
The  widow,  a  son  and  his  mother  sur- 
vive. 


Kay  Van  Riper  Rites 

Hollywood,  Jan.  3. — Private  fun- 
eral services  will  be  conducted  here 
tomorrow  at  Forest  Lawn  for  Kay 
Van  Riper,  screen  writer,  who  died 
on  Friday. 


Henry  Lord  Succumbs 

Hartford,  Jan.  3. — Henry  Lord,  one 
of  Connecticut's  oldest  motion  picture 
projectionists,  died  here  late  last  week. 


taking  the  position  that  a  business  re- 
cession has  hit  the  industry  and  that, 
therefore,  raises  are  not  in  order  at 
this  time. 

"IA"  opened  the  negotiations  early 
last  month  with  a  reported  bid  for  a 
15  per  cent  general  wage  increase  and 
a  cut  in  the  work  week  from  40  to 
37  %  hours.  A  similar  wage  raise  was 
included  in  the  one-year  contract 
which  recently  expired.  It  represent- 
ed an  exchange  workers'  pay  hike  to- 
taling more  than  $1,500,000. 

It  is  expected  that  an  offer  by  the 
government  of  the  services  of  a  media- 
tor will  be  accepted  by  both  parties 
However,  there  is  little  hope  prevail- 
ing that  a  Federal  mediator  would 
succeed  in  bringing  about  a  settlement 
since  a  bitter  determination  to  hold 
out  has  been  expressed  by  both  sides, 
according  to  one  close  observer.  It  is 
reported  that  even  before  a  mediator 
arrives  from  Washington  "token 
walkouts"  may  be  expected  in  ex- 
changes across  the  country  as  an  ex- 
pression of  resentment  over  the 
impasse. 

Others   on   the   "IA"  negotiating 
committee  are  vice-president  Louise 
Wright  and  international  representa- 
tive Joseph  D.  Basson.    Clarence  Hill 
of  20th  Century-Fox  heads  the  dis 
tributors'  committee,  which  also  in 
eludes  Anthony  Petti,  Universal-In 
ternational;    C.   J.    (Pat)  Scollard, 
Paramount ;  Charles  O'Brien,  Loew's  ; 
Henry  C.  Kaufman,  Columbia;  Leslie 
Thompson,  RKO  Radio ;  Sam  Schnei 
der,    Warner,   and   Harry  Buckley, 
United  Artists. 


Extra  Vacations  for 
Buchanan  Employes 

As  the  first  step  in  a  program  of 
extended  employee  benefits,  Buchanan 
and  Co.  has  instituted  special  six- 
week  "travel  leaves"  with  full  pay 
plus  travel  allowances,  for  all  em 
ployes  who  have  completed  five  years 
or  more  of  service.  The  agency 
handles   several   industry  accounts. 

The  plan,  which  went  into  opera 
tion  yesterday,  was  developed  by  man- 
agement at  the  instance  of  John  Hertz, 
Jr.,  chairman  of  the  board,  who  has 
long  espoused  the  principle  of  "broad- 
ening-through-travel"  for  all  ranks  of 
employes.  The  six-week  periods  are 
conditioned  upon  their  use  "exclusive' 
ly  for  travel  of  an  extensive  and  not 
local  nature." 

Elaborating  on  the  plan,  Rudolph 
Montgelas,  president  of  the  agency, 
stated  that  subsequent  six-week  leaves 
will  be  available  to  eligible  employes 
every  three  years  thereafter.  He  also 
pointed  out  that  the  new  system  would 
in  no  way  interfere  with  the  regular 
two-week  vacation  with  pay  due  every 
employe  not  eligible  for  the  plan. 


Sale  of  Hughes  Tool 
Firm  Is  Called  Off 

Hollywood,  Jan.  3.  —  Howard 
Hughes  has  informed  employes  of  his 
Hughes  Tool  Co.  that  the  proposed 
sale  of  the  Texas  corporation  to 
syndicate  headed  by  Dillon,  Read  and 
Co.,  New  York  investment  bankers, 
had  been  called  off  because  of  "legal 
and  technical  obstacles." 


$27,500  in  Prizes 
To  E-L  Branches 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


Members  of  the  Eagle-Lion  sales 
organization  in  21  of  the  company's 
31  domestic  branches  have  received 
$27,500  in  prizes  for  the  recently-con- 
cluded company  sales  drive  in  honor 
of  William  J.  Heineman,  E-L  sales 
vice-president. 

Leading  money-winning  branch  was 
Boston,  which,  under  the  leadership 
of  branch  manager  Harry  Segal,  won 
$3,400.  Other  leaders  in  order  were 
Clair  Townsend's  Detroit,  $2,600; 
Wallace  Rucker's  Seattle,  $2,600; 
Arthur  M.  Jolley's  Salt  Lake  City, 
$1,700;  Harold  Keeter's  Charlotte, 
$1,500;  Martin  R.  Austin's  Denver, 
$1,500;  Lloyd  Katz'  San  Francisco, 
$1,500;  Gordon  Craddock's  Indian- 
apolis, $1,300;  Harry  Goldman's  Chi- 
cago, $1,250;  Harry  S.  Alexander's 
Albany,  $1,100 ;  Des  Moines,  managed 
during  the  drive  by  F.  J.  Lee,  now 
St.  Louis  branch  manager,  $1,000 ;  Ab- 
bott M.  Schwartz'  Minneapolis,  $1,000. 
Following  these  leaders  in  the  distri- 
bution of  prizes  came  Cincinnati,  Mil- 
waukee, Portland,  Atlanta,  Kansas 
City,  Philadelphia,  St.  Louis,  Wash- 
ington and  Cleveland. 

Top  individual  district  manager's 
prize  went  to  Edward  Heiber,  Mid- 
west, who  received  $1,000 ;  second  dis- 
trict manager's  prize  of  $500  to  Tom 
Donaldson,  former  New  England  dis- 
trict manager ;  and  third  prize  of  $250 
was  awarded  to  Southern  district  man- 
ager Grover  Parsons. 

Named  "best  branch  manager"  .was 
Fred  Rohrs,  Washington,  who  re- 
ceived $250.  John  Leo,  of  the  San 
Francisco  branch,  was  hailed  "out- 
standing salesman"  with  an  award  of 
$150,  and  Sam  Levine  of  Boston  was 
declared  best  booker,  receiving  $100. 


Ellis  To  Distribute 
Foreign  Films  Here 

Jack  Ellis,  former  Eastern  district 
manager  for  United  Artists,  is  enter- 
ing distribution  on  his  own  here  and 
will  handle  foreign  and  independent 
product.  He  already  has  American 
distribution  rights  to  a  new  Italian 
picture. 


Fire  Kills  Operator 

Minneapolis,  Jan.  3. — Fire  of  un- 
known origin,  which  completely  de- 
stroyed the  Avalon,  Brooten,  Minn., 
took  the  life  of  the  theatre's  projec- 
tionist, Lawrence  Hesse,  36.  Clar- 
ence Swenson,  manager,  suffered  from 
shock.  The  theatre  was  owned  by 
C.  D.  Nelson. 


Fred  Ford  Dies  at  62 

Memphis,  Jan.  3. — Fred  Ford,  2nd, 
62,  publicity  manager  for  the  RKO 
Memphis  and  New  Orleans  offices, 
died  of  a  heart  attack  Sunday  in  New 
Orleans  Hotel.  He  had  been  with 
RKO  10  years. 


S.  E.  Coffin,  Malco  (Vet' 

Memphis,  Jan.  3. — Samuel  Edgar 
Coffin,  retired  manager  of  the  Princess 
Theatre  and  the  oldest  employee  of 
Malco  Theatres,  died  yesterday  morn- 
ing at  Methodist  Hosiptal.  He  was  72. 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

Rockefeller  Center 

•"WORDS  AND  MUSIC"  5 

ALLYSON        .       PERRY  COMO 
GARLAND        .        LENA  HORNE 
KELLY       .       MICKEY  ROONEY 
ANN  SOTHERN 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 
A  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
■THE   GREAT  CHRISTMAS  STAGE  SHOW 


Every  Girl 
Should  Be 


??r?fdCAPIT0L 


B'woy  A 

Slit  SlTMt 


Paleface 

ccfertr  Technicolor! 

J»w  Picture 


Samuel  Goldwyn  presents 

"ENCHANTMENT" 

Starring 

DAVID  NIVEN  TERESA  WRIGHT 

EVELYN  KEYES  FARLEY  GRANGER 

Released  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 

ASTOR  THEATER 

Broadway  &  45th  Street 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

45th  Street 
West  of  Broadway 
Alt  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
'    Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


BIJOU  THEATER, 


r 


MMYl  F.  ZJUWCK  prasMtt 

OLIVIA  de  HAYILLAND 


1 


the  Siirakd 


■ Directed  by  Produced  by 

HUTOU  UTVtf .  MUIDU  UTVM  t  B0BERT  USUI 


T^IVOLI 


TOO  BIG  FOR  ONE  THEATRE 


JoanofArc 

INGRID  Bergman! 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 
COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR 

CASr  Of  THOUSANDS  with  JOSE  FERRER 
FRANCIS  L.  SULLIVAN  ■  J.  CARROL  NAISH 
WARD  BOND  •  SHEPPERO  STRUDWICK  •  HURD  5? 
HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHART  •  JOHN  EMERY  % 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  -  JOHN  IRELAND  and  & 
CECIL  KEllAWAY  *.  bated  upon  the  ft 
I  Lorraine'  t» 


ANDERSON  and  ANDREW 
SOLT  •  Aft  Direction  by 

RICHARD  DAY 
Director  of  Photography. 
JOSEPH  VALENTINE.  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER 
Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays. 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  Qmgpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady  Secretary; 
Tames  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher  Editorial  Representative.  Washington, 
J.  A.  Often,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Bum  up,  Editor;  cable  address,  Qmgpubco,  London. 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  every  fourth  week  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


2a 


CENTURY-FOX 

CONGRATULATES 


as  tht 


as  the 


BEST  ACTRESS 
OF  THE  YEAR! 


II 


11 


by  UNANIMOUS  ACCLAIM  on  the  FIRST 
BALLOT  of  the  NEW  YORK  FILM  CRITICS! 


BEST  ACTRESS 
OF  THE  YEAR!" 


by  the  NATIONAL  BOARD  OF  REVIEW 
COMMITTEE  on  EXCEPTIONAL  FILMS! 


for  her  portrayal  in 

the 


Darryl  F.  Zanuck  presents  OLIVIA  de  HAVILLAND  in  "THE  SNAKE  PIT"  •  also  Starring  MARK  STEVENS  and 
LEO  GENN  with  CELESTE  HOLM -GLENN  LANGAN- Helen  Craig.-.Leif  Erickson •  Beulah  Bondi-Lee  Patrick 
Howard  Freeman  •  Natalie  Schafer  •  Ruth  Donnelly  •  Katherine  Locke  •  Frank  Conroy  •  Minna  Gombell 
Directed  by  ANATOLE  LITVAK  •  Produced  by  ANATOLE  LITVAK  and  ROBERT  BASSLER  •  Screen  Play  by 
Frank  Partos  and  Millen  Brand  •  Based  on  the  Novel  by  Mary  Jane  Ward 


4-STATE,  150-THEATB 
LAUNCHES  WALT  DISI 


From  the  heart  of  America  to  America's  heart  comes 
"So  Dear  To  My  Heart",  Walt  Disney's  miracle  merger 
of  warm,  living  drama  and  joyous  cartoon  — a  real 
"story-telling  story"  that  gleams  and  glows  with 
tenderness,  laughter  and  tears  to  delight  all  of  all 
ages,  who  know  and  remember  the  miracle  of  youth. 

Climaxing  a  phenomenal  campaign  of  magazine  and 
newspaper  advertising,  exploitation,  network  radio 
and  music  promotion,  "So  Dear  To  My  Heart"  comes  to 
America's  heart  January  19th  in  an  unprecedented 
150-theatre  premiere  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  Kentucky 
and  West  Virginia. 


CCU*  BY 

TECHNICOLOR 


"Rating:  Excellent!  Fundamental  entertainment . . . 
fine,  heart-warming  diversion  for  all  kinds  and 
classes  of  people!  A  rare  experience!" 

—  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 


"Will  delight  the  young-in-heart  of  all  ages!  Eye- 
filling  Technicolor  .  .  .  acted  with  verve  by  an  en- 
dearing cast .  .  .  magical  flights  of  cartoon  fancy!" 

—  MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


Amply  endowed  to  join  the  long  line  of  distin- 
guished Walt  Disney  predecessors  and  carve  itself 
a  noteworthy  place  among  them  as  concerns  pop- 
ularity and  profits!"  —  BOXOFFICE 


E  WORLD  PREMIERE 
EY'S  GREAT  NEW  HIT! 


WAIT  DISNEY'S 

SO  DEN 


0 


p 


READER'S  DIGEST 
brought  it  to  their 
32,000,000  readers! 


A 


STARRING 

BURL  IVES  •  BEULAH  BOND! 
HARRY  CAREY  ■  LUANA  PATTEN 
and  BOBBY  DRISCOLL 


©W.D.  P. 


FEATURING  THAT  "DULY- DULY"  SONG 
"LAVENDER  BLUE"  (DILLY-DILLY) 


and 


'SO  DEAR  TO  MY  HEART"  .  "IT'S  WATCHA  DO  WITH  WATCHA  GOT' 
"STICK-TO-IT-IVITY"  .  "COUNTY  FAIR" 

Directed  by  HAROLD  SCHUSTER  •  Screen  Play  by  John  Tucker  Battle 
Adaptation  by  Maurice  Rapf  and  Ted  Sears  •  From  the  Story  by  Sterling  North 
Released  through  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES,  INC. 


"A  rare  opportunity  for  exhibitors  to  sell  a  clean, 
wholesome  show!  The  need  for  such  an  attraction 
has  long  been  evident!" 

—  HOLLYWOOD  REPORTER 

'Can't  miss  at  any  run,  small  or  large,  big  city 
or  small  town!  Disney's  reputation,  plus  splendid 
word-of-mouth  bound  to  make  it  a  big  grosser!" 

—  SHOWMEN'S  TRADE  REVIEW 


"A  constant  delight!  Wait  Disney  has  again  turned 
out  another  roundly  good  entertainment  for  the 
young-in-heart .  .  .  rich  and  warm!" 

—  FILM  DAILY 

"A  must  for  the  seniors  as  well  as  the  kids!  Plenty 
of  laughs,  suspense  and  good  old-fashioned  melo- 
drama! Stands  right  up  in  front  of  Walt  Disney's 
,is,!"  —  DAILY  VARIETY 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  4,  1949 


N.  Y.  Runs  Big 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


iff  was  increased  from  $2.40  to  $3.60 
and  where  "Joan  of  Arc"  is  now  in 
a  third  week  on  a  reserved-seat  basis. 
This  is  the  highest  admission  seen  in 
these  parts  in  recent  years.  The  film 
figures  to  do  $18,000  for  the  week  at 
the  Fulton  and  about  $44,000  for  an 
eighth  week  at  the  Victoria. 

"Words  and  Music"  with  a  holiday 
stage  presentation  at  the  Music  Hall 
seemed  actually  to  benefit  from  the 
storm.  House  took  in  $31,250  on  Fri- 
day, setting  a  new  mark  for  New 
Year's  Eve  despite  the  weather  which 
so  adversely  affected  other  spots.  Hall 
probably  will  do  $160,000,  a  tremen- 
dous take  in  this  current  and  fourth 
week  of  the  show. 

Roxy  Scale  Raised  30c 

The  Roxy,  which  raised  its  scale  to 
$1.80  top,  from  $1.50,  took  in  $102,000 
Wednesday  through  Sunday,  indicat- 
ing $120,000  for  the  second  week  of 
"That  Wonderful  Urge"  with  an  ice 
show  featuring  Barbara  Ann  Scott  on 
stage;  that  is  big  business  but  more 
was  looked  for. 

"Enchantment"  is  likely  to  do  about 
$39,000  in  a  second  week  at  the  Astor, 
which  is  good  enough,  and  about  $1,- 
000  over  the  previous  week.  "One 
Sunday  Afternoon"  failed  to  stand  up 
against  the  weather  at  the  Mayfair, 
with  only  $11,000  in  a  second  week. 

Others  which  faltered  were  "Whip- 
lash" with  $11,000  in  a  second  week 
at  the  Globe,  and  "Angel  on  the  Ama- 
zon" with  $8,000  for  a  second  week  at 
the  Gotham. 

"Rogues'  Regiment"  is  moderate  at 
the  Criterion  with  $18,000  seen  for  a 
third  week.  At  the  Park,  "Hamlet" 
should  ring  up  a  lofty  $24,000  in  a 
fourth  week  during  which  eight  extra 
performances  were  added,  bringing  the 
total  for  the  week  to  25.  "Red  Shoes" 
also  is  continuing  big  with  about  $19,- 
000  apparent  for  the  11th  week  at  the 
Bijou. 

At  the  Paramount  where  the  New 
Year's  Eve  top  was  $2.20,  "Paleface" 


Review 


Angel  in  Exile 

(Republic) 

A REAL  effort  to  get  away  from  the  sterotyped  format  is  made  by  Repub- 
lic in  "Angel  in  Exile."  It  concerns  stolen  gold,  a  thief  who  goes  to  the 
secret  hiding  place  to  recover  the  cache  after  he  is  released  from  prison,  and 
the  attempts  of  rival  gangsters  to  hijack  the  loot. 

The  plot's  novel  turn  comes  when  the  gangster  has  a  change  of  heart  about 
the  gold  because  the  villagers,  near  where  the  gold  is  hidden,  think  him  a 
miracle  man  because  he  has  "discovered"  gold  in  an  abandoned  mine.  Allan 
Swan  and  Philip  Ford  turn  in  a  competent  direction  job  from  the  original 
screenplay  by  Charles  Larson. 

John  Carroll  is  the  released  gangster,  who,  with  a  loyal  colleague  of  pre- 
prison  days,  goes  to  an  abandoned  mine  high  in  the  Arizona  mountains  to  re- 
cover the  gold.  Rival  gangsters  follow  them.  The  mine  is  near  a  village 
populated  by  Mexicans.  When  it  becomes  known  that  Carroll  is  taking  gold 
from  the  mine  he  becomes  a  miracle  man  and,  after  a  typhoid  epidemic  in  the 
village  (where  the  miracle  man  cures  the  sick  by  merely  talking  to  them),  a 
spirited  gun-fight  follows.  The  rival  gangster,  Barton  MacLane,  his  hench- 
man, and  Carroll's  pal  are  killed.  After  a  touch  of  romance  and  a  Westenv 
style  fist  fight,  Carroll"  repents  and  tries  to  live  up  to  the  villagers'  faith  in  him. 

Carroll  and  the  others  turn  in  good  performances.  MacLane  is  his  usual 
tough  gangster.  The  girl  is  Adele  Mara,  who  does  her  job  in  satisfactory 
fashion.  Thomas  Gornez,  as  the  saintly  village  doctor,  and  Howland  Chamber- 
lin,  as  the  larcenous  government  clerk,  register  nicely.  _ 
Running  time,  90  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification. 


Floods  Shut  Many 
N,  England  Homes 

Boston,  Jan.  3. — Theatres  in 
Vermont,  Western  Massachu- 
setts and  Connecticut  were 
damaged  by  floods  over  the 
weekend.  Many  of  them 
closed  and  film  deliveries 
were  impaired. 


accompanied  by  Benny  Goodman's  or- 
chestra on  stage  tonight  will  conclude 
a  rousing  third  week's  business  getting 
in  the  neighborhood  of  $92,000.  "Snake 
Pit"  looks  good  for  $37,000  in  a  ninth 
week  at  the  Rivoli,  probably  having 
derived  good  support  from  the  New 
York  Film  Critics'  award  to  Olivia 
De  Havilland  for  her  performance  in 
the  picture. 

Upswing  at  the  Capitol 

"Every  Girl  Should  Be  Married," 
the  Capitol  tenant  with  Burt  Lancas- 
ter and  Skitch  Henderson's  orchestra 
on  stage,  is  greatly  improved  in  a  sec- 
ond week  with  $102,000  indicated. 
This  is  the  biggest  week  in  many 
months  for  the  Capitol,  and  about 
$14,000  over  business  for  the  opening 
week  of  the  show. 

At  the  Strand,  "Adventures  of  Don 
Juan"  with  Tommy  Dorsey  on  stage 
reaped  a  good  $40,000  during  Friday 
through  Sunday,  and  on  that  basis 
should  finish  a  second  week  with  $75,- 


THRILLS 
THE  OLD 
WEST! 


WATCH  FOR  HlTTlRST 
^OfW  TECHNICOLOR  ADVENTURE 

SMITH  | 


000.  Heavy  returns  for  the  second 
week  of  "Force  of  Evil,"  hitting  $55,- 
000,  are  in  view  at  the  State.  The  film 
did  $62,000  in  its  opening  week. 

The  Palace  will  resume  its  first-run 
policy  on  Jan.  12  with  RKO  Radio's 
"The  Boy  with  Green  Hair."  Other 
new  films  on  schedule  include  Film 
Classics'  "Unknown  Island"  at  the 
Rialto  on  Friday  and  United  Artists' 
"My  Dear  Secretary"  which  is  to  fol- 
low the  current  "One  Sunday  After- 
noon" at  the  Mayfair. 


'Fallen  Idol'  Gets 
British  Film  Award 

London,  Jan.  3. — Jane  Wyman  has 
been  named  the  actress  of  the  year 
by  the  London  Daily  Express  film 
tribunal  for  her  role  in  "Johnny  Be- 
linda" and  Alexander  Korda's  "The 
Fallen  Idol"  was  named  the  film  of 
the  year.  Pierre  Fresnay  was  cited  the 
best  actor  of  the  year.  These  awards 
were  accompanied  by  $4,000.  Selznick 
Releasing  Organization  will  handle 
The  Fallen  Idol"  in  the  United  States 
shortly. 

Six  prizes  of  $400  each  we're  award- 
ed for  the  following  performances: 
Moira  Shearer,  for  "Red  Shoes" ; 
Clifton  Webb,  "Sitting  Pretty" ;  Alex 
Guiness,  "Oliver  Twist" ;  Micheline 
Presle  in  "Le  Diable  au  Corps",  and 
Alastair  Sim  and  Wylie  Watson  in 
"London  Belongs  to  Me."  Terence 
Rattigan  was  awarded  $800  for  his 
script,  "The  Winslow  Boy,"  and  Hein 
Heckroth  received  the  same  amount 
for  his  technical  work  in  "Red  Shoes." 


NCCJ  Fetes  Depinet 
Dunne,  Others  Feb.  4 

Awards  will  be  presented  to  Ned  E. 
Depinet,  president  of  RKO  Radio; 
Richard  Rodgers  and  Oscar  Ham- 
merstein  II,  authors  and  producers  of 
Broadway  musicals,  and  Irene  Dunne, 
screen  star,  at  the  amusements'  divi- 
sion luncheon  of  the  National  Confer 
ence  of  Christians  and  Jews,  at  the 
Waldorf-Astoria  here  on  Feb.  4,  it  is 
announced  by  Dr.  Everett  R.  Clinchy, 
president  of  the  Conference.  The 
awards  are  being  presented  to  persons 
in  the  amusement  world  "who  have 
done  the  most  in  1948  to  promote  bet 
ter  understanding  among  people  of  all 
faiths." 

The  luncheon  will  be  the  occasion 
for  launching  a  nationwide  campaign 
by  the  amusements  division,  culminat- 
ing in  the  "Brotherhood  Week"  ob- 
servance sponsored  by  the  Conference, 
Feb.  20-27.  J.  Robert  Rubin  is  chair- 
man of  the  division  and  Louis  Nizer 
is  chairman  of  the  luncheon  commit 
tee. 


Would  End  US  Tax 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


FROM 


PARAMOUNT 


overlapping  with  the  AMA,  but  not 
complete  duplication.  It  has  had  a 
special  committee  studying  the  admis 
sion  tax  problems  since  early  in  1948, 
and,  according  to  one  official,  the 
recommendation  is  that  the  Federal 
government  get  out  of  the  admission 
tax  field.  It  is  pointed  out  that  most 
of  the  cities  and  towns  represented  in 
the  conference  already  have  the  pow- 
er to  levy  the  tax,  but  don't  do  so  "be- 
cause we  just  can't  levy  a  local  tax  on 
top  of  the  Federal  tax — that  would 
kill  the  goose  that  lays  the  golden 
egg,"  this  official  indicated.  The  Con- 
ference will  lobby  for  its  program  in 
Congress  this  year. 


31  More  U.S.  Dates 
For  Rank's  'Hamlet9 

"Hamlet,"  J.  Arthur  Rank  feature, 
will  open  in  31  cities  within  the  next 
six  weeks.  This  in  addition  to  the  cur- 
rent 14  engagements  will  give  "Ham- 
let," the  "most  extensive  playing  time 
ever  enjoyed  by  a  British-made  pic- 
ture," according  to  Universal-Interna- 
tion  which  is  distributing  the  produc- 
tion in  this  country. 


Additional  Chairmen 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


tres,  and  Pat  McGee,  Cooper  Founda- 
tion; Milwaukee:  Harold  Fitzgerald, 
Fox  Wisconsin  Theatres,  and  John 
Adler,  Adler  Theatre;  New  Haven: 
Dr.  J.  B.  Fishman,  Allied  Theatres  of 
Connecticut,  and  Albert  Pickus,  Strat- 
ford Theatre;  Philadelphia:  J.  J. 
O'Leary  and  Mrs.  Dorothy  A.  Sam- 
uelson,  AITO  of  Eastern  Pennsyl- 
vania; Cincinnati:  Wendel  H.  Holt, 
West  Virginia  Managers'  Association, 
and  Jack  R.  Keegan,  Northio  Thea- 
tres; Pittsburgh:  Moe  Silver,  Warner 
Theatres,  and  Morris  Finkel,  AMPTO 
of  Western  Pennsylvania;  Chicago: 
Jack  Kirsch,  Allied  Theatres  of  Illi- 
nois, and  John  Balaban,  Balaban  and 
Katz;  Los  Angeles:  Harry  Vinnicoff, 
Strand  Theatre,  and  Charles  Minor. 


NCCJ  Names  Johnston 

Washington,  Jan.  3. — Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America  president 
Eric  A.  Johnston  has  been  named 
chairman  of  the  Washington  area's 
motion  picture  committee  for 
"Brotherhood  Week,"  Feb.  20-27, 
sponsored  by  the  National  Conference 
of  Christians  and  Jews. 


15-Cent  RKO  Dividend 

A  15-cent  dividend  was  paid  yester- 
day to  RKO  common  stockholders  of 
record  on  Dec.  17. 


8  Simultaneous  First-Runs  in  New  York  City 

(Advertisements  from  New  York  Times) 


"Will  undoubtedly  become  a  classic 
of  the  screen!"  -»«•'«  Ve*" 


TECHNICOLOl 

FECHNICOLOR  MOTION  PICTURE  CORPORATION 

HERBERT  T.  KALMUS,  PRESIDENT  AND  GENERAL  MANAGER 


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RKO  RADIO 

BLOOD  ON  THE 

MOON 
Robert  Mitchum 
Barbara  Bel  Geddes 
D— 88  min.    (909)  I 
(Rev.  11/11/48) 

H 

INDIAN  AGENT 
Tim  Holt 

O — 65  min. 
(Rev.  11/23/48) 

EVERY  GIRL 
SHOULD  BE 
MARRIED 

Cary  Grant 
Franchot  Tone 
Diana  Lynn 

C— 85   min.  (908) 
(Rev.  11/10/48) 

BOY  WITH 
GREEN  HAIR 
(Color) 

Pat  O'Brien 

Robert  Ryan  . 

D— 82  min. 
(Rev.  11/17/48) 

(Walt  Disney) 
SO    DEAR   TO  MY 
HEART 

(Color) 
Bobby  Driscoll 
Luana  Patter 

D — 82  min. 
(Rev.  12/9/48) 

TARZAN'S  MAGIC 
FOUNTAIN 

Rex  Barker 

D 

REPUBLIC 



(Reissue) 
YOKEL  BOY 
Joan  Davis 
C — 68  min. 
(Rev.  3/19/42) 

(Reissue) 
SCATTERBRAIN 

Judy  Canova 
C — 72  min. 
(Rev.  7/9/40) 

THE 
PLUNDERERS 

(Color) 
Rod  Cameron 
llona  Massey 
0—87  min.  (721) 
(Rev.  11/8/48) 
HOMICIDE 
FOR  THREE 
Warren  Douglas 
Audrey  Long 
D — 60  min. 

(Reissue) 
IN  OLD 
CALIENTE 

Roy  Rogers 

O — 57  min. 
(Rev.  7/14/39) 

FAR  FRONTIER 

(Color) 
Roy  Rogers 
Gail  Davis 
O 

ROSE  OF 
THE  YUKON 
Steve  Brodie 
Myrna  Dell 
O 

L 

C 

L 

L 

C 
L 

c 

WICHITA 
Alan  Lane 

O 

(Reissue) 
FRONTIER 
PONY  EXPRESS 
Roy  Rogers 
O 

(Rev.  4/17/39) 

DAUGHTER  OF 
THE  JUNGLE 

Lois  Hall 
James  Cardwell 
D 

PARA. 

DISASTER 
Richard  Denning 
Trudy  Marshall 

]>— 60  min.  (4806) 
(Rev.  10/29/48) 

THE  PALEFACE 
(Color) 
Bob  Hope 
Jane  Russell 
0—91  min.  (4807) 
(Rev.  10/21/48) 

THE  ACCUSED 
Loretta  Young 
Robert  Cummings 

D— 101  min.  (4808) 
(Rev.  11/17/48) 

DYNAMITE 
William  Gargan 
Richard  Crane 

D— 68  min.  (4809) 
(Rev.  11/24/48) 

MY  OWN 
TRUE  LOVE 
Phyllis  Calvert 
Melvyn  Douglas 

D— 84  min.  (4810) 
(Rev.  12/10/48) 

MONO. 

KIDNAPPED 
Roddy  McDowall 
D — 71  mln. 
(Rer.  10/8/48) 

HIDDEN  DANGER 
lohnny  Mack  Brown 

JIGGS  AND 
MAGGIE  IN  COURT 
Joe  Yule 
Rente  Riano 

C — 66  min. 
(Rev.  12/6/48) 

THE  FEATHERED 
SERPENT 
Roland  Winters 
D 

CRASHING  THRU 
Whip  Wilson 
O 

INCIDENT 
Warren  Douglas 
Jane  Frazee 
D 

BOMBA.  THE 
JUNGLE  BOY 

D 

• 

M-G-M 

(Re-release) 

SAN  FRANCISCO 

Clark  Gable 
Jeanette  MacDonald 

D— 115  min. 
(Rev.  6/24/36) 

HILLS  OF  HOME 

(Color) 
Edmund  Gwenn 
Janet  Leigh 

D — 91  min. 
(Rev.  10/8/48) 

(Re-release) 
NIGHT  AT  THE 
OPERA 
Marx  Bros. 
Kitty  Carlisle 
C — 93  min. 
(Rev.  10/15/35) 

WORDS  AND 
MUSIC 
(Color) 
Judy  Garland 
Mickey  Rodney 
M — 119  min. 
(Rev.  12/7/48) 

(Argosy) 
3  GODFATHERS 
(Color) 
John  Wayne 
D — 105  min. 
(Rev.  12/10/48) 

THE  KISSING 
BANDIT 

(Color) 
Frank  Sinatra 
Kathryn  Grayson 

MD— 100  min. 
(Kev.  11/18/18) 

ACT  OF 
VIOLENCE 
Van  Heflin 
Robert  Ryan 
Janet  Leigh 
D 

THE  SUN  COMES 
UP 

Jeannette  MacDonalc 
Claude  Jarmon,  Jr. 
Lassie 

D 

EAGLE-LION 

HE  WALKED  BY 
NIGHT 
Richard  Basehart 
Scott  Brady 
r> — 80  min. 
(Rev.  11/11/48) 

THE  STRANGE 
MRS.  CRANE  - 
Marjorie  Lord 
John  McGuire 

D — 60  min. 
(Rev.  10/29/48) 

OLD  FASHIONED 
GIRL 
Gloria  Jean 

D — 82  min. 
(Rev.  12/13/48) 

PAROLE,  INC. 
Turhan  Bey 

D 

RED   STALLION  IN 
THE  ROCKIES 
Arthur  Franz 
D 

RIDE,  RIDER  RIDE 

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Tuesday,  January  4,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


9 


Tri- Video  Screens  3 
Old-Edison  Films 

Tri-Video  Productions,  Inc.,  re- 
cently formed  here  to  produce  and  dis- 
tribute television  films,  held  a  press 
screening  of  three  films  at  the  Muse- 
um of  Modern  Art  here  yesterday. 
The  company  has  acquired  rights  to 
the  Edison  collection  of  old-time  films, 
embracing  over  500  subjects  of  one, 
two  and  three-reel  length. 

The  films  screened  yesterday  seem 
ideally  suited  for  television.  Each  runs 
nine  minutes  and  is  a  part  of  a  series 
titled  "Nickelodeon  Novelties."  Made 
some  35  years  ago,  the  prints  are 
amazingly  clear.  Furthermore,  the  ab- 
sence of  long  shots  make  them  espe- 
cially satisfactory  for  the  medium  for 
which  they  are  now  intended. 

The  subjects  screened  were  "Hel- 
en of  the  Chorus,"  "Moment  of  Mad- 
ness," and  "Twin  Dukes  and  the 
Duchess."  They  have  been  cut  and 
edited  and  supplied  with  a  modern 
commentary  by  Lew  Lehr.  Throbbing 
dramas  in  the  day  of  their  production, 
the  films  today  are  an  enjoyable  source 
of  nostalgia  and  satire. 

M.H. 


Para.  Halts  Report 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

1946,  the  New  York  court  directed 
the  companies  to  subsequently  file 
quarterly  on  their  holdings,  whether 
their  status  changed  or  not. 

The  companies  continued  to  file 
after  the  high  court's  opinion  last 
summer,  but  prefaced  their  reports 
with  remarks  to  the  effect  that  the 
opinion  placed  the  matter  in  doubt. 
The  high  court,  of  course,  eliminated 
the  "5-95"  provision  from  the  New 
York  decree  when  it  sent  back  the 
entire  issue  of  divestiture  to  the  lower 
court  for  further  study. 
_  A  Department  of  Justice  representa- 
tive said  at  the  weekend  that  he  be- 
lieves the  reports  still  to  be  manda- 
tory but  whether  Paramount's  refusal 
will  be  contested  has  not  been  de- 
cided. 


King  Bros.  Slate  Four 
For  A  A.  '49  Release 

Hollywood,  Jan.  3.  —  King  Broth- 
ers will  produce  four  pictures  for  Al- 
lied Artists  release  during  1949. 

First,  with  McKinley  Kantor  serv- 
ing as  their  associate,  will  be  "Gun 
Crazy."  Next  is  an  untitled  story  by 
Burnet  Hershey  dealing  with  the  life 
of  Joseph  Petrosino,  New  York  po- 
liceman who  broke  up  the  Black 
Hand  Society.  Rounding  out  the 
schedule  will  be  "Unwanted"  and 
"Ramie." 


Rob  Normandie  Theatre 

While  400  patrons  sensed  that 
something  was  wrong,  because  the 
screen  went  blank  and  remained  so 
for  several  minutes,  two  armed  men 
held  up  the  Normandie  Theatre  here 
Sunday  night,  escaping  with  receipts 
of  $1,100. 


Curtiz  Back  to  WB 

Hollywood,  Jan.  3.  —  Warner  dis- 
closed today  that  director  Michael 
Curtiz  has  returned  to  the  studio.  It 
is  understood  he  will  disband  Curtiz 
Productions  and  that  talent  under 
contract  to  it  would  be  placed  on  the 
Warner  payroll. 


Stability  in  Canada 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

been  assumed  that,  allowing  only  for 
a  time  lag,  conditions  in  the  United 
States  duplicated  themselves  here;  that 
box-office  trends,  audience  tastes  and 
buying  habits  were  entirely  similar 
and  that  Canada  for  all  practical  pur- 
poses could  be  included  in  the  U.  S. 
domestic  market. 

"Since  this  did  not  hold  true  in  1948, 
the  fact  that  it  did  not  gives  the  year 
unusual  significance,"  he  declared, 
adding : 

"In  Canada,  the  evidence  is  that  the 
long-term  upward  trend  in  consumer 
expenditures  for  motion  picture  enter- 
tainment still  continues.  Readjust- 
ment, following  the  abnormal  spending 
which  characterizes  war  periods,  has 
been  occurring  without  serious  effect 
on  the  industry  here.  The  Canadian 
situation  has  been  materially  helped 
by  the  fact  that  box-office  prices  had 
not  increased  materially  as  they  had 
elsewhere  nor  as  had  the  costs  of  other 
goods  and  services  regularly  in  de- 
mand by  the  average  Canadian  family. 

"The  market  in  the  U.-  S.,  on  the 
other  hand,  was  subject  during  the 
year  to  a  variety  of  disturbances  of 
both  external  and  internal  origin.  So 
far  in  Canada  the  film  industry  has 
been  able  to  set  its  own  film-distribu- 
tion policies  without  government  inter- 
vention, though  there  are  many  com- 
plaints. 

"British  films,  following  the  inaugu- 
ration of  effective  merchandising  and 
distribution  methods  late  in  1945,  now 
have  a  substantial  and  established  fol- 
lowing in  Canada.  Essentially,  this 
market  consists  of  a  steadily-widening 
percentage  of  the  regular  and  general 
movie-going  public  which  has  been 
seeking  greater  variety  in  entertain- 
ment and  finds  that  a  blending  of  Brit- 
ish and  American  film  programs  is  the 
preferable  means  of  securing  this," 
Lawson  declared. 


No  Failures  in  Canadian  Industry 

Ottawa,  Jan.  3.— There  was  not  a 
single  commercial  failure  in  the  mo- 
tion picture  trade  during  the  first 
three-quarters  of.  1948,  though  the 
number  of  bankruptcies  in  Canada  ad- 
vanced to  the  highest  figure  since  1941 
in  all  other  directions,  according  to 
the  latest  report  of  the  Canadian  gov- 
ernment. 

Companies  Ask  Court 
For  Books  of  Manos 

Columbus,  0.,  Jan.  3.— Court  order 
seeking  to  .  impound  the  books  of 
George  A.  Manos,  Toronto,  Ohio, 
owner  of  a  circuit  of  Eastern  Ohio 
theatres,  has  been  asked  by  eight  dis- 
tributors. 

U.  S.  District  Judge  Mell  G.  Under- 
wood was  told  that  Manos  had  mis- 
represented the  income  from  pictures." 
The  distributors  said  Manos  had  ad- 
mitted in  Tax  Court  testimony  a  true 
report  of  his  income  had  been  sub- 
mitted annually  to  the  Bureau  of  In- 
ternal Revenue  and  a  false  report  to 
the  picture  companies. 

Bringing  the  action  were  Warner, 
Paramount,  20th  '  Century-Fox, 
Loew's,  RKO,  United  Artists,  Colum- 
bia and  Universal. 


Set  Up  MPAA  Quarters 

Chicago,  Jan.  3.  —  Duke  Hickey, 
community  relations  counsel  for  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica, has  re-established  local  headquar- 
ters for  the  association  temporarily  in 
the  Palmer  House. 


WB  to  Produce 
Films  for  Video 

Hollywood,  Jan.  3. — Warner  Broth- 
ers is  preparing  to  train  special  crews 
to  produce  television  films  at  the  stu- 
dio, Harry  M.  Warner  said  here 
yesterday.  "I  personally  do  not  be- 
lieve television  will  interfere  with 
either  theatre  operations  or  production 
of  regular  films,"  he  asserted,  adding 
that  production  for  video  will  find  its 
"greatest  field"  in  educational  films 
and  other  specialties. 

"Right  now  the  industry  is  in  the 
same  position  as  far  as  television  goes 
as  when  we  were  first  feeling  our 
way  around  with  sound,"  Warner  de- 
clared. "Rather  than  hinder  the  in- 
dustry, I  think  television  will  prove 
a  boon  to  motion  pictures." 

Start  of  video  film  production 
awaits  approval  by  the  Federal  Com- 
munications Commission  of  the  com- 
pany's purchase  of  Station  KLAC 
here,  he  said. 


Conciliation  Set 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ator  in  New  Haven  and  Hamden, 
Conn.,  and  Wilkinson  is  one  in  Wal- 
lingford.  A  list  of  alternate  members 
of  the  committee  will  be  issued  shortly. 

Any  exhibitor  in  Connecticut  hav- 
ing a  grievance  against  a  distributing 
company,  which  he  is  unable  to  re- 
solve satisfactorily  with  the  distributor 
in  question,  may  avail  himself  of  the 
services  of  the  committee  without  cost. 

The  complaining  exhibitor  should 
outline  his  grievance  in  writing  and 
forward  same  to  Bailey  or  to  Wilkin- 
son for  consideration.  If  the  complain- 
ing exhibitor  objects  to  having  any 
of  the  designated  members  of  the 
Board  serve  on  his  complaint,  he  may 
so  state  and  alternates  will  be  selected. 


Connecticut  Allied  Backs 
National  Allied's  Program 

Hartford,  Jan.  3. — Allied  Theatre 
Owners  of  Connecticut  has  endorsed 
all  resolutions  passed  at  the  recent 
national  Allied  convention  in  New 
Orleans,  including  those  opposing 
joining  with  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  in  conciliation  boards,  oppos- 
ing voluntary  arbitration  of  grievances 
under  the  consent  decree  ruling,  and 
opposing  percentage  pictures. 

The  group  has  also  voted  100  per 
cent  co-operation  with  and  all  possible 
assistance  to  observance  of  American 
"Brotherhood  Week." 


11  Theatres  Named 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

odan,  Carolina  and  Rogers  in  Shelby, 
and  the  Main  in  Taylorsville,  all  in 
North  Carolina. 

W.  T.  Joyner  and  H.  E.  Powers  of 
Raleigh  signed  the  complaints  as  at- 
torneys for  each  of  the  plaintiff  dis- 
tributors with  Sargoy  and  Stein  of 
New  York  as  counsel. 

Monogram  To  Release 
4  Films  in  January 

Hollywood,  Jan.  3.  —  Monogram 
will  release  four  pictures  in  January: 
"Trouble  Makers,"  starring  Leo  Gor- 
cey,  _  Jan.  2 ;  "Temptation  Harbor," 
British  film  starring  Simone  Simon 
and  Robert  Newton,  Jan.  9;  "Gun 
Runner,"  starring  jimmy  Wakely, 
Jan.  16;  "Incident,"  starring  Jane 
Frazee  and  Warren  Douglas,  Jan.  23. 


Capital  Tax  Deals 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

mined  by  its  realities.  Accordingly, 
proposals  of  radio  artists  and  others 
to  obtain  compensation  for  personal 
services  under  the  guise  of  sales  of 
property  cannot  be  regarded  as  com- 
ing within  the  capital  gains  provisions 
of  the  Internal  Revenue  Code.  Such 
compensation  is  taxable  at  ordinary 
income  tax  rates." 

The  ruling  does  not  affect  the  deal 
made  with  CBS  by  Amos  and  Andy. 
There  the  Bureau  is  reported  to  feel 
that  a  case  can  be  made  out  that  a  sale 
of  a  property — rather  than  just  per- 
sonal services — is  involved. 


.  .  .  about  a  wonderful  new 
Quickie  Vacation  via  TWA 
in  the  great  Southwest.  For, 
thanks  to  the  speed  of  Sky- 
Liner  travel ,  a  few  days  off  are 
time  enough  for  days  of  fun 
and  rest  in  the  invigorating 
climate  of  Phoenix  or  Las 
Vegas.  Big  fare  savings  on 
family  travel  and  round  trips. 
For  facts,  call  the  local  TWA 
office  or  your  travel  agent. 


NOTICE 

The  title. 

"THE  WENCH" 

has  been  registered  by 
Spalter  International  Pictures, 
Inc. 

for  use  on  its  first  release  in  1949. 


MITCHELL  MAY,  Jr. 

CO.,  INC. 

INSURANCE 
• 

Specializing 

in  requirements  of  the 

Motion  Picture  Industry 

75  Maiden  Lane,  New  York 
510  W.  6th  St.,  Los  Angeles 


RECEPTIONIST — 

Western  Style  and  Cute! 

We  are  trying  to  place  a  young  lady 
as  RECEPTIONIST.  She's  fresh  from 
Arizona,  petite  and  personable,  the  kind 
of  lass  who's  all  around  perfect  for  the 
Welcome  job.  Write  Box  421,  Motion  Pic- 
ture  Daily,  1270  Sixth  Ave.,  New  York  20. 


ROUSING  SPECTACLE 

A  GREAT  ACTION  STAR  IN  A 
GREAT  NEW  ADVENTURE! 


COLUMBIA  PICTURES 


STARR  IN  G- 

JOHNNY 


WEISSMULLER 


VIRGINIA  GREY  ■  GEORGE  REEVES 

Story  and  Screenplay  by  Carroll  Young 
Based  upon  the  famous  King  Features  Syndicate  newspaper  feature 
Directed  by  WILLIAM  BERKE  •  Produced  by  SAM  KATZMAN 


r  * 

Accurate 

MOTION  PICTURE 

1  ~ 

FIRST 

Concise 

^■^ttfct         A                      "VHP  V 

■  •  All  ^L/ 

IN 

and 

FILM 

Impartial 

JJAlLl 

|  NEWS 

t  -4 

VOL.  65.  NO.  3 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  WEDNESDAY,  JANUARY  5,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


New  US-Ascap 
Decree  Pends 
In  N.Y.  Court 


Stemming  from  Society's 
Setbacks  in  Two  Courts 


Department  of  Justice  is  expect- 
ed to  announce  shortly  an  impend- 
ing new  decree  with  the  American 
Society  of  Composers,  Authors  and 
Publishers  which  would  have  the  ef- 
fect of  extending  and  tightening  the 
provisions  of  the  consent  decree  which 
the  government  and  the  society  entered 
into  in  1941. 

Both  sides  declined  official 
comment  on  what  specific  man- 
ner the  new  move  will  affect  the 
society's  position  in  the  motion 
picture  industry.  However,  it 
was  learned  that  Robert  P.  Pat- 
terson, special  counsel  for  Ascap, 
among  others,  has  conferred  in 
Washington  with  government 
representatives  to  seek  some 
legal  sanction  for  continued  op- 
erations in  the  film  business 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


House  Group  Flays  AFL 
For  Studios'  Labor  Ills 


Annual  Allied  Board 
Meet  on  Feb.  14-15 

Washington,  Jan.  4. — Allied 
States  Association's  annual 
board  meeting,  at  which  of- 
ficers are  to  be  elected  and 
top  policy  matters  set,  will 
be  held  here  at  the  Hotel 
Statler  on  Monday  and  Tues- 
day, Feb.  14-15,  Allied  chair- 
man Abram  Myers  said  here 
today. 


Canadians  Fined 
For  Tax  Laxities 


Toronto,  Jan.  4. — Ontario  exhibi- 
tors who  have  been  tardy  in  their 
monthly  amusement  tax  payments  to 
the  provincial  treasury  are  being  pen- 
alized five  per  cent  of  the  amount  of 
collectible  tax  under  the  provisions  of 
the  Hospitals  Tax  Act.  The  law, 
which  went  into  force  last  April,  calls 
for  a  20  per  cent  tax  on  theatre  ad- 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


$3,000,000  for 
Variety  Charities 

Philadelphia,  Jan.  4.  —  Va- 
riety Club  International  will 
spend  more  than  $3,000,000 
this  year  in  charitable  work, 
William  McCraw  of  Dallas, 
Variety's  executive  director, 
declared  here  last  night  at  a 
dinner  meeting  of  Variety 
Club  Tent  No.  13  at  the 
Bellevue  Stratford  Hotel.  Mc- 
Craw said  that  all  proceeds 
from  the  premiere  of  Allied 
Artists'  "Bad  Boy"  here  and 
in  42  other  cities  will  be  do- 
nated to  Variety. 


Strike  Looms 
At  Exchanges 


A  strike  which  could  bring  na- 
tionwide film  exchange  operations 
to  a  standstill  was  foreseen  here 
yesterday  when  it  became  known 
that  all  of  the  country's  67  IATSE 
exchange  locals  have  been  instructed 
by  "IA"  headquarters  to  "stand  by 
for  further  instructions"  in  view  of 
the  deadlock  which  has  brought  an 
end  to  the  month-long  negotiations  on 
a  new  contract  for  6,300  exchange 
workers. 

Although  spokesmen  for  the  "IA" 
and  distributors  declined  yesterday  to 
comment  on  the  latest  "IA"  action,  it 
was  said  by  sources  familiar  with  the 
exchange  labor  set-up  that  such 
"stand  by"  notification  is  "unmistak- 
ably" intended  as  a  warning  to  the  lo- 
cals that  a  strike  vote  is  about  to  be 
sought. 

Meanwhile,  Commissioner  L.  A. 
Stone  of  the  Federal  Mediation  Serv- 
ice here  reports  that  he  will  meet  at 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Name  Exchangemen 
For  'Brotherhood' 


Following  a  meeting  of  general 
sales  managers  of  the  eight  major  film 
companies  held  here  yesterday  in 
RKO's  board  room,  Charles  M.  Rea- 
gan, chairman  of  the  distributors'  com- 
mittee, announced  the  following  ex- 
change center  chairmen  for  the  in- 
dustry's "Brotherhood  Week"  drive : 

Paramount :  Boston,  John  Moore ; 
Philadelphia,  Ulrick  Smith ;  Dallas, 
Heywood  Simmons ;  Milwaukee,  Jess 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Marios  Is  Ordered 
To  Retain  Records 


Columbus,  O.,  Jan.  4. — U.  S. 
Judge  Mel  G.  Underwood  has  signed 
an  order  in  the  eight  percentage  ac- 
tions brought  by  major  distributing 
companies  against  defendant  George 
A.  Manos  of  Toronto,  O.,  and  associ- 
ated theatre  corporations,  restraining 
them  from  destroying  or  otherwise 
disposing  of  the  books,  records  and 
documents  of  12  theatre  operations  in 
Ohio  for  the  12-year  period  from  Jan. 
1,  1937,  to  Dec.  22,  1948,  as  well  as 
"from  changing,  altering  or  revising 
the  same,  except  in  the  usual  course 
of  business." 

The  injunction  order  is  to  remain 
in  full  force  and  effect  pending  further 
order  of  the  court,  and  requires  the 
defendant  to  retain  and  preserve  all 
such  records  wherever  they  may  be 
found  and  whether  in  the  custody,  con- 
trol or  possession  of  the  defendants  or 
of  their  attorneys,  agents  or  employes 
or  others,  except,  however,  those  now 
with  the  U.  S.  Tax  Court. 

The  order  resulted  from  a  motion 
made  to  Judge  Underwood  in  the  per- 
centage actions  by  distributor  coun- 
sel as  a  result  of  disclosures  in  a 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Kearns  Report  Clears  Producers  of  'IA' 
Collusion;  Industry  Defended  for  Its 
Part  in  Jurisdictional  Dispute  on  Coast 

Washington,  Jan.  4. — A  House  Labor  sub-committee  which  for  18 
months  investigated  the  tangled  Hollywood  labor  picture  today  issued  its 
report  clearing  the  industry  of  any  charge  of  collusion  or  conspiracy  with 
the  IATSE  and  placing  the  entire  blame  for  the  industry's  labor  troubles 
on  the  failure  of  the  American  Federation  of  Labor  to  settle  the  studio 

jurisdictional  dispute. 

"This  jurisdictional  labor  dispute  in 
this  great  industry  stands  out  as  a 
sore  thumb  on  the  records  of  the 
AFL,"  the  report  said.  "The  industry 
could  well  depict  this  in  a  drama  that 
would  be  the  best  box-office  attraction 
in  the  history  of  the  business." 

The  report  was  issued  by  sub-com- 
mittee chairman  Carroll  D.  Kearns 
(R.,  Pa.),  and  was  approved  by  lame- 
duck  Republican  Congressman  Landis 
of  Indiana.  The  third  Republican 
member  of  the  sub-committee — Owens 
of  Illinois — died  last  year,  and  the 
two  Democratic  members  took  little 
part  in  the  investigation. 

Changed  View  on  'Conspiracy' 

Kearns  admitted  he  had  initially  sus- 
pected an  IATSE-producer  conspiracy. 
But  the  report  today  said  he  was  now 
convinced  differently.  "Upon  conclu- 
sion of  the  Washington  hearing,"  it 
said,  "and  particularly  after  the  testi: 
mony  given  by  Mr.  William  C. 
Doherty,  AFL  vice-president  and 
secretary  of  the  three-man  arbitration 
committee,  it  became  obvious  that  the 
Dec.  26,  194S  decision  of  the  three- 
man  committee  was  final  and  binding 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Arnall  Holds  Parley 
At  State  Department 


Washington,  Jan.  4. — Ellis  Arnall 
president  of  the  Society  of  Indepen- 
dent Motion  Picture  Producers,  ac- 
companied by  James  Mulvey  and 
James  Barnes,  SIMPP  counsel  here, 
today  conferred  with  aides  in  the  State 
Department's  commercial  policy  divi- 
sion to  press  SIMPP's  fight  for  the 
Department  to  take  an  active  interest 
in  assuring  fair  treatment  for  Ameri- 
can films  abroad.   Arnall  said  later 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


MPAA  Calls  Off 
S.  African  Mission 

Projected  mission  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  vice- 
president  Francis  Harmon 
and  possibly  others  to  Johan- 
nesburg to  confer  there  on 
new  monetary  restrictions 
confronting  the  industry  was 
called  off  yesterday  by  for- 
eign department  heads  of 
MPAA-  -  member  companies 
who  met  here. 

Unsettled  government  con- 
ditions in  South  Africa  re- 
portedly resulted  in  the  de- 
cision pending  further  con- 
versations with  U.  S.  officials 
in  Washington. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  5,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

JOSEPH  BERNHARD,  president 
of  Film  Classics  and  Cinecolor,  is 
en  route  to  the  Coast  from  New  York. 
• 

Phil  Reisman,  RKO  Radio  vice- 
president,  has  been  promoted  to  an 
officer  of  the  Legion  d'Honneur.  Ap- 
pointed a  Chevalier  in  1937,  Reisman 
will  be  invested  with  his  new  office  at 
a  ceremony  today  at  the  office  of  the 
French  consul  general  here. 

• 

John  J.  Maloney,  M-G-M  Cen- 
tral sales  manager,  and  Saal  Gott- 
lieb, Pittsburgh  manager,  are  due  in 
New  York  today  from  Pittsburgh. 
• 

Charles  L.  Casanave,  vice-presi- 
dent of  Motion  Picture  Sales  Corp., 
and  Mrs.  Casanave  left  here  yester- 
day for  the  Coast. 

Jules  Lapidus,  Warner  Eastern 
and  Canadian  district  manager,  left 
here  last  night  for  Pittsburgh  and 
Cleveland. 

• 

George  W.  Horan,  Warner  North- 
eastern district  manager,  is  due  back 
in  Boston  tomorrow  from  Buffalo. 
• 

Max  Weinberg,  M-G-M  Eastern 
short  subjects  representative,  is  ill  at 
his  home  here  with  bronchitis. 

Burtus  Bishop,  Jr.,  M-G-M  Mid- 
west sales  manager,  is  here  from 
Chicago. 

• 

Rudy  Berger,  M-G-M  Southern 
sales  manager,  will  arrive  here  tomor- 
row from  Washington. 

• 

Dorothy  Blanchard  of  the  M-G-M 
Coast  publicity  office  is  due  here  to- 
day by  plane  from  Hollywood. 
• 

Irving  Allen,  producer,  has  re- 
turned to  Hollywood  from  New  York. 


N.  J.  Allied  Plans 
Anti-Censor  Fight 

Anticipating  the  introduction  in  the 
1949  New  Jersey  legislature  of  bills 
for  film  censorship  and  a  broader  pat- 
tern of  municipal  taxing  of  theatre  ad- 
missions, Allied  Theatre  Owners  of 
New  Jersey  will  meet  at  the  Stacy- 
Trent  Hotel,  Trenton,  on  Jan.  17  to 
draft  a  ■  legislative  program  which 
would  obviate  the  passage  of  such  ad- 
verse bills.  The  meeting  will  be  con- 
ducted jointly  by  Jersey  Allied  presi- 
dent Edward  Lachman  and  George 
Gold,  who  heads  the  organization's 
legislative  committee.  The  legisla- 
ture will  convene  on  Jan.  11. 

Censorship  legislation  is  expected  to 
be  urged  by  municipal  authorities  who 
have  attempted,  without  success,  to  se- 
cure state  court  injunctions  against  the 
showing  of  certain  so-called  "sex  edu- 
cation" films  made  by  producers  not 
connected  with  the  Hollywood  indus- 
try. New  Jersey  theatres  have  been 
showing  the  pictures  to  segregated  au- 
diences. Allied's  attitude  on  state 
censorship  of  such  pictures  is  that  it 
might  be  made  to  apply  to  Hollywood 
product  by  agencies  charged  with  en- 
forcement. 

At  present  fourth  class  (Coastal) 
cities  in  New  Jersey  are  empowered 
by  the  legislature  to  levy  a  three  per 
cent  municipal  tax  on  theatre  admis- 
sions. Cities  in  other  areas  of  the 
state  have  been  demanding  similar 
power. 


Moss  Names  Republic 
In  Contract  Action 

Los  Angeles,  Jan.  4. — Lou  Moss 
and  Lou  Moss  Pictures  Corp.  have 
filed  a  suit  in  Federal  Court  here 
asking  for  $885,000  damages  from 
Republic  for  alleged  breach  of  dis- 
tribution contract  in  1945. 

Complainant  alleges  the  company 
"arbitrarily"  rejected  three  scripts 
submitted  for  "Voodoo  Legend,"  orig- 
inally budgeted  at  $300,000  and  raised 
to  $400,000. 

Amount  asked  includes  preparation 
expense,  production  fee  and  estimated 
profits. 


New  Short  Subjects 
From  RKO  Radio 

Harry  J.  Michalson,  RKO  Radio 
short  subject  sales  manager,  disclosed 
here  yesterday  that  there  will  be  two 
new  series  for  the  1949  program.  First 
will  be  the  "Screenliners,"  one-reel 
novelties,  totaling  13  subjects.  RKO 
will  also  introduce  a  new  two-reel 
comedy  series,  "The  Newlyweds,"  to 
be  produced  by  George  Bilson. 


Seek  Revival  of 
U.S.  Film  Library 

Washington,  Jan.  4. — Dr.  Verner 
W.  Clapp,  assistant  to  Dr.  Luther 
Evans,  head  of  the  Library  of  Con- 
gress, said  today  the  Library  would 
ask  the  81st  Congress  to  enact  legis- 
lation reviving  the  library's  motion 
picture  division. 

He  said  legislation  would  be  sub- 
mitted within  a  month  and  that  "we 
are  very  hopeful  this  Congress  will 
be  more  receptive  than  the  last." 

In  1947  Congress  liquidated  the  divi- 
sion, giving  it  only  a  small  amount  to 
maintain  films  already  in  its  collection 
but  barring  any  other  activities  or 
new  acquisitions. 


Broidy  Drops  Deal 
For  Ten  Releases 

Hollywood,  Jan  4. — Abandonment 
of  plans  to  distribute  10  pictures  to  be 
produced  in  Canada  by  Canadian  In- 
ternational Screen;  Productions  and 
Renaissance  Films — five  to  be  released 
by  Monogram,  five  by  Allied  Artists 
— was  announced  today  by  Steve 
Broidy,  AA-Monogram  president. 
Failure  by  CISP  to  start  production 
on  an  agreed  date  was  given  by 
Broidy  as  the  reason.  This  now  re- 
duces the  companies'  release  schedule 
for  this  year  to  51. 


Goldwyn  Film  to  Sweden 

Swedish  distribution  rights  to  Sam- 
uel Goldwyn's  "A  Song  Is  Born"  have 
been  acquired  by  Wivefilm,  Inc.  for 
$25,000  in  American  currency.  Rights 
run  for  three  years. 


Strings  on  'Iron 
Curtain*  Tighten 

Washington,  Jan.  4. — An- 
other film  agreement  be- 
tween two  "Iron  Curtain" 
countries  was  reported  by  the 
U.S.  Commerce  Department 
today,  this  one  between  Po- 
land and  Yugoslavia. 

The  Department  says  that 
the  Yugoslav  press  reports 
the  two  countries  have  agreed 
to  take  each  other's  films. 


Rank  S  a  I  e  s  D  r  iv  e 
In  Latin  America 

Al  Daff,  foreign  sales  supervisor 
of  Universal-International,  reported 
here  yesterday  that  a  J.. Arthur  Rank 
sales  drive  will  be  conducted  by  U-I 
in  Latin  America.  The  winner  of  the 
drive,  which  will  continue  for  26 
weeks,  will  receive  a  trip  to  London 
as  guest  of  J.  Arthur  Rank  and  John 
Davis,  Rank  Organization  executive. 

Ben  Cohn,  U-I  home  office  execu- 
tive, has  been  appointed  captain  of 
the  drive.  His  associates  will  be 
Americo  Aboaf,  U-I  Latin  American 
supervisor,  and  Robert  Weait,  Latin 
American  representative  for  the  Rank 
organization. 


FP-C  Stock  Is  Off, 
But  Earnings  Not 

Ottawa,  Jan.  4. — While  the  market 
price  decline  in  recent  weeks  of  Fa- 
mous Players  Canadian  Corp.  has 
been  attracting  attention  in  Canada, 
the  current  earning  trend  of  the  com- 
pany does  not  explain  this  decline.  In 
fact,  the  company's  earnings  for  the 
first  half  of  1948  were  even  better 
than  for  the  same  period  of  the  pre- 
ceding year  and  are  said  to  be  higher 
for  two  later  months.  Also,  the  com- 
pany is  showing  a  strong  balance  sheet 
position  involving  a  working  capital 
of  $7,384,286  and  no  funded  debt. 


Arnall  Holds  Parley 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


that  he  told  the  State  Department 
aides  what  he  has  been  saying  all 
along:  that  the  U.  S.  government 
must  get  fair  treatment  for  the  entire 
American  film  industry  and  not  just 
a  segment,  and  it  must  see  to  it  that 
deals  with  foreign  countries  keep 
competition  within  the  industry. 

The  South  African  situation  was 
also  discussed  along  with  general  for- 
eign problems,  Arnall  reported.  He 
will  again  visit  the  State  Department 
tomorrow  and  also  plans  to  visit  the 
Justice  Department. 


Canadians  Fined 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


missions,  payable  monthly  to  the  gov- 
ernment within  10  days. 

Some  theatres  have  been  lax  in 
making  their  returns  and  the  govern- 
ment has  suddenly  imposed  the  penal- 
ty without  notice,  thus  arousing  pro- 
tests from  dilatory  exhibitors,  some  of 
whom  have  been  assessed  as  much  as 
$25  for  one  infraction. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


'J1  HE  film  stars  entertaining  our  air- 
■*■  men  in  Berlin  and  the  inaugura- 
tion of  the  new  Governor  of  Puerto 
Rico  make  current  newsreel  highlights. 
Sports  and  others  items  round  out  the 
reels.   Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  Z— Rescue 
of  12  fliers  from  Greenland  icecap.  In- 
auguration of  Puerto  Rican  governor.  Sen- 
ator Barclay  and  company  at  Berlin.  Foot- 
ball. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  336— Grid- 
iron bowl  games.  Holiday  show  for  air-lift 
men. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  39— Foot- 
ball welcomes  New  Year.    Stars  over  Berlin. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  210— 
Earthquake  in  Mexico.  Berlin:  where 
there's  life,  there's  Hope  (Bob).  Football 
bowl  games.  , 

WARNER  PAT  HE  NEWS,  No.  41— 
Congress  opens.  Rescued  fliers.  Puerto 
Rico  governor  inaugurated.  Bob  Hope  in 
Berlin.    Football  bowl  games. 


NSS  on  Agenda  of 
TOA  Officials'  Meet 


Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  4. — "Thorough 
discussion"  of  National  Screen  Serv- 
ice business  practices  and  "construc- 
tive suggestions"  for  improvement 
will  be  among  the  topics  discussed  at 
the  Theatre  Owners  of  America  di- 
rectors' meeting  in  Washington  on 
Jan.  28-29,  it  was  disclosed  here  today 
as  the  Albany  TOA  unit  began  cir- 
culation of  a  message  from  Arthur  H. 
Lockwood,  TOA  president,  asking  for 
detailed  information  on  the  subject. 

Lockwood's  request  was  for  copies 
of  recent  correspondence  between 
TOA  members  and  NSS  regarding 
such  complaints  as  quality  of  trailers 
and  commercial  advertising  therein, 
delayed  shipments,  torn  posters,  al- 
legedly excessive  charges,  and  prices 
paid  for  trailers  and  accessories.  He 
also  asked  for  information  on  what 
action  or  adjustments,  if  any,  were 
made,  as  well  as  for  proposals  for 
improvement  of  NSS  service. 

Following  the  directors'  meeting  in 
Washington,  George  Dembow  and 
William  Brenner,  NSS  executives, 
will  address  the  Albany  TOA  on 
Feb.  2. 


Says  Drive-ins  Made 
New  Theatre  Field 

Atlanta,  Jan.  4.  —  Drive-in  the- 
atres have  grown  to  huge  proportions 
from  a  standing,  start  10  years  ago, 
said  Harris  Robinson,  president  of 
Dixie  Drive-in  Theatres. 

Drive-in  theatres  solved  "terrific 
problems"  Robinson  said.  "They 
opened  the  field  of  motion  picture  en- 
tertainment to  thousands  throughout 
the  country  who  for  various  reasons 
found  it  impossible  to  enjoy  films  in 
the  conventional  indoor  theatre." 


New  Agency  Is  Formed 

Hy  Hollinger,  formerly  of  the  War- 
ner home  office  publicity  department, 
has  teamed  with  Sig  Rehbock,  former 
account  executive  with  Norman  A. 
Mack  and  Co.,  to  establish  Rehbock- 
Hollinger  Advertising,  new  advertis- 
ing-public relations  agency  here. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York.  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.-Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca- Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
t  »  AJ UlIoa1g°  . bureau.  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  every  fourth  week  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Wednesday,  January  5,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Review 


"This  Was  A  Woman" 

{Excelsior — 20th  Century-Fox) 

IN  a  subtly  probing  fashion,  "This  Was  a  Woman"  recounts  the  destruction 
wreaked  in  a  British  family  by  the  depraved  lust  of  a  woman  for  power. 
Made  in  England,  this  Excelsior  Film  Production  has  an  unusual  theme  and 
explores  it  with  considerable  depth.  However,  involved  story  threads,  a  ten- 
dency towards  garrulousness,  and  a  cast  that  is  relatively  unknown  on  these 
shores,  make  the  picture's  wide  commercial  outlook  uncertain.  On  the  other 
hand,  this  murky  tale  of  a  woman's  subtle  villainy  is  likely  to  find  satisfying 
appeal  among  the  more  discriminatnig  audiences. 

In  the  dominant  role  of  the  woman  with  an  insatiable  appetite  for  power 
over  other  members  of  her  family,  Sonia  Dresdel  turns  in  a  magnificent  per- 
formance. The  folks  over  whom  she  spreads  her  perverse  domination  in  the 
Val  Valentine  screenplay  are  Walter  Fitzgerald,«her  husband;  Barbara  White, 
her  daughter,  and  Emrys  Jones,  her  son.  After  a  series  of  minor  demonstra- 
tions of  mettlesome  power  by  Miss  Dresdel,  her  appetite  over-reaches  itself. 
She  finally  poisons  her  husband  and  is  ultimately  exposed  and  discredited  by 
her  son.  A  romance  between  Miss  White  and  Julian  Dallas  is  worked  into 
the  story  background.  Marcel  Hellman  produced  from  a  play  by  Joan  Mor- 
gan. Tim  Whelan  directed. 

Running  time,  102  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  January 
release.  Mandel  Heebstman 


Disney  Prod.  Income 
Was  Off  Last  Year 


Hollywood,  Jan.  4. — Operations  of 
Walt  Disney  Productions  in  the  year 
ended  last  Oct.  2  resulted  in  a  net  loss 
of  $39,038,  it  was  reported  here  today 
by  Roy  Disney,  company  president. 
This  compared  with  a  profit  of  $307,- 
075  in  1947. 

During  the  year  box-office  receipts 
declined  in  this  country,  Mr.  Disney 
said,  and  foreign  revenues  continued 
to  decline  as  more  countries  blocked 
currencies  or  adopted  other  regula- 
tions which  hurt  the  American  indus- 
try. Because  of  shrinking  revenues, 
the  company  considerably  increased 
the  write-off  of  feature  and  short  sub- 
ject negative  costs  against  1948  in- 
come. 

Current  and  working  assets  of  Dis- 
ney Productions  at  the  close  of  the 
fiscal  year  exceeded  current  liabilities 
by  $5,043,229,  compared  with  a  similar 
excess  of  $4,385,563  at  the  close  of  the 
preceding  fiscal  year.  The  improve- 
ment in  the  current  net  working  capi- 
tal position  was  one  of  the  benefits 
realized  from  the  new  magazine  pub- 
lication contract  made  last  May. 

At  the  studio,  a  program  of  cost 
reduction  has  been  carried  out  with- 
out diminishing  product  capacity  or 
the  quality  of  pictures  ;  non-production 
expenditures  have  been  sharply  cur- 
tailed, Disney  said. 

Shooting  Starts  on  2 
As  Production  Dips 

Hollywood,  Jan.  4.  —  The  produc- 
tion index  dipped  to  21  from  last 
week's  tally  of  23.  Two  films  were 
launched,  while  four  were  completed. 

Shooting  started  on  "Highland  Las- 
sie," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ;  and 
"Oh,  You  Beautiful  Doll,"  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox. 

Shooting  finished  on  "The  Stratton 
Story"  and  "The  Great  Sinner,"  Me- 
tro-Goldwyn-Mayer ;  "Hellfire,"  Re- 
public, and  "Mr.  Belvedere  Goes  to 
College,"  20th  Century-Fox. 

Seven  New  Pictures 
Rated  by  Legion 

Universal  -  International's  "C  r  i  s  s 
Cross"  has  been  rated  Class  "B" 
by  the  National  Legion  of  Decency  in 
its  current  review  of  seven  pictures. 
Classified  A-I  was  United  Artists' 
"Just  William's  Luck." 

Rated  A-II  were:  M-G-M's  "Act 
of  Violence,"  20th  Century-Fox's 
"Chicken  Every  Sunday,"  Columbia's 
"The  Dark  Past,"  M-G-M's  "Force  of 
Evil,"  and  Film  Classics'  "Unknown 
Island." 


Autry  Seeks  Station 

Washington,  Jan.  4. — Gene  Autry 
has  asked  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission  for  authority  to  buy  radio 
station  KTSA  at  San  Antonio,  Tex., 
for  $450,000.  Autry  now  owns  and 
operates  Station  KOOL  at  Phoenix, 
and  has  interests  in  stations  KOPO, 
Tucson,  and  KOWL,  Santa  Monica. 


'Quiet  One'  Set 

"The  Quiet  One,"  first  production  of 
Film  Documents,  Inc.,  will  have  its 
premiere  at  the  Little  Carnegie  Thea- 
tre late  this  month,  according  to 
Mayer-Bu'rstyn,  Inc.,  distributors.  Of- 
ficers, of  Film  Documents  are  Helen 
Levitt,  Janice  Loeb,  Sidney  Meyers 
and  William  Levitt. 


US-Ascap  Decree 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

even  though  restricted  to  a  con- 
siderable extent. 

Announcement  by  the  government 
probably  will  be  made  in  New  York 
Federal  Court,  possibly  this  week, 
when  a  motion  to  modify  the  decree 
is  heard.  The  move  to  modify  has 
been  made  by  Abner  Greenberg,  at- 
torney and  composer-member  of  As- 
cap,  who  is  raising  objections  to  As- 
cap's  method  of  allocating  voting 
power  to  its  local  members  commen- 
surate with  the  royalties  they  collect. 

The  Department  is  expected  to  op- 
pose the  motion  on  the  grounds  that 
it  alone  is  assigned  to  protect  the  pub- 
lic's interest  in  such  matters,  similarly 
as  it  objected  to  the  presence  of  in- 
terveners in  the  Paramount  case. 

The  new  decree  would  be  the  out- 
growth of  both  the  New  York  and 
Minneapolis  Federal  Court  decisions 
against  the  society,  holding  it  to  be 
in  violation  of  U.  S.  trust  laws  and 
necessitating  changes  in  the  1941 
decree. 

After  several  postponements,  Green- 
berg's  motion  was  scheduled  to  be 
heard  yesterday  before  Federal  Judge 
James  Conger  here.  The  jurist,  how- 
ever, referred  it  to  Judge  Henry  W. 
Goddard,  who  presided  over  the  gov- 
ernment-A  scap  suit  which  ended  in 
the  decree  in  1941. 

Eliminate  SRO  Field 
Staff;  Await  E-L  Deal 

Selznick  Releasing  Organization's 
field  sales  staff,  which  for  some  time 
has  been  operating  at  reduced  size, 
will  be  eliminated  entirely  as  of  this 
week  except  for  its  executives,  it  was 
indicated  by  SRO  here  yesterday. 

It  is  understood,  meanwhile,  that 
the  deal  for  Eagle-Lion  to  reissue  sev- 
eral of  David  O.  Selznick's  older  pro- 
ductions and  take  over  "tail  end"  sell- 
ing of_  his  more  recent  pictures  has 
been  virtually  concluded  on  the  Coast, 
although  contracts  have  not  yet  been 
signed. 


Ideal  Pictures'  Officers 

Chicago,  Jan.  4. — Marion  E.  Har- 
vey is  chairman  of  the  board  of  Ideal 
Pictures  Corp.,  and  Martha  M.  Rath 
and  S.  J.  Sperberg,  have  been  named 
vice-presidents.  Elmer  R.  Willoughby 
was  named  president,  Sperberg,  treas- 
urer, and  Charles  S.  Harvey,  secre- 
tary. 


Manos  Is  Ordered 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

case  tried  last  Dec.  10  in  the  U.  S. 
Tax  Court  in  Cleveland,  before  Judge 
C.  R.  Arundel.  Latter  action  had 
been  brought  on  petition  of  George  A. 
Manos,  Louise  E.  Manos,  his  wife,  and 
Manos  Amusements,  Inc.,  against  the 
Collector  of  Internal  Revenue,  on  peti- 
tion to  review  assessments  and  defi- 
ciencies in  income  taxes  paid  and  pen- 
alties for  the  years  1937-39  as  to 
George  Manos,  and  for  the  years  1940- 
41  as  to  Manos  Amusements.  Both 
are_  defendants  in  the  above  percentage 
actions,  which  have  been  pending  in 
Federal  court  here. 

John  S.  Pyke,  of  the  Cleveland  law 
firm  of  Jones,  Day,  Cockley  and 
Reavis,  and  Edward  H.  Leland,  attor- 
ney of  Columbus,  O.,  appeared  for  the 
distributor  plaintiffs.  William  M. 
Knepper,  attorney  of  Columbus,  repre- 
sented the  defendants. 

M.&P.  Candy  Firm  to 
Operate  on  Its  Own 

Boston,  Jan.  4.— As  a  result  of 
Paramount's  M.  and  P.  Theatres  di- 
vestiture, Standard  Candies  Corp., 
formerly  operated  by  M.  and  P.  will 
not  be.  connected  in  any  way  with 
either  New  England  or  American 
Theatres,  but  will  operate  as  a  candy 
jobber  on  its  own. 

Standard  Accessories,  also  formerly 
operated  by  M.  and  P.  will  continue 
to  service  American  and  New  Eng- 
land Theatres,  as  well  as  Maine  and 
New  Hampshire  theatres. 

Standard  Theatre  Supply  Co.,  for- 
merly operated  by  M.  and  P.  will  also 
continue  to  service  American  and  New 
England  theatre  corporations. 


Floods  Shut  Houses 

Albany,  N.  Y,  Jan.  4.— Harry  La- 
mont's  Strand  Theatre  in  Philmont 
reopened  today  after  a  four-day  shut- 
down caused  by  water  in  the  boiler 
room  during  flood  rains  in  this  area 
last  weekend.  The  rains  also  forced 
closing  of  Warners'  Troy  in  Troy 
for  New  Year's  Eve  and  New  Year's 
Day,  while  Warner's  Madison  here 
closed  last  Friday  afternoon  because  of 
a  power  failure. 


Bezel  Exchange  Formed 

Indianapolis,  Jan.  4. — Dezel  Pic- 
tures Exchange  has  been  formed  here 
to  handle  Astor  and  others. 


Name  Exchangemen 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

McBride;  United  Artists:  Atlanta, 
John  Bachman,  and  Salt  Lake,  Car- 
roll Trowbridge.  RKO  Radio:  Buf- 
falo, Jack  Chinell ;  Chicago,  Sam 
Gorelick ;  San  Francisco,  Joe  Smith ; 
Denver,  Joe  Emerson.  Columbia :  New 
Orleans,  Duke  Duvall ;  Oklahoma 
City,  Dewey  Gibbs ;  Memphis,  Her- 
man Crisman;  Des  Moines,  Clarke 
Baker. 

Warner :  Cincinnati,  James  Abrose  ; 
Detroit,  Don  Woods ;  Minneapolis, 
Art  Anderson;  Los  Angeles,  Fred 
Greenberg.  Loew's :  Pittsburgh,  Saal 
Gottlieb;  Indianapolis,  Foster  B.  Gau- 
ker;  Kansas  City,  Albert  L.  Adler ; 
St.  Louis,  Herbert  Bennin.  20th-Fox: 
New  Haven,  Ben  Simon;  Cleveland, 
I.  J.  Schmertz;  Omaha,  J.  E.  Scott; 
Portland,  Charles  F.  Powers.  Univer- 
sal: Albany,  E.  Vogel ;  New  York, 
Dave  Levy;  Charlotte,  J.  W.  Green- 
leaf. 

Eagle-Lion:  Washington,  Fred 
Rohrs,  and  Seattle,  Wallace  Rucker. 


13  Are  Named  to  Capital 
'Brotherhood'  Committee 

Washington,  Jan.  4— Carter  Bar- 
ron, Loew  district  manager  here,  and 
George  Crouch,  Warner  district  chief, 
will  serve  as  vice-chairmen  of  the 
Washington  area's  motion  picture 
committee  for  "Brotherhood  Week," 
Feb.  20-27,  sponsored  by  the  National 
Conference  of  Christians  and  Jews. 
Eric  Johnston,  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of  America  president,  is  chair- 
man of  the  local  group. 

Other  members  of  the  committee 
are  Louis  Bernheimer,  Julian  Bry- 
lawski,  Jake  Flax,  George  M.  Dorsey, 
William  R.  Hoyle,  Fred  B.  Kogod, 
Frank  La  Falce,  Sidney  Lust,  Hardie 
Meakin,  William  Michalson  and  Mrs. 
Louise  Noonan  Miller. 


Walker  Receives  the 
1948  Laetare  Medal 

Frank  C.  Walker,  former  U.  S. 
Postmaster  General  and  head  of  Com- 
erford  Circuit,  received  yesterday 
afternoon  at  private  ceremonies  at  his 
home  here  the  University  of  Notre 
Dame's  Laetare  Medal  for  1948  for 
his  services  to  the  government  dur- 
ing World  War  II.  Francis  Cardinal 
Spellman  of  New  York  presented  the 
award  to  Walker  in  the  presence  of 
the  Rev.  John  J.  Cavanaugh,  CSC, 
president  of  Notre  Dame,  and  mem- 
bers of  the  recipient's  immediate  fam- 

ily. 

Father  Cavanaugh  paid  tribute  to 
Walker  for  his  work  "during  a  period 
when  our  government  had  need  of 
wise  counsel  and  forthright  decisions 
from  patriotic  and  unselfish  citizens." 
Walker,  the  66th  recipient  of  the  an- 
nual award,  is  a  graduate  of  Notre 
Dame  College  of  Law,  class  of  1909. 
He  received  an  honorary  Doctor  of 
Laws  degree  from  the  university  in 
1934. 

Tom  Canavan  Heads 
St.  Louis  Variety 

St.  Louis,.  Jan.  4. — The  local  Vari- 
ety Club  has  elected  the  following  of- 
ficers :  Tom  Canavan,  chief  barker ; 
Lester  Grand,  assistant ;  Sam  Levin, 
second  assistant ;  James  Tapella, 
dough  guy ;  Dick  Fitzmaurice,  prop- 
erty master ;  Tom  James,  interna- 
tional canvasman,  and  Louis  Ansell, 
Russell  Bovim,  Mike  Riordan,  Jack 
Ross,  Herb  Washburn  and  Fred 
Wehrenberg,  canvassmen. 


M-G-M  TIME  IS 
BIG  TIME! 


FULTQ\ 


fcio<>0 


M-G-M  brings 
to  your  screen 
3  of  the  Great- 
est Theatrical 
Properties  in 
years 


(See  how  they 
grow  even  greater 
on  next  page!) 


YOU'RE  IN  THE 


The  First  Bi9  Screen ,  Record-Breaker  of  1949! 


World  Premiere  in  Los  Angeles  sets 
new  all-time  record  for  first  2  days, 
and  San  Diego  for  first  3  days! 

The  Coast  press  raves: 

"Better  as  a  motion  picture  than  as  a  Broadway  play.  This  is  Gable's 
meat.  Proud  of  Walter  Pidgeon.  Have  never  seen  Van  Johnson  as 

good."  —  Louella  Parsons  in  L.  A.  Examiner 
"King  Gable  is  On  his  throne  again."—  Hedda  Hopper  in  L  A.  Daily  News  Column 

"The  drama  you've  been  waiting  for."— l.  a.  Mirror 

"A  thrilling  film.  Gable's  greatest  performance."— L.  A.  Citizen  News 

"Rip-snorting  movie."— L.  A.  Daily  News 


7  by  SIDNEY  " 


\ 


AA/\,  \\  1,  i,  1 


i.  1,1.1 


WYSON 


JMIKJ 


I0HHS 


bv  Done 


Screen 
prod" 


eed  by 
dedby 


KNOPF 
CUKOR 


|oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo   o  o  o  o  o 

J° 

1° 


EDWARD,  MY  SON 


 \oooooooooooooooq  oooooooooo  c   o  o  o  o  qo  o  o  o 

While  it  is  still  currently  Broadway's  No.  1  Stage  Hit,  the 
M-G-M  picture  has  been  completed,  previewed  and  hailed 
as  one  of  the  great  pictures,  destined  surely  to  be  among 
the  Ten  Best  of  1949! 

Ai  \,  i ,  1 ,  1 ,  1 ,  i,  1 ,  i,  i.  I ,  I ,  / /  i ,  |,  i  ,  i .  \i  [ ,  l ,  I ,  (  i  / 


LS  Hrst  of  an 
All-Star  cast  to 
be  announce^  It 

wiU  be.P^UrCCb  Arthur 
Technicolor  oy  ^ 
ireed  produ«rords  ^ 

Pf  v»'  and  many  more 
Music  an 
Big  Ones. 


\oooooo    OOOOOO    OOOOOOO    OOOO    OOOOOOOO  OOOOOOOOOl 

■Jo  I 

\o^y  ill  j    n  j      m  i  I  I  I  \    M    Cl  I  I  k 

\o\      /  ■  I 

\oooooooooo    OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO    O  OOOOOOOOOO) 


Approaching  its  3rd  year  on  Broadway  and  still  packing 
them  in.  The  nation  will  watch  eagerly  for  this  great  Irving 
Berlin  show  when  M-G-M  brings  it  to  the  screen! 


BIG  TIME  WITH  M-G-M  . 


I 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  5,  1949 


House  Group  Flays  AFL 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


upon  all  parties  involved,  including  the 
producers ;  therefore,  despite  any 
earlier  doubts  I  might  have  had.  I  am 
now  convinced  that  there  was  no  col- 
lusion or  conspiracy  on  the  part  of  the 
industry  in  the  Hollywood  jurisdic- 
tional dispute." 

The  report  said  that  the  decision 
of  the  industry  to  keep  open  the  stu- 
dios in  the  face  of  the  "ultimatum  of 
the  IATSE  on  Aug.  22,  1946  and  of 
the  carpenters  on  Sept.  11,  1946,  was 
a  matter  of  business  judgment  which, 
in  the  testimony  of  Eric  Johnston,  was 
one  which  the  producers,  themselves 
reponsible  to  the  employes,  the  stock- 
holders and  distributors,  had  to  make 
in  the  face  of  the  ultimatum  of  the 
carpenters. 

Review  Difficulties  Studios  Faced 

A  cessation  of  operations  would 
have  thrown  thousands  of  employes 
out  of  work  and  subjected  the  pro- 
ducers to  continuing  liability  under 
their  contracts  with  actors,  directors 
and  theatre  companies.  It  was  also 
apparent  that  the  possibility  of  settling 
the  jurisdictional  dispute  within  the 
framework  of  the  AFL  was  highly 
unlikely.  Having  made  their  decision 
"to  attempt  to  operate,  the  studios  were 
faced  with  the  difficulty  of  planning 
operations  in  view  of  the  uncertainty 
as  to  whether  or  not,  after  a  set  was 
completed,  any  carpenters  or  painters 
would  work  on  it  despite  their  con- 
tractual obligations.  The  program  for 
ascertaining  the  intentions  of  individ- 
ual employes  undoubtedly  penalized 
many  of  them,  yet  the  situation  was 


precarious  because  of  the  possibility 
of  violence  at  the  studios." 

Kearns  said  the  AFL  "is  a  union  of 
unions,  and  how*  this  great  American 
labor  institution  can  tolerate  the  pol- 
icy, of  allowing  men  and  women  of 
their  affiliate  unions  to  take  the  jobs 
of  other  men  and  women  of  other 
affiliates  is  more  than  I  can  fathom, 
especially  when  such  action  is  in  di- 
rect violation  of  the  AFL's  allocations 
with  respect  to  jurisdiction." 

He  declared  that  he  extended  his 
sympathy  to  the  thousands  of  workers 
who  lost  their  jobs  and  "they  are  not 
the  only  losers;  the.  industry  as  a 
whole  lost  the  services  of  thousands 
of  loyal  employes  whose  skill  and  ex- 
perience were  an  integral  part  in  the 
phenomenal  growth  of  this  great 
American  industry.  It  is  highly  pos- 
sible that  this  strife  would  never  have 
occurred  had  the  Labor-Management 
Relations  Act  of  1947  been  in  exis- 
tence at  that  time." 

The  two  members  who  signed  the 
report  recommended  that  the  AFL 
"try  to  make  amends  in  the  motion 
picture  industry  dispute,  even  at  this 
late  date."  Presumably  this  meant  by 
clearly  and  definitely  defining  juris- 
diction in  the  industry. 

Urge  AFL  Handle  Problem 

Kearns  and  Landis  said  also  that 
the  AFL  should  continue  its  recent 
program  for  settling  jurisdictional 
conflicts,  and  that  Congress  should 
"take  all  steps  within  its  power  to 
insure  that  this  sort  of  thing  should 
never,  never  happen  again." 

The  report  did  not  go  into  the  role 


HAROLD  HEFFERNAN* 
HAS  SWITCHED 
TO  "FAMILY 
HONEYMOON" 

"My  favorite  comedy  was 
My  Man  Godfrey  ...until 
I  saw  Claudette  Colbert  and 
Fred  MacMurray  in 
FAMILY  HONEYMOON "' 

■X"  Noted  Columnist  of  North 
American  Newspaper  Alliance 


of  Communism  in  the  strike,  nor 
whether  CSU  chief  Herbert  K.  Sor- 
rell  had  been  telling  the  truth  when 
he  denied  Communist  party  member- 
ship during  the  committee's  hearings 
here.  Kearns  said  that  "there  just 
wasn't  enough  in  the  record  to  war- 
rant any  conclusions  on  this." 

In  its  introductory  sections,  the  re- 
port pointed  out  that  jurisdictional 
disputes  have  existed  in  the  studios 
since  the  industry  was  born.  It  said 
many  of  the  employes  can  never  re- 
coup the  financial  losses  they  have 
suffered  as  a  result,  and  even  worse 
was  the  damage  to  their  morale.  "The 
genesis  of  this  long  and  bitter  fratri- 
cidal war  lies  in  the  overlapping  juris- 
dictions of  the  international  unions 
affiliated  with  the  AFL  and  the  negli- 
gence of  the  parent  organization  to 
provide  for  the  compromise  or  en- 
forced arbitration  of  differences  which 
arise  between  its  affiliates." 

Stresses  Industry's  Importance 

The  report  stressed  the  influence  of 
the  motion  picture  industry  on  the 
country,  and  the  economic  importance 
of  the  industry.  It  said  that  the  "rap- 
id growth  of  the  industry  was  very 
largely  responsible  for  its  labor  diffi- 
culties." 

The  report  summarized  the  testi- 
mony of  top  AFL  officials,  and  quoted 
at  great  length  from  the  minutes  of 
the  producers'  meetings  at  which  the 
decisions  to  discharge  the  carpenters 
and  use  IATSE  members  were  in- 
volved. 


Congress  Gets  4 
Bills  to  Cut  Tax 


Committee  Cites  DeMille  As 
Symbol  of  Industry's  Rise 

Washington,  Jan.  4.— The  House 
Labor  sub-committee's  report  on  the 
Hollywood  jurisdictional  dispute  con- 
tains a  tribute  to  producer  Cecil  B. 
DeMille._ 

Stressing  the  rapid  growth  of  the 
industry,  the  report  says  this  growth 
"can  be  illustrated  more  easily  than 
it  can  be  described."  The  illustration 
is  DeMille. 

The  report  points  out  that  his  first 
studio  was  a  barn,  for  which  he  paid 
a  rental  of  $25  a  month  and  where 
he  produced  films  for  an  average  cost 
of  $20,000.  On  the  other  hand,  says 
the  report,  "Unconquered,"  DeMille's 
latest,  cost  $5,000,000. 

MPAA's  CFHara  Terms  House 
Unit's  Report  'Gratifying' 

Washington,  Jan.  4.  —  Joyce 
O'Hara,  executive  assistant  to  Eric 
A.  Johnston,  president  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America,  said 
today  that  "it  is  gratifying  to  learn" 
that  the  House  Committee  "after  a 
full  and  fair  "  hearing,  found  that 
'there  was  no  collusion  or  conspiracy 
on  the  part  of  the  motion  picture  in- 
dustry.' " 

"This  has  always  been  our  conten- 
tion," he  said. 


Cleveland  Local  Elects 

Cleveland,  Jan.  4.  —  IATSE  local 
No.  5  has  reelected  Edward  Graves  to 
serve  as  president  for  the  fourth  con- 
secutive term.  Elected  to  serve  with 
him  are:  vice-president,  Leah  Gold- 
man ;  financial  secretary,  Marie  Roes- 
sell;  recording  secretary,  Anne  Fried- 
man; sergeant-at-arms,  Frank  Musto; 
business  agent,  John  C.  Wein. 

Trustees  are:  Grace  Dolphin, 
Charles  Button  and  Arthur  Ehrlich, 
with  Frances  Kates,  Button,  Nate 
Gerson,  Graves,  Margaret  Macsay 
and  Dolores  Daminski  composing  the 
executive  board.  Graves  and  Wein 
were  named  delegates  to  the  Cleveland 
Federation  of  Labor  and  also  conven- 
tion delegates. 


Washington,  Jan.  4. — Four  bills 
calling  for  a  reduction  in  the  20  per 
cent  Federal  admission  tax  to  the  pre- 
war 10  per  cent  were  dropped  in  the 
House  hopper  yesterday  when  the 
81st  Congress  got  under  way. 

Authors  were  Representatives  Coer 
(D.,  Miss.),  Dingell  (D.,  Mich.), 
O'Toole  (D.,  N.  Y.)  and  McDon- 
ough  (R.,  Cal.). 

A  total  of  570  bills  were  introduced 
in  the  House  in  its  first  day.  Repre- 
sentatives Powell  (D.,  N.  Y.)  and 
Dawson  (D.,  111.)  introduced  per- 
ennial bills  to  prohibit  racial  discrim- 
ination in  theatres  in  the  District  of 
Columbia,  while  Rep.  Patman  (D., 
Tex.),  moved  for  the  continuation  of 
the  House  Small  Business  Committee 
as  a  special  committee. 


Strike  Looms 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Warner's  home  office  on  Friday  with 
"IA"  and  distributor  negotiating  com- 
mittees in  an  attempt  to  break  the 

impasse. 

It  is  believed  in  labor  circles  here 
that  a  strike  vote  will  be  ordered  at 
the  weekend  since  little  or  no  hope 
exists  on  either  side  that  Stone  will 
be  able  to  resolve  the  existing  dif- 
ferences. The  companies  turned  down 
"IA's"  demands  for  a  15  per  cent 
general  wage  increase  for  the  ex- 
change workers  and  a  cut  in  the  work 
week  from  40  to  35  hours.  According 
to  the  managements  "raises  are  not 
in  order  at  this  time." 

An  exchange  workers'  strike  would 
make  it  virtually  impossible  for  thea- 
tres to  secure  product,  and  even  if 
they  were  able  to  get  product  under 
strike  conditions,  it  is  regarded  as 
certain  that  the  "I A"  projectionists 
in  theatres  would  refuse  to  work. 

Under  the  Taft-Hartley  Law,  a  60- 
day  "cooling-off"  period  is  required 
following  a  strike  vote. 


Resume  'CoIIarite'  Parleys 

Representatives  of  AFL's  IATSE 
Motion  Picture  Home  Office  Em- 
ployes Local  No.  H-63,  CIO's  Screen 
Office  and  Professional  Employes 
Guild,  and  six  distributors  will  meet 
at  the  National  Labor  Relations  Board 
here  today  in  a  further  attempt  to 
bring  about  a  quick  settlement  of  the 
dispute  between  the  two  unions  for 
jurisdictional  control  of  home  office 
"white  collarites." 


Operators  Name  Felling 

Minneapolis,  Jan.  4.  —  Charles 
Feiling  has  been  named  business  agent 
of  the  Minneapolis  operators'  union, 
succeeding  John  Winslow,  who  re- 
fused another  term.  Wood  Smith  and 
Frank  Rogers  were  elected  president 
and  vice-president,  respectively,  for 
second  terms.  The  new  board  com- 
prises Feiling,  Smith,  Wallace  Yutzy, 
Drew  Rogers  and  Francis  May.  Joe 
Elewood  is  treasurer  and  Ken  Cum- 
mings  secretary. 


DeVry  Promotes  Fisher 

Chicago,  Jan.  4. — Henry  M.  Fisher, 
former  manager  of  DeVry's  New 
York  division  and  liaison  representa- 
tive in  Washington,  has  been  promoted 
to  sales  and  merchandising  vice-presi- 
dent by  W.  C.  DeVry,  company  presi- 
dent. 


"National"  high  intensity 
carbons  change  dim  screen 


to  bright  screen 


and  make  box  office 

BOOM 


NATIONAL"  H.I.  ARC- 

"BRIGHTEST  SPOT  IN  THE  WORLD" 


The  term  "National*1 
is  a  registered  trade-mark  of 

NATIONAL  CARBON  COMPANY,  INC. 

Unit  of 

Union  Carbide  and  Carbon  Corporation 

QH3 

30  East  42nd  Street,  New  York  17,  N.  Y. 

Division  Sales  Offices: 
Atlanta,  Chicago,  Dallas,  Kansas  City, 
New  York,  Pittsburgh,  San  Francisco 


EVERYBODY* 

WINS  THE  ENTERTAINMENT  PRIZE  WHEN 
THE  EXPERTS  COMPLETE  THIS  SENTENCE: 


My  Own  True  Love'  is  a  truly  great  motion  picture 

because:  ^7an(ja  Heiidrix,  Find  of 
the  Year  in  Filmdom's  Famous 

Five  poll,  scores  again" 


My 
Own  True 


o 


A  Paramount  Picture  Starring 

PHYLLIS  CALVERT 

and 

MELVYN  DOUGLAS 


with 

WANDA  HENDRIX  •  PHILIP  FRIEND 
BINNIE  BARNES 

Produced  by  VAL  LEWTON 

Directed  by  COMPTON  BENNETT 
Screenplay  by  Theodore  Strauss  and  Josef  Mischel 
Adaptation  by  Arthur  Kober 
Based  on  a  Novel  by 
Yolanda  Foldes 


says 

CHESTER  B.  BAHN 
Editor  of  The  Film  Daily 


Film  Daily,  Variety  and  other 
annual  "new  star"  surveys  all  cite 
"Miss  Tatlock"  Hendrix  who's  com- 
ing soon  as  the  top  femme  star  of 
two  other  important  hits.  Wanda's 
wonderful  in  this  uncompromising 
close-up  of  the  sensational"new  look" 
in  love  —  as  the  innocent  girl  whose 
father  and  brother  battle  for  the  love 
of  her  best  friend. 

Number  3  in  a  series 


r  .  H 

Accurate 

MOTION  PICTURE 

FIRST 

Concise 

ATT  "^7" 

IN 

and 

JJAJL  JL  i 

FILM 

Impartial 

>i__   .  .  .  -r>'Si 

NEWS 

■        -          -     '  .  L:  1 

VOL.  65.  NO.  4 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  JANUARY  6,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Government  Is 
Interested  In 
Losses  Abroad 


South  African  Edict 
Costs  $2,225,000  Yearly 

U.  S.  State  Department  has  ex- 
pressed itself  as  being  "vitally  in- 
terested" in  the  foreign  affairs  of 
the  industry  in  conversations  with 
film  representatives  who  have  been  in 
Washington  recently  protesting  South 
Africa's  edict  sharply  curtailing  dollar 
remittances. 

The  government's  attitude 
was  said  here  yesterday  to  be 
"encouraging"  but  to  what  ex- 
tent it  will  assert  itself  in  film 
trade  relations  with  foreign 
countries  must  await  further 
study  by  the  Department. 

Fair,  treatment  throughout  the 
world  for  the  U.  S.  companies  is  the 
hope  of  the  State  Department,  but  in 
dealing  with  any  one  country,  such  as 
South  Africa,  Department  aides  re- 
portedly want  assurances  that  all  firms 
here  will  benefit  equally. 

Earlier    this    week,    Ellis  Arnall, 

(.Continued  on  page  4) 


Exhibitors  Protest 
U.  K.  Booking  Plan 

London,  Jan.  5. — Seven  Exhibitors' 
Association  representatives  conferred 
today  with  F.  W.  Allport,  London 
manager  of  the  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of  America,  and  the  sales  man- 
agers of  American  distribution  com- 
panies here  on  problems  arising  out  of 
Eric  Johnston's  unit  booking  pro- 
gram, which  prohibits  the  playing  of 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


First  Meeting  on 
U.  K.   Trade  Study 

London,  Jan.  5. — Lord  Por- 
tal's committee  enquiring 
into  distribution  and  exhibi- 
tion in  the  British  industry 
held  its  first  meeting  today, 
concerning  itself  largely  with 
the  procedure  to  be  followed 
in  making  its  study. 

It  is  anticipated  that  the 
committee's  study  will  re- 
quire about  two  months'  time 
before  it  begins  preparation 
of  its  report  for  the  govern- 
ment. 


Goldman  Again  Asks 
Cross-Licensing 
Ban  or  Divestiture 


Philadelphia,  Jan.  5. — A  new  mo- 
tion asking  U.  S.  District  Court  Judge 
William  Kirkpatrick  to  reconsider  his 
previous  ruling  and  order  either  the 
divestiture  of  Warner  and  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox theatres  here  or  a  ban  on 
cross-licensing  by  the  local  theatres  of 
those  companies  was  filed  today  by 
William  Goldman. 

A  similar  application  was  made  by 
Goldman  last  June  23  and  was  denied 
by  Judge  Kirkpatrick. 

In  renewing  his  motion,  Goldman 
introduces  new  documentary  and  other 
evidence  intended  to  show  difficulties 
encountered  in  obtaining  product  for 
Goldman's  Erlanger  Theatre  here. 

Goldman  alleges  that  United  Artists 
last  March  9  requested  a  bid  from 
him  for  the  Philadelphia  first-run  of 
"Arch  of  Triumph,"  and  that  on  the 
same  day  Warner's  Boyd  Theatre,  at 
which  the  picture  eventually  played, 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Refuses  to  Dismiss 
Percentage  Suits 

Bluefield,  W.  Va.,  Jan.  5. — Fed- 
eral Court  Judge  Ben  Moore  yester- 
day refused  to  dismiss  15  percentage 
actions  pending  here,  the  court  deny- 
ing motions  by  various  exhibitor  de- 
fendants to  dismiss  each  action  for 
lack  of  Federal  jurisdiction;  overrul- 
ing contentions  that  the  various  dis- 
tributor plaintiffs  had  failed  to  show 
that  each  suit  reasonably  involved  a 
controversy  of  more  than  $3,000. 

Bulk  of  the  opinion  was  devoted  to 
the  jurisdictional  question,  the  court 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


U.  K.  Theatre  Video 
Agreement  Stymied 

London,  Jan.  5. — Suspension  of  all 
discussions  with  British  Broadcasting 
Co.  on  the  proposed  television  agree- 
ment with  the  motion  picture  industry 
was  decided  upon  today  by  the  joint 
committee  of  exhibitors,  distributors 
and  producers,  until  both  sides  have 
considered  further  the  implications  of 
the  proposals. 

J.  Arthur  Rank's  interests  clearly 
desire  an  early  agreement  which  will 
permit  the  pick-up  of  BBC  programs 
on  large-screen  theatre  television  in 
return  for  making  old  films  available 
to  BBC.  However,  independent  ex- 
hibitors now,  feel  that  the  proposals 
concede  too  much  to  BBC  in  return 
for  too  little  for  the  average  theatre 
in  this  country. 


TIGHTEN  CURBS  ON 
TRUSTS:  TRUMAN 


Ted  Jones  Acquires 
11  Gamble  Theatres 

Hollywood,  Jan.  5. — Eleven 
Ted  Gamble  theatres  in  Ore- 
gon will  pass  to  Ted  Jones' 
Jones  Enterprises,  Inc.,  and 
Western  Amusement  Co.  on 
Feb.  12  as  the  result  of  a  deal 
consummated  last  week, 
Jones  discloses  here. 


Aaron  Joins 
20th-Fox 


Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  general  sales 
manager  of  20th  Century-Fox,  has  ap- 
pointed Edwin  W.  Aaron  circuit  sales 
manager  of  the  company,  effective 
next  Monday.  The  post  is  a  newly- 
created  one. 

Aaron  formerly  was  assistant  gen- 
eral sales  manager  of  MGM,  from 
which  company  he  resigned  recently. 
He  started  in  the  industry  31  years 
ago  in  the  auditing  department  of 
Metro,  installed  an  accounting  system 
in  the  Metro  exchanges,  and  later  be- 
came traveling  auditor,  then  manager 
of  the  company's  contract  department 
at  the  home  office.  In  1931  he  was 
named  assistant  to  Metro's  general 
sales  manager,  in  1943  he  was  ap- 
pointed circuit  sales  manager  and  three 
years  later  was  promoted  to  the  posi- 
tion of  assistant  general  sales  man- 
ager. 


Films  Intemperate, 
Say  Temperates 

Washington,  Jan.  S. — A  boycott  of 
"liquor  soaked"  films  was  urged  on 
the  American  Temperance  Society's 
convention  here  today. 

E.  W.  Dunbar,  youth  leader  for  the 
Seventh-Day  Adventists,  told  the  con- 
vention that,  "if  the  public  would  boy- 
cott these  pictures,  conditions  would 
be  cleaned  up." 

"Authorities  in  Hollywood  tell  us 
that  about  90  per  cent  of  feature  films 
contain  liquor  propaganda,  inserted 
either  consciously  or  inadvertently," 
Dunbar  said.  "Movie-makers  defend 
these  figures  on  the  grounds  that  their 
pictures  must  be  'true  to  life.'  The 
situation  might  perhaps  be  better  clari- 
fied by  investigating  the  liquor  lobby 
in  Hollywood," 


His  State  of  the  Union 
Message  Also  Asks  for 
A  $4  -  Billion  Tax  Rise 


By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  Jan.  5. — Here  are 
some  of  the  powers  and  legislation 
affecting  the  film  industry  request- 
ed by  President  Truman  in  his 
"State  of  the  Union"  message  to- 
day, and  the  prospects  for  Congres- 
sional action  on  them: 

Anti-Trust  Laws:  The  message 
asked  Congress  to  strengthen  the  anti- 
trust laws  by  "closing  loopholes  to 
prevent  monopolistic  mergers  and 
consolidations."  Congress  probably 
will  pass  the  Kefauver  Bill,  barring 
one  firm  from  acquiring  the  physical 
assets  of  another  where  the  result 
tends  to  lessen  competition  substan- 
tially. At  present,  the  law  only  bars 
acquisition  of  stock  in  such  cases. 
Other  anti-trust  legislation  will  prob- 
ably wait  on  future  requests  from"  the 
Administration. 

Taxes:  The  President  asked  for  a 
$4,000,000,000  increase  in  government 
tax  revenues,  mostly  from  corpora- 
tions and  higher  income-bracket  indi- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Truman  Telecast  on 
N.  Y.  Para.  Screen 


Another  first  in  theatre  television 
was  marked  here  yesterday  when 
Paramount  flashed  President  Tru- 
man's "State  of  the  Union"  message 
from  Washington  to  the  screen  of  the 
New  York  Paramount  Theatre.  The 
audience,  which  did  not  know  about 
the  telecast  in  advance,  greeted  it  with 
obvious  eagerness.  Their  response 
grew  marked,  and  at  two  points  dur- 
ing the  President's  speech,  rounds  of 
spontaneous  applause  broke  out.  The 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


12  More  Exhibitors 
Aid  'Brotherhood' 


Following  additional  12  exhibitor 
territorial  co-chairmen  for  "Brother- 
hood Week"  have  been  named : 

Cleveland :  Martin  G.  Smith,  and 
Ron  Gamble,  Palace  Theatre ;  Min- 
neapolis:  Benjamin  A.  Berger,  North 
Central  Allied,  and  Harry  French, 
Minnesota  Amusement  Co. ;  Portland  : 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  6,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

WTLLIAM  LEVY,  Walt  Disney 
Prod,  sales  executive,  has  re- 
turned to  New  York  from  Panama. 
• 

Ted  Gould,  sales  manager  for 
M-G-M  Pictures  of  Canada,  will  at- 
tend the  company's  Los  Angeles  meet- 
ing, Feb.  6-12,  from  Toronto.  He 
will  stop  off  in  New  York  en  route. 
• 

Rodney  Bush,  20th  Century-Fox 
exploitation  manager,  and  Robert 
Kaufman,  of  the  exploitation  depart- 
ment, were  in  Boston  yesterday  from 
New  York. 

• 

Seth  Flax  of  the  Eagle-Lion 
pressbook  department  and  Mrs.  Flax 
have  become  the  parents  of  a  daugh- 
ter, Jane  Pearis  Flax,  born  at  Doc- 
tors' Hospital  here  last  Friday. 
• 

Morris  Mechanic,  owner  of  the 
New  Theatre,  Baltimore,  will  cele- 
brate late  this  month  the  20th  anni- 
versary of  his  acquistion  of  the  house 
from  the  former  Whitehurst  interests. 
• 

William  F.  Rodgers,  M-G-M  sales 
vice-president,  is  due  back  in  New 
Yor-k  from  Miami  at  the  end  of  this 
month.  He  will  then  go  to  the  Coast. 
• 

M.  L.  Simons,  assistant  to  M-G-M 
exhibitor  relations  head  H.  M. 
Richey,  will  leave  here  Jan.  21  for 
Los  Angeles. 

• 

Paul  Short,  Allied  Artists  produc- 
er, returned  to  Hollywood  yesterday 
from  Dallas. 

• 

Max  Cohen,  Film  Classics  East- 
ern division  manager,  will  leave  here 
today  for  Cincinnati  and  Cleveland. 


Trading  Is  Light 
In  Film  Stocks 


Washington,  Jan.  5.— -Officers  and 
directors  of  film  companies  reported 
small,  scattered  stock  transactions  for 
the  period  between  Nov.  11  and  Dec. 
10,  1948,  according  to  the  latest  SEC 
report  on  trading  by  "insiders." 

Columbia  vice-president  Jack  Cohn 
reduced  the  holdings  of  his  trusts  by 
2,000  shares,  leaving  20,157  shares  in 
trust  accounts.  His  personal  holdings 
were  unchanged,  at  49,168  shares.  Al- 
bert Warner  bought  300  shares  of 
Warner  Pictures  $5  par  common,  in- 
creasing his  holdings  to  444,500,  with 
another  21,000  shares  in  trust.  Re- 
public director  Edwin  Van  Pelt 
bought  1,000  shares  of  Republic  50- 
cent  par  common,  increasing  his  hold- 
ings to  3,600  shares,  while  Arthur  J. 
Miller  sold  his  holdings  of  100  Re- 
public shares. 

Paramount  vice-president  Leonard 
Goldenson  bought  500  shares,  making 
his  holdings  1,100.  Another  1,000 
shares  are  held  by  him  jointly.  Wil- 
liam Clark  gave  away  his  entire  hold- 
ings of  RKO  stock,  76  shares  of  com- 
mon, and  warrants  for  another  730 
shares.  At  Monogram,  Sam  Wolf 
sold  1,633  shares  of  common,  drop- 
ping his  holdings  to  2,500  shares. 

Herbert  E.  Herman  bought  100 
shares  of  Trans  Lux  Corp.  common, 
for  a  total  of  5,200  shares.  Loew's,  Inc., 
bought  458  shares  of  Loew's  Boston 
Theatres  common,  boosting  its  hold- 
ings to  123,721  shares.  Noah  Diet- 
rich, new  RKO  officer,  said  that  as  of 
Oct.  30,  he  held  no  RKO  stock. 


To  Present  Awards 
For  Video  Jan.  25 

Hollywood,  Jan.  5. — First  annual 
awards  banquet  and  seminar  of  the 
Academy  of  Television  Arts  and  Sci- 
ences will  be  held  at  the  Hollywood 
Athletic  Club  on  Jan.  25,  with  seven 
speakers,  including  Hah  Roach,  Jr., 
president  of  Television  Film  Pro- 
ducers Association,  surveying  video 
problems  during  morning  and  after- 
noon sessions.  Awards  will  be  pre- 
sented during  the  banquet. 

Winner  of  the  plaque  for  best  over- 
all video  achievement  in  1948  will  be 
selected  by  the  Academy's  member- 
ship by  next  Monday. 

Syd  Cassyd  will  be  chairman  of  the 
seminar.  Other  speakers  will  include 
Al  Wager  and  Bernard  Tabakin  of 
Music  Corp.  of  America;  Paul  Lewis, 
vice-president  of  Darcy  Advertising 
Agency ;  Lednard  Ericson,  vice-presi- 
dent of  Kenyon  and  Eckhart  Agency, 
and  Mike  Stokey  of  Stokey  and 
Ebert. 


A    Tribute  That 
Is  Rare,  Indeed 

Detroit,  Jan.  5.— Sam  Car- 
ver, president  of  Detroit  Con- 
solidated Theatres,  and  other 
theatre  owners  with  whom  he 
associates,  have  chosen  Helen 
Bower  of  the  Detroit  Free 
Press,  their  favorite  screen 
and  drama  critic. 

Carver,  in  a  letter  to  Miss 
Bower,  wrote,  "Your  criti- 
cisms carry  more  wholesome- 
ness  and  value  than  many 
others  who  review  pictures  in 
our  daily  newspapers.  Many 
theatre  owners  in  Detroit  put 
a  lot  of  confidence  in  your 
stories  and  at  our  meetings 
you  hear  many  pleasant  re- 
marks about  you  and  your  ex- 
cellent criticisms." 


Coming 
Events 


Rieger  in  Video  Field 

Trinity  Pictures,  headed  by  Jack 
Rieger,  a  producer-distributor,  has  ex- 
panded into  the  television  production- 
distribution  field,  and  established  new 
quarters  at  729  Seventh  Avenue,  New 
York. 


UA  Finance  Meeting 
May  Shift  to  N.  Y. 

Meeting  of  United  Artists  co- 
owners  Mary  Pickford  and  Charles 
Chaplin  with  a  special  board  com- 
mittee appointed  to  study  means  of 
bolstering  independent  production  with 
financial  assists  may  shift  to  New 
York.  Miss  Pickford,  Chaplin  and 
George  Bagnall,  production  vice-presi- 
dent, have  arranged  for  transportation 
from  the  Coast  for  the  weekend  but  a 
change  of  plans  is  not  unlikely. 

The  finance  group,  consisting  of 
Charles  Schwartz,  E.  C.  Mills,  Harold 
Weill  and  Vitalis  Chalif,  met  here 
yesterday  to  exchange  views  on  the 
monetary  problems. 

Meeting  with  the  owners  on  the 
Coast  had  been  set  for  Jan.  17.  How- 
ever, a  board  meeting  is  scheduled  for 
here  next  Tuesday  which  could  fur- 
ther prompt  Miss  Pickford  and  Chap- 
lin to  come  here  instead. 


Drive  for  Kranze's 
Anniversary  at  F-C 

In  observance  of  his  first  year  with 
Film'  Classics  as  sales  vice-president, 
all  company  division  and  branch  heads 
will  promote  "B.  G.  Kranze  Playdate 
Months"  during  February  and  March. 

The  following  new  pictures  will  be 
highlighted :  "Furia,"  "For  You  I 
Die,"  "Money  Madness,"  "Devil's 
Cargo,"  "Women  in  the  Night,"  "Will 
It  Happen  Again?"  "Argyle  Secrets," 
"Blonde  Ice,"  "Appointment  with 
Murder,"  "Miraculous  Journey," 
"Sofia,"  "Sleeper"  and  "Unknown 
Island." 


Wyman  Donates  Prize 

Jane  Wyman,  whose  performance  in 
Warner's  "Johnny  Belinda"  won  her 
a  $4,000  award  from  the  London 
Daily  Express  as  "the  actress  of  the 
year,"  is  using  the  award  money  to 
establish  a  scholarship  in  the  British 
Royal  Academy  of  Dramatic  Arts, 
Warner's  home  office  disclosed  here 
yesterday. 


N.  E.  Theatres  Meets 

Boston,  Jan.  5. — New  England 
Theatres  today  held  its  first  executive 
meeting  since  the  divestiture  from 
Paramount  at  the  Hotel  Statler  here 


Rank  Office  on  the 
Coast  Is  Closed 

The  Hollywood  office  of  the'  J. 
Arthur  Rank  Organization  has  been 
closed  and  its  functions  absorbed  by 
the  New  York  office,  a  spokesman  for 
the  organization  admitted  here  yester- 
day. 

The  Coast  office  had  been  main 
tained  for  contact  with  the  Production 
Code  Administration   on   scripts  for 
new  Rank  productions  and  for  Holly- 
wood talent  and  story  scouting. 


Today — Theatre  Owners  of  Amer- 
ica Executive  Committee  meeting, 
New  York. 

Today — National  Conference  of 
Christians  and  Jews,  committee 
chairmen's  luncheon,  Waldorf- 
Astoria  Hotel,  New  York. 

Jan.  28  -  29— Theatre  Owners  of 
America  officers  and  directors 
meeting,  Mayflower  Hotel,  Wash- 
ington. 

Jan.  31  -  Feb.  5— I  ATS  E  general  ex- 
ecutive board  mid-winter  meet- 
ing, Roosevelt  Hotel,  New  Or- 
leans. 

Jan.  30  -  Feb.  1 — Theatre  Owners  of 
North   and    South    Carolina  an- 
nual convention,  Hotel  Charlotte, 
Charlotte. 
Feb.  1  -  2 — Colorado  Association  of 
Theatre  Owners  first  annual  con- 
vention, Denver. 
Feb.  4  —  National    Conference  of 
Christian  and  Jews  luncheon,  Ho- 
tel Waldorf-Astoria,  New  York. 
Feb.  20-27— "Brotherhood  Week." 


MGM  Streamlines 
Field  Operations 

Streamlining  of  operations  in  its  va- 
rious key  city  branches  and  discus- 
sions of  operational  problems  and  sys- 
tem routine  are  highlighting  the  four- 
day  M-G-M  field  auditors  meetings 
which  are  slated  to  wind  up  here  to- 
day at  the  Astor  Hotel,  according  to 
Alan  F.  Cummings,  in  charge  of  ex- 
change operations.  The  meetings  will 
be  followed  by  a  day  of  home,  office 
sessions  tomorrow  after  which  the 
field  men  will  return  to  their  respec- 
tive territories.  Harold  Postman,  as- 
sistant to  Cummings,  is  jointly  con- 
ducting the  sessions  with  Cummings. 

Attending  from  the  field  are  Charles 
Fogle,  maintenance  supervisor;  and 
the  following  traveling  auditors ;  John 
J.  Ash,  Charles  Bell,  Oliver  Brough- 
ton,  Lawrence  J.  Callahan,  Carl  Gent- 
zel,  Willard  Gillilan,  Harry  Simons 
and  Edward  Urschell. 


GundelRnger  to  UK 
On  Cinecolor  'Lab' 

Hollywood.  Jan.  5. — Alan  Gundel- 
finger,  Cinecolor  vice-president,  will 
leave  here  for  England  within  10  days 
for  further  conferences  on  establish- 
ment of  a  Cinecolor  laboratory  there, 
it  has  been  announced  following  his 
report  to  the  board  of  directors  on  a 
survey  made  last  October. 


SMPE  at  Army  'Lab' 

Tonight's  Atlantic  Coast  section 
meeting  of  the  Society  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Engineers  will  feature  an  inspec- 
tion tour  of  the  U.  S.  Army  Signal 
Corps  Photographic  Center  in  Astoria, 
Long  Island.  Prior  to  the  tour,  Erwin 
Oeller,  chief  of  the  laboratory  branch 
of  the  center  will  read  a  paper  de- 
scribing the  new  motion  picture  lab- 
oratory and  its  facilities. 


Cohen  Holding  Drive 
Meet  in  Cleveland 

Cleveland,  Jan.  5. — Milton  E.  Co- 
hen, Eagle-Lion  Eastern  sales  man- 
ager, and  his  assistant,  Saul  Krugman, 
have  arrived  here  from  New  York 
for  a  two-day  series  of  conferences  on 
the  "Jack  Schlaifer  Testimonial 
Drive,"  now  in  its  fifth  week.  While 
here  they  will  meet  with  circuit  ex- 
ecutives, independent  exhibitors  and 
local  exchange  personnel  headed  by 
Robert  Richardson,  branch  manager. 
Schlaifer  is  E-L's  general  sales  man- 
ager. ,       _  . 

As  drive  captain,  Cohen  is  holding 
meetings  in  most  of  Eagle-Lion's  31 
exchanges. 


25-Cent  W.B.  Dividend 

A  dividend  of  25  cents  per  common 
share  was  paid  yesterday  by  Warner 
Brothers  to  stockholders  of  record  on 
last  Dec.  3. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays. 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washington, 
J.  A.  Orten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Bumup,  Editor;  cable  address,  Quigpubco,  London. 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  every  fourth  week  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


'A  WOW!  'DON  JUAN' IS  SET  TO  CLIMB  INTO 
HIGH-GROSSING  SPHERES!'™^  "HERE'S 
)NE  FOR  THE  MONEY!  ERROL  FLYNN'S 
}EST!m.p.daily"IPd  A  GREAT  BIG  ADVENTURE 
rHRILLER.  SOMETHING  TO  REMEMBER 
IOLLYWOOP  BY!'N' 
N  HIS  BEST  FORM!* 
1ERE 


"IT'S  ERROL  FLYNN 
"STUNNING! 


.Y.TIMES 


.Y.MIRROR 


N.Y.SUN 


ADVENTURE  IN  THE  GRAND 
NOW  FROM  WARNER  BROS. 


i 


STARRING 


WITH 


ROBERT  MUGIAS 


ALAN  HALE  •  ROMNEY  BRENT 

AMN  Rl  ITHFRFHRn 


NHFKIT  .SHFRMAIM  •  IFRRY  WAI  f) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  6,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

WrILLIAM  LEVY,  Walt  Disney 
Prod,  sales  executive,  has  re- 
turned to  New  York  from  Panama. 
• 

Ted  Gould,  sales  manager  for 
M-G-M  Pictures  of  Canada,  will  at- 
tend the  company's  Los  Angeles  meet- 
ing, Feb.  6-12,  from  Toronto.  He 
will  stop  off  in  New  York  en  route. 
• 

Rodney  Bush,  20th  Century-Fox 
exploitation  manager,  and  Robert 
Kaufman,  of  the  exploitation  depart- 
ment, were  in  Boston  yesterday  from 
New  York. 

• 

Seth  Flax  of  the  Eagle-Lion 
pressbook  department  and  Mrs.  Flax 
have  become  the  parents  of  a  daugh- 
ter, Jane  Pearis  Flax,  born  at  Doc- 
tors' Hospital  here  last  Friday. 
• 

Morris  Mechanic,  owner  of  the 
New  Theatre,  Baltimore,  will  cele- 
brate late  this  month  the  20th  anni- 
versary of  his  acquistion  of  the  house 
from  the  former  Whitehurst  interests. 
• 

William  F.  Rodgers,  M-G-M  sales 
vice-president,  is  due  back  in  New 
York  from  Miami  at  the  end  of  this 
month.  He  will  then  go  to  the  Coast. 
• 

M.  L.  Simons,  assistant  to  M-G-M 
exhibitor  relations  head  H.  M. 
Richey,  will  leave  here  Jan.  21  for 
Los  Angeles. 

• 

Paul  Short,  Allied  Artists  produc- 
er, returned  to  Hollywood  yesterday 
from  Dallas. 

• 

Max  Cohen,  Film  Classics  East- 
ern division  manager,  will  leave  here 
today  for  Cincinnati  and  Cleveland. 


Trading  Is  Light 
In  Film  Stocks 


Washington,  Jan.  S. — Officers  and 
directors  of  film  companies  reported 
small,  scattered  stock  transactions  for 
the  period  between  Nov.  11  and  Dec. 
10,  1948,  according  to  the  latest  SEC 
report  on  trading  by  "insiders." 

Columbia  vice-president  Jack  Cohn 
reduced  the  holdings  of  his  trusts  by 
2,000  shares,  leaving  20,157  shares  in 
trust  accounts.  His  personal  holdings 
were  unchanged,  at  49,168  shares.  Al- 
bert Warner  bought  300  shares  of 
Warner  Pictures  $5  par  common,  in- 
creasing his  holdings  to  444,500,  with 
another  21,000  shares  in  trust.  Re- 
public director  Edwin  Van  Pelt 
bought  1,000  shares  of  Republic  50- 
cent  par  common,  increasing  his  hold- 
ings to  3,600  shares,  while  Arthur  J. 
Miller  sold  his  holdings  of  100  Re- 
public shares. 

Paramount  vice-president  Leonard 
Goldenson  bought  500  shares,  making 
his  holdings  1,100.  Another  1,000 
shares  are  held  by  him  jointly.  Wil- 
liam Clark  gave  away  his  entire  hold- 
ings of  RKO  stock,  76  shares  of  com- 
mon, and  warrants  for  another  730 
shares.  At  Monogram,  Sam  Wolf 
sold  1,633  shares  of  common,  drop- 
ping his  holdings  to  2,500  shares. 

Herbert  E.  Herman  bought  100 
shares  of  Trans  Lux  Corp.  common, 
for  a  total  of  5,200  shares.  Loew's,  Inc., 
bought  458  shares  of  Loew's  Boston 
Theatres  common,  boosting  its  hold- 
ings to  123,721  shares.  Noah  Diet- 
rich, new  RKO  officer,  said  that  as  of 
Oct.  30,  he  held  no  RKO  stock. 


To  Present  Awards 
For  Video  Jan,  25 

Hollywood,  Jan.  5. — First  annual 
awards  banquet  and  seminar  of  the 
Academy  of  Television  Arts  and  Sci- 
ences will  be  held  at  the  Hollywood 
Athletic  Club  on  Jan.  25,  with  seven 
speakers,  including  Hal-  Roach,  Jr., 
president  of  Television  Film  Pro- 
ducers Association,  surveying  video 
problems  during  morning  and  after- 
noon sessions.  Awards  will  be  pre- 
sented during  the  banquet. 

Winner  of  the  plaque  for  best  over- 
all video  achievement  in  1948  will  be 
selected  by  the  Academy's  member- 
ship by  next  Monday. 

Syd  Cassyd  will  be  chairman  of  the 
seminar.  Other  speakers  will  include 
Al  Wager  and  Bernard  Tabakin  of 
Music  Corp.  of  America ;  Paul  Lewis, 
vice-president  of  Darcy  Advertising 
Agency;  Lednard  Ericson,  vice-presi- 
dent of  Kenyon  and  Eckhart  Agency, 
and  Mike  Stokey  of  Stokey  and 
Ebert. 


Rieger  in  Video  Field 

Trinity  Pictures,  headed  by  Jack 
Rieger,  a  producer-distributor,  has  ex- 
panded into  the  television  production 
distribution  field,  and  established  new 
quarters  at  729  Seventh  Avenue,  New 
York. 


11 A  Finance  Meeting 
May  Shift  to  N.  Y. 

Meeting  of  United  Artists  co- 
owners  Mary  Pickford  and  Charles 
Chaplin  with  a  special  board  com- 
mittee appointed  to  study  means  of 
bolstering  independent  production  with 
financial  assists  may  shift  to  New 
York.  Miss  Pickford,  Chaplin  and 
George  Bagnall,  production  vice-presi- 
dent, have  arranged  for  transportation 
from  the  Coast  for  the  weekend  but  a 
change  of  plans  is  not  unlikely. 

The  finance  group,  consisting  of 
Charles  Schwartz,  E.  C.  Mills,  Harold 
Weill  and  Vitalis  Chalif,  met  here 
yesterday  to  exchange  views  on  the 
monetary  problems. 

Meeting  with  the  owners  on  the 
Coast  had  been  set  for  Jan.  17.  How- 
ever, a  board  meeting  is  scheduled  for 
here  next  Tuesday  which  could  fur- 
ther prompt  Miss  Pickford  and  Chap- 
lin to  come  here  instead. 


A    Tribute  That 
Is  Rare,  Indeed 

Detroit,  Jan.  5.— Sam  Car- 
ver, president  of  Detroit  Con- 
solidated Theatres,  and  other 
theatre  owners  with  whom  he 
associates,  have  chosen  Helen 
Bower  of  the  Detroit  Free 
Press,  their  favorite  screen 
and  drama  critic. 

Carver,  in  a  letter  to  Miss 
Bower,  wrote,  "Your  criti- 
cisms carry  more  wholesome- 
ness  and  value  than  many 
others  who  review  pictures  in 
our  daily  newspapers.  Many 
theatre  owners  in  Detroit  put 
a  lot  of  confidence  in  your 
stories  and  at  our  meetings 
you  hear  many  pleasant  re- 
marks about  you  and  your  ex- 
cellent criticisms." 


Drive  for  Kranze's 
Anniversary  at  F-C 

In  observance  of  his  first  year  with 
Film-  Classics  as  sales  vice-president, 
all  company  division  and  branch  heads 
will  promote  "B.  G.  Kranze  Playdate 
Months"  during  February  and  March. 

The  following  new  pictures  will  be 
highlighted :  "Furia,"  "For  You  I 
Die,"  "Money  Madness,"  "Devil's 
Cargo,"  "Women  in  the  Night,"  "Will 
It  Happen  Again?"  "Argyle  Secrets," 
"Blonde  Ice,"  "Appointment  with 
Murder,"  "Miraculous  Journey," 
"Sofia,"  "Sleeper"  and  "Unknown 
Island." 


Coming 
Events 


Today — Theatre  Owners  of  Amer- 
ica Executive  Committee  meeting, 
New  York. 

Today — National  Conference  of 
Christians  and  Jews,  committee 
chairmen's  luncheon,  Waldorf- 
Astoria  Hotel,  New  York. 

Jan.  28-29 — Theatre  Owners  of 
America  officers  and  directors 
meeting,  Mayflower  Hotel,  Wash- 
ington. 

Jan.  31  -  Feb.  5 — IATSE  general  ex- 
ecutive board  mid-winter  meet- 
ing, Roosevelt  Hotel,  New  Or- 
leans. 

Jan.  30  -  Feb.  1 — Theatre  Owners  of 
North   and   South    Carolina  an- 
nual convention,  Hotel  Charlotte, 
Charlotte. 
Feb.  1  -  2 — Colorado  Association  of 
Theatre  Owners  first  annual  con- 
vention, Denver. 
Feb.  4 — National    Conference  of 
Christian  and  Jews  luncheon,  Ho- 
tel Waldorf-Astoria,  New  York. 
Feb.  20  -27— "Brotherhood  Week." 


Wyman  Donates  Prize 

Jane  Wyman,  whose  performance  in 
Warner's  "Johnny  Belinda"  won  her 
a  $4,000  award  from  the  London 
Daily  Ex-press  as  "the  actress  of  the 
year,"  is  using  the  award  money  to 
establish  a  scholarship  in  the  British 
Royal  Academy  of  Dramatic  Arts, 
Warner's  home  office  disclosed  here 
yesterday. 


N.  E.  Theatres  Meets 

Boston,  Jan.  5. — New  England 
Theatres  today  held  its  first  executive 
meeting  since  the  divestiture  from 
Paramount  at  the  Hotel  Statler  here. 


Rank  Office  on  the 
Coast  Is  Closed 

The  Hollywood  office  of  the'  J. 
Arthur  Rank  Organization  has  been 
closed  and  its  functions  absorbed  by 
the  New  York  office,  a  spokesman  for 
the  organization  admitted  here  yester- 
day. 

The  Coast  office  had  been  main- 
tained for  contact  with  the  Production 
Code  Administration  on  scripts  for 
new  Rank  productions  and  for  Holly- 
wood talent  and  story  scouting. 


GundelRnger  to  UK 
On  Cinecolor  'Lab* 

Hollywood,  Jan.  5. — Alan  Gundel- 
finger,  Cinecolor  vice-president,  will 
leave  here  for  England  within  10  days 
for  further  conferences  on  establish- 
ment of  a  Cinecolor  laboratory  there, 
it  has  been  announced  following  his 
report  to  the  board  of  directors  on  a 
survey  made  last  October. 


SMPE  at  Army  'Lab* 

Tonight's    Atlantic    Coast  section 
meeting  of  the  Society  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Engineers  will  feature  an  inspec 
tion  tour  of  the  U.  S.  Army  Signal 
Corps  Photographic  Center  in  Astoria, 
Long  Island.  Prior  to  the  tour,  Erwin 
Oeller,  chief  of  the  laboratory  branch 
of  the  center  will  read  a  paper  de 
scribing  the  new  motion  picture  lab 
oratory  and  its  facilities. 


MGM  Streamlines 
Field  Operations 

Streamlining  of  operations  in  its  va- 
rious key  city  branches  and  discus- 
sions of  operational  problems  and  sys- 
tem routine  are  highlighting  the  four- 
day  M-G-M  field  auditors  meetings 
which  are  slated  to  wind  up  here  to- 
day at  the  Astor  Hotel,  according  to 
Alan  F.  Cummings,  in  charge  of  ex- 
change operations.  The  meetings  will 
be  followed  by  a  day  of  home,  office 
sessions  tomorrow  after  which  the 
field  men  will  return  to  their  respec- 
tive territories.  Harold  Postman,  as- 
sistant to  Cummings,  is  jointly  con- 
ducting the  sessions  with  Cummings. 

Attending  from  the  field  are  Charles 
Fogle,  maintenance  supervisor;  and 
the  following  traveling  auditors ;  John 
J.  Ash,  Charles  Bell,  Oliver  Brough- 
ton,  Lawrence  J.  Callahan,  Carl  Gent- 
zel,  Willard  Gillilan,  Harry  Simons 
and  Edward  Urschell. 


Cohen  Holding  Drive 
Meet  in  Cleveland 

Cleveland,  Jan.  5. — Milton  E.  Co- 
hen, Eagle-Lion  Eastern  sales  man- 
ager, and  his  assistant,  Saul  Krugman, 
have  arrived  here  from  New  York 
for  a  two-day  series  of  conferences  on 
the  "Jack  Schlaifer  Testimonial 
Drive,"  now  in  its  fifth  week.  While 
here  they  will  meet  with  circuit  ex- 
ecutives, independent  exhibitors  and 
local  exchange  personnel  headed  by 
Robert  Richardson,  branch  manager. 
Schlaifer  is  E-L's  general  sales  man- 
ager. , 

As  drive  captain,  Cohen  is  holding 
meetings  in  most  of  Eagle-Lion's  31 
exchanges. 


25-Cent  W.B.  Dividend 

A  dividend  of  25  cents  per  common 
share  was  paid  yesterday  by  Warner 
Brothers  to  stockholders  of  record  on 
last  Dec.  3. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
Tames  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  E.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor;  cable  address,  Quigpubco,  London. 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  every  fourth  week  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c. 


'A  WOW!  'DON  JUAN'  IS  SET  TO  CLIMB  INTO 
HIGH-GROSSING  SBflERES!;;MDA,Y"HERE'S 
ONE  FOR  THE  MONEY!  ERROL  FLYNN'S 
8EST!m 


M.  P.  DAILY 


"IT'S  ERROL  FLYNN 
"STUNNING! 


.Y. TIMES 


y  S  A  GREAT  BIG  ADVENTURE 
rHRILLER.  SOMETHING  TO  REMEMBER 
IOLLYWOOP  BY!'n' 
N  HIS  BEST  FORM !n 
HERE  IS  ADVENTURE  IN  THE  GRAND 

NOW  FROM  WARNER  BROS. 


.Y.MIRROR 


Z  N.Y.SUN 


STARRING 


ADVENT 


WITH 


ROBERT  DOUGI  AS 


C  ■  =ZCTED  BY 


ALAN  HALE  .  ROMNEY  BRENT 
ANN  Rl  ITHFRFDRn 


CFNT  SHFRMAN  •  IFRRY  WAID  MM 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  6,  1949 


Review 


"The  Fighting  O'Flynn" 

(Universal-International) 

ACCORDING  to  this  swashbuckling  tale  of  adventure,  romance  and  in- 
trigue starring  Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.,  it  was  a  hearty,  shillelagh-toting 
Irishman  by  the  name  of  The  O'Flynn  of  O'Flynn  who  saved  England  in  1797 
from  being  invaded  by  Napoleon's  armies.  But  he  didn't  do  it  for  the  love  of 
England.  No,  it  was  really  for  love  of  a  pretty  English  maiden,  the  daughter 
of  the  Viceroy  of  Ireland  (Helena  Carter)  whom  he  set  about  wooing  with 
loyalty,  blarney,  and  Irish  humor  immediately  upon  meeting  her.  She  was 
in  the  thick  of  a  plot  to  defeat  another  plot  to  make  Napoleon's  invasion 
possible.  The  Emperor  had  picked  Ireland  for  his  base  of  operations  against 
England. 

Action  fans  will  find  "The  Fighting  O'Flynn"  right  up  their  alley,  what 
with  all  the  roughing,  swordplay  and  chasing  that  is  involved  before  O'Flynn 
wins  the  lady's  heart  and  hand.  Matter  of  fact,  anybody  who  is  looking  for 
an  hour-and-a-half  of  first-rate  escapist  entertainment  should  find  it  here. 
Good  business  appears  to  be  in  the  offing  for  this  Fairbanks  Company  pro- 
duction which  Arthur  Pierson  directed  from  a  script  by  Fairbanks  and  Rob- 
ert Thoeren. 

Fairbanks,  although  not  too  handy  with  a  brogue,  turns  out  a  winning 
portrayal  of  the  title  role  in  terms  of  action  and  bounce;  Miss  Carter  makes 
a  desirable  object  of  his  affection;  Richard  Greene  is  appropriately  dastardly 
as  a  traitorous  English  commander  and  Patricia  Medina  lends  touches  of 
broad  farce  to  a  whimsical  yarn  with  her  portrayal  of  a  superstitious  colleen 
who  spend  much  of  her  acting  time  on  Greene's  lap. 

Running  time,  94  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  February 
release.  Charles  L.  Franke 


Canada's  Ban  on 
Equipment  to  End 

Toronto,  Jan.  5. — Canada's  foreign- 
exchange  emergency  is  now  consid- 
ered over  and  is  expected  to  be  form- 
ally concluded  during  the  1949  session 
of  Parliament  which  will  open  on  Jan. 
26,  according  to  political  intimations  in 
authoritative  quarters. 

The  move  will  lift  the  ban  on  im- 
ports of  projection  machines  and  thea- 
tre equipment  generally. 

Provisions  of  the  foreign-exchange 
conservation  order,  invoked  in  Nov., 
1947,  are  scheduled  to  be  terminated 
by  amendment  of  the  Transitional 
Measures  Act  before  March  31,  the 
close  of  the  government's  fiscal  year, 
and  remaining  barriers  and  controls 
will  cease  60  days  later.  The  only  im- 
port restrictions  to  be  continued  are 
those  controlling  the  buying  of  steel 
from  the  United  States. 

Import  permits  or  embargoes  on 
goods  from  the  United  States  will  be 
generally  dropped  next  springy  it  is 
promised,  because  the  conservation  of 
dollars  is  no  longer  considered  pri- 
marily essential. 

Due  to  the  intervention  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America 
there  has  not  been  any  restriction  on 
film  imports  from  the  U.  S.  nor  a 
freezing  of  Canadian  film-rental  reve- 
nue. The  abandonment  of  Canada's 
austerity  program  will  ease  the  threat 
of  film-import  controls. 


French  Films  Rated 
Tops  in  the  U.  S. 

Survey  of  the  preferences  of  foreign 
film  fans,  just  completed  by  Foreign 
Films  News,  reveals  that  French, 
Italian,  British  and  Swedish-made  pic- 
tures are  preferred  in  that  order.  The 
report  brought  out  that  the  favorite 
all-time  foreign  film  was  "The  Baker's 
Wife,"  with  "The  Lower  Depths," 
"The  Eternal  Mask"  and  "Lucrezia 
Borgia"  as  the  three  foreign  films 
which  most  would  like  to  see  again. 


Advance  Mexican  Meet 

Mexico  City,  Jan.  5.  —  Annual 
meeting  here  of  the  Mexican  Exhibi- 
tors Association  will  be  held  Jan.  12 
to  14  instead  of  Jan.  19  to  21,  as  was 
announced  originally,  in  order  to  ac- 
commodate President  Miguel  Ale- 
man,  who  has  accepted  Association 
president  Francisco  Sumohane's  invi- 
tation to  open  the  convention. 


Plan  'Mounties'  Series 

Ottawa,  Jan.  S. —  Max  M.  King 
Film  Productions  of  Hollywood  will 
produce  the  first  of  a  series  of  films, 
entitled  "Scarlet  and  Gold,"  on  the 
Royal  Canadian  Mounted  Police.  To 
be  written  by  Art  Arthur,  a  native  of 
Canada,  it  will  be  filmed  here  in  part, 
starting  next  spring. 


Exhibitors  Protest 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

an  American  feature  in  support  of  a 
British  picture  on  double  bills. 

Seeking  elucidation  of  numerous 
practical  difficulties,  the  exhibitors' 
delegation  was  assured  that  MPAA 
desires  complete  amicability  in  the  op- 
eration of  the  plan  and  was  promised 
that  any  valid  exhibitor  grievances 
would  be  remedied.  W.  R.  Fuller, 
who  headed  the  exhibitor  delegation, 
will  so  inform  the  CEA's  general 
council  at  its  next  meeting." 


Losses  Abroad 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

president  of  the  Society  of  Indepen- 
dent Motion  Picture  Producers,  and 
James  Mulvey,  president  of  Samuel 
Goldwyn  Productions,  sought  active 
representation  by  the  State  Depart- 
ment when  they  conferred  with  Wash- 
ington officials.  Arnall  left  the  capi- 
tal for  his  home  in  Atlanta  yesterday, 
and  will  return  there  next  week,  prob- 
ably Monday,  for  further  discussions. 
Mulvey  is  back  in  New  York. 

Harmon  Also  a  Visitor 

Other  recent  visitors  at  the  State 
Department  were  Francis  Harmon, 
vice-president  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America,  whose  in- 
tended trek  to  Johannesburg  has  been 
called  off,  and  Robert  J.  Rubin, 
SIMPP  counsel. 

Meanwhile,  it  has  become  known 
that  the  new  South  African  restric- 
tions, if  sustained,  will  mean  the  loss 
of  $2,225,000  annually  to  American 
producers.  Moreover,  it  means  a  vir- 
tually immediate  halt  to  all  dollar  re- 
mittances for  the  balance  of  the  1948- 
'49  season. 

The  edict  directs  that  South  Afri- 
can importers  may  send  out  of  the 
country  exactly  one-half  the  amount 
of  dollars  which  they  sent  in  1947. 
The  order  became  effective  on  July 
1,  1948.  Companies  here  already  have 
received  their  dollar  allotment  for  the 
current  year. 

$4,500,000  for  U.  S.  Companies 

South  Africa  normally  produced 
dollar  revenue  of  $4,500,000  for 
American  companies. 

The  matter  has  further  complica- 
tions in  that  only  four  major  film  im- 
porters operate  in  South  Africa,  these 
being  the  Schlesinger  company, 
Loew's,  20th  Century-Fox  and  United 
Artists.  Remittances  heretofore  were 
of  course  based  on  the  earnings  of 
each  film.  The  new  problems  will 
present  themselves  in  the  selection  of 
films  by  the  four  importers. 


'Eternal  Husband'  Opens 

American  premiere  of  "The  Eternal 
Husband,"  a  French  production  based 
on"  a  Dostoievsky  story  and  starring 
the  late  Raimu,  will  be  held  Saturday 
at  the  Elysee  Theatre  here,  Vog  Film 
Co.  has  announced. 


41  Monogram  Films 
Produced  in  1948 

Hollywood,  Jan.  5.  —  Forty  -  one 
Monogram  films  were  produced  dur- 
ing 1948,  it  was  announced  here  by 
Steve  Broidy,  president. 

The  list  included  productions  in  the 
Bowery  Boys,  Charlie  Chan,  Joe  Pa- 
looka,  Jiggs  and  Maggie,  Johnny 
Mack  Brown  and  Jimmy  Wakely 
series,  and  such  individual  pictures  as 
"Tuna  Clipper,"  "Kidnapped,"  "River- 
boat  Rhythm,"  "I  Wouldn't  Be  in 
Your  Shoes,"  "Bomba,  the  Jungle 
Boy,"  "Henry,  the  Rainmaker,"  and 
"Incident." 


Rites  Tomorrow  for 
Thomas  Namack,  80 

A  requiem  Mass  will  be  sung  in 
Corpus  Christi  Church  here  tomorrow 
for  Thomas  Namack,  former  Warner 
publicist,  who  died  Monday  in  Lenox 
Hill  Hospital  at  the  age  of  80.  Na- 
mack, a  publicist  for  some  50  years, 
was  also  director  of  newspaper  pub- 
licity for  the  Actors  Fund  of  Amer- 
ica and  served  as  agent  for  leading 
theatrical  personalities.  Burial  will 
take  place  in  Ellenville,  N.  Y. 


Former  'U'  Aide  Dies 

Morris  Joseph,  formerly  branch 
manager  for  Universal  in  New  Haven 
until  his  retirement  in  1941,  died  in 
"Miami  last  Friday  after  a  long  illness, 
according  to  word  received  by  U-I  in 
New  York  yesterday.  Joseph  was 
with  Universal  for  28  years.  He  is 
survived  by  the  widow  and  a  daughter. 


Hope  on  28-City  Tour 

Hollywood,  Jan.  5. — Bob  Hope  and 
a  troupe  of  40,  including  his  radio 
show  personnel,  left  Hollywood  last 
night  in  a  chartered  plane  for  Fort 
Worth,  Texas,  on  the  first  leg  of  a 
25-day  cross  country  tour  which  will 
include  appearances  in  some  28  cities. 


Cold  Hits  Grosses 

Salt  Lake  City,  Jan.  5. — Theatre 
grosses  have  dropped  in  some  smaller 
cities  in  the  Utah  exchange  territory 
as  a  result  of  the  record-breaking  cold 
and  heavy  snow. 


Theatre  Popcorn 
Useage  Increases 


Washington,  Jan.  5. — U.  S.  pop- 
corn production  last  year  was  the  sec- 
ond highest  on  record,  almost  three 
times  as  large  as  1947  production,  the 
U.  S.  Agriculture  Department  reports. 
This  was  due  in  large  part  to  in- 
creased use  by  film  theatres. 

Department  officials  believe  the  near- 
record  crop  will  mean  a  slump  in 
prices  of  packaged  popcorn  in  the 
spring.  The  Department  said  that 
growers  in  the  12  chief  popcorn-pro- 
ducing states  produced  nearly  293,160,- 
000  pounds  last  year,  compared  with 
102,000,000  in  1947. 


3  E-L  Exploiteers 
Tie  for  1st  Prize 

Three  Eagle-Lion  field  exploiteers 
have  tied  for  first  place  in  the  promo- 
tion contest  held  in  connection  with 
the  company's  William  Heineman 
sales  drive,  it  was  announced  here 
yesterday  by  Max  E.  Youngstein,  ad- 
vertising-publicity vice-president.  The 
exploiteers  involved  and  the  films  are : 
Max  Miller,  for  "The  Red  Shoes"; 
Milt  Overman,  "Canon  City"  and 
"Mickey,"  and  Bob  Goodfried,  for 
"He  Walked  by  Night."  Each  will 
receive  identical  first  place  awards  of 
$250. 

Second  and  third  prizes,  $150  and 
$100,  respectively,  went  to  Joe  Mans- 
field and  Addie  Addison,  both  for 
promoting  "Canon  City." 


12  Co-ed  Contests 
Set  by  20th-Fox 

A  contest  to  determine  the  12  insti- 
tutions of  higher  learning  which  have 
the  most  beautiful  and  talented  fresh- 
man co-eds  is  being  sponsored  by  20th 
Century-Fox  in  connection  with  its 
Technicolor  film  "Mother  Is  A  Fresh- 
man." Some  257  college  and  univer- 
sity editors  were  asked  to  cast  votes. 
The  12  contests  will  be  conducted  dur- 
ing simultaneous  premiere  festivities 
which  will  be  held  in  the  college 
towns  selected. 

The  grand  prize  winner  will  be 
given  a  trip  to  Hollywood. 


Studio  Employment 
Off  Slightly  in  Nov. 

Hollywood,  Jan.  5.  —  Studio  em- 
ployment slumped  in  November,  ac- 
cording to  the  California  Bureau  of 
Labor  Statistics,  dropping  to  74.2  per 
cent  from  October's  77.1  on  the  in- 
dex maintained  by  the  Bureau  which 
regards  the  1940  average  as  100. 

November  a  year  ago  indexed  86. 
Weekly  earnings  in  November  aver- 
aged $95.69,  comparing  with  Octo- 
ber's $98.67. 


B'nai  B'rith  to  Meet 

Highlighting  its  1948-49  member- 
ship drive,  New  York's  Cinema  Lodge 
of  B'nai  B'rith'  will  hold  a  member- 
ship meeting  at  the  Hotel  Plaza  here 
Sunday  morning,  S.  Arthur  Glixon, 
president  of  the  lodge,  has  announced. 


MOT  'Stage'  Reception 

March  of  Time  will  hold  a  trade 
press  reception  at  the  Time  and  Life 
Building  here  next  Thursday  on  the 
occasion  of  a  preview  screening  of  its 
latest  release,  "On  Stage." 


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PREDICTION 


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Ciass  of  Service 


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JOSEPH  i_  EGAN 


DL  =  Day  Letter 


NL-Nieht  Unci 


LC  =  Deferred  Cable 


NIT  =  Cable  NigHt  Lettel 


The  tiling  Ume  shown  id  the  date  line  od  telegram*  and  day  letter*  is  STANDARD  TIME  at  point  of  origin.  Time  ol  receipt  is  STANDARD  TIME  at  point  ol  destination 

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JAMES  R  GRAINGER* 

REPUBL IC  P 1CTURES  NYK  = 

BOB  ODONNELLS  PREDICTION   THAT  WAKE  OF  THE   RED  WITCH  WAS  A 
BIG  BOX  OFFICE  ATTRACTION  WAS   CONFIRMED  AT  OPENING  OF 
WORLD  PREMIERE  HERE   AT  ME TROPOL I  TAN   THEATRE  THURSDAY 
DECEMBER  30.   WAKE   OF  RED  WITCH  EQUALLED  AND  EVEN  EXCEEDED 
BOX  OFFICE  RECEIPTS  OF  MANY  OF  THE  BEST  ATTRACTIONS   IN  OUR 
INDUSTRY  FOR  PAST  THREE  YEARS,    A  GREAT  BOX  OFFICE 
ATTRACTION  REG ARDS= 


JOHN  WAYNE  GAIL  RUSSELL 


GIG  YOUNG  •  ADELE  MARA  •  LUTHER  AOLER 

and  EDUARD  FRANZ  -  GRANT  WITHERS  •  HENRY  DANIELL 
PAUL  FIX  •  JEFF  COREY    .      u,m  "» M  *■■« 
oi'ected  by  Edward  Ludwig  -  Associate  producer-  Edmund  Grainger 

A  REPUBLIC  PICTURE 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  6,  1949 


Truman  Message 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

vidual  taxpayers.  He  did  not  urge  any 
excise  tax  cuts.  Nor  was  he  specific 
in  how  the  business  taxes  were  to  be 
increased.  No  mention  was  made  of 
an  excess  profits  tax.  The  Adminis- 
tration later  will  outline  its  specific 
tax  plans.  Congress  will  likely  tem- 
porize on  increasing  taxes  while  it 
surveys  the  economy,  then  late  in  the 
session  increase  taxes  some,  although 
not  as  much  as  asked  by  the  Presi- 
dent. An  excess  profits  tax  finds  little 
favor  on  Capitol  Hill ;  most  likely  is 
a  boost  in  the  regular  corporate  tax 
rate,  possibly  some  boosts  in  the  high- 
er individual  tax  brackets.  If  any  ex- 
cises are  cut,  they  will  likely  be  those 
on  transportation  and  communica- 
tions, not  on  levies  like  the  admissions 
tax. 

Labor;  The  Taft-Hartley  law  will 
be  repealed  and  a  new  labor  law  en- 
acted, probably  after  some  months  of 
hearings  and  debate.  The  new  law 
will  continue  restrictions  on  jurisdic- 
tional strikes,  but  the  present  law's 
requirement  for  an  NLRB  election  be- 
fore a  union  shop  can  be  certified  will 
definitely  go  and  its  ban  on  the  closed 
shop  will  probably  be  scrapped.  Non- 
Communist  affidavits  may  be  kept  on 
a  voluntary  basis.  House  Labor  Com- 
mittee chairman  Lesinski  promises  to 
have  his  bill  ready  by  the  end  of 
January. 

Business  Controls:  The  President 
asked  for  broader  powers  to  channel 
key  materials,  including  steel,  and  in- 
dicated these  powers  would  be  used  to 
channel  materials  into  housing  and 
other  key  needs.  There  will  be  a  big 


81st  to  Stay  Clear 
Of  Hollywood  Labor 

Washington,  Jan.  5. — There 
will  be  nothing  on  the  Holly- 
wood studio  labor  picture 
from  the  81st  Congress.  That 
is  the  word  from  Rep.  John 
Lesinski,  new  Democratic 
chairman  of  the  House  Labor 
Committee. 

"The  Kearns  report  finishes 
it,"  he  said.  "That  all  died 
with  the  80th  Congress.  I 
don't  see  anything  more  for 
us  to  do  there"  .regarding 
Hollywood  labor. 


scrap  in  Congress  on  giving  the  Presi- 
dent any  more  powers  than  he  has 
already  in  this  field.  It  is  still  too 
early  for  theatre  owners  and  others 
planning  expansion  to  worry  that  they 
may  not  be  able  to  get  steel  or  other 
materials  as  a  result  of  such  controls. 
The  attitude  of  Congress  on  this  will 
not  be  plain  for  many  months. 

Social  Security:  The  President 
asked  for  the  program  to  be  expanded, 
both  as  to  coverage  and  size  of  bene- 
fits. This  will  probably  be  done,  al- 
though only  a  limited  bill  may  be  en- 
acted during  this  session,  and  the  more 
comprehensive  bill  will  go  over  until 
next  year.  In  the  background  of  an 
expanded  Social  Security  program  is 
an  almost  certain  boost  in  Social  Se- 
curity payroll  taxes. 

Minimum  Wages:  Congress  will 
almost  certainly  lift  the  minimum 
wage  from'  the  present  40-cent  level, 
though  perhaps  not  as  high  as  the  75 
cents  asked  by  Truman. 


Truman  Telecast 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

telecast  continued  the  theatre's  policy 
of  bringing  important  news  events  to 
its  screen  as  a  feature  of  its  regular 
entertainment  program. 

Although  Truman  began  his  speech 
at  1  P.M.,  it  was  not  projected  on  the 
Paramount  screen  until  1 :40,  the  thea- 
tre allowing  the  interlude  to  lapse  in 
order  to  fit  the  telecast  into  its  pro- 
gram. It  is  possible  for  the  theatre  to 
bring  an  event  to  its  screen  20  seconds 
after  it  happens.  The  speech  was 
transmitted  from  Washington  by  co- 
axial cable,  and  Paramount  picked  it 
up  directly,  using  the  same  method  as 
television  stations  in  this  area.  Para- 
mount then  recorded  the  program  on 
film. 

The  theatre  pickup  was  a  successful 
one  in  terms  of  reception  and  audience 
interest.  The  images  were  occasion- 
ally blurred  and  distorted,  but  this 
was  not  a  sufficient  shortcoming  to 
overshadow  the  overall  effect  of  the 
telecast. 

Almost  continuously  throughout  the 
telecast  the  cameras  had  the  Presi- 
dent focus  sed  in  one  unchanged  pat- 
tern, which  led  to  a  degree  of  visual 
monotony.  It  would  suggest  the  need 
for  the  development  of  new  techniques 
for  theatre  television.  M.  H. 


Percentage  Suits 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

pointing  out  that,  separate  and  apart 
from  the  alleged  flat  rental  damages  and 
punitive  damages,  there  was  sufficient 
evidence  in  the  supporting  affida- 
vit of  Edward  A.  Sargoy,  counsel  for 
distributors,  and  not  overcome  by  the 
mere  denials  of  the  exhibitors,  to  show 
that  each  suit  was  brought  in  good 
faith  and  that  the  claim  for  alleged 
withheld  percentage  fees  would  alone 
be  sufficient  to  meet  the  jurisdictional 
requirements. 

Judge  Moore  directed  the  distribu- 
tor plaintiffs  to  file  replies  to  the  af- 
firmative defense  in  defendants'  an- 
swers that  plaintiffs'  claims  are  based 
on  licensing  agreements  alleged  to  be 
"illegal  and  unenforceable."  Upon 
the  filing  of  the  plaintiffs'  reply,  the 
court  pointed  out,  it  is  probable  that 
a  further  question  will  be  presented 
as  to  whether  or  not  recovery  would 
be  barred  because  of  any  alleged  il- 
legality of  the  licensing  agreements. 
The  jurist  said:  "I  will  therefore  re- 
serve decision  upon  plaintiff's  pend- 
ing motion  (to  inspect)  until  such 
time  as  it  may  appear  that  plaintiffs 
have  the  right  to  proceed  with  their 
actions,  notwithstanding  defendants' 
allegations  with  reference  to  the  sup- 
posed illegality  of  the  licensing  agree- 
ments." 

The  suits  involved  eight  actions  by 
major  distributors  against  Lloyd  E. 
Rogers  of  Welch,  W.  Va./and  associ- 
ated corporations,  and  seven  actions 
by  the  same  distributors'  other  than 
United  Artists  against  Mannie  Shore 
of  War,  W.  Va.  Judge  Moore  direct- 
ed consolidation  of  the  suits  for  the 
purpose  of  trial. 


'Sarumba'  Suit  Motion 

Defendants  Mercury  Film  Labora- 
tory, Eastern  Sound  Studios,  and 
others,  moved  in  New  York  Supreme 
Court  yesterday  for  dismissal  of  the 
$150,000  damage  action  brought  by 
George  Quigley,  Century  Productions, 
and  others,  on  charges  that  the  film 
"Sarumba,"  produced  by  Century,  was 
sold  by  Mercury  to  Eastern  without 
having  the  right  to  do  so.  Mercury 
claims  the  film  was  sold  to  satisfy  a 
lien.    Court  reserved  decision. 


Butt  erf ield  Files 
Loeks'  Suit  Denials 

Detroit,  Jan.  5. — W.  S.  Butterfield 
Theatres,  Inc.,  Butterfield  Michigan 
Theatres  Co.  and  Bijou  Theatrical 
Enterprise  Co.,  defendants  in  the  suit 
brought  by  Jack  Loeks  Enterprises, 
Inc.  of  Grand  Rapids  involving  runs 
and  clearances  in  that  city,  filed  their 
answer  today  in  Federal  District 
court  here. 

Their  answer  denies  that  they  have 
in  any  way  participated  in  a  con- 
spiracy or  violated  the  Sherman  and 
Clayton  Anti-Trust  Acts,  upon  which 
the  plaintiff  bases  its  cause  of  action. 
The  defendants  further  denied  the  ex- 
istence of  any  illegal  agreements,  con- 
spiracy or  desire  to  harm  plaintiff's 
business. 

Rules  for  Republic 
In  Eastern  Film  Case 

New  York  Supreme  Court  Justice 
Aaron  Steuer  yesterday  denied  from 
the  bench  the  motion  of  Eastern  Film 
Agency  to  enjoin  Republic  Pictures 
International  Corp.  from  prosecuting 
legal  proceedings  which  the  latter  had 
previously  instituted  against  Eastern 
in  Singapore. 

Proceedings  in  Singapore  will 
therefore  be  continued  by  Republic 
International  to  enjoin  Eastern  from 
distributing  numerous  pictures  in  the 
Straits  Settlements,  Federated  Malay 
States,  and  North  Borneo,  in  violation 
of  Eastern  contract,  Republic  stated 
here  yesterday. 


Goldman  Asks 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

advertised  Philadelphia  first-run  of  the 
picture. 

Among  other  allegations,  he  con- 
tends that  the  Erlanger's  bids  for 
M-G-M's  "Homecoming"  and  "The 
Pirate"  and  Universal's  "Letter  from 
an  Unknown  Woman"  were  unquali- 
fiedly rejected  without  reasons  being 
given. 


To  Aid  'Brotherhood' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Willard  Gamble,  Bagdad  Theatre,  and 
M.  W.  Mattecheck,  Lark  Theatre; 
Detroit :  Earl  Hudson,  United  Detroit 
Theatres,  and  Joseph  P.  Uvick,  Allied 
of  Michigan ;  New  Orleans :  William 
A.  Prewitt,  Jr.,  Allied  of  Gulf  States, 
and  N.  L.  Carter,  Para-Richards 
Theatres,  Inc. ;  Albany :  Harry  La- 
mont,  and  Sol  J.  Ullman,  Fabian 
Theatres. 


Astor  Gets  'Dooiie' 

Distribution  rights,  involving  35mm. 
and  16mm.  as  well  as  television,  to 
A.  T.  P.  Production's  "Lorna  Doone," 
have  been  acquired  by  Astor  Pictures. 


MEMBER   FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


He  interprets  with  light 


•  This  scene,  from  the  moment  of  its  con- 
ception, had  dramatic  possibilities.  But  it 
was  the  director  of  photography  who  made 
them  more  than  possibilities. 

His  was  the  creative  skill,  the  spectacu- 
lar, interpretive  use  of  light  that  produced 
actual  drama,  vivid,  gripping  .  .  .  his  the 
perceptive  use  of  photography  that  made 
the  scene  an  intense  moment  of  visual 
reality. 


To  get  the  utmost  from  his  special  skill, 
his  creative  ability,  the  director  of  photog- 
raphy naturally  wants  a  superior  film,  one 
on  which  he  can  depend,  one  perfectly 
suited  to  the  conditions  and  circumstances 
under  which  he's  working.  That's  why  he 
so  often  prefers  Eastman  Plus-X  for  gen- 
eral studio  and  outdoor  use  .  .  .  and  why 
he  turns  to  Eastman  Super-XX  for  use 
under  adverse  lighting  conditions. 


EASTMAN  KODAK  COMPANY 

ROCHESTER   4,  N .  Y. 

J.  E.  BRULATOUR,  INC.,  DISTRIBUTORS 
FORT  LEE    •    CHICAGO    •  HOLLYWOOD 


In  the  first  three  openings  since  its  sensational  current 
World  Premiere  engagement  in  New  York,  "Joan  of 
Arc"  strides  forth  as  the  mightiest  of  all  boxoffice  attrac- 
tions! In  LOS  ANGELES,  standout  crowds  are  straining 
the  Palace  (continuous  performances)  and  the  Beverly 
(reserved-seats)!  In  NEW  ORLEANS,  a  first  week  record 
that  had  stood  for  27  years  at  the  Orpheum  was 
smashed  to  bits!  In  PHILADELPHIA,  the  Karlton  is  doing 
business  that  wasn't  even  believed  possible!  In  NEW 
YORK,  the  terrific  record-making  pace  continues  at  the 
Victoria  (9th  week,  continuous  performances)  and  at 
the  Fulton  (4th  week,  reserved  seats)! 


JOANofARC  nS&BBRGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION  .  COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  .  cast  of  thousands 

with  JOSE  FERRER  .  FRANCIS  L.  SULLIVAN  •  J.  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BOND  •  SHEPPERO  STRUDWICK  •  HURD  HATFIELD 
GENE  LOCKHART  .  JOHN  EMERY  •  GEORGE  COULOURIS  •  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY  •  based  upon  the  stage  play  'Joan  of 
Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  »  »«n  ploy  by  MAXWEU  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOtT  »  ort  director!  by  RrCHARO  DAY 
director  of  photoorophy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  •  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

presented  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  .  retooled  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


r  tt 

Accurate 

MOTION  PICTURE 

FIRST/; 

Concise 

T%  ATT  my 

IN 

and 

FILM  ] 

Impartial 

i 

JJi\l  JL  I 

i  NEWS 

»    A 

VOL.  65.  NO.  5 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  JANUARY  7,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Rathvon  &  Co. 
To  Finance 
Independents 

Has  'Unlimited  Amount 
Of  Eastern  Capital' 

Hollywood,  Jan.  6. — Backed  by 
what  was  described  as  "virtually 
an  unlimited  amount  of  Eastern 
capital,"  N.  Peter  Rathvon  today 
launched  N.  P. 
Rathvon  &  Co., 
a  Calif  ornia 
corporation,  as 
an  investment 
firm  to  provide 
financing  for 
i  n  d  e  p  e  n  - 
dent  producers, 
both  established 
and  new. 

A  n  n  o  u  n  ce- 
ment of  the 
availability  of 
new  money  for 
indepen- 
dent produc- 
tion comes  at  a 
most  propitious  time,  since  most  finan- 
cial channels  are  now  closed  to  in- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


N.  Peter  Rathvon 


W.AJohnston,4M.P. 
News'  Founder,  D  ead 


William  A.  Johnston,  retired  found- 
er and  publisher  of  the  former  Motion 
Picture  News,  industry  weekly  publi- 
cation, died  at  his  home  in  Monroe, 
N.  Y.,  on  Dec.  30  at  the  age  of  72. 

Johnston,  whose  early  business 
years  were  spent  in  the  advertising 
and  magazine  fields,  founded  the  Ex- 
hibitors' Times,  an  early  industry 
journal,  in  1913.  In  the  same  year,  he 
merged  that  paper  with  the  Moving 
Picture  News  and  published  under  the 
name  of  Motion  Picture  News.  In 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


More  Indorsements 
For  Industry  Shorts 

Additional  indorsements  of  the  "All- 
Industry"  series  of  institutional  short 
subjects  have  been  received  by  the 
MPAA  here  from  the  following  in 
exhibition : 

Hugh  W.  Bruen,  Whittier,  Cal., 
president  of  the  Pacific  Coast  Confer- 
ence of  Independent  Theatre  Owners ; 
Trueman  T.  Rembusch,  Indianapolis, 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Exhibitor  Leaders 
Call  Rally  Here  to 
Fight  Adverse  Bills 

Metropolitan  New  York  Motion 
Picture  Theatres  Association  is  ral- 
lying national  and  state  industry  lead- 
ers in  exhibition  to  consider  measures 
to  combat  a  threatened  onslaught  of 
local  admission  taxes  and  other  ad- 
verse legislation.  A  board  of  directors 
meeting  called  for  Jan.  13  at  the  St. 
Moritz  Hotel,  'New  York,  will  start 
the  legislative  attack. 

MMPTA  has  already  directed  an 
appeal  to  exhibitors  through  this  state 
requesting  them  to  be  on  the  alert  for 
the  introduction  of  local  admission  tax 
legislation  and  to  report  any  activity 
in  this  direction  to  the  MMPTA  or  to 
any  other  association  of  which  they 
are  members. 

MMPTA  officials  said  they  are 
hopeful  that  the  meeting  will  result 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


NCCJ  Leaders  Make 
Progress  Reports 


Outstanding  progress  was  reported 
by  industry  chairmen  of  "Brotherhood 
Week"  at  a  luncheon-meeting  at  the 
Waldorf-Astoria  Hotel  here  yester- 
day. The  meeting  was  called  to  co- 
ordinate drive  plans  and  review 
progress  to  date.  Ned  E.  Depinet, 
national  chairman  of  the  industry,  and 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


GOV'T  WILL  PROBE 
PERCENTAGE  SUITS 


MPAA  Sales  Chiefs 
Headed  by  Montague 

A.  Montague,  Columbia's 
general  sales  manager,  has 
been  named  chairman  of  the 
distributor's  MPAA  commit- 
tee for  1949,  headed  in  1948 
by  Robert  Mochrie,  RKO 
Radio. 


N.  Y.  State  Board 
Approves  Revised 
Theatre  Bldg.  Code 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  6. — The  New 
York  State  Board  of  Standards  and 
Appeals  has  approved  the  revised 
building  code  applying  to  theatres  and 
other  places  of  public  assembly.  The 
action  followed  two  years  of  drafting, 
public  hearings  and  extensive  consul- 
tations in  which  many  theatre  con- 
struction experts  and  other  represen- 
tatives from  the  motion  picture  indus- 
try presented  their  recommendations. 

To  be  effective  on  May  1,  1949,  the 
new  code  will  replace  the  one  which 
has  been  in  effect  for  more  than  25 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Zukor  Hails  Video  as 
A  Film  Industry  Boon 


The  contention  that  spreading  en- 
thusiasm for  television  eventually  will 
spell  disaster  for  the  motion  picture 
theatre  business  was  described  yester- 
day by  Adolph 

Zukor,      chair-  W^^^^^r~  

man  of  the  : 
board  of  Para- 
mount  as  a 
mistaken  belief. 
In  Z  u  ko  r '  s 
opinion,  televi- 
sion will  turn 
out  actually  to 
be  a  boon  to 
theatre  busi- 
ness in  view  of 
its  capacity  for 
increasing 
"appetites 
for  worthwhile 
screen  enter- 
tainment." 

Zukor,  one  of  the  "founding  fath- 
ers" of  the  industry,  who  has  an  inter- 


Adolph  Zukor 


national  reputation  as  "Hollywood's 
Ambassador  of  Good  Will,"  will  ob- 
serve his  76th  birthday  today.  For 
him  it  will  be  "just  another  day  of 
work"  in  his  office  on  the  11th  floor 
of  the  Paramount  Building  here.  A 
quiet  celebration  at  his  home,  with 
members  of  his  immediate  family  at- 
tending, will  take  place  this  evening. 

The  Paramount  executive,  who  has 
"the  same  enthusiasm  today  for  the 
film  business"  that  he  had  when  he 
started  in  it  37  years  ago,  warmed  up 
yesterday  to  discussing  films  versus 
television.  It  was  evident  that  he  had 
been  weighing  this  subject  in  his  mind 
for  some  time. 

"Just  as  headlines  call  attention  to 
newspaper  stories,  so  will  television 
serve  to  create  appetities  for  worth- 
while screen  entertainment  rather  than 
replace  it,"  he  declared.  "But,"  he 
warned,  "producers,  exhibitors  and 
publicists  will  have  to  get  to  work  to 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Orders  Revenue  Men  to 
Look  for  Irregularities 
Of  Ticket  Tax  Evasion 


Washington,  Jan.  6.  —  The 
U.  S.  Bureau  of  Internal  Revenue 
has  officially  ordered  its  tax  collec- 
tors in  the  field  to  look  into  all 
distributor  percentage  suits  against 
exhibitors  as  possible  leads  for  admis- 
sion tax  evasion. 

This  follows  the  forecast  made  by 
Internal  Revenue  spokesmen  that 
such  action  might  be  taken,  as  report- 
ed in  Motion  Picture  Daily  on 
Dec.  21. 

The  theory  finally  adopted  by  the 
Bureau  is  that  if  some  exhibitors  un- 
derstated their  returns  to  distributors, 
they  may  also  have  underpaid  Federal 
taxes. 

A  Bureau  official  said  here  today 
that  local  collectors  would  scrutinize 
trade  and  general  newspapers  for  re- 
ports on  distributor  suits  against  ex- 
hibitors and  would  even  check  with 
local  distributors.  He  said  that  the 
Bureau  did  not  expect  to  have  any 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Bill  Introduced  to 
Control  Mergers 

Washington,  Jan.  6. — Legislation 
to  tighten  government  controls  over 
mergers  has  been  introduced  in  the 
Senate  by  Democrats  O'Mahoney  and 
Kefauver  and  in  the  House  by  Re- 
publican Philbin. 

Solidly  supported  by  the  Adminis- 
tration, the  measure  is  said  to  have 
excellent  chances  of  passage  this  ses- 
sion. It  would  prevent  one  firm  from 
acquiring  the  physical  assets  of  an- 
other firm  where  the  result  be  to 
lessen  competition  substantially.  The 
anti-trust  laws  as  present  only  bar 
acquisition  of  stock  in  such  cases. 


Wilcox  Film  Topped 
1948  Grosses  in  UK 


London,  Jan.  6. — Herbert  Wilcox's 
"Spring  in  Park  Lane"  was  the  top- 
grossing  picture  at  Britain's  box  of- 
fices in  1948,  a  check-up  by  Quigley 
Publications'  London  Bureau  reveals. 

A  Wilcox  picture,  "The  Courtneys 
of  Curzon  Street,"  also  led  the  field 
here  in  1947. 

Samuel  Goldwyn's  "The  Best  Years 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  7,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


WILLIAM  A.  SCULLY,  Univer- 
sal-International sales  vice-pres- 
ident, will  leave  New  York  Sunday 
for  the  Coast. 

Irving  Brecher,  Universal-Inter- 
national writer-director-producer,  will 
arrive  here  today  from  Cincinnati.  He 
will  be  accompanied  by  Al  Horwits, 
U-I  Eastern  publicity  manager,  and 
Charles  Simonelli,  Eastern  expoita- 
tion  manager. 

• 

Edward  L.  Hyman,  vice-president 
of  Paramount  Theatres  Service  Corp., 
and  Max  Fellerman,  Paramount 
Theatres  executive,  will  leave  here 
over  the  weekend  for  Cincinnati,  De- 
troit, Buffalo  and  Rochester. 
• 

Gloria  Heller,  daughter  of 
Michael  V.  Heller  of  the  Eagle- 
Lion  home  office  accounting  depart- 
ment, and  Mrs.  Heller,  has  become 
engaged  to  Charles  DePhillips  of 
Paterson. 

• 

A.  J.  Laurie,  publicity  director  for 
the  Odeon  circuit,  Toronto,  is  at  the 
Essex  House  here  with  a  broken  foot. 
He  is  scheduled  to  fly  back  to  Toronto 
today. 

John  J.  Maloney,  M-G-M  Central 
sales  manager,  and  Saal  Gottlieb, 
Pittsburgh  manager,  will  leave  here 
today  for  their  Pittsburgh  headquar- 
ters. 

• 

Walter  Mirisch,  Monogram  pro- 
ducer, has  returned  to  Hollywood 
from  Milwaukee,  St.  Louis  and  other 
Eastern  cities. 

• 

Rudy  Berger,  M-G-M  Southern 
sales  manager,  will  return  to  Wash- 
ington from  New  York  over  the  week- 
end. 

• 

William  G.  Brenner,  head  of 
M-G-M's  checking  department,  was  in 
Kansas  City  yesterday  from  New 
York. 

• 

Howard  LeSieur,  United  Artists 
advertising-publicity     director,  will 
leave  New  York  today  for  the  Coast. 
• 

Henry  Hathaway,  20th  Century- 
Fox  director,  is  here  from  Hollywood 
en  route  to  London. 

• 

Louis  DeRochemont  is  here  from 
his  home  in  New  Hampshire. 


See  Impasse  Break 
In  Exchange  Talks 

A  break  in  the  national  exchange- 
union  contract  negotiations  deadlock 
was  indicated  yesterday  with  a  report 
that  the  distributors  labor  committee 
and  IATSE  international  representa- 
tives will  meet  here  again  on  Monday 
for  settlement  talks.  Meanwhile,  the 
meeting  which  commissioner  L.  A. 
Stone  of  the  Federal  Mediation  Serv- 
ice was  scheduled  to  hold  with'  the 
negotiators  at  Warner's  home  office 
today  has  been  "held  in  abeyance" 
pending  the  outcome  of  Monday's 
conference. 

Included  on  the  distributors'  com- 
mittee are:  chairman  Clarence  Hill, 
20th-Fox;  Bernard  Goodman,  War- 
ner; Henry  Kaufman,  Columbia;  C. 
J.  (Pat)  Scollard,  Paramount; 
Charles  O'Brien,  Loew;  A.  A.  Shu- 
bart,  RKO  Radio;  Harry  Buckley, 
United  Artists;  G.  J.  Malafronte, 
Universal ;  Al  Schiller,  Republic. 

'IA"  negotiators,  selected  by  presi- 
dent Richard  F.  Walsh,  are:  chair- 
man Thomas  J.  Shea,  assistant  inter- 
national president ;  vice-president 
Louise  Wright,  and  international 
representative  Joseph  D.  Basson. 


Winston  Named  RKO 
Theatre  City  Chief 

Sol  A.  Schwartz,  general  manager 
of  RKO  Theatres,  has  promoted  An- 
sel Winston,  present  manager  of  the 
Coliseum,  New  York,  to  Chicago  city 
manager  under  Jerry  Shinbach,  divi- 
sion manager  for  that  territory.  The 
appointment  will  become  effective  on 
Wednesday. 

Winston  started  with  RKO  as  an 
usher  in  1931  and  has  managed  sev- 
eral RKO  theatres  in  Metropolitan 
New  York. 


W anger  Files  Against 
'U'  on  Release  Deals 

Producer  Walter  Wanger  filed  four 
suits  in  U.  S.  District  Court  here  yes- 
terday against  Universal  charging  vio- 
lation of  terms  of  releasing  deals  for 
four  pictures.  Accountings  of  profits 
are  sought. 

Pictures  cited  were  "Arabian 
Nights,"  "Eagle  Squadron,"  "Gung 
Ho"  and  "Salome."  Wanger  alleges 
that  under  the  releasing  deals  he  was 
to  get  SO  per  cent  of  gross  profits, 
and  contends  that  he  did  not  receive 
his  full  share.  He  claims  also  that  the 
company  made  unauthorized  reissue 
deals  for  the  films. 

Universal  executives  here  were  not 
available  for  comment  yesterday  on 
Wanger' s  court  action. 


U.A.  Meetings  Revert 
To  Coast  on  Jan.  17 

Election  of  a  board  of  di- 
rectors of  United  Artists  will 
be  held  at  the  annual  stock- 
holders meeting  on  the  Coast 
on  Jan.  17,  as  originally 
scheduled,  it  was  disclosed 
here  yesterday.  Earlier  it  had 
been  indicated  that  the  meet- 
ing would  shift  to  New  York. 
On  the  same  date  the  board 
will  offer  proposals  for  secur- 
ing new  production  capital  to 
the  company's  owners,  Mary 
Pickford  and  Charles  Chap- 
lin. Management's  report  to 
the  owners  will  be  given  by 
Gradwell  Sears,  president ; 
Arthur  W.  Kelly,  executive 
vice-president,  and  George 
Bagnall,  production  vice- 
president. 


Unlimited  Loop  Run 
Given  to  'Hamlet' 


Three  Premieres  Are 
Set  for  N.  Y.  Palace 

Set  for  the  inauguration  of  a  new 
first-run  policy  with  "The  Boy  with 
Green  Hair,"  in  Technicolor,  on 
Wednesday,  Jan.  12,  the  RKO  Palace 
here  has  also  scheduled  its  following 
two  premieres. 

At  the  conclusion  of  "The  Boy  with 
Green  Hair,"  "Station  West"  will 
open.  Then,  Walt  Disney's  new  Tech- 
nicolor film,  "So  Dear  to  My  Heart," 
will  make  its  New  York  debut. 


Realart  Franchise 
Holders  Meet  Here 

Realart  franchise  holders  conferred 
here  this  week  with  home  office  ex- 
ecutives on  sales  problems  and  new 
releases.  Budd  Rogers,  executive 
vice-president  and  general  sales  man- 
ager, presided.  Others  in  attendance 
were  Lee  Goldberg,  Joe  Levine,  Man- 
ny Stutz,  Sam  Krellberg,  Bernie  Mills 
Nelson  Wax,  Carroll  Puciato,  gen- 
eral manager,  and  Bill  Schulman,  ad- 
vertising-publicity director. 


Chicago,  Jan.  6. — J.  Arthur  Ranks 
"Hamlet,"  released  by  Universal- 
International,  has  won  an  unlimited 
extension  for  its  current  run  here  at 
the  downtown  Balaban  and  Katz 
Apollo  Theatre.  Under  the  two-week 
Loop  restriction  imposed  by  the  Jack- 
son Park  decree,  the  film  was  previ 
ously  granted  a  six-week  extension  for 
an  eight-week  run. 

In  this  instance,  however,  and  be- 
cause of  the  nature  and  special 
handling  required  for  "Hamlet,"  Judge 
Michael  Igoe  of  U.  S.  District  Court 
here  had  previously  told  U-I  attorney 
Miles  Seeley  to  submit  a  report  on 
the  success  of  the  film  when  it  neared 
completion  of  the  run  in  the  event 
added  weeks  were  believed  necessary. 
The  picture,  which  has  proved  success- 
ful here,  has  been  averaging  nearly 
$18,000  a  week. 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL- 

Rockefeller  Center 

"WORDS  AND  MUSIC" 

JUNE  ALLYSON  .  PERRY  COMO 
JUDY  GARLAND  .  LENA  HORNE 
GENE  KELLY  .  MICKEY  ROONEY 
j  ANN  SOTHERN 

'  Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 

i      A  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
'THE   GREAT  CHRISTMAS  STAGE  SHOW 


/  Grant-  // 

Every  Girl  //  UkcSnt 
Should  Bef 

«!.dCAPIT0l 


B'way  A 
Hit  Slr»> 


c<*rw  Technicolor  i 

J»  Picture 


GOODMAN 

"■nt  Him  OrchMta 
1  BUOOYBHMCO 

PtfUo  BROS 


Buggy 


II 


Samuel  Goldwyn  presents 

"ENCHANTMENT 

Starring 

DAVID  NIVEN  TERESA  WRIGHT 

EVELYN  KEYES  FARLEY  GRANGER 

Released  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 

ASTOR  THEATER 

Broadway  &  45th  Street 


W.B.  Said  Dropping  9 
Field  Exploiteers 

Warner  has  dismissed  its  nine  ex- 
ploitation representatives  in  the  field, 
according  to  reports  received  here 
from  key  cities.  Dismissals  are  to  be 
effective  on  Jan.  22,  it  is  said. 

Warner  home  office  executives 
could  not  be  reached  for  verification 
yesterday. 


TO  A  Meet  'Informal' 

"Informal  discussions"  on  television 
and  the  setting  of  a  preliminary 
agenda  for  the  Jan.  28-29  Theatre 
Owners  of  America  executive  board 
meeting  in  Washington  were  held  at 
a  meeting  here  yesterday  of  TOA  ex- 
ecutive committee  and  board  members 
Arthur  H.  Lockwood,  TOA  president, 
who  presided,  returned  last  night  to 
Boston. 


Johnston  Due  in  D.  C. 

Washington,  Jan.  6. — Eric  John 
ston,  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America     president,     is  tentatively 
scheduled  to  return  here  next  Wednes- 
day, an  MPAA  official  said  here  today 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER,    West  0f  Broadway 
All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


OLIVIA  de  HAYILLAND  I 


the  Snake  Pit 


(Directed  by  Produced  by  ■ 

ANATOLE  LITVAK .  ANATOLE  LITVAK  &  ROBERT  BASSLER  ,fr>C| 


TOO  BIG  FOR  ONE  THEATRE 


I  JoanofArc 
|  ingIid  Bergman 

4  A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION  i 


I 
I 


CONTINUOUS 
AT  THE 

VICTORIA 

B'WAY  at  46th  ST. 
7  SHOWS 

DAILY 


COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR 
CAST  OF  THOUSANDS  with  JOSE  FERRER 
FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  •  J.  CARROL  NAISH 
WARD  BOND  •  SHEPPERD  STRUDWlCK  ■  HURD 
HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHART  -  JOHN  EMERY 
GEORGE  COULOURiS  •  JOHN  IRELAND  and 
CECIL  KELIAWAY  •.bond  upon  the 
itoge  play* 'Joan  of  lorroine"  by 
MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
Screen  Ploy  by  MAXWELL 
ANDERSON  and  ANDREW 
SOLT  •  Art  Direction  by 

RICHARD  DAY 
Director  of  Phologfophy, 
JOSEPH  VALENTINE.  A.S.C 


Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER 
Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

preienW  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc. 
rallied  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


RESERVED 
SEATS  AT  THE 

FULTON 

(6r»  St.  *.  Hi  I'HH 
MATS.$l.SO 
EVES.  $2.40 


TYRONE  POWER 


GENE  TIERNEY 


"THAT  WONDERFUL  URGE" 

A  Twentieth  Century  -  Fox  Picture 
ON  THE  ICE  STAGE 
BARBARA  ANN  SCOTT 
In  Winter  Carnival 
ON  STAGE— Ming  &  Lino- 
Harold  Barnes — Gordon  Goodman 


ROXY 


7th  Ave.  &. 
50th  St.  : 


MOTTON  PICTURE  DATLY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley  Jr  Associate  Editor  Published  daily,  except  Saturd^ 
Sundays  and  Mickys,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  Quigpubco. 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann.  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J  Brady,  Secretary 
Tames  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke.  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca- Vine  Building,  WilhamR.  Weaver, 
Editor:  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street.  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley.  Advertising  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washington. 
J  A.  Otten.  National  Press  Club.  Washington.  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor;  cable  address,  C^igpubco  J^ndon 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  ■  every  fourth  week  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  HeraW,  IntemaUonal 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter.  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y..  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Friday,  January  7,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Walbrook,  Windsor 
In  New  Legal  Action 


Washington,  Jan.  6. — Still  an- 
other suit  was  filed  today  in  the  com- 
plicated tangle  between  the  Walbrook 
and  Windsor  theatres  of  Baltimore 
when  the  Windsor  asked  Baltimore 
District  Court  to  enjoin  the  Walbrook, 
its  companion  Hilton  Theatre,  and 
Walbrook-Hilton  president  Thomas 
Goldberg  from  allegedly  monopolizing 
neighborhood  first-run  films. 

More  important,  it  asks  the  court 
to  require  Goldberg  to  give  up  the 
Hilton  on  grounds  that  it  is  used  only 
to  undercut  the  Windsor.  The  Wind- 
sor already  has  a  $600,000  damage  suit 
against  the  same  defendants  in  Balti- 
more, and  a  $600,000  damage  and  in- 
junction suit  against  four  major  dis- 
tributors in  Washington  District 
Court.  The  Baltimore  suits  are  being 
brought  following  the  dismissal  of  the 
Baltimore  firms  as  defendants  in  the 
Washington  action  because  they  do 
not  conduct  business  here. 

The  suit  filed  today  in  Baltimore 
has  several  odd  features :  Mrs.  Thom- 
as Goldberg  is  named  as  a  defendant ; 
the  court  is  asked  to  impound  any 
money  received  from  the  forced  sale 
of  the  Hilton  to  pay  the  Windsor  in 
the  damage  action ;  and  the  Windsor 
claims  that  the  Walbrook  is  trying  to 
take  away  some  of  the  films  the  Wind- 
sor now  gets  from  Columbia,  Eagle- 
Lion,  Monogram,  Republic  and  other 
smaller  producers  as  one  ground  for 
the  injunction. 

The  Windsor  has  reached  out-of- 
court  settlements  with  20th  Century- 
Fox  and  Paramount,  and  the  Wal- 
brook has  countered  with  a  breach  of 
contract  suit  against  Fox.  The  Wind- 
sor recently  filed  a  motion  here  ask- 
ing permission  to  examine  any  corre- 
spondence the  Walbrook  had  with  Fox 
which  cast  aspersions  on  the  Windsor. 
A  Fox  legal  representative  said  the 
firm  would  probably  file  a  brief  early 
next  week  opposing  this  motion.. 


New  Video  Unit  Formed 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  6.  —  General 
Telefilm  Network,  Inc.  has  been  char- 
tered here.  The  new  unit  will  have 
\  headquarters  in  New  York  and  will 
|  produce  and  distribute  programs  for 
!  television.  Incorporators  are  Adam  J. 
Young,  Jr.,  Samuel  Cuff  and  Charlotta 
Gallup. 


$1  Pathe  Dividend 

Board  of  directors  of  Pathe  Indus- 
tries yesterday  announced  payment  of 
•  a  $1  quarterly  dividend  on  its  pre- 
'  ferred  stock  to  holders  of  record  on 
1  Dec.  20.  This  brought  payment  for 
1948  to  $4,  the  same  amount  paid  in 
I  1947. 


RKO     RADIO     PICTURES.  Inc. 

CHICAGO 

TRADE    SHOW    CORRECTION  : 

Samuel  Goldwyn's 

"ENCHANTMENT" 

will  be  shown  at  the 

SURF  TH  EAT  RE 

7204  No.  Dearborn  St..  at 
70:30  A.M.,  Tues.,  Jan.  7  7,  and 
not  at  the  RKO  Screening 
Room,  as  previously  advertised. 


Zukor  on  Video 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


make  that  so."  No  longer  can  thea- 
tres depend  solely  on  their  marquees 
to  do  the  job  for  them,  Zukor  said. 

If  television  should  emerge  as  more 
than  ordinary  competition  for  theatres, 
that  would  be  no  reason  for  discour- 
agement in  the  industry,  Zukor  held. 
He  said  he  has  great  faith  in  the 
spirit  of  competition.  It  "creates 
more  business."  Television  will  "cre- 
ate more  business  both  for  itself  and 
for  the  motion  picture  industry,"  he 
predicted. 

Zukor  "loves  baseball  above  all 
else."  But,  he  reasoned  in  connection 
with  his  discussion  of  television  com- 
petition, "I  can't  have  baseball  three 
times  a  day.  I  like  a  good  prize 
fight,  too."  Thus,  he  concludes,  peo- 
ple seeking  entertainment  will  patron- 
ize both  theatres  and  television. 

The  present  "economic  convulsion" 
in  the  industry  Zukor  described  as 
"a  natural  consequence  of  an  upset 
world."  He  reproached  "those  who 
sit  around  and  wait  for  the  industry's 
death."  The  industry  has  experienced 
business  recessions  before  "and  the 
storm  always  blows  over,"  he  said 
philosophically.  As  a  "rational  opti- 
mist" Zukor  believes  firmly  that 
"faith,  confidence  and  ability"  will 
insure  the  motion  picture  industry's 
survival. 


Wolf  son  -  Meyer  May 
Get  Video  Permit 

Washington,  Jan.  6. — Wolfson- 
Meyer  Theatre  Enterprises  won  a 
major  victory  today  in  its  fight  to  get 
a  Miami  television  station. 

The  Federal  Communications  Com- 
mission months  ago  revoked  the  con- 
struction permit  for  WTVJ,  Miami, 
on  the  ground  that  Wolfson-Meyer 
was  brought  into  the  licensee  corpo- 
ration after  the  permit  had  been 
granted  and  without  FCC  approval. 
The  circuit  asked  the  FCC  to  recon- 
sider this  decision,  and  FCC  Commis- 
sioner Walker  today  announced  an  in- 
itial decision — which  still  must  be  ap- 
proved by  the  full  Commission — to 
cancel  the  revocation  order  and  grant 
the  application  to  transfer  control  of 
the  station  to  Wolfson-Meyer. 


Washington,  Jan.  6. — Paramount 
today  asked  the  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission  for  another  exten- 
sion— to  Feb.  20 — in  the  deadline  for 
filing  exceptions  to  the  Commission's 
proposed  decision  that  Paramount 
controls  DuMont.  The  FCC  recently 
extended  the  deadline  from  Jan.  5  to 
Jan.  19. 


Percentage  Suits 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


word  on  how  well  these  leads  paid 
off  until  June  or  July,  since  field  col- 
lectors submit  only  two  or  three  re- 
ports a  year  to  Washington  on  such 
irregularities. 

The  Internal  Revenue  Bureau  has 
a  claim  pending  in  U.  S.  Tax  Court 
in  Cleveland  against  Manos  Amuse- 
ments for  $73,000  for  alleged  tax  de- 
ficiencies and  penalties,  basing  its 
claim  on  distributor  suits  over  per- 
centage payments. 


Philco  Plans  Expansion 

Philadelphia,  Jan.  6.  —  Philco 
Corp.  is  planning  a  plant  expansion 
program  which  will  entail  expenditure 
of  some  $5,000,000,  the  major  part  of 
which  will  be  aimed  at  increasing  its 
output  of  television  equipment. 


SDG,  NBC  Join  in 
Weekly  Air  Series 

Hollywood,  Jan.  6. — In  cooperation 
with  the  Screen  Directors  Guild,  the 
National  Broadcasting  Co.  will  intro- 
duce on  Sunday  evening  a  new  half- 
hour  program  with  a  leading  film  di- 
rector each  week  presenting  a  radio 
adaptation  of  one  of  his  screen  suc- 
cesses and  starring  the  film's  top 
star.  The  program,  considered  by 
NBC  as  a  fitting  answer  to  Columbia 
Broadcasting's  "raid"  on  its  talent, 
has  been  promised  complete  coopera- 
tion of  the  studios  on  clearances  for 
players  and  properties. 

Arrangements  for  the  new  show 
were  completed  this  week.  It  will 
take  to  the  air  without  sponsorship, 
but  is  intended  to  go  to  a  commer- 
cial account  shortly. 

Sunday  night's  program  will  be 
"Stagecoach,"  starring  John  Wayne 
and  presented  by  director  John  Ford. 

When  the  Guild  board  meets  next 
week  it  will  determine  the  purpose 
for  which  the  money  it  will  receive 
for  the  show  is  to  be  earmarked.  This 
is  SGD's  first  venture  in  a  field  al- 
ready featuring  shows  by  the  Screen 
Actors  Guild  and  the  Theatre  Guild. 

The  new  program  will  follow  the 
Fred.  Allen  spot. 


To  Seek  Polio  Drive  Aid 

Los  Angeles,  Jan.  6. — Charles  P. 
Skouras,  National  Theatres  president, 
will  be  host  to  Basil  O'Connor,  presi- 
dent of  the  Infantile  Paralysis  Foun- 
dation, at  an  exhibitor  luncheon  Mon- 
day at  the  Ambassador  Hotel  for  the 
purpose  of  enlisting  theatre  owners' 
support  for  the  forthcoming  campaign 
on  behalf  of  the  fight  against  polio. 


Theatre  Bldg.  Code 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


years.  Printed  copies  are  expected  to 
be  available  next  month. 

Affecting  theatres  outside  of  New 
York  City,  since  the  latter  has  its  own 
building  code,  the  revised  document 
embodies  "no  great  changes"  in  terms 
of  theatre  construction  and  mainte- 
nance requirements,  according  to 
Standards  and  Appeals  spokesmen 
here.  Provisions  apply  to  theatre 
stage  fixtures,  maintenance  of  projec- 
tion booths,  theatre  seats,  exits,  guard 
railings,  lighting  facilities  and  other 
aspects  of  theatre  construction. 

The  new  code  includes  sections  on 
drive-in  theatres  in  which  modifica- 
tions were  made  some  time  ago  fol- 
lowing the  registering  by  Fabian- 
Hellman  Theatres  and  other  drive-in 
circuits  of  protests  against  certain 
proposed  changes. 

In  his  message  to  the  legislature 
yesterday,  Gov.  Dewey  proposed  a 
commission  "to  prepare  state-wide 
building  codes  eventually  covering  all 
types  of  construction." 


Acquires  Film  Rights 

Distribution  rights  to  three  films, 
"One  Third  of  a  Nation,"  "Back  Door 
to  Heaven"  and  "Freaks,"  have  been 
acquired  by  Excelsior  Pictures  Corp., 
according  to  Walter  Bibo,  president. 
The  rights  are  for  the  entire  world, 
excluding  the  United  States  and  Can- 
ada. 


E-K  Appoints  Mayne 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  6.— Daniel 
I.  Mayne  has  been  appointed  director 
of  Eastman  Kodak's  patent  depart- 
ment, succeeding  Newton  M.  Perrins, 
who  will  continue  as  counsel  to  the 
department. 


VIRGINIA  MAC  PHERSON 
HAS  SWITCHED 
TO  "FAMILY 
HONEYMOON" 

"My  all-time  favorite  comedy 
was  The  Awful  Truth... 
until  I  saw  Claudette  Colbert 
and  Fred  Mac  Murray  in 

FAMILY  HONEYMOON " 

"ft  Noted  United  Press 
Correspondent 


* 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  7,  1949 


W.  A.  Johnston  Dead 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Set  Music  Hall  for 
Awards  Ceremonies 


The  1948  awards  of  the  New  York 
Film  Critics  will  be  presented  to  win- 
ners in  a  ceremony  to  be  held  on  the 
stage  of  Radio  City  Music  Hall  Jan. 
21,  it  was  announced  jointly  by  the 
critics  and  by  Gus  Eyssell,  managing 
director  of  the  Music  Hall. 

Olivia  DeHavilland,  named  as  best 
actress  for  her  performance  in 
"Snake  Pit,"  and  John  Huston,  named 
best  director  for  "Treasure  of  Sierra 
Madre,"  have  reported  that  they 
would  be  present  to  receive  the  awards 
personally.  Roberto  Rossellini,  direc- 
tor of  the  award-winning  Italian  film, 
"Paisan,"  has  also  informed  the  unit 
that  he  expects  to  arrive  here  in  time 
to  accept  the  award. 

Warner  Brothers,  producer  of 
"Treasure,"  and  Laurence  Olivier, 
receiver  of  the  best  actor  award  for 
"Hamlet,"  will  be  represented  at  the 
ceremonies. 

Thomas  Pryor  is  chairman  of  the 
critic's  unit. 


Wilcox  Film 

(Continued  from  page  1)  

of  Our  Lives"  ran  second  for  the  year. 
It  opened  in  1947  and  to  date  has 
grossed  more  in  the  over-all  picture 
than  "Spring,"  but  ran  behind  the 
latter  during  the  1948  calendar  year 
alone. 

Four  other  British  and  four  Ameri- 
can pictures  complete  the  list  of 
1948's  10  top-grossing  pictures  here. 
They  are,  in  order,  "My  Brother 
Jonathan"  (British),  "Road  to  Rio" 
(Paramount)  ;  "Life  with  Father" 
(Warner),  "It  Always  Rains  on  Sun- 
day" (British),  "Naked  City"  (Uni- 
versal), "Oliver  Twist"  (British). 
"Unconquered"  (Paramount),  and 
"Red  Shoes"  (British). 

In  the  previous  year  Britain  scored 
six  out  of  nine  top  grossers.  J.  Ar- 
thur Rank's  top-grossing  picture  of 
the  year  here  was  the  sixth-place  pic- 
ture, "It  Always  Rains  on  Sunday." 
The  newly-reconstituted  Associated 
British  Picture  Corp.  produced  the 
third-place  film,  "My  Brother  Jona- 
than." 

Following  the  first  10  came  "The 
Fallen  Idol"  (British),  "The  Weaker 
Sex"  (British),  "Sitting  Pretty" 
(20th  Century-Fox),  "Green  Dolphin 
Street"  (M-G-M),  "Miranda"  (Brit- 
ish), and  "Forever  Amber"  (20th- 
Fox). 

Board  of  Trade  feature  film  regis- 
trations for  1948  were:  British  films, 
157;  "foreign"  films,  285.    The  1947 
figures  were :  British,  109 ;  "foreign," 
.355. 

Film  Publicists  Form 
A  Club  in  Boston 

Boston,  Jan.  6. — With  the  avowed 
purpose  of  barring  any  except  recog- 
nized publicity  and  public  relations 
men  and  women,  with  a  minimum  of 
two  years  experience  in  such  work, 
the  Publicity  Club  of  Boston  has  been 
formed  here. 

Prominent  in  the  formation  of  the 
club  are  Arthur  Moger,  Warner;  Ken 
Pricker,  M-G-M ;  Joe  Mansfield, 
Eagle-Lion;  Ralph  Banghart,  RKO 
Radio ;  and  James  Shannahan  of 
Loew's  State  and  Orpheum  Theatres. 
Officers  pro-tem  are:  John  Mulloy, 
Boston  Chamber  of  Commerce,  presi- 
dent; Floyd  Bell,  vice-president  and 
Daisy  Weichel,  secretary.  Next  din- 
ner meeting  will  be  held  Feb.  1. 


NCCJ  Chairmen 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

J.  Robert  Rubin,  amusement  division 
chairman,  presided. 

Rubin  paid  tribute  to  "the  fine 
work"  being  done  by  the  co-chairmen. 
Depinet  declared  that  this  campaign 
"is  the  best  organized  of  any  to  date." 
He  thanked  those  working  on  the 
campaign  and  lauded  the  "virile  and 
aggressive  support  of  the  trade 
papers." 

Spyros  P.  Skouras,  chairman  of  the 

newsreel  and  corporate  gifts  commit- 
tee, said  he  expects  this  to  be  the 
"finest  campaign  the  industry  has  ever 
had."  He  revealed  that  besides  all 
the  newsreels,  March  of  Time  and 
This  Is  America  also  are  cooperating 
with  the  drive.  It  was  disclosed  that 
the  newsreels  will  carry  footage  of 
President  Truman  citing  the  industry 
through  Depinet. 

Edward  Lachman  and  Gael  Sulli- 
van, national  exhibitor  co-chairmen, 
reported  heavy  response  from  exhibi- 
tors. Gus  Eyssell,  chairman  of  the 
New  York  area,  made  a  similar  re- 
port and  also  read  a  letter  which  he  is 
sending  to  showmen  in  this  area  out- 
lining a  four-point  program  for  get- 
ting behind  the  drive. 

Charles  Reagan,  national  distribu- 
tion chairman,  and  Herman  Robbins, 
National  Screen  Service  president, 
also  reported.  Gilbert  Goldstein,  ad- 
vertising-publicity chairman,  dis- 
played various  posters  and  cards  which 


Rathvon  &  Co. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

dependent  producers.  Independents 
producing  for  United  Artists  are  es- 
pecially in  need  of  money  for  filming, 
a  situation  causing  UA's  management, 
board  and  a  special  committee  on 
financing  to  huddle  frequently  to  try  to 
find  a  solution  to  the  company's  in- 
dependent producers'  financial  re- 
quirements. 

Rathvon,  who  resigned  from  the 
presidency  of  RKO  recently,  following 
the  company's  purchase  by  Howard 
Hughes,  has  many  Wall  Street  and 
"big  business"  connections. 

Rathvon  made  it  clear  here  today 
that  his  investment  firm  will  not  pro- 
duce motion  pictures  on  its  own,  but 
will  function  in  bringing  money  and 
production  enterprises  together.  He 
said,  "independent  production  is  a  vital 
part  of  our  industry,  and  its  continued 
success  must  be  safeguarded  by  a 
sound  financing  program  that  will  as- 
sure a  fair  return  to  both  investor 
and  producer.  At  the  same  time, 
Rathvon  and  Company  will  bring  to 
the  independent  producer  an  under- 
standing of  his  problem  and  assistance 
which  he  has  never  had  before  from 
his  bankers." 

Norman  Freeman,  who  was  Rath- 
von's  assistant  at  RKO,  will  join 
Rathvon  as  executive  in  the  new  com- 
pany, with  other  associates  to  be  an- 
nounced shortly. 

Schine  Ohio  Pool 
Of  Two  Dissolved 

Cleveland,  Jan.  6. — Ownership  of 
the  Temple  Theatre,  Medina,  O.,  has 
reverted  to  Meyer  and  P.  E.  Essick, 
while  Schine  Theatres  and  Mrs.  Ben 
Udelevitz  have  re-acquired  the  Prin- 
cess, in  the  same  city,  as  a  result  of 
dissolution  of  the  pooled  operation  of 
the  two  theatres. 

Directorate  of  the  partnership  com- 
pany, Medina  Princess  Corp.,  voted 
the  split  as  a  result  of  the  U.  S.  Su- 
preme Court's  decision  against  pooled 
operations  by  Schine. 


NSS  will  distribute  to  some  17,400 
theatres. 

Others  in  attendance  at  the  lunch- 
eon included  William  J.  German,  Leon 
J.  Bamberger,  Martin  Quigley,  Sr., 
Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Don  Mersereau, 
Mel  Konecoff,  Ernest  Emerling, 
James  M.  Jerauld,  David  Bader,  Si 
Fabian,  Moe  Wax,  Chic  Lewis,  Sam 
Shain,  Maxwell  Alderman,  C.  J.  Scol- 
lard,  Jack  Cohn,  Al  Picoult,  William 
White,  Sid  Rechetnik,  Jack  Harrison, 
Charles  Hacker,  Everett  R.  Clinchy, 
president  of  the  NCCJ,  and  S.  L. 
Goldsmith,  NCCJ  finance  director. 


12  More  Exhibitor  Chairmen 
Named  for  'Brotherhood' 

Following  12  additional  exhibitor 
territorial  co-chairmen  for  the  indus- 
try's participation  in  "Brotherhood 
Week"  have  been  named  by  Ed  Lach- 
man and  Gael  Sullivan,  national  ex- 
hibitor co-chairmen : 

Atlanta :  Winfield  Snelson,  Buck- 
head  Theatre,  and  Oscar  C.  Lam, 
DeSota  Theatre  Building;  Buffalo: 
Vincent  McFaul,  Buffalo  Theatres ; 
Des  Moines :  Leo  F.  Wolcott  and 
Myron  Blank;  Dallas:  Col.  H.  A. 
Cole,  Allied  Theatre  Owners;  Mem- 
phis :  J.  C.  Mohrstadt,  Missouri 
Theatre,  and  M.  A.  Lightman,  Jr.; 
Omaha:  Leo  F.  Wolcott  and  Robert 
Livingston,  Nebraska  Theatre  Asso- 
ciation ;  St.  Louis :  Henry  Halloway, 
Central  AITO,  and  Tom  Edwards, 
Edwards  and  Harrison  Enterprises. 


Fight  Adverse  Bills 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

in  "a  vigilant,  vigorous  and  unified 
stand  by  New  York  State  exhibitors 
in  opposition  to  admission  tax  and 
other  adverse  legislation." 

Among  those  invited  to  attend  the 
Jan.  13  meeting  are :  Arthur  H. 
Lockwood,  president,  TOA;  Ted  R. 
Gamble,  chairman  of  the  board ;  Her- 
man M.  Levy,  general  counsel ;  Leon- 
ard H.  Goldenson  and  S.  H.  Fabian 
of  the  executive  committee ;  Harry 
Brandt,  president,  ITOA ;  J.  Joshua 
Goldberg  and  Morton  Sunshine,  both 
ITOA ;  George  Skouras  and  William 
A.  White  of  Skouras  Theatres ;  Harry 
Lamont,  president,  Theatre  Owners 
of  Albany  Exchange  area;  Leonard 
L.  Rosenthal,  general  counsel,  Albany 
TOA;  Merritt  A.  Kyser,  president, 
MPTO  of  New  York  State,  and  Saul 
J.  _  Ullman,  Samuel  E.  Rosenblatt, 
William  C.  Smalley,  William  Benton, 
Sid  Dwore,  George  J.  Gammel,  Vin- 
cent R.  McFaul,  Charles  Smakwitz 
and  J.  J.  O'Leary. 

The  following  directors  of  the 
MMPTA  will  also  attend:  Leo 
Brecher,  Fred  J.  Schwartz,  Oscar  A. 
Doob,  Russell  V.  Downing,  Emanuel 
Frisch,  Harry  Goldberg,  Julius  Joel- 
son,  David  T.  Katz,  Malcolm  Kings- 
berg,  Samuel  Rinzler,  Samuel  Rosen, 
Edward  N.  Rugoff,  Solomon  M. 
Strausberg  and  Robert  M.  Weitman. 
Also  in  attendance  will  be  Orrin  G. 
Judd  and  Murray  I.  Gurfein,  general 
counsel,  and  D.  John  Phillips,  execu- 
tive director  of  the  association. 

Le  Sieur  on  Stand 
In  'Blimp*  Hearing 

Howard  LeSieur,  advertising-public- 
ity director  of  United  Artists,  testified 
yesterday  in  the  final  Federal  Trade 
Commission  hearing  on  its  citation 
against  the  company  charging  misrep- 
resentation in  advertising  "Colonel 
Blimp."  FTC  claims  that  deletions 
in  the  film  were  not  disclosed  to  the 
public.  Attorney  Edward  Raftery  has 
represented  UA  in  the  case. 


1931  the  News  was  sold  to  Quigley 
Publishing  Co.  and  then  merged  with 
Exhibitors'  Herald-World  to  become 
the  present  Motion  Picture  Herald. 

Johnston  some  time  previously  had 
sold  his  interest  in  the  News  to  the 
Angus  Publishing  Co.,  with  which  he 
became  associated  for  a  brief  time  pri-   j  \ 

or  to  his  retirement  from  business.  !  [ 
Thereafter    he    resided    in    Beverly  !  I 

Hills,  Cal.,  until  1945,  when  he  re-  - 

turned  to  New  York.  1 

He  is  survived  by  a  son,  Paul  A.  = 

Johnston  of  Monroe,  N.  Y. ;  a  sister,  , 

Mrs.  Arthur  C.  Sticht  of  Canajoharie,  || 

N.  Y. ;  a  daughter,  Allene  Johnston  of  " 
Los  Angeles,  and  a  granddaughter. 

Born  at  Palatine  Bridge,  N.  Y.,  he  8 

was  graduted  in  1897  from  Union  Col-  \ 
lege.   He  was  a  member  of  Phi  Beta 

Kappa,  Alpha  Delta  Phi,  and  Sons  of  I 
the  American  Revolution.   He  became  j  f 

a  copy  writer  for  the  Hampton  Ad-  r 
vertising    Agency,    New    York,    in  |  j 

1902;  he  joined  Butterick  Publishing  , 

Co.  in  1906,  and  the  following  year  a 

joined  S.  H.  Benson  Co.,  Ltd.,  Lon-  J) 
don,  as  a  copy  writer. 

He  was  a  contributor  to  the  old 
Nezv  York  Herald,  the  New  York 

Herald-Tribune,    Hampton's    Maga-  K 

sine,  Harper's  Weekly,  the  American  lk 

Magazine,  Munsey's,  Delineator,  Cen-  tt 

tury,  and  Saturday  Evening  Post.  In  « 

1911-1913  he  did  publicity  work  for  St 

the  National  Citizen's  League  in  be-  pi 
half  of  a  reform  in  banking  laws. 

Until  his  retirement  he  was  a  di-  in 
rector  of  the  DeForest  Phonofilm  Co.,  in 
the  F.  M.  Lupton  Publishing  Co.,  and  \ 
El  Commercio,  South  American  ex- 
port magazine.  He  was  also  a  mem-  h 
ber  of  Danforth  and  Marshall,  stock  ;  I 
brokers. 

Columbia  Meeting  •  I 
In  Buffalo,  Albany 

Rube  Jackter,  Columbia's  assistant  i 

general  sales  manager,  has  scheduled  I 

meetings  on  the  current  playdate  and  ,] 
liquidation  drive  for  the  Buffalo  and  j 
Albany  branches  next  week.  Jackter, 
who  is  chairman  of  the  drive,  will 

attend  both  meetings,  accompanied  by  }] 
George  Josephs,  assistant  to  A.  Mon- 
tague. 

The  two  will  spend  Monday  and  " 
Tuesday  in  Buffalo,  going  to  Albany 
for  a  meeting  on  Wednesday.  They 

will  return  to  New  York  on  Thursday.  L 

  Ai 

Joseph  H.  McNabb,  61 

Chicago,  Jan.  6. — Joseph  H.  Mc-  11 
Nabb,  61,  of  Winnetka,  111.,  president 

of  Bell  and  Howell  Co.  of  Chicago,  I  f 

died  yesterday  in  Lutheran  Deaconess  j  !ti 

Hospital  here.  When  McNabb  joined  f 
B.  and  H.  as  general  manager  in  1916,  \  r 

the  company  did  an  annual  business  of  1  111 

$163,000.   He  is  credited  in  large  part  !«; 

with   expanding  this   total   to   some  f 

$22,000,000  annually.     Survivors  in-  1 
elude  the  widow,  a  daughter  and  a 
son. 

  }< 

Industry  Shorts        j . 

(Continued  from  page  1)  U, 

president  of  the  Associated  Theatre 

Owners  of  Indiana ;  Ben  F.  Shearer,  j  p, 

Seattle,  head  of  B.  F.  Shearer  Thea-  j  tjt| 

tres ;  Sam  Switlow,  of  M.  Switlow  and  ,  |s 

Sons  Enterprises,  Louisville ;  Mitchell  sj, 

Wolfson,  Miami  circuit  head  and  vice-  j  t 

president  of  the  Theatre  Owners  of !  ^ 

America.                                        |  ^ 

All  joined  in  pledging  full  screen ;  I, 

time   for   the   shorts   in   their   own  p 
houses-  and  urging  all  other  theatre- 
men  also  to  participate. 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
mpartial 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.   NO.  6 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  JANUARY  10,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Majors  Devise 
Changes  in 
Arbitration 


All  in  Tentative  Accord 
On  Form  It  Will  Take 


Major  companies  late  last  week 
reached  a  tentative  agreement  on 
the  form  of  a  new  arbitration  sys- 
tem which  constitutes  a  revised 
version  of  the  one  proposed  in  Decem- 
ber, to  which  Paramount  objected  in 
part. 

Conclusive  action  will  not  be  taken 
until  a  new  draft  has  been  prepared 
but  the  indication  is  that  a  final  ac- 
cord is  in  prospect. 

Upon  being  drafted  the  plan  will  be 
presented  to  the  "Little  Three"  and 
others  with  the  aim  of  bringing  in  as 
many  participants  as  possible. 

The  system  will  be  set  down  in  the 
form  of  a  proposed  decree  to  be 
signed  by  the  New  York  Federal 
Court  within  the  framework  of  the 
Paramount  case.  The  Department  of 
Justice  also  will  be  asked  to  approve, 
probably  at  the  end  of  this  month 
when  the  companies  submit  to  it  their 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Mills  to  Tender 
U.A.  Resignation 

Edwin  Claude  Mills  will  tender  his 
resignation  as  a  member  of  the  United 
Artists  board  of  directors  at  the  com- 
pany's annual  meeting  of  stockholders 
in  Hollywood  next  Monday. 

Mills  has  been  a  Charles  Chaplin 
nominee  on  the  board  for  the  past  four 
years  and  is  a  member  of  the  direc- 
tors' special  committee  for  planning 
new  capitalization  for  U.A.  The  com- 
mittee is  scheduled  to  submit  its  re- 
port to  Mary  Pickford  and  Chaplin  at 
the  Coast  meeting. 

Mills,  who  has  been  an  industrial 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


99  Share  $65,000 
U-I  Drive  Cash 


Four  Universal-International  dis- 
trict managers,  17  branch  managers, 
i  34  salesmen,  44  bookers  and  four  office 
managers  are  sharing  $65,000  in  cash 
in  the  company's  "Presidential  Sales 
Drive,"  according  to  the  tally  of  final 
results  released  by  William  A.  Scully, 
sales  vice-president. 

P.    F.    Rosian,    district  manager 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


U.K.  Producers  to 
Ask  Subsidy  from 
Ticket  Tax  Fund 


London,  Jan.  9. — A  proposal  that  a 
proportion  of  the  entertainment  tax 
yield  from  British  films  be  allotted 
to  subsidize  film  production  here  will 
be  made  to  Chancellor  of  the  Ex- 
chequer Sir  Stafford  Cripps  by  the 
British  Film  Producers  Association 
at  a  meeting  on  Jan.  17. 

From  the  present  overall  annual 
box-office  gross,  amounting  to  $432,- 
1,00,000,  taxes  channel  $152,000,000 
directly  to  the  Exchequer.  It  is  esti- 
mated that  British  pictures'  share  of 
the  total  is  only  $68,000,000. 

The  BFPA  claims  the  present  tax 
incidence  virtually  prohibits  any  pro- 
ducer from  making  a  reasonable  profit. 


Victor  Fleming,  60, 
Succumbs  in  Ariz. 


.  Phoenix,  Ariz.,  Jan.  9. — Victor 
Fleming,  60,  Academy  Award-winning 
director,  and  producer-director  of 
"Joan  of  Arc,"  his  last  picture,  died 
early  Friday  morning  on  his  way  to 
Cottonwood  Hospital  from  a  nearby 
guest  ranch,  where  he  was  stricken 
with  a  heart  attack. 

He,  his  wife  and  two  daughters, 
Victoria,  14,  and  Sally,  11,  were 
guests  at  the  Beaver  Creek  ranch, 
Fleming,  exhausted  following  his  work 
on  "Joan  of  Arc,"  had  gone  to  the 
ranch  some  time  ago  to  recuperate, 
but  never  recovered  his  strength. 

He  started  in  1912  as  a  cameraman 
with  the  American  Film  Co.  in  Santa 
Barbara,  Cal.,  and  worked  for  the 
late  Douglas  Fairbanks,  Sr.,  for  many 
years  before  undertaking  a  director's 
career  in  1919. 

For  his  direction  of  "Gone  with  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


ALLIED  TO  PUBLIC 
ON  DISCIPLINE  PLAN 


Mass.  Threatened 
With  a  10%  Tax 

Boston,  Jan.  9. — Reports  in 
high  legislative  circles  at  the 
State  House  here  indicate 
that  there  is  a  strong  possi- 
bility of  the  enactment  of  a 
10  per  cent  admission  tax  on 
motion  picture  theatres  and 
all  other  amusement  places, 
to  produce  additional  revenue 
of  some  six  million  dollars 
annually. 


$17-Million  in  Stock 
Acquired  by  Para. 

Paramount  has  invested  to  date 
some  $17,363,126  in  its  own  common 
stock  under  the  stock-purchasing  pro- 
gram instituted  in  Nov.,  1946  by  com- 
pany president  Barney  Balaban,  it  is 
estimated  on  the  basis  of  the  stock's 
1948  average  market  price  of  $22  per 
share.  This  does  not  take  into  ac- 
count the  approximately  200,000 
shares  (another  $4,400,000)  also 
bought  in  the  open  market,  which  the 
company  paid  out  meanwhile  in  ac- 
quiring Liberty  Films  and  Rainbow 
Productions. 

A  total  of  789,233  shares  have  ac- 
cumulated in  Paramount's  treasury 
since  the  program  got  under  way,  41,- 
700  shares  having  been  purchased  in 
December.  Other  recent  monthly  pur- 
chases totaled  as  follows :  November, 
21,500;  October,  40,500;  September, 
32,500;  August,  22,200,  and  July, 
31,000. 


U.S.  Notes  Growing  Film 
Interest  in  Television 


Washington,  Jan.  9. — One  of  the 
more  significant  developments  in  tele- 
vision is  the  increasing  interest  of 
motion  picture  and  theatre  interests 
in  that  field,  the  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission  states  in  its  annual 
report. 

The  report,  released  today,  said  that 
there  were  109  television  stations 
authorized,  and  applications  for  an- 
other 188  were  pending.  Forty-three 
stations  were  licensed  during  the 
year. 

The  report  notes  that  there  was  "a 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Rank  Leaving  for 
New  York  March  18 

London,  Jan.  9.— J.  Arthur  Rank 
and  Sir  Henry  French  plan  to  sail 
for  New  York  on  March  18  for  the 
scheduled  first  meeting  of  the  Anglo- 
American  Films  Council.  Sir  Alex- 
ander Korda,  the  other  British  mem- 
ber of  the  council,  has  not  made  depar- 
ture plans  yet.  The  New  York 
meeting  is  scheduled  for  March  23-25. 

It  is  understood  here  that  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Is  Urging  Welfare  and 
Religious  Groups  to 
Act  on  Errant  Stars 

Allied  States  Association  is  try- 
ing to  line  up  wide  public  support 
for  its  "Finneran  Plan"  for  dis- 
ciplining errant  stars,  it  was  learned 
here  over  the  weekend. 

The  association  is  in  the  process  of 
sending  out  letters  seeking  support 
from  various  national  and  regional 
welfare,  educational,  religious  and 
women's  groups.  Some  have  gone  out 
already;  others  are  being  sent  out 
now,  it  is  understood. 

The  letters  outline  the  Finneran 
Plan,  ask  the  associations  to  study 
the  reasons  given  for  the  plan  in  the 
resolution  adopted  by  the  Allied  con- 
vention in  New  Orleans,  and  declares 
that  Allied  "hopes  you  '  will  agree 
that  these  conditions  must  be  remed- 
ied." While  the  letters  do  not  urge 
the  associations  in  so  many  words 
to  take  the  Finneran  Plan  as  "the 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


WB  '48  Net: 
$11,837,253 

Warner  Brothers'  net  profit  for  the 
fiscal  year  ending  Aug.  31  was  $11,- 
837,253,  the  company  reported  on 
Friday.  Profit  for  the  previous  year 
was  $22,094,979. 

Financial  report  lists  film  rentals, 
theatre  admissions,  and  other  income 
for  1948  at  $147,057,000  against 
$164,643,000  for  the  previous  year. 
Last  year's  profit  before  taxes,  con- 
tingent liabilities  and  elimination  of 
equity  in  undistributed  earnings  of 
subsidiary  companies  operating  in  for- 
eign territories  was  $21,064,000,  com- 
pared with  $39,509,000  in  1947.  Pro- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 

5  WB  Directors  Up 
For  Re-election 


Five  Warner  directors  have  been 
nominated  by  the  board  for  re-election 
to  two-year  terms  at  a  stockholders 
meeting  scheduled  for  Feb.  15  in 
Wilmington,  Del.  Nominees  are: 
Samuel  Carlisle,  Stanleigh  P.  Fried- 
man, Charles  S.  Guggenheimer,  Sam- 
uel Schneider  and  Morris  Wolf.  Last 
February,   stockholders   elected  John 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  10,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


JCHEEVER  COW  DIN,  Univer- 
•  sal-International  board  chairman, 
was  scheduled  to  leave  here  for  Holly- 
wood over  the  weekend. 

• 

Tina  Skouras,  niece  of  the  Skouras 
brothers,  and  William  Oldknow, 
drive-in  theatre  operator  and  son  of 
Oscar  Oldknow,  National  Theatres 
Equipment  executive,  are  to  be  mar- 
ried in  Hollywood  on  Jan.  IS. 
• 

W.  R.  Frank,  producer  of  United 
Artists'  "The  Great  Dan  Patch,"  is 
due  to  arrive  in  New  York  from 
Hollywood  today. 

• 

Hugh  Owen,  Paramount  Eastern 
and  Southern  division  sales  manager, 
left  here  yesterday  for  conferences  at 
his  Southern  branches. 

• 

Benn  Rosenwald,  M-G-M  branch 
manager  in  Boston,  and  Mrs.  Rosen- 
wald have  returned  to  Boston  from 
Charlotte. 

• 

E.  C.  Qualls,  Jr.  of  the  State  The- 
atre, Burlington,  N.  C,  and  Mrs. 
Qualls  have  become  the  parents  of 
a  son. 

• 

F.  J.  A.  McCarthy,  Universal-In- 
ternational Southern  and  Canadian 
sales  manager,  will  leave  New  York 
today  for  Toronto. 

• 

Robert  Lippert,  president  of  Screen 
Guild  Prod.,  left  Hollywood  yesterday 
for  Boston. 

• 

Joseph  M.  Schenck  arrived  in 
New  York  from  Florida  at  the  week- 
end. 

• 

Emery  Wister,  film  critic  of  the 
Charlotte  News,  has  been  confined  to 
his  home  by  illness. 

• 

Bob  Pinson,  Astor  Pictures  man- 
ager in  Charlotte,  has  returned  to  that 
city  from  Nashville. 

• 

Walter  L.  Titus,  Jr.,  Republic 
division  manager,  left  here  for  Dallas 
over  the  weekend. 

• 

Norman  Jackter,  Columbia  sales- 
man, and  his  family  have  returned  to 
Charlotte  from  New  York. 

• 

A.  J.  O'Keefe,  Universal-Interna- 
tional assistant  general  sales  manager, 
left  here  at  the  weekend  for  the  Coast. 


Tradewise . . . 


By  SHERWIN  KANE 


Extend  Wolf  Itinerary 

Several  speaking  engagements  have 
been  added  to  the  list  already  an 
nounced  for  Maurice  Wolf,  assistant 
to  H.  M.  Richey,  M-G-M  exhibitor  re 
lations  head.    His  itinerary  now  in- 
cludes the  following  dates  and  cities : 
Jan.   13,   Rotary  Club  at  Asheville: 
N.  C;  Jan.  14,  joint  meeting  of  busi 
ness  clubs  at  Hickory,  N.  C. ;  Jan.  17 
Rotary  Club  at  Columbia,  S.  C. ;  Jan 
20,  Civitan  Club,  Raleigh,  N.  C. ;  Jan. 
30-31,  convention  of  North  and  South 
Carolina  Theatre  Owners,  at  Char 
lotte. 


'""pHE  House  Labor  sub-com- 
mittee  report  on  the  extend- 
ed jurisdictional  strife  among 
Hollywood  studio  unions,  issued 
by  Chairman  Carroll  Kearns  in 
Washington  last  week,  should 
bring  a  great  deal  of  satisfaction 
to  Richard  Walsh,  Roy  Brewer 
and  the  IATSE  generally. 

The  Kearns'  report  cleared 
the  industry  of  any  charge  of 
collusion  or  conspiracy  with  the 
IATSE  and  placed  the  entire 
blame  for  the  studio  jurisdiction- 
al dispute  on  the  American 
Federation  of  Labor  for  its  fail- 
ure to  act  decisively  on  a  set- 
tlement of  the  dispute. 

The  sub-committee  found  that 
the  AFL's  executive  council,  at 
its  meeting  in  Cincinnati  in  Oc- 
tober, 1945,  appointed  its  three- 
man  investigating  committee  to 
decide  the  Hollywood  jurisdic- 
tional issues  with  the  clear  un- 
derstanding and  agreement  by 
all  concerned  that  the  commit- 
tee's decision  would  be  final  and 
binding. 

That  was  the  IATSE  position 
throughout  the  subsequent  strife, 
and  is  its  position  today. 
• 

The  AFL,  however,  subse- 
quently acquiesced  (at  the  al- 
leged insistence  of  William 
Hutcheson  of  the  Carpenters 
International)  in  the  issuance, 
first,  of  an  "interpretation"  of 
its  three-man  committee's  deci- 
sion in  favor  of  the  IATSE  and, 
second,  of  a  "clarification"  of 
the  "interpretation"  of  the 
original  decision,  both  of  which 
served  mainly  to  becloud  and 
cast  doubt  upon  that  decision 
with  the  inevitable  consequence 
that  new  fuel  was  added  to  the 
flames  which  the  committee  had 
been  appointed  to  extinguish. 

As  the  Kearns'  report  said, 
the  Hollywood  jurisdictional 
dispute  "stands  out  as  a  sore 
thumb  on  the  records  of  the 
AFL." 

It  is  significant  also  that 
Kearns  found  no  collusion  be- 
tween the  industry  and  the  IA 
in  the  Hollywood  dispute.  Mid- 
way in  his  investigation,  Kearns 
had  let  it  be  known  publicly  that 
he  believed  there  had  been  col- 
lusion, but  his  further  study  of 
the  situation  convinced  him 
there  was  none. 

There  is  pending  in  the  courts 
a  $67,000,000  suit  against  the 
IATSE  and  producers,  growing 
out  of  the  Hollywood  labor  con- 
troversy, which  alleges  collu- 
sion and  conspiracy  on  the  part 
of  the  defendants. 


While  the  Kearns'  report  does 
not  resolve  that  action  nor  have 
any  connection  with  it,  never- 
theless it  is  not  improbable  that 
a  court  or  jury,  destined  to  rely 
upon  much  of  the  same  records, 
testimony  and  evidence  as  did 
the  House  sub-committee  in  the 
event  of  trial  of  the  long-pend- 
ing action,  would  come  to  the 
same  conclusion. 

The  Kearns'  report,  in  any 
event,  is  proper  defense  ammu- 
nition and,  were  it  anything  but 
what  it  is,  most  certainly  would 
be  used  by  the  plaintiffs. 
• 

For  well  over  a  year  now,  the 
Hollywood  labop-  scene  has  been 
serene.  Much  of  the  credit  for 
that  beneficent  circumstance  is 
due  the  AFL  Film  Council  in 
Hollywood,  headed  by  Brewer. 
It  has  done  much  to  remove 
causes  of  new  studio  labor  erup- 
tions and  has  dealt  promptly 
and  wisely  with  grievances  as 
they  arose.  It  is  a  stalwart, 
constructive  force  in  the  brittle 
Hollywood  labor  arena. 

It  has  proved  that  jurisdic- 
tional disputes  can  be  settled  by 
agreement  of  the  parties  con- 
cerned without  violent  disrup- 
tions. 

It  is  helping  to  establish  a  pat- 
tern for  the  future.  The  pattern 
is  recognizable  even  now  in  the 
manner  in  which  IATSE  is  pro- 
ceeding on  jurisdictional  ques- 
tions as  they  -  arise  in  the  new 
labor  field  in  television.  The 
questions  are  being  worked  out 
amicably  by  those  concerned. 
There  is  no  intrusion  or  arbi- 
trary interference  by  the  AFL. 

It  is  to  be  hoped,  if  not  as- 
sumed, however,  that  the  agree- 
ments reached  will  be  given 
their  complete,  official  standing 
by  later  AFL  sanction. 

In  that  way  the  AFL  can  help 
to  achieve  the  first  recommenda- 
tion of  the  Kearns'  report,  the 
continuance  "of  its  voluntary 
program  of  settlement  of  its 
jurisdictional  conflicts  which  it 
has  initiated  in  the  past  year." 
•  • 

Was  it,  as  MPAA  said,  a  de- 
sire to  discuss  South  African 
problems  further  with  State  De- 
partment officials  that  resulted  in 
calling  off  the  Francis  Harmon 
and/or  MPAA  committee  trip 
to  Johannesburg?  Or  was  it 
Loew's  insistence  on  non-inter- 
ference, RKO's  insistence  on  no- 
compromise  and  U.A.  and 
SIMPP's  veto  of  the  whole 
idea?  A  divsion  in  the  ranks, 
in  other  words. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


PRESIDENT  TRUMAN's  mes- 
sage to  Congress  marks  a  news- 
reel  highlight  in  all  the  current  news- 
reels.  Blizzards,  tornadoes  and  sports 
are  among  other  items  in  the  reels. 
Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  3— President 
Truman  asks  Congress  for  new  laws.  News 
flashes:  Colorado  blizzard;  Arkansas  tor- 
nado. Eisenhower  launches  Boy  Scout  drive. 
Two  former  kings  vacation  in  France.  Gol- 
den Gloves  bouts. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  237— Presi- 
dent Truman  reports  to  81st  Congress. 
Puerto  Rico  installs  governor.  Yale  men 
killed  in  plane  crash.  Tornado  rips  Arkansas 
town.  Golden  Gloves.  Ski  fever. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  40 — Bliz- 
zard and  tornado.  President  Truman  reports 
to  Congress.  Sports  highlights. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEE,  No.  211 — 
President  Truman  reports  to  Congress.  Gen. 
Doolittle  missionary  returns  to  Japan.  Tor- 
nado. Plane  crash.  Winterized  swimming. 
Golden  Gloves. 

WARNER  PAT  HE  NEWS,  No.  42 — 
President  Truman  reports  to  81st  Congress. 
Ships  in  the  news:  Queen  Mary.  Tornado 
levels  Arkansas  town.  Royalty  bn  Riviera. 
German  asks  world  citizenship.  Golden 
Gloves.  Great  Americans:  Alexander  Ham- 
ilton. 


'Brotherhood'  Meets 
In  Field  on  Jan.  14 


Ned  Depinet,  national  chairman  for 
the  motion  picture  division  for  "Broth- 
erhood Week,"  and  Charles  R.  Rea- 
gan, distribution  chairman,  have  set 
simultaneous  "Brotherhood  Week" 
meetings  to  be  held  in  every  exchange 
center  in  the  U.S.  on  Jan.  14.  The 
meetings  will  be  conducted  by  the  dis- 
tribution chairmen  in  each  territory. 
Purpose  of  the  conclaves  is  to  put  into 
action  the  now  fully-outlined  plans 
for  the  drive  and  will  be  attended  by 
all  branch  and  district  managers  and 
exhibitor  co-chairmen. 

This  year's  "Brotherhood  Week" 
drive  will  be  the  biggest  all-out  indus- 
try effort  since  the  War  Bond  cam- 
paigns, according  to  the  committee. 

Golding  Plans  Int'l 
Publicity  Service 

David  Golding,  former  publicity 
manager  in  Britain  for  Samuel  Gold- 
wyn  Prod.,  and  later  associated  with 
Sir  Alexander  Korda  there,  is  form- 
ing an  international  publicity  organ- 
ization to  handle  motion  picture  and 
other  industry  accounts. 

Golding  left  here  for  the  Coast  by 
plane  on  Saturday  for  four  weeks  of 
conferences  with  prospective  associates 
and  accounts.  He  plans  to  establish 
headquarters  in  New  York  and  will 
leave  for  London  about  March  1  to  set 
up  an  office  there  to  serve  Britain  and 
the  Continent. 


Rubin  Heads  Drive 
For  Salvation  Army 

J.  Robert  Rubin,  vice-president  of 
Loew's,  will  head  the  Manhattan 
solicitation  division  canvassing  firms 
in  the  motion  picture  field  in  behalf 
of  The  Salvation  Army  1949  appeal 
which  is  seeking  $1,100,000  through- 
out Greater  New  York. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  _Jr.,_  Associate  JEditor.^  P«j|J»J^t,4ai]fe,J^?t4?g^^^i 


Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.    Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washington, 
J.  A.  Often,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Gdden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Bumup,  Editor;  cable  address,   Uuigpubco,  London. 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  every  fourth  week  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  international 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.    Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  10,  1949 


Denies  Miner  Pleas 
For  Separate  Trials 


Wausau,  Wis.,  Jan  9. — In  a  deci- 
sion affecting  percentage  cases,  U.  S. 
Judge  Patrick  T.  Stone  in  "Federal 
court  here  denied  the  exhibitor  de- 
fendants' motions  for  separate  trials 
on  the  defense  of  illegality  and  each 
of  three  other  issues,  and  granted  the 
distributor  plaintiffs'  motions  for  an 
audit  inspection  of  theatre  records  of 
the  Miner  Circuit  houses.  When  dis- 
tributors had  moved  for  their  inspec- 
tion, exhibitors  countered  with  mo- 
tions for  separate  trial  on  the  four 
issues  of  illegality,  the  distributor 
charge  of  a  conspiracy  by  the  exhibi- 
tors to  defraud,  the  distributors'  right 
to  combine  the  damage  claims  against 
the  various  theatres  for  Federal  juris- 
diction, and  on  distributor  claims  for 
flat  rental  damages. 

In  so  ruling,  Judge  Stone  did  not 
follow  the  step  taken  by  U.  S.  Judge 
Campbell  in  the  Alger  cases  in  Illinois 
of  referring  the  issue  of  unenforce- 
ability to  a  master  for  separate  trial 
and  leaving  to  the  master  the  decision 
as  to  the  right  to  audit,  although 
Judge  Campbell's  ruling  was  cited  by 
counsel  for  the  defendant  exhibitors 
in  opposing  the  distributors'  inspec- 
tion motion. 


Montiel,Theatre'Vetf, 
Dies  in  Mobile,  Ala. 

New  Orleans,  Jan.  9. — Ricardo 
Montiel,  veteran  theatre  operator, 
died  suddenly  at  his  home  in  Mobile, 
Ala.,  on  Jan.  4,  it  was  learned  here 
yesterday.  He  was  55  years  old. 

Montiel  was  formerly  district  man- 
ager of  Saenger- Paramount-Richards 
circuit,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
he  had  been  general  manager  of  the 
three  Giddens  and  Rester  theatres  in 
Mobile  for  a  number  of  years.  Sur- 
viving are  his  widow,  Mrs.  Eleanor 
Fitch  Montiel,  two  daughters,  three 
sons,  and  nine  grandchildren. 


Victor  Fleming 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

Wind,"  Fleming  was  given  a  trophy 
in  1940  by  the  Academy  of  Motion 
Picture  Arts  and  Sciences.  Among 
other  outstanding  pictures  which  he 
directed  were  "The  Virginian,"  "Cap1 
tains  Courageous,"  "Test  Pilot"  and 
"The  Wizard  of  Oz." 

Fleming  was  associated  with  David 
W.  Griffith,  John  Emerson,  Fine  Arts 
and  Artcraft,  as  well  as  with  M-G-M 
and  20th  Century-Fox  studios. 

During  the  first  World  War  he 
served  as  a  first  lieutenant  with  the 
photographic  section  of  the  Signal 
Corps,  making  educational  films  for 
the  Army  and  developing  speed  cam- 
eras for  analytical  photography.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  staff  of  the  late 
President  Woodrow  Wilson  during 
the  European  Peace  Conference. 

Fleming  was  born  in  Pasadena,  Cal. 


/.  W.  Bohn  Joins  Realart 

Joseph  W.  Bohn,  former  owner  of 
the  Eagle-Lion  exchange  in  Indian- 
apolis, has  acquired  a  substantial  in- 
terest in  the  Realart  exchange  which 
will  open  in  that  city  about  Feb.  1, 
it  has  been  announced  by  Lee  L. 
Goldberg,  Realart  franchise  holder 
for  Cincinnati  and  Indianapolis.  In 
the  Realart  set-up,  Bohn  will  head 
the  sales  staff  and  act  as  general  man- 
ager while  Mrs.  Bohn  will  take  care 
of  bookings  and  office  management. 


5  WB  Directors 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

E.  Bierwirth,  Waddill  Catchings,  Rob- 
ert W.  Perkins,  Albert  Warner,  Har- 
ry M.  Warner  and  Jack  L. .  Warner 
directors  for  two  years. 

A  notice  to  stockholders  lists  the 
following  officers'  salaries  for  the  year 
ended  Aug.  31,  1948:  Harry  M.  War- 
ner, president,  $182,300  ;  Jack  Warner, 
vice-president,  $182,100;  Benjamin 
Kalmenson,  vice-president,  $117,000; 
Harry  M.  Kalmine,  vice-president, 
$117,000;  Albert  Warner,  vice-presi- 
dent and  treasurer,  $104,700 ;  Carlisle, 
controller  and  assistant  treasurer, 
$50,670 ;  Friedman,  vice-president, 
$65,750;  Robert  W.  Perkins,  vice- 
president  and  general  counsel,  $91,- 
850  ;  Schneider,  vice-president,  $91,850. 


WB  '48  Net 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

vision  for  taxes  in  1948  totalled  $8,- 
300,000,  while  in  1947  some  $15,300,- 
000  was  set  aside.  Some  $200,000  was 
provided  for  contingent  liabilities  last 
year,  against  $500,000  in  the  previous 
year.  Elimination  -  of  -  equity  figures 
for  1948  and  1947,  respectively,  were 
$727,000  and  $1,615,000. 

Profit  for  1948  was  equivalent  to 
$1.62  per  share  on  the  7,295,000  shares 
of  outstanding  common  stock,  while 
the  profit  for  1947  was  equivalent  to 
$3.02  per  share. 

Cash  on  hand  in  1948  was  $16,094,- 
947,  compared  to  $16,592,321  in  1947. 
Total  current  and  working  assets  for 
the  respective  years  were  $69,470,361 
and  $74,354,370,  while  fixed  assets, 
less  reserves  for  depreciation  and 
amortization  are  listed  as  $96,184,821 
for  1948  and  $99,390,063  for  1947. 
Other  assets,  such  as  goodwill,  trade- 
marks, etc.,  are  indicated  as  $10,629,- 
575  for  last  year  and  $12,113,459  for 
the  previous  year.  Total  current 
liabilities  for  1948  amounted  to  $26,- 
859,474  against  $34,417,975  in  1947 
A  total  of  $127,686,972  in  capital  and 
surplus  was  listed  for  1948  compared 
to  $124,948,485  in  1947. 

Lockwood  Dinner  in 
Boston  Draws  Crowd 

Boston,  Jan.  9. — Among  numerous 
out-of-towners  who  will  attend  the 
dinner  Tuesday  evening  for  Arthur 
Lockwood,  president  of  the  Theatre 
Owners  of  America,  at  the  Copley 
Plaza  are :  Norman  Elson,  Si  Fabian, 
Sam  Shain,  Walter  Reade,  Jr.,  Bill 
McCraw,  Gael  Sullivan,  Dave  Pal- 
freyman,  Edward  Morey,  Morey  Gold- 
stein, Steve  Broidy,  Herman  Levy, 
Capt.  Ross  Urquhardt,  Robert  Lip- 
pert,  D.  John  Phillips,  Edward  Fay, 
A.  A.  Spitz,  Ed  Grainger,  Arthur 
Greenblatt,  Jack  Byrne,  J.  J.  O'Leary, 
T.  F.  Fridav,  Sam  Lefkowitz  and 
Harry  Brandt. 


Arbitration 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

proposed  findings  and  judgment  in  the 
suit. 

Paramount  objected  to  the  previous 
proposals  on  the  grounds  that  they 
were  "impractical."  Some  reports 
that  the  company  dissented  because 
the  previous  system  embodied  a  pen- 
alty of  $5,000  for  arbitrary  refusal  of 
a  run  and  subsequent  non-compliance 
with  the  arbitrator's  award  have  been 
denied  by  company  officials. 

Neither  the  specific  nature  of  Par- 
amount's  original  objections  nor  the 
changes  to  be  incorporated  in  the  new 
draft  were  disclosed. 


Loew  Executives  to 
Coast  En  Masse 


Led  by  sales  vice-president  William 
F.  Rodgers,  some  21  Loew  and 
M-G-M  home  office  executives  will 
attend  the  companies'  "Preview-of- 
Product"  at  the  Culver  City  studios 
Feb.  6  to  12.  This  is  said  to  be  the 
largest  aggregation  of  Loew  home 
office  executives  to  attend  such  a  dis- 
play of  new  pictures  months  ahead  of 
general  release. 

From  the  theatre  department  will  go 
Joseph  R.  Vogel,  John  J.  Murphy, 
Eugene  Picker  and  Ernest  Emerling. 

Arthur  M.  Loew,  president  of 
Loew's  International,  will  be  on  hand. 

From  the  domestic  sales  depart- 
ment will  go  Edward  M.  Saunders, 
Henderson  M.  Richey,  John  P.  Byrne, 
Joel  Bezahler,  Alan  F.  Cummings, 
Richard  A.  Harper,  William  B.  Zoell- 
ner,  Irving  Helfont,  George  A.  Hick- 
ey,  Ben  Malniker,  Jay  Eisenberg  and 
M.  L.  Simons. 

From  advertising-publicity  will  be 
Howard  Dietz,  Silas  F.  Seadler,  Her- 
bert Crooker,  William  R.  Ferguson 
and  William  Ornstein. 


Films  in  Television 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

sudden  surge  of  television  applications 
and  a  leveling  off  of  FM  requests  in 
the  last  half  of  the  year,"  ending  last 
July  1. 

The  Commission's  order  freezing 
all  television  action  is  mentioned  in  a 
special  section  on  late  developments. 
The  order  was  issued  Sept.  29. 

Other  gleanings  from  the  report : 

As  of  November,  Chicago  had  more 
authorized  AM,  FM,  and  TV  stations 
collectively — 33 — than  any  other  city 
in  the  world.  New  York  followed 
with  a  total  of  32,  Los  Angeles  had 
29,  Philadelphia,  23,  Washington,  21, 
San  Francisco,  19,  and  Boston,  16. 

Of  the  109  television  stations 
authorized,  102  had  construction 
permits. 

In  addition  to  those  licensed,  21 
stations  were  operating  on  an  interim 
basis.  Seventeen  cities  and  metro- 
politan districts  were  being  served  by 
the  operating  stations,  compared  with 
eight  cities  in  the  previous  year. 

The  motion  picture  industry  has 
shown  "renewed  interest"  in  the  use 
of  radio  for  on-location  work  "now 
that  improved  equipment  is  available 
at  moderate  cost,"  said  the  FCC. 

WBKB,  'Sun  -  Times9 
In  Television  Pact 

Chicago,  Jan.  9. — Balaban  and  Katz 
television  station  WBKB  and  the  Chi- 
cago Sun-Times,  which  cooperated  in 
coverage  of  the  Presidential  elections 
in  November,  have  entered  a  "public 
service"  agreement  under  which 
WBKB  will  supply  the  newspaper 
with  television  facilities  and  the  Sun- 
Times  will  provide  the  station  with 
late  news  and  features  daily.  The 
two  will  work  hand  in  hand  with 
promotions  and  special  events. 

Coincident  with  the  new  agreement, 
John  Balaban,  director  of  WBKB,  an- 
nounced the  appointment  of  Ulmer 
Turner,  veteran  Chicago  reporter,  as 
news  editor  of  the  station. 


Cove  City  House  Burns 

Charlotte,  Jan.  9. — Acfne  Theatre, 
Cove  City,  was  destroyed  by  fire  this 
week  and  preparations  are  being  made 
to  rebuild  as  soon  as  possible. 


99  Share  $65,000 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

whose  territory  includes  Atlanta,- 
Charlotte,  Cincinnati  and  Indian- 
apolis, took  top  money  of  $5,000  in 
the  division  managers  group.  Other 
winners  in  this  group  were  J.  E. 
Garrison,  M.  M.  Gottlieb  and  Dave 
Miller. 

Charles  Ost  took  first  prize  of 
$2,500  in  the  branch  managers  group. 
Other  winners  were :  L.  R.  Berman, 
Jack  Bannan,  R.  P.  Dawson,  .Eugene 
Vogel,  J.  V.  Frew,  F.  J.  Guehl,  T.  L. 
Mendelssohn,  James  Greenleaf,  Lou 
Levy,  Irving  Sochin,  J.  A.  Prichard, 
H.  H.  Martin,  G.  E.  Schwartz, 
Arthur  Greenfield,  C.  R.  Wade. 

Leading  salesman  in  the  East  was 
Arthur  Rose  of  Buffalo;  in  the 
South,  Frank  Schreiber,  Cincinnati; 
and  Jack  Zamsky,  Salt  Lake  City,  in 
the  West,  each  of  whom  won  $1,250. 

Other  prize-winning  salesmen  were: 
J  ere  Spandau,  Carl  Reardon,  Maurice 
Silverberg,  Joseph  Kelly,  Bill  Doyle, 
Alex  Schimel,  Leo  Gottlieb,  Phil 
Winnick,  Walt  Davis,  Herman  Mor- 
gan, Hugh  Nesbitt,  William  Blum, 
John  Fagan,  Buford  Styles,  T.  T 
Miller,  R.  C.  Settoon,  Fred  C.  Wolff 
Harold  Saltz,  W.  A.  McClure,  R. 
Good,  Ted  Reisch,  Bob  Funk,  Harry 
Blatt,  Bob  Helmerson,  Howard 
Greenstein,  Lon  Hoss,  Al  Bowman, 
Paul  A.  Schmuck,  Dave  Goldman, 
Norman  Silver,  Shirl  Thayne. 

Bookers  of  the  Chicago  exchange 
led  in  the  West;  Buffalo  in  the  East, 
and  Charlotte  in  the  South,  each 
dividing  $900.  Atlanta,  Cincinnati, 
Dallas  and  Philadelphia  office  mana- 
gers shared  prizes  in  this  group. 

Mills'  Resignation 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

counselor  in  New  York  since  resign- 
ing as  general  manager  of  Ascap  a 
number  of  years  ago,  plans  to  reside 
in  California  and  is  submitting  his 
resignation  from  the  U.A.  board  for 
that  reason.  If  the  resignation  is  not 
accepted,  it  is  understood  that  Mills 
will  make  regular  trips  East  to  attend 
the  monthly  board  meetings  which  are 
held  here. 

An  election  of  directors  is  sched- 
uled at  next  Monday's  stockholders' 
meeting,  which  will  be  attended  by 
Miss  Pickford  and  Chaplin,  sole  stock 
owners ;  Gradwell  L.  Sears,  U.A. 
president ;  Arthur  W.  Kelly,  executive 
vice-president;  George  Bagnall,  pro- 
duction vice-president,  and  the  other 
members  of  the  directors'  special  com- 
mittee, Charles  Schwartz,  Vitalis 
Chalif  and  Harold  Weill. 


Rank  to  N.  Y. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

still  feels  that  the  presence  of  Sir  Al- 
exander King  at  the  meeting  as  an 
Exhibitors  Association  representative 
is_  highly  desirable,  but  the  British 
Film  Producers  Association  disagrees. 

American  members  of  the  council 
are  Eric  Johnston,  Barney  Balaban 
and  Nicholas  M.  Schenck. 


Allied  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

remedy,"  that  is  the  clear  implica- 
tion. 

The  associations  are  told  to"  make 
their  wishes  known  to  the  producers, 
to  the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  and  MPAA  president  Eric 
Johnston. 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


MOTION  PICTURE  ;  first 


DAILY 


IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


New  Practices 
AlterMonopoly 
Status:  Schine 

Will  Seek  to  Introduce 
New  Evidence  in  Court 


Industry  Tells  Own  Story  I  S  Foresees 
In  Series  of  12  Subjects    plight  Rise 

At  Box-office 


Washington,  Jan.  10.  —  The 
Schine  theatre  circuit  will  seek  to 
introduce  new  evidence  in  the  fur- 
ther proceedings  ordered  by  the 
U.  S.  Supreme  Court  in  the  govern- 
ment's anti-trust  case,  according  to 
word  received  here  by  the  Justice 
Department. 

Schine  notified  the  Department  that 
on  Jan.  18  it  would  ask  Judge  Knight 
in  Buffalo  District  Court  to  allow  it 
to  introduce  evidence  to  show  "a 
change  in  trade  practices  and  monop- 
oly status."  Justice  Department  offi- 
cials interpret  this  as  meaning  Schine 
will  not  seek  to  reopen  the  old  record 
or  introduce  new  material  on  illegal 
acquisitions  and  other  old  issues,  but 
rather  will  concentrate  on  proving 
that  the  industry's  trade  practices  are 
now  different  and  that  the  circuit  no 
longer  has  the  monopoly  status  found 
by  the  Supreme  Court. 

Justice    will    oppose    Schine's  at- 

(Continned  on  page  4) 


Prints  of  the  first  four  subjects 
of  the  all-industry  series,  "The 
Movies  and  You,"  are  being  shipped 
to  exchanges  this  week  and  will  be 
available  for  screenings  in  all  key 
cities  soon  after. 

The  first  subject  is  "Let's  Go  to 
the  Movies."  It  was  produced,  and 
will  be  distributed,  by  RKO  Radio,  to 
be  released  on  or  about  March  1. 

Succeeding  subjects  in  the  series 
will  be  released  at  two-month  inter- 
vals thereafter.  There  will  be  a  total 
of  12  subjects  in  the  complete  series, 
their  release  extending  over  a  two- 
year  period. 

"The  Movies  and  You"  series  is 
the  industry's  first  organized  effort  to 
tell  its  own  story  to  the  public  on 
the  screen.  All  branches  of  the  in- 
dustry have  assisted  in  the  undertak- 
ing and  the  story  of  all  branches  of 
the  industry  will  be  presented  in  the 
series. 

The  project  is  designed  to  enhance 
the  industry's  standing  and  prestige, 
and  to  improve  public  relations  of  all 
of  its  segments,  by  giving  to  the  public 
an  understanding  and  appreciation  of 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Johnston  Is  Target 
For  Soviet  Attack 


Industry  officials  were  wondering 
yesterday  whether  Moscow  is  getting 
ready  to  repudiate  the  deal  it  made 
last  October  to  purchase  American 
films  in  blocks  of  20  for  an  estimated 
$50,000  each,  after  reading  an  Asso 
ciated  Press  Moscow  dispatch  which 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Asks  Company  Heads 
To  Confer  in  Miami 

Eric  A.  Johnston,  president 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of  America,  yesterday 
invited  the  presidents  of  mem- 
ber companies  of  the  organ- 
ization to  a  meeting  in  Miami 
on  Jan.  18-19.  According  to 
the  MPAA  here,  the  "foreign 
situation"  will  be  discussed  at 
the  conference  which  presum- 
ably will  be  held  instead  of 
the  Coast  parleys  which  were 
originally  scheduled  for  this 
month  but  were  called  off. 


Capital  Sees  No  Tax 
Cut  Through  1951 

Washington,  Jan.  10.— Not 
only  does  President  Truman's 
budget  message  contemplate 
no  reduction  in  the  20  per 
cent  U.S.  admission  tax 
through  June  30,  1950,  but  it 
does  not  hold  out  much  hope 
for  a  tax  cut  in  the  following 
fiscal  year  either. 

"It  must  be  recognized  that 
expenditures  in  the  fiscal 
year  1951  are  likely  to  be 
larger  than  those  for  1950," 
the  President  told  Congress, 
adding  that  revenues  must 
remain  high  to  take  care  of 
the  heavy  expenditures. 


To  Speed  Extension 
Of  Reciprocal  Act 

Washngton,  Jan.  10. — Both  House 
and  Senate  leaders  today  promised 
quick  action  on  President  Truman's 
request  for  a  two-Tyear  extension  of 
the  Reciprocal  Trade  Agreements 
Act,  and  without  the  restrictions  im- 
posed by  the  Republican  80th  Con- 
gress. 

Truman,  in  a  message  sent  to  Con- 
gress, said  speed  is  necessary  because 
negotiations  will  begin  in  April  to 
extend  to  13  more  nations  the  1947 
tariff  agreements  executed  with  22 
nations.  The  present  law  expires  June 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Seek  Pay  Hike  for 
1,900  'Lab' Workers 


Tribute  To  TOA'S 
Lockwood  Tonight 

Boston,  Jan.  10.  —  Variety  Clubs 
of  America  executive  director  and  co 
ordinator  William  McCraw  of  Dallas 
ill  be  the  chief  speaker  at  the  din- 
ner-meeting of 
the  Variety 
Club  of  New 
England  honor 
ing  Arthur 
Lockwood. 
newly  -  elected 
TOA  p  r  e  s  i 
dent,  at  the 
Coply  Plaza 
Hotel  tomorrow 
evening. 

The  dinner 
was  arranged 
by  Harold 
Stoneman,  new 
chief  barker  of 
Variety  of  New 
England,  and  will  be  attended  by 
members  of  Tent  No.  23  and  guests 
from  many  sections  of  the  United 
States. 

McCraw's  appearance  in  Boston  is 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Expects  Increase  Over 
Next  Eighteen  Months 

Washington,  Jan.  10.  —  The 
government  apparently  expects 
theatre  business  to  go  up  slightly 
during  the  next  18  months,  accordr 
ing  to  estimates  of  admissions  tax 
collections  contained  in  the  Presi- 
dent's budget  for  the  year  ending 
June  30,  1950,  submitted  to  Congress 
today. 

The  budget  estimates  general  ad- 
missions tax  collections — excluding 
roof  garden  and  cabaret  taxes  and 
taxes  on  various  overcharges — as 
$390,000,000  for  the  year  ending  June 
30,  1949  and  $400,000,000  for  the  year 
ending  June  30,  1950,  compared  with 
actual  receipts  of  $385,100,699  for  the 
12-months  ending  June  30,  1948. 

Of  course,  the  budget  estimates  are 
at  best  very  rough  guesses  in  which 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Arthur  Lockwood 


A  committee  of  five  negotiators  was 
elected  at  a  weekend  membership 
meeting  here  of  IATSE  Laboratory 
Technicians  Local  No.  702  as  the  first 
step  in  the  local's  program  for  secur- 
ing wage  increases  for  1,900  workers 
in  New  York,  New  Jersey  and  Long 
Island  film  "labs,"  it  was  disclosed 
by  John  Francavilla,  president  of  Local 
702.  Even  though  the  present  contract 
does  not  expire  until  June,  Francavilla 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Sew  Taxes  Threaten 
Minnesota,  Dakotas 


Minneapolis,  Jan.  10. — North 
Central  Allied' s  board  today  voted  to 
vigorously  oppose  all  admission  tax 
legislation  in  Minnesota  and  the  Da- 
kotas and  instructed  president  Ben 
Berger  to  appoint  legislative  commit- 
tees for  each  state  to  work  with  NCA 
executive  counsel  Stan  Kane. 

NCA  will  not  oppose  Senate  Bill 
No.  1  in  South  Dakota  which  would 
increase  sales  tax  from  three  cents 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


New  York  First-Runs 
Aided  by  the  Weather 

New  York's  first-runs  had  a  helpful 
ally  in  the  weather,  which  was  mild  at 
the  weekend  and  brought  a  multitude 
of  customers  to  the  Times  Square 
area.  Income  for  the  current  week  is 
for  the  most  part  at  a  healthy  level 
and  not  too  much  under  the  take  for 
the  previous  week,  which  included  the 
holiday  weekend. 

"Wake  of  the  Red  Witch"  got  off 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


SRO  Canadian  Offices 
Shut  Down  on  Friday 

Toronto,  Jan.  10.— Selznick 
Releasing  Organization  will 
close  its  Canadian  branch  of- 
fices Jan.  14,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  Canadian  head- 
quarters here  under  the  di- 
rection of  Joseph  Marks,  with 
Mervyn  Goldstone  as  assis- 
tant. 

Negotiations  are  said  to  be 
proceeding  for  Canadian  dis- 
tribution through  Interna- 
tional Film  Distributors,  Ltd., 
which  handles  Eagle-Lion 
Hollywood  product. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  11,  1949 


1 


Personal 
Mention 


ERIC  A.  JOHNSTON,  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America 
president,  is  due  to  arrive  here  today 
by  plane  from  Spokane. 

• 

Harry  Mandel,  national  director 
of  advertising  for  RKO  Theatres,  be- 
came a  grandfather  last  Friday  when 
his  daughter,  Mrs.  Stanley  S. 
Unger,  gave  birth  to  a  daughter  at 
Madison  Park  Hospital  here. 
• 

B.  Bernard  Kreisler  will  discuss 
his  recent  survey  of  European  motion 
picture  industries  on  Wendie  Bar- 
rie's  television  program  on  WABD 
on  Thursday. 

•  • 

Robert  Gellham,  Selznick  Releas- 
ing Organization  executive  here,  and 
Mrs.  Gillham,  are  parents  of  a  son, 
born  Jan.  2  at  Doctor's  Hospital. 
• 

Robert  Arnold,  former  traveling 
auditor  for  Warner,  has  been  named 
office  manager  of  the  company's 
Charlotte  exchange. 

• 

William  J.  Kupper,  managing  di- 
rector for  20th-Fox  International  in 
England,  is  scheduled  to  arrive  here 
today  from  London. 

• 

Paul  Graetz,  French  producer 
under  contract  to  20th  Century-Fox, 
will  leave  New  York  today  by  plane 
for  Paris. 

• 

Dan  Michalove,  vice-president  of 
National  Theatres,  will  leave  here  for 
a  Coast  visit  this  week. 

o 

Robert  L.  Lippert,  Screen  Guild 
Productions  president,  is  en  route  to 
New  York  from  Hollywood. 

• 

Jules  B.  Weill,  president  of  Mas- 
terpiece   Productions,   has   left  here 
for  Chicago  and  points  West. 
• 

•  Henderson  Richey,  M-G-M  ex- 
hibitor relations  chief,  will  leave  here 
today  for  a  Bermuda  vacation. 
• 

Ted  Gould,  sales  manager  for  M- 
G-M  of  Canada,  Ltd.,  is  due  here  on 
Thursday  from  Toronto. 

• 

Rudy  Berger,  M-G-M  Southern 
sales  manager,  is  back  in  Washington 
from  New  York. 

0 

Nick  Kounaris,  Newington  The- 
tre  executive,  Newington,  Conn.,  is 
in  Florida  vacationing. 

• 

Charles  Laughton  is  due  here  to- 
day from  England. 

• 

Louis  Nizer,  film  attorney,  is  back 
in  town  from  Florida. 


Testimonial  for  Mooney 

Cleveland,  Jan.  10. — Nat  Wolf  and 
Nate  Schultz  are  co-chairmen  of  a 
committee  in  charge  of  a  testimonial 
dinner  to  be  held  in  the  Statler  ball- 
room on  Monday,  Jan.  24,  honoring 
Milton  A.  Mooney,  outgoing  chief 
barker  of  the  Variety  Club. 


Maitles  to  Assume 
Presidency  of  SPG 

Sigmund  Maitles  of  M-G-M  has 
been  nominated  to  succeed  Jeff  Liv- 
ingston of  Universal-International,  as. 
president  of  the  Screen  Publicists 
Guild  (CIO).  Nomination  is  tanta- 
mount to  election  since  Maitles  is  un- 
opposed for  the  office. 

However,  in  the  election  which  has 
been  scheduled  for  tomorrow,  ballot- 
ting  for  first  vice-president  will  deter- 
mine whether  that  office  will  go  to 
Ray  Murray  of  Columbia  or  Ray  Ma- 
lone  of  RKO  Service  Corp.  Also, 
there  will  be  a  contest  for  the  second 
vice-presidency,  candidates  being  Mur- 
ray Goldstein,  Columbia,  and  Herb 
Haines,  RKO  Radio.  Unopposed  are 
Maria  Van  Slyke  for  secretary,  and 
Leo  Israel  for  treasurer. 


Elmwood  Clearance 
Action  Is  Delayed 

Hartford,  Jan.  10. — The  hearings 
on  a  motion  for  a  preliminary  injunc- 
tion asked  by  Elmwood  Theatre 
Corp.,  New  Britain,  and  Susan  Frouge 
Properties,  Inc.,  Bridgeport,  against 
Loew's,  Marcus  Loew  Booking  Agen- 
cy, Warner  Theatres,  and  major  dis- 
tributors, concerning  clearance  of  the 
Elmwood  Theatre  Corp.'s  newly- 
opened  Hy-Way  Theatre,  at  Strat- 
ford, has  been  postponed  to  Jan.  20 
by  the  U.  S.  District  Court  at  New 
Haven. 

The  Elmwood-Frouge  interests  re- 
quest that  the  defendants  be  required 
to  grant  equal  clearance  to  the  Hy- 
Way  except  for  first-run  theatres  in 
Bridgeport,  in  which  case  the  clear- 
ance shall  not  be  more  than  14  days. 


Goldwyn  Buys  Ashley 
Share  in  His  Studio 

Hollywood,  Jan.  10. — Samuel  Gold- 
wyn has  purchased  Lady  Ashley's  in- 
terest in  the  Goldwyn  studio. 

Lady  Ashley,  the  widow  of  Douglas 
Fairbanks,  Sr.,  had  held  the  interest 
since  the  death  of  her  husband  in  1939. 
The  sale  transfers  to  the  producer  25 
per  cent  of  the  ground  on  which  the 
studio  stands.  Goldwyn  bought  the 
rights  of  other  Fairbanks  heirs,  in- 
cluding those  of  Douglas  Fairbanks, 
Jr.,  after  the  senior  Fairbanks'  death. 
Goldwyn  and  Mary  Pickford  are  now 
sole  owners  of  the  studio. 


Two  to  United  Artists 
From  Kings,  del  Ruth 

Hollywood,  Jan.  10. — United  Art- 
ists has  contracted  with  King  Brothers 
to  release  their  "Gun  Crazy"  and  with 
Roy  del  Ruth  for  his  "Red  Light." 


Million  for  'Cabin' 

Hollywood,  Jan.  10. — Lloyd  Bacon 
has  pegged  "Cabin  on  the  Hill"  for  a 
$1,000,000  budget  and  plans  the  Doug- 
las Fremont  story,  for  independent 
production  late  this  year.  Film  will 
be  given  semi-documentary  treatment 
and  Bacon  will  shoot  most  of  it  in 
the  Alabama  cotton  belt,  producer- 
director  disclosed.  He  is  currently 
directing  at  20th  Century-Fox. 


Peacetime  Censors 
Unwanted:  Forrestal 


Washington,  Jan.  10. — Secretary 
of  Defense  Forrestal  now  admits  that 
no  form  of  peacetime  national  censor- 
ship is  "workable  or  desirable." 

Early  last  year,  Forrestal  set  up  a 
committee  of  film,  press,  radio  and 
magazine  representatives  to  advise 
him  on  whether  or  not  there  should 
be  some  voluntary  censorship  in  peace- 
time on  top  defense  secrets.  The  me- 
dia representatives,  including  Warner- 
Pathe's  Walton  Ament,  newsreel  and 
film  industry  liaison,  rejected  any 
censorship. 

In  his  first  annual  report  on  the 
Department  of  Defense,  Secretary 
Forrestal  agreed  that  it  is  the  respon- 
sibility of  film,  press,  radio  and  other 
agencies  which  gather  and  dissemi- 
nate news  not  to  publish  information 
which  would  violate  the  national  se- 
curity. "I  agree  that  in  peacetime  no 
type  of  censorship  is  workable  or  de- 
sirable," he  said. 


Tent  No.  11  Honors 
TOA's  Sullivan 

Washington,  Jan.  10.— Gael  Sulli- 
van, executive  director  of  the  Theatre 
Owners  of  America,  was  guest  speak- 
er here  tonight  as  Variety  Tent  No. 
11  installed  new  officers  and  a  board 
of  governors. 

New  officers  and  the  Board  are : 
Jake  Flax,  chief  barker;  R.  Wade 
Pearson,  first  assistant ;  Morton  Ger- 
ber,  second  ■  assistant ;  Sam  Galanty, 
dough  guy ;  Jerry  Adams,  property 
master,  and  Carter  T.  Barron,  Frank 
M.  Boucher,  George  A.  Crouch,  J. 
Edward  Fontaine,  Nathan  D.  Golden, 
Fred  S.  Kogod,  Fred  Klein,  Sidney 
Lust,  Leon  Makover,  C.  Glenn  Nor- 
ris  and  Sam  Wheeler,  all  governors. 
Alvin  L.  Newmeyer  is  counsel  and 
Milford  F.  Schwartz,  associate  coun- 
sel. 

Six  past  chief  barkers  were  hon- 
ored with  plaques :  Boucher,  Golden, 
Fontaine,  Kogod,  John  Allen  and 
Wheeler. 


Kentucky  Conference 
On  Tax  Legislation 

Louisville,  Jan.  10—  Kentucky  As- 
sociation of  Theatre  Owners  president 
Guthrie  F.  Crowe,  general  counselor 
Henry  J.  Stites,  and  exhibitors  Wil- 
lis Vance,  Nelson  Ward,  Harold 
Sliter,  William  Gabhardt  and  Andy 
Anderson  are  to  attend  a  meeting  on 
Thursday  at  Frankfort  with  Clyde 
Reeves  and  others  of  the  state  revenue 
department  to  discuss  present  and  pos- 
sible future  tax  legislation  pertaining 
to  theatres  in  the  state. 


Reception  for  Schlaifer 

The  publicity  directors  and  the  ad- 
vertising advisory  committees  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Ameri- 
ca will  give  a  reception  this  afternoon 
in  the  St.  Moritz  Hotel  for  Charles 
Schlaifer  for  his  work  in  helping  to 
revise  the  MPAA's  advertising  code. 
Schlaifer  will  leave  his  advertising- 
publicity  post  at  20th  Century-Fox  on 
Feb.  1: 


—RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL- 

Rockefeller  Center 

■"WORDS  AND  MUSIC" 

|JUNE     ALLYSON        .       PERRY  COMO 
.JUDY    GARLAND        .        LENA  HORNE 
'GENE    KELLY       .       MICKEY  RODNEY 
ANN  SOT HERN 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 
A  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
THE  GREAT  HOLIDAY  STAGE  SHOW 


'*  "SET/ 

Should  Be  //  «<3»»/ 

«dC*PIT0L;l 


lORETTfl  ROBERT 

YOUNG  •  CUMMINGS  ,  , 
.JALWALLIS',     '  /££s< 


Samuel  Goldwyn  presents 

ENCHANTMENT 


Starring 

DAVID  NIVEN  TERESA  WRIGHT 

EVELYN  KEYES  FARLEY  GRANGER 

Released  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 

ASTOR  THEATER 

Broadway  &  45th  Street 


/.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER,    w  ^VlTadway 
All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  1 1 :30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


r 


DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK  presents 

OLIVIA  de  HAYILLAND 


the  Snake  Pit 


1 


(Directed  by  Produced  by 

ANATOLI  UTVAK .  ANATOLE  UTVAK  8  ROBERT  BASSLER  ; 


2o| 


KJvojL,r  i 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COtOB  BV  TECHNICOLOR  ■  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS^ 


ith  JOSE  FERRER  ■  FRANCIS  I  SULLIVAN  ■  i.  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BOND  | 
HEPPERD  STRUDWICK  ■  HURD  HAIFIELD  .  GENE  LOCKHAR,    JOHN  EMERY  f 
GEORGE  COUL0URIS  ■  JOHN  IRELAND  and  C/CIL  KELLAWAY 
based  uuon  Hie  slaije  play  'Joan  ol  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
.creen  ploy  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  ond  ANDREW  SOLT  .  ofl  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  .  dir.elo,  of  phologropby  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

.plod  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  -  releosed  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


/Q<*  WEEK  \L 


JOHN  WAYNE 
GAIL  RUSSELL 

'WAKE  OF  THE  RED  WITCH' 

A  Republic  Picture 

BRANDT'S  M  A  Y  F  A  I  R 
7th  AVE.  &  47th  ST. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley.  Advertising  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq..  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  every  fourth  week  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  %\2  foreign;  single  copies.  10c. 


- 


Tuesday,  January  11,  1949 


Motion  Picture  daily 


3 


E~L  Joins  Exchange 
Talks  Now  Underway 

William  C.  MacMillen,  Jr.,  Eagle- 
Lion  vice-president,  yesterday  attend- 
ed as  an  "observer"  the  meeting  be- 
tween IATSE  and  distributor  nego- 
tiators which  was  called  at  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox's home  office  with  a  view  to- 
ward breaking  the  deadlock  which 
was  reached  last  week  on  a  new  con- 
tract for  the  country's  6,300  exchange 
workers.  At  the  close  of  yesterday's 
meeting,  it  was  announced  that  an- 
other parley  will  be  held  today.  Ac- 
tive in  the  talks  are  Paramount,  Co- 
lumbia, Loew's,  RKO  Radio,  Repub- 
lic, 20th-Fox.  United  Artists,  Uni- 
versal-International and  Warner. 

Under  a  policy  which  was  estab- 
lished by  its  predecessor  company, 
PRC,  Eagle-Lion  heretofore  had  no 
connection  with  the  drafting  of  a  mas- 
ter contract  for  exchange  workers.  It 
was  customary  for  PRC  and  E-L  to 
sign  a  separate  agreement  with  the 
"IA"  based  on  the  terms  reached  by 
the  union  and  other  distributors. 


N.  Y.  First- Runs 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Seek  Pay  Hike 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


said,  arrangements  will  be  made  to 
begin  negotiations  shortly  in  order  to 
avoid  a  dispute  later  over  retroactive 
pay. 

Francavilla  reported  additionally 
that  his  local  has  succeeded  in  organ- 
izing the  laboratory  technicians  in  the 
new  Polacolor  Division  of  the  Pola- 
roid Corp.  in  Cambridge,  Mass.  Para- 
mount and  other  companies  have  con- 
tracted for  filming  in  Polacolor.  Fran- 
cavilla said  negotiations  have  begun 
with  Polacolor  to  secure  for  its  tech- 
nicians wages  "comparable  to  those 
paid  for  the  same  work  in  the  New 
York  area." 


Back  'Dimes'  on  Coast 

Hollywood,  Jan.  10.— Southern 
California  exhibitors  today  pledged 
complete  cooperation  in  the  March  of 
Dimes  campaign,  which  starts  Friday 
and  runs  through  Jan.  31,  at  an  Am 
bassador  Hotel  luncheon  hosted  by 
Charles  Skouras. 


/ 


to  a  roaring  start  at  the  Mayfair, 
where  the  first  week's  revenue  might 
hit  $45,000,  which  is  plenty  strong. 
"Belle  Starr's  Daughter"  is  less  im- 
pressive at  the  Globe,  where  $20,000 
is  apparent  for  the  first  stanza;  this 
is  moderate  business.  The  Rialto  had 
a  good  weekend  with  another  new- 
comer, "Unknown  Island,"  and  the 
management  claims  the  first  week's 
gross  will  be  in  the  neighborhood  of 
$25,000,  which  would  be  exceptional 
for  the  house. 

Fulton  Run  Ends 

"Joan  of  Arc"  closed  last  night  at 
the  Fulton,  where  the  fourth  and  final 
week  grossed  a  fair  $9,400.  It  is  still 
running  at  a  good  clip  at  the  Victoria, 
where  $43,000  is  indicated  for  a  ninth 
week.  Third  week  of  "Enchantment" 
should  provide  the  Astor  with  $35,000, 
which  is  good. 

'Every  Girl  Should  Be  Married," 
with  Burt  Lancaster  and  Skitch  Hen- 
derson's orchestra  on  stage,  is  continu- 
ing a  very  prosperous  run  at  the  Capi- 
tol, with  $75,000  likely  for  a  third 
week;  the  show  grossed  a  big  $88,000 
in  the  second. 

The  Strand  also  is  drawing  heavy 
returns,  with  the  third  week  of  "Ad 
ventures  of  Don  Juan,"  with  Tommy 
Dorsey  on  stage,  winding  up  with 
$65,000.  "Hamlet"  still  is  paying  oft" 
big  at  the  Park,  where  $16,000  is 
looked  for  in  a  15th  week.  "Red 
Shoes"  should  give  the  Bijou  a  sub- 
stantial 13th  week's  gross  of  $13,500 
"Rogues'  Regiment"  drew  a  mediocre 
$8,000  in  its  final  three  days  (fourth 
week)  at  the  Criterion  and  will  be 
replaced  today  by  "Mexican  Hay 
ride." 

Hall  Bill  Holds 

"Words  and  Music,"  with  a  stage 
show,  at  the  Music  Hall  is  headed  for 
a  good  figth  week's  gross  of  $115,000 
and  will  stay.  "Letter  to  Three 
Wives"  is  next  at  the  Hall,  but  the 
opening  date  has  not  been  set. 

"Paleface"  and  Benny  Goodman's" 
orchestra  on  stage  continues  as  a  win- 
ning combination  at  the  Paramount 
where  the  fourth  week's  income  is  es- 
timated at  $60,000.  At  the  Roxy, 
"That  Wonderful  Urge,"  with  an  ice 
show  and  Barbara  Ann  Scott  on  stage, 
looks  good  for  $75,000  in  a  third  week 
and  will  continue  to  Jan.  18,  when 
"Chicken  Every  Sunday"  bows  in. 
"Force  of  Evil"  should  give  the  State 
a  fairly  substantial  $28,000  in  a  third 
week. 


quoted  an  editorial  attack  on  Eric 
Johnston  published  in  Soviet  Art. 

Johnston,  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America  president,  closed  the 
film  deal  while  in  Moscow  last  fall. 

The  Soviet  publication,  the  AP 
reports,  calls  Johnston  an  imperialist 
agent  with  the  face  of  a  model  and 
the  smile  of  a  toothpaste  advertise- 
ment. It  charges  the  bosses  picked 
Johnston  to  turn  the  American  _  film 
industry  into  a  weapon  of  imperialis- 
tic expansion  and  accused  Johnston 
of  dumping  American  films  on  the 
European  market  at  losses  he  hoped 
to  make  up  at  home. 

MPAA  headquarters  in  Washington 
declined  comment  on  the  article. 

Although  a  list  of  100  Hollywood 
film  titles  has  been  prepared  for  the 
Soviet  to  make  its  first  choice  of  20 
from,  no  American  films  have  been 
selected  by  Moscow  yet  under  the 
Johnston  deal,  it  was  reported  here. 


Johnston  Target 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


W.  B.  Withdraws  Run 
Petition  for  Loop 

Chicago,  Jan.  10. — Warner,  repre- 
sented by  attorney  Vincent  O'Brien, 
withdrew  its  petition  today  from  the 
U.  S.  District  court  which  asked  a 
two-week  Loop  extension  for  "Adven- 
tures of  Don  Juan."  The  petition,  pre- 
sented before  Judge  Michael  Igoe  last 
Friday,  was  opposed  by  Jackson  Park 
Theatre  attorney  Tom  McConnell, 
who  said  he  would  take  the  matter 
before  the  Circuit  Court  of  Appeals 
if  further  modifications  were  granted. 

Warner  withdrawal  of  the  petition 
was  understood  to  have  been  based  on 
Judge  Igoe's  apparent  disfavor  on  Fri- 
day in  granting  the  latest  extension. 
"Don  Juan"  was  recently  placed  in  an 
"Adults  only"  censor  class. 


Crosby  Acknowledges 
* Fame'  Awards  J  an.  19 

Hollywood,  Jan.  10. — Bing  Crosby 
will  conclude  his  Jan.  19  broadcast 
with  an  acknowledgment  to  the  radio 
editors  and  columnists  who  voted  him 
three  first  places  in  Motion  Picture 
Daily's  1948  Radio  Poll  for  Fame. 

Crosby  was  voted  Best  Popular 
Male  Vocalist,  Best  Master  of  Cere- 
monies and  Film  Personality  Most 
Effective  in  Radio,  more  "firsts"  than 
were  voted  any  other  individual  in  the 
1948  poll. 


SIMPP's  Ellis  Arnall 
In  Capital  Again 

Washington,  Jan.  10. — Ellis  Ar- 
nall, president  of  the  Society  of  In- 
dependent Motion  Picture  Producers, 
said  today  he  plans  to  spend  most  of 
next  week  here,  participating  in  in- 
auguration ceremonies  and  events  and 
conferring  with  Justice,  State  Depart- 
ment and  other  government  officials. 
Arnall  talked  on  the  phone  to  State 
Department  officials  during  a  brief 
visit  here  today.  He  left  late  in  the 
afternoon  for  Charlotte,  where  he 
plans  to  remain  until  the  weekend, 
attending  to  personal  affairs. 


Eastman  To  Manage 
FC  Boston  Branch 

Clayton  Eastman,  with  Paramount 
Pictures  for  15  years  and  more  re- 
cently district  manager  for  United 
Artists  with  supervision  over  New 
England,  has  joined  Film  Classics  as 
Boston  branch  manager,  with  super- 
vision over  New  Haven. 

Eastman  replaces  Nat  Beier,  who 
will  be  given  a  new  assignment  within 
the  next  week,  according  to  ,B.  G. 
Kranze,  FC  sales  vice-president. 


Get  a  new  lease 
on  living  with  a 
TWA  Quickie 
Vacation  in  the 
Great  Southwest. 
A  few  days  off  are 
all  you  need  for  a 
wonderful  rest  in 
this  invigorating 
climate.  Phoenix 
and  Las  Vegas  are 
only  hours  away 
when  you  fly 
TWA.  Bigfaresav- 
ingson  family  travel 
and  round  trips. 
Call  the  local 
T  WAofnee  oryour 
travel  agent. 


Reciprocal  Act 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


30,  1949  and  places  several  restrictions 
on  the  President's  power  to  negotiate 
new  agreements. 

Film  industry  leaders  have  favored 
a  long-term  extension  of  the  act,  with 
a  free  hand  for  the  President. 

Senate  Finance  Committee  Chair- 
man George  and  House  Ways  and 
Means  Committee  head  Doughton, 
who  will  handle  the  legislation,  said 
they  hoped  a  bill  could  be  at  the  White 
House  by  the  end  of  February. 

Rep.  Doughton  today  introduced  a 
bill  to  remove  Republican  restrictions 
on  the  President's  powers  to  make 
new  treaties  and  to  extend  the  act 
through  June  30.  1951.  He  said  his 
House  Ways  and  Means  Committee 
would  begin  hearings  on  the  measure 
on  Jan.  24  and  that  he  hoped  to  have 
his  bill  through  the  House  early  in 
February. 


ELIZABETH  WILSON* 
HAS  SWITCHED 
,l  TO  "FAMILY 
1  HONEYMOON" 

I  thought  the  most  hilarious 
comedy  of  all  time  was 
It  Happened  One  Night' 
. . .  until  I  saw  Claudette 
Colbert  and  Fred  Mac  Murray 
in  FAMILY  HONEYMOON "' 

&  Pacific  Coast  Editor 
Liberty  Magazine 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  11,  1949 


SWG  To  Merge  with 
Eastern  Film  Unit 

Pending  merger  between  the  Screen 
Writers'  Guild  and  the  Associated 
Film  Writers,  East  Coast  film  writers' 
organization,  is  expected  to  be  for- 
mally ratified  at  an  SWG  meeting  in 
Hollywood  tomorrow  night,  accord- 
ing to  George  Seaton,  SWG  presi- 
dent. Under  the  affiliation,  the  AFW 
will  become  the  Eastern  unit  of  the 
SWG  and  will  continue  to  represent 
writers  here.  Many  members  are  now 
working  in  television,  according  to 
AFW  president  Harold  Mantell,  and 
television  representation  will  be  the 
maj  or  item  on  •  both  East  and  West 
Coast  units  in  the  coming  year. 

In  addition  to  Mantell,  who  suc- 
ceeds Dudley  Hale  as  president,  new 
officers  for  1949-50  are:  Newton 
Meltzer  and  John  Davenport,  vice- 
presidents  ;  Sumner  Lyon,  secretary ; 
Sue  Piatt,  treasurer. 


U.S.  Foresees 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Treasury  officials  apply  an  increase  in 
taxes  resulting  from  an  increase  in 
consumers'  disposable  personal  in- 
come to  the  actual  past  tax  collec- 
tions. They  admit  that  a  rise  in  dis- 
posable income  may  not  actually  bring 
an  increase  in  every  type  of  excise 
tax — including  the  admissions — but 
they  assume  it  will,  and  that's  how  the 
1949  and  1950  estimates  are  com- 
puted. 

There  were  these  other  highlights 
in  the  President's  budget  that  are 
of  interest  to  the  motion  picture  in- 
dustry : 

A  further  slight  increase  in  funds 
for  anti-trust  work,  keeping  these-  ap- 
propriations at  record  high  levels. 

A  whopping  increase  in  funds  for 
the  State  Department's  overseas  in- 
formation program,  though  practically 
all  of  the  increase  will  go  for  radio 
activities. 

Continued  high  appropriations  for 
the  Federal  Communications  Commis- 
sion in  recognition  of  this  agency's 
heavy  responsibilities  as  a  regulatory 
agency. 

Repetition  of  many  of  the  requests 
in  the  earlier  "State  of  the  Union" 
and  Economic  messages,  including 
those  for  $4,000,000,000  in  nex  taxes, 
mostly  from  corporations,  and  expan- 
sion of  the  Social  Security  System, 
along  with  higher  Social  Security  pay- 
roll taxes.  Again,  the  President  did 
not  spell  out  his  proposals  for  new 
corporation  and  income  taxes,  but  did 
suggest  that  the  social  security  tax 
increase  from  one  per  'cent  to  one  and 
one-half  per  cent  go  into  effect  July 
1,  1949  rather  than  Jan.  1,  1950,  and 
that  the  tax  be  paid  on  more  of  an- 
nual earnings  than  the  present  $3,000 
maximum.  Further  tax  increases  will 
be  necessary  later,  he  added. 

The  Justice  Department's  anti-trust 
division,  in  the  proposed  budget, 
would  get  $3,650,000  for  the  12 
months  ending  June  30,  1950,  com- 
pared with  $3,569,500  for  the  1949  fis- 
cal year  and  a  mere  $2,400,000  in 
fiscal  1948.  A  similar  small  increase 
was  earmarked  for  the  Federal  Trade 
Commission. 


Fitzgibbons  Re-elected 

Toronto,  Jan.  10. — President  J.  J. 
Fitzgibbons  of  Famous  Players  has 
been  returned  to  the  office  of  chief 
barker  for  the  Toronto  Variety  for 
1949.  First  assistant  chief  barker  is 
Morris  Stein,  also  of  Famous  Player's, 
and  second  assistant  is  Jack  Chisholm 
of  Associated  Screen  News. 


New  Taxes  Threaten 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

to  four  cents  to  pay  a  bonus  because 
it  is  not  considered  discriminatory. 

'Board  also  ratified  national  Allied's 
resolution  opposing  forced  percentage 
playing  time  and  approved  Trueman 
Rembusch's  appointment  to  represent 
Allied  if  an  all-industry  meeting  with 
Eric  Johnston  is  held. 

Berger  was  granted  a  three  months' 
leave  to  tour  Europe  with  Mrs.  Ber- 
ger, and  the  board  named  vice-presi- 
dent Ernie  Peaslee  to  act  as  presi- 
dent and  attend  the  Allied  board  meet- 
ing in  Washington,  on  Feb.  14-15 
with  Kane  and  Peaslee  voting  on 
board  matters. 

Board  ordered  officers  to  "put 
forth"  every  effort  to  land  the  1949 
national  Allied  convention  for  Minne- 
apolis. 

Berger  will  leave  here  for  Europe 
on  Jan.  25. 

Lockwood  Testimonial 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

one  of  the  43  he  is  making  on  a  cross- 
country tour  in  connection  with  "Bad 
Boy,"  a  Paul  Short  production  for  Al- 
lied Artists.  All  proceeds  from  local 
premieres  will  be  donated  to  local 
Variety  Clubs  and  to  Variety  Clubs 
International,  which  sponsored  the 
film. 

The  citation  on  a  scroll  to  be  pre- 
sented to  Lockwood  reads,  in  part,  as 
follows : 

"In  recognition  of  your  election  to 
president  of  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  and  for  your  sustained  and 
unselfish  support  in  all  matters  per- 
taining to  the  welfare  of  the  industry, 
we,  your  friends  and  co-workers, 
hereby  express  our  pride  in  your 
achievement  and  our  feeling  of  satis- 
faction that  your  talents  have  been 
recognized  and  awarded.  Lawyer 
turned  theatre  owner,  forward-looking 
interpreter  of  the  problems  of  the  in- 
dustry, he  has  applied  his  judicial 
temperament  to  the  technique  of  busi- 
ness so  that  he  has  become  an  indepen- 
dent and  forceful  representative  of  all 
who  love  fair  play  both  in  and  out  of 
his  chosen  field." 

General  chairman  of  the  Lockwood 
dinner  is  Samuel  Pinanski,  E.  Harold 
Stoneman  is  treasurer,  Abraham  Yar- 
chin  is  assistant  treasurer,  and  Wil- 
liam S.  Koster  is  executive  director. 
Committee  co-chairmen  follow : 

Steve  Broidy,  Walter  A.  Brown, 
Harry  Browning,  Joseph  S.  Cifre,  Al- 
bert Clark,  John  J.  Dervin,  Theodore 
Fleisher,  John  Ford,  Louis  M.  Gor- 
don, Theodore  Jacocks,  Albert  M. 
Kane,  Arnold  Van  Leer,  Max  L.  Lev-. 
enson,  Herman  M.  Levy,  Elias  M. 
Loew,  Philip  J.  Marget,  S.  James 
Marshall,  Martin  J.  Mullin,  Michael 
Redstone,  Louis  W.  Richmond,  Stan- 
ley D.  Rothenberg,  Philip  Smith, 
Ralph  E.  Snider,  Irving  Wallens,  M. 
Murray  Weiss,  Benjamin  Williams. 

Memphis  Censor  Ban 
Of  'Curley'  Upheld 

Memphis,  Jan.  10.  —  Judge  Floyd 
Henderson  has  upheld  the  Memphis 
Board  of  Censors  in  its  refusal  to  per- 
mit the  showing  of  Hal  Roach's  "Cur- 
ley." The  court  held  that  United  Art- 
ists and  Hal  Roach  who  brought  the 
suit,  have  no  legal  grounds  to  chal- 
lenge the  censoring  of  the  film  in  state 
courts  since  they  are  out-of-state  cor- 
porations. 

Lloyd  T.  Binford,  chairman  of  the 
Memphis  board,  said  the  film  was 
banned  because  it  showed  white  and 
Negro     children     playing  together. 


Industry  Series 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

its  complex  and  varied  operations  in 
bringing  entertainment  to  the  public. 

"Let's  Go  to  the  Movies,"  first  of 
the  series,  suggests  the  many  facets 
of  industry  activities  in  briefest  out- 
line. It  is  the  "teaser"  subject  for  the 
series  which  follows. 

Exhibition  is  the  subject  of  "This 
Theatre  and  You,"  second  in  the 
series.  It  was  produced  and  will  be 
distributed  by  Warner. 

The  third  subject  continues  the 
theme  of  what  the  theatre  offers. 
"Movies  Are  Adventure,"  produced 
and  to  be  distributed  by  Universal, 
depicts  the  wide  and  rare  varieties 
of  entertainment,  experience  and  in- 
formation afforded  the  typical  theatre- 
going  family  by  the  motion  picture. 

From  there,  the  series  goes  to  Hol- 
lywood, taking  the  film  patron  on  a 
studio  tour  which  begins  with  the 
subject  titled  "The  Art  Director," 
produced  and  to  be  distributed  by  20th 
Century-Fox.  That  will  be  followed 
by  "The  Screen  Actor,"  produced  by 
M-G-M,  and  other  subjects  on  pro- 
duction and  direction  of  motion  pic- 
tures. Later  subjects  in  the  series  will 
cover  distribution  and  other  phases  of 
industry  operations. 

Non-profit  Distribution 

Distribution  of  the  subjects  will  be 
on  a  non-profit  basis,  with  rentals  cor- 
responding to  the  standard  prices  of 
single  reel  subjects  of  the  company 
distributing.  Should  any  profit  ac- 
crue, it  will  be  applied  to  production 
costs  of  subsequent  subjects  in  the 
series. 

The  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  provided  a  revolving  fund  of 
$75,000  to  get  production  of  the  series 
started.  More  than  that  amount  al- 
ready has  been  expended,  despite  the 
fact  that  all  studio  guilds  and  unions, 
as  well  as  the  companies  which  pro- 
duced the  first  of  the  series,  cooperat- 
ed to  the  extent  that  many  normal 
'production  costs  were  eliminated  or 
held  to  an  absolute  minimum. 

All  12  subjects  comprising  the  series 
will  be  under  1,000  feet  in  length, 
with  an  approximate  running  time  of 
nine  minutes  each.  At  the  outset, 
about  225  prints  of  each  subject  will 
be  available,  but  the  aim  is  to  have 
every  theatre  in  the  country  show  the 
subjects.  If  the  aim  is  realized,  ade- 
quate print  supplies,  up  to  500  for 
each  subject,  will  be  provided. 

Press  Books  Available 

Press  books,  ads  and  accessories  for 
the  subjects  will  be  available. 

In  addition  to  theatre  showings,  it  is 
planned  to  provide  16mm.  prints  lat- 
er for  clubs  and  organizations 
throughout  the  country  and  possibly 
abroad. 

The-  series  is  sponsored  by  the  In- 
dustry Film  Project  Committee,  of 
which  N.  Peter  Rathvon  is  chairman, 
and  Grant  Leenhouts,  coordinator. 

Advisory  Committee 

The  exhibition  advisory  committee 
consists  of  Ray  Branch,  Hugh  Bruen, 
Oscar  Doob,  Rotus  Harvey,  Trueman 
Rembusch,  Thornton  Sargent,  Homer 
Strowig,  Sam  Switow,  R.  B.  Wilby 
and  Mitchell  Wolfson.  Hollywood 
guilds,  the  Academy  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Arts  and  Sciences,  and  the  sev- 
eral producers'  associations  are  repre- 
sented on  the  production  advisory 
committee. 

A  review  of  the  first  subject,  "Let's 
Go  to  the  Movies,"  is  published  in 
an  adjoining  column. 


Short 
Subject 

"Let's  Go  to  the  Movies" 

(RKO  Radio) 

NO.  1  in  a  series  of  public  relations 
films  in  which  the  industry  will 
tell  its  own  story  to  the  public,  "Let's 
Go  to  the  Movies"  is  designed  as  the 
"teaser"  for  the  11  other  subjects  in 
the  series. 

It  sketches  in  swift,  entertaining- 
style  the  beginning  of  the  entertain- 
ment motion  picture  "less  than  60 
years  ago,"  through  the  various  phases 
of  silent  films,  the  introduction  of 
sound,  up  to  present  day  production. 

Moving  on  to  Hollywood  produc- 
tion stages,  the  subject  shows  numer- 
ous craftsmen  at  their  work,  all  with 
the  single  aim  of  putting  a  story  on 
film.  The  manufacture  of  raw  stock  is 
touched  upon  as  are  the  numerous  other 
products,  sciences,  skills  and  research- 
ings  which  are  required  to  keep  stu- 
dios in  operation,  to  produce  films,  to 
distribute  them,  to  construct  theatres 
and  to  put  the  show  on  the  screen. 
The  promise  is  made  to  tell  in  greater 
detail  in  the  subsequent  subjects  of 
the  series  the  stories  of  each  of  those 
processes. 

The  subject  has  its  say  in  interest- 
ing fashion.  It  suggests  the  magnitude 
and  complexity  of  the  industry.  It  cre- 
ates interest  in  those  key  operations 
about  which  the  public  knows  so  little. 
It  achieves  its  aim  of  arousing  in  the 
theatre  patron  the  desire  to  see  the 
ensuing  11  subjects  in  "The  Movies 
and  You"  series.  Running  time,  9  min., 
ZVi  sec.  Release,  March  1. 


Schine  Evidence 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

tempt  to  introduce  new  evidence. 
Justice  Attorney  Philip  Marcus  and 
possibly  one  or  two  aides  will  leave 
here  for  Buffalo  late  this  week  to 
represent  the  government.  Judge 
Knight  has  said  that  if  Schine  should 
ask  to  introduce  new  evidence,  and  if 
he  should  grant  the  request,  Schine 
must  be  ready  to  go  ahead  with  the 
case  on  the  18th. 

The  Schine  memorandum  to  the 
Justice  Department  said  the  circuit's 
attorneys  would  refer  to  the  Para- 
mount case  and  the  RKO  consent 
decree  to  show  a  change  in  competi- 
tive conditions.  Justice  officials  ex- 
pect Schine  to  claim  that  the  high 
court's  decision  in  the  Paramount 
case  has  done  away  with  many  of 
the  trade  practices  complained  of  in 
the  Schine  case.  It  may  also  claim 
that  so  far  in  the  Paramount  case 
only  jointly-held  theatres  have  been 
divested,  that  they  are  already  under 
order  to  get  rid  of  such  theatres,  and 
that  they  should  not  be  penalized  any 
more  than  the  majors.  Finally, 
Justice  believes,  Schine  may  seek  to 
introduce  evidence  that  new  competi- 
tion has  developed  in  certain  areas, 
stripping  Schine's  monopoly. 

Whether  Justice  introduces  any  new 
evidence — should  Schine  be  allowed  to 
— depends  on  the  type  of  evidence  the 
theatre  circuit  puts  in,  a  Justice  offi- 
cial said. 


No  Canada  Film  Quota 

Toronto,  June  10. — Unqualified  de- 
nial has  been  given  by  government 
officials  in  Ottawa  to  reports  that  the 
Dominion  planned  quota  restrictions 
against  film  imports  from  the  United 
States. 


Accurate 
Concise 


L 


Impartial 


MOTION  PICTURE  F1RST 


DAI  LY 


IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


VOL.  65.   NO.  8 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  JANUARY  12,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Predict  U.  K. 
Divorcement 
To  Be  Urged 

Lord  Portal  Committee 
To  Hear  Tax  Attack,  Too 

London,  Jan.  11. — It  is  being- 
predicted  here  that  the  govern- 
mental committee  of  which  Lord 
Portal  is  chairman  will  recommend 
the  complete  divorce  of  production 
from  distribution  and  exhibition. 

The  committee  was  appointed  to 
inquire  into  the  whole  field  of  indus- 
try operations.  It  held  its  first  meet- 
ing Jan.  5  and  will  meet  again  on 
Thursday  to  hear  J.  Arthur  Rank  on 
behalf  of  the  Producers'  Association, 
Reginald  Baker  of  Ealing  Studios 
and  British  Lion's  Sir  Arthur  Jar- 
ratt.  Others  will  be  heard  later.  The 
committee's  report  is  not  expected 
for  another  two  months. 

Those   forecasting   a  divorcement 

(Continued  on  page  4) 

Another  U.K.  Studio 
May  Close  Soon 

London,  Jan.  11. — Latest  victim  of 
the  production  slump  here  is  Ernest 
Roy's  Nettlefold  Studios. 

Two  minor  films  are  being  complet- 
ed this  week  at  the  Walton-on 
Thames  plant,  Britain's  oldest  studios 
still  in  operation.  Unless  new  pro- 
duction is  forthcoming,  Nettlefold  will 
close  within  a  week.  Around  100 
employes  would  be  laid  off.  Some 
•  have  been  there  for  25  years. 

It  is  also  understood  that  74-year 
old   Lady  Annie   Henrietta  Yule  is 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Lockwood  In 
Strong  Plea 
For  Film  Unity 


'Boston,  Jan.  11.  ■ —  Admitting 
that  differences  among  various  fac- 
tions in  the  motion  picture  industry 
are  healthy  to  a  point.  Theatre 
Owners  of  America  president  Arthur 
H.  Lockwood  told  scores  attending  a 
testimonial  dinner  for  him  tonight  that 
he  wondered  whether  "some  of  us,"  in 
expressing  those  differences  are  "go- 
ing too  far." 

The  dinner  was  given  by  the  New 
England  Variety  Club  at  "the  Copley 
Plaza  Hotel  here  and  was  attended  by 
industry,  civic  and  business  repre- 
sentatives from  all  over  New  En- 
gland and  from  many  other  states. 

In  calling  for  unity  of  all  in- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Gell,  Grierson  to 
Make  Video  Films 


Western  Pa.  Allied 
To  Meet  Feb.  21-22 

Pittsburgh,  Jan.  11.— An- 
nual convention  of  Allied  of 
Western  Pennsylvania  has 
been  set  for  Feb.  21-22  at  the 
William  Penn  Hotel  here. 

Mike  Manos,  independent 
exhibitor  of  Greenburg,  Pa., 
has  been  named  a  director  of 
the  organization. 


Paramount  in 

New  Decree 
Talks  with  US 


Glenside  to  File 
$546,000  Action 


Philadelphia,  Jan.  11. — A  triple 
damage  suit  for  $546,000  will  be  filed 
in  U.  S.  District  court  here  tomorrow 
by  Dante  Iacampo,  former  owner  of 
the  Glenside,  Glenside,  Pa.,  who  will 
charge  that  he  was  forced  to  sell  the 
theatre  in  March,  1948,  because  of 
inabilitv  to  obtain  product  on  a  run 
28  days  after  Philadelphia,  William 
A.  Gray,  counsel  for  Iacampo,  re- 
vealed here  today. 

The  suit  will  name  national  'dis- 
tributors and  an  affiliated  circuit  as 
defendants.  The  Glenside  is  now  oper- 
ated by  Melvin  Koff,  an  independent. 


To  Seek  New  Trial 
In  'Curley'  Case 

Memphis,  Jan.  11. — United  Artists 
and  Hal  Roach  will  move  in  the  next 
few  days  for  a  new  trial  of  their  ac- 
tion challenging  the  right  of  the  Mem- 
phis board  of  censors  to  prohibit  ex- 
hibition here  of  Roach's  "Curley."  If 
the  motion  is  denied,  the  case  will  be 
appealed  to  a  higher  court. 

Judge  Floyd  Henderson  upheld  the 


(Continued  on  pan 


4) 


Para.-Richards  Said 
Near  an  Agreement 

New  Orleans.  Jan.  11— An  earlj 
settlement  of  Paramount's  differences 
with  its  theatre  affiliate  here,  "Para- 
mount-Richards Theatres,  over  film 
rental  terms  is  expected  by  the  local 
trade. 

However,  no  agreement  has^  been 
reached  yet  and  Paramount  is  still  of- 
fering its  product  to  independents,  al- 
though on  terms  which  lead  some  to 
believe  that  it  is  not  too  anxious  to 
sell.  Only  two  pictures  have  been 
sold  away  from  Richards  on  Canal 
Street  to  "date.  They  are  "A  Foreign 
Affair"  and  "Sorry,  Wrong  Number." 


Video  Networks  Link  15 
Cities  in  East,  Midwest 


London,  Jan.  11. — William  Gell, 
head  of  Monarch  Films,  distributor  of 
American  second-features  here,  has 
formed  Kingsby  Television  Films,  "to 
acquire  films  for  television  purposes 
in  Britain,  America  and  elsewhere, 
and  to  produce  and  distribute  televi- 
sion and  cinematograph  films." 

In  addition,  John  Grierson,  film 
chief  of  the  government's  Central  Of- 
fice of  Information,  is  now  preparing 
a  film  series  for  the  exclusive  use  of 
British  Broadcasting  Co.  The  COI 
put  76  documentaries  on  the  air  in 
1948. 

These  new  sources  of  films  for  tele- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Monogram  Workers 
Here  Vote  SOPEG 

Home  office  employes  of  Monogram 
Pictures  chose  the  Screen  Office  and 
Professional  Employes  Guild,  Local 
No.  109,  as  their  collective  bargaining 
agent  in  a  National  Labor  Relations 
Board  election  held  here  yesterday. 
The  IATSE,  which  has  been  conduct- 
ing "invasion"  activities  against  Locai 
109,  was  not  on  the  ballot,  according 
to  SOPEG. 

The  Monogram  home  office  has  hith- 
erto been  unorganized,  but  SOPEG 
has  represented  front  office  employes 
at  the  Monogram  New  York  exchange. 


East  met  Midwest  on  television  last 
night  as  15  cities  were  linked  by  th 
coaxial  cable  facilities  of  American 
Telephone  and  Telegraph  in  an  hour 
and-a-half  inaugural  program  tele 
vised  over  30  stations  in  the  greates 
pooled  video  operation  to  date._ 

The  networks  will  become  availabl 
for  regularly  scheduled  service  today_ 

The  opening  program  consisted  of 
ceremonies  marking  the  new  develop 
ment  in  the  industry,  which  has  been 
looked  upon  by  leaders  of  video 
being  as  important  to  •  the  medium  a 
the  advent  of  sound  was  to  the  mo 
tion  picture. 

Participants  in  the   first   phase  of 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Plan  to  Separate  Its 
Theatres  Is  Discussed 


Paramount  officials  and  the  De- 
partment of  Justice  have  entered 
into  new  discussions  on  term's  of  a 
consent  decree  in  the  industry  anti- 
trust suit  based  on  a  separation  of 
exhibition  from  production-distribu- 
tion, according  to  responsible  sources 
here. 

Further  meetings  are  planned  and 
the  belief  expressed  here  is  that  an 
actual  settlement  stands  only  slight- 
y  less  than  an  even  chance  of  mate- 
rializing. 

Although  short  of  the  final  drafting 
stage,  the  plan  entails  a  surrender 
of  stock  in  the  parent  company  by 
holders  who  in  turn  would  be  given 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Two  Plans  Set  for 
New  U.  A.  Capital 


Two  proposals  for  providing  new 
capital  for  United  Artists  will  be  pre- 
sented by  the  special  committee  of  the 
company's  board  of  directors  at  the 
meeting  with  Mary  Pickford  and 
Charles  Chaplin  in  Hollywood  next 
Monday. 

Members  of  the  committee,  reveal- 
ing that  their  report  and  recommen- 
dations have  been  completed,  declined 
to  divulge  details  in  advance  of  the 
meeting. 

Charles  Schwartz  and  E.  C.  Mills, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Schenck  Starts  to 
Split  Partnerships 

Joseph  M.  Schenck,  principal  owner 
of  United  Artists  Theatre  Circuit,  has 
begun  negotiations  here  for  the  disso- 
lution '  of  theatre  partnerships  with 
Loew's  and  Paramount  in  the  East. 
Schenck  expects  to  remain  here  about 
two  weeks,  after  which  he  will  return 
to  the  Coast  to  terminate  the  UA 
Theatres-Fox  West  Coast  pool.  A 
20th  Century-Fox  studio  executive,  he 
is  maintaining  headquarters  while  here 
at  that  company's  home  office. 

UA  Theatres  is  a  partner  with 
Loew's  in  four  houses  in  Baltimore, 
two  in  Columbus  and  one  in  Pitts- 
burgh, and  is  a  partner  with  Para- 
mount in  the  Rivoli.  New  York. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  12,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


J^EWEN    PIZOR,  president 


of 

United  Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Owners  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  is 
convalescing  in  Miami. 


Kay  Harbison,  Technicolor  vice 
president ;  Louis  Lighton,  20th-Fox 
producer,  and  Henry  Hathaway 
20th-Fox  director,  are  aboard  the  5".5. 
Queen  Mary  which  left  New  York 
yesterday  for  England. 

• 

Sol   A.    Schwartz,  vice-president 
and  general  manager  of  RKO  The 
atres,  is  due  back  here  today  from 
Los  Angeles  and  San  Francisco  with 
Mrs.  Schwartz. 

Robert  J.  Engler,  London  record- 
ing manager  for  Western  Electric, 
returned  to  England  yesterday  from 
New  York. 

Sid  Hyams,  managing  director  of 
Eros  Films,  and  Max  Thorpe,  Colum 
bia  director,  arrived  here  yesterday 
from  Europe. 

• 

Barney    Balaban,    president  of 
Paramount,  is  planning  to  leave  for 
Palm  Beach  at  the  end  of  this  week. 
• 

William  Pine  and  William 
Thomas  will  leave  Hollywood  on 
Saturday  for  New  York. 


S  chlaif  er  Cited  at 
MP  A  A  Unit  Reception 

The  publicity  directors  and  the  ad- 
vertising advisory  committees  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica held  a  reception  here  yesterday  in 
the  St.  Moritz  Hotel  here  for  Charles 
Schlaifer  for  his  work  in  helping  to 
revise  the  MPAA's  advertising  code. 

Among  those  invited  were :  Arthur 
Schmidt,  Maurice  Bergman,  Ulric 
Bell,  Mort  Blumenstock,  Gilbert  Gold- 
en, Kenneth  Clark,  Tom  Waller,  How- 
ard Dietz,  Steve  Edwards,  Howard 
Le  Sieur,  S.  Barret  McCormick,  Si 
Seadler,  Stanley  Shuford,  Charles 
Simonelli,  Madeleine  White. 


5  More  'Brotherhood' 
Co-chairmen  Named 

Five  more  exhibitor  co-chairmen  for 
"Brotherhood  Week"  have  been 
named  by  Edward  Lachman  and  Gael 
Sullivan,  national  exhibitor  co-chair- 
men. They  are :  Dallas,  Col.  H.  A. 
Cole,  Allied  States,  and  Robert  J. 
O'Donnell,  Interstate  Theatre  Cir- 
cuit; Charlotte,  William  Hendrix, 
Rockingham  Theatre  and  Hank  Hern, 
Exhibitor  Booking  Service;  Buffalo, 
George  MacKenna,  Lafayette  Theatre. 


Testimonial  for  Onie 

Cincinnati,  Jan.  11.  —  The  local 
Variety  Club,  Tent  No.  3,  will  give 
a  testimonial  in  the  club  quarters  on 
Jan.  24,  honoring  William  Onie,  who 
recently  relinquished  his  Monogram 
franchise  to  George  West,  to  enter 
the  local  independent  distribution 
field. 


Insider's  Outlook 


By*  RED  KANN 


Hollywood,  Jan.  11 
TN  a  discussion  of  current  con- 
*  ditions  here — the  low  curve  of 
production,  unemployment  and 
the  exaggerated,  but  always 
dire,  stories  of  bigger  and  better 
holocausts  and  the  many  differ- 
ent approaches  to  a  solution  to 
high  costs  in  a  shrinking  market 
— someone  got  around  to  that 
oldie  in  physics:  What  happens 
when  an  unstoppable  force  meets 
an  impenetrable  body?  The 
Harvard  Lampoon  some  years 
ago  made  a  now  classic  retort 
which  was : 

"There'll  be  some  interesting 
remains." 

To  make  it  apply  to  Holly- 
wood in  1949,  consider  the  un- 
stoppable force  to  be  the  direc- 
tives for  sharper  and  sharper 
economies  and  the  impenetrable 
body  to  be  the  Hollywood  seg- 
ment which  refuses  to  believe 
the  need  is  so  great. 

In  a  number  of  ways,  this  may 
be  said  to  sum  up  the  situation 
on  the  West  Coast. 


Now  that  Hollywood  players, 
assigned  to  the  recent  Royal 
Command  performance  in  Lon- 
don, are  on  native  heath  again, 
evaluations  of  the  results  of  their 
trip  are  under  scrutiny.  The 
impression  is  that  the  group,  in- 
cluding Virginia  Mayo,  Joan 
Caulfield,  Michael  O'Shea,  Alan 
Ladd  and  Sue  Carol,  reflected 
Hollywood  and  U.  S.  films  with 
modesty,  discreetness  and  be- 
havior normally  expected  of  visi- 
tors in  a  foreign  land. 

They  got  a  good  and  generous 
press,  but  more  particularly  did 
Ladd  and  Miss  Carol  who  once 
was  a  player  of  prominence  with 
Fox  Film.  They  were  normal, 
at  ease  and  at  home.  They  spoke 
about  their  children,  the  quiet  of 
their  personal  lives  and  an  as- 
sortment of  subjects  which  are 
commonly  regarded  as  "schmalt- 
zy" and  corny  in  ultra  sophisti- 
cated circles.  The  English  pub- 
lic practically  loved  it  and,  evi- 
dently, so  too  did  many  of  the 
newspaper  reporters  and  special 
writers  like  the  one  on  the  Daily 
Express — who  remarked: 

"They  have  sent  us  no  Bob 
Hope  to  make  cracks  [about  ruf- 
fled Anglo-Hollywood  relations], 
no  Rita  Hayworth  to  start  peo- 
ple arguing,  no  Lana  Turner  to 
have  tantrums." 

Public  relations  may  be  fos- 
tered in  an  assortment  of  ways. 
This  was  one.  The  impasse  with 
Arthur  Rank  was  not  dissolved. 


The  British  quota  continued  on 
the  statutes.  But  another  in- 
ning, nevertheless,  appears  to 
have  been  scored  for  American 
films  by  American  film  people, 
this  time  from  Hollywood  where 
it  is  customary  to  fasten  the 
blame. 

■  ■ 

In  Hollywood,  it  is  not  usual 
to  run  across  the  man  who  peers 
beyond  the  circle  encompassing 
production  into  the  great  beyond. 
Roy  Rowland,  who  directs  for 
Metro,  is  one.  He  has  very  pro- 
nounced ideas  about  television 
and  how  exhibition  will  meet  it 
in  the  next  approximate  decade. 
He  believes  theatres  of  the 
future  will  incorporate  video  for 
direct  telecasts  of  topical  events, 
mostly  sports.  He  thinks  candy 
counters  and  popcorn  machines 
in  lobbies  are  a  mere  beginning 
and  foresees  the  day  when  full- 
scale  dining  rooms  will  be  part 
and  parcel  of  theatre  operation. 

The  already  evident  tendency 
to  develop  community  centers 
with  a  theatre  as  the  core  will 
spread,  Rowland  is  confident. 
"There  will  be  a  tendency  to 
build  on  the  outer  fringes  of 
cities  due  partly  to  land  values 
and  partly  to  the  use  of  autos," 
he  asserts.  His-  example:  A 
project  now  under  way  in  Seat- 
tle, complete  with  bank,  grocery, 
department  store,  cafe,  nursery 
and,  obviously,  a  theatre.  Plus 
parking  facilities  for  3,500  cars. 


Here's  another  approach.  It's 
Maxwell  Shane's.  This  pro- 
ducer-director thinks  theatremen 
are  losing  a  bet  when  they  neg- 
lect to  foster  cooperation  of 
civic  officials  on  films  bearing 
contemporary  themes.  Mayors 
attending  the  American  Munici- 
pal Association  convention  in 
Washington  told  him  so.  Bob 
Wilby  might  want  to  know 
Mayor  W.  B.  Hartsfield  of  At- 
lanta is  one  who  volunteered  to 
do  something  about  it  if  ap- 
proached. He  was  approached 
on  "City  Across  the  River"  with 
its  underlying  theme  of  the  effect 
of  slum  housing  projects  in  re- 
ducing juvenile  delinquency. 

You've  guessed  it.  Shane 
made  the  film. 

■  ■ 

Joe  Skeptic,  slightly  startled 
by  the  reception  of  "Rachel  and 
the  Stranger"  at  the  box-office, 
paraphrases : 

"There  is  nothing  wrong  with 
a  picture  that  a  good  marijuana 
raid  won't  cure." 


Newsreel 
Parade 


T1  HE  resignation  of  Secretary  Mar- 
shall  is  a  featured  highlight  in  all 
current  nemsreels.  Other  items  include 
the  rites  for  Premier  Pasha,  Miami 
air  show,  sports,  and  a  beauty  contest. 
Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  4— Secretary 
Marshall  resigns;  Acheson  heads  U.  S. 
State  Department.  Record  rain  in  Birming- 
ham, England.  Western  U.  S.  blizzard. 
Women  in  politics.  Miami  air  show.  Box- 
ing. New  York  photographers  pick  Florida 
girl  as  queen. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  238— Hawai- 
ian volcano  erupts.  Acheson  named  Secre- 
tary of  State.  Report  on  China.  London 
Chelsea  Arts  Ball.  English  Coast  gales. 
New  York  Press  Photographers'  queen. 
Philadelphia  Mummers'  parade.  Cairo:  fu- 
neral of  Prime  Minister  Pasha.  Miami  air 
show. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  41— Un- 
usual snow  films.  Last  rites  for  slain  Egyp- 
tian premier.  Secretary  Marshall  steps 
down. 

UNIVERSAL.  NEWSREEE,  No.  212— 
Secretary  of  State  Marshall  turns  post  over 
to  Acheson.  Assassinated  premier  of  Egypt 
buried.  Four- year-old  minister.  Chelsea  Arts 
Ball.  "Miss  Press  Queen."  Miami  air 
show. 

WARNER   PAT  HE  NEWS,  No.  43— 

Premier  Pasha  rites.  Kuzu,  former  Black- 
hand  leader,  freed.  Acheson  replaces  Mar- 
shall as  Secretary  of  State.  Miami  air 
show.  Photographers  pick  queen.  Strange 
news  from  abroad. 


Promote  5  on  M-G-M 
Field  Sales  Roster 

Five  promotions  in  the  M-G-M  field 
sales  organization  have  been  made  by 
William  F.  Rodgers,  distribution  vice- 
president.  • 

Lou  Marks,  formerly  salesman  at 
the  Cleveland  branch,  has  been  ad- 
vanced to  salesman  at  Detroit.  Dor- 
sey  Brown,  office  manager  and  head 
booker  at  Cleveland,  has  been  pro- 
moted to  fill  the  post  vacated  by 
Marks.  In  turn,  George  Bailey,  book- 
er at  Cleveland,  now  is  office  man- 
ager and  head  booker.  Spencer  Leroy 
Wyatt,  formerly  in  the  checking  de- 
partment in  Oklahoma  City,  has  been 
elevated  to  salesman  working  out  of 
Los  Angeles.  Jerry  Banta,  who  was 
head  booker  at  Denver,  has  taken  over 
as  salesman  in  the  same  office. 


Questions  Griffith  Control 

Oklahoma  City,  Jan.  11.  —  Mary 
Kathryn  Castle  Steinway,  of  New 
York  City,  a  minority  stockholder  in 
the  Majestic  and  Orpheum  theatres 
here,  has  charged  in  a  Federal  Court 
suit  filed  at  Tulsa  that  the  Griffith 
Amusement  Co.  gained  control  of  the 
two  houses  without  her  consent.  The 
plaintiff's  petition  declares  that  the 
circuit's  control  of  the  houses  is  dam- 
aging to  the  interests  of  smaller  stock- 
holders. 


Johnston  in  Capital 

Washington,  Jan.  11. — Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America  president 
Eric  Johnston  returned  here  today 
after  more  than  a  month  on  the  West 
Coast.  Johnston  was  slated  to  fly 
into  New  York  from  Spokane,  but 
changed  his  plans  at  the  last  minute. 
He  will  remain  here  for  the  rest  of 
the  week,  conferring  with  his  staff  and 
will  be  in  New  York  for  the  early 
part  of  next  week. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washing-ton, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  every  fourth  week  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Millions  of 
gals  will  agree 
that  Clark  is 
their  favorite  HE! 


COMMAND  DECISION 
IS  THE  FIRST  BIG 
PICTURE  OF  1949! 


DECISION  IN  LOS  ANGELES:  "TERRIFIC!"  World  Premiere  sets  new  all  time 
record  for  first  two  days!  3rd  week  at  press  time.  Running  neck-and-neck  with  record- 
breaking  "Cass  Timberlane"  and  "Green  Dolphin  Street." 

I   DECISION  IN  SAN  DIEGO:  "SENSATIONAL!"  First  three  days  are  new  all 
time  high  with  continuing  business  beating  the  biggest,  "Green  Dolphin  Street,"  "Cass 
Timberlane,"  "Easter  Parade"  and  "Three  Musketeers." 

I   DECISION  FOR  YOU:  "WATCH  M-G-M  IN  '49!"  While  Words  and  Music 
I  delights  the  nation  and  "Command  Decision"  starts  its  history -making  career,  M-G-M  is 
I    ready  with  the  greatest  line-up  of  completed  pictures  it  has  ever  had  in  its  entire  career. 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  12,  1949 


CIO  Asks  Repeal  of 
20%  Admission  Tax 

Washington,  Jan.  11. — The  Con 
gress  of  Industrial  Organizations  to- 
day, in  a  study  entitled  "A  Federal 
Tax  Program  to  Promote  Full  Em- 
ployment," called  for  repeal  of  the 
Federal  admission  tax  and  all  other 
excise  taxes  "not  regulatory  in  char- 
acter" and  said  it  was  "unequivocally 
opposed"  to  sales  taxes  "that  are  now 
spreading-  in  certain  cities  and  locali 
ties." 

The  CIO  said  the  first  immediate 
step  in  overhauling  the  excise  struc- 
ture should  be  restoration  of  the  pre- 
war rates.  Complete  elimination  of 
all  excises  but  the  regulatory  ones 
should  follow  relatively  soon,  with 
taxes  being  removed  "according  to 
the  apparent  wide  application  of  the 
tax.  Thus,  the  tax  on  theatre  admis- 
sions should,  be  repealed  before  the 
tax  oh  safe  deposit  boxes,  and  the  tax 
on  safe  deposit  boxes  before  the  tax 
applicable  to  membership  fees  in 
excess  of  $25." 


New  U.  A.  Capital 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Chaplin's  representatives  on  the  com- 
mittee, left  here  for  the  Coast  by  train 
last  night.  Vitalis  Chalif  and  Harold 
Weill,  Miss  Pickford's  representatives, 
plan  to  leave  by  plane  at  the  end  of  the 
week.  Gradwell  Sears,  UA  president, 
and  Arthur  W.  Kelly,  executive  vice- 
president,  who  will  attend  the  Holly- 
wood meeting  also,  are  scheduled  to 
leave  here  by  plane  on  Thursday. 

Annual  meeting  of  UA  stockhold- 
ers and  election  of  directors  is  sched- 
uled to  be  held  concurrently  with  the 
financial  conference.  Mills  will  sub- 
mit his  resignation  from  the  board  at 
the  meeting. 

It  is  understood  that  the  report  of 
the  board  committee  will  stress  the 
urgency  of  providing  new  capital  for 
UA  primarily  to  insure  a  continuous 
supply  of  product  for  the  company  by 
its  own  financing  of  approved  pro- 
ducers. _  UA's  current  product  supply 
is  sufficient  for  approximately  another 
six  months. 


Lockwood 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Video  Networks 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  show  included  Mayor  O'Dwyer  of 
New  York  and  Mayor  Kennelly  of 
Chicago,  then  leaders  of  the  television 
networks  ;  FCC  chairman  Wayne  Coy 
and  Leroy  A.  Wilson,  president  of 
A.  T.  &  T.  Figures  in  the  entertain- 
ment world  took  .over  in  the  last,  full- 
hour,  portion  as  arranged  by  Ameri- 
can Broadcasting,  Columbia  Broad- 
casting, Dumont,  National  Broadcast- 
ing and  Station  WPIX,  New  York. 
The  program  originated  in  Washing- 
ton, New  York  and  Chicago. 

The  Midwest  loop  comprises  Chi- 
cago, Milwaukee,  St.  Louis,  Toronto, 
Cleveland,  Detroit  and  Buffalo.  The 
Eastern  cities  are  New  York,  Phila- 
delphia, Washington,  Baltimore,  Rich- 
mond, Boston,  Pittsburgh  and  Schen- 
ectady. The  Eastern  network  swung 
into  operation  two  years  ago  and  was 
followed  last  year  by  the  Midwest 
combination.  Closing  of  the  gap  be- 
tween Cleveland  and  Philadelphia 
joined  both  webs. 


dustry  factions,  Lockwood  de- 
clared: "It  seems  to  me  that 
now  is  the  time  for  all  responsi- 
ble industry  leaders  to  sit  down 
and  have  a  talk;  and  for  one 
I  am  willing  to  recommend  such 
a  meeting  to  the  board  of  di- 
rectors of  the  TOA  at  any 
time." 

"This  industry  is  in  the  laps  of  the 
courts,"  he  continued.  "It  is  a  target 
in  Federal  and  state  legislatures,  and 
attempts  are  soon  to  be  made  to  bring 
many  of  its  important  functions  under 
complete  Federal  regulations" — pre- 
sumably referring  to  that  which  may 
arise  from  final  disposition  of  the  gov- 
ernment's anti-trust  suit  in  the  Para- 
mount case. 

"I  do  not  want  to  criticize  any  ele- 
ment or  any  association  of  exhibitors 
for  trying  to  obtain  by  all  legitimate 
means  the  relief  they  believe  they  are 
entitled  to,  provided,  that  they  are 
certain  that  in  pressing  for  alleged  re- 
forms, they  are  fully  conscious  of  the 
impact  on  their  business  and  on  mine, 
of  the  relief  sought;  and  that  they 
will  not  undermine  the  structure  of 
the  entire  industry  by  the  methods 
they  pursue,"  Lockwood  declared. 

"Hardly  anyone  in  the  industry  ap- 
proves of  what  anyone  else  in  the  in- 
dustry in  doing.  Governor  Arnall  ob- 
jects to  the  methods  and  policies  of 
Eric  Johnston  and  vice  versa.  In  dis- 
tribution, the  little  three  are  miles 
apart  from  the  big  five  in  the  anti- 
trust case,  and  in  other  matters.  And 
in  exhibition,  our  two  national  trade 
associations  seldom  see  eye  to  eye  on 
anything-. 

"Everybody  seems  to  want  the  in- 
dustry as  a  whole  to  win,  but  the 
other  fellow  to  lose. 

"Isn't  it  logical  that  there  should 
be,  at  least  under  the  heading  of  'good 
and  welfare  for  the  entire  industry,' 
some  unity?" 


U.K.  Divorce 

•  (Continued  from  page 


1) 


recommendation  point  out  that  So 
cialist  members  of  Parliament  never 
have  liked  the  vertically-integrated 
combines  in  the  industry  and  certain 
members  of  the  committee  itself  are 
on  record  with  objections  to  the  so 
called  monopolistic  combines. 

Segments  of  the  industry,  for  their 
part,  will  launch  an  attack  on  the 
government's  severe  entertainment 
tax,  an  investigation  of  which  is  be 
ing  made  by  Lord  Portal  on  his 
own  account.  Lord1  Portal  was  the 
late  C.  M.  Woolf's  principal  backer 
in  the  formation  of  General  Film 
Distributors  and  not  unacquainted 
with  the  industry. 

He  has  been  studying  experience 
with  Herbert  Wilcox's  "Spring  in 
Park  Lane,"  which  grossed  $5,600,000 
and  was  listed  in  -Motion  Picture 
Herald's  recent  box  office  survey  as 
Britains'  leading  grosser  in  1948; 
$2,240,000  of  the  total  gross  went 
to  the  Exchequer  in  entertainment 
tax. 

However,  there  is  little  prospect 
of  unity  in  the  industry  attack  on  the 
tax.  Producers-distributors  will  be 
wanting  a  larger  share  of  the  gross 
at  the  expense  of  both  the  Exchequer 
and  the  exhibitor.  The  latter,  no 
less  opposed  to  the  high  tax,  will 
attack  it  because  he  wants  more  for 
himself,  rather  than  for  the  producer- 
distributor. 


Gell,  Grierson 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


'Curley'  Case 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Films  in  Fiction  Group 

The  25  fiction  magazines  of  The 
Popular  Fiction  group  will  inaugurate 
monthly  motion  picture  columns  begin- 
ning with  May  issues,  according  to 
Henry  Steeger,  editorial  director. 


censor  board  on  the  technical  ground 
that  the  plaintiffs  are  out-of-state  cor- 
porations and  are  not  entitled  to  chal- 
lenge the  censoring  of  the  film  in  state 
courts.  The  film  was  banned  because 
it  showed  white  slhd  Negro  children 
playing  -together. 

Indications  are  that  the  case  ulti- 
mately will  be  taken  to  the  U.  S.  Su- 
preme Court,  as  the  industry  appears 
inclined  to  employ  it  as  a  test  of  the 
application  of  the  First  Amendment 
to  motion  pictures.  The  present  Su- 
preme Court  already  has  indicated 
that  it  regards  motion  pictures  as  be- 
ing covered  by.  the  freedom  of  speech 
section  of  the  First  Amendment  and, 
therefore,  are  entitled  to  the  same 
freedom  from  censorship  as  news- 
papers and  other  communications. 


vision  are  welcomed  by  BBC,  which 
is  still  waiting  for  an  agreement  to  be 
concluded  with  the  fi]m  industry  here 
which  would  make  older  films  avail- 
able for  its  television  programs. 

Reginald  Baker,  director  of  Ealing 
Studios  and  head  of  the  company 
which  handles  Ealing's  reissues,  con- 
ducted unilateral  negotiations  with  the 
BBC  before  the  current  deadlock  de- 
veloped between  the  film  industry  and 
BBC.  Now  the  latter  is  holding 
Baker  to  his  agreement  and  will  se- 
cure rights  to  12  old  Ealing  films,  for 
which  BBC  is  understood  to  have  paid 
$12,000.  It  is  entitled  to  broadcast 
the  films  up  to  three  times  each. 


50  Detroit  Houses 
Turn  to  Giveaways 

Detroit,  Jan.  11. — A  revival 
of  a  plan  for  simultaneous 
cash  giveaways  by  50  local 
theatres,  in  a  tie-in  with 
radio  station  WJLB  here,  is 
announced  by  Sam  Carver, 
vice-president  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  of 
Michigan  and  also  president 
of  Detroit  Consolidated 
Theaters. 

The  program,  which  was  in 
effect  in  1935  and  1936,  was 
banned  by  the  Detroit  polk; 
because  it  was  considered  a 
lottery.  It  now  has  the  ap- 
proval of  the  Detroit  Police 
and  the  FCC,  it  is  said.  A 
radio  quiz  of  patrons  is  the 
basis  of  the  program,  which 
will  become  effective  Jan.  31. 


Paramount,  Decree 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Eight  New  Pictures 
Rated  by  Legion 

Two  films  have  been  given  a  "B" 
classification  bv.  the  Legion  of  De- 
cency in  the  latest  rating  of  eight 
nictures.  In  Class  B  are  20th  Century- 
Fox's  "The  Man  About  the  House," 
and  M-G-M's  "Three  Godfathers." 

Rated  Class  A-l  are  RKO's  "Boy 
with  Green  Hair"  and  "Gun  Smug- 
glers" and  M-G-M's  "The  Sun  Comes 
Up."  Rated  A-II  are  Universal-Inter- 
national's "Family  Honeymoon," 
Columbia's  "Manhattan  Angel"  and 
SRO's  "Portrait  of  Jennie." 


C  hie  ago  Bans  New 
State  St.  Marquees 

Chicago,  Jan.  11. — The  City  Coun- 
cil has  approved  an  ordinance  to  pro- 
hibit future  placement  of  overhanging 
signs  along  State  Street  in  the  Loop 
as  part  of  its  beautification  plan.  The 
ordinance,  which  also  affects^  theatres, 
was  not  made  retroactive,  and  present 
overhanging  signs  may  be  repaired 
and  reused. 

New  signs,  the  ordinance  decrees, 
may  not  be  of  the  flashing  or  variable 
illumination  type.  Officials  believe  that 
eventually  all  signs  along  State  Street 
will  be  discarded. 


Disney  Aids  Cancer  Fund 

Cincinnati,  Jan.  11. — Walt  Disney 
will  b*e  guest  of  honor  at  a  dinner- 
dance  at  the  Netherland  Plaza  Hotel 
here  on  Jan.  20,  concurrently  with  the 
world  premiere  here  of  his  picture,  "So 
Dear  To  My  Heart."  Proceeds  from 
the  $10-per-person  reservations  will  go 
to  the  Cincinnati  Cancer  Hospital 
fund  to  apply  on  the  construction  of  a 
new  hospital.  The  affair  is  to  be  spon- 
sored jointly  by  RKO  Radio  and  the 
Cincinnati  Post. 


shares  of  equal  value  in  two  separate 
companies,  one  for  production-dis- 
tribution, the  other  for  exhibition, 
which  would  be  formed. 

Discussions  by  Paramount  execu- 
tives among  themselves  and  recent 
talks  with  Justice  Department  offi- 
cials have  centered  .  largely  on  the 
extent  of  holdings  which  would  be 
permitted  the  separate  theatre  com- 
pany which  would  emerge.  Para- 
mount recently  announced  in  New 
York  Federal  Court  that  it  is  "pre- 
pared" to  break  with  its  partners  in 
the  operation  of  over   500  houses. 

An  overall  agreement  with  the  gov- 
ernment in  large  part  would  be  con- 
tingent upon  a  determination  of  which 
of  Paramount's  vast  other  exhibition 
properties  the  theatre  company  could 
retain.  The  company  has  holdings 
with  outside  interests  in  about  900 
theatres  in  all.  There  are  also,  of 
course,  its  wholly-owned  houses  which 
number  about  400. 

Under  the  terms  of  RKO's  settle- 
ment with  the  government,  that  com- 
pany's theatre  unit  will  have  title  to 
80  wholly-owned  RKO  theatres  and 
may  acquire  up  to  30  of  the  271 
others  in  which  RKO  shares  inter- 
ests with  others.  However,  the  hold- 
ings in  the  divided  ownerships  which 
RKO  will  relinquish  represent  only 
10  per  cent  in  a  substantial  number 
of  situations.  Paramount  has  50  per 
cent  interest  or  close  to  that  amount 
in  most  of  its  joint  operations  and 
greatly  outdistances  RKO  in  terms  of 
corporate  entanglements. 

Paramount  has  virtually  aban- 
doned the  hope  of  coming  to  terms 
with  the  government  in  a  manner 
which  would  mean  the  continued  in- 
tegration of  production-distribution 
and  exhibition  with,  of  course,  some 
divestiture. 


U.K.  Studio 

•  (Continued  from  page  1) 


quitting  film  production.  Negotia- 
tions are  in  progress  for  the  disposal 
of  the  796,000  ordinary  shares  in  Brit- 
ish National  Films  held  jointly  by 
Lady  Yule  and  her  daughter  Gladys. 

Richest  woman  in  Britain,  Lady 
Yule  long  has  been  regarded  as  the 
fairy-godmother  of  production  here. 
She  founded  British  National  in  1934. 
J.  Arthur  Rank  was  associated  with 
her  at  the  time.  Her  studio  is  now 
rented  to  British  Lion. 


;  Accurate 

Concise 
and 
^Impartial 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


VOL.  65.   NO.  9 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  JANUARY  13,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


SRO-E-L  Deal 
Closed;  Retain 
Own  Identities 


To  Collaborate  Toward 
'Mutual  Efficiencies' 

David  O.  Selznick  Enterprises 
and  Eagle-Lion  have  concluded 
what  was  described  as  the  first 
phase  of  an  association  between  the 
two  companies,  "which  both  hope_  will 
develop  into  a  broader  relationship  as 
exploratory  conversations  continue," 
it  was  disclosed  yesterday  in  a  state- 
ment issued  by  Selznick  executive 
Daniel  T.  O'Shea,  on  behalf  of  Selz- 
nick and  Arthur  B.  Krim,  Eagle-Lion 
president. 

Continued  Shea:  "It  was  em- 
phasized that  the  Selznick  Re- 
leasing Organization  and  Eagle- 
Lion  will  both  continue  as  sep- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Many  Film  Names  on 
Inauguration  Unit 

Washington,  Jan.  12. —  Many 
amusement  industry  executives  and 
others  are  in  the  production  and  talent 
division  of  the  Presidential  Inaugural 
parade  and  special  events  committee, 
as  disclosed  here  by  Loew  theatre  ex- 
ecutive Carter  Barron,  chairman  of 
the  committee.  Members  of  the  di 
vision  were  listed  as  follows : 

James  Sauter,  chairman ;  Allan  Zee, 
co-chairman;  Lester  Isaac  and  Sidney 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Ontario  Rates  Five 
Adult  Films  Monthly 

Toronto,  Jan.  12.— Since  the 
adoption  of  regulations  on 
June  1,  1946,  for  the  grading 
of  films,  the  Ontario  censor 
board  has  classified  157  fea- 
tures as  adult  entertainment, 
an  average  of  slightly  more 
than  five  per  month,  none  of 
which  can  be  played  at  Sat- 
urday afternoon  or  other  per- 
formances where  the  audi- 
ence is  predominantly  juve- 
nile. 

The  latest  to  be  added  to 
the  adult  list  are  "Kiss  the 
Blood  Off  My  Hands." 
"Creeper,"  "Out  of  the 
Storm,"  "Crime  Incorpor- 
ated" and  "Road  House." 


Storms  Costly  to 
Midwest  Theatres 


Kansas  City,  Jan.  12. — Theatre 
attendance,  which  had  been  good  in 
this  area,  is  down  now  as  low  as  it 
was  during  the  first  week  in  1948  when 
snow,  sleet  and  rain  storms  such  as 
those  which  have  been  raging  in  the 
Midwest  since  last  week  similarly 
affected  theatre  business. 

The  storms  reached  Kansas  City 
Sunday  afternoon  and  continued  with 
sleet,  rain  freezing  when  it  fell  and 
temperatures  very  low,  breaking  tele- 
phone and  power  wires,  and  isolating 
a  dozen  or  more  towns  in  Southeast- 
ern Kansas  and  Southwestern  Mis- 
ouri.  Some  towns  are  entirely  with- 
out power  and  their  stores  are  closed. 
Film  deliveries  have  not  been  inter- 
rupted so  far,  but  are  slow. 

In  Kansas  City,  the  storm  reduced 
theatre  attendance  to  very  small  num- 
bers starting  Sunday  night. 


RKO  Asks  for  More 
Time  on  'Divorce' 


RKO  has  applied  to  the  U.  S.  Dis- 
trict court  here  for  a  60-day  extension 
of  the  time  set  for  obtaining  stock- 
holders' approval  of  the  reorganization 
plan  under  which  its  theatre  opera- 
tions will  be  separated  from  produc- 
tion-distribution. 

Present  deadline  for  obtaining 
stockholders'  approval  is  Feb.  6.  Vol- 
ume of  paper  work  and  technical  rou- 
tine involved  in  preparation  of  the 
plan  for  the  stockholders  has  necessi- 
tated the  move  for  additional  time, 
RKO  officials  say.  Indications  are 
that  the  plan  will  not  be  completed 
until  about  four  weeks  from  now  and 
a  30-day  notice  of  a  meeting  _  to  act 
on  the  plan  will  have  to  be  given  to 
stockholders  thereafter. 


Paramount  Group  in 
D.  C.  Decree  Talks 

Leonard  Goldenson,  Para- 
mount vice  -  president  in 
charge  of  theatre  opera- 
tions; Robert  O'Brien,  cor- 
porate secretary,  and  other 
company  executives  were  in 
Washington  yesterday  pursu- 
ing plans  for  a  settlement  of 
its  part  in  the  industry  trust 
suit  by  way  of  separating  ex- 
hibition from  production-dis- 
tribution, details  of  which 
were  reported  yesterday  in 
Motion  Picture  Daily.  The 
group  conferred  with  Herbert 
Bergson,  head  of  the  anti- 
trust division  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Justice,  and  Robert 
Wright,  government  prose- 
cutor in  the  case. 


All  Scophony 
Video  Patents 
Are  Released 


Para.,  General  Precision 
And  U.  S.  in  Settlement 


Maitles  and  Murray 
Elected  by  S.P.G. 

Ray  Murray  and  Murray  Goldstein, 
both"  of  Columbia,  yesterday  were 
elected  first  '  and  second  vice-presi- 
dents, respectively,  of  Screen  Pub- 
licists Guild  (CIO).  Running  against 
Murray  was  Ray  Malone  of  RKO 
Service  Corp.,  w-hile  Goldstein's  oppo- 
nent on  the  ballot  was  Herbert  Haines, 
RKO  Radio. 

As  expected,  Sigmund  Maitles  of 
M-G-M  was  elected  president.  He 
was  the  sole  nominee  for  that  office. 
Maitles  succeeds  Jeff  Livingston  of 
Universal-International. 

Also  elected  without  opposition  were 
Maria  Van  Slyke  of  Eagle-Lion,  sec- 
retary, and  Leo  Israel  of  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox, treasurer. 

Inductions  will  be  held  tonight. 


Paramount  Television  Produc- 
tions, Inc.,  and  General  Precision 
Equipment  have  divested  themselves 
of  their  entire  holdings  in  Scophony 
Corp.  of  America  and  have  surren- 
dered their  exclusive  Western  Hemi- 
sphere rights  to  Scophony  television 
patents  under  the  terms  of  a  consent 
decree  entered  in  Xew  York  Federal 
Court  yesterday  in  the  anti-trust  suit 
filed  against  the  three  companies  by 
the  Department  of  Justice  on  Dec.  18, 
1945.  Federal  Judge  Edward  A.  Con- 
ger approved  the  settlement. 

The  complaint  had  charged  the 
three  corporations  with  conspiring 
with  another  defendant,  Scophony, 
Ltd.,  a  British  firm,  with  monopoliz- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Theatres  Mobilizing  for 
Tax  Fight;  Florida  Joins 


The  move  by  exhibitors,  both  or- 
ganized and  unorganized,  to  band  to- 
gether to  oppose  adverse-  or  discrim- 
inatory local  and  regional  legislation 
gains  impetus  with  the  calling  of  a 
meeting  for  Jan.  18  in  Jacksonville, 
Fla.,  for  the  exhibitors  of  that  state 
to  prepare  a  broad,  protective  pro- 
gram on  behalf  of  all  Florida  exhibi- 
tors. 

Metropolitan  New  York  and  Up- 
state exhibitor  leaders  meet  at  the 
St.  Moritz  Hotel  here  today  to  pre- 
pare an  opposition  program  to  state 
and  local  tax  and  other  adverse  leg- 
islation against  theatres.  The  meet- 
ing was  called  by  the  Metropolitan 
M.   P.   Theatres  Association  and  is 


being  joined  in  by  Theatre  Owners 
of  America,  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  Association  of  Xew  York 
and  Up-state  exhibitor  .  organiza- 
tions. 

Exhibitors  in  the  Midwest  and  Far 
West  are  taking  similar  action. 

The  Florida  meeting  was  called  by 
Bolivar  F.  Hyde  of  the  Talgar  The- 
atres there  following  the  recent  pas- 
sage of  a  10  per  cent  tax  on  theatres' 
gross  receipts  in  St.  Petersburg. 

L.  A.  Stein  of  Jacksonville  is  in 
charge  of  the  meeting  which  will  be 
attended  by  Mitchell  Wolfson,  Mark 
Chartrand,  Roy  Schechter,  Lee  Ru- 
witch  and  others  from  all  over  the 
state. 


Break  In  Exchange 
Pact  Impasse  Fails 


IATSE's  bid  for  a  10  to  15  per 
cent  wage  boost  for  the  country's 
6,300  exchange  workers  was  rejected 
here  yesterday  by  the  distributors  for 
the  second  time,  making  certain  the 
entry  into  the  negotiations  of  com- 
missioner L.  A.  Stone  of  Federal 
Mediation  whose  services  were  "held 
in  abeyance"  by  the  negotiating  com- 
mittees pending  a  final  try-  at  reaching 
an  agreement  between  themselves. 

A  union  spokesman  described  the 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


CEA  To  Ask  Lower 
U.  K.  Film  Quota 

London,  Jan.  12.— The  Cine- 
matograph Exhibitors  Asso- 
ciation is  sending  a  delega- 
tion to  the  Board  of  Trade  in 
the  near  future  to  urge  a 
lowering  of  the  present  45 
per  cent  quota  for  the  next 
quota  year. 

Exhibitors  generally  main- 
tain that  the  45  per  cent 
quota  now  has  been  demon- 
strated to  be  unrealistic  and 
advocate  a  new  quota  more 
closelv  related  to  the  poten- 
tial output  of  British  studios 
than  the  present  one. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  13,  1949 


'IA'Wins  10%  Pay 
Hike  at  U.  A.  Here 


Personal  Mention 


AFL's  IATSE  Motion  Picture 
Home  Office  Employes  Local  No. 
H-63  yesterday  won  for  United  Art- 
ists' home  office  "white  collarites"  a 
10  per  cent  general  pay  increase  or 
a  $4-a-week  raise,  whichever  is  high- 
er, it  was  disclosed  by  H-63  business 
agent  Russell  Moss  who  reached  the 
agreement  with  UA  vice-president 
Harry  Buckley. 

Contract,  due  to  be  signed  around 
Feb.  1,  will  be  for  one  year,  with 
the  wage  increase  to  be  retroactive 
to  Oct.  6,  the  date  the  National  Labor 
Relations  Board  certified  H-63's  tak- 
ing over  the  UA  shop  from  CIO's 
Screen  Office  and  Professional  Em- 
ployes Guild  following  a  long-stand- 
ing struggle  for  jurisdictional  con- 
trol. Moss  estimated  that  the  ISO 
employes  involved  will  receive  re- 
troactive pay  totalling  approximately 
$15,000. 


Exchange  Impasse 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

companies'  counter  offer  as  "infinitesi- 
mal." He  declined  to  say  what  it 
actually  was,  however. 

Stone  has  indicated  that  he  will  set 
a  date  soon  for  the  first  mediation 
meeting.  It  is  expected  to  be  held 
here  next  week. 


Rich'd  F.  Walsh's  Mother 

Funeral  services  will  be  held  Satur- 
day morning  at  Good  Shepherd 
Church,  Brooklyn,  for  Mrs.  William 
H.  Walsh,  mother  of  IATSE  inter- 
national president  Richard  F.  Walsh. 
Mrs.  Walsh  died  Tuesday  after  a 
year's  illness.  Survivors  include  also 
three  other  s,ons,  three  daughters  and 
a  sister. 


Josef  Rosenthal,  50 

Josef  Rosenthal,  50,  executive  board 
member  of  IATSE  Local  No.  B-51 
here,  and  a  long-time  employee  of 
National  Screen,  died  at  Roosevelt 
Hospital  here  yesterday  following  a 
heart  attack. 


Louise  Harris,  7 

Louise  Harris,  7,  only  child  of  Jack 
Harris,  Walter  Reade  Circuit  execu- 
tive, and  Mrs.  Harris,  died  yesterday 
at  a  school  she  was  attending  in  At- 
lantic City.  Funeral  services  will  be 
held  today  at  the  Riverside  Memorial 
Chapel  here. 


Harry  Hirsh,  Exhibitor 

Philadelphia,  Jan.  12.  —  Harry 
Hirsch,  head  of  Hirsch  Amusement 
Co.,  here,  died  Monday  in  Atlantic 
City  Hospital.  He  was  63.  Surviving 
are  a  son,  two  daughters,  two  broth- 
ers and  four  sisters.  • 


$1.06  Columbia  Dividend 

Columbia  Pictures'  board  of  direc- 
tors, at  a  meeting  held  here  yesterday, 
declared  a  quarterly  dividend  of 
$1.06^4  per  share  on  the  $4.25  cumu- 
lative preferred  stock  of  the  company, 
payable  Feb.  15  to  stockholders  of 
record  on  Feb.  1. 


MONTAGUE    SALMON,  Man- 
aging director  of  the  Rivoli  here, 
will  be  honor  guest  on  the  "Dinner 
at  Dunn's"  radio  program  tomorrow 
evening  over  Station  WGYN--FM. 
• 

Jerome  Baker,  manager  of  RKO's 
Hamilton  Theatre  here,  has  become 
manager  of  the  RKO  Coliseum, 
replacing  Ansel  Winston  who  has 
been  named  Chicago  city  manager. 
Philip  Nemirow,  manager  of  the  Re- 
gent, will  succeed  Baker  at  the  Ham- 
ilton, while  Rocque  Casamassine, 
assistant  at  the  Coliseum,  becomes 
manager  of  the  Regent. 

• 

Sam  Rosen,  owner  of  Rosen's  Film 
Delivery  Service,  New  Haven,  and  a 
partner  in  Lockwood-Gordon-Rosen 
Connecticut  Theatres,  is  vacationing 
in  Florida. 

• 

Ted  Birnbaum,  assistant  to  Film 
Classics  vice-president  B.  G.  Kranze, 
was  married  last  Saturday  to  Joan 
Welker.  Couple  is  honeymooning  in 
Florida. 

• 

Fred  H.  Fidler,  Pacific  Coast  man- 
ager for  J.  Walter  Thompson  Co.,  has 
been  elected  a  vice-president  of  the 
agency. 

• 

Mike  Havas,  RKO  Radio  Latin- 
American  supervisor,  will  return  to 
his  Buenos  Aires  headquarters  Sat- 
urday by  plane. 

• 

William  Clark,  vice-president  of 
National  Film  Service,  has  been  ad- 
mitted to  University  Hospital,  Phila- 
delphia. 

Moss  and  Dow  Leave 
Hughes  on  Feb.  1 

Resignations  of  Alec  Moss  as  adver- 
tising-publicity director  of  Howard 
Hughes  Productions  here,  and  Phil 
Dow,  financial  executive,  will  become 
effective  on  Feb.  1.  Meanwhile,  Harry 
Gold  will  continue  in  the  top  sales 
post;  his  contract  has  another  year  to 
run.  The  Hughes  offices  here  will  not 
be  closed,  at  least  for  a  while. 


Inaugural  Committee 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

Piermont,  Loew's ;  Hal  Leyshon,  pub- 
lic relations  counsel ;  Clarence  Der- 
went,  Actors  Equity  Association; 
George  Heller,  American  Federation 
of  Radio  Artists ;  Ronald  Reagan, 
Screen  Actors  Guild ;  Lawrence  Tib- 
bett,  American  Federation  of  Musical 
Artists ;  Noble  Sissle,  Negro  Actors 
Guild;  Henry  Jaffe,  American  Fed- 
eration of  Radio  Artists ;  Richard 
Walsh,  IATSE;  Dewey  Barto, 
American  Guild  of  Variety  Artists ; 
Alan  Corelli,  Theatre  Authority; 
Robert  Weitman,  N.  Y.  Paramount 
Theatre;  Arthur  Knorr,  N.  Y.  Roxy 
Theatre ;  Joel  Margolis,  Loew's  Capi- 
tol Theatre;  William  E.  Bennett, 
Capitol  Stage  Lighting  Co. ;  Fred  Mc- 
Millan, Warner  Theatre,  Washington. 


Fire  Destroys  Eastwood 

Detroit,  Jan.  12.  —  Fire  has  de- 
stroyed the  Eastwood  Theatre  here. 


BG.  KRANZE,  Film  Classics 
•  vice-president  and  general  sales 
manager,  left  here  yesterday  for  Cin- 
cinnati. 

• 

Muriel  Lanahan,  former  secre- 
tary to  Milton  S.  Kusell  at  Selz- 
nick  Releasing  Organization,  has  been 
appointed  executive  secretary  to  Ted 
Baldwin,  who  heads  a  new  public  re- 
lations firm  which  carries  his  name. 
• 

Lee  Cokan,  head  of  concessions 
for  RKO  Theatres,  returned  here  yes- 
terday from  an  inspection  of  theatres 
in  Boston  and  Providence. 

• 

Red  Kann,  a  vice-president  of 
Quigley  Publishing  Co.,  returned  to 
New  York  yesterday  from  Holly- 
wood. 

• 

Jerry  Pickman,  Eagle-Lion's  as- 
sistant director  of  advertising-pub- 
licity, is  recovering  from  an  illness 
at  his  home  in  Brooklyn. 

• 

J.  D.  Trop,  president  of  Este  Pro- 
ductions, has  left  New  York  for 
Connecticut  from  where  he  will  pro- 
ceed to  Florida. 

• 

Harry  M.  Kalmine,  president  of 
Warner  Theatres,  is  in  Chicago  from 
New  York. 

• 

Herman  Ripps,  field  assistant  to 
John    P.    Byrne,   M-G-M  Eastern 
sales  manager,  is  here  from  Albany. 
• 

Jack  Alicoate,  Eagle-Lion  trade 
press  contact,  has  returned  here  from 
Florida. 

Video  May  Win  New 
Audiences:  Terry 

Paul  Terry,  producer  of  Terrytoons, 
yesterday  told  a  gathering  of  repre- 
sentatives of  17  national  organizations 
and  community  groups  that  television 
may  be  the  means  of  introducing  vast 
new  audiences  to  film  theatres. 

The  group,  composed  of  85  members 
of  the  MPAA's  East  Coast  Preview- 
ing Committees,  heard  Terry  express 
his  belief  that  many  people  would  be 
lured  back  into  the  theatre  as  a  result 
of  seeing  motion  pictures  in  the  home. 
In  his  opinion,  television  will  not  re- 
duce present  theatre  audiences  in  the 
15-to-28  age  range. 

Mayer,  Schary  Hosts 
At  M-G-M  Confabs 

Hollywood,  Jan.  12. — Plans  are  pro- 
ceeding for  the  forthcoming  M-G-M 
sales  conferences  at  the  Culver  City 
studio,  Feb.  7-12,  with  studio  hosts  to 
be  Louis  B.  Mayer,  executive  in 
charge  of  production;  Dore  Schary, 
production  vice-president,  and  E.  J. 
Mannix,  vice-president.  Howard 
Strickling,  studio  publicity  head,  and 
Ralph  Wheelwright,  assistant,  are  in 
charge  of  details,  working  with  Wil- 
liam F.  Rodgers,  sales  vice-president. 


Chicago  Doorman  Dies 

Chicago,  Jan.  12.  — ■  William  Cook, 
61,  stage  doorman  at  the  B.  and  K. 
Chicago  Theatre,  died  Sunday. 


K-S  Drops  20th-Fox 
Ad  Account  June  15 

The  Kayton-Spiero  agency  here 
will  relinquish  the  20th  Century-Fox 
advertising  account  on  June  15,  when 
it  will  be  taken  over  by  Charles 
Schlaifer,  who  will  set  up  his  own 
company  around  April  1. 

Morris  Kinzler,  who  has  been  the 
20th-Fox  and  Roxy  Theatre  account 
executive  with  K-S  for  the  past  12 
years,  will  leave  the  agency  in  mid- 
June.  His  future  plans  have  not  been 
decided  yet. 

Schlaifer  will  leave  20th-Fox  on 
Feb.  1,  where  he  has  been  advertis- 
ing-publicity director.  He  will  take 
an  extended  vacation  before  organiz- 
ing his  own  company.  Charles  Ein- 
feld,  newly  named  vice-president  of 
20th-Fox  in  charge  of  advertising- 
publicity,  is  expected  in  New  York 
from  the  Coast  next  week  to  estab- 
lish his  headquarters  here. 

Four  To  Aid  Eyssell 
On  'Brotherhood' 

Gene  Picker  of  Loew's  Theatres, 
Louis  Gold  of  the  Rivoli  Theatre  in 
Newark,  Maury  Miller  of  Passaic  and 
Harry  Brandt,  have,  agreed  to  serve 
as  assistants  to  the  Music  Hall's  Gus 
Eyssell,  exhibitor  chairman  of  the 
Greater  New  York  area,  for  the  forth- 
coming "Brotherhood  Week"  drive. 

Columbia  Foreign 
Heads  To  Meet  Here 

Foreign  sales  directors  of  Columbia 
will  attend  the  first  international  sales 
meeting  of  that  company  in  the  U.  S. 
since  before  World  War  II,  in  New 
York,  all  next.  week.  Principal  item 
on  the  agenda  will  be  a  review  of  the 
company's  position  abroad. 

Among  those  who  will  attend  are 
Joseph  Friedman  and  Max  Thorpe, 
from  London;  Lacey  Kastner,  Paris; 
Sig  Kusiel,  Latin  American  super- 
visor; Nick  Pery,  Australia;  Roy 
Brauer,  Near  East,  and  others.  Jo- 
seph McConville,  foreign  manager, 
will  preside. 

Paramount  Adds  Five 
To  Product  Lineup 

Henry  Ginsberg,  Paramount  studio 
head,  has  added  five  pictures  to  the 
studio's  early  1949  schedule,  making  a 
total  of  13,  the  home  office  reported 
here  yesterday.  Of  the  13,  10  will  be 
Paramount's,  while  three  will  be  Hal 
Wallis  productions.  In  addition,  Pine 
and  Thomas  will  have  two. 


Ascap  Convention  Jan.  31 

Convention  of  field  representatives 
of  the  American  Society  of  Com- 
posers, Authors  and  Publishers  to  ac- 
quaint them  with  the  operations  of  the 
organization's  headquarters  has  been 
scheduled  for  the  week  of  Jan.  31 
here. 


Ascap  announced  here  yesterday 
that  it  has  granted  clearance  for  the 
use  of  all  music  at  the  Presidential 
Inaugural  ceremonies  and  festivities 
in  Washington  next  week. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr..  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays. 
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WW  READY  TO  WRITE  NEW  WARNER  GLORY  I 
INTO  THE  NEW  YEAR  RECORDS!  I 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  13,  1949 


Production  on  the 
Coast  Rises  to  26 


Hollywood,  Jan.  12.  —  The  produc- 
tion tally  rose  to  26  from  last  week's 
index  of  21.  Shooting  started  on 
seven  films  while  two  were  sent  to 
cutting  rooms. 

Shooting  started  on  "Tokyo  Joe" 
(Santana),  Columbia;  "Any  Number 
Can  Play"  and  "That  Midnight  Kiss," 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ;  "Dear  Wife," 
Paramount;  "Prince  of  the  Plains," 
Republic;  "The  Big  Steal,"  RKO- 
Radio;  "Take  One  False  Step,"  Uni- 
versal-International. 

Shooting  finished  on  "Hard  Bar- 
gain," 20th  Century-Fox;  and  "The 
Daring  Caballero,"  United  Artists. 


Essaness  To  Drop  One 

Chicago,  Jan.  12.  —  The  Essanes 
circuit  will  relinquish  operation  of  the 
West  End  Theatre  here  next  June 
upon  expiration  of  its  lease.  House, 
seating  1,140,  will  be  operated  by.  the 
building's  owners,  Fadam  Kaplan, 
Corp.,  which  also  operates  the  Avenue, 
Bel  and  Savoy.  The  West  End  has 
been  under  Essaness  management  for 
about  IS  years.  The  circuit  recently 
lost  its  lease  on  the  North  Center 
Theatre. 


FWC  Books  'Paisan' 

Joseph  Burstyn  and  Arthur  Mayer, 
foreign  film  distributors,  have  com- 
pleted a  deal  for  the  booking  of 
"Paisan"  in  the  entire  Fox  West 
Coast  circuit,  Burstyn  announced  here. 
Deal  includes  first-run  showings  in  80 
Fox  Southern  California  houses,  it 
was  said.  The  Italian  film  is  now  in 
its  43rd  week  at  the  World  Theatre 
here. 


Purdue  University 
To  Honor  Disney 

Indianapolis,  Jan.  12. — Walt  Disney 
and  a  group  from  Hollywood  wil  at- 
tend a  double  premiere  of  his  "So  Dear 
to  My  Heart"  in  Indianapolis  on  Sat- 
urday. Disney  will  be  presented  with  an 
"Award  of  Merit"  in  connection  with  a 
showing  of  the  film  at  Purdue  Univer- 
sity at  Lafayette  on  Saturday,  Jan.  IS. 
He  also  will  be  made  an  honorary 
alumnus  of  Purdue  in  recognition  of 
his  "contribution  to  American  life  and 
art  through  films  and  his  understand- 
ing treatment  of  Indiana  life"  in  "So 
Dear  to  My  Heart."  The  party  then 
will  come  to  Indianapolis  for  a  series 
of  events  culminating  in  the  public 
premiere  at  the  Indiana  Theatre  on 
Jan.  19. 

Proceeds  of  the  showing  at  Purdue 
will  go  to  a  Walt  Disney  scholarship 
fund  for  the  University. 


FabianHeadsMPA  Group 

Si  Fabian,  head  of  Fabian  Theatres, 
will  serve  as  chairman  of  the  arrange- 
ments committee  for  the  installation- 
luncheon  of  the  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciates to  be  held  at  the  Hotel  Astor 
here  on  Jan.  25.  Max  A.  Cohen,  head 
of  Cinema  Circuit,  will  be  inducted  as 
president  of  the  MPA  at  the  luncheon. 
Organization's  board  will  meet  here 
today  to  plan  the  affair. 


N.  E.  Owners  Name  Five 

Boston,  Jan.  12. — Lesley  Bendsley, 
Leonard  Goldberg,  Walter  Mitchell, 
Francis  Perry  and  Francis  Lydon 
have  been  appointed  to  the  nominat- 
ing committee  which  will  select  a  new 
slate  of  officers  for  the  Independent 
Exhibitors  of  New  England  whose 
annual  election  will  be  held  on 
Feb.  8. 


Scophony  Decree 


{Continued  from  page  1) 

ing  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  tele- 
vision equipment  embodying  patents 
and  processes  developed  by  the  Brit- 
ish corporation.  The  patents  and  proc- 
esses cover  what  is  known  as  the 
"supersonic"  and  "skiatron"  systems 
of  video  transmission  and  involve  re-' 
ception  in  homes,  motion  picture  thea- 
tres and  elsewhere. 

Settled  also  was  a  cross-claims  ac- 
tion in  which  Scophony  of  America 
asked  damages  of  $1,500,000  from  its 
co-defendants  and  in  which  Arthur 
Levey,  president  of  U.  S.  Scophony, 
claimed  personal  damages  of  $270,000 
allegedly  due  him  under  a  five-year 
employment  agreement. 

Stock  to  Levey 

Paramount  Television,  which  had 
340  'B'  shares  of  Scophony  Corp.,  and 
General  Precision,  which  had  660 
shares  of  'B,'  have  indorsed  the  stock 
over  to  Levey.  Paramount  and  Gen- 
eral Precision  have  obtained  non-ex- 
clusive Scophony  patent  licenses  on  a 
credit  basis  against  earned  royalties 
of  $130,000  which  is  the  amount  both 
companies  originally  had  in  Scophony. 

General  Precision  had  invested 
about  $86,000  in  Scophony  for  which 
it  obtained  exclusive  use  of  Scophony 
patents  for  motion  picture  television 
systems  and  others  employing  use  of 
receiver  image  screens  of  five  feet  in 
width  and  over.  Paramount  shared 
with  General  Precision  patents  involv- 
ing any  smaller  screens,  through  its 
investment  of  about  $43,000. 

Levey  said  yesterday  that  General 
Precision  and  Paramount  have  agreed 
to  pay  $10,000  each  toward  his  legal 
fees.  He  estimated  that  legal  costs 
incurred  by  all  parties  to  the  suit  were 
in  the  neighborhood  of  $600,000. 

Czechoslovakian  Syndicate 

Of  the  1,000  'A'  shares  of  Scophony 
of  America,  Levey  said  that  he  owns 
125,  that  Scophony,  Ltd.,  owns  625 
and  the  remaining  250  are  held  by  a 
Czechoslovakian  syndicate  which  was 
formed  in  England.  Levey  said  that 
he  is  now  negotiating  the  purchase  of 
these  outstanding  shares. 

Scophony,  Ltd.,  holding  Eastern 
Hemisphere  rights,  which  has  refused 
to  file  answers  to  the  Government's 
cartel  charges  in  the  case,  will  con- 
tinue as  a  defendant.  Government  at- 
torneys here  yesterday  said  that  they 
will  endeavor  to  have  that  company 
bound  by  provisions  of  the  decree. 
Levey  said  that  he  will  continue  to 
press  his  action  for  alleged  damages 
against  Scophony,  Ltd. 

The  complaint  in  the  overall  action 
further  charged  that  General  Precision 
and  Paramount  Television  refused  to 
exploit  the  Scophony  patents  and 
processes  themselves  and  kept  Sco- 
sphony  of  America  from  exploiting 
them.  These  charges  were  denied  on 
all  counts  by  the  defendants. 

Scophony  of  America  is  now  di- 
rected to  license  to  any  applicant  all 
of  the  patents  in  the  television  field 
which  it  now  owns. 


SDG  in  Relief  Fund  Hike 

Hollywood,  Jan.  12. — Screen  Direc- 
tors Guild  Board  today  unanimously 
voted  to  recommend  to  the  member- 
ship that  each  member  individually  in- 
crease his  salary  deduction  for  the 
Motion  Picture  Relief  Fund  from  one- 
half  to  one  per  cent.  Similar  action 
was  taken  recently  by  Screen  Actors 
Guild.  It  is  believed  that,  all  guilds 
and  unions  here  will  do  likewise. 


Argentina,  Spain 
Swap  25  Yearly 


Washington,  Jan.  12. — Argentina 
and  Spain  have  agreed  to  exchange 
25  features  annually  and  Spanish  pic- 
tures in  Argentina  will  be  exempt 
from  all  taxes  and  other  burdens  to 
which  other  foreign  pictures  are  sub- 
ject, the  U.  S.  Commerce  Depart- 
ment reports.  Argentine  films  will 
get  the  same  treatment  in  Spain  that 
Argentina  will  give  Spanish  films. 

The  fact  that  Argentina  and  Spain 
had  signed  a  film  agreement  had  been 
known,  but  the  details  had  not  been 
divulged. 

Commerce  also  reports  that  a  regu- 
lation issued  recently  by  the  Argen- 
tine Secretariat  of  Commerce  and  In- 
dustry requires  that  all  importers, 
producers  and  other  branches  of  the 
film  industry  register  their  raw  stock. 
"This  regulation  seems  to  indicate  a 
severe  shortage  of  raw  stock  film  in 
Argentina  as  a  result  of  exchange 
controls,"  the  Department  notes. 


SRO  -  E-L  Deal 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


arate  entities  along  the  lines  of 
their  previous  operations,  the 
idea  behind  further  conversa- 
tions being  the  hope  that  the 
two  distributing  companies  may 
collaborate  toward  mutual  ef- 
ficiencies and  greater  volume  of 
selling." 

Eagle-Lion  will  immediately  re-re- 
lease nine  Selznick  pictures :  "Since 
You  Went  Away,"  "Spellbound," 
"I'll  Be  Seeing  You,"  "Rebecca," 
"Intermezzo,"  "The  Prisoner  of 
Zenda,"  "Garden  of  Allah,"  "Adven- 
tures of  Tom  Sawyer"  and  "A  Bill 
of  Divorcement." 

Eagle-Lion  will  also  take  over  the 
selling  of  additional  accounts  and  re- 
bookings on  two  Selznick  pictures : 
"Duel  in  the  Sun"  and  "The  Para- 
dine  Case." 

The  Selznick  Organization  will  con- 
tinue to  function  as  heretofore,  pro- 
ceeding with  the  distribution  of  the 
new  Selznick  production,  "Portrait  of 
Jennie,"  as  well  as  "The  Fallen 
Idol,"  British. 

Selznick  releases  to  follow  will  in- 
clude "The  Third  Man,"  produced 
and  directed  by  Carol  Reed,  and  the 
Powell  and  Pressburger  production  of 
"Gone  to  Earth." 

Participants  in  the  discussions  to 
date  have  include  Serge  Semenenko 
of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Bos- 
ton, Krim,  Robert  S.  Benjamin  and 
Robert  Purcell  for  Eagle-Lion,  and 
in  addition  to  Selznick,  •  O'Shea  and 
Ernest  L.  Scanlon  for  the  Selznick 
companies. 


MEMBER   FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


FEG  MURRAY* 
HAS  SWITCHED 
TO  "FAMILY 
HONEYMOON" 

I  considered  Theodora  Goes 
Wild'  the  funniest  picture  of 
all  time...until  I  saw  Claudette 
Colbert  and  Fred  Mac  Murray 
in  FAMILY  HONEYMOON  " 

Noted  cartoonist  of  "Seein  Stars" 
for  King  Features  Service 


MOTION  PICTURE  >IRST 


See  Para.-U.S.  IN.Y.  Theatres 
Agreement  on  Plan  Fight 
Decree  Near  On  Legislation 


More  Home  Office  Men 
Join  in  D.  C.  Talks 

Washington,  Jan.  13.  —  Para- 
mount officials  and  the  Department 
of  Justice  went  into  their  third 
consecutive  day  of  negotiations  here 
today  with  indications  that  the  com- 
pany is  near  an  agreement  on  a  con- 
sent decree  settlement  of  its  part  m 
the  industry  anti-trust  suit. 

Under  the  decree,  Paramount  would 
be  divided  into  two  separate  compa- 
nies independent  of  each  other,  one 
to  operate  theatres  and  the  other  to 
engage  in  production  and  distribution. 

On  Tuesday,  Leonard  Goldenson, 
-  (Continued  on  page  4) 

US  Wai^TGriffith 
Records  Since  1939 


INCOME  OF  7  FIRMS 
OFF  ONLY  6i%:  U.S. 


A  four-point  program  to  combat 
the  imposition  of  local  amusement 
taxes  and  other  adverse  legislation 
in  New  York  State  was  urged  yes- 
terday at  a  meeting  of  exhibitors  and 
exhibitor  organizations  at  the  St. 
Moritz  Hotel. 

Called  by  the  Metropolitan  Motion 
Picture  Theatres  Association  and  at- 
tended by  circuit  operators  and  execu- 
tives, and  representatives  of  the  The- 
atre Owners  of  America,  the  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  Association, 
and  up-state  exhibitor  representatives 
the  discussed  program,  upon  which 
no  final  action  was  taken,  would 
have: 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Washington,  Jan.  13.— Govern 
ment  has  subpoenaed  the  Griffith  de 
fendants  in  the  U.  S.  anti-trust  action 
to  produce  all  contracts  between  them 
and  distributors  since  1939,  indicat- 
ing the  government's  intention  of 
bringing  all  records  in  the  case  up  to 
date.  Subpoenas  are  returnable  on 
Jan.  18. 

Meanwhile  government  attorneys 
are  moving  from  here  to  Oklahoma 
City  for  the  Griffith  case  and  to  Buf- 
falo for  further  proceedings  in  the 
suit  against  Schine  Theatres. 

Harold  Larsen  will  leave  tonight 
and  Allan  Coker  and  Philip  Marcus 
will  leave  tomorrow,  all  for  Buffalo, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 

Loew's,  Moss  Near 
Deal  for  Criterion 


Furst  Named  Head  of 
NYFilmTradeBoard 

Nat  Furst,  Monogram  branch  man- 
ager here,  has  been  installed  as  presi- 
uent  of  the  New  York  Film  Board, 
succeeding  Clarence  Eiseman,  Warner 
district  manager,  who  has  become  ser- 
geant-at-arms.  Jack  Ellis  originally 
had  been  slated  for  the  top  post  but 
became  disqualified  when  he  left  Unit- 
ed Artists  to  enter  distribution  on  his 

own.  ,„.„. 

Other  new  officers  are:  William 
Murphy,  Republic,  first  vice-president ; 
Myron  Satler,  Paramount,  second 
vice-president;  Saul  Trauner,  Colum- 
bia, treasurer,  and  Robert  J.  Fannon, 
Republic,  secretary.  Installations 
were  held  at  the  home  of  Louis  Nizer, 
counsel  for  the  board. 


Alice  Gorham  Wins 
QP  Quarterly  Award 

Alice  Gorham,  director  of 
advertising-publicity  for  Unit- 
ed Detroit  Theatres,  is  named 
the  winner  in  the  fourth 
quarter  of  the  Quigley  Awards 
for  1948,  for  displaying  the 
best  examples  of  showman- 
ship. 

Scrolls  of  Honor  went  to 
the  following  seven  runners- 
up:  W.  T.  Hastings,  Orpheum 
Theatre,  Denver;  Mildred 
FitzGibbons,  Roosevelt  The- 
atre, Flushing,  L.  I.;  Rudy 
Koutnik,  Palace,  Milwaukee; 
Harry  Wiener,  Smalley's 
Johnstown,  N.  Y.;  Robert  W. 
Case,  Walter  Reade  Theatres, 
Kingston,  N.  Y.;  Bill  Brown, 
Loew's  Poli,  New  Haven;  Del- 
mar  Sherrill,  Playhouse, 
Statesville,  N.  C. 


Third  Quarter  Gross  Was 
$137  Million,  Against 
$147  Million  a  Year  Ago 

Washington,  Jan.  13.— Despite 
"bad  business"  talk  in  and  out  of 
the  industry  sales  of  seven  com- 
panies during  the  third  quarter  of 
1948  dropped  only  six-and-a-half  per 
cent  below  the  same  quarter  of  1947. 
The  Securities  and  Exchange 
Commission  reported  today  a 
total  of  $137,390,000  in  sales  for 
the   seven   companies   for  the 
third   quarter,   compared  with 
$145,253,000  for  the  second  quar- 
ter of  1948  and  $147,436,000  for 
the  third  quarter  of  1947. 
The  seven  companies  listed  in  the 
Commission's  report  were:  Columbia, 
Monogram,    RKO,     Republic,  20th 
Century-Fox,  Universal  and  Warner. 
Loew's  was  not  included  in  the  total 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Ascap  Legislation 
Not  Needed:  Celler 


Loew's  will  sell  its  50  per  cent  in- 
terest in  the  Criterion,  Broadway 
first-run  here,  to  B.  S.  Moss,  circuit 
operator,  who  now  holds  the  other 
50  per  cent,  under  a  deal  believed  to 
be  in  the  final  stages  of  negotiation. 
Sale  of  its  stock  in  the  Criterion  will 
leave  Loew's  with  two  New  York 
"show-cases,"  the  Capitol,  the  owner- 
ship of  which  it  shares  with  Messmore 
Kendall,  and  Loew's  State.  Lease  on 
the  Criterion  has  29  years  to  run. 
Until  last  year,  Loew's  had  four 
houses  in  the  Times  Square  area,  the 
fourth  being  the  Mayfair,  which  is 
now  operated  by  the  Brandt  Theatres 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Washington,  Jan.  13.  —  Rep. 
Emanuel  Celler,  long-time  foe  of  As- 
cap and  new  chairman  of  the  House 
Judiciary  Committee  which  handles 
Ascap  legislation,  said  that  he  can  see 
no  reason  for  any  anti-Ascap  legisla- 
tion "so  long  as  Judge  LeibeU's  deci- 
sion remains  on  the  books." 

The  Brooklyn  Democrat  said  that 
the  decision  in  the  action  sought  by 
members  of  the  New  York  Indepen- 
dent Theatre  Owners  Association 
was  "so  sweeping  it  doesn't  leave  us 
anything  to  do  here."  He  indicated 
that  another  look  might  be  required 
at  the  situation  if  the  Leibell  decision 
should  be  weakened  on  appeal. 


D.  of  J.  to  Move  in 
On  Scophony,  Ltd. 

Washington,  Jan.  13— Justice  De 
partment  officials  indicated  today  they 
plan  to  move  quickly  to  get  a  default 
judgment  against  British  Scophony, 
Ltd.,  -thus  tying  up  the  only  loose  end 
remaining  in  the  government's  anti- 
trust suit  against  the  various  Sco- 
phony interests. 

Consent  judgments  were  entered 
yesterday  against  Paramount  Televi- 
sion Productions,  Inc.,  General  Pre- 
cision Equipment  Corp.,  and  Scophony 
Corp.  of  America. 

An  anti-trust  division  spokesman 
said  the  British  firm  would  be  given 
a  "very  brief  time"  to  indicate  wheth- 
ed  it  was  finally  willing  to  agree  to  a 
similar  consent  judgment,  and  if 
nothing  were  heard  very  soon,  Justice 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Newbery  Head  of 
Republic  in  Europe 

Charles  Bruce  Newbery  has  been 
named  vice-president  and  sales  super- 
visor of  the  United  Kingdom  and  Con- 
tinental Europe  by  Richard  W.  Alt- 
schuler,  president  of  Republic  Pic- 
tures International  Corp.  Newbery 
was  formerly  supervisor  of  Australia, 
New  Zealand,  Africa,  the  Middle  East 
and  Far  East  territories. 

Republic  has  not  had  a  sales  super- 
visor in  Europe  since  before  the  war. 

John  Clement,  previously  at  the 
New  York  office,  will  be  Newbery's 
assistant. 


U.K.  Inquiry  Hears 
Rank,  Baker,  Jarratt 

London,  Jan.  13.— Lord  Portal's 
government  committee  to  inquire  into 
industry  operations  held  its  first  meet- 
ing here  today  for  the  purpose  of 
hearing  testimony. 

J.  Arthur  Rank,  representing  the 
Producers  Association ;  Reginald 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


L.  B.  Mayer  Leads 
'48  Salary  Roster 

Washington,  Jan.  13.— Louis 
B.  Mayer,  film  producer,  heads 
the  industry's  high-salary  list 
for  1948  so  far,  with  earnings 
of  $733,074  from  Loew's,  ac- 
cording to  the  Securities  and 
Exchange  Commission  today. 

Bette  Davis  tops  all  screen 
stars  to  date  with  a  1948  pay 
check  of  $364,000  from  War- 
ner Brothers.  Frank  Sinatra, 
leads  male  actors  with  $325,- 
833  from  Loew's. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  14,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

ARTHUR      H.  LOCKWOOD, 
president  of  Theatre  Owners  of 
America,  will  be  in  New  York  from 
Boston  on  Monday  and  Tuesday. 
• 

Edward  L.  Hyman,  vice-president 
of  Paramount  Theatres  Service  Corp., 
and  Max  Fellerman,  Paramount 
Theatres  executive,  have  returned 
here  from  Ohio. 

• 

Barbara  Danziger,  daughter  of 
Henry  Danziger,  New  York  Film 
Board  of  Trade  executive,  and  Mar- 
vin Schwartz,  will  be  married  in 
Brooklyn  on  Jan.  22! 

• 

Syd  Gross,  assistant  director  of  ad 
vertising-publicity  for  Film  Classics, 
will  leave  here  by  plane  today  for 
Denver  and  points  West. 

• 

Frank  Stang,  manager  of  the 
Mayfair  Theatre,  Baltimore,  will  cele- 
brate his  12th  wedding  anniversary 
tomorrow. 

• 

William  Dieterle,  Paramount  di- 
rector, arrived  in  New  York  yester- 
day from  Lisbon. 

• 

Morey  Goldstein,  vice-president  of 
Monogram-Allied  Artists,  is  in  New 
Haven  today  from  New  York. 


Women  Leader  Urges 
Boycott  of  Hayworth 

Chicago,  Jan.  13. — A  boycott  of 
future  Rita  Hayworth  films  has  been 
threatened  by  Mrs.  Joseph  R.  Chesser, 
president  of  the  Better  Films  Council 
of  Chicago  and  motion  picture  chair- 
man of  the  General  Federation  of 
Women's  Clubs,  who,  in  a  statement 
today,  criticized  the  star's  travels 
around  the  .  world  with  Ali  Khan, 
wealthy  Indian  potentate. 

Mrs.  Chesser  added,  however,  that 
she  did  not  think  any  of  Miss  Hay- 
worth's  previous  films  should  be  boy- 
cotted because  "it  wouldn't  be  fair  to 
her  studio,  Columbia."  The  Federa- 
tion has  a  membership  of  5,000,000 
women  in  the  U.  S. 


Sen.  Capehart  Pays 
Tribute  to  Disney 

Washington,  Jan.  13. — Sen.  Hom- 
er Capehart,  Indiana  Republican,  to- 
day paid  tribute  to  Walt  Disney  on 
the  Senate  floor. 

Pointing  out  that  Disney  will  re- 
ceive on  Saturday  Purdue  University's 
"Distinguished  Service  Award"  and 
be  named  an  honorary  member  of  its 
Alumni  Association,  Capehart  said 
that  Disney  "epitomizes  the  creative 
spirit  which  has  made  America  great." 


Lawson  in  UK  Films  Pitch 

Toronto,  Jan.  13. — Canada  must 
support  British  films  to  help  Britain 
out  of  her  economic  difficulties,  J.  Earl 
Lawson,  president  of  the  J.  Arthur 
Rank  Canadian  Organization,  said 
here  today  in  an  address  before  a  shoe 
manufacturers'  association  gathering. 
Plenty  of  British  product  is  already 
here  for  showing,  he  reminded  his 
audience. 


Shartin  Wins  F.C.'s 
Bernhard  Drive 

B.  G.  Kranze,  sales  vice-president  of 
Film  Classics,  Inc.,  yesterday  report- 
ed the  following  winners  in  the  recent 
18-week  "Joseph  Bernhard  Sales 
Drive" : 

First  prize,  $1,800,  to  the  Seattle 
exchange,  of  which  William  Shartin 
is  branch  manager;  other  winners 
were:  George  Lefko,  Detroit,  $1,300; 
Portland,  $1,100;  Milton  Dureau, 
New  Orleans,  $900;  B.  A.  Slaughter, 
Jr.,  Charlotte,  $700;  Norman  Col- 
quohon,  Dallas,  $500;  Leavitt  Bugie, 
Cincinnati,  $400;  R.  M.  Hammond, 
Jr.,  Memphis,  $300,  and  a  special  divi- 
sion manager's  award  of  $500,  to  Jake 
Lutzer,  head  of  the  Southern  division. 


MTOA  To  Host  TO  A 

Washington,  Jan.  13. — The  Wash- 
ington Metropolitan  Theatre  Owners 
Association  will  be  host  to  officers 
and  directors  of  the  Theatre  Owners 
of  America  at  a  cocktail  party  on 
Jan.  28,  first  day  of  TOA's  two-day 
board  meet,  according  to  A.  Julian 
Brylawski,  president  of  the  local 
MTOA. 


'Realistic'  Films  Are 
Wanted:  Brecher 

The  public  may  no  longer  have  the 
"wallet-hysteria"  of  the  war  days,  but 
they  will  respond  to  pictures  that  are 
realistic  and  about  believable  people, 
Irving  Brecher,  independent  producer 
with  Universal-International,  ob- 
served here  yesterday.  Brecher  has 
just  produced  "Life  of  Riley"  for  U-I. 
He  set  up  Brecher  Productions,  Inc., 
to  make  the  picture,  which  he  said 
was  financed  by  U-I. 

Brecher  disclosed  that  under  his 
"deferred-fee"  arrangement  with  U-I, 
he  will  not  get  his  salary  until  after 
U-I  gets- back  its  costs.  Brecher,  who 
wrote,  directed  and  produced  the  pic- 
ture, "Life  of  Riley,"  which  stars  Wil- 
liam Bendix,  said  the  picture  will  open 
March  4  in  Cincinnati  and  will  be  fol- 
lowed by  100  day-and-date  openings. 

Brecher  asserted  that  if  independent 
units  have  a  proper  set-up  and  a  good 
picture  prospect,  they  can  get  loans 
from  the  banks.  A  major  problem  fac- 
ing producers  today,  he  said,  is  to 
"reduce  costs  without  reducing  qual- 
ity." 

Brecher  bemoaned  the  fact  that  ex- 
hibitors do  not  take  advantage  of 
trade  screenings. 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL— a 

Rockefeller  Center  i 

"WORDS  AND  MUSIC" 

JUNE     ALLYSON        .       PERRY  COMO 
JUDY    GARLAND        .        LENA  HORNE 
GENE    KELLY       .       MICKEY  ROONEY 
ANN  SOTHERN 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 
A   Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
THE  GREAT  HOLIDAY  STAGE  SHOW 


lOKltl  ML... 

YOUNG  CUMMINGS 

m  HAL  WALLIS'  production 

J     J         A  Paramount  Picture 


Wells  Quits  CMPDA  Post 

Toronto,  Jan.  13.— E.  H.  Wells  has 
resigned  as  secretary-treasurer  of  the 
Canadian  Motion  Picture  Distributors 
Association,  effective  March  1.  Im- 
mediately thereafter  he  will  make  a 
vacation  tour  of  the  U.  S.  and 
England. 


It  Is  a  Bit  Smudged 

Hollywood,  Jan.  13. — Direc- 
tor George  Sidney  insists  he 
knows  an  Indian  bit  player 
who  saw  the  smoke  from  the 
c range  groves  the  other  day, 
lit  a  fire,  got  a  blanket  and 
broke  his  arm  trying  to  an- 
swer the  smudge  pots. 

Citrus  growers,  faced  with 
millions  in  losses  because  of 
the  record  low  temperatures 
in  Southern  California,  fail  to 
recognize  the  humor. 


WB  Cameras  To  Roll 

Hollywood,  Jan.  13.— Warner  pro- 
duction hiatus,  now  in  the  third 
month,  will  end  the  first  week  in  Feb- 
ruary with  the  start  of  shooting  on 
"Octopus  and  Miss  Smith,"  Jack 
Warner  has  announced. 


Talent  Unions  Start 
New  TV  Talks  Here 

Screen  Actors  Guild  officials  John 
Dales,  Jr.,  and  Kenneth  Thomson  are 
due  to  arrive  in  New  York  today 
from  Hollywood  for  a  series  of  con- 
ferences with  leaders  of  Eastern  talent 
unions,  looking  toward  an  agreement 
on  the  joint  administration  of  talent 
in  the  television  field,  it  was  disclosed 
yesterday  by  Florence  Marsten, 
SAG's  Eastern  representative. 

Conferences  will  run  through  next 
week. 


To  Reissue  'Yankees' 

RKO  will  reissue  in  April  Samuel 
Goldwyn's  "Pride  of  the  Yankees,"  a 
1942  production  starring  Gary  Coop- 
er and  Teresa  Wright.  It  has  not 
been  decided  whether  it  will  be  re 
leased  with  another  picture  as  a  dou 
ble  feature  program. 


McCraw  to  Albany 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  13.— Col.  Wil 
Ham  McCraw,  executive  secretary  of 
National  Variety  Clubs,  will  arrive 
here  Monday  in  the  interest  of  "Bad 
Boy,"  Monogram  film  dramatizing  the 
the  work  of  the  Dallas  tent. 


Howard  Services  Today 

Funeral  services  will  be  held  this 
afternoon  at  Riverside  Memorial 
Chapel  here  for  Willie  Howard,  65, 
stage  and  onetime  film  comedian,  who 
died  on  Wednesday  at  New  York 
Polyclinic  Hospital. 


Jack  Gross'  Mother 

Hollywood,  Jan.  13.— Funeral  serv- 
ices were  held  here  today  for  Mrs. 
Pauline  Gross,  64,  mother  of  producer 
Jack  Gross,  who  died  yesterday  of  a 
heart  ailment  following  a  week's  ill- 
ness. 


MOT  'On  Stage'  Preview 

A  special  screening  and  reception 
was  held  by  March  of  Time  at  the 
Time  &  Life  Building  here  yesterday 
for  its  latest  release,  "On  Stage."  At- 
tending were  representatives  of  press, 
screen  and  radio.  Marjorie  Harker, 
MOT  publicist,  was  in  charge  of  ar- 
rangements. 


' Blimp'  Up  Again  in  Feb. 

Washington,  Jan.  13.— Hearing  of 
Federal  Trade  Commission  charges 
against  United  Artists  of  misleading 
advertising  in  connection  with  the  pic- 
ture "Colonel  Blimp"  will  be  resumed 
here  in  mid-February,  the  date  to  be 
set  whenever  Edward  C.  Raftery, 
U.A.  counsel,  is  available. 


Samuel  Goldwyn  presents 

"ENCHANTMENT" 

Starring 

DAVID  NIVEN  TERESA  WRIGHT 

EVELYN  KEYES  FARLEY  GRANGER 

Released  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 

ASTOR  THEATER 

Broadway  &  45th  Street 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

THE  RED  SHOES' 


Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER,  Weft%%^dway 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


r 


DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK  presents  ' 

OLIVIA  de  HAYILLAND  I 


the  Snake  Pit 


■ Directed  by  Produced  by  Of\  I 

ANATOli  UTVAK  •  ANATOLE  UTVAK  S  ROBERT  BASSLER  £)sC  I 


Kivoli 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COlO*  B/  TECHNICOLOR  *  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 


i  with  JOSE  FERRER.  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  ■  J  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BOND 
1  SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  ■  HURD  HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHAR1  ■  JOHN  EMERY 
!  GEORGE  COULOURIS  •  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY 

based  upon  the  stage  play  'Joan  ol  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
icreen  ploy  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  ond  ANDREW  SOLT  •  art  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  .  direclor  of  pholo8'aphy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  fay  VICTOR  FLEMING 


y  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc. 


}  RADIO  PICTURES 


/#*\rVEEK!; 


JOHN  WAYNE 
GAIL  RUSSELL 

'WAKE  OF  THE  RED  WITCH' 

A  Republic  Picture 

BRANDTS  MA  Y  FAIR 
7th  AVE.  &  47th  ST. 


TYRONE  POWER 


GENE  TIERNEY 


"THAT  WONDERFUL  URGE" 

Twentieth  Century  -  Fox  Picture 
ON  THE  ICE  STAGE 
BARBARA  ANN  SCOTT 
In  Winter  Carnival 
ON  STAGE— Ming  &  Ling— 
Harold  Barnes — Gordon  Goodman 

ROXY  thAve& 


50th  St. 


      —uls«:y,  x-resiaenr    Kea  J\ann,  v  lce-rresiaent;  martin  Uuieley.  Jr..  Vice-President-  Then   T  "Suli;-,,,,,  b      j    Z     j  ^  f      t  V,    j    *&   ' 

James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manage"  Gu  f  H '  Fausel,  V^^oI^d^^J^n  ^v  T^aS%er-;„Leo  W^^w*^ 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley  AdvSS?  Reo^^te^•3^2l?TaS•  YTAV-nf  Riding  William  R.  Weaver, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  dub,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  W S Zmup KTr^L^M^?1  Representative.  Washington 
Other  Qnigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres' and  Theatre  Sales,  ^act  publUhe T  every  &^k*  a.  a  "ectiof  oTiStio^  Pfctn«  H^^K^tiSk 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York  N  V  „„L  4fJ .  I°»  °t  m  S  ,  ,«o  c  £  •  '  .J-nte™atIona' 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c.  '  U  der  the  act  of  March  3-  1879"   Subscription  rates  per 


■       lfe  tylwie,  ^ 


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4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  14,  1949 


Income  of  7 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


since  1947  figures  for  the  company  are 
not  comparable  to  1948  figures.  No 
figures  at  all  were  given  for  Para- 
mount. 

Company  -  by  -  company  figures  for 
the  third  quarter  of  1948,  with  com- 
parable figures  for  the  second  quarter 
of  1948  and  the  third  quarter  of  1947 : 

Columbia:  $8,668,000  (second  quar- 
ter, for  the  period  beginning  March 
28  and  ending  June  30,  $9,046,000; 
third  quarter  1947,  $6,475,000). 

Monogram:  $2,491,000  (second 
quarter,  14  weeks  ending  July  31, 
$2,434,000;  third  quarter  1947,  $2,- 
176,000). 

RKO:  $26,500,000  (second  quarter, 
$28,682,000;  third  quarter  1947,  $28,- 
907,000). 

Republic:  $6,427,000  (second  quar- 
ter, $6,303,000;  third  quarter  1947, 
$7,524,000). 

Twentieth  Centufy-Fox:  $42,218,- 
000  (second  quarter,  $45,808,000; 
third  quarter  1947,  $44,689,000). 

Universal:  $12,086,000  (second 
quarter,    $14,899,000;    third  quarter 

1947,  $16,634,000). 

Warner:  $39,000,000  (second  quar- 
ter, $38,081,000;  third  quarter  1947, 
$41,031,000). 

Columbia  reported  that  the  gross 
income  of  its  foreign  subsidiaries 
amounted  to  $3,990,000  in  the  second 
quarter  of  1948  and  $3,781,000  in  the 
third  quarter  of  1947.  No  figure  was 
given  for  the  third  quarter  of  1948. 
RKO  reported  "net  amount  of  film 
earnings  of  subsidiaries  not  consoli- 
dated operating  in  foreign  territories" 
amounting  to  $3,379,000  in  the  third 
quarter  of  1948,  compared  with 
$4,856,000  in  the  second  quarter  of 

1948,  and  $3,606,000  in  the  third  quar- 
ter of  1947. 

The  SEC  noted  that  the  Warner 
figure  for  the  third  quarter  of  1948 
was  reported  as  "estimated  gross  in- 
come," while  the  figures  for  the  two 
earlier  quarters  were  reported  as 
"film  rentals,  theatre  admissions, 
sales,  etc.,  and  rents  from  tenants  and 
royalties." 

Loew's  reported  for  itself  and  its 
"wholly  owned  subsidiaries  consoli- 
dated" sales  of  $39,446,000  for  the 
third  quarter  of  1948,  compared  with 
$38,249,000  for  the  12  weeks  ending 
June  3,  1948.  No  figure  was  given 
for  1947. 

Eastman  Kodak  reported  sales  of 
$105,000,000  for  the  12  weeks  ending 
Sept.  4,  1948,  compared  with  $100,- 
000,000  for  the  12  weeks  ending  June 
12  of  that  year  and  $78,000,000  for  the 
comparable  12  weeks  in  1947.  Gen- 
eral Precision  Equipment  Corp.  had 
sales  of  $7,162,000  for  the  1948  third 
quarter,  compared  with  $6,682,000  for 
the  second  quarter  and  $6,726,000  for 
the  third  quarter  of  1947. 


Loew's,  Moss  Deal 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Moss  also  is  negotiating  for  RKO's 
50  per  cent  interest  in  the  Alden,  Ja- 
maica. Here  again  Moss  holds  the 
remaining  50  per  cent. 


Indict   Irwin  Franklin 

Chicago,  Jan.  13. — Irwin  Franklin, 
Midwest  representative  for  Artkino 
Films,  distributor  of  Russian  pictures, 
has  been  indicted  here  by  the  Fed- 
eral Grand  Jury  in  Judge  Philip 
Barnes'  District  Court,  for  failure  to 
register  as  an  alien  during  the  war 
and  for  posing  as  a  United  States 
citizen. 


Writers'  Television 
Group  Is  Formed 

Hollywood,  Jan.  13.  —  Writers' 
group  headed  by  Emmet  Lavery,  for- 
mer president  of  the  Screen  Writers' 
Guild,  has  incorporated  the  Writers' 
Theatre  for  Television,  promising 
authors  a  "long-range  licensing  pro- 
gram, with  sliding-scale  percentage 
payments,  including  maximum  partici- 
pation in  the  profits  of  WTT  in  addi- 
tion to  specific  earnings  of  individual 
■story  properties." 

Writers  will  receive  an  additional 
payment  for  every  station  using  their 
material  in  addiiton  to  the  primary 
station. 

Lavery  is  president,  John  Larkin 
and  Paul  Radin  are  vice-presidents, 
Jerry  Horwin  is  treasurer,  and  Allen 
Rivkin,  secretary. 


Para.  -  U.  S. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


vice-president  in  charge  of  theatres ; 
Robert  O'Brien,  Paramount  secretary, 
and  Walter  Gross,  theatre  department 
attorney,  opened  the  new  negotiations 
with  Herbert  Bergson,  head  of  the 
Department's  anti-trust  division,  and 
Robert  Wright,  trial  counsel  for  the 
government  in  the  case. 

Louis  Phillips,  also  a  home  office  at- 
torney active  in  the  case,  and  Edwin 
L.  Weisl,  corporate  director,  came 
here  yesterday  from  New  York  to 
join  in  the  discussions.  Phillips'  pres- 
ence here  is  seen  as  especially  signifi- 
cant since  he  primarily  concerns  him- 
self with  distribution  affairs.  The- in- 
ference is  that  theatre  issues  have 
been  resolved  to  the  extent  that  both 
sides  have  taken  up  distribution  prac- 
tices for  treatment  in  the  decree. 


D.  of  J.  to  Move  in 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


would  ask  the  New  York  District 
Court  to  order  the  British  firm  to  give 
up  its  holdings  in  American  Scophony 
and  to  obey  the  same  injunctive  pro- 
visions contained  in  yesterday's  con- 
sent judgment  as  regards  division  of 
world  markets. 

"British  Scophony  has  had  plenty 
of  time  to  indicate  whether  it's  going 
to  play  ball,"  this  official  said.  "We're 
going  to  move  pretty  fast." 


Griffith  Records 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


where  on  Tuesday  Federal  Judge 
Knight  will  decide  whether  Schine 
will  be  allowed  to  introduce  new  evi- 
dence in  its  case. 

Milton  Kallis  will  leave  tonight  and 
George  Wise  will  leave  on  Monday 
for  Oklahoma  City  to  continue  the 
presentation  of  new  evidence  in  the 
Griffith  case. 


N.  Y.  Theatres 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


1.  A  full-time  representative  or 
committee  in  Albany  to  watch  for  any 
legislation  harmful  to  theatres  or  to 
the  industry. 

2.  An  all-out  promotional  campaign 
to  enlist  the  aid  of  the  film-going  pub- 
lic, primarily  through  the  use  of 
trailers  explaining,  first,  the  theatre's 
part  in  the  community,  and  second, 
the  effect  of  local  amusement  taxes  on 
the  public's  pocketbook. 

3.  A  drive  to  enlist  every  exhibitor 
in  the  state,  whether  affiliated  with  an 
exhibitor  organization  or  not,  in  the 
fight  against  adverse  legislation. 

4.  A  plan  for  the  immediate  groom- 
ing of  representatives  to  the  State 
legislature  who  would  fully  under- 
stand exhibitor  problems. 

On  this  last  point  Gael  Sullivan, 
executive  director  of  the  TOA,  point- 
ed out  that  in  several  states — Missis- 
sippi, Alabama,  Virginia,  Texas  and 
New  Mexico — legislators  who  know 
the  problems  of  exhibition  and  the 
harmful  effects  of  local  amusement 
taxation  have  been  extremely  helpful 
in  fighting  adverse  legislation  and  in 
turn  have  the  full  support  of  ex- 
hibitors in  their  states.  These  are  the 
kind  of  legislators  New  York  State 
needs,  he  said. 

"The  motion  picture  industry  has 
done  a  very  poor  job  in  getting  its 
importance  across  to  municipal  au- 
thorities," Sullivan  added. 

A  temporary  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  consolidate  the  plans  for 
action.  The  committee:  Fred  J. 
Schwartz  and  D.  John  Phillips  for 
MMPTA;  J.  Joshua  Goldberg  and 
Morton  Sunshine  for  the  ITOA,  and 
Harry  Lamont  and  Leonard  L.  Ro- 
senthal for  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
Albany  exchange  area.  Another  meet- 
ing is  planned  shortly. 

Turning  to  the  Binghamton,  N.  Y., 
tax  proposal,  which  would  have  put 
a  five  per  cent  levy  on  all  theatre  ad- 
missions but  which  was  vetoed  De- 
cember 21,  representatives  attending 
the  meeting  said  that  it  was  through 
no  effort  of  exhibitors  in  that  city 
that  the  proposed  levy  was  killed.  For 
the  most  part,  it  was  pointed  out,  ex- 
hibitors and  circuits  operating  the- 
atres there  refused  to  appear  at  tax 
hearings  and  fight  the  measure  for 
fear  of  raising  public  ire.  As  a  result 
the  threat  of  similar  taxation  in  cities 
near  Binghamton  is  now  more  pro- 
nounced. 

Leo  Brecher,  MMPTA  president, 
was  chairman  of  the  meeting.' 


Will  Let  Windsor  Look 

Washington,  Jan.  13.— Twentieth 
Century-Fox  and  the  Walbrook  Thea- 
tre will  not  oppose  the  Windsor  The- 
atre motion  to  examine  papers  in 
possession  of  20th-Fox  having  a  bear- 
ing on  the  current  litigation  involving 
the  three. 


Technicolor  Suit  Delay 

Los  Angeles,  Jan.  13.— Pre-trial 
conference  in  the  government's  anti- 
trust suit  against  Technicolor  has  been 
postponed  to  April  22  to  give  the  com- 
pany more  time  to  assemble  defense 
data. 


U.  K.  Inquiry 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Baker  of  Ealing  Studios,  and  Sir  Ar- 
thur Jarratt  of  British  Lion  were  the 
witnesses  who  appeared  at  the  closed 
hearing. 

The  producers  were  intent  upon 
telling  their  story  at  the  outset  of  the 
hearings  because  of  the  known  inclina- 
tions of  both  Socialist  members  of 
Parliament  and  members  of  Lord 
Portal's  committee  for  divorcement  of 
production  from  both  distribution  and 
exhibition. 

It  is  understood  that  today's  testi- 
mony was  intended  to  counter  that  of- 
ficial attitude.  In  addition,  it  is  known 
that  the  Producers'  Association 
planned  to  take  advantage  of  the  op- 
portunity afforded  by  the  inquiry  to 
protest  the  current  entertainment  tax 
in  the  hope  of  obtaining  a  reduction 
and  a  greater  share  of  the  box-office 
dollar. 


Action-packed 
|p  Spectacle 

ftllii 


A  rare  picture 
that  becomes 
part  of  your 
memories! 


The  ExntihgU/t... 
Lovei...and  Muuc... 
of  Ibt  Wartd't  Gru 


SUSPENSEWL  PRAM* 
of  13  Doomed  Men  in  a  Sunken  Sub! 

AMAZING! 


TRUE! 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  65.  NO.  11 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  MONDAY,  JANUARY  17,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Justice  Dept. 
Starts  New 
Ascap  Probe 

Would  Determine  If  '41 
Decree  Needs  Altering 


Department  of  Justice  will  begin 
an  immediate  investigation  of  the 
operations  of  the  American  Society 
of  Composers,  Authors  and  Publish- 
ers for  the  purpose  of  determining  to 
what  extent  its  decree  with  the  soci- 
ety, entered  into  in  1941,  should  be 
changed,  if  at  all,  in  view  of  Fed- 
eral Court  decisions  against  Ascap  in 
New  York  and  Minneapolis. 

This  was  disclosed  in  New  York 
Federal  Court  on  Friday  by  Harold 
Lasser,  government  attorney,  at  a 
hearing  of  a  motion  by  Ascap  member 
Abner  Greenberg  who  sought  revision 
of  the  decree  based  on  his  objections 
to  Ascap's  method  of  allocating  mem- 
bers' voting  power. 

Concurring  with  Lasser's  argument 
that  changes  in  any  such  decree  should 
be  the  province  of  the  U.  S.  Attorney 
{Continued  on  page  3) 


Loew'sReports 
1948  Profit 
Of  $5,309,659 


Net  income  of  Loew's,  Inc.,  after 
taxes  and  all  other  deductions  for 
the  year  ended  Aug.  31,  1948, 
amounted  to  $5,309,659,  including 
$1,097,267  of  Loew's  portion  of  the  net 
undistributed  income  of  partly-owned 
corporations.  Earnings  are  equivalent 
to  $1.03  per  share  on  5,142,615  com- 
mon shares  outstanding. 

Corresponding  net  income  for  the 
previous  year  was  $11,626,427,  includ- 
ing $1,093,736  of  Loew's  portion  of 
the  net  undistributed  income  of  partly- 
owned  corporations.  This  was  equi- 
valent to  $2.26  per  share  on  the  same 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


DIVESTITURE  IN 
PARA.-U.S.  DECREE 


Prewitt  Reelected 
Gulf  States  Head 


Brief  Field  Men  on 
'Brotherhood  Week' 


New  Orleans,  Jan.  16— The  board 
of  directors  of  Gulf  States  Allied,  in 
session  here,  unanimously  reelected 
W.  A.  Prewitt,  Jr.,  president,  re- 
elected Don  George  vice-president  and 
elected  F.  G.  Pratt,  Jr.,  treasurer  and 
Harold  Bailey  secretary.  Maurice  J. 
Artigues  remains  as  general  manager. 

In  a  wire  to  national  Allied  general 
counsel  Abram  F.  Myers  sent  imme- 
diately following  the  board  meeting, 
Prewitt  advised  him  that  Gulf  States 
Allied  had  unanimously  approved  the 
"Finneran  Plan"  for  disciplining  stars 
and  in  the  same  wire  expressed  agree- 
ment with  Allied' s  condemnation  of 
forced  percentage  pictures. 

Joseph  Resigns  As 
U-I's  Ad  Director 


Motion  pictures  and  theatres  pro 
vide  the*  best  means  of  carrying  to  the 
public  the  program  of  the  National 
Conference  of  Christians  &  Jews, 
sponsor  of  American  Brotherhood 
Week,  to  be  observed  Feb.  20  to  27, 
distribution  chairmen  for  the  indus- 
try's "Brotherhood  Week"  campaign 
told  branch  and  district  managers  of 
all  companies  and  exhibitor  _  co-chair 
men  at  meetings  held  on  Friday. 

"We  of  the  motion  picture  indus 
try  are  fortunate  that  millions  of  peo 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


$69,943,870,  Loew 
Film  Inventories 

In  its  annual  report  to 
stockholders,  Loew's  lists  film 
inventories  amounting  to 
$69,943,870,  which  covers  pro- 
ductions in  process,  com- 
pleted but  not  released  and 
others  released  but  less 
amortization.  Company  states 
that  it  expects  the  effect  of 
lower  cost-pictures  will  be 
reflected  in  the  current  fiscal 
year. 

A  total  of  $17,467,406  is  list- 
ed for  films  completed  but 
not  released. 


New   Theatre  Company 
Would  Have  to  Dispose 
Of    About   500  Houses 


Fight  on  FCC  Rules 
To  Start  Tomorrow 


Washington,  Jan.  16. — Paramount 
Pictures  this  week  will  strongly  op- 
pose rules  proposed  by  the  Federal 
Communications  Commission  to  limit 
the  number  of  television  stations  any 
one  firm  can  be  interested  in  or  con- 
trol. 

Oral  argument  on  the  proposed  rules 
will  open  tomorrow.  Warner  and  20th 
Century-Fox  are  not  taking  any  stand. 

The  proposed  rules  would  hold  any 
one  firm  to  a  maximum  of  five  stations 
controlled.  If  it  controlled  the  maxi- 
mum it  could  not  have  others. 


Theatre  divestiture,  in  addition  to 
the  separation  of  Paramount's  pro- 
duction-distribution operations  from 
theatre  operations,  will  be  provided 
for  in  any  consent  decree  agreement 
which  may  be  reached  by  the  company 
with  the  government. 

Substantial  progress  toward  an 
agreement  was  reported  here  at  the 
weekend  following  the  return  of  home 
office  executives  from  three  days  of 
conferences  with  Department  of  Jus- 
tice officials  in  Washington. 

Indications  are  that  further  meet- 
ings will  be  held  this  week  and  pos- 
sibly next,  with  the  talks  reaching  a 
final  stage  within  10  days. 

Under  the  agreement  being  dis- 
cussed, two  new  companies  would  be. 
set  up,  one  to  operate  Paramount's 
production  and  distribution,  the  second 
to  take  over  theatre  operation  inde- 
pendently. 

The  new  theatre  company  will  be 
subject  to  divestiture  agreements  af- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


John  Joseph  announced  through  the 
Universal-International  home  office  on 
Saturday  that  he  had  resigned  as  the 
company's  national  advertising-pub- 
licity director,  a  post  he  has  held  for 
1 1  years. 

Joseph  stated  that  he  had  no  new 
affiliation  in  view  and  that  he  would 
"check  off  the  lot"  sometime  within 
the  next  month. 


Average  Film  Cost  for 
Video  Is  $100  Per  Hour 


20th  -  Fox  'Collarites' 
Reaffirm  Sopeg  Shop 

In  an  NLRB  election  at  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox here  at  the  weekend,  the 
"white  collar"  employes  reaffirmed 
CIO's  Screen  Office  and  Professional 
Employes  Guild  as  their  collective 
bargaining  agent.  The  count  was  267 
for  SOPEG  and  46  for  no  union.  At 
20th  Century-Fox  International  the 
vote  was  33  for  SOPEG  and  seven 
for  no  union. 

SOPEG  was  the  only  union  to  ap- 
pear on  the  ballot. 

A  few  months  ago  there  were  indi- 
cations that  AFL's  IATSE  Motion 
Picture  Home  Office  Employes  Local 
No.  H-63  had  included  the  20th-Fox 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Washington,  Jan.  16.  — Per-hour 
costs  of  theatrical  film  for  television 
begin  somewhere  slightly  under  $75 
for  older  Hollywood  product  for  use 
in  smaller  cities,  and  go  up  to  several 
hundred  dollars  per  hour  in  larger 
markets  for  newer  features,  according 
to  a  survey  on  television  station  oper- 
ating costs  compiled  by  the  National 
Association  of  Broadcasters. 

A-  good  average  figure  is  $100  per 
hour,  the  NAB  says,  declaring  that 
the  price  of  theatrical  film  is  the  firm- 
est item  in  the  field  of  program  costs 
for  television  stations.  The  station 
costs  survey,  part  of  a  continuing 
study  being  made  by  the  NAB,  indi- 
cated that  a  later  separate  survey  will 
deal  solely  with  the  use  of  films  for 
video. 


OnlyCompanyHeads 
At  Miami  Meeting 


All  but  the  presidents  of  member 
companies  of  the  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociation of  America,  with  two  excep- 
tions, are  excluded  from  the  Miami 
meeting  with  Eric  A.  Johnston, 
MPAA  president,  set  for  tomorrow 
and  Wednesday.  Foreign  affairs  and 
industry  economies  are  tops  on  the 
agenda. 

At  least  part  of  the  two-day  session 
probably  will  be  held  at  the  Miami 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Johnston  Due  Here 
For  MPEA  Meeting 


Eric  Johnston,  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociation president,  is  due  here  today 
from  Washington  to  attend  a  meeting 
of  the  M.  P.  Export  Association._  He 
will  leave  here  tonight  for  Miami  by 
plane  to  preside  at  the  special  meet- 
ing of  MPAA  directors  there  tomor- 
row and  Wednesday. 

The  MPEA  meeting  today  is  sched- 
uled to  act  on  renewals  or  suspen- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  17,  1949 


Personal  Mention 


More  Support  for 
Ticket  Tax  Cut 


Washington,  Jan.  16.  —  Support 
continued  to  mount  at  the  weekend 
for  reduction  of  the  20  per  cent  admis- 
sions tax  to  the  pre-war  10  per  cent, 
along  with  removal  of  other  wartime 
excise  tax  increases,  but  the  chances 
still  are  that  the  fight  would  be  a 
losing  one. 

Rep.  Forand  (D.,  R.  I.)  and  a  top 
member  of  the  House  Ways  and 
Means  Committee,  which  handles  tax 
legislation,  said  he  would  press  for 
removal  of  all  wartime  excise  tax 
boosts.  Another  congressman,  Rep. 
Hagen  (R.,  Minn.),  introduced  a  bill 
to  cut  the  tax  back  to  10  per  cent, 
making  five  such  bills  to  date,  and 
Rep.  Havenner  (D.,  Cal.)  introduced 
a  bill  to  rernove  the  entire  20  per  cent 
admission  levy. 


Ohio  Among  1  st  with 
Statewide  Video 


Cincinnati,  Jan.  16. — Television  is 
expected  to  blanket  Ohio  by  next  July, 
when  12  stations,  eight  of  which  are 
presently  under  construction,  are 
scheduled  to  beam  programs  to  Ohio's 
estimated  50,000  receiving  sets.  Four 
stations  are  now  in  operation,  two  in 
Cleveland,  one  in  Cincinnati  and  one 
in  Toledo,  and  with  completion  of  the 
others,  Ohio  will  become  one  of  the 
first  states  in  the  nation  with  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  stations  to  provide 
statewide  video  reception. 

There  are  88  FM  stations  beaming 
programs  to  owners  of  an  estimated 
5,000,000  or  6,000,000  radios  in  the 
state. 

Columbus  Operators 
Win  Wage  Increases 

Columbus,  O.,  Jan.  16. — A  one-day 
walkout  which  closed  32  local  neigh- 
borhood theatres  here  ended  with  an 
agreement  under  which  operators  in 
"A"  theatres  will  receive  a  20  per  cent 
weekly  wage  boost  (to  $70,  from 
$59.50),  while  those  in  the  "B" 
bracket  have  been  given  a  10  per  cent 
raise  (to  $54,  from  $47). 

Downtown  theatr.es  and  several 
neighborhoods,  which  have  separate 
contracts  with  the  union,  were  not  af- 
fected by  the  walkout. 


Omaha  Colosseum  Elects 

Omaha,  Jan.  16. — Edward  Roster- 
mundt  of  United  Artists  has  been 
elected  chairman  of  the  Omaha  lodge 
of  the  Colosseum  of  Motion  Picture 
Salesmen  of  America.  Other  new  of- 
ficers include  Dave  Arthur,  vice- 
chairman  ;  Leon  Mendelson,  secretary^- 
treasurer ;  William  Barker,  sergeant- 
at-arms,  and  William  Wink,  Hymie 
Novitsky  and  Paul  Back,  directors. 


Huge  AA  Print  Order 

Hollywood,  Jan.  16. — The  largest 
print  order  ever  issued  by  Allied  Art- 
ists calls  for  525  prints  of  "Bad  Boy" 
to  service  43  openings  on  Feb.  22  and 
some  500  dates  the  following  week. 


C  AM  DEMBOW,  JR.,  will  leave 
^  here  on  Tuesday  for  Texas  and 
the  Coast. 

• 

Christy  Wilbert,  advertising  man- 
ager for  20th  Century-Fox,  will  leave 
New  York  today  for  a  two-week  va- 
cation. 

• 

Harry  Goldberg,  Warner  advertis- 
ing-publicity head,  left  here  over  the 
weekend  for  Pittsburgh,  Cleveland 
and  Albany. 

• 

Nat  Levy,  RKO  Radio  Eastern  di- 
vision sales  manager,  will  visit  In- 
dianapolis and  Detroit  this  week. 
• 

Roberto  Rossellini,  Italian  pro- 
ducer-director, is  due  to  arrive  here 
today  by  plane  from  Rome. 

• 

Jules  B.  Weill,  Masterpiece  Pro- 
ductions' president,  is  back  in  New 
York  from  the  Midwest. 

• 

L.  Jack  Schlaifer,  Eagle-Lion's 
general  sales  manager,  left  here  over 
the  weekend  for  Dallas. 

Special  Short  on 
N.  Y.  Critics  Awards 

A  special  five-minute  short  of  ex- 
cerpts from  the  prize-winning  films 
will  be  shown  at  Radio  City  Music 
Hall  Friday  night  at  the  ceremonies 
on  stage  attending  the  presentation  of 
the  1948  awards  of  the  New  York 
Film  Critics. 

The  film  will  contain  highlights 
from  "Treasure  of  Sierra  Madre," 
judged  best  picture  of  the  year  and 
the  film  for  which  John  Huston  won 
the  directorial  award;  "The  Snake 
Pit,"  for  which  Olivia  de  Havilland 
won  the  award  as  best  actress ;  "Ham- 
let," for  which  Laurence  Olivier  won 
the  award  as  best  actor,  and  "Paisan," 
judged  the  best  foreign  film. 


Operator  Union  Fund 
Now  Totals  $100,000 

Chicago,  Jan.  16.  —  Since  the  new 
labor-management  contract  between 
the  Chicago  Motion  Picture  Operators 
Union,  Local  No.  110,  and  372  thea- 
tres in  Chicago  went  into  effect  last 
Sept.  1,  the  union-employer  fund  has 
reached  nearly  $100,000,  Eugene  At- 
kinson, union  business  manager,  an- 
nounces. Under  the  contract,  the 
theatres  pay  an  amount  equal  to  10 
per  cent  of  the  operators'  gross  sal- 
aries to  the  operators'  benefit. 

Video  Film  Contract 
To  Be  Discussed 

The  uniform  television-film-exhibi- 
tion contract  will  be  the  main  topic  of 
discussion  at  the  1949  television  film 
conference  at  the  Biltmore  Hotel  here 
Jan.  24,  Irwin  A  Shane,  general  chair- 
man, has  announced. 

Melvin  L.  Gold,  president  of  the 
National  Television  Film  Council, 
which  is  sponsoring  the  contract,  will 
introduce  the  topic  with  reports  from 
the  committees  which  have  been  at 
work  in  drafting  the  industry-wide 
film  agreement  since  July. 


TED  R.  GAMBLE,  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  America  board  chairman,  is 
scheduled  to  return  to  New  York  on 
Thursday  from  Portland,  Ore. 
• 

Jacques    Kopfstein,    Astor  Pic- 
tures'   executive    vice-president,  and 
Mrs.  Kopfstein  left  New  York  at  the 
weekend  for  a  Florida  vacation. 
• 

Fred  Jack,  Southern  district  man- 
ager for  United  Artists,  is  visiting- 
Florida  with  John  Bachman,  UA's 
Atlanta  branch  manager. 

• 

George  D.  Burrows,  executive  vice- 
president  of  Monogram  and  Allied 
Artists,  returned  to  Hollywood  at  the 
weekend  from  here. 

• 

Ed  Hinchy,  head  of  Warner's 
home  office  playdate  department,  has 
returned  to  New  York  from  Wash- 
ington. 

• 

John  P.  Byrne,  M-G-M's  Eastern 
sales  manager,  has  returned  to  New 
York  from  Boston. 


Academy  Awards  Is 
Switched  to  Theatre 

Hollywood,  Jan.  16. — The  board  of 
governors  of  the  Academy  of  Motion 
Picture  Arts  and  Sciences  has  can- 
celled plans  for  staging  the  annual 
awards  ceremonies  on  a  sound  stage 
at  Warner's  studio  and  has  announced 
presentations  will  take  place  at  the. 
Academy  Awards  Theatre  instead. 
The  shift  will  limit  attendance  to  the 
theatre's  950-seat  capacity,  but  the 
board  disclosed  it  will  give  the  Acad- 
emy greater  net  revenue  than  could 
have  been  realized  from  larger  turn- 
outs that  might  have  been  accommo- 
dated by  staging  the  event  at  the 
studio  with  a  banquet  feature,  or  at 
the  Shrine  Auditorium  as  in  the  past 
two  years. 

Only  award  nominees,  the  press,  and 
personnel  conducting  the  ceremonies 
will  be  admitted  to  the  theatre.  The 
radio  broadcast  and  entertainment 
program  remain  as  previously  an- 
nounced. 

Marked  Increase  in 
Canadian  Imports 

Ottawa,  Jan.  16.  —  Imports  of 
films  into  Canada  advanced  to  $331,- 
000  in  October  compared  with 
$273,000  in  the  same  month  of  the 
preceding  year  and  totalled  $3,055,000 
in  the  first  10  months  of  1948  against 
$2,392,000  in  the  corresponding  period 
of  the  previous  year,  according  to  the 
Canadian  government. 


Mayer  Received  $417,263 

Published  reports  that  the  compen- 
sation received  by  Louis  B.  Mayer, 
executive  head  of  M-G-M  studios,  for 
1948  amounted  to  $733,074,  are  in 
error,  the  company  said  here  on  Fri- 
day. The  total  compensation  received 
by  Mayer  for  the  year  amounted  to 
$417,263,  including  $156,857  salary 
and  $260,406  representing  his  percent- 
age compensation,  the  company  said. 


Newsreel 
Parade 

O  NOWFALL  in  Hollywood  and 
O  sunshine  in  Miami  highlight  cur- 
rent newsreel.  Other  items  include  the 
Senate  hearing  Dean  Acheson  and  the 
Gratitude  Train  from  France.  Com- 
plete contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  5— Senate 
hears  Dean  Acheson.  California  snowfall. 
Miami  Beach  bathing  fashions.  French 
Gratitude  Train.  Puppet  show  for  German 
kids.     Basketball.     Golf.     Silver  Skates. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  239— Holly- 
wood snowbound.  Sunshine  in  Miami  Beach. 
Reds  celebrate  1917  revolution.  i  Ghost  fleet 
comes  to  life.  French  send  Gratitude  Train. 
Golf.  Fashions. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  43— Rus- 
sians celebrate  1917  revolution.  Snow  in 
California.  Dean  Acheson  testifies  before 
Senate.  U.  S.  tightens  patrol  on  Mexican 
border.     Punch  and  Judy  show. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  313— 
California  snowbound  while  Florida  sizzles. 
Mercy  train  from  France.  Destroyers  taken 
out  of  "mothballs."  Golf.  Ice  skating. 
Puppet  show. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  44 — 
Senate  hears  Dean  Acheson.  Caronia 
ends  maiden  voyage.  French  send  U.  S. 
Gratitude  Train.  Puppet  show.  Silver 
Skates.  Basketball.  Great  Americans: 
John  Hancock. 

Screen  Guild  Board 
Meets  Here  Today 

A  special  meeting  of  Screen  Guild's 
board  of  directors  will  be  held  here 
today,  Robert  L.  Lippert,  president, 
has  announced.  On  the  agenda  is  the 
setting  of  sales  policies  for  the  handling 
of  "I  Shot  Jesse  James,"  which  Lip- 
pert  produced.  The  meeting  climaxes 
a  tour  of  Chicago,  Boston  and  New 
York  for  Lippert  who  has  been  con- 
ducting trade  showings  of  the  film. 

Other  items  on  the  agenda  today 
are  future  productions,  expansion 
plans  and  review  of  the  results  of  the 
recently  enlarged  sales  force.  Attend- 
ing the  meeting  will  be  Bert  Stearn 
of  Pittsburgh ;  Jack  Engel,  Philadel- 
phia ;  Arthur  Lockwood,  Boston ;  J. 
Francis  White,  Jr.,  Charlotte ;  John 
Franconi,  Dallas. 

Hart,  Others  in  New 
CBS  Video  Positions 

Walter  Hart,  formerly  producer- 
directo^  for  M-G-M  and  Paramount 
and  scenario  editor  of  Columbia,  has 
joined  CBS  Television  as  a  producer- 
director,  effectively  immediately.  The 
appointments  of  Richard  Linkroum  as 
a  director,  and  Roderick  Mitchell, 
Robert  L.  Simpson,  Herbert  Hirsch- 
man  and  Ben  Magnes  as  associate  di- 
rectors on  the  CBS  Television  staff, 
and  the  promotions  of  John  Peyser 
and  Kenneth  Redford  from  associates 
to  full  directors,  also  were  announced. 

New  High-Frequency 
Video  Transmitter 

Camden,  N.  J.,  Jan.16. — A  new  500- 
watt  television  transmitter  for  opera- 
tion in  the  higher  frequencies  (chan- 
nels 7  to  13),  designed  to  provide 
adequate  signal  coverage  to  a  city  and 
its  suburban  areas  and  also  as  a  stand- 
by transmitter,  is  under  production  by 
RCA,  it  is  announced  by  the  engineer- 
ing products  department.  The  trans- 
mitter is  said  to  be  able  to  cover  a 
radius  of  20  miles. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager:  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley.  Advertising  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  every  fourth  week  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  In  the  Ameripas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Monday,  January  17,  1949 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


Para.  Luncheon  for 
Meyer  on  Retiring 

Paramount  will  give  a  luncheon  at 
the  Hotel  Astor  on  Thursday  for  Fred 
Meyer,  assistant  secretary  and  general 
purchasing  agent,  who  plans  to  retire 
at  the  end  of  January,  after  serving 
Paramount  in  various  executive  ca- 
pacities for  37  years.  He  plans  to 
rest  at  his  home  in  Bronxville,  and 
then  travel  extensively. 

Meyer  entered  the  banking  business 
in  1898  and  10  years  later  became 
connected  with  the  Cameraphone  Co. 
in  Denver,  one  of  the  first  talking  pic- 
ture companies.  In  1909,  he  went  to 
St.  Louis  where  he  formed  an  asso 
ciation  with  the  Western  Film  Ex 
change. 

Met  Zukor 

Meyer  came  to  New  York  to  open 
a  branch  office  for  the  company  and 
became  acquainted  with  Adolph  Zukor 
who  booked  film  from  Western  for 
his  Comedy  Theatre.  Meyer  and 
Zukor  had  numerous  business  dealings 
and  in  1912,  when  Famous  Players 
was  organized,  Meyer  was  taken  into 
the  new  company.  He  served  Famous 
Players  in  many  capacities  and  when 
Paramount  was  formed,  he  took  over 
an  executive  position  with  the  new 
company,  being  general  manager  of 
Paramount's  Laboratory  for  many 
vears. 


Roster  of  Columbia 
Conferees  Lengthens 

In  addition  to  those  previously  re- 
ported as  scheduled  to  attend  the  first 
international  sales  meeting  here  of 
Columbia  since  before  World  War  II, 
the  following  will  be  on  hand  when 
the  conference  opens  here  tomorrow 
the  first  in  a  week-long  series  of  ses- 
sions:  .  . 

Home  office  executives  A.  Schnei- 
der, A.  Montague,  Nate  B.  Spingold, 
L.  Barbano,  L.  Jaffe,  Rube  Jackter, 
Mort  Wormser,  and  the  following 
from  the  Columbia  International  home 
office:  Jack  Segal,  Arnold  Picker, 
Bernard  Zeeman,  Herman  Golden  and 
James  Dodd.  The  international  com- 
pany's studio  representative,  Ely  Levy, 
also  will-  attend. 


M-G-M  Promotes  Two 
In  the  Field  Force 

Under  promotions  announced  in  the 
M-G-M  field  force  here  at  the  week- 
end, Carl  Gentzel  has  been  made  sales- 
man and  Lou  Marks  has  been  named 
assistant  branch  manager  in  Detroit, 
under  Frank  J.  Downey,  manager. 

For  the  past  five  and  a  half  years 
Gentzel  was  in  the  field  auditing  de- 
partment under  Alan  F.  Cummings. 
He  takes  over  his  new  assignment  in 
Cincinnati  on  Jan.  31.  Marks  joined 
the  company  in  1937. 


Government  Seeks 
Dissolution  of  WE 


Ascap  Probe 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Miami  Meeting 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

home  of  Nicholas  M.  Schenck  _  and 
president  of  Loew's.  Others  to  sit  in 
with  Johnston  are  Schenck  and  presi- 
dents Barney  Balaban,  Paramount; 
Spyros  P.  Skouras,  20th  Century- 
Fox  ;  Ned  E.  Depinet,  RKO ;  Nate  J. 
Blumberg,  Universal.  Harry  Cohn 
and  Harry  Warner,  both  unable  to 
attend,  will  be  represented  by  Jack 
Cohn,  vice-president  of  Columbia,  and 
Albert  Warner,  vice-president  of 
Warner. 

Johnston  will  leave  New  York  to- 
night for  the  meeting  and  his  assist- 
ant, Joyce  O'Hara,  will  leave  Wash- 
ington today. 


General,  Judge  Henry  W.  Goddard 
denied  Greenberg's  motion. 

Lasser,  following  the  hearing, 
said  that  any  new  decree  could 
not  basically  change  the  effects 
of  the  decisions  in  New  York 
and  Minneapolis  which  held 
Ascap  to  be  in  violation  of  the 
anti-trust  laws,  and  enjoined 
the  organization  from  collect- 
ing theatre  fees  in  behalf  of  its 
members. 

However,  the  injunctions  are  to  re- 
main in  effect  for  the  period  in  which 
Ascap  continues  as  it  is  presently  con- 
stituted and  so  found  illegal.  It  has 
been  intimated  by  other  sources  that 
changes  in  Ascap's  structure  and  sys- 
tem of  operations  could  permit  Ascap 
to  resume  theatre  collections  if  only 
as  an  agency  for  individual  composers 
and  publishers. 


Stars   Set   for  the 
Inaugural  Concert 

Washington,  Jan.  16. — Entertain- 
ment world  stars  set  so  far  for  the 
Jan.  19  Presidential  Inaugural  concert 
include  Edgar  Bergen,  Margaret 
O'Brien,  Lena  Home,  Dick  Haymes, 
Gene  Autry,  Phil  Harris,  Alice  Faye, 
Jane  Froman  and  Joan  Davis,  accord- 
ing to  Loew  Theatres  executive  Carter 
Barron,  chairman  of  the  Inauguration 
Parade  and  Special  Events  Committee. 


May  Ban  Drive-ins 

Chicago,  Jan.  16— A  ban  on  drive 
in  theatres  within  Chicago  city  limits 
was  recommended  Friday  by  the  City 
Council's  building  and  zoning  commit- 
tee. Alderman  Peter  J.  Lullerton, 
committee  chairman,  said  the  ban 
would  stand  until  regulations  govern 
ing  outdoor  theatres  are  worked  out 
The  issue  came  to  light  when  an  ap- 
plication for  a  permit  was  made  by 
theatre  operators  Fink  and  Gandell 
for  a  proposed  outdoor  at  76th  and 
Sacramento. 


SWG  Votes  Merger 

Hollywood,  Jan.  16. — Screen  writ- 
ers Guild  membership  voted  last  week 
to  affiliate  with  New  York's  associated 
Film  Writers,  effective  Feb.  11.  Af- 
fairs of  both  guilds  will  be  covered  in 
a  17-point  agreement  to  be  adminis- 
tered by  a  national  committee  of  10 
members  representing  each  and  head- 
ed in  the  first  three  years  by  SWG 
presidents.  Merger  had  been  approved 
previously  by  the  AFW. 


Burke  Services  Held 

Washington,  Jan.  16.  —  Funeral 
services  were  held  here  Friday 
for  Charles  Burke,  press  relations  di- 
rector, who  died  suddenly  on  Wednes- 
day. His  last  film  assignment  was 
handling  Southern  showings  of  Co- 
lumbia's "La  Traviata."  He  is  sur- 
vived by  the  widow,  a  daughter,  a 
brother,  James  Francis,  and  a  sister, 
Mrs.  Harold  Payson,  all  of  New 
I  York.      Burial    was    in  Arlington 


Washington,  Jan.  16. — The  Gov- 
ernment on  Friday  filed  its  long- 
anticipated  anti-trust  suit  to  divorce 
Western  Electric  from  the  American 
Telephone  and  Telegraph  Co. 

The  suit  would  require  dissolution 
of  Western  Electric  into  three  new 
independent  and  competing  manufac- 
turing concerns  and  require  Western 
and  A.  T.  and  T.  to  license  all  of 
their  patents  to  all  applicants  on  a 
non-discriminatory  and  reasonable 
royalty  basis,  as  well  as  to  furnish 
these  licensees  with  technical  assis- 
tance and  know-how  in  connection 
with  the  use  of  such  patents. 


Para.  Gets  Extension 

Washington,  Jan.  16. — The  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission  has 
extended  until  Feb.  21  the  deadline  for 
Paramount  and  DuMont  to  file  excep- 
tions to  the  Commission's  proposed 
order  declaring  that  Paramount  con- 
trols DuMont  and  that  applications  for 
five  naw  stations  by  DuMont  and  Par- 
amount subsidiaries  be  dismissed.  This 
is  the  second  extension. 


Change  Agency  Name 

Stuart  Bart,  Inc.,  advertising  agen- 
cy here,  has  had  its  name  changed  to 
Stuart  Bart  and  Getschal,  Inc.,  in 
order  to  include  the  name  of  Budd 
Getschal,  agency  partner  who  joined 
the  company  two  years  ago  after  re- 
signing as  copy  chief  of  Blaine- 
Thompson  Co. 


National  Cemetery. 


I 


Murphy  Joins  NSS 

Minneapolis,  Jan.  16. — Stuart  M. 
Murphy,  former  Minneapolis  projec- 
tionist, has  joined  the  sales  staff  of 
the  local  National  Screen  Service 
branch,  Jay  McFarland,  branch  man- 
ager, announces.  Murphy  succeeds 
Jack  Allender  and  will  cover  South- 
ern Minnesota,  Southern  Wisconsin, 
South  Dakota  and  independent  the- 
atres in  St.  Paul. 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
MOTION  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


Lm 

fcrefos.  Trust 


Ban 

Compan 


'Enchantment'  Release 

"Enchantment"  may  be  generally  re- 
leased earlier  than  originally  planned, 
|  possibly  in  February,  because  of  the 
good  business  the  film  is  doing  in  pre- 
release engagements,  according  to  Ar- 
thur Sachson,  general  sales  manager 
for  Samuel  Goldwyn  Productions. 


NEW  YORK 


MEMBER    FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


|  SDG  Hears  deRochemont 

Louis  deRochemont,  president  of 
Louis  deRochemont  Associates,  ad- 
dressed the  fourth  annual  convention 
banquet  of  the  Screen  Directors  Guild 
of  New  York  at  Longchamps'  57th 
St.  Restaurant  here  Saturday  night. 


LOUIS  SOBOL* 
HAS  SWITCHED 
TO  "FAMILY 
HONEYMOON" 

My  favorite  comedy  was 
Mr.  Deeds  Goes  To  Town' 
...until  I  saw  Claudette 
Colbert  and  Fred  Mac  Murray 
in  FAMILY  HONEYMOON "' 

"Mr  Noted  columnist  of  International  News 
Service  and  Kings  Features,  Inc. 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  17,  1949 


Short 
Subject 


License  Tariff  Is 
Increased  17  Times 

Mexico  City,  Jan.  16.— An- 
other problem  for  distribu- 
tors of  American  and  other 
foreign  pictures  in  Mexico  is 
the  17  times  increased  official 
fees  for  inspecting  films.  The 
inspection  charge  for  35mm. 
pictures  has  been  hiked  to 
$14.54,  from  90  cents  a  reel. 

The  Presidential  decree  that 
ordered  the  new  rates  ex- 
plained that  the  money,  is  to 
support  the  National  Cine- 
matographic Commission.  The 
Commission  will  stage  an  in- 
ternational film  fair  here  in 
1949. 


Reviews 


"Criss  Cross" 

( Universal-International) 

ANOTHER  hard-slugging  melodrama  of  violence  and  vengeance  is  offered 
by  Universal-International  in  "Criss  Cross."  Conventional  in  plot, 
with  such  elements  as  a  romantic  triangle,  a  grand  frame-up  and  a  bang-up 
finale,  the  film  has  been  given  a  slick  production  treatment.  Burt  Lancaster 
is  starred  and  once  again  his  role  is  that  of  a  basically  good  man  who  has 
been  drawn  by  circumstances  into  a  web  of  evil.  Previous  exhibitor  experi- 
ence with  such  melodramas  should  be  the  best  guide  for  showmen  as  to  com- 
mercial and  promotional  possibilities. 

The  plot  basically  is  a  contest  between  two  strong  men,  Lancaster  and 
Dan  Duryea,  over  Yvonne  De  Carlo.  On  the  rebound  of  her  divorce  from 
Lancaster,  Miss  De  Carlo  marries  Duryea,  an  unsavory  underworld  charac- 
ter. Duryea  is  none  too  gentle  with  .Miss  De  Carlo  and  she  goes  to  Lan- 
caster for  help.  After  some  doubt,  Lancaster,  apparently  still  loving  Miss  De 
Carlo,  sets  out -to  free  her  from  Duryea's  grip.  Involved  in  his  hasty  plan 
is  the  joining  of  forces  with  Duryea  to  rob  an  armored  truck.  Things  break 
wrong  with  the  planned  robbery  and  there  follows  a  few  more  melodramatic 
events  before  Duryea  shoots  to  death  both  Miss  De  Carlo  and  Lancaster,  and 
is  himself  killed. 

Marriage  and  divorce,  gangsterism  and  alcoholism  are  the  main  ingredients 
of  the  screenplay  by  Daniel  Fuchs,  which  was  based  on  the  novel  by  Don 
Tracy.  As  such,  it  is  the  ugly  side  of  life  that  is  portrayed.  Lancaster  gives 
a  creditable  performance  as  a  morose  bruiser  caught  in  love-torments,  while 
Miss  De  Carlo  as  the  woebegone  woman,  carries  her  relatively  heavy  role 
adequately.  Duryea  is  an  old  hand  at  conveying  sadism  and  evil,  and  he  does 
it  well.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Stephen  McNally  and  Richard  Long.  Robert 
Siodmak  directed  and  Michel  Kraike  produced. 

Running  time,  87z/2  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  February 
release.  Mandel  Herbstman 


"Miranda" 

(Rank-Eagle-Lion) 

VERY  British  in  presentation,  "Miranda,"  a  fantasy  about  a  mermaid,  turns 
out  to  be  a  fresh  and  witty  importation  from  the  J.  Arthur  Rank  studio. 
Although  lacking  in  marquee  names,  discriminating  film-goers  should  find  it 
highly  satisfying. 

The  story  concerns  a  married  London  doctor  who  leaves  his  wife  and  office 
for  a  needed  fishing  vacation.  No  sooner  does  he  cast  his  line  than  he  finds 
himself  yanked  down  into  the  undersea  cave  of  a  pretty  mermaid.  A  victim 
of  the  mermaid's  innocent  charms,  the  good  doctor  is  persuaded  to  take  the 
mermaid  home  with  him.  As  soon  as  the  mermaid  enters  the  doctor's  house- 
hold, a  series  of  farcical  events  happen.  Thinking  her  an  invalid  rather  than 
a  mermaid,  several  men  fall  in  love  with  her. 

It  is  to  the  credit  of  the  Peter  Blackmore  screenplay  that  the  satirical 
qualities  inherent  in  the  theme  are  amply  realized  on  the  screen.  In  time,  the 
doctor's  wife  senses  something  fishy  about  the  unusual  visitor,  and  finally 
discovers  her  to  be  a  mermaid.  In  the  finale,  after  a  handful  of  men  have 
made  themselves  silly  over  her,  the  mermaid  returns  to  her  customary 
haunts,  a  bit  wiser  about  the  homo  sapiens. 

Performances  are  satisfactory  all  around.  Glynis  Johns  plays  the  mermaid, 
with  Griffith  Jones  as  the  doctor  and  Googie  Withers  as  his  wife.  Others 
in  the  cast  are  John  McCallum  and  Margaret  Rutherford.  A  Gainsborough 
Production,  it  was  produced  by  Betty  E.  Box  with  Sydney  Box  in  charge  of 
production.   Adapted  from  Blackmore's  play,  it  was  directed  by  Ken  Annakin. 

Running  time,  80  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  February 
release.  M.  H. 


"Parole,  Inc." 

(Eagle-Lion) 

ANOTHER  in  the  series  of •  documentary-styled  melodramas,  "Parole, 
Inc."  deals  with  the  bribery  of  parole  board  officials  by  members  of 
the  underworld  for  the  purpose  of  gaining  the  illegal  release  of  hardened 
gangsters.    Suspense  is  neatly  held  throughout. 

Michael  O'Shea  is  seen- as  the  FBI  agent  who,  at  the  request  of  a  state 
governor,  attempts  to  expose  the  racket.  Posing  as  a  big-time  racketeer  he 
works  his  way  into  a  gang,  finds  their  method  of  reaching  certain  members 
of  the  parole  board,  uses  this  method  to  "spring"  a  convict,  then  traps  the 
entire  gang.  Turhan  Bey,  a  suave  and  enterprising  attorney,  lends  conviction 
to  his  role  as  the  unscrupulous  go-between  of  the  parole  board  and  the  under- 
world, while  Evelyn  Ankers  is  seen  as  the  owner  of  a  honky-tonk  night  club 
and  brains  of  the  city's  racketeering  element. 

An  Orbit  Production,  produced  by  Constantin  J.  David  and  directed  by 
Alfred  Zeisler,  the  story  is  well-knit  and  of  sufficient  interest  to  hold  most 
persons'  attention.  The  screenplay  was  written  by  Sherman  L.  Lowe,  from 
an  original  story  which  he  wrote  with  Royal  K.  Cole. 

Running  time,  71  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  January 
release. 


Loew's  Profit 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

number  of  shares. 

Amortization  and  write-offs  of  film 
costs  in  1947  was  $65,274,210,  against 
$73,313,804  for  1948,  reflecting  the 
rise  in  production  costs. 

The  annual  report  was  accompanied 
by  an  earnings  statement  covering  the 
12  weeks  ended  Nov.  25,  1948,  show- 
ing a  net  profit  of  $1,021,156,  equal  to 
20  cents  per  share  on  the  common 
stock,  against  $1,354,761,  or  26  cents 
per  share  for  the  same  period  in  1927. 

Gross  sales  and  operating  revenues 
for  the  12  weeks  in  1948  were  estimat- 
ed at  $38,660,000,  compared  with  $38,- 
960,000  for  the  similar  period  in  1947. 

For  the  fiscal  year  1948,  Loew  re- 
ports operating  revenues  of  $185,816,- 
446,  and  operating  and  general  ex- 
penses of  $162,070,408.  For  1947,  op- 
erating revenues  were  $183,948,900 
and  expenses  were  $149,504,619. 

Federal  income  taxes  for  1948  were 
$3,061,729 ;  for  1947,  $7,277,478.  Loew 
theatre  receipts,  rentals,  sale  of  film 
accessories  and  M-G-M  records  for 
1948  were  $177,096,727;  for  1947, 
$176,342,036. 

Outside  producers'  share  of  film 
rentals  in  1948  was  $6,444,972;  in 
1947,  $2,412,290. 

On  Aug.  31,  1948,  Loew's  had  cur- 
rent and  working  assets  of  $120,212,- 
009,  against  total  current  liabilities  of 
$23,039,396. 

Last  year  total  current  and  working 
assets  aggregated  $132,171,887  and 
■liabilities  were  $26,941,991. 

Total  assets,  including  cash  of  $25,- 
529,216,-  are  listed  at  $223,141,585. 


20th  'Collarites' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

shops  in  its  blueprint  for  invasion  of 
SOPEG  strongholds.  However,  thus 
far  in  the  jurisdictional  tilt  between 
the  rival  unions  over  control  of  home 
office  "white  collarites,"  H-63  has  ac- 
tually challenged  SOPEG  at  United 
Artists  and  RKO  Radio.  UA  went  to 
H-63  and  RKO  reverted  to  SOPEG. 
Meanwhile,  H-63  claims  it  has  won 
the  allegiance  of  employes  in  two 
other  erstwhile  SOPEG  shops :  Re- 
public and  DeLuxe  Laboratories. 


Second  Disney  Honor 

Columbus,  Jan.  16. — Walt  Disney 
will  be  honor  guest  at  a  dinner  to  be 
given  by  the  Columbus  Citizen  tomor- 
row night,  the  proceeds  to  go  to  the 
Franklin  County  Infantile  Paralysis 
Fund.  Disney  came  East  to  receive 
a  citation  from  Purdue  University  on 
Saturday  and  to  attend  the  world  pre- 
miere of  "So  Dear  to  My  Heart." 


Bob  Hope  Grosses  High 

Bob  Hope  is  breaking  box-office 
records  on  his  cross-country  personal 
appearance  tour,  grossing  $85,000  in 
five  one-night  stands :  Fort  Worth, 
Dalas,  Abilene,  Austin  and  San  An- 
tonion,  Paramount  reports. 


New  Production  Firm 

Hollywood,  Jan.  16. — Richard  Os- 
wald and  Edward  Lewis  have  estab- 
lished Skyline  Pictures,  to  produce 
features  for  Film  Classics  release. 
First  will  be  Balzac's  "Great  Specula- 


"On  Stage" 

(March  of  Time-20th-Fox) 

The  fascinating  story  of  the  events 
that  lead  up  to  a  play  opening  on 
Broadway  is  told  with  skill  and  spar- 
kle in  the  latest  March  of  Time  sub- 
ject. It  is  an  outstanding  one  in  the 
series.  A  number  of  Broadway  stars 
appear  in  the  film,  also  scenes  from 
such  current  successes  as  "Red 
Gloves,"  and  Maxwell  Anderson's 
"Anne  of  the  Thousand  Days." 
Richard  Walsh,  IATSE  president,  and 
many  top  playwrights  also  come  in 
for  some  footage.  Much  of  the  story 
is  told  through  the  action  of  Maggie 
Garland,  an  aspiring  young  actress  de- 
termined to  "make  the  grade." 

The  subject  is  one  which  should 
have  wide  popular  appeal,  and  Richard 
de  Rochemont  and  his  staff  are  to  be 
congratulated  for  the  production. 
Running  time,  18  minutes. 


Para.-U.S. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

fecting  an  estimated  minimum  of  500 
theatres,  interests  in  which  it  would 
be  required  to  dispose  of.  The  agree- 
ment would  leave  the  new  company 
with  interests  in  between  600  and  900 
theatres,  according  to  reports. 

Company  officials  who  participated 
in  last  week's  meeting  with  the  De- 
partment of  Justice  in  Washington  on 
the  decree  included  Leonard  Golden- 
son,  vice-president  in  charge  of  the 
atre  operations ;  Edwin  L.  Weisl,  at- 
torney and  member  of  the  board  of  di- 
rectors;  Louis  Phillips,  home  office 
attorney;  Robert  O'Brien,  Paramount 
secretary,  and  Walter  Gross,  theatre 
department  attorney. 

If  an  agreement  is  reached  with  the 
Department  next  week,  as  now  ap- 
pears likely,  it  would  have  to  be  ap- 
proved subsequently  by  the  company's 
board  of  directors  ■  before  it  could  be 
consummated. 


Brief  Field  Men 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

pie  congregate  in  our  places  of  busi- 
ness, making  it  easy  for  us  to  be 
leaders  in  all  worthy  civic  causes,"  the 
meetings  were  told.  "With  this  oppor- 
tunity comes  a  responsibility  that  we 
must  grasp. 

"The  exhibitor  represents  the  film 
industry  in  his  community.  'Brother- 
hood Week'  gives  him  the  opportunity 
to  show  the  world  once  more  how 
well  the  industry  supports  a  worth- 
while civic  effort  and  thus  his  public 
relations  as  well  as  those  of  the  en- 
tire industry  are  improved. 

"We  want  to  make  American 
'Brotherhood  Week'  for  1949  the 
greatest  ever  observed  in  point  of  new 
memberships,  contributions  and  ex- 
ploitation." 


Johnston  Due 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

sions  of  members'  licenses  and  to  can- 
vass operating  activities  for  the  com- 
ing year  with  the  prospect  that  it  may 
cease  operations  in  several  countries. 
Several  independent  producers  releas- 
ing through  United  Artists  will  not 
renew  their  MPEA  licenses  for  the 
coming  year. 


1 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


MOTION  PICTURE  wm 

IN 
FILM 
j  NEWS 


M.VJ  l  ivjrs  ri^i  vi\i^ 

DAI  LY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  12 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  JANUARY  18,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


'48  Average 
Weekly  Gross 
Was  $14,812 

For  170  Key  Theatres 
Listed  in  'Daily'  Reports 

Average  weekly  theatre  income 
last  year  was  $14,812  for  the  170 
theatres  covered  by  -Motion  Pic- 
ture Daily  weekly  box  office 
gross  reports  from  22  key  cities.  Best 
business  week  of  the  year,  the  record 
indicates,  was  the  one  ending  last  Jan. 
2-3,  with  an  average  of  $19,031  per 
theatre.  Figure  for  the  lowest  week, 
ending  Dec.  24-26,  was  $11,264. 

Previous  year's  average  weekly 
gross  was  $16,246.  Best  business  week 
of  1947  was  the  one  ending  Jan.  3-4, 
with  an  average  of  $22,024  per  theatre. 
That  year's  lowest  week,  ending  Dec. 
26-27,  was  $11,363. 

Last  month,  grosses  continued  at 
the  increased  level  to  which  they  rose 
in  November.     Average  weekly  in- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


E-L  Studios  Will 
Resume  on  Feb.  16 


David  Lipton  Named 
Universal  Ad  Head 


Production  activities  at  Eagle-Lion 
studios  in  Hollywood  will  be  resumed 
on  Feb.  16  with  two  pictures  sched- 
uled for  imme- 
diate filming  and 
a  third  to  fol- 
low shortly 
thereafter,  i  t 
was  announced 
yesterday  b  y 
Arthur  B.  Krim, 
president  of  the 
company.  The 
studio  tempo- 
rarily suspended 
production  last 
Nov.  15  because 
of  the  large 
backlog  of  pic- 
tures on  its 
shelf,  including 
its  own  productions,  those  received 
from  the  J.  Arthur  Rank  Organiza- 
tion for  distribution  in  this  country 

{Continued  on  page  3) 

More  Support  for 
4Finneran  Plan' 


Arthur  B.  Krim 


David  A.  Lipton  has  been  named 
Universal-International  national  direc- 

j  tor  of  advertising-publicity,  replacing 

'  John  Joseph 
who  announced 
his  resignation 
last  Saturday  in 
Hollywood. 

Lipton  for  the 
past  three  years 
has  been  U-I's 
executive  co- 
ordinator of  ad- 
vertising and 
promotion,  with 
headquarters  at 
the  studio.  Prior 
to  that  he  was 
national  direc- 
tor of  advertis- 
ing-publicity for 
Columbia  in 

New  York.  He  had  previously  served 
as  studio  publicity  director  for  Uni- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


David  A.  Lipton 


Allied  Organizing 
Tri-States  Owners 


Decree  Might 
Cut  Its  Video 
Ties  Says  Para. 

Sees  Loss  of  Television 
Interests  in  Affiliates 

Washington,  Jan.  17. — Final 
outcome  of  the  government's  anti- 
trust suit  against  Paramount  Pic- 
tures might  result  in  the  company 
having  to  give  up  subsidiary  firms 
which  now  are  in  or  are  entering  the 
television  field,  a  Paramount  attorney 
told  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission. 

Duke  Patrick,  of  the  law  firm  of 
Hogan  and  Hartson,  made  this  point 
in  presenting  the  opposition  of  Para- 
mount and  its  subsidiaries  to  the  Com- 
mission's proposed  rules  limiting  the 
number  of  television  stations  which 
one  firm  may  own. 

Patrick  pointed  out  that  several  sta- 
tions are  owned  or  being  sought  by 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Postpone  Action  on 
Scope  of  MPEA 

Member  companies  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Export  Association  have 
taken  under  individual  study  the  ad- 
visability of  their  continuing  with  the 
joint  operation  in  certain  foreign 
countries  with  no  decisions  reached 
at  an  MPEA  board  meeting  here  yes- 
terday. 

United  Artists  previously  had  noti- 
fied the  organization  of  its  withdrawal 
when  current  contracts  expire  in 
June. 

Yesterday's  session,  presided  over 
by  Eric  A.  Johnston,  MPEA  presi- 
dent, was  devoted  to  a  report  on  finan- 
cial operations  and  a  general  discus- 
sion. Another  meeting  will  be  held  in 
about  four  weeks.   Johnston  left  New 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Denver,  Jan.  17. — Directors  of  Al- 
lied Rocky  Mountain  Theatres  voted 
at  their  quarterly  meeting  approval  of 
the  resolution  of  the  Allied  New  Or- 
leans convention  regarding  the  "Fin- 
neran  Plan"  for  disciplining  film  play- 
ers who  overstep  the  bounds  of  pro- 
priety. The  resolution  against  forced 
percentage  films  was  also  approved. 

The  meeting  voted  to  ask  all  exhib- 
itors to  give  either  a  day's,  night's  or 
matinee's  receipts  to  the  March  of 
Dimes,  and  thus  do  away  with  col- 
lections. More  than  40  theatres  in  the 
local  unit  have  agreed  to  this.  Some 
intend  having  a  special  show,  with 
admission  at  $1,  and  promote  it  along 
the  line  that  half  of  the  money  will 
remain  here  to  fight  polio. 


Cut  Lawyers'  Fees 
In  Minn.  Ascap  Case 

Minneapolis,  Jan.  17. — Federal 
Judge  Gunnar  Nordbye  has  allowed 
counsel  for  exhibitor  defendants  in  the 
Ascap  cases  in  Federal  Court  here  a 
total  of  $4,000  attorneys'  fees,  to  be 
paid  by  Ascap. 

Counsel  for  the  exhibitors  in  the 
case  asked  the  court  for  $15,000  in 
fees,  which  was  opposed  by  Louis  D. 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Memphis,  Jan.  17.  —  The  newly- 
organized  Allied  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  of  the  Mid-South  has  called 
an  organization  meeting  of  all  inde- 
pendent theatre  owners  of  Arkansas, 
Tennessee  and  Mississippi  at  the  Hotel 
Chisca,  Memphis,  on  Wednesday,  Feb. 
9. 

The  call,  which  is  being  issued  to 
organize  a  branch  of  Allied  covering 
the  Tri-State  territory,  was  issued  by 
Edward  O.  Cullins,  Memphis,  presi- 
dent of  the  Mid-South  branch  of  Al- 
lied. Bulletins  to  independent  theatre 
owners  will  be  mailed  this  week. 

A  permanent  office  has  been  estab- 
lished at  the  Hotel  Chisca  and  a  man- 
ager will  be  named  this  week,  Cullins 
said. 


U.K.  Producers  Ask 
Ticket  Tax  Subsidy 

London,  Jan.  17.— A  British  Film 
Producers'  Association  delegation 
headed  by  J.  Arthur  Rank  visited 
Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  Sir  Staf- 
ford Cripps  today  in  an  endeavor  to 
persuade  him  to  allocate  some  propor- 
tion of  the  nations'  entertainment  tax 
collections  to  a  subsidy  for  film  pro- 
duction. 

The  interview  lasted  45  minutes  and 
both  sides  subsequently  refused  to  di- 
vulge any  information  concerning  its 
outcome. 

The  BFPA  has  claimed  that  the 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


U.S.  Brief  Upholds 
Lawson  Conviction 


Para.,  US  Weighing 
Competition  Issues 

Negotiations  between  Paramount 
and  the  Department  of  Justice  for  a 
separate  consent  decree  in  the  indus- 
try anti-trust  suit  have  been  narrowed 
down  to  the  point  where  individual 
situations  which  would  be  part  of  a 
separate  theatre  company  are  being 
considered  in  the  light  of  competitive 
market  conditions. 

Walter  Gross,  theatre  department 
attorney,  and  Robert  O'Brien,  corpo- 
rate secretary,  represented  Paramount 
in  another  meeting  with  Department 
attorneys-  in  Washington  yesterday. 
They  returned  to  New  York  in  the 
late  afternoon. 

The  separate  Paramount  theatre 
company  which  figures  to  be  formed 
under  terms  of  the  settlement  will  not 
retain  any  "closed"  situations. 


Washington,  Jan.  17. — The  Gov- 
ernment today  urged  the  Circuit 
Court  of  Appeals  for  the  District  of 
Columbia  to  uphold  the  contempt_  of 
Congress  conviction  of  screen  writer 
John  Howard  Lawson. 

In  a  brief  filed  today,  the  govern- 
ment argued  that  the  courts  have 
upheld  the  right  of  the  House  Un- 
American  Activities  Committee  to  ask 
witnesses  about  Communist  Party 
ties,  that  committee  Chairman  Thomas 
had  legally  constituted  the  sub-com- 
mittee holding  the  Hollywood  hear- 
ings and  that  the  trial  was  proper. 


UA,  Roach  Press 
Fight  on  'Curley' 

Memphis,  Jan.  17— The  fight 
against  Memphis  censorship  of  "Cur- 
ley,"  a  Hal  Roach  comedy,  on  consti- 
tutional grounds  has  been  appealed  to 
a  higher  court. 

Judge  Floyd  Henderson  overruled  a 
motion  for  a  new  trial  in  the  case  of 
United  Artists  and  Roach  on  Satur- 
day and  an  appeal  to  the  Court  of 
i  Appeals  was  immediately  taken. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  18,  1949 


Para.  Sells  3rd  Film 
Away  from  Saenger 

New  Orleans,  Jan.  17. — 
"The  Paleface"  opens  at 
Loew's  State  on  Friday  for 
a  week's  run,  making  the 
third  Paramount  feature 
which  has  played  at  other 
than  a  Paramount-Richards 
house  since  the  recent  sell- 
away.  Both  "A  Foreign  Af- 
fair" and  "Sorry,  Wrong 
Number"  played  Loew's  State 
earlier. 

Paramount  is  selling  away 
from  its  partner  because  of 
its  inability  to  arrive  at 
rental  terms  with  the  circuit. 


To  Stage  Play  for 
Purple  Heart  Men 

Hollywood,  Jan.  17. — With  Greg- 
ory Peck,  John  Wayne,  Maureen 
O'Hara  and  Pat  O'Brien  as  stars,  di- 
rector John  Ford  is  presenting  a  stage 
production  of  'What  Price  Glory" 
with  all  proceeds  going  to  the  mili- 
tary order  of  the  Purple  Heart. 

The  production  will  play  Los  An- 
geles, Hollywood,  San  Francisco, 
Long  Beach  and  possibly  other  cities, 
starting  on  the  eve  of  George  Wash- 
ington's birthday,  Feb.  22,  and  con- 
tinuing through  mid-March. 

Other  stars  in  the  cast  include  Rob- 
ert Armstrong,  Wallace  Ford,  George 
O'Brien,  Ward  Bond,  Harey  Carey, 
Jr.,  Forrest  Tucker,  Luis  Alberni, 
Allan  Hale,  Oliver  Hardy  and  Her- 
bert Rawlinson.  It  will  be  staged  by 
Ralph  Murphy  and  produced  by  Har- 
ry Joe  Brown.  Laurence  Stallings,  co- 
author of  "What  Price  Glory,"  will 
be  associated  with  the  production. 

Others  in  the  cast  include  Charles 
Kemper,  Jimmy  Lydon,  G.  Pat  Col- 
lins, Fred  Graham,  Henry  O'Neill, 
James  R.  Dugan,  Larry  Blake  and 
Pat  Summers  III.  Everyone  connect- 
ed with  the  production  is  contributing 
his  services  without  pay. 


Gilbert  L.  Becker 

Gilbert  L.  Becker,  office  manager 
for  M-G-M  in  Detroit  since  1930, 
died  over  the  weekend  following  a 
protracted  illness.  He  joined  the  old 
Goldwyn  company  in  1922,  in  the 
booking  department  at  Albany  and  in 
1930  was  transferred  to  the  New 
York  branch  as  cashier.  Surviving 
are  the  widow  and  two  daughters. 
One  of  the  daughters,  Ruth,  is  head 
contract  clerk  in  the  Detroit  M-G-M 
office. 


PCA's  Al  Block,  51 

Hollywood,  Jan.  17. — Private  fun- 
eral services  were  held  for  Al  Block, 
51,.  former  scenarist  and  for  the  past 
14  years  M-G-M  liaison  with  the  Pro- 
duction Code  Administration,  who 
died  Friday  morning  of  pneumonia. 
The  widow,  a  son,  and  a  brother 
survive. 


A.  S.  Guckenheimer,  82 

Savannah,  Ga.,  Jan.  17. — Abe  Si- 
mon Guckenheimer,  82  years  old  and 
builder  of  the  first  house  here  in  the 
silent  days,  died  at  his  home  Jan.  14. 


Personal  Mention 


Y FRANK  FREEMAN  and  Ed- 
•  win  Weisl,  Paramount  execu- 
tives, have  left  here  for  Miami  to  at- 
tend the  Motion  Picture  Association 
meeting.  They  will  return  at  the  end 
of  the  week. 

• 

Charles  A.  Bailey,  assistant  to 
Norman  Morey,  Warner  short  sub- 
ject sales  manager,  was  in  Boston  yes- 
terday for  conference,  with  George 
W.  Horan,  Northeastern  district  sales 
manager,  and  Al  Daytz,  Boston 
branch  manager. 

• 

Frank  J.  Durkee,  owner  of 
Durkee  Theatres  in  Maryland,  has  left 
Baltimore  to  spend  two  months  in 
Florida. 

• 

Gael  Sullivan,  executive  director 
of  Theatre  Owners  of  America,  was  in 
Buffalo  yesterday  from  New  York. 
• 

Gene  Autry  will  attend  the  inaugu- 
ral ceremonies  in  Washington  on 
Thursday. 

• 

Jules  K.  Chapman,  assistant  gen- 
eral sales  manager  of  Film  Classics, 
is  on  a  tour  of  Midwest  exchanges. 
• 

Keki  Modi,  producer-director  in 
India,  is  here  on  a  visit. 


DAT  CASEY  left  here  last  night 
*■  for  the  inaugural  ceremonies  in 
Washington. 

• 

Josef  Somlo,  J.  Arthur  Rank  pro- 
duction executive,  is  in  New  York 
from   London   for   conferences  with 
Universal  and  Eagle-Lion  officials. 
• 

Bob  Pinson  and  Max  Holder  of 
Astor  Pictures,  have  returned  to 
Charlotte  after  a  business  trip  to 
Atlanta. 

• 

Moe  Kerman,  Favorite  Films  presi- 
dent, has  returned  here  after  a  three- 
week  vacation  in  Palm  Beach. 
• 

William  Brandt,  New  York  cir- 
cuit executive,  and  Mrs.  Brandt  are 
vacationing  in  Miami. 

• 

Alan  F.  Cummings,  M-G-M  ex- 
change operations  chief,  has  left  here 
for  Cincinnati  and  Indianapolis. 
• 

Robert  Vogel,  M-G-M  studio  for- 
eign department  publicist,  will  fly  from 
the  Coast  to  New  York  on  Friday. 

Joe  Bishop  of  Kay  Films  in  Char- 
lotte, is  in  Charleston  on  business  this 
week. 


Irene  Dunne  To  Head 
Heart  Drive  Division 

Irene  Dunne,  film  actress,  has  been 
named  chairman  of  the  women's  com- 
mittee in  the  forthcoming  $5,000,000 
drive  of  the  American  Heart  Associa- 
tion, it  was  announced  here  yesterday 
by  Harold  E.  Stassen,  chairman  of  the 
1949  Heart  Campaign. 

The  campaign  will  be  conducted 
from  Feb.  7  to  28  by  the  American 
Heart  Association  and  local  affiliates 
throughout  the  country  to  support  a 
program  of  research,  education  and 
community  service. 


Milstein  to  DuArt 
As  Young's  Partner 

J.  J.  Milstein  arrived  in  New  "York 
from  Hollywood  yesterday  to  assume 
sales  supervision  for  Du-Art  Film 
Laboratories,  under  a  partnership  ar- 
rangement with  Al  Young. 
_  For  a  decade,  Milstein  was  asso- 
ciated with  M-G-M  as  Los  Angeles 
branch  manager  and  district  manager 
for  the  West  Coast.  Later  he  was 
vice-president  of  Republic  in  charge 
of  distribution  and  thereafter  New 
York  representative  for  Edward  Small 
Productions.  Prior  to  his  new  affilia- 
tion with  Du-Art  he  was  in  produc- 
tion. 


Frank  Smithson,  88 

Frank  Smithson,  pioneer  producer- 
director  of  films  for  Edison  and  Mack 
Sennett,  died  here  Saturday  at  the 
age  of  88.  A  life  member  of  The 
Lambs,  Smithson  had  been  in  retire- 
ment for  15  years.  Two  sons  survive, 
Percy  Michael  of  Hollywood,  and  Ed- 
win of  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y. 


Approach  Decision  in 
Ad  Films  Trust  Suit 

Washington,  Jan.  17.— The  Fed- 
eral Trade  Commission  today  wound 
up  hearings  in  its  anti-trust  case 
against  four  producers  of  advertising 
films.  The  Commission  has  been  tak- 
ing testimony  for  over  a  year-and-a- 
half  in  a  score  of  cities.  Next  step 
will  be  for  the  trial  examiner  Earl  J. 
Kolb,  who  heard  the  case,  to  recom- 
mend a  decision  to  the  full  Commis- 
sion. 

Defendants  are:  Ray  Bell  Films, 
St.  Paul;  Alexander  Film  Co.,  Colo- 
rado Springs;  United  Film  Ad  Ser- 
vice, Kansas  City,  and  Motion  Picture 
Advertising  Service,  New  Orleans. 
The  complaint,  filed  two  years  ago, 
charges  that  these  firms  used  unfair 
methods  of  competition  tending  to  re- 
strain trade  and  create  a  monopoly  in 
the  sale  of  advertising  films. 


Arnall,  Depinet,  Hays 
At  Disney  Citation 

Indianapolis,  Jan.  17.— Ellis  Ar- 
nall, president  of  the  Society  of  In- 
dependent Motion  Picture  Producers; 
Ned  E.  Depinet,  RKO  Radio  presi- 
dent ;  Will  H.  Hays ;  Nat  Levy,  RKO 
Eastern  division  sales  manager;  nov- 
elist Sterling  North,  and  a  number  of 
players  in  Walt  Disney's  "So  Dear  to 
My  Heart"  attended  the  world  pre- 
miers of  the  picture  at  Purdue  Uni- 
versity's Hall  of  Music  at  nearby 
Lafayette  on  Saturday  night. 

Disney  was  cited  at  the  premiere  by 
the  University  as  "artist,  producer,  di- 
rector, creator,  but  above  all  a  welder 
of  the  arts  of  painting,  music  and 
drama  in  a  new  unity  that  has  made 
a  world  public  sensitive  to  the  values 
inherent  in  motion  pictures." 


Jersey  Owners  Meet 
On  Tax  Program 

Trenton,  N.  J.,  Jan.  17.— Allied 
Theatre  Owners  of  New  Jersey  held 
a  membership  meeting  at  the  Stacy- 
Trent  Hotel  here  today  to  formulate 
a  program  for  defeating  admission 
tax  and  film  censorship  bills  which 
may  be  introduced  in  the  1949  New 
Jersey  legislature.  Organization  presi- 
dent Edward  Lachman  presided. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL- 

j  Rockefeller  Center 

"WORDS  AND  MUSIC" 

jJUNE  ALLYSON        .       PERRY  COMO 

JUDY  GARLAND        .        LENA  HORNE 

GENE  KELLY  .  MICKEY  ROONEY 
i  ANN  SOTHERN 

j  Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 

i      A  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
!    THE  GREAT  HOLIDAY  STAGE  SHOW 


ffltms  ROBERT 

YOUNG  CUMMINGS 

h  HALWALLIS'  production  t  y*L,7"  m 


Samuel  Goldwyn  presents 

ENCHANTMENT 


it 


Starring 

DAVID  NIVEN  TERESA  WRIGHT 

EVELYN  KEYES  FARLEY  GRANGER 

Released  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 

ASTOR  THEATER 

Broadway  &  45th  Street 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER.  ^f'^Zd^ay 
All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Lata  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


r 


OLIVIA  de  HAYILLAND  I 


the  Sxiake  Pit 


■ Directed  by  Produced  by 

ANATOLE  LITVAK  •  AHATOLE  LITVAK  i  ROBERT  BUSIER 


Kivoli 


2&I 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 


with  JOSE  FERRER  ■  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  ■  J  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BOND  3 
SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  •  HURO  HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHARI  ■  JOHN  EMERY  S 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  •  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY  4 
based  upon  the  stage  play  'Joan  ol  Lorraine1  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
tcrtrn  play  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOU  ■  art  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  ■  director  of  photography  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

enled  by  SIERRA  PICTURES.  Inc.  .  relealed  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


/^week!. 


James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley.  Advertising  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  every  fourth  week  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $13  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Tuesday,  January  18,  1949 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


3 


DeRochemont  Says 
Video  to  Aid  Films 


Addressing  the  fourth  annual  con- 
vention of  the  Screen  Directors  Guild 
over  the  weekend,  producer  Louis  De- 
Rochemont predicted  that  as  a  result 
of  television,  "the  motion  picture  in- 
dustry will  be  rebuilt  along  healthier, 
sounder  lines,  with  larger  rewards  go- 
ing to  those  who  contribute  to  the 
creation  of  the  product  rather  than  to 
the  administrative  hierarchy. 

"I  believe  New  York  will  become 
the  center  of  motion  picture  produc- 
tion, particularly  of  films  made  for 
!  television,"  he  added.  "By  1950,  tele- 
vision will  be  consuming  more  film 
footage  each  month  than  Hollywood 
today  produces  in  a  year.  Already  we 
know  that  the  traditional  Hollywood 
cost  pattern  cannot  be  used  in  making 
television  films.  Many  of  these  films 
will  have  to  be  made  on  location,  for 
reasons  of  economy,  and  the  East 
offers  a  wide  range  of  natural  loca- 
tion which  are  lacking  on  the  West." 


more  delicious  than 
on  any  other  airline  I 

— fly 


FTC  Asks  Congress 
For  Trust  Law  Change 

Washington,  Jan.  17.— The 
Federal  Trade  Commission 
today  again  urged  Congress 
to  amend  the  anti-trust  laws 
to  bar  the  acquisition  of 
physical  assets  as  well  as 
corporate  stock  where  the 
effect  is  to  lessen  competition 
substantially.  The  Commis- 
sion made  the  suggestion  in 
its  annual  report  for  the 
fiscal  year  ending  June  30, 
1948. 

The  Administration  has 
been  backing  this  suggestion 
strongly,  and  bills  to  accom- 
plish it  have  already  been  in- 
troduced in  both  houses  of 
Congress. 


SEC  Reports  20th-Fox 
Contract  with  Einfeld 

Washington,  Jan.  17. — Charles 
Einfeld,  newly-elected  vice-president 
of  20th  Century-Fox  in  charge  of  ad- 
vertising, publicity  and  exploitation, 
will  receive  $2,000  a  week  and  a  $500 
weekly  expense  account  under  his  two- 
year  contract  starting  on  Feb.  1,  the 
company  has  reported  to  the  Securi 
ties  and  Exchange  Commission. 

The  employment  contract,  in  addi- 
tion, provides  that  Einfeld  shall  re- 
ceive $25,000  for  acting  in  an  advisory 
capacity  from  Nov.  1,  1948,  to  Jan. 
31,  1949. 


and  productions  of  various  indepen- 
dents in  Hollywood. 

First  of  the  films  to  be  produced  on 
the  1949  schedule  will  be  two  docu- 
mentaries to  be  made  by  Bryan  Foy. 
They  are  "Port  of  New  York,"  deal- 
ing with  the  Customs  Bureau  of  the 
Treasury  Department,  "Trapped,"  to 
deal  with  the  U.  S.  Secret  Service. 
Both  will  be  made  with  the  coopera- 
tion of  the  Federal  agencies  involved 
and  New  York  harbor  authorities. 

The  third  film  is  tentatively  titled 
'Marker  X"  and  will  deal  with  the 
sleuths  of  the  Pure  Food  and  Drug 
Division  of  the  government,  to  be  pro- 
duced by  Aubrey  Schenck  and  Steve 
Sekely  and  to  be  directed  by  Sekely. 

Foy  left  Hollywood  yesterday  for 
Washington  and  New  York  to  ar- 
range for  filming  portions  of  both  of 
his  pictures  in  the  East.-  He  will  be 
joined  in  New  York  shortly  by  James 
T.  Vaughn,  Eagle-Lion  studio  produc- 
tion manager. 


Cut  Lawyers'  Fees 

{Continued  jrom  page  1) 


Frohlich  of  New  York,  counsel  for 
Ascap. 

At  the  hearing  on  the  application 
for  fees,  the  court  was  told  that  Ben- 
nie  Berger,  a  defendant  in  the  case, 
had  promised  his  attorney  $10,000,  win 
or  lose,  and  that  North  Central  Allied 
had  told  the  attorneys  it  would  give 
$50,000  if  they  won  the  case.  They 
told  the  court  Berger  had  paid  them 
$1,000  and  the  association  nothing. 


David  Lipton  Named 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


UNITED 

DC-6  Mainliner  300s, 
11%  hrs.  onestop  to 

LOS 

ANGELES 


2  other  DC-6  Mainliner  300s 
daily  to  Los  Angeles 


versal  studios  for  three  years. 

Joseph  had  been  Universal's  national 
advertising-publicity  director  for  11 
years.  He  stated  that  he  had  no  new 
affiliation  in  view  and  that  he  would 
"check  off  the  lot"  some  time  within 
the  next  month. 


43  Openings  Set  for 
Short's  'Bad  Boy' 

Some  43   key   situation  premieres 
have  been  set  for  Feb.  22  for  Allied 
Artists'  "Bad  Boy"  with  all  of  th 
first  night  revenue  to  go  to  Variety 
Clubs  International,  Paul  Short,  who 
produced  the  film,  revealed  here  yes 
terday  at  an  AA  home  office  press  in 
terview.    A  juvenile  delinquency  pic 
ture,  it  was  made  at  the  request  of 
U.  S.  Attorney  General  Tom  Clark 
and  with  the  cooperation  of  Variety 
Clubs.   Variety  will  also  participate 
in  the  profits  of  the  film,  which  start 
at  10  per  cent  and  go  upward,  Short 
disclosed. 

At  present  Short  has  a  two-film 
contract  with  AA,  with  "Born  to 
Lose"  scheduled  as  his  second  produc- 
tion. Also,  Short  asserted,  he  expects 
to  make  two  for  Universal. 


■L  Will  Resume 

{Continued  jrom  page  1) 


Pickford,  Chaplin 
At  UA  Coast  Meet 


'Fame'  Scrolls  to 
Town  Meet  and  Stern 

Motion  Picture  Daily — Fame  scroll 
will  be  presented  to  George  Denny, 
moderator  of  "America's  Town  Meet- 
ing of  the  Air,"  named  as  Best  Edu- 
cational Program  in  the  Fame  poll, 
on  the  combined  radio  and  television 
broadcast  over  American  Broadcast- 
ing tonight  at  8  :30. 

Bill  Stern,  who  was  voted  Best 
Sportscaster,  will  be  presented  with 
the  scroll  for  that  classification  on  his 
National  Broadcasting  show  on  Fri- 
day at  10:30  P.M. 


Hollywood,  Jan.  17. — The  first 
meeting  of  United  Artists'  board, 
partner-owners,  executives  and  finance 
committee  got  under  way  here  this 
afternoon  with  the  reading  of  the 
committee's  report  on  ways  and 
means  of  financing  production,  the 
first  item  on  the  meeting  agenda. 

The  meeting,  first  in  a  sequence  ex- 
pected to  run  several  days,  took  place 
at  company  headquarters,  General 
Service  Studio,  with  owners  Mary 
Pickford  and  Charles  Chaplin  in  at- 
tendance. Next  session  will  be  Wednes- 
day. 

WB,  Selznick  Confer 
On  Players  Loan-Out 

Hollywood,  Jan.  17. — In  the  wake 
of  weekend  reports,  a  Warner  Broth- 
ers spokesman  today  affirmed  that  ne- 
gotiations are  in  progress  for  the 
company's  use  of  "several  David  O. 
Selznick  players  on  loan-out,"  but  de- 
nied knowledge  of  any  plans  for  ac- 
quisition by  WB  of  complete  Selznick 
production  properties.  Daniel  T. 
O'Shea,  Selznick  executive  indicated 
no  "sales"  were  pending. 


Hits  Inaugural  Bill 

Washington,  Jan.  17. — Rep.  Rees, 
Kansas  Republican,  today  attacked  a 
bill  exempting  from  admission  taxes 
tickets  on  inaugural  events  on  the 
ground  that  Congress  should  not  be 
easy  on  people  who  "can  pay  $5  to 
see  Hollywood  stars"  when  it  taxes 
poor  families  who  see  the  same  stars 
in  the  neighborhood  theatres. 


Scope  of  MPEA 

{Continued  jrom  page  1) 


York  late  yesterday  for  the  Miami 
meeting  of  company  presidents  today 
and  tomorrow. 

Among  those  present  yesterday 
were  George  Weltner,  Paramount ; 
Arthur  Loew  and  Mort  Spring, 
Loew's ;  Walter  Gould,  United  Art- 
ists ;  Al  Daff,  Universal ;  Phil  Reis- 
man,  RKO  Radio ;  Murray  Silver- 
stone,  20th  Century-Fox ;  Theodore 
Black  and  Herbert  Yates,  Jr.,  Repub- 
lic ;  Wolfe  Cohen,  Warner ;  Joseph 
McConville,  Columbia ;  Norton  V. 
Ritchey,  Monogram. 

John  G.  McCarthy,  head  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America's 
international  division,  yesterday  was 
elected  an  MPEA  vice-president. 


FROM 


PARAMOUNT 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  18,  1949 


1035  SIXTH  AVE..  N.  Y.  18,  N.  Y. 
LOngacre  4-1141-2-3 
Cable:  Hyamsgreen  N.  Y. 

FOR 

1949 

RELEASE 

ALL  ENGLISH  TITLES 

"INTERLUDE" 

STARRING 

VIVECA  LINDFORS 

Now  Warner  Bros.  Star 
-  SWEDISH  - 
Spoken  in  English,  Swedish, 
French,  Italian  &  German.  2 


,UTHE  £ 
WANDERING  I 
JEW"! 

Italy's  Greatest  Contri-  * 
bution  to  the  Screen! 


"LONG  IS 
THE  ROAD 


A  powerful  saga  of  Eur- 
ope's displaced  persons. 

Dialogue  in: 
YIDDISH  •  POLISH  -  GERMAN 

First  Post-war  YIDDISH  FILM 
AND  —  r*^* 

m  ■ 

In  Association 
With  Our  Sister 
Corporation 

GRAMBRCY 
FILMS,  INC 

"MARRIAGE 
SHADOWS" 


in 
the 


A  PROVEN 
WINNER! 

16  RECORD  WEEKS 
IN  ITS  PREMIERE 
NEW  YORK  RUN! 

ALL  ENGLISH  TITLES 


1948  Weekly  Gross 
Summary 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


come  for  December  was  $15,138,  while 
in  November  it  was  $15,180.  Decem- 
ber, 1947,  showed  an  average  of 
$16,013. 

As  is  usually  the  case,  the  first 
three  weeks  of  last  month  were  rela- 
tively mild,  business-wise.  And,  also 
as  usual,  a  sharp  upturn  in  grosses 
followed  in  the'  fourth  week  (Christ- 
mas week),  with  the  weekly  average 
per  theatre  registering  $17,413. 

Although  1948  grosses  were  below 
those  of  the  previous  year,  according 
to  reports,  there  is  evidence  in  the 
array  of  figures  of  a  general  levelling 
off  of  grosses  with  apparent  promise 
of  steadiness  this  year  from  an  over- 
all standpoint. 

"The  Paleface,"  which  got  into  na- 
tional release  in  the  last  week  of  De- 
cember, surged  forward  rapidly  as  a 
grosser  to  tie  "The  Three  Muske- 
teers" for  first  place  box-office  honors 
last  month.    November's  leader  was 


1948 

Week  No.  of  Total 

Ending  Theatres  Gross 

Jan.    2-3    179  $3,406,600 

Jan.    9-10    168  3,112,700 

Jan.  16-17    168  2,473,300 

Jan.  23-24    166  2,419,000 

Tan.  30-31    166  2,341,900 

Feb.    6-7    167  2,537,800 

Feb.  13-14    166  2,381,500 

Feb.  20-21    164  2,316,500 

Feb.  27-28    167  2,734,100 

Mar.   5-6    165  2,372,700 

Mar.  12-13    165  2,441,800 

Mar.  19-20    175  2,626,800 

Mar.  26-27    162  2,356,800 

April   2-3    171  2,953,500 

April   9-10    169  2,740,000 

April  16-17    175  2.493,600 

April  23-24    167  2,284,000 

April  30-May  1   ...  159  2,232,300 

May   7-8    167  2,416,500 

May  14-15    167  2,301,200 

May  21-22    149  2,118,300 

May  28-29    158  2,241,100 

June   4-5    166  2,577,400 

June  11-12    172  2,287,800 

June  18-19    176  2,340,300 

June  25-26    170  2,396,500 

Tuly   2-3    167  2,476,300 

July   9-10    161  2,499,000 

July  16-17    170  2,418,900 

July  23-24    172  2,577,800 

July  30-31    170  2,438,600 

Aug.    6-7    173  2,482,800 

Aug.  13-14    171  2,575,500 

Aug.  20-21    175  2,577,800 

Aug.  27-28    166  2,430,400 

Sept.    3-4    172  2,463,500 

Sept.  10-11    168  2,722,000 

Sept.  17-18    171  2,406,700 

Sept.  24-25    154  2,262,500 

Oct.    1-2    163  2,332,800 

Oct.    8-9    160  2,387,500 

Oct.  15-16    172  2,529,200 

Oct.  22-23    159  2,349,800 

Oct.  29-30    161  2,379,900 

Nov.    5-6    166  2,383,300 

Nov.  12-13    169  2,570,000 

Nov.  19-20    176  2,680,700 

Nov.  26-27    175  2,424,600 

Dec.   3-4    180  3,105.700 

Dec.  10-11    179  2,535,000 

Dec.  17-18    165  2,172,200 

Dec.  24-26    168  1,892,400 


Average 

Per 
Theatre 


$19,031 
18,528 
14,722 
14,572 
14,108 
15,196 
15,546 
15,125 
16,372 
14,380 
14,799 
15,010 
14,548 
17,272 
16,213 
14,249 
13,677 
14,040 
14,470 
13,780 
14,217 
14,184 
15,527 
13,304 
13,297 
14,097 
14,828 
15,522 
14,229 
14,987 
14,345 
14,351 
15,061 
14,730 
14,641 
14,323 
16,202 
14,074 
14,692 
14,312 
14,922 
14,705 
14,779 
14,782 
14,357 
15,207 
15,231 
13,855 
17,254 
14,162 
13,165 
11,264 


"Johnny  Belinda,"  followed  closely  by 
"Musketeers." 

"Hamlet,"  showing  at  advanced  ad- 
mission prices,  moved  up  into  second 
place  last  month,  while  third  place 
honors  were  shared  by  "When  My 
Baby  Smiles  at  Me,"  "The  Snake  Pit" 
and  "Blood  on  the  Moon." 

Other  films  which  appeared  fre- 
quently as  better-than-average  gross- 
ers  last  month  were:  "Johnny  Belin- 
da," "June  Bride,"  "Miss  Tatlock's 
Millions,"  "Red  Rover"  (a  close  third 
in  November),  "Fighter  Squadron," 
"Mexican  Hayride,"  "Road  House," 
"Belle  Starr's  '  Daughter,"  "He 
Walked  by  Night,"  "Sealed  Verdict," 
"No  Minor  Vices,"  "The  Saxon 
Charm,"  "Julia  Misbehaves,"  "The 
Return  of  October  " 

Also,  the  reissue  pair,  "Last  Days 
of  Pompeii"  and  "She,"  "Let's  Live  a 
Little,"  "Kiss  the,  Blood  Off  My 
Hands,"  "The  Freak,"  "Plunderers," 
"Strike  It  Rich,"  "That  Wonderful 
Urge,"  "The  Red  Shoes"  and  the  fol- 
lowing late  starters  :  "Command  Deci- 
sion," "Joan  of  Arc,"  "Portrait  of 
Jennie,"  "Yellow  Sky,"  "The  Adven- 
tures of  Don  Juan"  and  "Every  Girl 
Should  Be  Married." 

Composite  key  city  box-office  re- 
ports for  1948  and  1947  follow : 


Total 

Gross 


1947 

Week  No.  of 

Ending  Theatres 

Jan.    3-4    167  $3,678,100 

Jan.  10-11    173  3,363,200 

Jan.  17-18    173  3,007,300 

Jan.  24-25    176  3,043,700 

Jan.  31 -Feb.  1    181  2,293,600 

Feb.    7-8    177  3,089,600 

Feb.  14-15    177  2,767,900 

Feb.  21-22    182  3,042,700 

Feb.  28-Mar.  1  ....  166  2,800,300 

Mar.   7-8    178  2,906,400 

Mar.  14-15    174  2,890,300 

Mar.  21-22    173  2,922,900 

Mar.  28-29    178  3,069,500 

April   4-5    179  2,838,800 

April  11-12    184  2,233,500 

April  18-19    177  2,973,400 

April  25-26    183  2,917,900 

May   2-3    177  2,699,800 

May   9-10    175  2,578,100 

May  16-17    176  2,650,400 

May  23-24    169  2,369,100 

May  30-31    173  2,590,100 

June   6-7    178  2,834,800 

June  13-14    165  2,511,700 

June  20-21    170  2,579,400 

Tune  27-28    174  2,557,000 

July   4-5    163  2,507,300 

July  11-12    169  2,734,800 

July  18-19    174  2,555.900 

July  25-26    156  2,561,700 

Aug.    1-2    160  2,511,500 

Aug.    8-9    166  2,612,700 

Aug.  15-16    164  2,622,300 

Aug.  22-23    170  2,931,800 

Aug.  29-30    164  2.786,700 

Sept.    5-6    159  2,829,000 

Sept.  12-13    170  2,855,600 

Sept.  19-20    167  2,716,800 

Sept.  26-27    172  2,845,000 

Oct.    3-4    177  2,852,100 

Oct.  10-11    171  2,665,900 

Oct.  17-18    176  2,923,900 

Oct.  24-25    177  2,956,600 

Oct.  31 -Nov.  1  ....  177  3,029,500 

Nov.   7-8    178  3,082,600 

Nov.  14-15    175  2,937,800 

Nov.  21-22    174  2,821,800 

Nov.  28-29    164  2,416,300 

Dec.    5-6    166  2,883,100 

Dec.  12-13    173  2,482,900 

Dec.  19-20    175  2,385,500 

Dec.  26-27    165  1,875,000 


Average 

Per 
Theatre 


$22,024 
19,400 
17,383 
17,294 
18,197 
17,495 
15,638 
16,718 
16,869 
16,328 
16,610 
16,895 
17,245 
15,859 
17,606 
16,798 
15,945 
15,253 
15,732 
15,059 
14,018 
14,972 
15,926 
15,222 
15,173 
14,695 
15,382 
16,182 
14,689 
16,421 
15,696 
15,742 
15,989 
17,246 
16,992 
17,192 
16,209 
16,268 
16,541 
16,113 
15,590 
16,613 
16,704 
17,116 
17,318 
16,781 
16,217 
14,733 
17,368 
14,352 
13,629 
11,363 


U.  K.  Producers 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


present  tax  incidence  virtually  pro- 
hibits any  producer  from  making  a 
reasonable  profit.  It  estimates  that 
taxes  take  $152,000,000  out  of  the 
present  over-all  annual  box-office 
gross  of  $432,000,000  here,  compared 
with  the  British  pictures'  share  of 
$68,000,000. 


NTS  in  Popcorn  Field 

C.  P.  O'Grady  has  been  named  head 
of  National  Theatre  Supply's  newly- 
formed  popcorn  department  by  W.  E. 
Green,  NTS  president. 


MANAGEMENT 

Capable  Executive 

AVA  ILABLE 

EXPERIENCED    COMPLETE  OPERA 
TIONAL  MANAGEMENT  —  COMPE 
TENT  BUYER  AND  BOOKER  —  PUB 
LICIST  —  TOP  RECORD  —  ORGAN 
IZATIONAL   SPECIALIST   NOW  IN 
TERESTED  IN  TIEUP  WITH  YOUNG 
GROWING   ORGANIZATION  OR 
NEW  INVESTMENT  GROUP.  BOX  422, 
MOTION     PICTURE     DAILY.  1270 
SIXTH  AVE.,  N.  Y.  20. 


Decree  Might  Cut 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Paramount  subsidiaries,  rather  than 
by  Paramount  itself,  and  suggested 
that  if  one  of  these  subsidiaries  were 
divested  as  a  result  of  a  Paramount 
Federal  Court  case  judgment  or  set- 
tlement, the  film  might  no  longer  be 
outside  the  five-station  limit  which  the 
FCC  is  proposing.  He  said  that  with 
the  competition  for  stations  what  it 
is,  the  FCC  should  not  rule  out  the 
bids  of  Paramount  subsidiaries,  but 
process  them  subject  to  conditions. 
That  the  limit  be  observed  by  a  cer- 
tain time  during  1948,  he  said,  there 
were  18  FCC  decisions  awarding  sta- 
tions on  the  condition  that  certain 
steps  be  taken. 

"It  is  fair  to  say  that  the  damage 
that  the  respondents  have  already  in- 
curred as  a  result  of  the  Commis- 
sion's interpretations  of  its  present 
multiple  ownership  rules  is  not  only 
vast  but  incalculable,"  Patrick  said, 
referring  to  the  Commission's  recently 
proposed  order  throwing  out  five 
pending  applications  by  DuMont 
Laboratories  and  Paramount,  on  the 
grounds  that  Paramount  controls 
DuMont. 

Patrick  appeared  on  behalf  of 
Paramount  Pictures,  Paramount  Tele- 
vision Productions,  United  Detroit 
Theatres,  New  England  Theatres, 
Gulf  Theatres  and  Balaban  and  Katz. 

He  challenged  the  Commission's 
authority  to  make  such  multiple  own- 
ership limits  and  the  wisdom  of  mak- 
ing them  at  this  time  in  view  of  the 
unsettled  future  of  television  alloca- 
tions, and  suggested  revisions  in  the 
proposed  rules  if  adopted. 

"The  FCC  is  not  primarily  an  agen- 
cy designed  or  intended  by  Congress 
to  deal  with  monopoly  or  anti-trust 
questions,"  Patrick  stated.  "Congres- 
sional opposition  to  monopoly  and  the 
benefits  of  the  proposed  rule  are  not 
enough  to  support  it — statutory  au- 
thority must  be  specifically  shown." 

Patrick  stressed  that  both  Para- 
mount and  DuMont  were  television 
pioneers,  and  declared  that  while  the 
applications  of  Paramount  subsidiaries 
for  Boston  and  Detroit  channels  were 
given  "the  silent  treatment,"  later  ap- 
plications were  given  channels. 


? 


Then  it's  high  time  you  leave 
worries  behind  and  take  a 
TWA  Quickie  Vacation  in  the 
Great  Southwest.  A  few  days 
away  offers  plenty  of  time  for 
rest  and  fun  in  the  invigorating 
climate  of  Phoenix,  when  you 
go  by  TWA  Skyliner.  Big  sav- 
ings on  family  travel  and  round 
trips!  For  facts,  call  your  local 
TWA  office  or  your  travel 
agent. 


toat/  MOTION  PICTURE  ,RST 

Concise  !  T|    ATI  Y  f!ua 

Im^rtial     I  M.  -L/  JL     ,  NEWS 


VOL.  65.    NO.  13 

Goldwyn  Prod. 
Resigns  from 
MPAA,  AMPP 

Contends  Policies  Do 
Not  Aid  Independents 

Feeling  that  the  policies  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of 
Amei'ica  do  not  represent  the  in- 
terests of  independent  producers, 
Samuel  Goldwyn  yesterday  notified 
the  MPAA  in  New  York  and  the 
Association  of  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers in  Hollywood  of  his  intention 
to  withdraw  from  both  organizations. 

Resignation  of  the  Goldwyn  com- 
pany from  the  MPAA  becomes  effec- 
(Continned  on  page  6) 


N.Y.  Ist-Run 
Income  Fair 


"Good"  Says  MPA  as 
Goldwyn  Resigns 

Washington,  Jan.  18.— In  a  state- 
ment regarding  Goldwyn's  resignation 
issued  from  his  Washington  office  Eric 
Johnston,  Motion  Picture  Association 
president  now  attending  a  MPA  meet- 
ing in  Miami,  said  "the  reaction  of  the 
members  here  can  be  summed  up  m 
one  word — good." 

Johnston  said  that  the  company 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Business  is  inching  along  at  a  few 
spots,  while  others  range  from  mod- 
erate to  substantial  in  a  week  of  wide- 
ly varied  grosses  at  New  York  first- 
runs.  Unseasonably  mild  weather  con- 
tinued helpful.  Income  for  the  week 
generally  is  moderate. 

"The  Accused,"  with  Ray  McKin- 
ley's  orchestra  and  the  Mills  Broth- 
ers, made  a  good  showing  in  a  first 
week  at  the  Paramount  with  a  gross 
of  $84,000.  "The  Boy  With  the  Green 
Hair"  returned  the  Palace  to  a  first- 
run  policy,  and  the  initial  week's  take 
is  good,  at  $24,000.  At  the  Criterion, 
"Mexican  Hayride"  is  fair  at  $18,000 
in  a  first  week,  short  of  enough  to 
warrant  a  second;  "Act  of  Violence" 
will  open  on  Saturday. 

"That  Wonderful  Urge,"  with  Bar- 
bara Ann  Scott  and  an  ice  revue  at 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Harry  Cohn  Pact  to 
Col.  Stockholders 


Para,  to  Show  1st 
Inaugural  Telecast 

New  York's  Paramount  Theatre 
yesterday  completed  arrangements  for 
the  exclusive  large-screen  presentation 
by  Paramount  television  of  the  Inau- 
gural celebration  at  Washington.  It 
ill  mark  the  first  time  that  such  an 
event  will  be  brought  directly  to 
patrons  of  a  theatre. 

First  of  the  top  ranking  events,  the 
Inaugural  reception  featuring  700  art- 
ists and  instrumentalists,  will  be  tele- 
vised to  the  large  screen  starting  at 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


At  the  annual  meeting  of  Columbia 
stockholders,  to  be  held  here  on  Feb. 
8,  stockholders  will  vote  on  a  corpo- 
rate amendment  to  provide  for  an  in- 
crease in  the  number  of  directors 
from  seven  to  nine. 

Stockholders  are  asked  also  to  vote 
on  a  proposed  employment  contract 
with  Harry  Cohn,  company  president, 
whereby  Cohn  will  continue  at  his 
present  salary,  subject  to  a  six-month 
notice  of  termination  by  either  party. 

Proxies  for  the  meeting,  sent  to 
stockholders  yesterday,  advise  that  no 
decision  regarding  the  new  directors 
has  yet  been  made  by  the  board. 

As  an  inducement  for  Cohn  to  enter 
into  the  agreement,  there  has  been 
made  available  to  him  certain  benefits 
arising  from  $300,000  of  insurance 
policies  which  the  company  has  long 
held  on  his  life.  These  benefits  will 
be  payable  to  Cohn  or  his  heirs. 

Additional  matters  before  the  meet- 
ing will  include  the  election  of  direc- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Newsreels  Set  for 
Inaugural  Coverage 

Washington,  Jan.  18.— Full  re 
sources  of  the  five  newsreel  compa 
nies  will  be  thrown  into  the  coverage 
of  President  Truman's  inauguration 
here  tomorrow.  Virtually  entire 
home  office  and  Washington  crews 
will  be  at  the  scene,  •  plus  staff  men 
from  Boston,  Philadelphia,  Chicago 
and  elsewhere. 

While  no  pooling  arrangement  has 
been  set  up  for  exchanging  footage, 
the  companies  have  worked  out  a  pool- 
ing arrangement  for  the  shipment  of 
film  from  the  Capital  to  newsreel 
home  offices  by  chartered  planes. 

Footage  will  be  edited  and  made-up 
Thursday  night  and  rushed  to  thea- 
tres for  weekend  showing  as  part  of 
the  regular  reels,  which  will  be  flown 
to  distant  parts  of  the  country  by  air 
express. 


$22,000,000  to 
Variety  Charities 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  18.— Va- 
riety Clubs  in  the  U.  S.  have 
"raised  $22,000,000  for  chari- 
ties in  the  last  22  years,"  Wil- 
liam McCraw,  executive  di- 
rector of  Variety  Internation- 
al, told  a  meeting  of  the  local 
tent  last  night. 

He  said  the  Variety  Clubs 
are  doing  the  finest  public  re- 
lations job  for  the  industry  of 
any  group  in  it. 


J.K.  Problems 
Up  at  MPAA 
Miami  Meet 


'Forced  Percentage' 
Talks  Start  Monday 

Allied  States  Association  will  pre- 
sent to  distributors'  sales  managers 
here  next  week  proposals  f or  eliminat 
ing  "forced  percentage  selling." 

Col.  H.  A.  Cole  of  Texas  and  the 
special  Allied  committee  on  "forced 
percentage"  which  he  heads  are  due 
to  arrive  in  New  York  on  Monday 
to  open  discussions  with  the  compa- 
nies individually.  Other  members  of 
the  committee,  which  was  set  up  on 
Dec.  1  at  the  national  Allied  con 
vention  in  New  Orleans,  include  Sid 
ney  Samuelson,  Pennsylvania  ;  Charles 
Niles,  Iowa;  Jack  Kirsch,  Illinois 
and  Martin  Smith,  Ohio. 

Discussions   are   expected  to  con 
tinue  daily  throughout  the  week.  It 
is  understood  that  for  the  past  sev 
era!  weeks  the  Cole  committee  has 
been  gathering  facts  and  figures  prep 
aratory  to  meeting  the  sales  chiefs. 


Other  Foreign  Markets, 
Prospects,  Discussed 

Miami,  Jan.  18. — A  review  of 
British  film  market  conditions  and 
problems,  including  an  exchange  of 
views  on  the  first  six  months'  ex- 
periences under  the  British  ad 
valorem  tax  settlement,  occupied  most 
of  the  opening  session  of  the  two-day 
meeting  of  Motion  Picture  Association 
of  America  directors  held  at  the  home 
of  Nicholas  Schenck  here  today. 

It  was  estimated  that  on  the  basis 
of  the  first  half-year  of  operations 
under  the  tax  agreement,  American 
pictures  will  earn  approximately  $40,- 
000,000  net  in  Britain  for  the  12 
months  ending  next  June  14,  which 
ordinarily  would  go  to  New  York. 

Under  the  -tax  agreement,  $17,000,- 
000  of  that  amount  can  be  remitted, 
plus  the  equivalent  of  British  picture 
earnings    in    the    American  market, 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Para.  Must  Produce 
Ridge  Case  Records 


Chicago,  Jan.  18.— In  the  Ridge 
Theatre  equity  suit,  Judge  John  P. 
Barnes  in  U.  S.  District  Court  has 
over-ruled  Paramounts'  objections  to 
plaintiff  attorney  Seymour  Simon's 
request  for  an  open  examination  of 
playdates  and  film  rentals  for  the 
South-side  Tivoli,  Maryland,  Tower 
(operated  by  B.  and  K.)  and  Pica 
dilly,  Avalon  and  Jackson  Park  the 
atres  for  the  past  three  years. 

Simon's  purpose  is  to  prove  that  the 
distributors  have  been  making  more 
money  on  the  South-side  under  the 
Jackson  Park  decree  than  prior  to  it 
when  B.  and  K.  houses  were  the  dis> 
tributor's  only  outlet.  Paramount  ob 
jected  on  grounds  that  South-side 
theatres. have  nothing  to  do  with  the- 
atres on  the  North-side,  where  the 
Ridge  is  located.  Judge  Barnes  or 
dered  Paramount  to  answer  the  re 
quest. 


Cleveland  Owners 
Reelect  Schwartz 


Cleveland,  Jan.  18. — All  officers  of 
the  Cleveland  Motion  Picture  Exhibi- 
tors Association  were  reelected  at  to- 
day's annual  meeting,  as  follows : 
Ernest  Schwartz,  president  for  the  16th 
term ;  Albert  E.  Ptak,  vice-president 
for  the  12th  term;  Ted  Vermes,  treas- 
urer for  the  2nd  term.  All  members 
of  the  board  of  directors  were  re- 
elected. 

Association  members  unanimously 
voted  to  make  one  weekend  March  of 
Dimes  theatre  collection,  starting  Jan. 
30,  in  all  independent  theatres  here. 


Seek  Over-All  Pact 
Talks  With  SPG 


Leslie  Thompson,  RKO's  labor  re- 
lations director,  has  been  conferring 
with  labor  relations  heads  of  the  other 
film  companies  with  a  view  to  estab- 
lishing unanimous  agreement  on  the 
proposal  that  new  contract  negotia- 
tions be  conducted  with  Eastern 
Screen  Publicists  Guild  (CIO)  on  an 
over-all  basis  rather  than  on  a  com- 
pany-by-company basis.  SPG  has 
filed  demands  with  all  companies  for 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  19,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

EZ.    WALTERS,    Altec  Service 
•   comptroller,   is   in   New  York 
from  the  Coast. 

• 

Dr.  Vladimir  K.  Zworykin,  RCA 
Laboratories  vice-president  and  tech- 
nician consultant,  was  presented  the 
Poor  Richard  Club's  1949  gold  medal 
in  Philadelphia  for  his  achievements 
in  television. 

• 

William  McCraw,  executive  direc- 
tor of  Variety  Clubs  of  America, 
spoke  in  Chicago  last  night  at  an  in- 
stallation meeting  of  Chicago  Tent 
No.  26. 

• 

Paul  Broder,  Realart  president, 
and  Jack  Broder,  vice-president, 
from  Detroit  and  Hollywood,  respec- 
tively, are  in  New  York  for  a  com- 
pany meeting. 

• 

W.  T.  Willis,  manager  of  the  Ritz 
and  Milan  theatres  in  Milan,  Tenn., 
has  been  elected  president  of  the  local 
Chamber  of  Commerce. 

R.  E.  Baulch,  president  of  Cres- 
cent  Amusement,    has    been  elected 
vice-president  of  the  Nashville  Cham 
ber  of  Commerce. 

• 

Henry  Friedman,  operator  of  the 
Lawndale  and  Main  Line  theatres  in 
Philadelphia,  has  returned  to  that  city 
from  a  trip  to  Puerto  Rico. 

Robert    M.     Gillham,  Selznick 
Eastern  advertising-publicity  director, 
was  in  Washington  from  here  yester 
day  on  business. 

• 

Alfred  Werker,  Eagle-Lion  direc 
tor,  is  here  from  the  Coast  for  a  va- 
cation. 

Marvin   H.    Schenck   and  Mrs. 
Schenck  will  leave  here  tomorrow 
for  a  vacation  in  Hot  Springs,  Ark. 
• 

Walter  Titus,  Republic  Southern 
District  manager,  is  visiting  the  At- 
lanta  exchange   from   New  York. 
• 

Cyril  Wooley  has  been  appointed 
manager  of  the  Walter  Reade  Para- 
mount Theatre  in  Plainfield,  N.  J. 
• 

George  Jessel,  20th  Century-Fox 
producer,  is  here  from  Hollywood. 

Joe  Grossman,  60, 
UK  Studio  Manager 

London,  Jan.  18.  —  Joe  Grossman, 
60,  one  of  the  country's  best  known 
film  studio  managers,  died  of  a  heart 
attack  today  at  Associated  British 
Picture's  Elstree  studio,  which  he 
managed. 

Following  a  youth  spent  in  several 
branches  of  vaudeville  and  the  theatre, 
Grossman  was  named  by  the  late  J.  D. 
Williams  to  manage  Elstree  when  the 
latter  built  it ;  he  had  remained  there 
since.  He  was  a  favorite  in  royal 
circles,  and  was  twice  decorated  by 
the  King  for  war  work. 


S.G.  Gets  $100,000 
Additional  Capital 

Screen  Guild  Productions'  franchise 
holders  have  increased  the  company's 
capital  by  $100,000,  it  was  announced 
here  yesterday  by  Robert  Lippert, 
SGP  president,  following  a  two-day 
board  meeting.  » 

The  additional  $100,000  is  needed, 
Lippert  said,  for  promoting  the  re- 
cently-completed "I  Shot  Jesse 
James"  and  other  forthcoming-  pic- 
tures. ''Jesse  James,"  Lippert  re- 
ported, is  the  company's  biggest 
budget  picture  to  date. 


100  Argentine  Films 
For  the  US  Market 


Davis  Resigns  Mono. 
Phila.  Exchange  Post 

Resignation  of  Al  Davis,  Allied 
Artists-Monogram  manager  of  the 
Philadelphia  exchange,  was  announced 
here  by  Morey  Goldstein,  general  sales 
manager.  Davis  is  leaving  to  do  buy- 
ing and  booking  for  an  independent 
circuit. 

Max  Gillis,  Eastern  district  man- 
ager, will  have  headquarters  in  Phila- 
delphia and  supervise  the  district  from 
there. 


Brenon  and  Mamula 
To  Leave  Selznick 

Aileen  St.  John  Brenon  and  Nick 
Mamula  will  leave  their  respective  pub- 
licity posts  with  Selznick  Enterprises 
in  New  York  within  a  week.  Miss 
Brenon  handled  all  magazine  publicity 
while  Mamula  was  newspaper,  trade 
paper  and  syndicate  contact.  Miss 
Brenon  and  Mamula  went  to  the  Selz- 
nick organization  two  years  ago. 

Both  will  announce  future  plans 
shortly. 


Plans  for  the  importation  of  Ar 
gentine  product  into  the  American 
market  were  announced  here  yester- 
day by  Juan  Martin,  former  member 
of  the  Argentine  diplomatic  corps 
in  the  U.  S.,  who  has  arrived  in  New 
York  from  Buenos  Aires. 

Martin  has  acquired  exclusive 
North  American,  Canadian  and  Phil- 
ippine distribution  rights  to  100  Ar- 
gentine pictures  turned  out  during  and 
prior  to  1948  and  to  be  made  during 
1949  and  1950,  he  said.  This  arrange- 
ment excludes  the  few  Argentine  pic- 
tures already  in  release  here.  The 
films,  which  come  from  six  Buenos 
A  ires  studios,  will  be  distributed  in 
the  U.  S.  and  Canada  by  Martin's 
own  organization. 

Argentine  studios  are  now  turning 
out  about  40  feature  films  a  year, 
Martin  said. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


Kranze  Promotes 
Beier  and  Magill 

B.  G.  Kranze,  sales  vice-president 
of  Film  Classics,  has  promoted  Nat 
Beier,  recently  F.  C.'s  Boston  branch 
head,  to  branch  manager  of  Phila- 
delphia, replacing  Mort  Magill  who 
will  remain  with  Film  Classics  as 
sales  manager  of  its  Philadelphia 
branch. 


Several  Rank  Films 
At  N.  Y.  First-Runs 

With  the  opening  of  Two  Cities 
"Take  My  Life"  at  the  new  Trans 
Lux  59th  Street  Theatre  yesterday, 
the  J.  Arthur  Rank  Organization  is 
represented  on  New  York  screens  with 
several  first-run  films. 

"Hamlet"  is  in  its  17th  week  at  the 
Park  Avenue  Theatre,  "The  Red 
Shoes"  is  in  its  14th  week  at  the 
Bijou,  "Mr.  Perrin  and  Mr.  Traill" 
recently  opened  at  the  Little  Carnegie, 
"Don't  Take  It  to  Heart"  is  in  its 
fifth  week  at  the  Beacon,  where  it  is 
coupled  with  "Waterloo  Road,"  while 
"A  Canterbury  Tale"  and  "The 
Woman  in  the  Hall"  will  replace  the 
current  bill  at  the  Beacon  on  Saturday 


Will  Rogers  Drive 
Drawing  Tomorrow 

Drawing  for  89  prizes  in  the  New 
York  Metropolitan  area  "Save  the 
Will  Rogers  Memorial  Hospital" 
campaign  will  be  held  in  the  Hotel 
Astor  tomorrow  at  two  P.M.  before 
industry  leaders  and  others. 

The  drawing  culminates  a  campaign 
of  more  than  four  months  to  raise 
funds  for  the  hospital  at  Saranac 
Lake,  N.  Y. 


Mrs.  A.  L.  Simons,  73 

Funeral  services  will  be  held  tomor- 
row for  Mrs.  A.  L.  Simons,  mother 
of  M.  L.  Simons,  editor  of  M-G-M's 
The  Distributor.  Mrs.  Simons,  73, 
died  at  her  Paris,  111.,  home  yester- 
day after  a  long  illness.  Another  son 
and  three  daughters  survive.  Simons 
left  here  yesterday  for  Paris,  111.,  to 
attend  the  funeral. 


Two  New  Theatres 
For  Fox  Midwest 

Kansas  City,  Jan.  18. — Fox  Mid 
west  will  open  two  new  theatres  this 
month.  The  Fox,  Atchinson,  Kan., 
opening  Jan.  27,  replaces  the  Royal 
which  has  been  razed.  Willis  Schafer, 
manager  of  the  Fox  Midwest  Orphe- 
um,  Atchinson,  will  also  have  charge 
of  the  Fox. 

Fox  Theatre,  Beatrice,  Neb.,  will 
be  opened  on  Thursday,  replacing  the 
Rivoli  which  has  been  leased  but  is 
now  being  converted  into  stores  by 
the  owner.  Jerry  Hayes  is  manager. 


Reynolds  to  Aid  Drive 

Dallas,  Jan.  18.— Interstate's  Rob- 
ert J.  O'Donnell,  temporary  drive 
chairman,  has  named  Albert  Reynolds, 
vice-president  and  general  manager  of 
Claude  Ezell  and  Associates,  as  co- 
chairman  in  Dallas  for  "Brotherhood 
Week." 


Fire  at  Briner  House 

Columbus,  Jan.  18.  — The  Liberty 
Theatre  at  Lancaster,  owned  by  Erway 
Briner,  was  damaged  by  an  $18,000 
fire  which  is  believed  to  have  started 
when  film  jammed  in  the  projector. 
An  audience  of  125,  mostly  children, 
filed  out  in  orderly  manner. 


(COMMUNIST  leaders  on  trial  in 
w  NeW  York  is  a  newsreel  high- 
light in  all  current  reels.  Other  items 
include  the  new  rocket  ships,  sports, 
fashions,  etc.  Complete  contents  fol- 
low: 

MOVIETONB  JJEWS,  No.  6-Red-trial 

in  New  York.  March  of  Dimes.  Heavy 
storms  cause  great  damage  in  Western  U  S 
Light  planes  set  distance  record.  Guided 
missiles.    Speed  skating.    Ski  jumping 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  240— Com- 
munist  leaders  m  U.S.  on  trial.  Guided 
missiles  The  President's  Cabinet.  Inter- 
national ski  tournament.  Polio  poster  girl 
treal  Miami-     Bird  show  in  M°n- 

PARAMOUNT    NEWS,   No.   43— Pilot- 

r  S  K,et,  '"W-distance  flight.  Rocket  ships 
climb  13,000  feet  per  minute.  Looking  to 
spring.  President  Truman  joins  the  union, 
raris:   Uary  Davis  opens  drive  for  world 

S tIZvn%,  -T?p  U-f  Reds  *°  on  trial  ^ 
IN.  x.    Ski  jump  classic. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  314— 

Keds  on  trial.  March  of  Dimes.  Talkie 
traffic  signals  President  Truman  and 
±-etn  lo.  Dog  show.  Pigeon  show.  Guided 
missiles.  Skiing. 

WARNER   PAT  HE  NEWS,  No.  45— 

Keds  on  trial.  Aviation  news.  March  of 
Dimes.  Dog  show.  Feeding  cattle  from 
the  air.    Paris  hats.    Ski  meet 


Wire  1,000  Papers 
On  'Movies  and  You' 

United  Press  has  distributed  to  ap- 
proximately 1,000  newspapers  a  news 
feature  on  "The  Movies  and  You"  of 
the  all-industry  film  series,  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  re- 
ports. 

The  article,  written  by  Jack  Gaver, 
stated  in  part :  "For  the  first  time,  the 
entire  industry  is  cooperating  to  use 
what  it  considers  the  most  graphic 
mass  medium — the  movies — to  explain 
what  makes  it  tick.  The  instruction  is 
so  palatable  that  the  ticket-buyers 
won't  even  realize  they  are  being  in- 
structed." 

"The  Movies  and  You"  series  is 
hailed  as  "informative"  by  Mark  Bar- 
ron, drama  editor  of  the  Associated 
Press,  in  a  wire-service  story  sent  to 
all   AP   member  newspapers. 


Production  Drops 
On  Coast  to  22 

Hollywood,  Jan.  18.— The  produc- 
tion tally  dipped  to  22  from  last 
week's  26.  No  pictures  were  started, 
while  four  wound  up. 

Shooting  finished  on  "Prince  of  the 
Plains,"  Republic;  "Africa  Screams" 
(Nassour),  United  Artists  ;  "The  Lady 
Gambles,"  Universal  -  International ; 
'Task  Force,"  Warner. 


TV  Ad  Film  Topic 

Charles  J.  Durbin,  president  of  the 
American  Television  Society,  will  dis- 
cuss the  use  of  film  on  television  by 
advertisers  at  the  Jan.  27  dinner- 
meeting  of  the  National  Television 
Film  Council,  to  be  held  at  the  Brass 
Rail  Restaurant  here. 


USO  Benefit  Feb.  21 

Loew's  has  donated  its  Victoria 
Theatre  in  New  York's  Harlem  for  a 
midnight-to-five  A.M.  USO  benefit 
on  Feb.  21. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin   Kane,  Editor-  Martin  Ouielev    Tr     A^nHar.  Fd,W    P„hi;=v,»H  am  .  c  t  .  

James  R  Cunninghams^ 

Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washington, 
Burnup,  Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco.  London." 

^^r^nSa^  ^AH^^'  ^«  «  ^  «  «=™r  ££«t3  Sffi^  S««^ 


Wednesday,  January  19,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


New  York  Grosses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Reviews 


the  Roxy,  wound  up  with  $55,000, 
which  is  slow,  in  its  final  six  days,  one 
day  short  of  a  complete  fourth  week ; 
it  was  replaced  yesterday  by  "Chick- 
en Every  Sunday,"  with  Dean  Mur- 
phy, Tony  Martin  and  the  ice  show 
on  stage.  "Letter  to  Three  Wives" 
will  open  at  the  Music  Hall  tomorrow, 
replacing  "Words  and  Music"  which, 
with  the  stage  presentation,  will  con- 
clude a  sixth  week  tonight  with  a 
modest  take  of  $105,000. 

"Unknown  Island"  is  big  at  the  Ri- 
alto,  where  the  second  week's  gross  is 
figured  at  $13,000.  "The  Man  from 
Colorado"  is  due  at  the  Capitol  to- 
morrow, succeeding  "Every  Girl 
Should  Be  Married,"  which,  with  a 
stage  show  including  Skitch  Hender- 
son's orchestra  and  Burt  Lancaster, 
should  conclude  a  fourth  and  final 
week  with  $43,000,  not  too  good. 

"Snake  Pit"  is  holding  up  remark- 
ably well  at  the  Rivoli,  where  the  11th 
week's  revenue  is  estimated  at  $27,500. 
Another  sturdy  performer  is  "Adven- 
tures of  Don  Juan,"  with  Tommy 
Dorsey's  orchestra,  which  should  give 
the  Strand  a  healthy  $52,000  in 
fourth  week. 

"Wake  of  the  Red  Witch"  is  likely 
to  draw  a  good  $37,000  in  a  second 
week  at  the  Mayfair.  "Belle  Starr's 
Daughter"  is  fair  at  the  Globe,  where 
the  second  week's  income  probably 
will  hit  $14,500.  About  $20,000,  which 
is  so-so,  was  looked  for  in  the  fourth 
and  final  round  of  "Force  of  Evil" 
at  the  State ;  it  is  to  be  replaced  to 
day  by  "Command  Decision." 

"Enchantment"  still  is  a  weighty 
contender  at  the  Astor,  where  $29,000 
is  in  view  for  a  fourth  week.  "Joan 
of  Arc"  should  ring  up  about  $30,000, 
strong  enough,  in  a  10th  week  at  the 
Victoria. 

The  16th  week  of  "Hamlet"  should 
gross  about  $15,500  at  the  Park,  where 
top  business  continues.  It  looks  like 
a  $12,000  gross  for  the  14th  week  of 
"Red  Shoes"  at  the  Bijou;  this,  too 
is  good. 


( Amusement  Enterprises- U.A . ) 
ACK  BENNY'S  Amusement  Enterprises'  initial  production,  "The  Lucky 
Stiff,"  is  a  mixture  of  comedy  and  melodrama.  Among  its  merchandising 
assets  is  a  cast  headed  by  Dorothy  Lamour,  Brian  Donlevy  and  Claire  Trevor, 
but  for  the  most  part  they  wage  a  valiant  fight  against  a  wandering  story. 

Based  on  a  Craig  Rice  novel,  the  film  is  the  type  in  which  murders  occur 
intermittently.  Since  the  head  of  the  homicide  squad,  as  well  as  the  district 
attorney,  are  feeble  dunderheads,  Donlevy,  a  lawyer,  must  go  about  solving 
the  crimes.  Against  the  background  of  murder,  lies  a  protection  racket  which 
Donlevy  has  dedicated  himself  to  expose  at  the  behest  of  his  patron,  Marjone 
Rambeau.  As  it  develops,  Miss  Lamour,  a  nightclub  singer,  is  suspected  of 
being  one  of  the  murderers.  In  order  to  smoke  out  the  real  killer,  Donlevy 
sets  a  ruse  in  which  Miss  Lamour  is  supposed  to  be  executed.  He  then  has 
her  "ghost"  come  back  to  terrify  an  assortment  of  suspects. 

Such  are  the  ingredients  of  the  Lewis  R.  Foster  screenplay.  By  the  time 
Donlevy  wraps  up  the  case,  the  murderers  are  trapped  and  it  is  revealed  that 
Miss  Lamour  is  one  of  the  forces  behind  the  protection  racket.  At  about  this 
uncture  Donlevy  finally  awakens  to  the  beckoning  charms  of  Miss  Trevor 
his  neglected  "Girl  Friday."  Performances  are  generally  adequate,  with 
others  in  the  case  including  Robert  Armstrong,  Irene  Hervey  and  Bi  ly  Vine. 
Direction  by  Foster  is  shy  in  bringing  the  picture  to  vivid  life.  Jack  Benny 

PrRdunnmg  time,  99  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  February 
release  Mandel  Herbstman 


SPG  Pact  Talks 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


a  25  per  cent  general  pay  increase  for 
some  300  employes. 

Most  of  the  companies  and  the 
union  have  indicated  preference  fo 
negotiating  on  an  over-all  basis,  SPG 
reports.  The  companies  which  have 
already  agreed  to  this  have  asked 
Thompson  to  examine  the  possibilities 
for  unanimous  agreement. 

Prior  to  last  year,  when  individual 
companies  chose  to  accept  arbitration 
handling  of  SPG  demands,  it  was  cus 
tomary  for  the  companies  to  negotiate 
with  SPG  as  a  unit. 


'IA,'  Distributors  Mediate 

Commissioner  L.  A.  Stone  of  th 
Federal  Mediation  and  Conciliation 
Service  will  meet  here  tomorrow  with 
negotiators  from  the  IATSE  and  dis 
tributors  in  connection  with  the 
"IA's"  bid  for  a  10  to  15  per  cent 
wage  increase  for  the  country's  6,300 
exchange  workers.  Stone  will  attempt 
to  break  the  deadlock  which  last  week 
ended  new  contract  negotiations. 


10-cent  TV  Dividend 

Chicago,  Jan.  18.  —  Directors 
Television  Fund,  Inc.,  have  declared 
an  initial  dividend  of  10  cents  a  share 
payable  Feb.  15,  to  holders  of  record 
on  Feb.  5.  Chester  D.  Tripp,  Fund 
president,  disclosed  that  net  assets  now 
amount  to  $1,010,384. 


The  Lucky  Stiff9 


Flaxy  Martin' 


(Warner  Brothers)  Hollywood,  Jan.  17 

PRODUCER  Saul  Elkins,  responsible  for  an  imposing  proportion  ot 
..  Warner  Brothers'  fast-action  melodramas  released  in  1948,  greets  1V4V 
with  the  fastest  and  most  actionable  of  his  works  so  far,  a  favorable  augury 
for  the  six  properties  on  his  production  agenda  as  this  attraction  goes  to  the 
post.  His  principals  in  this  one  are  Zachary  Scott,  Virginia  Mayo,  Do£°™y 
Malone  and  Douglas  Kennedy,  who  receive  admirable  support  from  Elisha 
Cook,  Jr.,  Tom  D'Andrea,  Helen  Westcott  and  Douglas  Fowley,  among 
others.  „.  ,     , '  , 

The  story,  by  David  Lang,  ably  directed  by  Richard  Bare,  concerns  mob 
sters  and  the  anti-social  tendencies  which  animate  their  operations  against 
law  order  and  each  other,  and  is  fashioned  with  that  deftness  which  in  recent 
years  has  been  developed  to  the  level  of  artistry.    The  film  promises  to  take 
very  good  care  of  itself  commercially. 

Scott  portrays  with  accustomed  suavity  a  lawyer  in  the  employ  of  Kennedy 
racketeer,  and  in  love  with  Miss  Mayo,  who  is  as  crooked  as  she  is  beau- 
tiful and  who  puts  his  devotion  to  unprincipled  use.  Scott  saves  one  of 
Kennedy's  henchmen  from  the  law,  on  witness  testimony  which  he  does  not 
know  is  perjured,  but  discovers  his  error  later  and -warns  Kennedy  that  the 
witness  will  attempt  blackmail.  Accordingly,  Kennedy  has  the  witness 
murdered,  but  when  suspicion  points  to  Miss  Mayo,  Scott  arranges  to  be 
charged  with  the  crime,  believing  he  can  beat  the  case.  Kennedy  crosses  him 
up  however,  and  Scott  is  convicted,  but  escapes  custody  and  is  given  refuge 
by'  Miss  Malone,  a  small  town  girl,  who  falls  in  love  with  him.  In  a  fast 
and  surprising  wind-up  he  gets  back  to  town  and  brings  •  Miss  Mayo  and 
Kennedy  together  in  a  situation  exposing  their  duplicity,  whereupon  Miss 
Mayo  kills  Kennedy  and  Scott  summons  the  police,  intent  upon  clearing  up 
all  errors  of  justice.  n  , 

Running  time  86  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
t  set    °  William  R.  Weaver 


Ask  Court  to  Halt 
Co-op  Film  Express 

Oklahoma  City,  Jan.  18. — The 
Associated  Independent  Theatre  Own- 
ers Cooperative  here  would  be  pre- 
vented from  operating  a  film  express 
business  in  competition  with  common 
carriers  under  terms  of  a  petition  filed 
yesterday  in  a  district  court. 

Mistletoe  Express  Service,  Inc., 
asked  for  an  injunction  against  the  co- 
operative on  the  grounds  that  it  oper- 
ates a  business  of  transporting  goods 
for  hire  contrary  to  regulations  of  the 
state  corporation  commission  and  the 
Interstate  Commerce  Commission. 

Mistletoe,  a  subsidiary  of  The  Okla- 
homan  and  Oklahoma  City  Times, 
charged  that  co7op  rates  are  lower 
than  other  common  carriers  because 
the  co-op  does  not  pay  a  Federal 
transportation  tax. 


'Jungle  Jim' 


(Columbia)  ...  ,     i  , 

AS  Jungle  Jim  of  the  title,  Johnny  Weissmuller  this  time  is  the  leade 
of  a  jungle  safari  searching  for  the  ancient  pyramid  of  Zimbalu.    In  the 
course  of  his  assignment,  Weissmuller  comes  to  grips  with  crocodiles,  lions 
and  innumerable  savages,  and,  of  course,  he  emerges  triumphant.    The  pro 
duction  is  an  average  action  film  which  should  please  Weissmuller's  many 
followers. 

Virginia  Gqsy,  a  scientist,  and  Weissmuller,  lead  a  group  of  friendly  native 
bearers  in  search  of  a  temple  belonging  to  a  group  of  savages  who  possess  a 
poisonous  serum  which,  when  refined,  is  a  cure  for  infantile  paralysis.  Besides 
the  serum  the  savages  are  supposed  to  possess  many  valuable  treasures.  Tfi 
safari  encounters  great  difficulties  travelling  through  the  jungle  but  eventually 
locates  the  temple.  The  party  is  attacked  by  savages  and  are  taken  prisoner 
George  Reeves,  a  camera  man,  is  working  with  the  savages  in  order  to  get 
all  of  the  treasure  himself.  However,  when  the  savages  turn  against  him 
he  is  killed.  Weissmuller  and  his  friendly  natives,  in  a  free-for-all  fi  ' 
defeat  the  savages.  The  safari  returns  after  successfully  accomplishing  its 
mission.  . 

Sam  Katzman  produced  and  William  Berke  directed.  The  story  and 
screenplay,  by  Carroll  Young,  are  based  on  the  newspaper  feature  "Jungle 
Jim,"  which  appears  in  "Puck,  the  Comic  Weekly." 

Running  time,  71  minutes.    General  audience  classification.  Released 
December. 


Proposes  Hayworth  Ban 

Boston,  Jan.  18.— City  Councilman 
Vincent  J.  Shanley  proposed  today 
that  the  council  ban  all  pictures  with 
Rita  Hayworth. 


K.C.  Snows  Close  Stores 

Kansas    City,   Jan.    18. — Theatr 
business  here  was  off  sharply  today 
as  heavy  snow  jammed  traffic  and 
closed  downtown  stores  and  school 


New  SRO  Films  Free 
To  'Vets'  Hospitals 

Washington,  Jan.  18. — Selz- 
nick  Releasing  Organization 
will  furnish  16  and  35mm. 
first-run  pictures  without 
cost  to  Veterans  Administra- 
tion hospitals  and  homes 
throughout  the  U.  S. 

F.  R.  Kerr,  VA's  assistant 
administrator  for  special  ser- 
vices, reports  the  Selznick 
agreement  is  the  first  of  its 
kind,  other  distributing  com- 
panies charging  VA  film  ren- 
tals for  films  shown  in  its 
hospitals  and  homes. 


Boston  Trust  Action 
Names  8  Distributors 

Boston,  Jan.  18. — W.  Leslie  Bends- 
lev,  owner  of  the  Community  Play- 
house, Wellesley  Hills,  Mass.,  has 
filed  an  anti-trust  action  in  U.  S. 
District  Court  here  against  the  eight 
major  distributors  and  M.  and  P. 
Theatres,  New  England  Theatres, 
Publix  Netoco,  Allston  Theatres, 
Keith  Massachusetts  Corp.  and  E.  M. 
Loew. 

Plaintiff  charges  restraint  of  trade, 
violation  of  the  U.  S.  anti-trust  laws, 
excessive  and  unreasonable  fees  for 
film  rentals. 


Obscene  Film  Conviction 

Atlanta,  Jan.  18. — Convicted  of 
exhibiting  an  obscene  motion  picture 
at  the  Hanger  Theatre,  B.  E.  Gore, 
owner  of  several  theatres  in  Florida, 
was  sentenced  to  serve  12  months  in 
the  county  jail,  by  Judge  E.  E.  AnT 
drews  of  Fulton  Superior  Court. 
After  viewing  the  film  "The  Valley  of 
the  Nudists,"  a  jury  returned  a  ver- 
dict with  a  recommendation  that  the 
offence  be  treated  as  a  misdemeanor. 


Bookers  To  Install 

Tenth  annual  installation  dinner  of 
the  New  York  Motion  Picture  Book- 
ers Club  will  be  held  here  on  Mon- 
day, Jan.  24  at  the  Tavern-on-the- 
Green.  B.  G.  Kranze,  sales  vice-pres- 
ident of  Film  Classics,  will  be  toast- 
master  and  Sam  Rinzler  will  be  made 
an  honorary  member,  Alex  Arns- 
walder,  president  of  the  booker?' 
group,  disclosed  here  yesterday. 


Georgia  House  Burns 

Fairmont,  Ga.,  Jan.  18.  —  The 
Fair-Mount  Theatre  here  has  been  de- 
stroyed by  fire. 


THANKS,  MISTER  SHOWMAN! 


You  will  see  below  that  M-G-M  is  far 
ahead  in  the  trade  press  annual  survey  of 
motion  picture  leadership.  We  are  proud, 
but  wish  to  share  this  acclaim  with  our  cus- 
tomers whose  cooperation  made  it  possible. 


St 

m 

win 

"LEADERS" 

BOXOFFICE 

MAGAZINE -"BAROMETER* 


(Issue  of  Dec.  25) 

M-G-M  tops  all  others  in 
"Money  Hits",  in  Box- 
office  Stars,  in  New  Faces 
and  in  Shorts. 


(Issue  of  Nov.  26) 

M-G-M  has  more  than  twice  as 
many  All-Time  Blue  Ribbon 
Awards  as  any  other  company, 
more  place-winning  stars,  more 
awards  in  TO  Best  Short  Series 
Group. 


(Issue  of  Jan.  5,  1949) 

W-G-M  leads  all  companies  with  3 
>ut  of  7  "Golden  Circle"  Top  Gross- 
es of  1948,  and  out  of  93  leading 
pictures  of  the  year  M-G-M  is  first 
//ith  20.  M-G-M's  George  Sidney 
u\ns  the  year's  Top  Director  honors 
md  Joe  Pasternak  wins  Top  Pro- 
ducer honors.  Out  of  the  64  all- 
ime  "Golden  Circle"  Top  Grossers 
VUG-M  leads  the  industry  with  25, 
learest  competing  company  11. 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


(Issue  of  Dec.  20) 

"M-G-M  leads  1948  Honor  Roll 
with  nine  pictures!" 

M-G-M  tops  all  companies  in  poll  of 
nation's  critics  with:  "A  Date  With  Judy" 
"The  Bride  Goes  Wild"  •  "Cass  Tim- 
berlane"  •  "Easter  Parade"  •  "Green 
Dolphin  Street"  •  "Homecoming" 
"Julia  Misbehaves  •  "The  Search" 
"The  Three  Musketeers". 


(Issue  of  Dec.  24) 

"M-G-M  has  two  out  of 
the  First  Three  in  top- 
grossing  pictures  of 
1947- '48  season,  'Cass 
Timberlane'  and  'Green 
Dolphin  Street'." 


to 

teco 


ieco      «X  I 


PREDICTION:  THE  CHALLENGERS  OF  1949! 


"EDWARD,  MY  SON" 

Spencer  Tracy  •  Deborah  Kerr 

"THE  BARKLEYS  OF  BROADWAY' 

(TECHNICOLOR) 
Fred  Astaire  *  Ginger  Rogers 

"THE  SECRET  GARDEN" 

(Special  Sequences  in  TECHNICOLOR) 
Margaret  O'Brien  •  Herbert  Marshall 
Dean  Stockwell 

"THE  GREAT  SINNER" 

Gregory  Peck  *  Ava  Gardner 
Melvyn  Douglas 

"NEPTUNE'S  DAUGHTER" 

(TECHNICOLOR) 
Esther  Williams  •  Red  Skelton 


"COMMAND  DECISION" 

Clark  Gable  •  Walter  Pidgeon 
Van  Johnson  •  Brian  Donlevy 

"LITTLE  WOMEN" 

(TECHNICOLOR) 
June  Allyson  •  Peter  Lawford 
Margaret  O'Brien  •  Elizabeth  Taylor 

"THE  STRATTON  STORY" 

James  Stewart  •  June  Allyson 

"THE  FORSYTE  SAGA" 

Greer  Garson  •  Errol  Flynn  •  Walter  Pidgeon 
Robert  Young  •  Janet  Leigh 


II 


IN  THE  GOOD  OLD  SUMMERTIME 

(TECHNICOLOR) 
Judy  Garland  •  Van  Johnson 


'TAKE  ME  OUT  TO  THE  BALL  GAME 

(TECHNICOLOR) 
Frank  Sinatra  •  Esther  Williams  •  Gene  Kelly 

"ACT  OF  VIOLENCE" 

Van  Heflin  •  Robert  Ryan 

"THE  BRIBE" 

Robert  Taylor  •  Ava  Gardner  •  Charles 
Laughton    •    Vincent  Price    •    John  Hbdiak 

"MADAME  BOVARY" 

Jennifer  Jones  •  James  Mason 
Van  Heflin  •  Louis  Jourdan 

"THE  CONSPIRATOR" 

Robert  Taylor  •  Elizabeth  Taylor 

"ANY  NUMBER  CAN  PLAY" 

Clark  Gable 


II 


{Book  "Movies  And  You"  Series  For  Your  Industry's  Sake!) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  19,  1949 


Miami  Meet 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


which  might  amount  to  an  additional 
$1, 000,000,  it  was  said. 

Specified  permitted  uses  of  the  bal 
ance  blocked  in  England  are  under 
stood  to  have  been  discussed  without 
indication  that  any  significant  amount 
will  be  employed  for  American  pro- 
duction in  Britain,  at  least  during  the 
first  year  of  the  agreement. 

Also  discussed  was  experiences  to 
date  with  the  MPAA  program  pro- 
hibiting the  booking  to  British  thea- 
tres of  an  American  film  with  an 
accompanying  British  picture.  It  was 
reported  that  the  plan  has  not  proved 
satisfactory,  due  largely  to  the  number 
of  American  pictures  available  to 
theatres  from  sources  outside  the 
MPAA. 

It  was  indicated  that  Eric  Johnston, 
MPAA  president,  will  not  go  to  Lon 
don  this  spring  for  hearings  on  pos 
sible  changes  in  the  British  45  per 
cent  film  quota  law.  Any  representa- 
tions which  the  MPAA  might  decide 
to  make  more  likely  will  be  presented 
by  F.  W.  Allport  of  the  London  office. 
Johnston  plans  to  hold  a  press  confer- 
ence tomorrow. 

The  meeting  also  considered  other 
foreign  market  problems,  notably  the 
recent  action  of  South  Africa  in 
freezing  50  per  cent  of  American  film 
earnings  there. 

One  executive,  asked  whether  the 
Canadian  market  had  been  discussed, 
said :  "We  have  no  problems  there." 

The  meeting  also  considered  general 
economic  conditions  here  and  abroad 
in  the  light  of  their  bearing  on  future 
business    prospects.     Operating    and  i 


Review 


"I  Cheated  the  Law" 


(20th  Century-Fox) 

A  N  interestingly-conceived  melodrama,  "I  Cheated  the  Law,"  made  by 
ABelsam  Productions,  centers  around  an  attorney  who  discovers  that  a 
man  he  has  successfully  defended  against  a  murder  charge,  is  actually  guilty 
Determined  to  serve  the  ends  of  justice,  the  attorney  obtains  evidence  on 
which  to  bring  the  criminal  to  equivalent  justice  on  other  grounds.  Tom 
Conway  as  the  attorney,  and  Steve  Brodie  as  the  murderer  are  in  the  fore- 
ground throughout  the  action. 

The  scene  is  principally  Los  Angeles,  the  picture  opening  with  Conway 
winning  acquittal  of  Brodie  on  the  charge  of  murder.  That  night  Brodie  in 
his  cups,  informs  Conway,  a  teetotaler,  that  he  was  actually  guilty  of  'the 
crime  and  framed  the  evidence  responsible  for  his  acquittal.  Conway,  intent 
upon-  recouping  the  interests  of  justice,  pretends  to  fall  victim  to  alcohol, 
disappears  from  his  home,  and  winds  up  in  the  gutter,  where  he  is  picked  up 
by  Brodie  and  installed  as  butler  and  legal  adviser.  Eventually  Conway 
obtains  proof  of  Brodie's  guilt  of  a  second  murder,  and  in  a  melodramatic 
courtroom  scene  brings  about  Brodie's  second  indictment  for  murder,  this 
time  to  be  convicted. 

Sam  Baerwitz  produced  with  a  nice  judgment  of  values,  and  Edward  L 
Chan  directed  effectively,  from  a  script  by  Richard  G.  Hubler,  based  on  a 
story  by  the  producer. 

Running  time,  64  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date  not 
set.  ' 


Goldwyn 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


production  costs  are  said  to  have  been 
on  the  agenda,  as  well  as  specific  pub- 
lic relations  problems.  Indications 
are  that  discussions  on  these  subjects 
will  be  resumed  tomorrow,  after 
which  Johnston  is  scheduled  to  leave 
by  plane  for  Washington  to  attend  the 
Presidential  Inaugural  ceremonies  on 
Thursday. 

Among  those  at  the  meeting  are : 
Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  Barney  Bala- 
ban,  Spyros  Skouras,  Ned  E.  Depinet, 
Albert  Warner,  Nate  Blumberg,  Jack 
Cohn,  Edwin  Weisl,  Y.  Frank  Free 
man,  Joyce  O'Hara  and  John  A.  Mc 
Carthy. 


EARL  WILSON* 
HAS  SWITCHED 
TO  "FAMILY 
HONEYMOON" 

I  thought  The  Lady  Eve'  was 
the  funniest  picture  of  all  time 
...until  I  saw  Claudette 
Colbert  and  Fred  Mac  Murray 
in  FAMILY  HONEYMOON "' 

Noted  columnist  of  Post  Syndicate 


Good"  Says  MPA 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


presidents  meeting  in  Miami  were  "re- 
lieved" by  Goldwyn's  withdrawal. 

"During  his  association  with  us," 
Johnston  said,  "Mr.  Goldwyn  has 
demonstrated  a  unique  and  singular 
flair  for  saying  one  thing  and  doing 
exactly  the  opposite.  Mr.  Goldwyn's 
fabulous  material  success  in  the  mo- 
tion picture  industry— he  is  a  multi- 
millionaire—is irrefutable  proof  that 
free  enterprise  and  free  opportunity 
exist  in  a  very  real  and  positive  way 
for  all  producers. 

"Mr.  Goldwyn's  statement  is  the 
atest  example  of  his  penchant  for  get- 
tins  into  violent  disagreement  with 
himself  on  all  sides  of  a  question." 

Harry  Cohn  Pact 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


tive  in  12  months  and  from  the 
AMPP  in  six  months,  in  accordance 
with  the  respective  by-laws  of  the 
two  associations.  AMPP  officials  in 
Hollywood  had  no  comment  to  make 
on  the  resignation. 

In  conjunction  with  his  resignation, 
Goldwyn  stated:  "I  have  resigned  in 
order  to  give  my  undivided  support 
to  the  interests  of  the  Society  of  In- 
dependent Motion  Picture  Producers. 

"I  find  myself  unable  to  agree  con- 
scientiously with  many  of  the  policies 
formulated  by  the  Association  and  feel 
that  they  do  not  represent  the  inter- 
ests of  independent  producers.  The 
fight  of  the  independent  producers  for 
an  open  market  is  a  fight  for  survival, 
not  only  for  themselves  and  their  em- 
ployes, but  also  for  the  continuance  of 
the  independent  creative  efforts  which 
have  contributed  so  much  to  the  vital- 
ity and  progress  of  the  screen.  There 
must  be  a  return  to  real  free  enter- 
prise in  our  industry — an  opportunity 
for  all  producers  to  show  their  pic- 
tures to  the  public  in  every  commun- 
ity on  a  fair  and  non-discriminatory 
basis. 

"The  future  of  good  motion  pic- 
tures is  completely  bound  up  with  the 
efforts  of  SIMPP  to  bring  this  about. 
From  now  on  I  intend  to  concentrate 
my  energies  on  the  efforts  of  the 
Society  to  bring  about  a  fair  deal  for 
independent  producers." 


tors  nominated  in  the  proxy:  Harry 
Cohn,  Jack  Cohn,  Abe  Schneider,  Leo 
M.  Blancke,  Nate  B.  Spingold,  Abe 
Montague  and  Donald  S.  Stralem. 

Statement  discloses  that  remunera- 
tion paid  or  accrued  during  the  last 
fiscal  year  to  officers  was  as  follows: 
Harry  Cohn,  $197,600;  Jack  Cohn, 
executive  vice-president,  $145,600; 
Schneider,  vice-president  and  treasur- 
er, $93,600;  Spingold,  adverti  sing- 
publicity  vice-president,  $83,200 ;  Mon- 
tague, distribution  vice-president, 
$130,000.  The  figures,  it  is  explained, 
include  expense  allowances,  which  are 
not  required  to  be  accounted  for,  of 
$15,600  to  Harry  Cohn,  $15,600  to 
Jack  Cohn,  $10,400  to  Schneider,  and 
$5,200  to  Spingold. 


Inaugural  Telecast 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


10  P.  M.  tonight.  Tomorrow,  Inau- 
gural Day,  the  Paramount  will  pre- 
sent highlights  of  the  Inauguration 
parade  and  ceremonies,  the  induction 
and  the  inaugural  address  by  Presi- 
dent Truman.  Tomorrow  night,  at 
10:30,  the  Inaugural  Ball  will  be 
brought  to  Paramount  patrons.  The 
televise-casts  will  be  presented  in  ad- 
dition to  the  theatre's  regular  screen 
and  in-person  presentations. 


REPUBLIC  RECORDS 

offers  its  entire  stock  and 
trade  name  for  sale. 

Address  all  offers  to 

REPUBLIC  RECORDS 

Room  800A 
580  Fifth  Avenue 
New  York  19.  N.  Y. 
until  January  25th 


New  York  Representative,  44  Wall  St. 
Foreign  Branches: 
London,  Manila,  and  Tokyo 


Umtk  of 
Atttmra 

NATIONAL  I^s,Vcs  ASSOCIATION 

California's  Statewide  Bank 


BANK  OF  THE 
MOTION  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


MEMBER  F.D.I.C. 


■ 


Accurate 

Cohclse 

and 
Impartial 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  14 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  JANUARY  20,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Para.  Aims  for \Goldwyn*  Johnston  Enter 
Tax-Free  Rule|2nd  Round  of  Word  Battle 
On  Separation 


Same  as  RKO's;  U.S.  in 
'Substantial'  Agreement 


Paramount  tax  specialises  have 
begun  conferences  with  the  Depart- 
ment of  Internal  Revenue  in  Wash- 
ington as  a  preliminary  to  a  formal 
application  for  a  ruling  that  the  com- 
pany's expected  separation  of  its  thea- 
tres from  production-distribution  is 
non-taxable. 

Paramount  and  the  Justice  Depart- 
ment are  in  "substantial"  agreement 
on  the  terms  of  the  settlement  in  the 
industry  anti-trust  suit  with  all  that  is 
to  be  worked  out  now  being  the  pre- 
cise language  of  decree  papers,  it  was 
disclosed  here.  Robert  O'Brien,  Para- 
mount secretary,  and  Fred  Mohrhardt, 
treasurer,  were  in  Washington  yester- 
day for  a  continuation  of  the  meetings 
with  Justice  on  this  matter. 

Purpose  of  the  informal  discussions 
with  the  Revenue  Bureau  is  to 
familiarize  it  with  the  overall  case 
and  with  the  progress  made  on  the 
settlement  so  that  an  early  decision 
could  be  rendered  when  the  formal 
non-taxation  bid  is  made. 

RKO's  request  for  a  tax-free  ruling 
already    has    been    granted    by  the 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Samuel  Goldwyn  tendered  his  res- 
ignations from  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America  and  the  As- 
sociation of  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers on  Tuesday  with  the  explan- 
ation that  he  felt  their  policies  do 
not  represent  the  interests  of  inde- 
pendent producers. 

Eric  Johnston,  MPAA  president, 
commenting  on  the  resignations, 
said  the  reaction  of  some  of  his 
members  could  be  summed  up  in 
one  word — "Good."  But  he  didn't 
stop  there. 

Yesterday  came  this  rejoinder 
from  Goldwyn: 

'It  is  indeed  unfortunate  for  the 
motion  picture  industry  that  Mr.  Eric 
Johnston's  manners  are  as  bad  as  his 
judgment.  I  had  hoped  to  withdraw 
from  the  Motion  Picture  Association 
of  America  without  commenting  on 
Mr.  Johnston's  leadership  but  this  lat- 
est effusion  from  his  word  factory  im- 
pels me  to  state  a  few  matters  for  the 
record. 

"During  the  period  that  Mr.  John- 
ston has  been  President  of  the  MPAA 
the  public  relations  of  the  industry 
have  declined  alarmingly.  Mr.  John- 
ston's contributions  to  building  fine 
relations  between  the  public  and  our 
business  has  consisted  mostly  of  turn- 


Blumenstock  Heads 
MPAA  Ad  Group 

The  advertising-publicity  directors 
committee  of  the  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociation of  America  has  elected  Mort 
Blumenstock,  vice-president  in  charge 
of  advertising-publicity  for  Warner 
Brothers,  as  committee  chairman. 
Blumenstock  will  serve  for  six 
'  months.  He  succeeds  Stanley  Shu 
ford,  advertising  manager  of  Para- 
mount, whose  term  expires  this  week 


ing  the  offices  of  the  MPAA  into  a 
personal  press  bureau  for  Eric  John- 
ston. This  is  not  surprising  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  all  this  time  Mr.  John- 
ston has  been  preening  himself  to  ac- 
cept call  to  public  office.  The  over- 
whelming silence  of  the  public  with 
respect  to  Mr.  Johnston's  political  am- 
bitions has  unfortunately  not  pre- 
vented him  from  devoting  his  major 
efforts  to  his  personal  objectives  rath- 
er than  to  the  benefit  of  the  motion 
picture  industry. 

"During  the  period  of  Mr.  John- 
ston's incumbency  the  financial  posi- 
tion of  the  industry  as  a  whole  has 
deteriorated  considerably.  This  may 
not  be  Mr.  Johnston's  fault  but  his 
glittering  genius  for  doing  the  wrong 
thing  has  certainly  not  helped  the  in 
dustry  solve  any  of  the  grave  prob 
lems  it  faces. 

"As  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  ob 
serve  Mr.  Johnston's  chief  contribu 
tion  to  the  economic  stability  of  the 
industry  has  been  to  give  it  such  ad- 
vice as  has  caused  the  filing  of  law 
suits  against  MPAA  and  various  of 
its  members  totalling  some  sixty-five 
million  dollars — one  of  which  has  al- 
ready been  decided  against  the  com- 
pany involved.  The  motion  picture  in 
dustry  has  survived  many  misfortunes 
and  I  am  confident  that  it  will  survive 
Eric  Johnston." 


U.  A.  Advances 
Reorganization 
Plans  at  Meet 


Companies  Split  on 
New  6 1  A'  Contract 


Leserman  Associates 
May  Invest  in  SG 

Discussions  are  under  way  here  be- 
tween Screen  Guild  Productions  presi- 
dent Robert  L.  Lippert  and  Carl  Les- 
serman  relative  to  the  latter's  interest 
in  buying  into  Screen  Guild  with  an 
investment  said  to  be  "in  excess  of 
$1,000,000,"  according  to  Lippert.  _ 

Leserman,  formerly  a  distribution 
executive  with  Warner  and  United 
Artists,  and  more  recently  associated 
in  production  with  Benedict  Bogeaus, 
is  meeting  here  also  with  his  own  as- 
sociates. 


When  Commissioner  L.  A.  Stone  of 
the  Federal  Mediation  and  Concilia- 
tion Service  sets  out  at  a  meeting 
here  this  morning  to  break  the  dead- 
lock which  has  ended  negotiations  be- 
tween the  IATSE  and  distributors  on 
a  new  national  exchange  workers  con- 
tract, the  companies  will  not  offer  a 
united  front  in  opposition  to  meeting 
the  "IA's"  demand  for  a  10  to  IS  per 
cent  wage  increase  for  the  6,300  work- 
ers involved,  it  is  understood. 

Paramount,  it  was  said,  is  the  only 
company  which  has  categorically  re- 
fused to  meet  the  "I A"  demands  or  to 
consider  a  possible  compromise.  Quer- 
ied yesterday  on  this  report,  C.  J. 
(Pat)  Schollard,  Paramount' s  labor 
relations  chief,  declined  to  confirm  or 
deny  it.  The  other  companies  were 
described  as  "willing  to  compromise." 

This  is  the  first  indication  since  ne- 
gotiations opened  some  six  weeks  ago 
that  a  united  front  among  the  com- 
panies has  broken.  That  circumstance, 
it  was  indicated,  augurs  well  for  the 
"IA's"  wage  increase  bid.  Other  com- 
panies involved  in  the  negotiations 
are :  Warner,  Columbia,  Loew,  RKO 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


MPAA  Meet  Takes 
Up  Video  Prospects 

Miami,  Jan.  19. — Opportunities  af- 
forded motion  pictures  by  television,  as 
well  as  its  potential  competition  for 
theatre  patronage,  were  canvassed  by 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer 
ica  directors  at  their  meeting  here 
today. 

The  industry's  public  relations  prob 
lems,  including  means  of  dealing  with 
Hollywood  personalities  subjected  to 
public  notoriety,  also  were  discussed, 

Eric    Johnston,    MPAA  president 
said   that   Hollywood  producers  are 
confident  of  the  box-office  quality  of 
new  pictures  and  that  the  recent  dom 
estic   box-office   decline   of  approxi 
mately  eight  per  cent  is  not  regarded 
seriously.  The  industry's  current  fiscal 
problems,  he  emphasized,  stem  from  a 
15   per   cent   increase   in  production 
costs  and  artificial  barriers  to  busi 
ness  in  foreign  markets  which  have 
cut  actual  dollar  remittances  of  the 
companies  by  30  per  cent,  although  the 
total  volume  of  foreign  business  is  on 
the  increase. 

He  intimated  that  production  and 
other  operating  economies,  together 
with  improved  quality  of  forthcoming 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Will  Provide  Capital 
For  Producer  Financing 


Hollywood,  Jan.  19. — Plans  for 
the  complete  reorganization  of 
United  Artists,  including  a  new 
capital  structure  which  will  pro- 
ide  financing  for  independent  produc- 
ers to  assure  the  company  a  continu- 
ous flow  of  product,  were  developed 
at  the  special  meeting  of  company 
owners,  directors  and  officers  here 
today. 

Details  of  the  plan,  said  to  involve 
between  $3,000,000  and  $5,000,000  in 
lew  capital,  remain  to  be  worked  out 
by  board  members  with  financial  in- 
terests in  New  York. 

The  UA  board  will  meet  next 
Tuesday  in  New  York  to  further  the 
general  program  initiated  here. 

Although  details  were  not  disclosed, 
it  was  unofficially  reported  that  a 
sale  of  UA  stock,  now  wholly  owned 
by  Mary  Pickford  and  Charles  Chap- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


20th  to  Handle  12 
For  FC  in  Australia 


Arrangements  have  been  completed 
by  David  Home,  Film  Classics  for- 
eign sales  manager,  whereby  20th 
Century-Fox  will  distribute  in 
Australia,  New  Zealand  and  South 
Vfrica  a  series  of  12  Film  Classics 
features. 

Films  included  are  "Sofia,"  "Mirac- 
ulous Journey,"  "Unknown  Island," 
"Daughter  of  Ramona,"  "State  De- 
partment— File  649,"  all  in  Cinecolor. 
Black-and-white  productions  include 
"Inner  Sanctum,"  "Appointment  with 
Murder,"  "Blonde  Ice,"  "Money  Mad- 
ness," "Arygle  Secrets,"  "Devil's 
Cargo"  and  "Will  It  Happen  Again." 


A.  C.  Abeel  Elected 
Guaranty  Vice-Pres. 

Alan  C.  Abeel,  who  for  the  past  12 
years  has  handled  -motion  picture 
financing  for  Guaranty  Trust  Co. 
here,  was  elected  a  vice-president  of 
the  bank  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
board  of  directors  yesterday. 

Abeel,  well  known  in  the  film  indus- 
try, had  been  a  second  vice-president 
of  Guaranty.  He  has  been  associated 
with  the  bank  for  30  years,  most  of 
that  time  in  the  commercial  loans 
division. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  19,  1949 


Miami  Meet 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


which  might  amount  to  an  additional 
$1,000,000,  it  was  said. 

Specified  permitted  uses  of  the  bal 
ance  blocked  in  England  are  under 
stood  to  have  been  discussed  without 
indication  that  any  significant  amount 
will  be  employed  for  American  pro 
duction  in  Britain,  at  least  during  the 
first  year  of  the  agreement. 

Also  discussed  was  experiences  to 
date  with  the  MPAA  program  pro- 
hibiting the  booking  to  British  thea 
tres  of  an  American  film  with  an 
accompanying  British  picture.  It  was 
reported  that  the  plan  has  not  proved 
satisfactory,  due  largely  to  the  number 
of  American  pictures  available  to 
theatres  from  sources  outside  the 
MPAA. 

It  was  indicated  that  Eric  Johnston, 
MPAA  president,  will  not  go  to  Lon- 
don this  spring  for  hearings  on  pos- 
sible changes  in  the  British  45  per 
cent  film  quota  law.  Any  representa- 
tions which  the  MPAA  might  decide 
to  make  more  likely  will  be  presented 
by  F.  W.  Allport  of  the  London  office. 
Johnston  plans  to  hold  a  press  confer- 
ence tomorrow. 

The  meeting  also  considered  other 
foreign  market  problems,  notably  the 
recent  action  of  South  Africa  in 
freezing  50  per  cent  of  American  film 
earnings  there. 

One  executive,  asked  whether  the 
Canadian  market  had  been  discussed, 
said :  "We  have  no  problems  there." 

The  meeting  also  considered  general 
economic  conditions  here  and  abroad 
in  the  light  of  their  bearing  on  future 
business    prospects.     Operating    and  i 


Review 


"I  Cheated  the  Law" 

(20th  Century-Fox) 

A  N  interestingly-conceived  melodrama,  "I  Cheated  the  Law,"  made  by 
^ABelsam  Productions,  centers  around  an  attorney  who  discovers  that  a 
man  he  has  successfully  defended  against  a  murder  charge,  is  actually  guilty. 
Determined  to  serve  the  ends  of  justice,  the  attorney  obtains  evidence  on 
which  to  bring  the  criminal  to  equivalent  justice  on  other  grounds.  Tom 
Conway  as  the  attorney,  and  Steve  Brodie  as  the  murderer  are  in  the  fore- 
ground throughout  the  action. 

The  scene  is  principally  Los  Angeles,  the  picture  opening  with  Conway 
winning  acquittal  of  Brodie  on  the  charge  of  murder.  That  night  Brodie,  in 
his  cups,  informs  Conway,  a  teetotaler,  that  he  was  actually  guilty  of  the 
crime  and  framed  the  evidence  responsible  for  his  acquittal.  Conway,  intent 
upon,  recouping  the  interests  of  justice,  pretends  to  fall  victim  to  alcohol, 
disappears  from  his  home,  and  winds  up  in  the  gutter,  where  he  is  picked  up 
by  Brodie  and  installed  as  butler  and  legal  adviser.  Eventually,  Conway 
obtains  proof  of  Brodie's  guilt  of  a  second  murder,  and  in  a  melodramatic 
courtroom  scene  brings  about  Brodie's  second  indictment  for  murder,  this 
time  to  be  convicted. 

Sam  Baerwitz  produced  with  a  nice  judgment  of  values,  and  Edward  L. 
Chan  directed  effectively,  from  a  script  by  Richard  G.  Hubler,  based  on  a 
story  by  the  producer. 

Running  time,  64  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date,  not 
set. 


Goldwyn 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


production  costs  are  said  to  have  been 
on  the  agenda,  as  well  as  specific  pub- 
lic relations  problems.  Indications 
are  that  discussions  on  these  subjects 
will  be  resumed  tomorrow,  after 
which  Johnston  is  scheduled  to  leave 
by  plane  for  Washington  to  attend  the 
Presidential  Inaugural  ceremonies  on 
Thursday. 

Among  those  at  the  meeting  are : 
Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  Barney  Bala- 
ban,  Spyros  Skouras,  Ned  E.  Depinet, 
Albert  Warner,  Nate  Blumberg,  Jack 
Cohn,  Edwin  Weisl,  Y.  Frank  Free- 
man, Joyce  O'Hara  and  John  A.  Mc- 
Carthy. 


"Good"  Says  MPA 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


EARL  WILSON* 
HAS  SWITCHED 
TO  "FAMILY 
HONEYMOON" 

1  thought  The  Lady  Eve  was 
the  funniest  picture  of  all  time 
...until  I  saw  Claudette 
Colbert  and  Fred  Mac  Murray 
in  FAMILY  HONEYMOON"' 

"W"  Noted  columnist  of  Post  Syndicate 


presidents  meeting  in  Miami  were  "re- 
lieved" by  Goldwyn's  withdrawal. 

"During  his  association  with  us," 
Johnston  said,  "Mr.  Goldwyn  has 
demonstrated  a  unique  and  singular 
flair  for  saying  one  thing  and  doing 
exactly  the  opposite.  Mr.  Goldwyn's 
fabulous  material  success  in  the  mo- 
tion picture  industry — he  is  a  multi- 
millionaire—is irrefutable  proof  that 
free  enterprise  and  free  opportunity 
exist  in  a  very  real  and  positive  way 
for  all  producers. 

"Mr.  Goldwyn's  statement  is  the 
latest  example  of  his  penchant  for  get- 
ting into  violent  disagreement  with 
himself  on  all  sides  of  a  question." 


tive  in  12  months  and  from  the 
AMPP  in  six  months,  in  accordance 
with  the  respective  by-laws  of  the 
two  associations.  AMPP  officials  in 
Hollywood  had  no  comment  to  make 
on  the  resignation. 

In  conjunction  with  his  resignation, 
Goldwyn  stated:  "I  have  resigned  in 
order  to  give  my  undivided  support 
to  the  interests  of  the  Society  of  In- 
dependent Motion  Picture  Producers. 

"I  find  myself  unable  to  agree  con- 
scientiously with  many  of  the  policies 
formulated  by  the  Association  and  feel 
that  they  do  not  represent  the  inter- 
ests of  independent  producers.  The 
fight  of  the  independent  producers  for 
an  open  market  is  a  fight  for  survival, 
not  only  for  themselves  and  their  em- 
ployes, but  also  for  the  continuance  of 
the  independent  creative  efforts  which 
have  contributed  so  much  to  the  vital- 
ity and  progress  of  the  screen.  There 
must  be  a  return  to  real  free  enter- 
prise in  our  industry — an  opportunity 
for  all  producers  to  show  their  pic- 
tures to  the  public  in  every  commun- 
ity on  a  fair  and  non-discriminatory 
basis. 

"The  future  of  good  motion  pic- 
tures is  completely  bound  up  with  the 
efforts  of  SIMPP  to  bring  this  about. 
From  now  on  I  intend  to  concentrate 
my  energies  on  the  efforts  of  the 
Society  to  bring  about  a  fair  deal  for 
independent  producers." 


Inaugural  Telecast 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Harry  Cohn  Pact 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


tors  nominated  in  the  proxy:  Harry 
Cohn,  Jack  Cohn,  Abe  Schneider,  Leo 
M.  Blancke,  Nate  B.  Spingold,  Abe 
Montague  and  Donald  S.  Stralem. 

Statement  discloses  that  remunera- 
tion paid  or  accrued  during  the  last 
fiscal  year  to  officers  was  as  follows: 
Harry  Cohn,  $197,600;  Jack  Cohn, 
executive  vice-president,  $145,600 ; 
Schneider,  vice-president  and  treasur- 
er, $93,600;  Spingold,  advertising- 
publicity  vice-president,  $83,200 ;  Mon- 
tague, distribution  vice-president, 
$130,000.  The  figures,  it  is  explained, 
include  expense  allowances,  which  are 
not  required  to  be  accounted  for,  of 
$15,600  to  Harry  Cohn,  $15,600  to 
Jack  Cohn,  $10,400  to  Schneider,  and 
$5,200  to  Spingold. 


10  P.  M.  tonight.  Tomorrow,  Inau- 
gural Day,  the  Paramount  will  pre- 
sent highlights  of  the  Inauguration 
parade  and  ceremonies,  the  induction 
and  the  inaugural  address  by  Presi- 
dent Truman.  Tomorrow  night,  at 
10:30,  the  Inaugural  Ball  will  be 
brought  to  Paramount  patrons.  The 
televise-casts  will  be  presented  in  ad- 
dition to  the  theatre's  regular  screen 
and  in-person  presentations. 


REPUBLIC  RECORDS 

offers  its  entire  stock  and 
trade  name  for  sale. 

Address  all  offers  to 

REPUBLIC  RECORDS 

Room  800A 
580  Fifth  Avenue 
New  York  19.  N.  Y. 
until  January  25th 


New  York  Representative,  44  Wall  St. 
Foreign  Branches: 
London,  Manila,  and  Tokyo 


IBank  of 

NATIONAL  savings  ASSOCIATION 

California's  Statewide  Bank 


'Me 
BANK  OF  THE 
MOTION  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY  -A 


MEMBER  F.  D.  I.  C. 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


MOTION  PICTURE  FIRST 


-- 


DAILY 


IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


VOL.  65.  NO.  14 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  JANUARY  20,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Para.  Aims  lor\Goldwyn- Johnston  Enter 
Tax-Free  Rule \2nd  Round  of  Word  Battle 
On  Separation 


Same  as  RKO's;  U.S.  in 
'Substantial'  Agreement 

Paramount  tax  specialists  have 
begun  conferences  with  the  Depart- 
ment of  Internal  Revenue  in  Wash- 
ington as  a  preliminary  to  a  formal 
application  for  a  ruling  that  the  com- 
pany's expected  separation  of  its  thea- 
tres from  production-distribution  is 
non-taxable. 

Paramount  and  the  Justice  Depart- 
ment are  in  "substantial"  agreement 
on  the  terms  of  the  settlement  in  the 
industry  anti-trust  suit  with  all  that  is 
to  be  worked  out  now  being  the  pre- 
cise language  of  decree  papers,  it  was 
disclosed  here.  Robert  O'Brien,  Para- 
mount secretary,  and  Fred  Mohrhardt, 
treasurer,  were  in  Washington  yester- 
day for  a  continuation  of  the  meetings 
with  Justice  on  this  matter. 

Purpose  of  the  informal  discussions 
with  the  Revenue  Bureau  is  to 
familiarize  it  with  the  overall  case 
and  with  the  progress  made  on  the 
settlement  so  that  an  early  decision 
could  be  rendered  when  the  formal 
non-taxation  bid  is  made. 

RKO's  request  for  a  tax-free  ruling 
already    has    been    granted    by  the 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Scimud  Goldwyn  tendered  his  res-  \ 
ignations  from  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America  and  the  As- 
sociation of  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers on  Tuesday  with  the  explan- 
ation that  he  felt  their  policies  do 
not  represent  the  interests  of  inde- 
pendent producers. 

Eric  Johnston,  MPAA  president, 
commenting  on  the  resignations, 
said  the  reaction  of  some  of  his 
members  could  be  summed  up  in 
one  word — "Good."  But  he  didn't 
stop  there. 

Yesterday  came  this  rejoinder 
from  Goldwyn: 

"It  is  indeed  unfortunate  for  the 
motion  picture  industry  that  Mr.  Eric 
Johnston's  manners  are  as  bad  as  his 
judgment.  I  had  hoped  to  withdraw 
from  the  Motion  Picture  Association 
of  America  without  commenting  on 
Mr.  Johnston's  leadership  but  this  lit- 
est effusion  from  his  word  factory  im- 
pels me  to  state  a  few  matters  for  the 
record. 

"During  the  period  that  Mr.  John- 
ston has  been  President  of  the  MPAA 
the  public  relations  of  the  industry 
have  declined  alarmingly.  Mr.  John- 
ston's contributions  to  building  fine 
relations  between  the  public  and  our 
business  has  consisted  mostly  of  turn- 


Blumenstock  Heads 
MPAA  Ad  Group 


The  advertising-publicity  directors 
committee  of  the  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociation of  America  has  elected  Mort 
Blumenstock,  vice-president  in  charge 
of  advertising-publicity  for  Warner 
Brothers,  as  committee  chairman. 

Blumenstock    will    serve    for  six 
months.    He  succeeds   Stanley  Shu 
ford,   advertising  manager  of  Para- 
mount, whose  term  expires  this  week. 


ing  the  offices  of  the  MPAA  into  a 
personal  press  bureau  for  Eric  John- 
ston. This  is  not  surprising  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  all  this  time  Mr.  John- 
ston has  been  preening  himself  to  ac- 
cept call  to  public  office.  The  over- 
whelming silence  of  the  public  with 
respect  to  Mr.  Johnston's  political  am- 
bitions has  unfortunately  not  pre- 
vented him  from  devoting  his  major 
efforts  to  his  personal  objectives  rath- 
er than  to  the  benefit  of  the  motion 
picture  industry. 

"During  the  period  of  Mr.  John- 
ston's incumbency  the  financial  posi- 
tion of  the  industry  as  a  whole  has 
deteriorated  considerably.  This  may 
not  be  Mr.  Johnston's  fault  but  his 
glittering  genius  for  doing  the  wrong 
thing  has  certainly  not  helped  the  in- 
dustry solve  any  of  the  grave  prob- 
lems it  faces. 

"As  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  ob 
serve  Mr.  Johnston's  chief  contribu 
tion  to  the  economic  stability  of  the 
industry  has  been  to  give  it  such  ad 
vice  as  has  caused  the  filing  of  law 
suits  against  MPAA  and  various  of 
its  members  totalling  some  sixty-five 
million  dollars — one  of  which  has  al 
ready  been  decided  against  the  com 
pany  involved.  The  motion  picture  in 
dustry  has  survived  many  misfortunes 
and  I  am  confident  that  it  will  survive 
Eric  Johnston." 


U.  A.  Advances 
Reorganization 
Plans  at  Meet 


Will  Provide  Capital 
For  Producer  Financing 

Hollywood,  Jan.  19. — Plans  for 
the  complete  reorganization  of 
United  Artists,  including  a  new 
capital  structure  which  will  pro- 
vide financing  for  independent  produc- 
ers to  assure  the  company  a  continu- 
ous flow  of  product,  were  developed 
at  the  special  meeting  of  company 
owners,  directors  and  officers  here 
today. 

Details  of  the  plan,  said  to  involve 
between  $3,000,000  and  $5,000,000  in 
new  capital,  remain  to  be  worked  out 
by  board  members  with  financial  in- 
terests in  New  York. 

The  UA  board  will  meet  next 
Tuesday  in  New  York  to  further  the 
general  program  initiated  here. 

Although  details  were  not  disclosed, 
it  was  unofficially  reported  that  a 
sale  of  UA  stock,  now  wholly  owned 
by  Mary  Pickford  and  Charles  Chap- 

(Ccmtinued  on  page  6) 


Companies  Split  on 
New  4IA'  Contract 


Leserman  Associates 
May  Invest  in  SG 

Discussions  are  under  way  here  be- 
tween Screen  Guild  Productions  presi- 
dent Robert  L.  Lippert  and  Carl  Les- 
serman  relative  to  the  latter's  interest 
in  buying  into  Screen  Guild  with  an 
investment  said  to  be  "in  excess  of 
$1,000,000,"  according  to  Lippert.  _ 

Leserman,  formerly  a  distribution 
executive  with  Warner  and  United 
Artists,  and  more  recently  associated 
in  production  with  Benedict  Bogeaus, 
is  meeting  here  also  with  his  own  as- 
sociates. 


When  Commissioner  L.  A.  Stone  of 
the  Federal  Mediation  and  Concilia- 
tion Service  sets  out  at  a  meeting 
here  this  morning  to  break  the  dead- 
lock which  has  ended  negotiations  be- 
tween the  IATSE  and  distributors  on 
a  new  national  exchange  workers  con- 
tract, the  companies  will  not  offer  a 
united  front  in  opposition  to  meeting 
the  "IA's"  demand  for  a  10  to  15  per 
cent  wage  increase  for  the  6,300  work- 
ers involved,  it  is  understood. 

Paramount,  it  was  said,  is  the  only 
company  which  has  categorically  re- 
fused to  meet  the  "IA"  demands  or  to 
consider  a  possible  compromise.  Quer- 
ied yesterday  on  this  report,  C.  J. 
(Pat)  Schollard,  Paramount's  labor 
relations  chief,  declined  to  confirm  or 
deny  it.  The  other  companies  were 
described  as  "willing  to  compromise." 

This  is  the  first  indication  since  ne- 
gotiations opened  some  six  weeks  ago 
that  a  united  front  among  the  com- 
panies has  broken.  That  circumstance, 
it  was  indicated,  augurs  well  for  the 
"IA's"  wage  increase  bid.  Other  com- 
panies involved  in  the  negotiations 
are :  Warner,  Columbia,  Loew,  RKO 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


MPAA  Meet  Takes 
Up  Video  Prospects 

Miami,  Jan.  19. — Opportunities  af 
forded  motion  pictures  by  television,  as 
well  as  its  potential  competition  for 
theatre  patronage,  were  canvassed  by 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer 
ica  directors  at  their  meeting  here 
today. 

The  industry's  public  relations  prob 
iems,  including  means  of  dealing  with 
Hollywood  personalities  subjected  to 
public  notoriety,  also  were  discussed 

Eric    Johnston,    MPAA  president, 
said   that   Hollywood  producers  are 
confident  of  the  box-office  quality  of 
new  pictures  and  that  the  recent  dom 
estic   box-office   decline   of  approxi 
mately  eight  per  cent  is  not  regarded 
seriously.  The  industry's  current  fisca 
problems,  he  emphasized,  stem  from 
15   per   cent   increase   in  production 
costs  and  artificial  barriers  to  busi 
ness  in  foreign  markets  which  hav 
cut  actual  dollar  remittances  of  the 
companies  by  30  per  cent,  although  th 
total  volume  of  foreign  business  is  on 
the  increase. 

He  intimated  that  production  and 
other   operating    economies,  together 
with  improved  quality  of  forthcomin 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


20th  to  Handle  12 
For  FC  in  Australia 


Arrangements  have  been  completed 
by  David  Home,  Film  Classics  for- 
eign sales  manager,  whereby  20th 
Century-Fox  will  distribute  in 
Australia,  New  Zealand  and  South 
\frica  a  series  of  12  Film  Classics 
features. 

Films  included  are  "Sofia,"  "Mirac- 
ulous Journey,"  "Unknown  Island," 
"Daughter  of  Ramona,"  "State  De- 
partment—File 649,"  all  in  Cinecolor. 
Black-and-white  productions  include 
"Inner  Sanctum,"  "Appointment  with 
Murder,"  "Blonde  Ice,"  "Money  Mad- 
ness," "Arygle  Secrets,"  "Devil's 
Cargo"  and  "Will  It  Happen  Again." 


A.  C.  Abeel  Elected 
Guaranty  Vice-Pres. 

Alan  C.  Abeel,  who  for  the  past  12 
years  has  handled  -motion  picture 
financing  for  Guaranty  Trust  Co. 
here,  was  elected  a  vice-president  of 
the  bank  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
board  of  directors  yesterday. 

Abeel,  well  known  in  the  film  indus- 
try, had  been  a  second  vice-president 
of  Guaranty.  He  has  been  associated 
with  the  bank  for  30  years,  most  of 
that  time  in  the  commercial  loans 
division. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  20,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


DAVID  HORNE,  Film  Classics' 
foreign  sales  manager,  will  leave 
here  today  for  Havana. 

• 

Al  Durante,  radio  publicity  direc- 
tor here  for  the  J.  Walter  Thompson 
agency,  and  Mrs.  Durante  are  the 
parents  of  a  boy. 

• 

Alton  Sims  has  resigned  as  Mem- 
phis manager  for  Robb  and  Rowley. 
He  has  been  replaced  by  William 
Harrison. 

• 

Alan  F.  Cummings,  in  charge  of 
M-G-M's  exchange  operations,  is  due 
here  Monday  from  Cincinnati  and  In- 
dianapolis. 

• 

Jules  B.  Weill,  Masterpiece  Prod, 
president,  left  here  yesterday  for  a 
two-week  vacation  in  Florida. 

Ellis  Arnall,  SIMPP  president, 
will  attend  the  Truman  Inaugural  cere- 
monies in  Washington  today. 

• 

Gene  Arneel  of  Motion  Picture 
Daily's  editorial  staff  will  "celebrate" 
a  birthday  today. 

• 

George  J.  Fisher,  formerly  M-G-M 
booker  in  Dallas,  has  been  appointed 
field  salesman. 

Jack  J.  Jorgens  has  joined 
M-G-M's  Minneapolis  exchange  as  a 
student  salesman. 

• 

H.  M.  Richey,  M-G-M  exhibitor 
relations  head,  will  return  to  New 
York  today  from  a  vacation  at  Nassau. 

William  G.  Brenner,  head  of 
M-G-M's  checking  system,  is  en  route 
to  New  York  from  Chicago. 

John  P.  Byrne,  M-G-M  Eastern 
sales  manager,  will  celebrate  a  birth- 
day tomorrow. 

• 

Nelson  Towler,  former  sales  rep- 
resentative for  Selznick  in  Atlanta, 
has  joined  Eagle-Lion. 

• 

Paul  Short,  producer  of  "Bad 
Boy,"  has  left  here  for  Hollywood. 


Merritt  Davis,  53, 
Republic  Manager 

Atlanta,  Jan.  19. — Merritt  Davis, 
53,  former  Southern  division  manager 
of  Republic  Pictures  and  branch 
manager  in  Atlanta,  died  today  after 
a  brief  illness  in  Emory  Hospital. 
Survivors  included  three  sisters  and 
a  daughter.  Funeral  services  will  be 
held  tomorrow. 


Lavene,  55,  Exhibitor 

Buffalo,  Jan.  19. — Phil  Lavene,  55, 
prominent  in  show  business  here  for 
20  years  and  until  four  months  ago 
operator  of  the  Academy,  died  sudden- 
ly last  week  at  his  home,  it  was 
learned  today.  He  is  survived  by  his 
wife,  daughter,  son,  his  mother,  a 
brother  and  sister. 


Resignation  of  Memphis 
Censor  Is  Suggested 


Memphis,  Jan.  19.  —  Lashing  out 
editorially  at  Memphis  film  censorship 
for  a  second  time  in  two  weeks,  the 
Commercial  Appeal  today  "suggested" 
that  the  new  mayor,  Watkins  Over- 
ton, ask  censor  chairman  Lloyd  T. 
Binford  to  resign. 

Calling  Binford's  censorship  "cock- 
eyed," the  Commercial  Appeal  de- 
clared, "His  silly  censorship  has  made 
Memphis  look  silly  to  the  rest  of  the 
country  too  long — far  too  long." 

"As  a  result  of  the  banning  of  the 
motion  picture  'Curley'  and  a  subse- 
quent circuit  court  decision  upholding 
the  right  of  the  board  of  censors  to 
decide  as  it  sees  fit,  Memphis  is  being 
held  up  to  ridicule  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  country. 

"Mayor  Overton  has  just  assumed 
office.  By  his  methods  of  operation 
and  his  insistence  on  sanity  and  effi- 
ciency in  government  he  has  earned 
the  reputation  of  being  a  'good  house- 
keeper.' He  will  no  doubt  effect 
changes  of  importance  at  City  Hall. 

"It  would  be  an  excellent  thing  for 
Memphis  if  he  would  start  with  the 
board  of  censors  and  put  that  un- 
healthy part  of  the  municipal  house  in 
order  first  and  put  an  end  to  actions 
which  are  spoiling  the  otherwise  good 
reputation  of  Memphis.  He  couldn't 
possibly  do  the  city  a  greater  imme- 
diate favor,"  the  editorial  said. 

Hal  Roach,  producer  of  "Curley," 
and  United  Artists,  distributor,  are 
appealing  the  censorship  action  to 
higher  courts.  Indications  are  the  in- 
dustry will  take  the  case  to  the  U.  S. 
Supreme  Court  eventually  as  a  test  of 
the  application  of  the  First  Amend- 
ment to  films. 


Admission  Tax  Cut 
Urged  by  Senator 

Washington,  Jan.  19. — Chairman 
George  of  the  tax-handling  Senate 
Finance  Committee  said  here  that  he 
favored  reduction  in  the  admissions 
tax  rate,  but  did  not  believe  it  should 
be  repealed  entirely  as  yet. 

George  declared  that  he  thought  the 
excise  tax  picture  would  be  reviewed 
by  the  House  Ways  and  Means  Com- 
mittee and  the  Senate  Finance  Com- 
mittee this  year. 

Despite  this  support  from  the  Geor- 
gia Democrat,  the  outlook  for  any  cut 
in  the  admissions  tax  remains  dark. 


M  onogramSales  Drive 
To  Push  Westerns 

Hollywood,  Jan.  19. — Monogram's 
national  sales  drive  for  Westerns  will 
start  immediately  and  continue 
through  April  30,  Monogram  presi- 
dent Steve  Broidy  announces. 

Monogram  plans'  to  release  18 
Westerns  during  1949. 


Censors  Close  Casino 

Boston,  Jan.  19. — Boston's  censor- 
ship board  has  closed  the  Casino  The- 
atre for  eight  days  after  hearing  police 
testimony  on  strip-tease  performances. 
The  house  also  shows  motion  pictures. 


Clearance  Bureau 
For  Video  Films 

Plans  for  a  clearance  bureau  for 
television  films,  and  a  directory  of 
television  films,  headed  discussions  of 
the  distribution  committee  of  the  Na- 
tional Television  Council  at  a  meeting 
held  here  on  Tuesday  at  the  Bristol 
Hotel. 

Myron  Mills,  distribution  commit- 
tee chairman,  has  appointed  Rosalind 
Kossoff  of  A-F  films,  as  sub-commit- 
tee chairman  in  charge  of  the  direc- 
tory, and  William  L.  Roach  of  United 
Artists  legal  counsel,  as  sub-commit- 
tee chairman  of  the  film  clearance 
bureau. 


MP  A  A  to  Back  NJ. 
Fight  on  Censorship 

John  Bryson,  legislative  represen- 
tative of  the  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America,  has  offered  to  Al- 
lied Theatre  Owners  of  New  Jersey 
the  MPAA's  "full  support"  in  the  Al- 
lied unit's  campaign  against  threaten- 
ing state  legislation  for  censorship,  it 
is  reported  by  Jersey  Allied. 

Other  bills  threatening  in  New  Jer- 
sey are  a  measure  to  increase  the 
age  limit  from  14  to  16  years  for 
children  patronizing  theatres  unat- 
tended, and  one  to  expand  the  power 
of  communities  to  tax  admissions. 


5  More  Dates  for 
'Joan  of  Arc" 

Sierra  Pictures'  "Joan  of  Arc,"  dis- 
tributed by  RKO  Radio,  now  playing 
New  York,  Philadelphia,  New  Or- 
leans, Los  Angeles,  Miami  Beach, 
Palm  Beach  and  Washington,  is  set  to 
open  at  the  Town,  Baltimore ;  Golden 
Gate,  San  Francisco,  and  the  Keith. 
Boston,  on  Jan.  26. 

The  Canadian  premiere  is  scheduled 
for  Friday  at  the  Palace  Theatre  in 
Montreal,  to  be  followed  by  a  Toron- 
to engagement  starting  Feb.  1  at  the 
University  Theatre. 


Para.  Luncheon  for  Meyer 

Paramount  will  give  a  luncheon  at 
the  Hotel  Astor  here  today  for  Frank 
Meyer,  assistant  secretary  and  general 
purchasing  agent,  who  plans  to  retire 
at  the  end  of  January  after  serving 
Paramount  in  various  executive  capac- 
ities for  37  years. 


To  Honor  Rossellini 

Roberto  '  Rossellini,  director  of 
"Paisan,"  will  be  honored  at  a  re- 
ception at  the  Museum  of  Modern 
Art  here  today,  to  be  given  by  the 
Museum  and  Mayer  and  Burstyn,  dis- 
tributors of  the  film. 


ATOI  To  Meet  June  21-23 

Indianapolis,  Jan.  19. — Board  of 
directors  of  the  Associated  Theatre 
Owners  of  Indiana  have  set  June  21- 
23  as  the  dates  for  the  organization's 
annual  summer  convention  at  French 
Lick. 


75  to  Coast  for 
M-G-M  Meetings 

Seventy-five  executives  from  Loew's 
home  office  and  M-G-M's  domestic 
and  international  sales  force  will  con- 
vene at  the  M-G-M  Culver  City  stu- 
dios Feb.  6-12  for  conferences  and 
previews  of  new  product. 

From  the  field  will  be  the  following: 
sales  managers:  John  P.  Byrne,  John  J. 
Maloney,  Rudy  Berger,  Burtus  Bishop,  Jr., 
George  A.  Hickey. 

Field  assistants  to  sales  managers:  Her- 
man L.  Ripps,  Frank  C.  Hensler,  John  S. 
Allen,  Ralph  W.  Maw,  Samuel  J.  Gardner. 

District  managers:  John  J.  Bowen,  Rob- 
ert Lynch,  Walter  E.  Banford,  Charles  E. 
Kessnich. 

Branch  managers:  Jerome  Adams,  Albert 
L.  Adler,  Louis  Allerhand,  Thomas  J.  As- 
pell,  Jr.,  Herbert  Bennin,  Leroy  Bickel, 
Edwin  M.  Booth,  C.  James  Briant,  Sam 
Davis,  William  J.  Devaney,  Frank  J.  Down- 
ey, Lou  Formato,  Henry  A.  Friedel,  Wil- 
liam, D.  Gaddoni,  Foster  B.  Gaukcr,  H. 
Russell  Gaus,  Jack  Goldberg,  Ted  Gould, 
Saal  Gottlieb,  Louis  C.  Ingram,  John  G. 
Kemptgen,  Gerald  E.  McGlynn,  Jack  B. 
Mundstuk,  Carl  P.  Nedley,  Ansley  B. 
Padgett,  Ralph  Pielow,  Jacques  C.  ReVille. 
Harry  Rosenblatt,  Ben  H.  Rosenwald,  Sam 
Shirley  (special  field  representative),  Jack 
Sogg,  Louis  J.  Weber  (assistant  branch 
manager),  Langdon  C.  Wingham  and  Wil- 
liam H.  Workman, 

From  the  home  office:  Arthur  M.  Loew, 
Howard  Dietz,  Edward  M.  Saunders,  John 
Murphy,  Eugene  Picker,  Ernest  Emerling, 
Silas  F.  Seadler,  Herbert  Crooker,  William 
R.  Ferguson,  Henderson  M.  Richey,  Wil- 
liam B.  Zoellner,  Joel  Bezahler,  Alan  F. 
Cummings,  Richard  A.  Harper,  Irving  Hel- 
font,  M.  L.  Simons,  Ben  Melniker,  Jay 
Eisenberg  and  William  Ornstein. 


Zimmerman  Named 
President  of  H*63 

Irving  Zimmerman  of  Ace  Film 
Laboratory  here  has  been  elected 
president  of  IATSE  Motion  Picture 
Home  Office  Employes  Local  No. 
H-63,  succeeding  Eli  Oestreich  of 
Warner,  it  is  announced  by  business 
agent  Russell  Moss. 

Other  new  officers  are :  Lillian  Ber- 
man,  Warner,  vice-president;  Mary 
Rosencrans,  Universal  -  International, 
secretary;  Harry  Baum,  Warner, 
treasurer ;  Herman  Lemler,  Warner, 
sergeant-at-arms. 


Feb.S-UMeet  To  Set 
'Vets'  Film  Program 

Washington,  Jan.  19.— Top  offi- 
cials of  the  Veterans  Administration 
will  meet  in  New  York  Feb.  8-11  with 
representatives  of  major  distributors 
and  film  service  companies  to  work 
out  the  VA's  film  program  for  the 
coming  year. 

Selznick  Releasing  Organization  has 
agreed  to  furnish  16  and  35mm.  first- 
run  pictures  without  cost  to  VA  hos- 
pitals and  homes  throughout  the  U.  S. 

'Ships*  Premiere  Feb.  15 

Folowing  a  meeting  here  this  week 
with  Arthur  N.  Harriman,  mayor  of 
New  Bedford,  Mass.,  20th  Century- 
Fox  sales  manager  Andy  W.  Smith, 
Jr.,  disclosed  that  the  world  premiere 
of  "Down  to  the  Sea  in  Ships"  would 
take  place  in  that  city  on  Feb.  15. 

Mayor  Harriman,  accompanied  by 
Harry  Zeitz,  owner  of  the  New  Bed- 
ford State  Theatre,  and  Earle  D.  Wil- 
son, of  the  New  Bedford  Standard- 
Times,  presented  a  petition  for  the 
premiere  to  Smith  on  behalf  of  the 
city's  population  of  125,000. 


?  a  A  Chic\f°  Bureau.  12<>  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative;  jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washington' 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Bumup,  Editor;  cable  address,  "Ouigpubco  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald-  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame-  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  pet 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Be  Prepared 
To  Fall  in  Love 

\  ON 


HAT'S  THE  DAY  WARNER  BROS.  SHOWS  THE  SHOW  WORLD 


AYME  MORRIS-  VIRGINIA  FIELD         FATRI CIA  NEW. 

cted  by  produced  by 

WID    BUTLER  Scieen  Play  by  Phoeoe  and  Henry  Ephron  •  From  the  Hit  Stage  Play  by  NORMAN  KRASNA    JERRY  WALD 


TRADE  SHOW 
JANUARY  24 

ALBANY 

Warner  Screening  Room 
79  N.  Pearl  S».  •  12:30  P.M. 
ATLANTA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

197  Walton  St.  N.W.  •  2:30  P.M. 

BOSTON 

RKO  Screening  Room 

122  Arlington  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 

BUFFALO 

Paramount  Screening  Room 
464  Franklin  St.  •  2:00  Pit 
CHARLOTTE 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

308  S.  Church  St.  •  10:00  A.M. 

CHICAGO 

Warner  Screening  Room 

1307  So.  Wabosh  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M. 

CINCINNATI 

RKO  Palace  Th.  Screening  Room 

Palace  Th.  Bldg.  E.  6th  •  8:00  Pit 

CLEVELAND 

Warner  Screening  Room 

2300  Payne  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

DALLAS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
1803  Wood  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
DENVER 

Paramount  Screening  Room 

2100  Stout  St.  •  2:00  P.M 

DES  MOINES 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1300  High  St.  •  8:00  Pit. 

DETROIT 

Film  Exchange  Building 

2310  Cass  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

INDIANAPOLIS 

Universal  Screening  Room 

517  No.  Illinois  St.  •  1:00  P.M 

KANSAS  CITY 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1720  Wyandotte  St.  •  7:30  Pi*. 

LOS  ANGELES 

Warner  Screening  Room 

2025  S.  Vermont  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

MEMPHIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

151  Vance  Ave.  •  10:00  A.M. 

MILWAUKEE 

Warner  Theatre  Screening  Room 

212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

MINNEAPOLIS 

Warner  Screening  Room 

1000  Currie  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

NEW  HAVEN 

Warner  Theatre  Projection  Room 

70  College  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

NEW  ORLEANS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

200  S.  Liberty  St.  •  8:00  Pi*. 

NEW  YORK 

Home  Office 

321  W.  44th  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 

OKLAHOMA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

10  North  Lee  St.  •  1:30  P.M. 

OMAHA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1502  Davenport  St.  •  10:00  A.M. 

PHILADELPHIA 

Warner  Screening  Room 

230  No.  13th  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 

PITTSBURGH 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1715  Blvd.  of  Allies  •  1:30  P.M. 

PORTLAND 

Jewel  Box  Screening  Room 

1947  N.W.  Kearney  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

SALT  LAKE 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
216  East  1st  South  •  2:00  P.M. 
SAN  FRANCISCO 
Paramount  Screening  Room 
205  Golden  Gate  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M. 
SEATTLE 

Jewel  Box  Screening  Room 
2318  Second  Ave.  •  10:30  A.M. 
ST.  LOUIS 
S'renco  Screening  Room 
3143  Olive  St.  •  9:30  Ait 
WASHINGTON 
Warner  Theatre  Building 
13th  &  E  Sts.  N.W.  •  10:30  A.M. 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  20,  1949 


Reviews 


"Trouble  Makers" 

{Monogram) 

IN  amusing  slapstick  fashion,  Leo  Gorcey  and  Huntz  Hall  set  out  to  solve 
a  murder  in  this  Monogram  comedy.    The  plot  is  cut  from  the  standard 
pattern  and  events  keep  moving  briskly. 

Gorcey  and  Hall  see  through  their  telescope  a  murder  committed  in  a 
fashionable  hotel.  They  call  a  rookie  cop  on  the  Bowery  beat  and  drive  over 
to  the  hotel.  The  doorman  and  the  hotel  manager  are  confused  when  the 
Dead  End  Kids  arrive  and  start  their  comical  antics.  They  cannot  find  the 
body  but  eventually  the  news  breaks  in  the  papers  that  a  noted  plastic 
surgeon  has  been  killed.  Gorcey  and  Hall  go  to  the  morgue  to  identify  the 
body  and  there  they  meet  the  dead  doctor's  daughter.  They  promise  her 
that  they  will  try  to  solve  the  mystery.  It  appears  that  the  doctor  had 
been  doing  work  for  some  criminals  and  they  decide  to  do  away  with  him. 
The  rookie  cop  is  suspended  for  leaving  his  beat  but  he  is  reinstated  when 
the  murderers  are  apprehended.  Gorcey  and  Hall  receive  praise  from'  the 
police  for  their  aid  in  solving  the  crime.  Jan  Grippo  produced  and  Reginald 
LeBorg  directed.  Edmond  Seward  wrote  the  screenplay,  from  Gerald 
Schnitzer's  original  story. 

Running  time,  66  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  January 
release. 


"Dead  Man's  Gold" 

(Screen  Guild) 

THE  solution  of  a  ranch  owner's  murder  becomes  the  aim  of  Lash  LaRue 
and  his  sidekick,  Fuzzy  St.  John  in  this  standard  Western.  It  is  rounded 
out  with  enough  action  and  adventure  to  make  it  a  satisfactory  film  in  its 
category.  As  usual,  LaRue  displays  his  agility  with  the  whip,  gun  and  fists 
in  tracking  down  the  culprits. 

A  ranch  owner  summons  Lash  to  his  assistance  but  before  Lash  arrives 
the  man  is  murdered.  Lash  interviews  the  dead  man's  niece  and  together  they 
discover  that  there  were  gold  deposits  on  the  ranch.  A  gang  headed  by  the 
town's  mayor  also  learned  that  the  land  had  valuable  deposits  of  ore  and 
wanted  to  seize  the  land.  Lash  sets  a  trap  for  the  murderers  and  the  guilty 
parties  confess.  Ron  Ormond  produced  and  Ray  Taylor  directed. 
Running  time,  60  minutes.  General  audience  classification. 


"Renegades  of  Sonora" 

{Republic) 

A STANDARD  Western,  "Renegades  of  Sonora"  opens  with  a  tribe  of 
Indians  on  the  verge  of  warfare  because  a  white  man  murdered  their 
chief  and  stole  their  jeweled  tribal  belt. 

Allan  (Rocky)  Lane  comes  upon  a  dying  man  who  gives  him  the  belt 
and  Lane  takes  it  to  the  Indian  agent.  .  The  agent  is  murdered  and  one  of 
the  gangsters  takes  the  belt.  Lane  is  suspected  of  the  murders  of  both  the 
Indian  chief  and  the  agent.  Eventually  Lane  convinces  Eddy  Waller,  a 
deputy  sheriff,  that  he  is  innocent.  The  gang  has  been  stealing  gold  ore  and 
attempts  to  incite  the  uprising  and  thus  divert  suspicion  to  the  Indians.  In 
the  end  the  belt  is  recovered  and  the  Indians  help  the  sheriff  and  his  posse 
capture  the  culprits.  Gordon  Kay  produced  and  R.  G.  Springsteen  directed, 
from  M.  Coates  Webster's  original  screenplay. 

Running  time,  60  minutes.    General  audience  classification. 


Wilson  Says  Import 
Curbs  Will  Continue 


London,  Jan.  19. — Harold  Wilson, 
president  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  told 
Commons  that  economic  necessity  re- 
quires that  Britain  reduce  American 
film  imports  for  a  long  time  to  come, 
in  urging  the  need  for  the  Film 
Finance  Corp.  bill  which  will  provide 
$20,000,000  for  British  film  produc- 
tion. 

The  bill  passed  its  third  reading  in 
Commons  and  now  goes  to  the  House 
of  Lords. 

Critics  suggested  that  the  bill  al- 
ready is  in  danger  of  becoming  a  dead 
letter  inasmuch  as  independent  pro- 
ducers appear  unable,  even  with  gov- 
ernment aid,  to  make  pictures 
profitably. 

Wilson  implicitly  agreed,  but  said 
that  it  is  planned  in  the  near  future 
to  arrange  some  method  of  direct 
financing  of  production  companies. 

A  B  P  C  Implements 
Move  to  Rival  Rank 

London,  Jan.  19. — Pathe  Pictures, 
Ltd.,  the  Associated  British  Pictures 
Corp.  distribution  subsidiary,  has  been 
renamed  Associated  British  Pathe, 
Ltd.  This  is  Sir  Philip  Warter's  lat- 
est step  in  fashioning  ABPC  into  a 
rival  of  considerable  proportions  to 
the  J.  Arthur  Rank  combine. 


May  Raise  NTFC  Dues 

A  registration  fee  of  $10  and  an 
increase  from  $10  to  $15  in  annual 
dues,  was  recommended  by  the  board 
of  directors  of  the  National  Televi- 
sion Film  Council,  at  their  first  meet- 
ing in  1949.  The  meeting,  called  by 
NTFC  president  Melvin  L.  Gold,  was 
conducted  by  board  chairman  Jack 
Glenn,  director  of  the  March  of  Time 
and  newly-elected  president  of  the 
Screen  Directors  Guild. 


KATO  Wins  Tax  Revision 

Louisville,  Jan.  19. — At  the  re- 
quest of  the  Kentucky  Association  of 
Theatre  Owners,  state  revenue  com- 
missioner H.  Clyde  Reeves  has  direct- 
ed that  an  order  be  drawn  which  will 
eliminate  daily  admission  tax  reports 
by  theatres  and  will  put  the  reports 
on  a  monthly  basis. 


Mason  with  Albert 

Jerry  Mason  has  resigned  as  asso- 
ciate editor  of  THIS  WEEK  Maga- 
zine to  become  executive  vice-presi- 
dent of  Eddie  Albert  Productions.  The 
company  is  now  opening  New  York 
headquarters  in  addition  to  its  Holly- 
wood offices. 


ABC  Grosses  $44-Million 

Gross  billings  of  American  Broad- 
casting from  the  sale  of  radio  time 
last  year  amounted  to  $44,303,376,  a 
new  peak,  and  a  gain  of  nearly  $800,- 
000  over  the  preceding  year. 


Video  for  Upper  N.Y. 

Rome,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  19.— Station 
WKAL-TV,  operated  by  the  Copper 
City  Broadcasting  Corp.,  will  begin  a 
series  of  telecasts  in  the  spring  to 
serve  the  Utica-Rome-Herkimer-Onei- 
da  area,  thus  bringing  television  to 
the  Mohawk  Valley.  Myron  J.  Kallet 
of  Oneida,  head  of  a  syndicate  which 
operates  some  40  theatres  in  up-state 
New  York,  is  president  of  the  video 
organization. 


$250,000  Suit  Blames 
Casbah'  Distribution 

Los  Angeles,  Jan.  19. — Charging 
failure  to  fulfill  a  distribution  contract 
by  not  instituting  an  aggressive  adver- 
tising and  sales  campaign  for  "Cas- 
bah," Marston  Pictures  has  sued  Uni- 
versal Pictures  in  Federal  Court  here 
asking  $250,000  damages  for  alleged 
violation  of  the  contract.  The  suit  also 
seeks  the  right  to  inspect  exhibition 
and  foreign  distribution  contracts. 


Protest  E.-L.  Film 

Boston,  Jan.  19. — Scores  of  East 
Boston  residents  have  filed  protests 
with  the  Boston  licensing  division 
against  Eagle-Lion's  'An  Old  Fash- 
ioned Girl,"  now  playing  the  Pilgrim 
Theatre  here,  because  of  the  line  in 
the  film,  "One  of  those  cheap  shacks 
in  East  Boston."  Residents  of  the  sec- 
tion want  censor  boards  to  order  de- 
letion of  the  line,  claiming  it  is  a  slur. 


New  Grovas  Company 

Mexico  City,  Jan.  19. — A  new  pro- 
duction company,  Cinematografica 
Grovas,  S.  A.,  has  been  set  up  here  by 
Jesus  Grovas,  former  assistant  man- 
ager here  for  Paramount,  who  recent- 
ly sold  his  production  company,  Pro- 
ducciones  Grovas,  S.  A. 


Bing  Crosby  Joins 
The  March  to  CBS 

Bing  Crosby,  one  of  the  top  names 
on  American  Broadcasting's  star 
roster,  will  switch  to  Columbia  Broad- 
casting following  his  summer  hiatus, 
CBS  announces.  Deal  also  gives  CBS 
exclusive  rights  to  Crosby's  television 
services,  although  the  network  is  be- 
lieved to  have  no  video  program  in 
mind  at  the  present.  Crosby's  radio 
show  on  CBS  will  be  recorded  and 
transcribed,  as  it  currently  is  on  ABC. 

CBS  lured  Jack  Benny,  Freeman 
Gosden  and  Charles  Correll  (Amos 
'n'  Andy)  from  National  Broad- 
casting. 


New  Pinson  Exchange 

Atlanta,  Jan.  19.  —  Bob  Pinson. 
owner  of  the  Astor  Exchange  in  Char- 
lotte, will  open  an  exchange  in  Atlanta 
shortly.  Benton  Brothers  Film  For- 
warding Depot  will  handle  shipments 
for  the  new  company. 

German  Film  to  Girosi 

Marcello  Girosi,  president  of  Su- 
perfilm  Distributing  Corp.,  has  ac- 
quired the  American  rights  to  "Ger- 
many Year  Zero,"  produced,  written 
and  directed  by  Roberto  Rossellini, 
in  Berlin. 


Two-Billion  Feet  of 
Raw  Stock  in  1948 

The  motion  picture  indus- 
try in  1948  purchased  2,000,- 
000,000  feet  of  35mm.  raw 
stock  of  all  kinds,  from  East- 
man Kodak,  DuPont  and 
ether  manufacturers,  accord- 
ing to  film  company  home  of- 
fices, this  at  a  cost  of  up- 
wards of  $2,000,000  for  ordi- 
nary black-and-white;  costs 
of  other  stocks,  including 
color,  are  higher  and  would 
increase  the  actual  outlay 
considerably. 

The  2,000,000^000'  feet  bought 
last  year  compares  to  con- 
sumption of  1,516,000,000  feet 
in  1941. 


130  Shorts  in  One 
Series  for  Video 


Hollywood,  Jan.  19. — First  mass 
production  of  cartoons  filmed  especial- 
ly for  television  was  revealed  here  to- 
day when  Jerry  Fairbanks  Produc- 
tions scheduled  for  immediate  shoot- 
ing a  series  of  130  animated  video 
shorts. 

To  be  distributed  by  the  Fairbanks 
organization  nationally,  the  series  of 
five-minute  films,  titled  "Crusader 
Rabbit,"  will  be  similar  in  format  to 
serials,  each  subject  being  a  continued 
story.  Filming  of  the  series  will  be 
done  by  a  newly-developed  Teletoon 
animation  technique,  by  Television 
Arts  Productions,  a  Berkeley  firm  or- 
ganized recently  by  Alexander  Ander- 
son, former  animator  and  story  edi- 
tor for  Terrytoons,  and  J.  Troplong 
Ward,  San  Francisco  producer. 

Small  Sells  Rights 
For  Ten  Pictures 

Through  a  deal  with  producer  Ed- 
ward Small,  Commonwealth  Pictures 
has  acquired  the  16mm.  world  rights 
to  10  major  pictures  produced  by 
Small  in  the  past  15  years,  according 
to  Sam  Goldstein,  Commonwealth 
president. 

The  10  are :  "The  Count  of  Monte 
Cristo,"  "The  Son  of  Monte  Cristo," 
"My  Son,  My  Son,"  "The  Corsican 
Brothers,"  "Kit  Carson,"  "The  Last 
of  the  Mohicans,"  "Miss  Annie  Roon- 
ey,"  "Friendly  Enemies,"  "A  Gentle- ' 
man  After  Dark"  and  "Man  in  the 
Iron  Mask." 

'Slightly  French'  Is 
Rated  'B'  by  Legion 

One  of  six  films  currently  rated  by 
the  National  Legion  of  Decency  has 
been  placed  in  Class  B.  It  is  Colum- 
bia's "Slightly  French." 

Classified  A-I  was  J.  Arthur  Rank's 
"Don't  Take  It  to  Heart."  Rated  A- 
II  were  "The  Fan,"  20th-Fox ; 
"Flaxy  Martin,"  Warner ;  "Police  Re- 
porter," Screen  Guild,  and  "Waterloo 
Road,"  Rank. 


P.  &  G.  Forms  Subsidiary 

Procter  and  Gamble  reports  that 
articles  of  incorporation  have  been 
filed  in  Ohio  for  a  wholly-owned  sub- 
sidiary to  take  over  all  motion  picture, 
radio  and  television  activities  for  the 
company.  The  new  company  will 
work  directly  with  advertising  agen- 
cies and  independent  producers. 


It  was  like  selling 
their  souls  to  the 
devil  for  women  to 
make  a  deal  with 
Nick  Beal  ...  the 
wickedest  man 
that  ever  dark- 
ened— and  excit- 
ed— the  motion 
picture  screen  1 


MY  MILLAND 

AUDREY  TOTTER 
THOMAS  MITCHELL 


ALIA 


is  ~^2 


is 


"42 


*2 


Of 

2  /2  ; 


BE  SURE  TO  BOOK  "THE  MOVIES  AND  YOU" 
SERIES  OF  INDUSTRY  SHORTS. 


GEORGE  MACREADY 
FRED  CLARK 

Produced  by 

ENDRE  BOHEM 

Directed  by 

JOHN  FARROW 

Screenplay  by  JONATHAN  LATIMER 
Original  Story  by  MINDRET  LORD 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  20,  1949 


U.  A.  Meeting 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


lin,  is  contemplated  as  part  of  the 
reorganization  plan. 

The  company's  official  statement 
pointed  out  that  UA  continues  to  be 
"in  excellent  financial  condition,  hav- 
ing no  bonded  indebtedness  and  the 
general  feeling  is  that  a  new  financial 
structure  can  be  readily  developed." 

UA-'s  most  pressing  problems  here- 
tofore have  been  concerned  with  an 
assured  and  steady  supply  of  product, 
rather  than  financing.  Curtailment  of 
bank  loans  to  independent  producers 
in  recent  months,  however,  have  ag- 
gravated the  product  supply  problem 
for  UA  and  have  made  it  essential  for 
the  company  to  develop  its  own  pro- 
duction financing  capital.  The  company 
has  about  a  six  months'  product  sup- 
ply on  hand  or  in  view  now. 

The  company  meetings  which  start 
ed  here  on  Monday  were  adjourned 
today,  ostensibly  with  Chaplin's  and 
Miss  Pickford's  approval  of  plans  for 
raising  new  capital  presented  by  a 
special  board  of  directors'  committee 
comprising  Charles  Schwartz,  E.  C. 
Mills,  Vitalis  Chalif  and  Harold 
Weill.  Mills,  Arthur  Kelly  and  Harry 
Mueller  left  here  last  night  by  plane 
for  New  York.  Others  from  the  East 
attending  the  meeting  will  return  to- 
day and  tomorrow. 

Mills,  a  Chaplin  nominee  on  the 
UA  board,  submitted  his  resignation 
at  today's  meeting  but  it  was  not  acted 
upon.  He  plans  to  establish  residence 
here  early  in  February. 


Reviews 


The  only  financing  proposal  known 
in  New  York  to  have  been  made  to 
United  Artists  recently  is  one  from 
Har'ry  Brandt,  Metropolitan  circuit 
operator,  who  offered  to  provide  $3,- 
000,000  for  the  company  on  condition 
that  he  be  given  power  to  name  the 
management  of  the  company. 

There  was  no  indication  from  Hol- 
lywood whether  the  Brandt  offer  was 
submitted  or,  if  so,  whether  or  not  it 
was  regarded  favorably. 


"Alias  Nick  Seal" 

(Paramount) 

AN  interesting  attempt  to  give  a  slick  contemporary  background  to  a  moral- 
ity  play  strikingly  familiar  to  the  Faust  legend  is  made  in  Paramount's 
"Alias  Nick  Beal."  The  picture  is  not  without  clear-cut  box-office  assets,  for 
it  stars  Ray  Milland  and  has  an  imposing  production  frame.  Yet  a  certain 
vagueness  attaches  to  the  unfolding  drama,  and  while  several  scenes  in  them- 
selves make  compelling  entertainment,  they  do  not  quite  add  up  to  a  vigorous 
whole. 

Set  in  conventional  melodramatic  outlines,  the  film  attempts,  with  the  best 
of  intentions,  to  examine  and  humanize  the  relation  between  ends  and  means 
It  starts  off  with  Thomas  Mitchell,  a  successful  district  attorney, '  who  is  con 
cerned  with  advancing  worthwhile  social  programs.  To  better  achieve  his  aims, 
he  runs  for  governor,  but  all  the  while  he  allows  himself  to  be  manipulated 
and  compromised  by  a  shady,  elusive  character  portrayed  by  Milland.  Finally 
Mitchell  gets  involved  in  a  web  of  complications,  and  although  he  wins  the 
election,  he  realizes  the  depths  of  chicanery  into  which  he  has  been  helplessly 
pressed.  There  remains  no  alternative  for  him  but  to  clear  his  conscience  by 
resigning  the  governorship. 

It  is  a  difficult  role  as  the  modern  disciple  of  Lucifer  that  Milland  has  to 
characterize,  and  he  carries  on  capably,  whether  sipping  a  cocktail  in  a  fog 
shrouded  bar,  slapping  a  woman,  or  displaying  diabolical  charm.    The  two 
feminine  leads  are  played  by  Audrey  Totter,  as  the  fallen  girl  whom  Milland 
elevates  to  material  opulence;  and  Geraldine  Wall,  devoted  wife  of  Mitchell 

The  screenplay,  by  Jonathan  Latimer,  from  a  Mindret  Lord  story,  concludes 
with  a  scene  in  which  a  bible  repels  Milland  back  to  the  depths  just  in  time 
to  save  Mitchell  from  the  land  of  the  lost.   Endre  Bohem  produced ;  John  Far 
row  directed. 

Running  time,  93  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date 
March  4.  Mandel  Herbstman 


MPAA  Meet 

(Continued  jrom  page  1) 


Para.  Separation 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Bureau,  thus  paving  the  way  for  an 
unencumbered,  tax-wise,  redistribution 
of  stock  with  holders  to  be  issued  one 
share  in  each  of  two  separate  RKO 
companies,  one  for  exhibition  and  one 
for  production-distribution,  for  each 
share  they  now  hold  in  the  present 
parent  company. 

Having  the  same  plan  for  reorgani- 
zation, Paramount  hopes  for  the  same 
ruling  by  the  Bureau.' 

In  both  cases,  of  course,  the  sale 
of  theatre  properties  will  be  subject 
to  the  usual  corporate  taxes  on  profits 


"The  Far  Frontier" 

(Republic) 

rHE  customary  framework  of  good-versus-evil  around  which  the  standard 
Western  is  built  is  embellished  with  a  few  relatively  unstandard  trimmings 
in  this  latest  Roy  Rogers  production.  Action,' as  usual,  is  the  keynote,  with 
Rogers  in  competent  control  of  that  department.  Music  plays  an  important 
role  too,  as  usual,  as  Rogers  pauses  in  the  story's  development  to  sing  a  few 
ballads  in  company  with  Foy  Willing  and  The  Riders  of  the  Purple  Sage. 
But  it  is  in  the  screenplay  by  Sloan  Nibley  that  the  "new.  twists"  emerge ;  the 
arch-villain  and  his  henchmen  are  engaged  in  the  business  of  smuggling 
escape^  criminals  back  into  the  U.  S.  from  Mexico  in  empty  oil  barrels  ;  Roy 
has  to  give  his  best  friend  a  sound  beating  to  snap  the  latter  out  of  a  case  of 
amnesia  which  had  been  used  to  the  villains'  advantage;  chief  menace  Robert 
Strange  uses  carrier  pigeons  to  communicate  his  nefarious  plans  to  his  col 
laborators. 

The  master  plan  behind  Strange's  smuggling  and  swindling  bears  on  his 
aim  to  embarrass  kindly,  rich  Francis  Ford  into  selling  his  property  to  the 
former.  Therefore,  when  Strange  discovers  that  Ford's  border  patrolman  son, 
Clayton  Moore,  has  developed  amnesia  from  a  blow  on  the  head,  the  crook  is 
sure  he  has  a  good  wedge  to  use  against  Ford  and  proceeds  to  frame  Moore 
as  a  bank  robber.  Needless  to  say,  Rogers  and  his  friends,  including  comedian 
Andy  Devine,  foil  the  villainy  and  bring  the  crooks  to  justice.  Pretty  Gai 
Davis  is  decorative  as  a  friend  of  Rogers.  Rounding  out  the  cast  are  Roy 
Barcroft,  Holly  Bane,  Lane  Bradford  and  others.  Edward  J.  White  was  asso 
ciate  producer  ;  William  Witney  directed.    The  film  is  in  Trucolor. 

Running  time,  67  minutes.    General  audience  classification. 

Charles  L.  Franke 


REPUBLIC  RECORDS 

offers  its  entire  stock  and 
trade  name  for  sale. 

Address  all  offers  fo 

REPUBLIC  RECORDS 

Room  800A 
580  Fifth  Avenue 
New  York  19,  N.  Y. 
until  January  25th 


"A  Place  of  One's  Own" 

(Rank-Eagle-Lion) 

T  ARTHUR  RANK'S  "A  Place  of  One's  Own"  has  many  advantages 
«J  •  for  selective  audiences.  It  is  based  on  the  novel  by  Sir  Osbert  Sitwell 
and  the  cast  is  headed  by  James  Mason  and  Margaret  Lockwood.  However, 
once  the  story  gets  underway,  it  moves  leisurely,  and,  by  American'standards 
at  least,  seems  over-loaded  with  conversation.  As  a  drawing-room  drama  with 
supernatural  overtones,  the  picture  is  one  whose  greatest  appeal  would  lie  with 
so-called  art  theatre  patrons.  As  such,  it  has  its  merchandising  points. 

James  Mason's  following  will  find  him  in  a  different  type  of  role  here.  He 
plays  a  bluff,  middle-aged  gentleman,  who,  with  his  wife,  retires  from  busi- 
ness to  settle  down  in  a  house  which  they  have  bought.  Slowly  the  strange 
history  of  the  house  emerges.  It  appears  that  some  40  years  back  a  girl  was 
supposed  to  have  been  murdered  there,  and  ever  since,  her  spirit  has  been 
haunting  the  mansion.  Miss  Lockwood,  who  is  employed  as  a  companion  to 
Mason's  wife,  grows  increasingly  influenced  by  the  haunting  spirit  and  in  time 
becomes  the  victim  of  an  unexplainable  malady.  With  all  hope  for  Miss  Lock- 
wood's  recovery  abandoned,  an  old  doctor,  who  believes  her  the  girl  who 
inhabited  the  house  40  years  ago,  arrives  in  time  to  work  a  strange  overnight 
cure.  By  some  further  supernatural  twist,  it  develops  that  the  doctor  worked 
his  wonder  several  hours  after  the  doctor  was  known  to  be  dead.  Such  is  the 
theme  of  this  Gainsborough  picture  and  many  patrons  are  likely  to  find  it 
obscure  in  many  respects.  Performances  are  satisfactory  all  around.  Barbara 
Mullen  portrays  Mason's  wife.  Others  in  the  cast  include  Dennis  Price  and 
Helen  Haye.  R.  J.  Minney  produced;  Maurice  Ostrer  was  in  charge  of  pro- 
duction and  Bernard  Knowles  directed. 

Running  time,  95  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date,  Feb.  8 

'  M.  H.' 


releases,  should  offset  the  nominal 
domestic  decline  this  year. 

Johnston  discounted  reports  of  any 
increase  in  film  production  abroad 
by  American  companies  in  the  near 
future,  asserting  that  foreign  produc- 
tion facilities  are  inadequate  and  that 
it  would  be  difficult  for  American  com- 
panies to  make  more  pictures  abroad 
than  are  being  made  now. 

Johnston  is  still  hopeful  about  the 
deal  made  with  Russia  last  fall,  under 
which  that  country  was  to  buy  20 
American  films. 

Johnston,  his  assistant,  Joyce 
O'Hara,  and  John  McCarthy,  vice- 
president  of  the  Motion  Picture  Ex- 
port Association,  left  for  Washington 
following  today's  meeting,  and  will 
attend  Truman's  Inaugural  ceremonies 
there  tomorrow.  Nate  Blumberg,  Uni- 
versal president,  also  will  attend  the 
Inauguration  and  will  go  to  New 
York  from  Washington  before  return- 
ing to  the  Coast. 

Ned  E.  Depinet,  RKO  president, 
and  Y.  Frank  Freeman,  Paramount 
vice-president,  left  for  New  York  and 
both  are  scheduled  to  go  to  the  Coast 
from  there  this  weekend.  Spyros 
Skouras,  20th  Century-Fox  president, 
was  scheduled  to  leave  for  New  York 
tonight.  Others  who  attended  the  meet- 
ing plan  to  spend  additional  time  here, 
among  them  Nicholas  M.  Schenck, 
Loew  president;  Barney  Balaban,  Par- 
amount president;  Edwin  Weisl,  Par- 
amount board  member;  Jack  Cohn, 
vice-president  of  Columbia,  and  Albert 
Warner,  vice-president  of  Warner 
Brothers. 


New  'IA'  Contract 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Radio,  Republic,  20th  Century-Fox, 
United  Artists  and  Universal-Interna- 
tional. Eagle-Lion  will  have  an  "ob- 
server" at  today's  meeting.  Distribu- 
tors' negotiating  committee  is  headed 
by  Clarence  Hill  of  20th-Fox;  the 
IA"  committee  is  headed  by  Thomas 
J.  Shea,  assistant  international  presi- 
dent. 


IATSE  Charges  SOPEG  Delays 
Showdown  Vote  at  Republic 

A  delay  of  three  months  or  more 
in  the  settlement  of  the  bargaining 
status_  of  Republic's  home  office  "white 
collarites"  appeared  yesterday  follow- 
ing a  formal  hearing  here  before 
National  Labor  Relations  Board  of- 
ficer Dan  Sullivan.  Screen  Office  and 
Professional  Employes  Guild  (CIO), 
former  bargaining  agent  at  Republic, 
asked  yesterday  that  the  NLRB  in 
Washington  rule  on  its  request  that 
Republic  workers  be  divided  into  three 
individual  shops. 

AFL's  IATSE  Motion  Picture 
Home  Office  Employes  Local  No.  H- 
63,  which  asserts  it  has  won  the  Re- 
public employes'  allegiance  away  from 
SOPEG,  charged  the  latter  with  "de- 
laying tactics,"  and  claimed  if  an  elec- 
tion were  held  at  Republic  promptly 
the  employes  would  vote  100  per  cent 
for  the  "IA." 


Theatres  Open  in  Storm 

Kansas  City,  Jan.  19.  —  With 
streets  cleared  of  snow  and  traffic 
back  to  normal,  theatre  attendance 
gained  yesterday  after  Tuesday's  bliz- 
zard #that  closed  stores  and  schools. 
Despite  the  storm  theatres  remained 
open  as  usual,  with  one  neighborhood 
house  reporting  a  larger  attendance 
than  in  fair  weather. 


He  interprets  with  light 


•  This  scene,  from  the  moment  of  its  con- 
ception, had  dramatic  possibilities.  But  it 
was  the  director  of  photography  who  made 
them  more  than  possibilities. 

His  was  the  creative  skill,  the  spectacu- 
lar, interpretive  use  of  light  that  produced 
actual  drama,  vivid,  gripping  ...  his  the 
perceptive  use  of  photography  that  made 
the  scene  an  intense  moment  of  visual 
reality. 


To  get  the  utmost  from  his  special  skill, 
his  creative  ability,  the  director  of  photog- 
raphy naturally  wants  a  superior  film,  one 
on  which  he  can  depend,  one  perfectly 
suited  to  the  conditions  and  circumstances 
under  which  he's  working.  That's  why  he 
so  often  prefers  Eastman  Plus-X  for  gen- 
eral studio  and  outdoor  use  .  .  .  and  why 
he  turns  to  Eastman  Super-XX  for  use 
under  adverse  lighting  conditions. 


EASTMAN   KODAK  COMPANY 

ROCHESTER   4,   N.  Y. 

J.  E.  BRULATOUR,  INC.,  DISTRIBUTORS 
FORT  LEE    •    CHICAGO    •  HOLLYWOOD 


4^ 


fWs  Ad  Business  Uh 


"  if   -=r-  r=T7,     #  *  #  


Accurate 

i  Concise 
j  and 

Impartial 

— ■ 

MOTION  PICTURE  1 

DAILY 

FIRST 

IN  j 
FILM 
1  NEWS 

VOL.  65.  NO.  15 

TVTtrxir  "vrn?ir    tt  G  a     ThRTHAV    TATVTTARY  21  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Group  Form 
Of  Paying 
Taxes  Weighed 

U.S.  May  Have  All  Levies 
Cleared  Through  Bank 

Washington,  Jan.  20.  —  Top 
U.  S.  Treasury  officials  are  study- 
ing a  plan  whereby  motion  picture, 
theatre  and  all  other  companies 
would  pay  their  Social  Security  taxes 
— and  possibly  eventually  admission 
and  other  excise  or  corporate  taxes 
— through  the  Federal  banking  sys- 
tem, as  they  now  pay  employes'  with- 
holding taxes.  An  experiment  along 
these  lines  is  now  being  conducted  in 
Baltimore. 

New  uses  for  this  method  of  paying 
taxes — the  so-called  depositary  ac- 
count method — were  recommended 
early  last  year  to  Congress  by  a  spe- 
cial committee  of  experts  working  for 
the  Joint  Committee  on  Internal 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Truman  Telegenic, 
Say  Telecasters 

Television  broadcasters  op- 
erating stations  in  the  Mid- 
west reported  ideal  reception 
of  the  Presidential  inaugural 
ceremonies  in  Washington 
yesterday  as  transmitted  by 
way  of  co-axial  cable  and 
micro-wave  relay. 

Survey  of  Mid-western  sta- 
tions affiliated  with  the  Tele- 
vision Broadcasters  Associa- 
tion was  made  by  Will  Baltin, 
TBA  secretary-treasurer,  im- 
mediately following  the  inau- 
gural telecast. 


Inaugural  Seen  on 
Paramount  Screen 


Economy  Begins  To 
Pay  Off:  Cowdin 

Los  Angeles,  Jan.  20. — The  film 
industry's  economy  program  is  get- 
ting results,  and  pictures  are  being 
made  at  costs  substantially  under 
those  of  a  year  ago,  but  it  is  doubtful 
if  any  producing-distributing  company, 
exclusive  of  theatre  operations,  is 
making  money,  J.  Cheever  Cowdin, 
chairman  of  Universal's  board  of  di- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


SIMPP  Counsel  Sees 
Improvement  Ahead 

Los  Angeles,  Jan.  20.  —  Declaring 
himself  "bullish  on  the  screen's  fu- 
ture," Society  of  Independent  Motion 
Picture  Producers'  counsel  J.  Robert 
Rubin  today  told  the  Los  Angeles 
Junior  Chamber  of  Commerce  that 
"most  other  industries  had  their  re- 
tooling earlier,  but  the  film  industry's 
transition  from  wartime  was  accom- 
plished in  1948,  and  1949  is  its  year 
of  challenge." 

He  added  that  the  "shaking  down" 
process  has  been  largely  completed. 

Rubin  said  that  producers  have  less 
to  fear  from  television  than  other 
branches  of  the  industry,  since  they 
can  make  films  for  either  medium.  He 
voiced  his  belief  that  television's 
"stay-at-home"  influence  on  the  pub- 
lic will  be  short-lived. 


Another  bright  page  in  theatre  tele- 
vision was  marked  here  yesterday 
when  Paramount  brought  the  Presi- 
dential Inaugural  ceremonies  to  the 
screen  of  the  Paramount  Theatre. 

At  noon  yesterday,  when  Harry 
Truman  was  sworn  in,  patrons  in  the 
theatre  reacted  with  hand-clapping  en- 
thusiasm. The  event  was  advertised 
by  Paramount  in  metropolitan  papers 
and  the  theatre  was  full.  Robert  M. 
Weitman,  managing  director  of  the 
Paramount,  estimated  a  marked  rise 
in  attendance  because  of  the  program. 

Pre-inaugural  ceremonies  on 
Wednesday  evening  were  also  brought 
to  the  screen,  and  last  night  at  10 
o'clock  the  inaugural  ball  was  flashed 
on  the  screen.  The  telecasts  continued 
the  theatre's  policy  of  presenting  im 
portant  events  as  they  happen. 

Before  the  swearing-in  of  Truman 
and  Alben  W.  Barkley,  as  vice-presi- 
dent, the  cameras  roamed  about  the 
East  front  of  the  Capitol,  where  the 
ceremony  took  place,  to  pick  up  in 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Bernhard  and  Clift 
Plan  Cinecolor,  F.C. 
Expansion  in  Britain 

London,  Jan.  20. — Joseph  Bern- 
hard,  head  of  Film  Classics  and  Cine- 
color  Corp.,  is  expected  here  shortly 
for  important  discussions  with  Sir 
Sidney  Clift,  well-known  British  ex- 
hibitor, pertaining  to  trade  expansion 
of  the  two  Bernhard  companies  in  this 
market. 

Difficulty  with  regard  to  Cinecolor 
hitherto  has  been  that  there  is  no 
effective  plant  here  available  for  the 
processing  of  two-color  film.  Now,  it 
is  understood  that  the  government  is 
prepared  to  issue  licenses  for  the 
building  of  such  a  plant,  with  Sir 
Sidney  interested  on  the  financial  side. 

Meanwhile,  special  arrangements 
are  being  discussed  with  the  Bank  of 
England  and  the  Treasury  which 
would  enable  Cinecolor  prints  to  be 
imported  from  the  U.  S.  with  dollar 
payments  to  be  made  for  them  in 
New  York. 

Wider  distribution  here  of  Film 
Classics  product  also  will  be  planned, 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Sale  of  U.  A. 
Franchises  to 
Be  Considered 


Cinecolor  Reports 
$2,908,929  Gross 

Hollywood,  Jan.  20.  —  Cinecolor's 
annual  report  released  here  today  and 
covering  the  fiscal  year  ending  Oct.  2, 
1948,  showed  gross  receipts  totaling 
$2,908,929  an  increase  of  28.6  per  cent 
over  the  previous  year.  Net  profit 
after  taxes  was  $266,204,  a  decline 
from  the  previous  year's  figure  of 
$398,351. 

The  decline  in  net  profit  was  at- 
tributed to  increased  depreciation 
charges,  advanced  labor  and  material 
costs,  certain  "extraordinary  non-re- 
curring expenses"  and  to  the  fact  that 
several  downward  adjustments  in  sell- 
ing prices  were  made  during  the  pe- 
riod covered  by  the  report. 


Would  Raise  $4,000,000 
For  Assured  Production 


Hollywood,  Jan.  20. — A  pro- 
posal for  the  sale  of  United  Artists' 
franchises  to  exhibitors  is  reliably 
reported  to  be  among  plans  for 
raising  new  capital  for  the  company 
to  be  considered  at  a  board  of  direc- 
tors' meeting  in  New  York  next  Tues- 
day. 

The  proposal  is  said  to  have  been 
presented  to  U.  A.  owners  Mary  Pick- 
ford  and  Charles  Chaplin  at  the  meet- 
ing here  this  week  by  the  directors' 
committee  appointed  to  recommend 
plans  for  providing  new  capital  with 
which  to  finance  independent  produc- 
ers  releasing  through  the  company. 

The  proposal  would  raise  $4,000,000 
by  the  sale  of  Class  A  franchises  to 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


RKO  Is  Upheld  in 
Percentage  Action 

Judge  Rayfiel  of  U.  S.  District 
Court  in  New  York  has  denied  a  mo- 
tion by  the  Stamatis  theatre  corpora- 
tions and  officers  directed  to  the  com- 
plaint of  RKO  Radio,  against  them, 
based  upon  alleged  fraudulent  under- 
reporting of  gross  admission  receipts 
from  percentage  pictures. 

The  defendants,  George,  Milton  and 
Costas   Stamatis,   and  the  corporate 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Britain  to  Help  Finance 
New  Production  Combine 


London,  Jan.  20. — Nicholas  Daven- 
port resigned  from  the  government's 
Film  Finance  Corp.  directorate  today 
in  order  to  act  as  chairman  of  a  co- 
operative group  formed  by  three  pro- 
ducers who  are  planning  to  rent  one 
of  England's  currently  empty  studios 
where  they  expect  to  produce  six  pic- 
tures during  the  next  15  months. 

The  announcement  was  made  by  the 
Board  of  Trade  whose  president,  Har- 
old Wilson,  this  week  told  the  House 
of  Commons  he  hoped  to  be  able  to 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Para.  Theatre  Video 
In  Chicago  in  Feb. 

Chicago,  Jan.  20. — Construction  has 
begun  for  the  installation  of  Para- 
mount's  transcription  system  for  the 
showing  of  large-screen  television  in 
the  Balaban  and  Katz  Chicago  The- 
atre. Although  the  specially-built  ma- 
chine is  still  in  New  York,  completion, 
it  is  understood,  will  be  some  timein 
February.  First  show  will  be  a  major 
event  here. 


N.Y.  Studio  Labor 
Asks  30%  Pay  Hike 

IATSE's  Eastern  studio  mechanics 
have  submitted  to  producers  here  a 
demand  for  a  15  to  30  per  cent  wage 
increase,  it  was  disclosed  yesterday 
by  James  D.  Delaney,  secretary  of 
"IA"  Studio  Mechanics  Local  No.  52. 

Negotiations  on  a  new  contract  are 
due  to  begin  shortly,  Delaney  said. 
Previous  one-year  contract  expired 
last  Dec.  31,  but  its  provisions  are  au- 
tomatically extended  until  a  new  pact 
is  signed. 

Pay  increase  demands  vary  among 
the  various  categories  of  mechanics, 
with  some  categories  stipulated  for  a 
30  per  cent  increase,  others  for  15  per 
cent  and  still  others  for  percentages  in 
between,  according  to  Delaney. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  21,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

JOSEPH  M.  SCHENCK  is  ex- 
pected back  in  New  York  from 
Miami  Monday  and  is  scheduled  to 
leave  here  for  the  Coast  at  the  end  of 
next  week. 

• 

Thomas  L.  McCleary,  RCA  the- 
atre equipment  salesman  in  Cleveland, 
will  be  in  Philadelphia  tomorrow 
where  he  will  be  presented  with  an 
"Award  of  Merit"  by  his  company  at 
a  dinner  at  the  Hotel  Barclay. 
• 

Ted  R.  Gamble,  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  board  chairman,  has  delayed 
his  departure  from  Portland,  Ore.,  and 
now  is  expected  in  New  York  on 
Monday. 

• 

Robert  S.  Benjamin,  J.  Arthur 
Rank  Organization  president,  will 
leave  here  Tuesday  by  plane  for  Lon- 
don. 

• 

Frank    Morin,    manager   of  the 
Warner  Regal  Theatre  in  Hartford, 
and  Mrs.  Morin,  have  returned  to 
Hartford  after  a  visit  to  New  York. 
• 

Mickey  Ketaineck  of  M-G-M's 
New  Haven  exchange,  will  leave  New 
Haven  on  Jan.  29  for  a  Florida  vaca- 
tion. 

• 

Glenn  McCarthy,  Houston  pro- 
ducer, is  expected  in  New  York  after 
attending  the  inaugural  ceremonies  in 
Washington. 

• 

James  R.  Grainger,  Republic  ex- 
cutive  vice-president  in  charge  of  dis- 
tribution, has  returned  to  New  York 
from  the  Coast. 

• 

Paul  Broder,  Realart  president, 
and  Jack  Broder,  vice  president,  have 
left  here  for  Detroit  and  Hollywood, 
respectively. 

• 

Benn     H.     Rosenwald,  Boston 
M-G-M  manager,  has  returned  to  his 
office  after  a  vacation  in  Charlotte. 
• 

Robert  L.  Lippert,  president  of 
Screen  Guild  Prod.,  will  leave  here  for 
Hollywood  this  weekend. 

• 

William  McCraw,  Variety  Clubs 
executive  director,  will  be  in  Omaha 
tomorrow. 

• 

George  Billings  has  sold  the  Mar- 
ion Theatre  in  Omaha  to  Lee  Nelson. 


Ochs  To  Halmark  Firm 

Atlanta,  Jan.  20.— Barney  Ochs, 
radio  announcer  of  station  WATL, 
has  resigned  and  is  leaving  for  Holly- 
wood where  he  will  take  over  the  pub- 
licity department  of  Hallmark  Pic- 
tures. His  first  assignment  will  be 
on  "The  Lawson  Story." 


Excelsior  Gets  Series 

Excelsior  Pictures  Corp.  has  ac- 
quired the  theatrical,  non-theatrical 
and  television  rights  to  a  series  of 
24  one-reel  subjects  entitled  "Forgot- 
ten News"  for  the  entire  world. 


Insider's  Outlook 


By  RED  KANN 


'TpHROUGH  one  device  or  an- 
-■-  other,  this  industry  is  man- 
aging to  expose  a  worse,  rather 
than  a  better,  face  for  public  in- 
spection. Latest  is  the  spectacu- 
lar Goldwyn-Johnston  imbrog- 
lio streaking  the  atmosphere 
with  verbal  charges  and  counter- 
charges explosively  set  in  mo- 
tion by  the  decision  of  the  form- 
er to  resign  his  membership  in 
the  Motion  Picture  Association 
of  America  and  the  Association 
of  Motion  Picture  Producers. 

The  two  principals  in  this  dis- 
heartening episode  have  succeed- 
ed very  neatly  in  unleashing  a 
pyrotechnical  display  of  short 
temper  and  open  derision  which 
places  the  industry,  in  which 
both  are  respected .  and  re- 
spectable members,  at  an  unfor- 
tunate disadvantage.  The  con- 
sequence, therefore,  is  that  it  is 
the  industry  which  suffers  in  the 
public  mind  at  a  time  when 
some  semblance  of  unity  and 
singleness  of  purpose — at  least 
externally  applied — was  never 
more  essential. 


Theatremen  sometimes  are 
impatient  with  professional  re- 
viewers of  the  industry  press 
whose  appraisals  sometimes 
don't  reveal  at  a  glance  the  ex- 
act what-about-it.  Lately,  Har- 
ry Brandt's  The  Independent 
Film  Journal  introduced  a  plan 
of  reviews  by  exhibitors. 

On  Selznick's  "Portrait  of 
Jennie,"  Harry  Eisenstein,  Colo- 
nial Theatre,  Albany,  N.  Y., 
said: 

"If  I  were  standing  in  front  of 
my  theatre,  I'd  be  proud  to  be 
playing  a  picture  like  'Portrait  of 
Jennie'.  This  is  a  very  fine  picture 
with  a  message  of  faith  and  in- 
spiration, very  appropriate  for  our 
time.  A  simple  story  theme  has 
been  turned  into  fine  entertainment 
that  will  do  better  in  all  theatres 
except  action  houses.  Of  course, 
class  houses  will  do  the  top  busi- 
ness. Excellent  word-of-mouth  will 
help  out  in  all  situations.  This  is 
a  family  picture  in  the  fullest  sense 
of  the  word.  Jones,  Cotten  and 
Barrymore  on  the  marquee  should 
add  to  the  draw." 

On  the  same  attraction,  Is- 
rael Zatkin,  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  Lane  Thea- 
tres, New  York,  wrote : 

"This  is  the  story  of  a  poor, 
frustrated  artist  looking  into  the 
past,  imagining  things,  laboring 
under  illusions  from  which  comes 
out  a  'Portrait  of  Jennie'.  So 
what?  The  mountain  went  into  la- 
bor and  gave  birth  to  a  mouse. 
The  critics  will  probably  give  this 
four  stars,  but  I  think  most  picture 


patrons  will  be  bored  stiff.  There's 
nothing  to  the  story,  and  the  fan- 
tasy is  so  complex  and  overdone  it 
becomes  confusing.  For  what  the 
story  has  to  tell,  it  takes  too  much 
time.  The  small  art  houses  will 
probably  make  out  fine  with  'Por- 
trait of  Jennie'.  The  acting  of 
the  principals  and  the  supporting 
players  is  commendable,  but  not 
enough  to  inject  life  or  meaning 
into  this  dull  offering." 

So  there  you  are.  Now  you 
know  about  "Portrait  of  Jen- 
nie." ■ 

■ 

Note  on  the  all-industry  prac- 
tice of  reissuing  the  big  ones  of 
yesteryear : 

Last  year's  gross  at  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox from  this  source  was 
almost  $2,000,000.  At  the  behest 
of  Spyros  Skouras  and  Andy 
Smith,  this  year  Bill  Gehring, 
who  handles  that  end  of  the  busi- 
ness on  West  56th  Street,  has 
set  the  goal  at  $5,000,000. 

First  of  the  five  packages 
with  this  as  goal  is — observe  the 
titles — "Johnny  Apollo"  and 
"Show  Them  No  Mercy." 

■  ■ 

Al  Lichtman's  deal  to  join 
20th-Fox,  first  reported  on  page 
one  on  December  22,  is  under- 
stood to  have  been  agreed  upon 
with  formalized  contracts  due 
later.  He  will  headquarter  in 
New  York,  formulate  and  super- 
vise sales  policy  in  a  to-be- 
created  post  and  replaces  no- 
body. Salary :  Four  hefty  digits 
per  every  seven  days. 

■  ■ 

Exaggerated,  naturally,  but 
not  without  its  truth  is  this  defi- 
nition of  Hollywood: 

Where  everyone  looks  won- 
derful and  suffers  from  a  heart 
condition. 

Interchangeable  with  ulcers. 

■  1 

Hollywood  diplomacy  requires 
a  major  studio  to  keep  under 
wraps  the  budget  of  the  next 
film  starring  its  biggest  male 
luminary.  "If  he  ever  learns  it's 
to  cost  $1,400,000,  we're  in  trou- 
ble. He's  certain  to  think  it's 
only  a  quickie." 


How  to  improve  Franco- 
American  relations :  Hedda 
Hopper  reporting  the  highlight 
of  Virginia  Mayo's  European 
trip  with  this  comment  on  the 
palace  at  Versailles.  "It's  the 
fanciest  thing  I've  seen  off  the 
Warner  sound  stage." 


NEWlORKTHEATRES 


f— RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — a 

Rockefeller  Center 

Jeanne    CRAIN     -     Linda  DARNELL 
Ann   SOT H  E R SM 

i"A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES"! 

■  KIRK    DOUGLAS    -    PAUL   DOUGLAS  ■ 
JEFFREY  LYNN 

A    20th  Century  -  Fox  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


tdtfm 


YOUNG  CUMMINGS 

>.  HAL  WALKS' 


Samuel  Goldwyn  presents 

ENCHANTMENT 


Starring 

DAVID  NIVEN  TERESA  WRIGHT 

EVELYN  KEYES  FARLEY  GRANGER 

Released  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 

ASTOR  THEATER 

Broadway  &  45th  Street 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER,  ^Jf^ZLay 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily  • 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


r 


DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK  presents  ■ 

OLIVIA  de  HAYILLAND  I 


the  Snake  Pit 


I Directed  by  Produced  by 

AHATUIE  U1YAK  •  ANATOLE  UTYAK  i  ROBERT  BUSIER 


2a  I 


KIVOLI 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

w  COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  ■  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 


will)  JOSE  FERRER  ■  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  ■  J  CARROL  NAISH  ■  WARD  BOND  : 
SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  .  HURD  HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHART  ■  JOHN  EMERY 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  -  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY 
based  upon  the  stage  play  'Joan  ot  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
icreen  ploy  b,  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  ond  ANDREW  SOLT  ■  orl  direelior 
RICHARD  DAY  -  director  of  oholocjrophy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.5.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICtOR  FLEMING 

Breamed  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  •  relied  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


11 1*  week!, 


DAN  DAI  LEY  -  CELESTE  HOLM 

'CHICKEN  EVERY  SUNDAY' 

A   20th  Century  -  Fox  Picture 
On  Variety  Stage  —  TONY  MARTIN 
BEATRICE  KRAFT  -  DEAN  MURPHY 
On  Ice  Stage  —  "MASQUERADE" 

Starring  ARNOLD  SHODA  - 
JOAN  HYLDOFT 

RAW   7th  Av»-  *■ 
  V  A  I       50th  St.  - 


Ka^and^ 
famV^^^^ 

IavTt*?*        vt  u  H"  F?usel-  ProdHctlon  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver. 


year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Subscripts 


Friday,  January  21,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Short 
Subject 


"Berlin  Powderkeg" 

(This  Is  America— RKO  Pathe) 
'  The  staff  of  This  Is  America  is  to 
be  commended  for  the  intelligent  and 
comprehensive  job  they  have  done  of 
picturing  life  in  Berlin  today.  With 
that  city  the  focal  point  of  the  "cold 
war,"  the  subject  gives  the  back- 
ground of  facts  that  led  to  the  present 
crisis.  Shown  are  the  abnormal  con- 
ditions imposed  upon  the  inhabitants 
by  the  Russian  blockade,  the  airlift, 
and  the  war  of  ideologies  going  on  be- 
tween the  Russians  and  Americans, 
British  and  French. 

Berlin  is  a  military,  moral,  and  po- 
litical problem,  and  "Berlin  Powder- 
keg"  present  these  facts  in  splendid 
fashion.  It  is  a  timely  and  exploitable 
subject.  Running  time,  17  minutes. 


Rossellini  Praises 
American  Industry 

Roberto  Rossellini,  visiting  Italian 
producer-director,  paid  tribute  to  Hol- 
lywood as  "a  great  industry"  yester- 
day, pointing  out  that  like  any  other 
industry,  it  may  have  an  occasional 
shortcoming,  but  on  the  whole  it  has 
made  impressive  contributions. 

Rossellini,  who  made  "Open  City," 
"Paisan,"  and  others,  said  that  despite 
some  offers  from  major  studios  in 
this  country,  he  does  not  intend  to 
produce  here.  He  asserted  that  he  has 
his  own  production  plans  for  Italy, 
where  he  will  make  "pictures  for  an 
international  market." 

Rossellini  expects  to  be  in  Holly 
wood  early  next  week  with  his  Ameri 
can '  distributor,  I.  E.  Lopert,  where 
the  pair  will  talk  with  Ingrid  Berg 
man  on  a  deal  to  have  the  star  go 
to  Italy  to  make  a  film. 

The  popularity  of  American  films  in 
Italy  was  explained  by  Rossellini  as 
due  to  the  fact  that  they  allow  the  peo 
pie  to  escape  from  harsh  realities.  _ 

A  reception  was  given  Rossellini 
yesterday  at  the  Museum  of  Modern 
Art  by  Mayer  and  Burstyn,  and  the 
trustees  of  the  museum.  An  award 
from  the  National  Board  of  Review 
was  presented  the  producer  for  "Pai- 
san," which  was  cited  as  the  "best  im 
port"  for  1948  by  the  board. 

MPEA  Missio  n  to 
South  Africa  Likely 

A  committee  of  foreign  managers 
and  Fancis  Harmon,  vice-president  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America,  may  be  designated  to  go  to 
Johannesburg  within  the  next  two 
weeks  to  seek  a  solution  to  the  recent 
SO  per  cent  cutback  in  film  earnings 
imposed  by  South  Africa. 

The  mission,  which  had  been  sched 
uled  and  then  cancelled  earlier,  is 
understood  to  have  been  approved  by 
the  MPAA  board  subject  to  ratifica- 
tion by  foreign  managers.  Joseph 
Seidelman,  Universal  foreign  man- 
ager, is  en  route  to  Johannesburg 
now. 


Economy  Pays  Off 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

rectors,  told  the  Los  Angeles  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce  meeting  at  the  Am- 
bassador Hotel  here  today. 

Cowdin,  a  member  of  a  panel  speak- 
ing on  "The  Business  Outlook  for 
1949,"  said  he  believed  most  or  all 
companies  are  operating  at  a  substan- 
tial loss.  Cowdin  said  current  con- 
dition reflects  spiraling  of  all  costs  in- 
volved in  production  and  distribution 
during  the  past  six  years.  He  said,  in 
part,  "the  central  problem  that  con- 
fronts the  industry  is  a  readjustment 
of  operations  to  enable  us  to  manu 
facture  product  at  an  overall  unit  cost 
that  will  allow  its  sale  at  a  profit 
ithin  dollar  markets  and  their 
equivalent. 

'Only  through  wholehearted  co 
operation  of  all  groups  within  the  in- 
dustry can  economy  efforts  be  made 
fully  effective  and  so  speed  up  the  re 
adjustment  necessary  to  maintain 
economic  health  in  the  industry.  . 
Likewise  it  is  essential  in  order  _  to 
maintain  a  solid  basis  for  banking 
credit  and  financing." 

Cowdin  continued,  "Exhibitors,  too, 
must  be  willing  to  cooperate.  Their 
own  primary  interests  are  at  stake  be- 
cause only  a  financially  healthy  Holly- 
wood production  can  provide  a  con- 
tinuing flow  of  high-quality  pictures 
the  exhibitor  needs  to  maintain  profit- 
able operation  of  his  theatre.  At  pres- 
ent, while  production  is  operating  at 
oss,  theatres  large  and  small  through- 
out country  are,  with  few  exceptions, 
operating  profitably. 

"The  producer  must  be  able  to 
count  on  a  proportion  of  the  revenues 
derived  from  the  exhibition  of  his  pic- 
ture commensurate  with  the  burden  of 
risk  he  assumed  in  making  it.  On 
any  other  basis  theatres  sooner  or 
later  will  suffer  from  a  shortage  of 
high  quality  pictures  for  the  simple 
reason  that  the  potential  profit  failed 
to  justify  the  financial  risk  and  crea- 
tive effort  involved  in  their  pro- 
duction." 


Goldberg,  Smakwitz 
Hold  Albany  Meet 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  20.  —  Harry 
Goldberg,  director  of  advertising  and 
publicity  for  Warner  Theatres,  and 
Charles  A.  Smakwitz,  zone  manager 
here  discussed  new  product  with  Al- 
bany, Troy  and  Utica  managers  yes- 
terday. Goldberg  and  Smakwitz  both 
urged  vigorous  promotion  of  pictures 
to  be  screened  in  ensuing  weeks.  The- 
atre operations  were  also  analyzed. 

Attending  a  meeting  with  Smakwitz 
were:  Ralph  Crabill,  Western  state 
district  manager ;  Andrew  Roy,  Utica 
city  manager ;  Sid  Sommers,  Troy 
manager ;  Max  Friedman ;  Joseph 
Weinstein,  zone  booker;  James 
Faughnan,  contact  manager ;  Gerald 
Atkin,  publicity-exploitation  director. 


Meyer  Is  Lauded  at 
Para.  Luncheon 


Industry  in  France 
Meets  Obstacles 


By  EUGEN  WEBER 


Inaugural  on  Video 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


coming  celebrities  and  to  catch  hu- 
man interest  angles.  Reception  in  the 
theatre  was  partially  marred  by  wav- 
ering images  but  that  did  not_  seem 
to  dampen  the  ardor  of  the  audiences. 

The  ceremonies  from  Washington 
were  televised  and  relayed  by  A.  T. 
and  T.  coaxial  cable  to  New  York 
and  piped  into  the  projection  booth  of 
the  theatre,  where  they  were  recorded 
on  film  and  flashed  to  the  screen  in 
fewer  than  60  seconds.  No  advanced 
admission  prices  were  charged  by  the 
theatre,  which  also  presented  its  regu- 
lar feature,  "The  Accused,"  and  a 
stage  show. 

M.  H. 


Paris,  Jan.  17  (By  Airmail) — The 
drop  in  production  volume  and  bad 
prospects  for  the  industry  once  again 
is  the  talk  in  French  film  circles. 

The  pessimism  is  being  fed  by  the 
closing  down,  ostensibly  for  "reorgani- 
zation," of  the  Societe  Franstudio 
which  in  its  five  studios  and  13  stages 
represents  the  most  important  produc 
tion  facilities  in  this  country.  (Join 
ville,  Francoeur,  St.  Maurice,  Place 
Clichy  and  Marseille.)  Franstudio  un- 
til recently  employed  600  persons,  but 
now  has  only  about  105. 

The  action  was  said  to  be  due  to  two 
things.  First,  to  losses  (stages  in  use 
during  1948  were  occupied  at  only  50 
per  cent  capacity  and  rentals  are 
hardly  up  although  costs  have  risen 
to  above  1,000  per  cent),  and  second 
to  the  introduction  of  a  new  renta 
method  by  which  stages  will  be  rented 
completely  empty. 

Technicians,  stagehands,  lighting 
and  other  equipment,  as  well  as  sets 
will  have  to  be  provided  by  the  pro- 
ducer with  the  studio  providing  only 
a  maintenance  staff.  This  method,  ac- 
tually in  use  in  Italy  as  well  as  in 
the  Buttes-Chaumont  studios,  is  ex- 
pected to  cut  costs  for  studio  manage- 
ment, throw  all  weight  of  organization 
on  producers  and  minimize  losses. 

Of  the  nine  major  studios,  three  now 
show  no  activity.  Three  others  report 
work  in  progress  only  until  about 
March,  and  only  three  report  (in 
voices  not  very  strong)  a  full  shooting 
schedule. 


Paramount  gave  Frank  Meyer  a 
luncheon  at  the  Astor  Hotel  here  on 
his  retirement  after  37  years  with  the 
company.  Austin  Keough  was  mas- 
ter-of-ceremonies.  Others  on  the 
dais  were  Mrs.  Meyer,  Adolph  Zukor, 
Charles  Reagan,  Paul  Raibourn,  Leon- 
ard Goldenson,  Russell  Holman,  Fred 
Mohrhardt,  John  Balaban,  Y.  Frank 
Freeman  and  George  Weltner. 

Tables  were  decorated  with  folders 
from  very  old  features  made  at  the 
Long  Island  studios,  of  which  Meyer 
was  once  the  head.  Keough  read,  a 
wire  of  tribute  to  Meyer  from  Barney 
Balaban,  who  was  unable  to  attend 
due  to  a  meeting  in  Florida.  Other 
speakers  were  Freeman,  who  said  what 
we  need  in  this  industry  is  more  Frank 
Meyers,  and  Zukor,  who  lauded  Mey- 
er for  his  "tremendous  aid"  during 
the  formative  years  of  Famous  Play- 
ers and  for  his  sincerity,  honesty  and 
ability  throughout  the  years,  citing 
Meyer  as  an  example  for  all  industry- 
ites  to  follow.  Meyer  spoke  briefly 
following  which  he  was  presented 
with  a  silver  service. 

Other  representatives  of  Paramount 
who  attended  the  luncheon  included : 

Robert  O'Brien,  Hiller  Innes,  Bernard 
Goodwin,  Al  Schwalberg,  Ted  O'Shea,  C.  J. 
Scollard,  Oscar  Morgan,  Arthur  Israel,  Jr., 
Dan  Hynes,  Sr.,  Henry  Anderson,  J.  L. 
Brown,  Arthur  Leonard,  Irene  Sullivan, 
William  O'Connell. 

Also  Louis  Phillips,  Walter  W.  Gross, 
Eric  Ericsson,  Elizabeth  Scheuer,  Sara 
Lyons,  Dr.  Emanuel  Stern,  G.  Knox  Had- 
dow,  A.  J.  Richard,  Ben  Washer,  Stanley 
Shuford,  Sid  Mesibov,  Dr.  Leon  Warshaw, 
Aldyth  Reichenbach,  Robert  Weitman, 
George  Barry,  Joseph  Walsh,  Albert  Deane, 
Vincent  Trotta,  Ed  Sullivan,  Agnes  F. 
Mengel,  Harry  A.  Nadel,  John  Cicero,  John 
Guilfoyle,  Percy  Lockwood.  Bessie  Gold- 
smith, Katherine  DeGuard,  Helen  Kaufman, 
Linda  Lotti,  Frank  LaGrande,  E.  J.  Mann 
and  William  German. 


Bernhard,  Clift 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Video  Boston  Symposium 

Boston,  Jan.  20. — The  New  Eng- 
land Council  of  the  American  Associa- 
tion   of    Advertising    Agencies  will 

sponsor  a  symposium  on  television  at  I  other  enterprises.  He  has  long  planned 


with  the  possibility  of  forming  a  new, 
elaborate  organization  which  would 
concentrate  primarily  on  sale  of  that 
product.  It  is  believed  likely  here 
that  an  approach  may  be  made_  to  an 
existing  organization  with  a  view  to 
its  absorption  by  the  Bernhard-Clift 
interests. 

Sir  Sidney,  a  former  president  of 
the  Exhibitors'  Association,  controls 
about  40  theatres  in  the  Midlands  and 
has  large  financial  interests  in  several 


the  Hotel  Somerset  here  on  March  14.  >  to  enter  film  distribution. 


Associates  To  Meet 
On  Variety  Club 

A  special  membership  meeting  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Associates  to  ratify  a 
proposal  of  the  board  of  directors  that 
the  New  York  organization  become 
the  local  Variety  Club  will  be  held 
here  on  Tuesday  at  the  Hotel  Astor, 
Morris  Sanders,  vice-president,  re 
ports. 

At  two  meetings  held  here  on  Jan. 
12  and  17,  the  board  unanimously  re 
solved  that  MPA,  in  order  to  extend 
its  charity  activities  and  scope,  should 
become  a  part  of  Variety  Clubs  Inter- 
national which  is  not  now  represented 
locally. 


'Collarites'  Ratify 
10%  Pay  Hike  at  UA 

United  Artists  home  office  "white 
collarites"  have  ratified  the  10  per  cent 
general  pay  increase  won  recently  by 
IATSE  Motion  Picture  Home  Office 
Employes  Local  No.  H-63  (AFL),  it 
was  reported  here  yesterday  by  H-63 
business  agent  Russell  Moss.  Formal 
contract  is  due  to  be  signed  shortly 
by  UA  and  H-63  representatives. 

Moss  reported  also  that  UA  work- 
ers have  elected  Norman  Hasselo  to 
represent  them  on  the  H-63  board  of 
directors.  Hasselo,  a  former  vice-presi- 
dent of  Screen  Office  and  Professional 
Employes  Guild  (CIO),  led  the  UA 
employes'  rebellion  last  year  against 
SOPEG  in  favor  of  H-63. 


Depinet,  McCormick 
Meeting  with  Hughes 

Ned  E.  Depinet,  RKO  president; 
Robert  Mochrie,  distribution  vice- 
president,  advertising-publicity  direc- 
tor, arrived  in  Hollywood  yesterday 
for  conferences  with  Howard  Hughes 
on  forthcoming  releases  and  to  view 
new  product.  Depinet  went  to  the 
Coast  from  the  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociation meeting  in  Miami ;  McCor- 
mick from  here. 


New  Greenthal  Account 

Monroe  Greenthal  Co.,  agency  for 
film  accounts,  has  been  signed  to 
handle  a  campaign  for  the  Florida 
Citrus  Canners  Cooperative. 


Gergen  to  CR1  District 

Frank  Gergen  has  been  promoted 
from  Salt  Lake  City  branch  manager 
to  Midwest  district  manager  for  Con- 
fidential Reports,  Inc.,  by  Jack  H. 
Levin,  vice-president.  Gergen  was  in- 
stalled in  his  new  post  by  Harold 
Groves,  national  field  director. 


PRESIDENT -BRANDT  THEATRES 


terrific  motion  picture! 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  21,  1949 


Group  Form 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Revenue.  Since  then,  Treasury  and 
Internal  Revenue  Bureau  officials 
have  been  at  work,  and  while  the 
final  decision  is  still  some  time  off, 
they  believe  they  now  can  see  day- 
light. 

At  present  a  theatre  owner  must 
pay  taxes  in  many  ways,  and  within 
10  days  after  the  close  of  each  calen- 
dar month,  employers  who  withheld 
more  than  $100  in  income  taxes  dur- 
ing the  month  must  transmit  these 
withheld  taxes  to  any  bank  insured 
by  the  Federal  Deposit  Insurance 
Corp.  In  return  they  get  a  receipt. 
Each  quarter,  the  taxpayer  files  a  re- 
turn with  the  Collector  of  Internal 
Revenue,  covering  the  quarter,  and 
attaching  the  bank  receipt  as  pay- 
ment. At  present,  he  also  pays  social 
security  taxes  directly  to  the  Collector 
■each  quarter.  Exhibitors  must  pay  ad- 
mission tax  collections  to  the  Collec- 
tor each  month.  Then,  of  course,  there 
is  the  annual  income  tax  and  various 
other  returns. 

Under  the  proposal  recommended 
by  the  Congressional  experts  and  now 
being  tested  by  the  Treasury,  the  So- 
cial_  Security  taxes  would  also  be  de- 
posited with  the  bank  each  month,  and 
a  receipt  issued  for  both  the  income 
taxes  withheld  and  the  Social  Security 
taxes,  with  the  amount  for  each  stated. 
The  taxpayer  then  could  simply  for- 
ward this  breakdown  to  the  Treasury. 

Eventually,  under  the  plan,  admis- 
sion taxes  would  be  paid  in  the  same 
manner,  and  one  receipt  given  for  all 
three  payments — income,  social  secur- 
ity and  excise.  Still  later,  other  taxes 
might  be  included. 


Review 


Bad  Boy" 

(Allied  Artists-Monogram) 

DAUL  SHORT,  producer  of  "Bad  Boy,"  states  the  film  "is  the  answer  to 
1  U.  S.  Attorney  General  Tom  Clark's  request  for  a  picture  that  would  aid 
the  drive  against  juvenile  delinquency."  Made  with  the  cooperation  of  Variety 
Clubs  International,  which  will  participate  in  its  earnings,  this  attraction  is 
assured  the  full  support  of  the  organization.  That  is  enough  to  put  it  over. 

However,  and  aside  from  this  direct  interest,  "Bad  Boy"  has  the  merit  of 
standing  on  its  own.  It  is  documentary  to  the  extent  that  the  fictional  story 
pivots  around  the  Boys'  Ranch 'maintained  at  Copperas  Cove,  Texas,  by 
Variety  Club  of  Dallas,  which  is  Tent  No.  17. 

The  ranch  undertakes  the  regeneration  of  criminal  boys  by  arrangement 
with  the  State  of  Texas,  assumes  moral  responsibility  for  such  boys,  becomes 
their  legal  guardians  until  the  youngsters  reach  the  age  of  18  and  endeavors 
to  straighten  them  out  as  future  citizens.  In  some  instances,  Variety  follows 
through  with  college  educations.  Otherwise,  it  lines  up  suitable  employment 
for  its  regenerated  charges. 

Audie_  Murphy  of  war-time  fame  is  the  central  figure  of  the  dramatic  story 
which  picks  him  up  in  juvenile  court,  conveys  him  to  the  ranch,  shows  the 
painstaking  processes  by  which  he  is  eventually  reformed  by  eliminating  the 
neurosis  that  he  had  been  responsible  for  his  mother's  death  and  sets  him 
along  the  path  of  useful  activity  by  way  of  a  college  education. 

Murphy  is  pleasing  and  does  quite  well,  bearing  in  mind  acting  is  a  new 
profession  for  him.  But  producer  Short  and  director  Kurt  Neumann  have 
surrounded  him  with  the  adroit  protection  of  first-class  performances  from 
such  competents  as  Lloyd  Nolan,  James  Gleason,  Jane  Wyatt  and  Selena 
Royle.  The  overall  result  is  clearly  commercial.  Short  and  Robert  D.  Andrews 
wrote  the  story  and  the  latter  the  screenplay  with  additional  dialogue  by 
Karl  Kamb.  George  Berthelon  was  associate  producer. 

Running  time,  86  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
Feb-  22-  Red.  Kann 


RKO  Is  Upheld 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


owners  of  the  Apollo  and  Lyric  The- 
atres in .  Brooklyn,  moved  to  compel 
the  plaintiff  to  file  a  more  definite 
statement  of  its  complaint  and  to 
separately  state  and  number  its  causes 
of  action.  This  motion  was  denied. 


JACK  BENNY' 
HAS  SWITCHED 
TO  "FAMILY 
HONEYMOON" 

I  always  thought  Ninotchka 
was  the  funniest  picture 
I  ever  saw... until  I  saw 
Claudette  Colbert  and 
Fred  Mac  Murray  in 
FAMILY  HONEYMOON"' 

"5f  Star  of  Stage,  Screen  and  Radio 


The  court,  in  deciding  for  the  dis- 
tributor, cited  the  recent  decision  of 
the  Supreme  Court  in  the  Endicott 
and  Brandt  cases.  In  those  actions 
also,  the  complaints  of  distributors 
were  upheld,  and  the  exhibitors'  mo- 
tions denied. 

Other  defendant  theatres  in  the  ac- 
tion are  the  Minerva,  Plaza  and  Venus 
theatres,  also  in  Brooklyn.  The  plaint- 
iff was  represented  by  Phillips,  Nizer, 
Benjamin  and  Krim. 


U.  A.  Franchises 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


about  SO  exhibitors  at  $20,000  each, 
and  the  sale  of  Class  B  franchises  to 
another  300  exhibitors  at  $10,000  each. 
,  Proceeds  would  be  used  to  finance 
approved  •  producers  whose  pictures 
would  be  distributed  by  United  Artists. 

This  and  other  plans  reportedly  will 
be  studied  in  greater  detail  at  the 
forthcoming  New  York  board  meeting 
in  line  with  plans  for  the  reorganiza- 
tion of  the  company  agreed  upon  at 
the  meetings  here  with  Miss  Pickford 
and  Chaplin. 

No  confirmation  was  obtainable  here 
of  reports  circulated  locally  that 
Chaplin's  half  interest  in  the  company 
would  be  offered  for  sale.  Observers 
pointed  out  that  even  if  that  were  done 
it  would  provide  no  solution  to  the 
problems  with  which  the  company  is 
now  confronted,  namely,  lack  of  an  as- 
sured product  supply  and  provision  of 
an  ample  revolving  fund  with  which 
the  company  can  finance  producers  of 
its  own  choosing. 

New  York  reports  that  Harrv 
Brandt,  circuit  operator  there,  might 
put  up  $3,000,000  on  condition  that  he 
be  empowered  to  designate  U.  A. 
management  were  deflated  here.  It 
was  stated  that  no  firm  offer  in  any 
form  which  could  be  acted  upon  by 
the  board  has  been  received  from 
Brandt  despite  intermittent  conversa- 
tions over  a  long  period. 


Britain  To  Help 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


arrange  for  direct  financing  of  in- 
dependent producers.  Davenport's  ac- 
tion has  the  wholehearted  support  of 
Wilson  and  James  H.  Lawrie,  chair- 
man of  Film  Finance  Corp.,  which  has 
$20,000,000  of  government  money  to 
lend  to  distributors  for  the  stimulation 
of  independent  production. 

It  is  understood  that  the  govern- 
ment will  advance  25  per  cent  of  all 
approved  budgets  to  the  new  coopera- 
tive producers'  group.  Davenport 
clearly  has  been  installed  in  the  group 
as  the  government's  "watchdog." 

Despite  Wilson's  optimism  over  the 
new  development,  it  has  been  ascer- 
tained that  no  contract  has  yet  been 
signed  by  either  the  producers  or  a 
studio.  The  trade  here  is  definitely 
skeptical  regarding  the  Board  of 
Trade's  announcement,  being  inclined 
to  believe  that  Davenport  is  making 
desperate  efforts  to  help  pull  some  of 
Wilson's  chestnuts  out  of  the  fire. 


Nettlefold  Closing 
Averted  by  Minter 

London,  Jan.  20.— Nettlefold  studio 
at  Walton-on-Thames  has  been  saved 
from  a  shut-down,  for  the  time  being, 
at  least,  by  James  G.  Minter,  head  of 
Renown  Pictures,  who  has  scheduled 
production  of  "Old  Mother  Riley's 
New  Look"  for  that  plant  around 
Feb.  1. 

Ernest  Roy,  Nettlefold's  chief,  had 
sent  out  an  "S.  O.  S."  to  the  Pro- 
ducers' Association  for  help  in  avert- 
ing the_  closing  of  Britain's  oldest 
studio;  it  was  Minter  who  answered. 


Bernstein  Warns  of 
45%  Quota  Dangers 

London,  Jan.  20.— Sidney  L.  Bern- 
stein, head  of  Granada  Circuit,  is  the 
latest  to  warn  of  potential  dangers  in 
the  present  45  per  cent  film  quota. 

The  heavy  quota,  Bernstein  says  in 
his  annual  report  to  stockholders,  un- 
less supported  by  the  production  of 
good  quality  British  films  in  sufficient 
numbers  will  have  a  serious  effect 
throughout  the  industry. 

"It  is  to  be  hoped,"  he  adds,  "that 
the  assurance  given  by  British  film 
producers  to  the  Board  of  Trade  that 
sufficient  films  of  good  quality  will  be 
produced,  will,  in  fact,  materialize." 

He  also  warned  of  the  threat  which 
the  quota  makes  to  good  Anglo- 
American  relations. 

"A  serious  emotional  tension  exists 
between  the  American  and  British  in- 
terests in  our  industry,"  he  said.  "It 
is  inconceivable  that  our  two  nations, 
so  great  a  combination  in  two  world 
wars,  cannot  work  together  construc- 
tively in  this  one  industry  in  peace 
time.  One  can  only  hope  that  saner 
and  wiser  councils  will  prevail  to  the 
mutual  advantage  of  the  industry  on 
both  sides  of  the  Atlantic." 


REPUBLIC  RECORDS 

offers  its  entire  stock  and 
trade  name  for  sale. 

Address  all  offers  to 

REPUBLIC  RECORDS 

Room  800A 
580  Fifth  Avenue 
New  York  19,  N.  Y. 
until  January  25th 


Accurate 

G)hcise 

and 
Impartial 


H  MOTION  PICTURE  f1RSt 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


DAILY 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  JANUARY  24,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Music  RightslCBS  Gets  Loan 
Being  Cleared  Of  $5  Millions 
By  Producers  For  Television 


Contingent  Upon  Result 
Of  Ascap  Court  Appeals 

Hollywood,  Jan.  23.— Interim 
arrangements  have  been  completed 
by  which  motion  picture  producers 
and  distributors  are  authorized  to 
include  performing  rights  to  music 
contained  in  their  pictures  in  exhibi- 
tion license  agreements  on  a  con- 
tingent basis. 

Under  the  agreement,  if  federal 
Judge  Vincent  Leibell's  decision  in  the 
New  York  exhibitors'  case  prohibiting 
the  American  Society  of  Composers, 
Authors  and  Publishers  from  collect- 
ing performing  rights  fees  from  the- 
atres is  upheld  on  appeal,  the  produc- 
ers-distributors will  pay  owners  of 
(Continued  on  page  6) 

Tighten  U.K. 
Booking  Plan 

London,  Jan.  23.— Beginning  April 
1,  British  exhibitors  not  only  will  be 
required  by  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America  member  companies  to 
play  two  American  pictures  on  a  dual 
program  but  also  to  obtain  both  pic 
tures  from  the  same  company. 

Companies  subscribing  to  the  new 
MPAA  tactical  answer  to  Britain's  45 
per  cent  quota  are  Columbia,  M-G-M 
Paramount,  RKO  Radio,  20th  Cen 
tury-Fox  and  Warner. 

Heretofore,    the    companies  have 
permitted  exhibitors  to  book  a  first 

(Continued  on  page  6) 

Selznick,  UA  Set 


Columbia  Broadcasting  disclosed 
at  the  weekend  that  a  15-year  loan 
of  $5,000,000  at  3>4  per  cent  inter- 
est has  been  arranged  with  the  Pru- 
dential Insurance  of  America. 

Negotiations  of  such  a  long-term 
loan  has  been  under  consideration  by 
CBS  for  some  mouths  and  was  sought 
to  insure  the  continuation  of  its  strong 
cash  reserves  in  view  of  possible  large 
expenditures  by  the  company  in  the 
development  of  its  television  opera- 
tions. 

Columbia  presently  operates  WC- 
BS-TV  in  New  York,  the  key  sta- 
tion for  its  nationwide  television 
network  of  30  stations,  and  is  the 
owner  of  forty-nine  per  cent  of  the 
Los  Angeles  Times  television  station, 
KTTV,  which  operates  as  the  key 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


RKO  'Divorce'  Plan 
Deadline  March  30 

U.  S.  District  Court  here 
has  granted  to  RKO  an  ex- 
tension until  March  30  for 
obtaining  stockholders'  ap- 
proval of  the  reorganization 
plan  under  which  the  com- 
pany's theatre  operations  will 
be  separated  from  production- 
distribution. 

The  company  moved  several 
days  ago  for  additional  time, 
having  concluded  that  the 
volume  of  paper  work  and 
technical  routine  involved  in 
preparation  of  the  plan  for 
the  stockholders  would  not 
be  completed  by  Feb.  6,  the 
previously-set  deadline. 


Mediation  to  Resume  | 
Wed.  on  6IA'  Pact 


Para.-Blank  Dicker 
On  Central  States 


Des  Moines,  Jan.  23— Discussions 
have  begun  concerning  dissolution  of 
Paramount's  partnership  with  A.  H 
Blank  in  Central  States  Theatre  un- 
der provisions  of  the  U.  S.  Supreme 
Court  decision  in  the  industry  anti- 
trust suit. 

Paramount  and  Black  each  own  a 
50  per  cent  interest  in  Central  States, 
which  operates  38  theatres  in  the 
Iowa-Nebraska  area.  Indications  are 
that  Paramount's  half  interest  would 
be  sold  to  Blank. 

It  is  reported  that  up  to  this  time 
no  discussions  have  been  held  con 
cerning  the  break-up  of  a  similar  50 
50  partnership  of  the  two  in  Tri 
States  Theatres,  operating  54  houses 
in  the  area. 


India  Distribution    |  Loew's  Get's  15  More 

Days  to  File  Brief 


Following  two  days  of  meetings 
here  with  Commissioner  L.  A.  Stone 
of  the  Federal  Mediation  and  Concili- 
ation Service,  representatives  of  the 
IATSE  and  distributors  remained 
deadlocked  at  the  weekend  over  terms 
for  a  new  contract  covering  6,300 
exchange  workers.  It  was  agreed, 
however,  to  meet  again  with  Stone 
on  Wednesday. 

During  the  course  of  the  meetings 
last  Thursday  and  Friday,  the  dis- 
tributors' negotiating  committee  asked 
the  union  representative  to  agree  to 
return  once  more  to  conferences  with- 
out the  mediator  present,  it  is  under 
stood.  The  "IA"  committee  refused 
flatly,  however,  on  the  ground  that 
the  distributors  "have  had  their 
chance  at  regular  negotiations,"  it 
was  reported. 

Two  weeks  ago,  when  Stone  was 
asked  by  "IA"  for  the  first  time  to 
mediate  contract  differences,  the  union 
negotiators  agreed  to  a  similar  man 
agement  committee  suggestion.  How- 
ever, no  agreement  could  be  reached 
and  the  "IA"  again  asked  Stone  to 
attempt  to  break  the  deadlock. 


Theatre  Video 
High  on  TO  A 
Meet  Agenda 

Television  Committee 
Will  First  Meet  FCC 

A  full-scale  discussion  of  theatre 
television    will    be    high    on  the 
agenda  of  the  officers'  and  direc- 
tors' meeting  of  the  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  America,  to  be  held  in  Wash- 
I  ington  on  Jan.  28-29,  and  a  definite 
|  theatre  television  policy  is  looked  for, 
it  was  disclosed  here  at  the  weekend 
I  by  Gael  Sullivan,  TO  A  executive  di- 
rector. 

Because  of  the  importance  of 
the  problem,  Mitchell  Wolfson, 
chairman  of  TOA's  television 
committee,  has  requested  Wal- 
ter Reade,  Jr.  of  New  York,  and 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Griffith  Case 
To  Continue 


Oklahoma  City,  Jan.  23.— Second 
episode  of  the  mandate  hearing  in  the 
Griffith  anti-trust  case  will  open  to- 
morrow before  Judge  Edgar  S. 
Vaught  in  Federal  Court.  The  gov- 
ernment has  disclosed  that  contracts 
between  the  defendant  circuits  and 
eight  distributors  have  been  sub- 
poenaed. 

About  half  of  the  43  individuals 
subpoenaed  before  the  hearing  started 
last  November  are  still  to  be  heard 
from,  but  special  Assistant  Attorney 
General  George  B.  Wise  said  he 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


David  O.  Selznick  and  United  Art 
ists   have  signed  distribution  agree- 
ments with  Keki  Modi  of  India  for 
release  of  their  product  in  that  coun 
try,  Modi  reported  here  at  the  week 
end.    Managing   director   of  India's 
Central  Production  Studios  and  the 
42-house  Western  Indian  Theatre  Cir 
cuit,  Modi  has  been  distributing  Sir 
Alexander      Korda's  British-made 
product  in  India.  His  deals  with  Selz 
nick  and  UA  are  the  first  he  has  made 
for  U.  S.  product. 

Modi,  who  has  spent  the  past  three 
months    in   the   U.    S. — including  a 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Mich.  Exhibitors  See 
No  Video  Threat 


New  York  Federal  Court  on  Friday 
approved  Loew's  application  extending 
to  Feb.  15  the  deadline  for  the  com- 
pany's presentation  of  its  brief,  find- 
ings and  conclusions  of  law  in  the 
Paramount  trust  case  to  the  Govern- 
ment. Original  deadline  was  Jan.  31. 
Government  agreed  to  the  time  exten- 
sion which  was  requested  because 
Hazard  Gillespie,  Loew's  attorney  as- 
signed to  preparation  of  the  papers, 
has  been  out  of  town  on  another 
matter. 


Detroit,  Jan.  23. — Charles  Snyder, 
executive  secretary  of  Allied  Theatres 
of  Michigan  holds  the  belief  that  tele- 
vision will  not  have  any  marked  effect 
on  theatre  business. 

At  the  same  time,  Sam  Carver, 
president  of  Detroit  Consolidated 
Theatres,  expressed  the  opinion  that 
television  will  not  affect  theatre  busi- 
ness at  all,  "as  long  as  the  motion 
picture  industry  turns  out  good  pic- 
tures that  the  public  will  want  to  see." 


Baruch  To  Address 
N.C.CJ.  Luncheon 

Bernard  M.  Baruch  will  be  prin- 
cipal speaker  at  the  "Brotherhood 
Week"  luncheon  to  be  sponsored  by 
the  National  Conference  of  Christians 
and  Jews  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria  here 
on  Friday,  Feb.  4,  marking  the  20th 
anniversary  of  the  Conference. 

Other  speakers  will  include  Mayor 
O'Dwyer  and  Nelson  A.  Rockefeller, 
national  chairman  of  Brotherhood 
Week,  which  the  NCCJ  will  sponsor 
Feb.  20-27.  Awards  for  their  con- 
tribution to  interfaith  relations  will  be 
made  at  the  luncheon  to  Irene  Dunne, 
to  Ned  E.  Depinet,  president  of  RKO 
Pictures,  and  to  Richard  Rodgers  and 
Oscar  Hammerstein  II,  producers. 
Louis  Nizer  will  be  toastmaster. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  24,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


PRIC  JOHNSTON  will  leave 
'  Washington  tomorrow  for  the 
Coast  to  address  the  annual  Los  An 
geles  Chamber  of  Commerce  dinner 
Wednesday  night.  He  will  remain  on 
the  Coast  several  days. 

• 

Leo  Hurwitz,  producer-director, 
will  inaugurate  a  series  of  IS  semi- 
nars in  film  techniques  at  the  Dra- 
matic Workshop  Film  Department  of 
the  New  School  here. 

• 

J.  R.  Clark  has  resigned  as  Film 
Classics  salesman  to  become  a  special 
representative  for  Screen  Guild  in  the 
Denver  and  Salt  Lake  territories. 
• 

Alan  F.  Cummings,  M-G-M's  ex- 
change operations  chief,  will  return 
here  today  from  Cincinnati  and  In- 
dianapolis. 

• 

J.   W.   Service,  National  Theatre 
Supply's  district  supervisor,  has  left 
New  York  to  visit  company  branches 
in  Indianapolis  and  Cincinnati. 
• 

William  G.  Brenner,  in  charge  of 
M-G-M's   checking   system,   has  re- 
turned here  after  a  tour  of  the  com- 
pany's  Midwestern  exchanges. 
• 

F.  J.  A.  McCarthy,  Universal- 
International  Southern  and  Canadian 
sales  manager,  will  leave  here  today 
for  New  Orleans. 

• 

David  Lipton,  Universal-Interna- 
tional advertising-publicity  director, 
is  due  in  New  York  from  the  Coast 
today. 

• 

A.  J.  O'Keefe,  Universal-Interna- 
tional assistant  general  sales  manager, 
is  in  Chicago  from-  Los  Angeles. 
• 

Lou  Formato,  Philadelphia  M-G-M 
manager,  has  returned  to  Philadelphia 
from  New  York. 

Robert  Vogel,   head  of  M-G-M's 
studio  foreign  publicity,  left  here  yes- 
terday by  plane  for  the  Coast. 
• 

Jules  Lapidus,  Warner  Eastern 
and  Canadian  sales  manager,  left  New 
York  over  the  weekend  for  Cleveland. 

Bryan  Foy,  Eagle-Lion  producer, 
has  arrived  in  New  York  from  Wash- 
ington. 

• 

_  James  T.  Vaughn,  Eagle-Lion  stu- 
dio production  manager,  is  in  New 
York  from  Hollywood. 

• 

_  Y.  Frank  Freeman,  Paramount 
vice-president,  will  arrive  '  in  Holly- 
wood today  from  New  York. 

• 

Paul  Short,  Monogram  producer, 
has  returned  to  Hollywood  from  New 
York. 


Martin  Quigley  to  Coast 

Martin  Quigley  will  leave  here  for 
the  Coast  by  train  today  for  a  Holly- 
wood visit  of  several  weeks. 


Tradewise . . . 


By  SHERWIN  KANE 


'TPHE  Eric  Johnston- Samuel 
J-  Goldwyn  verbal  exchange  of 
last  week  reminds  that  one 
month  ago  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America  presi- 
dent had  this  to  say  to  Ellis 
Arnall : 

"Turning  the  industry  into  a 
debating  society  will  not  produce 
better  pictures.  The  way  to  get 
better  pictures  and  to  solve  our 
worldwide  industry  problems  is 
for  all  of  us  to  work  together." 

That's  good  advice  for  anyone, 
if  applied.  It  may  well  be  com- 
mended to  Johnston  and  Gold- 
wyn, as  well  as  to  Arnall. 

The  rank  and  file  of  the  indus- 
try, anxious  for-  public  relations 
improvement  and  leadership, 
may  well  say  of  the  unfortunate 
Johnston-Goldwyn  affair :  "A 
pox  on  both  your  houses." 
•  • 

There  are  only  a  few  weeks 
remaining  in  which  exhibitors 
can  make  preparations  for  par- 
ticipating in  national  observance 
of  American  Brotherhood  Week, 
Feb.  20-27.  Very  little  is  asked 
of  the  exhibitor — run  the  sub- 
jects which  the  industry  com- 
mittee will  provide,  use  the  cam- 
paign accessories  available  for 
marquees,  fronts  and  lobbies,  and 
sign  up  at  least  10  new  members 
for  the  National  Conference  of 
Christians  and  Jews  at  a  mini- 
mum contribution  of  $1  each. 

The  only  real  individual  effort 
called  for  is  in  getting  a  maxi- 
mum of  names  on  the  member- 
ship rolls.  The  minimum  10  re- 
quested is  extremely  modest  even 
for  the  smallest  of  theatres.  The 
test  of  the  individual  exhibitor's 
earnestness  is  in  the  effort  he 
expends  to  exceed  the  minimum. 

One  New  York  theatre  in  a 
recent  Brotherhood  Week  cam- 
paign brought  in  900  new  NCCJ 
members.  Numerous  others  ac- 
counted for  50  to  200  each. 

Remarkable  showings  can  be 
made  if  the  theatre  undertakes 
its  part  seriously.  Earnestness 
need  not  be  lacking  if  the  work 
of  the  Conference  and  its  high 
purpose  are  understood  by  both 
exhibitor  and  theatre  audience. 
The  campaign  material  has  been 
prepared  with  that  in  mind  and 
it  serves  its  purpose  admirably. 

Every  American  theatre 
should  be  a  positive,  not  merely 


a  passive  participant  in  this 
thoroughly  American  endeavor, 
which  is  to  defeat  and  destroy 
prejudice  in  order  that  America 
shall  not  be  weakened  and  de- 
stroyed by  it. 

•  • 

A  recent  issue  of  an  amuse- 
ment journal  carried  an  article 
with  Eric  Johnston's  byline  pok- 
ing a  little  fun  at  motion  picture 
critics  and  commentators.  The 
net  impression  this  reader  of  the 
article  received  was  that  those 
who  review  films  or  write  or 
broadcast  about  them  and  about 
motion  picture  people  are  a 
brash,  irresponsible  breed  who 
are  getting  away  with  murder 
on  a  scale  that  would  not  be  tol- 
erated in  other  industries — mo- 
tors and  meat  packing,  for 
example. 

It  may  reasonably  be  assumed 
that  the  writer  of  the  article 
either  was  reflecting  Johnston's 
views  or  had  obtained  his  ap- 
proval of  its  contents  prior  to 
publication. 

Certainly  those  are  views 
commonly  held  and  frequently 
encountered  within  the  industry. 
The  puzzling  thing  about  it  is 
why  such  a  large  percentage  of 
motion  picture  advertising  con- 
tinues to  be  based  upon  and 
pegged  to  the  occasional  nice 
things  those  same  writers  and 
commentators  have  to  say  about 
pictures. 

Crosley  X.  Vinegarpen  of  the 
Evening  Libel  i?  Slander  may 
sneer  at  our  box-office  hits  for 
months  and  be  sneered  at  and 
cursed  in  turn  within  the  indus- 
try, but  let  him  say  one  good 
word  for  a  new  release  and  he 
immediately  becomes  the  glori- 
fied, final  authority  on  film  en- 
tertainment and  the  clinching 
sales  argument  in  an  advertising 
campaign  in  which  his  actual 
.phrases  are  only  slightly  distort- 
ed and  rearranged.  The  cam- 
paign in  all  likelihood  will  say 
nothing  about  the  contents  of  the 
picture. 

Seems  the  industry  should  be 
making  up  its  mind  about  the 
critics.  Who  will  take  your  fu- 
ture satire  about  them  seriously 
when  your  advertising  budgets 
are  being  employed  to  build  the 
critics'  prestige  as  authorities 
on  the  cinema? 


All  Current  Reels 
On  the  Inauguration 

Entire  footage  of  all  cur- 
rent newsreels  is  devoted  to 
the  inauguration  of  President 
Truman  and  Vice-president 
Barkley. 

Issue  numbers  of  the  five 
reels  follow:  Movietone,  No. 
7;  News  of  the  Day,  No.  241; 
Paramount,  No.  44;  Univer- 
sal, No.  215;  Warner  Pathe, 
No.  46. 


Schlaifer  &  Co.  To 
Be  Organized  Soon 

Charles  Schlaifer,  whose  resignation 
as  advertising-publicity  director  of 
20th  Century-Fox  becomes  effective 
on  Feb.  1,  will  leave  here  at  the  end 
of  the  week  for  an  extended  vacation 
before  establishing  his  own  advertis- 
ing and  public  relations  organization, 
to  be  known  as  Charles  Schlaifer  & 
Co.,  around  April  1. 

Clients  of  the  new  firm  will  include 
20th-Fox. 

Charles  Einfeld,  newly  appointed 
20th-Fox  vice-president  in  charge  of 
advertising-publicity,  will  arrive  here 
from  the  Coast  this  week  to  establish 
his  headquarters  here. 


Mexico  Backs  Academy 

Mexico  City,  Jan.  23.— The  Mexi- 
can Academy  of  Cinematographic 
Arts  and  Sciences  will  receive  an 
annual  government  subsidy  of  $3,500. 


Mrs.  C.  L.  Machbar,  82 

Mrs.  Caroline  Landwehr  Machbar, 
82,  mother  of  Herman  Landwehr, 
house  manager  of  the  Capitol  Theatre 
in  New  York,  died  on  Friday  at  her 
home  in  Spring  Valley,  N.  Y.  Serv- 
ices were  held  at  the  home  on  Satur- 
day, with  burial  at  Monsey,  N.  Y.  on 
  Sunday. 

l^^^l^&j^^^^^^^^,  Sf^nSf  T£UMS£  ^  J-V^^^  except,  Saturday 


Bill  Seeks  Sunday  Films 

Kingsport,  Tenn.,  Jan.  23.  —  An 
ordinance  legalizing  Sunday  film 
shows  between  two  P.M.  and  10:30 
P-M.  has  passed  its  first  reading. 


Radio  Program  Starts 
'Dimes'  Collections 

National  opening  of  the  March  of 
Dimes  motion  picture  collection  week 
today  will  be  marked  with  an  all-star 
program  tonight  on  the  American 
Broadcasting  Network,  from  9:30  to 
10,  EST.  A  March  of  Dimes  trailer 
will  be  shown  in  most  theatres 
throughout  the  country. 

Featured  on  tonight's  program  will 
be  Jimmy  Durante,  Nelson  Eddy, 
Dinah  Shore  and  Don  Ameche.  Robert 
Ambruster  and  his  orchestra  will  pro- 
vide the  music. 


5th ' Movies  and  You' Film 

"The  Screen  Actor,"  fifth  in  the 
industry's  "Movies  and  You"  series, 
will  be  distributed  by  M-G-M  on  Nov. 
1,  according  to  Grant  Leenhouts,  co- 
ordinator-producer of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Film  Industry  Project  Commit- 
tee, 


Wilfred  /.  Burning,  50 

A  requiem  mass  for  Wilfred  J. 
Durning,  50,  was  held  at  Our  Lady  of 
of  Mercy  Church  here  on  Saturday. 
Durning,  who  died  at  his  home  in  the 
Bronx  Thursday,  had  been  a  broker 
for  the  past  15  years.  Prior  to  that 
he  was  associated  with  his  brother, 
the  late  Bernard  J.  Durning,  in  the 
direction  of  motion  pictures  for  Fox 
Films. 


New  York/'  Martin  Quigley.  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President 
James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V  Feck 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Ed 


N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 


Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.    Entered  a 
year. 


hingto 


9f?n;  Na£i0?r 1  ?riSS  9"b'-  Washin?t°n-  D.  C.   London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London 

e  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  ea 

in  the  Americas  and  $12  ior^V  sL%uT^es^.  ^  ^  ^  *'  th<S  P°St  °ffice  at  NeW  ^'"^^  und^r  The"  act  "of  March  £w9?  Subscription  rates  per 


.London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor;  cable  address,  "Ouigp'ubco,  London." 
bales,   each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 


Monday,  January  24,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


NY  Critics'  Awards 
Made  at  Music  Hall 


Reviews 


The  New  York  Film  Critics'  awards 
for  1948  were  presented  Friday  night 
in  a  ceremony  on  the  stage  of  the 
Music  Hall.  Invited  to  receive  their 
awards  personally  were  Olivia  de 
Havilland,  chosen  as  the  best  actress  ; 
John  Huston,  best  director;  and  Ro- 
berto Rossellino,  director  of  "Paisan, 
chosen  as  the  best  foreign-film.  Laur- 
ence Olivier,  winner  of  the  best  actor 
award,  was  invited  to  speak  by  way 
of  a  recording  flown  from  London. 

G.  S.  Eyssell,  managing  director  of 
the  Music  Hall,  was  on  the  schedule 
to  introduce  Thomas  Pryor,  chairman 
of  the  critics'  unit,  and  Wanda  Hale, 
vice-chairman. 


Honor  Irene  Dunne 
At  AMPA  Luncheon 

Irene  Dunne  will  be  honor  guest 
at  the  luncheon  meeting  of  the  Asso- 
ciated Motion  Picture  Advertisers  on 
Jan.  28  in  the  Piccadilly  Hotel,  here. 
Miss  Dunne  will  accept  a  plaque  from 
the  Protestant  Motion  Picture  Coun- 
cil on  behalf  of  RKO  Radio's  "I  Re- 
member Mama,"  in  which  she  starred 
and  which  has  been  chosen  by  the 
Council,  representing  the  United 
Church  Women's  Clubs  of  America 
and  Protestant  denominations,  as  the 
"Best  Family  Picture  of  1948." 

Presentation  will  be  made  by  Mrs. 
Jessie  M.  Bader,  chairman  of  the  Pro- 
testant Motion  Picture  Council.  The 
meeting  will  be  conducted  by  Max  A. 
Youngstein,  AMPA  President. 

Mexican  Firm  Sues 
National  and  20th 

Los  Angeles,  Jan.  23. — Counsel  for 
Credito  Cinematografia  Mexicana, 
production,  distribution  and  exhibition 
company  in  Mexico,  has  filed  a  Fed- 
eral Court  suit  here  against  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox, National  Theatres,  Charles 
and  Spyros  P.  Skouras  and  Joseph  M. 
Schenck,  seeking  the  recovery  of 
$639,194,  plus  $2,000,000  damages. 

Plaintiff  charges  the  defendants 
have  declined  to  recognize  a  purchase 
contract  entered  into  Oct.  5,  1945, 
have  refused  access  _  to  records  and 
have  acted  in  bad  faith. 


"Waterloo  Road" 

(J.  Arthur  Rank-Eagle-Lion) 

\  FINE  British  cast,  headed  by  John  Mills,  Stewart  Granger  and  Alastair 
l\  Sim  mollify  the  disadvantage  of  a  weak  story  in  this  latest  addition 
to  Eagle-Lion's  roster  of  J.  Arthur  Rank  offerings  for  American  consumption. 
Written  and  directed  by  Sidney  Gilliat,  and  produced  by  Edward  Black, 
'Waterloo  Road"  has  for  its  base  plot  the  situation  of  a  wife's  being  on  a 
date  with  another  man  when  her  soldier  husband  returns  home  on  leave. 

American  audiences  are  likely  to  be  attracted  to  this  British  drama  by 
virtue  of  the  prestige  embodied  in  the  names  of  the  three  stars,  all  having 
made  a  reputation  in  this  country  since  the  picture  was  made.  Other  re- 
deeming  features  are  some  robust  action  and  the  sympathy  which  Mills  com 
mands  as  the  offended  husband  who  seeks  out  scoundrel  Granger  and  wife 
Joy  Shelton.  Sim,  a  splendid  character  actor,  portrays  a  kindly  doctor  in 
winning  fashion.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Beatrice  Varley,  Alison  Leggatt, 
Arthur  Denton  and  Vera  Frances,  all  of  whom  are  admirable  in  supporting 
roles.  Maurice  Ostrer  was  in  charge  of  production. 

Arriving  home  on  leave,  Mills  cannot  find  his  wife,  but  is  told  that  lately 
she  has  been  keeping  company  with  Granger,  a  civilian.  He  goes  out  to  look 
for  them,  hounded  by  military  police  since  he  has  overstayed  his  leave.  Need- 
less to  say  Granger  makes  no  romantic  headway  with  Mills'  wife  and  when 
Mills  catches  up  with  Granger  they  have  a  terrific  fight.  His  mission  accom- 
plished, Mills  returns  to  the  war.  _  _ 

Running  time,  75  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
not  set. 


"False  Paradise' 


(Hopalong  Cassidy — United  Artists) 

ACTION  and  suspense  in  the  latest  account  of  the  exploits  of  Hopalong 
Cassidy  noble  cowboy  here  portrayed  by  William  Boyd,  measure  up  to 
standard  for'  the  series.  "False  Paradise"  should  register  quite  satisfactorily 
with  devotees  of  Western  fare.  _  . 

Harrison  Jacobs'  screenplay  has  "Hoppy  befriending  a  retired  botanist 
and  his  pretty  daughter  who  have  purchased  "Paradise  Ranch"  in  the  ex- 
pectation that  it  would  be  suitable  for  raising  cattle.  Things  look  pretty  black 
for  father  and  daughter  when  they  discover  the  soil  is  poor.  But  when 
"Hoppy"  discovers  that  there  is  silver  ore  in  the  land  the  realtor  who 
swindled  the  couple  offers  to  buy  back  the  property.  The  offer  is  refused 
and  "Hoppy"  and  his  sidekick  (Andy  Clyde),  help  the  botanist  and  his 
daughter  mine  the  ore.  The  crooked  realtor  and  his  henchmen  dynamite  the 
mine  to  hinder  the  work  but  the  explosion  serves  "Hoppy's"  friends  well- 
it  opens  the  way  to  new  silver  deposits.  Thereafter,  the  initial  shipment  of 
ore  is  ambushed  by  the  heavies  but  the  attack  is  anticipated  by  "Hoppy"  and 
his  friends  who  defeat  their  enemies  and  deliver  the  prize  of  their  labors 

0no\ChersUin  the  cast  are  Randy  Brooks,  Joel  Friedkin,  Elaine  Riley,  Kenneth 
MacDonald,  Don  Haggerty  and  Cliff  Clark.  Louis  J.  Rachmil  produced  and 
George  Archainbaud  directed.  In  addition  to  his  acting  role,  Boyd  was  ex 
cutive  producer. 

Running  time,  61  minutes.   General  audience  classification. 


Vote  Union  Shop  at 
NSS  for  180  Workers 

National  Screen's  "white  collarites" 
here  have  voted  167  to  13  in  favor  of 
a  union  shop  represented  by  Screen 
Office  and  Professional  Employees 
Guild  (CIO),  it  was  reported  by 
SOPEG  president  Sidney  Young.  New 
contract  negotiations  between  the 
union  and  the  company  began  recently 


Reject  Awards  Telecast 

Hollywood,  Jan.  23. — Offers  to  tele 
vise  the  Academy  Awards  presentation 
in  March  by  several  television  trans 
mitters  have  been  rejected  by  the  acad 
emy  because  clearances  permitting  the 
actors  involved  in  the  affair  to  appear 
on  television  could  not  be  obtained 
from  their  contract  studios. 


New  Mexican  Firm 

Mexico    City,    Jan.    23. — Produc 
ciones  Rene  Cardona,  a  production 
distribution  company,  has  been  formed 
here  by  Rene  Cardona,  veteran  film 
actor. 


^CC  Urges  Video 
'ermit  Liquidation 

Washington,  Jan.  23. — The  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission  has 
indicated  that  firms  holding  construc- 
tion permits  for  television  stations  had 
better  go  ahead  with  their  building 
plans  despite  the  television  "freeze." 

It  has  ruled  that  firms  building  sta- 
tions could  not  suspend  construction 
during  the  television  freeze  period  and 
then  use  this  as  the  basis  for  a  later 
request  for  an  extension  in  their  com- 
pletion deadline.  It  is  believed  that 
close  to  100  stations  now  under  way 
are  affected. 

The  FCC  ruling  grew  out  of  a  re- 
quest by  WSAV  of  Huntington, 
W.  Va.,  for  some  FCC  safeguard  that 
firms  building  under  construction  per- 
mits could  complete  their  stations 
without  jeopardizing  their  invest- 
ments. The  FCC  did  not  answer  this 
request  in  so  many  words.  It  merely 
said  that  the  public  interest  requires 
television  permittees  to  continue  with 
construction  or  surrender  their  per- 
mits, that  they  can't  use  the  freeze  as 
an  excuse  for  extending  their  comple- 
tion deadline,  and  that  extension  will 
be  granted  only  for  reasons  beyond 
the  permittee's  control. 


Theatre  Video 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Selznick,  UA,  India 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


month  in  Hollywood — said  his  deal 
with  Selznick  involves  "Portrait  of 
Jennie"  and  nine  other  Selznick  pro- 
ductions of  recent  vintage.  UA,  he 
said,  will  send  its  pictures  to  India 
as  they  are  released  in  the  U.  S. 

In  addition  to  closing  the  distribu- 
tion deals  while  here,  Modi  conferred 
with  several  U.  S.  production  com- 
panies with  a  view  toward  establish- 
ing regular  production  activity  in  In- 
dia by  American  companies.  "The 
groundwork"  of  this  plan  is  set,  he 
said,  indicating  that  he  expects  to 
have  a  program  of  American  produc 
tion  in  India  set  up  by  the  end  of  this 
year.  Although  he  declined  at  this 
time  to  mention  names,  he  did  indi 
cate  that  large  U.  S.  production  com- 
panies would  be  involved.  Advantages 
of  U.  S.  production  in  India,  he  ex 
plained,  are  the  very  low  costs  pre 
vailing  there  and  the  assurances  that 
negative  costs  on  India-produced  pic- 
tures would  be  recouped  in  that  coun- 
try promptly,  thus  making  U.  S. 
showings  thereafter  "pure  profit" 
bookings. 

Modi  said  his  own  motive  in  en- 
couraging American  producers  to  use 
India's  film-making  facilities  is  to  see 
a  closer  relationship  develop  between 
the  two  countries.    Films  can  bring 


about  that  closer  relationship,  he  be- 
lieves. 

The  Indian  industry  executive  will 
leave  here  for  London  on  Wednesday 
aboard  the  .S^.  Queen  Mary.  He  will 
fly  from  London  to  Bombay.  Today 
he  will  be  host  at  a  reception  in  the 
Hotel  Pierre  here. 


CBS  Video  Loan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


station  for  the  CBS  West  Coast  tele- 
vision network. 

CBS  also  has  pending  with  the 
Federal  Communications  Commission 
applications  for  television  stations  in 
Boston,  Chicago  and  San  Francisco 
and  is  seeking,  with  the  Washington 
Post,  a  television  station  in  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.  When  these  additional  sta- 
tions are  acquired,  Columbia  will  own 
the  maximum  number  of  television 
stations  allowable  under  present  rules 
of  the  FCC. 

In  addition  to  the  key  stations  in 
New  York  and  Los  Angeles,  the  Col- 
umbia television  network  has  stations 
in  Chicago,  Philadelphia,  Detroit,  Bal- 
timore, Cleveland,  St.  Louis,  Wash- 
ington, Boston,  Pittsburgh,  Milwau- 
kee, Buffalo,  Cincinnati,  Seattle, 
Houston,  Indianapolis,  Louisville, 
Columbus,  Atlanta,  Memphis,  Toledo, 
Dayton,  Syracuse,  New  Haven,  Salt 
Lake  City,  Erie,  Schenectady,  Stock- 
ton and  Albuquerque. 


David  Wallerstein  of  Chicago, 
his  co-chairmen,  and  M.  A. 
Lightman,  Jr.  of  Memphis,  a 
member  of  the  committee,  to 
join  him  in  pre-meeting  confer- 
ences with  members  of  the  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commis- 
sion, Marcus  A.  Cohn,  TOA 
special  consultant  on  television, 
and  others. 

Conferences  also  have  been  ar- 
ranged between  officers  of  TOA  and 
government  officials  on  other  industry 
problems. 

The  TOA  discussions  will  embrace 
such  problems  as  theatre  television 
exclusives  with  allocation  of  airway 
or  co-axial  cable  channels,  release  of 
feature  films  to  television,  theatre  use 
of  standard  television  broadcasts  and 
other  matters  which  have  arisen  as 
a  result  of  the  rapid  growth  of  the 
video  industry. 

Other  items  high  on  the  meeting's 
agenda  include  budget  and  financing, 
public  relations,  new  membership, 
proposed  changes  in  the  Ascap  con- 
sent decree,  exhibitor  relations  with 
National  Screen  service,  and  other 
matters. 

The  TOA  meeting,  to  be  held  in  the 
Mayflower  Hotel,  will  run  for  two 
days,  Friday  and  Saturday,  following 
a  series  of  preliminary  conferences  on 
Thursday.  Social  activities  will  be 
held  to  a  minimum  so  that  officers 
and  directors  may  devote  their  full 
time  to  the  meeting  agenda.  More 
than  50  persons  have  made  reserva- 
tions for  the  meeting,  indicating  virtu- 
ally a  full  attendance. 

Following  the  Washington  meeting, 
Arthur  Lockwood,  TOA  president ; 
Herman  Levy,  general  counsel,  and 
Sullivan  will  go  to  Charlotte,  to  at- 
tend a  meeting  of  the  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  North  and  South  Carolina. 


2nd  SP  Production  Set 

Hollywood,  Jan.  23. — George  Glass 
and  Stanley  Kramer,  of  Screen  Plays, 
have  completed  production  plans  for 
their  second  feature,  "High  Noon". 
Advertising  will  be  handled  by 
Buchanan  and  Co. 


LORETTA  YOUNG  •  ROBERT  CUMMINGS  i 


with 
WENDELL 

COREY 

SAM  JAFFE 
DOUGLAS  £)ICK 

Directed  by 

WILLIAM  DIETERLE 

Screenplay  by  Ketti  Frings 
Based  upon  a  novel  by 
June  Truesdell 


m  kaiser 


'Or 


-  or  t^W.K 


les. " 


erCe 


Be  sure  to  book 
"The  Movies  And  You" 
Series  of  Industry  Shorts. 


Matching  that  blistering 
"Paleface'1  pace  in 

Paramount'!! 

GOLD  RUSH  OF 


IAL  WALLIS'  Production,  "THE  ACCUSED 


11 


mash  attraction  that 


TOPS  "THE  PALEFACE" 

OPENING  AND  FIRST  JVEEK,  NY.  PARAMOUNT 

TOPS  "SORRY,  WRONG  NUMBER" 

IN  CHICAGO 

OPENS  BEYOND  BEYOND  GLORY 

IN  ATLANTA 

BEATS  FOREIGN  AFFAIR" 

IN  DETROIT 

BEATS  "THE  BIG  CLOCK" 

IN  ROCHESTER 

. .. .  All  backed  by  Paramount  *s  unique 

" Everything- Points-To- 'The  Accused"  " 
campaign,  including  13  magazine  ads 
this  month  in  the  four  top  weeklies. 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  24,  1949 


Alice,  Phil  Meet  the  Press 

National  Broadcasting  was  host  to 
Alice  Faye  and  Phil  Harris  at  a  re- 
ception at  the  21  Club  here  on  Satur- 
day for  the  press. 


NO 

BIGOTRY 
IN 

AMERICA! 


ALL 


THE 

MOTION  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 

EXHIBITORS 
DISTRIBUTORS 
EXCHANGES 
STUDIOS 

TOGETHER 

STARS 

TRADE  PAPERS 
N  E  WS  R  E  E  LS 

ALL  OUT  WITH 
FLAGS  FLYING 

FEB  20 -27 


A  BIG  SINCERE  ALL-INDUSTRY 
PUBLIC  RELATIONS  PROGRAM 

:  YOU'RE  IN  IT!  i 


Review 


"Tarzan's  Magic  Fountain 

(RKO  Radio) 

SOL  LESSER's  production  is  true  to  the  tradition  established  by  previous 
Tarzan  films,  with  story,  action  and  photography  adequate  on  all  counts. 
The  screenplay,  by  Curt  Siodmak  and  Harry  Chandlee,  revolves  around  the 
finding  of  a  woman  aviator,  who  has  been  lost  for  20  years,  in  a  jungle 
paradise  where  she  has  been  able  to  keep  her  youth.  The  attempt  by  nefarious 
forces  to  gain  possession  of  a  youth  fountain,  and  the  consequent  clash  with 
the  natives  and  Tarzan,  are  the  principal  plot  elements. 

Lex  Barker,  as  Tarzan,  and  Brenda  Joyce  as  Jane,  his  wife,  handle  the 
none-too-demanding  roles  in  good  form,  while  Albert  Dekker  portrays  the 
arch-villain  with  convincing  menace.  Other  cast  names  include  Evelyn  Ankers, 
Charles  Drake,  Alan  Napier  and  Henry  Kulky.  Lee  Sholem's  direction  was 
workmanlike. 

Running  time,  73  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  February 
release. 


Music  Rights 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  music  copyrights  the  performing 
rights  fees. 

If  the  decision  is  reversed,  Ascap 
will  be  in  a  position  to  collect  directly 
from  theatres. 

The  agreement  clears  the  way  for 
uninterrupted  clearance  of  film  music 
rights  while  the  Ascap  litigation 
awaits  final  determination.  It  applies 
only  to  "new"  production  as  Judge 
Leibell's  decision  prohibits  Ascap  col- 
lections on  films  already  in  release, 
even  though  that  phase  of  the  decision 
is  expected  to  be  reversed  on  appeal. 

Ascap  members  here  report  that 
dividends  from  the  Society  for  the 
final  1948  quarter  are  surprisingly 
near  normal  amounts.  It  had  been 
expected  that  theatre  collections  would 
decline  appreciably  in  the  last  collec- 
tions but  there  was  no  evidence  of  it 
in  dividend  payments.  Ascap's  fourth 
quarter  collections  from  all  sources 
are  understood  to  have  been  in  excess 
of  $1,900,000,  compared  with  normal 
quarterly  collections  of  a  little  over 
$2,000,000. 

Many  theatres  are  continuing  pay- 
ments to  Ascap  with  the  understand- 
ing that  they  will  be  recoverable  in 
the  event  the  Leibell  decision  is  not 
reversed  by  higher  courts. 

Ascap  collections  from  theatres  also 
are  understood  to  be  increasing  due 
to  the  return  of  stage  policies  to  nu- 
merous large  theatres,  a  trend  that 
is  continuing  both  as  an  answer  to 
television  competition,  where  it  exists, 
and  because  of  its  demonstrated  box- 
office  stimulus  in  areas  without  tele- 
vision. 

The  "live"  shows  inevitably  employ 
music  and  some  include  bands.  Spread 
of  the  policy  is  increasing  theatre- 
owner  sentiment  for  a  safe,  con- 
venient, blanket  music  licensing  ar- 
rangement such  as  that  normally 
afforded  by  Ascap,  it  is  said. 


Griffith  Case 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


thought  the  government  would  wind 
up  its  testimony  in  two  weeks. 

The  contracts  which  will  be  intro- 
duced cover  Griffith  dealings  from 
1939 — when  the  case  originally  was 
filed— until  1943,  Wi  se  said. 

"We  are  doing  this  just  to  make 
sure  we  have  those  records  in  court," 
he  added.  "The  defendants'  contracts 
had  been  subpoenaed  previously,  but 
they  indicated  they  might  not  be  able 
to  produce  them  for  the  entire  period." 

Wise  said  the  following  witnesses 
are  yet  to  be  heard  from — all  in 
Oklahoma : 

Nona  Kyser,  Ada  Theatre  of  Ada;  Alex- 
ander A.  Moulder,  Criterion,  Sapulpa;  Fred 
B.   Pickrel,  Ponca  City;   Hershell  Gilliam 


Globe,  Erdmore;  Raymond  McMillin,  Hugo; 
W.  S.  Quade,  Howell  Theatre  Supply,  Ok- 
lahoma City;  L.  W.  Royalty,  M-G-A  Corp 
Oklahoma    City;    Roy    T.    Shield,  Mecca, 
Enid. 

Elgin  Anderson,  Drive-In,  Norman;  Myr- 
tle Guthrie,  Ritz,  Clinton;  Bill  Jenson, 
Pix,  Wewoka;  Joe  Noble,  Drive-In  Bar- 
tlesville;  Buster  Shuttee,  Drive-In,  Elreno; 
Dudley  Tucker,  Cimarron,  Guthrie;  R  B. 
Williams,  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Oklahoma 
City. 

Claude  York,  Drew,  Okmulgee;  Juanita 
Berry,  Oklahoma  Theatre,  Norman;  Pat 
Duffy,  Liberty,  Oklahoma  City;  W.  P. 
Moran,  Oklahoma  City;  Johnny  H.  Jones, 
Ritz,  Shawnee. 

Also,  Maggie  E.  Scott,  Scott  Theatre, 
Odessa,  Tex.;  Mary  E.  Trieb,  El  Capitan, 
Roswell,  N.  M. ;  Raymond  A.  Higdon,  The- 
atre Enterprises,  Dallas;  Herman  R.  Biers- 
dorf,  Eagle  Lion  Films,  Dallas. 


CATO  Sets  New  Dates 

Denver,  Jan.  23.— Dates  for  the 
initial  convention  of  the  Colorado  As- 
sociation of  Theatre  Owners  have  been 
changed  to  April  4-5. 


U.  K.  Booking  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


feature  from  one  and  a  second  feature 
from  another,  the  only  stipulation  be- 
ing that  both'  shall  be  American. 

Although  exhibitors  object  to  the 
proposed  plan,  alleging  that  it  unfair- 
ly restricts  their  buying  rights,  it  is 
expected  that  the  new  arrangement 
will  be  approved  at  a  meeting  early 
in  February  between  MPAA  repre- 
sentatives and  an  Exhibitors'  Asso- 
ciation delegation.  Independent  ex- 
hibitors are  appreciative  of  the  new 
booking  arrangement  set  up  by  Ameri- 
can companies,  notably  Paramount  and 
M-G-M,  which  give  independents  first 
crack  at  choicer  product. 

J.  Arthur  Rank's  Gaumont-British 
and  Odeon  circuits  are  able  to  disre- 
gard the  booking  plan,  being  supplied 
with  Universal  product  under  contract, 
and  Sir  Philip  Warter's  A.B.P.C. 
theatres,  to  a  lesser  degree,  also  dis- 
regard it  by  virtue  of  the  Monogram 
franchise  held  by  its  subsidiary  Pathe 
Pictures. 

Despite  this,  the  CEA  delegation 
which  will  discuss  the  new  booking 
restrictions  with  F.  W.  Allport, 
MPAA  representative  here,  next 
month,  includes  Rank's  representa- 
tave  R.  H.  Dewes,  and  ABPC's  D.  H. 
Goodlatte. 

Short  subjects  do  not  come  under 
the  unit  booking  plan,  providing  the 
supporting  program  does  not  exceed 
3,000  feet.  Exhibitors  have  raised  the 
question  whether  a  picture  acquired 
or  produced  here  by  an  American 
company  is  eligible  for  booking,  but 
the  point  is  regarded  as  academic  with 
only  two  British  films  of  that  sort 
currently  in  production  and  no  others 
contemplated  at  this  time. 


AN  OUTSTANDING 
INDUSTRY  EVENT! 

PRESENTATION  OF  PLAQUE  TO  MISS  IRENE 
DUNNE  BY  THE  PROTESTANT  MOTION  PICTURE 
COUNCIL  ON  BEHALF  OF  RKO  RADIO'S  "I  RE- 
MEMBER MAMA"  WHICH  HAS  BEEN  CHOSEN  AS 
"BEST  PICTURE  OF  1948". 

AMPA  LUNCHEON-MEETING 

FRIDAY,  JANUARY  28, 12:30  NOON 

GEORGIAN  ROOM,  HOTEL  PICCADILLY 


ADMISSION  .  .  .  TWO  DOLLARS 


RESERVATION  MUST  BE  MADE  IN  ADVANCE  TO 
CHARLES  ALICOATE,  FILM  DAILY;  LIGE  BRIEN, 
EAGLE  LION  FILMS;  HARRY  BLAIR,  RKO  RADIO. 


I  Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


TEN  CENTS 


U.A.  to  Study 
Finance,  Film 
Supply  Plans 

Board  Meet  Today  Takes 
Up  Several  Proposals 

Several  proposals  which  would 
provide  United  Artists  with  new 
financing  and  an  assured  product 
supply  will  be  studied  m  detail  by 
the  company's  board  of  directors  at  a 
meeting  here  today. 

Among  the  proposals  which  will  be 
criven  full  consideration  are  the  fol- 
lowing: a  plan  for  the  sale  of  fran- 
chises to  exhibitors  designed  to  raise 
$4,000,000  to  be  used  to  fi™«™- 
oendent  producers  releasing  through 
?he  company;  a  $5,000,000  Production 
financing  plan  advanced  by  Edward 
and  William  Nassour,  reportedly  with 
the  backing  of  Huntington  Hartford, 
Atlantic  and  Pacific  Tea  stores  heir, 
and  a  financing  plan  advanced  by 
James  Nasser,  owner  of  General 
(Continued  on  page  5) 

See  No  Change  in 
U.K.  Quota  in  April 

London,  Jan.  24— Despite  the  fact 
that  the  Exhibitors'  Association  will 
send  a  deputation  to  the  Board  of 
Trade  shortly  to  press  for  a  reduction 
of  the  45  per  cent  quota,  exhibitors 
generally  agree  that  there  _  is  little 
likelihood  of  any  change  being  made 
for  the  second  half  of  the  present  quota 
year  beginning  April  1. 

Harold   Wilson,   president   of  the 
Board  of  Trade,  is  determined  to  give 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


TOA  to  Urge  Cut  in 
U.S.  Admission  Tax 
At  Washington  Meet 

Theatre  Owners  of  America  will 
launch  a  new  attempt  to  obtain  a  re- 
duction of  the  Federal  amusement  tax 
to  10  per  cent  when  its  executive 
committee  meets  in  Washington  next 
Friday  and  Saturday. 

'  Congressmen  in  key  committee  posts 
will  be  consulted  by  TOA  leaders  and 
will  be  given  the  exhibitor's  story  of 
the  depressive  influence  of  the  20  per 
cent  ticket  levy  on  theatre  attendance 
throughout  the  country.  TOA  will 
urge  removal  of  the  entire  tax,  it  was 
indicated,  although  in  view_  of  in- 
creased Federal  expenditures  indicated 
in  President  Truman's  message  to 
Congress  and  his  inaugural  address 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Eight  Bills  Pending 
For  Ticket  Tax  Cut 

Washington,  Jan.  24.  — 
There  are  now  eight  bills  m 
the  House  calling  for  the  re- 
peal or  reduction  of  the  20 
per  cent  admission  tax. 

Two  new  ones  were  intro- 
duced today.  Rep.  Multer, 
New  York  Democrat,  pro- 
posed that  it  be  abolished, 
while  Rep.  Talle,  Iowa  Re- 
publican, suggested  it  be  cut 
to  the  prewar  10  per  cent. 


Goldman  Petition  vs. 
Warners  Denied 


$1,000  to  $10,000 
TV  Films  Are  Seen 

The  assertion  that  some  films  _  can 
be  made  for  television  at  costs  within 
the  range  of  $1,000  tc .  $10,000 '  came 
yesterday  from  John  Mitchell,  United 
Artists  television  director,  during  an 
address  delivered  before  a  television 
film  conference  which  was  held  here 
at  the  Hotel  Biltmore.  Expressions 
of  both  doubt  and  support  met 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Philadelphia,  Jan.  24.— Federal 
Judge  William  H.  Kirkpatrick  has 
denied  William  Goldman  Theatres 
petition  seeking  to  force  Warners  and 
other  companies  to  dispose  of  their 
holdings  in  the  Philadelphia  area 

A  similar  petition  was  denied  last 
November.  On  Jan.  5,  Goldman  again 
asked  the  court  to  broaden  its  ongi 
nal  order  made  in  1946. 

The  Goldman  interests  contend  that 
Warner  and  10  other  major  producers 
have  shown  favoritism  m  placing  first 
run  pictures  despite -the  court  order 
decreeing  that  first  run  films  be  placed 
on  the  auction  block.  Belief  here  is 
that  Goldman  will  again  appeal  the 
decision. 


Value  of  Scophony  Video 
Patents  Dubious:  Raibourn 


V.  S.  Would  'Plug' 
Obscene -Film  Leaks 

Washington,  Jan.  24.— Leg- 
islation to  make  it  illegal  to 
carry  obscene  matter,  in- 
cluding motion  pictures,  in 
interstate  commerce  w  as 
urged  on  Congress  today  by 
the  Justice  Department. 

It  is  now  illegal  to  send 
such  matter  by  mail  or  com- 
mon carrier  and  Assistant 
U.  S.  Attorney  General  Pey- 
ton Ford  pointed  out  that 
many  persons  are  getting 
around  this  by  carrying  the 
obscene  matter  themselves 
from  state  to  state.  He  urged 
action  to  close  this  loophole. 


Broidy:  Reissues 
Will  Boomerang 

Hollywood,  Jan.  24.— Blasting  re- 
issues as  a  menace  to  the  long  range 
welfare  of  the  industry  Allied  Art- 
ists-Monogram president  Steve  Broidy 
told  a  press  conference  here  today, 
"Distributors  and  exhibitors  are  mak- 
ing profits  with  reissues,  but  they  are 
not  making  progress  .  The  industry 
will  nay  dearly  for  this  policy  in  the 
not  distant  future." 

Broidy  pointed  out  that  reissues 
tend  to  keep  away  from  theatres  those 
patrons  who  have  been  most  consist- 
ent in  their  attendance,  and  when  the 
old  films  are  not  clearly  advertised  as 
reissues  they  mislead  and  antagonize 
patrons.  He  added  that  many  reis- 
sues contain  casts,  sets  and  production 
values  no  longer  possible  with  pres- 
ent-day budgets.  They  make  new 
product  look  shoddy  by  comparison, 
he  said,  and  named  instances  m  which 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Value  of  the  Scophony  television 
patents  and  processes  is  obscure,  ac- 
cording to  Paul  Raibourn,  president 
of  Paramount  Television  Productions 
which,  with  General  Precision  Equip- 
ment, had  shared  an  exclusive  license 
to  them.  . 

Raibourn  said  that  he  drew  his  con 
elusion  from,  among  other  things,  the 
fact  that  the  U.  S.  War  Department 
had  spent  what  he  believed  to  be  m 
the  neighborhood  of  $1,000,000  m  an 
effort  to  exploit  the  patents  and 
"nothing  came  of  it." 

Paramount  and  General  Precision 
relinquished  their  exclusive  licenses 
to  Scophonv  of  America  under  the 
terms  of  the  recent  consent  decree 
entered  in  the  monopoly  suit  brought 
by  the  Department  of  Justice  against 
the  three  companies.  Also  settled 
was  a  .cross  claims  action  by  Scophony 
against  its  co-defendants.  Arthur 
Levey,  president  of  Scophony,  con- 
sistently has  held  that  the  patents 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


New  Penalties 
To  $5,000  in 
Plan  for  AAA 

{Arbitration  Proposals 
\Drafted  by  Four  Majors 

Awards  up  to  $5,000  to  exhibi- 
tors upheld  in  charges  of  arbitrary 
refusal  of  run  by  a  distributor  and 
up  to  the  same  amount  on  a  ruling 
that  a  distributor-owned  theatre  made 
an  excessive  offer  for  a  run  for  the 
primary  purpose  of  depriving  the  com- 
plainant exhibitor  of  the  opportunity 
of  licensing  that  run,  are  embodied  in 
a  new  plan  for  an  industry  arbitration 
system  which  has  been  drafted  by  the 
four  remaining  theatre-owning  defend- 
ants in  the  Paramount  anti-trust  suit. 

The  distributor,  also,  could  be  liable 
for  damages  up  to  $5,000  on  charges 
of  having  granted  a  license  to  an  un- 
affiliated circuit  or  buying  combination 
with  the  knowledge  that  the  run  m- 
(Continued  on  page  5) 

'Forced  Percentage' 
Parleys  Open  Here 

The  special  Allied  States  Associa- 
tion committee  on  "forced  percentage 
selling"  yesterday  began  a  scheduled 
week-long  series  of  conferences  here 
with  distribution  sales  managers. 
Headed  by  Col.  H.  A.  Cole  of  Texas, 
the  committee  was  instructed  last 
Dec  1  by  the  national  Allied  con- 
vention in  New  Orleans  to  conduct 
the  conferences  with  a  view  toward 
persuading  sales  chiefs  to  relax  their 
percentage  picture  policies  when  cer- 
tain conditions  prevail. 

The  group  called  yesterday  upon 
Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  20th  Century- 
Fox's   general   sales   manager,  who, 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Storms  Cut  Western 
Attendance  20% 

Portland,  Ore.,  Jan.  24.— 
Continuing  severe  cold  and 
heavy  snow  storms  in  the 
Rocky  Mountain,  Great  Plains 
and  Northwest  areas  have 
cut  into  theatre  attendance 
for  an  estimated  average  of 
20  per  cent.  Theatres  have 
been  closely  entirely  in  some 
sections  of  Montana  and  the 
Dakotas  and  in  other  areas 
the  losses  range  much  higher 
than  20  per  cent. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  25,  194S1 


2Q0  at  N.  Y.  Bookers 
Induction  Dinner 

Alex  Arnswalder  of  20th  Century^ 
Fox  last  night  was  inducted  for  his 
second  term  as  president  of  the  New 
York  Motion  Picture  Bookers  Club 
at  the  organization's  10th  annual  din 
ner,  held  at  the  Tavern-on-the-Green 
here.  Inducted  with  Arnswalder  were 
first  vice-president  Harry  Margolis. 
second,  vice-president  Dan  Ponticelle, 
treasurer  Myron  Starr  and  secretary 
Jeane  Slade.  Some  200  members  and 
guests  attended. 

At  the  dais  in  addition  to  the  of 
ficers  were:  B.  G.  Kranze,  Film 
Classics'  distribution  vice-president 
who  was  toastmaster;  Sam  Rinzler, 
who  was  presented  with  an  honorary 
membership  in  the  club,  and  Harry 
Brandt,  Max  A.  Cohen,  Ted  O'Shea 
Ray  Moon  and  Dave  Levy. 


Jack  Names  Mor eland 
And  Homes  Managers 

Fred  M.  Jack,  United  Artists  West 
ern  general  sales  manager,  has  ap 
pointed  Joseph  S.  Moreland  manager 
of  U.A.'s  New  Orleans  branch,  and 
William  C.  Hames,  special  assistant 
to  Jack,  to  manage  the  Indianapolis 
branch. 

Moreland  has  been  with  UA.  since 
1931,  serving  in  both  Dallas  and  New 
Orleans.  He  becomes  New  Orleans 
branch  manager  after  three  years  as 
office  manager.  Hames,  who  has  been 
with  the  company  since  1929,  replaces 
E.  V.  Donnelly  who  will  assume 
new  post. 


Joseph  Cawthorn,  82 

Hollywood,  Jan.  24. — A  requiem 
high  mass  was  held  today  at  the 
Church  of  the  Good  Shepherd  for  Jo- 
seph Cawthorn,  82,  veteran  actor,  who 
died  at  his  Beverly  Hills  home  last 
Friday.  Cawthorn  came  here  in  1926 
and  made  more  than  SO  pictures 
mostly  musical  comedies  in  which  he 
won  his  original  fame  on  the  stage. 
His  widow  and  two  stepsons  survive. 


Services  for  Mellish 

Boston,  Jan.  24. — Funeral  services 
were  held  here  today  for  William  E. 
Mellish  who  built  the  Boston  Opera 
House  and  assisted  in  the  RKO 
MemoriajL  Services  were  held  at 
Forest  Hills  Cemetery,  Boston.  He 
leaves  the  widow,  Margaret  Newton 
Mellish,  a  son,  four  daughters,  two 
brothers  and  two  sisters. 


Rev.  Alfred  Tildesley 

London,  Jan.  24. — Rev.  Alfred  Til- 
desley, who  before  entering  the  min- 
istry was  Paramount's  first  agent 
here,  establishing  branches  for  it 
throughout  the  country,  is  dead  at  the 
age  of  84.  He  is  survived  by  two  sons, 
Peter  Haddon,  actor,  and  Vincent 
Tildesley,  vaudeville  impresario. 


Mrs.  Burnup  Recuperates 

London,  Jan.  24.— Hope  Williams 
Burnup,  London  manager  of  Quigley 
Publications,  has  returned  to  her 
home  from  Middlesex  Hospital  where 
she  has  been  seriously  ill  for  several 
weeks.  She  is  to  spend  a  month  re- 
cuperating at  her  home  before  under- 
going a  major  operation. 


Personal  Mention 


SPYROS  P.  SKOURAS,  20th 
Century-Fox  president,  is  en 
route  to  Turkey  by  air  in  the  party 
of  Archbishop  Athenagoras,  Patri 
arch-elect  of  the  Greek  Orthodox 
Church,  who  will  be  stationed  in  Is 
tanbul.  Skouras  will  tour  Europe 
later  on  company  business. 

• 

Ben  Segal,  managing  director  of 
the  Shubert  Theatre,  New  Haven 
and  the  Mark  Hellinger  Theatre,  New 
York,  was  married  over  the  weekend 
to  Clarice  Cumbley  Blanshan  of 
Southport,  England,  at  Stamford 
Conn. 

• 

William  F.  Rodgers,  M-G-M  vice- 
president  and  general  sales  manager, 
eturned  to  New  York  yesterday  from 
vacation  at  Miami.    He  will  leave 
Saturday  for  the  Coast,  with  a  one- 
day  stop  in  Chicago. 

• 

Herman  Levy,  Theatre  Owners 
of  America  general  counsel,  and 
MPTO  of  Connecticut  executive  sec- 
retary, has  registered  with  the  1949 
Connecticut  legislature  as  a  lobbyist. 
• 

Harry  Goldberg,  Warner  Theatres 
advertising-publicity  director,  and 
Harolb  Rodner,  vice-president  of 
Warner  Service  Co.,  are  in  Washing- 
ton today  from  New  York. 

• 

Nick  O.  D.  Weems,  retiring  chief 
barker  of  the  Variety  Club  in  Balti- 
more, will  be  honored  at  a  testimonial 
dinner.  He  has  been  succeeded  by 
Joseph  Grant. 

• 

Sperie  Perakos,  general  manager 
of  _  Elmwood  Theatre  Corp.,  New 
Britain,  Conn.,  circuit,  has  recuper- 
ated from  a  severe  attack  of  laryn- 
gitis. 

• 

Hy  Fine,  formerly  Connecticut  dis- 
trict manager  for  New  England  The- 
atres, has  been  given  new  duties  at 
the  circuit's  Boston  home  office. 


Edward  Schnitzer,  United  Artists 
Eastern  and  Canadian  general  sales 
mfanagter,  has  left  New  York  for 
Cleveland. 

• 

Nathan   Yamins,   New  England 
theatre  circuit  operator,  has  left  Hart- 
ford for  a  vacation  in  Florida. 
• 

Mort  Goodman,  Republic  studio 
publicity  head,  will  fly  from  Holly- 
wood today  to  San  Francisco. 

Alex  Schimel  has  been  appointed 
salesman  at  the  U-I  New  Haven  ex- 
change. 


NEIL  AGNEW,  head  of  Motion 
Picture  Sales  Corp.,  will  return 
to  New  York  today  from  Hollywood 
• 

Ike  and  Harry  Katz,  executives  of 
Kay  Film  exchanges  in  Washington, 
Atlanta,  Charlotte,  New'  Orleans  and 
Memphis,  are  registered  at  the  Hotel 
Edison  in  New  York. 

• 

George    Burrows,    Allied  Artists 
and  Monogram  executive  vice-presi 
dent  and  treasurer,  returned  to  Holly 
wood  over  the  weekend  after  a  month 
in  New  York. 

• 

Albert  Mannheimer,  Film  Class 
ics  exchange  operations  director,  left 
here  yesterday   for    Milwaukee  and 
Chicago  on  a  tour  of  branches. 
• 

Fred  Meyers,  U-I  Eastern  sales 
manager,    is    in    Philadelphia  today 
from  New  York  and  will  go  to  Bos 
ton  tomorrow. 

• 

Morris    Loewenstein  arrived 
New  York  yesterday  from  Oklahoma 
City  en  route  to  the  TOA  meeting 
Washington. 

• 

Max  Shenker,  Cleveland  head  of 
Berlo     Vending,     recently  married 
Mrs.  Sally  Laken  of  the  same  city, 
• 

Mollie  Prince  has  resigned  from 
the  J.  Arthur  Rank  Organization  and 
will  make  her  residence  on  the  Coast 
• 

E.  L.  Alperson,  independent  pro 
ducer   releasing   through   20th  Cen 
tury-Fox,  is  here  from  Hollywood. 
• 

William    K.    Saxton,  Baltimore 
manager  for  Loew  Theatres,  is  visit- 
ing his  family  on  Long  Island. 
• 

H.  L.  Plunkett,  National  Theatre 
Supply    sales    department,    has  been 
transferred   to   Los  Angeles. 
• 

Saul  Frifield,  Cleveland  Para- 
mount branch  manager,  is  in  the  Mt. 
Sinai  Hospital  there. 


Carl  Dudley,  Dudley  Pictures 
president,  is  in  New  York  from  the 
Coast. 

• 

Lester  Zucker,  Cleveland  U-I 
branch  manager,  is  at  the  Lakeside 
Hospital  there. 

• 

Carl  Bamford,  of  Publix-Bamford 
in  Asheville,  is  vacationing  in  Flor- 
ida. 


Carl  Leserman  has  returned 
Hollywood  from  New  York. 


to 


Reade  Theatres  To  A  id 
Brotherhood  Week' 

All  Walter  Reade  Theatres'  em- 
ployes will  be  asked  to  contribute  to 
the  National  Conference  of  Christians 
and  Jews  during  'American  Brother- 
hood Week,"  it  -was  announced  here 
by  Walter  Reade,  Jr. 

City  managers  will  cooperate  with 
local    community    groups  observing 
rotherhood  Week  and  will  use  lobby 
splays  to  promote  the  event. 


Louis  Stewart,  Cincinnati 

Cincinnati,  Jan.  24.— Louis  Stew- 
art, operator  for  many  years  of  the 
suburban  Ohio  and  Parkland  theatres 
and  a  former  member  of  the  Variety 
Club  here,  died  at  his  home  late  last 
week.  He  is  survived  by  his  widow 
and  a  daughter. 


Scroll  to  Stern  Jan.  28 

Presentation  of  the  Motion  Picture] 
Daily-Fame  award  to  Bill  Stern 
voted  Best  Sportscaster  in  the  Dm'/yJ 
poll  of  radio  editors,  has  been  post-j 
poned  to  Stern's  broadcast  of  Jan.  28J 
over  National  Broadcasting.  Original-I 
ly  it  had  been  scheduled  for  last! 
Friday. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

Rockefeller  Center 

Jeanne    CRAIN     -     Linda  DARNELL 
Ann  SOTHERN 

"A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES"! 

KIRK    DOUGLAS    -    PAUL   DOUGLAS  -I 
JEFFREY  LYNN 

A    20th  Century  -  Fox.  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


ueiu 


YOUNG  MINGS 

i.  HAL  WALUS' 


Samuel  Goldwyn  presents 

ENCHANTMENT" 

Starring 

DAVID  NIVEN  TERESA  WRIGHT 

EVELYN  KEYES  FARLEY  GRANGER 

Released  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 

ASTOR  THEATER 

Broadway  &  45th  Street 


/.  Arthur  Sank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER,    w  ^^ay 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Shew  Saturday  Eveninp  1 1 :30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


r 


OLIVIA  de  HAVILLAND  I 


the  Snake  Pi  t 


Directed  by  Produced  by 

AHATWI  UTVAK « ANATOLE  LITVAK  S  ROBERT  BASSLER 


2oJ 


Bell  Resigns  from  B.F.I. 

LonCon,  Jan.  24.— Oliver  Bell  has 
resigned  as  a  director  of  the  British 
Film  Institute. 


'JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID  mmm 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

W  COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 


wilh  JOSE  FERRER  •  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  • J  CARROL  NAISH  -  WARD  BONO  i 
SHEPPERD  STRUOWICK  •  HURO  HAIFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHART  .  JOHN  EMERY  S 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  •  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY 
based  upon  the  Slage  play  'Joan  ol  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
icreen  ploy  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOLT  .  ort  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  •  director  ol  photogrophy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

ed  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  •  releoiod  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


1 1  r*  WEEK!, 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sh 


erwin   Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
•  "0,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 

Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
Editor-  Chicago  Bureau   1?n  Snntfc "tVcViL"^™..*"  r?,' „';7"  T'aj  ,  yu=  x±.  rausei  jrroaucnon  manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver. 

JAbt^^^V^S^S^^S^^h^^1  B  AdV7rSl?f-  Frbe?  P>rley-  Advertising  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washington, 
&to  pSwLtaS'  ffioS^jS^^  ^ruZ11'  4  Golden  Sq.   London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup.  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco.  London.'* 

Motion Pilture  Almanac    rW  ,     J,  rA    f        T°!a*r«|  and  Sale?'    each  Published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 

Motion  ricture  Almanac,  *ame.  h-ntered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y  under  the  act  of 
year,  $6  m  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c.  act  OI 


March  3,  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


fMC£  THE  TOP  SHOWMEN 
IN  THESE  TOP  THEATRES 

COUNTRY! 


Allen . . .  Cleveland 
Vendome .  Nashville 
Orpheum . .  Phoenix 
Majestic . . .  Dallas 
Lafayette . .  Buffalo 
State .....  Austin 
Ellanay ....  El  Paso 
Worth ...  Ft.  Worth 


Majestic . . .  Houston 
Majestic.SanAntonio 
Embassy .  Johnstown 

Rialto  Boise 

Empire . . .  Fall  River 
Palace . .  Huntington 

Palace  Akron 

Fox  St.  Louis 


W  wrt-fa,  GffiroL,  dRowww,  mm  York, 


COLUMBIA  PICTURES  presents 

GLENN  WILLIAM 

FORD  •  HOLDEN 


*  ELLEN  DREW 

RAY  EDGAR  JEROME  JAMES 

COLLINS  •  BUCHANAN  •  COURTLAND  •  MILLICAN 

Screenplay  by  Robert  D.  Andrews  and  Ben  Maddow 

Directed  by  HENRY  LEVIN  •  Produced  by  JULES  SCHERMER 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  25,  1949 


2Q0  at  N.  Y.  Bookers 
Induction  Dinner 

Alex  Arnswalder  of  20th  Century 
Fox  last  night  was  inducted  for  his 
second  term  as  president  of  the  New 
York  Motion  Picture  Bookers  Club, 
at  the  organization's  10th  annual  din- 
ner, held  at  the  Tavern-on-the-Green 
here.  Inducted  with  Arnswalder  were 
first  vice-president  Harry  Margolis 
second,  vice-president  Dan  Ponticelle, 
treasurer  Myron  Starr  and  secretary 
Jeane  Slade.  Some  200  members  and 
guests  attended. 

At  the  dais  in  addition  to  the  of- 
ficers were :  B.  G.  Kranze,  Film 
Classics'  distribution  vice-president, 
who  was  toastmaster ;  Sam  Rinzler, 
who  was  presented  with  an  honorary 
membership  in  the  club,  and  Harry 
Brandt,  Max  A.  Cohen,  Ted  O'Shea, 
Ray  Moon  and  Dave  Levy. 


Jack  Names  Mor eland 
And  Homes  Managers 

Fred  M.  Jack,  United  Artists  West- 
ern general  sales  manager,  has  ap- 
pointed Joseph  S.  Moreland  manager 
of  U.A.'s  New  Orleans  branch,  and 
William  C.  Hames,  special  assistant 
to  Jack,  to  manage  the  Indianapolis 
branch. 

Moreland  has  been  with  UA.  since 
1931,  serving  in  both  Dallas  and  New 
Orleans.  He  becomes  New  Orleans 
branch  manager  after  three  years  as 
office  manager.  Hames,  who  has  been 
with  the  company  since  1929,  replaces 
E.  V.  Donnelly  who  will  assume  a 
new  post. 


Joseph  Cawthorn,  82 

Hollywood,  Jan.  24. — A  requiem 
high  mass  was  held  today  at  the 
Church  of  the  Good  Shepherd  for  Jo- 
seph Cawthorn,  82,  veteran  actor,  who 
died  at  his  Beverly  Hills  home  last 
Friday.  Cawthorn  came  here  in  1926 
and  made  more  than  SO  pictures, 
mostly  musical  comedies  in  which  he 
won  his  original  fame  on  the  stage. 
His  widow  and  two  stepsons  survive. 


Services  for  Mellish 

Boston,  Jan.  24. — Funeral  services 
were  held  here  today  for  William  E. 
Mellish  who  built  the  Boston  Opera 
House  and  assisted  in  the  RKO 
MemoriajL  Services  were  held  at 
Forest  Hills  Cemetery,  Boston.  He 
leaves  the  widow,  Margaret  Newton 
Mellish,  a  son,  four  daughters,  two 
brothers  and  two  sisters. 


Rev.  Alfred  Tildesley 

London,  Jan.  24. — Rev.  Alfred  Til- 
desley, who  before  entering  the  min- 
istry was  Paramount's  first  agent 
here,  establishing  branches  for  it 
throughout  the  country,  is  dead  at  the 
age  of  84.  He  is  survived  by  two  sons, 
Peter  Haddon,  actor,  and  Vincent 
Tildesley,  vaudeville  impresario. 


Mrs.  Burnup  Recuperates 

London,  Jan.  24. — Hope  Williams 
Burnup,  London  manager  of  Quigley 
Publications,  has  returned  to  her 
home  from  Middlesex  Hospital  where 
she  has  been  seriously  ill  for  several 
weeks.  She  is  to  spend  a  month  re- 
cuperating at  her  home  before  under- 
going a  major  operation. 


Personal  Mention 


SPYROS  P. 
Century-Fox 


SKOURAS,  20th 
president,  is  en 
route  to  Turkey  by  air  in  the  party 
of  Archbishop  Athenagoras,  Patri 
arch-elect  of  the  Greek  Orthodox 
Church,  who  will  be  stationed  in  Is 
tanbul.  Skouras  will  tour  Europe 
later  on  company  business. 

• 

Ben  Segal,  managing  director  of 
the  Shubert  Theatre,  New  Haven 
and  the  Mark  Hellinger  Theatre,  New 
York,  was  married  over  the  weekend 
to  Clarice  Cumbley  Blanshan  of 
Southport,  England,  at  Stamford, 
Conn. 

• 

William  F.  Rodgers,  M-G-M  vice 
president  and  general  sales  manager, 
returned  to  New  York  yesterday  from 
p  vacation  at  Miami.  He  will  leave 
Saturday  for  the  Coast,  with  a  one 
day  stop  in  Chicago. 

• 

Herman  Levy,  Theatre  Owners 
of  America  general  counsel,  and 
MPTO  of  Connecticut  executive  sec 
retary,  has  registered  with  the  1949 
Connecticut  legislature  as  a  lobbyist. 
• 

Harry  Goldberg,  Warner  Theatres 
advertising-publicity  director,  and 
Harolb  Rodner,  vice-president  of 
Warner  Service  Co.,  are  in  Washing- 
ton today  from  New  York. 

• 

Nick  O.  D.  Weems,  retiring  chief 
barker  of  the  Variety  Club  in  Balti- 
more, will  be  honored  at  a  testimonial 
dinner.  He  has  been  succeeded  by 
Joseph  Grant. 

• 

Sperie  Perakos,  general  manager 
of  Elmwood  Theatre  Corp.,  New 
Britain,  Conn.,  circuit,  has  recuper- 
ated from  a  severe  attack  of  laryn- 
gitis. 

• 

Hy  Fine,  formerly  Connecticut  dis- 
trict manager  for  New  England  The- 
atres, has  been  given  new  duties  at 
the  circuit's  Boston  home  office. 

Edward  Schnitzer,  United  Artists 
Eastern  and  Canadian  general  sales 
manager,  has  left  New  York  for 
Cleveland. 

• 

Nathan   Yamins,   New  England 
theatre  circuit  operator,  has  left  Hart- 
ford for  a  vacation  in  Florida. 
• 

Mort    Goodman,    Republic  studio 
publicity  head,  will  fly  from  Holly- 
wood today  to  San  Francisco. 
• 

Alex  Schimel  has  been  appointed 
salesman  at  the  U-I  New  Haven  ex- 
change. 


NEIL  AGNEW,  head  of  Motion 
Picture  Sales  Corp.,  will  return 
to  New  York  today  from  Hollywood 
• 

Ike  and  Harry  Katz,  executives  of 
Kay  Film  exchanges  in  Washington 
Atlanta,  Charlotte,  New'  Orleans  and 
Memphis,  are  registered  at  the  Hotel 
Edison  in  New  York. 

• 

George    Burrows,    Allied  Artists 
and  Monogram  executive  vice-presi 
dent  and  treasurer,  returned  to  Holly- 
wood over  the  weekend  after  a  month 
in  New  York. 

• 

Albert  Mannheimer,  Film  Class 
ics  exchange  operations  director,  left 
here   yesterday   for    Milwaukee  and 
Chicago  on  a  tour  of  branches. 
• 

Fred   Meyers,  U-I   Eastern  sales 
manager,    is    in    Philadelphia  today 
from  New  York  and  will  go  to  Bos 
ton  tomorrow. 

• 

Morris  Loewenstein  arrived  in 
New  York  yesterday  from  Oklahoma 
City  en  route  to  the  TOA  meeting  in 
Washington. 

• 

Max  Shenker,  Cleveland  head  of 
Berlo     Vending,     recently  married 
Mrs.  Sally  Laken  of  the  same  city, 
o 

Mollie  Prince  has  resigned  from 
the  J.  Arthur  Rank  Organization  and 
will  make  her  residence  on  the  Coast 
• 

XE.  L.  Alperson,  independent  pro- 
ducer  releasing   through   20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox, is  here  from  Hollywood. 
• 

William    K.    Saxton,  Baltimore 
manager  for  Loew  Theatres,  is  visit- 
ing his  family  on  Long  Island. 
• 

H.  L.  Plunkett,  National  Theatre 
Supply    sales    department,    has  been 
transferred  to   Los  Angeles. 
• 

Saul  Frifield,  Cleveland  Para- 
mount branch  manager,  is  in  the  Mt. 
Sinai  Hospital  there. 

• 

Carl  Dudley,  Dudley  Pictures 
president,  is  in  New  York  from  the 
Coast. 

• 

Lester  Zucker,  Cleveland  U-I 
branch  manager,  is  at  the  Lakeside 
Hospital  there. 

• 

Carl  Bamford,  of  Publix-Bamford 
in  Asheville,  is  vacationing  in  Flor- 
ida. 


Carl  Leserman  has  returned 
Hollywood  from  New  York. 


to 


Scroll  to  Stern  Jan.  28 

Presentation  of  the  Motion,  Picture 
Daily-Fame  award  to  Bill  Stern, 
voted  Best  Sportscaster  in  the  Daily's 
poll  of  radio  editors,  has  been  post- 
poned to  Stern's  broadcast  of  Jan.  28 
over  National  Broadcasting.  Original- 
ly it  had  been  scheduled  for  last 
Friday. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL — i 

Rockefeller  Center 


CRAIN 

Ann 


Linda  DARNELL 
SOTHERN 


"A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES" 

KIRK    DOUGLAS    -    PAUL  DOUGLAS  - 
JEFFREY  LYNN 

A    20th  Century  -  Fox  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


YOUNG-MINGS 

k  HALWALUS'  production 


Samuel  Goldwyn  presents 

ENCHANTMENT 


Starring 

DAVID  NIVEN  TERESA  WRIGHT 

EVELYN  KEYES  FARLEY  GRANGER 

Released  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 

ASTOR  THEATER 

Broadway  &  45th  Street 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

45/A  Street 
West  of  Broadway 
All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


BIJOU  THEATER, 


r 


DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK  presents  ■ 

OLIVIA  de  HAYILLAND  I 


the  Snalce  Pit 


Directed  by  Produced  by  "~)r\  I 

I ANAI0U  UlVAK  •  ANATOLE IITVAK  8  ROBERT  BASSLER  ,£jsC  I 


KlVOLI 


Reade  Theatres  To  A  id 
'Brotherhood  Week' 

All  Walter  Reade  Theatres'  em- 
ployes will  be  asked  to  contribute  to 
the  National  Conference  of  Christians 
and  Jews  during  "American  Brother- 
hood Week,"  it  was  announced  here 
by  Walter  Reade,  Jr. 

City  managers  will  cooperate  with 
local  community  groups  observing 
Brotherhood  Week  and  will  use  lobby 
displays  to  promote  the  event. 


Louis  Stewart,  Cincinnati 

Cincinnati,  Jan.  24.— Louis  Stew- 
art, operator  for  many  years  of  the 
suburban  Ohio  and  Parkland  theatres 
and  a  former  member  of  the  Variety 
Club  here,  died  at  his  home  late  last 
week.  He  is  survived  by  his  widow 
and  a  daughter. 


Bell  Resigns  from  B.F.I. 

London,  Jan.  24.— Oliver  Bell  has 
resigned  as  a  director  of  the  British 
Film  Institute. 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID  _k 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BV  TECHNICOLOR  *  CASr  OF  THOUSANDS 


with  JOSE  FERRER  -  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  -  J.  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BONO  B 
SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  ■  HURD  HATFIELD  ■  GENE  LQCKHART  *  JOHN  EMERV  S 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  -  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAV 
based  upon  the  stage  play  'Joan  ot  Lorraine1  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
screen  ploy  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOLT  •  art  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  •  director  of  photography  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

j  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  •  roleoied  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


JJ^IrVEEK!, 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York.  Martin  Quigley.  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver. 
?  At0rA  Lhlca.f°  . Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley.  Advertising  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washington, 
J.  A.  CHten  National  Press  Club,  Washington.  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup.  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald ;  International 
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ffl&C  THE  TOP 

IN  THESE  TOP  THEATRES 
m\ft0M  COUNTRY! 


SHOWMEN 
HEATRES 


Allen ...  Cleveland 
Vendome .  Nashville 
Orpheum . .  Phoenix 
Majestic . . .  Dallas 
Lafayette . .  Buffalo 
State .....  Austin 
Ellanay ....  El  Paso 
Worth . . .  Ft.  Worth 


Majestic . . .  Houston 
Majestic .  San  Antonio 
Embassy .  Johnstown 

Rialto  Boise 

Empire . . .  Fall  River 
Palace . .  Huntington 

Palace  Akron 

Fox  St.  Louis 


COLUMBIA  PICTURES  presents 


GLENN 


WILLIAM 


FORD  •  HOLDEN 


ELLEN  DREW 

RAY  EDGAR  JEROME  JAMES 

COLLINS  •  BUCHANAN  •  COURTLAND  •  MILLICAN 

Screenplay  by  Robert  0.  Andrews  and  Ben  Maddow 

Directed  by  HENRY  LEVIN  •  Produced  by  JULES  SCHERMER 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  25,  1949 


Stein  Heads  Fla. 
Exhibitors'  Group 

Miami,  Jan.  24. — At  a  meeting  held 
in  Jacksonville,  attended  by  over  100 
Florida  exhibitors,  a  new  association 
was  formed  under  the  name  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Exhibitors  of  Florida 
Officers  are : 

L.  A.  Stein,  president;  Boliver  F, 
Hyde,  vice-president;  M.  E.  Hensler 
treasurer;  William  C.  Umbaa,  secre 
tary.  Also  elected  were  three  direc 
tors-at-large :  E.  D.  Martin,  Harold 
Spears  and  Nat  Williams.  Three 
directors  will  be  elected  in  each  of 
five  regional  districts  of  the  state, 
who,  with  the  officers  will  comprise 
the  association's  Board  of  Directors. 

Organization  structure  of  the  asso- 
ciation is  patterned  after  a  similar 
group  in  Georgia,  except  it  was  voted 
to  allow  theatres  which  are  affiliates 
of  distributors  to  become  members 
Only  one  vote  is  allowed  each  member 
in  statewide  meetings  regardless  of 
the  number  of  theatres  he  represents. 
Dues  for  1949  were  set  at  five  cents 
per  seat  or  10  cents  per  car  for 
drive-in  theatres. 

Purposes  of  the  association  include 
united  action  against  taxes,  improve 
ment  of  the  industry  and  mutual  ex 
change    of    ideas    beneficial    to  ex 
hibitors. 

Immediate  need  for  organization 
was  seen  when  Stein  told  the 
assembly  he  knew  of  "three  separate 
bills  which  are  ready  for  presentation 
to  the  Florida  legislature,  each  of 
which  would  impose  an  admission  tax 
on  theatres." 

Members  of  the  MPEF  unanimous- 
ly voted  to  become  affiliated  with  the 
TOA  and  elected  Mitchell  Wolfson 
as  their  representative  to  that  or- 
ganization. 

Regional  meetings  will  be  held 
within  30  days  in  five  sections  of 
the  state  for  elections  of  three  direc- 
tors in  each.  Next  general  meeting 
will  be  held  in  the  latter  part  of 
March. 

President  Stein  appointed  a  tem- 
porary regional  chairman  for  each 
district;  they  were:  Wolfson,  South- 
east; Robert  Boardman,  Southwest; 
James  Portlow,  Central;  Robert  Can- 
non, North;  Rufus  Davis,  West. 


Albany  Tent  Praised 
For  Charity  Work 

Albany,  Jan.  24. — Father  Thomas 
Dipace,  St.  John's  Recreational  Youth 
Center,  Albany,  praised  Variety  Clubs 
for  their  national  and  local  charities 
at  a  meeting  of  Tent  Nine  tonight  at 
the  Ten  Eyck  Hotel.  He  thanked 
the  film  men  "For  what  they  have 
done  and  can  do,  not  for  me  but  for 
the  boys  and  girls  of  Recreational 
Center,  who  will  be  the  citizens  of 
tomorrow  and  the  bulwark  of  the  na- 
tion." 

He  specifically  praised  film  row 
managers  who  have  recently  given  the 
use  -of  pictures  for  weekly  shows  at 
the  center.  Dan  Houlihan,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox manager  in  Albany,  intro- 
duced Father  Dipace  and  chief  bark- 
er Saul  Ullman  expressed  the  thanks 
of  the  club. 


Review 


"John  Loves  Mary 

{Warner) 

AUDIENCES  will  have  a  good  time  as  they  relax  and  laugh  over  the 
trouble  Ronald  Reagan  whips  up  for  himself  with  Patricia  Neal,  his 
romantic  opposite,  in  "John  Loves  Mary."  For  this  is  a  first-rate  situation 
comedy  ably  produced  by  Jerry  Wald  and  as  competently  directed  by  David 
Butler. 

The  possibilities  become  apparent  by  way  of  this  briefed  story  outline :  Four 
years  at  the  wars,  Reagan  returns  to  resume  his  honorable  intentions  with 
Miss  Neal,  daughter  of  Edward  Arnold,  U.  S.  Senator,  and  Katherine  Alex- 
ander. Since  Jack  Carson  saved  his  life  at  the  front,  Reagan  decides  to 
marry  Virginia  Field,  the  light  of  Carson's  life,  solely  for  purposes  of  getting 
her  into  America  from  England. 

Matters  turn  embarrassing  when  Reagan  learns  Carson  not  only  is  married 
to  a  different  light  of  his  life,  but  about  to  become  a  father.  Meanwhile, 
Miss  Neal  has  been  biding  her  time  and  Reagan's  return  and  wants  to  marry 
him  without  delay.  The  to-do  arising  out  of  an  obviously  troublesome  situa- 
tion, made  the  more  so  by  Reagan's  decision  -to  hold  his  peace  about  what 
actually  gives,  is  amusing  and  well  brought  off.  In  the  finale,  with  all  the 
principals  on  deck,  he  blurts  out  with  the  truth  and  is  saved  from  the  count 
when  it  is  discovered  Miss  Field  is  the  wife  of  Wayne  Morris  whom  she 
had  believed  dead. 

All  of  these  goings  on,  from  Norman  Krasna;s  stage  play,  lend  themselves 
to  situations  which  are  caught  with  professional  adroitness  in  the  film  ver- 
sion. But  those  in  charge  of  this  enterprise  elected  to  go  considerably  further 
than  their  subject  required  in  order  to  become  effective.  Hitherto  thought 
to  have  been  relegated  to  its  unsung  niche  in  theatrical  history,  the  old 
burlesque  gag  of  the  principal  caught  with  his  pants  down — and  off — is  re- 
vived and  made  to  weave  in  and  out  of  the  plot.  It  is  as  risque  and  unnice 
as  it  ever  was,  gives  a  false  coloration  to  the  relationship  between  Reagan 
and  the  pleasant  Miss  Neal  and  imparts  a  flavor  to  "John  Loves  Mary" 
which  it  never  needs  and  could  have  gotten  along  quite  neatly  without. 

Performances  are  competent,  even  if  Carson  plays  the  dim-wit  somewhat 
more  broadly  than  perhaps  is  required.  Miss  Neal,  a  newcomer,  shows  prom- 
ise based  on  further  experience.  Phoebe  and  Henry  Ephron  wrote  the  screen- 
play. 


Upholds  Judgment 
Of  Mass  Audiences 


Running 
Feb.  19. 


time,  96  minutes.   Adult  audience  classification. 


Release  date, 
Red  Kann 


_  Basic  research  into  audience  reac- 
tion as  applied  to  the  motion  picture 
was  discussed  here  yesterday  by  Prof. 
William  E.  Henry,  of  the  Committee 
of  Human  Development  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Chicago,  in  an  address 
before  the  East  Coast  Previewing 
Committee  of  the  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociation of  America.  He  upheld  the 
judgment  of  mass  audiences  and  de- 
clared : 

"Very  often  critics  are  merely 
talking  to  themselves.  Criticism  of 
the  motion  picture  frequently  reflects 
frustration  on  the  part  of  the  individ- 
ual who  criticizes.  More  valid  criti- 
cism comes  from  the  audiences  as  they 
register  _  their  preference  by  attending 
or  staying  away  from  the  theatre. 
Audiences  are  not  reacting  only  in 
terms  of  the  social  acceptability  of  the 
picture;  they  are  reacting  in  terms 
of  their  own  basic  human  interest. 
_  "It  is  frequently  said  that  if  mo- 
tion pictures  are  made  for  mass 
audience  taste,  great  pictures  will  not 
be  made.  This,"  Prof.  Henry  said,  "is 
false  to  fact.  Great  pictures  have 
been  popular  pictures.  What  we  need 
is  more  insight  into  the  depth  and 
range  of  mass  audience  taste.  Such 
knowledge  now  exists  ready  to  hand 
for  the  creative  artist,  as  he  makes  the 
great  pictures  of  today  and  tomor- 
row." 


Hear  Schine  on  New 
Evidence  on  Feb,  16 

Washington,  Jan.  24. — A  hearing 
on  whether  the  Schine  circuit  should 
be  allowed  to  introduce  new  evidence 
in  the  governments'  anti-trust  case 
has  been  set  for. Feb.  16  in  Buffalo. 

If  Judge  Knight  rules  in  favor  of 
Schine,  over  the  government's  objec- 
tions, presentation  of  the  new  evidence 
will  begin  on  Feb.  23. 

Argument  on  the  Schine  motion  was 
originally  set  for  Jan.  18,  but  was 
postponed  when  Schine  attorney 
Bruce  Bromley  was  named  to  the 
New  York  Court  of  Appeals.  Schine 
sked  a  two-month  delay  while  new 
lawyers  familiarized  themselves  with 
the  case,  but  Judge  Knight  granted 
only  a  month's  postponement. 


Broidy  on  Reissues 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Shourds  on  Army  Stint 

Hollywood,  Jan.  24.  —  Sherry 
Shourds,  Warner  director,  has  re- 
sumed active  duty  in  the  Army  Air 
Force  as  a  major  to  direct  the  first 
of  a  series  of  Air  Force  television 
films  on  the  Berlin  airlift.  Shourds 
left  for  Washington  over  the  weekend. 


Postpone  Hearing 
On  Meiselman  Case 

Charlotte,  Jan.  24. — Hearing  on 
the  request  of  H.  B.  Meiselman,  local 
exhibitor,  for  a  preliminary  injunc- 
tion against  H.  F.  Kincey,  two  thea- 
tres in  the  Kincey- Wilby  circuit  and 
the  eight  major  distributors,  has  been 
postponed  until  mid-February.  It  was 
originally  slated  for  Jan.  19.  A  def- 
inite date  will  be  set  later. 

Depositions  in  the  case  were  taken 
here  last  week  by  Meiselman' s  attor- 
neys, the  Washington  firm  of  Claggett 
and  Schilz. 


New  Pal  Production 

Hollywood,  Jan.  24. — With  lunar 
rocket  travel  currently  in  the  military, 
scientific  and  public  spotlight,  George 
Pal  has  acquired  rights  on  "Operation 
Moon,"  by  Robert  A.  Heinlein,  and 
it  will  be  filmed  in  a  combination  of 
live  action,  Puppetoon  animation,  and 
model  techniques. 


old  pictures  have  outdrawn  their  stu- 
dios' new  pictures  on  even  terms. 
Broidy  said  persistence  in  the  use  of 
reissues  can  lead  the  industry  into  a 
vicious  circle  from  which  there  is  no 
escape. 

Broidy  disclosed  for  the  first  time 
that  AA-Monogram  .have  switched 
to_  family-type  stories  in  conformity 
with  letters  from  exhibitors  citing  a 
widespread  demand  voiced  by  school, 
church,  club  and  civic  leaders  who 
complain  that  violent  themes  have 
been  overworked.  "Wide  sectors  of 
the  population  want  this  type  of  pic- 
ture," Broidy  said.  "We  have  made 
and  are  making  them.  It  is  now  up 
to  exhibitors  to  do  their  part  in  giv- 
ing them  what  they  want." 

Broidy  revealed  that  "Bad  Boy," 
Variety  Club-sponsored  film,  will  be 
premiered  in  25  or  30  non-Variety 
Club  kev  centers  on  the  same  basis 
as  in  the  25  cities  which  have  Variety 
Clubs,  with  total  proceeds  from  all 
premieres  .going  to  established  chari- 
ties. He  estimated  that  the  net  sum 
accruing  to  charities  will  reach 
$750,000. 


distribution  vice-president;  A.  J. 
O'Keefe,  Universal-International  as- 
sistant general  sales  manager,  and 
Rube  Jackter, .  Columbia  assistant  gen- 
eral sales  manager.  O'Keefe  will 
confer  in  the  absence  of  U-I  distribu- 
tion vice-president  William  A.  Scully 
who  is  on  the  Coast.  Jackter  will 
represent  Columbia  distribution  vice- 
president  A.  Montague,  who  will  be 
out  of  town  for  several  more  weeks. 

RKO  Radio  distribution  vice-presi- 
dent Robert  Mochrie  is  not  scheduled 
to  return  here  from  Hollywood  until 
next  Monday  and  unless  the  Cole 
committee  extends  its  New  York 
visit  into  a  second  week  it  will  not 
have  conferred  with  Mochrie  at  this 
time.  Ned  E.  Depinet,  RKO  Radio 
president,  also  is  in  Hollywood. 

William  J.  Heineman,  Eagle-Lion 
distribution  vice-president,  and  James 
R.  Grainger,  Republic  distribution 
vice-president,  reported  yesterday 
that  the  Cole  committee  had  not  ap- 
proached them  for  conference  appoint- 
ments. 


See  No  Quota  Change 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


'Forced  Percentage' 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


following  the  meeting  termed  it  a 
"peaceful"  one.  He  declined  to  give 
details  of  the  meeting,  and  when  ques- 
tioned as  to  whether  he  had  arrived 
at_  any  decisions  as  a  result  of  it  he 
said  he  would  have  to  weigh  the 
discussion  before  any  action  could  be 
taken. 

The  Cole  committee  has  appoint- 
ments to  confer  this  week  with  Wil- 
liam F.  Rodgers,  distribution  vice- 
president  of  M-G-M;  Charles  Rea- 
gan, Paramount's  distribution  vice- 
president ;   Ben   Kalmenson,  Warner 


his  45  percentage  a  trial  for  at  least 
one  year. 

Exhibitor  association  leaders  are 
planning  a  big  campaign  in  the  next 
month  or  so  which,  they  hope,  will 
lead  to  a  reduction  on  Oct.  1.  Mean- 
while, W.  R.  Fuller,  the  Association's 
general  secretary,  has  gathered  an  im- 
pressive dossier  of  cases  of  exhibitors 
who  claim  they  find  it  impossible  to 
comply  with  present  quota  require- 
ments. 


Scophony  Patents 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


when  put  to  use  would  mean  marked 
advances  in  theatre  television  projec- 
tion and  transmission  at  considerably 
less  costs. 

Raibourn  expressed  the  belief  that 
the  patents  are  devoid  of  value. 


Tuesday,  January  25,  1949 

Arbitration  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


volved  was  sought  primarily  to  ex- 
clude the  complainant  exhibitor  from 
negotiations  for  the  run  and  an  ex- 
cessive amount  was  offered. 

Copies  of  the  draft,  all  stamped 
"tentative,"  were  distributed  to  RKO, 
the  Little  Three  and  the  Department 
of  Justice  in  Washington  yesterday. 
The  present  plan  is  to  present  the  pro- 
posals to  the  New  York  Federal  Court 
on  Jan.  31. 

RKO  Defers  Approval 

i  RKO  has  taken  the  position  that  its 
endorsement  of  any  such  system  must 
await  approval  of  its  reorganization 
by  company  stockholders  when  they 
meet  in  late  March.  Also,  an  RKO 
official  said  yesterday  that  the  com- 
pany is  "sympathetic  toward  the  idea 
of  arbitration,"  but  preferred  to  wait 
until  the  newly-proposed  plan  is  in  a 
"more  definitive"  state.  United  Art 
ists  and  Universal  have  the  matter  un 
der  consideration.  Louis  Frohlich, 
Columbia  counsel,  is  on  record  as 
being  opposed  to  arbitration. 

The  exhibitor  must  assert  his  claim 
within  30  days  after  the  alleged  re- 
fusal of  run  and  an  affirmative  deci- 
sion would  mean  that  the  arbitrator 
could  award  him  not  less  than  $100 
nor  more  than  $5,000,  the  amount  be 
ing  the  exhibitor's  "actual  pecuniary 

Ss'loss."  .,  , 

The  exhibitor  could  institute  a  fur 
ther  proceeding  on  the  charge  that  the 
distributor  failed  to  comply  with  the 
award  and  the  second  award,  if  made 
could  be  between  $100  and  $5,000 
$5,000  Is  Damages  Limit 

A  proceeding  could  be  brought  un- 
der either  or  both  provisions  dealing 
with  excessive  offers  for  runs  but  the 
exhibitor  may  recover  combined  dam- 
ages up  to  $5,000,  covering  his  "actual 
pecuniary  loss." 

Burden  of  proof  is  on  the  distnbu 
tor  in  clearance  disputes. 

The  distributor  could  be  penalized 
up  to  $500  on  a  finding  that  the  licens- 
ing of  one  film  was  conditioned  on  the 
sale  of  one  or  more  others.  On  this 
the  exhibitor  must  assert  his  claim 


within  five  days  after  receipt  of  the 
distributor's  written  approval  of  the 
exhibitor's  signed  application. 

Where  no  license  is  entered  into 
the  exhibitor  must  mail  to  the  dis- 
tributor's home  office  a  notice  of  claim 
and  the  grounds  for  it  not  more  than 
five  days  after  the  exhibitor  claims  the 
alleged  offer  was  made.  Damages  up 
to  $250  could  be  awarded. 

American  Arbitration  System  would 
administer  the  system  and  the  New 
York  court  would  appoint  an  Appeals 
Board  of  three,  one  of  them  as  chair- 
man with  a  salary  of  $20,000  per  year, 
with  the  other  two  to  receive  $17,500 
Three  to  Serve  on  Committee 
A  committee  of  three  to  budget  cost 
of  maintenance  and  operation  would 
be  appointed,  one  by  AAA,  one  by  the 
Appeals  Board  chairman  and  the  third 
by    the    distributors.      The  money 
would  come  from  filing  fees  with  ad 
ditional  amounts  to  be  paid  by  th 
distributors  on  sums  proportionate  to 
their  gross  receipts  in  the  U.  S.  in 
1948.    Following  the  first  year  of  op- 
eration the  distributors  would  pay  on 
the  basis  of  their  revenues  for  the  im 
mediately  preceding  12  months. 

Administration  provisions  of  the 
proposed  system  are  the  same  as  those 
contained  in  the  original  system  of 
1940. 

The  plan  appears  to  be  a  more  strin 
gent  version  of  the  one  drafted  last 
December,  but  which  was  rejected  by 
Paramount.  For  one  thing,  the  para- 
graphs on  the  excessive  offers  for  runs 
have  been  added.  Also,  the  previous 
plan  gave  the  exhibitor  his  choice  of 
arbitration  or  a  court  proceeding,  but 
if  he  elected  to  take  arbitration  he 
couldn't  go  to  court.  Substituted  for 
this  is  a  provision  that  the  exhibitor's 
rights  to  "take  any  proceeding  which 
it  otherwise  could  to  enforce  proyi 
sions  of  any  decree  or  to  punish  will 
ful  violation  of  any  decree"  would  not 
be  impaired 


KRS,  MPAA  Omit 
U.K.  Probe  Evidence 

London,  Jan.  24.— The  Kinemato- 
graph  Renters  Society  (distributors) 
and  the  Motion  Picture  Association 
of  America  have  decided  not  to  sub- 
mit evidence  to  the  government's 
Portal  Committee  inquiring  into  dis- 
tribution and  exhibition.  Both,  how- 
ever, will  be  prepared  to  assist  Lord 
Portal  with  any  information  he  may 
require  of  them. 

The  Producers'  Association  com- 
pleted its  oral  evidence  with  the  tes- 
timony of  ABPC's  Robert  Clark  and 
Sir  Henry  French,  director  general 
of  the  association.  George  Elvin, 
general  secretary  of  the  Association 
of  Cinematograph  and  Allied  Techni- 
cians, is  expected  to  be  the  next  wit- 
ness before  the  committee 


TV  Films 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


How  about  giving  yourself  the 
new  outlook?  Just  take  a  few 
days  for  a  TWA  Quickie  Va- 
cation and  pack  them  full  with 
fun  in  Southern  California  or 
the  Southwest  Sun  Country. 
Phoenix,  Las  Vegas  or  Los 
Angeles  are  but  hours  away  by 
swift  TWA  Skyliner.  Big  sav- 
ings on  family  travel  and  round 
trips!  Call  your  local  TWA 
office  or  your  travel  agent. 


Mitchell's  contention  from  the  audi- 
ence of  several  hundred.  Film  pro 
ducers,  television  executives,  attorneys 
of  both  industries,  and  others,  were 
on  hand  from  many  sections  of  the 
country. 

Mitchell  held  that  "people  with 
know-how"  can  combine  their  talents 
to  make  television  films  at  the  low 
costs  he  indicated.  Hunt  Stromberg 
Mitchell  said,  told  him  that  he  could 
make  the  films  within  the  low  price 
range. 

Among  other  speakers  at  the  one 
day  meeting  was  Seymour  M.  Peyser 
member  of  the  law  firm  of  Phillips 
Nizer,  Benjamin  and  Krim,  who  dis- 
cussed legal  problems  affecting  the 
telecasting  of  films.  Among  the  prob- 
lems cited  by  Peyser  were  film  rights 
actors'  rights,  musical  and  perform- 
ing rights,  and  the  question  as  to 
whether  film  telecasts  can  be  legally 
shown  in  taverns  and  theatres. 

Melvin  L.  Gold,  president  of  the 
National  Film  Council,  sponsor  of  a 
proposed  "uniform  television  exhibition 
contract,"  headed  an  afternoon  discus- 
sion of  the  contract  form  and  content 
The  proposed  document  encompasses 
such  contractural  features  as:  print 
delivery,  '  warranties,  availability  pro- 
cedure, mode  and  time  of  delivery  of 
films,  physical  examination  of  prints 
payment  of  license  fees,  run  and  clear 
ance,  return  of  prints,  additional  sta- 
tions and  sponsored  broadcasts,  altera- 
tion of  prints,  diminution  of  opera- 
tions, and  various  general  provisions 


of  the  company's  more  pressing  finan- 
cial and  product  supply  problems  as 
a  result  of  the  meetings  held  with  com- 
pany owners  Mary  Pickford  and 
Charles  Chaplin  in  Hollywood  last 
week.  It  was  indicated  that  for  the 
first  time  in  years  U.  A.'s  owners 
are  in  agreement  with  the  board  and 
management  that  something  has  to 
be  done  to  revitalize  the  company's 
product  sources  if  it  is  to  continue  to 
occupy  its  important  place  in  the  in- 
dustry. 

TOA  to  Ask 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


U.A.  to  Study 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Service  Studio,  Hollywood,  and  of 
California  theatres'. 

The  Nassour  and  Nasser  plans  are 
understood  to  provide  for  supplying 
U.  A.  with  a  minimum  of  20  pictures 
annually  and  are  related  to  programs 
for  keeping  the  Nassour  and  General 
Service  studios  in  full  operation. 
While  the  two  plans  are  not  linked, 
it  would  be  possible  for  U.  A.  to 
avail  itself  of  both  if  they  commend 
themselves  to  the  company,  it  was 
indicated. 

The  U.  A.  board  also  will  study 
proposals  for  a  possible  consolidation 
of  some  exchange  operations  with  an- 
other distributing  company,  it  is  re-* 
ported.  Such  a  move  contemplates 
operating  economy  and  would  involve 
only  a  few  of  the  smaller  exchanges. 

U.  A.  officials  appeared  optimistic 
yesterday  over  prospects  of  a  solution 


the  organization  believes  that  the  best 
that  can  be  hoped  for  this  year  is  a 
reduction  of  the  tax  to  10  per  cent. 

The  Washington  TOA  meeting  also 
will  give  serious  consideration  to  a 
plan  under  which  exhibitors  may  seek 
a  television  license  from  the  Federal 
Communications  Commission  for  ini- 
tial experimental  broadcasting  of  large 
screen  television  programs  to  partici- 
pating theatres. 

The  plan  would  be  sponsored  by  a 
group  of  TOA  exhibitor  members, 
rather  than  by  the  organization  itself, 
if  it  receives  FCC  approval. 

Ted  Gamble,  TOA  board  chairman, 
arrived  here  yesterday  from  Portland, 
Ore.,  and  will  meet  with  executive 
committee  members  today  on  final 
plans  for  the  Washington  meeting 
agenda.  Most  of  the  members  of  the 
committee  will  leave  here  for  Wash- 
ington on  Thursday. 

Stage  Shows  in  New  Test 

Cleveland,  Jan.  24. — Loew's  State 
Theatre,  which  has  not  presented  a 
stage  show  since  Mickey  Rooney  made 
a  personal  appearance  in  Sept.,  1940, 
revives  the  policy  this  week  with  a 
stage  show  headed  by  Jane  Powell. 


ED  SULLIVAN' 
HAS  SWITCHED 
TO  "FAMILY 
HONEYMOON" 

ly  all  time  favorite  comedy 
was  It  Happened  One  Night' 
. . .  until  I  saw  Claudette 
Colbert  and  Fred  MacMurray 
in  FAMILY  HONEYMOON" 

*Noted  correspondent  of  the  Chicago  Tribune  — 
New  Yorlc  Daily  News  Syndicate 


rmTionflL 


of  me  wo  us  my 


^curate 

Cohcise 

and 
mpartial 


MOTION  PICTURE  FIRSt 


DAILY 


k 


IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


VOL.  65.  NO.  18 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  JANUARY  26,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Jackson  Park 
Suit  Settled 
ror  $454,000 

No  Modification  of 
Loop  Decree  Granted 

Chicago,  Jan.  25.— The  Jackson 
Park  Theatre's  supplemental  dam 
age  suit,  pending  in  Federal  Dis 
trict  court  here  since   1942,  was 
settled  yesterday  for  $454,000. 

Thomas  McConnell,  attorney  for  the 
theatre,  agreed  to  the  stipulation 
with  Paramount,  20th  Century-Fox, 
Loew's,  RKO  and  Warner.  The 
settlement  is  equivalent  to  the  actual 
damages  claimed  in  the  action,  which 
originally  sought  treble  damages  ot 
$1,362,000. 

Each  defendant  is  to  pay  approxi- 
mately 19  per  cent,  or  $87,160.  In- 
cluded in  the  settlement  is  a  $100,000 
appeal  bond  posted  in  U.  S.  District 
court  here.  j 

While  the  Jackson  Park  had  been 
awarded  $360,000  by  the  Supreme 
Court  in  1946,  the  supplemental  suit 

{Continued  on  page  4) 

Sue  Schine,  8  Majors 
For  $2,000,000 

The  eight  major  distributors,  Schine 
Theatres,  J.  Meyer  and  Louis  W. 
Schine  and  a  number  of  Schine  the- 
atre subsidiaries  were  named  defend- 
ants in  a  $2,523,000  triple-damage 
anti-trust  action  filed  yesterday  in  U. 
S.  District  Court  here  by  theatre  own- 
er Hubert  P.  Wallace  and  his  Auburn 
Capital  Theatre  Corp.  of  Auburn,  N. 
Y.  Filing  attorney  was  Milton  Pol- 
lock of  New  York. 

Plaintiff's  complaint  alleges  unlaw  - 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Paramount,  US  Talks 
On  Decree  Continue 

Leonard  Goldenson,  Para- 
mount theatre  vice-president, 
and  Robert  O'Brien,  secretary 
of  the  company,  returned  to 
New  York  yesterday  after 
two  more  days  of  continued 
negotiations  with  government 
officials  in  Washington  on  a 
settlement  of  Paramount's 
part  in  the  industry  anti- 
trust suit. 


10-Day  Extension 
On  Little  3  Brief 


United  Artists,  Columbia  and.  Um 
versal  have  been  given  an  additional 
10  days  for  preparation  of  their  joint 
brief  and  proposed  findings  in  the  in 
dustry  anti-trust  suit.  The  three  com 
panies  now  have  until  Feb.  10  to  sub- 
mit the  brief  to  the  government 
which  has  agreed  to  the  added  time 
instead  of  Jan.  31,  which  was  the 
original  deadline. 

Current  illness  of  Edward  Raftery 
UA  attorney,  prompted  the  extension 
bid.  .  -  .  , 

The  "Little  Three,"  in  their  brief 
will  ask  the  New  York  Federal  Court 
again  for  a  decree  which  would  not 
enjoin  them  entirely  from  franchise 
deals  with  exhibitors,  from  the  inclu- 
sion of  admission  prices  on  contracts 
for  the  limited  purposes  of  determin- 
ing rentals,  and  from  licensing  road 
shows  and  extended  runs. 


N.Y.  Grosses  Heavy; 
'Wives',  $137,000; 
'Command',  $65,000 

New,  choice  product  hit  the  first- 
run  scene  this  week,  much  to  the  ap- 
proval of  the  public  and  theatre  op- 
erators. Business  is  very  good. 
Everybody's  happy. 

"Command  Decision"  is  a  prosper- 
ous tenant  at  the  State  with  the  first 
week's  gross  is  estimated  at  a  very 
heavy  $65,000.  "Letter  To  Three 
Wives"  is  top-rung  at  the  Music  Hall 
where,  with  a  stage  show,  the  initial 
week's  take  is  figured  at  a  strong 
$137,000.  At  the  Roxy,  "Chicken 
Every  Sunday"  with  Tony  Martin, 
Dean  Murphy  and  an  ice  revue  on 
stage  is  another  healthy  newcomer  on 
the  basis  of  its  first  weeks  returns, 
estimated  at  $98,000. 

"Man  from  Colorado"  with  the  Ink 
Spots   and   Blue   Barron's  orchestra 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


M.  P.  Associates  to 
Be  a  Variety  Tent 

The  membership  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Associates,  30-year-old  charity 
organization  made  up  of  New  York 
area  exhibitors,  film  salesmen,  indus- 
try publicists,  trade  journalists,  and 
others  from  the  industry,  yesterday 
voted  unanimous  approval  of  its 
board's  proposal  that  the  organization 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Pickford  Gets 
Option  to  Buy 
Chaplin  Stock 

If  Not  Exercised,  He 
Can  Buy  Her  UA  Shares 


By  RED  KANN 

Mary  Pickford  and  Charles 
Chaplin,  equal  partners  in  United 
Artists,  have  interchanged  options 
under  which  either  may  become 
100  per  cent  owner  of  the  company  in 
the  next  approximate  90  days.  For 
the  first  time  in  the  checkered  career 
of  the  company,  the  butt  of  untold 
accurate  and  inaccurate  reports,  there 
is  now  in  effect  a  commitment  firm 
enough  to  determine  its  future.  But 
not  necessarily  so,  at  that. 

U.  A.  directors  were  apprised  of 
the  development  at  their  special 
financing  meeting  here  yesterday. 

Under  the  bylaws  of  the  corpora- 
tion, the  partners  first  must  offer  their 
interest  to  each  other  where  a  sale  is 
contemplated.  In  pursuance  of  these 
bylaws,  Chaplin  has  given  Miss  Pick- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 

2nd  Money  for  Two 
For  UA  from  Hughes 


Production  Will  Expand 
With  Video,  Says  Coy 


Call  Gov't  Witnesses 
In  Griffith  Case 


Oklahoma  City,  Jan.  25. — Govern- 
ment witnesses  took  the  stand  here  to- 
day as  hearings  on  the  Griffith  anti- 
trust case  resumed  before  Federal 
Judge  Edgar  S.  Vaught. 

Alexander  A.  Moulder,  operator  of 
the  Criterion  in  Sapulpa,  Okla.,  was 
called  by  the  government,  but  his  tes- 
timony largely  supported  defense  con- 
tentions that  his  business  had  not  suf- 
fered because  of  circuit  buying  com- 
petition. On  direct  examination  by 
Milton  Kallis,  assistant  attorney  gen- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Boston,  Jan.  25.— The  growth  of 
television  makes  certain  expansion  of 
motion  picture  production  and  new 
competitive  forces  in  the  film  produc- 
tion industry,  Federal  Communications 
Commission  chairman  Wayne  Coy  de- 
clared here  today,  in  his  most  complete 
and  up-to-date  analysis  of  the  tele- 
vision outlook. 

Coy  spoke  before  a  joint  luncheon- 
meeting  of  the  Radio  Executives  Club 
and  the  Advertising  Club. 

When  television  is  more  fully  de- 
veloped, he  said,  video  stations  will 
use  "much  more  film  per  year  than 
has  ever  been  produced  in  America. 

If  present  film  producers  produce 
all  of  the  films  needed  for  television 
and  theatres,  Coy  said,  there  will  be 
spirited  bidding  for  their  output.  It 
may  be,  he  added,  that  the  costs  of 
quality  pictures  will  be  more  than 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Delay  Recommended 
On  African  Action 

Possibility  that  a  foreign  managers' 
committee  and  Francis  Harmon,  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America 
vice-president,  might  leave  for  South 
Africa  in  the  immediate  future  to  con- 
sult with  government  officials  on  the 
50  per  cent  film  revenue  cutback  re- 
cently imposed  there  has  lessened. 

The  projected  trip  appears  to  be 
several  weeks  away,  if  it  is  made  at 
all,  as  a  result  of  cabled  advices  from 
Joseph  Seidelman,  Universal  foreign 
manager,  who  is  in  Johannesburg  now, 
reporting  that  a  visit  at  this  time 
would  be  inopportune.  Seidelman  and 
M.  A.  Schlesinger,  who  is  also  in 
Johannesburg  from  New  York,  believe 
there  is  a  possibility  "of  changes  oc- 
curring in  attitude  toward  the  recent 
restrictions  in  some  quarters  there. 


Howard  Hughes  will  provide  sec- 
ond-money financing  for  the  immediate 
production  of  two  independent  films 
to  be  made  for  release  through  United 
Artists  as  part  of  his  obligation  to 
UA  for  the  latter' s  return  to  him  of 
"Vendetta,"  "The  Outlaw"  and  "Mad 
Wednesday."  Hughes  produced  the 
latter  three  as  UA  releases  originally, 
but  they  sought  to  recoup  distribution 
rights  when  he  acquired  control  of 
RKO. 

James  Nasser  will  provide  comple- 
tion money  for  the  two  which  UA 
now  is  to  get  and  which  will  be  made 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Columbia  Will  Re- 
Release  41  Films 


Columbia  currently  has  21  produc- 
tions for  re-release,  with  another  20 
set  for  coming  months.  All  produc- 
tions, Columbia  said,  will  be  backed 
with  a  new  advertising  campaign. 

Among  films  already  in  release  are: 
"Texas,"  "Arizona,"  "Golden  Boy," 
"She  Couldn't  Take  It,"  "Shut  My 
Big  Mouth,"  "Good  Girls  Go  to 
Paris,"  "The  Doctor  Takes  a  Wife,'" 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  26,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

JOSEPH  M.  SCHENCK  has  re- 
»-»  turned  to  California  from  Miami, 
having  changed  his  plans  for  returning 
here. 

• 

Charles  Einfeld,  20th  Century- 
Fox  vice-president  in  charge  of  ad- 
vertising-publicity, is  scheduled  to 
arrive  here  from  the  Coast  by  plane 
today. 

• 

Ed  Hinchy,  head  of  the  Warner 
playdate  department,  was  in  New 
Haven  yesterday,  will  go  to  Pitts- 
burgh tomorrow  and  to  Cleveland  Fri- 
day. 

• 

Benjamin  Berger,  head  of  North 
Central  Allied,  and  Mrs.  Berger  will 
leave  here  today  for  a  vacation  in 
Europe. 

• 

Vincent  Sherman,  Warner  direc- 
tor, and  Mrs.  Sherman,  will  leave 
England  with  their  two  children  Sat- 
urday by  plane  for  New  York. 
• 

George  W.  Horan,  Warner  North- 
eastern district  sales  manager,  was  in 
Buffalo  yesterday  and  is  due  to  re- 
turn to  Boston  Friday. 

• 

Chico  Marx  and  George  Cou- 
louris  will  sail  today  from  New 
York  for  England  on  the  5".  5".  Queen 
Mary. 

• 

Wladimir  Lissim,  RKO  general 
manager  for  Europe  and  the  Near 
East,  will  arrive  in  New  York  to- 
day on  the  5".  S.  America  from  Paris. 

McC lure  Leaves  Army 
Orientation  Post 

Col.  John  Allen  has  succeeded  Gen. 
Robert  A.  McClure  on  the  Army's  re- 
orientation program,  in  which  Mc- 
Clure has  widely  used  motion  pictures 
as  a  top  aid  in  that  work.  He  will  be 
given  a  troop  assignment. 

Meanwhile,  Brig.  Gen.  G.  L.  Eberle 
is  being  succeeded  by  Maj.  Gen.  Car- 
ter B.  Magruder  as  chief  of  the 
Army's  Civil  Affairs  Division,  which 
administers  occupied  territory  in 
Europe  and  Asia,  including  film  ac- 
tivities. 


To  Speak  at  Allied 
Memphis  Meeting 

Memphis,  Jan.  25.— William  L. 
Ainsworth,  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  and 
Trueman  J.  Rembusch,  Indianapolis, 
will  speak  before  the  Allied  Indepen- 
dent Theatre  Owners  of  the  Mid- 
South  at  a  one-day  convention  at  the 
Hotel  Chisca  in  Memphis  on  Feb.  9. 
Ainsworth  is  national  president  and 
Rembusch  is  national  treasurer  of  Al- 
lied. 

Edward  O.  Cullins,  Memphis,  presi- 
dent of  the  newly-organized  Allied 
Mid-South  branch,  said  the  following 
Allied  officials  have  also  accepted : 
John  W.  Wolfberg,  president,  Allied 
Rocky  Mountain  Independent  Theatre 
Owners,  Denver ;  Morris  M.  Finkle, 
president,  Allied  of  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania ;  Col.  H.  A.  Cole,  chairman  of 
the  board  of  Allied  of  Texas,  Dallas ; 
Maurice  J.  Artigues,  general  man- 
ager, and  W.  A.  Prewitt,  jr.,  president 
of  ATO  of  the  Gulf  States,  both  of 
New  Orleans. 


Slipper  To  Head  New 
NTS  Omaha  Branch 

National  Theatre  Supply  plans  to 
open  a  branch  in  Omaha  shortly,  with 
Glenn  K.  Slipper,  formerly  of  the 
sales  staff  of  NTS's  Los  Angeles 
branch,  as  manager,  it  was  disclosed 
here.  The  addition  brings  the  total 
of  NTS  branches  to  29. 


William  Wright,  Actor 

Hollywood,  Jan.  25. — Friends  of 
William  Wright,  37-year-old  film 
player,  have  learned  of  his  death  in 
Ensenada,  Mexico,  of  cancer.  Wright 
formerly  was  a  contract  player  at  Co- 
lumbia but  for  the  last  three  years 
had  been  freelancing.  His  widow,  two 
children,  Bill  and  Karen,  and  his 
mother  survive. 


Heavy  Agenda  for 
Allied  Committee 

_  The  special  Allied  States  Associa- 
tion committee  on  "forced  percentage 
selling,"  which  on  Monday  began  a 
week-long  series  of  conferences  here 
with  distribution  sales  chiefs  with  a 
view  toward  securing  revisions  m 
percentage  picture  policies,  is  expected 
to  have  its  heaviest  meeting  schedule 
in  the  last  part  of  the  week. 

Those  expected  to  meet  individually 
with  the  group  either  tomorow  or  Fri- 
day are  Charles  Reagan,  Paramount; 
William  F.  Rodgers,  M-G-M,  and 
Ben  Kalmenson,  Warner.  A.  J. 
O'Keefe,  Universal-International  as- 
sistant general  sales  manager,  is  ex- 
pected to  confer  with  the  committee 
today  in  the  absence  of  W.  A.  Scully, 
U-I  distribution  vice-president.  The 
group  conferred  with  Andy  W.  Smith, 
Jr.,  of  20th-Fox  on  Monday. 

200  at  Testimonial 
For  Milton  Mooney 

Cleveland,  Jan.  25.— Some  200 
Variety  Club  and  Industry  members 
attended  a  testimonial  banquet  at  the 
Statler  Hotel  here  last  night  honoring 
out-going  Chief  Barker  Milton  A. 
Mooney.  Nat  Wolf  was  co-chairman 
with  Nate  Schultz  and  presented 
Mooney  with  a  wrist  watch. 

Out-of-town  guests  included :  Paul 
Mooney,  Jules  Lapidus,  Edward 
Schnitzer,  John  J.  Maloney,  Sam  Gal- 
anty,  Albert  Dezel,  Paul  Broder,  Ar- 
thur Greenblatt,  Edward  Salzberg, 
Moe  Dudelson,  Harris  Dudelson,  Har- 
old Raives,  Bert  Stern,  Harry  Hendel, 
James  Nash  and  others  of  this  area. 

3  'Red  Pony'  Premieres 

By  invitation  of  civic  organizations 
of  San  Francisco,  Oakland  and  Sali- 
nas, Cal.,  Republic  has  arranged  a 
three-city  world  premiere  of  John 
Steinbeck's  "The  Red  Pony,"  on 
Wednesday,  Feb.  2,  at  the  Fox  Thea- 
tre, San  Francisco;  the  Orpheum  in 
Oakland;  and  the  California  in  Sali- 
nas, it  was  announced  today. 


Hollywood  'Normal,' 
Say  Pine,  Thomas 

The  Paramount  production  team  of 
William  Pine  and  William  Thomas 
consider  the  industry  in  Hollywood 
to  be  in  a  "normal"  economic  condi- 
at  present.  In  New  York  to  set 
preliminary  promotional  and  releas- 
ing arrangements  for  "El  Paso,"  their 
first  under  their  new  "big  budget" 
deal  with  Paramount,  Pine  and 
Thomas  maintained  yesterday  that 
most  of.  the  "weeping  and  wailing" 
about  "hard  times"  in  Hollywood 
originates  with  those  who  are  reluct- 
ant to  admit  that  the  prosperity  en- 
joyed (during  World  War  II  has 
made  them  lose  all  sense  of  what 
"normal"  is  for  the  industry.  "The 
difference,"  Thomas  said,  "is  that  be- 
fore, money  did  not  count,  and  now 
it  does." 

The  producers  envision  ~  $2,000,000- 
plus  domestic  gross  for  "El  Paso" 
and  each  of  the  other  near-$l, 000,000 
budget  pictures  which  they  will  turn 
out  under  the  deal  which  replaced  the 
one  calling  for  about  eight  $200,000 
budget  pictures  a  year.  Individual 
pictures  in  the  previous  deal  grossed 
an  average  of  $400,000  domestically. 

Gamble  EntT^Will 
Buy  More  Theatres 

Gamble  Enterprises  plans  further 
expansion  in  the  Midwestern  theatre 
field  for  later  this  year  but  no  deals 
are  in  work  at  this  time,  Ted  R.  Gam- 
ble, president,  said  here  yesterday. 

The  company  already  has  acquired 
the  former  Monarch  Theatres  and  a 
half  interest  in  Standard  Theatres, 
Wisconsin.  At  the  same  time  the  bulk 
of  its  theatres  in  the  Pacific  North- 
west has  been  sold. 

Gamble  said  he  will  move  from 
Portland,  Ore.,  next  fall  and  will 
establish  new  headquarters  either  in 
New  York,  where  he  now  maintains 
an  office,  or  in  Chicago  or  Indian- 
apolis. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


Lockwood,  Sullivan, 
Wolf  son  to  Capital 

Washington,  Jan.  25.— Arthur 
Lockwood,  Gael  Sullivan  and  Mitch- 
ell Wolfson  and  other  executives  of 
the  Theatre  Owners  of  America,  are 
due  to  arrive  here  late  tomorrow  to 
lay  the  groundwork  for  the  meeting 
of  the  TOA  board  and  various  organi- 
zation men"  on  Friday  and  Saturday. 

Ask  Trumbo  Case  Delay 

Washington,  Jan.  25.— The  Gov- 
ernment has  asked  for  a  delay  until 
Feb.  1  in  the  deadline  for  filing  with 
the  U.  S.  Court  of  Appeals  for  the 
District  of  Columbia  its  brief  oppos- 
ing the  appeal  of  Dalton  Trumbo, 
screen  writer  convicted  of  contempt. 

Annual  Shea  Meeting 

Cleveland,  Jan.  25.— Shea  Theatres 
opened  its  annual  two-day  meeting 
here  today  at  the  Carter  Hotel,  with 
president  E.  C.  Grainger  presiding. 
Tomorrow  the  company  will  entertain 
personnel  and  visitors  at  a  dinner, 
with  Bert  Sanford,  Altec  Service  sales 
executive,  as  toastmaster. 


 ■  —    — ■   iuil   lticciacu   Liicic  in  ly^fo 

MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin   Kane   Editor-  Martin  n,„vw  T, — a  ■  „    1JJ..  TTTTT  '  

Sundays  and  holidays  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center  New  York  2 TnV  VrfSSh^rn*  t°%  ^ishAd,,dMy>  Saturdays, 
New  York/'  Martin  Quigley.  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President^  Th«T  T  sm Hi™  n  £     •!>  CJrcle-,  £3100-  Cable  address:  "Quigpubeo, 

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Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley  Advertising  fcfi  J o^cod  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver 
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Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,   each  pS^^^  address,  "Quigpubeo,  London." 

Motion  P1Cture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938  at  the  Post  office  at  N™  V^rk  tn/v  V  <lCtl0n  °f,  ^°tl0n  Plcture  Herald;  International 
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PjpAN  ACHESON  being  sworn  in 
JS  as  Secretary  of  State  and  the 
election  in  Israel  are  current  newsreel 
highlights.  Other  items  include  Win- 
ston Churchill,  Axis  Sally,  the  crisis 
in  China  and  sports.  Complete  con- 
tents follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  8— Rhodes 
parley.  Israel  prepares  for  first  election. 
China  civil  war  nears  end  as  Chiang  retires. 
Dean  Acheson  sworn  in.  Archbishop  Ath- 
enagoras  flies  to  Turkey.  President  Truman 
given  American  Federation  of  Musicians 
union  card.  Winston  Churchill  paints  on 
Riviera.  New  York  Film  Critics  honor 
Olivia  de  Havilland.  Yachting.  Dog  skiing. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  243— Chiang 
out  as  China's  leader.    First  election  stirs 

J?i5  i  Bu"  let  !oose  in  a  china-closet. 
Churchill  on  vacation.  Dean  Acheson  sworn 
in.  Ski-meet  thriller.  Ice  boats  in  speed 
regatta.     Mr.  America  title. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  45— China 
at  the  crossroads.  Egypt-Israel  armistice 
talk.  ■  Israel  air-force  at  rites  for  RAF 
pilot.  All-American  Israel  settlement.  Dean 
Acheson  takes  over.    Ski  festival. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  216— 
Volcano  m  Mexico.  Fight  ends  Greek  cross 
ceremony.  Dean  Acheson  sworn  in.  Bull 
in  china  shop.  Chamois  hunting.  Ice  boat- 
ing.   Ice  show. 

WARNER    PATH  K  NEWS,  No.  47— 

People  in  the  news:  Dean  Acheson,  French 
Foreign  Minister  Schumann,  Winston 
Churchill,  Axis  Sally.  A  car  that  flies. 
New  York  Critics  make  film  awards.  Dia- 
mond fashions.    Ice  sports. 

1,349  Films  Passed 
By  British  Censors 

"London,  Jan.  25.— British  Board  of 
Film  Censors  in  1948  passed  1,349 
pictures  for  public  exhibtion,  made  up 
of  587  features  and  762  shorts.  The 
total  is  59  less  than  in  1947. 

Pictures  passed  for  adults  only 
numbered  371,  compared  with  276  in 
1947;  those  for  universal  exhibition, 
973,  compared  with  1,130  the  previous 
year,  and  those  labeled  "horrific,"  five, 
compared  with  two  in  1947. 

'Gratitude  Train9 
Due  Here  on  Feb.  2 

The  French  "Gratitude  Train," 
which  left  Le  Havre  on  Jan.  14  bear- 
ing 250  tons  of  cultural  and  historical 
gifts  from  the  people  of  France  to  the 
people  of  America  will  arrive  in  New 
York  on  the  S.S.  Magellan  on  Wed- 
nesday, Feb.  2. 

The  project  was  conceived  as  an 
expression  of  thanks  for  the  "Ameri- 
can Friendship  Train,"  organized  a 
year  ago  by  Drew  Pearson  with 
Harry  M.  Warner  as  chairman. 

Aid  'Dimes'  in  Phila. 

Philadelphia,  Jan.  25.— More  than 
150  independently-owned  theatres  rep- 
resenting about  two  thirds  of  the 
houses  in  Philadelphia,  as  well  as 
theatres  of  20th-Fox- Paramount  and 
Translux,  are  assisting  in  the  March 
of  Dimes  campaign.  About  5,000 
women  volunteers  started  the  week 
long  collections  yesterday. 


'Agreement  Voted  'Best' 

The  Federacion  de  Redactores  Cine- 
matograficos  of  Havana  has  selected 
20th  Century-Fox's  "Gentleman's 
Agreement"  as  the  best  American  pic- 
ture released  there  in  1948. 


he  joint  is  Dumping  at  1540  b  wayi 

listen  in  on  M-G-M's  Home  Office/ 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  26,  1949 


Pickford  Option 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


ford  an  option  to  purchase  his  half  in 
30  days  for  a  reported  $3,000,000,  but 
the  period  may  extend  to  40  days  if  a 
final  10  days  are  required  to  conclude 
the  legal  niceties  provided  the  option 
is  inaugurated  within  the  initial  30-day 
period. 

Actually,  therefore,  on  evidence  of 
intention,  Miss  Pickford  has  40  days 
in  which  to  acquire  the  Chaplin  inter- 
est. In  the  event  she  is  unsuccessful 
in  organizing  the  syndicate  on  which 
she  is  known  to  be  working,  the  op- 
tion arrangement  which  she  holds 
thereafter  swings  to  Chaplin  who 
would  be  empowered  to  purchase  the 
Pickford  interest  in  an  identical 
period  of  time. 

The  two-way  option,  obviously,  en- 
compasses terms  agreeable  to  each 
prospective  seller.  Furthermore,  it 
does  not  necessarily  follow  that  the 
figure  set  by  Chaplin  for  his  half  in- 
terest necessarily  would  be  the  same 
price  which  Miss  Pickford  would  fix 
in  the  event  the  option  to  buy  her  out 
moves  into  the  Chaplin  area. 

The  odds,  however,  appear  to  be 
running  in  the  direction  of  Miss  Pick- 
ford although  it  remains  to  be  seen 
whether  or  not  she  will  act.  For  sev- 
eral years,  Chaplin  has  voiced  willing- 
ness to  sell  out  at  his  own  terms,  of 
course.  But  he  has  maintained  with 
consistency  that  what  have  been  pre- 
sented to  him  as  firm  offers — for  cash 
— somehow  or  other  have  evaporated 
into  the  ozone  whenever  the  time  of 
decision  had  been  approached.  The 
unchallengable  fact,  moreover,  is  that 
of  all  the  well-nigh  myriad  of  re- 
ports and  rumors  battering  UA  into 
occasional  unconsciousness  and  rais- 
ing unfortunate  havoc  with  its  dis- 
tribution machinery,  the  one  definitive 
offer  involving  a  change  of  ownership 
is  the  one  made  by  Si  Fabian  in  mid- 
1947.  It  is  one  of  the  missing  chap- 
ters in  the  history  of  those  negotia- 
tions that  on  the  almost  momentous 
day  when  Fabian  visited  Miss  Pick- 
ford at  her  New  York  Hotel  he  ex- 
pected acceptance  of  his  offer  only  to 
be  advised  like  a  bolt  out  of  the  blue 
that  the  deal  was  off. 

It  does  not  follow  under  the  current 
option  arrangement  that  the  control 
of  UA  will  undergo  a  change.  Miss 
Pickford  may  not  exercise  her  option 
either  by  way  of  a  change  of  heart  or 
an  inability  to  arrange  the  outside 
financing  it  is  understood  she  contem- 
plates as  part  of  the  deal.  If  and  when 
the  identical  option  reverts  to  Chap- 
lin, it  is  entirely  within  possibility 
that  he,  too,  may  decide  not  to  buy  the 
Pickford  shares  because  of  price,  a  de- 
cision to_  maintain  the  status  quo  or 
an  inability  to  arrange  the  necessary 
finances. 


MP  A  A  Files  Denial  in 
SWG  Conspiracy  Suit 

Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  and  its  member  companies, 
defendants  in  the  "blacklist"  action 
brought  in  U.  S.  District  Court  here 
by  the  Screen  Writers  Guild  and  a 
group  of  30  writers,  yesterday  filed 
with  the  court  a  blanket  denial  of  the 
conspiracy  charges  which  were 
brought. 

SWG  and  the  writers  brought  the 
suit  last  June  under  the  anti-trust 
laws  for  an  injunction  to  stop  the 
functioning  of  the  "code"  adopted  by 
the  MPAA  against  the  hiring  of  per- 
sons suspected  of  being  subversive 
and  un-American. 


Jackson  Park  Suit 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


N.  Y.  Variety 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


become  a  local  tent  of  International 
Variety  Clubs.  Announcement  of  the 
transformation  was  made  at  the  lunch- 
eon-meeting which  followed  the  ballot- 
ing, and  at  which  Max  A.  Cohen, 
president,  and  other  MPA  officers  for 
1949  were  inducted. 

Inducted  with  Cohen  were  the  fol- 
lowing :  Morris  Sanders,  first  vice- 
president  ;  Robert  Fannon,  second 
vice-president ;  Saul  Trauner,  secre- 
tary; and  Jules  Reiff,  treasurer.  The 
new  board  of  directors  consists  of 
David  Snaper,  William  Murphy, 
David  Levy,  Leo  Brecher,  Cohen, 
Nat  Furst,  Ray  Moon,  Bert  Sanford, 
Si  Levy,  Harold  Rinsler,  Howard 
Levy,  Charles  Penser,  Jack  Ellis, 
Fred  J.  Schwartz,  and  Harold  Klein, 
who  is  chairman. 

The  induction  luncheon  was  pre- 
sided over  by  Harry  Brandt.  Some 
400  members  and  guests  attended. 
Seated  at  the  dais,  in  addition  to  MPA 
officers  and  board  members,  were :  Jo- 
seph Bernhard,  Tom  Connors,  George 
Dembow,  Herman  Gelber,  William 
German,  Leonard  Goldenson,  William 
Heineman,  Malcolm  Kingsberg,  Ber- 
nard Kranze,  John  J.  O'Connor,  Ted 
O'Shea,  Sam  Rinzler,  Herman  Rob- 
bins,  George  J.  Schaefer,  Sol 
Schwartz,  Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  Gael 
Sullivan,  Joseph  Vogel,  and  others. 


represents  damages  which  the  theatre 
alleged  resulted  from  its  inability  to 
secure  product  for  a  five-year  period 
prior  to  the  beginning  of  litigation. 
The  statute  of  limitations  held  the 
claims  for  damages  to  a  five-year 
period. 

No  modification  of  the  Jackson 
Park  decree  entered  by  the  Federal 
Court  here  is  included  in  the  settle- 
ment, although  Paramount  has  been 
negotiating  with  McConnell  for  an 
arrangement  which. would  permit  the 
equivalent  of  three  weeks'  Loop  play- 
ing time  for  a  picture  instead  of  the 
two  weeks  specified  in  the  decree. 


Sue  Schine,  8 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ful  conspiracy  and  combination,  and 
charges  restraint  of  trade -since  1933 
by  the  distributor  defendants  in  Au- 
burn. Wallace  contends  additionally 
that  the  Schine  interests  have  delib- 
erately interfered  with  attempts  he 
said  he  has  made  to  purchase  property 
for  building  theatres  in  Auburn,  New- 
ark, Cortland  and  Canandiagua,  all  in 
New  York.  Wallace  said  the  alleged 
interferences  not  only  foiled  his  at- 
tempts to  buy  the  properties  but  were 
costly  to  him. 


Griffith  Case 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


he  had 
1940-41 


eral,  Moulder  asserted  that 
been  denied  half  of  RKO's 
product. 

During  cross  examination,  defense 
counsel  Charles  Cochran  brought  out 
that  Moulder  has  had  first  runs  from 
four  major  and  two  minor  distribu- 
tors. Judge  Vaught  asked  the  witness 
if  he  could  use  any  more  product  than 
he  is  using  at  present.  Moulder  re- 
plied, "No." 


Higher  Express  Rate 
For  Films  in  Canada 

Ottawa,  Jan.  25. — In  view 
of  certain  tariffs  already  filed 
and  others  to  follow  later,  it 
is  understood  that  Canadian 
express  companies  are  con- 
templating higher  express 
charges  for  films.  A  20  per 
cent  cut  was  allowed  by  the 
companies  in  1936  and  it  is 
understood  the  new  rates 
would  revert  to  their  former 
scale  at  least. 


N.  Y.  Grosses  Heavy 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Video  Production 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


2nd  Money  for  Two 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


at  Nasser's  General  Service  Studio. 
They  are  "Mrs.  Mike,"  starring  Dick 
Powell  and  produced  by  Sam  Bischoff, 
and  "Quicksand,"  starring  Mickey 
Rooney  and  produced  by  Rooney's 
company,  Rooney-Stiefel,  Inq 

Hughes  is  to  provide  a  total  of 
$600,000  in  guarantees  for  independent 
product  for  UA  under  the  deal.  To 
what  extent  that  will  be  stretched  be- 
yond the  first  two  films  was  not  dis- 
closed. 


television  broadcasters  can  pay,  and  in 
that  event  either  film  producers  will 
have  to  tailor  pictures  for  video  or 
telecasters  themselves  will  have  to  pro- 
duce. 

Coy  stated  that  he  was  sure  the 
FCC's  television  "freeze"  could  not 
be  lifted  before  March  30,  but  that  "it 
is  still  a  good  target  date." 

Fifty  to  70  television  channels  may 
ultimately  be  required  to  establish  a 
nationwide  competitive  system,  the 
FCC  official  said.  He  declared  that 
he  hoped  that  the  need  for  additional 
channels  will  be  met  before  the  end  of 
1949  by  expansion  into  the  ultra-high 
frequencies.  There  is  considerable 
doubt,  he  said,  that  the  FCC  yet  has 
enough  data  for  television  in  those  fre- 
quencies, and  a  further  hearing  may 
be  held. 


Ask  Ruling  on  Joint 
Building  Contracts 


Washington,  Jan.  25.— When  a 
theatre  company  owned  jointly  by  a 
"Big  Five"  defendant  and  an  inde- 
pendent has  a  contract  with  a  firm  for 
a  new  theatre,  what  happens  to  that 
contract  when  the  Supreme  Court 
says  such  joint  ownerships  are 
illegal  ? 

That  is  the  question  that  the  Kass 
Realty  Co.  is  going  to  propound  this 
week  to  U.  S.  District  Court  here. 
It  will  seek  to  intervene  in  the  suit 
which  the  K-B  Amusement  Co.  filed 
here  last  year  to  force  Stanley  Corp., 
Warner  Theatres  operating  subsidi- 
ary, out  of  the  jointly-owned  Mc Ar- 
thur Theatre. 


probably  will  give  the  Capitol  about 
$60,000  in  its  first  week  and  that  is 
good.  "Act  of  Violence"  is  causing 
no  complaints  at  the  Criterion  which 
looks  for  $25,000  in  a  first  week. 

"Snake  Pit"  continues  at  a  good  clip 
at  the  Rivoli  where  the  12th  week 
should  bring  in  $28,000.  "The  Ac- 
cused," with  Ray  McKinley's  orches- 
tra and  the  Mills  Brothers,  is  likely 
to  give  the  Paramount  a  second  week's 
gross  of  $62,000,  enough  profit  there. 
"Unknown  Island"  is  doing  all  right  at 
the  Rialto  where  about  $9,000  is  seen 
for  a  third  week. 

"Joan  of  Arc"  is  a  vigorous  long- 
range  performer  at  the  Victoria  where 
it  should  be  good  for  $29,000  in  an 
11th  week.  "Red  Shoes"  still  is  show- 
ing strength  at  the  Bijou  where  a 
gross  of  $14,000  is  expected  in  the 
15th  week.  "Adventures  of  Don  Juan" 
with  Tommy  Dorsey's  orchestra  is 
holding  up  well  at  the  Strand  where 
$40,000  is  figured  for  a  fifth  week. 

At  the  Astor,  "Enchantment"  has 
yet  to  show  signs  of  box-office  fatigue 
with  an  estimated  $26,000  expected  in 
a  fifth  week.  "Hamlet"  is  holding  to 
a  near-capacity  pace  at  the  Park  with 
a  17th  week's  take  of  $15,300.  Second 
week  of  "Boy  with  Green  Hair" 
should  gross  $18,000  at  the  Palace. 


Columbia  Re-releases 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


MPI  Meets  on  Publicity 

Hollywood,  Jan.  25.— The  Motion 
Picture  Industry  Council,  under  the 
chairmanship  of  Dore  Schary,  met 
here  tonight  at  the  Beverly  Hills 
Hotel_  to  consider  suggested  plans  for 
establishing  a  public  relations  agency 
to  improve  the  industry's  external 
representation. 


Cole  Decision  to 
Highest  Court:  Loew 

Hollywood,  Jan.  25.— Loew's  will 
'  exhaust  every  legal  resource  to  upset 
the  Yankwich  decision"  in  the  Lester 
Cole  case,  company  counsel  said  to- 
day, after  disclosing  the  company  will 
file  notice  of  appeal  later  this  week 
and  post  a  bond  in  an  amount  suffi- 
cient to  cover  all  possible  ultimate 
costs,  inclusive  of  Cole's  salary  during 
the  interim.  Appeal  will  be  taken  first 
to  the  U.  S.  Court  of  Appeals  in  San 
Francisco,  and  thereafter,  if  necessary, 
to  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court,  a  com- 
pany attorney  indicated. 


"Let  Us  Live,"  "The  Daring  Young 
Man,"  "More  Than  a  Secretary," 
"Lost  Horizon,"  "Adam  Had  Four 
Sons,"  "Only  Angels  Have  Wings," 
"Coast  Guard,"  "Sahara,"  "Destroy- 
er," "Flight  Lieutenant,"  "One  Night 
of  Love,"  "It  Happened  One  Night," 
"Commandos  Strike  at  Dawn"  and 
"The  Invaders." 

The  20  which  will  be  released  with- 
in coming  months  are:  "Mr.  Smith 
Goes  to  Washington,"  "His  Girl  Fri- 
day," "Holiday,"  "Penny  Serenade," 
"The  Talk  of  the  Town,"  "Pennies 
From  Heaven,"  "You  Can't  Take  It 
With  You,"  "Three  Yanks  in  Trini- 
dad," "The  More  the  Merrier,"  "Ad- 
venture in  Manhattan,"  "Louisiana 
Hayride,"  "Kansas  City  Kitty,"  "Be- 
ware Spooks,"  and  "So  You  Won't 
Talk."  In  addition  the  company  have 
a  "horror"  combination  consisting  of 
"The  Bogey  Man  Will  Get  You"  and 
"Return  of  the  Vampire"  and,  at  the 
end  of  March,  will  release  doubles, 
"Dirigible"  and  "Submarine,"  and 
"Penitentiary"  and  "Women  in 
Prison," 


Vogel  Named  by  M-G-M 

Hollywood,  Jan.  25.— Robert  M. 
W.  Vogel  has  been  appointed  M-G- 
M's  studio  liaison  man  with  the  Pro- 
duction Code  Administration,  suc- 
ceeding the  late  Al  Block. 


^  VJ  Man  of  many  names... 

V  mapy  lures...  many  vic- 

\  tims.  His  cold,  chilling 

terror  can  strike  at  any- 
one, anytime,  anyplace! 


RAY 


MILLAND 

AUDREY 

TOTTER 

THOMAS 

MITCHELL 


tin 


Hi 

this  "  Cra-U 


Wo*.:   ^etf  ** 


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to 


°°essn   *****  Pc^  Po»er  f 


in 


ALIAS 


with 


Be  sure  to  book 
"The  Movies  And  You" 


GEORGE  MACREADY  •  FRED  CLARK 

Directed  by 

ENDREBOHEM  ■  JOHN  FARROW 

Screenplay  by  Jonathan  Latimer  .  Original  story  by  Mindret  Lord 


Laurence  Olivier's  presentation  of 


mm:/ 


comes  to  life  on 

WESTERN  ELECTRIC  Sound  Track 


Laurence  Olivier's  magnificent 
version  of  Shakespeare's  tragedy 
was  recorded  on  Western  Electric 
sound  equipment.  The  new  De  Luxe 
"400"  Recording  System  and  the  new 
RA-1251  Re-recorders  have  demonstrated 
once  more  their  reliability  and  outstand- 
ing performance. 

Such  advantages  as  automatic  opera- 
tion, highest  sound  quality  and  versatility 
make  the  "400"  the  outstanding  record- 
ing system  available  to  the  industry. 


The  "400"  System  Recorder  and 
Automatic  Recorder  Control,  used 
in  recording  "Hamlet"  at  Denham 
Studios,  London. 


Electrical  Research  Products  Division 

OF 

Western  Electric  Company 

INCORPORATED  #  ✓ 

233  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK  7,  N.  Y. 

Hollywood  office — 6601  Romaine  St. 


wmmmrnm 


Produced  and  Directed  by 

Recorded  at   

Sound  Supervisor  .  ,  , 
Sound  by    .....  . 


Laurence  Olivier 
Denham  Studios 
Cyril  Crowhurst 
Western  1 


MOTION  PICTURE  [Z*** 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  19 


SRO  to  Close| 
'Temporarily'; 
Weigh  3  Plans 

Call  Division  Managers 
For  Series  of  Parleys 

Los  Angeles,  Jan.  26.— The  Selz- 
nick  Releasing  Organization  is 
"closing  temporarily  and  perhaps 
permanently,"  the  company  an- 
nounced here  tonight.  Division  man- 
agers are  due  here  to  sit  in  with  com- 
pany executives  this  weekend  on  the 
first  in  a  series  of  meetings  to  deter- 
mine the  organization's  future  course. 

The  announcement  said  that  the 
duration  of  the  closing  will  be  deter- 
mined by  the  timing  of  release  plans 
for  "Portrait  of  Jennie,"  "Third 
Man,"  "Fallen  Idol,"  and  "Gone  to 
Earth."  Three  alternative  methods  of 

(Continued  on  page  5) 

5th-Walnut  Enters 
Appeal  Brief  Here 

Fifth  and  Walnut  Amusement  Co. 
of  Louisville  yesterday  filed  a  brief 
with  the  U.  S.  Circuit  Court  of  Ap- 
peals here  calling  for  an  appeal  from 
the  judgment  entered  last  June  by 
Federal  Judge  Vincent  L.  Leibell  on  a 
jury  verdict  in  favor  of  major  dis 
tributors  in  the  $2,100,000  triple-dam 
age  anti-trust  action  of  Fifth  and 
Walnut.  Filing  attorney  was  Monroe 
E.  Stein. 

Plaintiff's  brief  contends  that  Judge 
Leibell  erred  in  refusing  to  admit  as 
evidence  certain  findings-of-fact  and 
earlier   court   opinions   submitted  by 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


U.  S.  Films  Far  in 
The  Lead  in  Mexico 

Mexico  City,  Jan.  26.  — 
Prime  popularity  of  Ameri- 
can pictures  in  Mexico  was 
again  proven  in  1948.  The  Na- 
tional Cinematographic  In- 
dustry Commission  reports 
that  of  345  pictures  exhibited 
in  Mexico  last  year  185  were 
American.  Next  were  Mexi- 
can, 72,  then  French,  28; 
English,  24;  Argentinian,  15; 
Italian,  nine;  Spanish,  eight, 
and  one  each  for  Russian, 
Swedish,  Cuban  .  and  Aus- 
tralian. 

Fewer  pictures  were  ex- 
hibited in  Mexico  last  year 
compared  to  the  392  in  1947 
of  which  261  were  American. 


Blumberg  Absolved 
In  4U'  Stock  Suit 


Canada  Probe 
For  TV,  Films 


Ottawa,  Ont,  Jan.  26. — The  Ca 
nadian  government  will  appoint  a 
royal  commission  to  examine  the 
situation  in  Canada  of  the  motion 
picture,  radio  and  television  industries, 
it  was  disclosed  here  today. 

It  is  reported  that  Rt.  Hon.  Vincent 
Massey,  chancellor  of  the  University 
of  Toronto  and  a  brother  of  actor 
Raymond  Massey,  will  be  the  chair- 
man of  the  probe.  The  hearings  are 
expected  to  open  in  Ottawa  without 
delay. 

Notice  of  the  government  probe 
came  without  warning  but  it  is  ex- 
pected that  the  National  Film  Board, 
the  Canadian  Broadcasting  Corp.  and 
Film-Television  Factors  will  appear 
before  the  commission.  Whether  film 
distributing  companies  will  be  drawn 
{Continued  on  page  5) 


Arnall  Ready 
To  Seek  U.  S. 
Aid  for  Films 


Federal  Judge  Simon  H.  Rifkind 
has  dismissed  in  U.  S.  District  Court 
here  the  suit  brought  by  Stephen 
Truncale,  minority  stockholder  of 
Universal,  against  Nate  J.  Blumberg, 
president  of  the  company. 

Truncale's  action,  filed  by  Milton 
Pollack,  attorney,  alleged  that  a  gift 
of  warrants  made  by  Blumberg,  part 
of  which  were  later  sold  by  the  donee, 
was  improper. 

A  similar  action  by  the  same  stock- 
holder against  J.  Cheever  Cowdin, 
chairman  of  the  board,  and  Charles 
Prutzman,  vice-president  and  general 
counsel,  was  dismissed  last  October. 

Judge  Rifkind's  opinion  sustaining 
Blumberg's  motion  to  dismiss  the  suit 
against  him  cited  the  opinion  rendered 
by  Judge  Medina  in  the  suit  affecting 
Cowdin  and  Prutzman. 


New  Posts  for  Six  in 
UA  Foreign  Set-up 


Plans  Early  Visit  to 
Acheson,  Trip  to  Coast 

Motion  pictures  are  the  best 
salesmen  of  the  American  way  of 
life  and  as  such  they  are  deserving 
of  the  government's  wholehearted 
aid  in  dealing  with  foreign  market 
problems  wherever  they  may  arise. 
Ellis  Arnall,  new  president  of  the 
Society,  of  Independent  Motion  Pic- 
ture Producers,  said  yesterday. 

Arnall  is  scheduled  to  leave  here 
for  Washington  today,  where  he  will 
begin  a  series  of  conferences  with  key 
government  officials  on  the  foreign 
problems  of  independent  producers. 
He  will  return  to  Atlanta  after  his 
Washington  visit  and  will  leave  for 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Six  new  appointments  and  promo 
tions  in  '  United  Artists'  foreign  or 
ganization  were  announced  here  yes- 
terday by  Arthur  W.  Kelly,  UA  ex- 
ecutive vice-president,  prior  to  his  de- 
parture last  night  for  London  aboard 
the  5".  5".  Queen  Mary. 

Alexander  Cavina  has  been  ap 
pointed  special  representative  in  Cairo, 
succeeding  Albert  V.  Steinhardt,  re- 
signed. Cavina  will  serve  as  home 
office  liaison  with  Ideal  Motion  Pic 
tures,  UA's  distributor  in  Egypt. 

In  China,  Henry  George  Roche  and 
Tsal-Shuen  Jao  have  been  named 
co-managers  of  the  company's  Shang- 
hai office,  following  the  resignation  of 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Decree  Causes  More 
Loop  lst-Run  Duals 

Chicago,  Jan.  26.— For  the  first 
time  in  the  Loop,  three  Balaban  and 
Katz  theatres  are  simultaneously  play- 
ing first-run  double  feature  programs. 
The  bills  are:  "Slightly  French"  and 
"Shockproof,"  at  the  Roosevelt,  both 
frdm  Columbia ;  "The  Dark  Past"  and 
"Jungle  Jim,"  also  Columbia,  at  the 
State  Lake;  "Belle  Starr's  Daughter" 
and  "Jungle  Patrol,"  20th-Fox. 

A  factor  for  the  two-for-ones  is 
that  B.  and  K.  is  faced  with  a  book- 
ing problem  because  of  the  Jackson 
Park  decree  which  imposes  a  two- 
eek  limitation  on  runs. 


Elstree  Studio  in 
London  May  Close 

London,  Jan.  26.  —  Negotiations 
have  broken  off  between  British-Lion 
and  Lady  Annie  Henrietta  Yule's 
representatives  for  the  former's  taking 
a  long-term  lease  on  the  latter's  Els- 
tree Studio.  British-Lion  is  using  the 
studio  currently  on  a  temporary  rental 
basis,  but  it  has  rejected  Lady  Yule's 
terms  for  a  long-term  lease. 

The  present  Elstree  production  ac- 
tivity is  scheduled  to  be  completed 
on  Feb.  7.  Failing  by  then  to  obtain 
other  tenants,  the  studio  will  close, 
causing  dismissal  of  some  250  workers. 
Dismissal  notices  were_  issued  today 
following  the  rupture  in  the  B- 
Yule  negotiations. 


Seek  to  Avert  Italian 
Import  Curbs:  Lissim 


Fear  is  being  felt  in  industry  circles 
that  Italy  may  impose  severe  import 
restrictions  on  U.  S.  and  other  for- 
eign films,  Wladimir  Lissim,  RKO 
Radio  European  general  manager,  re- 
ported here  yesterday  on  his  arrival 
on  the  55"  America  from  Paris.  Italy 
today  is  one  of  the  best  markets  in 
Europe,  he  asserted. 

As  a  result  of  the  threat,  other 
countries  are  virtually  pouring  films 
into  the  country.  Lissim  disclosed 
that  industry  conferences  are  now  be- 
ing carried  on  with  the  Italian  gov- 
ernment to  continue  its  present  policy 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Report  Many  Houses 
Using  Stage  Shows 

Chicago,  Jan.  26. — "Live"  entertain- 
ment bookings  have  reached  a  high 
for  the  past  two  years,  according  to 
Filmack  Trailer  Co.,  which  reports 
that  many  exhibitors  are  using  stage 
shows  to  bolster  declining  weekday 
grosses. 

Filmack  bases  its  report  on  a  survey 
of  exhibitor  requests  for  trailers  to  aid 
in  the  exploitation  of  Western  and 
hillbilly  acts,  magicians,  "spook" 
shows,  name  acts  and  bands.  Midwest 
(Continued  on  page  S) 


Legal  Doubts  Delay 
TV'  Newsreel  Sales 


Because  legal  aspects  are  in  doubt, 
Paramount  has  rejected  a  request  by 
Telenews  Newsreel  for  permission  to 
show  a  print  of  the  Paramount  tele- 
vised Presidential  inauguration  cere- 
monies at  the  latter's  San  Francisco 
newsreel  theatre,  it  was  disclosed  here. 

It  was  the  first  time  that  an  unaf- 
filiated theatre  made  such  a  request 
of  Paramount,  although  it  is  under- 
stood that  several  circuits  have  consid- 
ered the  possibility  of  purchasing 
newsreel  prints  made  on  Paramount's 
video  .  system.  It  is  said  Paramount 
plans  to  charge  $5-a-minute  and  a 
minimum  of  $200  per  print  if  a  legal 
"green  light"  is  forthcoming. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  27,  1949 


Austrian  Starts  a 
Television  Service 

Establishment  of  a  television  con 
sultant  service  to  act  as  a  liaison  be- 
tween the  video  field  generally  and 
the  fields  of  entertainment,  advertis- 
ing- and  business  is  announced  by 
Ralph  B.  Austrian,  television  pioneer 

Until  recently  vice-president  in 
charge  of  television  for  Foote,  Cone 
and  Belding,  Austrian  was  president  of 
RKO  Television  Corp.  for  four  years 
and  was  assistant  vice-president  of 
RCA  Manufacturing  Co.  for  seven. 

Viewing  television's  growth  as  "be- 
wildering in  its  ramifications  to  cur- 
rent and  potential  users  of  the  new 
device,  as  well  as  to  station  operators 
themselves,"  Austrian's  announcement 
cited  motion  picture  producers,  dis 
tributors  and  theatres  as  being  par 
ticularly  unsure  of  how  to  proceed 
with  regard  to  television. 


Fabian  Honored  at 
Birthday  Party 

S.  H.  Fabian,  president  of  Fabian 
Theatres,  was  honor  guest  yesterday 
at  a;  birthday  party  given  at  Toots 
Shor's  Restaurant  here  by  Sam  Rosen, 
the  circuit's  secretary-treasurer. 

Some  250  persons  attended,  among 
them  Barney  Balaban,  Joseph  Vogel, 
John  Murphy,  James  R.  Grainger, 
William  F.  Rodgers,  M.  J.  Mullin, 
Sam  Pinanski,  Ted  Gamble,  Walter 
Vincent, '  J.  Robert  Rubin,  Gradwell 
Sears,  Andy  W.  Smith,  jr.,  Joseph 
Bernhard,  Harry  M.  Kalmine,  Gus  S. 
Eyssell,  Tom  Connors,  Charles  Rea- 
gan, Ted  O'Shea,  John  J.  O'Connor, 
Charles  O'Reilly,  Louis  Frohlich  and 
Morton  Thalhimer. 


20th-Fox  Luncheon 
For  Schlaifer  Today 

Charles  Schlaifer,  outgoing  director 
of  advertising-publicity  at  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox, will  be  feted  by  his  depart- 
ment heads  today  at  a  luncheon  in  the 
St.  Moritz  here. 

Schlaifer  will  leave  on  a  four-week 
vacation  this  weekend.  He  will  open 
his  new  advertising  and  public  rela- 
tions offices,  to  be  known  "as  Charles 
Schlaifer  and  Co.,  about  April  1. 


Leo  Gottlieb  Will 
Manage  FC  Branch 

B.  G.  Kranze,  sales  vice-president 
of  Film  Classics,  has  appointed  Leo 
Gottlieb  branch  manager  of  FC's 
Pittsburgh  branch,  replacing  Hyman 
Wheeler  who  resigned.  Gottlieb  was 
a  salesman  for  Universal-International. 


Personal  Mention 


EORGE    BROWN,  Paramount 
studio  advertising-publicity  man- 
ager, is  due  in  New  York  from  the 
Coast  this  weekend. 

• 

E.  K.  (Ted)  O'Shea  and  Earl 
Sweigert,  Paramount  sales  execu- 
tives, are  in  Pittsburgh  today  for 
conferences  with  branch  manager 
Dave  Kimelman.  They  will  return 
to  New  York  tomorrow. 

e 

J.  D.  Trop,  independent  producer, 
has  returned  here  from  a  tour  of 
Southern  cities  where  he  photo- 
graphed exteriors  for  forthcoming 
films. 

Howard  Minsky,  assistant  Eastern 
division  sales  manager  for  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox, left  New  York  last  night 
for  Cleveland  and  a  tour  of  Midwest- 
ern exchanges. 

• 

M.  L.  Simons,  editor  of  M-G-M's 
The  Distributor ,  will  be  in  Hollywood 
today  from  New  York,  after  making 
a  stopover  at  his  home  in  Paris,  111. 
• 

Burtus  Bishop,  Jr.,  Midwestern 
M-G-M  sales  manager,  has  left  New 
York  for  Chicago  after  spending  a 
month  at  the  home  office. 

• 

Ben  Katz,  U-I  Midwest  publicity 
representative,  has  returned  to  New 
York  from  Chicago. 

• 

H.  J.  Yates,  Republic  president,  is 
due  in  New  York  from  the  Coast. 


T   YNN  FARNOL,  Goldwyn  Pro- 
'  ductions     Eastern  advertising- 
publicity  manager,  left  here  for  Chi- 
cago last  night. 

• 

Charles  Einfeld,  20th  Century 
Fox  advertising-publicity  vice-presi 
dent,  who  was  due  to  arrive  in  New 
York  yesterday  from  Hollywood  by 
plane,  is  traveling  by  train  instead 
and  will  arrive  tomorrow  after  a  one- 
day  stopover  in  Chicago. 

• 

Arthur  Sachson,  Goldwyn  sales 
manager,  Gus  Schaeffer,  RKO  dis 
trict  manager,  and  Max  Westebbe 
RKO  Albany  manager,  were  in  Glov 
ersville,  N.  Y.,  yesterday  from  New 
York. 

• 

Morris  Mechanic,  owner  of  the 
New  and  Centre  Theatres  in  Balti- 
more, was  married  here  yesterday  to 
the  former  Clarisse  Barron  of 
Cleveland. 

• 

Lillyan  Mink,  secretary  to  Rus 
sell  Moss,  IATSE  Local  No.  H-63 
business  agent,  will  leave  New  York 
by  plane  Feb.  12  for  the  Coast  to  be 
married. 

• 

Al  Zimbalist,  Film  Classics  ad- 
vertising-publicity director,  will  leave 
here  today  for  Indianapolis  and  Mil- 
waukee. 

• 

B.  G.  Kranze,  Film  Classics  vice- 
president  and  general  sales  manager 
will  leave  here  today  for  Washing- 
ton. 


Welcome  Planned  for 
'Gratitude  Train' 

With  the  "Gratitude  Train,"  bear- 
ing gifts  from  the  people  of  France  to 
the  people  of  America,  arriving  in 
New  York  on  Feb.  2,  plans  for  an 
elaborate  welcome  in  New  York  City 
have  been  instituted  by  the  Mayor's 
Committee  for  the  Reception  of  the 
Gratitude  Train,  with  Grover  A. 
Whalen  as  chairman. 

"The  "Gratitude  Train"  was  organ- 
ized as  an  expression  of  thanks  frofn 
the  people  of  France  for  the  American 
"Friendship  Train,"  organized  a  year 
ago  by  Drew  Pearson  with  Harry  M. 
Warner  as  national  chairman. 


Beall  Leaves  Manley 

_  Dallas,  Jan.  26. — Ray  Beall  has  re- 
signed as-  director  of  public  relations 
of  Manley,  Inc.,  effective  March  1. 
Beall  was  advertising-publicity  direc- 
tor of  Interstate  Theatres  in  Dallas 
for  many  years  before  resigning  last 
year  to  join  Manley. 


Brooklyn  To  Honor  Kaye 

Screen  comedian  Danny  Kaye  will 
return  to  his  native  Brooklyn  today 
to  be  "inaugurated"  as  honorary  may- 
or of  the  borough  at  a  dinner  tonight 
at  the  Hotel  Towers.  Kayp  will  begin 
a  Roxy  engagement  here  Feb.  1. 


N.  Y.  Theatres  Aid 
Salvation  Army 

More  than  400  theatres  in  Greater 
New  York  have  agreed  to  show  one 
of  two  trailers  to  aid  the  Salvation 
Army's  1949  appeal  for  $1,100,000, 
Ivor  Kenway,  American  Broadcasting 
vice-president  and  publicity  chairman 
for  the  drive;  reports. 

The  campaign  is  scheduled  to  run 
from  Jan.  31  to  Feb.  15. 


Red  Skelton  to  CBS 

A  third  major  program  has  shifted 
from  National  Broadcasting  to  Co- 
lumbia Broadcasting.  The  Red  Skel- 
ton program  will  be  heard  on  CBS 
beginning  in  the  fall,  filling  an  evening 
comedy  spot. 


Cinema  Lodge  Will 
Honor  Gov.  Dewey 

New  York's  Cinema  Lodge  of  B'nai 
B'rith  will  honor  Gov.  Thomas  E. 
Dewey  for  his  pioneering  in  anti-dis- 
crimination legislation  in  New  York 
State  at  the  Hotel  Astor  here  on 
Thursday  evening,  Feb.  3.  S.  Arthur 
Glixon  is  president  of  the  Lodge. 

Gov.  Dewey  will  be  presented  with 
the  Cinema  Lodge  "Honor  Scroll"  by 
Leonard  H.  Goldenson,  president  of 
Paramount  Theatres  Service  Corp.,  a 
member  of  the  advisory  board  of 
Cinema  Lodge  and  a  director  of  the 
Anti-Defamation  League  of  B'nai 
B'rith.  Arthur  H.  Schwartz,  counsel 
to  the  Commission  on  Coordination  of 
State  Activities,  will  be  chairman  of 
the  ceremonies,  which  will  be  attended 
by  city  and  state  officials  and  enter- 
tainment industry  leaders. 


Haines  Disposed  of 
120  Reels  in  U.  S.  j 

Ronald  Haines,  managing  director  ! 
of  British   Foundation  Pictures  and  l| 
British  Documentary  Films,  together 
with   Mrs.    Haines,   his  co-producer, 
has  returned  to  London  after  a  totiri 
that    included    visits    to  Hollywood 
Montreal  and  Quebec. 

During  his  visit  here  Haines  ar-jj] 
ranged  with  various  video  interests  iof 
television  distribution  of  more  than 
120  reels  of  documentary  shorts,  ac-< 
cording  to  Richard  Gordon,  Western 
Hemisphere  representative  for  both 
companies.  At  the  same  time  it  was 
announced  that  Haines  will  distribute 
in  the  United  Kingdom  several  inde- 
pendent American  features. 


Columbia  To  Make 
Three  in  England 

Columbia  expects  to  produce  three 
and  possibly  four  features  in  England, 
some  for  British  consumption  only, 
others  for  world  distribution.  Joseph 
Friedman  has  been  named  vice-presi- 
dent of  Columbia  International  and 
will  be  business  manager  of  U.K.  pro- 
duction activities,  dividing  his  time  be- 
tween London  and  Hollywood. 

Max  Thorpe,  assistant  managing 
director  of  sales  in  London  will  be- 
come managing  director,  succeeding 
Friedman. 


Several  Planned 
By  Welles:  Sloane 

Orson  Welles  has  a  multiplicity  of 
films  planned  for  overseas  production, 
Everett  Sloane,  actor  who  returned 
from  Italy  on  the  ^5  America,  said 
yesterday.  Sloane,  who  has  appeared 
in  several  Welles  productions,  has  just 
completed  a  part  in  20th  Century- 
Fox's  "The  Prince  of  Foxes,"  which 
was  made  in  Italy. 

Sloane  asserted  he  may  return  to 
Italy  shortly  to  work  with  Welles  in 
more  films.  He  disclosed  that  Welles 
has  temporarily  abandoned  his  pro- 
duction of  "Othello." 


Durbin  To  Address  NTFC 

Speaking  on  "Advertiser's  Use  of 
Films  on  Television,"  Charles  J.  Dur- 
bin, American  Television  Society 
president,  will  address  the  National 
Television  Film  Council  at  a  dinner- 
meeting  to  be  held  here  today  at  the 
Brass  Rail. 


3  Wolf  Speaking  Dates 

During  the  next  month  Maurice  N. 
Wolf,  assistant  to  H.  M.  Richey, 
M-G-M  exhibitor  relations  head,  will 
speak  before  clubs  and  businessmen's 
groups  at  Culpepper,  Va. ;  Dover,  Del., 
and  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y 


Alperson  Slates  Two 
Films  at  $1,700,000 

Eddie  Alperson,  president  of  Alson 
Productions,  which  releases  through 
20th  Century-Fox,  reported  here  yes- 
terday that  he  has  completed  arrange- 
ments to  start  production  of  W.  R. 
Burnett's  "Texas  Story"  in  April,  and 
George  Bruce's  "Sword  of  Monte 
Cristo"  in  June.  Each  will  be  budgeted 
at  $850,000,  he  said. 

Here  for  conferences  with  20th-Fox 
home  office  executives,  Alperson  will 
return  to  Hollywood  on  Saturday. 


Mrs.  Mary  Schenck,  70 

Mrs.  Mary  Schenck,  70,  mother  of 
Marvin  Schenck,  vice-president  of 
Loew's,  and  Dr.  Samuel  B.  Schenck 
of  Brooklyn,  died  in  her  sleep  yester- 
day morning  in  St.  Petersburg,  Fla. 

Mrs.  Schenck  was  vacationing  with 
her  husband,  Louis  Schenck,  brother 
of  Nicholas  M.,  Joseph  M.  and  George 
Shenck.  Mrs.  Schenck  was  a  sister-in- 
law  of  Mrs.  Annie  Nayfack  and  Mrs. 
Sara  Berger.  The  remains  will  be 
brought  here  for  Sunday  services  at 
the    Park    West    Memorial  Chapel. 


New  York."  Martin  Quigley.  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Qu  gle     Jr Vice Present  Tbn  T  S,,m;  J'  V%      H  ^"'^  £31°°-  Cab]e  a^ss:  "Quigpubco, 

James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager    Gus  H    ^  T,rreasuIer.i >eo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 

Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.   Urben  Far^  gilding,  William  R.  Weaver. 

J.  A.  Otten  National  Press  Club,  Washington.  D.  C.   London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  Lnd<m  ^  Representative.  Washington 

Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  pubSShed  13  times  a0 year  as  a  sS,  n  li^  '  address,  "Quigpubco  London." 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.    Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office at  New  York   N   Y    under  the  ar-t  of  M?rT-?   Isro™  Herald ;  International 

year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c.  '           1         r  the  act  of  March  3>  l&7?-    Subscription  rates  per 


THAT  KISS-TEAICAL  STAM  SMASH  IS  AEAAY  TOA  YMA  SCASEHI 


EVERY  SCREENING  CERTIFIES  THAT  THE  ROMANCIN'  RIOT  OF  194g 

is  yours  from  WARNER  BROS. 


J 


5 


m 


PROOUCED  BY 


DAVID  BUTLER  * 
JERRY WALD 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  27,  1949 


Fox  Movietone  Reel 
Loses  Video  Sponsor 

Fox  Movietone  News'  10-minute 
newsreel  clip,  telecast  Monday 
through  Friday  over  National  Broad 
casting's  television  network,  has  been 
dropped  by  the  sponsor,  R.  J.  Rey 
nolds  Tobacco  (Camels),  effective 
Feb.  11.  William  Esty  is  the  agency 

Client  will  replace  the  program  with 
a  new  NBC  news  show,  combining 
film  and  "live"  material,  running  IS 
minutes  and  to  be  shown  at  7 :4S  to 
8  P.M.,  EST,  over  14  stations  on  the 
East-Midwest  cable. 

Paul  Alley,  NBC's  video  news  film 
chief,  will  handle  the  film  portion  and 
John  Cameron  Swayzee  will  be  pivot 
man  in  the  newsroom  pickups. 

Switch  by  Reynolds,  which  will  pay 
$2,000  per  day  for  the  new  program, 
is  said  to  be  motivated  by  a  desire  for 
more  "on-the-spot"  material. 


N.  Y.  Committee  To 
Aid  Boy  Scouts 

The  1949  drive  of  the  Greater  New 
York  Councils,  Boy  Scouts  of  Amer 
ica,  for  $2,000,000  to  build  and  expand 
Scout  camps  is  being  aided  by  a  motion 
picture  industry  committee,  headed  by 
Andrew  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  of  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox, and  including  the  follow- 
ing: 

W.  Stewart  MacDonald,  Warner; 
Charles  Reagan,  Paramount;  John 
Murphy,  Loew's;  William  Heineman, 
Eagle-Lion ;  Eugene  Arnstein,  Film 
Classics ;  Pat  Scollard,  Paramount ; 
John  J.  O'Connor,  Universal ;  O.  R 
McMahon,  RKO;  Robert  Goldfarb, 
United  Artists;  Burton  Robbins,  Na- 
tional Screen  Service;  John  Curtain, 
Republic. 


Review 


"The  Life  of  Riley 

(Brecher — Universal-International) 

THE  transference  from  radio  to  the  screen  of  "The  Life  of  Riley"  has  been 
accomplished  without  sacrifice  of  dramatic  format  or  loss  of  innate 
warmth.  The  film,  as  does  the  radio  program,  features  William  Bendix  in  the 
lead,  and  presents  a  series  of  incidents  in  the  life  of  a  $59.20-a-week  riveter 
which  are  both  believable  and  endearing.  The  picture  marks  the  first  motion 
picture  production  for  radio  producer  and  screen  writer  Irving  Brecher  and 
he  has  fashioned  it  into  a  laugh-getter  of  much  popular  appeal,  with  the 
humor  on  the  broad  side.  Many  merchandising  angles  derive  from  the  film 
and  it  seems  headed  for  reliable  box-office  success. 

For  the  most  part,  the  story,  in  radio  fashion,  strings  together  several 
comic  incidents  involving  Bendix.  A  climax  is  reached  when  Bendix's  daugh- 
ter, played  by  Meg  Randall,  decides  to  marry  a  wealthy  man  whom  she  does 
not  love  instead  of  the  poor  man  she  does  love,  in  order  to  rescue  the  family 
from  economic  collapse.  It  develops  that  the  wealthy  man  is  a  worthless 
gambler,  and  Bendix  in  his  uniquely  awkward  manner  discovers  this  just  in 
time  to  prevent  an  unfortunate  marriage. 

Brecher,  who  also  directed  and  wrote  the  screenplay,  has  scattered  some 
fine  mirth-provoking  touches  throughout  the  story.  Rosemary  DeCamp  is 
most  engaging  as  Bendix's  wife.  Bill  Goodwin,  as  the  prosperous  friend  who 
excites  in  Bendix  a  fever  to  get  ahead,  offers  an  enjoyable  portrait,  and  so 
does  Jimmy  Gleason,  Bendix's  factory-working  buddy.  As  for  Bendix,  who  is 
always  blundering  and  blustering  in  and  out  of  situations,  he  has  a  lot  to  do 
and  does  it  in  odd  and  enjoyable  ways. 

Running  time,  87  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  March  re- 
lease. Mandel  Heebstman 


Exchange  Mediation 
Meet  Inconclusive 


Harmon  at  AMP  A  Meet 

Francis  S.  Harmon,  vice-president 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America,  will  be  a  guest  at  the  lunch- 
eon-meeting of  the  Associated  Motion 
Picture  Advertisers  tomorrow  in  the 
Hotel  Piccadilly.  Irene  Dunne  will  be 
honor  guest  and  will  receive  a  plaque 
from  Mrs.  Jessie  M.  Bader,  chairman 
of  the  Protestant  Motion  Picture 
Council  on  behalf  of  RKO's  "I  Re- 
member Mama,"  voted  best  picture  of 


ANSWER 
TO  YOUR 
TECHNICAL 
PROBLEMS . . . 


The  Altec 
Service  Man  and 
the  organization 
behind  him 


161  Sixlh  Avenue, 
New  York  13,  N.  Y. 

PROTECTING  THE  THEATRE— FIRST  PLACE  IN  ENTERTAINMENT 


Relief  Fund  Show 
To  Be  'Greatest' 

Hollywood,  Jan.  26. — The  greatest 
all-star  show  ever  staged,  and  the 
greatest  financial  return  from  any  sin 
gle  theatrical  performance,  are  the 
goals  set  for  the  Motion  Picture  Re- 
lief Fund  Benefit,  to  be  held  at  the 
Shrine  Auditorium,  April  16.  Louis  B. 
Mayer  chaired  a  meeting  attended  by 
ranking  representatives  of  all  studios, 
unions  and  guilds  held  here  this  morn- 
ing at  the  Beverly  Hills  Hotel. 

William  Perlberg  will  act  as  co- 
ordinator for  Mayer,  functioning  in 
concert  with  representatives  appointed 
from  all  executive,  talent  and  labor 
groups  in  the  industry.  Theatre  par- 
ticipation will  be  directed  by  Charles 
Skouras,  with  George  Jessel  and  Jack 
Benny  acting  as  co-chairmen  of  the 
committee  which  will  produce  the 
show. 


IATSE  and  distributor  negotiators 
were  still  closeted  at  a  late  hour  last 
night  with  commissioner  L.  A.  Stone, 
of  the  Federal  Mediation  and  Concilia- 
tion Service,  who  is  attempting  to 
bring  both  sides  to  an  agreement  on  a 
new  contract  for  the  country's  6,300 
exchange  workers.  Yesterday's  meet- 
ing was  the  third  with  Stone,  and  it 
offered  the  last  opportunity  for  reach- 
ing an  agreement  before  the  IATSE 
general  executive  board  meets  in  New 
Orleans  beginning  Monday. 

United  Artists  reportedly  has  with- 
drawn from  the  negotiations,  which 
would  lend  to  confirm  previous  reports 
that  the  distributors'  ranks  have  brok- 
en ^  regarding  the  acceptability  of 
"IA's"  demands  for  a  general  pay  in- 
crease, according  to  observers.  Wil- 
liam MacMillen,  Jr.,  Eagle-Lion  vice- 
president,  who  sat  in  on  earlier  nego- 
tiations as  an  "observer,"  reports  that 
he  has  withdrawn  after  securing  suf- 
ficient details  regarding  "IA's"  de- 
mands. E-L,  unlike  the  other  distribu- 
tors, holds  a  separate  contract  with 
the  union. 


Slight  Increase  in 
Coast  Production 

Hollywood,  Jan.  26. — The  produc- 
tion tally  rose  to  24  from  last  week's 
index  of  22.  Six  pictures  were 
launched,  while  four  were  finished. 

Shooting  started  on  "Kazan"  and 
"Blazing  Trail,"  Columbia ;  "The 
Great  Speculator"  (Skyline  Pictures) 
Film  Classics ;  "Red  Hot  and  Blue,' 
Paramount ;  "Susanna  Pass,"  Repub- 
lic; "Twilight"  (Hakim),  United 
Artists.  Shooting  finished  on  "In  the 
Good  Old  Summertime"  and  "Nep- 
tune's Daughter,"  Metro-Goldwyn- 
Mayer ;  "You're  My  Everything," 
20th  Century-Fox ;  "Illegal  Entry," 
Universal-International. 


New  Video  Academy 
Bestows  1st  Awards 

Hollywood,  Jan.  26.— Newly-formed 
Academy  of  Television  Arts  and  Sci- 
ences last  night  bestowed  its  first  an- 
nual awards  in  banquet  ceremonies  at 
the  Hollywood  Athletic  Club.  Statu- 
ettes were  awarded  to  station  KTLA, 
for  outstanding  over-all  achievements; 
to  Charles  Mesak  of  Don  Lee,  for 
technical  accomplishment ;  Shirley 
Dinsdale,  for  being  the  outstanding 
television  personality ;  Marshall  Grant- 
Realm  Productions,  for  the  best  film 
made  for  television;  and  the  "Panto- 
mime Quiz  Time,"  for  being  the  most 
popular  video  program. 


Spot  Check  Opens  in  N.Y. 

Spot  Check,  Inc.,  a  new  firm  offer- 
ing motion  picture  advertising  serv- 
ices surveys  of  commercial  film  spot 
reception  in  theatres  throughout  the 
country,  has  opened  offices  in  New 
York.  Surveys  of  television  spot  re- 
ception will  also  be  available. 


N.S.S.  Holiday  Trailers 

Special  trailers  for  Lincoln's  and 
Washington's  Birthday  observances 
are  ready  for  release  at  National 
Screen  Service  exchanges. 


Legion  Rates  5  'B'; 
2  Others  Rated  (C 

_  Seven  new  pictures  have  been  re- 
viewed by  the  National  Legion  of  De- 
cency, with  five  receiving  a  B  classi- 
fication and  two  a  C  classification. 

Rated  Class  B  are  Republic's 
"Homicide  for  Three,"  Film  Classics' 
"The  Judge,"  Columbia's  "Ladies  of 
the  Chorus"  and  "Shockproof,"  and 
Republic's  "Wake  of  the  Red  Witch." 
In  class  C  are :  Superfilm's  "Genius 
and  the  Nightingale"  and  "Recall  of 
Love." 


Fire  Destroys  Theatre 

Charlotte,  Jan.  26. — The  Royal 
Theatre,  operated  by  the  Wilby- 
Kincey  circuit  at  Wilmington,  N.  C, 
was  completely  destroyed  by  fire. 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
MOTION  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


EMBER    FEDERAL    DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


Thursday,  January  27,  1949 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


Arnall  Ready  \ReVWW 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

Hollywood  from  there  in  the  near 
future.  .  .  , 

Arnall  expressed  satisfaction  with 
the  recent  appointment  of  Dean  Ache- 
son  as  Secretary  of  State  and  said  he 
plans  an  early  visit  with  him.  _ 

The  SIMPP  president  denied  the 
validity  of  arguments  to  the  effect  that 
the  motion  picture  is  no  more  entitled 
to  government  cooperation  in  its  for- 
eign marketing  problems  than  other 
industries.  He  contends  that  the  mo- 
tion picture  is  unique  as  a  salesman 
'of  America  and  that  it  is  performing 
a  goodwill  and  ideological  mission  for 
the  government  that  no  other  Ameri- 
can product  or  industry  is  capable  of, 
a  mission  that  numerous  government 
agencies  and  huge  expenditures  are 
endeavoring  to  perform. 

For  that  reason,  he  believes,  the 
motion  picture  is  deserving  of  special 
governmental  consideration  wherever 
it  is  hamstrung  abroad. 


New  Posts  for  Six 

[Continued  from  page  1) 


Denies  Report  of  New  Code 

Arnall  denied  any  knowledge  of  a 
report  published  by  a  New  York 
newspaper  columnist  yesterday  that 
SIMPP  is  considering  the  preparation 
and  adoption  of  its  own  production 
code  of  ethics.  He  also  said  he  has 
no  knowledge  of  any  new  anti-trust 
suits  planned  by  the  SIMPP  similar 
to  that  pending  in  Federal  Court  at 
Detroit.  „  . 

Robert  J.  Rubin,  SIMPP  counsel 
Marvin  Faris,  secretary;  Walt  Dis- 
ney, and  others,  will  leave  here  this 
weekend  for  Detroit  for  pre-trial  ex- 
aminations to  be  held  there  next  week 
in  connection  with  the  SIMPP  suit 
against  United  Detroit  Theatres  and 
Co-operative  Theatres  of  Michigan 

Arnall  is  using  office  space  at  Gold- 
wyn  Productions  headquarters  here 
while  permanent  office  space  for 
SIMPP  is  being  sought. 


"Henry,  the  Rainmaker" 

±±^iv,y9  c.-^  Hollywood,  Jan.  26 

INTENDED  basically  for  homey  folk,  this  homespun  comedy  is  a  type 

dS  les's  rA«S5  suffer-apd-str^e  stuff.  This  ,s  »»•■ 

Thc'Jry  bwrittSe™SbeyDtlS.  B™«thamp  and  scripted  by  Lane  Beauchamp 
centers  ™H  "nflfct  between  Walburn.  a  civic-winded  an tdy  man  and 

Sncel  Sfcandidac,  for  the  mayoralty  'on  a  ga Jbag J—" 
ofEateclc^^ 

^f  n^ointo^ 

JXf s«isISyXyort£^as«.  A  Mayfaic  prodnctmn,  the  film  was 
not  set.    : 


Constantin  Goldin,  manager.  Roche 
will  handle  administrative  affairs, 
with  Jao  in  charge  of  sales.  At  the 
same  time,  Wai  Sun  Tsui  was  ap- 
pointed acting  manager  of  the  Hong- 
kong branch.  Both  offices  will  report 
to  New  York  directly  in  the  fu- 
ture. 

On  the  British  front,  William  J. 
Smith,  who  has  been  acting  secretary 
of  UA  in  London,  has  been  confirmed 
in  his  appointment  as  secretary. 
George  M.  Marks  has  been  promoted 
from  salesman  to  branch  manager  in 
Glasgow,  Scotland,  replacing  William 
Bendon,  who  retired  after  27  years' 
service,  because  of  ill  health. 

During  his  stay  in  London,  Kelly 
wil-l  announce  the  successor  to  David 
Coplan,  whose  resignation  as  manag- 
ing director  in  Great  Britain  becomes 
effective  Feb.  12. 


5th  -  Walnut  Appeal 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Italian  Curbs 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

of  free  imports  and  unhindered  dub 
bing.  . 

While  the  status  of  the  industry  in 
France  remains  unchanged,  and  in 
Switzerland  and  Belgium  business  has 
fallen  off,  the  situation  in  Italy  is 
quite  the  opposite,  Lissim  said.  Many 
theatres  are  being  built  and  there  is  a 
tremendous  interest  in  motion  pictures 
he  declared. 

In  France,  exhibitors  thus  far  are 
not  perturbed  by  the  results  of  the 
Franco-American  film  agreement 
which  limits  the  number  of  American 
film  imports  to  120.  He  said  that 
there  is  a  backlog  of  about  300  Ameri- 
can films  so  no  pinch  has  been  felt. 

Production  in  France  is  very  dif- 
ficult, he  observed,  because  of  high 
costs.  Practically  all  French  produc- 
ers are  looking  to  Italy  as  a  produc- 
tion scene  because  of  the  low  costs 
there,  he  said. 

In  the  Near  East,  grosses  have  fall- 
en considerably  because  of  the 
troubled  political  situation,  Lissim  de- 
clared. . 

Lissim,  who  is  here  on  a  periodic 
visit,  expects  to  remain  six  weeks. 

Seek  End  of  'Blue  Law' 

Chicago,  Jan.  26.— Six  Zion,  111., 
residents  have  filed  an  injunction 
against  further  enforcement  of  the 
Sunday  "Blue  Law,"  voted  for  on 
Dec.  22  by  the  Zion  City  Council, 
which  prohibits  Sunday  shows  and 
other  forms  of  business. 


Stein.  It  holds,  also,  that  the  jurist 
erred  in  not  having  charged  the  jury 
in  connection  with  a  first-run  move- 
over  deal  referred  to  in  the  plaintiff  s 
allegations. 

Defendants  have  20  days  more  m 
which  to  file  briefs  in  opposition  to 
the  appeal  before  the  court  will  decide 
whether  an  appeal  hearing  should  be 

held.  '     '     o  * 

During  the  U.  S.  District  Court 
trial  here,  Republic  and  Universal 
were  dismissed  as  defendants.  Plain- 
tiff's brief  cites  as  defendants  the  Big- 
Five,"  and  United  Artists,  Columbia, 
and  certain  subsidiary  companies. 


Bob  Hope  Seeks  Airways 

Washington,  Jan.  26.— The  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission  has 
set  for  hearings  on  Feb.  28  three 
bids— including  that  of  Bob  Hope— 
for  Louisville  station  WHAS,  its  FM 
affiliate,  and  its  television  construc- 
tion permit.  Hope,  Crosley  Radio  and 
Fort  Industries  have  each  entered  bids 
of  $1,925,000  for  the  properties. 


Weigh  3  Plans 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Canadian  Probe 

(Continued  from  page  1)  

into  the  probe  and  whether  the  trade 
will  find  itself  government-regulated 
is  open  to  question. 

There  is  no  word  in  the  Viceroy  s 
speech  to  indicate  any  proposal  for  im- 
port quotas  on  films  from  the  United 
States  or  for  preferential  treatment 
toward  British  films.  The  speech  did 
promise  reduction  of  restrictions  on 
imports  because  of  Canada's  improved 
foreign  exchange  position.  The  For- 
eign Exchange  Control  Act  will  be 
prolonged,  it  was  promised  but  there 
is  a  hint  of  modification  of  import 
duties. 

The  opening  of  Parliament  was  re- 
corded by  moving  picture  cameramen. 


distribution  are  said  to  be  under  con 
sideration.  .  "  . 

First  is  the,  resumption  ot  bKU  in 
a  streamlined  form  ;  second  is  the  use 
of  facilities  of  one  or  another  existing 
distribution  set-up;  and  the  third  is 
described  as  a  method  never  used  in 
the  industry  heretofore.  The  final  de- 
cision is  expected  at  a  meeting  sched- 
uled for  May  1.  No  change  in  foreign 
distribution  operations  is  entailed. 

New  Hempstead  House 

The  Erone  Corp.,  Dr.  Frank  A. 
Calderone,  president,  has  obtained  a 
building  loan  of  $900,000  from  a 
client  of  Sullivan  and  Cromwell, 
attorneys,  on  the  motion  picture  thea 
tre  under  construction  on  Franklin 
Street  in  Hempstead,  L.  I.  The  build 
ing  will  have  a  seating  capacity  _  of 
2,400  and  is  scheduled  for  completion 
about  June  1. 

Using:  Stage  Shows 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


and  Southern  exhibitors  favor  live 
entertainment  to  a  greater  extent  than 
exhibitors  elsewhere,  it  was  said. 

The  "return  of  amateur  nights  on  a 
large  scale  is  also  noted.  Several 
large  circuits  have  recently  instituted 
amateur  nights  in  all  of  their  theatres. 


CALVERT 


HAS  SWITCHED 
TO  "FAMILY 
HONEYMOON" 

ly  all  time  favorite  comedy 
was  Bringing  Up  Baby' 
. . .  until  I  saw  Claudette 
Colbert  and  Fred  MacMurray 
in  FAMILY  HONEYMOON "' 
*J0HN  CALVERT 

Star  of  the  "Falcon"  Motion  Picture  Series. 


Set  it 


"ML. . . 


I 


There's  No  Business  Uke 


MOTION  PICTURE 


/OL.  65.  NO.  20 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  JANUARY  28,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Pennsylvania 
1st  State  to 
Censor  Video 

Orders  All  Television 
Films  To  Be  Submitted 

Philadelphia,   Jan.   27. — First 
known  official  censoring  of  televi 
sion  motion  pictures  in  the  country 
has  been  applied  here  by  the  Penn- 
sylvania State  Board  of  Censors. 
Determining  approval  or  dis- 
approval of  television  films,  as 
all  motion  pictures,  is  that  part 
of  the  state  censorship  statute 
which  provides  that,  "The  board 
shall  approve  such  films,  reels 
or  views  which  are  moral  or 
proper;  and  disapprove  such  as 
are  sacrilegious,   obscene,  in- 
decent or  immoral,  or  tend  in 
the  judgment  of  the  board,  to 
debase  or  corrupt  morals." 
The    new    regulation  promulgated 
and  adopted  by  the  board  relative  to 

{Continued  on  page  4) 

Report  Says  Film 
Workers  Loyal 

Washington,  Jan.  27.— The  House 
i  Un-American  Activities  Committee  of 
i  the  defunct  80th  Congress,  in  a  final 
report  on  its  work  during  1947  and 
1948,  stresses  Rep.  J.  Parnell  Thom- 
as' remarks  on  the  opening  of  the 
Hollywood  hearings  in  October,  1947, 
that  the  vast  majority  of  film  workers 
are  loyal  Americans. 

The   committee   said   that   it  had 
"clearly  disclosed  the  outlines  and  the 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


N.Y.  Case  Prompts  p^RA.    DECREE  IN 
-be  of  Film  WEEKS.  CLARK 


7irms  in  Television 


Washington,  Jan,  27.— The  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission  to- 
day opened  the  way  for  action  to  strip 
Paramount  and  its  subsidiaries  of  their 
television  stations  should  the  Com- 
mission decide  such  a  course  of  action 
is  necessary  under  the  Supreme 
Court's  Paramount  case  decision. 

The  Commission  also  placed  a  big 
question  mark  next  to  the  plans  of 
any  Paramount  case  defendant  to  ex 
pand  in  or  into  the  television  field. 

Balaban  and  Katz  has  applied  to 
the  FCC  for  renewal  of  its  license  for 
commercial  television  station  WBKB 
in  Chicago  and  two  other  experimental 
stations  there.  Allen  B.  DuMont  la 
boratories,  which  the  FCC  says  Para 
mount  controls,  had  an  application  in 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Video  No  Substitute 
For  Films:  Disney 

The  film-going  public  will  not  find 
a  real  substitute  for  motion  pictures 
in  television,  in  the  opinion  of  Walt 
Disney.  At  at  interview  at  the  RKO 
Radio  home  office  yesterday  the  pro- 
ducer expressed  the  belief  that  tele- 
vision is  going  to  be  "a  terrific  medi- 
um" but  he  doubts  that  films  could  be 
made  profitably  for  television  with 
the  same  quality  and  standard  as  those 
made  for  theatres. 

Disney  asserted  that  he  has  no  tele 
vision  plans  at  present.  The  medium 
has  to  settle  into  a  pattern  before  he 
will  make  any  decision,  he  said.  He 
revealed  he  has  been  approached  by 
television  interests  for  the  sale  of  old 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


The  Decline  Is  Over, 
Says  Eric  Johnston 

Los  Angeles,  Jan.  27.— Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of 
America  president  Eric  John- 
ston, departing  from  the  pre- 
pared text  of  a  speech  on 
world  economics,  last  night 
told  the  local  Chamber  of 
Commerce  that  he  believes 
television  will  stimulate  rath- 
er than  retard  motion  picture 
production.  He  challenged  re- 
ports that  present  conditions 
in  the  film  industry  are  des- 
perate. Johnston  said  attend- 
ance is  down  only  about  10 
per  cent,  and  he  believes  the 
decline  is  over. 

He   will    return    East  on 
Saturday. 


Dinner  Opens 
TOATaxDrive 


Washington,  Jan.  27.  —  The 
Theatre  Owners  of  America's  cam 
paign  to  get  action  on  reduction  of 
Federal  admissions  taxes  opened  at 
a  quiet  dinner  given  here  tonight  by 
Arthur  Lockwood,  Gael  Sullivan  and 
other  TOA  executives. 

Some  dozen  Congressional  leaders 
were  guests  of  the  TOA  men  and  the 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


|  Expects  Agreement  To  Be 
Ready  for  Signing  Then; 
I  Para,  in  Day  -  Long  Meet 

Washington,  Jan.  27.— Attor- 
ney General  Tom  Clark  said  here 
today  that  he  expects  to  have  a 
proposed  consent  decree  with 
Paramount  Pictures  on  his  desk 
"ready  for  signing  within  a  week  or 
two  weeks." 

Clark  said  that  he  talked  about  the 
case  earlier  this  week  with  Assistant 
Attorney  General  Herbert  Bergson 
and  Special  Assistant  Robert  Wright 
and  that  "they  told  me  there  were  just 
a  few  final  details  to  be  cleared  up." 

He  would  not  discuss  provisions  of 
the  proposed  decree. 

It  is  widely  reported,  however,  that 
in  addition  to  providing  for  the  sep- 
aration of  Paramount's  theatre  opera- 
tions from  production-distribution,  any 
decree  entered  into  by  the  government 
would  also  call  for  the  divestiture  of 

{Continued  on  page  4) 

Allied  'Percentage' 
Jnit  Report  Pends 


ECA-MPEAContract 
Extended  to  Aug.  1 

Washington,  Jan.  27.— The  Eco- 
nomic Cooperation  Administration  to- 
day extended  its  convertibility  guar- 
anty contract  with  the  Motion  Picture 
Export  Association  (Germany),  Inc., 
for  film  distribution  in  Germany,  for 
another  six  months  and  for  another 
$227,129. 

In  December,  ECA  announced  it 
would  guarantee  MPEA  convertibility 
of  $230,000  for  its  operations  from 
Aug.  1,  1948,  through  January.  To- 
day's action  boosts  the  total  to  $457,- 
139  for  the  year  ending  Aug.  1,  1949. 

ECA    officials    said   that  MPEA 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


1948  Film  Dividends 
3rd  Highest  on  Record 


Movietone  Will  Have 
New  Television  Reel 

Fox  Movietone  News  will  further 
develop  its  year -old  television  news- 
reel  department  and  is  currently  striv- 
ing for  completion  of  a  "new  arrange- 
ment" of  a  daily  video  reel  to  take 
the  place  of  the  current  one  which 
will  lose  its  television  sponsor,  Camel 
Cigarettes,  on  Feb.  11.  Current  reel 
is  presented  nightly,  Monday  through 
Friday  over  National  Broadcasting 
at  7:50  to  8  P.M.,  EST.  This  is  to 
be  replaced  by  a  new  15-mmute  NBC 
news  telecast  employing  equal  film 
footage  and  actual  newsroom  pickups. 


Washington,    Jan.    27. — Publicly 
reported  cash  dividends  of  motion  pic 
ture  companies  in  1948  were  off  18 
per  cent  from  the  record  1947  pay 
ments  and  but  only  a  shade  below  1946 
payments,  the  U.  S.  Commerce  De 
partment  reported  here  today.  The 
1948  totals  were  still  the  third  highest 
on  record,  however. 

Film  firms  reported  cash  dividends 
of  $44,905,000  for  1948,  compared  with 
$54,641,000  for  1947,  and  $46,714,000 
for  1946. 

Commerce  Department  officials  usu 
ally  figure  that  publicly-reported  cash 
dividends  account  for  60  to  65  per 
cent  of  all  dividends  when  all  indus 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Allied  States  Association's  special 
'forced  percentage  selling"  committee, 
headed  by  Col.  H.  A.  Cole  of  Texas, 
will  leave  New  York  today  prepared 
to  draft  a  report  for  the  national 
Allied  board  of  directors  on  the  week- 
long  conferences  the  committee  held 
here  with  distribution  sales  chiefs. 
Instructed  to  do  so  last  Dec.  1  by  the 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


CanadianProbeSeen 
On  Criticism  Curb 


Ottawa,  Ont.,  Jan.  27— Establish- 
ment of  a  royal  commission  to  inves- 
tigate television,  radio  and  film  ac- 
tivities is  seen  by  observers  here  as 
an  attempt  by  the  government  to 
curb,  during  the  current  session  of 
Parliament,  criticism  of  existing  gov- 
ernmental agencies  concerned  with 
the  problem. 

Questions  before  a  royal  commis- 
sion, a  quasi-judicial  body,  cannot  be 
discussed  in  Parliament  according  to 
established  procedure.  Sharp  disputes 
are  expected  to  arise  before  the  of- 
ficial probe  begins,  as  the  feeling  here 
is  that  Canada  lags  behind  Britain 
and  the  U.  S.  in  relations  between 
the  government  and  the  industries. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  28,  1945' 


Personal 
Mention 


T^RANCIS  HARMON,  MPAA 
A  vice-president,  will  leave  New 
York  over  the  weekend  for  a  week  at 
the  Hollywood  office.  He  plans  to  re- 
turn to  New  York  about  the  end  of 
February  after  a  vacation  at  Palm 
Springs. 

• 

Morton  A.  Spring,  first  vice-presi- 
dent of  Loew's  International,  will 
leave  New  York  by  air  next  Tuesday 
for  Hollywood,  from  where  he  will 
start  a  two-months'  tour  of  M-G-M 
branches  in  Australia  and  New 
Zealand. 

• 

John  G.  McCarthy,  managing  di- 
rector of  the  international  division  of 
MPAA,  will  leave  here  over  the 
weekend  for  Washington,  where  he 
will  confer  with  State  and  Commerce 
Department  officials. 

• 

Irving  Helfont,  home  office  assist- 
ant to  George  A.  Hickey,  M-G-M 
Western   sales   manager,    will  leave 
here  for  the  Coast  this  weekend. 
• 

Justin  Herman,  Paramount  pro- 
ducer-director, will  leave  New  York 
tomorrow  by  plane  for  the  Caribbean 
on  a  location  trip. 

• 

Harry  Buckley,  United  Artists 
vice-president,  will  leave  here  Mon- 
day for  a  few  weeks'  vacation  in 
North  Carolina. 

• 

Charles  Schwartz  of  the 
Schwartz  and  Frohlich  law  firm  will 
leave  the  Coast  today  by  train  for 
New  York. 

• 

Leonard  Cooper,  SOPEG  organ- 
izer, will  marry  Miss  Bonnie  Sit- 
koff  at  the  Hotel  Woodstock  here  on 
Sunday. 

• 

Joseph  Krumgold  has  arrived  in 
New  York  from  Israel  with  the  com- 
pleted negative  of  the  first  Israeli 
film. 

• 

David  Lipton,  U-I  advertising-pub- 
licity director,  will  leave  here  for  the 
Coast  today. 

• 

Hal  Horne  is  scheduled  to  return 
from  Hollywood  to  New  York  at  the 
weekend. 


S.O.S.,  Unions  Sign 

S.  O.  S.  Cinema  Supply  Corp.  here 
has  renewed  contracts  with  Local  No. 
20940  American  Federation  of  Office 
Employes  and  Local  No.  IS  Interna- 
tional Association  of  Machinists,  both 
AFL.  A  wage  increase,  with  adjust- 
ments on  holiday  pay,  are  included, 
retroactive  to  Dec.  1,  the  company 
said. 


'Brotherhood'  Broadcast 

Entire  proceedings  of  the  "kick-off" 
luncheon  for  "Brotherhood  Week,"  to 
be  held  on  Feb.  4  in  the  Waldorf- 
Astoria  here,  will  be  broadcast  over 
the  ABC  network. 


Insider's  Outlook 


By  RED  KANN 


MOTION 


'"PHE  future  of  their  company 
has  been  disposed  of  so  often 
that  the  administrative  heads  of 
United  Artists  are  shock-proof 
by  this  time.  But  the  prospec- 
tive armor  which  rumor,  report 
and  wishful  thinking  have  set 
up  is  not  so  sturdy  that  little 
trickles  of  excitement  over  the 
latest  turn  cannot  penetrate. 

The  latest  turn,  of  course,  re- 
volves somewhat  uncertainly 
around  the  option  on  each 
other's  half  interest  exchange  by 
Mary  Pickford  and  Charles 
Chaplin.  As  already  reported, 
Mary  had  30  days  in  which  to 
declare  herself  and  an  added  10 
to  polish  off  legal  details  if  a 
deal  to  buy  out  Chaplin  is  in 
undisguised  motion  by  the  time 
the  initial  span  is  up.  Under 
the  bylaws,  Charlie  has  the 
same  right.  What's  important 
here  is  the  existence  of  the  op- 
tions. They  enter  a  muddled 
and  oft  times  battered  situation 
for  the  first  time. 

■ 

There  is  significance  in  the 
fact  that  Miss  Pickford  has  the 
privilege  of  acting  first  although 
she  may  do  nothing  about  it.  It 
tends  to  confirm  that  Chaplin 
meant  it  when  repeating  his  will- 
ingness to  sell  out — for  cash  and 
considerable  of  it.  With  Mary 
it  has  been  a  long  history  of  in- 
decision ranging  from  willing- 
ness to  uncertainty  and  refusal 
to  step  out  of  the  company  of 
which  she  was  one  of  the  organ- 
izers 30  years  ago  in  April. 

Established  soon  enough  will 
be  what  she  does  about  it.  Or 
can  do.  She  can  pass.  She 
might  be  able  to  put  together  a 
group  which  would  put  up  the 
necessary  moola,  and  is  so  try- 
ing. This  could  mean  an  ex- 
change of  one  partner — Chaplin 
— for  another  partner — the 
financing  group — but  the  sug- 
gestion also  is  around  the  new 
partner,  if  there  is  one  finally, 
might  not  be  a  50  per  center. 
Or,  once  the  Chaplin  stock  is 
acquired,  Mary  could  turn 
around  and  sell  all  the  stock  to 
her  associates  in  the  formulating 
syndicate  or  to  some  entirely 
different  individual  or  group. 

Could  be. 

■ 

Mystery  elements  are  present 
at  the  other  end  of  the  line,  too. 
If  the  option  rights  swing  to 
Chaplin  because  Mary  does  not, 
or  cannot,  lift  them,  it  should 
not  be  automatically  assumed 
that  Charlie  would  emerge  as 


the  sole  owner  of  UA.  Mary 
may  place  a  valuation  on  her 
half  interest  too  high  for  his 
pulse.  Or  he  could  decide  for 
the  status  quo  or  perhaps  run 
into  difficulties  setting  up  the 
financing  necessary  for  the  buy 
if  the  price  to  him  is  acceptable. 
Or  buy  and  then  sell  to  interests 
not  now  in  the  picture. 

The  finance  committee,  repre- 
senting both  of  the  present  own- 
ers, is  a  factor,  also.  Its  pro- 
posal under  which  UA  would 
sell  exhibitor  franchises  and 
thereby  raise  $4,000,000  to 
finance  production  still  has 
breath  in  it.  A  large-scale  pro- 
duction program  engineered  by 
the  Nassour  brothers  with 
Huntington  Hartford  [A.  and 
P.  chain  store]  money  might  jell. 
One  plan  would  not  replace  the 
other  so  that,  conceivably,  both 
might  burgeon  on  parallel 
tracks. 

UA's  current  position  mean- 
while, reflects  gains.  From  Sep- 
tember through  December  the 
company  showed  a  net  profit  of 
about  $250,000.  During  the  first 
two  weeks  of  January,  business 
outraced  the  same  two  of  '48. 
The  uptake  goes  to  the  credit, 
mainly,  of  "Red  River,"  which 
UA  now  figures  will  do  a  domes- 
tic gross  of  $4,200,000. 

■  ■ 

On  the  state  of  the  box-office, 
it  is  interesting,  also  ironic,  to 
note  how  the  prophets  of  doom 
have  gone  into  reverse  gear  and 
with  the  greatest  of  ease,  at 
that.  It  seems  now  that  the  1948 
domestic  intake  of  the  Johnston- 
office  companies  was  off  only  10 
per  cent  from  incredible,  fabu- 
lous record-breaking  1946,  and 
only  7y2  per  cent  under  1947 
when  the  end  of  the  world  was 
not  in  sight,  either. 

There  ought  to  be  some  em- 
barrassed faces. 

■ 

Footnote :  At  9  P.M.  Monday 
at  the  Music  Hall  all  the  ropes 
were  up  and  the  inside  and  out- 
side lobbies  groaned  with  peo- 
ple waiting  to  catch  "A  Lettei 
to  Three  Wives,"  which  de- 
serves it. 

Paramount  has  no  complaints 
about  "The  Paleface." 

Metro  none  over  "Easter 
Parade,"  "The  Three  Muske- 
teers" and  now  "Command  De- 
cision." 

Warner  ditto  on  "Johnny  Be- 
linda." 

How  are  your  ulcers  these 
days  ? 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


ip—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL— a 

Rockefeller  Center 

Jjeanne    CRAIN     -     Linda  DARNELL 
Ann  SOT  HERN 

'A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES" 

IKIRK   DOUGLAS    -    PAUL  DOUGLAS  - 
JEFFREY  LYNN 

A    20th  Century  -  Fox  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


YOUNG  CUMMINGS 

» HAL  WALUS' 


Samuel  Goldwyn  presents 

"ENCHANTMENT" 

Starring 

DAVID  NIVEN  TERESA  WRIGHT 

EVELYN  KEYES  FARLEY  GRANGER 

Released  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 

ASTOR  THEATER 

Broadway  &  45th  Street 


J 


li 


/.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER,  ^%frZ'dwoy 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


r 


OLIVIA  de  HAVILLAND  I 


the  Snake  Pi  t 


I Directed  by  Produced  by  I 
 AHATOIE  UTYAK « AHATOIE IIMK  g  ROBERT  BASSLER  1 


T^IVOLI 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID  Tt^Jl 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

JCOLOU  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  Of  THOUSANDS 


rvilh  JOSE  FERRER  .  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  ■  J.  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BOND  S 
SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  .  HURD  HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHART  •  JOHN  EMERV  $ 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  ■  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY 
based  upon  the  stage  play  'Joan  of  Lotiaine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
Kreen  ploy  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOLT  .  orl  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  •  director  of  photography  JOSEPH  VALEfcJTINE,  A.S.C 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

■nled  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  .  rcleoied  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


12  WEEK!; 


DAN  DAILEY  -  CELESTE  HOLM 

'CHICKEN  EVERY  SUNDAY' 

A  20th  Century  -  Fox  Picture 
On  Variety  Stage  — TONY  MARTIN 
BEATRICE  KRAFT  -  DEAN  MURPHY 
On  Ice  Stage  —  "MASQUERADE" 

Starring  ARNOLD  SHODA  - 
JOAN  HYLDOFT 

:ROXY  7thAve& 


50th  St. 


Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigiey  f^S^^^^ot^^i  RockTfelW  r  M%til  9nUHTy  VJ^V  As\odat  V?dl>r-  Pub,ished  dai^  Saturdays, 

New  York/'  Martin  Quigiey.  President;  Red  Kanr Vic "president-  MartinO^W^fv'  CePnter-%  Nfw^orkT20c-  *•  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V   Fecke  AdvertfJinsr  M/n^^T  y'w    W    "T^63^611*'  T™°-  h  Sull,van-  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Sail Street MtorfS  ™Ta*v^?3™  '  r^l*  H-F^el  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver 
J-  A.  Otten  National  Press  Club,  Washington.  D  C    LoStan  Bureau  4  Gol^n  S      ?JS     ^n^"1^  ReP"sentat>ve;  Jimmy  Ascher,_  Editorial  Representative.  Washington, 
Other  Quigiey  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald-  Bettor ThYatre^nH  ™"  tf  ?- ra  ^  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 

Mot,on  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  a« Tsecord  cfasf  mTtter  I™?  ^  ll«  £  >  Published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Internationa] 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies  10?  '        '    '         P°St  °ff,ce  at  New  York'  Nl  Y-  under  the  act  of  Mar^  3-  1879-   Subscription  rates  per 


Friday,  January  28,  1949 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


^Albany  TOA  Will 
Meet  on  Legislation 

i   

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  27.— The  re- 

"  gional  Theatre  Owners  of  America 
will  hold  a  luncheon-meeting  here  for 

!  ail  Albany-area  exhibitors  next 
Wednesday  to  discuss  four  bills  pend- 
ing in  the  state  legislature  which,  a 
TOA  bulletin  points  out,  "should  be 

!  of  interest"  to  exhibitors. 

One  is  Assemblyman  Richard  Gold- 
water's  measure  prohibiting  discrimi- 

1  nation  because  of  race,  creed,  color, 
or  national  origin,  in  places  of  amuse- 
ment. Bill  provides  that  where  a 
place  of  amusement  has  been  convicted 

|  of  two  discriminatory  violations  in 
one  year,  all  licenses  shall  be  revoked 
and  no  application  by  another  party 

i  would  be  considered  for  six  months. 
Other  bills  listed  by  the  TOA  are 

!  for  a  minimum  wage  of  75  cents  hour- 

\  ly,  unless  the  Industrial  Commission 
prescribes  a  higher  rate,  with  maxi- 

■  mum  eight-hour  day,  40-hour  week, 
time  and  a  half  for  overtime;  a  bill 
extending  unemployment  insurance  af- 
ter Jan.  1,  1950,  to  employers  of  one 
of  more  persons;  a  bill  to  repeal  the 
Enabling  Act  permitting  counties  and 
cities  to  impose  special  taxes,  includ- 
ing a  five  per  cent  tax  on  admissions. 

SRO  Weekend  Coast 
Parley  'Called  Off' 

Selznick  Releasing  Organization 
has  "called  off"  the  meeting  of  com 
pany  executives  and  division  man 
agers  which  was  slated  to  be  held 
this  weekend  on  the  Coast,  Robert 
Gillham,  Eastern  advertising-publicity 
director,  reported  here  yesterday. 

The  company  announced  Wednes 
day  evening  that  it  is  "closing,  tem^ 
porarily   and   perhaps  permanently," 
with  the  duration  of  the  closing  to  be 
determined  by  the'  timing  of  release 
plans  for  four  recently-completed  pic 
tures.  Announcement  of  a  new  meet 
ing  to  supplant  the  one  which  has  been 
"called  off"  may  be  forthcoming  on 
the  Coast. 

Questioned  as  to  his  future  status 
with  SRO  in  light  of  the  reported 
pending  closing,  Gillham  pointed  out 
that  his  contract  is  with  Vanguard 
Films,  SRO  production  affiliate,  and 
not  with  the  distribution  organization. 


ECA  Extension 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


TOA  Tax  Drive 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


planned  to  distribute  in  bizone  Ger- 
many, including  the  American  and 
British  sectors  of  Berlin,  up  to  30 
prints  each  of  44  black-and-white  fea- 
ture films,  26  one-reel  black-and- 
white  films,  and  8  feature-length  col- 
or films.  The  black-and-white  films 
will  be  made  in  Germany  from  master 
prints  and  raw  materials  shipped  from 
the  U.S.,  while  the  Technicolor  prints 
will  be  shipped  from  the  U.S. 

The  announcement  today  stressed 
that  the  films  and  magazines  guaran- 
teed under  two  other  contracts  were 
going  into  "European  areas  where 
Communist  -  inspired  anti  -  American 
propaganda  is  exceptionally  intense." 
ECA  administrator  Paul  J.  Hoffman 
said  that  he  believed  the  distribution 
of  American  publications  and  films  in 
ERP  countries  will  help  to  strength- 
en "faith  in  the  free  institutions  of 
Democracy." 

ECA  was  given  an  appropriation  of 
$10,000,000  for  1948-49  for  guarantee- 
ing information  media  convertibility 
of  at  least  part  of  the  costs  of  distrib- 
uting films,  books,  magazines  and  oth- 
er items  in  Marshall  Plan  countries 


Paul  Broderick,  45, 
Paramount  Executive 

Paul  J.  Broderick,  45,  special  rep- 
resentative of  Paramount,  died  of  a 
heart  attack  Wednesday  night  at  his 
home  here.  The  funeral  will  be  held 
Saturday  morning  from  St.  Ignatius 
Loyola  Roman  Catholic  Church. 

Broderick  was  with  Paramount 
since  1928,  when  he  joined  as  super- 
visor in  the  sales  statistical  depart- 
.  ment.  He  was  promoted  to  chief  ac- 
countant in  Paramount's  Boston 
branch  the  following  year  and  in  1939 
was  promoted  to  booking  manager  and 
chief  accountant.  In  September,  1945, 
he  returned  to  Paramount  from  the 
'  Army,  as  office  manager  in  Chicago. 
In  1947,  he  was  transferred  to  the 
New  York  office  for  branch  surveys. 


outlook  for  admissions  tax  reductions 
was  canvassed,  but  no  Congressman 
was  committed. 

The  TOA  board  meeting  really  gets 
going  tomorrow,  with  business  ses- 
sions in  the  morning  and  afternoon. 
Reports  will  be  heard  on  legislation, 
National  Screen  Service,  public  rela- 
tions and  taxation. 

The  TOA  television  committee  met 
for  three  hours  today  with  two  FCC 
television  officials,  John  McCoy  and 
Hart  Cboperthwaite,  heads  of  the  legal 
and  engineering  departments,  respec- 
tively. Mitchell  Wolfson,  television 
committee  chairman,  said  the  discus- 
sions were  informal,  covering  every- 
thing but  with  no  conslusions. 

He  indicated  that  there  will  be  no 
very  definite  recommendations,  but 
that  the  committee  will  continue  to 
study  the  picture  as  a  whole,  with  a 
report  to  the  TOA  board  scheduled 
for  Saturday.  Sullivan,  Lockwood, 
Walter  Reade,  Jr.,  Herman  Levy, 
Marcus  Cohn,  and  Harry  Lowenstein 
attended  the  committee  meeting. 


Sturges,  King,  Other 
AAA  Heads  Reelected 

All  officers  of  the  American  Arbi- 
tration Association  have  been  reelect- 
ed. AAA  has  long  been  identified  with 
commercial,  legal,  labor  and  other  dis- 
putes within  the  film  industry,  and 
with  many  other  industries. 

Reelected  were:  Dean  Sturges, 
board  chairman;  H.  O.  King,  execu- 
tive committee  chairman;  Sylvan 
Gotshal,  vice-chairman  of  the  board; 
William  J.  Graham,  treasurer;  A. 
Hatvany,  secretary-assistant  treasurer; 
Paul  Felix  Warburg,  vice-president; 
Frances  Kellor,  first  vice-president; 
Paul  Fitzpatrick,  administrative  vice- 
president;  J.  Noble  Braden,  tribunal 
vice-president;  Martin  Domke,  inter- 
national vice-president. 


20th9 8  Ad  -  Publicists 
Fete  Schlaifer  Here 

Ten  20th  Century-Fox  publicists, 
exploiteers  and  advertising  colleagues 
of  Charles  Schlaifer,  outgoing  direc- 
tor of  advertising-publicity,  gave  him 
a  luncheon  in  the  Hotel  St.  Moritz 
here  yesterday.  Attending  were:  Ster- 
ling Silliphant,  Ulrich  Bell,  Christy 
Wilbert,  Earl  Wingart,  Rodney  Bush; 
Sid  Blumenstock,  Jerry  Novat,  Louis 
Shanfield,  Abe  Goodman  and  Jonas 
Rosenfield. 

Schlaifer  will  open  an  advertising- 
public  relations  office  here  in  April. 


Services  for  Mrs.  Schenck 

Funeral  services  for  Mrs.  Mary 
Schenck,  70,  mother  of  Marvin 
Schenck,  vice-president  of  Loew's, 
who  died  Wednesday  in  St.  Peters- 
burg, Fla.,  will  be  held  here  at  the 
Park  West  Memorial  Chapel  on  Sun- 
day at  10:30  A.M. 


Walker  and  Schaefer 
On  Charity  Drive 

Frank  C.  Walker  and  George  J. 
Schaefer  have  been  named  treasurer 
and  assistant  treasurer,  respectively, 
of  the  special  gifts  committee  of  the 
Archdiocesan  Catholic  Charities 
Drive,  by  Francis  Cardinal  Spellman. 
Both  are  to  serve  oh  the  Cardinal's 
Committee  of  the  Laity  for  the  30th 
annual  fund  appeal  which  this  year 
has  a  goal  of  $2,500,000. 

A  special  film  industry  committee 
is  being  organized  here. 


DeMille  Heads  Film 
Council  on  Coast 

Hollywood,  Jan.  27. — Chairmanship 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Industry  Coun- 
cil passed  from  Dore  Schary  to  Cecil 
B.  DeMille  at  a  closely-guarded  meet- 
ing Monday  night,  it  was  learned  here 
as  news  leaked  out  in  spite  of  Schary's 
admonishment  to  all  attending  that 
Council  actions  be  kept  secret  pending 
an  official  announcement.  It  was  also 
reported  that  Art  Arthur,  writer,  was 
proposed  for  the  post  of  executive 
secretary.  No  date  was  set  for  the 
next  meeting. 

The  Council  is  an  organization  com- 
posed of  production,  management,  tal- 
ent and  labor,  formed  to  promote 
goodwill  for  the  industry. 

Set  Feb.  10  for  4th 
Exchange  Mediation 

Commissioner  L.  A.  Stone  of  the 
Federal  Mediation  and  Conciliation 
Service  has  set  Feb.  10  for  the  fourth 
meeting  here  with  both  sides  in  his 
attempt  to  break  the  negotiations  dead- 
lock between  the  IATSE  and  distrib- 
utors on  terms  for  a  new  national  ex- 
change workers  contract.  The  third 
meeting,  held  last  Wednesday,  report- 
edly brought  "progress"  toward  an 
agreement. 

It  was  not  possible  for  Stone  to_  set 
a  meeting  date  for  next  week  since 
"IA"  negotiators,  Thomas  J.  Shea, 
James  J.  Brennan  and  Louise  Wright 
will  spend  the  entire  week  in  New 
Orleans  at  the  "IA"  mid-winter  ex- 
ecutive board  meeting. 


Taxation  May  Ruin 
Swedish  Production 

By  SVEN  WINQUIST 

Stockholm,  Jan.  25.  (By  Airmail). 
— There  are  indications  that  the  gov- 
ernment's taxation  program  will  de- 
stroy the  production  capacity  of  the 
Swedish  industry,  which  usually  turns 
out  50  pictures  a  year. 

In  1949  the  number  of  pictures  to  be 
produced  probably  will  drop  to  around 
30,  or  possibly  as  low  as  25.  When  ad- 
mission taxes  were  raised  at  the  be- 
ginning of  1948,  admission  prices  also 
rose  and  the  result  is  that  attendance 
has  decreased. 

An  ordinary  Swedish  film  costs  the 
producer  around  $86,000.  If  he  is  to 
get  his  money  back  the  picture  must 
be  seen  by  about  700,000  persons.  At 
the  same  time,  however,  the  govern- 
ment gets  about  $140,000  in  taxes.  So 
far  the  government  has  refused  all  fi- 
nancial help  to  the  Swedish  industry, 
in  sharp  contrast  to  other  Scandina- 
vian countries. 

Swedish  producers  reportedly  lost 
some  $560,000  on  films  made  in  1947. 
The  whole  problem  will  be  discussed 
by  industry  representatives  with  the 
Finance  Ministry  in  the  near  future. 


Film  Workers  Loyal 

(Continued  from  page  I) 


pattern  of  Communist  activity  in  the 
industry  and  could  not  within  the  lim- 
its of  its  time  and  resources"  examine 
every  single  phase  of  Communist  ac- 
tivity within  the  industry,  but  it  had 
disclosed  the  broad  picture. 

Quoting  Thomas'  remarks  to  the 
effect  that  motion  pictures  have  a  tre- 
mendous influence  in  view  of  their_  im- 
pact on  mass  audiences,  the  committee 
said  "these  factors  assume  special  im- 
portance in  the  present  period  in 
which  the  international  Communist 
propaganda  machine  is  engaged  in  a 
cold  war  of  slander  against  the  U.S." 

The  report  cited  records  which  the 
committee  had  introduced  to  prove 
alleged  Communist  affiliations  of  the 
10  Hollywood  employes  who  refused 
to  answer  questions  on  their  Commu- 
nist Party  membership. 


More  A.B.P.  Production 

London,  Jan.  27.— Associated  Brit- 
ish Pictures  has  announced  its  most 
ambitious  production  program  to  date 
despite  the  mounting  talk  of  a  catas- 
trophic sramp  here. 


100  Dates  for  U-I9s 
"The  Life  of  Riley99 

More  than  100  dates  in  the  Ohio- 
Indiana-Kentucky  territories  have 
been  set  for  the  Irving  Brecher  U-I 
production  of  "The  Life  of  Riley,"  in 
conjunction  with  the  world  premiere 
in  Cincinnati  on  March  4. 

Plans  for  the  premiere  and  the  ter- 
ritorial dates  were  finalized  yesterday 
as  a  series  of  meetings  between  sales 
executives  and  David  Lipton,  adver- 
tising-publicity director,  were  con- 
cluded in  the  home  office. 


(IA9  Board  Meets  in 
New  Orleans  Monday 

IATSE  international  president 
Richard  F.  Walsh,  general  secretary- 
treasurer  William  P.  Raoul,  assistant 
international  president  Thomas  J. 
Shea,  and  vice-president  James  J. 
Brennan  left  New  York  yesterday  for 
New  Orleans  where  the  mid-winter 
meeting  of  the  "IA"  executive  board 
will  open  Monday  at  the  Hotel  Roose- 
velt. Meeting  is  scheduled  to  continue 
through  next  Friday. 

Among  matters  on  the  agenda  are 
various  problems  relating  to  griev- 
ances, contract  negotiations,  and  juris- 
dictional disputes  in  the  film  industry. 
Additionally,  the  board  will  act  on 
various  appeals  from  judgments  hand- 
ed down  by  the  international  president 
in  disputes  between  locals. 


Art  Leazenby  Joins  E-L 

Detroit,  Jan.  27— Art  Leazenby 
has  resigned  as  manager  of  the 
Cinema  Theatre  here  to  join  E.-L. 


Omaha  Tent  Gives  $1,100 

Omaha,  Jan.  27.— Gifts  totaling 
$1,100  have  been  made  to  four  local 
institutions  by  the  Omaha  Variety 
Club.  Chief  barker  F.  A.  Van  Husan 
named  the  four  as  the  Children's 
Memorial  Hospital,  Masonic  Home 
for  Boys,  St.  James  Orphanage  and 
Booth  Memorial  Hospital. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  28,  1949 


Paramount  Decree 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


approximately  500  theatres  from  the 
company  established  to  take  over 
Paramount  interests  in  that  field. 

Such  a  divestiture,  it  is  said,  would 
leave  the  new  independent  theatre 
company  with  more  than  600  houses. 

The  divestiture  would  apply  to 
"closed"  situations  and  to  certain 
others  where  competition  exists  but 
in  which  Paramount  affiliated  thea- 
tres occupy  a  position  dominant 
enough  to  be  considered  a  potential 
monopoly,  it  is  said. 

It  is  further  reported  that  the  Para- 
mount negotiations  with  Justice  De- 
partment officials  are  far  enough  ad- 
vanced at  this  time  to  be  concerned 
( only  with  discussions  of  individual 
situations  and  theatres  in  which  di- 
vestiture is  in  dispute. 

Another  report,  lacking  confirma- 
tion, is  that  Paramount  is  asking  five 
years  in  which  to  complete  the 
divorcement  and  divestiture  processes, 
with  the  government  leaning  toward  a 
shorter  period.  It  is  said  that  vir- 
tually all  other  phases  of  a  decree 
have  been  agreed  upon. 


Reviews 


starts   out   as   an   interesting   melodrama   about  a 


Balaban  Returns  from  Florida 

Barney  Balaban,  Paramount  presi- 
dent, interrupted  a  Florida  vacation 
to  return  here  to  preside  at  company 
meetings  during  the  past  two  days  for 
further  discussion  of  the  continuing 
negotiations  between  the  company  and 
the  Department  of  Justice  on  a  settle- 
ment of  the  anti-trust  suit  against  the 
company. 

Top  Paramount  officials  engaged  in 
an  all-day  meeting  at  the  home  office 
yesterday  which  was  not  even  inter- 
rupted at  the  luncheon  hour.  Mid- 
day refreshments  were  delivered  to  the 
conferees  while  they  continued  their 
discussions.  The  meeing  ended  late  in 
the  day. 


Allied  'Percentage' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


national  Allied  convention  in  New 
Orleans,  the  Cole  committee  endeav- 
ored while  here  to  persuade  sales  man- 
agers to  relax  their  percentage  picture 
policies  in  favor  of  flat  rentals  when 
certain  conditions  prevail.  Sales  man- 
agers have  indicated  they  will  take 
under  advisement  the  Cole  commit- 
tee's point  at  issue. 

In  addition  to  Cole,  the  committee 
includes  Charles  Niles,  Iowa;  Jack 
Kirsch,  Illinois;  Martin  Smith,  Ohio, 
and  Sidney  Samuelson,  Pennsylvania. 
Before  leaving  today  for  their  respec- 
tive headquarters,  they  will  have  con- 
ferred with  Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  20th 
Century-Fox;  William  F.  Rodgers, 
M-G-M;  Charles  Reagan,  Paramount; 
Ben  Kalmenson,  Warner;  A.  J. 
O'Keefe,  Universal  -  International ; 
Rube  Jackter,  Columbia,  and  Paul 
Lazarus,  Jr.,  United  Artists,  all  in- 
dividually. 

Cole  reported  yesterday  that  his 
committee  will  return  to  New  York 
during  the  week  of  Feb.  6  for  a  con- 
ference with  Robert  Mochrie,  RKO 
Radio  distribution  vice-president,  who 
this  week  was  in  Hollywood. 


Shockproof 

(Columbia) 

"C  HOCKPROOF' 

^  romance  between  a  conscientious  parole  officer  and  a  pretty  former 
prison  mmate  who  is  assigned  to  his  charge.  Principal  roles  are  filled  with 
earnest  effort  by  Cornel  Wilde  and  Patricia  Knight,  who  in  real  life  is  Mrs. 
Wilde.  So  long  as  the  script  by  Helen  Deutsch  and  Samuel  Fuller  remains 
within  an  area  of  logic  in  examining  the  fading  antagonism  and  burgeoning 
affection  between  the  two  principals  (and  it  does  so  up  to  about  the  story's 
half-way  point),  the  film  is  arresting  entertainment.  But  when  it  decides  to 
convert  the  moral  parole  officer  and  his  oft-errant  charge  into  a  couple  of 
desperate  fugitives  from  justice  after  the  lady  inflicts  a  bullet  wound  in  a 
love-smitten,  blackmailing  gambler,  all  conviction  is  lost.  A  pat  finale,  where- 
in the  hospitalized  gambler  declines  to  identify  Miss  Knight  as  his  assailant, 
follows  several  sequences  of  formula  escape-and-hide  melodrama,  and  the 
since-married  lovers  retreat  from  the  screen  for  a  life  of  bliss. 

Evident  story  weaknesses  notwithstanding,  "Shockproof"  should  get  satis- 
factory business,  primarily  by  virtue  of  Wilde's  marquee  value.  Moreover, 
the  film  is  not  without  some  good  exploitation  possibilities.  Production 
values  are  good,  and  performances  measure  up  with  a  cast  rounded  out  by 
John  Baragrey,  Esther  Minciotti,  Howard  St.  John,  Russell  Collins,  Charles 
Bates  and  others.  Earl  McEvoy  was  associate  producer. 

Running  time,  79  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  January  re- 
lease. Charles  L.  Franke 


To  Censor  Video 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


New  Elstree  Production 

London,  Jan.  27. — Threatened  clos- 
ing of  the  Elstree  Studios  appears  to 
have  been  alleviated  by  the  disclosure 
that  Alfred  Hitchcock  will  start  a 
new  production  there  in  April.  Jane 
Wyman  probably  will  star  in  the  film 
with  Warner  said  to  be  guaranteeing 
distribution  on  a  world-wide  basis. 


"A  Canterbury  Tale" 

(  Rank — Ea  gle-Lion  ) 

A  MODERN-DAY  parallel  has  been  given  the  famous  Chaucer  tale  in 
■f*-  _  this  J.  Arthur  Rank  production  of  "A  Canterbury  Tale."  Despite 
occasional  obscurity  in  story  development,  it  emerges  as  a  picture  of  many 
charming  qualities  and  is  commended  to  selective  audiences.  A  production  of 
the  Archers,  it  was  produced,  directed  and  written  by  Michael  Powell  and 
Emeric  Pressburger.  The  team  has  succeeded  in  catching  some  inspired 
scenery  and  bringing  out  smartly-etched  performances. 

The  story  weaves  around  a  set  of  four  persons  who  find  themselves  making 
their  way  to  the  famous  cathedral  town  along  the  Pilgrims'  Way  made 
famous  by  14th  Century  travelers.  The  tale  comes  out  in  retrospect  as  John 
Sweet,  who  portrays  a  U.  S.  Army  sergeant,  tells  his  bride  about  his  trip  to 
the  historic  town  in  order  to  see  the  birthplace  of  his  grandmother  and 
forget  the  sweetheart  who  hasn't  written.  The  other  three  modern-day  pil- 
grims who  take  the  journey  are  played  by  Sheila  Sim,  a  girl  who  believes 
her  sweetheart  was  killed  in  war  action ;  Dennis  Price,  a  British  sergeant 
who  always  wanted  to  play  a  church  organ,  and  Eric  Portman,  a  judge  who 
does  his  penance  in  Canterbury  following  some  melodramatic  episodes.  By 
the  time  the  leisurely-paced  story  comes  to  its  end,  Canterbury  has  bestowed 
its  unique  blessings  on  all  four  travelers.  Fragments  of  droll  humor  are 
scattered  throughout. 

Running  time,  95  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
Jan.  21.  Mandel  Herbstman 


Film  Dividends 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


tries  are  averaged.  They  said  today, 
however,  they  believed  that  publicly- 
reported  dividends  of  film  firms  ac- 
count for  a  much  higher  percentage 
than  65  per  cent. 

Commerce  officials  said  four  firms, 
RKO,  20th  Century-Fox,  Universal 
and  Warner,  accounted  for  $8,000,000 
of  the  $9,736,000  drop  from  1947  to 
1948  in  publicly-reported  dividends. 
RKO  and  Universal  paid  about  half 
of  amount  of  1947  dividends,  while 
20th-Fox  paid  about  two-thirds,  and 
Warners  about  80  per  cent,  according 
to  these  officials. 

Cash  dividends  reported  for  Decem- 
ber, 1948,  announced  today  for  the 
first  time,  amounted  to  $7,593,000, 
compared  with  $7,959,000  in  Decem- 
ber, 1947.  In  only  two  months  in 
1948  were  dividends  ahead  of  1947, 
and  then  only  by  the  slimmest  margin. 
In  most  of  the  other  months,  1948 
figures  were  substantially  below  1947. 

Commerce  gave  these  figures  for  the 
four  companies  chiefly  responsible  for 
the  drop:  RKO,  $2,340,000  in  pub- 
licly-reported cash  dividends  this 
year,  against  $4,680,000  in  1947 ;  20th- 
Fox,  $6,172,000  against  $8,948,000; 
Universal,  $964,000,  against  $1,904,- 
000;  Warner,  $9,120,000,  against  $11,- 
104,000. 


Film  Firms  in  Video 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


for  renewal  of  licenses  for  station 
WABD  in  New  York  and  10  other 
experimental  stations.  All  of  these 
are  due  to  expire  on  Feb.  1. 

Instead  of  renewing  these  licenses 
for  the  usual  one-year  period,  the 
FCC  announced  it  was  granting  only 
temporary  licenses,  revocable  at  any 
time.  It  is  said  it  is  doing  this  "pend- 
ing an  examination  of  the  qualifica- 
tions of  the  licensees  in  the  light  of 
the  Supreme  Court's  decision  in  the 
Paramount  case." 

FCC  officials  said  that  a  similar 
policy  probably  would  apply  to 
DuMont's  Washington  station  and  to 
Paramount  Television  Productions' 
Los  Angeles  outlet  when  they  apply 
for  renewals. 

A  Commission  spokesman  said  that 
there  is  no  fixed  date  for  the  "ex- 
amination" referred  to  in  the  Commis- 
sion's order.  "It  could  be  a  week  or 
a  year  away,"  one  official  said. 


Canadian  Pioneers  Meet 

Toronto,  Jan.  27.— The  Canadian 
Picture  Pioneers  held  its  eighth  an- 
nual meeting  here  today  at  the  King 
Edward  Hotel,  with  J.  Earl  Lawson 
presiding.  Twenty  new  members  were 
inducted  and  the  death  of  six  members 
during  1948  was  commemoPated. 


the  projection  of  motion  pictures  by 
television  provides  that,  "All  motion 
picture  films,  reels  or  views  intended 
for  projection  or  broadcast  by  tele- 
vision in  Pennsylvania  must  first  be 
submitted  by  the  exchange,  owner  or 
lessee  ...  for  censorship  purposes, 
and  must  not  be  projected  by  televi- 
sion in  Pennsylvania  unless  first  ap- 
proved by  the  board  and  a  seal  issued 
therefor  upon  payment  of  the  proper 
fee,  and  said  proper  approval  seal  dis- 
played upon  every  showing." 

Board  Sets  Fee 

The  Pennsylvania  board's  fee  is  $2 
per  reel.  Notice  of  the  new  ruling 
was  made  public  over  the  signature  of 
Mrs.  Edna  R.  Carroll,  board  chair- 
man. 

Censoring  of  television  motion  pic- 
tures poses  several  problems.  So  far 
as  is  known  none  of  the  regulations 
of  the  seven  states  which  censor  films 
specifically  require  seals  for  reels 
made  exclusively  for  home  or  other 
private  exhibition.  Under  the  new 
state  ruling  here,  video  films  telecast 
to  homes  apparently  will  be  subject 
to  censorship.  The  ruling  specifically 
mentions  "all  motion  picture  films." 

Miss  Mary  Keith  of  the  board's  of- 
fice here,  when  asked  about  the  status 
of  "live"  or  on-the-spot  telecasts  not 
filmed,  pointed  out  that  the  state  regu- 
lation specifically  mentions  and  applies 
only  to  films. 

May  Delay  Tele  News 

Which  creates  an  important  potenti- 
ality in  relation  to  the  status  of  on- 
the-spot  material  picked  up  by  a  thea- 
tre, recorded  on  film  and  subsequently 
projected  to  the  theatre  screen.  The 
New  York  Paramount  Theatre  uses 
this  method — the  first  large-screen 
television  in  the  country — and  the 
same  method  to  be  used  by  others.  If 
a  theatre  is  required  to  submit  films 
made  in  this  manner,  the  delay  would 
preclude  any  immediate  projection  of 
such  material,  and  much  of  its  on-the- 
spot  value  would  be  lost. 

Because  the  censor  laws  and  proce- 
dure of  the  six  other  censoring  states 
more  or  less  follow  the  same  pattern, 
adoption  of  Pennsylvania's  new  pro- 
cedure on  television  motion  pictures 
is  looked  for.  The  six  states  are: 
Kansas,  Maryland,  Massachusetts, 
New  York,  Ohio,  Pennsylvania  and 
Virginia.  A  state  law  is  on  Florida's 
books  but  it  is  not  functioning.  City 
boards  exist  in  nearly  all  of  the  keys, 
and  in  many  places  rulings  of  the 
board  are  accepted  by  cities  in  the  rest 
of  the  state. 


Video  No  Substitute 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


subjects  but  as  yet  he  has  not  decided 
to  release  them. 

There  always  will  be  a  demand  for 
pictures,  Disney  said,  "and  if  they 
are  good,  people  will  go  to  see  them." 
Television,  he  added  might  serve  as 
a  helpful  medium  "to  excite  people  to 
see  them." 

•Fears  and  dissension  in  Hollywood 
have  quieted  down,  Disney  said,  pre- 
dicting a  brighter  future.  He  revealed 
his  staff  is  down  to  600,  compared  to 
the  1941  peak  of  1,400. 

Disney,  who  is  here  on  a  tour  of 
the  openings  of  his  "So  Dear  to  My 
Heart,"  said  that  "Two  Fabulous 
Characters"  will  be  released  in  Octo- 
ber. He  is  working  on  two  others, 
"Cinderella,"  which  will  be  released 
a  year  from  now,  and  "Alice  in  Won- 
derland," to  be  released  in  two  years, 


MOTION  PICTURE  toate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  21 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  MONDAY,  JANUARY  31,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


US  Ticket  Tax 


Life  Insurance 


Income  for  '48  For  Salesmen 
Off  Only  IWo 

December's  Revenue  Was 
Better  Than  Last  Year's 


I  Washington,  Jan.  30.— General 
admission  tax  collections  during 
1948  totaled  $385,125,454,  a  drop  of 
less  than  one  and  one-third  per  cent 
from  the  $389,867,479  collected  during 
1947,  according  to  U.  S.  Bureau  of 
Internal  Revenue  figures  released 
here  today.  , 

Collections  by  the  Bureau  for  the 
12  months  in  1948  reflect  box-office 
business  for  December,  1947  through 
November  1948,  since  taxes  are  col- 
lected monthly  on  the  previous  month  s 
business.  Similarly,  the  1947  figures 
reflect  business  for  December,  mo 

(Continued  on  page  3) 

AlliedfAsks^  Flat 
Rentals  for  Some 

Although  distribution  sales  chiefs 
who  conferred  here  last  week  with 
Allied  States  Association's  special 
"forced  percentage"  committee  de- 
clined to  divulge  conference  details, 
it  was  learned  at  the  weekend  that 
the  committee  concentrated  most  of 
its  suasion  against  percentage  picture 
selling  to  small,  low-grossing  theatres. 
It  is  understood  that  the  sales  heads, 
who  were  approached  individually, 
made  no  firm  commitments  to  the  Al- 
lied committee,  but  rather  assured  it 
that  consideration  would  be  given  to 
the  matter.  The  companies,  it  was 
said,  emphasized  that  they  would 
have  to  retain  the  right  to  determine 
which  pictures  would  be  sold  on  flat 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Adoption  by  the  national  Colosseum 
of  Motion  Picture  Salesmen  of  a 
$5,000-per-member  life  insurance  plan 
which  was  proposed  several  months 
ago  was  reported  here  by  Charles 
Penser,  chairman  of  the  New  York 
Colosseum  lodge. 

The  plan  of  the  film  salesmen  s 
union  has  been  financed  in  the  amount 
of  $10,000,  representing  donations  of 
$10  by  each  of  the  union's  1,000  mem- 
bers, Penser  disclosed.  This  fund,  he 
said,  will  remain  in  the  Colosseum's 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


See  Negotiations  f  or 
Monroe  Settlement 


Maryland,  Too,  May 
Censor  Video  Films 

Baltimore,  Jan.  30.  —  The 
Maryland  State  Board  of 
Censors  is  understood  to  be 
seriously  considering  adopt- 
ing an  amendment  to  its  cen- 
sorship regulations  providing 
for  the  compulsory  submis- 
sion to  it  of  all  television  mo- 
tion pictures,  requiring  a  fee 
for  inspection  and  a  board 
seal  to  appear  on  each  film 
to  be  televised. 

Pennsylvania  last  week  en- 
forced such  a  rule,  as  previ- 
ously disclosed. 


Chicago,  Jan.  30— Negotiations  for 
a  cash  settlement  involving  consider- 
ably under  $100,000  are  expected  to 
start  shortly  in  the  Monroe  Theatre 
anti-trust  suit,  which  sought  treble 
damages  of  $1,580,000. 

The  suit,  instigated  by  Lubhner 
and  Trinz,  former  operators  of  the 
Loop  Monroe  Theatre,  charged  that 
the  defendants  conspired  to  prevent 
the  house  from  obtaining  product 
from  Jan.  1,  1933,  to  March  4,  1945. 
Defendants  are:  Balaban  and  Katz, 
Publix  Great  States,  Warner,  Loew's, 
RKO,  20th-Fox,  Paramount,  Colum- 
bia, Universal  and  United  Artists. 
The  plaintiff's  attorney  is  Seymour 
Simon. 

Last  week,  the  Jackson  Park  The- 
atre's supplemental  damage  suit,  which 
was  pending  in  Federal  Court  here 
since  1942,  was  settled  for  $454,000. 


Astor  Headquarters 
For  N.  Y.  Variety 

Future  home  of  the  Variety 
Club  of  New  York,  outgrowth 
of  the  30-year-old  Motion 
Picture  Associates,  is  the 
Hotel  Astor  where  arrange- 
ments for  adequate  space  are 
now  under  way. 

Variety  of  New  York  will 
be  known  as  Tent  No.  35  of 
Variety  International.  Robert 
J.  O'Donnell,  international 
chief  barker,  who  has  been 
conferring  here  with  Max  A. 
Cohen  and  Chick  E.  Lewis  re- 
turned to  Dallas  this  weekend. 


Telecasters  Will 
Fight  Pa.  Censors 

Pennsylvania  State  Censor  Board's 
newly-promulgated  regulation  direct- 
ing that  all  television  motion  pictures 
be  submitted  for  approval  as  a 
requisite  to  their  use  on  video  will 
be  contested  by  that  industry  on  the 
grounds  that  the  measure  runs  coun- 
ter to  Interstate  Commerce  laws. 
Other  objections  will  be  raised  _  but 
this  will  be  the  main  argument,  it  is 
said  here. 

Position  is  taken  that  many  of  the 
film  programs  televised  in  Philadel- 
phia originate  in  other  cities,  thus  the 
regulation  is  contrary  to  free  inter- 
state commerce.  Censorship  of  films 
in  theatres  is  another  matter,  it  is 
pointed  out,  in  that  the  picture  is 
given  its  immediate  projection  in  the 
theatre  itself  and  no  other  state  is 
involved. 


End  of  'Recession' 
Looms:  Youngstein 

Indications  at  present  are  that  in- 
dustry thinking  in  terms  of  "reces- 
sion" and  "retrenchment"  is  about  to 
end,  ■  Eagle-Lion  advertising-publicity 
vice-president  Max  E.  Youngstein 
declared  on  Friday  in  an  address  as 
president  of  the  Associated  Motion 
Picture  Advertisers.  He  spoke  at  an 
AMPA  luncheon-meeting  at  which 
film  star  Irene  Dunne  received  in 
behalf  of  RKO  Radio  the  Protestant 
Motion  Picture  Council's  annual 
award  to  "I  Remember  Mama"  as 
the  "best  picture  of  1948." 

Youngstein  cited  as  evidence  of  his 
observation  an  interview  with  William 
M.  Dozier,  vice-president  and  asso- 
ciate production  head  of  Universal- 
International,  appearing  in  the  Jan. 
29  issue  of  Motion  Picture  Herald. 
by  William  R.  Weaver,  the  Herald's 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Scope  of  New  Ascap 
Video  Pacts  Studied 


Telecasters  are  examining  the  scope 
and  specific  nature  of  the  music  rights 
which  American  Society  of  Composr 
ers,  Authors  and  Publishers  has  au- 
thority to  license  as  discussions  con- 
tinue on  the  first  non-gratis  Ascap 
contracts  to  be  issued  in  the  video 
field. 

Negotiations  on  actual  terms  must 
await  determination  of  the  extent  to 
which  the  video  stations  would  be 
covered  with  a  standard  license  for 
music  reproduction  and  for  the  spe- 
cial pact  which  entails  additional  fees. 

Groups  of  costumed  singers,  repro- 
duction of  props  used  in  a  stage  or 
motion  picture  "production"  numbers 
and  other  staging  devices  and  music 
presentation  methods  are  being  stud- 
ied in  their  relationship  to  Ascap  li- 
censing. Continued  progress  is  being 
made  on  these  points,  it  is  said. 


TO  A  Demands 
Film  Sales 
To  TV  Stop 

Membership  Also  Urged 
To  Enter  Video  Field 


Washington,  Jan.  30.  —  The 
TOA  television  committee  strongly 
opposed  the  practice  of  major  film 
companies  in  making  their  films 
available  for  television  broadcasting 
and  warned  them  that  a  continuation 
of  such  a  policy  might  bring  TOA 
reprisals. 

At  the  same  time  the  committee 
made  sweeping  recommendations  to 
plunge  exhibitors  into  the  television 
business.  Among  the  recommendations 
presented  to  the  TOA  board  by  the 
committee  headed  by  Mitchell  Wolf- 
son  were  these : 

That  TOA  take  appropriate  steps 
before  the  FCC  to  secure  allocations 
of  frequencies  for  theatre  television; 
that  each  TOA  member  carefully  ana- 
lyze his  own  market  and  consider 
whether  he  should,  on  his  own  or 
with  others,  apply  for  a  television 
license;  that  TOA  explore  the  possi- 
bility of  providing  theatres  with  an 
exhibitor  television  service  through 
use  of  a  common  carrier  system. 

Ask  TOA  to  Warn  Producers 

The  committee  recommended  that 
all  film  producers  and  distributors  be 
advised  by  TOA  in  the  "strongest 
possible  terms,"  that  it  would  be  "a 
grave  danger  and  injustice  to  provide 
television  with  motion  picture  _  films 
designed  and  created  for  exhibition  in 
theatres  and  which  have  been  made 
possible  by  theatre  exhibitors." 

The  committee  said  this  stand  was 
not  based  on  any  desire  to  hamper 
television  but  rather  on  the  belief  that 
the  policy  of  these  producers  would, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Para.  Brief  Today; 
Others  Are  Delayed 

Paramount's  brief  in  the 
industry  anti-trust  suit  will 
be  submitted  to  the  New  York 
Federal  Court  and  the  De- 
partment of  Justice  today, 
presumably  along  with  pro- 
posals for  the  new  industry 
arbitration  system.  Warner 
and  20th  Century-Fox  will 
file  tomorrow  or  Wednesday 
because  of  printing  delays 
and  late  corrections.  Loew's 
and  the  Little  Three  have 
had  their  filing  time  ex- 
tended. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  31,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

HOWARD    LE    SIEUR,  United 
Artists  advertising-publicity  di- 
rector, will  return  to  New  York  to 
day  from  Hollywood. 

• 

Ned  E.  Depinet,  RKO  president, 
Robert  Mochrie,  RKO  distribution 
vice-president,   and   S.   Barret  Mc 
Cormick,  RKO  Radio  head  of  ad 
vertising,   left   Hollywood  yesterday 
by  plane  for  New  York. 

• 

Sam  Shain,  exhibitor  relations 
head  for  20th  Century-Fox,  is  in 
Charlotte  to  attend  the  convention 
of  the  Theatre  Owners  of  North  and 
South  Carolina  there. 

• 

Charles  Einfeld,  20th  Century 
Fox  advertising-publicity  vice-presi- 
dent, has  arrived  in  New  York  from 
the  Coast. 

• 

Jules  B.  Weill,  Masterpiece  Pro- 
ductions president,  arrived  here  yes- 
terday after  a  two  weeks'  vacation  in 
Florida. 

• 

Edgar  L.  Walton,  Republic  assist- 
ant general  sales  manager,  left  here 
over  the  weekend  for  Denver. 

Charles  Leonard,  Charlotte  Astor 
Pictures  representative,  is  in  Atlanta 
for  a  week. 

• 

Harry    L.    Kerr,    Screen  Guild 
salesman  m  Charlotte,  is  the  father 
of  a  daughter,  born  Jan.  26. 
• 

George  Brown,  Paramount  studio 
publicity  director,  is  due  here  from 
the  Coast  next  Friday. 

• 

Edward   Alperson    left  here 
Hollywood  over  the  weekend. 


Tradewise . 


foi 


Free  "Bad  Boy"  Trailer 

Hollywood,  Jan.  30. — A  special 
trailer  and  accessories  are  being  made 
available  gratis  by  National  Screen 
Service  to  theatres  holding  premieres 
of  Allied  Artists'  "Bad  Boy,"  the  film 
sponsored  by  Variety  Clubs  Interna- 
tional. 


Gloria  Bell  Dies  at  22 

Mrs  Gloria  Bell,  22,  daughter  of 
Ken  Prickett,  M-G-M  exploitation 
representative  in  New  England  with 
headquarters  in  Boston,  died  at  her 
home  in  San  Antonio  on  Friday,  it 
was  learned  here.  Death  came  sud- 
denly. 


Ann  Williams,  60 

Chicago,  Jan.  30.— Funeral  services 
will  be  held  here  tomorrow  for  Ann 
Williams,  60,  wife  of  Frank  Williams, 
head  film  booker  for  Warner  Thea- 
tres here.  Mrs.  Williams  died  of  a 
heart  attack  Friday  morning. 

'Fame'  Award  to  Stern 

Motion  Picture  Daily — Fame  scroll 
was  presented  to  Bill  Stern,  voted 
Best  Sportscaster  in  the  Daily's  radio 
poll,  on  his  National  Broadcasting 
program  on  Friday  night. 


By  SHERWIN  KANE 


DUBLIC  curiosity  about  that 
imusement  world  baby  with 
the  over-activethyroid,  none 
other  but  television,  seems  to  be 
concerned  largely  with  what  it 
will  do  to  motion  pictures.  Or 
phrased  another  way,  What  will 
motion  pictures  do  about  tele- 
vision ? 

The  public  assumption  that 
television  will  challenge  motion 
pictures,  first  and  most  directly, 
is  falacious,  according  to  the  best 
opinions  we  are  able  to  get  from 
advertising  executives  whose  fu- 
ture livelihood  depends  upon 
their  ability  to  chart  the  dollars 
and  cents  value  of  television 
from  day  to  day  just  a  mite 
more  accurately  than  television 
promoters  themselves. 

Advertising  men  right  now 
are  trying  to  find  the  answer, 
not  to  what  television  will  do  to 
motion  pictures,  but  what  it  will 
do  to  radio.  In  their  cycle,  that 
answer  requires  discovery  long 
before  the  need  arises  to  solve 
whatever  riddle  television  may 
present  to  motion  pictures. 

Already  the  advertising  world 
is  looking  for  reductions  in  ra- 
dio network  rates  commensurate 
with  the  loss  of  radio  listeners  to 
television.  They  confidently  ex- 
pect important  rate  adjustments 
in  the  very  near  future. 

There  is  no  such  immediacy 
about  the  motion  picture  indus- 
try's competition  from  television. 


Advertising  specialists  in  the 
television  field  do  not  say  that 
the  new  medium  will  not  affect 
motion  picture  theatre  attend- 
ance. 

What  they  do  say  is  that  it 
will  affect  radio  and  other  home 
diversions  first  and  more  im- 
portantly. 

They  know  that  the  home  in 
which  a  television  set  is  in  use 
harbors  no  listeners  to  radio 
programs  on  competing  time 
segments 'with  the  possible  ex- 
ception of  outstanding  or  unusu- 
al radio  attractions,  of  which 
there  are  not  too  many. 

For  radio,  that  is  a  problem  as 
of  now,  not  the  future. 

What  is  radio  doing  about  it? 

Well,  CBS  for  one  certainly 
is  doing  something  about  it. 

It  is  rapidly  gathering  to  itself 
radio's    outstanding  programs. 

Its  apparent  reasoning  is  that 
if  radio's  best  can't  compete  suc- 
cessfully  with   television,  then 


Dividends  Non-Taxable 

Four  25-cent  dividends  paid  in  1948 
to  General  Precision  Equipment  stock- 
holders has  been  tentatively  ruled  non- 
taxable by  the  Internal  Revenue  Bu- 
reau, according  to  Ralph  N.  Harder, 
motto  '  -  -  -     ,  GPE  treasurer. 

Sundays  ^^W^.&'SSsJ^I^^J^^^^^^l  S^l^l^i^  8?^'  Y^r  f  rW%  ^A^'  ^  Satu"^ 

Ja me s  P  Curmin ghan^ *Ne ws  l^e^t  ^BT&SS&  ^.^S^^V^  iSS&S an'd  ^n^tfe^SSfe 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Sa'kStteet  E^  Bur4ea«.  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weav7r 

J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Dub,  Washington  D  C  London  Bureau  4  Golden  ^1^™  wi  h™  7  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washington 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Pictufe  Herald;'  Better  Theatres' ail \^^''&^^ \^^V^Ultger' FeUr  Burnu.P>  ^tor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London/5 
Motion-  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  dass  matter  Sep?  23 1938  a?  the  cost  &  at nil  ^tl  Vvr  "V  Sl°t,0n  of,  MotioH  Picture  Herald:  Internationa) 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies  10c         •  '  P  Ce  at  NeW  York'  N'  Y"  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per 


network  radio  is  done  for  com- 
pletely, and  CBS  will,  at  the 
very  least,  have  some  mighty 
fine  attractions  to  switch  from 
radio  microphones  to  television 
cameras. 


The  point  that  most  advertis- 
ing executives  appear  to  be 
agreed  upon  is  that  television's 
audience  is  fundamentally  a 
stay-at-home  breed.  They  are 
people  who,  if  they  were  not 
parked  before  the  home  televi- 
sion set,  would  be  reading  a 
newspaper,  magazine,  novel  or 
schooHext  book;  would  be  play- 
ing bridge  or  gin  rummy,  or  just 
sitting  around  gossiping  the  time 
away,  albeit  most  of  them  with 
radios  turned  on. 

They  do  not  believe  that  the 
placid  elders,  the  daughters 
without  a  date  for  the  evening, 
the  sons  with  home  work  to  do, 
who  comprise  much  of  the  tele- 
vision audience  of  today,  would 
be  at  the  movies  if  they  were 
no  television  set  in  the  home. 
They  would  be  far  more  likely  to 
be  right  where  they  are,  which 
is  where  they  were  of  an  eve- 
ning before  television  ever  came 
into  their  lives,  for  the  belief  is 
that  they  are  largely  those  same 
persons  who  comprise  the  age 
groups  and  social  stratas  which 
motion  pictures  count  among 
their  most  elusive  prospects. 

That  is,  as  of  now. 

As  television  programs  im- 
prove and  sets  in  use  increase 
there  no  doubt  will  be  a  very 
serious  changing  of  the  audience 
pattern.  But  that  places  the 
motion  picture's  television  prob- 
lem well  behind  those  of  the  ra- 
dio, industry,  the  book,  maga- 
zine and  newspaper  publishers, 
even  the  playing  card  manufac- 
turers and  the  phonograph, 
record,  piano  and  musical  instru- 
ment manufacturers,  anyone,  in 
fact,  who  caters  to  home  diver- 
sions. 

Advertising  men  add  that  the 
forthcoming  reductions  in  radio 
network  advertising  rates  un- 
doubtedly will  be  transferred  to 
television  by  most  advertisers. 
That  will  hasten  the  day  of  bet- 
ter television  programming,  the 
effects  of  which  will  be  to  bring 
into  clearer  focus  exactly  what 
the  medium  is  likely  to  mean  to 
motion  pictures  and  theatres 
when  it  is  settled  in  its  rightful 
place  as  one  more  diversion 
available  to  the  public  in  its  con- 
stantly increasing  leisure  hours 


Newsreel 
Parade 


OPERATION  Haylift,  as  well  as 
.news_  from  Israel,  Italy,  Berlin 
and  Russia  are  highlights  of  current* 
newsreels.  Other  items  include  sports 
and  fashions.  Complete  contents  fol- 
low: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  9— Opera- 
tion Haylift.  Giant  bomb  removed  in  Lon- 
don. Mexican  floods.  Pets  receive  blessing 
in  Rome.  David  Ben-Gurion  wins  Israel 
backing.  Mao  Tze-Tung  Red  victor  in 
China.  Tyrone  Power  meets  De  Gasperi. 
New  bomber.  Baseball.  Ski  jumping.  Wa- 
ter skiing. 

.  NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  343— Miss- 
ing spy  witness  caught.  Ben-Gurion  wins 
Israel  s  first  election.  Animals  receive  spe- 
cial blessing.  London  digs  out  deadly  war 
bomb.  Fashions.  Aqua-ski  thriller.  Base- 
ball: 1949  debut. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  40— Film 
record*  of  Russian  peace  offensive.  Cold 
war  over  'I  Chose  Freedom.'  News  on  the 
novel  side:  metallic  bathing  suit.  Koala 
bears  in  Australia.    New  super  jets. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  217— 

Operation  Haylift.  New  jet.  News  in 
brief:  Italian  warships;  Works  of  art  arrive 
from  Italy;  New  swim  suits.  Ski  club. 
Water  skiing. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  48  

Overseas  news:  Berlin,  Monte  Carlo,  Mar- 
seilles. Pulptown.  Metal  bathing  suits, 
.koala  bears  in  Australia.  Sports:  baseball 
school  m  Florida;  Lou  Boudreau  signs  base- 
ball contract. 


E.  C.  Mills  Leaving; 
To  Reside  on  Coast 

E.  C.  Mills,  member  of  the  United 
Artists  board  of  directors,  will  leave 
here  tomorrow  for  the  Coast  where 
he  will  reside  in  the  future. 

Mills  has  submitted  his  resignation 
to  the  UA.  board  because  of  his 
change  of  residence  but  it  probably 
will  not  be  accepted  until  the  special 
directors'  committee  on  financing  and 
reorganization  of  U.A.,  of  which  Mills 
is  a  member,  is  dissolved. 

The  last  of  a  series  of  farewell 
luncheons  for  Mills  was  given  to  him 
on  Friday  at  the  Lambs  Club  by  the 
officers  of  the  Times  Square  branch 
of  Chemical  Bank  and  Trust  Co.,  of 
whose  advisory  board  Mills  is  a  mem- 
ber. 


8th  WB  Stockholder  Suit 

Marking  the  eighth  such  action  to 
be  taken  since  last  Sept.  20  against 
Warner  executives,  Warner  minority 
stockholder  Abraham  Fistel  has  filed 
in  U.  S.  District  Court  here  a 
suit  against  United  States  Pictures, 
Warner  Brothers,  Joseph  Bernhard, 
Robert  W.  Perkins,  Milton  Sperling, 
Harry  M.  Warner,  Jack  L.  Warner, 
Morris  Wolf,  John  E.  Bierworth, 
Samuel  Carlisle,  Albert  Warner  and 
Samuel  Schneider,  alleging  conspiracy 
in  behalf  of  United  to  the  detriment 
of  Warners.  Suit  asks  for  an  ac- 
counting on  a  production-distribution 
deal  made  in  1945  between  the  two 
companies. 


Monday,  January  31,  1949 

US  Ticket  Tax 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


through  November,  1947.  A  compari- 
son of  actual  box-office  business,  rath- 
er than  tax  collections,  for  1948  and 
1947  will  not  be  possible  until  the 
January,  1949  tax  collection  figures 
are  made  available  at  the  end  of  Feb- 
ruary. It  is  said  here  to  be  hard  to 
see  how  the  January  figures  can 
change  very  greatly  the  over-all  pic- 
ture of  only  the  slightest  drop  in  tick- 
et tax  income. 

Many  exhibitors  point  out  that  gen- 
eral admissions  tax  figures  include 
admissions  to  sports  events,  legiti- 
mate theatres,  and  other  shows,  and 
claim  that  it  is  possible  than  an  in- 
crease in  the  take  of  those  fields  may 
cloak  a  sharper  motion  picture  theatre 
business  decline.  They  also  point  out 
that  even  if  business  has  held  up  very 
well,  their  costs  have  risen  sharply, 
and  hence  their  profits  are  badly  cut. 
In  any  event,  motion  picture  theatres 
pay  the  bulk  of  ticket  taxes. 

General  admissions  tax  collections 
in  December,  1948,  were  $37,927,132, 
a  shade  higher  than  the  $37,785,638 


collected  in  December,  1947.  Decem- 
ber was  the  fifth  month  in  which  1948 
collections  exceeded  those  in  the  com- 
parable 1947  period. 

Total  admission  tax  collections  for 
December,  1948,  including  roof  gar- 
den and  cabaret  taxes  and  taxes  on 
leases,  overcharges  and  other  miscel- 
laneous items  as  well  as  general  ad- 
mission tax  collections,  were  $42,- 
761,330,  compared  with  $42,930,914  in 
December,  1947. 


more  delicious  than 
on  any  other  airline! 


— fly- 


UNITED 

DC-6  Mainliner  300s, 
11%  hrs.  onestop  to 

LOS 

ANGELES 


2  other  DC-6  Mainliner  300s 
daily  to  Los  Angeles 


Lockwood  Challenges  Tax 
Figures  As  Theatre  Barometer 

Washington,  Jan.  30.— TOA  presi- 
dent Arthur  Lockwood  today  sharply 
challenged  the  idea  that  government 
tax  collection  figures  mean  motion 
picture  business  was  as  good  in  1948 
as  in  1947.  Lockwood  said  these  fig- 
ures must  be  viewed  with  four  serious 
reservations : 

1)  He  estimated  that  500  new  drive- 
in  theatres  have  opened  since  the 
war's  end  and  another  500  closed-in 
theatres.  Collections  from  these  1,000 
new  theatres  could  mask  a  drpp  in 
general  business,  since  there  is  no 
comparison  of  the  number  of  theatres 
covered  by  the  figures  from  year  to 
year.  * 

2)  Theatre  prices  in  many  areas 
have  been  inching  up,  meaning  that 
attendance  could  fall  without  tax  col- 
lections falling. 

3)  There  is  no  breakdown  on  the 
amount  of  general  admissions  tax  col- 
lections that  come  from  motion  pic- 
ture theatres.  Rather,  they  are  lumped 
with  taxes  from  sports  events,  con- 
certs, legitimate  theatres  and  other 
general  admissions.  A  rise  in  these 
collections  could  offset  a  drop  in  film 
tax  collections. 

4)  Even  if  grosses  did  remain 
steady,  rising  costs  mean  lower  profits 
for  the  exhibitor. 

TOA  executive  director  Gael  Sulli- 
van revealed  that  TOA  had  requested 
the  Treasury  Department  to  make 
available  a  further  breakdown  of  the 
admissions  tax  collections,  with  re- 
ceipts from  motion  picture  theatres 
specifically  segregated.  He  said  the 
request  had  been  made  to  Under- 
Secretary  Foley,  and  that  the  Trea- 
sury's attitude  was  "generally  favor- 
able." A  definite  answer  is  expected 
within  10  davs  or  two  weeks,  he  said. 
He  added  that  Foley's  only  hesitation 
seemed  to  be  from  a  fear  that  other 
industries  paying  excises  would  make 
similar  demands. 

Sullivan  said  there  would  be  two 
great  advantages  from  such  a  break- 
down:  The  industry  could  see. exactly 
what  areas  were  experiencing  box- 
office  slumps,  and  local  groups  could 
use  the  figures  in  fighting  local  taxes, 
as  indications  of  how  much  they  were 
already  paying  in  federal  excises. 


Congressmen  Favor 
Ticket  Tax  Cut 

Washington,  Jan.  30— Theatre 
Association  of  America  executive  di- 
rector Gael  Sullivan  said  here  at  the 
weekend  that  the  Congressmen  who 
attended  the  dinner  given  here  Thurs- 
day night  by  TOA's  Arthur  Lock- 
wood,  and  Sullivan  were  "sympathet- 
ic" to  the  idea  of  reducing  the  20  per 
cent  levy,  but  they  all  pointed  out 
that  final  responsibility  lay  with  the 
House  Ways  and  Means  group. 

Nine  Democratic  Congressmen  who 
broke  TOA  bread  were:  House  Ma- 
jority Leader  McCormack  of  Massa- 
chusetts, House  Judiciary  Committee 
Chairman  Celler,  and  Reps.  Mansfield 
of  Montana,  Fogarty  of  Rhode  Island, 
Young  of  Ohio,  Comer  of  Mississippi, 
Havenner  of  California,  Kirwan  of 
Ohio  and  Price  of  Illinois.  Rep.  Hagan 
of  Minnesota  was  the  lone  Republican 


Canadian  Firm  to 
Make  M-G-M  Records 

M-G-M  Records  has  granted  a 
franchise  to  Quality  Records  of  To- 
ronto for  the  exclusive  manufacture 
and  distribution  of  M-G-M  records 
in  Canada.  Quality  is  a  newly- 
organized  corporation  controlled  by 
All-Canada  Radio  Facilities,  operators 
and  owners  of  a  number  of  radio  sta- 
tions. A  large  plant  is  being  erected 
in  Toronto. 

On  the  board  of  Quality  are  Har- 
old Carson,  president  of  All-Canada 
Radio;  Clifford  Sifton_  and  Eric  Har- 
vie,  newspaper  executives ;  A.  G.  A. 
Spence,  banker;  Guy  Herbert,  general 
manager  of  All-Canada  Radio;  C.  C. 
Moskowitz,  L.  Friedman  of  Loew's, 
and  Frank  Walker,  company  head. 


MGM  Coast  Meetings 
To  Start  Tomorrow 

Hollywood,  Jan.  30.— Preliminary 
meetings  pertaining  to  M-G-M's 
forthcoming  "preview  of  product"  and 
sales  conferences  are  scheduled  to 
get  under  way  Tuesday  at  the  Cul- 
ver City  studios  with  the  arrival 
there  of  William  F.  Rodgers,  sales 
vice-president  and  general  sales  man- 
ager, from  New  York. 

Upon  his  arrival,  Rgdgers  will  con- 
fer with  studio  executives  Louis  B. 
Mayer,  Dore  Senary,  Edward  Man- 
nix,  Howard  Strickling,  Ralph 
Wheelwright  and  others  relative  to 
plans  for  the  studio  screenings  and 
preview  of  at  least  nine  new  pictures 
to  be  released  after  March  1.  Among 
the  productions  most  likely  to  be 
ready  for  screening  are  "The  Strat- 
um Story,"  "Neptune's  Daughter," 
"The  Barkleys  of  Broadway."  "Take 
Me  Out  to  the  Ball  Game,"  "Little 
Women,"  "Great  Sinner,"  "Edward, 
My  Son,"  and  "The  Secret  Garden." 

M.  L.  Simons,  editor  of  The  Dis- 
tributor and  assistant  to  H.  M. 
Richey,  arrived  from  the  East  on  Jan. 
26  for  conferences  with  Strickling 
and  his  staff.  He  also  will  meet  with 
Rodgers  in  finalizing  the  program  of 
activities  for  the  70  sales,  field  and 
home  office  executives  who  will  gath- 
er for  the  sessions,  the  first  of  its 
kind  to  be  held  here  by  M-G-M  in 
more  than   11  years. 

Accompanying  Rodgers  from  New 
York  will  be  Irving  Helfont,  home 
office  assistant  to  George  A.  Hickey, 
Western  sales  manager,  and  Burtus 
Bishop,  Jr.,  Midwestern  sales  head 
with  offices  in  Chicago. 


Seaton  Urges  T-H  Repeal 

Hollywood,  Tan.  30.  —  George 
Seaton,  Screen  Writers  Guild  presi- 
dent, has  urged  repeal  of  the  Taft- 
Hartlev  law  in  telegrams  to  Senate 
and  House  labor  committees  and  to 
p  11  California  congressmen. 


Video  Packaae  Plan 

United  World  Films  television  de- 
partment has  developed  a  new  leasing 
plan  under  which  11  series  of  short 
subjects  have  been  packaged  with  sta- 
tions permitted  to  retain  the  reels  in 
their  libraries  for  more  than  one 
showing  over  a  snerifled  period,  rath- 
er than  rent  each  reel  separately. 


JACK  BAILEY* 
HAS  SWITCHED 
TO  "FAMILY 
HONEYMOON" 

1  always  thought  The  Egg  and  I' 
was  the  funniest  picture  I  ever 
saw . . .  until  I  saw  Claudette 
Colbert  and  Fred  MacMurray 
in  FAMILY  HONEYMOON"' 

*Emcee  of  "Queen  for  a  Day" 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  31,  1949 


TOA  Board  Meet 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


by  cutting  attendance,  make  it  impos- 
sible for  theatres  to  support  topnotch 
productions. 

The  committee  said  producers  who 
allow  television  advertisers  to  "give 
away"  their  product  would  soon  find 
that  they  had  jeopardized  their  own 
welfare  by  diminishing  box  office  re- 
turns. 

TOA,  the  committee  said,  should 
keep  track  of  films  finding  their  way 
to  television  screens  so  that  TOA 
members  "may  correctly  assess  the 
damages  caused  by  such  unfair  prac- 
tices and  may  be  enabled  to  take  those 
steps  legally  permissible  to  protect 
their  businesses." 

The  report  commended  "those  in- 
dustry leaders  who  have  adopted  a 
long  range  view  to  protect  their  own 
business  and  the  business  of  their  ex- 
hibitor-customers and  have  declined  to 
make  available  for  television  those 
films  created  and  paid  for  by  motion 
picture  theatres." 

Recommended  TV  Trailers 

Another  recommendation  was  that 
producers  use  specially  made  trailers 
to  sell  films  through  television  as  part 
of  national  pre-release  campaigns. 
Producers,  the  National  Screen  Ser- 
vice and  exhibitors  should  also  inves- 
tigate the  possibility  of  making  trail- 
ers for  television  to  be  rented  by  the- 
tres  for  advertising  over  local  tele- 
vision stations. 

Committee  members  were  Walter 
Reade,  Jr.,  M.  A.  Lightman,  Marcus 
Cohn  and  special  consultant  Bob 
Home.  They  held  a  series  of  meet- 
ings on  Thursday  and  Friday  with 
top  FCC  officials. 

Among  other  reports,  conclusions 
and  recommendations  given  at  the 
TOA  mid-winter  board  meeting  here 
Friday  arid  Saturday  were: 

Reduction  of  the  20  per  cent  admis- 
sion tax  is  imperative,  and  while  the 
outlook  for  a  cut  is  not  too  bright, 
there  is  still  a  chance  and  a  vigorous 
fight  should  be  made. 

National  Screen  Service  can  do  a 
lot  better  by  exhibitors  and  exhibitors 
should  not  enter  exclusive  contracts 
with  the  company. 

Meet  with  Harmon  Tomorrow 

A  special  committee  should  meet  to- 
morrow with  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion vice-president  Francis  Harmon 
to  enlist  distributor  suport  in  fighting 
unfair  competition  from  theatres  on 
Army  and  Navy  posts  and  installa- 
tions. 

Dues  will  be  assessed  on  an  annual 
basis,  instead  of  the  present  two-year 
basis,  with  the  next  collection  in  Sep- 
tember. 

TOA  membership  continues  to  ex- 
pand, with  a  new  unit  due  in  April  in 
Colorado,  the  Colorado  Association  of 
Theatre  Owners,  and  another  unit  due 
within  90  days  in  Ohio,  hitherto  an 
Allied  States  preserve. 

Conciliation  boards  have  been  set 
up  by  10  state  units,  and  five  more 
are  in  the  process  of  formation.  Allied 
has  joined  in  three  so  far. 

In  between  meetings,  the  board 
members  heard  off-the-record  lunch- 
eon speeches  from  Under-Secretary 
of  the  Treasury  Foley,  Attorney  Gen- 
eral Clark  and  FCC  chairman  Coy, 
were  the  guests  of  the  MPA  at  a 
cocktail  party  Friday  evening,  and 
attended  a  special  screening  of  the 
four  industry  public  relations  shorts. 

Executive  director  Gael  Sullivan 
said  that  the  extra  10  per  cent  ad- 
missions tax  had  been  imposed  with 
the  understanding  it  would  come  off 


Review 


"A  Man  About  the  House" 

{London  Film — 20th  Century-Fox) 

CTARTING  leisurely,  "A  Man  About  the  House"  tosses  up  some  stormy 
<J  emotions,  and  as  is  usual  with  British  pictures,  it  has  some  effective  char- 
acter construction.  The  story  is  a  mature  and  engrossing  one,  of  general 
appeal,  but  belonging  to  the  adult  audience .  classification.  Based  on  a  novel 
by  Francis  Brett  Young,  it  tells  of  two  genteel  British  spinsters  who  go  to 
an  Italian  town  where  they  have  inherited  a  villa  and  eventually  find  their 
entire  lives  transformed. 

Cast  in  the  leads  are  three  actors  of  distinction  but  who  are  little  known 
on  these  shores.  They  are  Kieron  Moore,  who  plays  the  romantic,  scheming 
peasant  who  runs  the  villa,  and  Margaret  Johnston  and  Dulcie  Gray  as  the 
prim  spinsters.  At  first  the  two  ladies  go  to  the  Italian  town  intent  upon 
selling  their  villa  but  soon  they  surrender  to  its  charms,  its  scenery,  music, 
and  way  of  life.  At  the  same  time  Moore  cynically  works  his  way  into  Miss 
Johnston's  affections  and  then  marries  her  as  part  of  a  plan  to  take  away 
the  villa.  Now,  by  slow  stages,  he  begins  to  feed  her  poison.  In  time  he  is 
exposed  and  he  hurls  himself  off  a  cliff.  His  wife,  however,  still  loving  him, 
is  sheltered  from  the  knowledge  of  his  poisonous  intentions. 

In  the  background  of  the  story  is  a  romance  between  Miss  Gray  and  Guy 
Middleton,  a  visiting  doctor  who  discovers  Moore's  plan  in  time.  Leslie 
Arliss  has  done  a  capable  job  of  direction,  building  up  suspense  cumulatively. 
A  London  Films  production,  it  was  produced  by  Edward  Black  and  adapted 
by  John  Perry. 

Running  time,  93  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  February 
release.  Mandel  Herbstman 


as  soon  "as  the  war  emergency  was 
over,  and  that  that  time  had  come. 
"This  tax  and  rising  costs  have  so 
thinned  the  profit  margin  that  it  is 
now  imperative  it  be  removed,"  he 
said. 

TOA  president  Arthur  Lockwood 
stated  that  "small  exhibitors  particu- 
larly have  been  getting  squeezed  by 
rising  costs  plus  lower  attendance  due 
in  part  to  the  tax.  Many  of  them 
say  that  they  net  less  each  week  than 
they  pay  in  taxes." 

He  said  that  if  the  tax  were  cut, 
he  was  sure  "practically  every  ex- 
hibitor would  pass  it  along  to  his 
customer.  That's  what  happened  after 
World  War  I." 

Officials  Express  Optimism 
Sullivan  and  Lockwood  refused  to 
be  pinned  down  on  the  outlook  for  tax 
reduction  at  this  session  of  Congress. 
They  said  the  Congressmen  they 
talked  to  at  the  dinner  Thursday 
night  were  generally  sympathetic  but 
stressed  the  need  for  high  government 
revenues  and  the  claims  of  other  in- 
dustries for  tax  reduction. 

Sullivan  did  say,  "I  wouldn't  have 
asked  these  congressmen  to  dinner  if 
I  weren't  hopeful  about  it.  I  am  more 
hopeful  today  than  when  I  came  down 
here.  If  exhibitors,  merchants  and 
unions  will  all  bring  pressure  on 
every  member  of  the  Ways  and  Means 
Committee  to  remove  this  tax  on  this 
necessary  and  popular  form  of  enter- 
tainment, it  will  come  off." 

Lockwood  said,  "I  think  there  is  a 
chance,  and  we  are  going  to  pursue  it." 
Avoid  Local  Tax  Problem 
Sullivan  said  that  no  position  had 
been  taken  on  the  host  of  local  and 
State  taxes  that  threaten  exhibitors, 
explaining,  "That  is  a  local  prob- 
lem." 

The  committee  to  confer  with  Har- 
mon on  Army-Navy  theatre  compe- 
tition is  headed  by  A.  Julian  Brylaw- 
ski,  with  Paul  Williams  and  Fred 
Kent  the  other  two  members. 

Sullivan  said  the  two  problems  were 
admission  of  unqualified  civilians  to 
Army-Navy  low-admission  theatres 
and  the  effect  on  the  exploitation  and 
return  to  private  exhibitors  of  pre- 
release film  showings  at  post  theatres. 
TOA  president  Arthur  Lockwood 
said  the  committee's  work  would  be 
"exploratory." 

"MPA  made  the  arrangements  with 
the  government,"  he  said.    "We  as- 


sume they  had  good  reasons.  We 
want  to  find  out  what  they  were.' 

Sullivan  said  that  the  big  trouble 
was  the  effect  on  box-office  busi 
ness  of  pre-release  of  films  at  near 
by  Army  or  Navy  theatres.  He  said 
there  haven't  been  many  complaints 
about  civilian  admissions",  "but  where 
there  have  been  complaints,  they've 
been  very  serious." 

He  estimated  that  there  had  been 
about^  six  such  "serious  situations." 
He  cited  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  as 
one  particularly  bad  spot. 

The  TOA  executive  director  said  he 
would  continue  his  efforts  to  get 
cheaper  film  transportation.  He  indi- 
cated he  had  gotten  nowhere  so  far 
with  the  Postoffice  Department  in  his 
request  for  railway  postoffice  service 
for  films. 

Railway  Express,  he  said,  is  car- 
rying on  a  national  survey  to  see  the 
volume  and  type  of  film  business  be- 
fore entering  into  any  talks  about  cut- 
ting express  rates  for  films.  The  rail- 
roads save  him  a  runaround  in  his 
attempts  to  get  film  transported  by 
baggage,  referring  him  to  Railway 
Express.  Finally,  he  said,  TOA  was 
still  working  with  bus  companies  to 
remove  the  Interstate  Commerce 
Commission's  rules  against  bus  com- 
panies carrying  inflammable  films. 


Salesmen's  Insurance 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


national  treasury  pending  the  death  of 
one  of  its  members,  whose  next  of 
kin  then  will  receive  $5,000.  Thus,  the 
$10,000  is  being  held  in  reserve  to 
cover  the  deaths  of  two  members.  As 
soon  as  a  $5,000  insurance  benefit  is 
paid,  Colosseum  members  each  will 
contribute  $5  more  to  bring  the  fund 
up  to  $10,000  again. 


N.  Y.  Colosseum  Sets  March  21 
For  1st  Annual  Dinner-Dance 

New  York  lodge  of  the  Colosseum 
of  Motion  Picture  Salesmen  of 
America  has  set  March  21  for  the 
holding  of  its  first  annual  dinner-dance 
at  the  Tavern-on-the-Green  here,  it  was 
announced  yesterday  by  lodge  chair- 
man Charles  Penser.  The  arrange- 
ments committee  consists  of  Leo 
Greenfield  (chairman),  Robert  Finkel, 
Jules  Reiff  and  Meyer  Solomon. 


Allied  on  Flat  Rental 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


rental  and  which  percentage,  and  to 
whom. 

A  detailed  report  of  the  commit- 
tee, which  is  headed  by  Col.  H.  A. 
Cole  of  Texas,  will  be  submitted  to 
the  Allied  board  at  its  Feb.  14-15 
meeting  in  Washington,  the  commit- 
tee announced  at  the  weekend  prior 
to  leaving  New  York.  Meanwhile, 
the  four-man  group  is  scheduled  to 
return  here  next  week  for  additional 
conferences,  particularly  with  RKO 
Radio  distribution  vice-president  Rob- 
ert L.  Mochrie  who  is  not  due  to  re- 
turn here  from  the  Coast  until  today. 

Instructed  by  the  national  Allied 
convention  in  New  Orleans  on  Dec. 
1  to  apprise  the  sales  head  of  the 
organization's  opposition  to  so-called 
"forced  percentage"  playing,  the  Cole 
committee  told  company  executives 
that  the  "practice  of  forced  percent- 
age playing  is  economically  and  mor- 
ally unsound  because:  (1)  it  discour- 
ages showmanship  and  leaves  little 
or  no  incentive  for  the  exhibitor  to 
advertise  and  exploit  the  picture;  (2) 
it  results  in  improper  playing  time; 
(3)  it  creates  constant  friction  be- 
tween buyer  and  seller,  and  (4)  it 
adds  a  financial  burden  upon  the  in- 
dustry in  cost. 

Ainsworth  Condemns  Practice 

The  resolution,  which  instructed  Al- 
lied president  William  L.  Ainsworth 
to  name  the  "forced  percentage"  com- 
mittee, characterized  percentage  sell- 
ing as  "an  unwelcome  partnership" 
between  exhibitors  and  distributors. 
"Forced  percentage  playing,"  the 
resolution  held,  "gives  the  distributors 
an  interest  in  and  a  control  over  the 
independent  theatres  contrary  to  the 
spirit  and  intent  of  recent  court  de- 
cisions, and,  in  addition,  enables  them 
to  drain  off  most  and  sometimes  all 
of  the  profits  in  the  guise  of  film  ren- 
tals, thereby  imposing  a  severe  hard- 
ship on  those  theatres,  especially  the 
small  and  low-grossing  ones." 

On  the  Cole  committee's  agenda 
for  conference  last  week  were :  Andy 
W.  Smith,  Jr.,  20th-Fox;  Charles  M. 
Reagan,  Paramount ;  Gradwell  L. 
Sears,  United  Artists;  A.  J.  O'Keefe, 
Universal-International ;  William  F. 
Rodgers,  Loew's ;  Ben  Kalmenson, 
Warner,  and  A.  Montague,  Columbia. 


End  of  'Recession' 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Hollywood  editor.  The  AMPA  presi- 
dent quoted  liberally  from  the  Weaver 
article  wherein  Dozier  deplores  the 
fact  that  advertising  expenditures 
were  "axed"  by  the  film  companies 
along  with  other  costs  when  the  so- 
called  "recession"  came.  That,  Do- 
zier indicated,  was  a  "penny-wise- 
pound-foolish  advertising  policy,"  ac- 
cording to  Weaver's  article. 

Other  speakers  at  the  meeting  were 
Francis  Harmon,  vice-president  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica; Dr.  Daniel  A.  Poling,  president 
and  editor  of  Christian  Herald;  Mrs. 
Jesse  Bader,  president  of  the  PMPC, 
who  presented  the  award  to  Miss 
Dunne.  RKO  Radio  president  Ned 
E.  Depinet  and  distribution  vice-presi- 
dent Robert  Mochrie  sent  telegram 
greetings  to  AMPA  from  Holly- 
wood which  were  read  by  Youngstein. 

Mrs.  Bader  told  the  gathering  of 
about  200  that  80  per  cent  of  the 
pictures  reviewed  last  year  by  her 
organization  were  recommended  to 
PMPC's  constituency,  and  that  40  per 
cent  of  the  pictures  reviewed  were 
given  "family"  ratings. 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  22 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  FEBRUARY  1,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Clark  Favors 
New  Plan  of 
Arbitration 


Wants  Exhibitor  Views 
On  That  and  Bidding 

Washington,  Jan.  31. — U.  S. 
Attorney  General  Tom  Clark  said 
here  that  he  believed  the  arbitration 
plan  being  proposed  by  the  Para- 
mount case  defendants  would  be  "very 
helpful  and  would  give  exhibitors  pro- 
tection in  the  selection  and  availability 
of  films."  .     ,  . 

At  the  same  time,  he  said,  he  be- 
lieved exhibitors  had  a  right  to  be 
heard  on  the  proposed  plan,  and  that 
he  would  be  glad  to  have  the  views 
of  exhibitor  organizations. 

Clark  made  the  observations  in  a 
brief  talk  at  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  board  meeting  here  Satur- 
day. On  another  aspect  of  the  Para- 
mount case,  the  Attorney  General  ad- 
mitted that  competitive  bidding  "is 
going  to  be  pretty  hard  to  control. 
We  don't  want  a  dog-eat-dog  system 
(Continued  on  page  6) 

Theatres  Handicap 
Video  ApplicanfcCoy 

Washington,  Jan.  31.  —  Federal 
Communications  Commission  Chair- 
man Wayne  Coy  admitted  here  that 
the  theatre  owner  applying  for  a  tele- 
vision station  may  start  out  with  one 
or  more  strikes  against  him  merely  be- 
cause he  is  a  theatre  owner. 

Speaking  at  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  board  luncheon  Saturday, 
Coy  said  that  the  FCC  has  a  policy  of 
trying  to  get  radio  broadcasting  in  the 
hands  of  diverse  people,  and  not  let- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


TOA  Convention  Set 
For  Los  Angeles 

Washington,  Jan.  31.— Thea- 
tre Owners  of  America  has 
selected  Los  Angeles  for  its 
next  national  convention.  The 
date  for  the  meeting  has  not 
been  set  yet  but  it  is  likely  to 
be  held  early  in  October 
rather  than  in  September,  as 
has  been  customary. 


71  • 


Carolinas'  Meeting 
Weighs  Conciliation 

Charlotte,  Jan.  31. — Theatre  Own 
ers  of  North  and  South  Carolina  were 
promised  the  cooperation  of  20th 
Century-Fox  in  whatever  plan  of  con- 
ciliation they  decide  to  introduce  in 
this  exchange  territory. 

A.  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  20th-Fox  sales 
manager,  told  the  semi-annual  ex- 
hibitor convention  which  opened  here 
today,  that  there  have  been  no  court 
suits  in  territories  in  which  the  con- 
ciliation plan  he  first  introduced  in 
conjunction  with  Ben  Berger  in  Min- 
neapolis, is  in  effect.  He  explained  the 
plan  to  the  meeting,  which  also  heard 
an  account  of  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America's  regional  conciliation  plan, 
and  promised  his  company's  coopera- 
tion with  whichever  plan  is  approved 
by  the  meeting  when  put  to  a  vote  to 
morrow. 

Arthur  Lockwood,  TOA  president 
reported  to  the  meeting  on  television 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


owdin,  Blumberg 
ite  Industry's 
Inherent'  Strength 

Many  factors  of  underlying  strength 
in  the  industry  often  seem  to  be  ig- 
nored in  current  appraisals  of  the  in- 
dustry's condition  and  outlook,  J. 
Cheever  Cowdin,  chairman  of  the 
board  of  Universal,  and  N.  J.  Blum- 
berg,  president,  declared  yesterday  m 
an  analysis  of  the  industry  contained 
in  the  company's  annual  stockholders' 
report. 

The  industry  possesses  certain  in- 
herent qualities  of  great  basic  sta- 
bility, they  pointed  out.  "Recreation 
is  an  essential  human  need — and  the 
'movies'  provide  this  need  in  its  most 
popular  form,"  they  stated.  "Its  ap- 
peal is  to  the  whole  family.    It  is  in- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


6UV  1948  Net  Loss 
Put  at  $3,162,812 


Universal  yesterday  reported  that 
restrictions  on  dollar  remittances 
from  foreign  markets,  high  costs  in 
production  and  distribution,  and  some 
falling  off  in  domestic  attendance 
caused  a  net  loss  of  $3,162,812  for  the 
year  ended  Oct.  30,  1948,  after  a  tax 
credit  of  '$1,240,000.  This  compares 
with  a  net  profit  of  $3,230,017  in  the 
preceding  year.  _ 

J.  Cheever  Cowdin,  chairman  01  the 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Reagan  Quits 
Post  as  Para. 
Sales  Manager 

Balaban  To  Name  New 
Manager  in  Few  Days 

Charles  M.  Reagan  yesterday,  an- 
nounced his  resignation  as  a  direc- 
tor of  Paramount  Pictures  and  as 
vice-president  in  charge  of  distri- 
bution. 

At  the  same 
time,  Barney 
Balaban,  presi- 
dent of  Para- 
mount,  an- 
nounced that 
he  had  accepted 
Reagan's  resig- 
nation "with 
the  deepest  re- 
gret." Balaban 
further  stated : 
"Charlie  Rea- 
gan leaves  us 
after  many 
years  of  devot- 
ed effort  in  be- 
half of  our 
company  during  which  he  has  con- 
tributed much  to  its  welfare. 

"My    warm    personal  relationship 
with  him  moves  me  to  express  my  sin- 
(Continned  on  page  3) 


Charles  31.  Reagan 


TOA  Asks  All-Industry 
Meet;  Ticket  Tax  Action 


TOA  Hits  Rentals 
On  Industry  Films 

Washington,  Jan.  31.  —  A 
resolution  that  producers- 
distributors  bear  half  the 
cost  of  the  industry  public 
relations  films,  "The  Movies 
and  You,"  instead  of  ex- 
hibitors paying  full  single- 
reel  rental  prices  for  them, 
as  now  proposed,  was  adopted 
by  Theatre  Owners  of  Amer- 
ica executive  committee  here. 

The  payments  would  go 
into  a  revolving  fund  to  fi- 
nance future  pictures. 


Washington,  Jan.  31.  — Theatre 
Owners  of  America  executive  com- 
mittee at  its  next  meeting,  probably  in 
the  near  future  in  New  York,  will 
call  on  Eric  Johnston  to  re-schedule 
the  all-industry  meeting  to  consider 
major  problems  confronting  the  in- 
dustry. • 

Such  a  meeting  was  to  have  been 
held  in  Hollywood  during  January, 
with  representatives  of  exhibitor  or- 
ganizations in  attendance,  but  was 
called  off  after  exhibitor  acceptances 
had  been  given. 

Other  resolutions  adopted  by  the 
meeting  here  at  the  weekend  included : 

A  resolution  that  producers  and  dis- 
tributors cease  supplying  Army  and 
Navy  theatres  with  films  until  after 
they  had  been  shown  in  all  competi- 
tive privately-owned  theatres. 

A  suggestion  from  executive  direc- 
tor Gael  Sullivan  that  exhibitors  use 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Bob  Bowers  Heads 
Mid  -  south  Allied 

Memphis,  Jan.  31. — Named 
manager  of  Allied  Theatre 
Owners  of  the  Mid-south, 
Inc.,  Bob  Bowers  of  Mem- 
phis, for  five  years  with 
M-G-M,  will  open  permanent 
offices  Feb.  7  at  the  Hotel 
Chisca  here. 

The  new  Memphis  chapter 
of  Allied  will  hold  a 
meeting  on  Feb.  9  at  the 
Chisca  for  all  independent 
exhibitors  in  the  territory. 
Allied  leaders,  including  Wil- 
liam L.  Ainsworth,  national 
president,  and  Trueman  J. 
Rembusch,  national  treas- 
urer, who  will  speak. 


Para.,  US  Meet  on 
Final  Decree  Draft 


Paramount  home  office  executives 
were  in  Washington  yesterday  for 
what  appears  to  be  the  final  series  of 
meetings,  this  week,  on  the  precise 
language  and  details  of  terms  of  the 
company's  settlement  with  the  govern- 
ment of  its  part  in  the  industry  anti- 
trust suit.  It  is  understood  that  the 
delegation  comprised  Leonard  Golden- 
son,  theatre  vice-president;  attorneys 
Louis  Phillips  and  Walter  Gross  and 
Robert  O'Brien,  corporate  secretary. 

Under  the  anticipated  consent  de- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 

Wrather  Hits  Banks' 
4No-Risk'  Policies 


Because  banks  engaged  in  financing 
independent  production  "have  taken 
film  loans  out  of  the  business  category 
and  put  them  into  the  'personal'  cate- 
gory," independent  producer  Jack 
Wrather  will  make  his  next  picture, 
"Crackdown,"  with  his  own  resources 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  February  1,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


TAMES   M.   MULVEY,  president 
of  Samuel  Goldwyn  Prod,,  is  ex- 
pected back  in  New  York  today  from 
Detroit. 

• 

Harry  Goldberg,  Warner  theatre 
advertising-publicity  director,  will  re- 
turn here  today  from  Chicago  and 
Milwaukee. 

• 

George  Seaton,  Screen  Writer 
Guild  president  and  20th  Century-Fox 
writer,  is  in  New  York  from  the  Coast 
en  route  to  Europe. 

• 

Leon  J.  Bamberger,  RKO  Radio 
sales  promotion  manager,  will  address 
the  annual  convention  of  the  Virginia 
TOA  at  Roanoke  on  Feb.  7. 


Tri- State  Exhibitors 
Fearful  of  Floods 


Ascap's  Convention 
To  Open  Here  Today 

First  convention  of  the  American 
Society  of  Composers,  Authors  and 
Publishers  since  before  the  war  will 
open  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria  Hotel 
here  today  with  68  field  representa- 
tives in  attedance.  Fred  Alhert,  presi- 
dent, and  Herman  Greenberg,  licens- 
ing chief,  will  be  among  executives 
who  will  address  today's  session.  Pur- 
pose of  the  three-day  meeting  is  to  ac- 
quaint the  field  personnel  with  the 
functions  of  various  home  office  de 
partments  and  executives.  Public  re 
lations  also  will  be  taken  up,  it  is  ex- 
pected. 


Memphis,  Jan.  31. — Exhibitors  and 
distributors  in  flooded  sections 
Arkansas,  Mississippi  and  Tennessee 
had  their  fingers  crossed  today 
freezing  weather  and  four  to  six  inches 
of  snow  followed  floods  which  washed 
out  bridges,  flooded  highways  and 
drove  families  in  lowland  sections  to 
higher  ground. 

Film  Transit  of  Memphis  reported 
it  was  getting  through  with  film  to 
all  sections  but  there  are  several  emer 
gency  situations  that  require  special 
effort.    Film  Transit  drivers  reported 
that  in  some  cases  film  had  to  be 
rowed  across  swollen  streams  to  ex 
hibitors  who  waited  on  the  other  side 
in  their  cars.    This  was  because 
highway  or  bridge  was  flooded  out 
There   were   other    such  temporary 
makeshift  arrangements. 

Four     mid-South     theatres  were 
closed  temporarily  as  a  result  of  the 
weather.    Charles   Bowen   closed  his 
Joy  theatres  at  Shannon  and  Nettle 
ton,  Ark.,   because  of  bad  weather. 
Operator   B.   H.   Trotter  closed  the 
Princess  at  Calico  Rock,  Tenn.,  be 
cause  films  sent  by  parcel  post  did  not 
reach  him-.    W.   C.  Ellis  closed  the 
Wesco  and  switched  his  film  to  the 
Ellis  at  Cleveland  because  bad  weath 
er    did    not   justify    operating  both 
houses. 


Interest  in  Ideal 
Bought  by  Esquire 

Chicago,  Jan.  31. — Purchase  of  the 
controlling  interest  in  Ideal  Pictures 
Corp.  by  Esquire,  Inc.,  has  been  an- 
nounced by  David  A.  Smart,  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  the  latter.  The 
acquisition  is  part  of  a  planned  ex- 
pansion in  the  16mm.  field  by  Coronet 
Films,  a  subsidiary  of  Esquire. 

Ideal  will  continue  to  operate  with 
emphasis  on  the  distribution  of  non- 
theatrical  films. 


18  Millions  in  E-K 
Employees9  Savings 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  31. — Sav- 
ings of  Eastman  Kodak  employes  in 
the  Eastman  Savings  and  Loan  Asso- 
ciation reached  a  record  high  of  $18,- 
280,046  in  1948,  according  to  the  as- 
sociation's annual  statement  issued  to- 
day. This  is  an  increase  of  $2,616,149 
over  1947. 


C.  Goetz  Joins  Roth 
In  Three  Companies 

Charles  S.  Goetz  has  joined  George 
Roth  in  Four  Continents  Films,  Royal 
Pictures,  Inc.,  and  Viro  Pictures,  to 
distribute  product  in  both  the  reissue 
and  new  films  markets.  In  addition  to 
theatrical  and  non-theatrical  distribu 
tion,  Goetz  and  Roth  also  plan  to  enter 
distribution  in  the  television  field. 

New  product  now  being  prepared 
includes   "Appointment  with  Crime," 
"Woman  to  Woman,"  "The  Agitator1 
and  "Laughing  Lady."    Currently  in 
distribution  are  "Murder  in  Reverse," 
"Love  on  the  Dole,"  "Springtime"  and 
"Waltz  Time."    They  are  also  han 
dling  the  American  and  Canadian  dis 
tribution  of  "Nanook  of  the  North' 
and  "Street  Corner." 


Wolf  berg  Enters  Video 

Denver,  Jan.  31. — John  M.  Wolf- 
berg,  president  of  Wolfberg  Theatres, 
is  president  of  a  new  television  com- 
pany, formed  to  take  over  the  pending 
application  of  Gifford  Phillips  for  a 
television  permit.  Phillips  is  also  a 
member  of  the  new  company,  and  so 
are  Harris  P.  Wolfberg,  John's  father, 
and  Quigg  Newton,  mayor  of  Denver, 
among  others. 


Zeitels  Will  Handle 
Foreign  Productions 

Harry  Zeitels  has  resigned  as  sales 
manager  for  Mayer-Burstyn,  Inc.,  to 
enter  his  own  business  as  national 
sales  representative  for  several  for- 
eign distributors.  He  will  open  his 
own  offices  here  within  two  weeks. 

Zeitels  has  been  in  the  industry  since 
1918  when  he  joined  Vitagraph.  He 
was  with  RKO  for  17  years  before  be- 
coming associated  with  Mayer-Burs- 
tyn, with  whom  he  was  associated  for 
the  past  two  years. 


Johnston  Denver  Address 

Denver,  Jan.  31.— Eric  •  A.  John- 
ston, president  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America,  will  talk  on 
"Business  and  the  State  of  the  Na- 
tion" at  a  luncheon-meeting  of  the 
Denver  Chamber  of  Commerce  on 
Feb.  7. 


Army  Film  Library 
To  Aid  Telecasters 


Washington,  Jan.  31.— The  Army 
has  set  up  a  special  television  film 
library  to  supply  official  motion  pic 
tures  to  television  stations  for  use  on 
television  programs,  it  was  announced 
yesterday. 

Demand  from  video  broadcasters 
for  official  films  has  been  increasing 
rapidly,  the  Army  said,  and  the  libra- 
ry is  designed  to  simplify  service  to 
television  stations  and  to  overcome 
difficulties  that  have  been  encountered 
in  obtaining  legal  clearance  of  many 
Army  films  for  televising.  Some  films 
in  the  library  collection  have  been 
cleared  in  full,  while  footage  has  been 
deleted  from  other  films  which  could 
not  be  cleared  in  full. 

The  library,  to  be  known  as  the 
Central  Television  Film-  Library, 
at  the  Signal  Corps  photographic 
Center  in  Long  Island  City.  Films 
can  also  be  obtained  through  public 
information  offices  in  the  six  Army 
area  headquarters. 


PCCITO  Meeting  To 
Pick  Poole  Successor 

Portland,  Ore.,  Jan.  31.— A  new 
executive  secretary  to  replace  Robert 
Poole,  who  resigned,  will  be  selected 
by  the  Pacific  Coast  Conference  of 
Independent  Theatre  Owners  at  its 
meeting  here  this  week.  The  organi 
zation  also  will  vote  on  whether  to 
transfer  headquarters  from  Los  An 
geles  to  another  city. 

Among  those  attending  the  meeting 
are :  Rotus  Harvey,  Ben  Levin,  Hom- 
er Tegtmeier  and  Harold  Franklin, 
San  Francisco;  Sam  Gillette,  Tolle, 
and  Harold  Kessler,  Bingham  Can- 
yon, Utah;  Charles  Minor,  Los  An- 
geles ;  Hugh  Bruen,  Whittier,  Cal. ; 
J.   Severson,   Wold   Point;  Jack 


Suckflorff,  Sidney,  Mont. ;  Le  Roy 
Johnson  and  L.  O.  Lukan,  Seattle. 


New  Postponement  of 
Anglo-U.S.  Meet  Seen 

Washington,  Jan.  31. — Due  to  un- 
settled conditions  in  both  foreign  and 
domestic  industry  operations,  another 
postponement  of  the  first  meeting  of 
the  Anglo-U.S.  Film  Council  is  al- 
most a  certainty  and  J.  Arthur  Rank, 
chairman  of  the  British  group,  has 
been  so  advised,  Eric  Johnston,  presi- 
dent of  the  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America  said  here  today. 

Goldwyn  Continues  PC  A 

Hollywood,  Jan.  31. — Samuel  Gold- 
wyn will  continue  to  avail  himself  of 
the  Production  Code  Administration 
services  of  the  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of,  America  until  his  resigna- 
tion, tendered  on  January  18 ;  be- 
comes effective  one  year  from  that 
that  date,  the  producer  said  here  today. 

AFL  Group  Quits  MPIC 

Hollywood,  Jan.  31. — The  Motion 
Picture  Industry  Council,  which  last 
week  appeared  to  be  about  to  begin 
functioning  on  a  formal  basis,  suf- 
fered a  new  setback  today  when  the 
Hollywood  AFL  Film  Council  with- 
drew its  participation. 


Taplinger  Forms  Agency 

Hollywood,  Jan.  31—  Robert  S. 
Taplinger  today  announced  the  for- 
mation of  an  advertising  agency  han- 
dling entertainment  and  industrial  ac- 
counts, to  be  known  as  Robert  S. 
Taplinger  and  Associates.  The  new 
film  will  have  offices  in  Beverly  Hills, 
Chicago  and  New  York. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


c —  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

Rockefeller  Center 

Jeanne    CRAIN     -     Linda  DARNELL 
Ann  SOTHERN 

'A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES"! 

KIRK    DOUGLAS    -    PAUL  DOUGLAS  -\ 
JEFFREY  LYNN 

A    20th  Century  -  Fox  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


jj/Jy  Own 

PHYLLIS  MEIVYN 

CALVERT- DOUGLAS 

wiih  WANDA  HENDRIX 


tssisS 


Samuel  Goldwyn  presents 

ENCHANTMENT" 

Starring 

DAVID  NIVEN  TERESA  WRIGHT 

EVELYN  KEYES  FARLEY  GRANGER 

Released  by  RKO  Radie  Pictures,  Inc. 

ASTOR  THEATER 

Broadway  &  45th  Street 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

THE  RED  SHOES 


Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER.  wJf%To^ay 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


r 


DJUWYl  F.  ZANUCK  presents  : 

OLIVIA  de  HAVILLAND  I 


the  Snake  Pi  t 


Directed  by  Produced  by 

ANHOLE  U1VAX  >  ANATOLE  UTVAK  t  ROBERT  SASSIER 


2o| 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS  . 


(ith  JOSE  FERRER  ■  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  •  J  CARROL  NA|SH  •  WARD  BOND  5 
SHEPPERD  STRUQWICK  -  HURD  HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHART  •  JOHN  EMERY  5 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  •  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  K  ELLA  WAY 
based  upon  the  stage  olay  'Joan  of  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
icreen  ploy  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  ond  ANDREW  SOLT  •  on  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  •  director  of  Dholorjrophy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE.  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

)  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  •  released  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


12*  WEEK' 


Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  _South. La.  Salle  Street,  Editorial  '  f^wj^A*ZSBZ  ^n^JS.^ TCS  SEX^'dST  Washing 

Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  H~ -  "  "        "  —  ~ 

 ,  _   rheatres  and  Theatre  Sales,   each  pub 

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Tuesday,  February  1,  1949 

Reagan  Resigns 

(Continued  from  page  1 )  

cere  hope  that  his  plans  for  the  future 
will  be  crowned  with  success  and  ac- 
companied by  the  fullest  measure  of 
good  health  and  happiness.  I  know 
that  he  carries  with  him  the  best 
wishes  of  his  many  friends  in  our  in- 
dustry. 

"I  plan  to  announce  the  appointment 
of  our  new  general  sales  manager 
within  a  few  days." 

Reagan  has  been  with  Paramount 
throughout  his  entire  career  in  the  in- 
dustry which  began  in  1920  as  a  sales- 
man in  the  Cincinnati  exchange.  He 
rose  progressively  to  Indianapolis 
branch  manager;  district  manager  for 
the  Cincinnati,  Indianapolis  and  Louis- 
ville territory;  district  manager  at 
Chicago,  and  Western  division  man- 
ager to  his  appointment  in  1941  as  as- 
sistant general  sales  manager  of 
Paramount,  In  1944  he  was  elected 
a  vice-president  and  director  of  Para- 
mount in  charge  of  domestic  distribu- 
tion, following  the  resignation  of  Neil 

Agnew.  ...  „  .. 

Reagan's  resignation  is  not  effective 
immediately  and  he  will  remain  with 
the  company  for  a  brief  period.  He 
stated  yesterday  he  could  not  an- 
nounce his  future  plans  at  this  time. 

E.  K.  O'Shea,  assistant  to  Reagan, 
has  been  reported  unofficially  as  a 
possible  successor  as  general  sales 
manager. 

Cowdin,  Blumberg 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


Small  Business  Com. 
Will  Be  Continued 


Washington,  Jan.  31.— The  House 
is  expected  to  approve  on  Wednesday 
a  resolution  continuing  the  special 
House  Committee  .on  Small  Business. 
The  House  Rules  Committee  unani- 
mously approved  the  bill  today,  clear- 
ing the  way  for  floor  action  at  the 
next  meeting  of  the  House. 

The  resolution  is  being  sponsored  by 
Rep.  Patman  of  Texas,  who  is  in  line 
to  head  the  committee  when  it  is  re- 
established. He  was  a  member  of  last 
session's  Small  Business  Committee, 
which  sharply  criticized  practices  of 
major  film  producers  and  distributors. 


Wrather  Hits  Banks 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Univ.  48  Net  Loss 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


entirely,  ?  Describing  the  present  atti- 
tude of  the  banks  toward  independent 
production  financing  as  being  respon- 
sible for  "an  unhealthy  situation"  in 
Hollywood,  the  Texas  oil  man  turned 
producer  said  here  yesterday  that  he 
will  avoid  all  "outside"  financing,  in- 
cluding "second  money"  so-called,  re- 
gardless of  what  the  picture  may  cost. 

Here  from  Hollywood  with  Mrs. 
Wrather  (actress  Bonita  Granville) 
on  a  two-week  combined  business  and 


Para.  Decree  Draft 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


cree,  Paramount  will  be  divided  into 
two  separate  companies,  one  for  ex- 
hibition and  the  other  for  production- 
distribution. 

As   reported   in   Motion  Picture 
Daily  last  Friday,  Attorney  General, 
Tom  Clark  expects  that  final  papers 
will  be  ready  "within  a  week  or  two 
weeks." 

Meanwhile  Paramount  has  been 
granted  an  additional  10  days  for  pre- 
senting its  brief  and  proposed  judg- 


vacation  trip,  Wrather  waxed  bitter  ment  in  the  suit  to  the  Department  of 

J  ustice.  The  latter  consented  to  the  ex- 
tension of  the  deadline  from  yesterday 
to  Feb.  10,  thus  giving  Paramount  an 
opportunity  to  make  some  revisions  in 
its  draft  of  the  brief. 


expensive.  It  serves  a  huge  mass 
market  embracing  every  social  and 
economic  level." 

While  "the  immediate  outlook  in 
1949  is  for  a  further  decline  in  dollar 
remittances"  from  the  industry's  for- 
eign markets,  the  Universal  executives 
stated,  "there  is  some  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  we  may  be  nearing  the  bot- 
tom of  the  trend." 

The  decline  in  domestic  theatre  at- 
tendance, Cowdin  and  Blumberg  stat- 
ed, "contrary  to  general  opinion,"  was 
probably  less  than  10  per  cent^  last 
year  as  compared  with  1947.  "This 
decline  should  probably  be  regarded 
not  so  much  as  a  trend,  but  rather  as 
a  leveling  off  from  the  abnormal  peaks 
of  1946-47,"  they  declared. 

Economy  Results  Are  Hidden 
"The  results  of  production  econo- 
mies will  not  appear  to  any  important 
degree  on  income  statements  for  some 
time  because  of  the  fact  that  the  in- 
dustry still  has  a  backlog  of  pictures 
made  or  committed  for  at  high  costs 
one  to  two  years  ago  that  will  con- 
tinue to  have  an  adverse  influence  on 
earnings  until  they  are  entirely  liqui- 
dated," the  "U"  heads  said,  adding: 

"The  unemployment  that  has  de- 
veloped in  Hollywood  and  in  other 
sectors  of  the  industry  emphasizes  the 
need  for  the  industry  to  act  promptly. 
Demand  for  the  industry's  product  has 
not  diminished,  but  the  necessity  for 
turning  out  a  quality  product  at  costs 
commensurate  with  present  revenues 
has  become  imperative." 

Cooperation  of  theatre-owners  and 
exhibitors,  in  affording  producers _  a 
proper  share  of  revenues  from  a  pic- 
ture, and  in  promoting  effectively  the 
pictures  shown,  is  particularly  essen- 
tial, Cowdin  and  Blumberg  stated. 
They  pointed  out  that,  with  exhibitors 
able  to  pick  only  pictures  of  known 
popular  appeal,  the  production  end  of 
the  business  alone  bears  the  major 
financial  risk  in  making  a  picture,  and 
in  order  to  justify  this  risk,  must  be 
able  to  rely  on  a  commensurate  pro- 
portion of  the  revenues. 


board,  and  N.  J.  Blumberg,  president, 
in  a  report  to  stockholders,  stated 
that  although  the  company's  increas- 
ingly drastic  economy  program  has 
succeeded  in  bringing  about  a  sub- 
stantial reduction  in  costs,- these  sav- 
ings have  not  yet  shown  up  to  an  im- 
portant extent  in  the  company's  oper- 
ating figures,  "primarily  because  of 
the  over-all  lag  that  is  inherent  in 
the  operations  and  accounting  of-  a 
motion  picture  company." 

Figures  Based  on  Old  Costs 

Cowdin  and  Blumberg  told  .stock- 
holders that  "current  earnings  are 
still  reflecting  the  results  of  higher- 
cost  pictures  made  many  months  ago 
and  before  existing  economies  could 
become  effective." 

Foreign  operations,  the  report !  con- 
tinued, have  been  so  rearranged  that 
they  cause  virtually  no  drain  on  the 
company  in  terms  of  dollars.  All  of- 
fices and  operations  abroad  are  being 
conducted  almost  entirely  with  foreign 
currencies. 

Inventories  and  unliquidated  ad- 
vances to  producers  and  others  de- 
clined $7,771,689,  to  $25,109,058  at  the 
fiscal  year-end,  of  which  $1,750,000 
reflected  a  revision  of  the  company's 
amortization  tables  for  charging  off 
the  cost  of  pictures  after  release.  This 
decline,  the  reported  stated,  is  begin- 
ning to  reflect  the  replacement  .of 
higher-cost  inventory  with  lower-cost 
inventory  consisting  of  approximately 
the  same  number  of  pictures  of  com- 
parable high  quality. 

Gross  Revenues  Decline 


in  explaining  recent  developments  in 
the  field  of  film  financing.  He  said  un- 
inhibited financing  methods  and  poli- 
cies that  prevailed  during  the  lush 
war  period  were  responsible  for  the 
new  -approach-  since  banks  suffered  se- 
vere losses  during  the  earlier  period 
as  a  result  of  some  "ver-y  promo- 
tional" production  schemes. 

Wrather  explained  that  whereas 
previously  banks  would  make  loans  up 
to  60  per  cent  of  budgets  without 
guarantees,  they  now  will  loan  no 
more  than  50  per  cent  and  demand 
unconditional  guarantees.  In  other 
words,  he  said,  the  banks  were  willing 
to  engage  in  business  risks  -  before, 
while  at  present  they  will  take  no 
business  risk  whatever.  Moreover,  he 
complained,,  the  banks  insist  now  on 
approving  scripts,  actors,  etc.,  when 
making  loans  to  independents. 

Wrather,  whose  recently-completed 
"Strike  It  Rich,"  like  his  three  pre- 
vious pictures,  will  be  released  by  Al- 
lied Artists,  said  he  has  been  con- 
ferring with  Eagle-Lion  president  Ar- 
thur B.  Krim  with  a  view  toward 
closing  a  releasing  deal  for  "Crack- 
down." 


N.  Y.  Sets  Reception 
For  'Gratitude  Train' 

New  York  has  prepared  an  "all 
out"  reception,  for  the  French  "Grati- 
tude Train"  which  will  arrive  aboard 
the  French  freighter  Magellan  on 
on  Wednesday,  carrying  49  box-cars 
of  gifts  from  the  people  of  France  and 
the  President  of  the  Republic  to  the 
people  of  America.  The  Magellan  will 
be  escorted  by  police  and  fire  boats, 
and  other  harbor  craft,  to  the  Statue 
of  Liberty,  where  it  will  be  greeted 
by  a  water  salute  by  the  fire  boats. 

The  train  is  an  expression  of  thanks 
by  the  French  people  to  the  people  of 
America  for  the  "Friendship  Food 
Train,"  organized  a  year  ago  by  Drew 
Pearson  with  Harry  M.  Warner  as 
national  chairman. 


Carolinas'  Meeting 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


developments  along  the  line  disclosed 
at  TOA's  executive  committee  meet- 
ing in  Washington  over  the  weekend. 
Herman  .  Levy,-  TOA  counsel,  .and 
Gael  Sullivan,  executive  director,  ad- 
dressed the-  meeting  on  taxation, 
legislation  and  other  subjects. 


Gross  revenues  for  the  year  to- 
talled $57,989,307,  a  decline  of-  $6,'- 
969,098  from  the  preceding  year  when 
the  total  of  $64,958,405  included  $3,- 
875,000  received  in  partial  considera- 
tion on  an  arrangement  for  the  re- 
issuance of  old  pictures.  Although 
representing  a  drop  of  11  per  cent, 
last  year's  revenues  were  the  highest 
in  the  company's  history  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  preceding  year,  the  re- 
port pointed  out. 

Gross  revenue  from  the  company's 
pictures  abroad,  the  net  earnings  of 
which  were  realized  or  are  realizable 
in  U.  S.  dollars,  amounted  to  $19,- 
408,147,  compared  with  $22,648,677  in 
1947,  a  decline  of  $3,240,530.  Dollar 
remittances  from  Britain  declined  to 
$4,164,000,  from  $4,880,000  in  the  pre- 
ceding year,  a  drop  of  15  per  cent. 

The  company  continues  to  maintain 
a.  strong  financial  position,  the  report 
stated.  "The  ratio  of  current  and 
working  assets  to  current  liabilities 
;mproved  from  5.75  to  one  at  the  end 
^f  the  previous  fiscal  year  to  7.20  to 
one." 


MPEA  Asks  Army  for 
More  Dollars  Abroad 

Irving  A.  .  <Maas,:  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Export  Association,  reported  here 
yesterday  that  the  MPEA  has  com- 
municated with  the  U..  S-  Army  on  the 
question  of  receiving  "royalty  and 
costs"  for  1949-50  to  cover  MPEA 
operations  in  Germany  and  Japan. 
Since  the  end  of  the  war,  MPEA  has 
gotten- no  returns"  from  its  operations 
in  those  countries,  nor  has  it  recouped 
costs. 

Maas  declined  to  indicate  how  much 
MPEA  is  seeking  but  it  has  been  re- 
ported that  the  amount  is  $7,000;000 
The  subsidy,  it  is  expected,  would  be 
in  addition  to  the  $457,139  which  the 
U.  S.  distributors  have  been  guaran- 
teed in  Western  Germany  by  the  Eco 
nomic  Cooperation  Administration. 


GrifRth-Coleman  File 
Anti-Trust  Suit 

Los  Angeles,  Jan.  31.— Griffith- 
Coleman,  Inc.,  operator  of  the  newly- 
opened  La  Tijera  Theatre  here,  today 
filed  an  anti-trust  suit  in  Federal 
court  against  seven  majors,  and  one 
independent  theatre  circuit,  charging 
discrimination  in  granting  first-run 
licenses  and  asking  damages  totaling 
$1,317,000. 

Defendants  in  the  suit  are  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox, National  Theatres,  Fox 
West  Coast,  RKO,  Columbia,  Uni- 
versal, Paramount  and  Prin-Co- 
United.         .  ■    . .  ' 


Griffith  Case  to  Recess 

Oklahoma  City,  Jan.  31.— Govern 
ment' testimony  in  the  Griffith  man 
date  hearing  before  Judge  Edgar  S 
Vaught  will  be  completed  tomorrow 
or    Wednesday,    Justice  Department 
aides  said  here  today.    George  Wise 
and  Milton  Kallis,  government  law 
yers,  said  that  they  will  ask  a  recess 
in  the  proceedings  when  all  of  their 
witnesses  have  been  heard  so  they  can 
study  Griffith  records. 


Disney  in  Detroit 
On  SIMPP  Suit 

Detroit,  Jan.  31. — Walt  Disney,  a 
plaintiff  in  the  $8,750,000  anti-trust 
suit  brought  by  the  Society  of  Inde- 
pendent Motion  Picture  Producers 
against  United  Detroit  Theatres  and 
Cooperative  Theatres  of  Michigan, 
appeared  before  defense  attorneys  here 
today  to  make  a  deposition.  Marvin 
Faris,  SIMPP  executive  secretary,  is 
to  appear  before  Federal  Judge  Ar- 
thur A.  Koschinski  tomorrow  for  the 
same  purpose. 

Disney  said  he  knew  little  of  dis- 
tribution matters  and  referred  most 
defense  questions  to  his  brother  Roy, 
who  may  be  subpoenaed.  Date  for  the 
trial  has  not  been  set.  ■< 


Technicolor  Finishes 
Expansion  Program 

Hollywood,  Jan.  31. — Technicolor 
has  completed  its  two-year  expansion 
program  and  has  announced  that  its 
Hollywood  laboratory  facilities  will 
permit  the  processing  of  52  feature 
pictures  this  year^-compared  to  31  in 
1948. 


Will  rank  with  *T-Men'  and  Xanan  City1!"— -Variety 


HE  WALKED  BY  NIGHT 


Starring  RICHARD  BASEHART,  picked  by  LIFE  MAGAZINE  for  stardom  because 
the  women  go  for  him;  and  Scott  "Canon  City"  Brady 


Walter  Wanger* 

Spectacular,  star-studded  dramatic  romance 


ROBERT  CUMMINGS  in 


49,  IT  S 


REIGN  OF  TERROR 


Co-starring  Arlene  Oahl,  Richard  Basehart  and  Richard  Ha 

"One  of  the  year's  10  best!" 


THE  RED  SHOES 


Color  by  TECHI 

Starring  Anton  Walbrook,  Marius  Goring,  Moira  Shearer 

A  J.  Arthur  Rank  Presentation 

Red  Stallion  Returns!  Greater  .  .  .  better  than  ever  before! 


SCOTT  Of  THE  A 


Magnificent .  .  .  terrifying  beauty!" — Vari 


Starring  JOHN  MILLS  of  "Great  Expectations"  fame 
A  J.  Arthur  Rank  Presentation 


EAGLE  LION! 


Walter  Wanger's  tremendous  saga  of  the 
Southwest' s  black  gold  empire'. 


ECHNICOLOR 


Starring  SUSAN  HAYWARD,  ROBERT  PRESTON,  PEDRO  ARMENDARIZ 
The  world-loved  story  told  in  joyous  music,  color,  fun! 


ONDERLAND 


n  new  ANSCO  COLOR! 


A  Lou  Bunin  Production,  combining  Live  Action 
and  World-Famous  Animated  Figures! 


wacky  frolic!  Hilarious!" — N.  Y.  Daily  News 
HEDY  LAMARR  and  ROBERT  CUMMINGS  in 


A  United  California  Production 


THE  BIG  CAT 


fECHNICOU 


Great  outdoors  drama  with  Peggy  Ann  Garner, 
Lon  McCallister,  Preston  Foster,  Skip  Homeier 


"A  fine  comedy!  Racy  and  tusty  dialog 
and  situations!" — Daily  Variety 


tarring  Googie  Withers,  Glynis  Johns, 
Griffith  Jones,  John  McCallum 

J.  Arthur  Rank  Presentation 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  February  1,  1949 


Clark  Favors 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


and  it  may  have  to  be  modified  as  time 
goes  by." 

When  asked  why  theatres  could  not 
have  exclusive  licenses  with  film  com- 
panies "like  clothing  stores  have  Hart, 
Schafrner  and  Marx,"  Clark  said  this 
was  because  of  "the  abuses  in  the 
past."  He  said  he  thought  there  never 
would  be  the  possibility  of  an  exclu- 
sive license  system  like  in  the  clothing 
field,  "but  I  think  we  can  work  out 
some  plan  that  may  be  beneficial  to 
exhibitors." 

Clark  suggested  that  TOA  submit 
some  plan'  on  this  point,  and  also  its 
views  on  an  alternative  to  competitive 
bidding. 

After  Clark  concluded,  Ted  Gamble 
told  him  that  it  was  "apparent  that 
even  at  this  early  date  the  thing  has 
happened  that  we  feared  when  we  in- 
tervened in  the  Paramount  case — that 
competitive  bidding  would  be  used  not 
to  open  competition  but  to  extract 
more  money  from  exhibitors." 

Says  Bids  Aid  Producers 

Gamble  said  that  one  major  com- 
pany was  now  engaged  in  widespread 
competitive  selling  not  to  aid  new  ex- 
hibitors nor  to  spread  its  product  but 
solely  to  increase  its  profits. 

"We  are  afraid  the-  distributors  are 
seizing  on  this  device,"  he"  said.  "We 
may  be  back  in  your  office  one  of  these 
days  talking  about  it." 

"I  am  hopeful,"  the  Attorney  Gen- 
eral replied,  "that  we  or  the  courts 
will  open  the  situation  in  such  a  way 
that  the  exhibitors  won't  suffer  ir<~>m 
high  prices  or  lack  of  films." 

Clark  made  his  observations  on  the 


new  arbitration  plan  when  Si  Fabian 
said  that  exhibitors  were  fearful  they 
would  not  be  heard  on  the  plan,  even 
though  it  affected  them  vitally,  be- 
cause they  are  not  actually  a  party  to 
the  Paramount  case. 

The  Attorney  General  said  he  was 
generally  opposed  to  the  idea  of  a  spe- 
cial anti-trust  court.  He  declared  that 
one  special  court  leads  to  another,  and 
"soon .  you  have  nothing  but  special 
courts  and  everything  goes  to  pot." 
Special  anti-trust  courts  have  been  a 
favorite  recommendation  of  Allied 
States. 


TOA  Asks 

(Continued  from' page  1) 


trailers  to  enlist  public  support  in 
their  fight  against  admission  taxes 
and  censorship  bills,  and  otherwise 
use  their  own  screens  to  "tell  our 
side  of  "  the  story  at  local  levels.". 

Adoption  of  a  plan  for  getting  week- 
ly reports  on  box-office  performances 
of  pictures  from  a  cross-section  of 
TOA  unaffiliated  theatres  in  .  small 
towns  playing  on  pre-release  or  na- 
tional release  dates,  and  mailing  these 
to  TOA  members  as  a  guide  to  com- 
ing pictures. 

A  deal  with  an  American  stock  in- 
surance company  to  try  out  in  three 
TOA  areas  liability  insurance  on  a 
per-seat  basis  rather  than  the  present 
more  costly  per  admission  audit  ba- 
sis, with  possible  savings  of  30  per 
cent  or  greater  and  eventual  nation- 
wide use  of  the  plan. 

Sullivan  reported  that  TOA  had 
asked  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  Sny- 
der to  allow  taxes  to  be  levied  on  re- 
duced prices  charged  12  to  18-year 
youths  rather  than  on  the  full  adult 
admissions  price,  and  had  been  ad- 
vised that  this  was  not  an  adminis- 


DU-ART... 

A  GOOD  NAME  TO  REMEMBER  FOR 
LABORATORY  WORK  •  16  mm,  35  mm 


A  COMPLETE  HIGHLY  PERSONALIZED  SERVICE 

•  TWO  MILLION  FEET  CAPACITY  PER  WEEK 

•  COMPLETE  35  mm  DEVELOPING  AND 
PRINTING 

•  16  mm  BLACK  AND  WHITE  AND  KODA- 
CHROME  PRINTING  BY  CONTACT  AND 
REDUCTION 

•  MAIN  TITLES  CREATED  BY  OUR  OWN  ART 
DEPARTMENT 

•  DOMESTIC  AND  FOREIGN  PRINTED  TITLES 

FOR  OVfR  TWENTY  YEAR*  WE  HAVE 
BEEN  BUILDING  ON  SATISFIED  CUSTOMERS 

Try  us  and  you'll  buy  us  .  . 


trative  matter  but  rather  needed  a 
change,  in  the  tax  laws.  However, 
he  said,  Snyder  did  urge  the  exhibi- 
tors to  work  with  Treasury  officials 
on .  the  problem,  "leaving  the  door 
open  for  us  to  make  recommenda- 
tions." 

In  a  formal  resolution  to  the  House 
Ways:  and  Means  Committee,  TOA 
again  called  on  Congress  to  repeal 
the  admission  tax,  claiming  the  gov- 
ernment would  not  lose  money  since 
higher  attendance  would  mean  high- 
er revenues  from  regular  corporate 
taxes. 

Sullivan  said  that  all  major  stu- 
dios had  cooperated  "splendidly"  in 
moving  against  abuses  in  the  16  mm. 
field  whenever  unfair  competition  was 
called  to  their  attention.  He  said 
Youth  Month  this  year  would  be  big- 
ger and  better  than  last  year.  Some 
2,234  exhibitors  participated  in  1948, 
h°  reported,  and  "we  hope  to  double 
or  triple  that  this  year." 

Selling  Aids  Essential 

The  trailers  and  accessories  reso- 
lution said  that  a  TOA  survey  of 
members  had  revealed  a  deluge  of 
complaints  and  absolutely  no  ability 
to  get  relief  or  improvement.  It 
stressed  the  fact  that  high  quality,  low 
cost  selling  aids  are  as  essential  as 
the  features  themselves,  since  "the 
theatre  is  still  our  best  medium  of 
selling  motion  pictures." 

Finally, '  there  was  a  threat  of  fur- 
ther action  if  this  course  does  not 
work.  In  that  event,  the  resolution 
said,  TOA  officers  were  to  prepare 
and  present  an  alternative  plan  to  the 
next  hoard  meeting,  or  if  necessary, 
at  a  specially-called  board  meeting. 

TOA  president  Lockwood  was  the 
head  of  the  committee  which  recom- 
mended the  new  box-office  perform- 
ance check.  He  said  the  service  was 
designed  mainly  for  smaller  members. 
About  100  theatres  serving  areas  of 
less  than  25,000  people  will  be  in  the 
sample,  and  will  air-mail  reports  to 
New  York  every  week.  These  will 
be  analyzed,  and  the  results  for- 
warded, to  members. 

Oppose  Single-Reel  Price 

On  the  matter  of  the  industry's  pub- 
lic relations  films,  the  board  said  that 
they  were  a  step  in  the  right  direction 
and  highly  desirable,  but  that  it  saw 
no  reason  why  exhibitors  should  bear 
the  entire  cost,  as  would  be  the  case 
if  they  were  sold  on  a  single-reel  price 
basis. 

Asked  whether  TOA  members 
would  be  told  not  to  show  the  films  if 
distributors  did  not  agree  to  this  plan, 
Lockwood  said  that  the  TOA  board 
would  have .  to  determine  a  policy  in 
such  an  event. 


Theatres  Handicap 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Action  on  Army-Navy  Film 
Showings  Not  Year  Clear 

Washington,  Jan.  31. — There 
seems  to  be,  some  confusion  as  to  ex- 
actly what  resolution  the  board  of  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  did  pass 
on  the  subject  of  competition  from 
Army  and  Navy  theatres. 

TOA  president  Arthur  Lockwood 
said  the  Board  called  on  the  producers 
and  distributors  not  to  make  films 
available  to  service  theatres  until 
after  they  had  played  all  competitive 
private  theatres.  He  said  day-and- 
date  arrangements  were  objectionable. 

A.  Julian  Brylawski,  head  of  a 
three-man  committee  apointed  to  con- 
fer with  Motion  Picture  Association 
vice-president  Francis  Harmon  on  the 
matter,  said  the  board  resolution  did 
not  say  "after"  all  private  theatres — 
that  day-and-date  with  private  thea- 
tres would  be  okay. 


ting  any  one  means  of  communication 
get  too  strong  a  grip.  While  such  a 
policy  does  not  preclude  exhibitors  as 
a  class  from  getting  television  stations, 
he  said,,  it  will  make  it  v.ery.  tough  for 
them  in  many  instances. . 

Each  case  must  be  determined  on  the 
basis  of  its  own  facts,  he  stated,  but 
the  Commission  always  bears  in  mind 
its  policy  of  favoring  diversity.  He 
said  he  had  no  doubt  that  the  theatre 
must  be  considered  a  means  of  com- 
munication in  administering  such  a 
policy. 

Skouras  on  Television 

Charles  Skouras  observed  that  when 
people  see  television  they  see  motion 
picture  films.  "We  have  been  in  that 
business  for  50  years,"  he  said.  "We 
are  entitled  to  keep  on  giving  the  peo- 
ple that  service." 

Asked  whether  there  was  any  FCC 
policy  on  carrying  subjects  over  com- 
mon carriers  for  the  exclusive  use  of 
theatre  owners,  Coy  said  the  problem 
had  never  been  raised.  ' 

This  was  one  of  the  subjects  on 
which  the  TOA  television  committee 
recommended  study  and  investigation. 
Committee  chairman  Mitchell  Wolfson 
said  the  committee  was  considering 
various  possibilities,  including  TOA 
getting  a  license  as  a  broadcaster 
through  local  companies,  qualifying  as 
a  common  carrier,  or  becoming  a  pro- 
duction unit  to  channel  sports  events 
and  cultural  events  exclusively  to  the- 
atre members. 

Further  Study  Recommended 

_ Another  subj  ect  ,  on  which  further 
study  was  recommended  was  whether 
TOA  should  take  steps  to  get  the  FCC 
to  allocate  frequencies  for  theatre  tele- 
vision. One  committee  member  said, 
however,  that  the  meeting  was  unani- 
mously for  such  a  step,  and  that  he 
expected  action  would  be  taken  within 
60  days  before  the  FCC. 

Wolfson  said  that  as  far  as  he  knew, 
only  one  or  two  major  distributors 
had  made  one  or  two  films  available 
to  television  on  an  experimental  basis, 
and  that  these  firms  had  assured  him 
they  would  not  continue  the  policy. 


I 


Snowed  Under? 


You'll  polish  that 
work  off  in  no  time 
after  a  TWA  Quickie 
Vacation  in  Southern 
California  or  the 
Southwest  Sun  Coun- 
try. A  few  days  off  are 
all  you  need  for  rea 
rest  and  fun  in  Phoe- 
nix, Las  Vegas  or  Los 
Angeles  when  you 
travel  TWA  Skyliner 
Big  savings  on  family 
travel  and  round  trips  1 
Call  your  local  TWA 
office  or  your  trave 
agent. 


DU-ART  FILM  LABORATORIES,  Inc. 

245  WEST  55th  ST.  •  CO.  5-5584 

AL  YOUNG  J.  J.  MILSTEIN 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE  |  toate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


DAILY 


Al  Schwalberg 
lis  Named  Para. 
Sales  Manager 

i 

Succeeds  Reagan  in  Post, 
Effective  Next  Monday 

i     Alfred  W.  Schwalberg*  was  ap- 
pointed general  sales  manager  of 
Paramount   yesterday   by  Barney 
Balaban,  president.  Schwalberg  suc- 
ceeds Charles 
M.  Reagan, 
who  resigned 
from    the  post 
on  Monday. 

Schwal- 
berg has 
been  assistant 
to  Reagan  for 
the  past  year 
His  new  ap- 
pointment is  ef- 
fective as  of 
next  Monday. 

In  making 
the  announce- 
ment, Balaban 
said    the  new 
general  sales  manager  "brings  to  his 
new  responsibilities  a  broad  and  ma- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 

'Ike's'  Book  to  TV 
In  20th-ABC  Deal 


14  'IT  Directors 
Up  for  Reelection 

All  14  directors  of  Universal  Pic 
tures  Co.  will  be  up  for  re-election  for 
one  year  terms  at  the  company's  an- 
nual meeting  of  stockholders,  to  be 
held  March  9  at  Wilmington,  Del. 

Three  resolutions  offered  by  small 
stockholders  will  be  voted  upon  at  the 
meeting.  One  would  amend  the  by- 
laws to  require  that  directors  own  at 
least  100  shares  of  Universal  stock; 
another  calls  for  a  summary  of  oc- 
currences at  annual  meetings,  to  be 
sent  to  all  stockholders,  and  a  third 
provides  for  the  election  by  stock- 
holders of  independent  auditors  for  the 
company. 

Universal  management  is  opposed 
to  the  first  two  resolutions  on  the 
grounds  that  ownership  of  stock  is  no 
test  of  a  director's  ability  and  be- 
cause it  believes  a  report  of  the  annual 
meetings  is  superfluous  in  view  of  the 
completeness  of  its  annual  reports  to 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


A.  W.  Schwalberg- 


Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president  of 
20th  Century-Fox;  Edward  J.  Noble, 
board  chairman  of  American  Broad- 
casting; Richard  de  Rochemont, 
March  of  Time's  producer;  Douglas 
M  Black,  president  of  Doubleday  and 
Co.,  and  Howard  Black,  executive 
vice-president  of  Time,  Inc.,  disclosed 
jointly  here  yesterday  that  a  deal  in- 
volving the  four  organizations  has 
been  executed  for  the  television  pres- 
entation of  a  motion  picture  series  of 

(Continued  on  page  6) 

MGM  Coast  Meet  to 
Stress  Anniversary 

Promotion  plans  of  international 
scope  for  M-G-M's  silver  anniversary 
during  1949  will  be  a  highlight  of 
discussion  at  the  "Preview  of  Prod- 
uct" conferences  to  be  held  Feb.  6-12 
at  the  Ambassador  Hotel,  Los 
Angeles,  and  M-G-M's  studios  at 
Culver  City. 

With  top  executives  representing 
production,  distribution  and  Loew 
Theatres  present,  details  will  be 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Lippert  Says  SGP 
Sale  Is  'Doubtful' 

Hollywood,  Feb.  1— The  Carl  Les- 
erman  syndicate  formed  to  purchase 
Screen  Guild  Productions  "has  missed 
the  boat,"  in  the  opinion  of  SG  pres- 
ident Robert  L.  Lippert,  who  told  the 
press  today,  "Screen  Guild  revenues 
have  practically  doubled  while  the 
Leserman  negotiations  have'  been 
hanging  fire,  with  the  result  that  most 
franchise  holders  are  no  longer  dis- 
posed to  sell  at  the  figures  which  had 
been  discussed." 

Lippert  said  that  negotiations  are 
presently  in  abeyance,  but  that  he 
doubts  the  Leserman  group  will  pur- 
sue the  project  in  view  of  changed 
conditions. 


Some  lst-Run 
Grosses  Off 


Returns  at  many  New  York  first 
runs  are  down  this  week,  income  over 
the  weekend  having  been  only  fair, 
while  steady  rain  washed  out  Mon- 
day's business  almost  entirely. 

"So  Dear  to  My  Heart"  at  the  Pal- 
ace is  a  good  newcomer,  although  the 
apparent  first  week's  income  of  $32,000 
is  short  of  expectations.  A  stand-out 
performer  is  "Letter  to  Three  Wives" 
which,  with  a  stage  presentation  at  the 
Music  Hall,  figures  to  draw  $137,000 
for  a  second  week,,  actually  equalling 
the  first  week's  take. 

An  estimated  $26,000  for  the  13th 
week  of  "Snake  Pit"  at  the  Rivoh  is 
especially  impressive.  "Hamlet"  with 
$16,000  indicated  for  the  18th  week  at 
the  Park,  and  "Red  Shoes"  with  a  sub- 
stantial $14,000  in  view  for  a  16th 
week  at  the  Bijou  are  both  doing  well. 

"The  Accused,"  with  Ray  McKinley 
and  the  Mills  Brothers  on  stage  at 
the  Paramount,  concluded  a  third  and 
final  week  with  a  $55,000  gross,  which 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Carolinas'  TO  A  Meet 
Elects  New  Officers 

Charlotte,  Feb.  1—  J.  B.  Harvey 
of  Clover,  S.  C,  was  elected  presi- 
dent of  the  Theatre  Owners  of  North 
and  South  Carolina  today  at  the 
closing  session  of  the  37th  conven- 
tion at  Hotel  Charlotte.  George  Car- 
penter of  Valdese,  N.  C,  retiring 
president,  was  elected  first  vice-pres- 
ident, H.  D.  Hearn  of  Charlotte,  sec- 
ond vice-president  and  Mrs.  Walter 
Griffith  was  re-elected  secretary- 
treasurer. 

The  new  board  of  directors  include 
Ben  L.  Strosier,  Rock  Hill,  S.  C. ;  Ed 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Para.,  D.  of  J. 
Agree  on 
Decree  Details 

Ratification  By  Both 
Expected  in  Near  Future 

That  a  definite  agreement  on  de- 
tails of  a  consent  decree  was 
reached  by  Paramount  with  the  De- 
partment of  Justice  in  Washington 
was  learned  yesterday. 

Top  Paramount  officials  who  were 
not  in  Washington  were  engaged  in 
meetings  at  the  home  office  through- 
out most  of  the  day  and  could  not  be 
reached  for  confirmation.  Similarly, 
Department  of  Justice  officials  were 
engaged  in  meetings  with  Paramount 
executives  in  Washington  and  were 
not  available  for  comment. 

However,  Attorney  General  Tom  C. 
Clark  had  told  Motion  Picture 
Daily  last  week  that  he  expected  to 
have  a  proposed  consent  decree  with 
Paramount  on  his  desk  ready  for  sign- 
ing within  a  week  or  two. 

Yesterday's  reports  were  that  Aus- 
tin Keough,  vice-president  and  general 
counsel  of  Paramount,  and  Leonard 

(Continued  on  page  6) 

Netter  Seen  Heading 
Florida  Circuit 


Company  Presidents  Deny  Report  That 
Lewis  W.  Douglas  Will  Succeed  Johnston 

Presidents  of  member  companies  of  the  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America  yesterday  issued  the  following  statement  in  re- 
sponse to  current  reports  that  a  successor  to  Eric  Johnston  as 
president  of  theMPAA  is  being  discussed: 

"We  wish  to  deny  emphatically  a  widely  published  report  that 
Lewis  W.  Douglas,  U.S.  Ambassador  to  Great  Britain,  would  suc- 
ceed Eric  Johnston  as  President  of  our  Association.  Rumors  ot 
this  character  are  unfair  to  two  distinguished  Americans  and  do 
a  great  disservice  to  the  industry. 

"The  facts  are  Mr.  Johnston  came  to  the  association  in  194a 
under  a  five-year  contract.  Some  time  later  at  our  insistence  his 
contract  was  extended  to  eight  years.  We  expect  he  will  continue 
with  us  for  many,  many  years  beyond  that  period.  Mr.  Johnston  xs 
giving  outstanding  leadership.  We  need  a  man  of  his  ability  as 
never  before  to  help  in  the  solution  of  the  ^difficult  problems  con- 
fronting the  industry  at  home  and  abroad." 

The  report  concerning  Ambassador  Douglas  was  first  circulated 
by  Louella  Parsons,  Hollywood  columnist,  last  Sunday. 


Leon  D.  Netter,  for  many  years 
second  vice-president  of  Paramount 
Theatres  Service  Corp.,  in  all  prob- 
ability will  assume  direction  and  op- 
eration of  Florida  State  Theatres, 
Inc.,  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of  Par- 
amount, under  the  company's  dives- 
titure formula  for  a  consent  decree 
in  the  New  York  trust  action. 

Florida  State  Theatres  is  present- 
ly operated  by  Frank  Rogers,  who 
is  ailing.  The  circuit,  of  which  Fred 
H.  Kent  is  vice-president  and  gen- 
eral counsel,  runs  approximately  110 
theatres  in  35  Florida  cities  and 
towns,  including  11  in  Jacksonville 
where  the  company  headquarters. 


Transcription  Net 
Starts  on  Feb.  15 


Transcription  Broadcasting  System, 
a  new  network,  will  begin  operations 
on  Feb.  15  with  116  member  stations. 
It  is  described  by  Ray  Green,  execu- 
tive vice-president,  as  being  "the  first 
and  only  real  network  of  radio  sta- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  February  2,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


CHARLES  L.  CASANAVE,  Mo- 
tion   Picture   Sales    Corp.  vice- 
president,  is  due  to  return  to  New 
York  from  Hollywood  next  Monday. 
• 

Norman    Elson,    Translux  The- 
atres vice-president,  will  leave  here 
today  for  Philadelphia  and  will  con- 
tinue from   there   to  Washington. 
• 

Maurice      (Red)  Silverstein, 
Loew  International  Latin  America  re- 
gional director,  has  left  here  for  Cen- 
tral America  and  the  West  Indies. 
• 

Mrs.  Lawrence  A.  Audrain,  wife 
of  the  advertising-publicity  head  of 
U-I's  Prestige  Pictures,  is  in  New 
York  Infirmary. 

• 

Walter  Titus,  Republic  Southern 
district  manager,  is  visiting  the  At- 
lanta branch  from  New  York. 
• 

Barnett  Shapiro,  Allied  Artists 
attorney,  left  Hollywood  yesterday  by 
train  for  New  York. 

• 

Moe  Kerman,  Favorite  Films  presi- 
dent, will  leave  here  Friday  for  San 
Francisco. 

• 

Walter  Gould,  United  Artists 
foreign  manager,  is  on  jury  duty  here 
this  week. 


Frozen  Reich  Funds 
For  British  Filming 

Washington,  Feb.  1.  —  British 
"film  groups"  are  using  blocked  marks 
to  produce  films  in  Germany  in  coop 
eration  with  German  producers  and 
using  German  and  British  actors,  ac 
cording  to  an  Austrian  report  received 
here.  The  report  declares  that  the 
films  will  be  shown  in  British,  Ameri- 
can and  Continental  maarkets. 

No  further  details  could  be  obtained 
from  government  sources  here.  One 
War  Department  official  pointed  out 
that  such  a  project  would  probably 
have  to  be  approved  by  the  Joint  Ex 
port-Import  Agency,  composed  of 
British,  French  and  American  mem- 
bers, and  by  the  British  Military  Gov- 
ernment in  Germany. 

The  report  said  that  there  was  a 
possibility  that  the  Swiss  Gamma  Co., 
owned  by  the  Aga  Khan,  might  soon 
work  out  a  similar  arrangement  for 
use  of  its  blocked  "D"  marks. 


TESMA  Conventionin 
Chicago  Sept.  26 -28 

Chicago,  Feb.  1. — Headquarters 
here  of  the  Theatre  Equipment  and 
Supply  Manufacturers  Association  re- 
ports that  preliminary  arrangements 
for  the  1949  trade  show  and  conven- 
tion of  the  association,  to  be  held  at 
the  Stevens  Hotel,  Chicago,  Sept.  26- 
28,  have  been  launched. 

As  customary  in  the  past,  the  Thea- 
tre Equipment  Dealers  Association 
will  convene  at  the  same  time  and 
place,  as  well  as  theatre  owner 
groups. 


Queried  in  New  York  yesterday 
relative  to  the  significance  embodied 
in  the  report  that  British  "film  groups" 
are  using  blocked  marks  to  produce  in 
Germany,  a  Motion  Picture  Export 
Association  spokesman  pointed  out 
that  M-G-M  produced  "The  Search" 
and  Paramount  made  'A  Foreign 
Affair"  in  Germany  and  used  blocked 
marks  for  financing. 


SAG  Rejects  Equity  Bid 

Hollywood,  Feb.  1. — The  Screen 
Actors  Guild  board  last  night  rejected 
a  counter-proposal  made  by  the  coun- 
cil of  Actors  Equity  for  organizing 
and  administering  actors'  interests  in 
television  and  announced  that  the 
board  will  continue  to  explore  all  ap- 
proaches to  the  problems  created  by 
the  new  medium.  First  step  in  this 
direction  was  the  appointment  of  a 
committee  to  meet  immediately  with 
producers  making  films  for  television. 

Dismiss  Stock  Action 

Federal  Judge  Edward  A.  Conger 
has  dismissed  in  U.  S.  District  Court 
here  the  suit  brought  against  20th 
Century-Fox  production  executive 
Raymond  A.  Klune  by  minority  stock- 
holder David  Colby  who  alleged  im- 
proper exercise  of  a  stock  option  un- 
der the  Securities  and  Exchange  Act 
of  1934. 


Admission  Tax  Bill 
Killed  in  Oregon 

Portland,  Ore.,  Feb.  1.— The  Ore- 
gon House  Taxation  Committee  has 
killed  a  bill  to  tax  admissions  10  per 
cent  for  an  old-age  pension  fund.  Ex- 
hibitors maintained  the  measure 
would  hurt  theatres  and  fall  most 
heavily  on  low-income  people. 

George  Meade  of  United  Theatres, 
of  Oregon,  said  the  proposed  tax  was 
bad  as  it  singled  out  one  industry. 
Moe  Mesher,  general  manager  of  the 
Evergreen  Circuit,  testified  theatres 
could  not  absorb  the  tax  and  it  would 
fall  on  their  customers. 


Production  Drops 
To  20,  from  24 

Hollywood,  Feb.  1. — The  produc- 
tion tally  dipped  to  20  from  last 
week's  24.  Seven  films  were  com- 
pleted while  three  were  started. 

Shooting  started  on  "Anna  Lucasta" 
(Security),  Columbia;  "Rope  of 
Sand,"  Paramount;  "Death  Valley 
Gunfighter,"  Republic.  Shooting  fin- 
ished on  "Blazing  Trail,"  "All  the 
King's  Men"  and  "Hounded,"  all 
Columbia;  "The  Great  Speculator" 
(Skyline),  Film  Classics;  "Slattery's 
Hurricane"  and  "It  Happens  Every 
Spring,"  20th  Century-Fox;  "Yes, 
Sir,  That's  My  Baby,"  U-I. 

Canada  May  Build 
State-owned  TV 

Ottawa,  Ont,  Feb.  1.— The  gov- 
ernment is  considering  the  establish- 
ment of  television  stations,  though  ac- 
tion will  be  held  in  abeyance  until 
the  royal  commission  recently  named 
makes  its  investigation  of  the  indus- 
try, Prime  Minister  Louis  St.  Laurent 
told  Parliament  today.  He  added  that 
TV  in  Canada  will  "necessarily"  be  a 
monopoly. 

Early  functioning  of  the  commission 
is  expected  with  the  arrival  here  to- 
day of  Rt.  Hon.  Vincent  Massey,  chair- 
man of  the  probe,  to  confer  with  of- 
ficials concerning  his  appointments. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


4th  Para.  Sell-away 
From  Richards  Group 

New  Orleans,  Feb.  1.— Fourth 
Paramount  feature  to  play  away  from 
the  Paramount-Richards  circuit  here 
since  the  recent  sell-away,  and  the 
first  to  play  at  a  house  other  than 
Loew's  State,  went  to  the  Joy  Strand, 
a  Joy  Theatres,  Inc.,  operation.  The 
feature  was  "Isn't  It  Romantic." 


Sees  No  Box-Office  Sag 

Cleveland,  Feb.  1. — Business  in 
1949,  according  to  E.  C.  Grainger, 
Shea  chain  president,  will  equal  1948, 
but  will  be  under  the  peak  of  1946-47. 

No  policy  or  price  changes  are  con- 
templated by  the  circuit,  according  to 
Grainger. 


Disney  Board  Elections 

Hollywood,  Feb.  ■  1. — Paul  L. 
Pease,  treasurer  of  Walt  Disney 
Prod.,  was  elected  to  the  board  of 
directors  at  a  stockholders'  meeting 
here  today.  All  other  incumbents 
and  company  officers  were  re-elected. 


British  Producer  in 
Deal  with  2  U.S.  Firms 

Deals  involving  British  Foundation 
Pictures  and  two  U.  S.  firms  were 
announced  here  yesterday. 

Trinity  Pictures  has  acquired  tele- 
vision rights  to  120  shorts.  Jack 
Rieger  is  Trinity  president.  In  the 
other  deal  announced,  Hoffberg  Pro- 
ductions will  distribute  a  feature  to 
be  produced  in  England  by  British 
Foundation. 

In  return,  British  Foundation  will 
distribute  in  the  U.  K.  films  con- 
trolled by  Trinity  and  Hoffberg. 


Cleveland  MPEA  Ask 
Clearance  Reduction 

Cleveland,  Feb.  1.— The  Cleveland 
Motion  Picture  Exhibitors  Associa- 
tion wants  extended  to  all  local  sub- 
sequent-run independent  houses  the 
21-day  availability  now  accorded  only 
by  20th-Fox  and  Warner  to  17  desig- 
nated and  "approved"  houses.  The 
others  are  on  a  35-day  availability. 

The  request  is  made  in  a  letter  sent 
to  all  exchanges. 


THE  elections  in  Israel  and  the 
opening  of  Parliament  in  Canada 
are  current  neivsreel  highlights.  Some 
other  items  include  Tyrone  Power's 
wedding,  sports,  and  the  March  of 
Dimes  drive.  Complete  contents  fol- 
low: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  10— Israel: 
new  state  holds  first  election.  Refugees  ar- 
rive from  Cyprus.  Canada:  opening  of  Par- 
liament. Gas  plant  explodes  in  Chicago. 
Los  Angeles  holds  parade  for  March  of 
Dimes.  Tyrone  Power  marries  Linda  Chris- 
tians in  Rome.  Sports:  track  meet,  Milrose 
games,  horse  racing,  skiing. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  211-  "The 
Haylift."  Election  scenes  in  Israel.  Tyrone 
Power's  wedding.  Ace  Admiral  wins  Matur- 
ity. Indoor  track  thriller.  Ski  champs  in 
the  Alps. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  47— Israel: 
election  eight  months  after  statehood.  Cana- 
dian Parliament  opens.  Western  blizzard. 
Distance  star  from  Europe  in  Milrose  ath- 
letic meet. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  218— 

Canadian  Parliament.  March  of  Dimes. 
Gas  plant  explosion  in  Chicago.  Live  stock 
lost  m  blizzard.  Destruction  of  Naoussa, 
Greece.    Milrose  games.    Learn  to  ski. 

WARNER  PAT  HE  NEWS,  No.  50— 
Palestine  elections.  Long  Island  plane  col- 
lision. March  of  Dimes.  French  ski  race. 
Santa  Anita  Maturity. 


House  Group  Shies 
From  New  Publicity 

Washington,  Feb.  1.— The  House 
Un-American  Activities  committee 
in  its  first  meeting  of  the  new  ses- 
sion decided  to  bar  newsreels,  tele- 
vision and  radio  from  its  future  hear- 
ings. The  group  has,  in  the  past,  been 
one  of  the  most  photographed  and 
most  broadcast  of  committees. 

Chai  rman  Wood  said  that  the  com- 
mittee's program  was  not  discussed  in 
detail,  but  that  it  was  decided  to  seek 
an  appropriation  of  $200,000  —  the 
same  as  in  1948  —  for  its  operations 
this  year. 


Lardner,  Jr.  Assignment 

.  Hollywood,  Feb.  1.  —  Twentieth 
Century-Fox  holds  the  option  to  dis- 
tribute "Skiing  Story,"  to  be  made 
in  Switzerland  by  Lazar  Wechsler  as 
a  condition  of  20th's  loan-out  of  Cor- 
nel Wilde  for  the  starring  role.  Fol- 
lowing the  agreement,  Ring  Lardner, 
Jr.,  was  assigned  by  Wechsler  to  do 
the  screenplay.  20th-Fox  is  free  to 
drop  the  option  if  it  decides  to  do  so. 

Joins  20th  Century  -  Fox 

Alfred  Palca,  screen  writer,  has 
joined  the  publicity  department  of  20th 
Century-Fox.  He  arrived  in  New 
York  from  Hollywood  last  week. 


Report  on  Army -Navy 
Competition  to  TO  A 

Washington,  Feb.  1.— The  special 
committee  set  up  by  the  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  America  board  meeting  last 
weekend  to  work  on  the  problem  of 
competition  from  Army  and  Navy  the- 
atres met  with  top  Army  and  Navy 
officials  today. 

Committee  chairman  A.  Julian  Bry- 
lawski  said  he  has  forwarded  a  re- 
port to  TOA  headquarters  in  New 
York. 


Hope  Asks  Video  Delay 

Washington,  Feb.  1. — Bob  Hope 
has  asked  the  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission  to  postpone  for  60 
days  the  hearing  now  set  for  Feb.  28 
on  his  bid  for  Louisville  station 
WHAS,  and  to  hold  it  in  Louisville 
instead  of  Washington.  Hope  and  two 
other  bidders  have  submitted  identical 
bids  of  $1,925,000. 


TV  Opens  in  Miami 

Miami,  Feb.  1. — Miami  will  have 
telecast  today  as  station  WTVJ  went 
on  the  air  under  a  90-day  operational 
permit  issued  by  the  FCC.  Robert 
Venn  is  station  manager. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco' 
New  York.  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary •' 
James  "■Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver 


Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York, 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per 


Wednesday,  February  2,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Egypt  Pegs  Dollar 
Remittances  at  60% 


Reviews 


Washington,  Feb.  1— The  Egyp- 
tian government  contemplates  permit- 
ting foreign  distributors  to  remit  60 
per  cent  of  their  earnings  in  sterling 
because  of  a  relatively  easy  position 
in  sterling,  Commerce  Department 
film  chief  Nathan  D.  Golden  reports. 

However,  Golden  says  apparently 
TJ.  S.  film  firms  will  have  to  stick  to 
the  plan  worked  out  late  in  1947  under 
which  they  remit  35  per  cent  of  cur- 
rent earnings  and  35  per  cent  of  earn- 
ings accumulated  since  remittances 
'were  cut  down  in  early  1947. 

The  report  estimates  that  the  eight 
major  U.  S.  distributors  in  Egypt  take 
in  about  $1,430,000  annually  after 
theatre  operators'  percentages  and  en- 
tertainment taxes.  Remittances  be- 
fore exchange  restrictions  were  im- 
posed ran  about  60  per  cent  to  80  per 
cent  of  amounts  received  from  ex- 
hibitors, the  rest  being  used  to  defray 
local  expenses. 

Import  permits  will  be  required  for 
some  time,  the  report  predicts. 

Dubbing  rules  are  very  strict,  with 
a  limit  of  three  films  a  year.  This  is 
due  to  wide  popular  feeling  against 
dubbing  as  "a  death-blow  to  the  do 
mestic  industry." 


Red  Canyon" 

Universal-International) 
'HE  STORY  of  the  capture  and  eventual  "breaking-in"  of  a  wild  stallion 
has  been  set  against  a  background  of  assorted  skullduggery  and  shooting 
make  an  outdoor  drama  that  is  above  the  average.    The  characters  are 
for  the  most  part  the  conventional  types,  but  they  are  portrayed  by  a  cast 
reliable  marquee  names  headed  by  Ann  Blyth,  Howard   (Naked  City) 
Duff    and    George    Brent.    Technicolor    is    quite    helpful    and  appealing, 
especially  in  the  outdoor  scenes. 

The  film  marks  Duff's  first  Western  role  and  he  fits  the  part  with  easy 
assurance.  He  arrives  on  the  scene  determined  to  capture  the  wild  stallion, 
Black  Velvet,  a  feat  considered  foolhardy  and  impossible  by  the  local 
citizenry.  Duff,  however,  proceeds  methodically,  lures  the  animal  away  from 
its  herd,  and  finally  ropes  him.  Now  comes  the  task  of  breaking  the  horse 
to  the  saddle  and  then  training  him  for  a  forthcoming  race.  As  it  happens, 
Brent,  a  gentleman  horse-breeder  and  father  of  Miss  Blyth,  is  also  training 
horse  for  the  race.  A  father-daughter  conflict  breaks  out  when  Duff 
injures  his  back  and  Miss  Blyth  decides  to  ride  Black  Velvet  in  the  race. 
Added  to  this  dilemma  is  the  more  serious  one  of  Duff's  background.  It 
seems  he  was  once  a  member  of  an  outlaw  gang  which  his  father  and  brother 
head.  With  Duff  having  renounced  them,  they  are  out  for  revenge.  These 
brewing  factors  bring  the  film  to  a  climax  in  which  Miss  Blyth  rides  to 
victory  and  Duff  shoots  his  way  back  to  social  acceptability.  George 
Sherman  directed  and  Leonard  Goldstein  produced.  The  screenplay,  by 
Maurice  Geraghty,  was  based  on  Zane  Grey's  novel  "Wildfire." 

Running  time,  82  minutes.    General  audience  classification, 
release. 


Canada  Lifts  Duty 
On  16mm,  Raw  Film 

Washington,  Feb.  1. — The  Ca 
nadian  government  has  liberalized  its 
tariff  regulations  allowing  temporary 
free  entry  of  motion  picture  film  for 
processing  in  Canada,  according  to  the 
U.  S.  Commerce  Department. 

Film  chief  Nathan  D.  Golden  re 
ported  today  that  standard  film  im 
ported  for  the  sole  purpose  of  having 
16mm.  reproductions  made  can  come 
in  duty-free  and  remain  for  six 
months,  rather  than  for  only  three 
months,  as  heretofore. 


Goldberg  Sets  Units 
For  Localized  Films 

Jack  Goldberg,  executive  producer 
for  Herald  Pictures,  has  organized 
two  traveling  production  units  to  make 
"featurettes"  with  local  talent.  Each 
unit  will  have  a  cameraman,  sound  en 
gineer  and  director.  Three  weeks  will 
be  consumed  in  each  theatre  played 
The  first  week  will  be  devoted  to  the 
selection  and  rehearsal  of  the  talent 
the  second  will  be  for  "shooting,"  while 
the  third  will  constitute  the  "run1 
the  picture  at  the  local  house. 


Dr.  Inglis  Joins  NAB 

Washington,  Feb.  1. — Dr.  Ruth  A 
Inglis,  former  researcher  and  writer 
in  motion  pictures,  has  been  appointed 
editorial  assistant  to  National  Asso 
ciation  of  Broadcasters  president  Jus 
tin  Miller.    Dr.  Inglis  wrote  the  vol 
ume  on  "Freedom  of  the  Movies"  for 
the  Hutchins  Commission  on  Freedom 
of  the  Press,  worked  in  Hollywood 
for    the    Motion    Picture  Research 
project  of  the  Carnegie  and  Rocke- 
feller  foundations,   and   has  written 
many  magazine  articles  on  the  film  in 
dustry. 


NY  lst-Run  Grosses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Mandel 


For  March 
Herbstman 


of 


/  Shot  Jesse  James" 

(Screen  Guild) 

A SPLENDID  performance  by  John  Ireland  and  adroit  direction  by 
Samuel  Fuller,  who  also  wrote  the  story,  sets  this  historical  melodrama 
apart  from  others  in  its  category  as  a  memorable  motion  picture.  It  is  a 
reasoned  and  seasoned  telling  of  the  story  of  Bob  Ford,  "the  dirty  little 
coward  who  shot  Mr.  Howard,"  and  it  explains  the  man  who  killed  Jesse 
James  but  it  does  not  glorify  him.  The  subject  has  the  powerful  appeal 
common  to  films  chronicling  the  lives  of  early  American  bad  men,  and  as 
produced  by  Carl  K.  Hittleman,  for  executive  producer  Robert  L.  Lippert, 
it  re-creates  with  rare  skill  and  taste  the  period,  manner,  temper  and  tempo 
of  the  West  in  which  Ford,  having  murdered  James  for  amnesty  and  finding 
himself  the  target  of  universal  scorn,  seeks  to  make  a  life  for  himself  and 
the  woman  he  thinks  loves  him.  It  is  conspicuously  the  best  picture  that  has 
come  from  Screen  Guild,  and  should  give  telling  box-office  accounts  in 
exhibition. 

Although  Preston  Foster  and  Barbara  Britton  are  the  more  established 
names  with  which  to  bill  the  attraction,  it  is  the  performance  by  Ireland, 
himself,  a  highly  exploitable  personality  by  reason  of  his  trigger-keen  por- 
trayal in  "Red  River,"  who  plays  Jesse  James'  murderer  and  executes  the 
sinister  assignment  with  an  understanding  and  a  sureness  of  characterization 
seldom  excelled.  Reed  Hadley  as  James  and  J.  Edward  Bromberg  as  a 
roadshow  impresario  head  an  able  supporting  cast. 

The  story  opens  with  a  bank  holdup  by  the  James  brothers,  whose  gang 
includes  the  Ford  brothers,  and  contains  other  outbursts  of  gunplay  and 
fisticuffs  sufficient  in  number  to  satisfy  the  addicts  of  bullet  fiction  but  not 
so  numerous  as  to  obscure  the  personal  story  of  Ford.  Miss  Britton  plays 
a  roadshow  actress  for  love  of  whom  Ford  decides  to  shoot  Jesse  James, 
in  order  that  he  can  gain  amnesty  and  live  his  life  openly,  and  whose  love 
for  him  is  ended  by  his  act.  Foster  plays  a  prospector,  also  in  love  with 
the  actress,  whose  path  crosses  Ford's  before  and  after  the  killing,  and 
finally  in  Creede,  Colo.,  where  Ford  has  struck  it  rich  in  silver  and  Foster 
has  become  sheriff,  finally  to  shoot  Ford  to  death  after  the  latter,  refusing 
to  listen  to  reason,  has  fired  at  and  wounded  him. 

Running  time,  81  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
not  set. 


is  fair ;  it  will  be  replaced  today  by 
"My  Own  True  Love,"  with  the  Three 
Sons  and  Monica  Lewis,  among 
others,  in  person.  The  sixth  week  of 
"Adventures  of  Don  Juan,"  with  Tom- 
my Dorsey  on  stage,  should  gross 
about  $30,000,  not  too  good,  at  the 
Strand. 

At  the  Mayfair,  "Wake  of  the  Red 
Witch"  continues  at  a  good  clip  with 
a  $25,000  gross  for  the  fourth  week 
after  a  hearty  third  week's  take  of 
$30,000.  "Act  of  Violence"  probably 
will  give  the  Criterion  a  modest  sec- 
ond week's  gross  of  $18,000.  "Tar- 
zan's  Magic  Fountain"  will  bow  in  at 
the  Globe  on  Saturday,  replacing  "The 
Lucky  Stiff,"  which  is  not  likely  to 
exceed  $10,000  in  a  slow,  single_  week's 
run.  "Command  Decision"  finished  a 
second  week  at  the  State  with  a  ro- 
bust $51,000. 

"Chicken  Every  Sunday,"  with 
Tony  Martin  and  Dean  Martin  on 
stage  with  an  ice  revue  at  the  Roxy, 
was  fairly  substantial  in  its  final  six 
days,  one  short  of  a  complete  second 
week,  with  a  take  of  $82,000 ;  it  was 
replaced  yesterday  with  "Yellow  Sky" 
and  a  stage  show  headed  by  Danny 
Kaye. 

"Enchantment"  looks  good  for 
about  $20,000  in  a  sixth  week  at  the 
Astor.  Twelfth  week  of  "Joan  of  Arc" 
should  gross  about  $23,000,  which  is 
good  enough,  at  the  Victoria.  "The 
Bribe"  will  open  at  the  Capitol  to- 
morrow, with  Arthur  Godfrey  and  his 
Talent  Scouts,  following  "Man  from 
Colorado"  which,  with  the  Ink  Spots 
and  Blue  Barron  on  stage,  figures  to 
wind  up  a  second  week  with  a  mild 
$50,000. 


Legion 
Puts  2 


Reviews  7; 
Class  "C" 


in 


Meiselman  Hearing 
Date  Set  Tentatively 

Charlotte,  Feb.  1. — February  17 
has  been  tentatively  set  as  the  date  for 
a  hearing  here  on  the  motion  of  H.  B. 
Meiselman  for  a  preliminary  injunc- 
tion in  his  anti-trust  suit  against  the 
eight  major  distributors,  the  Charlotte 
Amusement  Co.,  Strand  Theatres  and 
H.  F.  Kincey. 


Video  Permit  to  Wolf  son 

Washington,  Feb.  1. — The  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission 
has  granted  the  Wolfson-Meyer  Cir- 
cuit permission  to  operate  television 
station  WTVJ  in  Miami,  according 
to  Mitchell  Wolfson. 


$9,200  "Sky"  Opener 

The  New  York  Roxy  combination 
of  "Yellow  Sky"  on  the  screen  and 
Danny  Kaye  in  person  brought  an 
opening  day  gross  yesterday  of  $9,200 
up  to  five  P.M.,  it  was  reported  by 
20th-Fox.  The  figure  was  described 
as  the  biggest  for  a  single  day  since 
"Forever  Amber"  played  at  the  the- 
atre a  year-and-a-half  ago. 


Operator  Testifies 
Against  Griffith 

Oklahoma  City,  Feb.  1.  —  Mrs. 
Mary  E.  Trieb,  operator  of  El  Capi- 
tan,  an  independent  house  at  Roswell, 
N.  M.,  took  the  stand  in  the  Griffith 
mandate  hearing  here  today  and  on 
questioning  by  government  attorneys 
blamed  the  circuit  for  her  financial 
difficulties. 

She  described  the  problems  which 
she  said  began  for  herself  and  her  late 
husband,  Ernest  C.  Trieb,  in  1931 
when  Griffith  opened  the  Yucca  in 
competition  with  their  Princess  and 
El  Capitan.  Within  a  year,  she  said, 
they  had  to  sell  the  Princess  because 
both  product  supply  and  boxoffice  had 
fallen  off  heavily.  Most  of  the  major 
distributors  sold  their  product  away 
from  the  Triebs  in  the  1930's,  she  tes- 
tified. 


Seven  new  films  have  been  rated  by 
the  National  Legion  of  Decency  with 
two  getting  a  "C"  classification.  In 
that  classification  are  Superfilm's 
"Merry  Chase"  and  "When  Love 
Calls." 

Rated  "B"  are  Warner's  "John 
Loves  Mary."  In  the  A-l  class  are 
Universal-International's  "Life  of 
Riley"  and  Republic's  "Rose  of  the 
Yukon."  In  Class  A-II  are  Colum- 
bia's "The  Lone  Wolf  and  His  Lady" 
and  20th  Century-Fox's  "Miss  Mink 
of  1949." 


Ceiling  on  Tickets 
For  Old  Product 

Mexico  City,  Feb.  1.— Ex- 
hibiting old  pictures  as  new 
and  charging  top  admission 
for  them  has  been  forbidden 
by  the  local  municipal  gov- 
ernment's Amusements  Su- 
pervision Department.  Be- 
cause of  numerous  complaints 
from  the  public,  the  depart- 
ment has  ordered  that  no  pic- 
ture released  more  than  three 
years  ago  can  be  exhibited 
as  new,  except  when  the  De- 
partment decides  that  the 
picture  has  a  novelty  and 
freshness  that  compensates 
for  its  age.  Admission  charge 
for  an  old  picture  is  fixed  at 
45  cents,  maximum,  and  ex- 
hibitors must  make  it  clear 
that  the  picture  is  not  new. 
The  maximum  price  for  a  new 
first-run  picture  is  68  cents. 


^oar  Lion  £oar" 

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[■mraaili: 


METRO  -  GOLD  WYN  -  M  AYE 


M-G-M's  PREVIEW-OF-PRODUC7 


SOME  OF  THE  ROARING  LIONS  ABOARD! 

(Listed  alphabetically  just  like  the  Stars!) 


J.  A.  Adams 
Washington 


H.  Bennin 
St.  Louis 


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New  York 


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San  Francisco 


T.  Gould 
Canada 


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Pittsburgh 


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Charlotte 


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Seattle 


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Indianapolis 


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Detroit 


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mm  ?tsfl| 

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JEmm 

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Los  Angeles 

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Buffalo 


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Salt  Lake  City 


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Atlanta 


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Chicago 


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\^^^^L^^^mSmmm 

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Omaha 


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Pittsburgh 


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Philadelphia 


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New  York 


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New  Haven 


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Boston 


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Cleveland 


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San  Francisco  Minneapolis 


IENDSHIP  TRAIN^HOUYWOOD  BOUND 

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WHAT  THIS  MEANS  TO 
YOU  MR.  EXHIBITOR! 

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SEEING  IS  BELIEVING! 

They'll  be  able  to  tell  you  all 
about  these  BIG  ONES! 

"THE  STRATTON  STORY" 

James  Stewart  •  June  Allyson  •  Frank  Morgan 

"NEPTUNE'S  DAUGHTER" 

(Technicolor) 
Esther  Williams  •  Red  Skelton 
Ricardo  Montalban  •  Betty  Garrett 

"THE  GREAT  SINNER" 

Gregory  Peck  •  Ava  Gardner  •  Melvyn  Douglas 
Walter  Huston  •  Ethel  Barrymore 
Frank  Morgan  •  Agnes  Moorehead 

"THE  SECRET  GARDEN" 

Margaret  O'Brien  •  Herbert  Marshall. Dean  Stockwell 

"  LITTLE  WOMEN" 

(Technicolor) 

June  Allyson  •  Peter  Lawford  •  Margaret  O'Brien 
Elizabeth  Taylor  •  Janet  Leigh 

"THE  BARKLEYS  OF  BROADWAY" 

(Technicolor) 
Fred  Astaire  •  Ginger  Rogers  •  Oscar  Levant 

"EDWARD,  MY  SON" 

Spencer  Tracy  •  Deborah  Kerr 

"TAKE  ME  OUT  TO  THE  BALL  GAME" 

(Technicolor) 

Frank  Sinatra  •  Esther  Williams  •  Gene  Kelly  •  Betty  Garrett 

AND  MORE  BIG  ONES  COMING  I 


We  are  taking  a  trainload  of  top  sales 
personnel  to  the  Studio  for  one  reason 
only,  so  that  they  may  come  back  to  you 
with  the  greatest  news  your  eager  ears 
have  ever  heard.  These  are  the  times 
that  demand  Big  Pictures  and  M-G-M's 
got  them.  Never  in  the  history  of  this 
industry  has  M-G-M  or  any  other  com- 
pany had  so  many  truly  Giant  Attractions 
ready  for  the  nation's  theatres.  Eight 
terrific  hits  ready  to  see— and  more  on 
the  way  to  celebrate  M-G-M's  25th  Year 
of  Motion  Picture  Leadership.  M-G-M's 
sales  representatives  will  soon  be  back 
at  their  Branch  Offices.  They'll  have  a 
message  for  you:  "WE  CAME,  WE 
SAW,  YOU'LL  CONQUER!" 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  February  2,  1949 


Al  Schwalberg 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ture  experience  in  our  industry 
gained  from  many  years  in  the  field 
and  home  office." 

"He  assumes  his  new  post,"  Bala- 
ban  said,  "at  a  time  when  the  out- 
standing quality  of  our  current  prod- 
uct and  that  to  be  released  in  coming 
months  convinces  me  that  Paramount 
is  heading  for  new  heights  in  its  proud 
history.  We  have  every  confidence 
that  he  can  deliver  the  kind  of  leader- 
ship that  is  worthy  of  the  product." 

Emerging  Into  New  Phase 

Balaban  also  made  the  following 
statement : 

"Although  the  dictates  of  realism 
must  continue  to  control  our  policies 
during  this  period  of  adjustment,  we 
are  now  emerging  into  a  new  and 
healthier  phase  of  our  company's 
growth.  The  production  department 
of  our  company  is  stronger  today  than 
it  has  ever  been,  not  only  along 
sounder  economic  lines  but  in  its  abil- 
ity to  produce  better  entertainment  for 
the  public. 

"The  current  releasing  schedule  of 
our  company  tells  an  eloquent  story 
about  what  we  have  been  able  to 
achieve.  This  schedule,  loaded  with 
top  box-office  values,  represents  the 
finest  aggregation  of  product  in  Para- 
mount's  history.  We  now  face  the 
future  with  unbounded  confidence  in 
the  merit  of  our  product  and  its  en- 
thusiastic reception  by  the  public." 

Entered  Industry  in  1925 

Schwalberg  entered  the  industry  in 
192S  as  a  traveling  auditor  of  Warner 
Brothers.    He  was  assistant  head  of 


the  Warner  contract  department  in 
1927  and  later  became  head  of  the 
First  National  contract  department 
and  executive  assistant  to  Ned  E.  De- 
pinet.  After  taking  charge  of  the 
combined  Warner-First  National- 
Vitaphone  contract  department,  he 
was  elected  a  vice-president  of  War- 
ner Brothers  Distributing  Corp.,  in 
1942.  In  1944  he  became  general  sales 
manager  of  the  Leo  Spitz- William 
Goetz  company,  International  Pic- 
tures. In  1946  he  became  vice-presi- 
dent and  general  sales  manager  of 
Eagle-Lion,  then  joined  Paramount 
last  year.  In  recent  months  he  has  been 
engaged  in  reorganizing  Paramount 
exchange  operations. 


'Ike's'  Book  to  TV 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


two-reelers  based  on  General  Dwight 
D.  Eisenhower's  recently-published 
"Crusade  in  Europe." 

The  series,  of  which  the  first  two 
pictures  already  have  been  completed, 
is  being  made  from  official  govern- 
ment sources,  captured  enemy  films 
and  new  films  shot  in  Europe  and 
the  U.  S.  expressly  for  the  series. 
Material  is  also  being  selected  from 
the  film  libraries  of  the  Army  and 
Navy,  Coast  Guard,  Alien  Property 
Custodian,  British  War  Office,  Ca- 
nadian National  Film  Board,  March 
of  Time  and  20th-Fox.  MOT  execu- 
tive Arthur  B.  Tourtellot  has  been 
placed  in  editorial  charge  of  produc- 
tion and  will  have  a  staff  of  MOT 
writers,  film  editors  and  technicians 
assigned  especially  to  the  project. 

Under  terms  of  the  four-way  con- 
tract, the  documentary  films  used  will 
not  be  shown  anywhere  except  on 
television  and  are  the  exclusive  prop- 
erty of  ABC  for  21  months. 


M.  Faris  in  Detroit 
On  SIMPP  Suit 

Detroit,  Feb.  1.— Marvin  L.  Faris, 
executive  secretary  of  SIMPP,  a  co- 
plaintiff  in  the  $8,750,000  anti-trust 
suit  against  two  Detroit  theatre 
chains,  testified  here  today  on  a  dep- 
osition that  defense  counsel  needs  to 
prepare  answers  to  the  charges  of 
monopoly.  William  Cagney  is  sched- 
uled next  to  appear  in  Detroit  for 
questioning. 

The  defendants  have  until  Feb.  28, 
to  file  their  formal  answers  to  the 
charges  that  they  are  maintaining  a 
monopoly  in  restraint  of  trade. 


MGM  Coast  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


GARRY  MOORE* 
HAS  SWITCHED 
TO  "FAMILY 
1 HONEYMOON" 

The  picture  that  gave  me  the 
most  laughs  was  Animal 
Crackers^  until  I  saw  Claudette 
Colbert  and  Fred  MacMurray 
in  FAMILY  HONEYMOON"' 

*"Take  It  or  Leave  It's"  Garry  Moore 


worked  out  to  coordinate  all  facets  of 
the  company's  activities  to  embrace 
special  promotion  by  production  on 
the  Coast,  the  advertising-publicity 
department,  M-G-M's  music  com- 
panies, M-G-M  Records,  radio  sta- 
tion WMGM  and  other  affiliates. 
Activities  will  continue  through  the 
year. 

"The  aim  will  be  to  have  the  Leo 
trademark  on  every  theatre  screen  in 
the  world,"  a  company  statement 
declares. 

Participating  in  the  Coast  meetings 
for  the  promulgation  of  such  plans 
will  be  Louis  B.  Mayer,  Dore  Schary, 
Edward  Mannix,  Howard  Strickling, 
Ralph  Wheelwright  and  other  studio, 
home  office  and  field  executives. 


Para.  Decree 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Goldenson,  vice-president  in  charge  of 
theatre  operations,  reached  an  agree- 
ment on  a  decree  with  the  Depart- 
ment of  Justice  at  noon  yesterday  in 
Washington.  The  agreement  would- 
be  subject  to  ratification  by  the  Para 
mount  board  of  directors. 

Goldenson  returned  to  New  York 
late  yesterday  to  submit  details  of 
the  final  agreement  to  company  au- 
thorities, while  Keough  remained  in 
Washington,  prepared  to  take  up  with 
the  Justice  Department  any  last- 
minute  changes  which  might  be  sug 
gested  by  the  company. 

It  was  understood  that  Goldenson 
brought  back  details  of  a  decree  set- 
tlement for  approval  by  the  Para- 
mount board.  If  approved  here,  the 
agreement  will  be  reduced  to  a  writ- 
ten pact  which  will  then  be  sub- 
mitted to  Attorney  General  Clark. 

(Reports  reaching  here  from  Wash- 
ington indicate  that  "chances  for  a  set- 
tlement of  Paramount  divestiture  are 
pretty  definite.") 

As  previously  reported,  the  hasis 
for  an  agreement  is-  the  separation  of 
Paramount  theatre  interests  from  pro- 
duction and  distribution  and  divesti- 
ture_  of  approximately  500  theatres, 
leaving  the  new  theatre  company  with 
interests  in  more  than  600  houses. 


Metro's  Station  WMGM  to 
Promote  Pictures,  Players 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's  radio  sta- 
tion WMGM  has  .completed  plans  for 
programs  running  six  hours  weekly, 
emanating  from  Hollywood  and  pro- 
moting M-G-M  players  and  product. 
The  programs  are  "M-G-M  Theatre 
of  the  Air,"  one-hour  weekly  radio 
adaptation  of  M-G-M  pictures;  "Good 
News  from  Hollywood,"  featuring 
George  Murphy,  a  15-minute  program 
three  times  weekly,  "presenting  the 
human  side  of  the  film  colony"; 
"Hollywood,  U.S.A.,"  a  five-time 
weekly  15-minute  program  featuring 
Paula  Stone  in  interviews;  "Crime 
Doesn't  Pay,"  the  screen  series  now 
transferred  to  radio  in  half-hour 
weekly  installments;  "At  Home  with 
Lionel  Barrymore,"  five  15-minute 
broadcasts  weekly  for  early  morning 
listening;  "Personalities  on  M-G-M 
Records,"  half-hour  weekly. 

Production  will  be  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Paula  Stone,  guided  by  Ray 
Katz,  WMGM's  program  director, 
under  the  supervision  of  Les  Peterson 
of  M-G-M. 


Carolinas'  TOA 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Transcription  Net 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


tions  centered  around  a  core  of  tran- 
scribed shows." 

_  Five  shows  with  19  programs  run- 
ning a  total  of  8%  hours  weekly  will 
be  titled  "Hollywood's  Open  House," 
"Robbins'  Nest,"  "It's  a  Great  Show," 
'Anything  for  Laughs"  and  "The 
Radio  Theatre  of  Famous  Classics." 
There  will  be  a  $40  minimum  half- 
hour  weekly  rate.  Offices  are  being 
established  in  New  York,  Los  An- 
geles, Chicago,  Detroit,  Cleveland, 
Dallas  and  Atlanta.  Five  new  shows 
will  be  made  available  three  times  a 
year,  to  be  added  to  those  already  be- 
ing broadcast.  Green  said  TBS  aims  at 
a  500-station  network  with  an  eventual 
15-to-20-hours  of  programs  a  week. 

President  of  TBS  is  William  J.  Me- 
Cambridge,  Press  Wireless  head. 


J.  Haley,  Raleigh ;  Harold  Armistead, 
Easley,  S.  C;  E.  G.  Hill,  Smithfield, 
N.  C. ;  H.  E.  Buchanan,  Henderson- 
ville,  N.  C;  Roy  L.  Champion,  Wil- 
son, N.  C;  W.  H.  Hendrix,  Jr., 
Greensboro,  N.  C. ;  H.  H.  Everett,  H. 
F.  Kincey  and  T.  A.  Little,  Charlotte ; 
J.  C.  Long,  Charleston,  S.  C. ;  Ken- 
neth Richardson,  Jr.,  Seneca,  S.  C. ; 
Roy  Rowe,  Burgaw,  N.  C. ;  and  A.  F. 
Sams,  Jr.,   Statesville,   N.  C. 

Speakers  at  the  closing  meeting 
were  Gael  Sullivan,  executive  direc- 
tor of  TOA,  and  Herman  Levy,  TOA 
general  counsel. 

Among  resolutions  passed  was  one 
condemning  the  showing  of  salacious 
pictures,  and  another  urging  film  pro- 
ducers not  to  sell  old  pictures  to  tele- 
vision stations. 


'IP  Directors 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


stockholders.  It  takes  no  position  on 
the  third  proposal. 

Universal  directors  up  for  reelection 
are:  Nate  J.  Blumberg,  Paul  G. 
Brown,  J.  Cheever  Cowdin,  Preston 
Davie,  Matthew  Fox,  William  Ger- 
man, John  O'Connor,  Ottavio  Prochet, 
Charles  D.  Prutzman,  J.  Arthur  Rank, 
Budd  Rogers,  Daniel  M.  Sheaffer  and 
G.  I.  Woodham- Smith. 

The  company's  proxy  statement  lists 
the  following  salaries  paid  to  certain 
officers  for  the  fiscal  year  ended  Oct. 
30,  1948:  Blumberg,  $117,000;  Cow- 
din,  $117,000;  Fox,  $36,904;  O'Con- 
nor, $52,000;  Prutzman,  $75,400,  and 
W.  A.  Scully,  $91,000. 


For  Quick  Release! 
"THE  INAUGURAL  STORY" 

The  Inauguration  of 
President  Harry  S.  Truman 

in  SOUND  and  COLOR 
For  Details — WRITE  or  WIRE 

SHERMAN  PLAN,  INC. 

420  Victor  Building,  Washington  I,  D.C. 
  REpublic  0726  ' 


"National"  high  intensity 
carbons  change  dim  screen 


to  bright  screen 


and  make  box  office 


fu\X  /•  A/.V,  /../ 


NATIONAL"  H.I.  ARC- 
BRIGHTEST  SPOT  IN  THE  WORLD' 


The  term  "National" 
is  a  registered  trade  -  mark  of 

NATIONAL  CARBON  COMPANY,  INC. 

Unit  of 

Union  Carbide  and  Carbon  Corporation 

30  East  42nd  Street,  New  York  17.  N.  Y. 

Division  Sales  Offices: 
Atlanta,  Chicago,  Dallas,  Kansas  City, 
New  York,  Pittsburgh,  San  Francisco 


BILL  STERN 


Again  selected  by  the 
Radio  Editors  for  the 
ninth  straight  year  in 
Motion  Picture  Daily's 
Annual  Poll  as  the  most 
popular  sports  an- 
nouncer in  America.  No 
other  artist  in  any  cat- 
egory has  ever  equalled 
this  record. 


Thanks  to: 

COLGATE  SHAVE  CREAM  —  SHERMAN  &  MARQUETTE  —  1 1 TH  YEAR 

COLUMBIA  PICTURES— 12  SHORTS  PER  YEAR 

MCM  —  104  NEWSREELS  PER  YEAR 

SPORT  MAGAZINE— 12  ARTICLES  PER  YEAR 


Exclusively  NATIONAL  BROADCASTING  COMPANY  Exclusively 

LESTER  LEWIS,   Personal  Manager 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  24 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  FEBRUARY  3,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


20th-Fox  Hits 
Divorcement 
In  New  Brief 


Holds  Current  Reforms 
Satisfy  Trust  Laws 

Attacking  the  government's  pro- 
posals for  ultimate  and  complete  di- 
vorcement restrictions  and  for  addi- 
tional restrictions  on  distribution 
practices,  20th  Century-Fox  yesterday 
told  the  New  York  Federal  Court  that 
licensing  measures  already  adopted 
and  the  company's  intention  of  dissolv- 
ing all  of  its  joint  theatre  ownerships, 
with  one-  exception,  constitute  com- 
plete remedy  and  will  serve  to  prevent 
in  the  future  any  business  conduct 
contravening  the  Sherman  Act. 

"The  record  is  clear,"  20th-Fox 
states,  in  its  memorandum  to  the 
court,  "that  the  practice  of  inserting 
minimum  admission  prices  in  contracts 
has  been  abandoned,  that  clearances 
have  been  the  subject  of  individual 
consideration  by  each  distributor  sep- 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Plan  Revision 
Of  U-I  Sales 


Industry  in  Omaha 
Paralyzed  by  Storms 

Omaha,  Feb.  2. — The  film  industry 
in  this  area,  along  with  almost  every 
other  business,  has  been  paralyzed  by 
the  worst  winter  in  many  years  for 
Nebraska. 

One  film  delivery  line  had  to  miss 
83  towns  on  one  schedule. 

President  Truman  has  declared  al- 
most half  of  Nebraska  "an  emergency 
area"  and  has  named  General  Pick  to 
head  "operation  snowbound"  with 
unlimited  funds  for  relief,  manpower 
and  machinery. 

Many  Western  towns   on  regular 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Chicago,  Feb.  2. — Universal-Inter- 
national, it  is  understood,  is  formu- 
lating plans  for  a  new  revision  of  its 
local  selling  system. 

U-I  executives  have  been  in  town 
considering  the  prospective  plan  for 
adoption  of  selling  under  the  competi- 
tive bidding  and  competitive  negotia- 
tions, or  possibly  both  systems. 

Such  systems,  if  adopted,  will  em- 
brace the  company's  forthcoming  new 
product,  including  "The  Life  of 
Riley,"  "Family  Honeymoon,"  "Criss 
Cross"  and  "The  Fighting  O'Flynn." 

Like  Paramount,  Warner  and  Co- 
lumbia, U-I  has  been  selling  under  the 
old  Chicago  system  of  release.  Since 
the  Jackson  Park  decree,  20th-Fox, 
RKO  Radio,  M-G-M  and  United  Art- 
ists have  adopted  the  new  selling- 
zoning  plan,  which  involves  bidding 
and  negotiations. 


E-L  Sales  Meetings 
To  Start  Tomorrow 


Says  Excise  Tax  No 
Longer  Necessary 


Washington,  Feb.  2. — The  move 
to  cut  the  20  per  cent  Federal  admis- 
sion tax  back  to  the  pre-war  10  per 
cent  level  picked  up  a  valuable  sup- 
porter today,  in  the  person  of  House 
Minority  Leader  Joseph  W.  Martin, 

It- 
Rep.  Martin  has  introduced  a  bill 

to  cut  all  excises  back  to  their  1941 

levels,  declaring  that  "Congress  and 

I'  the    Administration    can    no  longer 

justify  the  maintenance  of  high  war- 

(Continued  on_  page  7) 


First  in  a  nationwide  series  of 
Eagle-Lion  sales  meetings  will  be 
held  tomorrow  and  Saturday  at  the 
Hotel  Warwick  here,  to  be  presided 
over  by  William  J.  Heineman,  dis- 
tribution vice-president.  During  the 
series  of  meetings,  dates  and  locations 
of  which  will  be  set  shortly,  sales 
and  branch  personnel  from  all  31  ex- 
changes will  meet.  The  meeting  in 
New  York  will  be  addressed  by 
Heineman ;  Max  E.  Youngstein,  ad- 
vertising-publicity vice-president ;  L. 
Jack  Schlaifer,  general  sales  mana- 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Portal  Report  Key 
To  Anglo-U.  S.  Meet 

London,  Feb.  2. — Likely  postpone- 
ment of  the  Anglo-American  Films 
Council  meeting  now  scheduled  for 
March  23  until  early  summer  is  gen- 
erally accepted  here  as  an  indica- 
tion that  Eric  Johnston,  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America  presi- 
dent, is  aware  of  the  possibilities  of 
the  recommendations  to  be  made  by 
the  Lord  Portal  committee,  now  in- 
quiring into  the  whole  field  of  film 
distribution  and  exhibition  here. 

It  is  understood  authoritatively  that 
a  majority  of  the  committee  members 
lean  toward  divorcement  of  distribu- 
tion and  exhibition.  Johnston  may 
well  feel  that  a  meeting  of  his  Anglo- 
American  council  will  serve  no  use- 
ful purpose  until  the  Portal  recom- 
mendations are  known. 

Lord  Portal's  committee  is  urgently 
pursuing  its  inquisition,  meeting  twice 
a  week  to  hear  evidence.  Yesterday, 
RKO  Radio's  Robert  Wolff,  20  th- 
Fox's  Kenneth  Hargreaves  and 
United  Artists'  David  Coplan  were 
heard. 

Harold   Wilson,   president   of  the 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


Closed  Shop  Cited  as 
Stabilizer  by  Raoul 

New  Orleans,  Feb.  2. — Closed 
shop  contracts  were  held  by  IATSE 
general  secretary-treasurer  William 
P.  Raoul  today  to  be  a  "stabilizing 
element"  between  the  "IA"  and  film 
companies.  The  AFL,  of  which  "IA" 
is  a  part,  is  sponsoring  repeal  of  all 
Federal  and  state  legislation  which  it 
believes  to  be  detrimental  to  labor,  in- 
cluding the  Taft-Hartley  Law,  which 
outlawed  the  closed  shop. 

Raoul,  who  is  meeting  here  this 
week  with  "IA"  international  presi- 
dent Richard  F.  Walsh  and  15  other 
heads  of  the  union  in  a  semi-annual 
"IA"  executive  board  meeting,  said 
the  closed  shop  provision  of  the  Wag- 
ner Labor  Relations  Law,  which  was 
superseded  by  Taft-Hartley,  was  bene- 
(Contimied  on  page  7) 


Layoffs  Add  to  U.  K. 
Production  Strain 


Board  Studies 
Para.  Consent 
Decree  Terms 


To  Vote  At  Next  Meet; 
1  Year  for  Theatre  Split 

Various  aspects  of  Paramount's 
trust  suit  settlement  with  the  gov- 
ernment were  thoroughly  examined 
at  a  day-long  meeting  of  the 
company's  top  executives  and  mem- 
bers of  the  board  of  directors  at  the 
home  office  here  yesterday  with  the 
consent  decree  now  set  to  be  voted 
upon  at  the  next  board  meeting, 
which  is  as  yet  unscheduled. 

Barney  Balaban,  president,  is  ex- 
pected to  leave  here  at  the  weekend  to 
resume  the  Miami  vacation  which  he 
interrupted  when  the  agreement  with 
the  government  became  apparent  and 
it  is  likely  that  the  next  directors' 
session  will  be  held  upon  his  return 
to  New  York,  in  about  three  weeks. 

Paramount  and  the  Department  of 
Justice  reached  an  agreement  on 
Tuesday  in  Washington.    The  basis 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


London,  Feb.  2. — The  government 
was  urged  to  take  steps  to  prevent 
dismissal  of  allegedly  excess  workers 
in  British  studios  during  a  meeting 
here  last  night  between  Harold  Wil 
son,  president  of  the  Board  of  Trade, 
and  Tom  O'Brien  of  the  National  As- 
sociation of  Theatrical  and  Kine  Em- 
ployes, and  George  Elvin  of  the  As- 
sociation of  Cine  and  Allied  Techni- 
cians. 

If  this  is  not  done,  O'Brien  and 
Elvin  contended,  British  production 
will  collapse  completely. 

Wilson   promised   to   consider  the 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


Kelly,  DeGrunwald 
Talk  UA  Film  Deal 


London,  Feb.  2. — Arthur  W.  Kelly, 
United  Artists  executive  vice-presi- 
dent, opened  discussions  here  follow- 
ing his  arrival  from  New  York  today 
for  production  of  a  picture  by  Anatole 
DeGrunwald  for  worldwide  distribu- 
tion by  UA.  The  picture  would  be 
budgeted  at  approximately  $1,200,000. 

Closing  of  the  deal  is  said  to  depend 
upon  Kelly's  ability  to  secure  a  Brit- 
ish circuit  booking  deal  for  the  pic- 
ture in  advance.  Such  a  deal  need 
not  be  with  J.  Arthur  Rank's  Gau- 
(Continued  on  page  10) 


NCA  Gives  'Forced 
Selling'  Data  to  US 

Minneapolis,  Feb.  2.  —  Applica- 
tions for  product  signed  by  a  film 
salesman  which  North  Central  Allied 
considers  proof  of  "forced  buying"  in 
violation  of  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court 
decision  in  the  industry  anti-trust  suit, 
have  been  forwarded  to  the  govern- 
ment for  action,  it  was  disclosed  in  a 
bulletin  to  members  signed  by  Stan 
Kane,  executive  counsel. 

"Every  salesman,  of  course,  has  the 
right  to  try  to  sell  as  many  pictures 
as  he  possibly  can,"  Kane  pointed  out 
in  his  bulletin,  adding:  "If  he  didn't 
he  would  not  be  a  salesman."  He  afso 
said  every  manager  also  has  the  right 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Filming  Abroad  Will 
BoomSoon:Goldwyn 

"At  least  25  per  cent  of  the  impor- 
tant films  made  by  American  produc- 
ers in  the  near  future  will  be  made 
abroad,"  Samuel  Goldwyn  prophesied 
yesterday  as  he  announced  in  com- 
pany with  Italian  director  Roberto 
Rossellini,  Ingrid  Bergman  and  for- 
eign distributor  Ilya  Lopert  that  the 
four  had  formed  an  international  part- 
(Continued  on  page  10) 


2 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Thursday,  February  3,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

JOCK  LAWRENCE,  executive 
vice-president  of  the  J.  Arthur 
Rank  Organization,  has  been  elected 
an  honorary  member  of  the  British 
Film  Academy. 


Arthur  H.  DeBra,  director  of 
MPAA's  community  relations  depart- 
ment, will  speak  before  the  40th  an- 
nual conference  of  Probation  Officers 
of  New  York  in  Schenectady  on 
Feb.  15. 

• 

Herbert  Bergson,  U.  S.  Assistant 
Attorney  General  working  on  the 
Paramount  decree  case,  left  Washing- 
ton yesterday  for  a  Southern  trip. 
He  will  return  to  the  capital  on  Tues- 
day. 

• 

Steve  Perakos,  son  of  Peter  Pera- 
kos  of  the  Elmwood  Theatre  circuit 
in  New  Britain,  Conn.,  has  passed  the 
Connecticut  bar  examinations. 
• 

Joseph  Smith,  San  Francisco  RKO 
manager,  has  been  appointed  chairman 
of  the  national  "Brotherhood  Week" 
committee  in  his  city. 

• 

Henry  Reeve,  president  of  Texas 
Theatre  Owners,  Inc.,  will  return  to 
Menard,  Tex.,  today  from  New  York. 
• 

Harold  Mirisch,  Allied  Artists- 
Monogram  vice-president,  has  left 
here  for  the  Coast. 

• 

Eddie  Carrier  of  M-G-M's  royalty 
department  has  left  here  for  Holly- 
wood by  plane. 


John  Huston,  M-G-M 
has  left  here  for  the  Coast. 


director, 


Jules  Levey  has  returned  to  New 
York  from  the  Coast. 


Wehrenberg  Convalescing 

St.  Louis,  Feb.  2. — On  account  of 
Fred  Wehrenberg's  convalescence 
from  a  pneumonia  attack,  Tom  Ed- 
wards of  Farmington,  new  president 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  St.  Louis,  Eastern  Missouri 
and  Southern  Illinois,  is  carrying  the 
Wehrenberg  proxy  at  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  America  executive  meetings. 
Wehnenberg  is  in  St.  Anthony's  Hos- 
pital, St.  Louis. 


Browning  in  New  Post 

Boston,  Feb.  2. — Harry  Browning, 
former  public  relations  director  for 
New  England  Theatres,  has  been  ap- 
pointed district  manager  for  the  com- 
pany, succeeding  John  Carroll,  who 
resigned  to  become  special  representa- 
tive for  American  Theatres. 


Salesmen's  Dinner  Apr.  24 

Boston,  Feb.  2.— The  Boston  Mo- 
tion Picture  Salesmen's  Club  will  hold 
its  annual  dinner  on  April  24  at  the 
Latin  Quarter  here. 


Insider's  Outlook 


By  RED  KANN 


A FEW  days  ago  Bob  O'Don- 
nell  of  Interstate  was  saying 
in  "Letters  to  [Motion  Picture] 
Herald!'  what  some  were  think- 
ing and  others  getting  around  to 
in  heated  oration  over  a  tall 
glass : 

"I  would  like  to  recommend 
that  the  top  executives  and 
heads  of  our  principal  organiza- 
tions such  as  MPAA  stop  cry- 
ing 'Wolf.  Our  industry  has 
created  its  own  depression  by 
hollering  'economy'  and  has 
definitely  created  in  the  minds 
of  our  patrons  that  today's  mo- 
tion pictures  are  made  on  a 
short  budget  with  inferior  peo- 
ple and  without  thought  to 
quality.  .  .  . 

"If  we  can  quit  crucifying  our 
own  industry  by  ill-advised 
statements  in  trade  papers,  daily 
papers  and  fan  magazines,  we 
can  at  least  stay  where  we  are. 
[In  the  first  two  weeks  of  '49, 
Interstate  of  Texas  was  ahead 
of  the  same  two  weeks  of  '48]. 
But,  if  we  are  to  continue  issu- 
ing ill-advised  statements,  we 
are  bound  to  suffer." 

■ 

The  indications  are  O'Donnell 
may  have  been  winning  his  point 
even  before  his  letter  was  pub- 
lished. In"  Miami,  where  the 
company  presidents  met,  Eric 
Johnston  publicly  and  belatedly 
proclaimed  business  in  U.  S. 
theatres  in  1948  was  only  10 
per  cent  off  all-high  1946  and 
seven  and  one-half  per  cent  un- 
der 1947.  In  Los  Angeles,  he 
observed  the  decline  was  scrap- 
ing along  bottom  and  challenged 
reports  that  present  conditions 
were  "desperate"  without  defin- 
ing their  origin. 

It  might  have  been  more  to 
the  point  if  he  had  challenged 
some  of  his  directors  when  they 
were  giving  out  the  kind  of  pub- 
lic statement  which  helped  pre- 
cipitate the  impression  now  be- 
ing disavowed. 

■ 

The  current  state  of  affairs 
fools  no  one  who  recognizes  the 
facts.  The  British  situation  and 
blocked  funds  have  interrupted 
dollar  remittances  to  New  York. 
High  production  inventories  are 
yet  to  be  completely  sweated  out 
of  the  industry's  corporate  sys- 
tem. Domestic  theatre  grosses 
are  out  of  the  war-time  strato- 
sphere and  cuddling  closer  to 
post-war  normals,  but  they  con- 
tinue good  and  they  continue 
high  when  the  attraction  de- 
livers. Ask  the  sales  manager 
who  has  one. 


No  reasonable  person  will 
argue  over  the  need  for  eco- 
nomic adjustments.  It  is  the  ob- 
ligation of  properly  functioning 
management  to  trim  sail,  but  the 
canvass  does  not  have  to  be  cut 
to  ribbons  in  the  doing.  Re- 
sponsible executives,  it  happens, 
are  on  record  privately  with  the 
statement  that  some  of  the 
maneuvers  undertaken  to  date 
are  more  noteworthy  for  size 
than  for  judgment. 

■ 

Attractions  representing  heavy 
negative  investment  are  being 
dusted  off  with  little  or  none  of 
the  merchandising  advantages 
traditionally  accepted  as  sound 
practice.  In  astonishing  num- 
bers, product  is  being  allowed  to 
creep  up  on  exhibitors  as  if  it 
were  a  mystery  or  as  if  the  dis- 
tributor were  ashamed  of  it.  Be- 
cause they  feel  they  have  been 
carrying  too  much  of  the  adver- 
tising-exploitation load  and  the 
exhibitor  too  little,  distributors 
now  are  willing  to  place  their 
production  investments  in  seri- 
ous jeopardy  through  inaction. 
Assuming  for  the  argument  that 
right  is  on  their  side,  what 
about  the  product? 

Johnston  moves  in  the  direc- 
tion of  preserving  the  dikes 
when  he  seeks  to  stem  the  tide 
of  hysteria.  That's  a  plus  step, 
but  minor  in  relation  to  the 
widespread  need  for  a  re-birth 
of  enthusiasm  and  optimism. 

This  is  a  business  which 
thrives  on  excitement  and  noise, 
aggressiveness  and  punch,  big 
doings  and  oversized  assertion. 
It's  show  business  with  spots 
like  the  leopard  and  it's  time  to 
remember  that  again. 

B  ■ 

In  a  state-of-the-industry 
commentary  embodied  in  Uni- 
versal's  annual  financial  report, 
J.  Cheever  Cowdin  and  Nate  J. 
Blumberg  argue  producers 
should  enjoy  a  greater  propor- 
tion of  the  box-office  dollar — an 
argument  theatremen  will  not 
share.  But  this  is  interesting, 
too: 

"Exhibitors  can  also  serve 
their  own  vital  interests  by  help- 
ing in  another  way.  That  is  by 
reassuming  their  traditional  ob- 
ligation to  back  up  the  pictures 
they  book  with  hard-hitting,  con- 
sistent promotional  efforts  and 
exploitation  to  attract  maximum 
patronage." 

Substitute  distributors  for  ex- 
hibitors and  sell  for  book.  Then 
try  it  for  size. 


'Gratitude  Train* 
To  Tour  Nation 

"Gratitude  Train,"  France's  gesture 
of  thanks  for  the  original  "Friendship 
Train,"  which  arrived  in  New  York 
yesterday,  will  be  dispatched  through- 
out the  country  on  an  itinerary  which 
will  take  it  to  all  state  capitals  and 
the  District  of  Columbia,  it  was  an- 
nounced here  by  Harry  M.  Warner, 
national  chairman  of  the  "Friendship" 
committee  organized  by  Drew  Pearson 
a  year  ago. 

The  48-car  train  will  cover  the  same 
route  followed  by  the  Friendship  Train 
and  in  each  state  the  contents  of  one 
box-car  will  be  unloaded  and  placed 
on  public  display,  Warner  said. 


M-G-M  Heart  Film 
For  MPAA  Series 

Washington,  Feb.  2. — "Heart  to 
Heart,"  an  educational  film  on  heart 
disease,  will  be  the  third  short  in  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica's public  service  series.  M-G-M  will 
produce  the  short,  which  should  be 
ready  for  distribution  in  a  month  to 
six  weeks. 

"Power  Behind  the  Nation"  and 
"Letter  to  a  Rebel"  were  the  first  two 
films  in  the  MPAA  series.  The  public 
service  series  is  to  be  distinguished 
from  the  industry's  public  relations 
films  now  being  produced  by  an  all- 
industry  committee  in  Hollywood. 


H.  Stothart,  64, 
Film  Composer 

Hollywood,  Feb.  2. — Herbert  Stoth- 
art, 64,  composer  of  musical  scores 
for  motion  pictures  since  1930,  died 
yesterday  at  Cedars  of  Lebanon  Hos- 
pital after  a  long  illness. 

Stothart,  who  had  been  under  con- 
tract with  M-G-M  throughout  his 
Hollywood  career,  won  an  Academy 
Award  for  his  score  for  "Wizard  of 
Oz"  and  wrote  the  music  for  many 
major  films,  including  "The  Yearling," 
"The  Green  Years"  and  "The  Unfin- 
ished Dance."  He  was  musical  direc- 
tor of  the  Jeanette  McDonald-Nelson 
Eddy  musicals  and  his  work  was  well 
known  on  Broadway  and  abroad  be- 
fore he  entered  the  industry. 

He  is  survived  by  the  widow,  Mrs. 
Mary  Wolfe  Stothart,  two  daughters, 
Carol  and  Constance,  and  a  son,  Her- 
bert 2nd,  all  of  Brentwood.  A  brother, 
Pope,  lives  in  Minneapolis. 

Mother  of  Mrs.  Will  Hays 

Mrs.  W.  P.  Herron,  mother  of 
Mrs.  Will  H.  Hays,  died  yesterday 
at  her  home  in  Crawfordsville,  In- 
diana. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hays  left  here 
last  evening  to  attend  the  funeral  in 
Crawfordsville. 

Mrs.  Herron  was  also  the  mother 
of  Major  Frederick  Q.  Herron,  who 
was  for  many  years  associated  with 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  as  its 
foreign  manager. 


"Quiet  One"  Opens  Feb.  12 

"The  Quiet  One"  will  have  its 
world  premiere  on  Lincoln's  Birthday, 
Feb.  12,  at  the  Little  Carnegie  Thea- 
tre here.  Mayer-Burstyn,  Inc.,  dis- 
tribute the  film. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin   Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 


Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing"  Company,  Inc.,.  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary, 
James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  K.  Weaver. 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Wasmngton. 
J  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Buraup,  Editor;  cable  address,  yuigpubco  t-onqon. 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  MotioH  Picture  Herald ;  international 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c. 


id  B.  O.  smash! 
iles  with  good  hu- 
and  bristles  with 
Ihs!  Wonderful 
I  running  gags 
ustained  hilarity!" 

HOLLYWOOD  REPORTER 


'A  punchy  laugh- 
getter!  Rates  a  hand- 
some run  through  all 
situations!  Word-of- 
mouth  possibilities  are 
excellent." 

VARIETY 


"Will  send  ticket- 
buyers  into  gales  of 
laughter.  First  comedy 
of  the  new  year  of  im- 
portant stature." 

FILM  DAILY 


"Bound  to  shake  loose 
a  sizeable  amount  of 
b.o.  dollars!  It  has  no 
aim  other  than  to  en- 
tertain and  succeeds 
mightily!" 


DAVID  BUTLER -JERRY  WALD 

Scieen  Play  by  Phoebe  and  Henry  Ephron  •  From  the  Hit  Stage  Play  by  NORMAN  KRASNA 


We're  All  Behind  Brotherhood  Week,  February  20-27    •    No  Bigotry  in  America! 


GEORGE  MACREADY  •  FRED  CLARK 

Produced  by         Directed  by 

ENDRE  BOHEM  •  JOHN  FARROW 

Screenplay  by  Jonathan  Latimer 
Original  story  by  Mindret  Lord 


is  the  word  too  for  the  peak-era  business 
of  current  hits  like  "My  Own  True  Love" 
-'The  Accused"-"The  Paleface"  in 

Paramount's 

QtOlsB  wtsb  ©I8  %s 


WHEN  THE  RESULTS  ARE 


THE  COMPANY  IS 
PARAMOUNT-CITED  NOW 
BY  CRITIC  AFTER  CRITIC  FOR 
THE  HIT  THAT'S 


highly  imaginative  yarn. 
Patrons  will  love  the  film,  will 
loudly  acclaim  it  and  liberally 


film  . . .  that  is  going  to  sell 
a  lot  of  tickets.  To  repeat,  it's 
unusual  and  you  don't  come 
by  one  that  has  that  quality  often." 

— Film  Daily 


ORIGINAL,  provocative,  intriguing, 

imaginative  .  .  .  gives  the  spectator  a 
thrilling  ride  for  his  money." 

—Hollywood  Reporter 


"STRONG  EXPLOITATION  ANGLES . . . 

and  Farrow  gives  it  strong 
direction.  Milland's  portrayal 
is  exacting  work. "    —  V zriety 


patronize  it. 


— Box  office 


picture,  packed  with  suspense. 
Don't  miss  this  very  good  movie." 

— limmie  Fidler, 
Mutual  Broadcasting  System 


"ROUSING  GROSSES  . . .  for . . .  absorbing . . . 
suspense-filled  entertainment . . .  that 
lends  itself  admirably  to  exploitation." 

—  Daily  Variety 


"DEVILISHLY  DIFFERENT . . .  a  picture 

you'll  give  your  undivided  attention." 

—  Photoplay  Magazine 


"IDEA- VALUE  .  .  .  should  please  a  large 

audience.  Milland,  Totter  and  Mitchell 
should  help  inflate  boxoffice  grosses." 

— Showmen  s  Trade  Review 


BE  SURE  TO  BOOK  "THE  MOVIES  AND  YOU" 
SERIES  OF  INDUSTRY  SHORTS. 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  February  3,  1949 


Maneuver  to  Change 
Alger  Jurisdiction 


Chicago,  Feb.  2. — Distributors  took 
steps  to  transfer  their  Alger  film  ren- 
tal percentage  actions  from  Federal 
Court  here,  by  moving  today  to  dis- 
miss without  prejudice  each  of  the 
eight  actions  pending  in  U.  S.  Dis- 
trict Court  so  that  the  issues  could 
be  determined  in  another  court. 

In  the  motion  papers,  served  by 
Mayer,  Meyer,  Austrian  and  Piatt 
and  Matthews  and  Springer,  counsel 
for  the  distributors,  to  withdraw  the 
Federal  actions,  it  is  claimed  that, 
without  a  prior  inspection  of  records, 
the  plaintiffs  might  find  after  a 
lengthy,  complex  and  successful  trial 
on  the  illegality  issue  referred  to  the 
Master,  that  the  minimum  jurisdic- 
tional amount  for  Federal  courts 
might  not  exist  in  all  actions.  With- 
drawing the  suits  from  Federal  court, 
according  to  the  papers,  will  clear 
the  way  for  determining  the  issues  in 
a  court  whose  jurisdiction  will  not  be 
dependent  on  the  amount  involved  in 
any  case. 

Study  Trieb  Records 
In  Griffith  Case 

Oklahoma  City,  Feb.  2. — Govern- 
ment and  defense  attorneys  agreed  to 
a  recess  this  afternoon  in  the  Griffith 
mandate  hearing  in  order  to  look  over 
two  boxes  of  records  brought  into 
court  by  prosecution  witness  Mrs. 
Mary  E.  Trieb,  operator  of  the  El 
Capitan,  Roswell,  N.  M. 

The  records  were  submitted  as  sup- 
port of  Mrs.  Trieb's  charge  that  buy- 
ing practices  of  the  Griffith  circuit 
caused  financial  loss  to  her  business. 
Government  attorney  George  B.  Wise 
said  that  Mrs.  Trieb  would  resume 
her  testimony  in  the  morning,  but  that 
he  still  plans  to  ask  for  a  longer  re- 
cess tomorrow. 

Chicago  Deadlock 
Over  Union  Fund 

Chicago,  Feb.  2. — The  Chicago  Mo- 
tion Picture  Operators  Union,  Local 
No.  110,  and  20th  Century-Fox  and 
RKO  are  in  a  deadlock  here  over 
signing  of  a  new  contract  which  in- 
volves a  10  per  cent  raise  for  its  oper- 
ators' union-employer  fund.  The  new 
contract,  which  went  into  effect  on 
Sept.  1  of  last  year,  was  signed  by 
all  Chicago  theatres  and  all  other  dis- 
tributors. Result  of  the  impasse  has 
caused  a  temporary  hiatus  of  projec- 
tion room  screenings  and  trade  show- 
ings for  both  RKO  and  20th. 


Protest  Segregation 

Washington,  Feb.  2.  —  Loew's 
Capitol  was  picketed  by  members  of 
the  District  of  Columbia's  Young 
Progessives  in  protest  against  the 
policy  of  downtown  Washington  the- 
atres of  not  admitting  Negroes. 
Spokesmen  for  the  group  said  pick- 
eting would  continue  weekends  until 
all  Capital  theatres  had  been  cov- 
ered. 


Capital  Variety  Luncheon 

Washington,  Feb.  2. — The  local 
Variety  tent  plans  to  combine  its  an- 
nual Valentine's  Day  party  on  Feb. 
14  with  a  luncheon  for  the  Conference 
of  Christians  and  Jews,  with  Eric 
Johnston,  MPAA  president,  listed  as 
guest  speaker, 


'Informer  Suits'  Are 
New  Problem  in  Mo. 

St.  Louis,  Feb.  2.— Missouri 
theatre  owners  plan  an  ap- 
peal to  the  state  legislature 
for  relief  from  "informer 
suits"  brought  under  a  Mis- 
souri statute  of  Civil  War 
vintage.  The  law,  regulating 
the  size  and  location  of  the- 
atre aisles,  was  passed  in 
1869  and  had  been  forgotten 
until  informer  suits  were 
filed  by  two  Cape  Girardeau 
lawyers  against  several 
Southeastern  Missouri  the- 
atres. The  theatre's  fine  is 
split  between  the  person 
making  the  complaint  and 
the  local  school  fund. 


New  Committee  for 
Small  Business 

Washington,  Feb.  2. — The  House 
today  approved  the  re-establishment 
of  a  special  committee  on  small  busi- 
ness. Rep.  Patman  of  Texas,  rank- 
ing Democrat  on  last  year's  commit- 
tee, which  sharply  criticized  film  pro- 
ducers and  distributors,  was  named 
chairman  of  the  nine-man  group. 

The  other  four  Democratic  members 
are  Keogh  of  New  York,  Hardy  of 
Virginia,  Mansfield  of  Montana  and 
Evins  of  Tennessee.  The  Republican 
members  are  Halleck  of  Indiana,  Hill 
of  Colorado,  Riehlman  of  New  York 
and  Lichtenwalter  of  Pennsylvania. 

M-G-M  Group  Leaves 
For  Coast  Meets 

M-G-M's  home  office  and  Eastern 
group  of  sales  and  theatre  executives 
will  leave  for  the  Coast  today  to  at- 
tend the  "Preview  of  Product"  and 
sales  conferences  in  Culver  City  and 
Los  Angeles,  Feb.  6-12.  Joining  the 
home  office  contingent  will  be  execu- 
tives from  several  parts  of  the  coun- 
try. Many  others  have  already  arrived 
on  the  Coast.  William  F.  Rodgers, 
vice-president  and  general  sales  man- 
ager will  preside. 

37  Detroit  Houses 
In  Cash  Giveaway 

Detroit,  Feb.  2. — Sam  Carver,  pres- 
ident of  Detroit  Consolidated  Thea- 
tres reports  that  37  theatres  will  be  in 
on  the  cash  giveaway  program  usher- 
ing in  a  tie-in  with  station  WJLB 
here,  starting  Monday  night,  Feb.  28, 
and  lasting  for  half  an  hour.  Carver 
expects  more  theatres  to  join  the  pro- 
gram before  Feb.  28. 

The  program  will  be  on  the  air 
each  Monday  evening. 


New  Quarters  to  Variety 

Memphis,  Feb.  2.— Variety  Club  of 
Memphis  has  unanimously  voted  to 
accept  .the  request  of  Goldsmith's  De- 
partment Store  to  move  to  new  quar- 
ters which  Goldsmith's  will  provide 
in  the  Hotel  Gayoso.  Chief  Barker 
Ed  Williamson  said  the  club  hopes 
to  move  to  its  new  quarters  soon. 


Schiller  Named  Liaison 

Hollywood,  Feb.  2.— Jim  Schiller 
has  been  appointed  liaison  between 
Monogram-Allied  Artists'  advertising- 
publicity  department,  under  Lou  Lif- 
ton,  and  Scott  Dunlap,  studio  head. 


Cinema  Lodge  To  Cite 
Gov.  Dewey  Tonight 

New  York's  Cinema  Lodge  of  B'nai 
B'rith  will  honor  Gov.  Thomas  E. 
Dewey  for  his  pioneering  in  anti-dis- 
crimination legislation  in  New  York 
State  at  the  Hotel  Astor  here  tonight. 

Gov.  Dewey  will  be  presented  with 
the  Cinema  Lodge  "Honor  Scroll"  by 
Leonard  H.  Goldenson,  president  of 
Paramount  Theatres  Service  Corp.,  a 
member  of  the  advisory  board  of 
Cinema  Lodge,  and  a  director  of  the 
Anti-Defamation  League  of  B'nai 
B'rith.  Arthur  H.  Schwartz,  counsel 
to  the  Commission  on  Coordination  of 
State  Activities,  will  be  chairman.  S. 
Arthur  Glixon  is  president  of  the 
Lodge. 

Unrestricted  Film 
Imports  in  Israeli 

The  Israeli  government  has  author- 
ized the  unrestricted  importation  of 
American  motion  pictures  until  June 
30,  according  to  a  cablegram  received 
here  yesterday  by  John  G.  McCarthy, 
managing  director  of  the  international 
division  of  the  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of  America.  The  cable  added 
that  negotiations  will  be  reopened  at 
that  time. 

McCarthy  returned  to  New  York 
yesterday  from  Washington  and  two 
days  of  conferences  with  State  De- 
partment officials. 

U.  N.  Eyes  Arnall 
For  Kashmir  Post 

Ellis  Arnall,  new  president  of  the 
Society  of  Independent  Motion  Pic- 
ture Producers,  is  one  of  several  per- 
sons .  under  consideration  for  the 
United  Nations  post  of  plebiscite  ad- 
ministrator for  Kashmir,  according  to 
press  reports. 

Arnall  is  now  in  Atlanta  and  could 
not  be  reached  for  comment  on  his 
availability  for  the  assignment  should 
it  be  offered  him. 

David  Jonas  Heads 
Screen  Associates 

David  Jonas  is  the  new.  president  of 
Screen  Associates,  succeeding  David 
H.  Lion,  who  has  resigned.  Miriam 
Sack  will  be  secretary-treasurer  of  the 
firm. 

The  company  plans  to  produce  mo- 
tion pictures  for  theatrical,  non- 
theatrical  and  television  exhibition. 


Esquire  Buys  Ideal 

Majority  interest  in  Ideal  Pictures, 
16mm.  film  distributors,  has  been  ac- 
quired by  Esquire,  Inc.,  according  to 
an  announcement  made  here  today  by 
David  A.  Smart,  head  of  the  publish- 
ing concern.  He  said  the  firm  would 
continue  to  service  television  stations, 
churches,  schools  and  other  users  of 
the  educational  films  distributed  by  the 
company. 


Video  Firm  Finishes  1st 

Television  Features,  Inc.,  has  com- 
pleted its  first  picture  for  theatre  re- 
lease, a  film  or  "brotherhood"  which 
will  be  shown  during  "Brotherhood 
Week,"  February  20-27,  according  to 
Larry  Gordon,  president.  Featured  in 
the  documentary,  which  runs  11  min- 
utes and  was  made  for  the  National 
Conference  of  Christians  and  Jews,  are 
Nelson  Rockefeller,  Charles  E.  Wil- 
son, General  Electric  •  president,  and 
Roger  W.  Strauss,  financier  and  phil- 
anthropist. 


Defends  NSS  At 
Albany  Luncheon 


Albany,  Feb.  2. — National  Screen 
Service  was  defended  against  the  ac- 
tion taken  by  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  board  meeting  in  Washing- 
ton last  week  as  Frank  Dembow,  NSS 
sales  manager,  spoke  before  a 
luncheon  of  Albany  district  exhibitors 
held  by  the  local  TOA. 

Expressing  his  thanks  to  Harry  La- 
mont  and  Leonard  Rosenthal,  local 
TOA  officials,  for  their  invitation  to 
speak,  Dembow  said,  "This  round- 
table  method  of  dealing  with  com- 
plaints and  criticisms  is  fairer,  more 
realistic,  than  the  rugged,  rough 
resolution  passed  by  the  TOA  board 
in  Washington,  where  our  company 
was  condemned  without  trial." 

Dembow  expressed  the  opinion  that 
complaints  about  NSS  had  been 
magnified  in  recent  months  and  said 
that  they  originated  from  complaints 
made  by  a  Southern  exhibitor  at  a 
meeting  in  Chicago.  Dembow  said 
he  discussed  some  of  these  complaints 
at  Allied's  national  convention  at  New 
Orleans,  but  that  he  did  not  attend 
the  TOA  board  meeting  as  he  felt  it 
"futile." 

Six  exhibitors  from  the  Albany 
area  took  the  floor  to  discuss  the  NSS 
situation.  Chief  complaints  stemmed 
from  a  shift  of  part  of  NSS  services 
from  Albany  to  New  York  last  sum- 
mer, which  meant  increased  costs  in 
postage,  telephone  calls  and  from  ship- 
ment delays  for  operators,  according 
to  those  who  spoke  during  the 
discussion. 


Asked  Not  to  Book  Industry  Shorts 

Albany,  Feb.  2. — Albany  area  ex- 
hibitors were  asked,  at  a  TOA  meet- 
ing here  today  not  to  book  RKO's 
"Let's  Go  to  the  Movies,"  an  industry 
public  relations  short,  until  Leonard 
Rosenthal,  TOA  local  executive  direc- 
tor, learned  from  the  national  TOA 
what  charge  was  to  be  made.  Those 
present  agreed  that  the  short  was 
"very  entertaining  and  helpful  to  our 
business,  but  it  should  not  be  released 
at  a  profit  to  anyone." 

Rosenthal  and  Harry  Lamont,  tem- 
porary chairman  of  the  Albany  TOA, 
reported  that  this  stand  was  taken  at 
the  Washington  weekend  meeting  of 
national  directors,  and  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  take  up  the  matter 
with  RKO.  Rosenthal  said  he  will 
advise  local  exhibitors  what  the  na- 
tional TOA  achieves  in  negotiations. 


3  -  Theatre  Opening 
For  i(Down  to  the  Sea" 

Twentieth  Century-Fox's  "Down  to 
the  Sea  in  Ships"  will  have  a  three- 
theatre  world  premiere  in  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass.,  on  Feb.  IS.  Theatres  are 
the  State,  New  Bedford  and  Empire. 
Festivities  will  be  sponsored  by  the 
New  Bedford  Citizens'  Committee. 

Following  the  premiere,  a  party  will 
be  given _  at  the  New  Bedford  Hotel 
for  visiting  members  of  the  press. 
Gov.  Paul  A.  Dever  of  Massachusetts 
and  Mayor  Arthur  N.  Harriman  of 
New  Bedford  will  be  official  hosts  for 
the  occasion. 


25-cent  GPE  Dividend 

Directors  of  General  Precision 
Equipment  Corp.,  have  declared  a 
cash  dividend  of  25  cents  per  share 
on  capital  stock,  payable  on  March 
15,  to  stockholders  of  record  on 
Feb,  25, 


Thursday,  February  3,  1949 


Motion  Picture  daily 


20th-Fox  Brief 


( Continued  from  page  1 ) 


Reviews 


Para.  Board  Studies 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


arately,  and  that  literally  thousands  of 
them  have  been  modified,  and  that  the 
elimination  of  the  other  condemned 
practices  has  been  affirmatively  estab- 
lished by  the  defendants'  evidence." 

The  company  states .  that  the  gov- 
ernment failed  to  produce  any  evidence 
to  support  its  recommendation  of  di- 
vorcement on  the  charge  of  monopoly. 
"As  far  as  the  plaintiff  is  concerned," 
20th-Fox  continues,  "it  has  offered  no 
evidence  which  bears  upon  any  of  the 
elements  which  the  Supreme  Court 
said  might  support  a  finding  of 
monopolization." 

The  company  holds  that  some  thea- 
tre expansion  should  be  allowed  with 
acquisitions  "judged  on  their  merits 
and  if  no  trade  restraining  conse- 
quences follow." 

The  company  contends  that  compe- 
titive bidding,  which  was  found  objec- 
tionable by  the  high  court,  should  be 
replaced  by  an  injunction  against  a 
distributor's  arbitrary  refusal  of  an 
exhibitor's  demand  for  a  run.  This, 
coupled  with  the  planned  arbitration 
system,  will  provide  an  "effective  sub- 
stitute," the  company  asserts. 

The  one  partnership  which  20th- 
Fox  has  not  agreed  to  dissolve  is  Fox 
Evergreen  Theatres  and  the  company 
states  that  the  only  issue  here  is 
whether  "the  ownership  of  approxi- 
mately 15  per  cent  of  the  stock  of 
that  company  by  one  who  is  and  has 
been  for  many  years  an  employe  of 
National  Theatres  is  an  illegal  re- 
straint of  trade." 

The  plan  for  arbitration  already  has 
been  presented  to  the  New  York  court 
in  the .  form  of  a  tentative  draft.  It 
will  be  formally  submitted  when  hear- 
ings resume  on  March  20.  Details 
of  the  system  were  reported  by  Mo- 
tion Picture  Daily  on  Jan.  25. 

The  Department  of  Justice  has  until 
early  next  month  to  reply  to  the  20th- 
Fox  proposals  for  findings  and  judg- 
ment. 


Closed  Shop  Cited 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ficial  to  both  management  and  labor 
in  the  industry  in  that  it  checked  the 
trend  toward  "temperament"  which  he 
said  is  found  among  theatrical  em- 
ployes. Proof  of  this,  he  said,  is  that 
theatre  owners  are  satisfied  to  work 
under  closed  shop  contracts. 

A  return  to  the  closed  shop  is  pro 
vided  for  in  the  Truman  Administra- 
tion bill  to  repeal  the  Taft-Hartley 
Law. 


Films,  Radio,  Publishing  Planned 
By  AFL's  "Political  League" 

Miami,  Feb.  2. — Publication  of  a 
weekly  newspaper  and  presentation  of 
radio  programs  or  motion  pictures  are 
contemplated  under  a  broad  program 
of  activity  at  national,  state  and  local 
levels  which  was  laid  out  here  yester- 
day by  AFL's  "Labor's  League  for 
Political  Education."  The  AFL  ex- 
ecutive council  is. in  quarterly  session 


"The  Red  Pony" 

(Republic) 

THE  merchandising  assets  of  Republic's  "The  Red  Pony"  are  immediately 
apparent.  Adapted  to  the  screen  from  John  Steinbeck's  popular-seller  of 
the  same  name,  it  has  been  well  made  by  producer-director  Lewis  Milestone 
who  enhanced  in  Technicolor  the  efforts  of  an  impressive  cast  headed  by 
Myrna  Loy,  Robert  Mitchum,  Lewis  Calhern  and  Peter  Miles. 

The  story  itself  is  refined  down  to  the  simplest  dramatic  form  as  it  cap- 
tures the  inner-world  of  mystery,  charm  and  wonder  of  a  young  farm  child 
who  has  been  given  a  small  red  pony.  With  this  as  his  central  theme,  Stein- 
beck has  blended  into  his  screenplay  incidents  from  his  other  short  stories 
to  evolve  a  unified  study  of  varied  human  relationships  on  a  ranch,  which 
serves  as  the  film's  background. 

Although  the  film  is  popular  entertainment,  and  at  its  best  manifests  primal 
virtues  of  great  drama,  the  plot  progresses  on  the  slow  and  measured  side. 
And  while  it  is  endowed  with  a  quality  of  warmth  and  sympathy,  it  never 
quite  rushes  into  vibrant  life. 

As  the  child  whose  world  is  filled  with  living  richness  by  the  gift  of  the 
pony,  Miles  offers  a  characterization  of  infinite  delight.  His.  entire  interests 
become  encompassed  by  the  little  animal.  With  the  help  of  ranch-hand  Mitch- 
um, the  boy  tends  the  needs  of  the  pony,  and  learns  about  life  by  watching 
it  grow.  Sadness  enters  the  heart  of  the  lad,  however,  when  the  pony  gets 
caught  in  a  storm  and  gets  critically  ill.  Along  with  this  sadness  goes  the 
more  disheartening  loss  of  faith  in  Mitchum  who  had  given  the  boy  assurance 
of  the  pony's  safety. 

Against  the  background  the  boy's  problems  there  develop  the  more  com- 
plex problems  of  his  mother  and  father,  Miss  Loy  and  Shepperd  Strudwick. 
It  seems  that  a  hero-worshipping  attachment  to  Mitchum  had  alienated  the 
boy  from  his  father,  thus  giving  rise  to  injured  emotions.  Filling  out  the  film 
are  some  random  angles  involving  Calhern,  a  grandpappy  who  was  a  frontiers- 
man, and  forever  keeps  reminding  the  family  about  it  in  unsolicited  anecdotes. 

The  boy  experiences  the  first  real  pangs  of*  life  when  his  pony  meets  a 
ghastly  death.  But  the  boy  also  comes  to  learn  the  miracle  of  rebirth  when 
a  new  colt  is  presented  to  him-.  Mitchum's  performance,  like  the  picture 
itself,  is  well  done,  but  restrained.  The  other  performers  generally  prove 
equal  to  him  in  this  Charles  K.  Feldman  presentation. 

Running  time,  89  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
March  28.  Mandel  Herbstman 

"Don't  Take  It  to  Heart!" 

(J.  Arthur  Rank — Eagle-Lion) 

PRODUCED  by  Sydney  Box  and  written  and  directed  by  Jeffrey  Dell, 
"Don't  Take  It  to  Heart!"  embodies  a  light  handling  of  the  problem 
of  Britain's  lordly  gentry  in  its  desperate  attempt  to  hang  on  to  the  aegis 
of  nobility  while  undergoing  dire  economic  strife.  It  is  a  film  that  has  some 
very  funny  moments,  although  more  often  than  not  its  humor  is  hampered 
by  poor  pacing  and  spotty  direction.  There  is  evidence,  too,  of  the  film's 
having  been  produced  under  difficult  conditions  in  Britain. 

On  the  credit  side  are  some  characterization  gems,  such  as  a  bus  driver 
(Ivor  Barnard),  a  magistrate  (George  Bailey)  and  a  reporter  (Ernest  Jay), 
who,  with  a  few  others  in  minor  character  roles,  provide  some  rib-tickling 
moments  which  give  the  film  a  decided  lift. 

The  story  concerns  a  bombed  mansion  which  has  unearthed  a  400-year-old 
manuscript  and  the  ghost  of  a  former  lord  of  the  manor.  The  estate  is 
opened  to  sightseers  with  the  peesent  lord  himself  acting  as  guide.  A  young 
lawyer,  Richard  Greene,  becomes  interested  in  both  the  document  and  the 
lord's  daughter. 

When  a  nouveau-riche  landowner  attempts  to  drive  the  tenants  from  the 
land  for  poaching,  the  lawyer  pleads  the  cause  of  the  tenants,  and  by  produc 
ing  a  surprise  witness  in  the  person  of  the  ghost,  it  appears  that  one  of  the 
tenants  is  the  real  lord  and  cannot  therefore  be  driven  from  the  land. 

Greene  turns  in  a  creditable  job,  and  so  does  Patricia  Medina  as  the 
leading  lady.  Edward  Rigby's  butler  provides  some  of  the  more  humorous 
moments  of  the  picture,  and  Brefni  O'Rorke  as  Lord  Chaunduyt  gives  his 
version  of  the  fading  class  of  British  noblemen  a  satiric  touch.  The  film 
could  stand  shortening. 

Running  time,  90  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date 
not  set. 


for  it  is  the  separation  of  the  present 
corporation  into  two  companies  inde- 
pendent of  each  other,  one  to  operate 
theatres  and  the  other  to  engage  in 
production  and  distribution. 

It  was  disclosed  here  yesterday  that 
Paramount,  under  the  terms  of  the  set- 
tlement, will  be  given  one  year  from 
the  date  on  which  the  stockholders 
vote  approval  in  which  to  effect  the 
split.  The  separate  theatre  company 
which  will  emerge  will  be  comprised 
of  more  than  600  theatres. 


'Forced  Selling' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Rush  Truman  Film 

Washington,  Feb.  2. — "The  In- 
augural Story,"  a  motion  picture  rec- 
ord in  sound  and  color  of  the  Inaugu- 
ration of  President  Harry  S.  Truman, 
is  being  rushed  in  the  laboratories,  it 
was  announced  here  today  by  Al  Sher- 
man, president  of  Sherman  Plan,  Inc., 
producer  of  the  one-reel  subject.  Wil- 
liam H.  Benedict,  production  super- 
visor for  Sherman,  supervised  produc- 
tion with  Richard  Patton. 


to  needle  his  salesmen  into  increased 
efforts  to  sell  every  exhibitor  every 
possible  picture. 

But,  the  bulletin  contends,  the  court 
has  set  the  line  where  good  salesman- 
ship ends  and  misbehavior  begins. 
"The  line  is  crossed  by  the  salesman 
and  manager  when  they  insist  that  in 
order  to  get  the  picture  you  want  you 
must  buy  another  or  others  that  you 
don't  want,"  Kane  declared. 

The  forcing  or  conditioning  of  pic- 
tures is  illegal  and  widespread,  the 
bulletin  charges,  and  Kane  warns  that 
"some  day  in  the  not-too-distant  fu- 
ture some  high  film  officials  "are  go- 
ing to  jail." 


Paralyzed  by  Storms 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


train  service  have  had  only  one  or 
two  trains  through  since  November. 

Most  film  exchanges  have  kept  thei 
salesman  more  off  the  road  than  on 
Those  who  do  go  out  usually  get 
stranded  and  come  back  with  weird 
experiences  of  their  struggle  to  get 
back  to  Omaha. 

More  than  100  theatres  have  had 
to  shut  down  at  least  for  intervals.  A 
complete  shut  off  of  a  town's  electric 
power  is  not  infrequent. 

Cattle  ,  losses  in  some  of  the  coun 
try's   heaviest   production   areas  are 
listed  as  high  as  40  per  cent  which 
seems    certain    to    bring  economic 
troubles. 


50-Cent  Paramount  Dividend 

At  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  direc- 
tors of  Paramount  Pictures,  held  here 
yesterday  the  regular  quarterly  divi- 
dend of  50  cents  per  share  was  de- 
clared on  the  common  stock,  payable 
on  March  25  to  holders  of  record  on 
March  4. 


E-L  Sales  Meetings 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ger ;  Milton  E.  Cohen,  Eastern  sales 
manager,  and  Fred  Stein,  special  rep- 
resentative on  J.  Arthur  Rank's  "The 
Red  Shoes." 

Heineman  will  emphasize  that  E-L 
is  now  in  the  best  position  the  com- 
pany has  ever  been  insofar  as  avail- 
able product  backlog  is  concerned. 
Currently  in  release  are  "Canon 
City,"  "He  Walked  by  Night,"  "The 
Red  Shoes,"  and  "The  Scar."  Ready 
for  release  are:  "Tulsa,"  "Reign  of 
Terror,"  "Red  Stallion  in  the  Rock- 
iess,"  "The  Big  Cat,"  and  "Alice  in 
Wonderland." 

This  month  will  also  see  the  re- 
opening of  E-L's  studios  in  Holly- 
wood, which  were  temporarily  closed 
late  last  year.  Three  films  are  set 
for  immediate  filming,  "Port  of  New 
York,"  "Trapped"  and  one  tentatively 
titled  "Marker  X."  Others  scheduled 
for  early  production  are :  "Twelve 
Against  the  Underworld,"  "The  World 
and  Little  Willie"  and  "These  Were 
My  Orders." 

J.  Arthur  Rank  product  currently 
in  release  by  E-L  are  besides  "The 
Red  Shoes,"  "Blanche  Fury" ;  "A 
Canterbury  Tale"  ;  "Don't  Take  It  to 
Heart" ;  "It  Always  Rains  on  Sun- 
day" ;  "Waterloo  Road"  ;  "My  Broth- 
er's Keeper" ;  and  "Take  My  Life." 
Soon  to  be  released  will  be  "Scott  of 
the  Antarctic,"  "Miranda,"  "Quartet," 
"Saraband"  and  "Sleeping  Car  to 
Trieste." 

Under  the  deal  recently  concluded 
with  David  O.  Selznick,  the  com- 
pany will  distribute  "Since  You  Went 
Away,"  "Intermezzo,"  "Prisoner  of 
Zenda,"  "I'll  Be  Seeing  You,"  "Gar- 
den of  Allah,"  "Spellbound,"  "Re- 
becca," "Bill  of  Divorcement"  and 
"Tom  Sawyer." 


Excise  Tax 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


time  excise  rates  on  a  few  products 
of  industry." 

The  Massachusetts  Republican  said 
that  "the  time  has  arrived  when  such 
rates  are  bad  for  business,  bad  for 
the  thousands  of  employees  of  the 
affected  industries,  and  so  far  as  the 
Treasury  is  concerned,  they  are  sub- 
ject to  the  law  of  diminishing  returns. 

"To  continue  to  levy  war-time 
rates  on  a  few  industries  is  clearly 
discriminatory.  All  of  our  bills  in 
the  past  that  have  cut  taxes  have 
stimulated  the  yield  to  the  govern- 
ment. High  taxes  kill  the  goose  that 
lays  the  golden  egg." 


A  champ  ertthe 

boxofffce! 


\ 

SHOWMEN'S  TRADE  REVIEW 

w  Action,  romance,  fighting,  swordplay, 
adventure,  excitement  and  laughter. 

What  more  could  an  audience  ask  for, 

especially  a  family  audience? 
It's  got  plenty  on  the  ball!" 


/ 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 

*f  It  looks  like  a  top-grade 

box-office  attraction.  Hold  on 
to  your  hats  and  tell  your 
patrons  you  have  some 
thrills  in  store  for  them!" 


VARIETY 

w A  first-rate  grosser 

. . .  a  picture  that  could 
be  built  into  a  real 
coin-getter." 


/ 


DAILY  VARIETY 

wJam-packed 
with  action.  Fine 

entertainment." 

\ 


^  BOXOFFICE 

(|  ipiP^V  ff Mighty  good  entertainment 
that  should  please  any  type  of 
audience.  A  fast-moving,  swashbuckling 
film  with  plenty  of  humor.59 


THE  EXHIBITOR  ^ 

ff  Packed  with  action, 
this  should  satisfy  any 
audience.  High  rating 
action  show  packed  with  >^ 
selling  angles." 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 

^Action  fans  will  find     '^f^^W  ^r)J 
'The  Fighting  O'Flynn'  right 
up  their  alley.  First- 
rate  entertainment.  Good 
business  appears  to  \ 
be  in  the  offing.59 


10 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  February  3,  1949 


Reviews 


"Boston  Blackie's  Chinese  Venture" 

(Columbia) 

THE  adventures  of  private  detective  "Boston  Blackie,"  again  played  by 
Chester  Morris,  provide  an  hour's  entertainment  and  suspense  while  taking 
the  audience  on  a  bus  tour  of  a  large  city's  Chinatown.  Pointed  up  are  the 
methods  used  to  "dupe"  innocent  sight-seers  into  believing  they  are  witness- 
ing sinister  influences  of  the  Orientals. 

"Blackie"  and  his  partner..  "Runt," ''played  by  Sid  Tomack,  become  involved 
in  the  murder  of  a  Chinese  laundry  man.  The  trail  leads  to  several  persons 
who,  the  detectives  discover,  are  disposing  of  stolen  jewels.  "Blackie's"  in- 
genuity and  understanding  of  criminal  operations  eventually  breaks  the  case, 
outsmarting  the  local  police.  Also  in  the  cast  are  Maylia,  Richard  Lane,  Don 
McGuire,  Joan  Woodbury  and  others. 

Rudolph  C.  Flothow  produced  and  Seymour  Friedman  directed  from  an 
original  screenplay  by  Maurice  Tombragel  who  used  as  a  basis  characters 
created  by  Jack  Boyle. 

Running  time,  59  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  March  re- 
'lease. 


"Rose  of  the  Yukon" 

(Republic) 

WITH  the  snow  regions  of  Alaska  serving  as  a  backdrop,  this  action- 
adventure  film  has  for  its  plot  a  hunt  for  an  American  Army  deserter 
by  an  Army  Intelligence  officer.  The  former  is  played  by  William  Wright, 
the  latter  by  Steve  Brodie.  Rich  in  incident,  "Rose  of  the  Yukon"  serves  up 
scenes  of  ice  breaks,  dog-sled  chases,  a  wild  dog  hunt,  Eskimo  dances  and 
hand-to-hand  combat  and  gunplay.  Also,  Myrna  Dell,  the  saloon  entertainer, 
gives  a  pleasant  vocal  rendition  of  "It's  Not  the  First  Love." 

The  Army  learns  the  whereabouts  of  Wright  when  his  picture  appears  in 
an  Anchorage  newspaper  for  winning  a  betting  pool.  He  supposedly  was 
killed  in  action  on  Attu  during  a  reconnaissance  raid.  Brodie  meets  Myrna 
Dell,  the  saloon  singer  and  friend  of  Wright,  who  leads  him  to  the  latter's 
cabin.  She  is  reluctant  to  give  information  about  Wright  until  she  learns 
that  he  had  found  Japanese  reports  of  locations  of  valuable  ore  deposits 
when  on  a  reconnaissance  raid,  stealing  the  reports  and  killing  the  Americans 
who  were  with  him.  Wright  deserted  and  after  the  war  sold  ore  to  a  foreign 
government.  Brodie  tracks  down  the  deserter,  kills  him  in  a  gunfight  and 
receives  a  promotion.  He  and  the  girl  then  plan  to  marry  and  return  to 
Alaska  for  a  new  assignment,  after  a  honeymoon.  Stephen  Auer  was  asso- 
ciate producer  and  George  Blair  directed.  Norman  S.  Hall  wrote  the  original 
screenplay. 

Running  time,  59  minutes.  General  audience  classification. 


Admits  Britain  Can't 
Fulfill  Its  Quota 

London,  Feb.  2. — In  a  significant 
wind-up  of  the  House  of  Lords  debate 
yesterday  on  the  government's  Film 
Finance  bill,  Lord  Lucas,  on  behalf 
of  the  government,  admitted  that  the 
British  industry  is  now  unable  to  ful- 
fill the  45  per  cent  quota. 

The  admission  evoked  an  "I  told 
you  so"  from  the  opposition's  Lord 
Swinton. 

Also,  Lord  Strabolgi  claimed  there 
has  been  an  unnecessary  hostility  to 
Hollywood,  and  urged  "far  more  co- 
operation and  greater  effort  to  come 
to  terms  with  Hollywood  instead  of 
trying  to  force  the  pace  as  we  hith- 
erto done." 


Portal  Report 

( Continued  from  page  1 ) 


Board  of  Trade,  has  asked  Lord  Por- 
tal to  render  his  recommendations  at 
the  earliest  moment  compatible  with 
fairness  and  completeness. 

Yet  another  reason  encouraging- 
postponement  of  the  Anglo-American 
council  meeting  is  the  known  wish  of 
many  to  increase  representation  at 
the  meeting.  Despite  the  opposition 
of  Sir  Henry  French  of  the  Pro- 
ducers' Association,  exhibitor  Sir 
Alexander  King  already  has_  received, 
informal  approaches  from  the  John- 
ston party  to  join  the  British  delega- 
tion. 


U.  K.  Layoffs 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

matter  but  claimed  that  various  de- 
velopments now  underway,  such  as 
the  government's  Film  Finance  bill, 
the  Lord  Portal  committee  inquiry  in- 
to production  and  distribution  prac- 
tices, and  other  matters  will  likelj' 
lead  to  considerable  improvement  in 
the  situation  eventually. 

Wilson  is  meeting  with  producers 
privately  tonight  and  it  is  anticipated 
that  government  financial  aid  to  the 
industry  will  be  discussed  further 
then. 

British  producers  currently  are  urg- 
ing that  a  large  amount  of  entertain- 
ment tax  collections  be  set  aside  by 
the  government  for  subsidization  of 
production.  Exhibitors,  on  the  other 
hand,  are  urging  reduction  of  the  tax. 

O'Brien  and  Elvin  are  disturbed  not 
only  about  recent  studio  closings  here 
and  the  laying  off  of  surplus  studio 
workers,  but  also  over  the  notice  giv- 
en by  the  Producers'  Association  of 
its  termination  on  March  31  of  the 
present  labor  agreement. 

In  addition,  J.  Arthur  Rank  has  an- 
nounced that  300  of  his  employes  at 
Denham  and  Pinewood  are  redundant 
and  will  be  dropped  soon.  He  agreed 
to  suspend  the  dismissal  notices,  how- 
ever, until  the  outcome  of  last  night's 
meeting  between  Wilson  and  O'Brien 
and  Elvin  was  known.  Rank  is  rapid- 
ly expanding  the  use  of  his  new  "in- 
dependent frame"  process  at  his  stu- 
dios, which  reduces  manpower  re- 
quirements, and  looks  forward  to  the 
time  when  all  of  his  pictures  can  be 
made  by  that  process. 


Armendariz  to  Produce 

Mexico  City,  Feb.  2. — Pedro  Ar- 
mendariz, prominent  young  actor  here 
who  has  worked  in  Hollywood,  is  or- 
ganizing a  company  for  the  produc- 
tion of  his  own  pictures  in  Mexico. 


Massey  May  Head 
Canadian  Probe 

Ottawa,  Feb.  2. — Though  promi- 
nently mentioned  as  likely  to  become 
chairman  of  the  proposed  Royal  Com- 
mission which  the  Canadian  govern- 
ment is  setting  up  to.  investigate  gov- 
ernmental agencies  concerned  with 
television  and  films,  Vincent  Massey, 
former  Canadian  High  Commissioner 
in  London,  refused  to  confirm  or  deny 
his  possible  appointment  after  arriv- 
ing in  Ottawa  from  New  York. 

If  there  is  anything  to  be  said  on 
the  subject  it  would  come  from  the 
government,  he  tqld  reporters  here. 


Canada  Is  Short  of 
Steel  for  Theatres 

Ottawa,  Feb.  2.— The  Cana- 
dian industry  did  not  get 
much  encouragement  about 
proceeding  rapidly  with  pres- 
ent plans  to  build  new  the- 
atres or  to  effect  necessary 
changes  in  present  theatres 
from  the  latest  statement 
here  of  the  steel  controller 
for  the  Canadian  government, 
F.  K.  Ashbaugh,  who  stated 
that  there  is  no  alleviation  in 
sight  for  Canada's  steel  short- 
age. 

It  will  take  at  least  another 
two  years  to  provide  addition- 
al steel-producing  canacity  to 
take  care  of  all  of  Canada's 
steel  needs,  he  declared. 


Mexican  Production 
Seen  At  70  to  80 

Mexico  City,  Feb.  2. — Domestic 
production  this  year  is  estimated  at 
not  more  than  80  and  not  less  than  70 
features  by  the  trade  here.  The  esti- 
mate is  based  upon  the  announcement 
by  Andres  Serra  Rojas,  director  gen- 
eral of  the  trade's  own  bank,  the 
Banco  Nacional  Cinematografico,  that 
his  institution  has  already  arranged 
to  finance  the  production  of  30  pic- 
tures in  1949. 

The  new  producing  and  distribution 
firm,  Mier-Brooks,  headed  by  Felipe 
Mier  and  Oscar  J.  Brooks,  both  for- 
mer Warner  managers  here,  will  make 
at  least  16.  Independents  are  counted 
upon  to  raise  the  total  to  between  70 
and  80;  1948  production  reached  82. 

House  Group  Okays 
Reciprocal  Trade 

Washington,  Feb.  2.— The  House 
Ways  and  Means  Committee  today 
approved  a  bill  extending  the  Recip- 
rocal Trade  Agreements  Act  through 
June  12,  1951,  and  giving  the  Presi- 
dent a  free  hand  in  negotiating  new 
agreements.  Such  a  bill  has  been 
supported  by  film  industry  leaders. 

The  measure  will  come  up  for  de- 
bate on  the  House  floor  on  Tuesday 
and  will  probably  be  passed  and  sent 
to  the  Senate  on  Wednesday. 


Heads  Mexican  Company 

Mexico  City,  Feb.  2. — Carlos  Car- 
riedo  Galvan  has  been  elected  presi- 
dent of  Producciones  Mexico,  S.  A. 


Mexico  Decrees  Cut 
In  Import  Storage 


Massce-Barnett's  vice-president  Nor- 
man Barnett,  disclosed  here  that  his 
company,  which  forwards  films  abroad 
for  U.  S.  distributors,  has  received 
from  its  agent  in  Mexico  City  a  warn- 
ing that  the  Mexican  government  has 
issued  a  decree  reducing  from  six  to 
two  months  the  period  for  warehous- 
ing prints  at  custom  storage  points.  - 

"Starting  with  today,"  the  report 
from  Mexico  City  stated,  "if  the  con- 
signees or  addressees  do  not  take  de- 
livery of  goods  within  the  prescribed' 
delay,  they  will  be  considered  as  aban- 
doned and  the  government  will  imme- 
diately proceed  to  sell  them  at  public 
auction." 


Filming  Abroad 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

nership,  described  as,  "the  first  of  its 
kind  in  the  industry."  New  company 
will  be  called  Rossellini  Productions. 

Under  the  newly-signed  agreement 
the  four  will  join  forces  for  immedi- 
ate production  in  Italy  of  a  film  to 
star  Miss  Bergman.  Rossellini,  who 
directed  "Paisan"  and  "Open  City," 
will  leave  here  for  Italy  at  once  and 
will  start  production,  in  April,  under 
a  $500,000  budget,  while  Miss  Berg- 
man will  leave  on  March  1  to  pre- 
pare for  her  role.  Subsequent  ar- 
rangements call  for  Rossellini  to  di- 
rect his  first  picture  in  America  for 
Goldwyn,  following  completion  of  the 
Italian  project.  Blocked  lira  and 
American  dollars  will  finance  the  pro- 
duction of  the  film  to  be  made  in 
Italy.  No  distribution  commitment 
has  been  made  for  it. 

In  connection  with  his  prediction 
about  the  future  for  American  pro- 
duction abroad,  Goldwyn  said  that 
"most  important"  to  him  "is  the  fact 
that  this  will  have  a  healthy  influence 
on  all  American  picture-making. 
Hollywood  needs  the  impact  of  new 
ideas,  experiences,  and  emotions.  We 
are  all  bound  to  benefit  as  more  and 
more  of  our  people  are  brought  into 
direct  contact  with  the  problems  and 
experience  of  a  new  world  outside  of 
Hollywood  and  America." 


Kelly,  DeGrunwald 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

mont  British  or  Odeon  circuits  but 
could  be  with  the  Associated  British 
Pictures  Corp.  circuit. 

Kelly  plans  to  be  here  about  two 
weeks  and  will  spend  next  weekend  in 
Paris.  He  has  announced  no  succes- 
sor yet  to  David  Coplan,  whose  resig- 
nation as  UA's  managing  director 
here  is  effective  Feb.  12.  He  will  ex- 
amine the  basically  changed  distribu- 
tion setup  here  first  to  ensure  the 
suitability  of  the  company's  new  ap- 
pointee to  the  post. 

Acquires  Italian  Film 

Continental  Pictures  has  acquired 
U.  S.  and  Canadian  rights  to  the 
Italian  film  "Campo  De  Fiori,"  star- 
ring _  Anna  Magnani  and  Aldo  Fa- 
brizzi  who  appeared  in  "Open  City," 
George  Margolin,  Continental  presi- 
dent, reported  here  yesterday. 

Mexican  Houses  Increase 

Mexico  City,  Feb.  2.— There  are 
now  98  film  theatres  here  compared 
to  63  five  years  ago.  In  1943,  and 
still  today,  there  were  and  are  10 
stage  theatres  with  five  really  active. 


The 
flag 
waves 
for 

BROTHERHOOD 

FEBRWj 
20-27 


A 

BIG 

sincere 
all -industry 

effort 

thai 

brings 

new 

Honor 

AND 

new 

public 

esteem 

for 

America's 
Motion 

Picture 
Theatres/ 


S.  TRUMAN,  Honorary  Chairman 


NELSON  A.  ROCKEFELLER,  National  Chairman 


NED  E.  DEPINET,  Motion  Picture  Industry  Chairman 


Maker  of  dreams  •  •  • 


•  To  make  dreams  like  this  con- 
vincing ...  to  show  them  with  the 
smoothness  that  brings  life  and 
reality  .  .  .  that  is  the  job  of  the 
optical-effects  man. 

Yet  it  is  only  one  of  his  many 
contributions  to  modern  pictures. 
By  his  skill  with  the  optical  printer 
.  .  .  his  production  of  fades  and 
wipes,  of  dissolves  and  laps  ...  he 


plays  an  important  part  in  giving 
American  movies  their  high  stand- 
ard of  technical  excellence. 

If  the  optical-effects  man  is  to 
play  this  part  to  the  full,  he  must 
use  dependable  film  of  superior 
quality.  That's  why  he  usually  pre- 
fers to  work  with  the  large  and 
well-known  family  of  Eastman 
motion  picture  films. 


EASTMAN  KODAK  COMPANY 


ROCHESTER  4,   N.  Y. 


J.  E.  BRULATOUR,  INC.,  DISTRIBUTORS 
FORT  LEE  •  CHICAGO  •  HOLLYWOOD 


L 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  25 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  FEBRUARY  4,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


U.  S.  'Hopeful' 
Others  Will 
Settle  NY  Suit 


They  Are  Seen  Awaiting 
A  Final  Para.  Settlement 

Washington,  Feb.  3. — Top  Jus- 
tice Department  officials  said  today 
that  they  have  been  having  "few  if 
any"  consent  decree  conversations 
in  recent  weeks  with  any  Paramount 
case  defendant  other  than  Paramount 
itself,  but  that  they  are  "hopeful"  that 
the  other  major  defendants  would  fall 
in  line  as  soon  as  the  final  consent  de- 
cree with  Paramount  is  officially  an- 
nounced. 

(In  New  York  yesterday  of- 
ficials of  20th  Century-Fox, 
Warner  and  Loew's  denied 
any  present  intentions  of  enter- 
ing into  a  consent  decree  which 
would  separate  their  theatre 
interests.  A  Loew  spokesman 
said  there  is  every  indication 
that  that  company,  at  least,  will 
(Continued  on  page  4) 

SIMPP's  Decree 
Views  Given  to  U.  S. 


The  Society  of  Independent  Motion 
Picture  Producers  has  made  known  to 
the  Department  of  Justice  its  concern 
over  any  consent  decrees  entered  into 
by  the  government  with  Paramount 
case  defendants. 

Discussions  with  Department  of- 
ficials have  been  held  by  Ellis  Arnall, 
SIMPP  president,  and  James  A.  Mul- 
vey,  president  of  Samuel  Goldwyn 
Prod.,  in  Washington.  It  is  understood 
that  SIMPP's  principal  expression  of 
{Continued  on  page  4) 


Elect  Harvey  Head 
Of  PCCITO  Board 

Portland,  Ore.,  Feb.  3. — 
Rotus  V.  Harvey,  San  Fran- 
cisco exhibitor,  was  elected 
board  chairman  by  the  Pacific 
Coast  Conference  of  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  at 
their  meeting  held  here.  Elec- 
tion of  Harvey  means  that 
organization  headquarters 
will  be  shifted  from  Los  An- 
geles to  S.  F. 

More  than  200  theatre  own- 
ers from  Oregon  and  adjoin- 
ing states  attended  the  con- 
ference. 


Commend  Smith  f  or 
Conciliation  Plan 


Charlotte,  Feb.  3. — At  the  closing 
session  of  the  convention  of  the  The- 
tre  Owners  of  North  and  South  Caro- 
lina here,  members  passed  a  resolution 
com  m  e  n  ding 
Andy  W.  Smith, 
Jr.,  general  sales 
manager  of  20th 
Century  -  Fox, 
for  his  concilia- 
tion program  to 
settle  industry 
problems  which 
he  outlined  to 
the  delegates. 
The  organiza- 
tion's board 
will  vote  on  ac- 
ceptance of  the 
plan  later. 

"The  motion 
picture  industry- 
has    been    plagued    with  differences 
among  small  minorities  of  its  mem- 
bers which  eventually  have  resulted 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


A.  W.  Smith,  Jr. 


French  Financial  Aid 
Program  in  Effect 

By  EUGEN  WEBER 

Paris,  Jan.  30  (By  Airmail).— The 
long-awaited  Law  of  Temporary 
Fnancial  Aid  to  the  French  motion 
picture  industry  is  finally  in  effect. 

Providing  for  the  setting  up  of  a 
fund  to  be  fed  by  the  income  from  an 
additional  tax  of  five  or  10  francs  on 
the  price  of  seats,  and  from  the  tax 
on  the  length  of  all  new '  productions, 
the  law  encourages  recently-sagging 
production  with  French  capital, 
French  material  and  French  actors. 
All  sections  of  the  French  industry  are 
to  be  given  help  with  these  funds. 

Main  provisions  of  the  law  provide 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


ArmyDoesNot'Seek' 
PreJleleases :  TO  A 


Army  and  Navy  film  bookers  do  not 
ask  for  pre-release  pictures  for  show- 
ing at  camp  and  naval  base  theatres, 
nor  do  they  require  pre-releases,  it 
was  revealed  here  yesterday  in  a  re- 
port to  Theatre  Owners  of  America 
president  Arthur  H.  Lockwood  by  A. 
Julian  Brylawski,  head  of  the  three- 
man  TOA  committee  appointed  to  in- 
vestigate possibilities  for  correcting 
alleged  unfair  competition  between 
Armed  Services  theatres  and  commer- 
cial houses. 

Armed  Services  booking  agents, 
Brylawski  reported,  said  they  are  sat- 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Arnall  to  Pakistan 
Johnston's  Idea  ? 

Asked  about  a  newspaper 
report  that  he  is  one  of  sev- 
eral persons  being  considered 
by  the  United  Nations  for  the 
post  of  plebiscite  administra- 
tor for  far-away  Kashmir, 
Ellis  Arnall,  president  of  the 
Society  of  Independent  Mo- 
tion Picture  Producers,  smil- 
ingly remarked:  "It's  prob- 
ably Eric  Johnston's  idea." 


'Brotherhood' Award 
To  Depinet  Today 

Mayor  William  O'Dwyer  will  pre- 
sent a  "Brotherhood  Week"  award  to 
Ned  E.  Depinet,  president  of  RKO 
Radio  Pictures,  at  the  20th  anni- 
v  e  r  s  a  r  y  lun- 
cheon of  the 
National  Con- 
ference of 
Christians  and 
Jews  to  be  held 
here  today  in 
the  Waldorf 
Astoria  Hotel. 

Similar 
awards  for 
service  in  be- 
half of  inter- 
faith  under- 
standing will  be 
presented 
by  Bernard  Ba- 
ruch  to  Irene 
Dunne,  and  by  Nelson  A.  Rockefeller 
to  theatrical  producers  Richard  Rodg- 
ers  and  Oscar  Hammerstein  II.  Rocke- 
feller is  national  chairman  of  "Broth- 
erhood Week,"  which  the  National 
Conference  will  sponsor  from  Febru- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Ned  E.  Depinet 


Gov.  Dewey  Honored 
By  NY  Cinema  Lodge 


Gov.  Thomas  E.  Dewey  was  hon- 
ored by  New  York's  Cinema  Lodge  of 
B'nai  B'rith  for  his  pioneering  in  anti- 
discrimination legislation  at  an  open 
meeting  at  the  Hotel  Astor  here  last 
night.  An  "Honor  Scroll"  was  pre- 
sented to  the  Governor  by  Leonard 
Goldenson,  president  of  Paramount 
Theatres  Service  Corp.,  a  member  of 
the  advisory  board  of  Cinema  Lodge 
and  a  member  of  the  board  of  direc- 
tors of  the  Anti-Defamation  League. 
S.  Arthur  Glixon,  president  of  the 
Lodge  presided,  and  Arthur  Schwartz 
of  Schwartz  and  Frohlich  was  chair- 
man of  the  evening. 

Gov.  Dewey  declared  that  New 
York  State  has  made  "more  progress 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Pinanski  to 
Eagle-Lion  in 
Advisory  Post 

Services  Seen  Linked 
To  Financing,  Expansion 

Sam  Pinanski,  veteran  New  Eng- 
land theatre  operator  and  head  of 
the  newly-formed  American  The- 
atres Co.,  Boston,  will  become  as- 
sociated with  Eagle-Lion  Films  in  a 
part-time  advisory  capacity,  Arthur 
B.  Krim,  Eagle-Lion  president,  an- 
nounced here  yesterday. 

The  company  declined  to  elaborate 
on  its  announcement  pending  the  hold- 
ing of  a  press  interview  with  Pinan- 
ski next  Tuesday.  However,  it  was 
learned  that  the  services  of  the  promi- 
nent exhibitor  will  be  made  available 
to  the  company  immediately  and  will 
embrace  all  phases  of  operating  activi- 
ties, including  production  plans, 
financing  and  expansion. 

In  connection  with  the  latter,  it  was 
reported  unofficially  that  Pinanski  will 
advise  Eagle-Lion  on  possibilities  of 
acquisition  of  theatre  interests  or  es- 
tablishment of  exhibition  outlets. 

Pinanski's    advisory    services  on 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


U-I  to  Experiment 
With  Chicago  Sales 

Universal-International  will  shortly 
experiment  with  revised  selling  meth- 
ods in  Chicago,  with  the  competitive 
bidding  and/or  competitive  negotia- 
tion systems  to  be  tried,  it  was  in- 
dicated here  yesterday  by  U-I  assis- 
tant general  sales  manager  A.  J. 
O'Keefe,  in  confirmation '  of  Motion 
Picture  Daily's  report  yesterday 
from  Chicago  that  the  company  is 
formulating  plans  for  selling-system 
revision  there. 

O'Keefe,  who  recently  returned  here 
from  Chicago,  said  conferences  were 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Group  Insurance 
For  Film  Drivers 


Plans  have  been  completed  for  the 
institution  of  a  group  insurance  plan 
for  all  drivers  and  helpers  of  Metro- 
politan New  York  film  deliveries.  The 
insurance  is  to  be  provided  free  to 
employes  and  is  in  addition  to  a  cost 
of  living  increase  which  they  received 
last  month,  it  was  disclosed  here  yes- 
terday  by   Edward   Seider   and  Ira 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  4,  1949 


Unions,  Distributors 
Agree  on  Elections 

IATSE  (AFL),  SOPEG 
(CIO),  and  representatives  of 
11  distributors  last  night 
reached  an  agreement  to  hold 
consent  elections  to  deter- 
mine which  union  shall  repre- 
sent 2,500  home  office  workers 
in  negotiations  for  a  new 
contract  after  day-long  dis- 
cussions with  NLRB  officials 
here. 

On  Monday  all  sides  will 
meet  to  determine  the  date 
of  balloting. 


Acquire  3  Houses 
In  Grand  Rapids 

Detroit,  Feb.  3.— The  BKR  The- 
atre Corp.  of  Michigan  has  acquired 
a  20-year  lease  on  the  Liberty,  Madi- 
son and  Franklin  Theatres  in  Grand 
Rapids  from  Wilier  and  Boshoven. 

Joseph  Busic,  who  acquired  the  the- 
atres for  BKR,  is  resigning  from  his 
present  position  as  district  supervisor 
for  United  Detroit  Theatres  and  will 
take  over  as  general  manager  of  the 
three  newly-acquired  theatres  around 
March  1.  BKR  is  trying  to  acquire 
other  houses  in  Durand  and  other 
Michigan  cities. 


CBS  Cuts  Dividend; 
Profit  Off  $900,000 

Columbia  Broadcasting  has  reduced 
its  quarterly  dividend  from  the  usual 
50  cents  per  share  to  35  cents  on  both 
class  A  and  B  stock  and  simultaneous- 
ly disclosed  that  1948  earnings  were 
about  $900,000  below  the  1947  level. 

Earnings  for  1948  were  $5,041,700, 
or  $2.94  per  share,  against  $5,920,100, 
or  $3.45  per  share  in  1947. 


New  Johnston  Itinerary 

Washington,  Feb.  3. — Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America  president 
Eric  A.  Johnston  will  leave  here  by 
plane  on  Saturday  for  Denver  where 
he  is  scheduled  to  speak  on  Sunday 
and  Monday.  He  plans  to  return  here 
directly,  remaining  until  the  end  of 
the  month,  except  for  a  brief  trip  to 
Florida  for  a  speaking  engagement  at 
Rollins  College.  At  the  end  of  the 
month  he  may  depart  for  a  long  stay 
in  Hollywood. 


Mpls.  Site  Leased 

Minneapolis,  Feb.  3.  —  A  long 
range  plan  to  erect  a  deluxe  theatre 
in  connection  with  a  hotel  and  market- 
ing center  here  moved  a  step  forward 
with  the  signing  of  a  lease  for  a  cor- 
ner site,  it  has  been  announced  by 
Ben  Berger,  local  theatre  owner.  Ber- 
ger  and  Ted  Bolnick  own  the  Palace, 
located  in  the  same  district,  and  with 
other  associates  plan  the  expansion. 


Stothart  Funeral  Today 

Hollywood,  Feb.  3. — Funeral  serv- 
ices for  Herbert  Stothart,  veteran 
film  music  composer  who  died  here 
Tuesday,  will  be  held  tomorrow  at  the 
Wee  Kirk  O'Heather. 


Personal  Mention 


TED  R.  GAMBLE,  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  America  board  chairman, 
left  here  yesterday  for  Chicago,  Mil- 
waukee and  Portland,  Ore. 

• 

Nat  Liebeskind  has  resigned  as 
president  of  Hispano  Theatre,  Inc., 
here  and  has  severed  all  connections 
with  the  corporation  and  the  operation 
of  Teatro  Hispano. 

• 

Martin  Stephen  Shapiro,  son  of 
Robert  K.  Shapiro',  manager  of  the 
Paramount  Theatre  here,  will  observe 
his  Bar  Mitzvah  at  the  Actors  Tem- 
ple tomorrow. 

• 

Allen  Lewis,  manager  of  the  Park 
Theatre  in  Philadelphia,  has  been 
named  president  of  the  Philadelphia 
31st  Street  and  Mansion  Avenue 
Businessmen's  Association. 

• 

Arthur  Sachson,  Goldwyn  Prod, 
general  sales  manager,  has  become  a 
grandfather  with  the  birth  of  a  son 
to  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Marvin  Zuck- 
erman. 

• 

Harry  J.  Michalson,  RKO  Radio 
short  subject  sales  manager,  will  re- 
turn here  today  from  a  tour  of  the 
company's  New  England  exchanges. 
• 

Alexis  De  Gunzberg,  of  European 
Copyrights  and  Distribution,  will 
leave  here  tomorrow  by  plane  for 
Paris. 

• 

Nat  Levy,  RKO  Radio  Eastern. di- 
vision manager,  accompanied  by  his 
assistant,  Frank  Drumm,  is  in  Bos- 
ton from  New  York. 

• 

Mike  Piccirillo,  manager  of  the 
Center  Theatre  in  Hartford,  and  Mrs. 
Piccirillo,  are  honeymooning  in  New 
York. 

• 

Ted  Galanter,  M-G-M  Pacific 
Coast  publicity  representative,  will  be 
in  Hollywood  today  from  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

• 

John  Carroll  has  been  named  spe- 
cial representative  for  American  The- 
atres in  Boston. 

e 

Harry  Berman,  Eagle-Lion  branch 
manager  in  Philadelphia,  is  the  father 
of  a  son  born  last  week. 

• 

Jeff  Livingston,  U-I  publicist,  is 
on  a  Southern  tour  from  New  York. 


CHARLES  D.  PRUTZMAN,  Uni- 
versal vice-president  and  general 
counsel,   is    due   back   here  Monday 
from  a  week's  vacation  in  Havana. 
• 

Paul  Sanders,  head  of  the  Sanders 
Theatres,  Campbellsville,  Ky.,  has 
left  his  home  for  a  two-month's  motor 
tour  that  will  take  him  to  the  Coast 
and  New  Orleans. 

• 

James  A.  Mulvey,  president  of 
Goldwyn  Prod.,  returned  to  his  office 
yesterday  after  several  days'  illness 
from  influenza. 

• 

Edward  T.  Cheyfitz,  assistant  to 
Eric  A.  Johnston,  MPAA  president, 
will  leave  Washington  today  for  sev- 
eral weeks  in  Hollywood. 

• 

David  Butler,  Warner  director,  is 
in  New  York  from  Hollywood  and 
is  staying  at  the  Lombardy. 

• 

William  Zimmerman,  RKO  exe- 
cutive, will  leave  here  Sunday  by  plane 
for  Hollywood. 

• 

Barney  Balaban,  president  of 
Paramount,  will  leave  New  York  for 
a  Miami  vacation  today. 

• 

S.  Barret  McCormick,  RKO  ad- 
vertising-publicity   director,    is  due 
here  Monday  from  the  Coast. 
• 

Mqrt  Goodman,  of  Republic  Prod., 
will  return  to  Hollywood  today  from 
San  Francisco. 

• 

W.  E.  Carrell,  Falls  City  Theatre 
Equipment  president,  has  returned  to 
Louisville  from  Chicago. 

• 

Dorothy  Altman,  secretary  to  the 
editor  of  Motion  Picture  Daily,  will 
observe  a  birthday  today. 

• 

Charles  Boasberg,  RKO  Radio 
division  manager,  is  in  Montreal  from 
New  York. 

• 

Rudolph  Allen,  theatrical  attor- 
ney, will  fly  to  Hollywood  tomorrow 
from  New  York. 

• 

Avram  Sroka,  Israeli  screen  actor, 
arrived  in  New  York  yesterday  from 
Tel  Aviv. 

Clarence  Brown,  M-G-M  director, 
is  in  New  York  from  the  Coast. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


—RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL —j 

Rockefeller  Center 

Jeanne    CRAIN     -     Linda    DARNELL  - 
Ann  SOTHERN 

4A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES" 

KIRK    DOUGLAS    •    PAUL   DOUGLAS  - 
JEFFREY  LYNN 

A    20th  Century  -  Fox  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


PHYLLIS         MELVYN  *\  v**-   'WIS  i  van 

CALVERT- DOUGLAS  ~V 

with  WANDA  HENDRIX  "     .  _ 


Samuel  Goldwyn  presents 

ENCHANTMENT 


Starring 

DAVID  NIVEN  TERESA  WRIGHT 

EVELYN  KEYES  FARLEY  GRANGER 

Released  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 

ASTOR  THEATER 

Broadway  &  45th  Street 


33  'Bad  Boy'  Premieres 

Midnight  premieres  in  33  Texas 
cities  have  been  set  for  Allied  Artists' 
"Bad  Boy"  on  Feb.  19,  three  days 
after  the  world  premiere  in  Dallas. 
More  than  400  other  Texas  theatres 
have  booked  the  production,  with  all 
proceeds  from  premiere  showings  go- 
ing to  the  Dallas  Variety  Club. 


New  Coast  Company 

Hollywood,  Feb.  3.  —  Director 
Arthur  Dreifuss  has  resigned  from 
Vinson  Pictures,  Inc.,  to  form  Sandre 
Productions,  with  Sanford  S.  Schear 
as  president,  to  make  medium-budget 
features.   No  release  has  been  set. 


Maxwell  Forms  Agency 

Bernard  W.  Maxwell  and  Robert 
de  Mexico  have  formed  B.  Maxwell 
and  Co.,  Inc.,  a  publicity,  exploitation 
and  advertising  agency,  here.  Before 
forming  the  organization,  Maxwell 
was  employed  in  the  special  events 
and  exploitation  departments  of  Co- 
lumbia, Eagle-Lion  and  Allied  Art- 
ists. His  associate,  de  Mexico,  is  an 
editor  of  Television  Research  Insti- 
tute News-Letter. 


Chicago  Censors  Pass  98 

Chicago,  Feb.  3.  —  During  January 
the  local  board  of  censors  reviewed  98 
films,  with  only  12  cuts  and  no  rejects. 


/.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER.  ^tZLay 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


r 


DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK  smuts  ■ 

OLIVIA  de  HAYILLAND  I 


the  Snake  Pi  t 


ANATOU  UTVtt  •  ANATOLI  UTVAK  S  ROBERT  BUSIES 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID  m&4 

BERGMAN 

A  ViXTGTt  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

^COLOtt  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 


with  JOSE  FERRER  •  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  ■  J.  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BOND 
SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  ■  KURD  HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHART  .  JOHN  EMERY 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  -  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY 
based  upon  the  stage  play  'Joan  of  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 

icreen  play  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOLT  .  art  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  •  director  of  pholoorophy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

presented  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Int.  .  released  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


73*  WEEK!, 


G.  PECK    -    R.  WIDMARK    -    A.  BAXTER 

'YELLOW  SKY" 

A  20th  Century-Fox  Picture 

on  stag e  DANNY  KAYE 


ROYV  7th  Ave.  & 
\J  W  I     50th  st.  : 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  T.  Telephone  Circle  7-31O0.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver. 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington.  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


ith  IRENE  HERVEr  ■  BILLY  VINE  ■  MARJORlE  MM)  •  ROBERT  ARMSTRONG 

maasi  LEWIS  R.  FOSTER   Screenplay  by  Lewis  ft  Foster 

A  natural  for  the  big  dough  thru 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  4,  1949 


Reviews 


"The  Bribe" 

(Metro-Goldwyyi-Mayer) 

IT  would  be  difficult  as  well  as  decidedly  unrealistic  to  minimze  the  cast 
power  on  display  in  this  standard  melodrama  which  falls  back  on  formula 
for  its  punches.  Robert  Taylor,  Ava  Gardner,  Charles  Laughton,  John  Hodiak 
and  Vincent  Price  are  names  for  any  showman  to  conjure  with.  Any  exhibitor 
who  is  a  showman  will  catch  -on  and  proceed  from  there. 

On  this  occasion,  Taylor  is  a  Federal  agent  assigned  to  the  task  of  running 
down  the  culprits  who  slip  aeroplane  motors  into  their  large-scale  purchases 
of  surplus  war  material  for  resale  to  persons  unidentified  but  by  clear  inference 
unfriendly  to  the  United  States. 

This  assignment  takes  him  to  a  fictional  island  in  the  Caribbean  where  he 
poses  as  a  sportsman  after  fish  and  gets  caught  on  an  emotional  line  cast  by 
the  attractive  Miss  Gardner.  In  more  or  less  leisurely  manner,  the  situation 
develops  until  Taylor  is  at  the  point  where  he  is  prepared  to  accept  the  per- 
sistent bribe  dangled  under  his  nose,  not  because  he  wants  the  money  but 
because  he  wants  to  avoid  embroiling  the  gal  of  his  heart.  But  through  cir- 
cumstances she  is  induced  to  slip  him  a  Mickey  which  puts  him  out  of  the 
running  on  the  night  the  stuff  is  to  be  shipped  out.  He  recovers  in  time  to 
remember  his  duty  by  alerting  the  authorities  who  make  the  arrests.  Then  he 
shoots  it  out  successfully  with  Price,  the  arch  villain,  through  cascading  fire- 
works let  loose  at  a  native  fiesta  which  gets  under  convenient  way  in  time  for 
the  climax.  The  romance  thereafter  is  clinched. 

Performances  are  competent  although  the  softness  made  to  surround  Miss 
Gardner  might  be  argued  as  being  out  of  focus  with  her  role  of  night  club 
singer  in  a  low  waterfront  dive.  Chiefly,  what  keeps  "The  Bribe"  bound  to  the 
ground  is  the  familiar  ring  it  strikes  with  many  predecessors  although  the 
attraction  should  give  a  satisfactory,  if  unspectacular,  account  of  itself.  There 
is  always  that  cast,  too.  Frederick  Nebel  wrote  the  short  story  on  which 
Marguerite  Roberts  prepared  her  screenplay.  Robert  Z.  Leonard  directed  and 
Pandro  S.  Berman  produced. 

Running  time,  98  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
March.  Red  Kann 


"The  Woman  in  the  Hair 

(J.  Arthur  Rank — Eagle-Lion) 

TESTIFYING  strongly  to  many  British  film-makers'  reputations  for  turn- 
ing out  superior  suspense  films,  J.  Arthur  Rank's  "Woman  in  the  Hall" 
is  richly  endowed  with  the  sort  of  ingredients  that  bring  audiences  to  the 
edges  of  their  seats.  But  by  no  stretch  of  the  imagination  can  the  forthright 
story  be  placed  in  the  strictly  thriller  or  mystery  category,  since  little  in  the 
way  of  guesswork  is  demanded  from  the  theatre  patron. 

Produced  by  Ian  Dalrymple  and  directed  by  Jack  Lee,  the  tale  tells  about 
a  woman  with  a  great  talent  for  telling  "phoney"  hard-luck  stories  to  persons 
of  means,  and  who,  by  using  her  two  young  daughters  as  "props,"  succeeds 
for  years  in  mulcting  money  from  her  benefactors.  This  background  of  cheat- 
ing has  a  psychological  effect  on  one  of  the  daughters,  who,  when  she  grows 
up  to  be  a  beautiful  'teen-aged  girl,  forges  and  steals,  not  for  herself  but  to 
give  gifts  to  others  to  make  them  happy.  As  it  develops  at  her  trial,  her 
behavior  is  explained  because  she  was  "tired  of  saying  thank  you  all  the 
time." 

The  mother,  meanwhile,  having  tricked  a  wealthy  baronet  into  marrying 
her,  is  turned  out  of  the  house  by  her  husband  when  he  discovers  her  deceit. 
After  some  excellently  presented,  if  somewhat  contrived  melodrama,  the 
mother  appears  at  her  daughter's  trial  and  confesses  that  she  is  really  re- 
sponsible for  her  daughter's  waywardness. 

Jean  Simmons,  who  plays  the  daughter-turned-thief,  is  excellent,  her  char- 
acterization being  mature  and  studied.  Ursula  Jeans  as  the  mother-without- 
conscience  is  likewise  top-rate  and  Cecil  Parker  makes  an  impressive  baronet. 
Photography  and  general  production  are  tops,  and  so  is  the  screenplay,  by 
Dalrymple,  G.  B.  Stern  and  Jack  Lee. 

Running  time,  93  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date,  not 
set. 


Green  Plans  Offices 
Overseas  for  Globe 


Globe  Film  Distributors,  Inc.,  plans 
to  establish  overseas  representatives  in 
London,  Paris  and  Rome  shortly, 
Joseph  Green  and  Michael  Hyams, 
president  and  treasurer,  respectively, 
disclosed  here. 

Discussing  the  foreign  product  situ- 
ation, Green  asserted  that  bargaining 
power  for  getting  good  foreign  pic- 
tures now  largely  depends  on  the  type 
of  first-run  that  can  be  guaranteed  in 
New  York.  And  the  subsequent  suc- 
cess of  a  foreign  picture  in  this  coun- 
try, Green  continued,  is  largely  de- 
termined by  the  length  of  a  New  York 
run.  Foreign  business  here  has 
progressed  tremendously  in  the  past 
few  years,  Green  observed,  but  he 
pointed  out  that  there  has  been  a  de- 
cline in  the  past  several  months  pro- 
portionate to  the  decline  of  American 
films. 

Besides  heading  Globe  Films,  Green 
and  Hyams  also  head  Hyamsgreen 
Theatres,  a  circuit  of  foreign  film 
houses  in  New  York.  Speaking  as 
an  exhibitor,  Green  said  that  even 
among  foreign  film  patrons,  there  is 
shopping  for  entertainment  today. 

Among  product  set  for  release  in  the 
next  few  months  by  Globe  are  "The 
Wandering  Jew,"  "Strange  Victory," 
"Long  Is  the  Road"  and  "Interlude." 


TBA  Expanding  Its 
Activities:  Baltin 


Television  Broadcasters  Association 
intends  an  immediate  expansion  of  its 
activities  to  include  a  monthly  pro- 
gram data  exchange  service,  quarterly 
surveys  on  the  status  of  the  video  in- 
dustry, monthly  reports  from  Wash- 
ington on  television  legislative  matters 
and  the  appointment  of  a  legal  com- 
mittee, it  was  disclosed  here  yesterday 
by  Will  Baltin,  secretary-treasurer  of 
the  organization. 

At  the  same  time  it  was  announced 
that  Dan  Regan,  formerly  with  the 
Washington  newsroom  of  American 
Broadcasting  and  National  Broadcast- 
ing and  on  the  staffs  of  United  Press 
and  Transradio  Press,  has  been  ap- 
pointed to  the  public  relations  staff 
of  TBA. 

The  program  exchange  service  will 
provide  a  complete  listing  of  new  pro- 
grams introduced  by  member  stations, 
information  concerning  the  types  of 
programs,  studio  and  film  require- 
ments, personnel  involved  and  spon- 
sorship possibilities. 


CBS  Appoints  Hausman 

Appointment  of  Louis  Hausman  as 
director  of  the  advertising  and  sales 
promotion  department  of  Columbia 
Broadcasting  was  announced  yester- 
day by  Frank  Stanton,  CBS  president. 
The  appointment  is  effective  imme- 
diately. 


70%  Ticket  Tax 

Washington,  Feb.  3. — U.  S.  Com- 
merce Department  reports  that  in 
Turkey,  the  ticket  tax  is  now  25  per 
cent  on  domestic  product  and  70  per 
cent  on  films  imported. 


Two  More  Leave  S.R.O. 

Peggy  de  Grau,  head  of  the  con- 
tract department,  and  Bill  Kaufmann, 
Eastern  budget  controller  of  the  Selz- 
nick  Releasing  Organization  here,  will 
leave  the  company  on  February  11. 


Changes  Jurisdiction 

Federal  Judge  Edward  A.  Conger 
yesterday  signed  in  U.  S.  District 
Court  here  an  order  dismissing  Robert 
W.  Perkins  and  Joseph  Bernhard 
from  the  action  alleging  conspiracy 
in  behalf  of  United  States  Pictures  to 
the  detriment  of  Warner  Brothers 
filed  by  minority  stockholder  William 
Weinberger  who  is  one  of  eight 
Warner  stockholders  to  bring  such 
actions  since  last  September. 

Plaintiff,  meanwhile,  has  brought 
suit  against  Perkins  and  Bernhard  in 
New  York  Supreme  Court.  Plaintiff 
is  still  continuing  his  suit  in  Federal 
Court  against  other  Warner  execu- 
tives. 


37y2-Cent  Loew  Dividend 

Directors  of  Loew's  have  declared  a 
regular  quarterly  dividend  of  37z/2 
cents  per  share  on  the  company's  com- 
mon stock,  payable  on  March  31. 


'U'  Stock  Case  Appeal 

Universal  minority  stockholder 
Stephen  Truncale  yesterday  appealed 
in  U.  S.  District  Court  here  from  the 
court's  dismissal  last  month  of  com- 
pany executives  J.  Cheever  Cowdin 
and  Matthew  Fox  as  defendants  in 
Truncale's  action  against  various  "U" 
officers  and  board  members  because  of 
improper  stock  transactions.  Federal 
Judge  Samuel  Kaufman  had  dismissed 
the  suit  against  Cowdin  and  Fox  on 
the  ground  that  the  action  against 
them  had  abated. 


Griffith  Case  Recess 

Oklahoma  City,  Feb.  3. — Federal 
Judge  Edgar  S.  Vaught  today  de- 
clared a  recess  over  the  weekend  in 
the  Griffith  mandate  hearing  in  order 
to  permit  government  and  defense  at- 
torneys to  classify  documents  to  be 
presented  in  evidence  when  the  trial 
continues  next  week. 


Para.,  Loew  Split 
Pool  in  Buffalo 

Buffalo,  Feb.  3. — Break-up  of  the 
Paramount-Loew  pooled  operation  of 
Buffalo  Theatres,  Inc.,  will  become  ef- 
fective on  Feb.  28  with  Loew's  and 
Vincent  McFaul  taking  over  seven 
houses  and  Paramount  to  operate  five. 

Paramount's  theatres  will  be  the 
Great  Lakes,  Hippodrome,  Niagara, 
Kenmore  and  Seneca,  in  Buffalo. 

Loew  and  McFaul,  who  was  presi- 
dent of  the  joint  theatre  company,  will 
have  the  Buffalo,  Elmwood,  Kensing- 
ton, North  Park  and  Teck,  all  in  Buf- 
falo; the  Bee  Bellevue,  at  Niagara 
Falls,  and  the  Lackawanna,  in  Lacka- 
wanna. 


U.  S.  'Hopef  ill' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

press  the  case  to  an  ultimate 
court  decision.) 

Asked  whether  there  is  any  chance 
of  any  other  decree  with  any  -other 
company  being  announced  when  the 
Paramount  decree  is  announced,  one 
top  official  gave  a  flat  "no"  as  the  an- 
swer. He  said  that  the  other  compa- 
nies "have  hardly  been  near  us"  since 
the  last  round  of  proceedings  in  New 
York  District  Court. 

"Apparently  they're  setting  back 
and  watching  the  Paramount  negotia- 
tions," he  declared.  "But  we're  hope- 
ful that  they'll  come  in  as  soon  as  the 
big  one  is  announced." 


SIMPFs  Decree 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

concern  was  over  the  status  of  thea- 
tres which  new  operating  companies 
will  be  permitted  to  control  following 
divorcement  from  production-distribu- 
tion companies. 

The  Department  was  informed  of 
SIMPP's  views  on  theatre  buying 
power,  closed  and  controlled  situations 
and  of  its  desire  to  see  the  freest  pos- 
sible competitive  theatre  market  estab- 
lished. No  closed  situations  should  be 
perpetuated  or  permitted  under  any 
decrees  to  be  entered  into  by  the  gov- 
ernment, SIMPP  contends. 

No  further  action  is  planned  by  the 
organization  pending  entry  of  indi- 
vidual decrees,  it  was  stated. 


Sues  U  - 1  on  Copyright 

Universal-International,  the  J.  Ar- 
thur Rank  Organization,  and  British 
producers  Michael  Powell  and  Emeric 
Pressburger  were  named  defendants 
in  a  copyright  infringement  suit  filed 
in  Uj  S.  District  Court  here  yesterday 
by  author  Beth  Brown  who  alleges 
that  the  film,  "Stairway  to  Heaven," 
was  copied  without  permission  from 
her  novel,  "Universal  Station."  Plain- 
tiff seeks  unstipulated  damages  and 
an  accounting  of  profits. 


Oscar  Brooks'  New  Firm 

Mexico  City,  Feb.  3.  —  Oscar  J. 
Brooks  has  quit  as  manager  of  Pelicu- 
las  Nacionales,  the  distribution  organ- 
ization of  Mexico's  five  leading  pro- 
ducers, to  form  a  production  and  dis- 
tribution company  with  Felipe  Mier. 
Both  are  former  local  Warner  men. 


Frieberg  in  Television 

Hardie  Frieberg,  former  public  re- 
lations executive,  is  president  of 
Columbia  Television  Productions, 
newly-formed  video  firm  here.  The 
firm  has  also  opened  a  Coast  office. 


Friday,  February  4,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Pinanski 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

financing  are  expected  to  be  consider- 
able. He  not  only  is  highly  regarded 
in  the  industry  as  a  financial  authority 
but  has  close  connections  with  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Boston  and 
with  Serge  Semenenko,  its  vice-presi- 
dent, whose  association  with  motion 
picture  financing  is  well  known.  The 
First  National  of  Boston  already  is 
identified  with  financing  of  Pathe  In- 
dustries, the  Eagle-Lion  parent  com- 
pany. 

Pinanski  was  for  many  years  asso- 
ciated with  the  large  New  England 
circuit,  Mullin  and  Pinanski,  in  part- 
nership with  Paramount.  On  January 
1  last,  the  circuit  was  reorganized, 
with  Paramount  selling  its  interest  in 
Netoco,  a  circuit  of  approximately  50 
theatres,  to  Pinanski,  who  operates  it 
as  an  independent  circuit  under  the 
name  of  American  Theatres  Co. 

The  remaining  theatres,  about  56  in 
number,  are  wholly-owned  by  Para- 
mount. They  are  operated  by  Martin 
Mullin,  Pinanski's  former  partner,  as 
New  England  Theatres,  Inc. 


Army  Pre-Releases 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

isfied  to  get  pictures  currently  with 
first-run  theatres  or  immediately  be- 
hind them  if  nearby  first-runs  date 
pictures  at  or  near  pre-release  dates. 

Brylawski  informed  Lockwood  that 
Francis  Harmon,  vice-president  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica, when  told  that  Army  and  Navy 
theatres  do  not  require  pre-releases, 
suggested  to  the  TOA  investigator 
that  a  letter  to  that  effect  from  Armed 
Forces  chiefs  is  desirable.  Brylawski 
indicated  in  his  report,  however,  that 
he  doubted  if  such  letters  will  be 
forthcoming. 

Meanwhile,  according  to  the  Bry- 
lawski report,  Harmon  conferred  with 
Robert  Mochrie,  vice-chairman  of  the 
distributors  committee  of  the  MPAA, 
on  the  question  of  TOA's  complaint 
of  competition  from  Army  and  Navy 
theatres.  Reported  Brylawski :  "Moch- 
rie said  that  distributors  wanted  to  do 
exactly  what  exhibitors  wanted  them 
to  do;  that  the  distributors  had  origi- 
nally been  opposed  to  pre-releases  and 
current  releases  to  Army  and  Navy 
theatres." 

Brylawski  then  quoted  Mochrie  as 
having  told  Harmon  that  distributors 
refuse  to  accede  to  requests  for  pre- 
releases unless  they  had  the  assent  of 
exhibitor  organizations. 

Brylawski  was  accompanied  in  the 
investigation  by  Paul  Williams,  gen- 
eral counsel  of  the  Southern  Califor- 
nia Theatre  Owners  Association  and 
a  director  of  the  national  TOA. 

Brylawski  said  additional  confer- 
ences will  be  held. 


MEMBER    FEDERAL   DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


Smith  Commended 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

in  litigation,  great  losses  of  time,  ef- 
fort and  money,  undesirable  public 
airing  of  industry  problems  and  real 
or  threatened  governmental  regula- 
tions and  restraint,"  the  resolution 
noted,  adding : 

"It  would  ^e  advantageous  to  the 
industry  to  resolve  such  problems  and 
difference  within  its  own  council  and 
among  its  own  membership.  And 
whereas  this  convention  has  had  as 
its  distinguished  guest  and  speaker  a 
man  devoted  to  the  industry,  its  prog- 
ress and  to  the  cause  of  conciliation, 
who  has  rendered  a  marked  service  to 
the  members  of  the  Theatre  Owners 
of  North  and  South  Carolina  in  di- 
recting their  attention  to  more  favor- 
able means  of  settlement  of  problems 
and  disputes. 

"Now,  therefore,  be  it  resolved  that 
the  association  hereby  expresses  to 
that  industry  leader,  Andrew  W. 
Smith,  Jr.,  general  sales  manager  of 
20th  Century-Fox,  its  deep  apprecia- 
tion for  his  presence,  his  able  discourse 
and  the  progressive  suggestions  he  has 
made." 


Gov.  Dewey  Cited 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


in  human  relations  in  the  last  six 
years  than  in  any  comparable  period 
in  history."  He  urged  the  expansion 
of  freedom  on  all  fronts  and  pointed 
out  that  "the  Communists  boast  of 
economic  security  for  their  imprisoned 
millions  and  scathingly  condemn  the 
imperfections  in  our  civil  liberties." 
He  said  that  "equality  of  opportunity 
is  the  natural  outgrowth  of  one  of  the 
most  fundamental  principles  of  our 
Constitution." 

Among  those  invited  to  the  dais 
were  Ned  E.  Depinet,  Malcolm  Kings- 
berg,  Al  Schwalberg,  Arthur  Israel, 
Robert  M.  Weitman,  Irving  Green- 
field, Marvin  Kirsch,  Albert  A.  Senft, 
Red  Kann,  Samuel  Rosen,  city,  gov- 
ernment and  B'nai  B'rith  officials. 


Group  Insurance 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Meinhardt,  president  and  attorney,  re- 
spectively, for  the  New  York  Film 
Carriers. 

The  insurance  plan  gives  all  drivers 
with  10  years  service  a  $2,000  life  in- 
surance, a  $2,000  accidental  death  and 
dismemberment  policy,  S30  per  week 
for  sickness  and  accident  after  the 
seventh  day  of  disability  for  a  period 
of  26  weeks,  up  to  $6  per  day  for  hos- 
pital care  for  a  maximum  of  31  days 
and  $60  for  hospital  services.  In  addi- 
tion, employes  will  receive  up  to  $150 
for  surgical  expenses.  All  other  driv- 
ers and  helpers  will  receive  similar 
benefits  except  that  their  maximum 
life  insurance  will  be  $1,000,  with  sick- 
ness and  accident  benefits  varying 
with  wages. 

The  association's  trustees  have  been 
appointed  to  administer  the  plan  along 
with  the  State  Mutual  Life  Assurance 
Co. 


TV  Firm  Offers  Stock 

Television  Equipment  Corp.  is  offer- 
ing 300,000  shares  of  common  stock 
at  one  dollar  per  share  through  the 
Henry  P.  Rosenfeld  Co.  here.  Cor- 
poration officers  include  John  B.  Mil- 
liken,  president ;  Leonard  Mautner, 
vice-president ;  William  Brown,  sec- 
retary. 


N.C.CJ.  Luncheon  at 
12:15  Promptly 

Because  of  radio  and  tele- 
vision  commitments  the 
luncheon  of  the  industry  di- 
vision of  the  National  Con- 
ference of  Christians  and 
Jews  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria 
here  today  will  be  served 
promptly  at  12:15.  Guests  are 
requested  to  take  note  and 
time  their  arrival  accordingly. 


French  Financial  Aid 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

that  producers  can  obtain  help  when 
they  can  prove  at  least  one  finished 
production  of  more  than  1,300  metres, 
shot  in  35mm.  and  done  in  France ; 
the  public  showing  must  have  taken 
place  after  Jan.  1,  1946,  and  before 
the  application  for  aid  under  the  new 
law.  Films  must  either  be  produced 
by  French  interests  using  French  capi- 
tal exclusively  or,  if  co-produced  with 
the  help  of  foreign  funds,  aid  will  be 
forthcoming  only  on  a  pro-rated  basis. 
Before  financial  aid  is  granted,  the 
Board  of  Awards  must  have  given  its 
approval  and  the  picture  must  be  in 
its  second  week  of  production. 

Aid  also  will  be  granted  for  all  im- 
provements in  safety  facilities,  repairs 
and  the  purchase  of  new  material. 

The  new  fund  will  further  provide 
for  the  organization,  subject  to  gov- 
ernment directives,  of  a  concern  to 
promote  French  films  abroad.  Until 
receipts  from  the  new  taxes  are  col- 
lected, the  Centre  National  de  la  Cine- 
matographic will  grant  loans  from  its 
official  funds. 


'Brotherhood'  Award 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ary  20  to  27.  Louis  Nizer,  attorney 
and  author,  will  be  toastmaster  at  the 
luncheon. 

Top  industry  executives  will  be 
present  at  the  luncheon  for  which  all 
reservations  have  been  sold  out  with 
more  than  1,100  expected.  Television 
and  national  and  local  radio  stations 
will  cover  the  event. 

Among  others  asked  to  the  dais  were : 

John  Alicoate,  Leon  J.  Bamberger,  Jo- 
seph Bernhard,  Milton  Biow,  Ray  Bolger, 
Edward  J.  Churchill,  Max  A.  Cohen,  Gus 
Eyssell,  George  Feinberg.  Leopold  Fried- 
man, William  J.  German.  Gilbert  Golden, 
Mrs.  Oscar  Hammerstein  II.  Harry  Hersh- 
field,  James  M.  Jerauld,  Red  Kann,  Jack 
Kapp,  Charles  Kenny,  Malcolm  Kingsberg, 
Edward  Lachman,  Albert  D.  Lasker,  Jock 
Lawrence,  Chick  Lewis. 

Also:  Isidore  Lubin,  Robert  Mochrie, 
Charles  C.  Moskowitz,  John  J.  O'Connor, 
Charles  L.  O'Reilly,  Charles  Reagan,  Irene 
Rich,  Herman  Robbins,  Mrs.  Richard  Rodg- 
ers,  J.  Robert  Rubin,  James  Sauter,  Abe 
Schneider,  W.  Waters  Schwab,  Sam  Shain, 
Nate  Spingold,  Gael  Sullivan,  Joseph  R. 
Vogel,  Mo  Wax,  Grover  Whaltn,  William 
A.  White,  Earl  Wilson. 


U  - 1,  Chicago  Sales 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

held  there  between  U-I  home  office 
and  Chicago  district  sales  officials 
with  a  view  toward  arriving  at  a  sat- 
isfactory selling  plan  for  that  city 
where,  he  pointed  out,  selling  of  pic- 
tures has  become  fraught  with  legal 
uncertainties. 

He  indicated  that  his  personal  pref- 
erence is  for  the  system  of  negotiation, 
because  he  believes  it  is  fairer  in  many 
respects  to  both  buyer  and  seller.  One 
or  the  other,  or  both  systems,  may  be 
essayed  at  the  outset  before  a  perma- 
nent policy  is  adopted,  he  said. 


HAL  (GILDERSLEEVE)  PEARY* 


HAS  SWITCHED 
TO  "FAMILY 
HONEYMOON" 


"My  all  time  favorite  comedy 
was  My  Man  Godfrey  '. . . 
until  I  saw  Claudette  Colbert 
and  Fred  Mac  Murray  in 
FAMILY  HONEYMOON"' 

*Sfar  of  NBC's  "The  Great  Gildersleeve' 


THERE'S  MO  BOXOFFICE  UKE 


CENTURY-FOX 


WE'RE  ALL  BEHIND  BROTHERHOOD  WEEK  FEBRUARY  20- 
NO  BIGOTRY  IN  AMERICA! 


T    1  mm  m  mm*  mmm 

hFIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate 

IN 

~jr\  ATT  ~\7' 

Concise 

FILM 

J/A.1  JL  I 

and 

NEWS 

"                                     _   _ 

Impartial 



VOL.  65.  NO.  26 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  FEBRUARY  7,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Myers  Assails 
New  Plan  of 
Arbitration 


Sai/s  It  Would  Restore 
Competitive  Bidding 

I  Washington,  Feb.  6. — Allied 
§States  Association's  general  coun- 
sel Abram  F.  Myers  today  bitterly 
(assailed  the  arbitration  plan  being- 
proposed  by  the  major  defendants  m 
the  Paramount  case  as  an  "insult  to 
:the  intelligence  of  the  Court,  the  At- 
torney General,  the  other  distributors 
Lho  have  been  invited  to  join  in  it, 
and  the  exhibitors— whether  they 
choose  to  recognize  it  as  such  or 
not."  . 
\  Myers  said  that  the  plan  submitted 
by  Warner,  Loevv's,  Paramount  and 
lOth  Century-Fox  is  "in  effect  a  final 
Becree  containing  substantive  provi- 
sions which  are  not  only  out  of  place, 
lut  which  are  clearly  contrary  to  the 
Supreme  Court's  opinion."  He  de- 
clared that  "the  only  arbitration  plan 

(Continued  on  page  3) 

Depinet  Honored  at 
'Brotherhood'  Meet 


A  plea  for  the  elimination  of 
bigotry  was  made  by  Ned  E.  Depinet, 
president  of  RKO,  at  the  20th  anni- 
versary luncheon  of  the  amusement  di- 
vision of  the  National  Conference  of 
Christians  and  Jews  at  the  Waldorf 
Astoria  Hotel  here  on  Friday.  _  De- 
pinet, the  division's  national  chairman 
of  the  Brotherhood  Week  committee, 
was  presented  an  award  by  J.  Robert 
Rubin,  M-G-M  vice-president  and  gen- 
eral counsel  and  the  division's  general 
chairman,  for  his  services  in  behalf  of 
inter-faith  understanding.  Rubin 
made  the  presentation  in  the  absence 
'of  Mayor  William  O'Dwyer. 

Similar  citations  for  work  embody- 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Rodger  s  Opens  MGM 
Meeting  on  Coast 


Hollywood,  Feb.  6. — Some  70 
(M-G-M  delegates  from  all  over  the 
country  arrived  here  today  for  the 
first  Metro  studio  product  conference 
of  its  kind  in  more  than  11  years.  They 
were  preceded  by  William  F.  Rodgers, 
sales  vice-president,  who  arrived  from 
the  East  on  February  1.  Tomorrow's 
session  will  officially  open  the  meet- 
ing scheduled  to  run  a  full  week. 


Muni  Quits  Screen, 
Lashes  Coast  Films 

Boston,  Feb.  6. — Paul  Muni 
stated  here  that  he  is  quit- 
ting motion  pictures  "for- 
ever," claiming  pictures  made 
now  are  just  nonsense.  He 
said  he  never  got  any  fun  out 
of  the  excitements  of  Holly- 
wood and  added  the  majority 
of  pictures  made  now  are 
bad;  only  a  few  good  ones 
are  made.  The  idea  that  Hol- 
lywood makes  good  pictures 
some  of  the  time  does  not 
impress  him,  Muni  declared. 
He  said  he  will  devote  him- 
self to  the  stage  in  the  fu- 
ture. 


Studios  Employed 
13,000  in  1948 


Hollywood,  Feb.  6. — Considerably 
upsetting  the  popular  impression  that 
Hollywood  production  employs  some 
30,000  workers  in  all  but  very  top 
classifications,  the  highest  peak  in 
employment  during  the  past  12  years 
did  not  exceed  25,000,  in  1939,  and 
went  as  low  as  13,000  last  year.  Not 
included  are  those  in  the  top  echelon, 
or  the  very  top  stars  and  top  directors. 

Based  on  the  last  figure  available, 
it  has  been  established  that  those  who 
worked  in  studios  averaged  $98.26  for 
an  average  40.4-hour  week,  as  report- 
ed by  the  state's  Bureau  of  Labor 
Statistics. 


IJ.S.Treasury,sl946 
Salary  Reports  Put 
C.  P.  Skouras  First 


Washington,  Feb.  6. — Charles  P. 
Skouras,  president  of  National  The- 
atres Amusement  Co.  and  Fox  West 
Coast  Agency  Corp.,  was  the  highest 
paid  executive  on  the  Treasury  De- 
partment list  for  1946  and  the  fiscal 
year  ending  in  1947,  with  total  com- 
pensation of  $895,300. 

(Skouras's  compensation  is  being 
adjusted  downward  for  the  year  re- 
ported on  and  for  subsequent  years 
under  a  proposed  New  York  Su- 
preme Court  stockholders'  settlement.) 

The  salary  figures  released  by  the 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


MP  A,  US  Set 
'Global' Meet 


Washington,  Feb.  6.— Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America  president 
Eric  A.  Johnston  has  called  company 
foreign  managers  to  a  meeting  here 
on  Feb.  10  for  a  day-long  going-over 
of  the  foreign  situation  with  top  State 
Department  and  European  Recon- 
struction Administration  officials. 

Problems  of  converting  foreign  film 
earnings  into  dollars  will  be  the  top 
item  on  the  agenda,  although  other 
overseas  problems  will  also  be  dis- 
cussed, including  the  new  crisis  which 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Answer  Johnston  Today  on 
Anglo-U.S.  Meeting  Delay 


London,  Feb.  6. — British  industry 
resistance  to  Eric  Johnston's  proposal 
that  the  Anglo-U.  S.  Films  Council 
meeting  scheduled  for  March  23  in 
New  York  be  postponed  to  early  sum- 
mer has  stiffened,  giving  rise  to  the 
impression  that  even  minor  differ- 
ences between  leaders  of  the  two  in- 
dustries are  almost  irreconcilable. 

J.  Arthur  Rank,  chairman  of 
British  Films  Council  group,  is 
endeavoring  to  hold  Johnston 
to  the  March  meeting  date.  He 
will  meet  tomorrow  with  Sir 
Henry  French  and  Sir  Alexan- 
der Korda,  the  other  British 
Council  members,  to  agree  up- 
on a  formal    reply    to  John- 
ston's  proposal   for  postpone- 
ment of  the  meeting. 
The  reply  also  is  expected  to  refer 
to  Johnston's  suggestion  that  Exhib- 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Ascap-ITOA  Appeal 
Off  to  April  14 

A  stipulation  has  been 
signed  granting  a  60-day  ex- 
tension from  Feb.  14  to  April 
14  for  the  hearing  of  appeals 
by  the  U.  S.  Circuit  Court  of 
Appeals  here  in  the  anti-trust 
suit  of  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  Assn.  of  New  York 
against  the  American  Society 
of  Composers,  Authors  and 
Publishers. 

U.  S.  District  Judge  Vin- 
cent L.  Liebell  ruled  in  favor 
of  the  ITOA  case  and  en- 
joined Ascap  as  presently 
constituted  from  further  col- 
lecting music  performing  fees 
from  theatres. 


Para.  Consent 
Decree  Said 
To  Be  Signed 

Settlement  Pact  Awaits 
Clark's  Signature  Now 

Paramount  officials  signed  the 
proposed  consent  decree  providing 
for  divorcement  of  its  theatre  in- 
terests from  production-distribution 
operations  and  the  advance  divesti- 
ture of  approximately  550  theatres 
late  last  week,  it  was  reported  at  the 
weekend. 

Various  company  officials  and  at- 
torneys reached  for  comment  declined 
to  confirm  or  deny  the  report  in  the 
absence  of  Barney  Balaban,  Para- 
mount president,  who  had  left  for 
Miami  and  could  not  be  reached. 

The  signed  decree,  according  to 
the  reports,  was  forwarded  to  Attor- 
ney General  Tom  Clark  in  Washing- 
ton at  the  weekend  for  his  signature, 
which  is  expected  momentarily. 

The  decree  still  must  be  approved 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


RKO  Divorcement 
Up  for  S.E.C.  Study 


Washington,  Feb.  6. — A  tentative 
draft  of  the  RKO  divorcement  and 
reorganization  plan  was  received  at 
the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commis- 
sion last  week  for  study. 

The  S.E.C.  either  will  approve  the 
plan  or  suggest  changes  within  a  10- 
day  period. 

March  28  has  been  set  as  the  tenta- 
tive date  for  submission  of  a  final 
plan  to  RKO  stockholders  for  their 
approval. 


Albany  TOA  May 
Have  Sub-Units 


Albany,  Feb.  6. — Proposals  to  sub- 
divide the  Albany  exchange  district 
into  smaller  sections  in  order  to  main- 
tain a  more,  vigilant  watch  on  local 
legislation  _  that  may  affect  theatres 
were  considered  at  a  meeting  of  Al- 
bany Theatre  Owners  of  America 
directors  held  here. 

The  question  of  local  levies  has 
gained  importance  since  Binghamton 
passed  a  five  per  cent  admission  tax. 
Leonard  Rosenthal,  local  TOA  execu- 
tive director,  pointed  out  that  similar 
legislation  proposed  in  Schenectady 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  February  7,  1949 


Newsreel 
Parade 


Personal 
Mention 


Tradewise .  . . 


By  SHERWIN  KANE 


ADOLPH     ZUKOR,  Paramount 
board  chairman,   left  here  over 
the  weekend  for  the  Coast. 

• 

Martin  Levine,  general  manager 
of  Brandt's  42nd  Street  Theatres,  will 
return  to  his  office  today  after  a  two 
weeks'  absence  because  of  an  appen- 
dectomy. 

Dr.  Loyd  A.  Jones,  of  Kodak  Re- 
search Laboratories,  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
has  been  awarded  the  1948  "Progress 
Medal"  of  Great  Britain's  Royal  Pho- 
tographic Society. 

o 

George  Brown,  Paramount  director 
of  studio  publicity,  sailed  Saturday 
on  the  5.  S.  De  Grasse  on  a  Carib- 
bean cruise. 

Americo  Aboaf,  Universal-Interna- 
tional Latin  America  supervisor,  left 
here  yesterday  for  a  tour  of  the' 
Caribbean  area. 

Ascap  Infringement 
A  ction  in  New  Orleans 

New  Orleans,  Feb.  6. — Federal 
Judge  Borah  will  hear  arguments  in 
U.  S.  District  Court  here  tomorrow 
in  the  infringement  action  brought 
against  American  Society  of  Com- 
posers, Authors  and  Publishers'  mem- 
bers by  Francis  Arena,  who  claims 
that  the  song,  "You  Always  Hurt  the 
One.  You  Love",  infringes  his  "My 
Dream  Love  Song." 

Louis  D.  Fr'ohlich  of  the  New  York 
law  firm  of  Schwartz  and  Frohlich, 
and  attorney  John  Tasker  Howard  of 
New  York  will  appear  for  the  defen- 
dants. 

Schwalberg  In  Today 
As  Para.  Sales  Head 

Alfred  W.  Schwalberg  today  will 
take  over  the  post  of  Paramount  gen- 
eral sales  manage'r,  succeeding  Charles 
M.  Reagan  who  resigned  on  Jan.  31. 

Schwalberg  had  been  assistant  to 
Reagan  for  the  past  year. 


Hears  Minority  Plea 

Washington,  Feb.  6. — Eric  John- 
son, president  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America,  heard  a  plea 
here  for  better  presentation  of  the 
Negro  and  other  minority  groups  in 
American  films.  John  B.  Wilder,  a 
Philadelphia  artist,  said  he  was  "en- 
couraged" by  Johnston's  "progressive 
attitude  toward  minority  groups." 


Additional  'Joan'  Dates 

RKO  Radio  has  set  a  number  of 
early  February  openings  of  Sierra 
Pictures'  "Joan  of  Arc,"  starting  with 
the  Keith,  Dayton ;  Pantages,  Minne- 
apolis, and  the  Byrd,  Richmond,  on 
February  9,  followed  by  the  Para- 
mount, Atlanta;  Empire,  Birmingham; 
State,  Chattanooga,  and  the  Palace, 
Columbus,  on  the  10th. 


LUCKY  are  they  who  toil  for 
Hal  Wallis  Prod. 
The  Wallis- Joseph  Hazen 
company  has  not  found  it  nec- 
essary to  dismiss  a  single  em- 
ployee in  the  course  of  the 
present  Hollywood  economic 
crisis. 

It  has  not  been  obliged  to 
impose  emergency  measures  in 
any  department  of  operations. 

It  has  no  need  to  trim  its  pro- 
duction budgets  to  a  latter-day 
lower  level. 

And  why? 

Simply  because  it  has  been  op- 
erated on  a  sane  and  sound  busi- 
ness basis  from  its  outset. 

It  did  not  employ  unneeded 
workers  so  it  has  none  who  are 
expendable  now. 

Its  expenditures  in  good  times 
were  not  wasteful.  Thus  there 
is  no  need  for  cut-backs  in  slack 
times. 

It  has  been  the  custom  of  the 
Wallis-Hazen  company  to  plan 
its  productions  carefully  in  ad- 
vance, to  have  the  right  script 
ready  at  the  right  time,  to  avoid 
costly  delays  and  changes  after 
shooting  began.  It  does  not  have 
to.  learn  how  to  do  those  things 
now  in  order  to  bring  in  a 
class  picture  within  the  budget 
limits. 

There  may  be  other  -produc- 
tion companies  that  operate  as 
efficiently.  If  so,  we  haven't 
heard  of  them,  but  records 
such  as  that  are  none  the  less 
unique,  wherever  they  may  be 
found. 

Regrettably  unique,  too,  in 
that  such  records  have  to  do 
only  with  the  application  of 
good  business  methods  to  the 
production  community  where 
they  should  be  no  more  unique 
than  in  any  other  enterprise. 
•  • 

Steve  Broidy,  the  Allied-Art- 
ists-Monogram dynamo,  told  a 
press  conference  in  Hollywood 
recently  that  reissues  will  alien- 
ate motion  picture,  patrons  in 
the  long  run,  even  though  they 
may  be  profitable  over  the  short 
haul. 

Box  office  reports,  on  the 
other  hand,  show  that  good  re- 
issues will  outdraw  and  outgross 
many  a  brand  new  release,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  some  pic- 
tures were  better  made  years 
ago  than  some  which  are  being 
made  today.  Why  a  good  reissue 
should  alienate  patrons,  if  it  is 
sold  as  a  reissue  and  not  mis- 
represented by  the  exhibitor  to 


the  public,  is  difficult  to  com- 
prehend. 

We  were  privileged  to  see 
Samuel  Goldwyn's  "The  Pride 
of  the  Yankees"  recently.  It  will 
be  reissued  in  April.  We  found 
it  just  as  entertaining  as  the  first 
time  we  saw  it,  some  six  years 
ago,  and  frankly  believe  it  to  be 
a  better  motion  picture  than 
many  in  current  release.  We 
could  not  help  thinking,  too,  that 
it  was  mighty  decent  of  James 
Mulvey,  Goldwyn  Prod,  presi- 
dent, not  to  have  reissued  it  last 
year  when  every  newspaper  in 
the  nation  was  front-paging  the 
late  Babe  Ruth's  fatal  illness 
and  when,  incidentally,  Broidy's 
"Babe  Ruth  Story"  was  mak- 
ing its  bow.  Goldwyn's  pic- 
ture offers  The  Babe  himself. 
Broidy's  has  William  Bendix  as 
Ruth. 

There  are  some  theatres 
around  the  country  which  will 
not  book  reissues.  Others  will 
take  them  only  with  a  second 
feature ;  still  others  insist  up- 
on arbitrarily,  low  playing  terms 
which  have  no  relation  to  either 
the  quality  of  the  reissue  or  its 
potential  grossing  power.  The 
policy  of  such  theatre  manage- - 
merits  apparently  is  that  a  new 
picture,  even  if  it's  a  turkey,  is 
deserving  of  better  playing 
terms  than  a  strong-drawing  re- 
issue. 

There  are,  on  the  other  hand, 
many  prosperous  exhibitors 
whose  policy  it  is  to  offer  pa- 
trons the  best  pictures  available 
at  any  given  time.  That's  a 
policy  that  takes  the  customer 
into  consideration.  It  usually 
pays  off. 

•  • 

On  the  heels  of  renewed  in- 
dustry talk  of  the  advisability 
of  lowering  admission  prices 
comes  Charles  McDonald  of 
RKO.  Theatres  with  selections 
from  his  scrapbook  to  prove  that 
in  1919  Fox's  Theatre,  Spring- 
field, Mass.,  was  getting  75 
cents  top  for  an  eight-reel  fea- 
ture, played  singly,  known  as 
"While  New  York  Sleeps." 

McDonald  is  convinced  that, 
30  years  after,  admission  prices 
should  be  higher,  not  lower. 

•  9 

Reports  are  around  that  Al 
Lichtman  will  be  taking  over 
that  top  distribution  advisory 
post  at  20th  Century-Fox  short- 
ly after  March  1,  the  date  on 
which  he  leaves  his  MGM  stu- 
dio executive  post. 


A  RRIVAL  of  the  "Gratitude 
SI  Train"  here  is  a  highlight  in  all 
current  reels.  Other  items  include  the 
March  of  Dimes  fashion  show,  Soviet 
troops  evacuating  Korea,  sports,  etc. 
Complete  contents  follow : 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  11.— "Grati- 
tude Train"  arrives  in  N.  Y.  Coal  mine 
cave-in  in  Pennsylvania.  Wacs  try  out 
"GI"  clothing  for  Arctic  conditions. 
Science:  350  mile-per-hour  wind  on 
fliers.  March  of  Dimes  fashion  show. 
Sports :  sled  dog  race,  ski  jumping, 
diving. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  245— 
"Gratitude  Train"  brings  thanks  from 
France.  Town  menaced  by  cave-in. 
Fashions.  Ski  jumping.  Ski"  bug  bites 
dog.  Diving. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  48  — 
"Gratitude  Train"  arrives  here.  UN  Cora- 
mission  pushes  search  for  Palestine  peace. 
Senate  debates  new  labor  bill.  Soviet  moves 
troops  from  Korea.  Ski  meet. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  219^- 
"Gratitude  Train"  arrives  here.  March  of 
Dimes  fashion  show.  First  flight  of  X-4. 
Soviet  troops  evacuate  Korea.  Snowmobile. 
Boxing  in  Spain.  Skiing. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  51— 
New  York  hails  "Gratitude  Train."  U.  S. 
soldier 1  buried  in  home  in  Japan.  Unity 
in  Asia  mapped  by  19  nations.  _  Fashions 
in  color.  Sports:  glider  flying,  trotting  races, 
ski  meet.  Great  American  quizz:  Benjamin 
Franklin. 

Notices  Given  300 
Rank  Studio  Workers 

London,  Feb.  6. — Dismissal  notices 
were  issued  on  Friday  to  approximate- 
ly 300  employes  of  J.  Arthur  Rank's 
Denham  and  Pinewood  studios,  whose 
jobs  were  regarded  as  redundant. 

Rank  had  agreed  to  withhold  the 
dismissal  notices  until  after  George 
Elvin  and  Tom  O'Brien,  studio  labor 
officials,  had  conferred  with  Harold 
Wilson,  president  of  the  Board  of 
Trade. 

Rank  will  meet  Wilson  for  lunch 
tomorrow.  Whether  or  not  Wilson 
will  attempt  to  persuade  Rank  to 
rescind  the  notices  it  is  known  that 
the  latter  currently  is  adamant  about 
the  need  to  effect  production  econ- 
omies. 


Radio  Counterpart 
To  Promote  'Riley' 

First  of  a  series  of  promotional 
events  to  inaugurate  forthcoming  Uni- 
versal-International releases  will  take 
place  in  Cincinnati  March  4  on  behalf 
of  Irving  Brecher's  "The  Life  of 
Riley,"  it  was  announced  here  on  Fri- 
day, by  David  A.  Lipton,  advertising- 
publicity  director. 

The  premiere  will  be  augmented  by 
the  origination  of  "The  Life  of  Riley" 
radio  broadcast  from  the  stage  of  the 
Grand  Theatre,  together  with  the  ap- 
pearance of  personalities  of  both  screen 
and  radio  shows.  All  proceeds  will  be 
donated  to  the  Children's  Home  of 
Cincinnati. 


Studio  Jobs  Show  Rise 

Hollywood,  Feb.  6. — Studio  em- 
ployment increased  in  December, 
according  to  the  monthly  report  of 
the  California  Bureau  of  Labor 
Statistics,  rising  from  November's 
74.2  to  75.2  on  the  Bureau's  scale, 
which  rates  1940  as  100. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley.  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver. 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley.  Advertising  Representative;  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative.  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington.  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Internationa] 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
vear.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c. 


Monday,  February  7,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Para.  Decree 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

by  the  U.  S.  District  court  here  and 
by  Paramount  stockholders  before  be- 
coming effective. 

Balaban,  according  to  general  but 
also  unconfirmed  reports,  would  re- 
main with  the  new  Paramount  pro- 
duction-distribution company,  should 
the  plan  become  effective. 

One  Year  to  Effect  Changes 

Paramount  will  be  allowed  one 
year  from  the  date  of  final  approval 
of  the  plan  to  carry  out  the  changes 
required. 

Indications  are  that  the  new  the- 
atre company  will  have  interests  in 
more  than  600  theatres.  Paramount 
has  agreed  that  no  "closed"'  situa- 
tions will  be  maintained  by  the  new 
company. 

It  is  reported  that  the  new  produc- 
tion-distribution company  will  retain 
a  limited  number  of  show-case  the- 
atres in  principal  cities,  as  RKO  is 
permitted  to  do  under  the  decree  it 
entered  into  with  the  government  last 
December. 

Paramount  stockholders  will  receive 
equities  in  both  new  companies,  pre- 
sumably on  the  basis  of  one  share  in 
each  company  for  every  share  held  in 
the  present  company. 

Clark's  Approval  Believed  Assured 

Signing  of  the  decree  by  Clark  is 
regarded  as  virtually  certain,  with 
the  plan  being  presented  to  the  court 
within  the  next  few  weeks.  When 
signed  by  the  court  Paramount  will 
be  eliminated,  as  RKO  already  has 
been,  from  the  10-year-old  govern- 
ment anti-trust  suit,  still  in  litigation. 

Warner's,  Loew's  and  20th  Century- 
Fox,  agreeing  to  the  split-up  of  some 
joint  theatre  partnerships  and  the 
elimination  of  closed  situations  where 
they  may  exist,  currently  appear  in- 
clined to  rest  their  cases  with  the 
court  on  that  basis.  Whether  the 
Paramount  settlement  will  cause  any 
of  the^  to  alter  their  presently  indi- 
cated course  in  the  remaining  litiga- 
tion is  unknown. 


Myers  Assails 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


that  conceivably  could  be  appropriate 
is  one  that  is  purely  procedural  and 
merely  provides  the  machinery  for 
settling  differences  arising  under  the 
Court's  final  decree." 
.  The  "obvious  purpose  and  intent" 
of  many  of  the  plan's  provisions  is 
to  force  a  return  to  competitive  bid- 
ding, Myers  charged. 

Myers  said  that  the  fact  that  the 
plan  embodies  substantive  provisions 
and  that  these  provisions  are  "plainly 
contrary  to  the  Supreme  Court's  de- 
cision precludes  any  possibility  that 
the  plan  will  be  approved  by  the  De- 
partment of  Justice  or  by  the  District 
Court.  '  Congress  can,  in  effect,  re- 
verse the  Supreme  Court  by  the  en- 
actment or  repeal  of  legislation,  but 
we  know  of  no  other  tribunal  or 
agency  that  has  such  power." 

Lauds  Court's  Selling  Method 

The  Allied  official  said  that  the 
Supreme  Court  had  devised  the  "most 
satisfactory"  selling  method  in  allow- 
ing films  to  be  bought  in  blocks  or 
groups  so  long  as  there  is  no  require- 
ment for  the  purchase  of  more  than 
one  film  and  providing  a  20  per  cent 
cancellation  right  for  the  exhibitor  if 
a  group  of  films  is  licensed  without 
being  trade  shown. 

"Now  these  distributors  by  their  so- 


called  arbitration  plan,"  he  continued, 
"propose  an  injunction  binding  on 
themselves  and  such  other  distributors 
as  may  be  included  in  it,  from  offering 
or  licensing  their  pictures  other  than 
theatre-by-theatre  and  picture-by-pic- 
ture. This  method  of  selling,  it  will 
be  recalled,  was  a  part  of  the  District 
Court's  plan  for  competitive  bidding, 
which  was  opposed  by  all  exhibitors 
and  was  thrown  out  by  the  Supreme 
Court." 

Myers  said  he  believed  the  high 
court  in  the  Paramount  case  had 
meant  to  bar  the  defendants  from  deal- 
ing with  their  wholly-owned  theatres 
on  their  own  terms,  and  said  that  the 
Jackson  Park  and  Goldman  case  de- 
crees, which  the  Supreme  Court  re- 
fused to  review,  made  no  exception  in 
favor  of  wholly-owned  theatres. 


Depinet  Honored 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ing  the  ideals  of  NCCJ  were  presented 
by  Bernard  Baruch  to  Irene  Dunne, 
and  by  Nelson  A.  Rockefeller  to  Rich- 
ard Rodgers  and  Oscar  Hammerstein 
II.  Rockefeller  is  national  chairman 
of  "Brotherhood  Week,"  which  the 
NCCJ  will  sponsor  from  Feb.  20-27. 
Louis  Nizer,  attorney  and  author,  was 
toastmaster.  The  National  Anthem 
was  sung  by  Lucy  Monroe  and  an  in- 
vocation was  delivered  by  the  Rev. 
Edwin  H.  Brown. 

In  receiving  his  award,  Depinet  said, 
"We  who  are  concerned  with  the  mak- 
ing and  showing  of  motion  pictures 
have  never  allowed  a  bigoted  message 
on  our  screens.  Rather,  our  films 
have  time  and  again  told  the  Ameri- 
can story  of  fellowship  and  equality. 
Therefore,  it  is  only  natural  that  we 
in  the  motion  picture  industry  should 
come  forward  now  in  behalf  of  Broth- 
erhood Week.  I  am  sure  that  all  of 
us  will  continue  this  battle  against 
bigotry  as  long  as  necessary  with  the 
same  vigorous  sincerity  that  we  are 
putting  into  it  now." 

Among  the  many  present  were  Da- 
vid Weinstock,  Montague  Salmon, 
Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Emanuel  Silver- 
stone,  James  A.  Mulvey,  George  F. 
Dembow,  Maurice  Bergman,  Fred 
Lynch,  Irving  Maas,  Sol  A.  Schwartz. 


MPA,  US  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


has  hit  distribution  of  U.  S.  pictures 
in  Brazil. 

Undersecretary  of  State  Webb  and 
Assistant  Secretaries  Willard  Thorpe 
and  George  Allen  will  meet  with  the 
company  officials  at  luncheon  at 
MPAA  headquarters  here,  and,  after 
lunch,  the  foreign  managers  will  meet 
with  top  ECA  officials,  especially 
those  charged  with  administering  the 
convertibility  guaranty  program. 

John  G.  McCarthy,  manager  of 
MPAA's  international  division,  will 
also  come  here  from  New  York  to 
participate  in  the  meeting. 

Weekend  reports  from  Rio  de  Ja- 
neiro indicated  that  refusal  of  Brazil- 
ian authorities  to  permit  an  increase 
in  theatre  admission  prices  has  re- 
sulted in  a  virtual  halt  in  imports  of 
U.  S.  pictures.  The  American  film 
companies,  it  was  said,  have  not  sent 
any  new  pictures  to  Brazil  since  early 
last  month  after  they  failed  in  their 
efforts  to  obtain  higher  admissions. 


Anglo  -  U.  S.  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1). 


itors'  Association  representatives,  not 
members  of  the  Council,  be  permitted 
to  accompany  the  British  delegation 
whenever  the  meeting  occurs.  Rank 
is  opposed  to  that  suggestion,  too. 

British  exhibitors  are  active  oppo- 
nents of  Britain's  45  per  cent  film 
quota  law. 

Despite  trans-Atlantic  telephone 
conversations  with  Rank,  Johnston 
still  is  anxious  for  a  postponement  of 
the  meeting. 

The  situation  is  viewed  here  as  in- 
dicating the  apprehension  of  the  Brit- 
ish members  of  the  Council  over  the 
forthcoming  report  of  the  Lord  Por- 
tal committee  inquiring  into  industry 
operations  for  the  government.  It  is 
generally  conceded  there  is  a  good 
chance  the  committee  will  recommend 
divorcement  of  exhibition  from  pro- 
duction-distribution here. 

Britons  Prefer  Scheduled  Date 

British  industry  members  of  the 
Council,  therefore,  would  prefer  the 
meeting  to  be  held  on  the  scheduled 
date  since  there  is  little  possibility 
of  the  report  being  issued  then.  Amer- 
icans, on  the  other  hand,  are  regarded 
as  favoring  the  postponement  of  the 
meeting  until  after  the  report — which 
could  alter  the  whole  complexion  of 
the  forthcoming  discussions — is  issued. 
Nicholas  Schenck  and  Barney  Bala- 
ban are  the  other  members  of  the 
American  Council  group. 

Sir  Henry  told  the  press  on  Fri- 
day that  he  does  not  regard  the  forth- 
coming Council  meeting  as  a  bargain- 
ing occasion,  despite  his  view  that 
American  distribution  of  British  pic- 
tures inevitably  will  be  an  item  for 
discussion  on  the  meeting's  agenda. 

He  claimed  that  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  for  representatives  of  the 
American  and  British  film  industries 
to  gather  around  a  table  at  the  earli- 
est possible  date  to  dispose  of  the 
causes  of  embitterment  on  both  sides. 


Magill  Leaves  F.C. 

Philadelphia,  Feb.  6— Mort  Ma- 
gill, Film  ,  Classics  branch  manager 
here,  has  resigned.  He  has  purchased 
half  interest  in  Principal  Films  here 
and  will  distribute  with  David  Moliver. 


Lord  Portal's  Committee 
To  Hear  Trade  Union 

London,  Feb.  6. — Lord  Portal's 
committee  conducting  an  inquiry  for 
the  government  into  industry-wide 
practices  will  complete  hearing  evi- 
dence on  distribution  operations  with 
the  appearance  before  it  on  Tuesday 
of  Sam  Eckman,  Loew's  managing 
director  here. 

It  will  hear  trade  union  representa- 
tives next.  Producers  already  have 
been  heard.  Exhibitors  have  not 
sought  to  put  in  testimony  but  have 
prepared  information  in  the  event  they 
are  summoned. 


Albany  TOA  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


and  Troy  was  defeated  by  action  of 
alert  exhibitors. 

Under  the  proposed  subdivision, 
legislative  committees  in  the  Albany, 
Buffalo  and  New  York  zones  would 
coordinate  their  work  with  the.  state- 
wide committee  already  existing  here. 

Another  topic  discussed  was  wheth- 
er exhibitors  can  belong  to  a  TOA 
branch  without  also  maintaining  mem- 
bership in  the  national  organization. 
Several  exhibitors,  it  is  understood, 
believe  national  TOA  dues,  now  set 
at  10  cents  per  seat,  but  scheduled  for 
a  reduction  to  five  cents  in  September, 
are  too  high  for  them.  They  have 
asked  to  join  the  Albany  area  TOA 
only.  No  decision  on  this  question  was 
made,  and  the  fixing  of  local  dues  was 
deferred. 


Salary  Reports 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Treasury  are  before  individual  in- 
come tax,  which  ranges  in  the  cases 
of  the  motion  picture  people  reported 
upon  from  approximately  50  per  cent 
to  more  than  85  per  cent  of  the 
amounts  received. 

Following  are  the  Treasury's  com- 
pany-by-company reports : 

MONOGRAM  (for  the  fiscal  year  ending 
June  30,  1947):  Steve  Broidy,  $100,147 
(salary:  $40,150;  commission:  $46,815:  bo- 
nus: $13,182).  * 

COLUMBIA  (for  the  fiscal  year  ending 
June  30,  1947):  Irving  Briskin,  $78,000; 
rlarry  .Cohn,  $197,600  (salary:  $182,000; 
other  compensation:  $15,600);  Jack  Cohn 
$143,600  (salary:  $130,000;  other  compen- 
sation: $15,600);  Helen  Deutsch;  $118  250" 
Don  Hartman,  $103,000;  Rita  Hayworth! 
$94,916;  Al  Hall,  $143,000;  B.  B.  Kabane 
$96,d00;  Abe  Montague,  $130,000;  Casey 
Robinson,  $150,000;  Ginger  Rogers,  $157,- 
142  (an  earlier  salary  list  reported  Miss 
Rogers  as  receiving  $84,478  from  Vanguard 
-films,  giving  her  a  total  of  $241,620  for 
the  year);  Rosalind  Russell,  $190,104- 
Abraham  Schneider,  $93,600  (salary:  $86,- 
000;  other  compensation  $7,600)  -  X  B 
Spmgold,  $83,200  (salary:  $78,000;  other 
compensation:  $5,200);  Charles  Vidor,  $92,- 

y  1 6. 

UNIVERSAL,  FILM  EXCHANGES, 
INC.  (for  the  fiscal  year  ending  October 
31,  1947):  William  A.  Scully,  $91,000. 

UNIVERSAL,  -  INTERNATIONAL 
ilLMS,  INC.  for  the  fiscal  year  ending 
October  31,  1947)  :  Joseph  H.  Seidelman, 
$/o,400. 

UNIVERSAL  PICTURES  (fiscal  year 
ending  October  31,  1947):  Bud  Abbott, 
$120,730  (salary:  $/7,3o6;  other  compensa- 
tion: $43,363);  Compton  Bennett,  $84,666; 
Claude  Binyon,  $77,884  (Binyon  was  listed 
m  a  previous  salary  list  as  receiving  $77,- 
S84  from  Paramount,  giving  him  a  total  of 
s2oo,384  for  the  year);  Nate  J.  Blumberg, 
$188,784  (salary:  $117,000;  other-  $71,784)- 
Uiaries  Boyer,  $125,000;  Claudette  Colbert 
$83,871  (salary:  $83,333;  other:  $538);  Lou 
Costello,  $128,345  (salary:  $116,050;  other: 
$12,295);  J.  Cheever  Cowdin,  $188,784 
(salary:  $117,000;  other:  $71,784)-  Wil- 
liam M,  Dozier,  $127,500;  Deanna  Durbin, 
$323,447  (salary:  $193,000;  other:  $130- 
4/7);  Dan  Duryea,  $151,086;  Chester  Er- 
sKine,  $157,364  (salary:  $63,750;  other' 
$93,614);  Fred  Finkelhoffe,  $118,614  (sal- 
ary: $25,000;  other:  $93,614);  Matthew 
Fox,  $126,606  (salary:  $91,000;  other:  $35,- 
606);  William  Goetz,  $284,000;  W.  J 
Heineman,  $84,058;  Zoltan  Korda,  $100- 
000;  Rufus  Le  Maire,  $76,500;  Robert 
Montgomery,  $250,000;  Fred  MacMurray 
$175,000;  Irving  Pichel,  $127,500;  C  D 
Prutzman,  $111,006  (salary:  $75,400;  other- 
$35,606);  Walter  Reisch,  $79,000;  William 
A.  Seiter,  $80,000;  Robert  Siodmak.  $142,- 
158;  Joe  Sistrom,  $102,000;  Samuel  Spiegel 
$116,500;  Leo  Spitz,  $132,000;  Karl  Tun- 
berg,  $114,750;  Walter  Wanger,  $?24  1?7 
(salary:  $27,500;  other:  $196,627).' 

WARNER  BROTHERS  CIRCUIT 
MANAGEMENT  CORP.  (fiscal  year  end- 
ing August  31,  1947):  J.  E.  Coston,  $107,- 
900  (salary:  $72,800;  bonus:  $29,900;  other: 
$5,200);  I.  J.  Hoffman,  S81,900  (salary: 
$52,000;  bonus:  529,900);  H.  Kalmine, 
$112,700  (salary:  $99,700;  other:  $13,000). 

WARNER  BROTHERS  PICTURES, 
INC.  (fiscal  year  ending  August  31,  1947): 
Lew  Ayres,  $105,000;  Tack  Benny,  $125,- 
000;  Henry  Blanke,  $218,833;  Humphrey 
Bogart,  $467,361;  David  Butler,  $150,000; 
Jack  Carson,  $159,833;  Toan  Crawford, 
$156,250:  Delmar  Daves,  5131,000;  Bette 
Davis.  $328,000;  Errol  Flynn,  $199,999; 
Leo  Forbstein,  $91,000;  Alex  Gottlieb,  $99,- 
500;  Sidney  Greenstreet, .  $96,250;  Alan 
Hale,  $86,916;  Walter  Huston,  $100,000; 
William  Jacobs,  $78,000;  Ida  Lupino,  5120,- 
000;  Thomas  Mitchell,  $84,375;  Stanley 
Morner  (Dennis  Morgan).  $325,892;  R.  W. 
Perkins.  $87,000  (salary:  $73,700;  other: 
$13,300);  Irving  Rapper,  S97,000;  Ronald 
Reagan.  5169,750;  S.  Z.  Sakall.  SI  17,500; 
S.  Schneider,  $91,350  (salary:  578,000; 
other:  $13,350);  Ann  Sheridan,  $269,345; 
Vincent  Sherman.  $112,000;  Alexis  Smith, 
$120,000;  B.  Starr,  $78,000;  Max  Steiner, 
$104,000;  S.  B.  Trilling.  $78,000;  Jerry 
Wald,  5127.400;  Raoul  Walsh,  $182,000; 
Albert  Warner.  $104,300  (salary:  S91.000; 
other:  $13,300);  H.  M.  Warner,  5182,050 
(salarv:  $182,000;  other:  $50):  J.  L.  War- 
ner, 8182,150  (salarv:  $182,000;  other: 
$150). 

WARNER  BROTHER  PICTURES 
DISTRIBUTING  CO.  (fiscal  year  ending 
August  31.  1947):  B.  Kalmenson,  $112,700 
(salarv:  $99,700:  other:  $13,000). 


A  national  event  - 
like  the  Rose  Bowl, 
the  Circus,  the  4th 
of  July!  Each  year 
America  looks  to 
Tarzan  time!  Each 
year  the  grosses 
grow.  .  .  for  the 
longest,  most  suc- 
cessful series  in 
boxofflce  history! 
When  it's  Tarzan 
time,  it's  profit 
time! 


MW* HAILS "TARZAH'BARKiRi 

°*  *°rker  very  aood  ,n  —  **™C/ 


hn  debut  as  new  Tarzan!" 

-Showmen's  Trade  Review 

2°r!:er  Sh°uld  Mainly 

from        ^  °f  ^0,0/ 
rro/n  fans!" 

—Film  Daily 

porker  seems  earmarked 
r<>r  a  long  career!" 

"Barf<er  scores  hit  B°rker  certainly  pos 

.eau°l'o  any  back  to  Elmo'  T***  '*a  *«"*-o'-»na» 
L'^oln!"  _HollywoQd  J™      Physiaue  and  agility!" 

-Boxofflce 


R  K  O 
RADIO 


"Barker  and  Joyce  make 

,°»  e*cellent  tarzan' 
team!" 

-The  Exhibitor 

barker  acquits  himself  /„ 
0  »oy  that  will  pQY  off!„ 

-Daily  Variety 


r  IRo  1 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate 

MM 

■  ■  All 

Loncise 

FILM 

ana 

NEWS 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.  NO.  27 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  FEBRUARY  8,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


f Little  3'  Hit 
Arbitration  in 
Memo  to  Court 


Majors'  Plan  Is  Rejected; 
Proposed  Separate  Decree 

United  Artists,  Columbia  and 
Universal,  in  a  joint  memorandum 
filed  yesterday,  told  the  New  York 
Federal  Court  that  the  majors'  pro- 
posals for  an  arbitration  system  is  un- 
acceptable to  them,  and  proposed  a 
separate  decree  without  provision  for 
any  such  system. 

No  further  comment  was  given  by 
the  Little  Three  in  the  memorandum 
which  also  contained  their  proposed 
findings  and  conclusions  in  the  case. 
However,  Columbia's  counsel,  Louis 
D.  Frohlich,  is  on  record  as  firmly 
opposed  to  arbitration  on  the  grounds 
that  it  serves  no  purpose  and  failed  to 
avert  any  private  court  actions.  Uni- 
versal and  UA  attorneys  have  told  the 
New  York  court  that  the  costs  which 
arbitration  would  entail  would  be 
their  primary  consideration. 

So  far  the  arbitration  system  has 
the  endorsements  of  Paramount, 
Loew's,  2'0th  Century-Fox  and  War- 
ner. RKO  will  consider  it  when  it 
finalizes  its  reorganization  under  its 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


More  Storms  Bring 
More  Film  Delays 

Salt  Lake  City,  Feb.  7.— Film  de- 
liveries are  being  delayed  in  the  Salt 
Lake  City  exchange  territory  as  new 
snowstorms  and  drifts  isolate  many 
cities,  blocking  trains  and  trucks. 

Pocatello  has  been  paralyzed  and 
Idaho  Falls  has  been  blockaded.  Thea- 
tres with  Tuesday  openings  expect  to 
suffer  further  if  prints  are  held  up 
many  more  hours.  Attendance  is  away 
down  in  many  areas,  although  it  is 
pretty  good  in  Salt  Lake.  It  is,  how- 
ever, below  normal  in  all  of  the  big- 
gest places  in  Idaho.  In  Montana, 
severe  cold  has  cut  some  attendance. 


Untapped  Market  Is 
Seen  by  Del  Giudice 


A  vast  potential  market  exists 
among  millions  of  discriminating  peo- 
ple who  rarely  go  to  a  theatre  because 
of  stereotyped  films,  Filippo  Del  Giu- 
dice, British  producer,  asserted  here 
yesterday  on  his  arrival  on  the  S.S. 
Caronia.    Through  proper  production 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Para.  Partnerships  Must 
Be  Ended  in  1  to  3  Years 


Keep  Sales  Within 
The  Law,  Rodgers 
Warns  MGM's  Force 


Hollywood,  Feb.  7. — Pointing  out 
that  "living  up  to  the  law  is  an  in- 
dividual responsibility,"  M-G-M  dis- 
tribution vice-president  William  F. 
Rodgers  today  warned  sales  managers 
and  field  personnel  attending  the  com- 
pany's "25th  Anniversary"  convention 
here  to  adhere  closely  to  the  dictates 
of  court  directives  when  marketing 
product. 

"The  company,"  Rodgers  cautioned, 
"can't  go  to  jail,  but  you  may,  if  you 
are  found  to  be  in  contempt  of  the 
courts." 

In  an  address  which  ranged  over 
sundry  aspects  to  motion  picture  sell- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Mayer  Links  Own, 
Schenck's  Tenure 


Hollywood,  Feb.  7. — Louis  B.  May- 
er told  the  M-G-M  sales  conference 
here  today  that  he  expects  to  continue 
as  head  of  the  studio  as  long  as  Nich- 
olas M.  Schenck  remains  company 
president,  rumors  to  the  contrary  not- 
withstanding. Mayer  said  he  never 
has  been  "in  such  good  health  and 
spirit." 

The  assemblage  of  home  office,  field 
and  studio  personnel  and  executives 

l Continued  on  page  6) 


Dubious  About  Tax 
Breakdown  for  TO  A 


Washington,  Feb.  7. — Bureau  of 
Internal  Revenue  officials  said  they 
doubted  the  government  would  be  able 
to  accede  to  the  request  of  the  Theatre 
Owners  of  America  for  a  better  break- 
down of  admission  tax  collections. 

TOA  has  asked  the  Treasury  to  re- 
port a  separate  monthly  figure  on  col- 
lections from  motion  picture  theatres. 
At  present,  these  collections  are  re- 
ported together  with  collections  from 
sports  events,  concerts,  legitimate  the- 
atres and  other  general  admission 
events. 

Bureau  officials  said  that  the  change 
would  be  extremely  costly,  requiring 
completely  new  tax  reporting  forms. 


Decree  Calls  for  Dissolution  of  One  -  Third 
Of  Partnerships  Annually;  Balaban  to  Head 
Picture  Company,  Goldenson  Theatre  Co, 


Paramount  would  have  to  wind  up  its  affairs  in  one-third  of  the 
theatres  it  now  owns  with  partners  within  one  year,  in  another  third 
by  the  end  of  two  years,  and  in  the  final  third  by  the  end  of  three 
years  under  the  proposed  consent  decree  which  it  is  entering  into 
with  the  government. 

The  decree  permits  Paramount  to 
acquire  the  interests  of  the  partners 
in  a  limited  number  of  cases.  In  the 
other  cases,  it  must  sell  out  to  the 
partners.  All  theatres  held  with 
partners  would  have  to  be  settled  one 
way  or  the  other  on  the  schedule  out- 
lined above. 

The  proposed  decree,  which  was 
ratified  by  the  Paramount  board  last 
week  and  is  slated  to  go  to  U.  S.  At- 
torney General  Tom  Clark  late  this 
week,  sets  up  three  different  dead- 
lines for  Paramount  to  do  various 
things. 

By  the  end  of  the  first  year, 
the  company  would  have  to  be 
split  into  producer-distributor 
and  exhibitor  companies  —  in 
other  words,  divorcement. 
By  the  end  of  the  second 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Skouras  Favors  U.K.- 
U.  S.  Meet  in  March 

London,  Feb.  7.  —  Spyros 
Skouras,  20th  Century-Fox 
president,  told  a  press  con- 
ference here  today  he  would 
welcome  a  meeting  of  the 
Anglo-American  Films  Coun- 
cil on  the  originally  fixed 
dates,  March  23-25,  in  New 
York. 

Eric  Johnston  has  urged 
postponement  of  the  meeting, 
against  wishes  of  the  British 
members,  until  early  summer. 
Skouras  is  not  a  member  of 
the  Council. 


Skouras  Reveals 
U.K.  Filming  Plans 


London,  Feb.  7. — Spyros  Skouras 
told  a  press  conference  here  today 
that  20th  Century-Fox  plans  to  pro- 
duce three  more  pictures  in  Britain 
after  completion  of  "Male  Bride," 
Cary  Grant  starrer  now  in  production. 

He  said  20th-Fox  is  utilizing  every 
available  pound  in  making  pictures 
here  and  said  that  in  its  ambitious 
program  it  would  match  a  dollar 
against  every  frozen  pound. 

The  next  three  to  be  made  here,  he 
said,  will  cost  an  average  of  $3,500,000 
each,  beginning  with  "Black  Rose." 

Skouras  said  Sir  Alexander  Korda's 
present  arrangements  with  David 
Selznick  prevent  20th-Fox  from  dis- 
tributing Korda's  pictures  in  America. 
He  said  if  Korda  and  J.  Arthur  Rank 
offer  pictures  suitable  for  American 
distribution  they  are  assured  of  suc- 
cess, adding  "if  only  they  had  audience 
appeal  like  'Red  Shoes'  and  'Ham- 
let'." 

He  denied  current  reports  that  Rank 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


E-L  Aims  for  12,000 
Dates  for  Drive 


Highlight  of  Eagle-Lion's  current 
Jack  Schlaifer  testimonial  drive  will 
be  "President's  Week,"  which  will 
run  from  April  29  to  May  5,  in  tribute 
to  E-L  president  Arthur  B.  Krim. 
Announcement  of  the  tribute  was  made 
here  by  William  J.  Heineman,  sales 
vice-president,  at  the  two-day  New 
York  weekend  sales  meeting  which  is 
setting  off  a  nationwide  series  of  sales 
sessions. 

Goal  of  the  week,  Heineman  de- 
clared, would  be  a  minimum  of  12,000 
bookings  of  Eagle-Lion  films  during 
the  week.  In  general  release,  he  re- 
vealed, will  be  "He  Walked  by 
Night,"  "Red  Stallion  in  the  Rockies," 
Walter  Wanger's  "Reign  of  Terror," 
Wanger's  "Tulsa,"  "The  Big  'Cat," 
and  J.  Arthur  Rank's  "Scott  of  the 
Antarctic."  Also  in  release  will  be 
Eagle-Lion's  reissue  of  David  O. 
Selznick's  "Since  You  Went  Away," 
and  two  Red  Ryder  Westerns  in  Cine- 
color,  "Ride,  Ryder,  Ride"  and  "'Roll, 
Thunder,  Roll." 


m 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  February  8,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


CHARLES     C.  MOSKOWITZ, 
Loew   vice-president,    will  leave 
here  Thursday  for  Hollywood. 
• 

Eric  Johnston  and  William  I. 
Chenery,  Collier's  publisher,  will 
confer  with  President  Truman  today 
at  the  White  House  regarding  Col- 
lier's annual  award  to  outstanding 
Congressmen.  Johnston  is  chairman 
of  the  awards  committee. 

• 

Marvin  Paris,  executive  secretary 
of  the  Society  of  Independent  Motion 
Picture  Producers,  has  returned  to 
Hollywood  from  New  York. 

Montague  Salmon,  managing  di- 
rector of  the  Rivoli  Theatre  here,  and 
Mrs.  Salmon,  left  here  yesterday  for 
Hollywood. 

• 

Joe  Weil,  chief  of  the  Red  Cross 
motion  picture  and  television  films 
section,  left  here  for  Hollywood  yes- 
terday. 

• 

Adolph  Schimel,  Universal  attor- 
ney, has  arrived  in  London  from  New 
York. 

J.  Cheever  Cowdin,  Universal 
board  chairman,  has  returned  to  New 
York  from  the  Coast. 

• 

James   V.   Boyle,   former  motion 
picture  publicist,  has  joined  the  Ralph 
C.  Coxhead  Vari-Typer  Corp.  here. 
• 

Eugen  Sharin  of  Ambassador 
Films,  has  left  here  for  Vienna. 


Horwits  Named  U  - 1 
Studio  Publicity  Head 

Al  Horwits,  Eastern  publicity  mana- 
ger of  Universal-International,  will 
assume  the  duties  of  studio  publicity 
director  on  March  1,  it  was  announced 
here  yesterday  by  David  A.  Lipton, 
national  advertising-publicity  director. 
John  Joseph,  former  national  advertis- 
ing-publicity director  for  U-I,  had  as- 
sumed the  duties  of  studio  publicity 
manager  when  J.  L.  (Les)  Kaufman 
resigned  several  weeks  ago. 

Horwits  joined  the  Universal  pub- 
licity staff  here  in  1942  under  Mau- 
rice Bergman  and  a  year  later  was 
named  publicity  manager.  Previously, 
he  was  a  newspaperman  in  Philadel- 
phia and  also  engaged  in  public  rela- 
tions activity.  After  a  quick  trip  to 
the  studio  next  week  for  meetings  with 
Lipton,  Horwits  will  return  to  New 
York  to  clear  his  desk. 


Zimbalist  on  Leave; 
Gross  in  Ad  Post 

Al  Zimbalist,  advertising-publicity 
director  of  Film  Classics,  is  taking  a 
leave  of  absence  from  the  organization 
beginning  Saturday,  for  a  rest.  He 
plans  to  spend  several  weeks  in 
Florida. 

Sydney  Gross,  assistant  to  Zimbalist, 
will  assume  the  duties  of  advertising- 
publicity  director,  according  to  B.  G. 
Kranze,  sales  vice-president. 


Harry  Rapf ,  68,  with 
Metro  for  25  Years 


Hollywood,  Feb.  7. — Funeral  ser- 
vices will  be  held  tomorrow  afternoon 
at  the  Wilshire  Boulevard  Temple  for 
Harry  Rapf,  68,  a  vice-president  and 
production  executive  of  Metro-Gold- 
wyn-Mayer,  who  died  here  Sunday  in 
Cedars  of  Lebanon  Hospital  after  a 
heart  attack.  He  had  worked  regularly 
at  the  studio  until  he  was  stricken  on 
Thursday. 

Rapf  produced  dozens  of  film  hits 
for  M-G-M,  in  the  course  of  which 
he  discovered  and  developed  such  stars 
as  Joan  Crawford  and  Margaret 
O'Brien  and  produced  all  the  films 
starring  the  late  Marie  Dressier. 

He  was  among  the  first  crusaders 
for  sound  pictures. 

Rapf  was  born  in  New  York  City 
and  was  reared  in  Denver.  He  organ- 
ized a  minstrel  show  in  Denver  when 
he  was  18  and  caught  the  eye  of  show- 
man Gus  Edwards,  who  put  him  in 
charge  of  a  revue,  and  he  remained 
with  the  vaudeville  artist  for  six  years 
before  opening  his  own  agency  in  New 
York  City. 

About  1914,  he.  joined  World  Film 
in  the  production  of  silent  pictures  in 
Fort  Lee,  N.  J.  He  went  to  Holly- 
wood in  1921  and  became  production 
manager  for  Warner  Brothers.  He 
went  with  M-G-M  in  1924. 
'  His  last  completed  picture  was  "Gal- 
lant Bess" ;  he  started  shooting  "The 
Scene  of  Crime"  last  week.  The 
widow,  two  sons,  Mathew  and  Mau- 
rice, and  a  brother,  Arthur,  survive. 


Spyros  Skouras  Heads 
N.  Y.  Red  Cross  Drive 

William  S.  Hedges,  vice-president 
of  National  Broadcasting,  will  lead 
New  York's  entertainment  world  and, 
the  publishing,  advertising  and  graphic 
arts  industries  in  the  1949  Red  Cross 
campaign.  Serving  with  Hedges  as  a 
group  chairman  is  Spyros  P.  Skouras, 
president  of  20th  Century-Fox,  who 
will  head  the  entertainment  group,  in- 
cluding the  motion  picture  industry, 
legitimate  theatres,  the  radio  field  and 
the  music  world. 


11  'Depinet  Drive' 
Meetings  This  Week 

Walter  E.  Branson,  RKO  Radio 
Western  division  manager,  will  cover 
Milwaukee,  Minneapolis,  Sioux  Falls, 
Seattle  and  Portland  this  week  on  be- 
half of  the  "Depinet  Drive,"  accom- 
panied by  his  assistant,  Harry  Gittle- 
son. 

Nat  Levy,  Eastern  division  manager, 
and  Jiis  assistant,  Frank  Drumra,  will 
hold  drive  meetings  in  Buffalo,  De- 
troit and  Cleveland.  Charles  Boasberg 
will  be  in  Charlotte,  Atlanta  and  New 
Orleans,  accompanied  by  his  assistant, 
Carl  Peppercorn. 


'Green  Promise'  Premiere 

Houston,  Feb.  7. — A  premiere  cele- 
bration will  be  staged  here  on  March 
18  when  Glenn  McCarthy's  "The 
Green  Promise"  will  open  at  the  Ma- 
jestic Theatre.  This  RKO  Radio  re- 
lease was  made  with  the  cooperation 
of  the  National  4-H  Clubs. 


N.Y.  lst-Run 
Business  Big 


Handsome  array  of  new  product, 
given  added  support  by  top  stage-show 
names,  is  providing  New  York  first- 
runs  with  big  business  this  week.  Ma- 
jority of  the  holdovers,  too,  are  con- 
tributing to  the  prosperity. 

The  Roxy  is  raking  in  magnificent 
returns  with  "Yellow  Sky"  and  the 
stage  appearance  of  Danny  Kaye.  The 
show  figures  to  draw  $138,000  in  a 
first  week.  "The  Bribe,"  with  Arthur 
Godfrey  and  his  Talent  Scouts  on 
stage  probably  will  give  the  Capitol  a 
top-notch  first  week's  income  of 
$101,000. 

At  the  Strand,  "John  Loves  Mary" 
with  Jack  Carson  among  others  on 
stage,  looks  good  for  $60,000,  in  an 
initial  week.  An  estimated  $55,000', 
which  is  about  what  was  expected,  is 
apparent  for  the  first  week  of  "My 
Own  True  Love"  with  the  Three  Sons 
and  Monica  Lewis  on  stage  at  the 
Paramount. 

"He  Walked  By  Night"  is  likely  to 
reach  $35,000,  vigorous  business,  in  a 
first  week  at  the  Criterion.  "Tarzan's 
Magic  Fountain"  is  off  to  a  good  start 
at  the  Globe  where  $17,500  is  seen  for 
the  first  week.  "So  Dear  to  My 
Heart"  is  doing  nicely  at  the  Palace 
with  $25,000  expected  for  a  second 
week. 

"Letter  to  Three  Wives"  continues 
splendidly  at  the  Music  Hall  where 
$130,000  is  indicated  for  the  third 
week.  "Wake  of  the  Red  Witch" 
probably  will  do  $20,000,  which  is  good 
enough,  in  a  fifth  and  final  week  at 
the-  Mayfair;  it  will  be  replaced  on 
Saturday  by  "My  Dear  Secretary." 

At  the  Astor,  "Enchantment"  is 
holding  up  well  enough  with  $19,000 
likely  for  the  seventh  week.  The  As- 
ter's next  will  be  Columbia's  "Knock 
on  Any  Door,"  to  open  on  Feb.  22. 
"Command  Decision"  is  strong  at  the 
State  where  the  third  week's  take 
probably  will  hit  $47,000. 

"Snake  Pit"  continues  to  take  big 
money  at  the  Rivoli,  the  14th  week's 
income  being  estimated  at  $34,000.  At 
the  Park,  "Hamlet"  still  is  playing 
to  capacity  and  the  19th  week's  gross 
is  estimated  at  $16,000.  Another  steady 
top  grosser  is  "Red  Shoes"  at  the  Bi- 
jou where  $15,800  is  apparent  for  a 
17th  week. 


USO  Thanks  Industry 

The  USO  fund-raising  trailer,  re- 
leased yesterday,  has  proved  an  out- 
standing example  of  cooperation  on 
the  part  of  the  industry,  according  to 
George  J.  Schaefer,  USO  motion  pic- 
ture committee  chairman,  who  has 
been  asked  by  the  USO  to  thank  all 
concerned  with  the  production  and 
screening  of  the  trailer. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — 

Rockefeller  Center 

[Jeanne    GRAIN     -     Linda  DARNELL 
Ann  SOTHERN 

'A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES" 

jKIRK    DOUGLAS    -    PAUL  DOUGLAS  - 
JEFFREY  LYNN 

A    20th  Century  -  Fox  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


PHYLLIS         MELVYN  -*\  -"•     ""»•-  ■-  " 

CALVERT- DOUGLAS 

.,ih  WANDA  HENDRIX 


Samuel  Goldwyn  presents 

ENCHANTMENT 


Starring 

DAVID  NIVEN  TERESA  WRIGHT 

EVELYN  KEYES  FARLEY  GRANGER 

Released  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 

ASTOR  THEATER 

Broadway  &  45th  Street 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER,  ^^ad.ay 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


r 


OLIVIA  de  HAYILLAND  I 


Hope's  Video  Plans  Hit 

Washington,  Feb.  7.  —  Federal 
Communications  Commissioner  Hyde 
has  turned  down  Bob  Hope's  request 
for  a  60-day  delay  of  the  hearing  now 
set  for  Feb.  28  on  bids  by  Hope  and 
two  other  applicants  for  Louisville  sta- 
tion WHAS  and  its  television  con- 
struction permit.  If  Hyde's  action  is 
upheld  in  an  appeal,  Hope's  bid  of 
$1,925,000  for  the  station  probably  will 
be  withdrawn,  it  was  said. 


Leonard  in  New  Post 

Atlanta,  Feb.  7. — Charles  Leon- 
ard, formerly  with  Columbia  and 
Warner  here  and  Astor  Pictures  in 
Charlotte,  has  returned  to  Atlanta  as 
manager  of  the  new  Madison  Ex- 
change owned  by  Bob  Pinson. 


the  Snake  Pi  t 


I Directed  by  Produced  by 

ANAIOU  inVAK  •  ANAIOtE  LOTAH  S  ROBERT  BASSLfR 


KlVOJL.1 


JOAN 
of  ARC 


starring  1 


INGRID 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COIOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  ■  CAST  Of  THOUSANDS 


»ilhJOSEEERRER-fRANCISL  SULLIVAN  •  J  'ARROl  NAISH  •  WABD  BOND  5 
SHEPPEROSIRUDVVICK.HURD  HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHART  .  JOHN  EMERY  I 
GEORGE  COULOURIS.  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY  ■ 
based  upon  Ine  slalje  play  loan  ol  Una.-?  By  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
-l,,,  b,  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  ona  ANDREW  SOLI  ■  o.l  dl.ccf.on  b, 
RICHARD  DAY  .  dtrcilor  ol  pholojroph,  JOSEPH  VALENTINE.  A  S  C. 

Piodmed  by  WAITER  WANCER  Oiiecled  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

i.d  by  SIERRA  PICTURES.  I»c  .  .  r.leoirt  b,  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


73  2*  WEEK' 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary ; 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club.  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  So;.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup.  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3.  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Tuesday,  February  8,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Review 


"A  Woman's  Secret" 

(RKO  Radio) 

WITH  such  cast  names  as  Melvyn  Douglas,  Maureen  O'Hara,  Gloria 
Grahame  and  Victor  Jory  available  for  marquee  purposes,  and  a  title 
that  poses  itself  as  a  lure  for  the  distaff  trade,  this  pat  and  polished  Herman 
J.  Mankiewicz  production  of  a  Vicki  Baum  novel  seems  assured  of  good 
commercial  sailing.  However,  aside  from  the  fact  that  its  plot  unfolds  in 
retrospect  through  the  use  of  the  flashback  technique,  "A  Woman's  Secret" 
does  not  emerge  as  much  of  a  story. 

A  young  radio  singer  (Miss  Grahame)  is  shot  following  an  argument  in 
her  apartment  with  her  mentor  (Miss  O'Hara).  The  latter  confesses  to  firing 
the  pistol,  but  Douglas,  co-mentor  and  a  big  radio  personality  in  his  own 
right,  is  certain  that  Miss  O'Hara  is  lying.  But  why?  To  find  out,  he  re- 
constructs in  conversations  with  police  detective  Jay  C.  Flippen  the  fabric 
of  past  associations  with  the  two  women.  His  flashback  recitations  completed, 
Douglas  has  convinced  the  detective  as  well  as  himself  that  the  assumption 
of  Miss  O'Hara's  innocence  was  correct.  She  lied,  it  appears,  because  she 
had  projected  her  own  personality  so  fully  in  the  singer  in  replacement  of 
the  singer's  own  that  suicide  for  the  singer  would  be  tantamount  to  suicide 
for  Miss  O'Hara.  Well,  the  singer  doesn't  die  anyway,  and  after  Miss  Gra- 
hame confesses  to  the  fact  that  the  shooting  was  an  accident  in  consequence 
of  a  struggle  between  the  two  women  over  possession  of  the  gun,  Miss 
O'Hara  indicates  that  she  herself  had  been  thinking  about  going  back  on 
her  confession.  As  it  turns  out,  there  was  much  ado  about  nothing,  more  or 
less. 

Douglas  functions  with  seasoned  efficiency  in  his  role,  although  it  is  to  be 
regretted  that  he  was  given  very  few  opportunities  to  lighten  its  burden  of 
straight-faced  seriousness.  Miss  O'Hara  registers  satisfactorily  as  his  roman- 
tic opposite,  and  Miss  Grahame  gives  a  good  account  of  herself  in  the  role  of 
a  smalltown  girl  turned  radio  artist.  Flippen  is  mellow  in  a  part  calling  for 
wry  humor.  Other  players  are  Mary  Philips,  Bill  Williams,  Robert  War- 
wick and  Emory  Parnell.  Nicholas  Ray  directed,  from  a  screenplay  by  Man- 
kiewicz. Picture  is  identified  as  a  Dore  Schary  presentation. 

Running  time,  85  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  February 
release.  Charles  L.  Franke 


Settle  N.  Y.  Labor 
Row  in  Two  Weeks 

Mass  shop  elections  which  will  set- 
tle "in  a  single  stroke"  the  long- 
standing AFL-CIO  rivalry  for  juris- 
dictional supremacy  at  film  company 
home  offices  will  be  conducted  by  the 
National  Labor  Relations  Board  in 
about  two  weeks,  it  was  indicated  yes- 
terday following  a  meeting  at  the 
NLRB  here  among  attorneys  and  rep- 
resentatives of  six  companies  and  the 
two  "white  collarite"  union  locals 
1  involved. 

Since  the  union  rivalry  broke  open 
early  last  year,  AFL's  IATSE  Mo- 
tion Picture  Home  Office  Employes 
Local  No.  H-63  has  succeeded  in 
winning  only  United  Artists'  home 
office  "collarites"  away  from  CIO's 
Screen  Office  and  Profesional  Em- 
ployes Guild.  The  only  other  con- 
tested shop,  RKO  Radio,  reverted  to 
SOPEG,  while  uncontested  NLRB 
elections  reaffirmed  SOPEG's  bar- 
gaining control  at  20th  Fox,  National 
Screen  and  Monogram. 

The  forthcoming  mass  elections  will 
decide  the  future  bargaining  agent  for 
the  following  shops  where  SOPEG 
reigned  before  the  now-settled  non- 
Communist  affidavit  issue  caused  the 
companies  to  rej  ect  that  union : 
Columbia,  Paramount,  Republic,  De- 
Luxe  Laboratories,  Loew  and  RKO 
Service  Corp.  Some  1,500  "collarites" 
are  involved. 


UA  "Collarites"  Vote  92-22 
In  Favor  of  a  Union  Shop 

United  Artists  home  office  "white 
collarites"  yesterday  voted  92  to  22 
in  favor  of  a  union  shop  in  an  election 
held  by  the  National  Labor  Relations 
Board  here,  it  was  reported  by  Rus- 
sell Moss,  business  agent  of  IATSE 
Motion  Picture  Home  Office  Em- 
ployes Local  No.  H-63,  the  employes' 
bargaining  representative.  The  local 
recently  won  a  10  per  cent  pay  in- 
crease for  UA  workers. 

RKO  and  20th  Give 
Operators  a  Raise 

Chicago,  Feb.  7— RKO  and  20th 
Century-Fox  have  signed  a  new  con- 
tract with  the  Chicago  operators  union, 
Local  No.  110,  which  grants  a  10  per 
cent  raise  for  its  operators'  union-em- 
ployer fund.  Projection  room  screen- 
ings were  resumed  here  today,  thus 
ending  a  four-week  hiatus  in  both  ex- 
changes. It  is  understood  the  two  com- 
panies balked  at  the  raise  because  of 
its  possible  effect  on  other  20th-Fox 
and  RKO  exchanges  in  the  country. 
Contract  became  effective  last  Sep- 
tember 1,  when  local  theatres  and  all 
other  distributors  approved  the  raise. 

Willard  Acquires  3, 
Is  Now  Operating  6 

Seattle,  Feb.  7. — Gene  Groesbeck, 
dean  of  Northwest  exhibitors,  has 
disposed  of  his  three  theatres  to  Frank 
Willard  of  Tacoma.  The  theatres  in- 
clude the  Avalon  and  Liberty,  in 
Enumclaw,  and  the  Cosmo  in  Buckley. 
Willard  owns,  in  addition,  the  Park- 
land, Tacoma,  a  theatre  in  Yelm,  and 
another  in  Orting. 

Phillips  Quits  DuMont 

Lawrence  Phillips,  director  of  the 
DuMont  Television  network,  has  re- 
signed to  return  to  the  business  of 
management  consultant,  which  he  left 
in  April,  1947,  to  join  DuMont. 


Canadian  Assn.  Post 
Goes  to  Fred  Dillon 

Toronto,  Feb.  7. — Fred  C.  Dillon, 
former  newspaperman,  will  succeed 
E.  H.  Wells  as  executive  secretary  of 
the  Canadian  Moving  Picture  Dis- 
tributors Assn.,  it  was  announced  here 
today.  The  appointment  will  be  effec- 
tive March  1. 

Dillon  will  make  his  headquarters 
in  Toronto  and  his  first  important  as- 
signment will  be  to  establish  the 
Children's  Film  Library  throughout 
Canada. 

2nd  Para.  vs.  Brandt 
Suit  Dismissal  Denial 

The  Appellate  Division  of  New 
York  State.  Supreme  Court  yesterday 
affirmed  Justice  Samuel  Hofstater's 
denial  of  dismissal  of  Paramount's 
$500,000  percentage  action  against 
New  York  exhibitor  Harry  Brandt, 
et  al. 

Brandt  appealed  to  the  Appellate 
Division  from  Justice  Hofstater's  de- 
nial, having  originally  appealed  to  the 
Supreme  Court  itself  for  dismissal. 

Bryson  Reports  Two 
Adverse  Measures 

Washington,  Feb.  7. — Jack  Bry- 
son, legislative  executive  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America, 
reports  here  the  introduction  of  a 
censorship  measure  in  West  Virginia 
and  a  bill  in  Indiana  which  would  im- 
pose a  temporary  20  per  cent  tax  to 
raise  enough  money  to  pay  a  soldiers' 
bonus. 


Griffith  Delay  Continued 

Oklahoma  City,  Feb.  7. — The 
Griffith  mandate  hearing  continued 
its  recess  until  Friday,  when  the  gov- 
ernment hopes  to  complete  its  review. 
Federal  Judge  Edgar  S.  Vaught  said 
that  the  case  may  then  be  recessed  for 
"several  weeks." 


Academy  Nominates 
5  Documentaries 

Hollywood,  Feb.  7. — The  Academy 
of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Science 
committee  on  documentaries  today 
nominated  two  feature  documentaries 
and  three  shorts,  from  which  Acad- 
emy Award  winners  will  be  chosen 
following  a  screening  Feb.  27. 

The  features  are  M-G-M's  "Secret 
Land"  and  "The  Quiet  One,"  pro- 
duced by  Film  Documents  and  dis- 
tributed by  Maye'r-Burstyn.  The  shorts 
are  "Operations  Vittles,"  U.  S.  Air 
Force  ;  "Heart  to  Heart,"  Fact  Films  ; 
and  "Toward  Independence,"  U.  S. 
Army. 


Deneau  at  E-L  Meet 

New  Orleans,  Feb.  7. — Sid  Deneau, 
SRO  executive,  is  attending  the 
Eagle-Lion  regional  meeting  in  New 
Orleans  today,  from  New  York,  with 
SRO  sales  executives  Henry  Krumm 
and  Alfred  Delcambre.  Deneau  will 
also  attend  the  Chicago  regional, 
Wednesday  and  Thursday,  with  Sam 
Horowitz,  Midwest  division  manager, 
and  the  San  Francisco  regional,  this 
weekend,  with  John  Howard,  Western 
division  manager  and  SRO's  Paul 
McNamara. 


SRO  Men  Join  IFD 

Toronto,  Feb.  7.— Morris  Diamond 
and  Cecil  Black,  formerly  Selznick 
Releasing  Organization  branch  mana- 
gers at  Winnipeg  and  Vancouver,  re- 
spectively, have  joined  International 
Film  Distributors,  it  has  been  learned 
here.  IFD  handles  Eagle-Lion  product 
in  Canada. 


Permits  Sunday  Shows 

Kingsport,  Tenn.,  Feb.  7.— Claim- 
ing that  eight  out  of  10  persons  in 
this  city  favor  the  showing  of  films 
on  Sunday,  Mayor  J.  E.  Armitage 
has  signed  an  ordinance  permitting 
shows  until  11  P.M.  on  Sundays. 


ECA  Would  Spend 
$10-Million  a  Year 

Washington,  Feb.  7. — The  Eco- 
nomic Cooperation  Administration  to- 
day asked  Congress  to  allow  it  to  use 
up  to  $10,000,000  in  any  fiscal  year 
through  June  30,  1952,  for  its  informa- 
tion media  guaranty  program  to 
cover  film  distribution  costs  in  Mar- 
shall Plan  countries,  and  for  other 
channels. 

ECA  officials  said  that  this  did  not 
mean  $10,000,000  would  be  so  used 
every  year,  but  that  it  was  merely 
a  top  limit  on  how  much  could  be 
used.  In  fact,  said  one  top  ECA  offi- 
cial, $10,000,000  is  enough  to  "take 
care  of  all  the  calls  we  now  have  or 
can  foresee  in  the  near  future." 

Congress  last  year,  in  setting  up  the 
ECA,  approved  a  program  to  guaranty 
distributors  of  films,  books,  maga- 
zines and  other  information  media 
convertibility  into  dollars  of  some  or 
all  of  their  costs  of  operating  in 
Marshall  Plan  countries.  It  said  that 
during  the  first  year,  ECA  could  not 
write  more  than  $15,000,000  worth 
of  such  guaranties.  Congress  later  ap- 
propriated only  $10,000,000  for  the 
first  year,  the  figure  to  be  used  for 
the  program  in  later  years  being  left 
in  the  air. 

_  Today,  Administration  -  approved 
bills  were  introduced  in  both  House 
and  Senate  to  finance  ECA  operations 
through  June  30,  1950.  One  section 
attempts  _  to  settle  the  future  of  the 
information  media  guaranty  program. 
It  continues  this  program  provided 
that  the.  amount  of  guaranties  made 
in  any  fiscal  year  does  not  exceed 
$10,000,000.  Presumably  this  would 
hold  for  any  year  in  which  the  ECA 
operates— at  present,  through  the  1952 
fiscal  year. 

_  So  far,  information  media  guaran- 
ties have  been  made  sparingly.  Only 
one  _  film  guaranty— $457,000  to  the 
Motion  Picture  Export  Association 
for  operations  in  Germany — has  been 
issued. 

ECA  spokesmen  said  that  another 
film  contract  might  be  announced  in 
a  month." 

Install  Blumenstock 
As  Ad  Council  Head 

Mort  Blumenstock,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  advertising  and  publicity  for 
Warner  Brothers,  was  installed  as 
chairman  of  the  Advertising  and  Pub- 
licity Directors  Council  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America 
at  a  luncheon  held  here  yesterday. 

Honor  guest  of  the  meeting  was  Dr. 
Daniel  A.  Poling,  editor  of  the 
Christian  Herald,  who  spoke  on  the 
Protestant  Motion  Picture  Council  in 
its  relationship  to  the  film  industry. 


Cleveland  Clearance 
Cuts  Are  Expected 

Cleveland,  Feb.  7. — Opinion 
is  strong  that  all  major  dis- 
tributors will  give  heed  to  the 
Cleveland  Motion  Picture  Ex- 
hibitors Association  demand 
for  clearance  reductions  from 
35  days  to  21  for  all  first-run 
independent  subsequent  -  run 
houses.  The  request,  made 
last  week  in  writing  to  all 
branch  managers,  has  been 
answered  by  only  M-G-M, 
saying  the  matter  has  been 
referred  to  the  home  office. 


NEW  ALL-TIME  RECORDS  SET  FOR  KEITH 
MEMORIAL,  BOSTON,  AND  PALACE,  MONTREAL! 


Spectacular  holdovers  in  San  Francisco,  Washington, 
Baltimore  and  Buffalo!... Sensational  openings  in  Kansas 
City,  Cleveland,  Cincinnati,  Pittsburgh  and  Quebec!... 
Still  topping  everything  in  Philadelphia  and  Los  Angeles 
(7th  weeks),  New  Orleans  (6  weeks)  and  New  York  (13th 
week)! . .  .Watch  the  year's  mightiest  boxoffice  attraction 
roll  on,  as  it  opens  in  Minneapolis,  Dayton,  Columbus, 
Atlanta,  Birmingham,  Richmond,  Milwaukee,  Chatta- 
nooga, Rochester  — and  city  after  city,  week  after  week! 


I 


VICTOR  FLI 


COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR 


CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 

with  JOSE  FERRER  •  FRANCIS  L.  SULLIVAN  •  J.  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BONO  •  SHEPPERO  STRUDWICK  •  HURD  HATFIELD 
GENE  LOCKHART  •  JOHN  EMERY  •  GEORGE  COULOURIS  •  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY  •  based  upon  the  stage  play  'Joan  of 
Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  •  screen  play  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOLT  •  art  direction  by  RICHARD  DAY 

director  of  photography  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.  S.  C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  •  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

presented  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  •  released  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  February  8,  1949 


Reviews 


"Streets  of  Laredo" 

(Paramount') 

VyiLLIAM  HOLDEN,  Macdonald  Carey  and  William  Bendix  are  a 
^  '  trio  of  amiable  outlaws  until  the  alliance  is  split  and  Carey  becomes  a 
vicious  killer  in  this  choice  Western,  in  Technicolor,  which  boasts  some 
solid  dramatic  punches  amid  generous  outpourings  of  conventional  physical 
flare-ups.  It  is  flavorful  and  robust  entertainment,  this  "Streets  of  Laredo," 
well  stocked  with  the  stuff  that  can  banish  box-office  blues. 

Mona  Freeman  is  the  gal  in  the  Charles  Marquis  Warren  screenplay,  being 
romantically  attracted  to  Carey  until  he  is  unmasked  as  a  ruthless  desperado. 
The  three  not-so-bad  badmen  become  separated  when  they  are  tailed  by  a 
gang  of  sagebrush  thugs  of  the  more  nefarious  type.  Holden  and  Bendix 
join  the  Texas  Rangers  and  Carey  becomes  a  "Post  Office  pin-up,"  the  reward 
posters  telling  of  his  lawless  exploits.  They  meet  again  and  Carey  exploits  the 
friendship  for  his  own  gains,  kills  Bendix  and  the  vendetta  is  on  between 
him  and  Holden.  Miss  Freeman  comes  upon  the  scene  to  kill  Carey  in  time 
to  save  Holden  whom  she  has  come  to  love. 

Sweeping  camera  views  of  the  wide  open  spaces  down  Mexico  way  where 
the  film  was  shot  on  location,  are  especially  attractive.  The  blazing  six- 
shooters,  fights  and  chases  which  punctuate  the  telling  of  the  yarn  are  effect- 
ively staged  under  Leslie  Fenton's  competent  direction.  Supporting  players 
include  Clem  Bevens,  Stanley  Ridges  and  James  Bell.  Robert  Fellows  pro- 
duced. 

Running  time,  92  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
March  25.  Gene  Arneel 


"The  Rangers  Ride" 

(Monogram)  ^ 

LATEST  in  the  Jimmy  Wakely  series  of  Westerns  for  Monogram  has 
the  cowboy  star  singing  and  fighting  his  way  through  many  formula 
outdoor  adventures.  Aided  by  his  comic  side-kick,  "Cannonball"  Taylor,  it 
unfolds  the  story  of  how,  after  the  Texas  Rangers  are  disbanded,  a  private 
state  police  force  extorts  money  from  the  public  with  the  ultimate  design 
of  setting  up  a  totalitarian  state.  Wakely,  an  ex-ranger,  attempts  to  fight 
the  illegal  police  and  a  price  is  put  on  his  head  after  a  murder  for  which 
he  is  blamed.  The  expected  outcome  eventually  materializes :  the  police  force 
is  broken  up  and  its  leaders  captured — all  through  the  efforts  of  Jimmy  and 
"Cannonball." 

Produced  by  Louis  Gray  and  directed  by  Derwin  Abrahams,  from  an 
original  screenplay  by  Basil  Dickey,  the  film  provides  supporting  roles  for 
Virginia  Belmont,  Riley  Hill,  Marshall  Read,  and  Steve  Clark,  and  others. 

Running  time,  56  minutes.  General  audience  classification. 


Para.  Decree 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

year,  all  closed  towns  must  be 
opened. 

By  the  end  of  the  third  year, 
all  partnerships  must  be  settled 
as  outlined  above. 

Insiders  who  have  seen  the  decree, 
which  has  been  printed  by  the  com- 
pany in  final  form  for  submission  to 
the  court,  say  that  they  believe  the 
theatre-owning  company  will  end  up 
with  between  600  and  650  theatres. 

They  also  said  that  the  company  has 
already  served  notice  on  the  Depart- 
ment of  Justice  that  Barney  Balaban 
will  head  the  producing-distributing 
company,  and  that  Leonard  Goldenson 
will  head  the  theatre-owning  com- 
pany, and  that  the  Department  has  not 
objected. 

Another  section  of  the  proposed 
decree  provides  for  "trusteeing  of  all 
stock  in  the  exhibition  company  of 
stockholders  owning  more  than  a  cer- 
tain amount  and  not  disposed  of  dur- 
ing the  first  year.  This  would  be 
trusteed  until  the  owner  had  disposed 
of  it,  or  of  his  stock  in  the  production- 
distribution  firm. 

The  decree  contains  sections  on 
trade  practices  similar  to  the  RKO 
decree,  it  was  reported. 

Not  Yet  Submitted  to  Clark 

Meanwhile,  in  Washington,  Attor- 
ney General  Clark  said  the  Para- 
mount decree  has  not  yet  been  sub- 
mitted to  him  for  signing. 

He  said  he  might  not  have  it  on 
his  desk  before  the  end  of  the  week. 
He  explained  that  it  will  have  to  be 
gone  over  first  by  Assistant  Attorney 
General  Herbert  Bergson,  who  has 
been  out  of  town  since  the  end  of  last 
week.  Bergson  is  due  back  at  his 
desk  tomorrow. 

Clark  admitted  he  had  seen  a  draft 
of  the  proposed  decree  last  Wednes- 
day, and  had  made  some  "suggestions." 
He  would  not  discuss  what  these  were, 
but  it  was  learned  from  an  industry 
source  that  at  least  one  of  the  sugges- 
tions was  to  cut  down  the  length  of 
time  given  Paramount  to  carry  out 
some  of  the  provisions  of  the  decree. 


'Little  Three'  Memo 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

consent  decree  in  the  suit,  an  executive 
of  that  company  has  said. 

The  Little  Three's  proposed  decree 
would  allow  them  to  include  admission 
prices  in  exhibition  contracts  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  determining  rental 
terms;  to  license  films  on  a  franchise 
basis  except  where  this  would  "un- 
reasonably restrain  competition  or 
create  a  monopoly,"  and  to  roadshow 
product  without  restrictions. 

The  Little  Three  propose  to  enjoin 
themselves  from :  price-fixing  ;  grant- 
ing excessive  clearances;  agreeing 
with  any  other  distributor  to  maintain 
a  system  of  fixed  runs  and  clearances; 
making  formula  deals  and  master 
agreements ;  from  conditioning  the  sale 
of  one  film  upon  the  sale  of  others. 
However,  that  last  injunction  would 
be  limited  to  the  extent  that  the  films 
were  not  tradeshown  prior  to  licens- 
ing and  the  exhibitor  would  be  given 
a  20  per  cent  cancellation  privilege. 

In  its  proposed  conclusions  of  law, 
the  three  contend  that  move-over  runs 
are  not  illegal  provided '  there  is  no 
discrimination,  and  also  hold  that  ex- 
tended runs  are  legal  so  long  as  the 
distributor  does  not  discriminate  in 
favor  of  or  against  any  exhibitor. 


Untapped  Market 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

and  distribution,  this  market  can  be 
profitably  tapped,  he  asserted. 

Del  Giudice  recently  formed  Pil- 
grim Pictures,  Ltd.,  and  he  is  here 
from  London  to  arrange  for  distribu- 
tion among  a  special  circuit  of  some 
12  theatres  throughout  the  country. 
He  said  that  he  would  produce  pictures 
of  artistic  merit  and  they  will  receive 
special  handling  like  "Hamlet."  He 
declared  that  these  films  would  be 
handled  on  a  reserved  seat,  two-a-day 
basis.  Britain  has  its  own  art,  and 
they  can  do  best  by  developing  it  in- 
stead of  attempting  to  imitate  Holly- 
wood, Del  Giudice  declared. 

Del  Giudice,  who  was  formerly 
managing  director  of  Two  Cities 
Films,  said  he  resigned  from  the  J. 
Arthur  Rank  organization  because  of 
a  difference  over  the  types  of  pictures 
that  should  be  made. 

Britain  at  the  moment  is  undergo- 
ing the  same  uncertainties  as  Holly- 
wood, he  declared.  "The  reason  for 
this,"  he  asserted,  "is  that  the  business 
is  run  on  the  same  lines  as  40  years 
ago."  As  the  first  step  towards  cor- 
rection, Del  Giudice  recommended  di- 
vorcement of  production-distribution 
and  exhibition.  "Art  is  not  merchan- 
dise," he  said.  "If  the  sales  depart- 
ment has  too  much  to  say  over  pro- 
duction, the  art  suffers,"  he  added. 
He  also  saw  some  unhealthy  aspects 
in  the  Film  Finance  Corp.  which  will 
subsidize  production  in  Britain.  The 
result  of  this  may  be  more  stereotyped 
films  for  a  mass  audience,  he  said. 

Del  Giudice,  who  is  managing  di- 
rector of  Pilgrim  Pictures,  is  here 
with  Alan  Jarvis,  executive  director. 


Mayer  Links 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

heard  Mayer  speak  highly  of  the  work 
of  Dore  Schary,  production  chief, 
whom  the  rumors  have  mentioned  as 
Mayer's  early  successor.  He  said  that 
now  that  Schary  has  rejoined  the 
company  "our  organization  has  never 
been  so  united  and  inspired  as  now." 

Other  Loew-M-G-M  executives 
whose  work  and  activities  were  lauded 
by  Mayer  were  Schenck,  E.  J.  Man- 
nix,  L.  K.  Sidney,  Arthur  Loew,  J.  J. 
Conn,  Lawrence  Weingarten,  Kenneth 
McKenna,  William  F.  Rodgers,  and  a 
number  of  the  company's  stars. 

Mayer  presented  to  the  gathering  an 
outline  of  the  company's  progress  over 
the  25  years  it  has  been  in  operation, 
and  expressed  confidence  in  its  future 
in  terms  of  production  and  merchan- 
dising. He  described  television  as 
"more  an  adjunct  of  radio"  at  present, 
and  said  he  has  yet  to  learn  from 
anyone  how  those  who  are  managing 
the  new  medium  expect  to  achieve 
revenues  that  will  enable  them  to  pay 
for  entertainment  comparable  to  mo- 
tion pictures. 

Skouras 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

had  offered  to  buy  20th-Fox's  interest 
in  the  Gaumont-British  circuit. 

Skouras  has  attended  numerous 
gatherings  since  his  arrival  here  Sat- 
urday endeavoring  to  impress  Britons 
with  the  need  for  reinforcing  the 
Greeks  in  their  fight  against  Commun- 
ists. His  company's  publicists  here 
made  the  mistake  of  only  inviting  film 
writers  to  his  press  conference  at 
which  he  aired  those  views. 


Rodgers  Warns 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ing,  including  showmanship  and  ex- 
hibitor relations,  Rodgers  indicated  a 
constant  awareness  on  the  part  of  the 
company  of  the  legal  entanglements 
which  must  be  avoided  in  consequence 
of  the  various  industry  litigations 
which  have  been  introduced  over  the 
past  two  decades. 

"Never  attempt  to  evade  responsi- 
bility or  ward  off  criticism  by  blaming 
'New  York',"  Rodgers  cautioned  his 
listeners.  "This,"  he  said,  "weakens 
you  in  the  opinion  of  those  with  whom 
you  do  business." 

Rodgers  said  that  "the  surest  way 
to  create  the  suspicion"  that  sales 
representatives  are  not  responsible 
representatives  of  a  company  "is  to 
allow  an  exhibitor  to  sign  a  contract 
you  can't  get  approved." 

Rodgers,  who  conferred  in  New 
York  recently  with  Allied  States'  spe- 
cial "forced  percentage  selling"  com- 
mittee, told  the  M-G-M  sales  person- 
nel that  "you  must  know  whether  it  is 
the  lesser  calibre  of  the  pictures  or 
the  exhibitor's  lack  of  showmanship 
that  is  responsible  for  apparent  over 
pricing.  If  an  account  is  being  under- 
sold," he  added,  "it  is  necessary  to 
know  why  and  to  know  what  the  cor- 
rect deal  should  be." 

The  M-G-M  distribution  chief  urged 
company  salesmen  to  attend  exhibitor 
meetings,  and  suggested  that  sales 
men  be  routed  so  they  also  could  at- 
tend. 


MITCHELL  MAY,  Jr. 

CO.,  INC. 

INSURANCE 
• 

Specializing 

in  requirements  of  the 

Motion  Picture  Industry 

75  Maiden  Lane,  New  York 
510  W.  6th  St.,  Los  Angeles 


Then  it's  high  time  you  leave 
worries  behind  and  take  a 
TWA  Quickie  Vacation  in  the 
Great  Southwest.  A  few  days 
away  offers  plenty  of  time  for 
restandfuninthe  invigorating 
climate  of  Phoenix,  when  you 
go  by  TWA  Skyliner.  Big  sav- 
ings on  family  travel  and  round 
trips  !  For  facts,  call  your  local 
TWA  office  or  your  travel 
agent. 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  28 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  WEDNESDAY,  FEBRUARY  9,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


IL  S.  May  Sign 
Para.  Consent 
Decree  Today 

May  Be  Another  Week 
Before  Court  Gets  It 

The  Paramount  consent  decree 
will  be  signed  by  top  Justice  De- 
partment officials  before  the  end  of 
the  week,  it  was  learned  reliably 
yesterday. 

The  final  decree,  which  already  has 
been  approved  by  the  Paramount 
board,  will  get  the  signatures  of  At- 
torney General  Tom  Clark,  Assistant 
Attorney  General  Herbert  Bergson, 
and  Special  Assistant  Robert  Wright 
today  or  tomorrow. 

It  will  probably  be  the  end  of  next 
week  or  early  the  following  week  be- 
fore details  are  made  public.  Five 
days'  notice  to  all  parties  is  required, 
and  then  it  must  be  filed  with  the 
New  York  District  Court. 

Some  details  of  the  decree  appeared 
in  yesterday's  Motion  Picture  Daily. 

It  provides  basically  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  Paramount  Pictures  Co. 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Trust  Action  66  from M-G-M  Stockholders 
Vs.  20th,  WB  | In  1949-50;    Approve  Cohn 

Senary  Reveals  Columbia  Pact 


J.  J.  Theatres,  Inc.,  yesterday  filed 
in  U.  S.  District  Court  here  a  $2,- 
400,000  triple-damage  anti-trust  ac- 
tion against  20th  Century-Fox,  War- 
ner, Skouras  Theatres,  and  Spyros  P. 
and  George  P.  Skouras.  Plaintiff 
charges  conspiracy  and  combination 
in  opposition  to  J.  J.'s  alleged  attempts 
to  secure  first-run,  non-exclusive 
product  for  its  Luxor  Theatre  in  the 
Bronx  since  1941.  Filing  attorney 
was  Monroe  E.  Stein. 

Asking  for  a  permanent  injunction 
to  restrain  the  defendants  from  al- 
legedly conspiring  to  favor  with  first- 
run  product  Skouras  Theatres'  Park 
Plaza  in  the  Bronx,  the  plaintiff 
claims  that  the  Luxor  and  Park  Plaza 
are  not  in  direct  competition.  J.  J. 
charges  also  that  Spyros  Skouras  is 
financially  interested  in  Skouras 
Theatres. 


UA  Concludes  First 
TwoTelevisionD  eals 


Murphy  Named  Head 
Of  N.  England  Unit 

Boston,  Feb.  8. — Daniel  J.  Murphy 
was  elected  president  of  the  Indepen- 
dent Exhibitors  of  New  England  at 
the  annual  conference  of  the  organiza- 
tion held  here  today. 

Other  officers  elected  for  1949  were : 
W.  Lesley  Bendslev,  first  vice-presi- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Hollywood,  Feb.  8.— Expressing 
full  confidence  in  the  future,  Dore 
Schary,  production  vice-president  for 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,  today  an- 
nounced plans  for  66  productions  to  be 
filmed  and  released  by  the  organiza- 
tion in  1949  and  1950.  Schary  dis- 
closed the  schedule  at  the  studio  sales 
conference. 

Of  particular  importance  on  the 
line-up,  Schary  said,  will  be  "Quo 
Vadis,"  to  be  produced  in  Technicolor 
by  Arthur  Hornblow,  Jr.,  and  to  be 
directed  by  John  Huston.  "In  a  day 
when  so  many  others  are  talking 
about  cutting  expenses,  digging  in  and 
retrenching,  only  a  studio  with  our 
large  resources  would  dare  contem 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


United  Artists  has  concluded  its 
first  major  distribution  agreement,  to 
handle  several  hundred  film  programs 
to  be  made  especially  for  television  by 
Video  Varieties  Corp.,  said  to  be  the 
largest  independent  TV  film  produc- 
ing organization  in  the  East,  it  was 
disclosed  here  yesterday  by  John 
Mitchell,  head  of  UA's  television  de- 
partment. 

Video  Varieties'  first  two  series 
will  be  a  program  of  eight  five-minute 
musical  shorts,  featuring  Shorty  War- 
ren, and  another  series  of  thusicals 
featuring  The  Striders,  a  quartet. 

UA  has  also  concluded  a  distribu- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Mid-South  Allied 
Will  Meet  Today 

Memphis,  Feb.  8.  —  Independent 
theatre  owners  from  many  sections  of 
Arkansas,  Tennessee  and  Mississippi 
were  gathered  here  tonight  for  tomor- 
row's one-day  business  session  of  the 
Allied  Independent  Theatre  Owners 
of  the  Mid-South,  at  the  Hotel  Chisca. 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Reelect  Directors  and 
Okay  Increase  in  Board 

Columbia  stockholders  at  their 
annual  meeting  here  yesterday  vot- 
ed overwhelmingly  in  favor  of  a 
term  contract  for  company  presi- 
dent Harry 
Cohn,  and  at 
the  same  time 
re  -  elected  a  s 
company  direc- 
tors Cohn,  Jack 
Cohn,  A. 
Schneider, 
Leo  Blancke, 
N.  B.  Spingold, 
A.  Montague, 
and  Donald  S. 
Stralem. 

The  stock- 
holders also 
voted  in  favor 
of  an  amend- 
ment to  the 
company's  certificate  of  incorporation 
calling  for  an  increase  of  from  nine  to 
11  directors.    The  board  at  present 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Pinanski  to  Give  Theatre 
Viewpoint  to  E-L  Product 


British  Renew  Talks 
On  Theatre  Video 


London,  Feb.  8. — The  joint  exhibi- 
tor -  distributor  -  producer  television 
committee  will  meet  again  next  week 
with  British  Broadcasting  Corp.  offi- 
cials looking  to  an  agreement  by 
which  certain  films  will  be  made 
available  to  BBC  for  television  broad- 
casting in  return  for  the  right  of 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Johnston,  Rank  Still 
Trying  to  Set  Date 

Washington,  Feb.  8.— Trans- 
Atlantic  phone  conversations 
are  still  going  on  between 
MPAA  president  Eric  John- 
ston and  J.  Arthur  Rank  on  a 
new  date  for  the  Anglo-Amer- 
ican Films  Council  meeting, 
according  to  an  MPAA  spokes- 
man. No  new  date  has  been 
agreed  on  yet,  he  emphasized. 

Johnston  has  asked  that  the 
meeting,  scheduled  for  March 
23-25,  in  New  York,  be  post- 
poned until  early  summer,  and 
that  representation  at  the 
meeting  be  enlarged  to  in- 
clude British  exhibitor  or- 
ganization officials.  Rank  op- 
poses both  proposals. 


Expressing  the  need  for  greater  co- 
operation between  production  and  ex- 
hibition, Sam  Pinanski,  veteran  New 
England  showman  and  head  of  the 
newly-formed  American  Theatres 
Corp.,  Boston,  formally  announced  his 
association  with  Eagle-Lion  Films  at 
a  press  interview  here  yesterday. 

He  said  the  move  was  at  the  com- 
pany's request  and  that  he  would  serve 
"purely  in  an  advisory  capacity."  He 
added  that  he  would  receive  no  pay 
and  that  he  has  "no  financial  interest" 
in  E-L. 

At  the  same  time,  Arthur  B.  Krim, 
E-L  president,  reviewed  the  history  of 
the  company  which  this  month  is  ob- 
serving its  second  anniversary  in  dis- 
tribution, and  cited  its  "steady 
progress."  Krim  asserted  that  the 
company  is  trying  to  make  sound 
"bread-and-butter"  pictures  for  all  ex- 
hibitors in  the  country  and  that  to  do 
so  a  closer  partnership  between  pro- 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Harry  Colin 


DC  Meet  Today  On 
Promoting  US  Bonds 

Washington,  Feb.  8.— Industry 
leaders  will  hold  an  all-day  meet- 
ing here  tomorrow  with  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury  Snyder  and  other  top 
Treasury  officials  to  work  out  the  in- 
dustry's role  in  the  government's  1949 
savings  bond  drive. 

Top  item  on  the  agenda  will  be  the 
formation  of  a  permanent  film  advi- 
sory committee  for  the  annual  bond 
drives.  Production  and  distribution 
firms  and  exhibitor  associations  will 
be  represented. 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


'Photoplay'Medalsto 
Crosby  and  Bergman 

Ingrid  Bergman,  Bing  Crosby  and 
20th  Century-Fox's  "Sitting  Pretty" 
were  the  nation's  most  enjoyed  players 
and  motion  picture  in  1948,  according 
to  the  year-long  balloting  conducted 
by  Photoplay  among  America's  film- 
goers. 

This    year    a    special  Photoplay 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  February  9,  1949 


Monogram's  Broidy 
Not  a  Casting  Agent 

There's  a  "character"  in 
New  York  who  is  assuming 
the  name  "Steve  Broidy, 
president  of  Monogram."  He 
scans  the  papers  for  pictures 
of  show  girls  or  models,  tele- 
phones them  at  their  homes 
advising  he  wants  to  give 
them  screen  tests.  The  girls 
keep  the  appointments  but 
the  imposter  never  appears, 
and  later  annoys  them  with 
numerous  phone  calls. 

Monogram's  office  here  yes- 
terday issued  a  warning  that 
its  Steve  Broidy  has  had  no 
connection  with  this  situa- 
tion and  seeks  knowledge  of 
the  imposter's  identity. 


MP  Council  Is  Not 
Folding:  Cheyfitz 


Hollywood,  Feb.  8. — "Reports  of 
the  collapse  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Industry  Council  (formed  by  labor 
and  production  management  to  de- 
velop industry  goodwill),  are  like 
those  of  Mark  Twain's  death,  greatly 
exaggerated,"  declared  Edward  Chey- 
fitz, Eric  Johnston  MPAA  aide,  who 
has  arrived  here  from  New  York. 

Cheyfitz  said  he  will  confer  with 
constituent  groups  of  the  MPIC  dur- 
ing the  next  two  weeks  and  arrange 
for  Johnston  to  meet  with  them  on  his 
arrival  here  about  Feb.  21. 

Pointing  out  that  the  Hollywood 
AFL  Film  Council,  which  withdrew 
from  the  MPIC  following  the  selec- 
tion of  Cecil  B.  DeMille  as  chairman, 
is  the  only  organization  that  has  done 
so,  and  that  its  withdrawal  was  con- 
ditional, Cheyfitz  said  he  is  confident 
that  the  basic  enthusiasm  for  the  pro- 
ject remains  intact.  He  added  John- 
ston, who  originated  the  MPIC 
project,  still  holds  to  the  belief  that  a 
cross-industry  organization  devoting 
its  activities  to  the  betterment  of  pub- 
lic and  trade  relationships  can  func- 
tion to  general  advantage.  He  expects 
Johnston  will  spend-  a  fortnight  here, 
with  an  Association  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Producers  meeting  taking  place 
during  his  stay. 


USO  Fund  Show  Feb.  21 

Top  names  from  the  screen,  radio, 
stage  and  sports  are  promised  for 
the  program  to  be  staged  on  Feb. 
21,  at  Loew's  Victoria  here  in  con- 
junction with  the  current  USO  fund 
drive.  Performers  have  been  secured 
through  the  efforts  of  Abe  Lastfogel, 
honorary  chairman  of  the  USO  en- 
tertainment industry  committee,  and 
Dan  Burley,  managing  editor  of  the 
New  York  Age. 


Home  and  MPS  Confer 

Hal  Home,  who  returned  here  re- 
cently from  a  Coast  visit,  said  yester- 
day that  discussions  are  under  way 
between  himself  and  executives  of  Mo- 
tion _  Picture  Sales  Corp.  relative  to 
his  joining  the  company  in  an  execu- 
tive capacity. 


Personal  Mention 


CPYROS  P.  SKOURAS  is  due  to 
^  arrive  here  today  from  London  by 
plane. 

• 

Edward  O.  Cullins,  president  of 
Allied's  Mid-South  unit,  and  Bob 
Bowers.,  manager  of  the  unit,  will 
leave  Memphis  to  be  in  Washington 
on  Feb.  14-15,  for  the  Allied  States' 
board  meeting. 

• 

Leon  Bamberger,  RKO  Radio  ex- 
hibitor relations  executive,  returned  to 
New  York  yesterday  from  Roanoke, 
Va. 

• 

Hugh  Owen,  Paramount  Eastern 
and  Southern  division  sales  manager, 
is  in  Boston  this  week  from  New 
York. 

• 

Sid  Goldstein  of  the  M-G-M  pub- 
licity-advertising department  is  the 
father  of  his  first  child,  a  girl,  named 
Natalie. 

• 

F.  J.  A.  McCarthy,  Universal- 
International  Southern  and  Canadian 
sales  manager,  is  in  Atlanta  from  New 
York.  . 

• 

Abe  Montague,  Columbia  general 
sales  manager,  is  on  a  Caribbean 
cruise. 

• 

Gerald  M.  Mayer,  MPAA  Conti- 
nental European  manager,  will  return 
to  Paris  today  from  New  York. 

Robert  Laws  has  been  appointed 
office  manager  of  the  Realart  ex- 
change in  Cincinnati. 


HARRY  J.  MICHALSON,  RKO 
short  subject  sales  manager,  has 
arrived  in  Chicago  from  New  York 
en  route  to  the  Coast. 

• 

Charles  Kurtzman,  Northeastern 
division  manager  for  Loew  Theatres, 
was  shaken  up  but  not  hospitalized  as 
the  result  of  an  automobile  accident 
while  traveling  to  Providence. 

Ted  Schlanger,  Warner  zone  man- 
ager in  Philadelphia,  is  again  chair- 
man of  the  entertainment  committee 
for  the  Cancer  Crusade  in  Philadel- 
phia. 

• 

Fred  Sapperstein,  Baltimore  Eagle- 
Lion  representative,  is  the  father  of  a 
daughter  born  at  Sinai  Hospital,  Bal- 
timore. 

• 

L.  J.  Kaufman,  Warner  Theatre 
executive,  has  returned  to  New  York 
from  Pittsburgh  and  Cleveland. 
• 

Richard  F.  Walsh,  IATSE  presi- 
dent, and  other  "IA"  officers  will  re- 
turn here  today  from  New  Orleans. 
• 

Richard    Spier,   with   Fox  West 
Coast  in  San  Francisco,  is  confined  to 
the  Notre  Dame  Hospital  there. 
• 

J.  J.  Donohue,  Paramount  Central 
division  manager,  has  returned  to 
Chicago  from  New  York. 

Joseph  Bercholz,  French  producer, 
will  arrive  in  New  York  today  from 
Paris  aboard  the  S\  S.  Queen  Mary. 


New  Allied  P ere' tag e 
Talks  Begin  Tom'row 

Col.  H:  A.  Cole  of  Texas,  chair- 
man, and  other  members  of  Allied 
States'  special  "forced  percentage  sell- 
ing" committee,  are.  scheduled  to  ar- 
rive here  tomorrow  to  resume  confer- 
ences with  company  sales  chiefs.  First 
on  the  committee's  latest  conference 
agenda  is  Robert  Mochrie,  RKO 
Radio's  distribution  vice-president, 
who  was  in  Hollywood  when  the  Cole 
committee  was  here  two  weeks  ago 
in  connection  with  Allied's  opposi- 
tion to  percentage  picture  selling  to 
small  low-grossing  theatres.  Mochrie 
and  the  Cole  group  will  confer  tomor- 
row morning. 

A  detailed  report  of  the  committee 
will  be  submitted  to  the  Allied  board 
at  its  Feb.  14-15  meeting  in  Wash- 
ington. 


Jack  Ellis  Starts 
Distribution  Firm 

Jack  Ellis,  until  'recently  district 
manager  here  for  United  Artists,  has 
entered  independent  distribution  on 
his  own.  His  first  release  will  be  a 
reissue  of  the  British-made  "Pyg- 
malion," American  distribution  rights 
to  which  he  had  secured  from  Gabriel 
Pascal,  the  producer.  It  was  first  re- 
leased by  M-G-M  in  1938. 

Ellis  said  here  yesterday  that  he 
will  first  set  the  production  in  key 
city  first-runs. 


Booking  Combine  to 
End  Buying  'Freeze' 

Minneapolis,  Feb.  8. — Ending  a 
six-month  "freeze'  on  buying  M-G-M 
product,  Theatre  Associates,  buying 
combine,  has  concluded  negotiations 
for  "a  large  majority"  of  the  distri- 
buting company's  current  and  early 
releases.  TA  also  is  dickering  with 
Paramount  for  "The  Paleface."  The 
buying  group  has  contracted  for  only 
occasional  pictures  from  Paramount 
during  the  last  two  years,  and  is  still 
shying  away  from  RKO  Radio  terms. 

Complaints  by  members  for  "quick- 
er" buying  and  top  product  from  all 
companies  reportedly  prompted  the 
sudden  TA-Metro  "peace." 


Strausberg  To  Aid 
Sid  Gross  at  F.  C. 

Steve  Strausberg,  newspaper  pub- 
licity contact  at  Republic's  home  of- 
fice, has  resigned  to  become  assistant 
to  Sydney  Gross,  newly-appointed  ad- 
vertising-publicity director  of  Film 
Classics  here. 


Space  for  N.Y.  Variety 

Chemical  Bank  has  made  office 
space  available,  temporarily,  without 
cost,  to  the  new  Variety  Club  of  New 
York,  until  sufficient  footage  is  ob- 
tainable at  the  Hotel  Astor,  where 
permanent  headquarters  will  be  es- 
tablished. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


JDROTESTS  over  Cardinal  Minds-. 
■*■  zenty's  trial  mark  a  current  news- 
reel  highlight.  Other  items  include  the 
flight  from  Nanking,  a  new  plane 
record,  and  sports.  Complete  contents 
follow : 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  12.— Cardi- 
nal Spellman  protests  Communist  trial  of 
Cardinal  Mindszenty.  Chinese  refugees  flee 
Nanking  as  Reds  advance.  Giant  plane  flies 
across  United  States.  French  "Gratitude 
Train"  welcomed  in  Washington.  Awards 
presented  for  "Brotherhood"  movement. 
Sports:  Ice  skating.  Rodeo. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  246— Flight 
from  Nanking.  Red  mock  trial  of  Cardinal 
Mindszenty  denounced.  Anti-bias  award  to 
Irene  Dunne.  Rodeo. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  49— Base- 
ball: A  guy  named  "Joe."  Secretary  Royall 
tours  Pacific  defenses.  Pilot  who  fled  Russia 
starts  tour.  Marshall  Plan  youth  meet  Presi- 
dent Truman.  Capital  hails  "Gratitude 
Train.'"  Retreat  from  Nanking. 

UNIVERSAL,  NEWSREEL,  No.  200— 
World  protests  trial  of  Cardinal  Mindszenty. 
Giant  Constitution  plane  sets  passenger  rec- 
ord. Nanking  deserted.  French  "Gratitude 
Train"  here.  Joe  DiMaggio  signs.  Ice 
skating.  Rodeo. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  51— 
Last  days  of  Nanking.  Biggest  airliner  hops 
continent.  "Gratitude  Train"  starts  U.  S. 
journey.  Norway's  Minister  Lange.  Gen. 
MacArthur  greets  Senator  Royall.  Irene 
Dunne  and  Ned  Depinet  receive  awards, 
awards.     Rodeo  championship. 


Relief  for  the  South 
From  Weatherman 


Memphis,  Feb.  8. — Floodwaters  are 
receding  in  Tri-states,  the  snow  and 
ice  have  melted  and  theatre  'owners  are 
breathing  easier.  However,  danger  of 
a  major  flood  has  not  passed,  U.  S. 
engineers  point  out,  but  conditions  are 
improved  at  present. 

Springlike  weather,  with  warm  sun- 
shine, replaced  freezing  temperatures 
and  prolonged  rains  have  ceased  over 
the  territory. 

Four  Mid-South  theatres,  closed 
temporarily  as  a  result  of  the  weather, 
are  back  to  normal. 

Film  Transit  reports  that  its  trucks, 
by  taking  detours  and  in  some  cases 
transferring  film  across  swollen 
streams  where  bridges  were  closed  or 
washed  out,  in  rowboats,  kept  a  steady 
flow  of  prints  to  all  of  the  theatres  it 
serves  in  the  territory. 


Mulvey,  Hovell  and 
Dowden  To  Aid  Drive 

Bishop  Thomas  E.  Molloy,  STD,  of 
the  Brooklyn  and  Long  Island  Diocese 
has  named  James  A.  Mulvey,  president 
of  Samuel  Goldwyn  Productions,  and 
Albert  A.  Hovell,  president  of  Cen- 
tury Theatres,  co-chairmen  of  this 
year's  amusement  committee  for  the 
annual  Catholic  Charity  Drive  in 
Brooklyn  and  Long  Island.  Edward 
C.  Dowden  of  Loew's  will  serve  as 
secretary  of  the  committee. 


Harry  R.  Shear,  28 

Cincinnati,  O.,  Feb.  8. — Harry  R. 
Shear,  28,  manager  of  the  suburban 
Forest  Theatre  here  for  several  years, 
died  today  at  the  Jewish  Hospital, 
following  a  heart  attack.  His  widow 
and  a  daughter  survive. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martm  Quigley.  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-310O.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco. 
New  York  Martm  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Tr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer ;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary  • 
James  V.  Lumngham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R  Weaver, 
t  A°ro  iFt0  .  rea"'  120  Sou1*  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington 
J;  A.  Utten  National  Press  Club,.  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau.  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup.  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London.". 
Uther  (Juigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3.  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


V  / 


T»E  STORY  OF  TH« 
HARD-BOILED 

SALES  GUYS? 


This  is  the  composite  story  of  the  visit  of  M-G-M  Sales 
Representatives  to  their  "Preview  of  Product"  in  California! 


■\  )  \ 'THIS  IS  HOW  WE  LOOKED 
:  \wHEN  THEY  TOLD  US 
v  JABOUT  THE  PRODUCT!" 


"First  came  TAKE  ME  OUT  TO  THE 
BALL  GAME'  —  No  wonder  every- 
body's raving  about  this  Technicolor 
Musical.  It's  sensational.  The  gay 
cast  includes  Frank  Sinatra,  Esther,/^"^ 
Williams,  Gene  Kelly,  Betty  Garrett!"  ;J 


WAS -Ax    \  I 


"Then  came'LITTLE  WOMEN/ 

Honestly,  this  is  a  Technicolor 
honey,  a  joy  and  what  a  cast! 
June  Allyson,  Peter  Lawford, 
Margaret  O'Brien,  Elizabeth 
Taylor,  Janet  Leigh!" 

L<S^  


"When  they  showed' THE  SECRET 
GARDEN'  we  predicted  it  would 
be  one  of  1949's  Ten  Best.  Great 
Cast!  Great  Picture!" 


"'BARKLIYS  OF  BROADWAY/ 

Wow!  Fred  Astaire,  Ginger 
Rogers  reunited  in  a  rousing, 
£  ^  tip-top  Technicolor  Musical. 
Oscar  Levant  is  a  riot.  A  Sure- 
fire hit!" 


"Great!    Great!    Great!  'THE 
STRATTON  STORY/    a  true-life 
dramatic  romance   starring  James 
Stewart,  June  Allyson.  Laughs,  tears, 
thrills.  It's  wonderful!" 


"Gosh!  Another  big,  bountiful 
M-G-M  Technicolor  Musical, 
NEPTUNE'S  DAUGHTER'!  Esther 
f  Williams,  Red  Skelton,  Ricardo 
Montalban,  Betty  Garrett, 
Keenan  Wynn,  Xavier  Cugat!" 


"And  still  they  come!  'EDWARD, 
MY  SON'  is  Great  among  the 
Great!  Spencer  Tracy,  Deborah 
Kerr  — rhymes  with  Ah!  Broad- 
way's No.  1  Stage  Hit  a  Screen 
Masterpiece!" 


"Terrific!  Positively  a  gold  mine! 
THE  GREAT  SINNER'  is  the  cli- 
max! Look  at  the  cast!  Gregory 
Peck,  Ava  Gardner,  Melvyn 
Douglas,  Walter  Huston,  Ethel 
Barrymore,  Frank  Morgan,  Agnes 
Moorehead!  Gosh!" 


And  I  saw  others  in  pro- 
duction,  Garson's  new 
picture  and  Gable's  and 
Garland's  and  many  more 
Big  Ones.  I  can't  wait  to 
get  back  to  Film  Row  to 
tell  my  customers  the 
good  news.  YOU'LL 
CHEER  M-G-M's 
ANNIVERSARY 
\^YEAR!" 


mm 


FOR  THE  MOST  POPULAR  PICTURE  OF  1948 


ROBERT 


MAUREEN 


CLIFTON 


YOUNG  •  O'HARA  •  WEBB 


Richard  HAYDN-  Louise  ALLBRITTON 

Randy  Stuart  •  Ed  Begley  •  Larry  Olsen  •  John 
Russell  •  Betty  Ann  Lynn  •  Willard  Robertson 
Directed  by  Produced  by 

WALTER  LANG  •  SAMUEL  G.  ENGEL 

Screen  Play  by  F.  Hugh  Herbert 
Based  on  a  Novel  by  Gwen  Davenport 


.  LEADING  THE  ENTIRE  INDUSTRY  WITH  3  OF  THE  10  MOST  POPULAR  PICTURES 


PHOTOPLAY  MAGAZINE 

TQ 

Darryl  F.  Zanuck 

TWENTIETH    CENTURY  FOX 
THE  PHOTOPLAY  MAGAZINE  ACHIEVEMENT  AWARD 

"GENTLEMAN  S  AGREEMENT' 


Darryl  F.  Zanuck 

presents 


GREGORY        DOROTHY  JOHN 

PECK  *  McGUIRE  -  GARFIELD 


in 


Laura  Z.  Hobsons 


Gentleman's 
Agreement 

with 

Celeste  Holm  •  Anne  Revere  •  June  Havoc 
Albert  Dekker  •  Jone  Wyatt  •  Dean  Stockwell 
Produced  by  DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK 

Screen  Play  by  Directed  by 

MOSS  HART  •  ELI  A  KAZAN 

48 ... .  TAKE  YOUR  LEAD  FOR  '49 


The  STREET 
WITH  NO  NAME 


MARK 


Starring 


RICHARD 


STEVENS  •  WIDMARK 

with 

Lloyd  NOLAN  •  Barbara  LAWRENCE 

Ed  Beg  ley  *  Donald  Buka  •  Joseph  Pevney 
John  Mclntire  •  Walter  Greaza  •  Howard  Smith 
Directed  by  Produced  by 

WILLIAM  KEIGHLEY  •  SAMUEL  G.  ENGEL 

Original  Screen  Play  by  Harry  Kleiner 


2fo 


FROM  THE  LEADER ^£OJ  CENTURY- FOX! 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  February  9,  1949 


To  Clarify  Decree  on 
Warner-MacArthur 


Washington,  Feb.  8. — The  Justice 
Department  and  Warner  Brothers  are 
working  out  a  stipulation  to  clarify 
any  ambiguity  about  the  MacArthur 
Theatre  in  the  court  decree  providing 
for  Warner  to  end  its  joint  owner- 
ships. 

The  decree  said  Warner  must  termi- 
nate its  interest  in  the  MacArthur 
Corp.,  which  its  subsidiary,  Stanley 
Co.  of  America,  owns  jointly  with 
K-B  Amusement,  but  the  theatre  is 
actually  being  operated  by  a  partner- 
ship of  K-B  and  Warner,  under  lease 
from  the  MacArthur  Corp.  The  de- 
cree said  nothing  about  Warner  giv- 
ing up  this  operating  lease  as  well 
as  its  stock  interest  in  the  company. 

Characterizing  this  situation  as 
"just  an  oversight,"  Justice  Depart- 
ment officials  confirmed  that  they  are 
now  finishing  a  stipulation  to  make  it 
plain  that  Warner  must  give  up  the 
operating  lease  as  well  as  its  stock  in- 
terest. They  pointed  out  that  Warner 
has  admitted  all  along  that  this  was 
the  intent  of  the  decree,  but  since 
there  is  a  suit  pending  by  K-B  against 
Warner  it  "might  be  just  as  well  to 
remove  any  ambiguity." 

$18-Millions  from 
Canadian  Rentals 

Washington,  Feb.  8. — Canadian 
theatres  paid  $18,285,000'  in  rentals  for 
35  mm.  films  in  1947,  according  to  a 
belated  report  from  the  U.  S.  Com- 
merce Department.  Distributors  got 
another  $655,000  from  the  sale  of  ad- 
vertising material  and  accessories. 
The  figures  are  for  all  distributors, 
not  just  American  companies. 

The  report  says  930  were  features 
released  in  Canada  during  1947,  an 
increase  of  131  over  1946.  U.  S.  ac- 
counted for  706,  Great  Britain  61,  and 
other  countries  the  remaining  163. 

Col.  Forms  Product'n 
Unit  in  England 

London,  Feb.  8. — Joseph  Friedman, 
vice-president  of  Columbia  Pictures 
International  Corp.,  following  his  re- 
turn here  from  New  York  has  begun 
formation  of  the  new  production  unit 
which  will  make  three  British  films 
annually  for  the  next  three  years, 
commencing  in  May  or  sooner. 

Friedman  holds  a  lease  on  Nettle- 
fold  studios  here  for  26  weeks  an- 
nually and  believes  it  to  be  possible 
to  make  three  pictures  within  that 
time  under  a  speed-up  policy  and  em- 
ployment continuity.  The  films  will  be 
aimed  primarily  at  the  British  market 
but  it  is  expected  that  some  may  merit 
international  distribution. 


Await  Power  Cut 

Ottawa,  Feb.  8. — As  the  result  of 
a  33  per  cent  slash  in  industrial  pow- 
er consumption  due  to  the  short-age 
of  power,  it  is  expected  that  theatre 
lighting  in  British  Columbia  will  be 
curtailed  until  the  situation  improves. 


Greets  French  Train 

Albany,  N.  Y,  Feb.  8.— Charles 
A.  Smakwitz,  Warner  zone  manager 
in  Albany,  sejrved  on  the  mayor's  re- 
ception committee  appointed  to  greet 
France's  "Gratitude  Train"  on  its  ar- 
rival here  today. 


SPG,  Companies  Meet 
Tom'row  on  25%  Rise 

Screen  Publicists  Guild's  bid  for  a 
25  per  cent  pay  increase  for  publicity 
personnel  at  home  offices  will  be  aired 
tomorrow  in  a  conference  at  Para- 
mount's  board  room  here  between  a 
distributors'  committee  and  an  SPG 
negotiating  group.  The  companies  and 
the  union  agreed  recently  to  negotiate 
a  new  contract  on  an  overall  distribu- 
tion basis,  rather  than  by  individual 
companies. 

The  SPG  committee' includes  Guild 
president  Sig  Matles,  the  union's 
executive  board,  and  Herman  Silver, 
Dave  Weisman,  Frances  Simon,  Herb 
Haines,  Lamar  Baker,  Harry  Hoch- 
feld,  Al  Mendelson  and  Ed  Altschuh. 


AMPP  Gives  Coast  SGP 
60-Day  Termination  Notice 

Hollywood,  Feb.  8.— Charles  S. 
Boren,  vice-president,- Assn.  of  Motion 
Picture  Producers-,  formally  notified 
the.  Screen  Publicists  Guild  that  pro- 
ducers will  terminate  the  Guild's  con- 
tract April  9  in  view  of  the  member- 
ship's rejection  January  18  of  pro- 
posals submitted  by  the  negotiating 
committee  after  conferences  that  be- 
gan May  20,  1948.  According  to 
Boren's  letter  of  notification  to  the 
SPG,  chief  point  of  difference  is 
seniority. 

SPG  president  Lesley  Mason  said 
that  the  effect  of  the  AMPP  action 
is  to  limit  the  continuance  of  negotia- 
tions to  the  next  60  days.  The  next 
meeting  is  scheduled  for  Friday. 


SAG  Negotiates  Here 

Screen  Actors  Guild  has  begun  ne- 
gotiations with  Eastern  producers  on 
a  new  contract  whose  terms  the  Guild 
is  bent  on  bringing  in  line  with  wage- 
and-hour  provisions  prevailing  in  the 
SAG's  contract  with  Coast  producers: 

St.  Cloud  Not  in  a 
Deal  with  Sussman 

Five  Westchester  theatres  operated 
by  William  Sussman  have  not  been 
disposed  of  to  the  St.  Cloud  Amusement 
Co.,  despite  reports  to  the  contrary, 
the  former  20th- Fox  Eastern  district 
manager  declared  here  yesterday.  The 
theatres  are  in  Pleasantville,  Mt. 
Kisco,  Amenia,  Brewster  and  Wap- 
pinger  Falls. 

St.  Cloud,  headed  by  Harvey 
Newins,  operates  17  theatres  in"  New 
Jersey  and  Washington,  D.  C,  and 
the  Tower  and  Oriental  in  Milwau- 
kee, previously  operated  by  Warner 
Theatres  under  a  lease,  and  pur- 
chased from  the  Annenberg  Estate  of 
Philadelphia. 


Luncheon  for  Barker 

Lex  Barker  will  meet  RKO  Radio 
sales  executives  at  luncheon  today  in 
Toots  Shor's  here,  at  which  Irving 
Lesser  and  Seymour  Poe  will  be 
hosts,  representing  Sol  Lesser  Pro- 
ductions for  whom  Barker  stars  in 
the  current  "Tarzan's  Magic  Foun- 
tain." The  RKO  delegation  will  in- 
clude Ned  E.  Depinet,  Robert  Moch- 
rie,  William  Clark,  Leon  J.  Bam- 
berger, Ned  Clarke,  William  Dahler, 
Leonard  Gruenberg,  Robert  K.  Haw- 
kinson,  Emmett  Cashman,  Wladimir 
Lissim,  Bev  Lion,  L.  H.  Miller,  Frank 
Mooney,  M.  G.  Poller,  Mark  Speigel, 
Herb  Wappaus,  Rutgers  Neilson  and 
Terry  Turner.  Lee  Sholem,  director 
of  the  picture,  will  also  be  present.  ' 


(Mid-South  Allied 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

National  Allied  leaders  are  sched- 
uled to  speak  at  tomorrow's  session  of 
the  newly-formed  Allied  unit.  Efforts 
will  be  made  at  the  meeting  to  obtain 
scores  of  members,  according  to  Ed- 
ward O.  Cullins,  Memphis  exhibitor, 
who  is  president.  A  program  of  en- 
tertainment, including  a  luncheon,  has 
been  arranged. 

William  L.  Ainsworth,  national 
president  of  Allied,  and  Trueman  J. 
Rembusch,  national  treasurer,  are 
scheduled  to  be  the  principal  speakers. 
Morris  M.  Finkle,  Allied  president  of 
Western  Pennsylvania;  Col.  H.  A. 
Cole,  Texas  Allied  board  chairman ; 
Maurice  J.  Artigues,  manager  of  Al- 
lied of  the  Gulf  States ;  W.  A.  Pruitt, 
Jr.,  president  of  Gulf  States,  and  John 
W.  Wolfberg,  president  of  Rocky 
Mountain  Allied,  also  are  scheduled 
to  speak. 

All  independent  theatre  owners  are 
eligible  for  membership,  Collins  said. 

The  exhibitors  will  be  shown  the 
permanent  offices  which  are  being 
opened  by  Mid-South  Allied  at  the 
Hotel  Chisca.  They  will  meet  Bob 
Bowers,  of  Memphis,  who  took  over 
this  week  as  manager.  Bowers  was 
with  M-G-M  for  five  years. 


66  from  M-G-M 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

plate  bringing  to  the  screen  and  to  the 
audiences  of  the  world  a  picture  with 
the  size  and  scope  of  'Quo  Vadis'," 
Schary  said. 

Speaking  generally  of  the  product, 
Schary  added :  "I  believe  that  by  mak- 
ing good  films  we  can  again  confound 
our  critics  by  demonstrating  the  pow- 
er of  the  medium  in  which  we  work.'' 

Schary  paid  tribute  to  Louis  B. 
Mayer,  who,  he  said,  "has  guided  the 
fortunes  of  M-G-M  with  unflagging 
enthusiasm  and  a  consistent  sense  of 
showmanship  and  broad  vision." 
Schary  also  lauded  president  Nicholas 
M.  Schenck  and  M-G-M  executives 
E.  J.  Mannix,  Ben  Thau,  Louis  K. 
Sidney,  J.  J.  Cohn,  Lawrence  Wein- 
garten  and  Kenneth  MacKenna. 


DC  Meet  on  Bonds 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

The  industry  leaders  will  lunch  with 
Treasury  officials  as  well  as  meet  with 
them  the  rest  of  the  day.  Snyder  is 
expected  to  cite  the  industry's  coop- 
eration in  the  past,  and  how  much 
more  is  expected  in  the  future. 

MPAA  president  Eric  Johnston 
heads  the  list  of  those  who  have 
promised  to  attend.  Others  are :  Uni- 
versal's  Nate  Blumberg,  Columbia's 
Jack  Cohn,  Paramount's  Arthur 
Israel,  Jr.,  RKO's  A.  E.  Reoch,  and 
Loew's  Leopold  Friedman  and  Carter 
Barron.  Gael  Sullivan  and  Robert 
Coyne  will  represent  the  Theatre 
Owners  of  America,  while  Abram  F. 
Myers  will  represent  Allied  States 
and  Lauritz  Garman  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Theatre  Owners  of  Maryland. 
Warner  20th-Fox  and  the  AMPP 
have  also  promised  to  send  delegates. 


Deny  Alger  Petition 

Chicago,  Feb.  8.— Master-in-Chan- 
cery  Joseph  W.  Elward  has  denied 
the  petition  by  distributors  to  transfer 
their  Alger  film  rental  percentage  ac- 
tions from  Federal  Court  here  for 
determination  in  another  court  until 
attorney  Thomas  McConnell  receives 
lawyer's  fees  of  $4,000. 


Return  of  Ohio  Tax 
On  Tickets  Pends 


Columbus,  O.,  Feb.  8.— Return  to 
a  state  admission  tax,  granting  author- 
ity to  the  Ohio  division  of  film  cen- 
sorship to  censor  television  films  and 
prohibition  of  video  sets  in  automo- 
biles are  provided  in  bills  introduced 
in  the  Ohio  legislature. 

Senators  Nicholas  Bernard  and 
Clingan  Jackson  have  introduced  a  bill 
which  would  give  the  state  authority 
to  levy  admission  taxes  and  deny  that 
authority  to  cities.  Over  100  Ohio 
cities  and  towns  enacted  admissions 
tax  legislation  in  1947  after  the  state 
had  repealed  the  state  admission  tax 
law. 


'Photoplay'  Medals 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

"Achievement  Award" — a  gold  and 
mahogany  plaque — will  be  presented  to 
Darryl  F.  Zanuck  for  20th  Century- 
Fox's  "Gentleman's  Agreement,"  be- 
cause "his  courage  and  skill  brought 
great  popular  appeal  to  the  presenta- 
tion of  a  national  problem." 

On  February  14,  the  annual  Photo- 
play "Gold  Medal"  banquet  will  be 
held  in  the  Beverly  Hills  Hotel  in 
Beverly  Hills,  Cal.  At  that  time, 
Samuel  G.  Engel,  Walter  Lang  and 
F.  Hugh  Herbert  will  also  receive 
Photoplay  medals  as  producer,  direc- 
tor and  author  of  "Sitting  Pretty,"  re- 
spectively. 

Photoplay  lists  the  following  as  the 
next  most  popular  actors  and  actresses 
for  the  year : 

June  Allyson,  Rita  Hayworth,  Jen- 
nifer Jones,  Esther  Williams,  Hum- 
phrey Bogart,  Bob  Hope,  Alan  Ladd, 
and  Gregory  Peck. 

The  pictures  following  "Sitting 
Pretty"  in  popularity  are:  "I  Re- 
member Mama,"  RKO  Radio;  "The 
Street  With  No  Name,"  20th  Century- 
Fox;  "The  Naked  City,"  Mark  Hel- 
lmger  Productions;  "A  Date  With 
Judy,"  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ;  "State 
of  the  Union,"  Liberty  Films;  "Life 
With  Father,"  Warner  Brothers; 
"Mr.  Blandings  Builds  His  Dream 
House,"  RKO  Radio;  "The  Secret 
Life  of  Walter  Mitty,"  Samuel  Gold- 
wyn  Productions;  "Gentleman's 
Agreement,"' 20th  Century-Fox;  "Call 
Northside  777,"  20th  Century-Fox. 


Murphy  Is  Elected 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

dent ;  James  Guarino,  second  vice- 
president;  Julian  Rifkin,  secretary, 
and  Melvin  Safner,  treasurer.  Execu- 
tive board  members  are:  Walter 
Mitchell,  Nathan  Yamins,  Leonard 
Goldberg,  David  Hodgdon,  Francis 
Lyndon,  Joseph  Mathieu,  Fred  Mar- 
key,  Ted  Rosenblatt,  Sam  Resnick, 
George  Ramsdell,  Morris  Pouzzner, 
Myer  Stanzler,  Francis  Ring  and 
Charles  Tobey. 

WPIX's  Filming  of 
Newsreel  to  End 

New  York's  television  station 
WPIX,  owned  and  operated  by  the 
New  York  Daily  News  since  it  was 
set  up  about  a  year  ago,  will  abandon 
production  of  its  own  newsreel  on  Feb. 
12  if  a  sponsor  does  not  turn  up  mean- 
while, it  is  disclosed  here. 

Production  and  presentation  of  the 
newsreel,  it  was  explained,  is  too  cost- 
ly an  operation  to  be  continued  un- 
sponsored  beyond  the  Feb.  12  deadline. 


i  Wednesday,  February  9,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Cohn  Columbia  Pact 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


UA  Video  Deals 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


consists  of  seven  members ;  additions 
are  contemplated. 

An  insistently  vocal  group  of  minor- 
ity stockholders,  who  rallied  49,562 
per-share  votes  in  opposition  to  the 
Cohn  contract,  assailed  the  contract's 
$300,000  death  benefit  provision  as 
"unjustified"  in  the  light  of  the  "Hol- 
lywood battle  cry  of  economy,"  and 
termed  its  salary  and  expense  provi- 
sions as  "excessive."  Spingold,  Co- 
lumbia vice-president,  who  presided  at 
the  meeting,  branded  many  of  the  op- 
position assertions  as  "inaccurate." 
Shares  voted  in  favor  of  the  contract 
totalled  323,062,  not  including  the 
block  owned  by  Cohn  himself.  The 
company  has  some  654,788  common 
shares  outstanding.  Approximately 
560,000  shares  were  represented  at  the 
meeting. 

20  Years  Without  a  Contract 

If  this  year  Cohn  does  not  decline, 
as  he  did  following  last  year's  stock- 
holders' meeting,  to  sign  the  contract, 
he  will  receive  under  it  $3,500  a  week 
and  an  expense  allowance  of  $300  a 
week,  the  same  compensation  and  ex- 
pense allowance  he  has  been  receiving 
for  many  of  the  20-odd  years  he  has 
been  without  a  contract.  The  contract 
voted  on  at  the  stockholders'  meeting 
last  year  provided  for  certain  stock 
options  in  addition  to  the  same  salary 
and  expenses.  Cohn  rejected  that  con 
tract  on  the  ground  that  the  opposition 
vote  was  higher  than  he  had  thought 
it  would  be. 

At  yesterday's  meeting,  minority 
stockholder  William  I.  Rosenfeld  of- 
fered a  resolution,  which  was  defeat- 
ed, calling  for  officers'  salary  cuts. 

Minority  stockholders  Edmund  P. 
Waterbury  and  Sidney  Pepper  was 
nominated  from  the  floor  as  candi- 
dates for  director,  but  each  received 
only  11,356  share  votes,  against 
533,577-plus  for  management-nominat- 
ed candidates. 

Cohn  Sees  Improvement 

A  statement  read  to  the  stockhold- 
ers from  Harry  Cohn  sounded  "a 
note  of  hope  and  encouragement,"  de- 
spite what  he  termed  "all  the  clamor 
and  gloom"  in  the  industry.  He  said 
that  in  spite  of  difficulties  that  have 
manifested  themselves,  the  company's 
estimate  of  December  quarter  earnings 
will  show  an  improvement  over  the 
September  quarter  when  Columbia  re- 
ported a  loss  of  $23,000. 

Said  Cohn :  "We  are  benefiting 
from  economies  within  the  organiza- 
tion as  a  whole  and  they  have  con- 
tributed to  the  showing  we  are  pres- 
ently making  under  adverse  conditions. 
We  have  not  yet  begun  to  benefit  fully 
from  the  economies  instituted  in  pro- 
duction because  of  the  fact  that  many 
of  the  more  expensive  pictures  pro- 
duced earlier  have  not  yet  been  fully 
released  and  amortized.  By  the  end 
of  the  March  quarter  these  pictures 
of  greater  cost  will  have  been  sub- 
stantially amortized." 


tion  agreement  with  Edmund  L.  Dorf- 
mann  Productions  for  the  first  of  a 
long-range  series  of  television  films  to 
h-  specially  produced  for  video.  Dorf- 
mann  was  formerly  a  Columbia  pro- 
ducer, and  more  recently  was  produc- 
tion vice-president  for  Universal's 
United  World. 

Video  Varieties  yesterday  absorbed 
the  full  facilities  of  West  Coast  Sound 
Studios,  New  York. 

George  W.  Goman  becomes  presi- 
dent of  Video  Varieties,  with  other 
West  Coast  Studios'  officers  assum- 
ing respective  posts  in  the  new  tele- 
vision company :  Martin  P.  Henry, 
production  vice-president,  and  A.  W. 
Manchee,  treasurer.  Leonard  Ander- 
son, short  subject  producer-director 
will  be  associated  with  the  company. 

UA  says  Video  Varieties  has  assets 
in  the  $1,000,000  bracket. 

Manchee  was  a  pioneer  in  film 
sound  recording  with  Bell  Labora- 
tories, Wagner  and  Metro-Goldwn 
Mayer.  Originally  an  executive  of  Jo- 
seph P.  Kennedy's  film  enterprises, 
Goman  became  a  member  of  the  RKO 
executive  committee  in  1928,  later 
founding  Sight  and  Sound  Corp 
Henry  began  in  motion  pictures  with 
Famous  Players-Lasky  in  1926  at  the 
Astoria  Studios.  Later  he  was  with 
20th-Fox. 


British  Video 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


certain  theatres  publicly  to  screei 
BBC  programs. 

J.  Arthur  Rank's  and  Sir  Philip 
Warter's  circuits  are  anxious  for  an 
agreement,  a  number  of  their  choicer 
London  theatres  having  already  been 
wired  for  TV.  However,  independent 
exhibitors    see    little    advantage  to 
them  in  having  access  to  BBC's  tele 
vision  programs,  which  hold  little  en 
tertainment   value   for   theatre  audi 
ences,  and  there  still  appears  to  b 
little  likelihood  of  an  agreement, 
consequence. 

The  most  probable  outcome 

now  seen  is  that  the  govern- 


ment may  break  the  tight  mon- 
opoly exercised  by  BBC  and 
permit  film  producers  to  trans- 
mit on  their  own  short-wave 
transmitters  to  their  own  thea- 
tres. 

BBC's  television  chief,  Norman 
Collins,  recently  returned  from  the 
United  States,  claims  that  British 
television  leads  the  world,  both  in 
quality  of  programs  and.  clarity  of 
reception.  Exhibitors  don't  bother  to 
dispute  him.  They  just  look  at  BBC 
programs  and  declare  there  is  no 
place  for  them  on  a  theatre  bill.  All 
they  want  is  outstanding  special 
events  and  those,  they  say,  are  too 
few  and  far  between  and  may  well  in- 
olve  delicate  questions  of  copyright. 

To  give  BBC  films  in  order  to  get 
its  current  programs  for  theatres  is 
a  one-sided  proposal  with  all  the_  ad- 
antages  going  to  BBC,  the  exhibitors 
contend.  Film  men  generally 
skeptical  now  of  the  prospects 
early  big-screen  television. 


are 
of 


Pinanski 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ducer   and  exhibitor  was  necessary. 
With  this  in  mind,  he  said,  he  has 
"persuaded  Pinanski  to  join  us"  and 
give  the  exhibitor's  view  on  pattern 
ing  production. 

Pinanski    said    that    the  exhibitor 
"ought  to  have  the  privilege  of  a  voice 
in  the  industry"  and  he  hoped  his 
move  would  persuade  many  other  ex 
hibitors  to  do  likewise.    He  remarked 
that  he  didn't  think  that  "theatres  can 
do  the  business  they  need  unless  there 
is    coordination    between  production 
and  exhibtion."     Pinanski  character 
ized  his  new  affiliation  as  "selfish  be 
cause  he  wants  to  see  good  produc 
tions  since  he  has  an  investment  in 
theatres."     He   said  that  his  future 
with   the   company   was  "unknown.' 
He  stated  that  he  would  devote  what 
ever  time  was  necessary  to  E-L  be- 
yond the  need  of  his  own  business,  and 
that  he  would  occasionally  go  to  Hol- 
lywood to  "convey  what  we  need  at 
the  box-office." 

Pinanski  disclosed  that  he  would  be 
advised  by  Benjamin  Trustman,  his 


al  counsel,  who  was  present  at  the 
interview. 

There  was  no  indication  at  the  in- 
terview that  William  C.  MacMillen, 
Jr.,  would  resign  as  E-L  vice- 
president. 

Cites  Bank's  Aid 

Pinanski  declared  that  the  industry- 
has  the  assistance  of  great  financial 
institutions,  and  cited  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Boston.  He  disclosed 
that  for  the  past  10  years  he  has  been 
adviser  to  the  bank  on  film  loans. 
Pinanski  also  has  close  connections 
with  Serge  Semenko,  its  vice-presi- 
dent. The  First  National  Bank  of 
Boston  is  identified  with  the  financing 
of  Pathe  Industries,  the  E-L  parent 
company. 

Pinanski  deplored  unnecessary  ex- 
travagance in  the  industry  without  re- 
gard to  box-office  values.  He  cited 
the  trade  papers  "for  servicing  the 
exhibitor  in  an  efficient  manner"  and 
commended  this  medium  as  an  ex- 
cellent way  to  reach  the  showman. 

Krim  said  that  E-L  does  not  plan 
to  acquire  theatres  and  Pinanski's  as- 
sociation is  not  for  that  purpose. 

Total  Billing  Shows  Rise 

Krim  said  that  the  company's  total 
billing  for  1948  is  65  per  cent  better 
than  in  1947  and  that  the  same  kind  of 
showing  is  expected  in  1949.  In  two 
years  the  company  has  put  95  films  in 
release,  and  they  have  been  of  every 
variety,  he  observed.  He  said  that 
the  company  has  sold  to  14,000  ac- 
counts or  better,  and  that  top  pictures 
now  go  to  more  than  12,000  accounts. 
He  declared  that  several  top  produc- 
tions have  grossed  a  revenue  of  $1,- 
300,000  and  that  $3,000,000  is  expected 
for  "The  Red  Shoes."  Krim  cited  the 
"magnificent  jobs"  accomplished  by 
William  Heineman  and  Max  Young- 
stein,  distribution  and  advertising- 
publicity  vice-presidents,  respectively. 
Krim  asserted  that  many  important 
independent  producers  have  entrusted 
their  product  to  them,  naming  as  a  few 
David  O.  Selznick,  Walter  Wanger, 
Bryan  Foy  and  Edward  Small.  Krim 
also  disclosed  that  "90  per  cent  of  the 
company's  advertising  is  now  allocat- 
ed for  point  of  sale  advertising  with 
exhibitors." 


Para.  Decree 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


for  production  and  distribution,  and 
of    United    Paramount    Theatres,  to 
take  ownership  of  between  600  and 
650  theatres,  which  it  will  be  permit- 
ted  to    retain.     The  production-dis 
tribution  company,  to  be  headed  by 
Barney  Balaban,  and  the  theatre  com 
pany,  to  be  headed  by  Leonard  Gold 
enson,  must  be  completely  independent. 


There's  gonna  be  a 

HONEYMOON" 

at  the 

RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 


m 

I 


the  o^cl]Sro^s:oLD  ^ 

PIN  THE  u 


ON 


YOJJZ. 


t  ^be*  0t  .  out  Oi 

^^^^ 


THE 

MILLIONS 

WHO 

VOTED 

THEM 

GREAT 

IN 

48 


WILL 

SEE 

THEM 

SHINE 

IN 


49 


IN... 


This  is  the  authoritative  voice  of  the  public  thru  the 
most  extensive  survey  of  popular  taste  of  any  poll. 
Again  this  year  ticket-buyer  preference  honors  the 
Star  Company  and  these  3  great  Star  Favorites. 


bing  Crosby 

For  the  5th  year,  the 
most  popular  male  star 


Mark  Twain's 


'A  CONNECTICUT 
YANKEE 

In  King  Arthur's  Court'' 
Color  by  Technicolor 


Be  sure  to  book  "The  Movies  And  YouV 
Series  of  Industry  Shorts. 


ALANj^ADD 

One  of  the  top  5 


WHISPERING 
SMITH  ' 

Color  by  Technicolor 


BOB'IZn&fOPE 

One  of  the  top  5 


Damon  Runyon's 

SORROWFUL 
JONES 


/ I*"  1 f  "T* 

FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

HLLUI  Ulc 

IN 

T%  ATT  "^7" 

Concise 

FILM 

ana 

NEWS 

i  •  . 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.  NO.  29 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  FEBRUARY  10,  1949 

TI7M  fPWTQ 
1  liiN              1  S 

Arbitration 
Plan  Can  Cut 
Suits:  Levy 

Urges  100%  Support  of 
'Catch  -  All'  Provision 

Exhibitors,  distributors,  the 
courts  and  the  American  Arbitra- 
tion Association  should  encourage- 
full  use  of  the  so-called  "catch-all" 
provision  of  the  proposed  arbitration 
system  in  the  industry  anti-trust  suit 
Herman  M.  Levy,  general  counsel  of 
the  Theatre  Owners  of  America,  de- 
clared in  a  statement  issued  yesterday 
to  the  TOA  membership.  TOA,  like 
Attorney-General  Tom  Clark,  holds 
the  general  arbitration  plan  to  be  of 
value  to  exhibitors;  while,  on  the  other 
hand  severe  criticism  of  it  has  come 
from'  'Allied  States  general  counsel 
Abram  F.  Myers. 

What  Levy  terms  the  catch-all 
provision  sets  forth  that  any  contro- 
versy, aside  from  disputes  over  runs, 
between  exhibitor  and  distributor,  may 
be  submitted  to  arbitration  if  at  least 
one  of  the  parties  is  a  distributor  de- 
fendant in  the  Paramount  anti-trust 
suit  or  has  consented  to  arbitration 
proceedings  under  the  proposed  system 

(Continued  on  page  7) 

Bollengier  Named 
Treasurer  of  E-L 


Bergman  Heads  Top 
Industry  Group 
To  Boost  US  Bonds 


A.  E.  Bollengier  has  been  named 
treasurer  of  both  Eagle-Lion  Films 
and  Eagle-Lion  Studios,  it  was  an- 
nounced here  yesterday  by  Arthur  B. 
Krim,  E-L  president.  He  succeeds 
Warren  Sharp,  who  henceforth  will 
devote  all  of  his  time  to  Pathe  Indus- 
tries, parent  of  E-L. 

Bollengier,  who  has  been  for  the 
past  two  years  controller  of  Eagle- 
Lion  Studios  in  Hollywood,  was  prior 
to  that  assistant  controller  at  Univer- 
sal studio.    During  the  war  he  spent 

(Continued  on  page  6) 

N.  J.  Film  Censor 
Bill  Is  Introduced 


Trenton,  Feb.  9.— Assemblyman 
Stephen  J.  Bator,  Maplewood  Repub- 
lican, has  introduced  in  the  New  Jer- 
sey legislature  the  anticipated  film 
censorship  bill  against  which  Allied  of 
New  Jersey  has  been  mustering  oppo- 
sition during  the  past  two  weeks. 
Branded  by  Jersey  Allied  as  a  "police 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Washington,  Feb.  9.  —  Maurice 
Bergman,  director  of  advertising  and 
promotion  for  Universal,  was  chosen 
today  as  chairman  of  the  film  indus- 
try's committee  to  work  with  the 
Treasury  department  and  other  in- 
dustry committees  in  the  1949  and 
subsequent  savings  bond  campaigns. 

The  committee  will  organize  and  di- 
rect a  nationwide  promotion  campaign 
in  the  industry,  tying  in  producers, 
distributors,  and  exhibitors.  The  cam- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


5%  Remittance  Now 
Permitted  from  Italy 

By  ARGEO  SANTUCCI 

Rome,  Feb.  9.— Five  percent  of  the 
1949  earnings  of  American  films  in 
Italy  may  be  converted  into  dollars 
and  remitted  to  this  country,  accord- 
ing to  new  regulations  of  the  Italian 
government.  The  earnings  outside 
Italy  of  films  made  in  this  country  by 
American  companies  with  blocked 
accounts  may  be  freely  retained  by 
the  owners.  These  two  new  rules 
also  apply  to  other  foreign  film  en- 
terprises in  Italy. 

Up  to  this  year  no  official  remit- 
tances of  earnings  on  films  shown  in 
Italy  had  been  permitted  since  before 
the  war  and  the  disposition  of  earn- 
ings of  American  films  produced  in 
Italy  .had  been  discussed  officially. 


BAN  DUAL  STOCK 
HOLDINGS  IN  PARA. 


Para.  Stock  Sales 
Heavy;  Price  Rises 

Final  developments  in  Para- 
mount's  trust  suit  settlement 
with  the  government  resulted 
in  heavy  trading  in  the  com- 
pany's shares  on  the  New 
Stock  Market  yesterday.  A 
total  of  11,700  shares  changed 
hands,  the  stock  closing  at  24, 
up  Other  film  issues  also 
were  up,  most  of  them  from 

%  to  XA- 


Allied  May  Act  on 
Films  on  Video 


Washington,  Feb.  9.  —  Allied 
States  Association  may  soon  speak 
out,  in  words  as  sharp  as  those  used 
recently  by  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America,  against  film  producers  mak- 
ing their  products  too  readily  avail- 
able for  television. 

This  was  indicated  here  today  when 
Allied  general  counsel  Abram  F.  My- 
ers released  the  proposed  agenda  for 
Allied's  mid-winter  board  meeting 
here  next  Monday  and  Tuesday.  The 
agenda  discloses  that  Trueman  Rem- 
busch  will  discuss  the  television  situa- 

(Continued  on  page  7)  . 


U.  K.  Unions  Urge  Studio 
Nationalization  in  'Crisis' 


New  Medics  Called 
For  U.  K.  Production 


London,  Feb.  9.— Personnel  of  the 
Board  of  Trade's  "working  party" 
designed  to  oversee  British  production 
activities  was  announced  here  today 
by  Harold  Wilson,  B.  of  T.  presi- 
dent. 

Chairman  of  the  group  is  Sir 
George  Gater,  who  recently  was 
chairman  of  a  committee  which  in- 
quired into  the  advisability  of  estab- 
lishing a  gove-nment-operated  film 
studio. 

Producer  representatives  are  Har- 
old Boxall,  managing  director  of  Sir 
Alexander  Korda's  London  Film  Pro- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


London,  Feb.  9. — The  Association 
of  Cine  and  Allied  Technicians,  head- 
ed by  George  Elvin,  called  upon  the 
government  today  to  requisition  two 
idle  film  studios,  to  organize  produc- 
tion therein  and  to  guarantee  distribu- 
tion and  exhibition  of  the  resultant 
films. 

The  Elvin  broadside  accused  British 
producers  of  deliberately  evading  their 
responsibility  to  the  nation  by  not  em- 
ploying the  entire  available  studio  la- 
bor force. 

Harold  Wilson,  president  of  the 
Board  of  Trade,  will  be  compelled  to 
ignore  the  demand,  it  is  believed,  inas- 
much as  his  own  committee,  after  a 
study,  made  a  report  in  which  it  ad- 
vised against  government  acquisition 
of  studios. 

Elvin's  blast  is  widely  interpreted 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


All  Shareholders  Must 
Choose  Between  One  or 
Other  of  New  Companies 


Under  one  of  the  most  spectacu- 
lar provisions  of  Paramount's  trust 
suit  settlement  with  the  government 
individual  stock  ownership  in  the 
two  new  Paramount  companies  to  be 
formed  will  be  prohibited. 

Moreover,  when  stock  in  the 
present  parent  corporation  is 
exchanged  for  shares  in  the 
new  companies  share  holders 
must  elect  which  of  the  com- 
panies' securities  they  prefer  to 
hold.  Their  shares  in  the  other 
company  will  be  held  in  trust 
until  sold,  and  the  sale  is  to  be 
made  within  one  year.  Brokers 
said  yesterday  they  believe  the 
arrangement  to  be  without 
precedent. 

At  its  annual  stockholders  meeting 
last  June,  Paramount  reported  there 
were  7,000,000  common  shares  out- 
standing. Since  that  time  the  com- 
pany itself  has  acquired  about  750,000, 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Sees  Independents 
Winning  'Battle' 

Memphis,  Feb.  9. — "Clearance  dis- 
crimination by  major  motion  picture 
producers'  distributors  was  alleviated 
greatly  by  the  recent  Supreme  Court 
decision  handed  down  against  five  of 
these  organizations,"  W.  L.  Ains- 
worth,  national  president  of  Allied 
States,  told  more  than  SO  Mid-South 
independents  attending  the  first  meet- 
ing of  the  newly-formed  Allied  In- 
dependent Theatre  Owners  of  the 
Mid-South,  at  Hotel  Chisca  today. 

Referring  to  the  growth  of  Allied 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Greenberg,  Ascap 
Tax  Man,  Resigns 


Herman  Greenberg,  sales 
of  the  American  Society  of 
ers,  Authors  and  Publishers 
sociated  with  it  for  more 
years,  resigned  yesterday, 
March  1. 

Jules-  M.  Collins,  former 
of  Ascap's   radio  division, 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


manager 
Compos- 
and  as- 
than  20 
effective 


manager 
who  has 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  February  10,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


EDWARD  C.  RAFTERY  returned 
to  his  law  office  yesterday  after 
recuperating  from  a  recent  illness. 
• 

E.  T.  Gomersall,  assistant  to  Wil- 
liam A.  Scully,  U-I  vice-president 
and  general  sales  manager,  left  here 
yesterday  for  the  Coast. 

• 

L.  J.  McGinley,  sales  manager  of 
the  Prestige  Pictures  unit  of  U-I,  is 
on  a  sales   trip  to  the  Pittsburgh, 
Cleveland  and  Buffalo  exchanges. 
• 

James  A.  •  Fitzpatrick,  M-G-M 
short  subject  producer,  and  Mrs. 
Fitzpatrick,  are  in  New  York  from 
the  Coast. 

Louis  Metayer,  Pathe  Cinema  ex- 
ecutive vice-president,  arrived  in  New 
York  yesterday  from  Paris  on  the 
S.  S.  Queen  Mary. 

Oscar  F.  Neu,  president  of  Neu- 
made,  and  Mrs.  Neu  have  left  New 
York  for  a  vacation  on  the  Coast. 
• 

Paul  Broder,  Realart  president, 
has  returned  to  New  York  from  De- 
troit. 

I.  E.  Lopert  and  Roberto  Rossel- 
lini  have  returned  to  New  York  from 
Hollywood. 

Robert  Taylor  will  leave  here  to- 
day by  plane  for  the  Coast  following 
his  return  from  England. 


N.Y.  Freedom  Train  Reel 

Warner  Pathe  News  is  releasing  a 
special  one-reeler  for  showing  in  ad- 
vance of  visits  by  the  New  York  State 
Freedom  Train,  now  starting  a  year's 
tour  of  New  York  communities.  Made 
in  cooperation  with  the  state's  Free- 
dom Train  Commission  and  the 
American  Legion,  the  10-minute  short 
is  also  available  in  16  mm.  for  schools 
and  civic  groups. 


Skouras  Riviera  Reopens 

William  A.  White,  Skouras  The- 
atres general  manager,  was  in  charge 
as  the  Riviera,  upper  Broadway  house 
modernized  at  a  reported  cost  of 
$500,000,  reopened  here  last  night. 
Deputy  Mayor  John  J.  Bennett,  rep- 
resenting Mayor  William  O'Dwyer 
and  borough  president  Hugo  Rogers, 
cut  the  tape  to  officially  open  the 
doors  to  the  public. 


Services  for  Mrs.  Gould 

Funeral  services  will  be  held  here 
today  at  Riverside  Memorial  Chapel 
for  Mrs.  Mathilde  'Gould,  mother  of 
Walter  Gould,  foreign  manager  of 
United  Artists.  She  died  here  yester- 
day at  the  age  of  72  after  a  brief  ill- 
ness._  Mrs.  Gould  was  active  in  many 
charitable  and  philanthropic  institu- 
tions. Survivors  include  another  son, 
Charles ;  a  daughter,  Lillian,  a  sister, 
six  grandchildren  and  one  great- 
grandchild. 


Capital  Toppers  to 
'Command'  Opening 

Washington,  Feb.  9. — A  klieg- 
light,  Hollywood-type  premiere  is 
planned  for  the  Capital  premiere  of 
M-G-M's  "Command  Decision,"  at 
Loew's  Palace  on  February  16. 

President  and  Mrs.  Truman,  Chief 
Justice  and  Mrs.  Vinson,  Secretary 
of  State  Acheson,  Attorney  General 
and  Mrs.  Clark,  Vice-President  Bark- 
ley,  Treasury  Secretary  and  Mrs. 
Snyder,  Defense  Secretary  and  Mrs. 
Forrestal,  Generals  Vandenberg,  Eis- 
enhower, and  Bradley,  Admirals 
Leahy  and  Denfeld,  Speaker  Ray- 
burn  and  other  Capitol  Hill  and  Em- 
bassy Row  officials  are  expected  to 
attend. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  15th,  a 
ground  and  tactical  demonstration  of 
U.S.  Air  Force  fighters  and  bombers 
will  be  staged  at  nearby  Andrews 
Field. 

On  the  Palace  stage  on  the  night 
of  _  the  premiere,  MPAA  President 
Eric  Johnston  will  formally  accept,  on 
behalf  of  M-G-M  and  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry,  a  citation  from  the  Air 
Force  Association,  commending  the 
film  for  "Furthering  the  cause  of  air 
power  in  the  interests  of  national  se- 
curity and  world  peace/' 


Lipton  Names  Herzoff 
(U9  Studio  Ad  Chief 

Archie  Herzoff  has  been  appointed 
studio  advertising  and  promotion  man- 
ager of  Universal-International  stu- 
dios by  David  A.  Lip"  ton,  advertising 
publicity  director.  Herzoff  moves  to 
U-I  from  Columbia  studios  in  Holly- 
wood where  since  June,  1946,  he  has 
been  _  studio  advertising  executive 
handling  basic  campaign  approaches. 
Previously,  he  had  been  employed  by 
Balaban  and  Katz  Theatres  in  Chi- 
cago for  15  years  as  an  advertising- 
publicity  executive.  He  will  move 
into  his  new  post  within  a  few 
weeks. 


Mesibov,  Danziger 
In  New  Para.  Posts 

Paul  Raibourn,  a  vice-president  of 
Paramount,  discloses  that  Sid  Mesi- 
bov has  been  named  commercial  pro- 
motion manager  under  the  direction 
of  Ben  Washer,  publicity  head  here. 
He  further  disclosed  that  William 
Danziger  has  been  appointed  exploi- 
tation manager  and  will  take  charge 
of  all  Paramount  promotion  in  the 
field  under  the_  direction  of  Stanley 
Shuford,  advertising  manager. 

Most  recently  Danziger  has  been 
writing  Paramount  advertising  copy 
at  the  Buchanan  agency,  while  Mesi- 
bov has  been  in  charge  of  exploitation. 


NYC  to  Make  Short  Film 

New  York's  Commerce  Department 
has  budgeted  $50,000  for  a  film  short 
to  extol  the  city's  virtues,  it  was  an- 
nounced by  Commissioner  Abe  Stark 
at_  the  first  meeting  of  a  special  com- 
mitee  on  municipal  promotion.  The 
committee,  headed  by  deputy  commis- 
sioner James  E.  Sauter,  is  composed 
of  10  businessmen  appointed  by  May- 
or O'Dwyer  to  publicize  the  city. 


'Bank  Nights'  Users 
Could  Be  Jailed 

Des  Moines,  Feb.  9.— "Bank 
night"  would  be  outlawed  in 
Iowa  theatres  if  a  bill  filed 
in  the  state  legislature  is 
passed.  Fines  up  to  $500  and 
jail  sentences  up  to  six 
months  are  proposed  under 
the  bill. 

"Bank  night"  practices  have 
been  under  attack  here  be- 
fore, but  a  Supreme  Court 
ruling  several  years  ago  said 
the  plan  then  in  use  did  not 
violate  lottery  statutes. 


Sen.  George  Against 
Federal  Tax  Rise 

Washington,  Feb.  9.  —  Senate 
Finance  Committee  Chairman  George 
today  threw  his  influence  against  any 
tax  increase  this  year.  George  said 
he  thought  the  budget  could  be  held 
in  line  without  an  increase  in  taxes, 
and  that  a  bill  increasing  taxes  could 
precipitate  a  depression. 

George's  opposition  makes  a  tax 
increase  bill  very  unlikely  either  this 
year  or  next.  Congressmen  rarely 
increase  taxes  in  a  Congressional 
election  year,  as  1950  will  be. 


Two  More  Bills  Filed 
For  U.  S.  Tax  Cut 

Washington,  Feb.  9.— Two  more 
bills  to  reduce  the  20  per  cent  admis- 
sion tax  to  the  pre-war  10  per  cent 
have  been  introduced  in  the  House  by 
Rep.  Forand,  Rhode  Island  Democrat, 
and  Rep.  Multer,  N.  Y.  Democrat. 

Some  half-a-dozen  Federal  tax  re- 
duction bills  are  pending  in  the  House, 
introduced  both  by  Democrats  and 
Republicans. 


A.B.P.C.  Official  Here 
On  Mono.  Sales  Meet 

Macgregor  Scott  of  Associated 
British  Picture  Corp.  arrived  here 
from-  London  yesterday  on  the  Queen 
Mary  to  confer  with  Monogram  offi- 
cials on  the  U.  S.  release  of  "Tempta- 
tion Harbour"  and  "My  Brother 
Jonathan,"  the  latter  one  of  Britain's 
best  grossers  of  1948. 

He  will  go  to  Toronto  from'  here 
for  conferences  with  executives  of  In- 
ternational Film  Distributors  who 
handle  A.B.P.C.-Pathe  films  in  Can- 
ada. He  plans  to  return  to  London 
at  the  end  of  the  month. 


Six  More  Named  for 
MGM  Training  Course 

M-G-M  has  slated  six  more  of  its 
field  personnel  to  participate  in  its 
next  executive  training  course,  which 
includes  lectures  by  and  discussions 
with  home  office  officials  and  sessions 
at  the  Dale  Carnegie  Institute  of  Ef- 
fective Speaking  and  Personality  De- 
velopment. 

All  salesmen,  they  are:  William 
Madden,  Boston;  Max  Shabason, 
Pittsburgh;  Connie  Carpou,  Okla- 
homa City;  Pete  Prince,  Washington; 
Woodrow  Sherrill,  Kansas  City,  and 
Harold  Zeltner,  Chicago. 


See  Top-Level 
IA  Pact  Talk 


IATSE's  reported  unwillingness  to 
yield  in  its  demands  for  a  general 
wage  increase  for  6,300  exchange 
workers  in  32  exchange  centers  is  ex- 
pected to  bring  into  the  Federal  medi- 
ation proceedings  here  top  executives 
of  the  eight  companies  involved  if  to- 
day's scheduled  meeting  of  union  and 
distributor  representatives  fails  to 
produce  signs  of  a  definite  break  in 
the  deadlock.  Today's  meeting  will 
be  the  fourth  to  be  presided  over  by 
Commissioner  L.  A.  Stone  of  the  Fed- 
eral Mediation  and  Conciliation 
Service. 

Thus  far,  a  negotiating  group  of 
company  labor  directors,  headed  by 
Clarence  Hill  of  20th  Century-Fox, 
has  been  representing  the  distributors, 
while  the  "IA"  negotiators  are  headed 
by  the  union's  assistant  international 
president,  Thomas  J.  Shea. 

It  is  understood  that  if  the  "IA's" 
present  demands  are  granted,  the  com- 
panies' payrolls  would  be  increased  by 
a  total  of  about  $1,500,000. 


Screen  Writers  Set 
Annual  Citations 

Hollywood,  Feb.  9. — Screen  writ- 
ers Guild  has  established  its  own 
system  of  annual  achievement  awards 
for  members  voted  top  accomplish- 
ment in  five  categories.  Committee 
composed  of  Guild  past  and  present 
presidents  will  make  nominations, 
with  the  full  membership  voting  for 
the  winners. 

The  Directors  Guild  recently  es- 
tablished similar  awards,  to  be  voted 
monthly.  Neither  conflicts  with  the 
Academy. 


A.  P  inanski  Gets 
City  Manager's  Post 

Boston,  Feb.  9. — Abner  Pinansky 
resigned  as  manager  of  the  Para- 
mount Theatre,  Boston,  today  to  be- 
come city  manager  of  American  The- 
aters Corp.  for  the  Pilgrim,  Modern 
and  Esquire.  Arthur  Morton  will 
become  manager  of  the  Paramount, 
leaving  the  Fenway.  Jack  O'Brien, 
assistant  manager  of  the  Metropoli- 
tan, becomes  manager  of  the  Fenway. 

All  appointments  are  effective  to- 
morrow. 


Criterion  to  Moss 
As  Loew's  Bows  Out 

B.  S.  Moss,  New  York  circuit 
operator,  has  concluded  a  deal  by 
which  he  acquires  Loew's  50  per  cent 
interest  in  the  Criterion,  Broadway 
first-run,  giving  Moss  100  per  cent 
ownership. 


Swedish  Film  Premiere 

The  U.  S.  premiere  of  "I  Am  With 
You,"  Swedish-produced  film  with 
English  dialogue,  will  be  held  at  the 
Normandie  here  Feb.  28.  Studio  Film, 
Stockholm,  filmed  the  picture  in 
Southern  Rhodesia  with  the  American 
version  produced  by  Rudolph  Carlson 
Productions.  It  will  be  road-shown. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY, 


■  •  , M"artin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.  Associate  Editor  Published  dailv  excent  ^atnrdavs 
Sundays  and  holidays :  by  Qmgjey  Publishing  Company,  Inc..  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20  N  Y  Telephone ■  a^Y3im  C^iM^^'^^b^ 
James  f  Ltkm^Nt^di^^^l  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice?&« "and  xJelsuS;  f^W«dy. 

EdTtor  Chieaeo  Bureau  120  WW^tf  ^Jj^-^f^^f^-1''  G"\  H- /a,useI>  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver 
J  A ^Otten  National  P^  Advertising:.  ?rb<^  Ff  ^.Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington 

™T*6F}X  t^^ij^rt^^ltr"-  ^  23'  1938'  3t  the  *"*  at  N™  ^  N"      '  the  ac"t  o°f 


14 


very  m  hash  * 


SHOW  FEB.  14 


VERY  BIG  WARNER  ATTRACTION.' 


starring  JOEL 


ALEXIS       ZACHARY  DOROTHY 


witn 

DOUGLAS  KENNEDY 
ALAN  HALE 


SOUTH  OF  ST.  LOUIS  McCREA  SMITH  SCOTT  MALONE 

Directed  by        Produced  by 

RAY  ENRIGHT  •  MILTON  SPERLING  •  United  States  Pictures  Production  "'""^^^itt^*-™** 

We're  All  Behind  Brotherhood  Week,  February  20-27  •  No  Bigotry  In  America ! 


ALBANY 

Warner  Screening  Room 
79  N.  Pearl  Sf.  •  12:30  P.M. 
ATLANTA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

197  Walton  St.  N.W.  .  2:30  P.M. 

BOSTON 

RKO  Screening  Room 

122  Arlington  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 

BUFFALO 

Paramount  Screening  Room 
464  Franklin  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
CHARLOTTE 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

308  S.  Church  St.  •  10:00  A.M. 

CHICAGO 

Warner  Screening  Room 

1307  So.  Wabash  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M. 

CINCINNATI 

RKO  Palace  Th.  Screening  Room 

Palace  Th.  Bldg.  E.  6th  •  8:00  P.M. 

CLEVELAND 

Warner  Screening  Room 

2300  Payne  Ave.  8:00  P.M. 

DALLAS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
1803  Wood  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
DENVER 

Paramount  Screening  Room 

2100  Stout  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

DES  MOINES 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1300  High  St.  •    8:00  P.M. 

DETROIT 

Film  Exchange  Building 

2310  Cass  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

INDIANAPOLIS 

Universal  Screening  Room 

517  No.  Illinois  St.  •  1:00  P.M 

KANSAS  CITY 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1720  Wyandotte  St.  •  7:30  P.M. 

LOS  ANGELES 

Warner  Screening  Room 

2025  S.  Vermont  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

MEMPHIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

151  Vance  Ave.  •  10:00  A.M. 

MILWAUKEE 

Warner  Theatre  Screening  Room 

212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

MINNEAPOLIS 

Warner  Screening  Room 

1000  Currie  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

NEW  HAVEN 

Warner  Theatre  Projection  Room 

70  College  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

NEW  ORLEANS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

200  S.  Liberty  St.  •    8:00  P.M. 

NEW  YORK 

Home  Office 

321  W.  44th  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 

OKLAHOMA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

10  North  Lee  St.  •  1:30  P.M. 

OMAHA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1502  Davenport  St.  •  10:00  A.M. 

PHILADELPHIA 

Warner  Screening  Room 

230  No.  13th  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 

PITTSBURGH 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1715  Blvd.  of  Allies  •  1:30  P.M. 

PORTLAND 

Jewel  Box  Screening  Room 

1947  N.W.  Kearney  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

SALT  LAKE 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
216  East  1st  South  •  2:00  P.M. 
SAN  FRANCISCO 
Paramount  Screening  Room 
205  Golden  Gate  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M. 
SEATTLE 

Jewel  Box  Screening  Room 
2318  Second  Ave.  •  10:30  A.M. 
ST.  LOUIS 
S'renco  Screening  Room 
3143  Olive  St.  •   9:30  A.M. 
WASHINGTON 
Warner  Theatre  Building 
13th  &  E  Sts.  N.W.  •  10:30  A.M. 


* 


TWO  GREAT 


— 


JOHN  WAYNE 


SMASHES 


PLAYING  ACE  HOUSES 
EVERYWHERE 
TO  TOP  GROSSES! 


ALL  REPORTS  INDICATE  THAT 
WAYNE  IS  ONE  OF  THE  BIGGEST 
IRAWS  IN  PICTURES  TODAY! 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  February  10,  1949 


Bollengier  Named 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


two  years  with  the  Army  Signal 
Corps  in  a  civilian  capacity,  with  the 
title  of  fiscal  officer  at  an  Army 
post,  being  responsible  for  the  in- 
stallation of  a  system  relating  to  all 
accounting  and  fiscal  matters  concern- 
ing the  production  and  contracting  of 
Army  films. 

Bollengier  first  entered  the  industry 
with  Price,  Waterhouse  and  Co.,  cer- 
tified public  accountants,  in  the  audit- 
ing of  motion  picture  accounts,  includ- 
ing studio  accounts  of  Warner,  Para- 
mount and  other  film  firms. 


E-L  Sales  Meeting 
In  Chicago  Today 

Chicago,  Feb.  9. — Eagle-Lion's 
third  meeting  of  a  projected  nation- 
wide series  of  sales  meetings  will  open 
here  tomorrow  at  the  Hotel  Black- 
stone,  with  William  J.  Heineman,  dis- 
tribution vice-president,  heading  the 
speakers,  who  "will  outline  sales  poli- 
cies and  production  plans  to  sales  per- 
sonnel from  the  company's  nine  Mid- 
western branches. 

Among  those  attending  the  two-day 
meet  will  be  L.  Jack  Schlaifer,  gener- 
al sales  manager ;  Fred  Stein,  "Red 
Shoes"  special  representative;  Edward 
Heiber,  district  manager ;  and  branch 
managers  Clarence  Phillips,  Chicago; 
Joe  Imhof,  Milwaukee;  Abbot  M. 
Swartz,  Minneapolis ;  Clair  Towns- 
end,  Detroit ;  Gordon  Craddock,  Indi- 
anapolis ;  Edward  Cohen,  Omaha ;  F. 
J.  Lee,  Des  Moines ;  Eugene  Snitz, 
Kansas  City;  J.  F.  Woodward,  St. 
Louis. 


'U'  Negotiating  Pact 
For  Rank  16mm.  Film 

Adolph  Schimel,  Universal  home 
office  attorney,  and  Matthew  Fox, 
head  of  Universal's  16mm.  operations, 
are  in  London  to  negotiate  a  contract 
under  which  J.  Arthur  Rank  films 
will  be  added  to  Universal's  16mm. 
catalogue.  Ratification  of  the  contract 
probably  will  wait  upon  the  arrival 
here  of  Rank  and  his  company  execu- 
tives in  a  few  months. 

Universal  already  has  included 
some  Rank  films  in  its  16mm.  releases 
despite  the  fact  that  no  formal  con- 
tract for  the  rights  has  been  in  exis- 
tence. 


U.S.  Bans  Canadian 
Gov't  Dope  Film 

Ottawa,  Feb.  9.— The  Canadian 
National  Film  Board's  production  of 
"Drug  Addict"  is  reported  to  have 
been  temporarily  banned  from  distri- 
bution in  U.  S.  theatres  by  United 
States  authorities  who  demand  re- 
vision of  the  film  to  depict  drug  ad- 
dicts as  criminals  rather  than  as  be- 
ing sick. 


RKO  RADIO  PICTURES,  Inc. 

DALLAS 

TRADE  SHOWING  OF 


THE  GREEN 
PROMISE" 

Paramount  Screening  Room 
412  So.  Harwood  Street 

TUESDAY,  MAR.  8 
AT  2:30  P.M. 


Loew,  Dietz,  Speak 
At  MGM  Convention 


Hollywood,  Feb.  9. — A  "new  fron- 
tier" must  be  created  for  proper  sell- 
ing of  product  to  the  public  and  ex- 
hibitors "if  we  are  to  get  most  out  of 
our  pictures,"  Howard  Dietz,  M-G-M 
director  of  advertising-publicity,  told 
the  MGM  convention,  today,  adding 
"a  lot  of  things  have  been  done  in  this 
industry  before,  but  if  we  approach 
it  differently,  with  feeling  and  in- 
spiration, there  is  no  doubt  that  we 
will  succeed." 

Arthur  M.  Loew,  president  of 
Loew's  International,  reviewed  com- 
pany operations,  stressing  the  diver- 
sity of  problems  presented  in  vari- 
ous countries,  restrictions  on  remit- 
tances, admission  price  ceilings  im- 
posed in  many  lands,  and  said  the 
16mm.  market  now  amounts  to 
$2,000,000  annually.  Describing  con- 
ditions abroad,  Loew  said,  "We  are 
educating  masses  all  over  the  world 
to-  better  understanding  among  all 
peoples.  We  are  selling  America  and 
American  democracy  overseas,  not 
consciously,  for  we  are  producing  for 
entertainment,  but  indirectly." 

Loew  lashed  out  at  press  critics 
who  habitually  attack  Hollywood 
product  but  praise  every  foreign-made 
film  shown  in  this  country.  He  said 
this  "foolishness"  starts  in  the  press, 
and  that  it  could  seep  gradually  down 
to  influence  public  thinking. 


Crescent  Amusement 
Plans  3  Theatres 

Nashville,  Feb.  9.  —  Crescent 
Amusement  Co.  has  filed  a  petition 
with  Judge  Elmer  Davies  of  the  U.  S. 
District  Court,  for  permission  to  con- 
struct a  new  theatre  in  the  Greenhills 
suburban  section  of  Nashville.  The 
petition  has  received  the  approval  of 
U.  S.  Attorney  General  Tom  C. 
Clark's  office  in  Washington. 

A  site  has  been  secured  and  plans 
are  in  progress  for  the  construction  of 
an  open-air  theatre  on  Mt.  Pleasant 
highway,  near  Columbia,  according  to 
A.  E.  Shortley,  manager  for  Crescent, 
to  cost  $75,000.  Bids  have  been  re- 
ceived by  Crescent  for  the  construction 
of  a  new  house  at  Alabama  City,  Ala., 
to  cost  $250,000. 


Build,  Remodel,  Two 
Houses  in  Catskill 

Albany,  N=  Y.,  Feb.  9.— William 
W.  Farley,  Albany  realtor  and  thea- 
tre operator,  will  resume  operation  of 
the  Community  Theatre  in  Catskill 
and  has  announced  that  he  will  spend 
$30,000  modernizing  the  house. 

Samuel  E.  Rosenblatt,  an  exhibitor 
from  the  Watervliet-Lake  George 
area,  is  also  building  a  new  theatre  in 
Catskill. 


Mitchum  Conviction 
H alts  RKO  Production 

Hollywood,  Feb.  9.  —  Incarcera- 
tion of  Robert  Mitchum  on  a  mari- 
juana conviction  today  forced  sus- 
pension of  production  on  RKO  Ra- 
dio's "Big  Steal,"  in  which  the  actor 
co-stars  and  which  had  been  shooting 
several  weeks,  with  three  more  to  go. 
The  actor  was  sentenced  to  one  year 
in  jail,  with  all  but  the  first  60  days 
suspended.  Counsel  waived  appeal 
and  Mitchum  entered  jail  immedi 
ately.  The  studio  said  production  will 
be  resumed  on  the  actor's  release. 
Sentence  ordinarily  implies  10  days 
off  for  good  behaviour. 


Boost  U.S.  Bonds 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


19  Productions  in 
Work  on  the  Coast 

_  Hollywood,  Feb.  9. — The  produc- 
tion index  dipped  to  19  from  last 
week's  20.  Three  films  were  started, 
while  four  were  finished. 

Shooting  started  on  "Border  Inci- 
dent," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ;  "Law 
of  the  Golden  West,"  Republic.  "The 
Western  Story,"  Universal-Interna- 
tional. Shooting  finished  on  "Kazan," 
Columbia;  "Highland  Lassie,"  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer  ;  "Susanna  Pass,"  and 
"Death  Valley  Gunfighter,"  Republic. 


/.  Balaban  in  Fund  Drive 

Chicago,  .  Feb.  9. — John  Balaban, 
head  of  the  Balaban  &  Katz  circuit, 
has  been  named  vice-chairman  in 
charge  of  special  assignments  for  Chi- 
cago's 1949  Red  Cross  fund  campaign, 
it  was  announced  by  James  E.  Day, 
general  campaign  chairman,  today. 

Chicago  SRO  Meet 

Chicago,  Feb.  9.— David  O.  Selz- 
nick  will  meet  here  Friday  with  divi- 
sion managers  of  the  Selznick  Releas- 
ing Organization  to  discuss  forthcom- 
ing company  policies,  the  second  meet- 
ing called  by  Selznick. 


Named  in  Percentage 
Action,  Hits  Back 

Providence,  Feb.  9. — Ten  distrib 
utors  are  charged  with  trade  re- 
straints in  a  $1,600,000  treble-dam- 
age suit  filed  in  U.  S.  District  Court 
here  by  Narragansett  Pier  Amuse- 
ment Corp.  Plaintiff  charges  the 
companies  with  combining  to  fix 
minimum  admission  prices,  charging 
excessive  rentals  and  denying  it  the 
opportunity  to  show  films  first-run. 

Meanwhile  pending  in  the  same 
court  here  is  a  percentage  rental  ac- 
tion filed  against  Narragansett  Pier 
by  Loew,  Paramount,  Warner,  RKO 
Radio  and  20th  Century-Fox. 


Schine  Requests  a 
Delay  on  Hearings 

Buffalo,  Feb..  9. — Schine  Chain 
Theatres  has  asked  Federal  Court 
here  for  another  delay,  of  a  month,  on 
the  argument  and  hearings  in  the  gov- 
ernment's anti-trust  action,  now  slated 
for  February  18  and  23.  On  the  18th, 
they  are  supposed  to  argue  whether 
Schine  can  introduce  new  evidence ; 
on  the  23rd,  to  they  are  to  start  pre- 
senting evidence  if  Judge  McKnight 
so  rules.  Schine  now  wants  March 
18  and  25  as  the  new  dates. 


$300,000  Voted  for 
Two  House  Groups 

Washington,  Feb.  9. — The  House 
today  voted  $100,000  for  its  Small 
Business  Committee  to  carry  on  its 
work,  and  $200,000  for  the  Un-Ameri- 
can Activities  Committee  for  the 
same  purpose. 


paign  will  begin  on  March  16,  open- 
ing date  of  the  Treasury's  spring 
bond  drive. 

Bergman  was  chosen  at  a  luncheon 
attended  by  top  Treasury  and  indus 
try  officials.  A  morning  meeting  was 
opened  by  Treasury  Secretary  John 
Snyder,  and  the '  industry  leaders 
resumed  meeting  with  the  Treasury 
people  after  the  luncheon.  Details  of 
the  promotion  drive  will  be  worked 
out  by  the  committee  tomorrow  in 
further  meetings  with  Treasury  of- 
ficials present  at  today's  meetings. 

Serving  on  the  working  committee 
with  Bergman  are  William  I.  Ains- 
worth,  president  of  Allied  States  As- 
sociation; Gael  Sullivan,  executive  di- 
rector of  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America;  Carter  Barrom,  M-G-M 
Washington  representative,  and  Tony 
Muto,  Washington  representative  for 
20th  Century-Fox.  The  committee 
tomorrow  will  set  up  sub-committees 
to  include  representatives  of  produc- 
tion, distribution  and  exhibition. 

In  opening  the  session  Snyder  paid 
high  tribute  to  the  cooperation  given 
by  the  industry  during  the  war  loan 
drives  and  asked  for  a  renewal  of  its 
efforts  during  the  1949  campaign 
which  will  be  the  greatest  peacetime 
campaign  put  on  by  the  Treasury. 

If  the  committee  follows  the  pat 
tern  of  other  industry  committees,  it 
will  remain  as  a  permanent  industry 
committee. 

Others  present  at  today's  meeting 
were:  Nate  Blumberg,  Universal 
president;  Kenneth  Clark,  MPAA  in 
formation  director;  Ben  Caplon,  Co- 
lumbia executive  vice-president;  Leo- 
pold Friedman,  Loew's  vice-president; 
Lauritz  Garman,  president  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Theatre  Owners  of 
Maryland;  Arthur  Israel,  Jr.,  as- 
sistant to  the  president  of  Paramount; 
Eric  Johnston,  MPAA  president; 
Abram  F.  Myers,  Allied  board  chair- 
man;  A.  E.  Reoch,  RKO  assistant 
treasurer;  Frank  La  Falce,  area  pub- 
licity director  for  Warner;  and 
Y.  Frank  Freeman,  executive  of 
AMPP. 


N.  J.  Film  Censor  Bill 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Record  for  Wayne 

Chicago,  Feb.  9. — Some  sort  of  a 
new  record  here  is  being  established 
b-  actor  John  Wayne,  who  is  cur- 
rently appearing  in  five  different  films 
in  Loop  theatres,  with  a  sixth  to  open 
next  week.  The  films  are :  "Red 
River,"  at  the  Woods ;  "Three  God- 
fathers," McVickers ;  "The  Long 
Voyage  Home"  and  "Stage  Coach," 
at  the  Grand ;  "The  Sea  Spoilers,"  at 
the  Rialto.  "Wake  of  the  Red  Witch" 
will  open  at  the  State  Lake  next  week. 


censorship"  act,  the  measure  would 
enable  municipalities  to  set  up  eight- 
man  boards  with  the  power  to  ban  any 
picture  found  "obscene,  immoral,  in- 
human, sacrilegious  or  of  such  char- 
acter that  to  exhibit  or  show  same 
would  tend  to  corrupt  the  morals  or 
incite  to  crime,  or  may  be  considered 
against  the  general  good  and  welfare 
of  the  community." 

The  bill  provides  that  the  boards  be 
made  up  of  three  members  of  city 
police  departments  and  five  citizens. 
Upon  introduction  it  was  assigned  to 
the  Assembly  Municipalities  Commit- 
tee, whose  members  Jersey  Allied's 
legislative  committee,  headed  by 
George  Gold,  have  marked  for  per- 
suasion to  withhold  the  act  from  floor 
action.  It  is  expected  that  public 
hearings  on  the  measure  will  be  called 
by  the  Municipalities  Committee  be- 
fore members  vote  on  it. 

Principal  backer  of  the  bill  is  New- 
ark's director  of  public  safety,  John 
Keenan,  who  applied  for  legislative 
action  after  the  courts  blocked  his  at- 
tempts to  ban  showing  of  "Mom  and 
Dad,"  a  so-called  sex-education  pic- 
ture, and  "Passionelle,"  a  French- 
language  import. 

The  censor  boards  called  for  in  the 
bill  would  have  the  power  to  revoke 
theatre  licenses. 


Thursday,  February  10,  1949 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


Decree  May  Help 
Para.  Video  Status 


U.  K.  'Crisis' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Washington,  Feb.  9. — Paramount 
attorneys  are  hopeful  that  a  consent 
decree  in  the  New  York  case  may 
ease  the  path  of  film  firms  into  tele- 
vision. 

The  Federal  Communications  Com- 
mission has  said  it  will  announce — 
sometime  in  the  next  few  months — a 
policy  on  whether  or  not  Paramount 
case  defendants  should  be  allowed  to 
own  television  stations. 
'  FCC  attorneys  are  now  preparing 
a  memorandum  on  the  pros  and  cons 
of  the  question,  citing  all  the  laws 
and  decisions  involved. 

But  Paramount  officials  say  that 
the  Commission's  final  decision  might 
be  affected  by  .a  consent  decree.  "We'll 
still  have  been  guilty  of  violating  the 
anti-trust  laws,  all  right,"  one  com- 
pany spokesman  said,  "but  if  the  Jus- 
tice Department  should  put  out  a  lot 
of  fanfare  about  how  the  consent  de- 
cree ends  the  monopoly  threat,  or 
how  Paramount  cooperated  and  went 
even  further  than  might  have  been 
required,  the  Commission  might  de- 
cide a  lot  differently  than  it  would 
otherwise." 


Para.  Stock  Holdings 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


reducing  the  total  outstanding  to  about 
6,250,000. 

For  each  parent  company  share  now 
owned,  the  holders  will  be  given  one 
share  in  each  of  the  two  new  compa- 
nies, namely  Paramount  Pictures  and 
Paramount  Theatres.  Thus,  if  the 
stockholder  elects  to  retain  stock  in 
Paramount  Pictures,  his  shares  in 
Paramount  Theatres  must  be  trusteed. 

This  is  said  be  one  of  the  most 
stringent  conditions  insisted  on  by  the 
government,  whose  obvious  aim  is  to 
preclude  the  possibility  of  any  inter- 
locking ownership,  no  matter  how  ap- 
parently insignificant.  The  restric- 
tion does  not  end  with  the  actual  re- 
organization and  does  not  apply  to 
present  holders  only,  it  is  said. 

In  the  future,  as  a  prerequisite  to  the 
purchase  of  stock  in  one  of  the  two 
companies  the  purchaser  must  provide 
an  affidavit  setting  forth  that  he  does 
not  own  shares  in  the  other,  according 
to  reliable  reports  here. 

It  was  not  disclosed  whether  the 
Securities  &  Exchange  Commission  has 
formally  approved  the  arrangement. 
However,  Wall  Street  observers  were 
of  the  opinion  that  such  an  operation, 
while  hampered  some  by  the  restric- 
tion, would  not  be  too  objectionable. 

Responsible  sources  in  the  industry 
would  not  say  with  any  degree  of  cer- 
tainty that  they  believed  Paramount 
stockholders,  when  called  upon  to  vote 
on  the  plan,  would  readily  approve. 


here  as  mere  window-dressing  de- 
signed to  reassure  his  union  members, 
many  of  whom  have  been  declared  re- 
dundant, or  surplus,  by  studios,  and 
many  others  who  are  threatened  with 
layoffs  for  the  same  reason. 

General  opinion  is  that  the  layoffs 
are  justified  if  essential  production 
economies  are  to  be  achieved.  Pro- 
ducers contend  that  if  labor  costs  are 
not  cut  all  production  companies  will 
go  broke.  They  also  point  out  that 
the  carpenters,  plasterers  and  others 
who  have  been  laid  off  readily  found 
work  in  the  home  construction  field 
where  they  are  sorely  needed,  though 
admittedly  at  lower  wage  scales  than 
those  prevailing  in  studios. 

The  unions  also  asked  J.  Arthur 
Rank  to  meet  with  them  on  Friday  to 
discuss  the  implications  of  his  use  of 
the  "production  frame"  method  which, 
while  still  in  limited  use,  has  account- 
ed for  considerable  savings  in  man- 
power. Rank,  however,  pleaded  a  pre- 
vious business  engagement. 

Wilson  to  Be  Queried  Today 

Wilson  will  be  questioned  in  the 
House  of  Commons  tomorrow  on 
what  action  he  proposes  to  safeguard 
production  in  view  of  the  widespread 
studio  closings. 

Lord  Porta'l's  government  commit 
tee  inquiring  into  industry  difficulties 
will  examine  trade  union  representa 
tives    tomorrow    on   their  evidential 
memoranda  advocating  virtual  nation 
alization  of  the  industry. 

Meanwhile,  Rank  saw  Wilson  pri 
vately  and  insisted  to  him  that  current 
layoffs  of  studio  employes  are  essen 
tial  to  the  continued  functioning  of 
Rank's  enterprises. 

Tomorrow,  the  Personal  Managers 
Association  will  meet  the  producers  to 
discuss  stars'  salaries.  Producers  will 
suggest  that  stars  work  for  token  pay, 
taking  a  participation  in  profits,  if 
any.  British  Equity  dissociated  itself 
"completely  from  statements  that  ac- 
tors will  take  cuts,"  asserting  that  it 
has  taken  part  in  no  discussions  on  the 
subject. 


Allied  May  Act 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Levy  on  Arbitration 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


New  Medics  Called 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
M0TICTN  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


MEMBER   FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


ductions ;  John  Davis,  top  J.  Arthur 
Rank  executive ;  Sir  Henry  French, 
head  of  British  Film  Producers  As- 
sociation, and  F.  A.  Hoare,  managing 
director  of  Merton  Park  Studios,  Lon- 
don. 

Trade  union  representatives  are 
George  Elvin,  Association  of  Cine  and 
Allied  Technicians  ;  Tom  O'Brien  and 
A.  H.  Mingay  of  National  Association 
of  Theatrical  and  Kine  Employes,  and 
F.  L.  Haxell,  Electrical  Trades 
Union. 

Independent  representatives  are  W. 
Coutts  Donald,  accountant ;  and  S.  C. 
Roberts,  member  of  the  previous 
Gater  committee  and  master  of  Pem- 
broke College,  Cambridge  University. 


tion,  and  the  board  will  then  consider 
a  suggestion  of  secretary  Charles 
Niles  that  distributors^  be  petitioned  to 
put  an  adequate  age  limit  on  televised 
films  to  insure  that  they  will  not  com- 
pete unfairly  with  theatres. 

The  board  will  also  hear  recom- 
mendations from  Myers  for  "protect- 
ing exhibitors'  rights  under  the  final 
Paramount  case  decree,  and  offer  sug- 
gestions for  an  "Exhibitors'  Blue 
Book"  to  be  issued  by  Allied  as  a 
guide  for  exhibitors. 
To  Report  on  Audience  Survey 
It  will  listen  to  a  report  by  Rem - 
busch  on  his  survey  to  ascertain  au- 
dience preferences  in  motion  picture 
entertainment,  and  will  discuss  pos- 
sible release  of  the  report  in  the  light 
of  the  indefinite  postponement  of  the 
Hollywood  all-industry  conference,  for 
which  the  report  was  originally 
prepared. 

Other  items  high  on  the  agenda  are 
a  discussion  of  activities  on  the  Fin- 
neran  star-discipline  plan  since  the 
Allied  convention  and  a  report  of  the 
committee  that  has  been  meeting  with 
distributors  on  forced  percentage  play- 
ing, a  proposal  to  retain  a  national 
field  secretary  whose  services  will  be 
available  to  Allied  units  providing 
they  pay  the  costs,  and  a  discussion  of 
cooperative  advertising. 

This  last  item  will  delve  into  the 
amounts  invested  by  major  film  com- 
panies in  cooperative  advertising  in 
New  York  and  Los  Angeles,  with  the 
suggestion  that  "such  allowances  be 
granted  to  all  theatres,  not  a  selected 
few,  and  that  the  advertising  expense 
on  percentage  pictures  be  shared  by 
the  distributor  and  the  exhibitor  in 
proportion  to  their  respective  shares 
of  the  gross  receipts." 

Will  Elect  Officers 

The  meeting  will  receive  Myers'  an- 
nual report  and  will  elect  officers. 
Current  president  is  William  L.  Ains- 
worth.  If  he  is  not  a  candidate  for 
reelection,  Rembusch  is  considered  the 
most  likely  successor. 

Other  points  up  for  discussion  are : 
A  report  on  the  present  situation  and 
future  prospects  in  Federal,  state  and 
municipal  admission  taxes ;  a  report 
on  the  present  status  of  the  Berger 
and  Brandt  Ascap  cases ;  reports  on 
Allied  cooperation  in  "Brotherhood 
Week"  ;  the  1949  membership  drive. 


20th  Taking  U.  K. 
Film  to  Hollywood 

London,  Feb.  9. — In  view  of  an  in- 
definite delay  in  production  here  of 
20th  Century-Fox's  "I  Was  a  Male 
War  Bride,"  due  to  the  illnesses  of 
stars,  the  company  has  decided  to 
complete  the  production  in  Holly- 
wood. 

After  months  spent  on  location  in 
Germany,  the  picture  was  in  work  for 
10  weeks  at  the  Shepperton  studio 
here  with  costs  already  far  exceeding 
the  budget. 


and  voluntarily  submits  to  arbitrate 
the  controversy. 

The  provision,  Levy  holds,  "can  be 
a  means  of  cutting  down  substantially 
the  amount  of  litigation  in  so-called 
minor  grievances  that  is  well  nigh 
strangling  the  industry."  It  will  prove 
to  be  of  great  benefit  to  exhibitors 
specifically,  and  to  the  industry  in 
general,  he  said,  "if  intelligently  and 
wisely  developed."  The  provision 
calls  for  submission  in  writing  to  be 
filed  by  all  parties  to  a  controversy. 
It  does  not  require  that  the  complain- 
ing exhibitor  go  to  arbitration ;  he 
may  still  resort  to  the  courts  for  liti- 
gation if  he  so  desires. 

Referring  to  the  clearance  arbitra- 
tion rules  set  down  in  the  proposed 
system,  Levy  points  out  that  "it  puts 
all  distributor  defendants  on  guard 
and  will  compel  them  to  lean  back- 
ward in  determining  reasonable  clear- 
ances." That,  he  added,  "is  a  fact 
whether  these  proposals  ever  become 
the  law  or  not." 

Relative  to  the  provision  on  "condi- 
tioning," Levy  contends  that  "these 
provisions  should  be  broadened-  and 
elaborated  sufficiently  to  encompass 
expressly  the  claim  of  certain  exhibi- 
tors that  the  price  of  a  better  feature 
is  conditioned  by  some  distributors  on 
whether  other  poorer  features  are  tak- 
en with  it."  He  added :  "It  may  very 
well  be  that  this  (broadening)  was 
intended  by  the  draftsmen  of  the  pro- 
posals. To  eliminate  any  doubt  on  the 
point  it  should  be  expressly  included." 

Commenting  on  the  extent  to  which 
arbitration  is  "binding"  and  calls  for 
"compliance,"  Levy  had  this  to  say : 
".  .  .  where  a  party  attempts,  after  a 
final  arbitration  award,  to  proceed  in 
litigation  on  the  same  subject  matter 
as  was  heard  and  decided  by  the 
award,  the  award  would  be  conclu- 
sive and  might  be  pleaded  as  a  defense. 
Certainly,  the  courts  would  be  inclined, 
according  to  one  important  authority 
in  arbitration,  to  refuse  to  give  the 
men  'two  bites  on  the  same  cherry'." 


Mid-South  Allied 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


States  and  the  ability  of  independents 
to  "stand  up  for  their  rights,"  Ains- 
worth  said,  "Some  of  the  distributors 
are  taking  the  changed  situation  like 
good  troopers.  Others,  naturally,  are 
put  out,  but  the  little  guy  that's  in- 
dependent doesn't  get  picked  on  any 
more  after  these  many  years  of 
battling." 

Edward  O.  Cullins,  president  of 
Mid-South,  welcomed  Ainsworth  and 
visiting  independent  theatre  owners. 
Also  attending  the  session  were : 
Trueman  T.  Rembusch,  Indianapolis; 
Morris  M.  Finkel,  Pittsburgh;  Wil- 
liam A.  Prewitt,  Jr.,  and  Maurice  J. 
Artigues,  both  from  New  Orleans. 

Permanent  officers  elected  at  the 
meeting  were  Edward  O.  Cullins, 
president ;  John  Mohrstadt,  vice-presi- 
dent; Mrs.  Clara  M.  Collier,  secre- 
tary-treasurer ;  and  Bob  Bowers, 
manager.  Board  of  directors  elected 
were  Tom  Ballas,  Paul  T.  Myers, 
Jim  West,  Bill  Malin,  David  Flexer, 
Lyle  Richmond  and  Lawrence 
Landers. 


Greenberg  Resigns 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


been  with  the  Society  for- the  past  12 
years,  was  named  to  replace  Green- 
berg.  Collins  formerly  was  with 
the  Paramount  legal  department. 

Greenberg  plans  to  take  a  long  va- 
cation after  which  he  will  make  his 
services  available  to  Ascap  in  an  ad- 
visory capacity.  Greenberg  was  iden- 
tified with  the  faction  within  Ascap 
which  stood  for  high  license  rates  for 
users  of  the  Society's  music.  This  fac- 
tion brought  Ascap  into  a  major  rate 
war  with  radio  broadcasters  and  led 
to  the  formation  of  BMI,  and  also  is 
regarded  as  responsible  for  the  theatre 
and  music  rate  increases  which  led  to 
the  Federal  Court  ban. 


DU-ART... 

A  GOOD  NAME  TO  REMEMBER  FOR 
LABORATORY  WORK  •  16  mm,  35  mm 


PROMPT  EFFICIENT 
SERVICE  FOR 

TELEVISION 


DU-ART  FILM  LABORATORIES,  Inc. 

245  WEST  55th  ST.  ■  CO.  5-5584 


1949  s  HRSf  big  HOLDOVER  HIT! 


'By  flight'  Mighty 


tyjkk' Record  ^7 


4  WEEKS 

Stanton,  Philadelphia;  Orpheum,  El 
Rey,  Vogue,  Belmont  and  Culver, 
Los  Angeles  (2  weeks),  moveover, 
Palace  (2  weeks). 

3  WEEKS 

Pilgrim,  Boston;  Imperial  &  Crest, 
Long  Beach,  Cal.;  moveover,  Long 
Beach  Theatre. 

2  WEEKS 

Esquire,  Oakland;  State  Lake,  Chi- 
cago; Downtown,  Glendale;  State  & 
Scarboro,  Toronto;  Paramount,  San 
Francisco;  (moveover  to  State). 

TOPPING  'CANON  CITY' 

...  at  California  and  Iowa,  San 
Diego;  Warner,  Memphis;  Hippo- 
drome, Baltimore;  Joy,  New  Orleans. 


RICHARD  BASEHART  SCOTT  "CANON  CITY"  BRADY 

*ith  Roy  Roberts  - Whit  Bissell  James  Cardwell  Jack  Webb  •  Produced  by  Robert  T.  Kane 
Directed  by  Alfred  Werker  ■  Screenplay  by  John  C.  Higgins  and  Crane  Wilbur 
Additional  dialogue  by  Harry  Essex  ■  Original  story  by  Crane  Wilbur 

A  Bryan  Foy  Production  •  An  EAGLE  LION  FILMS  Presentation 


FIDQT 

r  1  Ko  i 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate 

IN 

▲    TT  ~W  T* 

FILM 

and 

,  NEWS 

[_ — _  

JL  jl 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.  NO.  30 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  FEBRUARY   11,  1V4V 

TEN  CENTS 

Para.  Raps  US 
Demand  for 
Divorcement 


Files  Court  Brief  in 
Case  Settlement  Fails 

Guarding  against  possible  col- 
lapse of  its  proposed  trust  suit  set- 
tlement with  the  government,  Para- 
mount yesterday  continued  its  de- 
fense in  the  case  with  a  brief  and 
memorandum  submitted  to  New  York 
Federal  Court  which  answers  the 
plaintiff's  charge  of  monopoly  and  di- 
vorcement demand  by  pointing  to  the 
increase  of  2,293  independent  theatres 
constructed  or  re-opened  within  the 
last  three  years,  many  of  them  in 
competition  with  Paramount. 

Paramount  states  that  it  has  already 
lost  106  of  its  houses  and  through 
the  termination  of  the  majority  of  its 
joint  interests,  will  lose  335  more, 
"assuming  equal  division  of  assets," 
and  through  the  dissolution  of  joint 

{Continued  on  page  4) 

Allied  Group  Closes 
Sales  Talks  Today 

Following  a  conference  scheduled 
for  today  with  A.  Montague,  Colum- 
bia's general  sales  manager,  Allied 
States'  special  "forced  percentage  sell- 
ing" committee,  headed  by  Col.  H.  A. 
Cole  of  Texas,  will  leave  here  for 
Washington  to  submit  a  report  to  the 
Allied  executive  board  at  its  meeting 
in  that  city  on  Monday  and  Tuesday. 
The  report  will  relate  to  conferences 
held  with  sales  managers  of  some  nine 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Mayer,  Senary  Speak 
At  MGM  Windup 

Hollywood,  Feb.  10. — In  the  most 
impressive  show  of  talent  strength 
staged  in  more  than  a  decade,  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer  today  seated  approxi- 
mately 75  stars  and  name  players  _  in 
front  of  the  speakers'  table  occupied 
by  company  executives  and  presided 
over  by  Louis  B.  Mayer  at  the  com- 
pany's 25th  anniversary  party. 

Attended  by  about  700  persons,  the 
affair  highlighted  the  company's  sales 
convention,  and  was  held  on  the  stu 
dio's  biggest  sound  stage,  with  the  en 
tertainment  following  addresses  _  by 
Mayer,  Dore  Schary  and  William 
Rodgers. 

Reviewing  a  quarter  of  a  century  of 
the  company's  history,  Mayer  dealt 
candidly  with  present  conditions.  He 
declared,  "Lost  revenues  cannot  be 
recouped  with  a  cheap  product.  We 
will" not  cheapen  ours.  We  will  pro- 
duce the  finest  pictures  possible  with 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Wider  Market  Here 
Asked  by  Bercholz 

A  call  for  greater  distribution  in 
America  of  French  productions  was 
sounded  here  yesterday  by  Joseph 
Bercholz.  producer  of  "The  Chips 
Are  Down."  At  a  press  reception 
given  to  him  last  night  at  the  Hotel 
Plaza  by  Lopert  Films,  Bercholz  as- 
serted that  the  cost  of  production  in 
France  is  so  high  that  not  even  nega- 
tive costs  can  be  gotten  back  through 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


$3-MillionWB 
Quarter  Net 


Warner  Brothers  Pictures  and  sub- 
sidiary companies  report  for  the  three 
months  ending  Nov.  27,  1948  a  net 
profit  of  $3,093,000  after  provision  of 
$2,000,000  for  Federal  income  taxes. 
Net  profit  for  the  three  months  end- 
ing Nov.  29,  1947  amounted  to  $3,- 
947,000  after  provision  of  $2,700,000 
for  Federal  taxes. 

Net  profit  for  the  three  months  of 
1948  is  equivalent  to  42  cents  per 
share  on  7,295,000  shares  of  common 
stock  outstanding.  Net  profit  for  the 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Third  Censor  Bill 
Introduced  in  Week 

With  censorship  bills  already  intro- 
duced in  West  Virginia  and  New  Jer- 
sey, the  Georgia  legislature  yesterday 
became  the  third  to  receive  a  similar 
measure  this  week.  The  New  Jersey 
bill  would  give  local  autonomy  to  mu- 
nicipalities to  enact  censorship  laws, 
which  would  give  local  boards  the 
power  to  revoke  a  theatre  license. 

A  bill  was  introduced  in  the  Geor- 
gia Senate  by  Sen.  Gus  Stark  of  Mon- 
roe, that  would  create  a  state  board 
of  censors  and  require  all  motion  pic- 
tures, views  and  slides  to  be  ap- 
proved by  the  board  before  they  can 
be  shown  in  Georgia.  The  measure 
also  would  prohibit  misleading  adver- 
■  tising  of  motion  pictures. 


EGA  Assures 
Industry  of 
Help  Abroad 

Promises  Cooperation 
On  Monetary  Problem 

Washington,  Feb.  10. — A  meet- 
ing of  company  foreign  managers 
today  received  a  pledge  from  a  top 
official  of  the  Economic  Coopera- 
tion Administration  that  ECA  will 
cooperate  fully  with  the  industry  in 
plans  to  convert  some  current  earn- 
ings in  Marshall  Plan  countries. 

The  pledge  came  from  Wayne  C. 
Taylor,  ECA  director  of  programs. 
Representatives  of  nine  motion  pic- 
ture firms  met  with  Taylor,  top  State 
Department  officials,  and  officials  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  at 
MP  A  headquarters  here  today. 

Taylor  said  that  he  recognized  con- 
vertibility was  the  industry's  number 
one  problem  and  that  ECA  would  do 
its  best  to  keep  motion  picture  com- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 

Academy  Nominates 
For  Annual  Awards 


Warner  to  Produce 
Mindszenty  Film 

Jack  Warner  today  announced  im- 
mediate preparations  for  the  produc- 
tion of  a  screen  play  to  be  entitled 
"The  Trial  of  Mindszenty,"  based  on 
a  story  of  the  Prelate  martyred  this 
week  by  a  Communist  court. 

Warner  stated  that  his  studio  in- 
tended to  produce  the  picture  in  the 
interests  of  democracy,  freedom  of  re- 
ligion and  the  fundamental  rights  of 
human  dignity.  "Our  aim  will  be  to 
reach  every  possible  corner  of  the 
world  with  this  major  news  story  of 
oppression  and  injustice,"  he  said. 

"Our  plan  is  to  produce  this  pic- 
ture as  quickly  as  a  screenplay  can 
{Continued  on  page  4) 


Yates,  Cowdin,  Blumberg, 
Warners  in  Stock  Deals 


Washington,  Feb.  10.— Atlas  Corp. 
sold  warrants  for  10,000  shares  of 
RKO  common  and  Republic  president 
Herbert  C.  Yates  bought  7,644  shares 
of  his  firm's  common  to  head  a  list 
issued  by  the  Securities  and  Exchange 
Commission  today  of  trading  by  "in- 
siders" in  film  company  stocks. 

Though  the  report  theoretically  cov- 
ers the  period  between  December  11 
and  January  10,  many  transactions  re- 
ported today  are  from  earlier  periods. 
Insiders  trading  in  film  stocks  gen- 
erally were  active  in  the  market  dur- 
ing the  period. 

Atlas  after  selling  the  warrants, 
had  warrants  left  for  317,812  shares. 

Yates  increased  his  holdings  in  11 
separate  purchases  over  the  month. 
During  the  same  period  he  gave  away 
2,000  shares,  making  a  net  gain  of 
(Continued  011  page  3) 


Would  Mark  Tickets 
To  Obstructed  Seats 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  10.— 
Tickets  to  seats  which  allow 
only  a  partial  view  of  a 
screen,  stage,  ring  or  arena 
would  have  to  be  so  marked 
under  a  bill  introduced  in  the 
state  legislature  by  Assem- 
blyman Francis  X.  McGowan 
of  New  York  City. 

The  bill,  which,  presumably 
applies  .  to  reserved  seats, 
would  affect  "every  person, 
firm  or  corporation  owning, 
operating  or  controlling  a 
theatre  or  other  place  of  pub- 
lic exhibition." 


Hollywood,  Feb.  10.— The  Acad- 
emy of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sci- 
ences tonight  made  public  the  nomi- 
nations for  its  annual  "Awards  of 
Merit,"  the  winners  of  which  will  be 
announced  on  March  24.  Nominations 
for  best  picture,  players  and  director 
follow  : 

Best  picture:  "Hamlet,"  J.  Arthur 
Rank,  Universal-International;  "John- 
ny Belinda,"  Warner;  "Red  Shoes," 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


'Exhibitor  Lethargy' 
Flayed  by  Lippert 

Hollywood,  Feb.  10.  —  Exhibitor 
lethargy,  producer  shortsightedness 
and  banker  interference  combine  to 
impede  industry  progress  toward  a 
solution  of  its  problems,  says  Robert 
L.  Lippert,  president  of  Screen  Guild 
Productions  and  operator  of  61  thea- 
tres in  40  Oregon  and  California 
towns.  "I  can  make  these  statements 
because  I  can  prove  them,"  he 
declares. 

Assessing  exhibitors  with  first 
blame  for  diminishing  revenues,  he 
says,  "Most  circuit  heads  do  not  look 
at  the  product,  or  much  of  it,  before 
they  buy  it,  and  they  put  no  showman- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  11,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


JOSEPH  H.  SEIDELMAN,  Uni- 
»J  versal  foreign  manager,  is  sched- 
uled to  return  to  New  York  today  by 
plane  from  Lisbon,  following  a  trip  to 
Johannesburg,  South  Africa. 

• 

Gael  Sullivan,  Theatre  Owners 
of  America  executive  director,  is  due 
to  return  here  Monday  from  Wash- 
ington. 

• 

R.  M.  Savini,  president  of  Astor 
Pictures,  will  stop  at  Denver,  Chi- 
cago and  Kansas  City  while  enroute 
from  Hollywood  to  New  York. 
• 

Lewis  Wasserman,  Music  Corp. 
of  America  president,  and  Jules 
Stein,  board  chairman,  have  arrived 
here  from  the  Coast. 

• 

Donald  Kirkley,  Baltimore  Sun 
film  critic,  is  the  father  of  a  daugh- 
ter, born  at  Union  Memorial  Hos- 
pital, Baltimore. 

• 

Sidney  Bernstein  of  Transatlantic 
Pictures  will  arrive  here  from  Lon- 
don en  route  to  Hollywood  next 
week. 

• 

Albert  Mannheimer,  Film  Clas- 
sics' exchange  operations  head,  will 
leave  here  today  .for  Washington  and 
Philadelphia. 

• 

J.  S.  Carsallen,  former  sales  man- 
ager for  Screen  Guild  in  Georgia, 
has  taken  over  the  Skyway  Drive-in 
at  Tampa,  Fla. 

• 

Bryan  Foy,  producer,  will  leave 
Hollywood  today  for  New  York  and 
Washington. 

• 

Abe  Dickstein,  New  York  branch 
manager  for  United  Artists,  is  visit- 
ing the  Albany  exchange  today. 

Leo  Wolcotfs  25th 
Anniversary  Today 

Eldora,  la.,  Feb.  10. — Leo  F.  Wol- 
cott,  chairman  of  the  Allied  ITO  of 
Iowa-Nebraska,  will  observe  his  25th 
anniversary  as  an  exhibitor  in  this 
town  tomorrow.  Everyone — that  is, 
everyone  who  can  'get  through  snow 
drifts — will  be  admitted  to  the  thea- 
tre free  of  charge  as  part  of  Wol- 
cott's  anniversary  day  observance. 


700  Are  Expected  at 
Dinner  to  O'Donnell 

Chicago,  Feb.  10. — Variety  Club  of 
Illinois,  Tent.  No.  26,  will  pay  tribute 
next  Tuesday  evening  to  R.  C.  (Bob) 
O'Donnell,  Variety's  international 
chief  barker,  at  a  testimonial  dinner 
to  be  held  at  the  Sheraton  Hotel  here. 
Chief  barker  Henry  Elman  expects 
700  to  attend. 


#2  J/2  0  Minimum  for 
Mass.  Film  Workers 

Boston,  Feb.  10.— The  state 
commissioner  of  labor  and  in- 
dustries, J.  Del  Monte,  has  de- 
clared that  a  minimum  wage 
of  62'/2  cents  an  hour  for  reg- 
ular employes  and  55  cents 
an  hour  for  casual  employees, 
affecting  20,000  workers  in 
Massachusetts  film,  amuse- 
ment and  recreation  occupa- 
tions, is  now  in  effect  through- 
out the  State. 


Nine  New  Pictures 
Rated  by  Legion 

Nine  new  films  have  been  reviewed 
by  the  National  Legion  of  Decency 
with  two  receiving  a  "B"  classifica- 
tion. In  that  class  are  M-G-M's 
"Caught"  and  United  Artists'  "Jig- 
saw." 

Rated  A-l  are  Columbia's  "Chal- 
lenge of  the  Range;  "Universal- Inter- 
national's "Red  Canyon";  Republic's 
"The  Red  Pony" ;  Columbia's  "Song 
of  India"  and  RKO  Radio's  "Tarzan's 
Magic  Fountain."  In  A-ll  are 
M-G-M's  "The  Bribe,"  and  Eagle- 
Lion's  "The  Woman  in  the  Hall." 


Meet  on  Industry 
Bond  Drive  Aid 

Washington,  Feb.  10. — Members 
of  the  industry  committee  set  up  yes- 
terday to  aid  the  government's  bond 
drive  met  today  with  Treasury  of- 
ficials to  map  the  promotional  pro- 
gram that  will  be  put  into  effect  in 
coming  months. 

Attending  the  meeting  today  were 
Maurice  Bergman,  Gael  Sullivan  and 
Kenneth  Clark.  Absent  were  Tony 
Muto,  Carter  Barron  and  William 
Ainsworth. 


Grainger  Promotes 
Brauer  and  Dowd 

The  appointments  of  E.  H.  Brauer 
as  Republic  branch  manager  in  Atlan- 
ta and  Gayland  (Jack)  Dowd  as  In- 
dianapolis branch  manager,  effective 
Monday,  were  announced  here  yester- 
day by  James  R.  Grainger,  distribution 
vice-president. 

Brauer  was  formerly  branch  man- 
ager for  the  company  in  Indianapolis. 


Ascap  Coast  Meeting 

Semi-annual  meeting  of  Ascap  will 
be  held  on  March  1  at  the  Beverly 
Hills  Hotel,  Beverly  Hills,  Cal.  It 
will  be  followed  by  a  dinner. 


Annual  Eastern  Pa. 
Allied  Meet  Feb.  17 

Philadelphia,  Feb.  10. — Allied  In- 
dependent Theater  Owners  of  Eastern 
Pennsylvania  will  hold  its  annual 
meeting  at  the  Broadwood  Hotel  here 
on  February  17.  There  will  be  an  elec- 
tion of  directors  and  action  taken  on 
several  issues  pertinent  to  theatre 
operation. 


Awards  in  Newsreels 

Paramount     and     Warner  Pathe 
News  carry  scenes  of  the  "Brother 
hood  Awards"  luncheon  to  Ned  De 
pinet,  Irene  Dunne  and  Rodgers  and 
Hammerstein  in  their  current  issues. 
Universal,  News  of  the  Day  and  20th 
Fox  will  carry  them  in  Monday  issues  I  meetings. 


29  Radio  Shows  Will 
'Plug'  'Down  to  Sea' 

New  Bedford,  Mass.,  Feb.  10. — 
Twenty-nine  different  radio  shows,  a 
number  of  which  will  emanate  from 
here,  have  been  lined  up  by  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox for  exploitation  of  "Down 
to  the  Sea  in  Ships,"  which  will  have 
a  three-theatre  world  premiere  in  this 
New  England  whaling  city  on  Feb.  15. 
Facilities  of  the  American  Broadcast- 
ing network,  Columbia,  National 
Broadcasting  and  New  Haven  station 
WNBH  have  been  enlisted  for  pro- 
motion of  the  picture  on  such  pro- 
grams as  "We,  the  People,"  the  Alan 
Young  show,  Nancy  Craig's  program, 
and  others. 

Richard  Widmark,  the  picture's 
star,  will  broadcast  from  New  Bed- 
ford on  the  evening  of  the  premiere. 
He  will  also  make  personal  appear- 
ances here  as  will  actor  Cesar  Ro- 
mero. The  premieres  will  be  marked 
also  by  a  number  of  parties  and  re- 
ceptions to  which  trade  press  repre- 
sensatives  have  been  invited. 


Suit  Says  Drive-ins 
Do  Not  Compete 

Chicago,  Feb.  10. — Claiming  drive- 
ins  are  not  in  "substantial"  competi- 
tion with  indoor  houses,  the  Harlem 
Avenue  and  North  Avenue  outdoor 
theatres  will  ask  Federal  Judge  Wil- 
liam Campbell  tomorrow  for  a  pre- 
liminary injunction  against  Para- 
mount, defendant  in  an  anti-trust  suit 
brought  by  the  drive-ins. 

The  plaintiffs  will  ask  that  non- 
Loop  Balaban  and  Katz  houses'  be 
denied  clearance  over  drive-ins  on 
new  films.  Because  drive-in  patrons 
must  have  a  car  and  for  other  reasons 
do  not  constitute  a  regular  motion  pic- 
ture theatre  audience,  the  motion 
states,  outdoor  theatres  are  not  in  di- 
rect competition  with  indoor  houses. 


of 


Goldberg  Denies 
Windsor  Charge 

Baltimore,  Feb.  10. — Denial 
conspiracy  charges  pending  in  Fed- 
eral Court  here  as  filed  by  the  Wind- 
sor Theatre,  has  been  made  by  Thom- 
as Goldberg,  owner  of  the  Hilton  and 
Walbrook  theatres,  through  his  attor- 
ney, J.  Purdum  Wright. 

Owners  of  the  Windsor,  located 
across  the  street  from  the  Hilton  and 
the  Walbrook,  have  charged  that 
Goldberg  and  his  theatre  companies 
"conspired"  with  several  film  pro- 
ducers to  keep  their  house  from  get- 
ting product. 


New  Pact  To  Be  Topic 
AtSDG  Meet  in  N.  Y. 

Discussions  centering  around  forth- 
coming new  contract  negotiations  with 
Eastern  producers  will  be  held  by  the 
board  of  Eastern  Screen  Directors 
Guild  at  a  meeting  in  the  Hotel  Wel- 
lington here  on  Tuesday. 

Similar  discussions  will  follow  at  a 
general  membership  meeting  of  the 
Guild  to  be  held  March  1  at  the 
Park  Sheraton  Hotel.  Jack  Glenn, 
senior  director  of  March  of  Time, 
who  recently  was  elected  Eastern 
SDG  president,  will  preside  at  both 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — 

Rockefeller  Center 

Jeanne    CRAIN     -     Linda    DARNELL  • 
Ann   SOT  HERN 

'A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES" 

KIRK    DOUGLAS    •    PAUL  DOUGLAS  - 
JEFFREY  LYNN 

A    20th  Century  -  Fox  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


PHYLUS        MELVYN  •*\f<  ' 

CALVERT- DOUGLAS 

with  WANDA  HENDRIX 


PHYLLIS 

CALVERT- 

«„h  WAND/ 


Samuel  Goldwyn  presents 

ENCHANTMENT' 

Starring 

DAVID  NIVEN  TERESA  WRIGHT 

EVELYN  KEYES  FARLEY  GRANGER 

Released  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 

ASTOR  THEATER 

Broadway  &  45th  Street 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER.  ^J^Zd™, 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK  presents 

OLIVIA  de  HAYILLAND  I 


the  §nake  Pit 


I Directed  by  Produced  by 

ANAlOli  IIIYAK .  ANATOLE  LfTVAK  S  ROBERT  BUSIER 


,?oJ 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

jtorring  INGRID 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

_  COLOR  BV  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS^ 

,   1  JOSE  FERRER  -  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  ■  J.  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BOND  B 
SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  .  HURD  HATFIELD  -  GENE  LOCKHART  .  JOHN  EMERY  | 
GEORGE  COULOURIS.  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  RELLAWAY  * 
based  upon  ine  stage  olay  'Joan  ol  Loiraine  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
xretn  ploy  b,  WAXWEIL  ANDERSON  „~d  ANDREW  SOIL  .  ort  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  .  direcloi  of  pholoo-oph,  JOSEPH  VALENTINE.  A-S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  W ANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

ptoc.lcd  b,  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  -  rel.o.cd  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


M  *  week!, 


BBS 


A.  BAXTER 
r  ) 


G.  PECK   -    R.  WIDMARK 

"YELLOW  SKY 

A  20th  Century-Fox  Picture 

on  stage  DANNY  KAYE 
=ROXY 


7th  Ave.  &. 
50th  St.  : 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quiglev,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary ; 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  K.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup.  Manager,  Peter  Burnup_.  Editor:  cable  address,  Quigpubeo,  London. 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,,  10c. 


Friday,  February  11,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


;  Stock  Deals 


$3-Million  WB  Net 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

5,644  shares  for  a  total  holding  of 

j  79,331  shares. 

An  interesting  item  in  the  report 
was  heavy  selling  by  officers  of  Ameri- 
can Broadcasting,  frequently  men- 
tioned as  up  for  sale  to  20th  Century- 

I  Fox  and  other  firms.  ABC  president 
Mark  Woods  sold  30,500  shares  in 
eight  separate  lots,  leaving  himself 
with  6,500  shares.  Vice-president 
Robert  Kintner  sold  17,300  shares, 
dropping  his  holdings  to  16,000  shares. 
C.  Nicholas  Priaulx  sold  14,000  shares, 
leaving  him  only  1,000. 

Holds  Warrants  in  Own  Name 
Universal  board  chairman  J.  Cheever 
Cowdin  took  warrants  for  4,662  shares 
out  of  a  personal  holding  company  and 
put  them  in  his  own  name,  giving  him 
warrants  for  a  total  of  91,538  shares. 
He  holds  11,637  shares  outright,  and 
his  holding  company  owns  another 
1,990  outright.  Nate  Blumberg,  "U" 
president,  reported  giving  away  war- 
rants for  1,300  common  shares  in  May, 
June  and  September  of  1947,  and  had 
warrants  for  27,200  shares  left  at  the 
end  of  September,  1947.  In  January 
of  this  year  Daniel  M.  Sheaffer  sold 
500  shares  of  Universal  common,  and 
now  has  1,007  left.  Robert  Benjamin 
sold  230  shares  of  common  in  April 
and  May  of  1947,  liquidating  his  hold- 
ings. 

Frederick  I.  Ehrman  bought  2,800 
shares  of  RKO  common,  bringing  his 
holdings  to  3,000  shares.  Through 
Lehman  Brothers  he  purchased  an- 
other 5,000  shares.  At  Republic,  Fred- 
erick R.  Ryan  sold  1,000  common 
shares  and  now  holds  none.  Walter 
I.  Titus,  Jr.,  bought  300  shares,  bring- 
ing his  holdings  to  990  shares.  His 
wife  held  260  shares  and  through 
Tonrud,  Inc.,  he  held  106,635  shares 
of  common  and  12,200  shares  of  $1 
cumulative  preferred.  Edwin  Van 
Pelt  sold  600  shares,  leaving  3,000. 
Ginsburg's  Sons  Sell  Shares 

At  Paramount,  Henry  Ginsburg's 
sons  sold  125  shares,  and  had  275  left. 
Ginsburg  held  1,000  shares. 

Leonard  H.  Goldenson  gave  away  300 
jointly-owned  shares.  He  had  left  700 
jointly-owned  shares  and  1,100  in  his 
own  name.  Stanton  Griffis  gave  away 
300  shares,  leaving  8,700  shares  in  his 
own  name  and  15,800  in  trust  accounts. 
Maurice  Newton  gave  away  235  shares 
and  bought  225,  for  a  net  drop  of  10 
shares.  He  has  left  18,595  shares  in 
his  own  name  and  18,380  in  trust. 

Columbia  president  Harry  Cohn, 
who  is  reported  as  having  bought  1,500 
shares  in  November,  gave  away  1,168 
shares  in  January,  leaving  him  142,727 
shares. 

Warners  Gave  Away  1,000  Shares 

Albert  Warner  gave  away  200 
shares  of  Warner  common,  and  had 
444,300  shares  left  in  his  own  name 
[  and  21,000  in  trust.  Harry  M.  War- 
ner gave  away  600  shares,  dropping 
■his  personal  holdings  to  282,550.  He 
holds  16,000  in  trust. 

Harry  Brandt  bought  another  200 
shares  of  Translux  common.  He  holds 
90,865  shares  in  his  own  name,  1,000 
through  Broadyork,  Inc.,  and  1,400 
through  Harday,  Inc.  The  Brandt 
Foundation  bought  200  shares,  for  a 
total  of  800.  Mrs.  Harry  Brandt  is 
listed  for  a  total  of  14,700  shares. 
Herbert  E.  Herrman  bought  200 
shares  of  the  firm's  common,  for  a 
total  of  5,400  shares. 

Harold  J.  Mirisch  was  reported  as 
owning  no  Monogram  common  stock 
when  he  became  an  officer  of  the  firm. 


corresponding  period  last  year  was 
equivalent  to  54  cents  per  share. 

Prior  to  Aug.  31,  1948,  the  close 
of  the  last  fiscal  year,  film  rentals  re- 
flected in  the  WB  consolidated  income 
account  included  film  rentals  of  prin- 
cipal subsidiary  companies  operating 
in  foreign  territories.  Thereafter  only 
the  U.S.  companies'  share  of  foreign 
film  rentals  which  was  remittable  in 
dollars  has  been  included  in  the  in- 
come account. 

Film  rentals,  theatre  admissions, 
sales,  etc.,  after  eliminating  intercom- 
pany transactions,  for  the  three  months 
in  1948  amounted  to  $33,734,000. 

Company  has  current  and  working 
assets  of  $69,722,332,  including  cash 
of  $16,975,898,  against  current  liabili- 
ties of  $25,654,455.  Company  listed  a 
backlog  of  completed  product  worth 
$17,201,655,  and  productions  in  work 
worth  $12,881,485.  Released  produc- 
tions at  cost,  less  amortization,  were 
litsed  at  $8,653,388. 

25-Cent  Warner  Dividend 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  board 
of  directors  of  Warner  Brothers  held 
here  yesterday,  a  dividend  of  25,  cents 
per  share  was  declared,  payable  April 
5,  to  holders  of  common  stock  of  rec* 
ord  on  March  4. 


Academy  Nominates 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


J.  Arthur  Rank,  Eagle-Lion ;  "Snake 
Pit,"  20th  Century-Fox;  and  "Trea- 
sure of  the  Sierra  Madre,"  Warner. 

Best  actor:  Lew  Ayres,  in  "Johnny 
Belinda"  ;  Montgomery  Clift,  in  "The 
Search" ;  Dan  Bailey,  in  "When  My 
Baby  Smiles  at  Me" ;  Laurence 
Olivier,  in  "Hamlet";  and  Clifton 
Webb,  in  "Sitting  Pretty." 

Best  supporting  actor:  Charles 
Bickford,  in  "Johnny  Belinda" ;  Jose 
Ferrer,  in  "Joan  of  Arc" ;  Oscar 
Homolka,  in  "I  Remember  Mama"; 
Walter  Huston,  in  "Treasure  of  the 
Sierra  Madre" ;  and  Cecil  Kellaway, 
in  "Luck  of  the  Irish." 

Best  actress:  Ingrid  Bergman,  in 
Joan  of  Arc" ;  Olivia  de  Havilland, 


Drastic  Raise  in 
Mexico  Censor  Fees 

Washington,  Feb.  10. — The  Mex- 
ican government  has  drastically  in- 
creased its  -fees  for  censoring  films, 
from  90  cents  to  about  $15  per  reel, 
Commerce  Department  film  chief  Na- 
than D.  Golden  reports. 

Fees  have  been  six  pesos  (90  cents 
in  U.  S.  currency)  per  roll  of  film 
300  meters  per  reel  or  less  in  length, 
irrespective  of  width.  Under  a  new 
decree,  already  in  effect,  fees  will  be 
100  pesos  ($15)  per  reel  of  35mm. 
film  300  meters  or  less  in  length  ;  50 
pesos  ($7.50)  per  reel  of  35mm.  ad- 
vertising film  or  trailers  per  reel  or 
less  in  length;  25  pesos  ($3.75)  per 
roll  of  16mm.  film-  or  less  in  length, 
and  10  pesos  ($1.50)  per  roll  of  16mm. 
advertising  film  or  trailers  100  meters 
or  less  in  length. 

Golden  also  reports  that  Chilean 
railways  have  increased  their  express 
rates  on  motion  picture  film  by  25 
per  cent. 


Lux  Films  Forms 
Distributing  Firm 

Lux  Films  (USA),  sole  agent  for 
Lux  pictures  produced  in  Italy  and 
France,  has  formed  Lux  Film  Dis- 
tributors Corp.  E.  R.  Zorgniotti  is 
president  of  both  firms.  The  new  com- 
pany will  release  all  of  its  imports 
from  its  home  office  here  with  Ber- 
nard Jacon  as  sales  vice-president. 


in  "Snake  Pit" ;  Irene  Dunne,  in  "I 
Remember  Mama" ;  Barbara  Stan 
wyck,  in  "Sorry,  Wrong  Number" ; 
and  Jane  Wyman,  in  "Johnny  Be 
linda." 

Best  supporting  actress:  Barbara 
Bel  Geddes,  in  "I  Remember  Mama" ; 
Ellen  Corby,  in  "I  Remember  Mama"; 
Agnes  Moorehead,  in  "Johnny  Belin 
da"  ;  Jean  Simmons,  in  "Hamlet"  ;  and 
Claire  Trevor,  in  "Key  Largo."  _ 

Best  director:  Laurence  Olivier, 
"Hamlet";  Jean  Negulesco,  "Johnny 
Belinda" ;  Fred  Zinnemann,  "The 
Search" ;  Anatole  Litvak,  "Snake 
Pit" ;  and  John  Huston,  "Treasure  of 
Sierra  Madre." 


Mayer,  Senary 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


this  great  array  of  talent  and  skills, 
exercising  reasonableness,  of  course, 
because  we  believe  that  great  pictures 
are  essential  now,  as  they  have  always 
been  to  this  industry's  success." 

He  paid  individual  tributes  to  his 
principal  aides,  and  hailed  Schary's 
return  to  M-G-M  as  presaging  fine 
future  product.  Mayer  scouted  pesi- 
mistic  opinion  about  the  trade's  pros- 
pects as  unwarranted  and  presenting 
"a  challenge  which  we  shall  answer." 

Schary,  company  production  execu- 
tive, outlined  the  company's  produc- 
tion purposes,  saying  that  "a  proper 
reward  for  effort"  is  its  prime  consid- 
eration, but  he  added  that  the  screen 
"must  live  up  to  its  responsibility  as 
the  world's  favorite  entertainment 
medium." 

Rodgers,  sales  vice-president,  said, 
"The  public's  enthusiasm  for  motion 
pictures  is  as  keen  as  ever,  and  our 
enthusiasm  must  be  maintained  at  the 
same  high  pitch.  On  our  20th  anni- 
versary our  sales  force  put  M-G-M's 
trademark  on  every  screen  in  Amer- 
ica. On  our  25th  anniversary  we  will 
place  it  on  every  screen  in  the  world 
to  which  American  films  have  access." 

The  convention  ends  tomorow,  with 
sales  representatives  departing  over 
the  weekend  for  their  respective  sta- 
tions. 


Allied  Sales  Talks 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


distribution  companies  in  connection 
with  Allied's  opposition  to  percentage 
picture  selling  to  small,  low-grossing 
theatres. 

Cole  reported  last  night  that  his 
committee  conferred  yesterday  with 
RKO  Radio  distribution  vice-president 
Robert  Mochrie,  Paramount  general 
sales  manager  Alfred  W.  Schwalberg, 
and  Warner  distribution  vice-president 
Ben  Kalmenson.  Sales  chiefs  of  other 
companies  were  met  with  when  the 
committee  was  here  two  weeks  ago. 


at  Radio  City  Music  Hall 


UNIVERSAL- INTERNATIONAL  presents 

COLBERT  MacMHRAY 

Those  grand  "Egg  and  I"  stars  in 

^fAMILY  HONEYMOON' 

mm  RITA  JOHNSON  •  HATT1E  McDANIEL  P^lT^^TI 

Screenplay  by  DANE  LUSS1ER  "FlS?."°"  °' 

Based  on  the  novel  by  Hornet  Ctoy         1  il!!^r««r_ 

_£l££l£l^l£!^H£Lgl!jI°N  ■  Produced  by  JOHN  BECK  and  Z.  WAVNE  GRIFFIN 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  11,  1949 


Reviews 


"State  Department— File  649" 

(Film  Classics) 

FILM  CLASSICS  ventures  into  the  field  of  documentary-styled  melo- 
dramas in  "State  Department — File  649"  and  comes  up  with  an  honest- 
to-goodness  thriller.  Produced  in  Cinecolor  and  featuring  Virginia  Bruce 
and  William  Lundigan,  the  film  marks  an  important  production  effort  for  the 
company.  The  events  have  been  shaped  in  formula  mold,  with  many  ex- 
ploitation angles  provided. 

It  deals  with  the  foreign  service  of  the  U.  S.  State  Department  and  pro- 
vides a  fairly  comprehensive  picture  of  the  workings  of  that  agency  which 
has  vital  "listening  posts"  all  over  the  world.  Upon  graduation  from  foreign 
service  school,  Lundigan  is  assigned  to  a  post  in  Peiping,  China,  where  a 
surprising  number  of  American  nationals  have  been  mysteriously  killed, 
and  varied  other  forms  of  skullduggery  taken  place.  In  time,  Lundigan 
traces  the  events  to  a  Mongolian  war  lord,  as  evil  a  character  as  has  been 
seen  on  the  screen  in  many  a  season.  It  is  not  long  before  he  captures  the 
entire  village  and  holds  a  group  of  Americans  prisoners.  From  this  point 
on  it  becomes  a  cunning  game  of  life  and  death  between  the  warlord  and 
Lundigan,  with  the  latter,  in  the  climax,  blowing  up  the  outlaw's  headquarters 
and  in  doing  so,  he  loses  his  own  life. 

The  action  takes  place  in  Washington  and  Peiping,  showing  many  high- 
lights of  both  cities.  Miss  Bruce  holds  up  the  romantic  angle  as  a  morale 
worker  assigned  to  the  troubled  area  and  in  love  with  Lundigan.  The 
screenplay,  provided  by  Milton  Rasion,  is  one  which  resorts  to  standard 
devices  to  develop  terror.  A  Sigmund  Neufeld  production,  it  was  produced 
by  Neufeld  and  directed  by  Peter  Stewart.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Raymond 
Bond,  Nana  Bryant  and  John  Holland. 

Running  time,  87  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  March 
release.  Mandel  Herbstman 


"The  Affairs  of  a  Rogue" 

(Two  Cities-Columbia) 

A LEISURELY,  ponderously  detailed  chapter  from  the  history  of  Eng- 
land's royal  family  is  offered  American  film-goers  in  this  British-made 
costume  picture.  No  doubt  the  popularity  here  of  its  star,  Jean-Pierre 
Aurriont,  and  its  eyebrow-raising  title  were  the  factors  which  determined  its 
importation,  because  there  is  little  else  about  it  to  commend  it  to  audiences 
here.  Not,  of  course,  that  it  is  not  efficiently  acted  by  the  substantial  cast  of 
predominantly  British  players.  Actually,  there  is  a  strong  suggestion  of 
authenticity  about  "Affairs  of  a  Rogue,"  and  one  who  is  unfamiliar  with 
the  historical  facts  of  the  British  royal  family's  activities  around  1810  might 
well  assume  that  these  things  really  happened  after  profligate,  vain,  pompous 
Prince  Regent  George  was  elevated  to  the  English  throne.  But  so  lacking  in 
dramatic  pace  is  this  picture  that  the  few  possibilities  it  has  in  terms  of 
impact  and  wit  are  lost  in  the  sedentary  settings,  over-drawn  sequences, 
avoidance  of  sharp  physical  action,  and  the  cliche-cluttered  dialogue. 

Cecil  Parker's  performance  as  the  rogue  prince  is  pure  caricature,  and 
gives  an  occasional  chuckle.  Otherwise,  the  story  of  his  fruitless  attempts  to 
marry  his  too  popular  daughter,  Princess  Charlotte  (Joan  _  Hopkins),  off  to 
an  unattractive  Dutch  nobleman  to  get  her  out  of  his  way,  is  played  straight. 
Charlotte,  it  happens,  loves  Prince  Leopold  of  Saxe-Coburg  (Aumont),  and 
refuses  to  marry  the  boorish  Dutchman.  After  much  daughter-versus-father 
squabbling,  the  Prince  Regent  consents  to  her  marriage  to  impecunious  Leo- 
pold. Their  first  child  is  born  dead,  and  she  difes  in  childbirth  in  Leopold's 
arms  (a  scene  which  is  certain  to  have  women  patrons  in  tears).  The  baby 
boy  would  have  been  in  line  for  the  throne,  but  as  fate  would  have  it  the"  next 
heir  is  Victoria,  born  shortly  afterward  to  the  Duke  and  Dutchess  of  Kent. 

Producer  credits  go  to  Joseph  Friedman  and  Ivan  Lassgaliner,  as  associate. 
Cavalcanti  directed.  Screenplay,  written  by  Nicholas  Phipps,  was  from  a  play 
by  Norman  Ginsbury,  with  adaptation  by  Reginald  Long  and  additional  dia- 
logue by  Wilfrid  Pettitt.  Supporting  cast  includes  Ronald  Squire,  Athene 
Seyler,  Anthony  Hawtrey,  Gerard  Heinz,  Margaretta  Scott  and  several 
others.  , 

Running  time,  95  minutes  (over-long).  Adult  audience  classification.  For 
February  release.  Charles  L.  Feanke 


ECA  Assures 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

panies  operating  in  Marshall  Plan 
nations.  ECA  now  has  a  program 
permitting  underwriting  the  convert- 
ibility into  dollars  of  earnings  in 
Marshall  Plan  countries,  up  to  the 
actual  cost  of  distributing  the  films. 
Only  one  contract  has  been  signed 
so  far  under  this  program — for 
MPEA  in  Germany. 

'Get  Acquainted'  Meeting 

MPA  officials  released  little  else 
about  the  meeting,  which  they  said 
was  held  mainly  to  get  the  company 
foreign  managers  acquainted  with  top 
State  Department  and  ECA  officials. 

After  lunch  with  the  ECA  and 
State  Department  leaders,  the  indus- 
try officials  discussed  the  ECA  pro- 
gram with  Taylor  and  then  went  into 
a  closed  session  of  their  own. 

The  luncheon,  given  by  MPA  pres- 
ident Eric  Johnston,  really  drew  out 
the  top  State  Department  dignitaries. 
Present  were  Under  Secretary  James 
I.  Webb,  Assistant  Secretaries  Wil- 
lard  Thorpe,  George  Allen  and  John 
E.  Peurifoy,  Commercial  Policy  chief 
Winthrop  Brown,  Department  coun- 
selor Charles  I.  Bohlen,  and  film  chief 
Merrill  C.  Gay. 

Company  Representatives 

Company  representatives  present  at 
the  meeting  were  Joseph  A.  McCon- 
ville,  Arnold  M.  Picker  and  Jack  Se- 
gal from  Columbia;  Joseph  Rosthal, 
Loew's;  J.  William  Piper,  Para- 
mount; R.  K.  Hawkinson  and  W. 
Lissim,  RKO ;  Murray  Silverstone 
and  Manny  Silverstone,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox; Charles  A.  Kirby,  Univer- 
sal; John  J.  Glynn,  Warner  Bros.; 
Norton  V.  Ritchey,  Monogram; 
Richard  W.  Altschuler  and  Douglas 
T.  Yates,  Republic. 

MPEA  vice-president  Irving  Maas 
was  present,  and  in  addition  to  John- 
ston, MPA  officials  attending  were 
John  McCarthy,  F.  W.  Duvall,  Joyce 
O'Hara,  Tim  Healy,  Kenneth  Clark, 
G.  M.  Cahill,  Manning  Claggett  and 
Tom  Waller. 


'Exhibitor  Lethargy' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ship  into  the  selling  of  it  to  their 
patrons.  They  leave  the  operation  in 
charge  of  hired  subordinates." 

Lippert  cites  as  the  antithesis  of 
this  his  own  operation  of  61  theatres, 
which  he  says  he  can  prove  yield  al- 
most twice  as  much  return  to  his  com- 
panies as  any  other  comparable  setup. 

He  says  this  results  in  part  from 
the  fact  that  he  sees  every  feature 
that  is  produced,  operates  his  theatres 
with  no  set  opening  dates,  allowing 
every  film  to  run  as  long  as  it  stands 
up  and  yanking  it  the  moment  it 
doesn't,  and  conditions  the  advertising 
of  each  picture  to  the  known  likes  and 
dislikes  of  his  communities.  He  be- 
lieves exhibitors-  anywhere  can  ex- 
pand their  and  the  industry's  in- 
take by  adopting  the  same  principles 
of  selectivity,  flexibility  and  show- 
manship. 

Lippert  "mentions  as  a  significant 
indication  of  exhibitor  apathy  the  fact 
that  non-exhibitors,  for  the  most  part, 
pioneered  the  drive-ins,  with  estab- 
lished exhibitors  coming  awake  tar- 
dily to  a  realization  that  the  field  had 
been  invaded  by  novices. 

Lippert  declares,  "In  no  other  in- 
dustry are  the  two  ends  so  far  apart. 
In  this  one  the  producer  does  not 
know  what  is  going  on  in  exhibition, 
and  the  exhibitor  does  not  pay  much 
attention  to  what  is  going  on  in  pro- 


duction. I  have  even  heard  exhibitors 
gloat  when  a  film  company  is  reported 
about  to  go  broke,  apparently  not 
realizing  that  this  would  injure  him 
directly  by  cutting  down  his  source  of 
supply." 

He  believes  there  ought  to  be  a 
steady  exchange  of  information  be- 
tween exhibitor  and  producer,  for  the 
benefit  of  both,  and  bases  this  belief 
on  his  own  experience. 


Mindszenty  Film 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

be  prepared.  It  will  be  based  on  the 
record  and  the  sentence,  and  will  voice 
the  world's  indignation." 

Warner  has  assigned  "The  Trial" 
to  Anthony  Veiller  to  produce  and 
write,  and  he  has  given  it  top  priority 
at  Warner  studios. 


Asks  Wider  Market 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

distribution  in  Europe.  He  said  that 
production  in  France  would  be  en- 
couraged if  circuit  deals  for  French 
pictures  could  be  arranged  here.  - 

Bercholz  arrived  here  on  the  ■S'.S' 
Queen  Mary  Wednesday  with  Louis 
Metayer,  vice-president  of  Pathe  Cine- 
ma of  France,  and  both  are  to  discuss 
with  industry  interests  here  a  project 
to  produce  in  France  a  picture  in  two 
versions,  French  and  American. 

Citing  the  rise  in  production  costs 
in  France,  Bercholz  stated  that  a  pic- 
ture which  cost  $150,000  before  the 
war  now  costs  about  $350,000  to  $400,- 
000.  Bercholz,  who  also  produced 
"Symphonie  Pastorale,"  brought  with 
him  a  print  of  his  latest  film  which  is 
tentatively  titled  "Souvenoir."  He  will 
leave  for  Washington  today. 


Para.  Raps  US 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ownerships  with  other  defendants,  an 
additional  119  theatres  will  go.  This 
"total  loss  of  many  hundreds  of  the- 
atres" means  that  Paramount  could 
not  possibly  hold  any  control  over 
any  segment  of  exhibition,  the  com- 
pany asserts. 

Hundreds  of  Adjustments  Made 

Paramount  states  that  the  numer- 
ous ("literally  hundreds")  of  clear- 
ance adjustments  it  has  made, 
together  with  the  injunctions  it  now 
is  abiding  by  precludes  any  need  for 
additional  injunctive  measures  on 
trade  practices.  It  recommends,  too, 
the  arbitration  system  as  a  further 
means  of  eliminating  any  inequities. 

Paramount  asks  for  a  court  finding 
which  would  permit  it  to  split  its  joint 
ownerships  by  way  of  division  of  the- 
atres in  a  partnership,  or  "division  of 
theatres  on  the  basis  of  present  stock 
interest  or  in  such  manner  as  may  be 
negotiated,  subject  to  court  approval 
or  purchase  by  Paramount  of  the  co- 
owner's  interest,  followed  by  a  sale 
of  part  of  the  assets." 

Paramount  says  it  is  willing  to  ter- 
minate these  partnership  companies 
by  a  division  of  assets  and  in  a  man- 
ner which  will  result  in  the  establish- 
ment of  competition  between  those 
who  are  now  joint  owners: 

Lists  Companies 

Alabama  Theatres,  Alger  Theatre,  Allied 
Theatres  of  Bangor,  Arkansas  Amusements, 
Auburn  Amusements,  Augusta  Amusements, 
Birmingham  Theatres,  Black  and  Churchill 
Theatres,  Brockton  Olympia  Realty  Com- 
pany, Central  States  Theatres,  Darlington 
Theatres,  Dearborn-Randolph,  Diana  The- 
atres, Drive-In  Theatres  of  Alabama,  Drive- 
in  Theatres  of  South  Carolina,  Essex 
Amusements,  Elizabethton  Theatres,  Eton 
Amusements. 

Also  Fairmont  Theatres,  Florence  The- 
atres, 423  South  Broadway  Corp.,  45  West 
Randolph  St.  Theatres,  Fulton  Enterprises, 
Gale  Theatres,  Garryana  Amusements, 
Georgia  Theatres,  Greenwood  Theatres,  In- 
terstate Circuit,  Jefferson  Amusements,  L 
and  P.  Theatres,  M.  and  P.  Theatres,  Mad- 
ison Theatres,  Malco  Theatres,  Massachu- 
setts Operating  Co.,  Menmar  Theatres, 
Newton  Amusements,  North  Carolina  The- 
atres, Oak  Park  Amusements,  Paramor  The- 
atres. 

Also,  Paramount  Hollywood  Theatres, 
Pennler  Theatres,  Penware  Theatres,  Phoe- 
nix Drive-In  Theatres,  Publix  Bamford  The- 
atres, Publix  Lucas  Theatres,  Publix  Net- 
oco  Theatres,  Publix  Wheelin,  Quinck  The- 
atres, Rockford  Enterprises,  Rockfory 
Theatres,  Rockland  Amusements,  Royal  The- 
atres, Rutland  Enterprises,  Savannah  The- 
atres, State  Amusements,  Straham  Theatres, 
Studio  Theatre,  Taunton  Operating  Co., 
Texas  Consolidated,  Tivoli  Operating, 
United  Artists  Theatres  of  Michigan, 
United  Theatre  Enterprises,  Ute  Theatres, 
Welworth  Theatres  of  Wisconsin,  West 
Suburban  Amusements,,  Wilby-Kincey  Serv- 
ice Corp. 

Paramount  says  that  its  partners  in 
the  following  joint  companies  are  not 
potential  exhibitors,  but  instead  are 
investors,  and  that  these  companies 
should  not  be  ordered  dissolved: 

Not  to  Be  Dissolved 

Haverhill  Operating,  Iris  Amuse- 
ment, Johnson  City  Enterprises, 
Maine  and  New  Hampshire  Theatres, 
Rochester  Amusement  and  Winona 
Theatre  Co. 

Company  also  asks  for  a  finding 
that  the  following  joint  interests 
arose  out  of  bankruptcy  of  Para- 
mount Publix  Corp.  (the  predecessor 
of  Paramount  Pictures),  that  they 
were  neither  unlawfully  conceived  nor 
maintained,  and  they  should  be  al- 
lowed to  remain  intact : 

Dominion  Theatres,  Paramount 
Richards,  Penncom  Corp.,  Tri-States 
Theatres  and  Western  Massachusetts 
Theatres. 


FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate 

IN 

^mr*m±     A  '    v  v         '  if 

Concise 

FILM 
NEWS 

DAILY 

and 

Impartial 

— — — ■ — — 

VOL.  65.   NO.  31 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  FEBRUARY  14,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

5-Year  Limit 
On  Trusteed 
Para.  Stocks 


Trustee  Must  Sell  Stocks 
Within  Five-Year  Period 

There's  a  five-year  deadline  in 
the  Paramount  case  decree  on  trus- 
teeing stock  in  the  new  exhibition 
company  that  will  result  from  the 
reorganization,  it  was  reliably  learned 
here  this  weekend. 

Here's  how  the  set-up  works : 

When  Paramount  is  split  into  a  pro- 
duction-distribution company  and  an 
exhibition  company  (within  a  year  af- 
ter the  decree  is  entered),  stock  in 
one  or  the  other  company  must  be 
sold  or  the  exhibition  company  stock 
must  be  deposited  with  a  court- 
appointed  trustee. 

The  stock  can  be  left  in  trust — that 
is,  dividends  received  but  the  stock 
not  voted — for  up  to  five  years.  Any 
time  after  four  years,  the  trustee  can 
sell  the  stock  out  to  a  third  party  if 
the  owner  refuses  to  dispose  of  it  him- 
self. The  trustees  must  sell  all  trus- 
teed stock  by  the  end  of  the  fifth  year. 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


22  Set  Under  RKO's 
Releasing  Schedule 

Releasing  arrangements  covering  22 
pictures  were  announced  at  the  week- 
end by  RKO  Radio  distribution  vice- 
president  Robert  Mochrie  following 
his  return  to  New  York  from  Holly- 
wood. 

The  22  include  Walt  Disney's  "Two 
Fabulous   Characters,"   set  for  early 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Allied  Board  Meets 
In  Capital  Today 

Washington,  Feb.  13.— 
Abram  F.  Myers,  chairman, 
will  preside  at  the  semi-an- 
nual Allied  States  board  meet- 
ing to  be  held  at  the  Hotel 
Statler  here  tomorrow  and 
Tuesday.  Among  subjects  on 
the  agenda  are  a  Cole  com- 
mittee report  on  forced  per- 
centage, television,  the  Para- 
mount decree,  a  report  on 
the  Finneran  plan,  a  national 
Allied  secretarial  service,  co- 
operative advertising,  Myers' 
annual  report,  taxes,  Ascap 
and  the  election  of  officers. 


Rathvon  About  Set 
To  Begin  Loans; 
Opens  Coast  Office 

Hollywood,    Feb.    13. — X.  Peter 
Rathvon  and  Co.,  newly-formed  Cali- 
fornia    investment     corporation,  is 
about  ready  to  start  functioning,  fur- 
nishing financing  to  independent  mo- 
tion picture  producers,  both  old  and 
new.     At  the  time  of  the  announce- 
ment of  the  company  last  January  6, 
N.  Peter  Rathvon,  president,  and  for- 
mer president  of  RKO,  publicly  stat- 
ed that  the  firm  had   "virtually  an 
unlimited  amount  of  Eastern  capital." 
Rathvon  and  Co.  has  estab- 
lished its  headquarters  at  the 
Goldwyn  Studio,  with  Norman 
Freeman,  long  associated  with 
Rathvon,  in  charge,  and  from 
where,  tomorrow,  Rathvon  will 
depart  for  New  York  for  con- 
ferences    with     his  banking 
sources   concerning  his  finan- 
cial management.  Freeman  was 
Rathvon's  assistant  during  the 
latter's  tenure  at  RKO. 
Identity  of  Rathvon's  bankers  have 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Goldwyn  Sees  Video 
Improving  Films 


Samuel  Goldwyn  sees  only  good  re- 
sulting from  television  competition 
with  motion  pictures. 

In  an  article  in  yesterday's  New 
York  Times  Magazine,  the  producer 
said  television  will  eliminate  the 
"weak  sisters"  of  the  motion  picture 
industry,  will  provide  new  opportuni- 
ties for  producers  and  will  improve 
film  quality. 

"It  will  take  brains  instead  of  just 
money  to  make  pictures"  in  the  televi- 
sion era,  Goldwyn  wrote.  "This  will 
be  hard  on  a  great  many  people  who 
have  been  enjoying  a  free  ride  on 
the  Hollywod  carousel  but  it  will  be 
a  fine  thing  for  motion  pictures  as  a 
whole." 

If  the  industry  is  to  survive,  Gold- 
wyn wrote,  "it  will  have  to  turn  out 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


McEvoy  Quits  4UF; 
Shorts  Dept.  Ended 

E.  L.  McEvoy,  short  subject  sales 
manager  for  Universal-International, 
resigned,  effective  immediately,  to  go 
into  television  production. 

W.  A.  Scully,  sales  vice-president, 
has  announced  that  U-I  has  abolished 
the  short  subject  department,  and  in 
the  future  the  sale  of  shorts  will  be 
handled  by  division  managers. 


'I A'  Exchange  Pact 
Settlement  Seen 

Observers  appeared  certain 
at  the  weekend  that  a  settle- 
ment on  a  new  contract  for 
6,300  exchange  workers  in  the 
32  exchange  centers  has  been 
reached  here  by  IATSE  and 
distributor  negotiators.  Al- 
though the  negotiators  de- 
clined to  comment  following 
a  14-hour  session  with  Fed- 
eral Mediator  L.  A.  Stone,  it 
was  said  that  the  fact  that 
Stone  did  not  set  another 
meeting  date  would  in  itself 
signify  that  a  settlement  has 
been  reached. 

Negotiation  and  mediation 
meetings  have  been  continu- 
ing for  about  two  months. 


Final  Eagle-Lion 
Sales  Meet  Today 

Sax  Fraxcisco.,  Feb.  13.  —  Final 
meeting  in  Eagle-Lion's  nationwide 
series  of  sales  sessions  will  open  here 
tomorrow  at  the  Gift  Hotel,  with 
branch  managers  and  sales  personnel 
from  six  West  Coast  branches  gath 
ered  for  two  days  with  top  sales  ex- 
ecutives of  the  company. 

The  meeting  will  follow  the  same 
pattern  as  previous  sessions  in  New 
York,  New  Orleans  and  Chicago,  with 
addresses  by  William  J.  Heineman, 
distribution  vice-president;  L.  Jack 
Schlaifer,  general  sales  manager ;  and 
Fred  Stein,  special  representative  on 
J.  Arthur  Rank's  "The  Red  Shoes." 

Present  to  receive  official  sales  pol 
icy  on  currently-available  product  and 
advance  information  on  production 
plans  will  be :  branch  managers  Lloyd 
Katz,  San  Francisco ;  Sam  Milner, 
Los  Angeles ;  Wallace  Rucker,  Seat 
tie;  Ralph  Amacher,  Portland;  Mar- 
tin R.  Austin,  Denver ;  Arthur  M. 
Jolley,  Salt  Lake  City;  and  sales  per 
sonnel  from  the  six  branches. 


U.  S.  Film  Imports 
Off  in  Argentina 


Washington,  Feb.  13. — The  Com- 
merce Department  reports  that  a 
large  reduction  in  the  number  of  U.  S. 
films  released  in  Argentina  was  the 
principal  factor  in  a  27  per  cent  drop 
from  1947  to  1948  in  the  number  of 
features  released  in  Buenos  Aires. 

A  total  of  408  were  released  in 
1948,  Commerce  film  chief  Nathan  D. 
Golden  reported,  compared  with  557 
in  1947.  The  U.  S.  supplied  228  in 
1948,  compared  with  375  in  the  pre- 
vious }rear. 


Warner  Should 
Stay  Intact, 
NY  Court  Told 


Suggests  Arbitration 
For  All  in  Trust  Suit 


Point-by-point  denial  of  the  gov- 
ernment's charges  of  illegal  advan- 
tages in  exhibition  and  restraints 
in  production-distribution  is  made 
by  Warner  Bros.,  which,  in  a  brief 
submitted  in  the  industry  anti-trust 
suit  on  Friday,  asks  the  New  York 
Federal  Court  in  effect  for  a  judg- 
ment that  would  keep  the  company 
intact. 

The  company  furnishes  evidence 
which  it  says  "finishes  once  and  for 
all  any  claim  that  the  present  position 
of  Warner  theatres  was  due  to  War- 
ner's vertical  integration  or  to  any 
conspiracy  or  combination  to  which 
Warner  was  a  party." 

Warner  claims  its  theatre  acquisi- 
tions were  made  solely  to  "meet  the 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Republic  Loss  Is 
$349,989  for  1948 


Republic  Pictures  in  the  53  weeks 
ended  last  October  30,  had  a  net  loss 
of  $564,499  before  deducting  a  claim 
for  refund  (under,  the  loss  "carry- 
back" provisions  of  the  Internal  Rev- 
enue Code)  of  federal  taxes  paid  in 
prior  years  amounting  to  $214,509. 
The  net  amount  charged  to  earned 
surplus  was  therefore  $349,989.96. 
This  compares  with  the  net  income, 
after  federal  taxes,  of  $570,200  for  the 
52  weeks  ended  October  25,  1947,  ac- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


RKO  Reorganization 
Changes  Required 

Washington,  Feb.  13.— The 
Securities  and  Exchange 
Commission  has  "suggested" 
several  changes  in  RKO's  pro- 
posed reorganization  plan,  the 
official  Commission  answer  on 
the  plan,  required  under  the 
consent  decree,  having  gone 
out  to  the  company  at  the 
weekend. 

SEC  officials  would  not  dis- 
cuss details,  but  one  spokes- 
man said,  "None  of  the  sug- 
gestions are  major,  but  1 
think  they'll  be  in  to  talk  to 
us  about  them." 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  February  14,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


JOSEPH  HAZEN,  president  of 
Wallis  Productions,  has  left  here 
for  Hollywood  for  conferences  with 
Hal  Wallis,  his  partner. 

• 

Donald  Garson  Schine,  son  of 
Louis  W.  Schine,  Schine  circuit 
vice-president,  was  married  on  Satur- 
day evening  to  .Miss  Gilda  G. 
Geltner  of  New  York  City  at  the 
Waldorf-Astoria  here. 

David  Beznor,  attorney  for  the 
Colosseum  of  Motion  Picture  Sales- 
men, and  Mrs.  Beznor,  have  become 
the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Susan 
Wynne. 

• 

James  R.  Grainger,  Republic  dis- 
tribution vice-president,  left  over  the 
weekend  for  Washington,  his  first  stop 
on  a  tour  of  Republic  branches. 
• 

Robert  S.  Benjamin,  president  of 
the  J.  Arthur  Rank  Organization,  U. 
S.,  will  return  here  Monday  by  plane 
from  London. 

• 

Nat  W  lf,  Ohio  zone  manager  for 
Warner,   has    been    appointed    to  a 
committee   to   greet   the  "Gratitude 
Train"  upon  its  arrival  in  Cleveland. 
• 

Mary  Mahoney,  secretary  to  Paul 
Raibourn,  Paramount  vice-president, 
is  vacationing  at  Sarasota,  Fla. 
• 

Harold  Seidenberg,  manager  of  the 
Fox  Theatre  in  Philadelphia,  left  that 
city  over  the  weekend  for  the  Coast. 
• 

Ronald  Baumberg  has  been  named 
house  manager  of  the  Metropolitan 
in  Boston. 

• 

Paul  Broder,  Realart  president,  has 
returned  to  his  home  in  Detroit  from 
New  York. 

• 

Morgan  Hudgins,  M-G-M  pub- 
licist, has  returned  to  New  York  from 
London. 

• 

Si  H.  Fabian  is  vacationing  in 
Miami. 


Party  for  Johnston 
Daughter  Thursday 

Washington,  Feb.  13. — Headquar- 
ters of  the  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America  here  will  be  used  on 
February  17  for  a  party  to  be  given  by 
MPAA  president  Eric  Johnston  and 
Mrs.  Johnston  to  introduce  their 
daughter  Harriet  to  Washington  so- 
ciety. 


Tom  Gallery  Named 
DuMont  Sales  Head 

Tom  Gallery  has  been  appointed  di- 
rector of  sales  for  the  DuMont  Tele- 
vision Network  by  Mortimer  W. 
Loewi,  the  network's  director.  Gallery 
joined  DuMont  last  month  as  public 
relations  director. 

Humboldt  J.  Greig,  formerly  in 
charge  of  network  sales,  has  been  ap- 
pointed network  assistant  to  Loewi. 


Tradewise . .  • 


By  SHERWIN  KANE 


npHE  provision  in  the  Para- 
*■  mount  consent  decree  de- 
signed to  prohibit  stock  owner- 
ship by  any  individual  in  both 
new  companies,  pictures  and 
theatres,  which  will  emerge  from 
the  decree  looks  like  a  joker  to 
most  observers. 

The  only  apparent  method  of 
enforcing  the  provision  appears 
to  be  a  requirement  that  the 
stock  in  one  or  the  other  of  the 
two  new  companies  issued  to 
present  shareholders  must  be 
turned  over  to  a  trustee  to  be 
sold  within  a  year  following  the 
effective  date  of  the  decree. 

However,  it  is  to  be  assumed 
that  the  securities  of  both  new- 
companies  will  be  listed  on  stock 
exchanges.  The  decree  will  en- 
deavor to  discourage  purchase  of 
stocks  of  both  companies  by  any 
individual  by  requiring  that  the 
prospective  purchaser  of  the 
shares  of  one  company  sign  an 
affidavit  that  he  is  not  the  owner 
of  shares  of  the  other  Paramount 
company. 

That  is  not  likely  to  deter 
either  an  enthusiastic  speculator 
or  an  earnest  investor  .who 
might  convince  himself  that  the 
restriction  is  as  meaningless  as 
it  appears  to  be.  Individual 
stock  purchasers  are  not  defend- 
ants in 'the  Paramount  case  and 
more  likely  than  not  will  have 
little  regard  for  what  appears  to 
be  a  whimsical  addition  to  a 
settlement  decree. 

Who  will  police  such  a  pro- 
vision ? 

Certainly  not  the  broker,  who 
is  in  business  to  sell  securities  to 
the  willing  purchaser. 

The  government? 

By  what  means  ? 

And  suppose  its  agents  dis- 
cover an  individual  who  has 
elected  to  purchase  the  securities 
of  both  companies  ?  Under  what 
law  would  it  prosecute  such  a 
person  ? 

The  decree  provision  would 
appear  to  be  more  difficult  of 
enforcement  than  the  Federal 
prohibition  laws  of  the  1920's. 
They,  at  least,  were  on  the  stat- 
ute books,  and  Treasury  officials 
have"  long  since  tired  of  admit- 
ting that  the  prohibition  laws 
were  unenforceable. 


The  Anglo-American  Films 
Council,  established  with  the 
idea,  or  hope,  that  it  might  agree 
on  solutions  of  the  major  prob- 
lems besetting  the  industries  of 
the  two  nations,  appears  to  be' 
unable  to  agree  even  on  a  date 


for  the  convening  of  its  first 
meeting. 

Eric  Johnston,  chairman  of 
the  American  group,  who  is  gen- 
erally credited  with  the  idea  of 
forming  the  council,  set  a  •  date 
for  a  meeting  last  fall  but,  ac- 
cording to  the  British  council 
members,  neglected  to  consult 
with  them  beforehand  with  the 
result  that  the  suggested  date 
was  found  to  be  unacceptable  to 
the  Britons. 

Thereafter,  Johnston  consulted 
with  the  British  members  and  a 
date  and  place  for  the  first  meet- 
ing, March  23-25  in  New  York, 
was  mutually  agreed  upon. 

Several  months  later  Johnston 
suggested  a  postponement  of  the 
meeting  to  early  summer  and  the 
inclusion  thereat  of  representa- 
tives of  the  British  exhibitors' 
association,  who  are  as  much  op- 
posed to  Britain's  45  per  cent 
quota  as  are  members  of  our  in- 
dustry. 

J.  Arthur  Rank,  as  chairman 
of  the  British  council  group,  op- 
posed both  a  postponement  of 
the  meeting  and  the  inclusion  of 
British  exhibitor  representatives. 

It  is  being  argued  both  here 
and  in  London  that  the  Ameri- 
can industry  representatives 
have  a  perfect  right  to  meet  with 
the  representatives  of  their  best 
customers  in  Britain,  the  ex- 
hibitors. 

Of  course  they  have.  But 
since  Johnston  did  not  see  fit  to 
include  British  exhibitor  repre- 
sentatives when  the  council  was 
suggested,  why  do  so  now 
against  the  wishes  of  the  British 
council  members? 

A  very  simple  solution  would 
be  to  proceed  with  the  council 
meeting  as  planned,  since  it  was 
mutually  agreed  -  upon  well  in 
advance,  and  at  that  meeting  set- 
tle the  question  of  whether  or 
not  exhibitor  representatives 
should  be  admitted  to  member- 
ship in  the  council. 

If  they  are  admitted,  it  might 
be  well  to  consider,  too,  whether 
American  exhibitor  representa- 
tives, should  be  included  also. 
Industry  leaders  for  long  have 
argued  that  the  exhibitor  at 
home  has  an  important  stake  in 
the  foreign  market  problems 
confronting  the  American  mo- 
tion picture.  Then  give  him  a 
voice  in  their  solution. 

If  it  is  decided  not  to  admit 
British  exhibitors  to  member- 
ship in  the  council,  there  is  noth- 
ing to  prevent  the  American 
members  from  meeting  with 
them  separately  at  any  time. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


66  ~RROTHERHOOD  Week"  and 
protests  over  the  sentencing  of 
Cardinal  Mindszenty  mark  current 
newsreel  highlights.  Other  items  in- 
clude the  seizure  of  narcotics,  Gov. 
Dewey  at  a  GOP  meet,  sports  and 
fashions.   Complete  contents  follozv  : 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  13— Jet- 
bomber  spans  U.  S.  in  less  than  four  hours. 
Arthenagoras,  new  Greek  patriarch,  is  en- 
throned. Washington:  Gov.  Dewey  talks  to 
Republicans.  Italy:  Monte  Casino  being  re- 
built. New  York:  $2,500,000  worth  of  nar- 
cotics seized.  Ski  jumping,  boxing,  surf 
carnival. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  2«— Big: 

gest  narcotics  haul  on  record.  Life  comes 
back  to  Monte  Casino.  Greek  Church  in- 
stalls new  patriarch.  "Merci"  gifts  from 
France.  Crisp  look  rules  new  mode.  Gen. 
Eisenhower  comes  back  to  the  Army.  Star 
boarders  at  San  Francisco  zoo. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  50— Names 
and  events  in  the  headlines.  Protest  grows 
over  sentencing  of  Cardinal  Mindszenty. 
Washington:  Dewey  gives  formula  for  sav- 
ing GOP.  India:  One  year  after  death  of 
Ghandi.  Fans  pick  Bing  Crosby  most  popu- 
lar star.     Salute  to  "Brotherhood  Week." 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  201— 
Gov.  Dewey  in  gay  mood  at  GOP  gathering. 
Narcotics  seized.  Bagdett  quadruplets.  Greek 
archbishop  installed.  Ghandi  honored.  Ski- 
ing. 

WARNER   PAT  HE   NEWS,  No.  52— 

People  in  the  news:  Gen.  Eisenhower,  Mrs. 
Truman,  Gen.  Marshall,  Jap  prisoners,  Gov. 
Dewey.  Cardinal  Mindszenty  protests.  Glove 
styles.    Ski  meets.    "Brotherhood  Week." 


Youngstein  Heads  A 
Group  in  Bond  Drive 

Max  Youngstein,  Eagle  Lion  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  advertising-pub- 
licity, has  been  appointed  chairman  of 
the  advertising-publicity  committee  in 
the  industry's  cooperative  campaign 
with  the  U.  S.  Treasury  for  the  1949 
savings  bond  drive,  to  be  conducted 
from  May  16  to  June  30. 

Youngstein,  who  was  appointed  by 
Maurice  Bergman,  chairman  of  the 
industry  committee,  will  name  the 
members  of  his  advertising-publicity 
committee  later. 


Spellman  Offers  Aid 
To  Mindszenty  Film 

Cardinal  Spellman  has  proffered  his 
"cooperation  and  advice"  in  the  prepa- 
ration of  the  projected  Warner  screen- 
play, "The  Trial  of  Cardinal  Minds- 
zenty," Jack  Warner,  Warner  vice- 
president  and  executive  producer,  an- 
nounced here  this  weekend. 

Based  on  the  trial  of  the  Hungarian 
Prelate  by  a  Communist  court  in 
Budapest,  the  film  has  been  scheduled 
for  immediate  production,  Warner 
said,  with  world  distribution 


'Prejudice'  Release  Set 

"Prejudice,"  produced  by  New 
World  Films  Dorfman  Productions 
will  be  released  through  Motion  Pic- 
ture Sales  Corp.  in  late  March,  it 
was  announced  here  yesterday  by  Neil 
Agnew,  MPS  president. 


A.B.P.  Pays  Dividend 

London,  Feb.  13. — Associated  Brit- 
ish Pictures  will  pay  a  7l/2  per  cent 
interim  dividend  on  ordinary  stock  for 
the  year  ending  March  31,  1949.  The 
same  dividend  was  paid  last  year. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor -in- Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
^ndays  and  holidays  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York.  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Thc-o.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary ; 
James  P.  Cumngham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
t  I°rk.  axT°  •  Ure,a£  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington. 
Jj, A-  S^16"?  Nail°;1?1  .ress  S!!?b\  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald:  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  .Picture  Almanac,  Fame  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3.  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


UNITED  NOW  OFFERS 

IMMM  TO  HAWAII 
mm  THE  &LF  SLEEPER  SERWE 


United  Air  Lines  now  offers  overnight 
sleeper  service  to  Hawaii  with  its 
famous  DC-6  Mainliner  300s,  which 
are  already  providing  the  fastest, 
finest  flights  to  Honolulu  on  daylight 
schedules. 

DC-6  Mainliner  300s  leave  the  East 
Coast  at  noon,  Chicago  in  midafter- 
noon,  to  make  direct  connections  with 
this  sleeper  flight  in  San  Francisco. 
You  leave  San  Francisco  in  the  eve- 
ning, retire  in  complete  privacy  in 
a  comfortable,  full-size  berth,  and 
awake  refreshed  in  Hawaii  the  next 
morning. 

FASTEST,  FINEST  SERVICE 

Spacious  reclining  seats  are  avail- 
able in  the  forward  compartment  of 
the  overnight  DC-6  sleeper  planes  for 
those  who  do  not  wish  berths.  But 
whether  you  take  the  day  or  night 
flight .  .  .  whether  you  occupy  a  berth 
or  not,  United  offers  the  best  in  air 
travel  to  Hawaii:  finest  meals  aloft 
.  .  ."Service  in  the  Mainliner  Man- 
ner". .  .  stroll-about  spaciousness  .  .  . 
pressurized-cabin  comfort . . .  and  the 
300-mile-an-hour  speed  of  the  DC-6 
Mainliner  300,  which  wings  its  way 
from  California  to  Hawaii  in 
just  9y2  hours. 


AIR  LINES 


SEE  YOUR  TRAVEL  AGENT  or  visit  any 
United  ticket  office  for  reservations. 


Attractive,  low  fares 

Daily  daylight  service  now. 
Four  overnight  flights  weekly — 
starting  March  3. 


the  Main  Line  Airway 

takes  you  nearly  everywhere 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  February  14,  1949 


M-G-M  Concludes 
6-Day  Coast  Meet 

Hollywood,  Feb.  13. — M-G-M's 
six-day  "Preview  of  Product"  confer- 
ence wound  up  here  on  Friday  with 
closing  talks  by  Louis  B.  Mayer,  Wil- 
liam F.  Rodgers,  Dore  Schary  and 
Howard  Dietz. 

The  delegates  saw  "Take  Me  Out  to 
the  Ball  Game,"  "The  Stratton 
Story,"  "The  Great  Sinner,"  "Little 
Women,"  "Neptune's  Daughter," 
"The  Secret  Garden"  and  "The 
Barkleys  of  Broadway"  in  completed 
form,  and  portions  of  "Madame  Bo- 
vary,"  "That  Midnight  Kiss,"  "Any 
Number  Can  Play,"  "Conspirator" 
and  "The  Good  Old  Summer  Time." 
Sixteen  pictures  have  so  far  been  an- 
nounced for  release  in  the  first  five 
months.  Rodgers  will  continue  studio 
talks  another  week,  and  before  leav- 
ing here  will  decide  on  summer  re- 
leases. 

Discuss  Individual  Problems 

After  the  general  meetings,  sales 
managers  met  with  their  assistants, 
district  managers  and  branch  man- 
agers, discussing  individual  problems. 
On  the  return  of  the  men  to  the  field 
they  will  hold  meetings  immediately  to 
pass  on  information  Rodgers  dis- 
cussed and  also  plans  for  the  pic- 
tures screened. 

Among  final  speakers  from  the  stu- 
dio were  Richard  Powers,  music  head ; 
Jesse  Kaye,  records ;  and  William 
McCrystal,  local  Loew  radio  station 
head. 

Rodgers  announced  plans  to  send 
M-G-M  men  abroad  to  see  at  close 
range  the  operations  of  the  company 
on  an  international  scale.  "We  plan 
to  select  10  men  from  the  ranks  of 
branch  managers,  district  managers, 
sales  managers  and  assistant  sales 
managers,"  he  said,  "to  go  to  Europe 
and  meet  with  representatives  from 
other  countries,  probably  in  Rome, 
Paris  and  London." 

International  Exchange 

He  added,  in  order  to  complete  the 
exchange,  a  number  of  men  from  the 
foreign  field  will  come  to  America  to 
meet  representatives  of  the  domestic 
organization. 

Dietz  reported  on  sales  plans  for  the 
anniversary  year,  mentioning  in  par- 
ticular the  promotion  of  "Little 
Women,"  which  he  called  "perhaps 
the  greatest  job  of  commercial  tieups 
we  have  seen  since  'Gone  With  the 
Wind'." 

He  also  told  the  conference  of  a 
two-reel  promotional  short,  entitled 
"Some  of  the  Best,"  which  he  said 
would  be  distributed  to  all  M-G-M 
theatre  accounts.  The  film  will  show 
clips  from  pictures  of  the  past  as  well 
as  forthcoming  films. 


Hollywood  Play  Buys 
Hit  a  New  Low 

The  sale  of  screen  rights  to 
Broadway  plays  reached  its 
lowest  ebb  in  two  decades 
during  1948.  Authors  and  pro- 
ducers took  a  record  $4,350,- 
000  from  the  film  industry  for 
17  plays  in  1947,  while  last 
year  the  total  was  only  $350,- 
000  for  five  plays. 

During  the  early  and  mid- 
dle 1930's,  depression  years, 
the  figures  ranged  as  widely 
as  $2,000,000  in  1936  and  $586,- 
000  in  1934.  In  1940,  35  plays 
brought  a  comparatively  low 
$965,500;  in  the  following 
year,  $2,100,000  was  paid  for 
21  plays. 


John  Leo  Is  Named 
To  New  E-L  Post 

John  Leo  has  been  appointed  to  the 
newly-created  post  of  special  repre- 
sentative for  L.  Jack  Schlaifer,  gen- 
eral sales  manager  of  Eagle-Lion 
Films  by  William  J.  Heineman,  sales 
vice-president.  The  appointment  is  ef- 
fective today,  with  Leo  assigned  to  the 
territory  covering  San  Francisco,  Los 
Angeles,  Portland,  Seattle,  Denver 
and  Salt  Lake  City. 

Leo,  who  joined  Eagle-Lion  in  Jan- 
uary, 1947,  as  a  salesman  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, is  at  present  sales  manager  in 
that  exchange.  He  entered  the  in- 
dustry in  1944  as  a  booker  for  Re- 
public. 


260  Pre-Releases 
For  'Vets'  This  Year 


U.  S.  Veterans  Administration  plans 
to  exhibit  260  pre-release  features  this 
year  in  "VA"  hospitals  and  homes 
throughout  the  country,  it  was  report- 
ed here  on  Friday  at  the  close  of  a 
week-long  conference  of  VA  execu- 
tives and  distribution  representatives 
at  the  Hotel  Barbizon  Plaza.  Approx- 
imately the  same  number  were  ex- 
hibited in  hospitals  last '  year.  Some 
156  of  the  total  will  be  on  35mm.  and 
the  remaining  104  wil  be  on  16mm.  A 
complement  of  short  subjects  also  are 
to  be  shown  by  the  VA. 

The  conference  will  submit  to  Gen. 
Carl  Gray,  VA  chief,  through  Gen. 
F.  R.  Kerr,  assistant  administrator  of 
Special  Services,  recommendations  re- 
garding the  proposed  new  structure  of 
VA  motion  picture  operations.  VA 
has  eliminated  its  13  field  booking 
offices,  and  it  is  now  up  to  Gen.  Gray 
to  decide  whether  a  central  office  will 
handle  bookings,  unassisted  in  the 
field,  or  whether  some  field  offices  will 
be  reopened.  The  distributors  release 
films  to  VA  at  cost.  Gen.  Gray  is  ex- 
pected to  reach  his  decision  in  a  week. 

The  meetings  here  were  presided 
over  by  E.  J.  Kelly,  VA  chief  of 
motion  pictures,  assisted  by  William 
J.  Jones,  Jr.,  previewing  and  booking 
director.  Attending  from  the  film  com- 
panies were :  Jay  Gove,  Loew ;  Ed- 
ward McEvoy  and  A.  J.  O'Keefe,  Uni- 
versal-International ;  Maurice  Grad, 
Columbia;  Sid  Kramer  and  Malcolm 
Scott,  RKO  Radio ;  Julian  Chapman, 
Film  Classics ;  Frank  Soule,  Eagle- 
Lion;  Harry  Mercer,  20th-Fox ;  Ira 
Michaels,  Selznick  Releasing;  Jack 
Curtin,  Republic  and  Ed  Ezzes,  United 
World.  Other  VA  officials  on  hand 
were  Cliff  Bream,  Robert  Wise  and 
Mrs.  Adenia  Stern. 


Eight  'Depinet  Drive' 
Meetings  This  Week 

RKO  Radio  will  hold  "Depinet 
Drive"  meetings  this  week  in  Indian- 
apolis and  Cincinnati,  where  district 
manager  M.  E.  Lefko  is  drive  cap- 
tain ;  also  in  Pittsburgh,  where  dis- 
trict manager  R.  J.  Folliard  is  cap- 
tain. The  home  office  will  be  repre- 
sented at  these  meetings  by  Nat  Levy, 
Eastern  division  manager,  and  his  as- 
sistant, Frank  Drumm. 

Drive  meetings  will  also  be  held  in 
San  Francisco,  starting  today,  and  in 
Los  Angeles,  where  Western  district 
manager  J.  H.  Maclntyre  is  the  cap- 
tain. Present  from  tahe  home  office 
will  be  Harry  J.  Michalson,  short  sub- 
ject sales  manager;  Walter  E.  Bran- 
son, Western  division  manager,  and 
his  assistant,  Harry  Gittleson. 

Memphis,  Dallas  and  Oklahoma 
City  will  also  have  drive  meetings 
starting  today,  and  where  Ben  Y. 
Cammack,  Southwestern  district  man- 
ager, is  captain.  Charles  Boasberg, 
North-South  division  manager  and  his 
assistant,  Carl  Peppercorn,  will  rep- 
resent the  home  office. 

The  1949  "Depinet  Drive"  will  ex- 
tend over  a  20-week  period,  ending 
May  5. 


Will  Not  Fire  Binford 

Memphis,  Feb.  13. — Mayor  Wat- 
kins  Overton,  to  whom  the  Commer- 
cial Appeal  directed  a  suggestion  that 
he  ask  Lloyd  T.  Binford  to  resign  as 
chairman  of  the  Memphis  Board  of 
Censors  said  he  did  not  plan  to  follow 
the  suggestion.  The  newspaper  hit 
Binford  for  some  questionable  deci- 
sions in  banning  motion  pictures,  par- 
ticularly Hal  Roach's  "Curley." 


Walt  Disney  Dividend 

Hollywood,  Feb.  13. — A  regular 
quarterly  dividend  of  37H  cents  for 
Walt  Disney  Prod,  stockholders  was 
declared  by  the  company's  board  to- 
day. 


Tax  Bills  Filed  in 
Four  More  States 

Washington,  Feb.  13. — Bills  have 
been  introduced  in  four  more  state 
legislatures  to  tax  admissions,  but  an 
Indiana  bill  calling  for  a  temporary 
20  per  cent  tax  to  pay  for  a  soldiers 
bonus  has  been  defeated,  according  to 
Jack  Bryson,  legislative  representative 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America. 

New  tax  bills  were  offered  in  Ten- 
nessee, Nebraska,  North  Dakota  and 
South  Dakota.  The  Tennessee  bill 
calls  for  a  three  per  cent  general  sales 
tax,  including  admissions,  while  the 
Nebraska  bill  is  for  a  two  per  cent 
general  levy,  also  including  admis- 
sions. Bryson  said  he  did  not  yet  have 
details  of  the  Dakota  bills. 


N.Y.  Variety  Tent 
Committees  Named 


Committees  which  will  launch  the 
new  New  York  Tent,  No.  35,  Variety 
Clubs  International,  and  direct  ar- 
rangements for  the  local  benefit  pre- 
miere of  Allied  Artists'  "Bad  Boy" 
at  the  RKO  Palace,  March  8,  were 
appointed  on  Friday  by  Max  A. 
Cohen,  president  of  Motion  Picture 
Associates,  which  will  be  chartered  as 
the  tent. 

For  the  premiere,  the  co-chairmen, 
who  will  select  their  own  aides,  are 
Charles  Schlaifer  and  Robert  Weit- 
man. 

The  Palace  is  being  turned  over  to 
the  new  tent  for  the  evening  by  Sol 
Schwartz,  of  RKO  Theatres.  The 
evening's  proceeds  will  be  used  by  the 
tent  to  cover  its  organizational  ex- 
penses, the  $51,328  in  the  MPA 
treasury  being  reserved  for  its 
philanthropies. 

Other  committees  are: 

Clubrooms:  Harry  Brandt,  Tom  Connors, 
William  Girden. 

Finance:  Herman  Robbins,  Walter  Reade, 
Jr.;  Sol  Trauner  and  Robert  Fannon. 

Planning:  Morris  Sanders,  Jules  Rieff, 
Harold  Klein,  Leonard  Goldenson  and  Jack 
Alicoate. 

Intra- Amusement:  Abel  Green,  Max  A. 
Cohen,  with  additional  members  to  be 
named  later. 

Organization  and  Membership:  Leo 
Brecher,  Fred  Schwartz,  Jack  Farkas,  Ed- 
ward Lachman,  William  German. 

Journal:  Allen  Smith,  with  other  mem- 
bers to  be  named  later. 

Dinner:  David  Weinstock,  Morton  Sun- 
shine, Herman  Schleier. 

Golf  Tournament:  Don  Mersereau,  with 
other  members  to  be  announced. 

Jublic  Relations:  Chester  B.  Bahn, 
Charles  E.  "Chick"  Lewis,  ex  officio;  Abel 
Green,  Terry  Ramsaye,  Sherwin  Kane, 
James  Jerauld,  Marvin  Kirsch,  Morton 
Sunshine,  Mel  Konecoff,  Jack  Harrison,  Al 
Picoult,  David  A.  Bader. 


Ask  House  Group  to 
Reverse  Video  Ban 

An  appeal  to  the  House  Committee 
on  Un-American  Activities  to  recon- 
sider its  recent  decision  to  ban  tele- 
vision cameras  from  its  public  hear- 
ings has  been  made  by  J.  R.  Poppele, 
president  of  the  Television  Broadcast- 
ers Association. 

In  a  letter  addressed  to  John  S. 
Wood,  chairman  of  the  House  com- 
mittee, Poppele  pointed  out  that  tele- 
vision has  expanded  rapidly  to  the  ex- 
tent that  now  some  54  stations  are 
linked  by  coaxial  cable  and  microwave 
relay,  permitting  millions  of  Americans 
to  "attend"  events  of  public  interest 
originating  in  Washington. 

Newsreel  cameras  are  also  barred 
from  the  hearings. 


Selznick  Meet  Shifted 

Chicago,  Feb.  13.  —  The  Selznick 
Releasing  Organization  meeting  of  di- 
visional managers,  scheduled  to  open 
last  Friday  was  postponed  because 
of  the  inability  of  David  O.  Selznick 
to  leave  Hollywood  and  instead  will 
be  held  on  the  Coast  this  week. 


Engineers  Meet  Feb.  16 

The  Society  of  Motion  Picture  En- 
gineers will  hold  its  monthly  meet- 
ing here  Wednesday  in  the  auditorium 
of  the  Western  Union  building,  with 
the  discussion  devoted  to  'recent  de- 
velopments in  sound-on-film  recording. 


Start  Theatre  List 
In  World-Telegram 

Commencing  with  today's  issue,  the 
New  York  World  Telegram  inaugu- 
rates a  theatre  listing  covering  houses 
in  the  five  boroughs  and  Long  Island 
and  Westchester.  The  listing  will 
give  the  names  of  the  features  and 
their  starting  time.  There  will  be  no 
charge  for  the  service.  The  listings 
are  to  be  under  the  supervision  of 
George  Case.  The  paper  also  plans  to 
cover  theatres  in  nearby  New  Jersey. 


Para.  Treasury  Now 
Has  816,733  Shares 

Paramount  purchased  last  month  on 
the_  open  market  27,500  more  shares 
of  its  common  stock,  bringing  to  816,- 
733  the  total  accumulated  in  its  treas- 
ury under  the  stock-purchasing  pro- 
gram instituted  in  November,  1946, 
by  company  president  Barney  Balaban. 

Other  recently  monthly  purchases 
follow  :  December,  41,700  ;  November, 
21,500;  October,  40,500;  September, 
32,500;  August,  22,200;  July,  31,000. 


Refuses  Mitchum  Plea 

Hollywood,  Feb.  13. — Production 
on  RKO's  "The  Big  Steal"  is  at  a 
standstill  after  a  plea  to  get  Robert 
Mitchum,  actor  in  the  film's  cast,  out 
of  jail  where  he  is  serving  a  60-day 
sentence  for  conspiracy  to  possess 
marijuana.  Judge  Clement  D.  Nye,  in 
refusing  the  request,  said  RKO  should 
have  known  that  Mitchum's  case  pre- 
sented a  "hazard"  to  production. 


Monday,  February  14,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Warner  Intact 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Reviews 


needs  of  new  markets,"  and,  moreover, 
its  theatres  have  gained  no  competi- 
tive advantages  since  they  were  ac- 
quired. In  13  of  the  cities  of  100,000 
population  or  over,  Warner  continues, 
the  position  of  its  theatres  actually  has 
deteriorated. 

Warners  asks  that  it  be  considered 
as  an  individual  company,  rather  than 
having  the  court  look  upon  all  defend- 
ants in  the  case  collectively. 

Claim  Injunctions  Unnecessary 
i  The  company  joins  its  theatre-own- 
ing co-defendants  in  pointing  to  the 
changes  made  in  distribution  practices, 
such  as  the  avoidance  of  arbitrary  re- 
fusal of  run  and  picture-by-picture 
and  theatre  -  by  -  theatre  licensing, 
which,  with  arbitration,  make  further 
distribution  injunctions  unnecessary. 

In  one  respect  Warner  goes  a  step 
beyond  other  theatre  owning  companies 
on  the  proposed  arbitration,  i.e.,  sug- 
gesting to  the  court  that  it  may  in  its 
discretion  "impose  upon  any  reluctant 
party  a  system  of  arbitration  sufficient 
to  remedy  the  industry-wide  evils  crit- 
icized by  this  Court.  .  .  ." 

United  Artists,  Universal  and  Col- 
umbia last  week  told  the  court  in  a 
memorandum  that  they  are  opposed 
to  the  arbitration  system  devised  and 
proposed  by  the  majors. 

Plan  Would  Relieve  Judiciary 

Says  Warner :  "Arbitration  would 
relieve  the  judiciary  of  the  continuous 
complex  administrative  duties  which 
the  Supreme  Court  envisaged  in  any 
compulsory  system  of  competitive  bid- 
ding. 

"It  would  also  relieve  the  industry 
of  a  continuing  avalanche  of  private 
anti-trust  litigation  involving  the  very 
same  complex  questions,  and  relieve 
the  judiciary  and  the  parties  herein  of 
endless  resort  to  motions  for  clarifica- 
tion of  the  provisions  of  the  decree, 
as  applied  to  specific  situations,  and 
to  motions  to  punish  for  contempt." 

Under  the  consent  decree  of  1940 
only  the  companies  which  agreed  to 
accept  arbitration  became  a  party  to 
it.  These  were,  of  course,  the  five 
majors.  The  Little  Three  did  not. 

Para.  Decree 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

During  the  five  year  period,  anyone 
buying  trusteed  stock  must  certify 
that  he  does  not  own  stock  in  the 
production  company. 

The  decree,  which  is  more  than  50 
pages  long,  follows  the  model  of  the 
Lehigh  Valley  and  old  Union  Pacific 
cases,  it  was  understood. 

After  five  years,  it  is  reported,  there 
is  no  control  over  the  stock.  How- 
ever, Department  of  Justice  officials 
are  reported  to  believe  that  by  the 
end  of  five  years  divorcement  will  be 
so  complete  that  there  will  be  no 
chance  of  anyone  regaining  control  of 
both  companies.  Anyhow,  if  that 
should  happen,  the  decree  could  be 
reopened  and  a  court  order  to  break 
up  such  control  obtained  speedily. 

Justice  officials  are  reported  to  have 
said  that  they  do  not  fret  about  any- 
one buying  up  one  or  10  shares  in 
both  companies ;  what  they  are  con- 
cerned over  is  control,  and  they  feel 
that  they  can  keep  a  check  on  that. 

This  week  is  expected  to  see  the 
final  signing  of  the  decree,  with  de- 
tails made  public  next  week.  As  yet, 
Paramount  has  not  forwarded  a 
signed  copy  of  the  decree  to  Washing- 
ton. Justice  officials  are  reported  re- 
luctant to  put  their  signature  on  the 
decree  until  the  company  officials  do. 


Republic  Net  Is  Off 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


"The  Clay  Pigeon" 

(RKO  Radio) 

"'TPHE  Clay  Pigeon"  is  a  standard  melodrama,  unpretentious  in  produc- 
A  tion,  but  generous  in  action  and  excitement.  The  cast,  headed  by  Bill 
Williams  and  Barbara  Hale,  does  well  with  the  material,  and  the  direction 
by  Richard  O.  Fleischer  is  satisfactory  for  a  film  of  this  classification. 

The  story  concerns  a  war-stunned  sailor  and  his  efforts  to  clear  himself 
of  a  charge  of  treason.  Williams,  the  sailor,  supposedly  killed  a  brother-in- 
uniform  as  well  as  betrayed  his  country  to  the  Japs.  A  victim  of  mental 
blackouts,  the  entire  incident  seems  hazy  to  Williams  when  he  escapes  from 
a  naval  hospital  in  order  to  get  to  the  bottom  of  the  story He  calls  upon  a 
former  navy  friend  for  help,  but  as  it  happens,  the  friend  is  the  real  villain 
and  at  present  is  collaborating  with  the  Japs  in  a  counterfeiting  deal.  Sub- 
sequent developments  involve  several  chases  and  moments  of  suspense  before 
the  real  culprits  are  brought  to  justice  in  a  two-fisted  climax.  Miss_  Hale  is 
pleasing  as  the  girl  who  first  suspects  .Williams  but  then  helps  him.  Carl 
Foreman  provided  the  screenplay  which  has  Richard  Quine  as  the  untrust- 
worthy friend  and  Richard  Loo  as  another  evil  henchman.  Herman  Schlom 
produced. 

Running  time,  63  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  March  re- 
lease, Mandel  Herbstman 

"My  Brother's  Keeper" 

(  Gainsborough — Eagle-Lion) 

IF  Hollywood  had  made  "My  Brother's  Keeper,"  it  would  have  fallen  into 
the  slot  of  gangster  films.  Also,  the  probability  is  it  would  have  had  more 
of  the  incisiveness  and  the  bite  which  are  the  normal  assets  of  this  home- 
made type  of  story. 

But,  this  attraction  was  made  in  England  where  the  tempo  is  different  and 
so  is  the  approach.  Thus,  while  the  general  story  line-  bears  marked  resem- 
blance to  many  films  produced  down  through  the  years  in  Hollywood,  the 
results  do  not.  The  consequence  is  "My  Brother's  Keeper"  emerges  as  an 
offering  of  decidedly  minor  value  for  average  American  audiences  despite 
the  believability  of  most  of  its  performances,  which  are  played  in  conservative 
British  key. 

The  principal  is  hardened-criminal  Jack  Warner.  Handcuffed  to  George 
Cole,  who  probably  is  innocent  of  the  crime  charged  against  him,  both  effect 
an  escape  while  en  route  to  prison.  This  sets  in  motion  a  man  hunt  with 
attendant  characters  and  dramatic  circumstances,  including  a  murder.  The 
climactic  scene  finds  Warner,  closed  in  by  police  on  all  sides,  seeking  freedom 
through  war  department  territory  where  he  is  blown  up  by  a  mine.  The 
finale  achieves  an  interesting  degree  of  suspense,  but  is  not  enough  dramatic 
compensation  for  what  precedes.  Antony  Darnborough  produced  and  Alfred 
Roome  directed  for  Gainsborough. 

Running  time,  97  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date,  not 
set.  Red  Kann 


RKO  Sets  22 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


fall  release,  and  his  "Cinderella," 
which  will  have  its  world  premiere 
around  next  Christmastime;  also 
Samuel  Goldwyn's  "Roseanna  Mc- 
Coy," tentatively  set  for  early  release ; 
Glenn  McCarthy's  "The  Green  Prom- 
ise," which  will  have  its  world  pre- 
miere on  March  18  in  Houston ;  the 
John  Ford-Merian  C.  Cooper  produc- 
tion of  "Mr.  Joseph  Young  of  Afri- 
ca," set  for  spring  release. 

Other  RKO  Radio  product  now  go- 
ing into  general  release  is  Sierra  Pic- 
tures' "Joan  of  Arc,"  Goldwyn's  "En- 
chantment," Sol  Lesser's  "Tarzan's 
Magic  Fountain"  and  "The  Window" ; 
"Baltimore  Escapade,"  "A  Woman's 
Secret,"  "The  Clay  Pigeon,"  "The 
Judge  Steps  Out,"  "Roughshod," 
"They  Live  By  Night,"  "Weep  No 
More,"  "Interference,"  "Follow  Me 
Quietly,"  "The  Set-Up,"  "Sam 
Wynne"  and  "It's  Only  Money." 
There  will  also  be  a  re-release  of 
Goldwyn's  "The  Pride  of  the  Yan- 
kees" to  coincide  with  the  opening  of 
the  baseball  season. 


Griffith  Case  Recess 

Oklahoma  City,  Feb.  13. — The 
Griffith  anti-trust  case  has  been  re- 
cessed in  order  to  permit  government 
attorneys  to  go.  through  voluminous 
files  of  major  distributors.  Federal 
Judge  Edgar  S.  Vaught  set  April  20 
as  a  tentative  date  for  further  hear- 


Rathvon  About  Set 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


not  been  disclosed ;  he  had  been  as- 
sociated with  Atlas  Corp.,  of  which 
he  was  a  vice-president,  Munds,  Wins- 
low  and  Potter,  and  other  New  York 
firms. 

Rathvon  has  made  it  clear  that  his 
investment  firm  will  not  produce  mo- 
tion "ictures  on  its  own,  but  will  func- 
tion in  bringing  money  and  nroduc- 
tion  enterprises  together.  He  said 
'"independent  production  is  a  vital 
part  of  our  industry,  and  its  continued 
success  must  be  safeguarded  by  a 
sound  financing  program  that  will  as- 
sure a  fair  return  to  both  investor 
and  producer.  At  the  same  time 
Rathvon  and  Co.  will  bring  to  the 
independent  producer  an  understand- 
ing of  his  problem  and  assistance 
which  he  has  never  had  before  from 
his  bankers." 


Goldwyn 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


pictures  several  time  as  good  as  they 
are,  on  the  average,  today."  Pictures 
like  "Joan  of  Arc,"  "The  Snake  Pit," 
"Johnny  Belinda,"  "The  Search," 
"Portrait  of  Jennie"  and  "Miss  Tat- 
lock's  Millions"  will  have  to  be  the 
"norm"  rather  than  the  exception,  he 
believes. 

Goldwyn  is  not  sure  how  they  will 
be  paid  for,  although  he  believes  the 
greatest  potentialities  lie  in  Phone- 
vision.  Also,  he  is  not  sure  when  such 
features  will  be  fed  into  TV  receivers. 


cording  to  a  statement  to  stockholders 
by  Herbert  J.  Yates,  company  presi- 
dent. 

Gross  revenue  for  the  53  weeks 
amounted  to  $27,072,636,  as  compared 
with  the  previous  fiscal  year  of  $29,- 
581,911. 

"Your  corporation,  not  being  en- 
gaged in  theatre  operations,  felt  the 
full  effect  of  the  current  unfavorable 
trends  in  the  motion  picture  industry 
including  the  reduction  in  dollar  re- 
mittances from  foreign  markets,  high 
production  and  distributing  costs,  and 
falling  off  in  theatre  attendance  in  the 
United  States,"  Yates  told  stock- 
holders. 

Cites  Funds  Abroad 

"Practically  all  foreign  countries 
throughout  the  world,  with  relatively 
few  exceptions  have  taxes,  regulations 
and  restrictions  which  limit  and  con- 
trol the  distribution  of  American  mo- 
tion pictures  or  the  remittances  from 
such  countries.  The  cash  on  deposit 
by  your  corporation,  accounts  receiv- 
able and  inventories  in  foreign  coun- 
tries have  increased  from  the  equiva- 
lent of  $625,522  on  Oct.  25,  1947,  to 
the  equivalent  of  $1,095,907.74  on  Oct. 
30,  1948,  based  upon  the  rates  of  ex- 
change prevailing  on  such  dates  re- 
spectively," Yates  said. 

"In  anticipation  of  the  possible  de- 
cline in  revenues,  your  corporation 
during  1947,  instituted  an  economy 
program  throughout  its  entire  organ- 
ization and  as  conditions  developed 
during  1948  such  program  was  inten- 
sified with  regard,  however,  so  as  not 
to  impair  the  efficiency  of  operations. 
While  general  wage  and  salary  levels 
could  not  be  reduced  due  to  union 
agreements,  managerial  and  general 
administrative  expenses  were  reduced 
including  a  50  per  cent  reduction  in 
the  basic  salary  of  the  president  of 
your  corporation.  This  economy  pro- 
gram will  continue  until  adverse  con- 
ditions affecting  the  motion  picture 
industry  improve,"  he  added. 

"Because  of  the  time-lag  inherent 
in  the  operations  and  accounting  of 
a  motion  picture  company  such  as  the 
period  of  time  between  the  production 
of  a  picture  and  its  release  and  the 
subsequent  amortization  over  a  period 
of  65  weeks  (domestic)  the  earnings 
for  the  past  year  reflect  the  results 
of  high  cost  pictures  before  present 
economies  became  effective,"  he  said. 

Omitted  1948  Dividend 

"The  board  of  directors  did  not, 
with  the  greatest  reluctance,  declare 
the  dividend  usually  payable  on  the 
preferred  stock  on  Oct.  1,  1948,  and 
Jan.  2,  1949.  In  view  of  the  conditions 
affecting  the  industry  throughout  the 
world,  it  was  deemed  desirable  to  ap- 
ply all  funds  not  required  in  its  nor- 
mal operations  towards  liquidating 
bank  loans. 

"Although  your  corporation's  opera- 
tions resulted  in  a  loss,  its  outstanding 
bank  loans  were  reduced  from  $3,875,- 
000  as  of  Oct.  26,  1947,  to  $2,700,000 
as  of  Oct.  30,  1948.  Since  Oct.  30, 
1948,  the  bank  loans  have  been  fur- 
ther reduced  by  $750,000  so  that  as 
of  Feb.  1,  1949,  such  bank  loans 
amounted  to  $1,950,000.  Your  manage- 
ment expects  that  bank  loans  will  be 
substantially  or  entirely  liquidated 
during  1949,"  said  Yates. 

As  of  Oct.  30,  1948,  Republic  had 
total  current  assets  of  $14,224,240,  in- 
cluding cash  on  hand  of  $1,670,039, 
against  liabilities  of  $6,708,885.  Inven- 
tories at  that  time  amounted  to  $3,- 
500,605  in  released  productions,  at  cost 
and  less  amortization,  and  $3,313,104 
in  completed  productions  not  released. 


EDITOR'S  NOTE!: 

This  issue  is  not  printed  upside  down  .  .  .  but  this 
adv  is  interesting  enough  to  turn  upside  down! 


ixojj-ijiog  Anq  l6upip  oqM  uuui-ouiifos  aqi  s4djj 
sqoos  sty  ui  sdjoij  aifi  o%  sudojn  jtmaponp  siu  iuojj 
'iuojj  ddnj  cn  9-idi(  wouf  XnS  jsaiuuos  ayj  s^ajj 
uuoys  si  ay  aaoj  fo  '•si&mn  ui  si  sficn  sifj 


His  wife  is  in  mink,  he's  in  Miami 

He's  the  luckiest  guy  from  here  to  Siami! 

With  THE  SNAKE  PIT  playing  and  YELLOW  SKY  set 

He's  the  talk  of  the  town  in  his  brand  new  jet 

Propelled  super  dynamic  dynaflow 

(Though  he  never  drives  it  on  to  film  row!) 

He's  booked  CHICKEN  EVERY  SUNDAY -A  LETTER  TO  THREE 
WIVES  -  MOTHER  IS  A  FRESHMAN  and  DOWN  TO  THE  SEA 
From  his  bulging  bankroll  to  his  Sulka  socks 
He's  the  showman  who  bought  20th  Century-Fox! 


FIRST 
IN 
ILM 
EWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


)L.  65.  NO.  32 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  TUESDAY,  FEBRUARY  15,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


lyers  Scores 
'essimism  On 
Pirns'  Future 


Referee  Okays 
Settlement 
Of  N.  T.  Suits 


FOX  AIMS  TO  SETTLE 
SUIT,  SAYS  SKOURAS 


ells  Allied  Meet  1949  Is 
fear  of  Opportunity* 

Washington,  Feb.  14.— Allied 
tates  general  counsel  Abram  F. 
[yers  today  bitterly  attacked  those 
ssimistic  about  the  future  of  the 
1  m  industry, 
erming  1949  a 
^ear  of  oppor- 
inity,"  he  said 
lat  it  was  time 
d  r  industry 
;  a  d  e  r  s  to 
) r  d  e  r  full 
>eed  ahead." 
"It  is  doubt- 
ll,"  he  said  in 
is  annual  re- 
ort  to  the  as- 
xiation's  mid- 
;inter  board 
leeting  here, 
if  the  motion 
icture  industry 

I  ill  ever  find  itself  in  better  shape, 
'  r    its    principal    competitors    in  a 
■eaker  condition." 

Myers  asserted  that  the  pessimism 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Abram  F.  Myers 


New  York  attorney  Jacob  S.  De- 
raov,  acting  as  referee  in  the  settle- 
ment of  National  Theatres  minority 
stockholder  actions  against  20th 
Century-Fox,  recommended  in  a  re- 
port filed  yesterday  in  New  York  Su- 
preme Court  here  that  the  settlement 
proposals  made  before  New  York  Su- 
preme Court  Justice  Ferdinand  Pe- 
cora  last  October  be  approved. 

Terms  of  the  proposed  settlement, 
which  stemmed  from  15  stockholder 
actions  in  protest  against  profits  _  re- 
sulting from  resale  in  1946  of  Nation- 
al Theatres'  stock  to  20th-Fox  under 
1944  option  deals,  call  for  relinquish- 
ment of  $1,314,250  by  Charles  P. 
Skouras,  National  Theatres  president; 
$198,000  each  by  executives  Elmer  C. 
Rhoden  and  F.  H.  Ricketson,  Jr.,  and 
$39,750  by  executive  Harold  J.  Fitz- 

erald. 

Meanwhile,  according  to  Demov's 
report,  National  has  withheld  and 
segregated  all  percentage  compensa- 
tion due  and  payable  to  the  four  ex- 
ecutives under  their  contracts  for  1946 
and  1947  in  the  following  amounts: 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


jeidelman  Expects 
lelief  in  S.  Africa 


Allied  Urges  Tax  Repeal, 
Reduces  Official  Posts 


Joseph  H.  Seidelman,  Universal-In- 
ernational's  chief  of  foreign  opera- 
ions,  said  here  yesterday  following 
,  as  return  from  South  Africa  that 
American  distributors  "are  certain" 
hat  the  position  of  the  film  industry 
ventually  will  be  recognized  by  the 
South  African'  government,  and  that 
he  latter  will  grant  relief  from  the 
0  per  cent-of-earnings  restriction 
lamped  on  films  and  all  other  im- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 

Irazil  Removes  Its 


ontrols  on  Rentals 


1  -The  Brazilian  government  has  re 
i  ifibved  controls  on  film  rentals,  ac 
j  ording  to  telephonic  advice  received 
I  rere  yesterday  from  Rio  de  Janeiro 
|  y  John  G.  McCarthy,  managing  di 
ector  of  the  international  division  of 
lijhe   Motion    Picture   Association  of 

I  America.     Theatre  admission  prices 

ever,  are  to  remain  frozen  at  pres- 

II  nt  levels,  pending  further  delibera- 
arts,  it  was  reported. 


Ad  Costs  Are  Up^to 
Exhibitors.4  Skouras 

Up  to  1942  exhibitors  paid 
for  theatre  advertising,  then 
the  distributors  to  a  large 
extent  assumed  that  respon- 
sibility. Now  it  is  time  again 
for  exhibitors  to  pay,  Spyros 
P.  Skouras,  president  of  20th 
Century-Fox,  said  here  yes- 
terday in  announcing  that  the 
company  is  curtailing  the  pol- 
icy of  cooperative  advertis- 
ing. 


Screen  TV  Series 
From  'Ike's'  Book 


A  special  screening  was  held  at  the 
20th  Century-Fox  home  office  here 
yesterday  for  the  first  two  episodes  in 
the  forthcoming  series,  "Crusade  in 
Europe,"  based  on  General  Eisenhow- 
er's memoirs.     The  initial  program 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


But-Wmtld-Not  Separate 
Theatres;  Talk  Terms 
When  Para.  Pact  Is  Set 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  will  re- 
new full-scale  negotiations  of  a 
consent  decree  with  the  government 
in  the  industry  anti-trust  suit  upon 
the  anticipated  formal  announcement 
of  Paramount's  settlement,  Spyros  P. 
Skouras,  president,  told  a  press  con- 
ference here  yesterday. 

He  said  that,  unlike  the  terms  _  of 
the  RKO  agreement  and  the  one  im- 
pending with  Paramount,  20th-F_ox 
aims  to  strike  a  deal  with  the  Justice 
Department  which  would  allow  for 
continuation  of  the  basis  of  the  com- 
pany's operations,  that  its,  with  ex- 
hibition still  integrated  with  produc- 
tion and  distribution. 

Skouras  declined  to  go  into  any 
detail  on  the  nature  of  proposals 
which  the  company  is  prepared  to 
make.  He  merely  said  that  20th-Fox 
was  the  "first  to  reach  an  understand- 
ing" (as  he  put  it)  on  the  dissolution 
of  partnerships  in  theatre  companies 
with  the  inference  being  that  an  "un- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Mexico  Halts  Reels 
Pending  Tariff  Boost 

Mexico  City,  Feb.  14.— New 
American  newsreels  are  not 
now  being  exhibited  in 
Mexico.  Distributors  and  ex- 
hibitors, complaining  to  the 
Ministry  of  Foreign  Rela- 
tions, were  told  that  the  case 
is  in  the  hands  of  the  cen- 
sors, who  referred  it  to  the 
Ministry  of  National  Econ- 
omy which  explained  that  it 
has  not  finished  arranging 
new  and  higher  tariffs  for 
the  supervision  of  imported 
reels. 

All  other  pictures  are  be- 
ing exhibited  without  diffi- 
culty. Only  old  American 
reels,  those  of  a  month  or 
more,  are  being  exhibited; 
they  arrived  before  new 
tariffs  were  enacted. 


Washington,  Feb.  14.— Repeal  of 
the  Federal  admission  tax  was  urged 
today  by  the  board  of  directors  of 
Allies  States  Assn.  on  the  opening  of 
its  two-day  mid-winter  meeting  here 
at  the  Statler  Hotel. 

Indications  were,  however,  that  Al- 
lied will  not  do  too  much  in  the  next 
60  days  to  get  action  on  this  resolu- 
tion. In  the  first  place,  many  mem- 
bers are  known  to  feel  that  it  would 
be  a  waste  of  time  and  effort  to  launch 
a  tax  repeal  drive  now  when  the 
House  Ways  and  Means  committee 
will  not  begin  work  on  taxes  until  at 
least  mid-April.  They  believe  that 
Allied  should  save  its  strength  untd 
taxes  come  up  for  hearings. 

Secondly,  board  members  were  un 
derstood  to  favor  delay  on  the  grounds 
that  many  state  legislatures,  which 
are  now  meeting,  will  have  adjourned 
by  April  and  so  will  not  be  in  a  posi- 
tion to  pass  state  admission  taxes,  or 
legislation  enabling  localities  to  tax 
theatre  admissions  should  the  Federal 
tax  be  repealed  or  reduced. 

The  Allied  board,  which  held  morn- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


1,200,000  Sought 
In  New  Peskay  Suit 

Seven  distributors — Paramount  is 
excluded  —  plus  Skouras  Theatres, 
Metropolitan  Playhouses  and  officers 
of  each  of  the  companies  are  named 
defendants  in  a  $1,200,000  treble  dam- 
age action  which  charges  trust  viola- 
tions, filed  in  Federal  Court  here  yes- 
terday by  Prefect  Theatres,  headed 
by  Edward  Peskay.  Plaintiff  operates 
the  Pickwick  Theatre  and  Greenwich 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Video-Awareness  in 
Hollywood:  Butler 


A  television  consciousness  has  de- 
scended upon  Hollywood  and  the  new 
medium's  development  is  being  watched 
with  eager  concern,  David  Butler, 
veteran  producer-director,  reported. 
Butler,  who  directed  Warner's  "John 
Loves  Mary,"  is  here  on  his  first  visit 
in  three  years. 

Butler  asserted  that  no  concrete 
transformations  have  been  caused  on 
the  Coast  yet,  but  he  pointed  out  that 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  February  15,  19 


1 


50  to  New  Bedford 
'Ships'  Premiere 

With  Richard  Widmark  and  Cesar 
Romero  heading  a  party  of  50  news^ 
paper,  radio,  magazine  and  trade  pa- 
per representatives  the  20th  Century 
Fox  caravan  for  the  "Down  to  the 
Sea  in  Ships"  world  premiere  in  New 
Bedford,  Mass.,  will  leave  here  today 
on  two  special  cars  attached  to  the 
New  Haven's  Yankee  Clipper. 

The  premiere,  tonight,  will  be  held 
in  three  theatres — the  State,  New 
Bedford  and  Empire.  The  people  of 
New  Bedford  will  wear  costumes  of 
the  period  of  1887  depicted  in  the  pic- 
ture and  the  program  of  events  will 
include  a  celebration  and  buffet  sup 
per,  a  cocktail  party  and  a  New  En 
gland  chowder  party.  Gov.  Paul  A. 
Dever  of  Massachusetts  and  Mayor 
Arthur  N.  Harriman  of  New  Bedford 
will  be  official  hosts. 

Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  general  sales 
manager  of  20th,  and  Charles  Einfeld 
advertising  vice-president,  will  repre- 
sent the  company. 

Other  members  of  the  party  will  include 
Tom  Pryor,  Abe  Weiler,  Alton  Cook,  Ed 
Hill,  Wanda  Hale,  Eileen  Creelman,  Justin 
Gilbert,  Rose  Pelswick,  Leo  Mishkin,  Elsa 
Maxwell,  Danton  Walker,  Jack  Gaver,  L.  L. 
Stevenson,  Larry  Ferry,  Mark  Barron, 
Tony  Pugliese,  Merton  Akers,  Hal  Boyle, 
Nancy  Craig;,  Kay  Sullivan,  Lou  Berg, 
Ted  Shane,  Kyle  Crichton,  Jesse  Zunser, 
Tom  Wenning,  Jack  Harrison,  and  James. 
M.  Jerauld. 

Also  Red  Kann,  Charles  Franke,  Nel 
Konecoff,  Tom  Kennedy,  Al  Picoult,  Mor- 
ton Sunshine,  Dave  Abrams,  and  Joe 
Priore. 


California  to  Greet 
'Gratitude  Train' 

Los  Angeles,  Feb.  14. — California 
Gov.  Earl  Warren  has  appointed  Mau- 
rice C.  Sparling,  superintendent  of 
the  State  Banking  Department,  as 
chairman  of  the  state  reception  com- 
mittee for  the  French  Gratitude  T rain. 
Sparling  and  his  committee  will  work 
with  Harry  M.  Warner,  president  of 
Warner  Brothers  and  national  chair- 
man of  the  Train's  activities,  in  ar- 
ranging the  welcome  of  the  section 
of  the  train  bearing  gifts  of  the  people 
of  France  to  California,  on  Feb.  19. 

Mayor  Fletcher  Bowron  is  honor- 
ary chairman  of  the  Los  Angeles  com- 
mittee, aided  by  Dick  Dickson  of  Fox 
West  Coast  Theatres,  and  Alexandre 
de  Manziarly,  French  consul. 


M-G-M  Field  Meets 
Today  and  Tomorrow 

Hollywood,  Feb.  14. — On  the  re- 
turn of  M-G-M's  sales  managers,  field 
assistants,  and  district  and  branch 
managers  to  their  offices  today  and 
tomorrow,  individual  meetings  will  be 
held  at  all  exchanges  when  the  men 
who  attended  the  "Preview  of  Prod- 
uct"_  conferences  here  will  pass  on  all 
details  of  the  screenings  and  meetings 
to  the  staffs. 


Phil  Laufer' s  Father 

Nathan  Laufer,  85,  died  here  yes- 
terday morning.  Services  for  Laufer, 
father  of  Phil  Laufer,  film  publicist, 
will  be  held  at  12:30  today  at  River- 
side Chapel.  Interment  will  be  at 
Mount  Hebron  Cemetery. 


Personal  Mention 


HOWARD  DIETZ,  M-G-M  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  advertis- 
ing-publicity, and  Silas  F.  Seadler, 
advertising  manager,  will  arrive  here 
from  Hollywood  today. 

• 

Christian- Jaque,  French  film  di- 
rector, has  been  awarded  the  Legion 
of  Honor  and  made  a  Chevalier  of 
the  Cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor  by 
the  French  government. 

• 

F.  J.  A.  McCarthy,  Universal-In- 
ternational   Southern   and  Canadian 
sales  manager,  left  New  York  yes- 
terday for  Charlotte  and  Atlanta. 
• 

Mose    Lebovitz,    of    the  Grand 
Amusement  Co.,  and  Mrs.  Lebovitz 
are  in  New  York  from  Chattanooga 
and  are  stopping  at  the  Plaza. 
• 

Hugh  Owen,  Eastern  and  South- 
ern division  manager  for  Paramount, 
is  visiting  the  Albany  and  Buffalo 
branches  this  week. 

• 

Nicky  Goldhammer,  Monogram- 
Allied  Artists  Western  sales  mana- 
ger, has  left  New  York  for  a  tour 
of  company  branches. 

• 

Al  Lichtman,  who  has  resigned  as 
an  M-G-M  studio  executive,  is  en 
route  to  New  York  from  the  Coast. 


ERIC  JOHNSTON  will  be  in  New 
_  York   today   to   appear   on  the 
radio  program,  "We  the  People." 
• 

Haskell  M.  Masters,  Warner  rep 
resentative  in  Toronto,  has  been  elect 
ed  chairman  of  the  motion  picture 
section    of    the   Toronto    Board  of 
Trade,  succeeding  Morris  Stein,  of 
Famous  Players. 

• 

_  Bill  Ornstein  of  M-G-M's  pub 
licity  department,  has  left  Hollywood 
for   New  York,   with  a  number.-  of 
stop-overs  scheduled  and  will  arrive 
here  at  the  end  of  the  week. 

• 

John  Murphy,  Loew's  out-of-town 
theatre  head,  and  Ernest  Emerling, 
circuit  advertising  director,  will  leave 
New  Orleans  today  by  plane  for  New 
York. 

• 

Manny  Reiner,  SRO  manager  for 
Latin  America  and  Australasia,  has 
left  New  York  by  plane  for  a  confer- 
ence with  David  O.  Selznick  in  Holly 
wood. 

• 

Stanley  Kramer,  Screen  Plays 
president,  will  arrive  here  today  from 
Hollywood. 

• 

Leon  Netter,  Paramount  Theatres 
Service  vice-president,  left  here  yes 
terday  for  Jacksonville  and  Tampa. 


S.  E.  C.  Reports  on 
More  Film  Salaries 

Washington,  Feb.  14. — Top  three 
straight  wage-earners  at  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox during  1947  were  Preston 
Sturges,  who  collected  $370,650,  Dar- 
ryl  F.  Zanuck,  with  $260,000,  and  Spy- 
ros  P.  Skouras,  with  $253,200,  ac- 
cording to  figures  filed  with  the  Se- 
curities and  Exchange  Commission. 

A  report  filed  by  Warner  Broth- 
ers for  the  year  ending  Aug.  31, 
1948,  showed  Bette  Davis  as  its  top 
wage-earner,  with  $364,000.  Dennis 
Morgan  was  next  with  $315,476  and 
Henry  Blanke  third,  with  $244,667. 


Film  to  Help  'Vets' 

Hollywood,  Feb.  14. — M.  W.  Sgutt, 
deputy  aide  of  the  U.  S.  Jewish  War 
Veterans,  has  acquired  "Dear  Ma,"  a 
10-minute  short  produced  on  their 
own  time  by  employees  of  the  RKO 
Radio  studio,  for  exhibition  in  thea- 
tres located  near  war-veteran  hos- 
pitals. Object  of  the  film  is  to  pro- 
mote community  interest  in  volunteer 
visitation  of  service  patients  for 
whom  the  war  will  never  be  over. 


UA  to  Release  'Runaway* 

Hollywood,  Feb.  14. — Monica  Pro- 
ductions, the  Paul  Henreid-Bernard 
Vorhaus  producing  partnership,  has 
completed  arrangements  through 
United  Artists  for  release  of  their 
film,  "Runaway,"  scheduled  to  go  into 
production  in  March. 


Plaque  to  M-G-M 

Hollywood,  Feb.  14.  —  Parents 
Magazine  has  awarded  a  special 
plaque  to  Louis  B.  Mayer  for  M-G-M 
for  its  25th  anniversary  year. 


Harvey  Is  Named  to 
Industry  Bond  Drive 

Rotus  Harvey,  chairman  of  the 
Pacific  Coast  Conference  of  Independ- 
ent Theatre  Owners,  has  been  appoint- 
ed to  serve  on  the  executive  commit- 
tee of  the  industry's  participation  in 
the  U.  S.  Treasury's  Savings  Bond 
Drive,  starting  May  16  and  continuing 
until  June  30th,  Maurice  A.  Bergman, 
chairman  of  the  industry  committee 
announces. 

Other  members  of  the  committee 
are_  William  Ainsworth,  president  of 
Allied  States ;  Gael  Sullivan,  execu- 
tive secretary  of  the  Theatre  Owners 
of  America ;  Carter  T.  Barron,  Loew 
executive,  and  Anthony  Muto  of  20th 
Century-Fox. 


Kettering  to  Filmack 
As  an  Ad  Consultant 

Chicago,  Feb.  14.— Irving  Mack, 
president  of  Filmack  Trailers,  has 
appointed  Ralph  T.  Kettering  a  spe- 
cial  advertising  consultant. 

Kettering,  a  pioneer  in  Chicago 
exhibition,  served  as  advertising-pub- 
licity head  for  the  Jones,  Linick  and 
Schaefer  circuit,  for  15  years.  He 
was  also  general  manager  for  the  late 
Al  Woods'  stage  productions  and 
theatres. 


De  Vry  Holds  Sales  Meet 

Chicago,  Feb.  14.— De  Vry  Corp. 
executives  held  a  sales  meeting  here 
yesterday  as  the  National  School  Sup- 
ply and  Equipment  Association  opened 
its  convention  at  the  Palmer  House. 
Henry  Fisher,  company  vice-president, 
presided  at  the  meeting,  which  was 
attended  by  100  dealers  and  salesmen. 


More  'Brotherhood'  Ait 

March  of  Time  will  run  a  sped 
"Brotherhood  Week"  feature  as  pa 
of  its  February  20  release  to  coil 
cide  with  the  industry's  campaig 
Also,  "County  Fair,"  current  issue 
RKO's  "Voice  of  America"  serie 
will  include  a  Brotherhood  Wet 
message  for  bookings  during  th 
period. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRE 


—RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — 

Rockefeller  Center 

Jeanne    CRAIN     -     Linda  DARNELL 
Ann   SOT  HERN 

'A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES" 

KIRK    DOUGLAS    -    PAUL  DOUGLAS 
JEFFREY  LYNN 

A    20th  Century  -  Fox  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Paramount  presents 

ALAN  LADD 

ROBERT  PRESTON 
BRENDA  MARSHALL 
DONALD  CRISP 


TECHNICOLOR 


<j»»HENNV  "ERS 


Samuel  Goldwyn  presents 

ENCHANTMENT' 

Starring 

DAVID  NIVEN  TERESA  WRIGHT 

EVELYN  KEYES  FARLEY  GRANGER 

Released  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 

ASTOR  THEATER 

Broadway  &  45th  Street 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER,  Wetf%S^ay 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


f 


DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK  presents 

OLIVIA  de  HAYILLAND 


tKe  Snake  Pi  t 


■ Directed  by  Produced  by  ^)f~\  j 

_  ANAIOU  UTVAK  •  ANATOIE  LITVAK  S  ROBERT  BASSLER  I 


KlVOLI 


JOAN 
of  ARC 


starring 


INGRID 


BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  ■  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 


 i  JOSE  FERRER  ■  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  •  J  CARROL  NA1SH  •  WARD  80ND 

SHEPPERO  STRUDWICK  ■  HURD  HATFIELD  -  GENE  LOCKHART  •  JOHN  EMERY 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  -  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  K  ELLA  WAY 
based  upon  Ihe  stage  play  'Joan  of  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANOERSON 
ttrcen  ploy  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOLT  .  ort  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  -  director  of  phoTogrophy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

oriented  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  .  released  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


14'JWHKl, 


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1SJ&c32B££&'lBStt*&  M^SfJ  ^aI^.9^!!y^^.  V'ce-Presjdent;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and.Treasurer;  Leo  J,  Brady  Secretary 

i  R.  Weaver 
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Tuesday,  February  15,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Skouras  on  Suit 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


derstanding"  on  the  overall  differ- 
ences could  be  similarly  reached. 
Company  has  entered  a  stipulation 
with  the  government  on  breaking  up 
28  jointly-owned  theatre  circuits. 

Occasion  for  the  press  meeting  yes- 
terday was  Skouras'  return  to  New- 
York  after  about  three  weeks  in  Eu- 
rope, including  Greece,  where  he  at- 
tended the  enthronement  of  Athena- 
„oras  as  the  new  Patriarch  of  the 
[  'Greek  Orthodox  Church. 
m[    Skouras   spoke   at   length   on  the 
crisis  now  facing  Greece,  the  atroci- 
ties being  committed,  he  said,  by  Com- 
■fmunist  guerrillas,  and  the  need  for 
more  tangible  aid,   in  the  form  of 
munitions  and.  such,  from  the  U.  S. 

Will  Produce  Abroad 

Tradewise,  he  disclosed  that  20th- 
Fox  will  liquidate  its  blocked  funds 
abroad  through  foreign  production  and 
he    specifically    mentioned  England, 
France,  Italy  and  Sweden.    He  said 
■+■  that  production  in  England  of  "Male 
War  Bride"  is  near  completion  with 
..  final  scenes  to  be  shot  in  Hollywood, 
Y  that  "Black  Rose"  is  to  be  started 
fj;  shortly  and  others  to  follow  will  in- 
Jj  elude  "Lydia  Bailey,"  "Impulse,"  and 
51  a  story  on  Scotland  Yard.  "Rose," 
A  with  Tyrone  Power  in  the  lead,  will 
P  be  the  most  expensive,  Skouras  said, 
l  adding,  however,  that  actual  budgets 
for  any  of  the  films  have  yet  to  be 
T  set.     He  specifically  denied  reports 
i  from  London  quoting  him  as  saying 
Jf  that  the  company  would  spend  $3,500,- 
000  each  for  three  to  be  made  in 
England. 

He  said  that  the  company  probably 
will  make  one  or  two  annually  in 
France  and  declared  that  a  more  am- 
bitious program  in  that  country,  an- 
""  nouncement  of  which  had  been  at- 
-j-  tributed  to  production  chief  Darryl 
Zanuck  in  reports,  is  not  contemplated 
at  all. 

Speaking  generally,  not  limiting  his 
observation  to  the  film  business, 
%\>.  Skouras  said  that  England's  economic 
position  is  improving.  He  said  he 
conferred  with  Sir  Alexander  Korda 
and  J.  Arthur  Rank  "on  business" 
(no  elaboration) .  In  Italy,  20th-Fox 
~t  had  completed  production  of  "The  Lit- 
tle Foxes,"  Skouras  announced. 

As  for  business  in  the  United  States, 
Skouras  would  be  "very  happy"  if  it 
■  continues  at  its  present  level.    He  w7as 
I  referring  to  theatre  grosses,  reporting 

II 


Says  U.S.  Films 
Destroy  Bigotry 

Washington,  Feb.  14. — Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  presi- 
dent Eric  Johnston  declared  today 
that  "no  medium  in  the  world  has 
done  more  to  rip  up  the  evil  weeds 
of  bigotry  and  intolerance  than  the 
American  motion  picture.  No  industry 
has  done  more  in  a  practical  and 
positive  way  to  help  bring  about 
greater  understanding  among  the  di- 
verse peoples  of  this  earth,"  he  added. 

Johnston  was  guest  speaker  at  the 
annual  Brotherhood  luncheon  of  the 
Variety  Club  of  Washington  at  the 
Hotel  Statler  here.  The  club  com- 
bined with  the  Brotherhood  luncheon 
its  annual  Valentine  Day  party. 


New  Peskay  Suit 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Playhouse,  both  in  Greenwich,  Conn. 

Peskay  filed  a  similar  action  in 
1941  and  this  was  settled  out  of  court 
in  1947.  However,  according  to  the 
plaintiff's  attorney,  Saul  E.  Rogers, 
the  defendants  continued  with  the  al- 
leged conspiracy. 

Peskay  claims  that  affiliated  theatres 
in  surrounding  areas  were  given  clear- 
ance over  his  houses  "which  would  not 
be  granted  under  free  and  untram- 
meled  competition." 

He  says  if  there  were  free  competi- 
tion instead  of  the  alleged  conspiracy, 
his  Pickwick  would  realize  a  yearly 
profit  of  $125,000.  Because  of  the 
charged  restraints,  the  house  is  losing 
about  $40,000  per  year,  he  asserts. 
Peskay  further  charges  that  he  has 
been  "virtually  compelled"  to  keep  the 
Greenwich  Theatre  closed  at  an  addi 
tional  annual  expense  of  $5,000. 

Defendants  are :  Loew's,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox, RKO,  Warner,  Universal 
Columbia,  United  Artists,  Skouras 
Theatres.  Metropolitan  Playhouses, 
Spyros  P.  Skouras,  George  P.  Skour- 
as, Charles  P.  Skouras,  Nicholas  M. 
Schenck,  William  F.  Rodgers,  Jo- 
seph R.  Yogel,  Ned  E.  Depinet,  Rob- 
ert Mochrie,  Ben  Kalmenson,  Nate  J. 
Blumberg,  William  A.  Scully,  Jack 
Cohn,  Abe  Montague  and  Gradwell 
Sears. 


Referee  Okays 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Skouras,  51,500,238;  Ricketson,  $126,- 
341 ;  Rhoden,  $144,128,  and  Fitzgerald, 
$39,796.  Thus,  in  the  case  of  Skou- 
ras, there  is  a  credit  due  him  in  excess 
of  $185,000,  while  deficiences  exist  for 
Ricketson  and  Rhoden,  and  Fitzgerald 
just  about  breaks  even. 

Justice  Pecora  is  expected  to  call  a 
hearing  on  the  report  at  an  early  date. 
Meanwhile,  motions  for  acceptance  or 
rejection  of  it  can  be  made.  It  is 
held  unlikely  that  an  appeal  of  the 
referee's  ruling  will  be  granted,  be- 
cause great  expense  would  be  involved, 
thus  adding  to  the  costs  to  date. 

Stockholder  plaintiffs  charged  in 
their  actions  that  Skouras  under  the 
option  deals  gained  $4,281,250,  that 
Rhoden  and  Ricketson  gained  $1,027,- 
000  apiece,  and  that  Fitzgerald  got 
$513,000. 


Hollywood 


SPG  Funds  for  Sopeg 
In  Election  Campaign 

CIO's  Screen  Publicists  Guild  has 
voted  "to  give  every  support,  financial 
and  otherwise,"  to  its  "sister  union," 
Screen  Office  and  Professional  Em- 
ployes Guild,  in  the  coming  National 
Labor  Relations  Board  elections  in 
several  film  company  home  offices 
here.  Earlier,  SOPEG  had  passed  simi- 
lar resolutions  designed  to  strengthen 
the  ties  between  the  two  guilds. 

Specifically,  according  to  an  SPG 
announcement  yesterday,  the  motion 
passed  by  SPG  calls  for  the  contribu- 
tion of  $2,500  from  the  SPG  treasury 
for  the  election  fight  against  AFL's 
IATSE  Motion  Picture  Home  Office 
Employes  Local  No.  H-63.  Meanwhile, 
both  SPG  and  SOPEG  have  voted  to 
withdraw  picket  lines  from  New  York 
theatres  in  the  belief  that  the  "cold 
strike"  picketing  has  served  its  pur- 
pose. 


Hollywood,  Feb.  14 
T  OHN  FARROW  is  to  direct  "Cop- 
»J  per  Canyon,"  Paramount's  upcom- 
ing Technicolor  melodrama  of  the  Old 
West,  featuring  Ray  Milland  and 
Macdonald  Carey.  .  .  .  Lester  Cowan 
will  leave  here  next  month  for  Eng- 
land, where  he  will  prepare  to  pro- 
duce "Sorrell  and  Son"  jointly  with 
Associated  British  Films.  American 
distribution  has  not  been  determined. 
.  .  .  Michel  Kraike  has  been  given  a 
seven-year  contract  to  produce  for 
Universal-International. 

• 

Sol  Lesser  has  exercised  his  op- 
tion on  the  continuing  services  of 
Lex  Barker,  who  recently  replaced 
Johnny  Weismuller  in  the  Tarzan 
role,  and  has  instituted  a  S225,00fl 
advertising-publicity  campaign  on 
an  international  scale  in  behalf  of 
the  Tarzan  series.  .  .  .  Robert  Fel- 
lows, producer  of  the  unreleased 
Bing  Crosby  picture,  "A  Connecticut 
Yankee  in  King  Arthur's  Court" 
and  currently  producing  "Red  Hot 
and  Blue,"  has  signed  up  for  an- 
other year  under  the  Paramount 
trademark.  .  .  .  Robert  Stevenson, 
David  O.  Selznick  contract  director, 
has  been  loaned  to  RKO  Radio  to 
direct  "I  Married  a  Communist." 


NSS  Offers  to  Return 
Albany  Area  Office 


Albany,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  14.— The  Al 
bany  office  of  National  Screen  Ser- 
that  they  are  only  slightly  under  last  I  vice  will  be  reestablished  if,  at  the 


Screen  TV  Series 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


i    year's  pace   except   in   areas  where 
'•  severe    weather    conditions  crippled 
business. 


Wins  New  Delay  In 
i  Anti-trust  Action 

Buffalo,  Feb.  14. — A  request  for  30 
days'  delay  on  arguments  and  hearings 
in  the  Schine  Chain  Theatres  defense 
against  government  anti-trust  charges 
has  been  granted  by  Federal  Judge 
Knight  here. 

Under  the  ruling,  Schine  will  pre- 
sent arguments  to  permit  submission 
of  new  testimony  on  March  18,  and  if 
the  court  rules  new  evidence  is  per- 
missible, attorneys  for  the  chain  will 
present  evidence  beginning  March  25. 


end  of  90  days,  exhibitors  in  this  ter- 
ritory still  feel  that  service  has  been 
impaired  by  its  transfer  to  New  York, 
Herman  Robbins,  NSS  president,  said 
in  a  letter  to  Leonard  Rosenthal,  ex- 
ecutive director  of  the  local  TOA. 

Expressing  confidence  that  NSS 
service  will  be  up  to  par  w'ithin  the 
trial  period.  Robbins  said  that  final 
disposition  of  the  matter  is  up  to  ex- 
hibitors. Criticism  of  the  shift  of  the 
NSS  Albany  office  came  up  at  a  re- 
cent meeting  of  TOA  members  with 
George  Dembow,  NSS  national  sales 
manager,  and  Robbins'  letter  was  in 
response  to  a  letter  from  Rosenthal 
outlining  exhibitor  complaints. 


Hollywood  Extras 
Approve  New  Pact 

Hollywood,  Feb.  14. — Screen  Ex- 
tras Guild  members  have  approved  a 
new  contract  with  producers  bv  a 
vote  of  2,028  to  198. 

The  five-year  pact  provides  for'  a 
union  shop  and  preference  in  hiring 
for  those  already  registered  with  cast- 
ing agencies.  The  agreement  also  es- 
tablishes new  wage  rates  for  classifica- 
tions not  previously  covered  by  con- 
tract and  allows  reopening  rights  at 
stipulated  dates  in  1949  and  1951. 


in  the  series  will  be  presented  late 
next  month  by  20th  Century-Fox  and 
American  Broadcasting  over  its  tele- 
vision network. 

At  the  screening  yesterday,  Spyros 
P.  Skouras,  20th  Century-Fox  presi- 
dent, stated  that  the  films  are  for  tele- 
vision exclusively  "and  will  not  be 
sold  to  any  theatre." 

Produced  by  March  of  Time,  the 
26-week  program  of  20-minute  epi- 
sodes provides  a  pictorial  history  of 
World  War  II.  The  first  in  the  series 
show  s  the  events  before  the  war's  out- 
break, the  Nazi  blitz  across  Europe 
and  their  eventual  surrender.  It  makes 
graphic  documentary.  Installment 
two  deals  with  the  general  lethargy 
of  America  before  Dec.  7,  1941,  and 
then  the  task  of  converting  civilians 
into  soldiers. 


Claim  $7,200  Judgment 

Jack  Berkson  and  Bernard  H.  Mills, 
president  and  vice-president  of  Screen- 
craft  Pictures,  Inc.,  held  a  $7,200  judg- 
ment in  its  N.  Y.  State  Supreme 
Court  suit  accusing  Harry  Schneider- 
man  and  Eastern  Trading  Corp.  of 
prosecution  without  cause. 


Golden  Assigns  Lavery 

Emmet  Lavery  has  been  assigned  by 
producer  Robert  Golden  to  do  the 
screenplay  "Guilty  of  Treason"  based 
upon  the  book  "As  We  See  Russia" 
by  members  of  the  Overseas  Press 
Club  of  America,  it  was  announced 
here  yesterday  by  Golden  Productions. 
Golden  and  Lavery  were  the  producer 
and  writer  respectively  of  "Hitler's 
Children." 


Fall  Release  for  'Eiffel' 

Actor  Franchot  Tone,  whose  A.  and 
T.  Productions  recently  completed 
filming  in  France  of  "The  Man  on  the 
Eiffel  Tower,  reported  here  yester 
day  that  the  picture  very  likely  will 
be  released  next  autumn.  A  distribu- 
tion deal  for  it  has  not  yet  been  set 


Schussel  Leaves  E-L 

Seymour  Schussel  has  resigned  as 
Eagle-Lion's  New  York  district  man- 
ager, effective  March  11.  it  was  re 
ported  here  yesterday  by  E-L  distri- 
bution vice-president  William  Heine 
man.  Announcement  of  a  successor  is 
due  to  be  made  shortlv. 


Albany  Variety  Installs 

Albany,  X.  Y.,  Feb.  14. — New  of 
ficers  were  installed  by  the  Albany 
Variety  Tent  at  its   seventh  annual 
dinner  dance  held  here  last  Saturday 
at  the  De  Witt  Clinton. 


Video-Awareness 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


many  writers  and  directors  are  being 
approached  to  do  television  work.  He 
cited  one  unnamed  interest  that  is 
trying  to  set  up  a  group  of  10  leading 
directors  and  writers  for  TV  films. 

Butler  stated  that  "good  pictures 
will  always  be  needed  and  television 
will  never  affect  them."  He  also  point- 
ed out  that  video  may  now  give  Hol- 
lywood the  spur  "to  try  harder  and 
produce  even  better  pictures." 

As  a  result  of  high  production  costs 
every  step  in  the  making  of  a  picture 
is  now  carefully  planned  in  advance, 
Butler  said.  Many  new  time  and 
money-saving  devices  have  been  in- 
troduced, he  asserted. 

Among  other  things,  Butler  said 
that  trade  press  reviews  are  eagerly 
awaited  and  read  on  the  Coast 

"Pictures  that  are  most  popular  to- 
day," in  Butler's  opinion,  are  "good 
comedy-dramas,  good  mysteries  and 
Westerns." 

Butler  is  under  contract  to  Warner 
to  direct  three  films  a  year. 


Warner  Bros.  Wins  23  Nomim 

MORE  THAN  ANY 


Two  Pictures  (out  of s j  Nominated  for  Best  Picture  of  the  Year! 

JOHNNY  BELINDA 


TREASURE  OF 

SIERRA  MAD  RE 


Nominated  for  Best  Actress 

JANE  WYMAN 


in  66 Johnny  Belinda 


99 


Nominated  for  Best  Actor 

LEW  AYRES 


in  "Johnny  Belinda 


99 


ions  for.  the  Academy  Award! 

OTHER  COMPANY! 


CONGRATULATIONS  AND  THANKS 

Warner  Bros,  is  deeply  proud  of  the  splen- 
did artistry  of  the  men  and  women  who 
made  it  possible  for  our  studio  to*  win 
twenty-three  Academy  Award  nomina- 
tions for  motion  pictures  produced  in 
1948,  including  two  of  the  five  nominations 
for  Best  Motion  Picture  of  the  Year. 

We  are  particularly  proud  of  the  fine 
spirit  of  cooperative  effort  which  brought 
recognition  in  every  phase  of  motion 
picture  making. 

We  want  to  thank  everyone  who  con- 
tributed so  much  to  make  this  imposing 
array  of  nominations  possible  and  to 


express  special  appreciation  to  Henry 
Blanke,  producer  of  "Treasure  of 
Sierra  Madre";  Jerry  Wald,  producer 
of  "Johnny  Belinda"  and  Steve  Trilling, 
my  associate. 

We  are  grateful  to  all  whose  splendid 
achievement  won  for  them  and  Warner 
Bros,  the  highest  recognition  of  their 
associates  in  the  motion  picture  industry. 


Executive  Producer 


9  Other  Nominations  for  "Johnny  Belinda 


Best  Supporting  Actress 
AGNES  MOOREHEAD 

Best  Supporting  Actor 
CHARLES  BICKFORD 

Best  Direction 
JEAN  NEGULESCO 


Best  Screenplay 
IRMGARD  VON  CUBE 
ALLEN  VINCENT 

Best  Cinematography 
TED  McCORD 

Best  Music 
MAX  STEINER 


Best  Sound  Achievement 
WARNER  BROS.  STUDIOS 

Best  Film  Editing 
DAVID  WEISBART 

Best  Art  Direction 

ROBERT  HAAS 
WILLIAM  WALLACE 


3  Other  Nominations  for  "Treasure  of  Sierra  Madre 


99 


Best  Supporting  Actor 
WALTER  HUSTON 


Best  Direction 
JOHN  HUSTON 


Best  Screenplay 
JOHN  HUSTON 


And  7  More  Nominations 


Best  Supporting  Actress 

CLAIRE  TREVOR 
in  "Key  Largo" 

Best  Cartoon 
"MOUSE  WRECKERS" 
WARNER  BROS.  STUDIOS 


Best  Original  Song 
'IT'S  MAGIC"  from  "Romance  on  the  High  Seas'' 
Music  —  JULES  STYNE 
Lyrics -SAMMY  CAHN 

Best  Short  Subject  (2  Reels) 
GORDON  HOLLINGSHEAD 
for  "Calgary  Stampede" 


Best  Short  Subject  (1  Reel) 
GORDON  HOLLINGSHEAD 
for  "CINDERELLA  HORSE" 
also  "SO  YOU  WANT  TO  BE  ON  RADIO' 

Best  Scoring  of  Musical  Picture 
RAY  HEINDORF 
for  "Romance  on  the  High  Seas" 


W»v»  All  R.hinH  tWh.rhonH  W.ek  February  20-27  •  No  Bigotry  In  America/ 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  February  15,  1949 


Myers  Scores 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


"that  has  pervaded  the  industry  during 
the  past  year  stems  from  those  whose 
monopolistic  privileges  are  being 
curbed.  In  the  collapse  of  their 
house  of  cards,  they  profess  to  see  the 
end  of  the  world." 

While  he  centered  his  fire  on  pro- 
ducer-distributor "pessimists,"  the  Al- 
lied counsel  had  caustic  words  for 
exhibitor  hand-wringers,  too.  "Men 
of  little  faith  are  muttering  about  a 
business  recession,  about  television 
and  other  problems  which  they  have 
magnified  out  of  all  proportion,"  he 
stated.  "Yet  it  is  obvious  that  exhibi- 
tors will  not  be  required  to  face  dif- 
ficulties which  even  compare  with 
those  they  have  already  surmounted." 

Highlights  Listed 

Other  highlights  of  Myers'  15-page 
report : 

The  Paramount  consent  decree 
means  "genuine  divorcement"  and  if 
other  defendants  follow  the  pattern, 
"the  controlled  market  will  be  de- 
stroyed." 

Producers  should  "cease  concentrat- 
ing on  Broadway  and  turn  their 
thoughts  to  Main  Street,"  and  in  order 
to  guide  them  in  making  pictures  for 
Main  Street,  the  data  gathered  on  au- 
dience preferences  in  film  entertain- 
ment by  Trueman  Rembusch  for  the 
cancelled  all-industry  Hollywood 
meeting  should  be  made  public  and 
given  wide  publicity. 

Percentage  selling  serves  no  pur- 
pose except  to  allow  prdoucers  to 
"squander"  more  money,  but  as  long 
as  it  is  used,  distributors  should  make 
due  allowance  for  a  proportionate 
share  of  the  exhibitors'  costs,  and 
should  have  a  cooperative  advertising 
program  for  all  theatres  in  which  each 
party  shares  promotion  costs  in  pro- 
portion to  his  share  of  the  gross  re- 
ceipts. 

The  industry's  public  relations 
should  be  improved  by  action  to  dis- 
cipline erring  stars,  cutting  exorbi- 
tantly-high salaries,  and  putting  an 
end  to  anti-trust  law  violations. 

Attacks  Arbitration 

_  Myers  again  attacked  the  arbitra- 
tion system  being  proposed  by  the 
Paramount  case  defendants.  He  in- 
cluded his  usual  pats  on  the  back  for 
Allied's  efforts  on  behalf  of  exhibi- 
tors, and  his  usual  gibes  at  "rival 
associations  formed  and  subsidized  by 
the  monopolists  to  divert  exhibitors' 
attention  from  the  vital  issues  and 
beguile  them  with  inconsequential 
busy-work." 

The  report  said  Allied's  member- 
ship goal  this  year  is  1,000  new  mem- 
bers. With  the  new  Mid-Central  Al- 
lied and  Allied  Mid-South,  there  now 
are  20  regional  Allied  units,  with 
members  in  32  states,  it  stated. 

Myers  put  in  special  plugs  for  Col. 
H.  A.  Cole  and  for  president  Wil- 


liam T.  Ainsworth,  "who  in  his  first 
term,  has  traveled  farther  and 
worked  harder  than  any  president 
since  the  early  days."  This  was  tak- 
en here  as  a  further  indication  that 
Ainsworth  will  certainly  be  elected  to- 
morrow to  another  term  as  president 
— if  he  wants  it. 

Claims  Credit  for  Allied 

Myers  opened  his  report  with  the 
declaration  that  "the  operation  was 
successful,"  referring  to  the  Supreme 
Court's  Paramount  case  decision. 
"Having  originated  the  idea  of  thea- 
tre divorcement,"  he  said,  "Allied  is 
entitled  to  crow  a  little."  But  he 
warned  that  much  is  still  to  be  done, 
and  "the  road  is  strewn  with  the 
wreckage  of  do-nothing  exhibitor  as- 
sociations." 

"Most  of  the  major  issues  that  have 
divided  the  industry  into  warring 
camps  have  been  or  are  being  settled," 
the  report  said.  "If  the  parties  make 
a  bona  fide  effort  to  comply  with  the 
rulings,  and  other  needed  reforms  are 
adopted,  the  way  will  be  cleared  for 
genuine  cooperation  in  reinforcing  the 
motion  pictures'  position  as  America's 
basic  entertainment  and  stimulating 
theatre  attendance." 

Myers  said  percentage  selling  meant 
that  exhibitors  had  no  incentive  to 
exploit  films  better,  or  could  not  af- 
ford to.  "The  history  of  the  industry 
proves  that  the  theatre  owner  will  pay 
a  fair  flat  rental  for  meritorious  prod- 
uct," he  stated.  "The  industry  has 
not  advanced  notably — except  in  the 
capacity  of  the  production  manager  to 
squander — since  the  transition  from 
flat  rental  to  percentage  selling." 

Asks  'Coop'  Ads  for  All 

As  to  cooperative  advertising,  My 
ers   said  that  allowances   should  be 
granted  to  all  theatres  playing  on  per 
centage  and  not  just  to  a  few  in  large 
cities  where  the  theatres  are  mostly 
producer-owned. 

Turning  to  means  of  bolstering  th 
industry's  public  relations,  Myers  at 
tacked  MPAA  president  Eric  Johns 
ton  for  not  doing  anything  about  "cer 
tain  motion  picture  stars  who  by  their 
immoral  and  licentious  conduct  have 
not  merely  discredited  themselves  but 
have  bespattered  all  Hollywood  and 
jeopardized  the  entire  industry." 

He  said  that  another  obstacle  that 
independent  exhibitors  have  to  con 
tend  with  is  "the  never-ending  pub 
licity  about  the  fabulous  salaries  and 
bonuses  paid  big  company  executives 
and  the  Hollywood  stars.    The  pub 
licity  cannot  be  helped— the  Treasury 
is  required  to  release  the  figures— but 
there  is  nothing  to  prevent  the  pro- 
ducers  from   acquiring  an  improved 
sense  of  values  and  putting  into  effect 
needed  reforms." 

On  the  subject  of  Ascap,  Myers 
said  that  both  the  Nordbye  and  Lei 
bell  decisions  embodied  Allied's  plan 
to  have  the  producers  clear  the  public 
performing  rights  for  film  music.  He 
stated  that  the  producers  are  now  do- 


ing this,  and  "now  that  the  prac- 
ticability of  this  method  has  been  es- 
tablished, there  should  never  be  a 
return  to  the  old  method  of  collecting 
those  royalties  from  theatres." 


New  lork  Representative,  44  Wall  St. 
foreip  Branches: 

London,  Manila,  and  Tokyo 


15»ttk  at 
Am  mat 

NATIONAL  IJVtngs  ASSOCIATION 

California's  Statewide  Bank 


Myers  Sees  Para.  Decree 
As  'Effective  Divorce' 

Washington,  Feb.  14. — The  con- 
sent decree  now  being  entered  into 
between  Paramount  and  the  Justice 
Department  means  "a  genuine  divorce- 
ment," Abram  F.  Myers,  general  coun- 
sel of  Allied  States  Association,  told 
his  organization's  mid-winter  board 
meeting  here  today. 
'  Myers  said  that  if  a  similar  pattern 
is  followed  with  Loew,  Warner  and 
20th  Century-Fox,  "the  controlled 
market  will  be  destroyed,  and  the  pro- 
ducers will  have  to  make  pictures  for 
sale  on  their  merits  in  a  competitive 
market."  This,  he  contended,  would 
lead  to  more  and  better  pictures. 

The  Allied  counsel  left  no  doubt 
that  he  believes  Paramount  divorce- 
ment, under  the  proposed  decree,  will 
"stick." 

Warns  on  Complaints 

Once  a  decree  is  final,  he  warned, 
exhibitors   must  not  go  running  to 
the  Justice  Department  with  every  lit- 
tle complaint  about  how  the  decree  is 
violated.    Instead,  they  should  docu- 
ment   their   complaints   and  forward 
them  to  national  Allied.    Myers  said 
he  would  put  all  the  complaints  to 
gether,  and  as  soon  as  a  definite  pat 
tern  was  established  as  regards  any 
one  defendant  he  would  forward  the 
entire  dossier  to  the  Justice  Depart 
ment,    "with    reasonable  expectation 
that  they  (the  complaints)  will  then 
receive  consideration." 

Myers  said  that  while  the  Depart 
ment  "has  not  been  averse  to  a  littk 
horse-trading  in  regard  to  the  number 
and   location   of  the  theatres  which 
might  be  retained  by  a  particular  cir 
cuit,  it  has  been  adamant  in  its  insist 
ence  on  total  divorcement.    This  led 
to  a  rift  in  the  ranks  of  the  defend 
ants,  who  had  theretofore  held  togeth 
er  in  a  common  defense." 

No  provision  against  discrimination 
was  included  in  the  RKO  decree,  My 
ers  said,  "but  it  is  believed  that  the 
Paramount  decree  will  contain  a  pro- 
vision against  discrimination  in  the 
granting  of  runs  which  will  bring  into 
operation  picture-by-picture,  theatre- 
by-theatre  selling  in  those  situations 
in  which  the  cry  of  discrimination  has 
been  raised.  In  all  other,  situations 
and  occasions,  selling  will  be  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  elastic  method  ap- 
proved by  the  Supreme  Court." 


Urges  Tax  Repeal 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Seidelman  Expects 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ports  not  handled  under  sterling  ex- 
change. 

Tomorrow  a  meeting  of  distribu- 
tion foreign  managers  will  be  held  at 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  office  here  to  hear  a  full 
report  on  the  South  African  situation. 

Said  Seidelman  .  yesterday :  "As  is 
well  known,  exhibition  in  South 
Africa  is  concentrated  in  a  few  hands, 
and  consequently  restrictions  on  im- 
portations became  more  of  a  local 
problem  than  that  of  an  overseas 
problem.'  We  (the  U.  S.  companies) 
have  the  complete  support  and  co- 
operation of  local  interests,  and  it  is 
only  by  a  united  effort  on  the  part 
of  local  interests  and  American  in- 
terests that  some  relief  can  be  hoped 
for." 

U.  S.  companies,  Seidelman  assert- 
ed, are  determined  to  secure  a  com- 
plete revocation  of  the  order. 


ing,  afternoon  and  night  sessions,  also 
voted  to  streamline  the  organization's 
officer  set-up.  It  abolished  the  six  re- 
gional vice-presidencies  and  the  nine- 
man  executive  committee.  Allied 
States'  general  counsel  Abram  F. 
Myers  said  that  neither  vice-presidents 
nor  the  executive  committee  had  had 
any  function  for  some  years.  He  said 
control  in  the  future  will  rest  entirely 
in  the  _20-man  board  of  directors  and 
remaining  officers. 

Tribute  to  Myers 

Allied's  new  membership  drive — to 
get  1,000  new  members  by  the  next 
mid-winter  board  meeting — will  be 
tied  in  with  a  personal  tribute  to 
Myers.  Members  will  be  asked  to  ex- 
pand the  organization  as  a  mark  of 
appreciation  for  the  general  counsel's 
work  in  the  past. 

The  board  admitted  to  membership 
the  Allied  Independent  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  the  Mid-South,  bringing  the 
total  number  of  units  to  20,  with 
members  in  32  states. 

The  board,  which  will  wind  up  its 
meeting  tomorrow,  is  expected  to 
make  public  a  lengthy  report  on  audi- 
ence tastes  in  film  entertainment,  the 
result  of  a  meeting  between  Allied  and 
distributor  representatives  on  forced 
selling,  and  a  report  on  the  Allied 
Caravan  committee.  It  will  also  elect 
new  officers  and  discuss  a  site  for  the 
1949  convention. 


AFL  Council  Wants 
Ban  on  Foreign  Films 

Hollywood,  Feb.  14. — Declaring 
that  the  production  of  films  abroad  by 
American  producers  constitutes  "un- 
fair discrimination  against  American 
workers  in  Hollywood,"  the  Holly- 
wood AFL  Film  Council  voted  today 
to  ask  the  banning  of  pictures  made 
in  countries  where  remittances  to  U. 
S.  producers  are  frozen. 

A  committee  appointed  by  the  coun- 
cil has  conferred  with  Eric  Johnston 
on  the  problem,  and  it  is  prepared  to 
enlist  the  support  of  the  entire  AFL 
in  urging  the  State  department  and 
Congress  to  establish  the  ban. 


How  about  giving  yourself  the 
new  outlook?  Just  take  a  few 
days  for  a  TWA  Quickie  Va- 
cationand  pack  them  full  with 
fun  in  Southern  California  or 
the  Southwest  Sun  Country. 
Phoenix,  Las  Vegas  or  Los 
Angeles  are  but  hours  away  by 
swift  TWA  Skyliner.  Big  sav- 
ings on  family  travel  and  round 
trips!  Call  your  local  TWA 
office  or  your  travel  agent. 


!  FIRST 
IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  33 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  FEBRUARY  16,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


RKO  Bidding 
To  Continue 
After  US  Suit 


Competitive  Licensing 
Now  in  300  Situations 

RKO  Radio,  the  lone  non-defen- 
s  dant  among  the  eight  major  film 
companies  in  the  government's  anti- 
trust suit  from  which  bidding  oper- 
ations sprouted,  is  still  practicing  that 
type  of  product  licensing  in  upwards 
of  300  situations  and  has  no  intention 
of   eliminating   or   curtailing   it.  A 
ranking  RKO  executive  disclosed  here 
'( that  the  company  believes  the  bidding 
,  system  is  the  "only  fair  way"  of  re- 
volving legitimate  disputes  on  terms 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


W.  B.  Is  Not  Talking 
Decree  with  U.  S. 


Wilmington,  Feb.  15.  —  Warner 
Brothers  stockholders  at  their  annual 
[meeting  here  today  were  informed  that 
there  are  no  current  negotiations  be- 
tween Warner  and  the  Department  of 
Justice  with  respect  to  a  consent  de- 
cree in  the  government's  anti-trust 
suit.  The  statement  on  behalf  of  the 
management  was  read  to  the  meeting 
by  the  presiding  officer,  former  Fed- 
eral Judge  Hugh  M.  Morris  of  Wilm- 
ington. 

The  shareholders  re-elected  five  di- 
rectors whose  terms  expire  this  year : 
Samuel  Carlisle,  Stanleigh  P.  Fried- 
man, Charles  S.  Guggenheimer,  Sam- 
uel Schneider  and  Morris  Wolf.  Last 
February  stockholders  elected  John 
E.  Bierwirth,  Waddill  Catchings,  Rob- 
ert W.  Perkins,  Albert  Warner,  Har- 
ry M.  Warner  and  Jack  L.  Warner 
directors  for  two  years. 


New  Extension  for 
Loew's  Trust  Brief 

Loew's  brief  in  the  indus- 
try anti-trust  suit  is  now  due 
next  week,  another  time  ex- 
tension having  been  granted 
by  the  Justice  Department 
and  approved  by  New  York 
Federal  Court.  Company  is 
expected  to  seek  to  justify  its 
system  of  integrated  opera- 
tions in  the  new  document, 
deadline  for  which  originally 
had  been  extended  from  Feb. 
1  to  yesterday  and  is  now 
again  off  to  next  Tuesday. 


Thomas  Proposes  Industry 
Round-Table  on  Problems 


San  Francisco,  Feb.  IS. — Defeat- 
ists within  the  motion  picture  industry 
were  bitterly  lashed  today  by  Harry 
Thomas,  president  of  Equity  Pictures, 
who  suggested 
formation  of  a 
semi  -  annual 
H  o  1 1  y  w  o  o  d 
round-table  in- 
volving the 
production,  dis- 
tribution and 
exhibition 
branches  of  the 
industry  as  the 
first  of  a  two- 
fold means  of 
solving  its 
problems. 

Speaking  be- 
fore the  West- 
•  ern  district  sales 

meeting  of  Eagle-Lion  Films  at  the 
Clift  Hotel,  Thomas  further  suggested 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Harry  Thomas 


Allied  Proposes  an 
Industry  Forum  to 
Guide  Production 


Washington,  Feb.  IS. — Allied 
States  Association  today  proposed  the 
creation  'of  an  all-industry  forum,  to 
meet  twice  a  year  to  discuss  what  the 
theatre-going  public  wants  to  see  and 
why. 

It  said  such  a  step  would  bring 
production  in  closer  touch  with  the 
retail  market,  insure  pictures  of  genu- 
ine box-office  appeal,  and  boost  thea- 
tre attendance. 

Participants  would  include  the  heads 
of  studios,  officers  of  the  Screen  Ac- 
tors Guild,  an  exhibitor  committee  and 
a  distributor  committee. 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Canadian  Music 
Seat  Tax  Raised 


Ottawa,  Feb.  15. — Increases  rang- 
ing from  two  to  five  cents  in  the  music 
royalty  per  seat  assessments  levied  on 
theatres  by  the  Canadian  Composers, 
Authors  and  Publishers  Association, 
have  been  approved  by  the  govern- 
ment, which  controls  assessment  rates 
set  by  the  association. 

At  the  same  time,  the  government's 
Copyright  Appeal  Board,  headed  by 
Justice  J.  T.  Thorson  of  the  Exche- 
quer Court,  rejected  a  Canadian 
Broadcasting  Corp.  request  for  a  re- 
duction in  the  royalties  it  pays. 


N.  Y.  First-runs  at 
Satisfactory  Level 

Although  some  first-run  situations 
in  New  York  are  faltering,  grosses 
in  the  main  are  satisfactory.  "Letter 
to  Three  Wives,"  the  "Yellow  Sky"- 
Danny  Kaye  combination  and  "The 
Bribe"  teamed  with  Arthur  Godfrey 
are  tops  in  town. 

"Three  Wives"  with  a  stage  presen- 
tation at  the  Music  Hall  is  hitting  a 
robust  pace  with  $122,000  expected  for 
a  fourth  week ;  it  will  run  a  fifth,  to 
be  followed  by  "Family  Honeymoon." 
"Yellow  Sky,"  with  Danny  Kaye  top- 
ping a  stage  bill,  probably  will  give 
the  Roxy  a  second  week's  take  of 
$111,000,  which  is  plenty  big.  The 
Roxy's  next  will  be  "Down  to  the  Sea 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Loew  Considering 
Enlarging  Board 

Loew's  annual  stockholders'  meet- 
ing is  slated  to  be  held  the  latter  part 
of  March,  probably  on  the  25th,  at 
the  home  office  with  all  10  directors 
up  for  reelection.  The  company  re- 
portedly is  considering  the  nomination 
of  an  11th  board  member  for  the  pur- 
pose of  more  easily  reaching  a  quorum 
at  routine  meetings. 

The  stockholders'  meeting  will  be 
followed  by  the  annual  meeting. 

Loew's  board  is  now  comprised  of : 
Leopold  Friedman,  Eugene  W.  Leake, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Maas  on  2-Month 
Tour  for  MPEA 


Irving  Maas,  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Export  Association,  will  leave 
here  Friday  by  plane  on  a  two-month 
tour  of  MPEA's  Continental  markets. 
Countries  definitely  included  in  his 
itinerary  are  Czechoslovakia,  Poland, 
Austria,  Germany,  Hungary  and  Jugo- 
slavia. Visits  to  Bulgaria  and  Ru- 
mania are  contingent  on  visa  clear- 
ances. 

Initial  stop  will  be  in  Paris  where, 
on  Feb.  21,  he  will  confer  with  mem- 
ber company  Continental  managers. 
Also  participating  in  the  Paris  con- 
clave will  be  Louis  Kanturek,  MPEA 
supervisor  of  Eastern  Europe,  and 
Marian  F.  Jordan,  German  manager. 


Allied  Retains 
Ainsworth 
As  President 


Annual  Convention  Set 
For  Oct.  in  Minneapolis 

Washington,  Feb.  15. — William 
Ainsworth  was  re-elected  president 
of  Allied  States  Association  today, 
at  the  close  of  the  two-day  board 
meeting  here. 

Re  -  elected 
along  with 
A  i  n  s  worth 
were  Abram  F. 
Myers,  chair- 
man and  gen- 
eral counsel; 
T  r  u  e  m  a  n 
T.  Rembusch, 
t  r  easure  r; 
Charles  Niles, 
secretary,  and 
Stanley  D. 
Kane,  record- 
ing secretary. 

The  board  se- 
lected Minne- 
apolis as  the  lo- 
cation of  the  1949  convention,  to  be 
held  Oct.  24-26,  and  picked  Dallas  for. 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


W.  I".  Ainsworth 


Rank  Due  in  March, 
US-UK  Meet  in  April 

Robert  S.  Benjamin,  president  of 
the  J.  Arthur  Rank  Organization,  said 
here  yesterday  that  it  is  his  under- 
standing that  the  New  York  meeting 
of  the  Anglo-U.S.  Films  Council  will 
be  held  on  or  about  April  25.  He  said 
that  Rank  will  arrive  in  New  York 
from  London  on  March  23. 

Eric  A.  Johnston,  president  of  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


10  Bills  to  Cut  U.S. 
Tax  Now  Pending 

Washington,  Feb.  15. — Two 
more  bills  to  cut  the  admis- 
sion tax  back  to  the  pre-war 
10  per  cent  were  introduced 
in  the  House  yesterday  by 
Rep.  Mansfield,  Montana 
Democrat,  and  Rep.  Jonas, 
Illinois  Republican. 

Some  10  measures  of  more 
or  less  similar  nature  are 
now  pending  in  the  House, 
with  companion  measures  on 
file  in  the  Senate. 


2 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Wednesday,  February  16,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


MALCOLM  KINGSBERG,  RKO 
Theatres   president,    is   on  the 
Coast  for  a  month  from  New  York. 
• 

Al  Streimer,  purchasing  agent  for 
Randforce  Amusement  Corp.,  and 
Mrs.  Marion  Streimer  are  the  par- 
ents of  a  girl,  Marlene,  born  at  the 
weekend  at  the  Brooklyn  Jewish  Hos- 
pital. 

• 

Mrs.  Alan  Blum,  daughter  of 
Fred  Meyers,  Universal-International 
Eastern  sales  manager,  on  Monday 
gave  birth  to  a  son  at  Doctor's  Hos- 
pital here. 

Bernice  Traitell  Stern,  treasur- 
er of  Peerless  Film  Processing,  will 
be  married  here  on  Friday  to  Dr.  Al- 
bert S.  Hamer. 

• 

D.  C.  Collins,  research  manager 
for  Western  Electric,  and  E.  S.  Gregg, 
Westrex  vice-president,  are  in  Holly- 
wood from  New  York. 

• 

M.  C.  Levee,  Hollywood  agent,  is  in 
New  York  from  the  Coast. 


3 -Theatre  Premiere 
For  'Down  to  Sea' 


Leff  Is  Promoted 
To  U.A.  Manager 

David  Leff,  salesman  from  the  Buf- 
falo exchange  and  formerly  acting 
manager  and  salesman  of  the  com- 
pany's Pittsburgh  exchange,  has  been 
named  manager  of  United  Artists' 
branch  in  New  Haven,  succeeding 
Frank  Meadow,  who  has  resigned. 


Marshall  at  Press  Fete 

Gen.  George  C.  Marshall,  former 
Secretary  of  State,  has  accepted  the 
invitation  to  be  honor  guest  at  the 
J Oth  annual  dinner  of  the  Overseas 
Press  Club  of  America  on  Friday, 
March  4,  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria 
Hotel  here,  according  to  an  announce- 
ment by  W.  W.  Chaplin,  the  club's 
president.  The  club  is  composed  of 
American  correspondents  who  have 
served  newsreels,  press  and  radio  in 
foreign  countries. 


New  'Film  -  Video  Firm 

A  new  radio-television  producing 
group,  Torchlight  Productions,  has 
been  organized  for  immediate  activi- 
ties. Among  the  sponsors  are :  Henry 
Jaffe,  Charles  S.  Johnson,  Max  Ler- 
ner,  Roi  Ottley,  Eleanor  Roosevelt, 
Louis  Untermeyer,  Walter  White  and 
William  L.  White.  The  president  is 
David  R.  Kapralik ;  vice-president  is 
Jane  White. 


WLW-T  on  DuMont  Link 

Cincinnati,  Feb.  IS. — Plans  of 
television  station  WLW-T  to  carry  a 
substantial  schedule  of  DuMont  tele- 
vision network  programs  starting 
within  the  next  month  were  disclosed 
here  by  R.  E.  Dunville,  vice-president 
and  general  manager  of  Crosley 
Broadcasting  Corp. 


New  Bedford,  Feb.  IS. — World 
premiere  of  20th  Century-Fox's 
"Down  to  the  Sea  in  Ships"  brought 
thousands  to  the  three  premiere  thea- 
tres here  tonight,  the  State,  New  Bed- 
ford and  Empire. 

The  Bourne  Whaling  Museum,  scene 
of  a  reception  and  buffet  supper,  re- 
ceived a  donation  of  $1,000  from  the 
three  premieres,  it  was  reported  to- 
night by  Harry  Zeitz,  head  of  the 
Zeitz  Bros,  circuit,  whose  theatres 
held  the  premieres. 

Newspaper,  trade  press,  fan  maga- 
zine and*  radio  representatives  from 
New  York  and  New  England  cities 
were  guests  of  the  company  on  a  spe- 
cial premiere  junket  headed  by 
Charles  Einfeld,  20th,.  Century-Fox 
vice-president  in  charge  of  advertis- 
ing-publicity. Richard  Widmark  and 
Cesar  Romero  added  the  Hollywood 
touch  to  the  junket  for  the  premiere 
fans. 


Four  Films  Finished, 
Four  More  Started 

Hollywood,  Feb.  15. — The  produc- 
tion score  remains  at  19  with  four 
pictures  starting  and  an  equal  number 
finishing. 

Shooting  started  on  "Rusty's  Birth- 
day," Columbia ;  "Scene  of  the  Crime," 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ;  "Streets  of 
San  Francisco,"  Republic ;  "Abbott 
and  Costello  Meet  the  Killers,"  Uni- 
versal-International. Shooting  was  fin- 
ished on  "Law  of  the  Golden  West," 
Republic;  "Come  to  the  Stable,"  20th 
Century-Fox;  "Twilight"  (Hakim), 
United  Artists,  and  "Take  One  False 
Step,"  Universal-International. 


Schlaifer  &  Co.  Opens 
Headquarters  Here 

Establishment  of  headquarters  here 
for  Charles  Schlaifer  and  Co.,  Inc., 
were  announced  here  yesterday  by  the 
former  advertising-publicity  director 
of  20th  Century-Fox.  Schlaifer's  new 
firm  will  not  confine  itself  to_  motion 
picture  advertising  and  public  rela- 
tions, but  will  also  include  a  television 
department. 

Schlaifer  has  postponed  a  projected 
vacation  to  handle  the  promotion  of 
Columbia's-  "Knock  on  Any  Door," 
which  will  probably  open  on  Feb.  22 
at  the  New  York  Astor.  He  will  also 
handle  the  20th-Fox  and  New  York 
Roxy  Theatre  accounts. 


To  Address  Law  Officers 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  15. — Harry 
Lamont,  temporary  chairman  of  the 
Albany  Theatre  Owners  of  America 
branch,  will  speak  before  the  Proba- 
tion Officers  of  New*  York  State  at 
their  annual  meeting  in  Schenectady 
today,  on  TOA's  campaign  to  combat 
juvenile  delinquency. 

Gottlieb  Testimonial 

Cleveland,  Feb.  15— Local  film 
salesmen  will  give  a  testimonial  din- 
ner at  the  Hickory  grill  on  Feb.  25th 
in  honor  of  Leo  Gottlieb,  who  has  re- 
signed as  U-I  salesman  to  become  Film 
Classics'  Pittsburgh  manager. 


Benjamin  Dismisses 
Any  Curtailment 

Plans  for  continued  and  most  active 
British  Rank  Organization  film  pro- 
duction, instead  of  plans  for  curtail- 
ment, was  what  Robert  S.  Benjamin, 
president  of  the  American  Rank  Or- 
ganization, found  in  England  during 
his  three  weeks  visit  with  the  British 
film  leader.  Benjamin  so  reported 
here  yesterday  oh  his  return  to  his 
New  York  headquarters. 

Benjamin  explained  reports  of  pro- 
duction curtailment,  by  saying :  "This 
is  due  in  part  to  the  failure  of  some 
outside  producers,  with  whom  com- 
mitments had  been  made  for  studio 
stage  space  and  distribution,  to  obtain 
their  own  outside  money,  always  nec- 
essary for  such  deals.  Also,  such  cur- 
tailment is  partially  due  to  clbsing  of 
a  number  of  our  sound  stages  for  re- 
construction in  preparation  for  further 
expansion  of  the  'independent  frame' 
method  of  production." 


Newsreel 
Parade 


Special  Handling  for 
Paramount' s  'Laredo' 

Paramount's  "Streets  of  Laredo's" 
release  date  has  been  delayed  to  May 
27,  instead  of  March  25,  in  order  to 
arrange  for  special  handling,  an  extra 
build-up  and  additional  advertising,  it 
was  disclosed  here  yesterday  by  Alfred 
Schwalberg,  Paramount's  general  sales 
manager. 

At  the  same  time,  Schwalberg 
moved  the  release  date  of  "El  Paso" 
from  May  6  to  April  1  and  the  date 
of  "Bride  of  Vengeance"  from  May 
27  to  May  6. 


Dismiss  New  Orleans 
Case  Against  Ascap 

New  Orleans,  Feb.  15. — U.  S.  Dis- 
trict Court  Judge  Borah  has  dismissed 
the  suit  brought  by  Francis  Arena 
charging  that  the  song,  "You  Always 
Hurt  the  One  You  Love,"  infringes 
his  composition  "My  Dream  Love 
Song."  Louis  D.  Frohlich  of  Schwartz 
and  Frohlich,  New  York  attorneys, 
represented  defendant  members  of  the 
American  Society  of  Composers,  Au- 
thors and  Publishers  in  the  case. 


Goldwyn  to  Quit  Astor 

With  the  conclusion  of  the  run  of 
"Enchantment"  at  the  Astor  Theatre, 
New  York,  on  Feb.  21,  Samuel  Gold- 
wyn will  relinquish  his  interest  in  the 
theatre,  which  is  controlled  by  City 
Investing  Co.  "Enchantment"  will 
have  had  a  nine-week  run. 


Free  Policies  for  Workers 

Fifty-seven  employees  of  Du-Art 
Laboratories  here  now  have  group  in- 
surance protection  at  no  cost.  Ar- 
ranged by  Al  Young,  Du  Art  presi- 
dent, the  company  is  footing  the  bill. 

Form  New  Firm  Here 

James  B.  Harris,  formerly  with 
Realart,  has  joined  David  L.  Wolper, 
publicist  and  real  estate  operator,  to 
form  Harris-Wolper  Pictures,  with 
offices  in  New  York.  The  firm  will 
distribute  foreign  and  domestic  pic- 
tures. 


BROTHERHOOD  Week"  and 
Canada's  premier  visittng  Pres- 
ident Truman  mark  current  newsreel 
highlights.  Other  items  include  Hit- 
ler's chancellory  being  blown  up,  sports 
and  human  interest  stories.  Complete 
contents  follow : 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  14 — America 
speaks  on  Brotherhood.  Reds  blow  up  Hit- 
ler's chancellory.  Jet  bomber  crosses  U.S. 
non-stop.  William  A.  White  honored  in 
Emporia.  Bowling  congress  meets.  Skiing. 
St.  Paul's  winter  carnival. 

NEWS  OP  THE  DAY,  No.  248— Hit- 
ler's chancellory  blown  up.  Transit  strike 
in  Philadelphia.  Canada's  premier  visits 
President  Truman.  School  days  in  the  land 
of  the  Nile.  Bob-sledding.  St.  Paul's  win- 
ter carnival.    Experiment  in  Brotherhood. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  51— Bridge 
collapses  on  trains  near  Paris.  Boy  Scouts 
report  to  the  boss.  Cairo  students  visit 
world's  oldest  pyramid.  Canada's  premier 
visits  Washington  for  major  talks.  Bowling 
congress.     Skiing.  Yachting. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  222— 
Canada's  premier  and  President  Truman 
talk  defense.  Dartmouth  and  St.  Paul  car- 
nivals. Bowling. 

WARNER   PATHE  NEWS,  No.  53— 

Canada's  premier  visits  Washington.  Ber- 
lin blast.  Children's  pet  show.  School  days 
in  Cairo.  Sports:  running,  bowling  con- 
gress, ice  fishing,  speed  skating. 


N.  Y.  Ist-Run  Grosses 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


in  Ships,"  opening  on  Feb.  22.  At  the 
Capitol,  "The  Bribe,"  with  Arthur 
Godfrey  and  his  Talent  Scouts,  is 
another  strong  contender,  with  $84,000 
anticipated  for  a  second  week,  after  a 
tremendous  first  week's  gross  of 
$100,000. 

The  lone  newcomer  was  "My  Dear 
Secretary,"  at  the  Mayfair,  and  its 
first  week's  gross  is  likely  to  hit  about 
$20,000,  a  moderate  sum.  At  the 
Criterion,  "He  Walked  By  Night"  is 
moving  at  a  good  clip  with  about 
$25,000  seen  for  the  second  week.  The 
Strand's  "John  Loves  Mary,"  with 
Jack  Carson's  troupe  on  stage,  should 
wind  up  a  second  week  with  about 
$47,500,  which  is  good.  "My  Own 
True  Love,"  with  the  Three  Suns  and 
Monica  Lewis,  among  others,  on  stage, 
at  the  Paramount,  dropped  to  a  minor 
$35,000  in  its  final  five  days,  two  short 
of  a  full  second  week ;  it  was  re- 
placed on  Monday  by  "Whisperin' 
Smith." 

"Hamlet"  still  is  a  favorite  at  the 
Park  where  $15,200,  just  a  little  short 
of  previous  marks,  is  apparent  for  the 
20th  week.  "Enchantment"  is  fair 
enough  with  $17,500  likely  for  an 
eighth  week  at  the  Astor.  The  third 
week  of  "So  Dear  to  My  Heart" 
should  gross  about  $18,000  at  the 
Palace,  which  is  fair  business.  "The 
Snake.  Pit"  still  is  showing  unusual 
strength  at  the  Rivoli  where  the  15th 
week's  gross  may  reach  $27,500. 

"Command  Decision"  is  dropping 
off  at  the  State  where  the  fourth 
week's  business  is  estimated  at  $23,000. 
"Red  Shoes"  continues  in  the  top- 
money  bracket  at  the  Bijou  which 
looks  for  about  $14,800  in  an  18th 
week.  "Tarzan's  Magic  '  Fountain" 
should  give  the  Globe  $10,000  in  a 
slow  second  and  final  week ;  it  will  be 
followed  on  Friday  by  "State  Depart- 
ment—File 649." 


,  -'resident    Ken  is.ann,  v  ice- r  resident;  martin  uuis'cj.  ji-  ,    ,       \,       J'      -ft  ,, j  V.   Vr   it-  n >  :ij:„„   w;ti;»™  TJ  Wo^ror 

James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke.  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau  Yucca-Vine  Bmlding,  William  K.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher.  Editorial  Representative,  Washington. 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup.  Manager,  Peter  Burnuo.  Editor:  cable  address,  QuiCTubco.,. London. 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald.  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3.  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


wS  OF  BRO40|tek 


LITTLE  Wom„ 


N  ^HO  DECISION 


fcttMEOUTl©** 


«««  ME  OUI      -T;cw c0  ~ 
%lfc'e  "COIiSPl**10  ^ 

<i^©HTER 

EDWARD,** S0*"  <; 
IE  FORSYTE 


HE  TALK  OF 
HE  INDUSTRY 


Gregory  Peck 


"THE  BARKLEYS  OF  BROADWAY"  (Technicolor) 
Fred  Astaire  •  Ginger  Rogers  •  Oscar  Levant 

"LITTLE  WOMEN"  (Technicolor) 
June  Allyson  •  Peter  Lawford  •  Margaret  O'Brien 
Elizabeth  Taylor  •  Janet  Leigh  •  Rossano  Brazzi  •  Mary  Astor 

"COMMAND  DECISION" 

Clark  Gable  •  Walter  Pidgeon  •  Van  Johnson  •  Brian  Donlevy 
Charles  Bickford  ♦  John  Hodiak  •  Edward  Arnold 

"TAKE  ME  OUT  TO  THE  BALL  GAME"  (Technicolor) 
Frank  Sinatra  •  Esther  Williams  •  Gene  Kelly  •  Betty  Garrett 

"CONSPIRATOR" 

Robert  Taylor  •  Elizabeth  Taylor 

"NEPTUNE'S  DAUGHTER"  (Technicolor) 
Esther  Williams  •  Red  Skelton  •  Ricardo  Montalban  •  Betty  Garrett 
Keenan  Wynn  •  Xavier  Cugat 

"EDWARD,  MY  SON" 

Spencer  Tracy  •  Deborah  Kerr 

"THE  GREAT  SINNER" 

Ava  Gardner  •  Melvyn  Douglas  •  Walter  Huston 
Ethel  Barrymore  •  Frank  Morgan  •  Agnes  Moorehead 

"ANY  NUMBER  CAN  PLAY" 

Clark  Gable  ♦  Alexis  Smith  *  Wendell  Corev  •  Audrey  Totter 
Barry  Sullivan  •  Frank  Morgan  •  Mary  Astor  •  Lewis  Stone 

"THE  SECRET  GARDEN" 

Margaret  O'Brien  «  Herbert  Marshall  •  Dean  Stockwell 

"THE  STRATTON  STORY" 

James  Stewart  •  June  Allyson  •  Frank  Morgan 
Agnes  Moorehead  •  Bill  Williams 

"THE  BRIBE" 

Robert  Taylor  •  Ava  Gardner  •  Charles  Laughton 
Vincent  Price  •  John  Hodiak 

"CAUGHT" 

James  Mason  •  Barbara  Bel  Geddes  •  Robert  Ryan 

"IN  THE  GOOD  OLD  SUMMERTIME"  (Technicolor) 
Judy  Garland  •  Van  Johnson 

"MADAME  BO  VARY" 

Jennifer  Jones  •  Van  Heflin  •  Louis  Jourdan  •  James  Mason 

"THAT  MIDNIGHT  KISS"  (Technicolor) 
Kathryn  Grayson  •  Jose  Iturbi  •  Ethel  Barrymore  •  Mario  Lanza 


PROFIT  PROPHET ! 


w 


THE 

FUTURE 
IS 

M-G-Ml 


AND  LOTS  MORE! 


(Brotherhood  Week  Feb.  20-27  Fights  Bigotry!) 


4 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Wednesday,  February  16,  1949 


Review 


"Down  to  the  Sea  in  Ships" 

{20th  Century-Fox) 

ILJ  ERE  is  the  most  recent  entry  in  the  keen  competition  for  the  honors  of 
*■  the  best  motion  picture  production  of  a  sea  story.  Twenty-seven  years 
ago  the  Elmer  Clifton  film  of  the  same  name  was  released  and  hailed  in  the 
industry  as  a  masterpiece.  Despite  the  identity  in  title,  this  film,  elaborately 
produced  by  Louis  D.  Lighton  and  skillfully  directed  by  Henry  Hathaway, 
has  no  story  relationship  to  the  other  except  that  both  pictures  start  in  New 
Bedford. 

In  addition  to  the  appealing  title,  exhibitors  have  for  drawing  power  good 
characterizations  by  Richard  Widmark,  Lionel  Barrymore  and  Dean  Stock- 
well.  In  a  sense  Barrymore's  portrayal  of  the  whaling  captain  determined  to 
train  his  grandson  to  follow  worthily  is  the  crowning  achievement  in  a  long 
acting  career.  He  and  the  boy,  Dean  Stockwell,  dominate  almost  every  foot 
of  the  tale  that  is  told  through  two  whole  hours.  Widmark  is  satisfactory  in 
the  difficult  role  of  the  one  who  comes  between  the  boy  and  his  grandfather. 

The  screenplay,  by  John  Lee  Mahin  and  Sy  Bartlett,  from  the  latter's 
story,  moves  along  quietly  and  gives  full  rein  to  sentiment.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  some  moving  whale  chases  and  a  collision  with  an  iceberg,  the  action 
is  quite  restricted  and  the  drama  is  developed  largely  by  conversation.  Barry- 
more  makes  clear  the  great  lesson  learned  by  "the  iron  men  who  sailed,  in 
wooden  ships" ;  the  just  man,  the  man  of  character,  who  must  at  times  do 
things  which  he  knows  are  right  even  though  they  run  against  his  personal 
wishes. 

Following  his  return  from  a  voyage  the  boy  is  passed  in  his  fourth  grade 
examination.  This  enables  the  aged  whaleship  master  to  make  one  last  trip. 
The  ship  owners  and  insurance  men  distrust  his  health  and  arrange  for  a 
young  man,  a  qualified  captain,  to  be  the  first  mate.  The  stern  old  sea  captain 
has  misunderstandings  with  both  his  grandson  and  the  mate.  In  the  end,  just 
before  he  dies,  the  others  realize  the  wisdom  of  his  judgment. 

Children  and  young  people  will  especially  be  thrilled  by  "Down  to  the  Sea 
in  Ships."  Some  women  will  be  moved  to  tears  by  the  touching  sentiment  of 
a  number  of  the  scenes  between  boy  and  grandfather.  The  action  scenes  will 
hold  fast  the  attention  of  all  audiences. 

Running  time,  120  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  March 
release.  — M.  Q.  Jr. 


Allied  Proposes 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

The  suggestion  was  contained  in  the 
report  prepared  by  Trueman  Rem- 
busch  for  the  all-industry  Hollywood 
conference  called  by  MPAA  president 
Eric  Johnston  and  then  cancelled.  The 
report  was  approved  by  the  Allied 
Board  here  today. 

The  all-industry  forum,  Rembusch 
said,  would  be  limited  to  discussion  of 
what  elements  contributed  to  success- 
ful pictures  during  the  previous 
months  (successful  not  only  in  box- 
office  terms,  but  in  bringing  credit  to 
the  industry),  what  elements  con- 
tributed to  poor  box-office  results,  and 
what  pictures  brought  discredit  to  the 
industry. 

The  meetings  would  be  closed. 

Urge  Company  Participation 

Another  suggestion  for  better  intra- 
industry  relations  was  for  each  com- 
pany head  to  attend  at  least  three 
exhibitor  meetings  a  year,  have  sales- 
men of  all  companies  on  hand  at  ex- 
hibitor meetings  to  contact  customers, 
and  have  carefully-selected  stars  at- 
tend exhibitor  conventions. 

The  report  was  prepared  by  Rem- 
busch, president  of  the  Associated 
Theatre  Owners  of  Indiana,  on  the 
basis  of  answers  to  "hundreds"  of 
questionnaires  he  sent  Allied  members 
at  the  end  of  last  year. 

One  key  suggestion  among  the  re- 
plies was  to  "keep  pictures  clean." 
Another  was  to  have'  all  advertising 
material  for  blood  and  thunder  pictures 
emphasize  the  theme  "crime  does  not 
pay."  Other  suggestions  were  for 
shorter  pictures,  more,  variety  and  an 
end  to  cycles  of  one  particular  theme, 
better  story  material,  better  casting  of 
stars,  better  balance  in  religious  pic- 
tures, so  that  Protestant  themes  would 
be  "glorified"  as  well5  as  Jewish  and 
Catholic,  better  disciplining  of  erring 
stars,  more  emphasis  in  advertising  on 
mass  family  appeal  rather  than  on  sex 
and  passion,  less  publicity  about  how 
many  million  dollars  a  particular  pic- 
ture cost,  and  a  greater  number  of 
prints  with  print  quotas  on  all  "A" 
pictures  increased  at  least  25  per  cent. 

Want  More  Selling  Aids 

The  report  repeated  Allied's  de- 
mands for  an  end  to  advertising  in 
films,  better  advertising  material  than 
is  now  being  obtained  from  National 
Screen  Service,  cooperative  adver- 
tising for  all  theatres  and  not  just  a 
chosen  few,  and  more  enthusiastic  and 
better  selling  by  the  distributors. 

The  report  had  this  to  say  about 
various  types  of  films : 

Westerns:  Exhibitors  agree  that 
they  have  never  had  a  first-class 
Western  (sometimes  called  super- 
Westerns)  that  was  a  box-office  fail- 
ure. These  do  not  even  have  to  be 
super- Westerns  if  they  have  a  good 
logical  story,  competent  direction  and 
good  acting.  They  exclude  cheap, 
quickie  Westerns. 

Out-Door  Pictures:  "Nature,  kid 
and  animal  pictures  with  adequate 
production  and  an  appealing  story 
seem  to  be  sure-fire  at  the  box-office." 

Comedies:  "Absolutely  sure-fire  if 
the  writing  is  good,  the  direction 
sharp,  the  acting  first-class  and  there 
is  at  least  a  semblance  of  a  story. 
The  people  are  hungry  for  laughter ; 
mix  it  with  a  little  romance  and  it 
cannot  fail." 

Romance:  "Pictures  which  feature 
romance  must  be  carefully  put  togeth- 
er. The  direction  and  acting  must  be 
good,  and  the  story  is  very  impor- 
tant." 

Musicals:  "Can  be  absorbed  in 


moderation,  but  some  new  formulas 
must  be  developed." 

Who-dun-its:  "There  have  been 
too  many  in  recent  years,  and  the 
public  is  getting  fed  up.  Neverthe- 
less, when  the  story  is  good  and  the 
direction  is  sharp,  these  attractions 
do  very  well." 

In  reply  to  a  question  about  "top 
grossers,"  exhibitors  answering  the 
questionnaire  gave  "Fuller  Brush 
Man"  first  place,  followed  bv  "Green 
Grass  of  Wyoming,"  "My  Wild  Irish 
Rose,"  "Easter  Parade,"  "Best  Years 
of  our  Lives,"  "Scudda  Hoo,  Scudda 
Hay,"  "Wistful  Widow  of  Red  Gap," 
"Road  to  Rio,"  "Bride  Goes  Wild" 
and  "Sitting  Pretty." 

"Worst  grosser"  among  high  allo- 
cation pictures  was  "Captain  from 
Castile,"  exhibitors  said. 


Thomas  Proposes 

(Continued  from-  page  1) 

that  major  exhibitor  organizations  and 
large  circuits  form  committees  to 
spend  two  months  a  year  in  Holly- 
wood working  with  producers  on  all 
phases  of  production. 

The  round-table  forums  would  last 
one  week  and  would  follow  intensive 
meetings  lasting  three  weeks  of  the 
committees  with  producers  on  all  the 
phases  of  film  production,  Thomas 
stated. 

"The  committees,  consisting  of  100 
men  with  proportional  representation 
awarded  exhibitors  of  all  types — cir- 
cuit operators  as  well  as  those  with 
one  theatre,  urban  as  well  as  small 
town — would  be  chosen  by  balloting 
on  a  regional  basis,"  he  continued. 

After  discussing  with  Eagle-Lion 
sales  representatives  Equity's  new'  pic- 
tures such  as  "Ride,  Ryder,  Ride," 
first  of  the  Red  Ryder  Cinecolor 
series ;  "Parole.  Inc.,"  "An  Old 
Fashioned  Girl,"  and  the  recently 
completed  "Shamrock  Hill,"  Thomas 
invited  queries  on  his  proposal. 


RKO  Bidding 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

and  clearances  between  theatre  compe- 
titors. 

While  some  bidding  is  conducted  by 
other  distributors  they  still  are  en- 
meshed in  the  trust  action  and  thus 
the  course  of  their  future  operations 
is  not  devoid  of  uncertainties.  Other 
means  of  meeting  exhibitor  complaints 
are  product  splits,  competitive  nego- 
tiations and  conciliation. 

Under  its  settlement  with  the  gov- 
ernment, as  approved  by  the  New 
York  Federal  Court,  RKO  will  not  be 
bound  by  any  new  and  possibly  more 
onerous  provisions  of  the  court's  de- 
cree, if  and  when  it  comes.  Conse- 
quently, if  the  court  were  to  order  a 
new  method  of  licensing  films,  RKO 
would  not  necessarily  have  to  comply. 


US-UK  Meet  in  April 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica, here  from  Washington,  said  that 
he  is  not  certain  of  the  specific  date 
for  the  international  conclave,  adding 
that  he  expects  to  hear  from  Rank  on 
the  matter  by  Thursday.  Johnston  will 
leave  here  for  the  Coast  on  Friday. 


Eric  A.  Johnston  said  here  yester- 
day that  he  is  not  yet  in  a  position 
to  comment  on  the  announcement  bv 
the  Hollywood  AFL  Film  Council 
that  it  intends  to  ask  a  government 
ban  on  films  from  countries  which  re- 
strict earnings  of  U.  S.  films. 


Loew  Board 

(Continued  from  Page  1) 

Charles    C.   Moskowitz,  .William  A. 
Parker,  William  F.  Rodgers,  T.  Rob 
ert    Rubin,    Nicholas    M.  Schenck, 
Joseph  R.  Vogel.  David  Warfield  and 
Henry  Rogers  Winthrop. 


Allied  Retains 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  Spring  board  meeting  in  May.  The 
board  meeting  will  overlap  the  con- 
vention of  Texas  Allied,  and  will  be 
part  of  an  Allied  tribute  to  Col.  H.  A. 
Cole. 

Today's  meeting,  among  other 
things,  lined  up  Allied  behind  a  con- 
tinued drive  to  eliminate  "must"  per- 
centage selling,  reaffirmed  the  impor- 
tance of  the  Finneran  Plan,  sent  back 
to  the  local  level  the  problems  of 
television  and  cooperative  advertising, 
and  authorized  a  field  survey  to  de- 
termine the  need  of  a  national  field 
secretary  to  help  local  membership 
drives. 

Further  Consideration  Later 

Myers  said  that  any  suggestion  that 
producers  be  asked  to  place  an  age 
limit  on  any  films  before  making  them 
available  for  television  would  be  "in 
restraint  of  trade,"  and  declared  that 
exhibitors  simply  would  not  buy  any 
product  with  which  they  would  have 
to  compete  on  television  screens.  The 
board  then  sent  the  whole  question 
back  to  the  territories  for  observa- 
tion and  consideration  at  a  later  date. 

The  report  on  "must"  percentage 
selling,  made  by  a  committee  headed 
by  Cole  which  met  with  sales  mana- 
gers in  New  York  for  several  weeks, 
told  the  board  that  the  work  of  elim- 
inating the  practice  had  just  been 
started  and  that  even  though  several 
companies  had  expressed  a  willingness 
to  go  along  with  Allied's  policy,  there 
was  still  "a  very  wide  area  between 
the  policies  of  these  companies  and 
the  desires  of  many  exhibitors  to  op- 
erate their  theatres  without  the  un- 
welcome partnership  which  'must'  per- 
centage pictures  force  on  the  exhibitor. 

Interviews  'Friendly' 

The  committee  emphasized  that 
every  interview  with  the  top  execu- 
tives of  major  companies  was  friend- 
ly and  developed  progress  over  con- 
ditions which  previously  prevailed. 

The  resolution  on  the  Finneran 
Plan  declared  that  although  produc- 
ers have  the  primary  duty  of  institut- 
ing the  necessary  reforms  to  correct 
errant  stars,  "The  exhibitors  also 
have  a  public  duty  not  to  try  to  cash 
in  on  such  notoriety  by  running  pic- 
tures featuring  such  stars."  The 
board  reminded  exhibitors  that  any 
gains  derived  from  such  exploitation 
are  temporary  and  that  in  the  long 
run  "the  loss  of  prestige  and  good 
will  resulting  from  an  affront  to  the 
moral  sensibilities  of  the  community 
will  more  than  offset  such  gains." 

Says  'Package  Sales'  Illegal 

Current  "package  sales"  offered  by 
distributors  were  discussed  in  the 
light  of  Myers'  analysis  that  such 
practices  were  "in  the  teeth"  of  the 
Supreme  Court  decision  in  the  Para- 
mount case,  and  recommended  that 
exhibitors  use  that  argument. 

Competition  from  Army  and  Navy 
theatres  were  discussed  and  Allied 
members  having  complaints  about 
competition  from  service  theatres 
were  requested  to  send  in  authenti- 
cated complaints,  to  be  taken  up  with 
the  War  Department. 

In  connection  with  the  rental  of  the 
industry  public  relations  shorts,  the 
board  agreed  to  seni  a  committee  of 
three — Rembusch,  Ray  Branch  and 
Sam  Switow — to  MPAA  president 
Eric  Johnston,  to  remind  him  that  it 
was  previously  agreed  that  no  ren- 
tal terms  would  be  fixed  without  the 
committee's  participation.  It  was 
agreed  that  not  more  than  four  of 
the  films  should  be  released  now. 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  34 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  FEBRUARY  17,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


10-Day  Coast 
Meet  Called 
By  Johnston 


Studio  and  Labor  Chiefs 
To  Get  Industry  Report 

Eric  A.  Johnston,  president  of 
:he  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
\merica,  will  leave  Washington 
)ver  the  weekend  for  Hollywood 
where,  he,  MPAA  vice-president 
Francis  Harmon,  and  international 
[livision  managing  director  John  Mc- 
Carthy will  confer  for  10  days  with 
.itudio  heads  and  labor  leaders  on  re- 
spective problems.  Harmon  already  is 
tn  the  Coast,  and  McCarthy  is  sched- 
ded  to  leave  from  New  York  at 
he  weekend.  Conferences  will  begin 
.Wednesday. 

A  principal  topic  of  discussion  will 
)e  the  industry's  situation  abroad. 
McCarthy  will  apprise  studio  execu- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


[ohnston,  7  Others 
leelected  by  MPEA 


At  a  meeting  of  foreign  managers 
eld  here  yesterday,  Eric  A.  Johnston 
^as  reelected  president  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Export  Association,  and  all 
ther  officers  were  returned  to  office, 
ohn  G.  McCarthy,  vice-president  of 
H  MPEA,  presided. 

Reelected  in  addition  to  Johnston 
/ere :  McCarthy  and  Francis  Har- 
lon,  vice-presidents ;  Irving  Maas, 
ice-president  and  general  manager, 
'rederick  W.  DuVall,  treasurer ; 
rordon  E.  Youngman,  secretary ; 
lerbert  J.  Erlanger,  assistant  secre- 
iry-treasurer,  and  Frank  J.  Alford, 
ssistant  treasurer. 


XY  Tent  Chartered, 
Officers  Named 


Canvasmen  and  officers  of  Interna- 
onal.  Variety  Clubs  have  unanimous- 
'  approved  a  charter  for  New  York 
ent  No.  35,  reports  Robert  J.  O'Don- 
B,  international  chief  barker. 

Officers  for  the  first  year  will  be : 
lax  A.  Cohen,  chief  barker;  Morris 
anders,  first  assistant;  Robert  Fan- 
ion,  second  assistant;  Saul  Trauner, 
-operty  master;  Jules  Reiff,  dough 

Crew  and  executive  committee,  in 
Idition  to  the  officers,  are:  Lou  Ku- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Adverse  Tide 
Of  Legislation 
Still  Mounting 

Washington,  Feb.  16.  —  State 
legislation  inimical  to  exhibition 
and  distribution  continues  to  be  a 
constantly  mounting  threat  with 
new  taxation  and  censorship  bills'  be- 
ing reported  daily  as  a  record  num- 
ber of  state  legislatures  continue  in 
session,  Jack  Bryson,  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America  legislative 
representative,  reports. 

Bills  to  increase  both  theatre  and 
distribution  taxes  have  been  intro- 
duced in  West  Virginia. 

One  measure  calls  for  a  two  per 
cent  reel  use-tax  on  every  reel  used 
in  the  state,  while  another  "enabling" 
bill  would  allow  municipalities  to  levy 
a  two  per  cent  tax  on  each  theatre 
ticket  sold. 

One  of  the  few  recent  actions  favor- 
able to  the  industry  was  Idaho,  where 
the  legislature  passed  a  bill  permitting 
theatres  to  stay  open  on  Sundays.  The 
governor  must  still  approve  the  meas- 
ure, but  Bryson  said  that  there  is  no 
reason  to  believe,  he  would  not. 

Bryson  said  developments  affecting 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


33,000  Stockholders 
In  Para.  Pictures 


An  estimated  33,000  individual  per- 
sons and  organizations  hold  stock  in 
Paramount,  not  one  of  them  greater 
than  one  per  cent. 

The  figures  have  taken  on  special 
significance  with  Paramount's  pro- 
posed reorganization  under  which  two 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Would  Fine  Theatres 
$63,850,000 

St.  Louis,  Feb.  16.— Suits 
asking  for  fines  of  $63,850,000 
have  been  filed  against  seven 
theatres  in  Southeastern  Mis- 
souri under  the  "public  in- 
former" clause  of  a  law  of 
Civil  War  vintage  requiring 
theatres  to  have  three-foot 
aisles. 

The  statute,  passed  in  1869, 
was  unearthed  by  two  Cape 
Girardeau  lawyers.  Under  its 
provisions  they  could  re- 
cover half  the  fine  and  are 
asking  the  maximum  penalty 
of  $5,000  for"  each  day  of  op- 
eration for  five  years. 

Theatre  owners  against 
whom  suits  have  been  filed 
are:  Fox  Midwest  (Cape  Gir- 
ardeau), Edwards  and  Plum- 
lee  (Ironton),  Bud  Mercier 
(Fredericktown)  and  O.  W. 
McCutcheon  (Sikeston  and 
Charleston). 


Lawson  and  Trumbo 
Appeal  Up  Feb,  24 

Washington,  Feb.  16.— Argument 
on  the  appeals  of  screen  writers  John 
Howard  Lawson  and  Dalton  Trumbo 
from  their  convictions  for  contempt  of 
Congress,  has  been  scheduled  for  Feb. 
24  in  the  U.  S.  Circuit  Court  of  Ap- 
peals here. 

The  two  writers  were  convicted  in 
District  Court  for  being  in  contempt 
of  Congress  in  refusing  to  answer 
whether  or  not  they  belonged  to  the 
Communist  Party,  during  testimony 
before  the  House  Un-American  Activ- 
ities Committee  in  the  Fall  of  1947. 
The  fate  of  eight  others  of  Hollywood 
also  cited  for  contempt  depends  on 
the  outcome  of  the  Lawson  and 
Trumbo  cases. 

A  decision  is  not  likely  until  April. 


Cost-and-ProHt  Problems  Are  Solved 
By  Popcorn  and  Candy  Sales:  Ruffin 

Profits  last  year  from  popcorn  and  candy  concessions  in  the- 
atres are  cited  by  Kentucky-Tennessee  circuit  owner  W  F  Ruffin 
aSu-uI-ng  re^cued  many  a  theatre  from  losses  sustained  by  the 
exhibition  end  of  operations.  A  member  of  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  s  national  executive  board,  Ruffin  has  been  vacationing  in 
New  York  with  Mrs.  Ruffin  following  the  recent  TOA  executive 
committee  meeting  in  Washington.  He  is  president  of  Ruffin 
Amusement  Co.,  with  headquarters  in  Covington,  Tenn. 

So  impressively  profit-performing  are  theatre  candy  counters,  in 
Kuffins  opinion, 'they  serve  to  compensate  measurably  for  steadily 
mounting  theatre  operating  costs  and  falling  exhibition  profits. 
He  said  that  was  the  experience  of  his  14-house  circuit  last  year. 
It  theatre  candy  counters  were  during  the  last  depression  the 
institution  they  have  been  in  recent  years,  Ruffin  believes  the- 
atres would  not  have  been  hit  then  as  hard  as  they  were. 


See  US  Okay  of 
'Showcases' 
For  20th-Fox 


Paramount  Decree  Would 
Permit  'a  Few  Houses' 


Washington,  Feb.  16. — Industry 
and  government  sources  here  were 
of  the  opinion  that  a  consent  de- 
cree between  the  Justice  Depart- 
ment and  20th  Century-Fox  might 
permit  the  film  company  to  keep  an 
integrated  production-distribution-ex- 
hibition firm  but  only  if  the  theatre 
holdings  we're  limited  to  a  few  show- 
case houses. 

Allowing  20th  Century-Fox  to  keep 
anything  more  would  not  only  be  a 
departure  from  the  government's  tra- 
ditional policy  but  would  be  "a  breach 
of  faith  with  Paramount,"  which  was 
not  permitted  to  maintain  an  inte- 
grated set  up. 

20th  Century-Fox  president  Spyros 
Skouras    announced    in    New  York 

•         (Continued  on  page  6) 


Coast  SPG  Accepts 
Five- Year  Contract 


Hollywood,  Feb.  16. — Screen  Pub- 
licists Guild  has  voted  to  accept  a  new 
five-year  contract  with  producers,  fol- 
lowing an  agreement  on  the  seniority 
issue  long  in  dispute  and  recently  the 
principal  cause  of  the  producers'  noti- 
fication that  the  prevailing  contract 
would  be  terminated  on  April  9. 

The  agreement  provides  that  seni- 
ority will  be  observed  in  cases  where 
individual  ability  is  equal,  and  gives 
the  Guild  the  right  to  review  cases  of 
dismissal  outside  of  seniority  but  does 
not  entail  arbitration. 


Cineoolor,  FC  Board 
Headed  by  Kerr 


Hollywood,  Feb.  16. — John  D. 
Kerr  was  elected  chairman  of  the 
board  of  Cinecolor  Corp.  and  Film 
Classics,  effective  immediately,  the 
board  announced  today  following  a 
two-day  meeting.  Kerr,  who  is  presi- 
dent of  American  Fruit  Growers,  Inc., 
and  has  been  a  member  of  the  Cine- 
color-Film  Classics  board  for  the  past 
year,  succeeds  A.  Pam  Blumenthal, 
who  resigned  the  chairmanship  but 
remains  on  the  board. 

Max  C.  King,  president  of  Pacific 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  February  17,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

HARRY  M.  KALMINE,  Warner 
Theatres  president,  and  Herbert 
Copelan,  Latin  American  zone  man- 
ager, will  leave  here  today  by  plane 
for  Havana. 

• 

David  Niven,  Mrs.  Niven,  Peggy 
Cummins  and  David  Coplan,  former 
managing  director  of  United  Artists  in 
Great  Britain,  are  among  passengers 
who  arrived  here  yesterday  from 
Europe  aboard  the  S.S.  Queen  Elisa- 
beth. 

• 

Montague  Salmon,  managing  di- 
rector of  the  Rivoli,  accompanied  by 
Mrs.  Salmon  and  their  son,  Mon- 
tague, Jr.,  are  expected  to  return  to 
New  York  from  the  Coast  at  the 
weekend. 

• 

Joseph  Smith,  RKO  San  Francis- 
co branch  manager,  and  Mrs.  Smith, 
are  the  parents  of  a  nine-pound,  five- 
ounce  baby  born  on  Feb.  11. 
• 

Leon  Brandt,  Eagle-Lion  exploita- 
tion manager,  has  left  here  for  Tulsa 
and  Oklahoma  City,  where  he  will  be 
joined  by  Dick  Owen. 

• 

Sam  Lefkowitz,  United  Artists 
Eastern  district  sales  manager,  will 
return  to  New  York  today  from  Bos- 
ton. 

• 

Nat    Saland,    head    of  Mercury 
Film  Laboratory,  will  arrive  in  Holly- 
wood tomorrow  from  New  York. 
• 

Roy  O.  Disney,  president  of  Walt 
Disney  Productions,  is  in  New  York 
from  the  Coast. 

e 

James  B.  Harris,  of  Harris-Wolper 
Pictures,  returned  here  yesterday 
from  Europe. 

• 

E.  K.  (Ted)  O'Shea,  Paramount 
sales  executive,  has  left  here  for  Al- 
bany and  Gloversville. 

Morton  Lane,  Paramount  attor- 
ney, has  returned  to  the  home  office 
from  Oklahoma  City. 

• 

Mitchell  Rawson,  M-G-M  pub- 
licist, has  returned  to  New  York 
from  Washington. 

• 

Jules  Lapidus,  Warner  Eastern 
and  Canadian  division  sales  manager, 
has  left  here  for  Pittsburgh. 

• 

Edward  C.  Dowden,  Loew  assistant 
publicity  director,  has  left  here  for 
Buffalo  and  a  tour  of  theatres. 

Hal  Roach  is  due  here  from  the 
Coast  on  Monday. 


Officers  Hear  DeBra 
On  Films  for  Youth 

Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  16. 
Arthur  H.  DeBra,  director  of  the 
community  relations  department  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer 
ica,  spoke  here  last  night  before  the 
Probation  Officers  of  New  York  on 
the  subject  of  motion  pictures  and 
juvenile  delinquency. 

Through  the  restrictions  of  the  Pro 
duction  Code  and  the  work  of  preview- 
ing committees  to  classify  films  for 
children,  DeBra  said,  "the  motion  pic- 
ture theatre  today  exercises  a  con- 
structive influence  in  the  lives  of  chil- 
dren." 

Harry  Lamont,  as  temporary  chair- 
man of  the  Albany  TOA,  speaking  on 
"what  theater  owners  are  doing  to 
help  combat  juvenile  delinquency 
through  TOA's  National  Youth 
Month"  said  the  TOA  short,  "Report 
for  Action,"  was  sent  to  14,000  thea- 
ters last  September.  It  outlines  the 
procedure  by  which  a  community  or- 
ganizes to  fight  delinquency. 


Julian  Herman's  Father 

Word  has  been  received  here  of 
the  death  in  Jerusalem  of  the  father 
of  Julian  Berman,  Metro-Goldwyn- 
Mayer  manager  in  Cuba.  The  deceased 
is  also  survived  by  three  daughters, 
one  of  whom  is  married  to  Bernard 
Silverstein,  manager  of  the  Eden  The- 
atre in  Jerusalem. 


Boston  Industry 
To  Honor  Horan 

Boston,  Feb.  16. — George  (Bill) 
Horan,  newly-appointed  Warner  dis- 
trict manager  here,  will  be  honored 
at  a  luncheon  Feb.  28  at  the  Hotel 
Statler.  Among  those  participating  in 
the  arrangements  are :  William  Ros- 
ter, Edward  X.  Callahan,  Al  Kane, 
Harry  Rogovin,  John  J.  Dervin,  Ben 
Rosenwald,  Ben  Abrams,  Ross  Crop- 
per, Gus  Schaefer,  Al  Daytz,  Harry 
Segal,  Clayton  Eastman,  Frank  Der- 
vin, John  Moore,  Al  Swerdlove,  Ar- 
thur Howard,  Harry  Kirchgassner, 
Joseph  Levine,  Max  Earber. 

Also  expected  to  attend  are  Ben 
Kalmenson,  Warner  general  sales 
manager,  and  Jules  Lapidus,  Warner 
Eastern  sales  manager. 


Goldwyn  Calls  Off 
Rossellini  Deal 

Hollywood,  Feb.  16. — Samuel  Gold- 
wyn yesterday  withdrew  from  the  re- 
cently-announced deal  with  Ingrid 
Bergman  and  Roberto  Rossellini  for 
the  production  of  one  picture  by  the 
latter  starring  Miss  Bergman  in  Italy 
this  summer.  Although  Goldwyn  de- 
clined comment  on  his  withdrawal,  it 
was  reliably  reported  the  move  came 
when  the  impossibility  of  resolving 
certain  details  developed.  The  project 
had  been  launched  with  all  principals 
presiding  at  an  elaborate  press  con- 
ference on  Feb.  2. 

RKO  entered  the  picture  today,  with 
negotiations  reported  to  take  over  the 
financing  and  distribution  of  the  film. 
Music  Corp.  of  America  is  represent- 
ing Rossellini  and  Miss  Bergman  in 
talks  with   Howard  Hughes. 


Premiere  for  Hotel,  Film 

Marguerite  Chapman,  Walter  Bren- 
nan,  Robert  Paige  and  Natalie  Wood, 
stars  of  "The  Green  Promise,"  will 
go  to  Houston  for  the  joint  premieres 
on  March  17-18  of  Glenn  McCarthy's 
Shamrock  Hotel  and  the  picture  which 
he  produced  for  RKO  Radio  release. 
More  than  200  film  notables  and  cor- 
respondents will  attend. 


TOA,  Distributors  To 
Discuss  Shorts  Costs 

Gael  Sullivan,  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  executive  director,  reported 
yesterday  that  he  expects  to  confer 
here  before  the  weekend  with  distribu- 
tion executives  Robert  Mochrie,  Andy 
W.  Smith,  Jr.,  and  A.  Montague  in 
an  attempt  to  settle  the  disagreement 
which  has  arisen  over  the  absorption 
of  costs  in  connection  with  the  pro- 
duction and  exhibition  of  the  industry's 
institutional  short  subject  series.  The 
trio  make  up  a  committee,  under 
Mochrie's  leadership,  assigned  to  ex 
amine  protests  of  circuit  owners 
against  paying  full  short-subject  prices 
for  the  industry  public  relations  pic- 
tures. 

It  was  reported  also  by  Sullivan 
that  TOA  will  shortly  sponsor  a 
screening  of  the  first  four  subjects  of 
the  series  for  New  York  exhibitors. 


Eight  Pictures  Are 
Rated  by  Legion 

Eight  pictures  have  been  rated  by 
the  National  Legion  of  Decency,  with 
two  of  them  getting  a  B  classification, 
Columbia's  "Affairs  of  a  Rogue"  and 
Monark  Film's  "Lazy  Lena." 

Rated  A-l  are  20th  Century- Fox's 
"Canadian  Pacific" ;  Republic's  "Des- 
peradoes of  Dodge  City" ;  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox's "Down  to  the  Sea  in 
Ships,"  and  M-G-M's  "Little  Women." 

In  A-2  class  are  Film  Classic's 
"State  Department — File  649,"  Para- 
mount's  "Streets  of  Laredo"  and 
RKO  Radio's  "A  Woman's  Secret." 


Arthur  Kelly  Due 
From  London  Today 

Arthur  W.  Kelly,  United  Artists 
vice-president,  is  due  back  here  today 
from  London  by  plane  without  nam- 
ing a  new  UA  United  Kingdom  man- 
aging director  to  succeed  David  Cop- 
lan. In  the  interim,  UA's  present  three 
executives  will  administer  the  com- 
pany's U.  K.  affairs  from  London. 
They  are :  Monty  Morton,  general 
sales  manager  over  there ;  W.  J. 
Smith,  secretary,  and  Walter  E.  Gray, 
secretary  of  UA  Export. 


Drive  Fund  Swelled 
At  O'Donnell  Dinner 

Chicago,  Feb.  16. — Industry  leaders 
and  personnel  from  all  branches 
turned  out  last  night  to  a  testimonial 
dinner  held  for  Robert  O'Donnell,  in- 
ternational chief  barker  of  the  Variety 
Clubs,  which  was  held  at  the  Shera- 
ton Hotel.  Some  $40,000  was  raised 
among  the  attendants  for  the  National 
Heart  Fund. 

The  sum  is  to  be  donated  to  the  La 
Rabida  Sanitarium,  a  charity  project 
of  local  Tent  No.  26.  Chairman  for 
the  drive  was  Van  A.  Nomikos. 


Short 
Subject 


"Our  Daily  Bread" 

(This  Is  America-RKO  Pathe) 

The  story  of  bread — from  its  simple 
production  to  its  world  consequences — 
is  told  in  this  latest  of  RKO's  This  Is 
America  series.  Like  others  in  the 
series,  the  subject  is  serious  and  infor- 
mative. It  has  a  batch  of  interesting 
statistics,  but  for  the  most  part  the 
film  is  concerned  with  the  efforts  that 
go  into  the  making  of  bread,  from  the 
planting  of  wheat  to  the  baking.  Also 
shown  are  how  scientists  examine 
wheat  from  all  parts  of  the  world  to 
find  the  most  suitable  type.  Running 
time,  17  minutes. 


'Decision'  Cited  by 
Air  Force  in  D.  C. 

Washington,  Feb.  16. — "In  its 
tribute  to  'Command  Decision',  the  Air 
Force  has  honored  the  screen  as  a  po- 
tent instrument  in  the  cause  of  nation- 
al security  and  in  the  cause  of  peace," 
Eric  A.  Johnston,  president  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America, 
said  here  tonight  in  accepting  an  Air 
Force  citation  on  behalf  of  M-G-M, 
producers  of  the  film. 

"Decision''  was  given  its  National 
Capital  premiere  at  Loew's  Capital 
tonight  for  top  Washington  officials. 
Maj.-Gen.  C.  R.  Smith,  head  of  the 
Air  Force  Association,  presented  the 
citation. 


Velde  Is  Named  E-L 
Des  Moines  Manager 

James  P.  Velde,  Eagle-Lion  sales- 
man in  Pittsburgh,  has  been  promoted 
to  branch  manager  in  Des  Moines,  by 
William  J.  Heineman,  sales  vice-presi- 
dent. Velde's  appointment  is  effective 
immediately.  He  succeeds  Mayo 
Beatty,  who  was  forced  to  resign  on 
doctors'  orders. 

Velde  entered  the  industry  in  1947 
as  a  salesman  for  Paramount  in 
Washington. 


French  Torch  to  Warner 

Los  Angeles,'  Feb.  16.— Ceremonies 
attendant  upon  the  arrival  of  the 
French  "Gratitude  Train"  here  Sat- 
urday will  be  climaxed  by  the  pre- 
sentation of  a  torch  lighted  by  the 
flame  at  the  tomb  of  the  Unknown 
Soldier  in  Paris,  to  Harry  M.  War- 
ner, national  chairman  of  the  original 
Friendship  Train. 


$30,000  Theatre  Fire 

Buffalo,  Feb.  16.— Fire  of  undeter- 
mined origin  destroyed  the  old  Hi- 
Art  Theatre  Building  at  Lockport. 
Damage  is  expected  to  exceed  $30,- 
000.  The  building  is  owned  by  the 
John  Landrigan  estate,  but  was  recent- 
ly taken  over  by  the  city  under  a  re- 
ceivership because  of  unpaid  taxes. 
The  theatre  is  under  lease  by  the 
Schine  Theatrical  Corp. 


'Brotherhood'  Broadcast 

The  industry's  efforts  on  behalf  of 
"Brotherhood  Week"  will  be  broad- 
cast today  over  the  Mutual  network, 
with  Ned  E.  Depinet,  RKO  president ; 
Gilbert  Golden,  Warner  advertising- 
manager,  and  Dr.  Everett  R.  Clinchy, 
president  of  the  National  Conference 
of  Christians  and  Jews,  speaking. 


Legalize  Sunday  Shows 

-  Nashville,  Feb.  16.— Sunday  shows 
will  hereafter  be  legal  in  Monroe 
County  as  the  result  of  action  by  the 
Tennessee  legislature. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley.  Editor-m-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address-  "Quigpubco' 
New  York-!,'  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer ;  Leo  J  Brady  Secretary: 
James  P.  Cumngham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R  Weaver' 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Asc'her,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington' 
h  Ate-n\  Na'10"al  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup.  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco  London  " 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald-  Internationa] 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3.  1879.  Subscription  rates  Per 
year,  $6  m  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Thursday,  February  17,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Reviews 


"South  of  St.  Louis" 

{Warner  Brothers} 

Hollywood,  Feb.  16 

THERE'S  a  wealth  of  background,  historical  as  well  as  scenic,  for  this 
big-scale  and  Technicolored  attraction  offering  Joel  McCrea,  Alexis 
Smith,  Zachary  Scott,  Dorothy  Malone,  Victor  Jory,  Douglas  Kennedy  and 
Alan  Hale  in  its  principal  roles  and  a  big,  competent  cast'  in  support.  The 
production,  by  Milton  Sperling  is  vast  and  measured,  in  the  tradition  of  the 
"outdoor  epic"  so  much  in  vogue  at  this  time,  and  contains,  in  addition  to  the 
stirring  conflicts  common  to  its  kind,  the  special  value  that  accrues  from  a 
firm  backgrounding  in  the  nation's  history.  The  general  setting  is  the  Texas 
border,  and  the  time  is  during  and  after  the  Civil  War,  the  story  concerning 
the  unofficial  but  violent  conflict  which  raged  between  guerrilla  bands  en- 
gaged in  smuggling  arms  to  the  embattled  armies.  The  attraction  has  what 
it  takes  to  make  its  profitable  way  in  a  market  currently  manifesting  a  healthy 
appetite  for  this  type  of  product. 

Written  by  Zachary  Gold  and  James  E.  Webb,  and  directed  by  Ray  En- 
right,  the  film  presents  McCrea,  Scott  and  Kennedy  as  partner-owners  of  a 
ranch  from  which  cattle  are  being  rustled.  Returning  from  an  unsuccessful 
pursuit  of  the  rustlers,  they  learn  that  Jory  (as  Luke  Cottrell)  and  his 
raiders  have  burned  their  buildings.  Abandoning  temporarily  their  attempt 
to  operate  the  ranch  under  wartime  conditions,  the  partners  set  out  to  bring 
Jory  to  justice,  and  become  involved  variously  in  the  several  threads  of  a 
story,  violent  in  some  of  its  phases  and  romantic  in  others,  woven  tapestry- 
fashion  to  make  up  a  convincing  representation  of  the  period  and  its  people. 
There  are  fights  and  killings,  misunderstandings  and  readjustments,  spiritedly 
dealt  with,  the  end  coming  in  the  post-war  period  with  McCrea  and  Miss 
Smith  returning  to  the  ranch  to  repair  the  ravages  of  war. 

Running  time,  88  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
not  set.  William  R.  Weaver 


"Slightly  French" 

(Columbia) 

DON  AMECHE,  herein  a  film  director  of  the  perfectionist  type,  elevates 
Dorothy  Lamour  from  carnival  chorine  to  glamorous  movie  queen  in 
a  pleasant  and  diverting  romantic  comedy  entitled  "Slightly  French."  Though 
the  plot  unravels  with  few  surprises,  the  situations  are  humorously  done 
and  the  players  come  through  with  engaging  performances,  the  story  takes 
time  out_  for  numerous  musical  divertisements,  Miss  Lamour's  repertoire 
ranging  from  the  can-can  to  something  of  a  combined  adagio-ballet  number. 
She  sings  "Let's  Fall  in  Love"  over  and  over  again,  good  but  overdone.  On 
the  whole,  "Slightly  French"  stacks  up  as  agreeable  fare  and  looks  like  satis- 
fying box-office  material. 
_  "Slave-driver"  Ameche  works  his  French  star.  Adele  Jergens,  to  exhaus- 
tion, her  big  picture  is  shelved,  and  he  is  -fired  by  "J.  B.,"  unseen  studio 
chieftain  whose  authoritative  voice  is  heard  throughout  over  a  dictaphone. 
Ameche  sees  a  substitute  in  Miss  Lamour,  Brooklyn's  gift  to  tent-show 
artistry.  He  schools  her  to  masquerade  as  a  new  French  "find"  and  his  pic- 
ture resumes  to  everyone's  delight.  Ruse  is  discovered  but  "J.  B."  recognizes 
the  value  of  the  publicity,  clears  the  way  for  the  film,  one  which,  it  is  inferred, 
will  have  exhibitors  jumping  over  fences  to  get  to.  Ameche  realizes  that  he 
is  in  love  with  Miss  Lamour,  who  had  taken  to  him  right  at  the  start. 
Ameche's  sister,  Janis  Carter,  also  finds  a  partner  in  romance  in  amiable 
Hollywood  producer,  Willard  Parker.  Other  performers  are  Jeanne  Manet, 
Frank  Ferguson  and  Myron  Healy.  Irving  Starr  produced  and  Douglas  Sirk 
directed  the  Karen  DeWolf  screenplay.  Film  is  sepia  tinted. 

Running  time,  81  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  February 
release-  Gene  Arxeel 


Egypt  Liquidates 
Dollar  Remittances 


Washington,  Feb.  16. — The  Egyp- 
tian Finance  Ministry  has  approved 
about  $241,000  in  dollar  remittances  for 
U.  S.  distributors,  and  this,  plus  ac- 
ceptance of  sterling  transfers  by  the 
various  companies,  liquidates  the  ac- 
counts accumulated  since  May  15,  1948, 
for  remittance.  The  government  al- 
lows 35  per  cent  of  earnings  to  be 
remitted. 

The  payment  does  nothing  toward 
reducing  the  amount  of  earnings  in  ex- 
cess of  35  per  cent  which  have  been 
blocked  since  July,  1947.  A  report 
on  the  liquidation  was  made  here  by 
U.  S.  Commerce  Department  film 
chief  Nathan  D.  Golden. 

Delay  Brief  Filing  in 
5th  &  Walnut  Appeal 

Distributor  defendants  named  in  the 
Fifth  and  Walnut  Amusement  Co.  ap- 
peal brief  have  been  granted  two  addi- 
tional weeks  in  which  to  prepare  and 
file  briefs  with  the  U.  S.  Circuit  Court 
of  Appeals  here  in  opposition  to  plain- 
tiff's bid  for  another  hearing  of  its 
$2,100,000  triple-damage  anti-trust  ac- 
tion. Federal  Judge  Vincent  L.  Lei- 
bell  last  June  entered  a  judgment  in 
favor  of  major  distributors  following 
a  jury  trial  lasting  several  weeks. 

Deadline  date  for  filing  of  distribu- 
tor briefs  is  now  March  2. 

SWG  Streamlining 
For  Efficiency 

Hollywood,  Feb.  16.  —  Screen 
Writers  Guild  has  appointed  Ernest 
Pascal  chairman  of  a  seven-member 
streamlining  committee  to  recommend 
structural  changes  designed  to  pro- 
mote operational  efficiency.  Altering 
election  procedure  and  appointing 
committees  in  perpetuity,  are  among 
recommendations  to  be  submitted  to 
'  the  membership. 

Wells  Leaves  MPDA 
To  Join  Maynard  Co. 

Toronto,  Feb.  16.— Ed  Wells  who 
resigns  as  secretary  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Distributors  Association  on 
March  1,  has  joined  the  Maynard 
Film  Distributing  Co. 

Also  joining  Maynard  is  Manny 
Brown,  former  Paramount  manager  at 
Buffalo  who  will  wTork  out  of  New 
York  for  Paul  Maynard. 

Moore  Is  Named  WB 
Pittsburgh  Manager 

Ben  Kalmenson,  Warner  vice-presi- 
dent in  charge  of  distribution,  has  ap- 
pointed F.  D.  (Dinty)  Moore  as  the 
company's  branch  manager  in  Pitts- 
burgh, effective  Monday.  Paul  Kru- 
menacker  will  hecome  local  sales 
manager. 


'U'  Hikes  Contract  List 

Hollywood,  Feb.  16.— Reversing 
the  general  studio  trend  toward  par- 
ing down  player  contract  lists,  Uni- 
versal has  increased  its  roster  from 
13  to  21  in  the  past  four  months  and 
intends  to  add  steadily  to  this  number. 


Modern  Now  Mayflower 

Boston,  Feb.  16. — American  Thea- 
tres announced  today  that,  effective 
Saturday,  the  Modern  Theatre  will 
be  known  as  the  Mayflower. 


157  Opening  Dates 
In  2  Territories 

Cincinnati  and  Indianapolis  ex- 
changes of  Universal  -  International 
have  set  157  day-and-date  openings  for 
Irving  Brecher's  "The  Life  Of  Riley," 
which  will  have  its  world  premiere 
at  the  RKO  Grand,  Cincinnati,  on 
March  4. 


RKO  Gets  Hunting  Film 

Hollywood,  Feb.  16. — RKO  will 
distribute  "Savage  Splendor,"  feature 
length  big-game  picture  filmed  by  the 
Denis-Lewis  Cotlow  expedition  last 
year,  under  a  release  arrangement 
concluded  today.  Filmed  in  Koda- 
chrome,  the  picture  will  be  printed  in 
Technicolor. 


Call  Exhibitor  Meeting 

Kansas  City,  Mo.,  Feb.  16. — The 
Kansas  and  Missouri  Theatre  Asso- 
ciation will  sponsor  an  exhibitors 
spring  meeting  March  29  at  the  Phil- 
lips Hotel  here,  it  was  announced  af- 
ter a  board  meeting  yesterday. 


Mexican  Exhibitors 
Elect  '49  Officers 

Mexico  City,  Feb.  16.— The  Exhibi- 
tors Association  of  Mexico  has  elect- 
ed these  officers  for  the  ensuing  year : 

President,  Antonio  de  G.  Osio ;  vice- 
president  for  the  Federal  District 
(Mexico  City),  Adolfo  Lagos;  vice- 
president  for  the  provinces,  Francisco 
Sumohano;  treasurer,  Manuel  Angel 
Fernandez ;  sub-treasurer,  Guillermo 
Santibanez,  and  secretary,  Eduardo 
Chavez  Garcia.  Board  members  are: 
Emilio  Azcarraga,  Samuel  Granat, 
Arcady  Boytler,  Luis  R.  Montes, 
Ignacio  Rodriguez,  Manuel  Espinosa, 
and  Gabriel  Alarcon.  Sumohano  was 
president  in  1948. 


$900,000  Bond  Issue 

Ottawa,  Ont,  Feb.  16.— Rene  T. 
Leclerc,  Inc.,  has  sold  a  new  issue  of 
$900,000  4V2  per  cent  first  closed 
mortgage  sinking  fund  bonds  of 
France  Films.  Proceeds  will  be  used 
to  pay  the  balance  of  the  purchase 
price  of  the  St.  Denis  Theatre  in 
Montreal. 


NY  Tent  Chartered 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

tinsky,  David  Snapper,  Harold  Klein, 
Nathan  Furst,  Jack  Farkas,  Charles 
Penser,  Howard  Levy,  David  I.  Levy, 
Cy  Seymour,  Ray  E.  Moon,  Lew 
Brecher,  Harold  Rinzler  and  Fred  J. 
Schwartz. 

Organization  work  for  the  new  tent 
is  progressing  and  it  is  expected  that 
applications  for  members  of  tents  in 
other  cities  for  transfer  to  No.  35  will 
be  ready  within  ten  days. 

Conversion  of  former  members  of 
Motion  Picture  Associates  to  the  new 
tent  will  also  be  handled  at  the  same 
time. 

To  Aid  'Bad  Boy'  Premiere 

First  big  activity  of  the  new  tent 
will  be  the  premiere  of  "Bad  Boy"  at 
the  RKO  Palace  here  on  March  8. 
A  committee  headed  by  Charles 
Schlaifer  is  lining  up  a  stage  show 
and  promotional  activities  in  connec- 
tion with  the  performance. 

It  is  expected  that  the  New  York 
tent  will  take  an  active  part  in  the 
operation  of  the  Will  Rogers  Hospi- 
tal in  Saranac  Lake  when  Interna- 
tional Variety  takes  over  the  project. 

Temporary  offices  for  the  new  tent 
will  be  established  at  214  West  42nd 
Street  until  clubrooms  in  the  Hotel 
Astor  are  ready.  Patricia  Sheeky  will 
be  club  secretary. 

Three  committee  meetings  of  New 
York's  tent  were  held  here  yesterday. 

Name  International  Delegates 

A  board  meeting  named  Cohen, 
Klein,  Saul  Prauner  and  Morris  San- 
ders delegates  to  the  International 
Variety  conference  and  set  local  dues 
at  $25  annually. 

The  committee  on  organization  and 
membership  also  held  its  first  meeting, 
with  Fred  Schwartz,  Century  Thea- 
tres, as  chairman.  Other  committee 
members  are  Brecher,  Farkas,  Ed 
Lachman  and  William  German.  An 
initiation  fee  of  $15  was  decided  upon. 

Another  committee,  on  constitution 
and  by-laws,  has  been  set  up  with  Ira 
Meinhardt,  Bert  Sanford  and  William 
Murphy  serving  as  members. 

$200,000  Variety 
Club  on  the  Coast 

Hollywood,  Feb.  16. — A  Variety 
Boys  Club  building  costing  $200,000 
and  accommodating  2,000  boys  will  be 
opened  with  suitable  dedication  cere- 
monies on  Feb.  24,  chief  barker 
Charles  Skouras  announces.  Located 
in  East  Los  Angeles,  the  club  was 
designed  and  constructed  in  coopera- 
tion with  the  Boys'  Clubs  of  America. 

Rank  Dismisses  550 
British  Workers 

London,  Feb.  16.— Dismissal  of  an- 
other 550  film  employees  was  an- 
nounced here  today  by  J.  Arthur 
Rank,  bringing  the  total  of  laid-off 
Rank  workers  to  2,500,  one-quarter  of 
the  number  normally  employed. 

Intervention  by  Prime  Minister 
Clement  Atlee  to  "save  the  industry" 
has  been  asked  by  Tom  O'Brien,  sec- 
retary- of  the  National  Assn.  of  Theat- 
rical and  Cinema  Employees  and  a 
member  of  Parliament. 


Tennessee  Kills  DST 

Nashville,  Feb.  16.— A  law  banning 
daylight  saving  in  Tennessee  has  been 
passed  by  the  state  legislature  and 
signed  by  the  governor. 


STARRING 


nnr 


j 


WITH 


DOUGLAS  KENNEDY  •  ALAN  HALE 

WRITTEN  BY 

7ACHARYmm-IAMF^RWFRR 


MUSIC  BY 
MAX  STEINER 


ouldn't  Tell  a  traitor  from  a  hero...ai  Soura  of  Sr.  Lows  nobody  Cared! 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  February  17,  194* 


'Showcases' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Monday  that  his  firm  would  resume 
negotiations  with  the  Department  of 
Justice  for  a  consent  decree  leaving 
Fox  an  integrated  firm,  as  soon  as 
the  Paramount  decree  was  announced. 
No  negotiations  have  started  yet,  Jus- 
tice officials  said  today. 

Justice  officials  now  set  Friday  or 
Saturday  as  the  date  for  final  signing 
of  the  Paramount  decree.  Assistant 
Attorney  General  Bergson  will  be 
in  New  York  tomorrow  addressing 
the  New  York  City  Bar  Association, 
and  it  is  extremely  unlikely  that  the 
signing  will  take  place  in  his  absence. 
Signing  has  been  delayed  by  "minor 
details,"  officials  said. 

Meanwhile,  in  New  York,  it  was 
learned  that  while  the  proposed  Para- 
mount decree  does  not  permit  the  pro- 
duction-distribution firm  that  will  re- 
sult from  the  reorganization  to  keep 
even  showcase  theatres,  there  is  noth- 
ing in  the  decree  to  keep  the  firm  from 
buying  or  building  such  theatres  later. 
It  could  not  buy  theatres  from  the 
Paramount  exhibition  firm  or  from 
any  other  Paramount  case  defendant, 
but  it  could  buy  a  few  showcase  thea- 
tres from  non-defendants  or  build  its 
own  without  running  afoul  of  the  Jus- 
tice Department  or  the  anti-trust 
laws. 


Review 


Para.  Stockholders 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


new  separate  and  independent  com- 
panies will  be  formed,  one  for  theatre 
operation  and  the  other  to  engage  in 
production  and  distribution.  Under  the 
plan  for  re-distribution  of  the  shares 
a  holder  must  elect  to  take  stock  in 
either  of  the  two  companies,  but  may 
not  have  interests  in  both. 

Greatest  concentration  of  stock  in 
the  present  parent  corporation  is  in 
the  hands  of  the  University  of  Chi- 
cago, which  is  believed  to  hold  about 
30,000  shares. 

Stockholders'  approval  of  the  reor- 
ganization, which  is  the  basis  for  the 
company's  industry  trust  suit  settle- 
ment with  the  government,  requires  an 


"Easy  Money" 

(Rank — Eagle-Lion ) 
A   THOROUGHLY  delightful  screenplay  that  puts  a  humorous  mirror 

.  to  human  frailties  has  been  fashioned  by  Muriel  and  Sydney  Box  in 
this  J.  Arthur  Rank  presentation  of  "Easy  Money."  Much  of  the  film's 
joy  results  from  the  accomplished  character  delineation  of  a  cast  headed  by 
Gretna  Gynt,  Dennis  Price  and  Jack  Warner.  Selective  audiences  are  in  for 
a  highly  satisfying  time  with  this  Eagle-Lion  release. 

The  film  presents  four  separate  stories  about  people  who  strike  it  rich  in 
a  football  pool.^  Each  episode  has  a  self-contained  plot  and  shows  the  in 
fluence  of  the  •  "easy  money"  on  each  set  of  characters.  All  the  irony  and 
humor  inherent  in  such  a  theme  has  been  fully  realized  in  the  picture. 

Episode  one  introduces  a  typical  British  family  presided  over  by  Warne: 
as  the  father.  The  complications  caused  by  the  prospect  of  a  fortune  provides 
the  theme.  Episode  two  depicts  the  effect  of  the  fortune  on  a  little  hen- 
pecked city  clerk  who  tries  to  summon  up  enough  courage  to  resign  from 
his  job.  Episode  three  is  an  adroit  little  drama  about  a  night  club  singer  and 
her  lover  _who  try  to  cheat  the  pool.  Episode  four  offers  a  hilarious  caricature 
of  a  dispirited  bass  player  who  fulfills  his  inner-yearnings  by  winning  the 
pool. 

All  four  episodes  have  quality  and  substance.  A  Sydney  Box  production 
for  Gainsborough,  it  was  produced  by  A.  Frank  Bundy  and  directed  by  Ber 
nard  Knowles. 

time,  94  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  February 


Running 
release. 


M.  B 


affirmative  vote,  of  66%  per  cent. 
Paramount  has  about  6,000,000  shares 
outstanding. 

It  is  understood  that  last-minute 
changes  in  phraseology  of  the  consent 
decree  with  the  Justice  Department, 
all  said  to  be  relatively  minor,  have 
been  holding  up  the  actual  signing. 


Elect  Kerr 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Finance  Corp.,  and  Frank  Hann,  Los 
Angeles  attorney,  were  added  to  the 
directorate.  Karl  Herzog,  executive 
vice-president  and  treasurer,  will  take 
over  complete  charge  of  industry  con- 
tacts, whith  have  been  handled  in 
part  by  Blumenthal. 

A  company  statement  said  that  Blu- 
menthal, who  assumed  the.  chairman- 
ship two  years  ago,  feels  that  the 
specific  job  he  set  out  to  do  has  been 
accomplished.  He  will  devote  his  time 
now  to  his  other  interests. 


U.  S.  Business  in 
Mexico  Decreases 

Mexico  City,  Feb.  16. — Complaint 
is  heard  in  American  distribution  cir 
cles  here  about  a  steady  decrease  in 
profits  resulting  from  higher  taxes  and 
expenses  and  diminishing  business. 
While  some  in  these  circles  say  hik- 
ing the  admittance  price  for  front  line 
first-runs  to  $1,  even  to  $1.50,  is  the 
only  out,  general  opinion  is  that  there 
is  no  hope  in  that  direction  because  the 
62  cents  which  has  held  for  so  long 
is  as  much  as  exhibitors  dare  charge, 
in  the  face  of  many  complaints  about 
the  high  cost  of  theatregoing  and  the 
economic  plight  of  most  in  this  coun- 
try at  present. 

It  is  said  that  Mexico  may  soon 
have  to  follow  the  example  of  most 
Spanish  American  and  many  European 
countries  and  freeze  dollars. 

Trade  estimates  are  that  American 
pictures  grossed  some  $11,000,000  in 
Mexico  last  year. 


usic  Hall . . .  Here  they  come! 


There's  gonna  be  a 

FAMILY  HOHeVMOOW" 

at  Radio  City  Music  Hall 


L 


UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL  presents 

COLBERT  MacMDRRAY 

Those  grand  "Egg  and  I"  stars  in 

FAMILY  HONEYMOON" 

*  R'TA  JOHNSON  •  HATTJE  MrDANIE 

Screenplay  by  DANE  LUSSIER 
Based  on  the  novel  by  Homer  Cray 
D^ibyamoi  BWYOH .  Produced  b,  inHN  BECK 


10-Day  Coast  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


fives  of  overseas  developments  and 
their  anticipated  effect  on  industry  op- 
erations here. 

According  to  an  MPAA  spokesman 
in  New  York,  presidents  of  the  film 
companies  are  not  expected  to  partici- 
pate in  the  Coast  conferences,  al- 
though probably  one  or  more  of  the 
top  executives  will  be  on  hand  from 
time  to  time  during  the  conferences. 

McCarthy  met  here  yesterday  with 
film  company  foreign  managers  for  a 
review  of  overseas  affairs,  including 
the  recently-settled  situation  in  Brazil 
where  controls  on  rentals  no  longer 
are  in  effect.  Additionally,  Joseph  Sei- 
delman,  Universal  -  International's 
chief  of  foreign  operations,  presented 
an  analysis  of  import  restrictions 
adopted  in  South  Africa,  from  where 
he  returned  recently.  In  due  course, 
it  was  said,  a  group  of  U.  S.  film 
company  foreign  heads  and  MPAA 
executives  will  go  to  South  Africa 
to  protest  the  South  African  govern- 
ment's action.  It  is  ■  expected  to  be 
some  time,  however,  before  the  situa- 
tion there  attains  "emergency"  pro- 
portions which  would  justify  such  a 
trip.  It  is  held  possible,  meanwhile, 
that  protests  by  South  African  exhibi- 
tors may  win  repeal  of  the  50  per 
cent-of-earnings  restriction  on  film 
import  income. 


Legislation 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  industry  in  state  legislatures  are 
coming  thick  and  fast.  He  lists  these 
other  recent  developments : 

Tennessee:  A  bill  to  allow  Nash- 
ville to  tax  theatre  tickets  has  been 
proposed.  The  amount  of  the  tax  is 
not  yet  known. 

Montana:  Theatre  license  fees  have 
been  increased.  Bryson  did  not  yet 
have  a  report  on  the  amount  of  the 
increase. 

Colorado :  A  censorship  bill  has 
been  introduced. 

New  Jersey :  The  state  legislature 
has  taken  a  three  weeks  recess  with- 
out acting  on  a  censorship  bill. 

Georgia :  A  censorship  bill  ha.s  been 
taken  from  the  calendar  and  sent  back 
to  committee.  The  legislature  recesses 
Friday. 


Dollar  a  Reel  Tax  Asked 
In  Iowa  Legislature 

Des  Moines,  Feb.  16.— A  bill  filed 
in  the  Iowa  legislature  would  allow 
the  state  to  assess  a  $1  tax  on  each 
eel  of  pictures  shown  in  Iowa  thea- 
tres. Another  provision  of  the  bill, 
filed  by  state  representative  E.  A. 
Burlingame,  Jr.,  would  require  dis- 
tributors to  pay  $1,000  for  an  annual 
permit. 

The  tax  yield,  estimated  at  upwards 
of  $250,000  a  year,  would  be  used  for 
old  age  assistance. 


Connecticut  May  Tax 
Vending  Machines 

Hartford,  Feb.  16. — A  bill  that 
would  impose  a  $100  tax  on  each  pin- 
ball,  juke  box,  candy  machine  and 
cigarette  vending  machine  in  theatres 
and  in  other  public  places  in  Connec- 
ticut has  been  introduced  in  the  state, 
legislature  here  by  Rep.  Campbell.  A 
sizeable  number  of  state  theatres 
maintain  such  machines. 

Repeal  of  the  state  sales  tax,  the 
old  stock  tax,  the  estate  penalty  tax, 
and  the  unincorporated  business  tax, 
which  bring  in  millions  per  year  has 
been  requested  by  Gov.  Bowles. 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  35 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  FEBRUARY  18,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Rank's  Layoff 
Bring  Protests 
To  Parliament 

But  Government  Holds 
B  of  T  Can  Handle  It 

London,  Feb.  17.  — Another 
1  threatened  lay-off  of  J.  Arthur 
'  Rank  studio  employes— this  time  in- 
volving 200  at  Shepherds  Bush 
Studio— instigated  a  march  on  the 
House  of  Commons  today  by  some 
protesting  production  workers.  Dis- 
missal of  550  Rank  studio  workers 
was  announced  Tuesday,  to  bring  the 
total  layoffs  at  all  British  studios  to 
2,500,  one-fourth  of  the  number  em- 
ployed normally. 

Shepherd's     Bush,     which  closed 
when  the  workers  walked  out  for  the 
(Continued  on  page  4) 

U.  K.-U.  S.  Meeting 
Confined  to  Council 

Attempts  of  Eric  A.  Johnston,  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America 
president,  to  have  representatives  of 
the  British  Cinematograph  Exhibitors' 
Association  represented  at  the  forth- 
coming Anglo-American  Films  Coun- 
cil meeting  have  apparently  been 
abandoned.  Yesterday,  a  statement  is- 
sued by  the  MPAA  here  said  "attend- 
ance at  the  meeting  will  be  limited  to" 
the  British  Film  Producers  Associa- 
tion and  the  MPAA. 

At  the  same  time  it  was  disclosed 
that  the  meeting  will  be  held  in 
Washington  beginning  April  21.  New 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


ExchangePay\ 
Hike  Is  Due 


By  the  end  of  next  week  an  agree- 
ment is  expected  to  be  signed  closing 
the  long-standing  negotiations  between 
IATSE  and  distributor  representa- 
tives on  a  national  exchange  workers 
contract.  A  pay  raise  for  6,300  ex- 
change workers  in  32  exchange  cen- 
ters is  anticipated. 

Since  last  weekend  when  the  nego- 
tiators held  their  last  meeting  here 
with  Federal  Mediator  L.  A.  Stone  a' 
number  of  meetings  have  been  held 
without  the  mediator.  Stone  reported- 
ly brought  the  two  sides  to  a  point 
of  agreement  from  where  they  could 
set  details  to  their  mutual  satisfaction. 
A  final  negotiation  meeting  is  sched- 
uled for  next  week  to  complete  pre- 
signing  arrangements. 


50  Here  Will  Aid 
Catholic  Charities 


Some  50  from  the  motion  picture 
industry  and  related  fields  in  the  East 
have  been  named  to  the  films  division 
of  the  Cardinal's  Committee  of  the 
Laity  for  the  1949  Catholic  Charities 
drive  of  the  Archdiocese  of  New 
York.  The  30th  annual  appeal  will 
start  on  March  27  and  terminate  on 
April  5. 

John  J.  O'Connor  is  chairman  and 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


$15  Millions  from 
Canadian  Ticket  Tax 

Ottawa,  Feb.  17— Excise 
tax  collections  in  the  Domin- 
ion on  admissions  totalled 
$15,638,632  during  1947-48, 
from  the  following  provinces: 
Nova  Scotia,  $533,809;  Prince 
Edward  Island,  $59,899;  New 
Brunswick,  $428,798;  Quebec, 
$3,623,133;  Ontario,  $6,818,686; 
Manitoba,  $950,663 ;  Saskat- 
chewan, $484,628;  Alberta, 
$813,608;  British  Columbia, 
$1,642,253;  Yukon  Territory, 
$13,151. 

The  total  shows  an  increase 
of  more  than  a  million  dollars 
over  the  1946-47  figure  of 
$14,551,637. 


U.  A.  in  16mm. 

Theatrical 

Distribution 


Name  More  to  Bond 
Drive  Committees 


Ed  Lachman,  Allied  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  New  Jersey  president,  and  Gael 
Sullivan,  executive  director  of  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America,  will 
serve  as  co-chairmen  of  the  exhibition 
committee  of  the  industry's  1949  sav- 
ings bond  campaign  and  A.  W.  Smith, 
Jr.,  20th  Century-Fox  general  sales 
manager,  will  serve  as  chairman  of  the 
distributor  committee. 

The  appointments  were  announced 
yesterday  by  Maurice  Bergman,  chair- 
man of  the  industry  campaign,  at  a 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Discuss  Costs  of 
Industry  Shorts 

A  distributors'  committee  headed  by 
Robert  Mochrie  and  including  Wil- 
liam A.  Scully,  Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr., 
and  A.  Montague  yesterday  conferred 
with  Theatre  Owners  of  America  ex- 
ecutive director  Gael  Sullivan  on  the 
question  of  exhibition  and  distribution 
cost-sharing  in  connection  with  the 
presentation  of  the  industry  public  re- 
lations series  of  short  subjects. 

The  Mochrie  committee  presented  to 
Sullivan  the  distributors'  viewpoint, 
presumably  that  exhibitors  and  dis- 
tributors are  equally  responsible  for 
the  program.  Sullivan,  in  turn,  will  re- 
port to  the  TOA  board.  Further  meet- 
ings between  Sullivan  and  the  dis- 
tributors are  expected. 


US  Will  Watch  Decree 
Compliance:  Bergson 


'Brotherhood  Week' 
Starts  on  Sunday 

Spearheaded  by  a  large  ma- 
jority of  theatre  operators, 
"Brotherhood  Week"  will  start 
this  Sunday  and  will  run 
through  the  following  Sunday, 
sponsored  by  the  National 
Conference  of  Christians  and 
Jews. 

Under  the  slogan,  "No  Big- 
otry in  America!",  Brother- 
hood Week  will  be  observed 
by  all  branches  of  the  motion 
picture  industry  and  by  other 
businesses  and  organizations 
throughout  the  country.  Ned 
E.  Depinet,  president  of  RKO, 
is  the  amusement  division's 
national  chairman  for  the 
Brotherhood  Week  committee. 


To  Acquire  Rights  from 
Its  Producer  Affiliates 

United  Artists  intends  to  enter 
the  16mm.  theatrical  distribution 
field  in  areas  where  showing  of  the 
films  would  not  be  competition  to 
regular  theatres. 

This  new  activity,  proposed  by  sales 
executive  Paul  N.  Lazarus,  Jr.,  and 
already  given  approval  by  UA's  board 
of  directors,  substantially  is  aimed  to 
stem  the  "undisciplined"  use  of  16mm. 
prints  of  films  made  by  the  independ- 
ent producers  releasing  through  the 
company. 

The  producers  have  found  that  un- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Pickford  Here  on 
Stock  Sale  Talks 


Mary  Pickford,  co-owner  of  United 
Artists,  is  in  New  York  from  the 
Coast  for  the  possible  sale  of  her  part- 
ner's, Charles  Chaplin,  50  per  cent 
interest  in  the  company.  Discussions 
were  begun  yesterday  but  they  were 
described  as  strictly  "preliminary," 
with  the  identity  of  potential  buyers 
undisclosed. 

Miss  Pickford  holds  an  option  on 
Chaplin's  U.A.  stock  which  must  be 
exercised  by  March  2.  If  a  deal  is  in 
work  but  not  closed  on  that  date  the 
option  will  be  extended  for  10  days. 
If  no  deal  has  been  concluded  or  is  in 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Assistant  U.  S.  Attorney  General 
Herbert  A.  Bergson,  in  charge  of  anti- 
trust law  enforcement,  said  here  yes 
terday  that  "divestiture  and  divorce 
ment  are  the  most  expeditious  means 
of  eradicating  the  economic  conse- 
quences of  monopoly." 

Consent  judgments,  Bergson  said, 
"always  present  problems  of  compli- 
ance and  enforcement,  and  to  meet 
this,  we  have  assigned  a  number  of 
attorneys  to  study  compliance  with 
judgments." 

Bergson,  who  has  handled  the  ne- 
gotiations for  the  impending  Para- 
mount consent  decree,  signing  of 
which  is  expected  today  or  tomorrow, 
spoke  before  the  New  York  Bar  As- 
sociation. He  did  not  mention  the 
Paramount  case  by  name,  but  men- 
tioned several  things  which  bear  on 
the  case. 

Bergson  defended  the  entry  of  con- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Penn.  Allied  Elects 
Six  Board  Members 


Philadelphia,  Feb.  17.— Sol  Blum- 
berg,  Cecil  Felt  and  E.  B.  Gregory, 
from  Philadelphia,  and  Harry  Chert- 
coff  and  Charles  Moyer,  from  upstate 
Pennsylvania,  today  were  elected  to 
the  board  of  directors  of  Eastern 
Pennsylvania  Allied  at  the  organiza- 
tion's 11th  annual  membership  meet- 
ing and  luncheon  at  the  Broadwood 
Hotel.  The  five  will  serve  three-year 
terms.  Harold  Cohen  was  elected  to 
fill  a  board  vacancy  for  one  year. 

Guest  speakers  at  the  meeting  in- 
cluded Abram  Myers,  general  counsel 
of  Allied  States;  William  Ainsworth, 
president;  Charles  Niles,  member  of 
the  board  of  governors;  Sydney  Sam- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  18,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


GUNTHER  R.  LESSING,  Walt 
Disney  Prod,  vice-president,  and 
Mrs.  Lessing,  are  in  New  York  from 
the  Coast. 

• 

Paul  Petersen,  of  Bloomfield, 
N.  J.,  has  been  appointed  manager  of 
the  Mayfair,  a  Walter  Reade  house  in 
Asbury  Park. 

• 

W.  J.  Kupper,  20th-century  Fox 
managing  director  in  Great  Britain, 
will  sail  from  here  tomorrow  on  the 
S.S.  Queen  Elizabeth  for  England. 
• 

R.  M.  (Bob)  Savini,  Astor  Pic- 
tures president,  has  returned  here 
from  the  Coast. 

• 

Joseph  Burstyn  of  Mayer-Burstyn 
left  here  last  night  for  Hollywood. 


Brenon,  Mamula  To 
Promote  'Prejudice9 

Aileen  Brenon  and  Nick  Mamula, 
formerly  in  charge  of  Eastern  maga- 
zine and  newspaper  publicity,  respec- 
tively, for  David  O.  Selznick,  will 
handle  the  pre-release  publicity  cam- 
paign on  "Prejudice,"  which  will  be 
the  initial  release  of  Neil  F.  Agnew's 
new  Motion  Picture  Sales  Corp. 

"Prejudice,"  which  stars  David 
Bruce,  was  produced  by  Edmund  L. 
Dorfmann  Productions. 


National  TO  A  Meet 
In  Mid-September 

Theatre  Owners  of  America's  an- 
nual convention  will  be  held  in  Los 
Angeles  on  or  about  Sept.,  15.  An 
executive  board  meeting  will  precede 
the  membership  meeting.  Election  of 
officers  will  be  on  the  agenda. 


Dresner  Joins  Overseas 

Bernard  Dresner,  having  terminated 
his  association  with  Telepix  News- 
reel,  has  joined  Overseas  Film  As- 
sociates and  will  leave  for  France  on 
March  7  to  obtain  films  for  theatrical 
and  television  use  in  this  country. 
Sidney  Zucker  will  represent  Dresner 
and  Overseas  Film  Associates  in  New 
York. 


Mrs.  A.  J.  Niedenthal,  73 

Cincinnati,  Feb.  17. — Services  will 
be  held  here  tomorrow  for  Mrs.  An- 
drew J.  Niedenthal,  73,  who  died  in 
St.  Mary's  Hospital  yesterday.  She 
owned  and  operated  suburban  Evans- 
ton  and  Belvedere  theatres  since  the 
death  of  her  husband  22  years  ago. 
Surviving  are  a  son,  Andrew,  director 
of  program  sales  of  station  WLW, 
who  assisted  in  the  operation  of  the 
theatres. 


Studio  Toppers  to  Meet 

Hollywood,  Feb.  17. — Major  studio 
executives  will  attend  the  series  of 
conferences  next  week  with  Eric 
Tohnston  and  his  staff,  Association  of 
Motion  Picture  Producers  board 
chairman  Y.  Frank  Freeman  an- 
nounced today. 


Para.,WB,  Bob  Hope 
Get  FCC  Attention 


Washington,  Feb.  17. — Paramount 
again  told  the  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission  today  that  it  does 
not  control  DuMont  and  asked  the 
FCC  to  reverse  its  proposed  ruling  to 
the  contrary  on  the  grounds  that  a 
Commission  examiner  erred  in  not 
considering  that  Paramount  made  no 
attempt  to  exercise  any  control  at  a 
DuMont  stockholders  meeting.  Addi- 
tionally, Paramount  pointed  out  that 
it  is  trying  to  sell  its  DuMont  shares 
but  cannot  get  a  buyer  at  $20  to  $30 
per  share. 

In  another  case,  the  FCC  'said  it 
would  defer  action  on  Warner's  appli- 
cation for  television  and  radio  con- 
struction permits  in  Los  Angeles  until 
it  decides  whether  firms  found  guilty 
of  anti-trust  law  violations  are  to  be 
allowed  in  the  field. 

In  a  third  matter,  the  Commission 
heard  Bob  Hope's  attorney,  Leonard 
Marks,  announce  that  the  actor  seeks 
to  withdraw  his  application  for  a 
video  station  in  Louisville. 


SG  Stockholders 
Meet  Saturday 

Hollywood,  Feb.  17.— Screen  Guild 
will  hold  its  board  and  stockholders 
meeting  Saturday  at  the  Sheraton  Ho- 
tel in  Chicago,  with  a  meeting  of  fran- 
chise holders  to  be  held  there  the  fol- 
lowing day,  it  was  announced  here 
today. 

The  proposal  of  Carl  Leserman  to 
buy  the  controlling  interest  in  the 
company  will  be  considered,  and  the 
1949-50  production  program  will  be 
outlined  by  Robert  L.  Lippert,  presi- 
dent. 


3  20th-Fox  Dividends 

The  board  of  directors  of  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox yesterday  declared  a  quar- 
terly dividend  of  $l.\2J/2  per  share  on 
the  prior  preferred  stock,  payable 
March  15  to  stockholders  of  record 
on  March  4;  a  quarterly  dividend  of 
ZlYi  cents  on  the  convertible  preferred, 
payable  March  25,  to  stockholders  of 
record  also  on  March  4,  and  a  quar- 
terly dividend  of  50  cents  on  the  com- 
mon stock,  payable  March  25,  to 
stockholders  of  record  likewise  on 
March  4. 


Sues  on  'Clouds'  Rights 

Contending  that  Georgio  Curti  was 
not  empowered  to  license  territorial 
distribution  rights  to  "Four  Steps  in 
the  Clouds,"  and  claiming  ownership 
of  the  picture,  Capital  Pictures  has 
filed  an  action  in  New  York  Supreme 
Court  against  Curti  and  Distinguished 
Films.  Plaintiff  alleges  that  Distin- 
guished acquired  the  rights  from  Cur- 
ti, seeks  to  recoup  all  prints  and  asks 
for  an  accounting.  Curti  has  entered 
a  denial. 


Will  Make  2  Abroad 

Hollywood,  Feb.  17. — Formation  of 
Coronado  Prod,  to  make  two  pictures 
in  England  with  Robert  Montgomery 
starring  and  directing,  was  announced 
today  by  David  E.  Rose. 


WB  Asks  Plaintiffs 
To  Post  $200,000 

Bonds  totaling  $200,000  are  sought 
by  Warner  and  other  defendants  from 
minority  stockholder  plaintiff  s  to  cover 
court  costs  in  the  event  the  latter  re- 
ceives an  adverse  decision  in  actions 
pending  against  the  company.  Four 
stockholders  have  duplicated  in  N.  Y. 
State  Supreme  Court  actions  origi- 
nally filed  in  District  Court  here. 
Hearing  will  be  held  on  Feb.  21  on 
the  defendants'  motion  to  compel  each 
plaintiff  to  post  a  $50,000  bond. 

Plaintiffs  are  William  B.  Weinber- 
ger, Irving  W.  Mencher,  Anne  Good- 
fried  and  Anna  Kassner,  who  allege 
conspiracy  in  behalf  of  United  States 
Pictures  to  the  detriment  of  Warner. 
Suit  asks  for  an  accounting  of  profits 
on  a  production-distribution  deal  be- 
tween the  two  companies,  and  names 
also  as  defendants  Joseph  Bernhard, 
Robert  W.  Perkins,  Milton  Sperling, 
Harry  M.,  Jack  L.,  and  Albert  War- 
ner, Morris  Wolf,  John  E.  Bierworth, 
Samuel  Carlisle  and  Samuel  Schnei- 
der. 


Sullivan  Chairman 
Of  Variety  Benefit 

Ed  Sullivan,  New  York  Daily 
News  columnist,  will  be  chairman  of 
a  benefit  performance  of  "Bad  Boy" 
at  the  RKO  Palace  here,  to  tee-off 
New  York  City  Tent  No.  35,  Variety 
Clubs  International  announced  yester- 
day following  a  meeting  of  the  tent's 
arrangement's  committee  in  the  office 
of  Sol  Schwartz,  RKO  Theatres  head. 

At  the  same  time  it  was  determined 
to  set  back  the  performance  from 
March  8  to  the  22nd.  Proceeds  will  be 
used  to  defray  the  tent's  organizational 
expenses.  Others  at  yesterday's  meet- 
ing were:  Max  A.  Cohen,  chief  bar- 
ker, Chick  Lewis,  Harry  Mandell,  Bill 
Howard,  Ed  Moray  and  Ed  Lurie. 


'Bad  Boy'  Premiere 
Grossed  $15,000 

Dallas,  Feb.  17.— This  city's  pre- 
miere of  Allied  Artists  'Bad  Boy", 
held  at  the  'Majestic  last  night  with  a 
$5  top,  grossed  $15,000  with  entire 
proceeds  going  to  Variety  Clubs  of 
Texas  and  Boys'  Ranch,  on  which  the 
film  was  based. 

Robert  J.  O'Donnell,  Interstate  cir- 
cuit vice-president,  was  master-of- 
ceremonies  during  a  stage  show  that 
featured  Jane  Wyatt,  Audie  Murphy, 
Lloyd  Nolan,  James  Lydon  and  Stan- 
ley Clements. 


Allied  Illinois  Sets 
Feb,  24  Board  Meet 

Chicago,  Feb.  17. — Annual  meeting 
for  the  election  of  officers  and  direc- 
tors of  the  board  of  Allied  of  Illinois 
will  be  held  next  Thursday  at  the  Con- 
gress Hotel,  it  is  announced  by  Jack 
Kirsch,  president. 

The  board  has  endorsed  participa- 
tion in  "Brotherhood  Week"  and  the 
fund  drives  being  conducted  by  the 
Chicago  Council  of  Boy  Scouts,  the 
Heart  Association  and  the  Red  Cross. 
All  funds  raised  by  the  local  industry 
for  the  Heart  Association  will  be 
credited  to  a  local  Variety  charity. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

Rockefeller  ■  Center 

Jeanne    CRAIN     •     Linda    DARNELL  -3 
Ann  SOTHERN 

4A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES"! 

KIRK    DOUGLAS    •    PAUL  DOUGLAS  -I 
JEFFREY  LYNN 

A    20th  Century  -  Fox  Picture 
;  SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Paramount  presents 

ALAN  LADD 

ROBERT  PRESTON 
BRENDA  MARSHALL , 
DONALD  CRISP 


Samuel  Goldwyn  presents 

"ENCHANTMENT 

Starring 

DAVID  NIVEN  TERESA  WRIGHT 

EVELYN  KEYES  FARLEY  GRANGER 

Released  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 

ASTOR  THEATER 

Broadway  &  45th  Street 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER,  ^ToXay 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


r 


OAttYL  F.  ZANUCK  presents  ■ 

OLIVIA  de  HAVILLAND  I 


the  Snake  Pit 


I Directed  by  Produced  by 

_  AHATDti  U1YM .  AKATMi  UTVAK I  ROBOT  BASSIER  | 


Kivoli 


JOAN 
of  ARC 


starring 


INGRID 


BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

^COIOK  BV  TECHNICOLOR  ■  CAST  Of  THOUSANDS^ 


with  JOSE  FERRER .  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  ■ J  CARROL  NAISH  .  WARD  BOND 
SHEPPERD  SIRUDWICK  .  HURD  HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHARt  ■  JOHN  EMERY 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  .  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY 
b>«S  upon  the  stage  play  Joan  ol  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
.trier,  ploy  b,  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  ond  ANDREW  SOLI  •  orl  diretlyn  by 
RICHARD  DAY  .  dirocror  of  pholoo-.phy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE.  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

Dre,enled  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Ine.  •  releoied  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


J5  2*  WEEK  I, 


G.  PECK   -    R.  WIDMARK    •   A.  BAXTER 

"YELLOW  SKY" 

A  20th  Century-Fox  Picture 

ON  STAGE  DANNY  KAYE 

=ROXY  7thAvet 


50th  St 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley.  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays. 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center.  New  York  20.  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley.  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady.  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke.  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor:  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J-  A.  Otten.  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burn-up.  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3.  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Maker  of  dreams  •  •  • 


•  To  make  dreams  like  this  con- 
vincing ...  to  show  them  with  the 
smoothness  that  brings  life  and 
reality  .  .  .  that  is  the  job  of  the 
optical-effects  man. 

Yet  it  is  only  one  of  his  many 
contributions  to  modern  pictures. 
By  his  skill  with  the  optical  printer 
.  .  .  his  production  of  fades  and 
wipes,  of  dissolves  and  laps  ...  he 


plays  an  important  part  in  giving 
American  movies  their  high  stand- 
ard of  technical  excellence. 

If  the  optical-effects  man  is  to 
play  this  part  to  the  full,  he  must 
use  dependable  film  of  superior 
quality.  That's  why  he  usually  pre- 
fers to  work  with  the  large  and 
well-known  family  of  Eastman 
motion  picture  films. 


EASTMAN  KODAK  COMPANY 


ROCHESTER  4,    N.  Y . 


J.  E.  BRULATOUR,  INC.,  DISTRIBUTORS 
FORT  LEE  •  CHICAGO  •  HOLLYWOOD 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  18,  1949 


U.A.  in  16mm. 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

regulated  tent  and  auditorium  show- 
ings of  16mm.  versions  of  their  prod- 
uct in  many  places  have  been  making 
inroads  on  audiences  for  standard  the- 
atre performances. 

UA  is  believed  set  to  concentrate 
first  on  obtaining  16mm.  licenses  for 
the  product  of  its  independents. 

Lazarus  probably  will  supervise  the 
new  department,  similarly  as  he  is 
charting  the  course  for  UA's  new 
television  film  distribution. 


U.K. -U.S.  Meeting 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

York  had  previously  been  set  as  the 
site  of  the  session  on  March  23.  It 
was  postponed  at  the  request  of  the 
MPAA. 

American  members  of  the  Council 
are  Johnston,  Nicholas  M.  Schenck 
and  Barney  Balaban.  British  mem- 
bers are  J.  Arthur  Rank,  Sir  Alex- 
ander Korda  and  Sir  Henry  French. 


Review 


US  Will  Watch 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


sent  judgments,  declaring  that  the 
Justice  Department  "will  not  accept  a 
consent  judgment  which  merely  en- 
joins the  repetition  of  unlawful  prac- 
tices." 

He  supported  proposals  to  amend 
the  Clayton  Act  to  prevent  one  com- 
pany from  acquiring  another's  physi- 
cal assets  where  the  effect  would  be 
to  substantially  lessen  competition.  At 
present,  only  the  acquisition  of  stock 
is  barred  in  such  cases. 


"Caughf 

(Enterprise-M-G-M) 

JAMES  MASON'S  first  American-made  picture  provides  showmen  with 
many  a  peg  on  which  to  hang  an  exploitation  angle.  A  tangled  romantic 
triangle  done  in  a  realistic  pattern,  it  also  features  Robert  Ryan  and  Barbara 
Eel  Geddes.  A  sturdy  production  treatment  has  been  accorded  the  Enterprise 
picture  for  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  release. 

The  story,  for  the  most  part,  revolves  around  the  role  of  Miss  Bel  Geddes, 
a  pleasant  young  girl  who  falls  in  love  and  marries  Ryan.  Unfortunately, 
Ryan,  a  millionaire  playboy,  has  his  sadistic  tendencies  and  it  is  not  long 
before  his  cruelties  cause  Miss  Bel  Geddes  to  run  away.  At  this  juncture  she 
meets  Mason,  a  struggling  pediatrician,  and  gradually  the  two  fall  in  love. 
Thus  the  situation  develops  to  the  point  from  which  the  film  derives  its  title, 
as  Miss  Bel  Geddes  is  "caught"  between  the  man  she  loves  and  the  twisted 
creature  she  married. 

The  screenplay,  by  Arthur  Laurents,  frequently  delineates  the  psychological 
motivations  of  some  of  the  extreme  conduct  and  it  stirs  many  moments  of 
dramatic  intensity.  Before  the  film  reaches  its  conclusion,  Miss  Bel  Geddes 
has  a  prematurely-born  baby,  but  the  baby's  death  frees  her  finally  from 
Ryan's  hold.  The  three  principals  give  sharp  and  adroit  focus  to  their  char- 
acters. Ryan  stresses  cruel  emphasis  to  his  portrait  of  a  man  on  the  brink  of 
madness,  and  Mason's  suave  mannerism  is  matched  by  Miss  Bel  Geddes'  vig- 
orous vignette. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Ruth  Brady,  Curt  Bois  and  Frank  Ferguson.  Max 
Opuls  directed  and  Wolfgang  Reinhardt  produced.  The  screenplay  was  from 
the  novel  "Wild  Calendar,  by  Libbie  Block. 

'  Running  time,  88  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  March 
release.  Mandel  Herbstman 


Rank's  Layoffs 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Penn.  Allied  Elects 

( Continued  from  page  1 ) 


uelson,  general  manager  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania unit;  Jack  Greenberg,  chair- 
man of  today's  session,  and  Mrs.  Edna 
B.  Carroll,  chairman  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Board  of  Censors. 

It  was  decided  to  hold  a  special 
meeting  dealing  exclusively  with  tele- 
vision in  motion  picture  theatres  with- 
in the  next  six  weeks. 


u-e  showmen  are  headin'for 


Bond  Drive 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


BULLETIN  #1 

NEW  YORK  — Most  comprehensive  motion  pic- 
ture promotion  in  years  brings  together  vast 
resources  of  Procter  &  Gamble,  National  Broad- 
casting Company  and  U-l,  to  give  every  ex- 
hibitor "THE  LIFE  OF  RILEY"  complex  when  he 
plays  the  picture. 

The  3-way  deal  will  be  climaxed  in  Cincin- 
nati on  March  4th  when  "LIFE  OF  RILEY"  radio 
show  makes  live  broadcast  from  stage  of  RKO 
Grand  Theatre  as  highlight  in  ten  dollar-a- 
ticket  benefit  preview  performance.  Show  sets 
off  three-state  territorial  premiere  with  more 
than  150  theatres  in  Ohio,  Indiana  and  West 
Virginia  playing  picture  day-and-date. 


"The 

LIFE 

off 

RILEY 


luncheon  at  the  Hotel  Astor  here,  at 
which  trade  press  cooperation  was  re- 
quested for  the  drive,  to  be  held  May 
16  to  June  30. 

Aims  of  the  drive  were  described 
by  Vernon  Clark  and  Louis  Carow, 
Jr.,  representing  the  Savings  Bonds 
division  of  the  U.  S.  Treasury  De- 
partment. Industry  activities  and  plans 
for  the  drive  were  discussed  by  Berg- 
man, Max  Youngstein,  chairman  of 
the  industry's  advertising-publicity 
committee ;  Sullivan,  Sam  Shain, 
representing  Smith,  and  Tony  Muto, 
Movietone  News  Washington  repre- 
sentative. 

Sullivan  said  it  is  planned  to  retain 
intact  for  the  bond  drive  most  of  the 
field  organization  already  set  up  for 
the  industry's  participation  in  "Broth- 
erhood Week,"  which  will  be  observed 
next  week.  Youngstein  plans  to  make 
the  services  of  his  entire  Eagle-Lion 
advertising-publicity  department  avail- 
able for  the  industry  bond  campaign 
in  lieu  of  designating  a  general  com- 
mittee to  handle  advertising-publicity 
work  on  the  drive. 

Early  plans  for  industry  campaign 
activities  include  production  of  a  six- 
minute  subject  by  the  Hollywood 
committee ;  brief  newsreel  clips  to  be 
included  in  all  reels,  star  tours,  and 
special  trailers  to  be  provided  by  Na- 
tional Screen  Service. 

Importance  of  the  trade  press  role 
in  the  campaign  was  stressed  by  all 
speakers.  "Without  its  cooperation 
the  drive  cannot  be  a  success,"  it  was 
emphasized. 


Commons  demonstration,  is  expected 
to  resume  activity  tomorrow.  Mean- 
while, Rank  has  met  with  trade  union 
secretaries,  including  Tom  O'Brien  of 
the  National  Association  of  Theatrical 
and  Cinema  Employes,  who  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Parliament.  Rank  reportedly 
stated  that  he  will  continue  to  develop 
his  cost-saving  "independent  frame" 
production  methods,  "whatever  the 
cost,"  claiming  that  "these  modern 
methods"  ultimately  will  benefit  both 
producers  and  workers. 

Rank  said  he  hopes  it  will  not  be 
necessary  to  issue  any  further  lay-off 
notices,  and  will  not  do  so  unless 
causes  beyond  his  control  demand  such 
action.  He  has  agreed  to  meetings 
every  two  weeks  with  the  union  secre- 
taries to  discuss  developments. 

Board  of  Trade  president  Harold 
Wilson  next  Wednesday  will  preside 
at  a  meeting  of  the  National  Film 
Production  Council  which  will  dis- 
cuss the  entire  British  production  sit- 
uation. O'Brien  has  asked  Prime 
Minister  Clement  Attlee  to  receive  the 
Council  to  discuss  the  crisis,  but  the 
government  has  maintained  that  the 
matter  does  not  rate  cabinet  level  dis- 
cussion on  the  ground  that  the  BOT 
is  the  proper  authority. 

Both  Denham  and  Pinewood  studios 
are  producing  one  picture  at  a  time, 
thereby  making  impossible  fulfilment 
of  Rank's  previous  claim  that  he  can 
make  60  first  features  annually. 

Responsible  exhibitors  are  increas- 
ingly convinced  that  the  45  per  cent 
film  quota  here  will  collapse  soon. 


Mary  Pickford 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


work  on  March  2,  a  30-day  option  on 
Miss  Pickford's  U.A.  stock  becomes 
exerciseable  by  Chaplin,  with  a  sin 
lar  additional  10  days  to  permit  a 
closing  by  him. 

Miss  Pickford  probably  will  be  here 
a  week.  Her  husband,  Charles  Buddy 
Rogers,  sard  yesterday  that  he  intends 
to  return  to  the  Coast  earlier  for  his 
first  television  show. 


Catholic  Charities 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Bert  Sanford  is  vice-chairman  of  the 
motion  picture  committee,  which  in- 
cludes :  Charles  A.  Alicoate,  John  W. 
Alicoate,  William  E.  Barry,  Martin 
F.  Bennett,  Harry  Buckley,  Frank  E. 
Cahill,  Jr.,  F.  X.  Carroll,  Patrick 
Casey,  T.  J.  Connors,  James  P.  Cun- 
ningham, Gus  S.  Eyssell,  Si  Fabian, 
James  M.  Franey,  E.  C.  Grainger, 
James  R.  Grainger,  William  J.  Heine- 
man,  Al  Hovell,  William  W.  Howard, 
John  Kane,  Austin  Keough,  T.  J. 
Martin,  Joseph  McConville. 

Also,  Charles  B.  McDonald,  Joseph 
E.  McMahon,  John  Murphy,  William 
P.  Murphy,  William  J.  Murray, 
Douglas  Netter,  Leon  Netter,  John 
Nolan,  Paul  O'Brien,  Robert  H. 
O'Brien,  Thomas  F.  O'Connor,  Charles 
L.  O'Reilly,  E.  K.  O'Shea,  Martin 
Quigley,  Charles  Reagan,  Phil  Reis- 
man,  Herman  Robbins,  William  F. 
Rodgers,  George  J.  Schaefer,  C.  J., 
Scollard,  William  A.  Scully,  George 
Skouras,  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  Andrew 
W.  Smith,  Jr.,  E.  J.  Smith,  Jr.,  Nick| 
Tronolone,  Richard  F.  Walsh  and 
William  White. 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
MOTION  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


BAN 

COMPAN 


Trust 


NEW  YORK 


MEMBER   FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


FIRST 

Accurate 

IN 

T%  ATT  *%.r 

Concise 

FILM 

JJA1 LY 

and 

NEWS 

INI—  W  sJ 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.   NO.  36 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  FEBRUARY  21,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Rank  Claims 
He's  on  Right 
Road  at  Last 


Sticks  By  New  Policies; 
Besting  U.S.  Monopoly 

London,  Feb.  20—  Asserting  that 
production  extravagances  have  been 
responsible  for  over-employment  in 
British  studios,  J.  Arthur  Rank  said 
on  Friday  that  he  had  postponed  for 
as  long  as  possible  the  dismissal  of 
unneeded  workers. 

It  was  Rank's  first  public  statement 
since  development  of  the  studio  re- 
dundancy (over-employment)  crisis. 

Streamlining  of  British  production 
to  conform  with  the  current  box-office 
potential  for  current  releases  made 
numerous  employes  redundant  and  led 
to  their  dismissal,  Rank  said.  It  is  esti- 
mated that  2,500  British  studio  em- 
(Continued  on  page  2) 


Map  Plans  for  14  at 
Feb.  28  Para.  Meet 


Releasing  and  promotional  plans  for 
some  14  Paramount  features  will  be 
mapped  by  the  company's  top  New 
York  and  Coast  executives  at  a  week- 
long  studio  meeting  which  will  begin 
in  Hollywood  on  Feb.  28.  New  prod- 
uct will  be  screeened  for  the  group 
and  among  the  more  prominent  mat- 
ters on  the  agenda  are  huddles  with 
Cecil  B.  DeMille  and  William  Wyler 
on  campaigns  for  "Sampson  and  De- 
lilah" and  "The  Heiress,"  respectively. 

It  appears  likely,  according  to 
sources  here,  that  the  company's  plan 
for  reorganization  and  its  effects  on 
the  studio  operations  also  will  be 
taken  up  although  discussion  of  this 
has  yet  to  be  slated  for  the  meeting. 

Participating  from  New  York  will 
be  Barney  Balaban,  president;  Adolph 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Name  Dudelson  E-L 
District  Head  Here 


Harris  Dudelson,  for  the  past  year 
Eagle-Lion  branch  manager  in  Cin- 
cinnati, has  been  named  New  York 
district  manager  by  William  J.  Heine- 
man,  sales  vice-president.  He  succeeds 
Seymour  Schussell,  who  resigned  last 
week. 

Dudelson,   an   industry  veteran  in 
sales,  went  to  Eagle-Lion  from  United 
Artists,  where  he  had  been  Cleveland 
branch  manager.  Earlier  he  was  with 
{Continued  on  page  4) 


Paramount  Plan  Is 
Filed  with  the  SEC 


Washington,  Feb.  20.— Paramount 
Pictures'  proposed  reorganization  plan 
to  carry  out  terms  of  its  anti-trust 
consent  decree  has  been  filed  with  the 
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission. 

SEC  officials  said  they  would  try 
to  get  their  opinion  of  the  plan  out 
to  the  company  early  this  week,  since 
the  company  has  told  them  it  has 
tentatively  planned  to  mail  out  the 
proxy  statements  on  the  plan  to  its 
stockholders  at  the  end  of  the  week 
or  early  in  the  following  week. 


Harry  LaVine  Elected 
N.Y.  Colosseum  Head 

Harry  A.  LaVine  of  Monogram  has 
been  elected  president  of  the  New 
York  lodge  of  the  Colosseum  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Salesmen  of  America, 
succeeding  Charles  Penser  of  RKO 
Radio. 

Reelected  were  Harry  Fellerman, 
Universal  -  International,  vice  -  presi- 
dent ;  Lee  Mayer,  Warner,  secretary, 
and  Howard  Levy,  M-G-M,  treasurer. 
Tony  Ricci,  Republic,  was  elected 
sergeant-at-arms. 


Meet  March  1  To  Map 
Red  Cross  Drive 

An  organizational  luncheon-meeting 
of  the  motion  picture  division  of  the 
New  York  Red  Cross  has  been  called 
for  March  1  at  the  Metropolitan  Club 
by  Spryos  P.  Skouras,  division  chair- 
man. 

Basil  O'Connor,  American  Red 
Cross  chairman,  will  speak  on  the 
forthcoming-  annual  drive  for  funds  to 
be  conducted  in  Metropolitan  New 
York. 


$4*  MILLIONS  FOR 
HUGHES'  24%  OF 
NEW  RKO  THEATRES 


New  RKO  Companies 
Keep  Same  Officers 

Initial  managements  and 
staffs  of  the  new  RKO  pic- 
tures company  and  new  thea- 
tre company  will  in  general 
be  the  same  as  at  present, 
RKO  directors  state  in  the 
notice  to  stockholders  of  the 
company's  divorcement  reor- 
ganization plan.  Boards  of 
the  new  companies  will  elect 
officers  subsequently. 

It  is  also  the  plan  to  divide 
the  present  RKO  Building 
home  office  space  at  Rocke- 
feller Center,  New  York,  be- 
tween the  two  new  com- 
panies. 


Hughes  Has  Option 
On  RKO  Warrants 


Howard  Hughes  has  an  option  to 
purchase  from  Atlas  Corp.  its  327,- 
000  RKO  common  stock  warrants. 
Hughes  last  year  purchased  929,020 
shares  of  RKO  common  stock  held  by 
Atlas,  representing  24  per  cent  of  the 
outstanding  shares  of  RKO. 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


"A  Connecticut  Yankee 
In  King  Arthur's  Court" 

IParamounf]— Ace-High  Crosby 

MARK  TWAIN'S  famous  story  is  such  an  obvious  natural  for 
Bing  Crosby  that  it  is  to  wonder  why  Paramount  neglected 
getting  around  to  it  sooner.  But  whether  sooner  or  later,  here 
is  an  attraction  to  warm  the  cockles  of  any  audience's — and  any  exhibi- 
tor's heart. 

This  is  the  third  time  for  the  yarn.  Fox  made  it  twice,  first  as  a 
silent  film  in  1920  with  Harry  Myers,  and  then  as  a  talking  film  with 
Will  Rogers  11  years  later.  Therefore,  it  is  almost  two  decades  and, 
significantly,  almost  another  generation,  since  there  has  been  a  film  about 
the  Connecticut  blacksmith  who  was  conked  on  the  head  by  a  falling 
tree  and  transported  backward  13  centuries  into  Camelot,  King  Arthur's 
court,  his  Round  Table  and  the  delicate  lady  so1  fancily  named  Alisande 
La  Carteloise. 

The  story  ought  to  require  no  detailed  accounting.  Bing  is  the  black- 
smith who  finds  himself  cluttered  in  the  lances,  maces,  armor  and 

(.Continued  on  page  4) 


Maximum  Price  Under 
Option  to  Atlas  Corp.; 
Reorganization  Plan  Set 


A  maximum  cash  price  of  $4,- 
500,000  for  Howard  Hughes'  24 
per  cent  stock  interest  in  the  new 
independent  RKO  Theatre  com- 
pany, to  be  formed  as  part  of  the  con- 
sent decree  reorganization  of  the  pres- 
ent company,  is  provided  for  in  the 
option  held  by  Atlas  Corp. 
_  Hughes  has  the  right  under  the  op- 
tion agreement  to  seek  cash  offers  for 
his  theatre  company  stock  from  out- 
siders and  if  they  are  obtained,  Atlas 
Corp.  has  the  right  to  meet  them.  The 
theatre  company  stock  is  to  be  offered 
by  Hughes  at  a  price  not  to  exceed 
$4,500,000  only  in  the  event  he  is  un- 
able to  obtain  outside  offers. 

The  plan  of  reorganization  for 
RKO,  to  be  voted  on  by  stockholders 
of  the  company  on  March  28  at  a 
meeting  at  Dover,  Del.,  was  made 
public  on  Friday.  Unless  the  plan  is 
approved  by  two-thirds  of  the  stock- 
holders then  or  prior  to  March  30,  it 
will  become  ineffective. 

As  has  been  known  since  the  entry 
of  the  RKO  consent  decree  last  No- 

(Contimted  on  page  4) 


Hughes,  Dietrich  to 
Go  on  RKO  Board 

Howard  Hughes,  owner  of  24  per 
cent  of  RKO's  common  stock,  will  go 
on  the  board  of  directors  of  the  com- 
pany together  with  Noah  Dietrich,  his 
business  associate.  Both  are  candi- 
dates for  election  at  the  meeting  of 
RKO  stockholders  on  March  28. 

They  will  replace  N.  Peter  Rath- 
von,  former  RKO  president,  and 
Floyd  Odium  of  Atlas  Corp.  Stock- 
holders will  vote  on  reduction  of  the 
board  membership  from  nine  to  seven. 
Other  board  candidates  are  Ned  E. 
Depinetj  Frederick  L.  Ehrman,  L. 
Lawrence  Green,  George  H.  Shaw 
and  J.  Miller  Walker,  all  of  "-Mm 
are  presently  members  of  the  RKO 
board. 


No  Paper  Tomorrow 

Motion  Picture  Daily  will 
not  be  published  tomorrow, 
Washington's  Birthday,  a  le- 
gal holiday. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  February  21,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


MOREY    GOLDSTEIN,  Mono- 
gram-Allied Artists  sales  man- 
ager, will  leave  here  today  for  several 
days  in  Albany  and  Gloversville. 
• 

George  Brown,  Paramount  studio 
director  of  publicity,  has  returned  here 
from  a  Caribbean  cruise  and  will  leave 
by  plane  tomorrow  for  the  Coast. 
Ben  Washer,  New  York  publicity 
manager,  will  accompany  him. 
• 

Don  Mack,  production  expediter  for 
Filmack  Trailers  and  a  son  of  Irving 
Mack,  Filmack  president,  is  the  father 
of  a  son  born  last  week  to  Mrs.  Dor. 
othy  Mack  in  Chicago. 

• 

A.  J.  O'Keefe,  Universal-Inter- 
national's assistant  general  sales  man- 
ager, left  New  York  yesterday  for 
Pittsburgh.  He  will  return  here  on 
Wednesday. 

Edward  L.  Hyman,  vice-president 
of  Paramount  Theatres  Service  Corp., 
has  returned  to  New  York  from  Buf- 
falo. 

Paul  N.  Lazarus,  Jr.,  United  Art- 
its  "  sales  executive,  is  on  a  12-day 
Caribbean  cruise. 

Benedict  Bogeaus,  United  Artists 
producer,  will  arrive  here  today  from 
the  Coast. 


E-L  Resumes  Filming 
After  3-Month  Layoff 

Hollywood,  Feb.  20. — After  a  three- 
month  layoff,  Eagle-Lion's  studio  here 
has  resumed  production.  Cameras  are 
now  rolling  on  Bryan  Foy's  "Port  of 
New  York"  and  "Trapped."  Following 
within  the  next  two  months  will  be 
"Marker  X,"  "Twelve  Against  the 
Underworld,"  "The  World  and  Little 
Willie"  and  "These  Were  My  Or- 
ders." 

Foy  is  en  route  to  New  York  for 
conferences  with  E-L  home  office  ex- 
ecutives. 


New  Film  on  Missions 

Hoffberg  Productions  has  a  new 
feature  in  color,  titled  "Arctic  Mis- 
sions of  the  Mackenzie,"  which  tells 
the  story  of  missionaries'  work  in  the 
Arctic,  produced  by  Oblate  Mission- 
aries and  sponsored  by  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  Car- 
dinal Spellman  appears  in  a  prologue. 

To  Fight  'Rope'  Ban 

London,  Feb.  20. — Sidney  L.  Bern- 
stein, partner  of  Alfred  Hitchcock  in 
Trans-Atlantic  Pictures,  left  here  for 
the  United  States  by  plane  yesterday 
primarily  to  argue  the  Atlanta,  Ga., 
censor  ban  on  the  film,  "Rope." 

'Enchantment  Held  Over 

Washington,  Feb.  20.  —  Samuel 
Goldwyn's  "Enchantment"  will  be  held 
over  here  for  an  aditional  two  weeks, 
giving  the  picture  a  record  local  run 
of  10  weeks. 


CEA  Says  Keep  Your 
Old  Meeting  Private 

London,  Feb.  20  — Although 
the  Exhibitor's  Association 
regrets  generally  that  its  rep- 
resentatives have  not  been 
invited  to  participate  in  the 
first  meeting  of  the  Anglo- 
U.  S.  Films  Council  in  Wash- 
ington, on  April  21,  they  feel 
that  nothing  useful  is  likely 
to .  result  from  the  talks  in 
their  early  stages. 

A  spokesman  said  the  Asso- 
ciation is  content  that  its  Sir 
Alexander  King  will  not  be 
traveling  to  the  meeting. 


Johnston  Host  to 
Film,  U.  S.  Officials 

Washington,  Feb.  20. — President 
Eric  Johnston  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America,  on  Friday 
was  luncheon  host  at  MPAA  head- 
quarters to  a  party  of  industry  and 
government  leaders,  include  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox President  Sryros  P.  Skou- 
ras,  Economic  Cooperation  Adminis- 
trator Paul  Hoffman  and  his  top  as- 
sistant, Wayne  C.  Taylor;  Assistant 
Secretary  of  State  George  V.  Allen, 
M.  C.  Wallgren,  former  Governor  of 
Washington  and  President  Truman's 
nominee  for  head  of  the  National  Se- 
curity Resources  Board,  20th-Fox 
Washington  Representative  Tony  Mu- 
to,  and  George  Xanphakis,  Greek  re- 
lief program  official. 

Johnston  is  scheduled  to  arrive  in 
Hollywood  tomorrow  for  a  two-week 
stay. 


70-Seat  Theatre  for 
MPAA  Headquarters 

Washington,  Feb.  20. — Work  got 
underway  on  Friday  on  a  new  70-seat 
theatre  as  part  of  headquarters  here 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America. 

It  is  bein~  built  as  a  wing  on  the 
existing  MPAA  office,  but  MPAA  of- 
ficials hope  that  eventually  it  will  be 
the  cornerstone  of  a  completely  new 
headquarters. 


16-College  Contest  Is 
Tied  to  New  20th  Film 

Freshman  co-eds  in  16  colleges  in- 
stead of  the  originally-announced  10 
will  participate  in  a  .beauty  contest 

which  20th  Cent  -Fox  will  f—nsor 

in  conjunction  with  its  "Mother  Is  A 
Freshman,"  it  is  reported  by  Andy 
W.  Smith,  Jr.,  general  sales  manager. 

Final  contest  selections  on  each 
campus  will  be  made  by  March  8  so 
that  local  winners  can  be  crowned 
"queen  of  the  premiere"  on  dates  al- 
ready scheduled.  A  trip  to  Hollywood 
will  be  the  grand  prize  in  the  national 
competition. 


'Brotherhood'  Stimulus 

Des  Moines,  Feb.  20.— A  bulletin 
to  Allied  of  Iowa  and  Nebraska  mem- 
bers carries  notice  of  $50  in  prizes  to 
be  given  to  the  three  managers  who 
secure  the  most  "Brotherhood"  mem- 
bers. Size  of  towns  will  be  given  con- 
sideration in  the  awards. 


Rank  Claims 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ployees  are  idle  now,  about  one-fourth 
of  the  total  previously  employed. 

Rank  said  his  organization,  unlike 
independent  producers  here,  has  no 
financial  difficulties. 

"I  can  go  to  the  National  Provin- 
cial Bank  and  get  what  I  want  at  any 
time,"  he  said. 

But  Rank  will  not  put  additional 
money  into  production  before  the  com- 
mercial results  of  his  new  operating 
plans  have  been  tested,  he  asserted. 
He  claims  that  the  public  will  not  see 
the  difference  in  his  new  independent 
frame  and  the  old  standard  production 
process.  The  independent  frame  meth- 
od has  eliminated  the  need  for  numer- 
ous Rank  studio  workers. 

However,  employes  also  have  been 
laid  off  as  a  result  of  curtailed  pro- 
duction plans,  Rank  having  stated  that 
he  expects  to  make  only  42  pictures 
this  year,  whereas  six  months  ago  he 
claimed  he  would  make  60  pictures  in 
1949.  That  was  when  he  was  assuring 
the  Board  of  Trade  that  British  pro- 
ducers would  be  able  to  supply  suffi- 
cient product  to  meet  the  45  per  cent 
film  quota  law.  It  is  now  apparent 
that  producers  can  do  no  such  thing. 

Rank  claims  his  production  experi- 
ence has  passed  through  the  ex- 
perimental stage  and  that  he  has  won 
a  substantial  share  of  the  world's 
screens  from  the  American  film 
monopoly. 

"We've  got  our  feet  in  so  firmly 
they'll  never  shift  us  now,"  he  said. 

He  claimed  that  two  unnamed  films 
of  his,  presumably  "Hamlet"  and 
"Red  Shoes,"  will  bring  $4,000,000  in 
rentals  to  Britain  this  year.  He  ad- 
mitted that  hitherto  he  had  been  wor- 
ried about  costly  production  adven- 
tures such  as  those  two  pictures,  but 
claimed  he  has  the  know-how  now  to 
make  a  few  of  these  while  concentrat- 
ing mainly  on  medium-cost  features. 
He  said  his  42  pictures  this  year  will 
not  cost  more  than  $600,000  each. 

Rank  blamed  the  entertainment  tax 
as  being  largely  responsible  for  the 
crisis  of  independent  producers  whose 
diminished  receipts  prevent  them  from 
offsetting  the  loss  on  one  picture 
against  the  profits  from  another.  He 
claimed  his  organization  is  over  the 
hill  and  its  position  consolidated. 

Columbia  Field  Men 
Meet  Here  Wednesday 

Columbia's  field  exploitation  staff 
has  been  called  to  a  three-day  meeting 
at  the  home  office  beginning  Wednes- 
day. Exploitation  manager  Harry  K. 
McWilliams  will  preside.  Purpose  of 
the  meeting  is  to  plan  campaigns  for 
openings  of  "Knock  on  Any  Door," 
"The  Undercover  Man"  and  "We 
Were  Strangers." 

Gambles  Acquire  4 
More  First-Runs 

Portland,  Ore.,  Feb.  20. — Expand- 
ing their  Northwest  holdings,  (Ted  R.,) 
William  and  Roy  Gamble  of  Port- 
land have  purchased  four  more  first- 
run  theatres  in  Washington.  Houses 
include  the  St.  Helens  and  Fox  at 
Chehalis  and  the  Pix  and  Liberty  at 
Centralia,  formerly  owned  by  the  late 
Arthur  St.  John  and  operated  by  Bill 
Evans. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


P  RESIDENT  TRUMAN  review- 
JL  ing  an  air  show  and  a  speech  by 
Gen.  De  Gaulle  are  current  newsreel 
highlights.  Other  items  include  a  dog 
show,  a  puncture  proof  tire  and  sports. 
Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  15 — Presi- 
dent Truman  sees  display  of  power  by  U.S. 
Air  Force.  Oil  tank  explosion  in  New  Jer- 
sey. U.S.  Army  supply  ship  to  China. 
Paris  publishing  house  ransacked.  New  tube- 
less  tire  is  self -sealing.  Tea  experts  meet 
in  New  York.  Photoplay  magazine  gives 
awards.  New  York  dog  show.  Wrestling. 
Mr.  New  York  City. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  24» — Presi- 
dent Truman  sees  air  show.  Operation 
Snowball.  De  Gaulle  vows  a  fight  to  the 
finish  against  Reds.  Tubeless  tire  ends 
blowouts.  Champ  pooches  of  1949.  Turf 
pays  tribute  to  a  great  jockey. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  52— Con- 
sistory in  Rome.  Baseball:  The  Cardella 
case.  Dog  show.  President  Truman  sees 
air  force  show. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  223— 
President  Truman  reviews  air  power.  Oper- 
ation Snowball.  Gen.  De  Gaulle  speaks. 
Munitions  to  China.  Make-up  artists.  Ken- 
nel show. 

WARNER  PAT  HE  NEWS,  No.  54— 

Great  air  show.  Holland's  Prince  Bernhard 
and  daughter  on  vacation.  Berlin  mayor 
Ernst  Reuter  in  Paris.  Gen.  De  Gaulle  in 
Lille.  "Gratitude  Train."  Puncture-proof 
tire.  Dog  show.  Great  Americans:  Daniel 
Webster. 


Harvey  Heads  Variety 
Convention  Group 

San  Francisco,  Feb.  20.  —  Rotus 
Harvey  has  been  named  general  chair- 
man of  the  arrangements  committee  to 
prepare  for  the  13th  annual  convention 
of  Variety  Clubs  International,  to  be 
held  here  May  2-6. 

Other  members  are:  Abe  Blumen- 
feld,  Ben  Levin,  Jimmy  O'Neal,  Roy 
Cooper,  Jack  Marpole,  Homer  Tegt- 
meier,  Jack  Blumenfeld,  Nate  Blumen- 
feld,  Walter  Chenoweth,  Neal  East, 
Ted  Galanter,  Jay  Golden,  Julian  Har- 
vey, Rodda  Harvey,  Herb  Jack,  Ellis 
Levy,  Irving  Levin,  Charles  Shutt, 
Ken  Dailey,  John  Dahlinger,  Dorothy 
Haley,  Chick  Lewis,  William  Baldwin, 
Guy  Cherney,  William  David,  Dick 
Eckels,  Les  Malloy,  Matty  Mateo, 
Clifton  Reynolds,  Ralph  Ryan  and 
Gale  Santocono. 


Four  More  Meetings 
For  Depinet  Drive 

Continuing  their  "Depinet  Drive" 
tour,  Walter  E.  Branson,  Western  Di- 
vision manager,  and  Harry  J.  Michal- 
son,  short  subject  sales  manager,  will 
hold  meetings  this  Week  in  Salt  Lake 
City  and  Denver,  where  Al  Kolitz, 
Rocky  Mountain  district  manager,  is 
drive  captain  and  in  Chicago,  where 
Harry  Greenblatt,  Midwestern  dis- 
trict manager,  is  captain. 

Charles  Boasberg,  North- South  di- 
vision manager,  and  his  assistant,  Carl 
Peppercorn,  will  preside  at  a  meeting 
to  be  held  in  the  New  York  exchange 
on  Wednesday,  conducted  by  Len  S. 
Gruenberg,  Metropolitan  district  man- 
ager and  drive  captain. 

'Women'  to  Music  Hall 

M-G-M's  "Little  Women"  will  fol- 
low Universal-International's  "Family 
Honeymoon"  into  the  Music  Hall  here. 
The  U-I  picture  will  open  Thursday. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Ka  ne  Edit  or ;  Martin  ^.^'^^  ^7^^A^^S^ 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc..,  1270  ^x'harf.^U,^^  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady  Secretary, 

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Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales    ^^f  office  ^New  York!  N  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3.  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 
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4 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Monday,  February  21,  1949 


RKO  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

vember  in  U.  S.  District  court_  here, 
the  plan  provides  for  the  formation  of 
two  independent  companies,  picture 
and  theatre,  by  next  Nov.  8. 

Holders  of  stock  in  the  present  com- 
pany will  receive  one  share  in  each 
new  company  for  every  share  _  pres- 
ently held.  Prior  to  consummation  of 
the  plan,  RKO  Theatres  will  make  an 
extraordinary  distribution  to  the  pres- 
ent parent  company  of  $10,000,000  in 
■cash,  by  way  of  a  dividend  and  re- 
duction of  capital.  The  parent  com- 
pany will  allocate  the  $10,000,000  to 
the  new  picture  company  to  provide 
it  with  initial  working  eapital. 
Assets  to  Picture  Company 

The  picture  company,  in  addition, 
will  receive  all  production  and  distri- 
bution assets  presently  held  by  the 
parent  company,  including  RKO  Tele- 
vision Corp. 

The  new  theatre  company,  under 
the  terms  of  the  consent  decree,  will 
have  79  wholly-owned  or  leased  the- 
atres and  has  the  right  to  acquire  in- 
terests of  co-owners  in  33  additional 
partly-owned  theatres.  No  decision  has 
been  made  yet  as  to  the  number  of 
such  co-owners  the  new  company  will 
buy  out,  the  reorganization  plan  states. 

RKO  must  terminate  joint  interests 
in  273  other  theatres  in  which  it  holds 
minority  interests.  The  book  value  of 
such  interests  is  given  as  $467,789. 

Book  value  of  the  79  theatres  to  be 
retained,  plus  12  additional  theatres, 
is  given  as  slightly  in  excess  of  $32,- 
500,000. 

Can  Acquire  New  Houses 

RKO  has  the  right  to  acquire  addi- 
tional theatres  in  the  future  with  the 
approval  of  the  court  and  both  the 
new  theatre  company  and  the  new 
picture  company  will  be  accorded  all 
benefits  of  any  future  court  order 
which  may  be  entered  in  the  govern- 
ment's anti-trust  suit  in  New  York 
which  is  more  favorable  to  defendants 
than  the  terms  of  RKO's  consent  de- 
cree. .  rr. 

There  is  no  provision  in  the  RKO 
plan  for  the  trusteeing  of  stockholders' 
shares  in'  one  of  the  new  companies, 
to  prevent  individual  holdings  in  both 
at  the  outset,  such  as  has  been  incor- 
porated in  the  Paramount  consent  de- 
cree. 

The  authorized  and  issued  capital 
stock  of  both  new  companies  will  be 
the  same  as  RKO's  present  authorized 
and  issued  capital  stock.  Exchanges  of 
the  RKO  stock  will  be  tax  free. 

Dissolution  Jan.  31 

The  present  RKO  Corp.  will  be  dis 
solved  after  the  expiration  next  Jan. 
31    of    outstanding    option  warrants 
originally  issued  to   stockholders  of 
the  predecessor  corporation. 

Tentative  consolidated  balance  sheet 
of  the  new  RKO  Theatre  company 
shows  assets  of  $50,308,541,  including 
$14,418,138  of  current  assets,  substan 
tially  cash  and  government  securities. 
Total  liabilities  and  reserves  are  esti 
mated  at  $30,688,100,  of  which  $4,470, 
411  are  current  liabilities,  leaving  net 
working  capital  of  $9,947,727. 

Net  profit  of  RKO  Theatres  in  re- 
cent years  was  as  follows :  1945,  $3, 
967,437;  1946,  $6,195,354;  1947,  $7,- 
023,135,  and  for  the  first  nine  months 
of  1948,  $5,198,480. 

Profits  of  the  new  theatre  company 
had  it  existed  in  the  above  years,  the 
RKO  proxy  statement  to  stockholders 
says,  would  have  been :  1945,  $3,680,- 
244;  1946,  $6,073,150;  1947,  $6,359,635 
and,  first  9  months  of  1948,  $3,002,980 

The  new  picture  company  will  have 
tentative  current  assets  of  $49,188,268 


"A  Connecticut  Yankee — 99 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


anachronisms  of  sixth  century  England.  There,  he  introduces  modern 
methods,  steps  up  the  tempo  and  outwits  Murvyn  Vye  who  plays  Merlin, 
the  magician  plotting  to  seize  the  king's  crown.  He  also  falls  in  love 
with  Alisande,  played  fetchingly  by  Rhonda  Fleming,  whose  first  important 
role  this  is.  In  due  time,  another  conk  on  the  head  ends  the  dream,  hurtles 
him  back  through  the  centuries  and  onto  a  meeting  with  the  modern  counter- 
part of  his  lady  love  for  the  happy  ending. 

.To  have  an  understanding  of  what  gives  here  there  must  be  envisioned  the 
imperturbable,  easy-going  Bing  in  the  dead  center  of  a  long-departed  world. 
The  contrast  in  itself  is  an  opportunity  for  comedy  and  is  seized  on  all  sides 
under  Robert  Fellows'  production  auspices,  and  Tay  Garnett's  apt  direction, 
from  a  script  by  Edmund  Beloin. 

There  is  nothing  weighty  about  "A  Connecticut  Yankee"  except  its  melo- 
dramatic phases  when  the  film  stalks  into  the  area  of  the  plot.  But  practically 
all  the  way,  there  is  slyness  in  performance  and  tempo  and  tongue-in-cheek  in 
treatment.  And,  of  course,  there  is  Bing  warbling  at  his  best  in  several  tuneful 
numbers  by  his  traditional  tunesmiths,  Johnny  Burke  and  James  Van  Heusen. 
Since  Technicolor  was  .indicated  for  the  pageantry,  Technicolor  is  on  gen- 
erous display.  Sir  Cedric  Hardwicke  is  especially  effective  as  the  king  and 
William  Bendix  is  good  as  Sir  Sagramore. 

Running  time,  107  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April..  Red  Kann 

"Knock  on  Any  Door" 

(Santana  Productions — Columbia) 

JUMPHREY  BOGART's  first  production  outside  his  Warner  commit- 
ments is  a  panting  cops-and-robbers,  courtroom-trial  drama,  which  com- 
mands interest  throughout  because  of  the  desperate  criminal  character  whose 
story  it  tells  and  because  of  the  sustained  uncertainty  in  the  trial  scenes  over 
whether  or  not  the  criminal  will  escape  the  chair  for  the  murder  of  a  police- 

In  theatre  situations  where  crime  films  are  not  in  disfavor  it  should  be  an 
above-average  attraction.  Elsewhere  it  will  require  restrained  handling, 
probably  with  the  sales  emphasis  best  placed  on  the  sociological  problem  it 
touches  upon,  the  influence  on  youth  of  slums,  reform  schools  and  broken 
homes.  It  is  not  a  picture  for  children. 

Bogart  is  a  successful  criminal  lawyer,  having  the  same  slum  and  reform 
school  background  as  the  21 -year-old  hoodlum-murderer,  played  by  John 
Derek,  whom  he  endeavors  to  save  from  the  chair.  Derek's  sordid  story  is 
unfolded  in  flashback  sequences  as  Bogart  recites  it  to  the  jury  and  trial 
court.  Perjured  testimony  and  the  defense  attorney's  eloquence  almost  win 
an  acquittal  for  Derek  but  the  youthful  criminal  finally  breaks  and  confesses 
his  crime  on  the  witness  stand  when  the  prosecuting  attorney  turns  his  ques- 
tioning to  the  suicide  of  Derek's  bride,  apparently  the  only  decent  thing  in 
his  life.  Allene  Roberts,  as  the  bride,  turned  on  the  gas  when  Derek  reverted 
to  type  after  a  brief  try  at  honest  work  following  their  marriage. 

Bogart's  courtroom  forensics  indicting  society  for  permitting  the  slum  and 
reform  school  conditions,  which  he  blames  for  breeding  Derek's  type,_  are 
made  pointless  by  repeated  references  to  Bogart's  origin  in  the  same  environ- 
ment, which  he  apparently  overcame  successfully.  It  appears  to  brand  Derek 
as  a  congenital  criminal  and  leaves  him,  on  the  whole,  with  no  claim  to 
audience  sympathy  other  than  the  sentimental  one  engendered  by  his  youth. 

Performances  are  convincing,  including  those  of  George  Macready,  as 
the  prosecution  attorney;  Miss  Roberts  and  Barry  Kelley  as  the  judge. 
Underworld  character  parts  and  bit  roles  are  adequately  cared  for.  Nicholas 
Ray  directed  the  Daniel  Taradash  and  John  Monks,  Jr.,  screenplay,  from  the 
novel  by  Willard  Motley.    Robert  Lord  produced. 

Running  time,  100  minutes.  Adult  classification.  For  March  release. 

Sherwin  Kane 


and  current  liabilities  of  $4,918,086,  in- 
dicating net  working  capital  of  $44,- 
270,182.  Total  assets  would  be  $57,- 
383,466  and  total  liabilities  and  re- 
serves, $19,679,455. 

RKO  picture  companies  had  the  fol- 
lowing profits  or  losses  in  recent 
years:  1945,  $2,793,419  profit;  1946, 
$7,303,370  profit ;  1947,  $1,036,845  loss, 
and  first  9  months  of  1948,  $5,166,221 
loss. 

Translated  to  the  new  picture  com- 
pany, the  results  would  be:  1945, 
$2,111,489  profit;  1946,  $6,271,157 prof- 
it; 1947,  $1,787,417  loss,  and  first  9 
months  of  1948,  $5,552,221  loss. 


15  Cent  RKO  Dividend 

A  dividend  of  15  cents  a  share  on 
common  stock,  payable  April  1,  was 
declared  by  RKO's  board  of  directors 
at  a  meeting  held  here  on  Friday. 

Stage  Shows  for  Earle 

Philadelphia,  Feb.  20— The  Earle 
Theatre  will  resume  its  stage  show 
policy  on-  March  4. 


Hughes'  Option 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Feb.  28  Para.  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Hughes  must  be  given  two  days  in 
which  to  purchase  any  of  the  war- 
rants that  Atlas  may  propose  to  sell 
at  any  time.  If  an  agreement  for 
Hughes'  purchase  of  such  warrants 
is  not  reached,  Atlas  is  limited  to  the 
sale  of  10,000  warrants  in  a  subse- 
quent 90-day  period.  Before  Atlas  can 
sell  any  portion  of  the  remaining  war- 
rants thereafter,  the  same  process  as 
above  becomes  effective  again. 

Anti-noise  Law  Upheld 

Columbus,  O.,  Feb.  20.— The  Co- 
lumbus anti-noise  ordinance,  which 
bans  use  of  loudspeakers  on  streets  by 
theatres  and  other  businesses,  won  ju- 
dicial support  through  a  U.  S.  Su- 
preme Court  decision  upholding  a 
similar  ordinance  in  Trenton.  The  lo- 
cal ordinance  is  modeled  on  the  Tren- 
ton law,  after  a  previous  anti-noise 
law  had  been  declared  unconstitutional 
by  municipal  judges  here. 


Zukor,  board  chairman;  Paul  Rai- 
bourn,  vice-president;  Leonard  Gold- 
enson,  theatre  vice-president;  Al 
Schwalberg,  sales  chief,  and  E.  K. 
(Ted)  O'Shea,  Hugh  Owen,  James 
Donahue,  Gordon  Whitestone,  George 
Weltner,  Ben  Washer,  Stanley  Shu- 
ford,  Oscar  Morgan,  William  Danzi- 
ger,  Fred  Leroy,  Rudy  Montgelas, 
Russell  Holman,  George  Smith  and 
Paul  Ackerman. 


Dudelson  Named 

(Continued  'from  page  1) 


Screen  Guild  in  Los  Angeles,  where 
he  moved  following  20  years  with 
United  Artists  in  Cincinnati. 

Albert  Glaubinger  succeeds  Dudel- 
son as  Cincinnati  manager,  moving  up 
from  his  post  as  Cleveland  salesman. 
Glaubinger  entered  the  industry  as 
Detroit  salesman  for  Columbia.  In 
1946  he  moved  to  RKO  Radio,  and 
in  November,  1948,  he  joined  E-L. 


Mexico  Regulates 
U.K.  Film  Imports 

Mexico  City,  Feb.  20. — Distributors 
of  '  British  pictures  here  fear  their 
practical  exclusion  from  the  Mexican 
market  as  the  result  of  new  import 
regulations  which  specify  that  a  spe- 
cial permit  is  necessary  for  each  film. 
In  the  past  permission  was  granted  for 
bulk  import.  The  ruling  was  issued 
in  the  wake  of  the  discontinuance  of 
the  trade  treaty  between  Mexico  and 
England. 

British  product  has  become  increas- 
ingly popular  in  Mexico. 


Yeoman,  Hartman  Raised 

Milton  J.  Yeoman,  of  the  RKO 
Radio  home  office  distribution  repre- 
sentative staff,  under  A.  A.  Schubart, 
manager  of  exchange  operations,  has 
been  promoted  to  office  manager  of 
the  New  York  exchange,  which  Phil 
Hodes  manages.  William  Hartman, 
formerly  office  manager,  takes  over 
the  new  post  of  head  booker. 


Snowed  Under? 


You'll  polish  tha 
work  off  in  no  time  — 
after  a  TWA  Quickif 
Vacation  in  Southert 
California  or  th< 
Southwest  Sun  Couri 
try.  A  few  days  off  an 
all  you  need  for  rea 
rest  and  fun  in  Phoe 
nix,  Las  Vegas  or  Lo1 
Angeles  when  yoi 
travel  TWA  Skyliner 
Big  savings  on  famit 
travel  and  round  trips 
Call  your  local  TWi 
office  or  your  trave 
agent. 


1 

FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate  i 

IN 

TT%  ATT  ~\T 

Concise  ' 

FILM 

II A  1  J.Y 

and 

-  ■ 

INI—  WO 

Impartial 

L_  j 

VOL.  65.  NO.  37 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  FEBRUARY  23,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Sharp  Upturn 
Recorded  by 
Field  Grosses 


1949  Starter  Tops  1948; 
$16,544  Weekly  Average 

Theatre  business  got  off  to  an 
exceptionally  good  start  this  year, 
with  the  first  month's  average 
weekly  gross  outdistancing  that  re- 
corded for  January,  1948,  according  to 
reports  on  some  167  key  theatres  re- 
ceived from  Motion  Picture  Daily 
correspondents  in  the  field.  Addition- 
ally, last  month's  figure  was  substan- 
tially higher  than  that  for  the  previous 
month. 

Average   weekly   income  for 
January  rose   to  $16,544  from 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Holiday  Spurs  N.Y. 
Grosses;  'Letter,' 
'Smith,'  'Shoes'  Big 


Bolstered  by  expected  big  holiday 
business  yesterday,  Washington's 
Birthday,  New  York's  first-run  the- 
atres are  anticipating  singularly  good 
grosses  this  week.  Lending  impetus 
to  the  prosperity  potential  of  the 
holiday  were  openings  yesterday  .  of 
new  pictures  at  the  Roxy,  Mayfair 
and  Astor. 

Out  front,  meanwhile,  as  one  of 
the  most  consistently  solid  grossers, 
is  "A  Letter  to  Three  Wives"  which, 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Canada  Would  Get 
RKO  16mm.Product 


Sovereign  Film  Distributors  has 
been  named  RKO  Radio's  16mm.  dis- 
tribution agency  in  Canada,  announces 
Harry  J.  Michalson,  RKO  short  sub- 
ject sales  manager. 

In  an  agreement  just  concluded, 
Sovereign  Films  will  start  immediate 
exclusive  distribution  of  RKO  fea- 
tures, heretofore  unavailable  in  16mm. 
width  in  Canada,  together  with  short 
subjects.  Upon  expiration,  at  an  early 
date,  of  the  agreement  now  in  effect 
with  another  16mm.  distributor,  Sov- 
ereign will  be  the  sole  distributor  of 
all  RKO  16mm.  film  in  the  Dominion. 

Negotiations  were  conducted  by  Sid 
Kramer  and  Leo  Devaney  represent- 
ing RKO  Radio,  and  A.  W.  Perry 
and  Walter  Kennedy  of  Sovereign. 


Smith  Named 
20th-Fox  'VP' 


Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  general  sales 
manager  of  20th  Century-Fox,  has 
been  signed  to  a  long-term  contract 
and  at  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  di- 
rectors  was 
elected  a  vice- 
president  of  the 
company,  it  was 
announced  here 
by  Spyros  P. 
Skouras,  presi- 
dent. 

Smith  was 
appointed  gen- 
eral sales  man- 
ager in  May, 
1947.  He  had 
formerly  been 
Eastern  divi- 
sion sales  man- 
ager, having  be- 
come associated 
with  20th  Century-Fox  in  this  latter 
capacity  in  1942.  Smith  entered  the 
film  industry  in  1914  at  Pathe. 


Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr. 


Pennsylvania  MPTO 
Meets  in  Pittsburgh 


Pittsburgh,  Feb.  22. — Addresses 
by  Abe  Montague,  general  sales  man- 
ager for  Columbia,  and  Al  Schwal- 
berg,  general  sales  manager  for  Par- 
amount, marked  the  opening  session 
of  the  Allied  Motion  Picture  The- 
atre Owners  of  Western  Pennsylvania 
28th  annual  convention  at  the  Wil- 
liam Penn  Hotel  today. 

Montague  spoke  on  problems  of 
distributors  and  said  that  reduced 
income  from  abroad  could  mean  only 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Independents  Will 
Honor  Eric  Johnston 

Hollywood,  Feb.  22.— Eric 
A.  Johnston,  president  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America,  will  be  awarded  a 
plaque  by  the  Independent 
Motion  Picture  Producers  "in 
acknowledgment  of  outstand- 
ing efforts  to  bring  fine  pub- 
lic recognition  to  the  motion 
picture  industry,"  at  a  dinner 
in  his  honor  next  Monday  eve- 
ning. 

IMPPA  president  I.  E. 
Chadwick  revealed  that  this 
will  be  the  fourth  time  the 
award  has  been  given.  Joe  E. 
Brown,  Jean  Hersholt  and 
Bob  Hope  having  been  hon- 
ored previously. 


13  Bills  to  Cut  US 
Tax  Now  Pending 


Washington,  Feb.  22.  —  Twelve 
Congressmen,  at  the  last  count,  had 
introduced  bills  to  repeal  or  reduce  the 
20  per  cent  Federal  admissions  tax. 

Congressman,  Rep.  Multer  (D., 
N.Y.),  has  sponsored  two  separate 
bills,  one  to  repeal  the  20  per  cent  levy 
entirely,  the  other  to  cut  it  back  to 
the  pre-war  10  per  cent. 

Rep.  Havenner  (D.,  Calif.)  has  also 
introduced  a  bill  to  repeal  the  tax 
entirely.  All  the  other  legislators 
propose  cutting  it  back  to  10  per  cent. 
Sponsors  of  these  bills  are  Representa- 
tives Colmer  (D.,  Miss.),  Dingell 
(D.,  Mich.),  O'Toole  (D.,  N.Y.), 
McDonough  (R.,  Calif.),  Hagen  (R., 
Minn.),  Talle  (R.,  Iowa),  Martin  (R., 
Mass.),  Forand  (D.,  R.I.),  Jonas 
(R.,  111.),  and  Mansfield  (D.,  Mont). 


44 


Little  Women 


[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer] — Entertainment  Unlimited 

Hollyzvood,  Feb.  22 

EVERYTHING'S  all  right  with  show  business  again.  This  picture 
proves  it.  Here  is  entertainment  unlimited,  entertainment  of  the 
highest  order  and  for  all  kinds  of  people.  Here  is  the  incom- 
parable type  of  entertainment  that  comes  of  pouring  unstinted  talent, 
time  and  money  into  the  telling  of  a  story  worth  telling.  "This,"  said  a 
delighted  cynic  after  the  Hollywood  preview,  "is  like  old  times,"  and 
that's  what  a  likewise  delighted  public  is  going  to  be  telling  delighted 
exhibitors  in  cities,  towns  and  hamlets  throughout  the  land  as  the  picture 
goes  its  way.  Give  it  everything  you  have  and  it  will  give  you  back  a 
handsome  dividend,  not  only  in  dollars  but  in  the  rekindling  of  your 
customers'  enthusiasm  for  motion  pictures. 

How  to  sell  it?  Well,  the  names  are  June  Allyson,  Peter  Lawford, 
Margaret  O'Brien,  Elizabeth  Taylor,  Janet  Leigh,  Mary  Astor,  Lucile 
Watson,  Sir  C.  Aubrey  Smith,  Harry  Davenport,  Rossano  Brazzi,  Eliza- 
beth Patterson,  Leon  Ames,  Connie  Gilchrist  and  Ellen  Corby.  It  is  a 
cast  to  tax  the  marquee  capacity  of  the  Music  Hall,  and  it  turns  in  per- 

(Continued  on'  page  3) 


RKO  Theatres 
Attendance 
Off  About  6% 


Indicated  Ratio  for 
1948  Compared  to  '47 


Paid  attendance  at  RKO  theatres 
dropped  from  94,137,204  in  1946  to 
86,090,981  in  1947.  For  the  first 
nine  months  of  1948  the  paid  at- 
tendance was  60,795,598,  according  to 
information  supplied  company  stock- 
holders in  connection  with  RKO's  di- 
vorcement-reorganization plan  to  be 
voted  on  March  28. 

Box  office  receipts  at  RKO  thea- 
tres declined  from  $46,673,540  in  1946 
to  $45,087,661  in  1947.  For  the  first 
nine  months  of  1948  receipts  were 
$30,747,515. 

The  figures  are  for  ticket  sales  only 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Reject  Leserman  Bid 
For  Screen  Guild 


Carl  Leserman's  proposed  offer  of 
$1,000,000  for  complete  control  of 
Screen  Guild  was  turned  down  by  a 
vote  of  about  10  to  one  at  a  meeting 
of  the  board  of  directors  and  franchise 
holders  in  Chicago- at  the  weekend,  it 
was  disclosed  here  Monday  by  Robert 
L.  Lippert,  SG  president.  At  the  same 
time  a  plan  for  the  consolidation  of 
SG  with  Lippert  Productions  was 
agreed  upon.  All  present  officers  of 
the  company  were  reelected  for  the 
ensuing  year  at  the  meeting. 

Commenting  on  the  merger,  Lippert 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Tax  Rule  Delaying 
Paramount  Decree 

Paramount's  insistence  that 
the  U.  S.  Treasury  Depart- 
ment formally  declare  the 
company's  re-distribution  of 
stock  under  its  proposed  re- 
organization to  be  a  tax-free 
operation  has  resulted  in  an 
unexpected  delay  in  finalizing 
the  consent  decree  with  the 
government.  Paramount  re- 
fuses to  sign  until  the  Treas- 
ury ruling  is  given,  in 
writing.  Fred  Mohrhardt, 
treasurer  of  the  company,  was 
in  Washington  from  New 
York  on  Monday,  presumably 
on  this  matter. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  February  23,  1949 


M- 
will 


Personal 
Mention 


WILLIAM   F.  RODGERS, 
G-M   sales  vice-president, 
arrive  here  tomorrow  from  the  Coast. 
• 

Maurice  Bergman,  head  of  the 
motion  picture  committee  of  the  na- 
tional U.  S.  Savings  Bond  drive,  will 
be  in  Washington  today  to  attend  a 
meeting  of  chairmen  of  the  19  na- 
tional industry  committees. 

• 

Budd  Rogers,  Realart  distribution 
vice-president,  will  observe  his  25th 
anniversary  in  the  industry  tomorrow. 
• 

M.  A.  J.  Healey,  Near  East  man- 
ager of  the  MPEA,  left  here  yester- 
day to  return  to  Cairo. 

9 

Manny  Reiner,  SRO  manager  for 
Latin  America  and  Australia,  has  re- 
turned to  New  York  from  Hollywood. 

Moe  Kerman,  Favorite  Films 
president,  has  returned  to  New  York 
from  the  Coast. 


Studio  Executives  At 
MPAA  Meet  Today 

Hollywood,  Feb.  22. — First  in  a 
series  of  conferences  to  be  held  here 
during  a  10-day  visit  of  Eric  Johnston 
and  other  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America  executives  was  sched- 
uled to  be  held  at  the  Beverly  Hills 
Hotel  today. 

Expected  to  be  in  attendance,  ac- 
cording to  AMPP  board  chairman  Y. 
Frank  Freeman,  were  80  to  100  ex- 
ecutives from  all  major  studios,  with 
Louis  B.  Mayer,  M-G-M  executive, 
presiding.  Speakers  will  be  Johnston, 
Robert  Chambers,  head  of  MPAA 
research  department ;  Dr.  Arno  John- 
son, of  the  J.  Walter  Thompson 
agency's  research  and  statistical  de- 
partment ;  John  McCarthy,  managing 
director  of  the  MPAA  international 
division ;  and  Francis  Harmon, 
MPAA  vice-president  in  charge  of 
the  New  York  office. 


AFL  or  CIO?  Six 
NLRB  Tests  Start 

Loew's  and  Paramount's  home  of- 
fice "white  collarites"  today  will  vote 
in  National  Labor  Relations  Board- 
sponsored  elections  to  determine 
whether  their  collective  bargaining 
agents  will  be  AFL's  IATSE  Motion 
Picture  Home  Office  Employes  Local 
No.  H-63  or  CIO's  Screen  Office  and 
Professional  Employes  Guild.  To- 
day's balloting  will  be  the  first  in 
three  successive  days  of  NLRB  elec- 
tions at  six  film  company  home  offices 
where  the  rival  unions  have  been  con- 
testing for  control. 

Elections  will  be  held  tomorrow  at 
RKO  Radio  and  DeLuxe  Laboratories 
and  on  Friday  at  Republic  and  Co- 
lumbia. The  results  of  each  of  the 
individual  "white  collarite"  elections 
will  be  announced  simultaneously 
after  the  entire  six  have  been  held, 
that  procedure  having  been  agreed 
upon  by  the  two  unions  to  prevent  in- 
fluencing elections  to  follow. 


Suit  Asks  $225,000 
For  Film  'Freeze9 

Minneapolis,  Feb.  22. — Rose  and 
Louis  Deutsch  of  the  Granada  at  Vir- 
ginia, Minn.,  through  their  attorney, 
Ben  Deinerd  of  Minneapolis,  has 
served  papers  in  a  $225,000  damage 
suit  against  Minnesota  Amusement 
Co.  and  six  distributors  charging  a 
product  "freeze  out." 

Distributors  charged  jointly  with 
the  Paramount  subsidiary  circuit  are 
Paramount,  RKO  Radio,  20th-Fox, 
Universal-International,  Columbia  and 
United  Artists.  Minnesota  Amuse- 
ment's Maco  and  State  were  pooled 
in  operations  with  the  Deutschs' 
Granada  at  Virginia  for  10  years  pri- 
or to  Apr.  26,  1946,  when  the  pool 
was  terminated  at  the  request  of 
Deutsch. 


Dismiss  Stockholder 
Action  vs.  Universal 

Universal  Pictures  has  won  dis- 
missal in  New  York  State  Supreme 
Court  here  of  the  action  brought  last 
July  by  minority  stockholder  Rose 
Polaski  who  had  attacked  certain  pro- 
visions of  contracts  with  Universal 
executives  relating  to  profits  realized 
by  them  on  options  to  purchase  stock 
of  the  corporation  and  contingent 
profits  on  unexercised  options. 

Universal  and  Robert  S.  Benjamin 
as  one  of  the  directors,  the  only  de- 
fendants served,  had  moved  for  sum- 
mary judgment,  dismissing  the  com- 
plaints on  the  ground  that  Mrs.  Po- 
laski was  not  an  owner  of  Universal 
stock  at  the  time  of  the  events  com- 
plained of.  Louis  H.  O.  Fischman, 
is  counsel  for  Mrs.  Polaski. 


Meiselman  Suit  to 
Resume  on  March  7 

Charlotte,  Feb.  22.  —  Presentation 
of  evidence  will  be  resumed  March  7 
in  H.  B.  Meiselman's  suit  to  enjoin 
distributors  from  allegedly  favoring 
theatres  of  Wilby-Kincey.  Harold 
Schilz  and  John  Claggett,  attorneys 
for  Meiselman,  presented  evidence  here 
for  two  days  last  week,  winding  up 
with  an  examination  of  H.  F.  Kincey. 
Kincey  will  return  to  the  stand  when 
the  proceedings  resume  next  month. 

Meiselman  told  Judge  Wilson  War- 
lick  that  he  would  be  forced  to  close 
his  Center  Theatre  unless  the  first-run 
film  market  were  opened  to  neighbor- 
hood houses. 


Roberts  in  New  Post 

Neil  Agnew,  president  of  Motion 
Picture  Sales  Corp.,  has  appointed 
Joseph  L.  Roberts  as  publicity  and 
public  relations  director. 

Prior  to  his  new  association,  Rob- 
erts was  Eastern  publicity  director  of 
David  O.  Selznick's  Vanguard  Films 
and  Selznick  Releasing  Organization. 
Before  joining  the  Selznick  companies, 
Roberts  was  publicity  director  of  the 
Center  Theatre  in  Rockefeller  Center. 


"Red  Canyon"  Premiere 

World  premiere  of  "Red  Canyon," 
Universal  -  International  Technicolor 
Western,  will  be  held  in  Salt  Lake 
City  on  March  17,  it  was  announced 
by  David  Lipton,  U-I  national  direc- 
tor of  advertising-publicity. 


London  CEA  Hits 
Weak  Quota  Films 

London,  Feb.  22. — Inability  of 
British  producers  to  supply  films  in 
sufficient  number  to,  meet  the  45  per 
cent  quota  was  termed  "alarming"  by 
J.  W.  Davie's,  retiring  chairman  of 
the  London  and  Home  Counties 
Branch  of  the  Cinematograph  Exhibi- 
tors' Association  at  its  most  recent 
meeting. 

"Apart  from  the  number  of  films 
available,"  Davies  said,  "box-office 
showings  of  recent  releases  are  wor- 
rying if  not  alarming." 

Sir  Sidney  Clift,  newly-elected 
branch  chairman,  said :  "In  my  opin- 
ion the  greatest  menace  to  us  as  ex- 
hibitors has  been  the  arrival  of  Sir 
Henry  French." 

Sir  Henry  is  director-general  of  the 
Producers'  Association  and  cham- 
pioned the  new  quota. 

Said  T.  H.  Fligelstone,  vice-chair- 
man of  the  London  branch :  "British 
exhibitors  are  loyally  showing  Brit- 
ish pictures.  We  show  them  to  empty 
houses.  I  have  a  feeling  that  this 
country's  producers  are  devoting  too 
much  time  to  the  costs  of  production 
rather  than  the  entertainment  value 
of  a  picture." 

Those  sentiments,  which  have  been 
conveyed  to  Harold  Wilson,  president 
of  the  Board  of  Trade,  and  to  J.  Ar- 
thur Rank,  are  characteristic  of  the 
growls  arising  among  exhibitors  in 
every  part  of  the  country. 


Sears  Urges  More 
Top-Budget  Films 

"Hollywood  has  been  pessimistical- 
ly premature  in  writing  off  the  big 
budget  movie  as'  a  thing  of  the  past," 
Gradwell  L.  Sears,  president  of  Unit- 
ed Artists,  declares. 

"  'Big'  movies  can  still  reap,  big 
rewards,"  Sears  states,  and  offers  as 
evidence  the  box-office  showing  of 
"Red  River,"  which,  he  reports,  is  ex- 
pected to  reach  a  distribution  gross  of 
$4,500,000.  The  film,  which  cost  $2,- 
800,000,  "is  having  a  profound  effect 
on  current  thinking  in .  producing  cir- 
cles," he  said. 

"Low-budget  pictures  can  too  easily 
become  low-effort  pictures.  These,  no 
matter  how  "economical',  can  be  un- 
economic ;  added  all  up,  they  stdnd  to 
make  less  and  lose  more,"  Sears  con- 
tinues. "Parsimony  can  be  as  fool- 
hardy as  wastefulness.  The  trick  is 
to  spend  intelligently." 


Sam  Dembow,  Jr.,  Quits 
Board  of  United  Artists 

Mary  Pickford,  co-owner  of  United 
Artists,  yesterday  reported  the  resig- 
nation of  Sam  Dembow,  Jr.,  as  one  of 
her  representatives  on  the  board  of  di- 
rectors. The  resignation  takes  effect 
immediately. 

Meeting  of  the  board  yesterday 
heard  a  report  on  conditions  abroad 
by  Arthur  W.  Kelly,  executive  vice- 
president,  who  recently  returned  from 
England  and  the  Continent.  David 
Coplan,  former  British  chief  for  UA, 
also  addressed  the  meeting. 


Pine  Tours  16  Cities 
To  Promote  (El  Paso' 

William  H.  Pine,  of  the  Paramount 
producing  team  of  Pine-Thomas,  was 
in  Buffalo  on  Monday  and  in  Toronto 
yesterday  on  the  first  leg  of  a  16-city 
cross-country  tour  in  behalf  of  the 
duo's  "El  Paso,"  which  will  be  re- 
leased nationally  on  April  1.  Prior  to 
his  departure  Pine  held  a  meeting 
here  with  Paramount  executives  Al- 
fred M.  Schwalberg,  E.  K.  (Ted) 
O'Shea,  Hugh  Owen,  Stanley  Shuford, 
George  Brown  and  Ben  Washer. 

Pine  will  return  here  today  and 
will  be  in  Boston  tomorrow  and  in 
Philadelphia,  Friday. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALl  — a 

Rockefeller  Center 


CRAIN 

Ann 


Linda  DARNELL 
SOTHERN 


'A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES"  3 

KIRK    DOUGLAS    -    PAUL   DOUGLAS  • 
JEFFREY  LYNN 

A    20th  Century  -  Fox  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Paramount  presents  ^  -    

ROBERT  PRESTON  /  RiCH-TORMe 

5>»"  TECHNIC*""  ' 


DNIGHT  FEATUI1 
"IGHTLV 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER,    West  of  Brre0eadway 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


r 


OAJWYl  F.  ZANUCK  presents  ■ 

OLIVIA  de  HAVILLAND  I 


tKe  Snalce  Pit 


I Directed  by 
ANATOLE  DTVAK 


Produced  by  S(~\  I 

ANATOLE  IIIVAX  t  ROBERT  BASSLER 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  ■  CAST  Of  THOUSANDS^ 


■th  in«  ccbbf H  .  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  •  i  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BOND  i 
SH  pJ?ERDFsfR£UDW™™CHURD  HATFIELD  .  GENE  LOCK  HART  • JOHN  EMERY 
GEORGE  C0UL0UR1S  .  JOHN  IRELAND  and  «DL  KELIAWAV 
based  upon  Hie  stase  play  'loan  pi  Lor.a,ne__by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
screen  ploy  b,  MAXWELL  AND"" 

Produud  by  WALTER  W ANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

nted  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc. 


J  5  &  WEEK  #i 


i  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Ouigley.  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quiglev  Publishing  Company,  Inc..  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20.  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quiglev,  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  T.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  K.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben.  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
T.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D'.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London. 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Wednesday,  February  23,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


DuMont  Objecting  to 
FCCTrustSuit'Taint' 


Washington,  Feb.  22. — Allen  B. 
DuMont  Laboratories  is  expected  to 
soon  tell  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission  that  its  television  plans 
should  hot  be  held  up  because  of  any 
anti-trust  law  violations  by  Para- 
mount Pictures. 

The  FCC  claims  that  Paramount 
controls  DuMont  and  it  recently  gave 
DuMont  only  a  temporary  license,  for 
station  WABD  in  New  York  and 
various  DuMont  experimental  video 
stations.  This  was  done,  the  FCC 
said,  pending  a  ruling  on  whether 
anti-trust  law  violators  should  be  al- 
lowed into  the  radio-television  field. 

DuMont's  stand,  which  will  go  to 
the  FCC  shortly,  according  to  a  Du- 
Mont representative,  is  that  it  is  "be- 
ing tainted  with  the  sins  of  someone 
we  don't  even  acknowledge  to  be  our 
father."  DuMont  will  tell  the  FCC 
that  it  has  been  a  television  pioneer 
and  its  plans  should  not  be  viewed 
with  suspicion  because  of  anti-trust 
laws  violations  of  a  firm  that  hap- 
pened to  own  large  blocks  of  its  stock. 

Today  DuMont  filed  with  the  Com- 
mission exceptions  to  the  Commis- 
sion's proposed  ruling  that  Paramount 
does  control  DuMont.  The  DuMont 
argument  follows  closely  one  filed  by 
Paramount  last  week — that  the  Para- 
mount interest  in  DuMont  is  an  in- 
vestment one  and  not  for  purposes  of 
control. 

DuMont,  Philco  and  the  Television 
Broadcasters  Association  today  filed  a 
petition  asking  the  Commission  to  sus- 
pend, pending  an  investigation,  new 
rates  proposed  by  American  Telephone 
and  Telegraph  Co.  for  its  Eastern  sea- 
board coaxial  cable.  The  new  rates 
are  slated  to  go  into  effect  on 
March  1. 


64 


Little  Women 


99 


New  York  Grosses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Salesmen  Must  Face 
Trust  Action  Hearing 

Washington,  Feb.  22. — District 
Court  Judge  Matthew  F.  McGuire  has 
denied  for  the  second  time  a  motion  to 
dismiss  two  theatre-owning  film  sales- 
men as  defendants  in  the  $150,000 
damage  and  injunction  anti-trust  case 
brought  by  the  Center  Theatre  of 
Centreville,  Md. 

The  theatre  is  suing  Paramount, 
20th  Century-Fox,  RKO  Radio  and 
Columbia,  and  Charles  Wingfield  and 
F.  B.  Klein,  salesmen  for  Columbia 
and  20th-Fox,  respectively,  who  own 
theatres  in  Church  Hill  and  Chester- 
town,  Md.  The  suit  accuses  the  dis- 
tributors of  giving  the  Klein  and 
Wingfield  houses  a  monopoly  of  first- 
run  product,  with  undue  preference 
being  given  them  because  of  their 
posts  as  salesmen  for  the  two  film 
firms.  The  two  salesmen  now  have  10 
days  to  file  answers  to  the  original 
complaint  before  the  case  is  set  for  trial. 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


haps  the  best  group  performance  witnessed  since  "I  Remember  Mama," 

The  title,  of  course,  tells  the  wide  world  that  the  picture  is  Louisa  May 
Alcott's  imperishable  story  of  Boston  in  the  1860's,  but  it  is  up  to  showmen 
to  add  that  the  filming' s  been  done  with  impeccable  fidelity  on  the  grand  scale 
and  with  magnificent  use  of  Technicolor.  Few  books  have  been  dealt  with  as 
faithfully  and  gratifyingly  in  the  whole  long  history  of  the  screen. 

Production  and  direction  by  Mervyn  LeRoy  are  of  a  kind  to  install  that 
young  veteran  of  many  hits  on  a  new  and  higher  plane  in  his  and  your  art- 
industry.  His  craftsmanship  is  superbly  demonstrated  throughout  the  picture, 
notably  in  the  utter  appropriateness  and  delivery  of  the  dialogue,  and  again 
in  the  splendid  simplicity  of  scenes  and  sequences  taxing  technological  skills 
to  the  utmost.  You  have  got  to  go  back  to  "Meet  Me  in  St.  Louis"  for  a 
comparable  job  of  reproducing  a  period  and  a  place  and  a  manner  of  living. 
LeRoy  establishes  all  these  in  his  opening  shot,  and  there  is  never  a  letdown 
from  there  on.  He  allows  what  appears  to  be  an  intentional  breather  after 
about  90  minutes,  but  this  turns  out  to  be  just  what  is  needed  to  add  inipact 
to  the  incidents  which  follow.  These  include  one  which  had  the  ladies  in  the 
preview  audience  weeping  blissfully. 

There  are  no  audience  limitations.  The  grandparent  generation  represented 
in  the  story  by  the  late  Sir  C.  Aubrey  Smith  and  Lucile  Watson,  the  parent-age 
contingent  represented  by  Mary  Astor  and  Leon  Ames,  and  the  juniors,  repre- 
sented by  the  others,  will  find  in  the  picture,  as  they  always  have  found  in 
the  novel,  maximum  interest,  charm  and  understanding.  The  appeal  is  as 
universal  as  the  screen.  The  screenplay,  by  Andrew  Solt,  Sarah  Y.  Mason  and 
Victor  Heerman  is  a  triumphantly  straightaway  presentation  of  narrative, 
devoid  of  flashbacks  or  other  trickery  of  any  character,  and  the  music  score 
by  Adolph  Deutsch  is  brilliantly  subordinated  to  the  story  it  backgrounds. 

Showmen  wishing  to  focus  advertising  down  to  a  single  performance  can 
truly  declare  Miss  Allyson's  portrayal  of  Jo  a  championship  achievement. 

Running  time,  122  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
not  Set.  '  William  R.  Weaver 


Field  Grosses  Up  Sharply 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


December's  $15,138.  Weekly  av- 
erage per  theatre  for  January 
last  year  was  $16,192.  Top  week 
last  month  was  the  second,  with 
$19,018  registered.  Best  week  in 
January,  1948,  was  the  first, 
which  brought  a  $19,031  average 
per  theatre. 

"The  Paleface,"  one  of  the  two  pic- 
tures which  tied  for  top  grossing  hon- 
ors in  December,  continued  in  the 
lead  spot  last  month,  sharing  that 
position  with  "The  Snake  Pit"  which 
rose  from  third  position  to  replace 
"The  Three  Musketeers."  In  second 
place  last  month  was  "Words  and 
Music,"  followed  by  "Yellow  Sky,"  in 
third.  Close  behind  the  latter  were 
"The  Red  Shoes"  and  "Paisan." 

Other  pictures  which  appeared  fre- 
quently as  better-than-average  gross- 
ers  last  month  were :  "Blood  on  the 


Second  Petition  for 
Cut  in  Clearance 

Cleveland,  Feb.  22. — Having  re- 
ceived ho  replies  from  distribution 
companies  to  a  request  that  a  21-day 
general  clearance  be  granted  to  first- 
run  subsequent-run  houses  in  Greater 
Cleveland,  Ernest  Schwartz,  president 
of  the  Cleveland  Motion  Picture  Exhi- 
bitors Association,  has  addressed  a  sec- 
ond letter  to  them,  stressing  the  gen- 
eral trend  of  reduced  clearances  and 
asking  for  consideration  of  his  request, 
made  in  the  name  of  independent  first- 
run  subsequents. 


Moon,"  "The  Three  Musketeers," 
"Hamlet,"  "The  Accused,"  "You 
Gotta  Stay  Happy,"  "The  Wake  of 
the  Red  Witch." 

Also  registering  well  last  month, 
but  less  frequently  than  the  foregoing, 
were :  "Red  River,"  "A  Song  Is 
Born,"  "Road  House,"  "One  Sunday 
Afternoon,"  "Adventures  of  Don 
Juan,"  "The  Boy  With  the  Green 
Hair,"  "Kiss  the  Blood  Off  My 
Hands,"  "Unknown  Island,"  "Whip 
lash,"  "He  Walked  by  Night,"  "The 
Man  from  Colorado,"  "That  Wonder- 
ful Urge,"  "Rogues'  Regiment," 
"Mexican  Hayride,"  "Every  Girl 
Should  Be  Married,"  "Letter  from  an 
Unknown  Woman,"  "Time  of  Your 
Life,"  "The  Kissing  Bandit"  and  "So 
Dear  to  My  Heart." 

Composite  key  city  box-office  re 
ports  for  1949  to  date,  compared  with 
corresponding  weeks  of  1948,  follow : 


Average 
No.  of     Total  Per 
Theatres  Gross  Theatre 


1949 
Week 
Ending 

Jan.     1-2   164   $2,855,800  $17,413 

Jan.     6-7   168     3,195,000  19,018 

Jan.   14-15   161     2,609,900  16,211 

Jan.   21-22   162     2,497,500  15,417 

Jan.   28-29   179     2,624,100  14,660 


Average 
No.  of    Total  Per 
Theatres  Gross  Theatre 


1948 
Week 
Ending 

Jan.     2-3   179   $3,406,600  $19,031 

Jan.     9-10   168     3,112,700  18,528 

Jan.   16-17   168     2,473,300  14,722 

Jan.   23-24   166     2,419.000  14,572 

Jan.   30-31   166     2,341,900  14,108 


Coast  SPG  Set  for 
'Invasion'  by  'IA' 

Hollywood,  Feb.  22. — Screen  Pub- 
licists Guild  president  Lesley  Mason 
called  a  special  meeting  of  the  mem- 
bership tonight  to  consider  the  situa- 
tion precipitated  last  Friday  when  the 
IATSE  petitioned  the  NLRB  for  cer- 
tification as  the  bargaining  agent. 

The  IATSE  move,  which  seeks  to 
revive  the  publicists'  local  set  up  dur- 
ing the  1945  strike  but  was  unsuccess- 
ful in  winning  a  majority  support  at 
that  time,  came  in  sequel  to  objections 
by  a  large  number  of  SPG  members 
to  approval  given  the  producer  con- 
tract okayed  in  a  membership  meeting 
last  week.  SPG  is  affiliated  with  the 
Brotherhood  of  Painters,  Decorators 
and  Paperhangers,  which  was  a  leader 
in  the  1945  strike. 


Threats  Mark  Italian 
Producers'  Quota  Bid 

Italy's  film  producers  have  threat- 
ened  to  shut  down  their  studios  on 
April  30  unless  legislation  is  passed 
before  then  to  prevent  the  Italian  ex 
hibition  market  from  being  "swamped' 
by  foreign  films,  it  is  reported  in 
press  dispatches  reaching  New  York 
from  Rome.  A  shutdown  would  mean 
the  laying  off  of  50,000  workers.  Com 
munist  agitation  for  "protection  of 
Italian  films"  also  was  reported  in 
conjunction  with  the  producers'  threat 

The  present  law,  which  obliges  ex 
hibitors  in  Italy  to  dedicate  20  days 
every  three  months  to  Italian  films 
will  expire  at  the  end  of  the  year.  Th 
producers  want  it  replaced  with  on 
that  will  afford  them  even  greater  pro 
tection. 


together  with  a  stage  presentation,  is 
seen  winding  up  its  Music  Hall  ten- 
ancy with  a  galloping  $127,000  in  a 
fifth  and  final  week  on  the  basis  of 
$74,000  grossed  Thursday  through 
Sunday. 

A  number  of  New  York's  first-runs, 
notably  the  Paramount,  Roxy,  Park 
Avenue  and  Bijou,  held  extra  perfor- 
mances yesterday.  At  these  houses, 
as  elsewhere,  of  course,  holiday  ad- 
mission prices  prevailed. 

$110,000  at  Paramount 

First  nine  days  of  "Whisperin' 
Smith,"  plus  a  stage  bill  headed  by 
comedian  Henny  Youngman,  are  ex- 
pected to  bring  the  Paramount  a  very 
robust  $110,000.  At  the  Roxy,"  "Yel- 
ow  Sky"  and  Danny  Kaye  on  stage 
brought  a  husky  $94,000  for  the  third 
and  final  week ;  "Down  to  the  Sea  in 
Ships"  took  over  at  the  Roxy  yester- 
day in  company  with  a  stage  bill  fea- 
turing Rudy  Vallee  and  a  one-perfor- 
mance personal  appearance  of  the 
picture's  star,  Richard  Widmark. 

"Hamlet"  continues  strong  at  the. 
Park  with  a  $16,000  capacity  week  in 
store,  and  at  the  Bijou  "The  Red 
Shoes"  is  expected  to  gross  $17,000, 
which,  by  virtue  of  an  extra  holiday 
showing  is  considerably  above  capac- 
ity. The  former  film  is  in  its  21st 
week  and  the  latter  is  in  its  19th. 

Continuing  at  a  strong  clip  at  the 
Rivoli  is  "The  Snake  Pit"  whose 
16th  week  is  due  for  $20,000,  which  is 
very  good.  Another  long-runner 
which  is  holding  up  impressively  is 
"Joan  of  Arc"  at  the  Victoria  where 
$26,000  is  indicated  for  a  15th  week. 

'Enchantment'  Closes 

Enchantment"  did  all  right  in  the 
final  10  days  of  its  nine-week  run 
at  the  Astor  where  $21,000  was  ex- 
pected; "Knock  on  Any  Door" 
opened  at  that  theatre  .yesterday.  At 
the  Strand,  "John  Loves  Mary,"  plus 
a  stage  bill  topped  by  Jack  Carson,  is 
seen  heading  for  $50,000  in  a  third 
and  final  week,  a  very  substantial  fig- 
ure ;  starting  Friday,  the  Strand  will 
offer  a  special  return  engagement  of 
"Johnny  Belinda"  and  "The  Treasure 
of  Sierra  Madre,"  in  consequence  of 
the  Academy  Award  nominations  em- 
bodied by  each. 

The  Capitol,  where  "Caught"  and 
Charlie  Spivak's  band  on  stage  are 
in  their  first  week,  indicate  a  satis- 
factory $51,000  gross;  third  and  final 
week  of  "The  Bribe,"  together  with 
Arthur  Godfrey  and  his  talent  scouts 
on  stage,  brought  the  Capitol  a  splen- 
did $84,500. 

Also  satisfactory  is  "State  Depart- 
ment— File  649,"  at  the  Globe  where 
$18,000  is  seen  for  a  first  week.  "The 
Return  of  October"  opened  yesterday 
at  the  Mayfair  where  a  three-day  sec- 
ond and  final  week  of  "My  Dear  Sec- 
retary" brought  a  mild  $7,500.  Third 
and  final  week  of  "He  Walked  by 
Night"  is  expected  to  bring  the  Cri- 
terion a  so-so  $17,500 ;  "The  Fighting 
O'Flynn"  will  take  over  on  Saturday. 


National  Theatres' 
3-Day  Meet  Opens 

Los  Angeles,  Feb.  22. — National 
Theatres  will  hold  its  convention  here 
tomorrow,  Thursday  and  Friday,,  at- 
tended by  district  managers  and  de- 
partment heads.  From  San  Francisco 
will  be  Fay  Reeder,  George  Milner, 
Elmer  Hanks,  Clarence  Poos,  Cliff 
Reynolds;  from  Oakland,  Herman 
Kerskin;  Sacramento,  Jim  Runte ;  San 
Jose,  Harry  Seipel. 


A  Lift  of  Spirit 

{Editorial  in  BoxofficeFeb.  5th  Issue.) 


Leave  it  to  those  perennially  young  bloods  of  MGM.  The 
roaring  lion  does  it  again.  The  tail  is  not  timidly  between  the 
legs;  it's  wagging  joyously  to  let  this  whole  industry  know 
of  MGM's  confidence  in  the  motion  picture  business,  in  the 
MGM  product  and  in  the  MGM  organization. 

At  a  time  when  too  many  have  been  viewing  the  out- 
look with  pessimism,  Leo  and  his  pals  step  forward  with  the 
most  optimistic  enterprise  the  trade  has  witnessed  since  the 
prewar  days.  The  preview-of-product  meeting  of  their  sales 
personnel  in  California  spells  good  news  for  exhibitors.  The 
men  went  out  to  look  at  a  flock  of  completed  pictures.  No 
company  would  invest  in  such  an  undertaking  unless  it  had 
something  mighty  wonderful  to  show  the  boys;  something  for 
the  boys  to  tell  you  about.  Our  grapevine  from  the  coast 
hints  that  you  will  not  be  disappointed. 

Good  news  is  what  we're  all  listening  for  nowadays. 
MGM's  preview  of  product  gives  all  of  us  a  much-needed  lift 
of  spirit. 


SOUNDS  MORE  LIKE  BUSINESS 

(Editorial  in  Motion  Picture  Herald  Feb.  5th  Issue.) 

Back  in  the  gay  lush  days  of  promotional  exuberance,  the 
distributors  used  to  organize  ornate  transcontinental  junket 
expeditions  to  far  places.  They  took  trainloads  of  writers, 
wet-packed,  to  previews,  expecting  them  to  tell  the  world. 
MGM  has  a  new  efficiency  version,  assembling  top  personnel 
of  sales  next  week  at  Culver  City  to  look  at  nine  pridefully 
completed  productions  —  expecting  them  to  go  back  to  their 
key  posts  and  tell  the  exhibitors.  Sounds  more  like  business. 


Saying  It  With  Product 


(Editorial  in  Showmen's  Trade  Review  Feb.  5th  Issue.) 

From  every  standpoint  of  the  business,  it  seems  smart 
operating  to  have  the  men  who  will  sell  and  service 
the  theatres  with  MGM  films  become  well  acquainted 
with  the  pictures  they  will  offer.  And  there's  no  better 
way  to  find  out  than  to  see  the  show  itself  unreel  right 
on  a  screen. 

>  But  that's  the  strictly  business  side  of  it.  The  phase 
of  the  event  which  strikes  this  corner  as  significant  in 

•  a  more  general  sense,  is  the  encouragement  it  offers  for 
everybody  who  wants  to  see  more  pep,  enthusiasm,  con- 
fidence in  the  product  the  industry  has  to  offer.  This 
element  has  been  sadly  lacking;  has  been  smothered 
under  the  nebulous  gloom  and  vapors  steamed  up  by 
accents,  on  the  negative. 

So.  hooray!  we  say,  for  the  good  cheer  there  is  in 
this  slightly  terrific  demonstration  of  enthusiasm — 
cockiness,  if  you  will — over  the  pictures  they've  finished 
and  are  bringing  to  completion  at  the  MGM  studios  in 
Hollywood. 

* 

OPTIMISM  AND  FAITH 

(Editorial  in  Greater  Amusements  Feb.  ntK  Issue.) 
This  "Chins-Up"  expedition  of  Metro  is  not 
only  a  sales  hypo  for  its  own  organization,  but  it 
is  a  challenge  for  other  companies  to  return  to  the 
principles  of  showmanship,  and  the  greatest  kind 
of  public  relations!  Hats  off  to  MGM  for  its  great 
display  of  courage  in  again  taking  the  initiative 
in  leading  the  motion  picture  industry  out  of  the 
wilderness. 


TALKO 


"COMMAND  DECISION" 

Clark  Gable  •  Walter  Pidgeon  •  Van  Johnson 
Brian  Donlevy  •  Charles  Bickford 
John  Hodiak  •  Edward  Arnold 

"LITTLE  WOMEN"  (Technicolor) 
June  Allyson  •  Peter  Lawford  •  Margaret  O'Brien 
Elizabeth  Taylor  •  Janet  Leigh 
Rossano  Brazzi  •  Mary  Astor 

"TAKE  ME  OUT  TO  THE  BALL  GAME" 

(Technicolor) 
Frank  Sinatra  •  Esther  Williams  •  Gene  Kelly 
Betty  Garrett 

"NEPTUNE'S  DAUGHTER" 

(Technicolor) 

Esther  Williams  •  Red  Skelton  •  Ricardo  Montalba 
Betty  Garrett  •  Keenan  Wynn  •  Xavier  Cugat 

"THE  SECRET  GARDEN" 

Margaret  O'Brien 'Herbert  Marshall  •  Dean  Stockwell 

"THE  STRATTON  STORY" 

James  Stewart  •  June  Allyson  •  Frank  Morgan 
Agnes  Moorehead  •  Bill  Williams 

"THE  BARKLEYS  OF  BROADWAY" 

(Technicolor) 
Fred  Astaire  •  Ginger  Rogers  •  Oscar  Levant 

"ANY  NUMBER  CAN  PLAY" 

Clark  Gable  •  Alexis  Smith  •  Wendell  Corey 
Audrey  Totter  •  Barry  Sullivan  •  Frank  Morgan 
Mary  Astor  •  Lewis  Stone 

"EDWARD,  MY  SON" 

Spencer  Tracy  •  Deborah  Kerr 

"THE  GREAT  SINNER" 

Gregory  Peck  •  Ava  Gardner  •  Melvyn  Douglas 
Walter  Huston  •  Ethel  Barrymore 
Frank  Morgan  •  Agnes  Moorehead 

"CONSPIRATOR" 

Robert  Taylor  •  Elizabeth  Taylor 

AND  LOTS  MORE! 


(Brotherhood  Week  Feb.  20-27  Fights  Bigotry!) 


THE  INDUSTRY! 

"Thank  you,  gentlemen  of  the  trade 
press!  You  have  helped  the  new 
M-G-M  spirit  to  sweep  the  nation!' 


The  Lion  Roars 

(Editorial  in  Film  Daily  Feb.  7th  Issue.) 

•  •  •  METRO'S  "PREVIEW-OF-PRODUCT"  sales  convention  which 
gets  Under  way  in  Los  Angeles  today  is  of  interest  to  everyone  in 
film  biz,  whether  they  play  the  product  for  which  Leo  roars  or  not. 
or  whether  they're  on  the  Loew's  payroll  or  not.  .  .  .  How  come? 
you  ask.  ...  An  easy  question  to  answer,  that.  .  .  .  For  lo.  these  too 
many  months  by  far.  you've  been  hearing  the  blues  sung.  .  .  .  And 
the  crying  towels,  too.  have  been  much  in  evidence.  .  .  .  Film  biz,  one 
sourpuss  after  another  has  lamented,  is  hanging  on  the  ropes.  .  .  . 
Which  of  course  it  is  not.  ...  But  the  repetition  of  the  sad  lament 
registered  psychologically,  and  things  had  come  to  a  pretty  pass  indeed 
before  some  folks,  topside,  realized  that  pessimism  begets  pessimism 
with  a  rabbit's  fecundity.  ...  But  you  know  how  it  is — there's  gotta 
be  a  sign,  to  convince  many.  .  .  • 

▼  TV 

•  •  •  WELL,  SIRS,  that's  where  the  Metro  sales  conclave  comes 
.  in.  .  .  .  There's  a  sign  for  you.  ...  A  healthy  sign.  ...  A  sign  o'  promise 

of  good  things  to  come.  .  .  .  Meaning  box-office  pictures.  .  .  .  Putting  it 
succinctly,  Metro  has  guts  enough  to  spend  money,  and  a  Coast  sales 
convention  obviously  cuts  a  pretty  penny.  .  .  .  (And  perhaps  you've 
noticed  Metro  is  also  spending  more  money  to  sell  the  exhibitor  where 
he  is  best  sold— in  the  industry  press).  ...  It  follows,  obviously,  that 
Metro  sees  biz  to  be  gotten,  profits  to  be  made  for  the  friendly  company 
.  .  .  and  its  friendly  customers.  ...  So  its  chin  is  up.  .  .  .  It's  out  to 
do  a  job.  .  .  .  And  surely,  the  possibilities  are  there.  .  .  .  Eighteen  odd 
thousands  of  'em.  incidentally.  .  .  .  And  now  the  question  becomes, 
and  rightly:  Who's  next?  .  .  .  Will  the  band  please  strike  up  the  theme 
song.  "Now  is  the  Hour?".  .  . 


Twenty-five  Years  Of  Leadership! 

(Editorial  in  Independent  Film  Journal  Feb.  12th  Issue.) 

For  the  past  quarter  of  a  century,  the  M-G-M  trade- 
mark has  reflected  the  highest  standards  in  motion  pic- 
ture entertainment.  It  is  therefore  fitting  that  the 
company's  slogan  for  its  Silver  Anniversary  should  be 
"Twenty-five  years  of  motion  picture  leadership." 

But  Metro  is  not  content  to  rest  on  its  laurels.  There 
could  be  no  finer  expression  of  confidence  in  the  future, 
both  for  the  industry  in  general  and  for  its  own  prod- 
uct in  particular,  than  was  evidenced  by  M-G-M  this 
past  week. 

A  trainload  of  top  sales  personnel  and  home  office 
executives,  representing  every  exchange  area  in  the 
country,  was  transported  to  the  coast  to  celebrate  the 
first  formal  occasion  of  M-G-M's  25th  Anniversary  and 
participate  in  the  "Preview  of  Product"  conferences. 
These  men  are  certain  to  carry  back  with  them  to  their 
respective  territories  a  fresh  enthusiasm  for  the  prod- 
uct to  be  sold  in  the  year  ahead. 


Leo  Starts  To  Hoar 

(Editorial  in  Exhibitor  Feb.  gth  Issue.) 

At  a  time  when  any  optimism  within  the  industry  is  more 
than  welcome,  the  decision  of  MGM  to  hold  a  "Preview  Of  Product 
on  the  coast  should  be  hailed  eagerly  by  theatremen  everywhere. 

As  far  as  MGM  is  concerned,  it  is  definite  proof  that  the 
company  is  confident  of  the  merit  of  its  product.  Otherwise,  why 
take  more  than  70  men  from  all  parts  of  the  country  to  see  future 
pictures?  Definitely,  Leo  must  feel  that  he  has  what  the  boxoffice 
needs. 

As  FAR  AS  the  industry  in  general  is  concerned,  this  also  serves 
notice  that  MGM,  at  least,  is  going  to  do  considerable  shouting  this 
year.  It  is  already  heralding  its  Silver  Anniversary,  marking  "25 
Years  Of  Leadership  In  The  Motion  Picture  Industry,"  which 
probably  means  that  Leo  will  he  roaring  through  all  of  1949. 

At  a  time  when  some  companies  are  talking  in  whispers,  a 
roar  is  a  novelty. 

Every  segment  of  MGM  and  Loew's  is  represented  at  the  coast 
confabs,  both  from  the  United  States  and  in  the  international  area, 
and  they  will  all  get  the  same  message,  that  MGM  thinks  that  the 
best  way  to  combat  any  letdown  in  theatre  going  is  by  supplying 
the  kind  of  product  that  makes  patrons  regular  customers,  regard- 
less of  television  or  any  other  kind  of  opposition. 

This  department,  for  one,  is  ready  to  hail  any  tendency  on 
the  part  of  any  unit  within  the  industry  to  get  the  business 
back  on  a  showmanship  level,  and  MGM,  through  its  coast  confab, 
is  observing  the  one  fundamental  rule,  "come  through  with  pic- 
tures that  mean  dough,  and  no  one  will  have  to  worry". 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  others  of  the  business  will  also  endorse 
the  MGM  idea,  backing  their  own  product,  and  showing  the  busi- 
ness that  there  is  nothing  wrong  with  this  industry  that  good 
pictures  will  not  cure. 


As  goes  M-G-M,  so  goes 
the  picture  business. 

(Editorial  in  Hollywood  Reporter  Feb.  7th  Issue. 


ii 


•  THE  ACTION  of  Bill  Rodgers  in 
bringing  more  than  one  hundred  MGM 
sales  representatives  out  here  for  a 
convention  starting  today,  has  real  sig- 
nificance. This  is  the  first  time  in 
twelve  years  that  MCM  has  had  a  sales 
meeting  here  and  coming  at  a  time 
when,  seemingly,  much  of  the  bottom 
has  dropped  out  of  the  picture  busi- 
ness in  the  minds  of  too  many,  it 
should  tell  the  entire  industry  that 
MCM  has  full  confidence  in  its  current 
progress. 

The  MGM  sales  executives  will  be 
shown  all  the  new  product  which  the 
studio  heads,  Mayer,  Schary  and  Man- 
nix,  believe  compares  favorably  with 
any  program  the  studio  has  ever  put 
together.  The  studio  wanted  the  men 
who  guide  the  sales  of  its  product  to 
see  for  themselves,  rather  than  be  told 
in  that  old  routine  convention  pep 
talk,  that's  now  grown  a  bit  corny 
through  wear  over  a  period  of  years. 


Dore  Schary,  up  until  now,  has  ac- 
complished one  very  important  task  in 
the  administration  of  his  job  at  MGM. 
He  has  the  entire  line-up  of  pictures 
set  and  scheduled  for  production  for 
the  entire  year  of  1949.  The  scripts 
are  all  prepared,  requiring  only  casting 
and  stage  space  to  get  them  into  pro- 
duction. This  IS  an  accomplishment 
and  is  looked  on  by  Mayer,  Mannix 
and  the  rest  of  the  executive  staff  at 
that  plant  as  just  that.  The  studio  has 
never  been  so  far  ahead  in  finished 
scripts,  all  of  which  will  be  outlined  to 
the  sales  executives  during  their  cur- 
rent convention  sessions. 

There  used  to  be  a  saying,  "as  goes 
MGM,  so  goes  the  picture  business," 
and  if  the  enthusiasm  now  being  shown 
by  this  company,  which  is  reflected  in 
bringing  all  this  sales  crowd  to  Holly- 
wood, is  any  indication,  the  business, 
generally,  should  react  to  the  lead  and 
jump  back  out  of  its  slump. 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  February  23,  1949 


RKO  Theatres 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

and  are  exclusive  of  miscellaneous 
theatre  income  from  rentals,  conces- 
sions, etc. 

Figures  for  earlier  years  were : 
1943,  $35,509,083  receipts  from  85,621,- 
642  paid  admissions ;  1944,  $37,493,608 
from  82,656,265,  and  1945,  $39,391,233 
from  86,214,999. 

In  an  eight-year  period  beginning 
with  1940,  RKO  theatres  paid  a  high 
of  46  per  cent  of  their  total  film 
rentals  for  pictures  distributed  by 
RKO  Radio  (in  1946),  and  a  low  of 
31  per  cent  (in  1940  and  1941).  For 
the  first  nine  months  of  last  year,  the 
figure  was  34  per  cent. 

The  revenue  from  RKO  theatres, 
however,  represented  only  from  nine 
to  13  per  cent  of  RKO  Radio's  total 
domestic  film  rentals  for  the  same 
eight-year  period,  and  six  to  10  per 
cent  of  its  world-wide  gross. 

11,000  Theatre  Accounts 

RKO  Radio  Pictures  had  more  than 
11,000  theatre  accounts  in  the  1947- 
'48  season  out  of  approximately  13,000 
theatre  possibilities,  the  report  to 
stockholders  says. 

Since  1943,  its  domestic  film  rentals 
have  ranged  from  a  low  of  $34,831,362 
in  1943  to  a  high  of  $54,897,725  in 
1947.  Foreign  revenues  varied  from 
$11,033,886  in  1943  to  $22,057,375  in 
1947. 

For  the  first  nine  months  of  1948, 
RKO  Radio  domestic  film  rentals 
were  $34,881,756,  and  foreign  rentals, 
.$16,131,113. 

Rentals  from  films  made  by  outside, 
producers  and  distributors  by  RKO 
Radio  ranged  from  $14,780,318  in  1943 
to  $36,984,084  in  1946.  During  the 
same  period  rentals  from  RKO  Radio 
pictures   ranged  from-  $31,084,930  in 


Review 


Prejudice 

(New  World  Films-M.  P.  Sales  Corp.) 

THE  DANGEROUS  evil  of  bigotry  is  thrown  into  dramatic  outline  in 
"Prejudice,"  a  documentary-styled  drama  produced  for  commercial  ex- 
hibition under  the  sponsorship  of  the  Protestant  Film  Commission  and  other 
religious  organizations.  The  picture,  made  in  Hollywood,  with  a  cast  of  pro- 
fessional actors,  dramatizes  the.  story  of  a  plant  executive  who  has  religious 
prejudices  without  realizing  it. 

As  the  story  progresses,  just  about  all  of  the  prejudices  which  stem  from  a 
difference  of  creed  or  color  are  shown.  Their  causes  and  irrational  nature 
are  explored,  as  well  as  their  corrupting  effect.  As  a  drama,  the  story  in  it- 
self stands  up  rather  well,  even  though  its  intention  is  always  obvious.  It 
goes  without  saying,  however,  that  the  intention  is  commendable. 

An  Edmund  L.  Dorfman  production,  this  New  World  Films  presentation 
was  directed  by  Edward  L.  Cahn,  with  Paul  F.  Heard  as  executive  producer. 
The  original  story  was  by  Jarvis  Couillard  who  also  did  the  screenplay  with 
Ivan  Goff  and  Ben  Roberts.  Among  those  in  the  cast  are  David  Bruce,  Mary 
Marshall,  Tommy  Ivo  and  Bruce  Edwards. 

Running  time,  58  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  February 
release.  Mandel  Herbstman 


1943  to  $42,716,825  in  1947,  when  to- 
tal film  rentals  amounted  to  a  high 
for  the  period  of  $76,955,100. 

In  the  first  nine  months  of  1948, 
product  from  outside  producers  was 
running  ahead  of  RKO  Radio  pictures 
in  total  gross  at  the  rate  of  $26,616,- 
005  to  $24,396,864. 

The  report  states  that  in  1947 
"gross  film  rentals  for  independent 
productions  represented  approximate- 
ly 44J4  per  cent  of  the  aggregate 
gross  film  rentals  and  yielded  to  Ra- 
dio Pictures  over  $7,280,000  as  its 
share  or  such  gross  film  rentals." 

The  report  notes  that  while  distribu- 
tion of  outside  product  was  "very 
profitable"  for  RKO  for  a  number  of 
years,  the  results  have  been  unfavor- 
able during  the  past  two  years. 

After  referring  to  "a  comprehensive 


U-l 

gives 
you  that 

LIFE 

of 

RILEY 

feeling! 


BULLETIN  #2 

Oakland,  cal.  —  15,000,000  listeners 
to  the  sensational  "Truth  or  Conse- 
quences" radio  show  will  share  this 
city's  excitement  on  Feb.  19  and  26 
when  a  lucky  Riley  family  will  win  a 
"LIFE  OF  RILEY"  week  in  Cincinnati 
where  they  will  be  guests  of  honor 
for  the  world  premiere  celebration 
of  the  picture. 

This  is  just  one  of  the  many  ter- 
rific promotional  stunts  that  will 
give  America's  exhibitors  "THE  LIFE 
OF  RILEY"  feeling. 

The  whole  country  will  know 
what  it  means  to  live  "THE  LIFE  OF 
RILEY." 


economy  program  at  the  studios,"  the 
report  says  that  14  completed  features 
on  Oct.  2,  1948,  represented  the  fol- 
lowing costs :  five  at  less  than  $250,- 
000  each ;  five  at  between  $500,000  and 
$1,000,000;  two  between  $1,000,000 
and  $1,500,000,  and  two  "over 
$1,500,000." 

RKO  Negotiates  for  Hughes 
Film  Assests 

RKO  is  negotiating  with  Howard 
Hughes  for  the  purchase  of  an  uniden- 
tified completed  feature,  reissue  and 
remake  rights  to  10  other  features, 
stories  and  scripts,  service  contracts  of 
three  undesignated  artists,  production 
equipment,  stock  film,  music  rights 
and  film^  titles,  RKO  stockholders  are 
advised. 

Purchase  is  being  sought  at  "their 
fair  market  value,"  the  company's  re- 
port states.  It  notes  that  last  year 
Jane  Russell  was  obtained  for  an 
RKO  feature  through  Hughes  Tool 
Co.  for  $100,000.  Hughes  has  agreed 
with  RKO  not  to  engage  in  indepen- 
dent production  while  he  remains  a 
dominant  stockholder  in  the  company. 


RKO  Pension  Plan 
To  Be  Continued 

The  RKO  employes  pension  plan 
will  be  continued  by  the  two  new 
companies  which  will  emerge  from 
the  divorcement  and  reorganization  of 
the  _  company,  RKO  stockholders  are 
advised. 

Pension  funds  will  be  divided  ac- 
cording to  theatre  and  picture  com- 
pany employes  who  are  members  of 
the  plan  and  two  separate  pension 
trust  plans  will  be  maintained  by  the 
two  new  companies  thereafter. 

Estimated  annual  pension  at  nor- 
mal retirement  age  would  give  Ned 
E.  Depinet,  RKO  president,  $18,408 ; 
Malcolm  Kingsberg,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  theatres,  $18,514;  N.  Peter 
Rathvon,  former  president,  $6,481,  and 
J.  Miller  Walker,  secretary  and  di- 
rector, $7,365. 


Selznick  Loans  Seven 

Hollywood,  Feb.  22. — What  was 
described  as  Hollywood's  biggest  loan- 
out  deal  on  record  was  concluded  yes- 
terday with  the  signing  of  papers  be- 
tween David  O.  Selznick's  Vanguard 
Films  and  Warner  Brothers.  Play- 
ers involved  are  Jennifer  Jones,  Louis 
Jourdan,  Gregory  Peck,  Joseph  Cot- 
ten,  Shirley  Temple,  Betsy  Drake, 
Rory  Calhoun  and  director  Robert 
Stevenson. 


Reject  Leserman  Bid 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

said  that  it  would  make  financing 
more  easily  available  and  would  assure 
SG  sufficient  product  for  distribution 
in  the  U.  S.  and  Canada. 

At  the  meeting  the  company's  affairs 
of  the  previous  year  were  discussed 
and  the  board  unanimously  voted  ap- 
proval of  Lippert's  actions. 

In  a  discussion  of  the  results  being 
obtained  on  Lippert's  "I  Shot  Jesse 
James,"  it  was  asserted  at  the  meeting 
that  the  over-all  plan  assures  the  pic- 
ture over  $1,500,000  nationally. 

The  board  approved  the  balance  of 
this  year's  program,  and  with  the 
completion  of  seven  more  films,  SG 
will  have  delivered  every  picture 
promised  at  the  beginning  of  the  sea- 
son. Lippert  asserted  that  writers 
now  are  working  on  four  pictures 
which  will  have  a  combined  budget  of 
$2,000,000  or.  more.  They  are  "20,000 
Leagues  Under  the  Sea,"  in  color; 
"Baron  of  Arizona,"  "Pillar  Moun- 
tain," and  a  sequel  to  "I  Shot  Jesse 
James."  Other  films,  to  be  released 
in  1949-50,  are:  "Mustang  Fury," 
"Son  of  Shep,"  "Isle  of  Zorda," 
"Aloha,"  "Harbor  Lights,"  "Deputy 
Marshall,"  "Top.  Secret,"  "Hollywood 
Square  Dance,"  "Highway  Westward" 
and  eight  Lash  LaRue  Westerns. 

There  will  be  a  complete  merger  of 
the  SG  home  office  and  Lippert  Pro- 
ductions, with  Lippert  as  the  head  of 
the  consolidated  companies. 


Pennsylvania  MPTO 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


that  the  shortage  must  be  made  up 
within  the  United  States.  Schwal- 
berg  asked  for  closer  cooperation  and 
understanding  between  producers  and 
exhibitors.. 

Also  speaking  were  Sam  Galanty, 
district  manager  for  Columbia;  Ted 
O'Shea,  assistant  general  sales  man- 
ager for  Paramount;  Al  O'Keefe,  as- 
sistant sales  manager  for  Universal- 
International  ;  Trueman  Rembusch, 
AMPTO  treasurer;  and  Bert  Steam, 
head  of  Cooperative  Theatres  in  the 
Pittsburgh  district. 

An  open  forum  was  conducted  in 
the  afternoon  by  Morris  Finkel,  presi- 
dent of  Allied  of  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania, with  M.  A..  Rosenberg,  local 
representative  on  the  AMPTO  na- 
tional committee,  sounding  the  key- 
note. Election  of  officers  are  on  the 
program  for  tomorrow. 


Studios  Are  Active 

Hollywood,  Feb.  22. — Casting  office 
at  Warner  Brothers  studios  has  re- 
sumed activities,  beginning  casting  op- 
erations for  "The  Octopus  and  Miss 
Smith."  The  studio  has  been  virtually 
at  a  standstill  for  some  time.  Produc- 
tion at  Monogram  studio  will  be  re- 
sumed March  1,  with  five  pictures 
slated  to  start  during  the  month. 


DU-ART... 

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FIRST 

IN 
FILM' 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  38 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  FEBRUARY  24,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Allow  Para,  to 
Buy,  Then  Sell 
Partnerships 

Bid  to  Exercise  Stock 
Options  Approved  by  US 

Paramount's  terms  of  settling  the 
industry  trust  suit  provide  that  the 
company  may  buy  out  the  interests 
of  partners  in  jointly-owned  cir- 
cuits, and  then  in  turn  sell  the  100 
per  cent  holdings  where  necessary  as  a 
means  of  salvaging  stock  purchase 
options  which,  the  company  contends, 
are  worth  millions. 
•  For  example,  in  a  recent  brief  filed 
with  Federal  Court,  Paramount  insist- 
ed that  its  option  with  E.  V.  Richards 
alone  is  worth  over  $1,000,000.  How- 
ever, the  Richards'  agreement  was  ad- 
mitted to  be  an  extreme  illustration. 
Under  many  of  its  option  contracts, 
a  Paramount  co -stockholder  may  be 
required  to  fix  a  price  at  which  Para- 
mount may  purchase  his  stock  or  sell 
its  shares  to  the  co-stockholder. 

Paramount  has  stated  that  it  ob- 
tained the  unusual  option  advantages 
with  Richards  because  the  latter  had 
purchased  his  50  per  cent  in  the  Para- 
mount-Richards circuit  "for  a  very 
small  price."    Under  the  pact  which 

(Continued  on  page  4) 

F.  &  M.  Unit  Seeks 
Voice  in  Para.  Suit 


Johnston  Starts  [  K#  CLAMPS  DOWN 
Studio  Meetings    |  TO  FILMS 


Partmar  Corp.,  Fanchon  and  Marco 
subsidiary  which  operates  the  Para- 
mount in  downtown  Los  Angeles,  yes- 
terday filed  a  motion-  in  New  York 
Federal  Court  to  be  heard  as  an  inter- 
vener in  the  industry  anti-trust  suit, 
apparently  on  the  charge  that  Para- 
mount and  the  government  have 
agreed  to  ignore  a  portion  of  the  U.  S. 
Supreme  Court's  mandate  in  the  case. 

Object  of  the  motion  is  to  prevent 
Paramount  from  evicting  the  plaintiff 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Hollywood,  Feb.  23. — First  in  a| 
series  of  individual  studio  meetings 
which  will  be  addressed  by  Eric  Johns- 
ton and  other  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America  staff  executives,  will 
be  held  at  M-G-M  tonight. 

Basic  data  on  the  industry's  pros- 
pects and  present  situation  will  be 
the  subject  presented  by  Johnston  and 
his  staff,  with  most  of  the  material  to 
be  a  condensed  version  of  the  informa- 
tion covered  at  yesterday's  Beverly 
Hills  Hotel  meeting  of  more  than  100 
top  studio  executives.  At  that  meet- 
ing, Johnston  emphasized  that  1948's 
national  domestic  gross  was  only 
per  cent  below  1946,  a  figure  first  re- 
vealed at  the  presidents'  meeting  in 
Miami. 

Johnston  also  pointed  out  that  dis- 
posable income  in  1948  was  eight  per 
cent  higher  than  in  1946,  and  that 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Finkel  Is  Reelected 
W.Penn.  Allied  Head 


Pine  Sees  Separation 
As  a  Stimulant 


Separation  of  exhibition  from  pro- 
duction-distribution, as  called  for  in 
the  RKO  consent  decree  and  in  Para- 
mount's impending  settlement  in  the 
industry  anti-trust  suit,  will  spur  pro- 
duction enterprise,  according  to  Wil- 
liam H.  Pine  of  the  Pine-Thomas 
team  which  produces  for  Paramount. 

He  said  that  keener  competition  will 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Pittsburgh,  F)eb.  23. — .Reelection 
of  Morris  M.  Finkel  as  president 
highlighted  the  second  and  final  day 
of  the  28th  annual  convention  of  Al- 
lied Motion  Picture  Theatre  Own- 
ers' of  Western  Pennsylvania,  held  at 
the  William  Penn  Hotel. 

Fred  A.  Beedle  was  reelected  vice- 
president,  Fred  J.  Herrington  was 
renamed  secretary,  and  Joseph  Gell- 
man  the  incumbent  treasurer.  Three 
members  elected  to  the  board  of  di- 
rectors were:  William  J.  Blatt,  Ed- 
gar E.  Shaffer  and  Ray  Woodard. 


John  Joseph  Joins 
M-G-M  at  Studio 


John  Joseph  will  join  Metro-Gold- 
wyn-Mayer  on  March  1  as  assistant 
to  Howard  Dietz,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  advertising-publicity.  Joseph 
will  divide  his  time  between  New 
York  and  California,  making  his  head- 
quarters at  the  studio.  As  Dietz's  as- 
sistant, Joseph  will  co-ordinate  all 
publicity  and  exploitation  activities, 
as  well  as  guide  special  promotional 
campaigns  in  the  field. 

Joseph,  formerly  head  of  Universal- 
International  publicity  -  advertising, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


N.  Y.  SPG's  Future 
Deemed  Precarious 


Eastern  Screen  Publicists  Guild 
(CIO)  is  in  danger  of  at  least  partial 
dissolution,  it  was  admitted  here  yes- 
terday by  members  as  confirmation 
was  given  to  reports  that  a  large 
segment  of  the  union's  RKO  Radio 
unit  has  withdrawn  to  seek  affiliation 
with  the  AFL.  A  meeting  of  SPG 
unit  chairmen  scheduled  for  this  eve- 
ning will  decide  whether  there  is  a 
chance  of  forestalling  a  further  exodus 
of  members,  it  was  said. 

Two  reasons  are  given  for  the  exist- 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Attlee  Wary  of  Further 
Help;  Wants  Studios  to 
Put  Own  House  in  Order 


London,  Feb.  23. — No  substan- 
tial new  government  assistance  to 
Britain's  film  producers  is  likely  to 
be  forthcoming  and,  if  their  for- 
tunes are  to  be  improved,  high  gov- 
ernment officials  are  convinced,  the 
producers  will  have  to  put  their  own 
house  in  order. 

Prime  Minister  Clement  Att- 
lee, it  is  authoritatively 
learned,  feels  that  the  time  has 
not  yet  arrived  to  give  Cabi- 
net level  consideration  to 
Britain's  film  production  crisis. 
The  subject  is  not  included  in 
the  agenda  for  tomorrow's 
meeting  of  the  Cabinet. 

Attlee  feels  that  further  financial 
support  of  film  production  by  the  gov- 
ernment can  serve  only  to  perpetuate 
the  present  allegedly  wasteful  and  ex- 
travagant production  methods,  and 
that  producers  themselves  must  take 
steps  to  cut  production  costs.  Further- 
more, the  Prime  Minister  definitely 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


U.  S.  Lists  $2-Billion 
Income  for  Film  Firms 


Protest  Proposed 
100%  Wage  Hike 

Washington,  Feb.  23. — Washing- 
ton exhibitors  have  strongly  protested 
a  proposal  of  the  District  of  Columbia 
Minimum  Wage  Board  to  raise  mini- 
mum wages  by  over  100  per  cent  for 
most  female  and  minor  employes. 

Ushers  and  female  cleaners  would 
be  especially  affected.  A  committee 
headed  by  A.  Julian  Brylawski  has 
told  the  board  that  the  increase  would 
"injure  the  very  people  you  are  trying 
to  protect  because  we  cannot  pay  the 
wages  you  propose." 

The  board  proposed  boosting  the 
minimum  wage  for  female  workers 
except  cleaners  and  for  workers  of 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Washington,  Feb.  23. — The  motion 
picture  industry  had  "total  receipts"  of 
close  to  $2,000,000,000  in  1946,  accord- 
ing to  a  belated  Treasury  Department 
report  of  income  tax  and  excess 
profits  tax  returns  filed  by  firms  in  all 
branches  of  the  industry. 

The  Treasury  defines  "total  com- 
piled receipts,"  as  including  gross 
sales,  gross  receipts  from  operations, 
all  interest  returns,  royalties  and  divi- 
dends, excess  of  net  short-term  capital 
gains  over  net  long  term  capital  losses, 
excess  of  net  long-term  capital  gains 
over  net  short-term  capital  losses,  net 
gains  from  the  sale  or  exchange  of 
property  other  than  capital  assets,  and 
miscellaneous  other  receipts. 

Receipts  of  $1,949,375,000  were  re- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


,000,000  ABPC 
Production  Plan 


London,  Feb.  23. — Robert  Clark, 
Associated  British  Pictures  Corp.  di- 
rector and  executive  producer,  will 
announce  tomorrow  an  ambitious  2,- 
000,000  pounds  ($8,000,000)  two-year 
production  plan  involving  15  pictures 
with  the  aid  of  Warner  Brothers  and 
several  independent  producers,  includ- 
ing probably  Gabriel  Pascal. 

ABPC's  sound  financing  has  been 
reflected  recently  in  the  stock  market. 
Warners  has  a  substantial  interest  in 
the  company. 


Loew  Proposes  New 
Stockholders'  Date 


In  addition  to  voting  on  increasing 
the  directorate  from  10  to  11  members, 
stockholders  .of  Loew's  will  ballot  on 
an  amendment  to  the  corporation's  by- 
laws to  provide  that  their  annual  meet- 
ing shall  be  held  on  the  last  Thursday 
of  each  February  instead  of  on  the 
second  Tuesday  in  December,  when 
they  meet  at  the  home  office  here  on 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  February  24,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

MA.  LIGHTMAN,  Sr.,  presi- 
•  dent  of  Malco  Theatres,  and 
Mrs.  Lightman,  are  in  Miami  from 
Memphis. 

• 

Charles  L.  Casanave,  vice-presi- 
dent of  Motion  Picture  Sales  Corp., 
has  returned  to  New  York  from 
Hollywood. 

• 

George  D.  Burrows,  executive  vice- 
president  and  treasurer  of  Allied  Art- 
ists and  Monogram,  has  returned  to 
Hollywood  from  New  York. 

Arthur  M.  Loew,  Loew''s  Interna- 
tional president,  has  returned  here 
from  the  Coast. 

Al  Horwits,  U-I  studio  publicity 
director,  has  arrived  in  New  York 
from  Hollywood. 

Herbert  Crooker,  M-G-M  publicity 
head,  has  returned  here  from  Holly- 
wood. 

E.  G.  Kranze,  Film  Classics  sales 
vice-president,  left  here  yesterday  for 
St.  Louis  and  Milwaukee. 


Crown  and  Grant  on 
Columbia's  Board 

Two  new  directors  were  added  to 
the  board  of  Columbia  Pictures  at  a 
meeting  of  the  directors  held  here  yes- 
terday. They  are:  Henry  Crown,  in- 
dustrialist of  Chicago,  and  Arnold  M. 
Grant  of  New  York. 

Crown  is  chairman  of  the  board  of 
the  Material  Service  Corp.  of  Chi- 
cago and  a  director  of  the  Chicago- 
Rock  Island  Railroad,  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  Railroad,  and  the  Hilton  Hotels 
of  Chicago.  Grant  is  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Weisman,  Grant  and  Jaffe  in 
New  York  and  of  Printzmetal  and 
Grant  of  Los  Angeles,  both  of  which 
firms  specialize  in  corporate  and  tax 
matters  and  have  many  motion  picture 
clients. 


Goldin'g  in  Publicity  Post 

David  Golding  has  been  appointed 
assistant  Eastern  publicity  manager  of 
20th  Century-Fox,  it  was  announced 
here  yesterday  by  Ulric  Bell,  home 
office  publicity  manager. 

Golding  was  formerly  publicity  chief 
in  London  for  Samuel  Goldwyn  and 
also  was  until  recently  American 
press  chief  in  England  for  Sir  Alex- 
ander Korda. 


Bernhard  and  Kranze 
Cited  for  'File  649' 

Washington,  Feb.  23.— Rep. 
Arthur  Klein,  New  York  Dem- 
ocrat, put  in  the  Congressional 
Record  today  a  statement 
lauding  Joseph  Bernhard, 
Film  Classics  president,  and 
B.  G.  Kranze,  sales  vice-pres- 
ident, for  the  film  entitled 
"State  Department,  File  649," 
which  Klein  said  "tells  in  an 
interesting  manner  how  the 
unsung  heroes  of  the  State 
Department's  Consular  Ser- 
vice perform  their  varied 
functions,  sometimes  in  the 
face  of  great  danger." 

Klein  said  he '  hoped  that 
this  is  the  beginning  of  a  Hol- 
lywood trend  to  "create  a  bet- 
ter understanding  of  Govern- 
ment operations." 


first  Laurel  Film 
To  Film  Classics 

"C-Man,"  starring  Dean  Jagger, 
first  production  by  Laurel  Films,  will 
be  nationally  distributed  by  Film 
Classics  in  May,  according  to  execu- 
tive producer  Rex  Carlton  and  pro- 
ducer-director Joseph  Lerner  of  laurel. 

Laurel  plans  a  series  to  be  pro- 
ducer in  New  York.  Now  in  prepa- 
ration is  "Guilty  Bystander,"  by  Wade 
Miller,  to  be  tohowed  by  a  series  of 
documentary  shorts,  "Admiral  Zacha- 
rias'  Secret  Missions." 


New  Exchange  Pact's 
Arrangements  Closed 

IATSE  and  distributor  negotiators 
met  nere  yesterday  to  put  the  finishing 
touches  on  the  agreement  for  a  new 
contract  for  6,300  exchange  workers 
in  61  cities.  It  is  understood  that  the 
"IA"  will  announce  shortly  the  terms 
of  the  contract,  which  are  said  to  em- 
body a  general  wage  increase. 


Rank's  GFD  Named 
In  Contract  Suit 


Federal  Judge  Henry  W.  Goddard 
yesterday  granted  in  U.  S.  District 
Court  here  the  motion  of  Canada's 
Empire-Universal  Films,  Ltd.,  and 
other  plaintiffs  leave  to  file  an  amend- 
ed complaint  embodying  an  additional 
defendant,  Britain's  General  Film  Dis- 
tributors, in  the  $1,000,000  litigation 
pending  against  J.  Arthur  Rank's  Gen- 
eral Cinema  Finance  Corp.,  the  Amer- 
ican Rank  Organization,  Universal- 
International,  Eagle-Lion,  William 
Goetz,  Leo  Spitz,  et  al.  Suit,  which 
alleges  breach  of  distribution  contract 
negotiated  with  Rank's  now-dissolved 
United  World  Films  of  Canada,  is 
scheduled  to  be  tried  next  month  when 
Rank  himself  will  be  here  from  En- 
gland to  testify.  GFD  is  a  Rank  af- 
filiate. 


Realtors  Ask  $22,000 

Hartford,  Feb.  23. — Two  suits, 
seeking  total  damages  of  $22,000,  have 
been  tiled  by  Berk  and  Krumgold, 
New  York  theatrical  realty  firm, 
against  Mickey  Daly,  Hartford  ex- 
niDitor,',and  Mrs.  Mary  diLorenzo  _of 
this  city.  Suits  charge  that  leases  on 
the  Plainfield  and  Daly  theatres,  nego- 
tiated by  the  plaintiffs,  were  not  car- 
ried out. 


Red  Cross  Stars  Dunne 

Washington,  Feb.  23. — A  two- 
minute  film  highlighting  Red  Cross 
disaster  work,  made  at  RKO  Radio 
studios  and  to  be  distributed  by  five 
newsreel  companies,  stars  Irene  Dunne, 
a  vice-chairman  of  the  organization's 
national  fund  drive. 


National  Theatres  Meet 

Hollywood,  Feb.  23— The  annual 
meeting. of  National  Theatres  execu- 
tives and  division  managers  got  under 
way  today  at  circuit  headquarters  with 
president  Charles  P.  Skouras  presid- 
ing and  with  20th  Century-Fox  presi- 
dent Spyros  Skouras  attending  the 
opening  session.  Division  presidents, 
buyers,  bookers,  purchasing  agents 
and  staffs,  numbering  approximately 
100,  will  attend  all-day  conferences 
terminating  Saturday  afternoon. 

MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;   Sherwm   Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor •  P.u"ishrf,,^ 

J  A  Otten "  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup  Editor:  cable  address,  Q»^^£nl?°on*\ 
Other  Ouigey  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  °*  Mobon  P  cture  <P^W  Internationa^ 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Coast  Boys'  Club  Opens 

Hollywood,  Feb.  23. — A  dedication 
banquet  for  Variety  Boys'  Club,  which 
win  open  its  doors  tomorrow  after  be- 
ing built  by  Tent  25  at  a  cost  of 
$200,000,  will  be  held  Feb.  28  at  the 
Ambassador  Hotel,  with  600  civic, 
business  and  industry  leaders  expected. 


Court  Weighs  Coast 
Injunction  Plea 

Hollywood,  Feb.  23. — Following 
protracted  presentation  of  arguments 
by  opposing  counsel,  Federal  Judge 
Campbell  E.  Beaumont  took  under 
advisement  an  application  by  Griffith- 
Coleman,  Inc.,  for  a  temporary  in- 
junction restraining  seven  distributors 
from  depriving  La  Tijera  Theatre  of 
first-run  service.  The  jurist  at  the 
same  time  denied  a  similar  application 
by  Phil  Isley  Theatres  in  behalf  of 
its  Picwood  Theatre. 

Griffith-Coleman  had  brought  suit 
for  $1,317,000  damages  and  sought  a 
preliminary  injunction  compelling  dis- 
tributors to  enter  into  negotiations  for 
first-run  product,  citing  the  decision 
in  the  Goldman  case  at  Philadelphia 
as  demonstrating  "the  Federal  court's 
viewpoint  concerning  the  right  of  first- 
run  theatres  to  have  free  and  fair  ac- 
cess to  film  product  in  the  competitive 
market." 


Newsreel 
Parade 


SAG  Conditionally 
Approves  Council 

Hollywood,  Feb.  23. — The  board 
of  directors  of  the  Screen  Actors' 
Guild  has  voted  to  conditionally  ap- 
prove participation  in  the  Motion 
Picture  Industry  Council,  recently 
cripped  by  the  withdrawal  of  the 
Hollywood  Council  AFL  guilds  and 
unions  following  the  selection  of 
Cecil  B.  DeMille  as  chairman,  stipu- 
lating that  the  MPIC  must  aban- 
don its  present  system  of  picking 
names  from  a  hat  to  appoint  a  chair- 
man and  substitute  an  election  by 
nomination  and  secret  ballot. 

SAG's  move  comes  on  the  eve  of 
a  projected  meeting  of  the  MPIC 
next  week  at  which  MPAA  presi- 
dent Eric  Johnston  is  expected  to 
again  proffer  aid  and  cooperation  in 
setting  up  a  functioning  organization 
to  handle  public  and  trade  relations. 


SECRETARY  %ROY ALL'S  report 
O  on  the  Far  East  is  a  current  nezvs- 
reel  highlight.  Other  items  include  the 
demolition  of  a  blimp  hanger;  a  strike 
of  London's  charwomen ;  fashions,  and 
sports.  Complete  contents  follow. 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  16  —  Papal 
Consistory  protests  trial  of  Cardinal  Mind- 
szenty.  Florida  robot  bomber  crashed  in  life- 
saving  experiment.  Navy  demolishes  old 
blimp  hanger.  Secretary  Royall  reports  on 
tour  of  Pacific  bases.  Premiere  of  "Down  to 
the  Sea  in  Ships."  Helicopter  herder  chases 
marauding  elk  into  corrals.  School  for  base- 
ball umpires.  Sailfishing  off  Acapulco. 
World's  largest  bobshed. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  250— Sec- 
retary Royall  finds  MacArthur's  men  ready. 
Huge  hanger  dynamited.  Charwoman's  day 
in  London.  Ballet  revival  cheers  Germans. 
Biggest  bobsled  takes  100  for  ride.  Snow- 
show  carnival.  Instructing  the  umpires. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  53 — Secre- 
tary Royall  reports  on  the  Far  East.  New 
style  modes  in  scarves.  Romance  rumor 
rinks  Princess  Margaret's  name  with  com- 
moner. Bob  Hope  receives  Look  Magazine 
"Achievement  Award."  Israel  makes  his- 
tory: First  assembly  convenes. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  224 — 
"B"  17's  used  in  Florida  experiment.  Mar- 
garet Truman's  birthday.  Navy  blimp  han- 
ger demolished  scientifically.  Honeymoon 
fashions.  Rebellion  of  London's  charwomen. 
Canada's  governor-general  tries  snowshoes. 
Skiing. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  55  — 

Israeli  government  meets  for  the  first  time. 
London's  charwomen  on  war  path.  Western 
allies  counter  blockade  in  Berlin."  Italian 
town  ready  for  carnival.  Navy  blasts  giant 
hanger.  Pets  in  the  news :  sparrow,  flea  and 
rooster.  Surfboard  riding  in  Hawaii.  Motor- 
cycle on  skiis.  Winter  games  in  Alps. 


'Pygmalion'  Bows  Today 

Reissue  of  Gabriel  Pascal's  British 
production  of  "Pygmalion"  will  be 
launched  today  with  an  opening  at  the 
Sutton,  New  York  first-run.  Jack 
Ellis,  former  United  Artists  district 
manager  here,  holds  distribution  rights. 


N.  Y.  SPG's  Future 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ing  state  of  affairs  within  SPG:  (1) 
resentment  over  alleged  Communist 
influence  in  the  guild  and  (2)  the  ap- 
parent inability  of  the  guild's  negotiat- 
ing committee  to  secure  satisfactory 
terms  for  a  new  contract  in  current 
negotiations  with  film  companies. 

One  SPG  executive  hastened  to 
deny  yesterday  that  the  union's  future 
is  in  jeopardy,  although  he  did 
acknowledge  that  factional  warfare 
within  the  guild  is  heading  for  a  show- 
down. Queried  on  the  guild's  finan- 
cial position,  he  said  it  has  in  its  treas- 
ury some  $15,000  in  cash  and  bonds. 


SPG  Considers  'IA'  Affiliation 

Hollywood,  Feb.  23. — Screen  Pub- 
licists Guild  membership  has  voted  to 
invite  IATSE  international  represen- 
tative Roy  Brewer  to  attend  a  meet- 
ing on  March  1  to  explain  any  ad- 
vantages which  he  believes  SPG 
would  gain  by  switching  its  affiliation 
from  the  Painters  Brotherhood  to  the 
IATSE,  which  last  week  filed  an 
NLRB  petition  for  an  election  to  de- 
termine the  proper  bargaining  agency 
for  publicity  workers. 

SPG's  membership  is  sharply  split 
on  the  affiliation  question  in  conse- 
quence of  recently-voted  approval 
of  a  contract  with  producers  waiving 
a  seniority  clause,  and  the  situation  is 
complicated  by  the  fact  producers 
have  not  yet  signed  the  new  contract. 


Tour  Grosses  $650,000 

Hollywood,  Feb.  22.— A  $650,000 
gross  on  Bob  Hope's  barnstorming 
trip  through  35  cities  in  16  states  was 
reported  here  as  the  tour  ended. 


Beloved 
eli  n  da 

IN 
ANOTHER 

Big 

one/ 


She  won  78 

ITATIONS 

for  her  role  in 
hnny  Belinda' 
and  she  does 
it  again ! 


LM ER  DAVES  HARRY  KURNITZ 


produced  by 


Everett  and  Oevery  Freeman  Original  Music 
Composed  and  Adapted  by  Max  Sterner 


WARNER  BROS.  TRADE  SHOW  FEB.  28 


CITY 


ALBANY 

ATLANTA 

BOSTON 

BUFFALO 

CHARLOTTE 

CHICAGO 

CINCINNATI 

CLEVELAND 

DALLAS 

DENVER 


PLACE  OF  SHOWING 


Warner  Screening  Room 
20th  Century-Fox  Sc.  Rm. 
RKO  Screening  Room 
Paramount  Sc.  Room 
20th  Century-Fox  Sc.  Rm. 
Warner  Screening  Room 
RKO  Palace  Th.  Bldg. 
Warner  Screening  Room 
20th  Century-Fox  Sc.  Rm. 
Paramount  Sc.  Room 


ADDRESS 


79  H.  Pearl  St. 
197  Walton  St.  N.W. 
122  Arlington  St. 
464  Franklin  Street 
308  S.  Church  St. 
1307  So.  Wabash  Ave. 
Screening  Room  E.  6th 
2300  Payne  Ave. 
1803  Wood  St. 
2100  Stout  St. 


TIME 


CITY 


12:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:00  P.M. 
10:00  A.M. 

1:30  P.M. 

8:00  P.M. 

8:00  P.M. 

2:00  P.M 

2:00  P.M. 


DES  MOINES 
DETROIT 
INDIANAPOLIS 
KANSAS  CITY 
LOS  ANGELES 
MEMPHIS 
MILWAUKEE 
MINNEAPOLIS 
NEW  HAVEN 
NEW  ORLEANS 


PLACE  OF  SHOWING 


20th  Century-Fox  Sc.  Rm. 
Film  Exchange  Bldg. 
20th  Century-Fox  Sc.  Rm. 
20th  Century-Fox  Sc.  Rm. 
Warner  Screening  Room 
20th  Century-Fox  Sc.  Rm. 
Warner  Th.  Sc.  Rm. 
Warner  Screening  Room 
Warner  Ih.  Proj.  Rm. 
20th  Century-Fox  Sc.  Rm. 


ADDRESS 


1300  High  St. 
2310  Cass  Ave. 
326  No.  Illinois  St. 
1720  Wyandotte  St. 
2025  S.  Vermont  Ave. 
151  Vance  Ave. 
212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave. 
1000  Currie  Ave. 
70  College  St. 
200  S.  liberty  St. 


TIME 


CITY 


8:00  P 
2:00  P 
1:00  P 
7:30  P 
2:00  P. 
10:00  A 
2:00  P. 
2:00  P 
2:00  P. 
8:00  P 


NEW  YORK 

OKLAHOMA 

OMAHA 

PHILADELPHIA 

PITTSBURGH 

PORTLAND 

SALT  LAKE 

SAN  FRANCISCO 

SEATTLE 

ST.  LOUIS 

WASHINGTON 


PLACE  OF  SHOWING 


Home  Office 

20th  Century-Fox  Sc.  Rm. 
20th  Century-Fox  Sc.  Rm. 
Warner  Screening  Room 
20rh  Century-Fox  Sc.  Rm. 
Jewel  Box  Sc.  Room 
20th  Century-Fox  Sc.  Rm. 
Paramount  Sc.  Room 
Jewel  Box  Sc.  Room 
S'renco  Sc.  Room 
Worner  Th.  Bldg. 


ADDRESS 


321  W.  44th  St. 
10  North  lee  St. 
1502  Davenport  St. 
230  No.  13th  St. 
1715  Blvd.  of  Allies 
1947  N.W.  Kearney  St. 
216  East  1st  South 
205  Golden  Gate  Ave. 
2318  Second  Ave. 
3143  Olive  St. 
1 3th  &  E.  Sts.  N.W. 


TIME 


2:30  P.M. 

1:30  P.M. 

10:00  A.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

1:30  P.M. 

2:00  P.M. 

2:00  P.M. 

1:30  P.M. 
10  30  A.M. 

9:30  A.M. 
10  30  A.M. 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  February  24,  1949 


Review 


"City  Across  the  River" 

(Universal-International} 

PLAUDITS  are  in  store  for  producer-director  Maxwell  Shane.  Working 
with  a  cast  of  relative  newcomers,  he  has  made  a  film  of  excellent  results. 
In  bold  and  absorbing  patterns,  "City  Across  the  River"  recounts  the  dis- 
figuring effects  of  slum  conditions  on  the  human  personality.  With  a  pro- 
logue and  epilogue  delivered  by  news  commentator  Drew  Pearson,  the  story 
has  a  semi-documentary  flavor,  but  it  is  never  lacking  in  excitement  or  emo- 
tional intensity.  It  should  bring  handsome  box-office  returns  in  situations 
that  are  receptive  to  top-grade  gangster  dramas. 

The  picture's  locale  Is  a  slum  section  of  Brooklyn  where  a  hard-as-nails 
gang  called  "The  Dukes"  hold  unchallenged  sway,  and  whose  customary 
activities  range  from  petty  hoodlumism  to  Saturday  night  dances  in  a  crowded 
basement  clubroom.  Dominating  the  gang  dramatically  is  a  teen-age  lad, 
Peter  Fernandez,  and  his  hard-working,  economically-pressed  folks.  First  the 
lad  plays  hookey,  indulges  in  minor  delinquencies,  and  reacts  bitterly  to  his 
sordid  environment.  Gradually  he  becomes  embroiled  in  the  larger  crimes  of 
his  gang  and  finally  his  doom  is  sealed  when  he  and  a  buddy  (Al  Ramsen) 
engage  in  a  fight  with  a  school  teacher  and  the  latter  kills  the  teacher.  From 
this  point  on  the  story  becomes  a  mystery  drama,  with  the  police  using  al'l  of 
their  ingenuity  to  gather  evidence  on  the  reckless  young  criminals. 

The  screenplay,  by  Shane  and  Dennis  Cooper,  moves  with  measured  beat 
to  its  inevitable  conclusion.  The  very  anonymity  of  the  actors  strengthens  the 
quality  of  realism.  The  question  of  whether  society  or  the  individual  bears 
the  burden  of  responsibility  for  juvenile  delinquency  is  implied  but  it  is  a 
disturbing  one.  Shane,  in  his  directon,  neatly  balanced  the  action.  Perform- 
ances are  all  sharply  etched.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Thelma  Ritter  and  Louis 
Van  Rotten,  as  the  boy's  parents,  and  Sharon  McManus,  his  little  sister. 
Stock  roles  as  a  social  center  director  and  a  detective  are  made  considerably 
appealing  by  Stephen  McNally  and  Jeff  Corey,  respectively.  Joshua  Shelley, 
as  a  half-demented  knifer,  provides  an  effective  vignette.  Adolescent  _  girl 
friends  of  gang  members  are  portrayed  by  Sue  England,  Barbara  Whiting 
and  Sara  Berner.  The  story  was  adapted  from  the  novel,  "The  Amboy  Dukes," 
by  Irving  Shulman. 

Running  time,  90  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Set  for  April  re- 
lease Mandel  Herbstman 


Johnston  Starts 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

economies  in  the  last  quarter  of  1948 
represent  a  savings  59  per  cent  higher 
than  the  same  quarter  in  1947. 

Perhaps  the  most  striking  point  was 
made  by  Dr.  Arno  Johnson,  J.  Walter 
Thompson  agency  vice-president  in 
charge  of  research,  who  declared  that 
"the  ability  of  Americans  to  buy  thea- 
tre tickets  is  50  per  cent  greater  than 
before  the  war. 

"The  number  of  tickets  sold  is  ap- 
proximately the  same,"  he  continued. 
"The  desire  to  attend  rather  than  the 
ability  to  pay  is  the  governing  factor 
in  ticket  sales." 

Dr.  Robert  Chambers,  head  of  the 
MPAA  research  department,  present- 
ed charts  to  substantiate  the  8>4  per 
cent  figure  and  showed  further  that 
business  in  1948  was  equal  to  1945. 

Other  speakers,  including  Francis 
Harmon,  MPAA  vice-president,  and 
John  McCarthy,  MPAA  international 
division  head,  said  that  no  trend 
toward  a  slump  in  national  economy  is 
in  sight,  1948  world  grosses  were  less 
than  10  per  cent  below  1946,  the  State 
Department  is  cooperating  with  the  in- 
dustry to  the  fullest  extent  it  has  legal 
authority  to  do  so,  and  that  the  out- 
look for  world  trade  is  good  but  the 
outlook  for  remittances  from  abroad 
is  not. 


Loew  Proposes 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


March  25.  The  latter  date  is  in  lieu 
of  the  annual  stockholders'  meeting 
deferred  from  last  December. 

Nominated  for  the  post  of  11th  di- 
rector is  F.  Joseph  Holleran,  vice- 
president  of  National  City  Bank  of 
New  York.  The  bank  j  is  one  of  the 
company's  financial  depositories  and 
during  the  last  fiscal  year,  ended  Au- 
gust 31,  1948,  a  subsidiary  of  Loew's 
made  long-term  loans  from  the  bank, 
guaranteed  by  the  parent,  aggregating 
some  $5,000,000. 

Nominated  for  reelection  are  Leo- 
pold Friedman,  Eugene  W.  Leake, 
Charles  C.  Moskowitz,  William  A. 
Parker,  William  F.  Rodgers,  J.  Rob- 
ert Rubin,  Nicholas  M.  Schenck, 
Joseph  R.  Vogel,  David  Warfield  and 
Henry  Rogers  Winthrop. 

Officers  or  directors  of  the  company 


who  received  salary  and  other  remun- 
eration of  more  than  $25,000  during 
the  fiscal  year  follows :  Friedman, 
vice-president,  secretary  and  counsel, 
$130,714;  E.  J.  Mannix,  vice-presi- 
dent, $159,471  salary,  $43,142  bonus; 
Louis  B.  Mayer,  production  head, 
$156,857  salary,  plus  $260,406;  Mos- 
kowitz, vice-president  and  treasurer, 
$156,857;  Rodgers,  distribution  vice- 
president,  $115,028;  Rubin,  vice-presi- 
dent and  counsel,  $104,571,  plus  $53,- 
850;  Schenck,  president,  $130,714,  plus 
$94,121  ;  Vogel,  vice-president,  $156,- 
857. 

Additionally,  the  company  placed  a 
total  of  some  $480,969  in  benefits  in  its 
retirement  fund  for  the  foregoing  eight 
persons  during  the  year. 


John  Joseph  to  MGM 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


will  first  spend  two  weeks  at  the 
Coast .  studio  seeing  new  pictures  and 
conferring  on  campaigns  to  accompany 
their  release.  He  will  then  go  to  New 
York  to  carry  out  the  campaigns. 

With  the  addition  of  Joseph,  the 
M-G-M  promotional  staff  now  con- 
sists of  Howard  Strickling,  director  of 
publicity ;  Si  Seadler,  director  of  ad- 
vertising ;  W.  R.  Ferguson,  director 
of  exploitation ;  Herb  Crooker,  New 
York  publicity  manager;  Frank  Whit- 
beck,  studio  advertising  manager ;  and 
Ralph  Wheelright,  studio  publicity 
and  promotion  manager. 


Para.  Stock  Options 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

is  to  expire  on  April  29,  1950,  Para- 
mount may  request  Richards  to  fix  a 
base  price  at  which  he  would  sell  to 
or  buy  from  Paramount.  Paramount 
then  could  buy  out  Richards  at  50  per 
cent  of  the  price  so  fixed  or  sell  to 
him  at  150  per  cent  of  the  fixed  price. 

In  all  cases,  it  appears  that  Para- 
mount has  won  its  prime  objective  so 
far  as  buying  and  selling  are  con- 
cerned. The  company  had  told  New 
York  Federal  Court  that  direct  sale 
of  its  interests  in  partnerships,  under 
compulsion,  and  without  the  ad- 
vantages of  the  options  it  holds, 
would  mean  "wholesale  destruction"  of 
the  values  of  its  properties. 

Meanwhile,  Paramount  is  still  hold- 
ing up  on  signing  the  consent  decree, 
firm  to  its  attitude  of  no  signatures 
until  the  Treasury  Department  gives 
a  formal  ruling  that  the  reorganization 
of  the  company  will  be  a  tax-free 
stock  transaction.  Justice  Department 
is  said  to  be  putting  pressure  on 
Treasury  for  quick  action. 


Pine  on  Divorcement 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

be  the  immediate  result  as  producers 
aligned  with  major  companies  will  no 
longer  have  large  numbers  of  imme- 
diate customers  in  their  own  affiliated 
theatres,  but  instead  will  have  to  oper- 
ate on  the  highest  competitive  basis 
in  winning  market  outlets.  Said  Pine : 
"It  will  be  a  matter  of  survival  of  the 
fittest  so  far  as  producers  are  con- 
cerned." 

He  made  the  remarks  in  a  discus- 
sion of  trade  matters  'during  a  lunch- 
eon given  in  his  honor  by  Paramount 
at  the  Hotel  Astor  yesterday.  Para- 
mount division  manager  Hugh  Owen 
was  host. 

Pine-Thomas  have  been  forced  to 
abandon  low-budget  type  productions 
because  conditions  have  changed  to 
the  extent  that  a  "solid"  box-office 
film  requires  an  expenditure  of  at 
least  $1,000,000. 


F.  &  M.  Unit  Seeks 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

from  the  Los  Angeles  house,  which 
the  plaintiff  alleges  is  held  on  a  lease, 
on  condition  that  all  Paramount  pic- 
tures be  played. 

Partmar  contends  that  "the  picture 
company  has  been  enjoined  from  com- 
pelling the  exclusive  use  of  its  pic- 
tures in  the  theatre."  Partmar  asserts 
that  Paramount  and  the  government 
"have  agreed  to  dispense  with  this  re- 
quirement." Presumably  this  is  a  ref- 
erence to  the  terms  of  Paramount's 
expected  settlement  of  the  case. 


U-I  Asks  Suit  Dismissal 

Universal-International  has  moved 
in  U.  S.  District  Court  here  for  a  dis- 
missal of  minority  stockholder  Flor- 
ence R.  Long's  action  against  the  com- 
pany and  a  number  of  its  officers  and 
directors.  The  company  claims  what 
Miss  Long  holds  were  improper  stock 
option  deals  actually  were  set  up  "in 
the  best  interests  of  the  company." 


WANTED  16  M.M.: 
BOOKER  AND  EXPEDITER 

Male  or  female  top  salary 
for  experience. 
Box  423,  Motion  Picture  Herald 
1270  Sixth  Ave.,  New  York  20 


"Stunning  performance. 


SAN  FRANCISCO  CALL-BUUETIN 


Thursday,  February  24,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


U.K.  Clamps  Down 

(Continued  from  page-  1) 

is  inclined  to  blame  producers  for 
yielding  too  easily  in  the  past  to  union 
demands  for  wages  and  working  con- 
ditions. He  suggests  they  correct  that 
situation  before  asking  further  gov- 
ernmental aid. 

Attlee,  in  addition,  is  mindiul  that 
special   governmental    concessions  to 
the  film  industry  inevitably  will  pro- 
voke other  industries  in  making  sim- 
ilar   demands    upon   the  government 
when  the  anticipated  recession  in  the 
present  "sellers'  market"  occurs. 
It    is    understood    that  Sir 
Stafford  Cripps,  Chancellor  of 
the   Exchequer,  is  considering 
some  form  of  modification  of 
the  government's  heavy  enter- 
tainment tax,  to  be  incorporat- 
ed in  his  April  budget,  but  that 
the  relief  to  be  accorded  will 
in  no  event  be  passed  on  to 
film  producers.    Rather,  it  will 
be  specifically  designed  to  low- 
er the  cost  of  entertainment  to 
the  public. 

Despite  the  government's  present 
unwillingness  to  accept  the  production 
crisis  as  a  Cabinet  level  problem,  Har- 
old Wilson,  president  of  the  Board  of 
Trade,  undoubtedly  is  discussing  the 
situation  with  Cripps.  Wilson  is 
greatly  concerned  over  the  threatened 
collapse  of  his  45  per  cent  film  quota 
and  the  growing  uncertainty  of  his 
other  film  industry  plans. 

J.  Arthur  Rank  assured  an  emer- 


MILLIONS 

of 

Moviegoers  Were 
Thrilled  Before 

MILLIONS 

Will  Be 
Thrilled  Again 
When  They  See 

BERNARD  SHAW'S 

PYGMALION 


starring 
WENDY  HILLER 

LESLIE  HOWARD 

Produced  by  Gabriel  Pascal 

"Practically  perfect" 

Time  Magazine 

"A  grand  show!" 
"Deftly,  joyously  told" 

N.  Y.  Times 

"Magnificent"       Herald  Tribune 

8  out  of  9  critics  voted  it 
"ONE  OF  THE  YEAR'S  10  BEST". 

WOW  READY  FOR  RELEASE 

ELLIS  FILMS,  INC. 

R.K.O.  Building 

Suite  509,  1270  — 6th  Ave. 

Telephone  CO.  5-2125    N.  Y.  City 


gency  meeting  of  Wilson's  National 
Film"  Production  Council  today  that 
he  will  deliver  40  films  during  the 
quota's  first  year  and  expressed  the 
view  that  the  quota  will  be  amply 
met.  Rank  previously  had  promised  at 
least  60  features. 

A   BOT   spokesman   said  he 
foresees  quota  trouble  next  year 
in  consequence  of  the  current 
production  dislocation.  He 
warned  that  miracles  will  not 
happen   through  governmental 
help,  the  limit  thereof  being  the 
Film  Finance  Corporation's 
present  subsidies.  The  rest  is 
up  to  the  industry,  he  said. 
Today's  meeting  provided  a  "free, 
friendly    and   frank    discussion,"  the 
spokesman     said,     which     at  least 
"cleared  the  air." 

Future  meetings  of  the  joint  com- 
mittee will  be  held  monthly,  he  said. 
The  feeling  is  spreading  here 
that  the  only  solution  for  the 
present  crisis  lies  in  abrogation 
of  the  quota  legislation  in  re- 
turn for  guaranteed  American 
showings  up  to  a  given  small 
percentage  of  British  pictures. 
In  this  connection,  authoritative  cir- 
cles already  are  urging  the  govern- 
ment to  utilize  the  Export  Guarantees 
Act   to   enable   producers   to  collect 
currently-frozen  currencies  earned  by 
British      pictures      in  non-sterling 
countries. 


Film  Firm  Income 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ported  on  4,278  returns  filed  by  film 
industry  firms.  Another  268  returns 
did  not  have  income  data. 

Of  the  total,  3,424  returns  showed 
a  net  income,  while  854  showed  a  net 
deficit.  The  returns  with  a  net  income 
reported  $1,890,731,000  in  compiled 
receipts,  a  net  income  of  $369,575,000 
and  total  income  and,  excess  profits  tax 
payments  of  $128,316,000,  consisting  of 
$116,746,000  in  income  taxes  and  $11,- 
750,000  in  excess  profits  tax. 

The  firms  reporting  a  net  income 
paid  $113,275,000  in  dividends  in  cash 
and  assets  other  than  their  own  stock, 
while  the  firms  with  a  deficit  paid 
$35,000  in  such  dividends.  The  854 
deficit  firms  had  total  compiled  receipts 
of  $58,644,000  and  a  net  deficit  of 
S13,409,000. 

Twenty  -  six  '  consolidated  returns 
were  filed  by  film  firms,  23  showing  a 
net  income  and  three  showing  no  net 
income.  The  23  firms  reporting  on 
the  plus  side  covered  328  subsidiaries 
in  their  consolidated  returns,  had 
total  receipts  of  $357,151,000,  a  net  in- 
come of  $49,426,000,  paid  $17,852,000 
in  dividends  other  than  in  their  own 
stock,  and  paid  $18,847,000  in  taxes— 
$18,827,000  in  income  and  $20,000  in 
excess  profits  tax.  The  returns  with 
no  net  income  covered  three  subsid- 
iaries, showed  receipts  of  $1,471,000,  a 
deficit  of  $231,000,  and  dividends  of 
S10.000. 

The  industry  firms  received  $44,- 
258,000  in  dividends  from  stock  of 
other  domestic  corporations,  and 
$1,092,000  in  interest  on  Government 
obligations. 


HOLLYWOOD  —  Every  Friday  night  for 
five  weeks  more  than  23,000,000  lis- 
teners to  NBC's  network  hit  program, 
"THE  LIFE  OF  RILEY/'  are  hearing 
the  big  news  that  "THE  LIFE  OF 
RILEY"  is  now  on  the  screen  with  the 
same  lovable  William  Bendix  as  its 
star. 

The  whole  NBC  network  and  all 
its  affiliated  stations  are  ready  to 
lend  local  cooperation  to  you  when 
you  play  U-IV'THE  LIFE  OF  RILEY." 
Get  in  touch  with  your  local  station 
immediately  and  learn  how  you, 
too,  can  live  "THE  LIFE  OF  RILEY." 


ANSWER 
TO  YOUR 
TECHNICAL 
PROBLEMS . . . 


Protest  Wage  Hike 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


either  sex  under  18  years  of  age  from 
$17  for  a  44-hour  week  to  $31  for  a 
40-hour  week.  Minimum  wages  for 
cleaners  would  go  from  $14.50  for  a 
48-hour  week  to  $29.75  for  a  44-hour 
week.  Brylawski  pointed  out  that  the 
present  union  wage  for  female  ushers 
is  from  $20  to  $24. 


The  Altec 
Service  Man  and 
the  organization 
behind  him 


161  Sixth  Avenue, 
New  York  13,  N.  Y, 


PROTECTING  THE  THEATRE-FIRST  PLACE  IN  ENTERTAINMENT 


4 


My  deepest  gratitude 

to  all  the  radio  editors 

who  selected  me  as 


CHAMPION  OF  CHAMPIONS 

and 

BEST  COMEDIAN 


In  The  Annual  FAME  Poll 


Jack  Benny 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  39 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  FEBRUARY  25,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Wants 
'Clean  Slate' 
FromNY  Court 

New  Brief  Asserts  More 
Restraints  Not  Needed 

"No  further  relief  is  required  by 
the  government  or  should  be  grant- 
ed to  it  as  against  Loew's,  Inc.'' 
This  was  Loew's  sparsely-worded 
conclusion  to  a  154-page  brief  which 
it  submitted  to  New  York  Federal 
Court  yesterday,  setting  forth  an  ex- 
tensive argument  against  the  govern- 
ment's bid  for  divestiture  _  and  new 
trade  practice  injunctions  in  the  in- 
dustry's anti-trust  suit. 

Like  its  co-defendants,  Loew  s  asks 
the  court  to  consider  the  company  in 
the  light  of  present-day  operations,  as 
against  the  pre-trial  era,  holding  that 
practices  today  are  devoid  of  any  in- 
justices to,  or  unfair  advantages  over, 
any  other  interests  in  the  industry. 
Since  the  New  York  court's  opinion 

(Continued  on  page  4) 

Permit  Long  'Joan' 
Run  in  Chicago 

Chicago,  Feb.  24.  — An  agreement 
involving  the  two  week  run  limit  im- 
posed by  the  Jackson  Park  decree  has 
been  reached  to  allow  Sierra  Pictures' 
"Joan  of  Arc,"  distributed  by  RKO,  to 
open  at  the  RKO  Grand  March  23  for 
an  extended  run. 

Under  the  terms  set  forth  by  RKO 
attorneys,  and  approved  by  Judge 
Michael  J.  Igoe  of  U.  S.  District 
Court,  and  Thomas  McConnell,  Jack- 
son Park  attorney,  the  RKO  Palace 
is  to  play  double  features  in  order 
that  the  total  number  of  films  normally 
played  at  the  two  RKO  Loop  houses 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


N.  Y.  Exhibitors  to 
Test  Television 
For  Theatre  Usage 

Some  25  to  50  New  York  exhibi- 
tors, anticipating  the  eventual  wide- 
spread application  of  large-screen 
theatre  television,  are  contemplating 
early  experiments  in  conjunction  with 
telecasters  and  telephone  equipment 
manufacturers,  according  to  a  spokes- 
man of  the  Theatre  Owners  of  Amer- 
ica, who  admits  that  the  interested  ex- 
hibitors are  both  from  within  and  out- 
side the  ranks  of  TOA  members. 

Feeling  that  such  group  action  is 
needed  to  get  RCA  and  other  manu- 
facturers to  move  more  rapidly  into 
the  production  of  large-screen  televi 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Monogram  In 
ABPC's  Plan 


Kirsch  Again  Heads 
Illinois  Allied 


Chicago,  Feb.  24.  —  Jack  Kirsch 
was  re-elected  president  of  Allied 
Theatres  of  Illinois  for  a  three-year 
term  at  the  19th  annual  meeting  of 
officers  and  directors  held  today  at  the 
Congress  Hotel.  Re-elected  for  one- 
year  terms  were  Van  A.  Nomikos, 
vice-president,  and  Ben  Banowitz, 
secretary-treasurer. 

Directors  re-elected  for  one  year 
terms  were  the  following :  Richard 
Salkin,  Samuel  Roberts,  James  Greg- 
ory, Saul  Lockwood,  Arthur  David- 
son, Verne  Langdon,  Jack  Rose,  B 
Cheruhas,  Joseph  Stern,  Lou  H. 
Harrison,  John  Semidalis,  Ludwig 
Sussman,  Nate  Piatt,  Howard  Lubli- 
ner  and  Charles  Lindau.  Harry  Nepo 
was  again  appointed  sergeant-at-arms. 


London,  Feb.  25.  —  Monogram  as 
well  as  Warner  will  be  included  in 
Associated  British  Pictures  Corpora- 
tion's 2,000,000  pounds  ($8,000,000) 
two-year  production  plan,  it  was  ex- 
pected here  today  as  ABPC  executive 
producer  Robert  Clark  confirmed  a 
report  that  ABPC  will  launch  such  a 
program.  The  plan  calls  for  world- 
wide distribution  of  the  10  or  15  pic- 
tures which  will  be  made,  with  War- 
ner already  committed  to  distribute  in 
the  U.  S. 

Clark  indicated  that  the  program 
may  be  enlarged  by  1950,  with  ABPC's 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Para.  Decree 
All  Set  for 
Signing  Today 

Treasury   Clears  Tax 
Status  of  New  Stock 


New  Entertainment 
Project  for  Israel 

First  steps  in  the  launching  of  a. 
corporation  for  the  promotion  of  vari- 
ous entertainment  enterprises  in  Israel 
were  taken  by  an  industry  group  here 
yesterday  at  a  meeting  held  at  the  St. 
Moritz  Hotel.  At  the  meeting  it  was 
decided  that  a  survey  will  be  initiated 
with  a  view  toward  utilizing  Ameri- 
can and  other  capital  in  financing 
such  a  company. 

Norman  Lourie,  with  the  entertain- 
ment industry  in  Israel,  was  designat- 
ed to  investigate  the  potential  struc- 
ture and  scope  of  the  enterprise.  He 
will  leave  for  Tel-Aviv  next  Wednes- 
day- , 
An  organizing  committee  consists  01 
Fred  J.  Schwartz,  Harry  Brandt, 
Samuel  Rosen,   George  J.  Schaefer, 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


The  Treasury  Department  hav- 
ing expressed  itself  to  the  satisfac-  • 
tion  of  Paramount  that  the 
company's  proposed  reorganization 
and  stock  re-distribution  will  be  con- 
sidered as  tax  free,  Paramount  and  the 
Justice  Department  today  will  formal- 
ly enter  into  a  consent  decree  in  the 
industry  trust  suit.  This  was  ex- 
expressed  as  a  certainty  here  yester- 
day. 

Paramount's  executive  committee 
sat  in  an  extraordinary  session  at  the 
home  office  yesterday  for  final  con- 
versations on  the  settlement  with  the 
government,  which,  if  approved  by  the 
New  York  Federal  Court  and  the 
company's  stockholders,  will  mean  the 
dissolution    of    Paramount    and  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 

SIMPP  May  File 
In  New  York  Case 


UA  Ends  Bidding 
Plan  in  Chicago 

Chicago,  Feb.  24.— United  Artists 
has  discontinued  the  sale  of  films  here 
under  the  competitive  bidding-zoning 
plan,  thus  concluding  an  experiment 
that  began  several  months  ago  with 
the  picture,  "The  Time  of  Your  Life." 

Forthcoming  films,  including  "Red 
River,"  now  playing  here  in  outlying 
houses,  will  be  sold  on  the  basis  of 
negotiations.  RKO,  20th  Century-Fox 
and  M-G-M  sell  their  product  here  un- 
der the  bidding  setup. 


Decree  Will  Split  Up 
Para.  Video  Interests 


Ascap,  Telecasters 
Talk  First  Contract 

Initial  discussions  of  actual  terms  to 
supplant  the  first  non-gratis  Ascap 
contracts  with  telecasters  were  begun 
here  yesterday  and  confined  to  explor- 
atory probings  by  numerous  repre- 
sentatives on  both  sides.  Previous 
talks  had  concerned  only  the  extent 
of  Ascap's  licensing  authority.  The 
protracted  nature  of  these  talks  re- 
sulted in  a  30-day  extension,  to  April 
1,  of  Ascap's  gratuitous  licenses  to 
video  music  users. 

Representing  the  National  Associa- 
tion of  Broadcasters  in  the  negotia- 
tions are :  Robert  P.  Myers,  Joseph 
A.  McDonald,  Julius  F.  Brauner, 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Washington,  Feb.  24. — The  Para- 
mount decree  in  the  government's  New 
York  anti-trust  action  will  split  up  that 
company's  television  stations  and  sta- 
tion applications  between  the  two  new 
companies  which  would  emerge  under 
the  decree  settlement  of  the  case.  This 
would  end  the  existing  Paramount- 
DuMont  station  holdings. 

It  is  understood  that  the  new  pro- 
duction-distribution firm  will  get  the 
Los  Angeles  station  KTLA,  Para- 
mount's present  stock,  about  30  per 
cent,  in  DuMont,  and  the  applica- 
tion for  a  San  Francisco  station,  while 
the  theatre  firm  will  have  Balaban  and 
Katz's  Chicago  station  WBKB,  plus 
the  applications  of  New  England  The- 
atres for  Boston,  Gulf  Theatres  for 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


The  Society  of  Independent  Motion 
Picture  Producers  in  Hollywood_  is 
considering  the  filing  of  an  amicus 
curiae  brief  with  the  District  Court 
here  opposing  what  is  defined  as  "the 
concentration  of  buying  power"  still 
left  under  new  decree  setups  in  the 
government's  New  York  trust  action, 
it  was  disclosed  by  Gunther  Lessing, 
vice-president  of  Walt  Disney  Produc- 
tions, who  is  visiting  here  from  the 
Coast.  Lessing  is  also  counsel  for  the 
SIMPP. 

Lessing  holds  that  there  still  would 
not  be  enough  free  competition  under 
the  decree,  with  the  majors  retaining 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Bidding  Tilt  Keeps 
3  From  the  TOA 


The  reason  why  Warner,  Loew  and 
RKO  are  not  members  of  the  Theatre 
Owners  of  America  "is  because  TOA 
refused  to  approve  or  soft  pedal_  a 
general  plan  to  inaugurate  competitive 
bidding,"  TOA  members  have  been  in- 
formed in  a  bulletin  from  headquarters 
here.  "This,"  the  bulletin  states, 
"should  allay  any  idea  that  TOA  is  a 
tool  of  the  production  interests.  It  in- 
vites their  participation,  but  only  upon 
{Continued  on  page  3) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  25,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


LOUIS     PHILLIPS,  Paramount 
home  office  attorney,  is  recuper 
ating  at  Saratoga  Springs  from  a  re 
cent  illness. 

o 

Spyros  Skouras,  20th  Century-Fox 
president,  is  due  back  in  New  York 
Monday  from  Hollywood,  accom 
panied  by  Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  sales 
vice-president,  and  Donald  Hender- 
son, treasurer. 

• 

David  Lipton,  Universal-Interna- 
tional advertising-publicity  director, 
left  Hollywood  yesterday  for  New 
York,  with  stopovers  scheduled  for 
Salt  Lake  City  and  Cincinnati. 
• 

George  Lynch,  chief  film  buyer  of 
the  Schine  circuit,  will  be  honored  on 
his  30th  anniversary  in  the  industry 
at  a  dinner  April  4  at  the  Ten  Eyck 
Hotel,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

• 

Vincent  Trotta,  National  Screen 
Service  art  director,  and  Mrs.  Trotta, 
will  celebrate  their  25th  wedding  anni- 
versary on  Monday. 

o 

Charles  Simonelli,  Universal- 
International  Eastern  exploitation 
manager,  left  here  yesterday  for  Cin- 
cinnati. 

• 

Ben  Wirth,  Warner  Service  Corp. 
president,  is  due  back  here  from  the 
Coast. 

• 

Bryan  Foy,  Eagle  Lion  independent 
producer,  has  arrived  here  from  Hol- 
lywood. 

• 

Irving  Mack,  head  of  Filmack 
Trailers,  has  returned  to  Chicago  from 
New  York. 

• 

James  Cunningham  of  New  Glas- 
gow, Nova  Scotia,  has  been  appointed 
to  Canada's  National  Film  Board. 

R.  Hilton,  Altec  central  division 
manager,  is  in  New  York  from  Chi- 
cago. 

• 

H.  C.  Potter,  director,  will  leave 
here  for  Hollywood  today. 


Coast  Production 
Seen  Increasing 

Hollywood,  Feb.  24.— Indi- 
cations that  the  production 
activity  level  is  due  to  rise  in 
the  near  future  is  seen  in  the 
disclosure  by  the  Screen 
Writers'  Guild  that  470  mo- 
tion picture  writers  were  em- 
ployed by  the  studios  on  Feb. 
15,  which  compares  with  448 
on  Jan.  10. 


AMP  A  Meets  Monday 

A  meeting  of  the  Associated  Motion 
Picture  Advertisers  to  select  a  nomi- 
nating committee  will  be  held  at  the 
Trader  Tom  restaurant  here  on  Mon- 
day, it  is  announced  by  Max  E. 
Youngstein,  AM  PA  president. 


No  Indiana  Tax  Bill 

Indianapolis,  Feb.  24. — There  has 
been  no  bill  introduced  in  the  legis- 
lature to  levy  a  20  per  cent  admission 
tax,  despite  reports  to  the  contrary, 
according  to  the  Associated  Theatre 
Owners  of  Indiana. 


James  J.  Lucas,  61 

Hollywood,  Feb.  24. — James  J.  Lu- 
cas, 61,  former  vaudeville  star  and 
composer  of  once-popular  songs,  died 
here  Monday.  In  recent  years  he  had 
played  film  parts. 


Industry  Bond  Drive 
To  Start  on  May  15 


Washington,  Feb.  24. — The  indus- 
try will  launch  its  program  for  the 
Treasury's  1949  bond  drive  on  May  IS, 
when  Hollywood  stars  and  covered 
wagons  loaned  by  the  studios  will 
highlight  a  ceremony  at  Independence, 
Mo. 

This  was  announced  here  by  Mau- 
rice Bergman,  chairman  of  the  indus- 
try's committee  for  the  drive,  at  the 
close  of  a  two-day  meeting  of  the 
chairmen  of  19  industry  committees 
cooperating  in  the  drive. 

Bergman  today  outlined  the  indus- 
try's plans  for  the  Treasury  campaign, 
the  symbol  of  which  is  the  covered 
wagon.  These  include  sending  covered 
wagons  over  the  country,  with  stars 
making  personal  appearances  in  a 
dozen  large  cities,  newsreel  clips,  and 
production  of  at  least  one  six-minute 
short  subject  with  Western  stars  and 
featuring  covered  wagons. 


Morris  May  Get 
Roach's  Video  Films 

William  Morris  and  Co.  is  expected 
to  be  designated  by  Hal  Roach  to 
handle  sales  of  the  latter's  films  pro- 
duced for  television,  a  Roach  associate 
indicated  here  yesterday. 

Roach  has  arrived  here  from  Holly- 
wood to  confer  with  television  broad- 
casters. He  brought  with  him  prints 
of  four  of  the  six  pictures  he  has  al- 
ready completed.  Two  more  are  to  be 
forwarded  from  Hollywood  to  Roach 
who  is  expected  to  remain  in  New 
York  for  at  least  two  weeks. 


Skouras,  Bowron  At 
Boys'  Club  Opening 

Hollywood,  Feb.  24. — Civic  officials 
headed  by  Mayor  Fletcher  Bowron 
joined  with  chief  barker  Charles  P. 
Skouras  and  other  leaders  in  show 
business  in  a  formal  opening  of 
Variety  Boys'  Club,  with  David  W. 
Armstrong,  national  director  of  the 
Boys'  Club  movement,  here  from  New 
York  for  ceremonies  affiliating  the  new 
club  with  Boys'  Club  of  America, 
which  now  numbers  309  units. 

Roy  Rogers  and  other  stars  wel- 
comed the  youngsters  to  the  club, 
which  was  equipped  with  a  gym- 
nasium, showers,  game  rooms,  craft 
shops,  photo  laboratory,  television- 
radio  room  and  a  library  at  a  cost 
of  $200,000.  Formal  dedication  takes 
place  Monday  evening  at  a  banquet  at 
the  Ambassador  Hotel. 


Scores  in  Industry 
Receive  Tax  Refunds 


Washington,  Feb.  24— The'U.  S. 
Internal  Revenue  Bureau  today  made 
public  a  list  of  scores  of  persons  and 
corporations  receiving  tax  refunds  in 
the  fiscal  year  ended  last  June  30.  In- 
terstate Circuit,  Inc.,  of  Texas,  leads 
the  industry  company  list  with  a  re- 
fund of  $68,701.  Virginia  and  Darryl 
F.  Zanuck  headed  the  list  of  individ- 
uals receiving  refunds,  each  getting 
$174,973.  Louis  B.  Mayer  and  Mar- 
garet Mayer  each  received  $78,000. 

Among  the  corporations  receiving 
refunds  were  the  following : 

Adrian,  Ltd.,  $37,256;  Cagney  Produc- 
tions, $5,296;  Walt  Disney  Productions, 
$24,408;  Eagle-Lion,  $3,661;  Fox  Ozark  The- 
atres Corp.,  $13,127  (excess  profits) ;  Fox 
West  Coast  Theatres,  $3,620;  Metropolitan 
Theatres  Corp.,  $13,863;  Miller  Amusement 
Co.,  $8,392;  Pathe  Laboratories,  $1,508; 
Warner  Brothers,  $8,401;  Ace  Film  Labora- 
tories, $1,007;  Film  Classics,  $2,668. 

Also,  Loew's  Indiana  Theatres,  $2,959; 
M-G-M  International  Films,  $3,835;  M-G-M 
Distributing  Corp.,  $1,234;  M-G-M  of  Egypt, 
$7,517;  Paramount  Pictures  Theatres  Corp., 
$4,150;  Poli-New  England  Theatres,  $1,238; 
RKO  Theatres,  Inc.,  $1,411;  RKO  Radio 
(Near  East),  $1,143;  RKO  Theatres,  $1,115; 
Republic  Pictures,  $6,450;  Standard  Thea- 
tres Corp.,  $1,331;  United  Detroit  Theatres 
$4,014;  Universal  Pictures  of  Mexico,  $2,660; 
Universal  Pictures  of  North  Africa,  $1,271 ; 
Warner  Brothers  Artists  Bureau,  $3,387; 
Warner  Brothers  Pictures  Distributing 
Corp.,  $4,146;  Warner  Brothers  Theatres  of 
Wisconsin,  $21,114;  Tri-State  Theatre  Corp., 
$3,660;  Balaban  and  Katz,  $5,107;  Common- 
wealth Lawrence  Theatre  Corp.,  $11,297; 
Commonwealth  Search  Theatre  Corp.,  $1,202 
(excess  profits).  . 

Tax  refunds  to  industry  individuals 
included : 

J.  Cheever  Cowdin,  $2,704;  Joan  Crawford, 
$2,511;  Edith  Goetz,  $46,087,  and  William 
Goetz,  $46,087;  David  L.  Loew,  $10,990; 
Ernst  Lubitsch,  $1,822;  Margaret  Mayer, 
$78,114;  Thomas  Mitchell,  $12,208;  Anne  B. 
Mitchell,  $12,208;  Edward  Nassour,  $2,692; 
Robert  Riskin,  $5,727;  Ginger  Rogers.  $23,- 
208;  Irene  M.  Selznick,  $7,308;  Douglas 
Shearer,  $4,243;  Robert  S.  Taplinger,  $6,372; 
Jack  L.  Warner,  $1,059;  Nathan  W.  Kallet, 
$1,610;  Martin  J.  and  Alice  I.  Mullin,  $2,433; 
Frank  H.  Ricketson,  Jr.,  $39,748;  Henry  L. 
Balaban,  $12,343;  Elmer  C.  Rhoden,  $12,634, 
and  others. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


c —  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — ? 

Rockefeller  Center 

CLAUD  ETTE  FRED 

COLBERT     -  MacMURRAY 

"FAMILY  HONEYMOON" 

A   Universal-International  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


'Tchaikovsky'  Film 
Given  (B'  Rating 

Five  additional  pictures  have  been 
rated  by  the  National  Legion  of  De- 
cency with  Classic  Pictures'  "Life  and 
Loves  of  Tchaikovsky"  receiving  a  B 
classification.  In  Class  A-l  is  Mono- 
gram's "Bad  Boy." 

In  Class  A-II  are  Paramount's 
"Alias  Nick  Beal,"  Republic's  "The 
Far  Frontier"  and  Republic's  "The 
Last  Bandit." 


Kramer  Sets  One  for  U.A. 

With  a  theme  exploring  anti-Negro 
discrimination,  "Home  of  the  Brave," 
Broadway  play,  will  be  filmed  by 
Screen  Plays,  Inc.,  for  release  in  July 
through  United  Artists,  it  was  an- 
nounced here  by  producer  Stanley 
Kramer. 


Fire  Injures  Operator 

Boston,  Feb.  24. — Fire  starting  in 
the  projection  booth  of  the  Strand 
Theatre  in  Dover,  N.  H.,  completely 
destroyed  all  equipment.  Albert  Se- 
guun,  operator,  was  treated  for  third 
degree  burns  at  Wentworth  Hospital. 
Some  500'  patrons  filed  out  quietly. 


Columbia  Pictures  present 

HUMPHREY  BOGART 

"KNOCK  ON  ANY  DOOR" 

ASTOR 

B'way  at  45th  Street 


Richard 
WIDMARK 


Lionel 
BARRYMORE 


Dean 
STOCKWELL 

"DOWN  TO  THE  SEA  IN  SHIPS" 

A    20th  Century-Fox  Picture 
On    Variety   Stage— RUDY  VALLEE 
Maurice  Rocco  -  MOREY  AMSTERDAM 
BIG    ICE  SHOW 

7th  Ave.  &. 


:ROXY 


50th  St 


Paramount  prestnts 

ALAN  LADD 

ROBERT  PRESTON 
BRENDA  MARSHALL , 
DONALD  CRISP 


R'CH  •  TORMe 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER. 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Shew  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


r 


DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK  presents  ■ 

OLIVIA  de  HAVILLAND  I 


the  Snake  Pi  \ 


■Directed  by 
ANAIOIE  LTiVAK . 


Produced  by 
AHAT01E  UTVAK  <  ROBERT  BUSIER 


2<IV()LI 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID  wmm 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  ■  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS^ 


„,„i  JOSE  FERRER  •  FRANCIS  L  SULLiVAN  •  J  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BOND  | 
SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  ■  HURD  HATFIELD  ■  GENE  LOCKHART  ■  JOHN  EMERf  f 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  •  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  K  EL  LAW  AY 
based  upon  Ihe  stage  play  'Joan  ol  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
iCfcen  ploy  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  50LT  •  orl  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  .  director  of  phorogrophy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

d  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  •  reteoied  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


76  *  WEEK!, 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley.  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20.  N.  Y  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
Wew  Vork.  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quiglev.  Jr.. '  Vice-President ;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary ; 
James  v  Cumngham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood' Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
T  a  rS+V  afT°  .  ur<:aE'  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
rifiT'  r\  -  i  £on,.  "ress  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Utner  yuigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
^;'°t<:  ■  ?i!e  Almanac>  Fa,™e-  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  m  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c.  . 


Friday,  February  25,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


4IA,'  Video  Union 
Fight  Jurisdiction 

Charges  and  counter  charges  by  the 
heads  of  the  two  unions  in  the  juris- 
dictional battle  over  various  categories 
of  television- production  workers  here 
have  brought  the  fight  into  the  open. 
John  R.  McDonnell,  president  of  the 
National  Association  of  Broadcast  En- 
gineers, an  unaffiliated  union,  has  ac- 
cused the  IATSE  ( AFL)  of  holding 
up  labor  peace  in  the  video  industry. 
He  said:  "NABE  officers  met  with 
|  the  IATSE  and  discovered  in  addi- 
tion to  the  question  of  lighting  in  tele- 
vision that  the  IATSE  now  demands 
additional  work  which  normally  is  in 
NABE's  field  of  technical  operation." 

Richard  F.  Walsh,  "I A"  interna- 
tional president,  countered  yesterday: 
"Effort  to  adjust  the  jurisdictional 
clash  in  the  television  labor  field  has 
been  made  through  numerous  meet- 
ings between  representatives  of 
NABE  and  the  IATSE.  NABE  is 
a  union  of  electronic  technicians  now- 
trying  to  extend  its  jurisdiction  into 
the  fields  of  stage  work  and  lighting, 
motion  picture  filming  and  projection 
and  the  work  of  film  laboratory  tech- 
nicians. The  TA'  still  is  trying  to 
adjust  the  differences  between  the  two 
unions  and  further  conferences  can  be 
held  at  any  time  NABE  wishes." 


Rogers  Feted  on 
25th  Anniversary 

The  film  reissue  business  is  here  to 
stay,  Budd  Rogers,  Realart  distribu- 
tion vice-president,  said  here  yester- 
day at  a  luncheon  at  Toots  Shor's 
given  by  business  associates  in  ob- 
servance of  Rbgers'  25th  year  in  the 
industry. 

Exhibitor  acceptance  of  reissue 
programs  is  demonstrated  by  the 
5,000  regular  accounts  and  7,500  oc- 
casional bookings  of  Realart's  pack- 
age releases,  Rogers  said.  The  com- 
pany has  more  than  a  five-year  sup- 
ply of  films,  without  adding  to  its 
present  inventory,  on  the  basis  of  cur- 
rent scheduling  of  36  to  40  dual  re- 
leases annually.  With  this  supply, 
Realart  finds  it  possible  to  plan  pack- 
age programs,  merchandising  cam- 
paigns and  release  schedules  far  in 
advance  'and  on  the  soundest  possible 
basis,  Rogers  pointed  out. 

He  foresees  no  injurious  effect  on 
films  from  television  but  rather  be- 
lieves the  new  medium  can  be  em- 
ployed to  stimulate  both  film  interest 
and  theatre  attendance. 

Rogers  was  presented  with  an  an- 
niversary desk  set  at  the  luncheon. 


Cinecolor  Moves  To 
Set  Up  London  Lab. 

Hollywood,  Feb.  24. — Alan  Gundel- 
finger,  Cinecolor  vice-president,  will 
!  leave  here  Sunday  by  plane  enroute  to 
England  to  conclude  details  leading  to 
the  establishment  of  a  London  labora- 
tory by  the  company. 

Gundelfinger  visited  England  re- 
cently to  survey  the  market  and  tech- 
nical facilities.  Though  no  formal  an- 
nouncement has  yet  been  made,  the 
I  decision  to  expand  operations  and  to 
I  install  a  plant  abroad  was  reached 
at  the  Cinecolor  board  meeting  held 
here  last  week. 


Review 


"Mother  Is  a  Freshman' 


TO  A  Names  Brokers 
For  Insurance  Plan 

Theatreowners  interested  in  liability 
insurance  on  a  per  seat  basis  instead 
of  a  per  admission  basis  have  been 
advised  by  Theatre  Owners  of  Amer- 
ica to.  send  applications  to  either  A. 
Yarkin  and  Co.  or  Frank  Crystal  and 
Co.,  brokers  handling  this  type  of _  in- 
surance, routing  the  applications 
through  TOA's  New  York  office. 

A  survey  made  by  TO  A  has  _  de- 
termined, it  is  said,  that  a  "decided 
savings"  can  be  made  by  the  use  of 
liability  insurance  bought  on  a  per 
seat  basis  instead  of  a  per  admission 
basis. 


(20th  Century-Fox) 

AFRESH  story  idea  is  neatly  carried  off  in  "Mother  Is  a  Freshman 
with  results  which  commend  themselves  highly  to  audiences  and  ex- 
hibitors alike.  This  is  a  well-turned,  well-handled  comedy  buttressed  by 
polished  handling  in  performance,  direction  and  treatment.  In  other  words,  it's 
°~ot  it. 

The  idea:  Loretta  Young  is  the  mother— and  thoroughly  believable,  too — 
of  17-year  Betty  Lynn,  co-ed  at  Pointer  College.  Both  of  them  have  been 
going  through  their  comfortable  financial  resources  faster  than  the  resources 
allow.  The  question  is  whether  Betty  can  return  to  school.  Under  a  family 
scholarship  large  enough  to  maintain  her  and  her  daughter  scholastically 
until  the  bank  balance  adjusts  itself,  Miss  Young  enters  Pointer  as  a  fresh- 
man. The  possibilities  of  the  situation  are  obvious. 

Daughter  has  to  help  mother  cram  in  order  to  pass  the  entry  exams. 
Mother  has  to  shed  her  smart  clothes  for  skirts  and'  sweaters  which  on  Miss 
Young  are  very  becoming.  Daughter  thinks  she  is  in  love  with  Van  Johnson, 
professor  in  English  literature.  Mother  knows  she  is  in  love  _  with  him 
before  long.  Problem :  How  to  bring  off  the  romance  without  hurting  daugh- 
ter who  conveniently  solves  it  by  turning  to  Robert  Arthur,  schoolmate,  for 
romantic  comfort. 

The  story  framework  has  been  fortified  by  amusing  incident  responsible  for 
such  guffaws  and  laughs  on  the  part  of  an  audience  at  RKO's  58th  St.  Thea- 
tre, New  York,  last  Wednesday  evening  that  frequently  the  dialogue  was 
drowned  out.  Miss  Young  is  excellent  as  the  young  widow  and  mother.  John- 
son executes  his  part  with  easy  believability,  Miss  Lynn  is  good  and  Rudy 
Vallee,  as  the  fuddy-duddy  family  lawyer,  is  amusing.  Technicolor  serves  to 
enhance  tasteful  production  values. 

The  late  Walter  Morosco  produced  and  Lloyd  Bacon,  old  hand  behind  the 
camera,  directed,  in  the  showmanly  manner.  Raphael  Blau's  story  provided 
the  basis  for  a  well-knit  screenplay  by  Mary  Loos  and  Richard  Sale 

Running  time  81  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  release  in 
March.  Red  Kann 


will  be  maintained  at  the  rate  con- 
templated by  the  decree. 

The  attorneys  explained  that  while 
the  arrangement  varies  from  the  literal 
language  of  the  decree,  it  is  consistent 


Schlaifer  Charters 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  24. — Charles 
Schlaifer  and  Co.  has  registered  with 
the  secretary  of  state  as  an  advertising 
business  to  be  conducted  in  New  York. 
Listed  as  incorporators  are  Schlaifer, 
Evelyn  Schlaifer  and  Raymond  J. 
Horowitz.  Also  chartered  was  the  9W 
Drive-in  Corp.,  '  with  incorporators 
Walter  Reade,  Jr.,  Helen  Moured  and 
Jack  P.  Harris  receiving  a  certificate 
for  a  800-car  drive-in  at  Kingston. 


TOA  and  Bidding 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Fire  at  Iowa  Theatre 

Ruthven,  la.,  Feb.  24. — Some  $20,- 
000  damage  was  estimated  after  a  fire 
struck  the  Palo  Alto  Theatre  here. 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
MOTION  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


MEMBER   FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


a  healthy  program.  With  the  divorce 
decrees  now  being  written,  the  split- 
ting up  of  the  circuits  from  production 
will  make  them  more  and  more  ex- 
hibition-minded and  create  added  need 
for  cooperation  among  all  exhibitors." 

TOA's  directors,  the  report  also 
states,  have  decided  to  make  an  annual 
five-cent  per  seat  levy  for  dues  for 
each  theatre  member,  effective  July  1, 
1949,  instead  of  the  ten  cents  per  seat 
contribution  which  has  prevailed  since 
the  organization  was  formed  two  years 
ago. 


Project  for  Israel 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Robert  Goldstein,  Albert  Margolies 
and  Jack  London. 

Also  present  at  the  meeting  were 
Lourie,  Edward  N.  Rugoff,  William 
White,  Max  A.  Cohen,  Solomon  M. 
Strausberg,  Emanuel  Frisch,  Arthur 
Schwartz  and  William  Lowenstein, 
restaurateur. 


Claim  Record  for  'Ships' 

New  Bedford,  Mass.,  Feb.  24. — A 
new  box-office  record  for  the  State 
Theatre  here  was  set  by  20th  Cen 
tury-Fox's  "Down  to  the  Sea  in 
Ships,"  which  chalked  up  $13,377  for 
its  premiere  week's  engagement 
Harry  Zeitz,  president  of  Zeitz  The- 
atres, revealed  today. 


Chicago  Long  Run 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


with  the  spirit  and  purpose  of  the  de- 
cree in  assuring  a  steady  flow  of 
product  through  the  Loop  to  subse- 
quent-run houses.  It  is  also  intended, 
the  attorneys  said,  to  lighten  the  work 
of  the  court  by  avoiding  a  contested 
hearing  for  modification  of  the  decree 
that  has  resulted  from  previous  peti- 
tions by  other  distributors. 


BULLETIN  #4 

Cincinnati —William  Bendix  headscaravan  of  Holly- 
wood personalities  to  set  off  week  of  celebration 
in  Cincinnati  as  part  of  "THE  LIFE  OF  RILEY"  pro- 
motion, premiering  March  4th  at  RKO  Grand 
Theatre.  Newspaper  critics,  columnists,  radio 
commentators  and  wire  services  from  the  entire 
Middle  West  territory  will  attend  premiere. 

Three-way  tie-up  with  Procter  &  Gamble  and 
National  Broadcasting  Company  brings  whole 
"LIFE  OF  RILEY"  radio  show  into  Cincinnati  for  live 


broadcast  from  stage  for  charity  benefit.^ 

<1> 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  25,  1949 


Para.  Decree 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


formation  of  two  new  companies,  one 
for  exhibition,  the  other  for  produc- 
tion-distribution. 

At  the  same  time  it  was  learned 
that  Paramount  has  consummated  a 
new  financing  deal  with  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Chicago  and  associated 
banks  which  will  make  available  to 
the  company  a  total  of  $30,000,000  at 
short-term,  low-interest  rates  on  a  re- 
volving fund  basis.  Money  will  be 
used  to  finance  the  exchange  of  thea- 
tre properties  which  Paramount  con- 
templates with  its  exhibitor  partners 
under  the  terms  of  the  settlement. 
Extends  Old  Plan 

The  bank  arrangement  actually  is 
an  extension  of  an  old  borrowing  plan, 
which  made  $25,000,000  available  to 
the  company  for  general  corporate 
purposes.  Of  this  amount,  the  com- 
pany took  only  $10,000,000,  which  it 
subsequently  repaid. 

Paramount  will  pay  only  one- 
quarter  of  one  per  cent  as  a  service 
charge  on  the  cash  held  by  the  bank 
and  made  available  to  the  company, 
and  will  pay  interest  charges  of  two 
and  one-half  per  cent  on  the  cash  it 
actually  utilizes  under  the  new  deal, 
it  is  said. 

_  Apparently,  it  is  Paramount's  inten- 
tion to  leave  untouched  the  parent 
company's  current  assets,  believed  to 
include  about  $30,000,000  in  cash, 
when  it  actually  launches  its  program 
of  buying  out  partners  as  a  means 
of  salvaging  valuable  stock  purchase 
options.  Although  its  interest  in  any 
particular  jointly-owned  circuit  may 
be  banned  under  the  settlement,  Para- 
mount still  is  free  to  buy  out  a  part- 
ner and  then  sell  the  entire  circuit, 
or  whatever  part  of  it  is  necessary. 

TV  Raised  Question 

Questions  on  the  tax  aspects  of  the 
reorganization  are  understood  to  have, 
stemmed  from  the  proposed  disposi- 
tion of  Paramount's  television  prop- 
ties. 

Barney  Balaban,  Paramount  presi- 
dent, convened  the  meeting  of  the  ex- 
ecutive committee  yesterday  following 
his  return  to  New  York  from  a  Flori- 
da vacation.  The  meeting  was  in  ses- 
sion up  to  a  late  hour  with  continuing 
indications  that  the  Paramount  chief- 
tains would  sign  the  decree  before  ad- 
journing. However,  a  ranking  com- 
pany executive  declared  late  in  the 
day  that  signatures  had  not  been  af- 
fixed but  that  everything  appeared  to 
be  in  readiness  for  signing'  today. 
Ruling  Spurs  Rumors 

Spurred  by  the  Treasury's  ruling 
that  the  exchange  of  Paramount  stock 
under  the  company's  divorcement- 
reorganization  plan  would  be  tax-free, 
reports  that  the  company  had  signed 
the  decree  yesterday  circulated  widely 
in  both  -New  York  and  Washington. 
While  the  Treasury's  ruling  eliminates 
the  main  barrier  to  signing,  company 
officials  said  there  remained  several 
angles  which  required  further  discus- 
sion and  necessitated  the  calling  of 
yesterday's  executive  committee  meet- 
ing. 

The  delay  in  signing  the  decree 
probably  will  necessitate  postponement 
to  April  15  of  the  Federal  Court  hear- 
ing here  now  scheduled  for  March  30. 
As  the  decree  now  stands,  Paramount 
stockholders  must  approve  it  by 
March  30,  but  indications  are  that 
more  time  will  be  needed  to  distribute 
proxies  and  have  them  returned  in 
time  for  a  stockholders'  meeting  by 
that  date.  Accordingly,  the  stockhold- 
ers' meeting  may  be  held  about  April 
8  or  11.  y 


Review  Arguments 
In  Lawson  Appeal 

Washington,  Feb.  24.— The  Cir- 
cuit Court  of  Appeals  for  the  District 
of  Columbia,  after  hearing  two  hours 
of  argument,  today  took  under  ad 
visement  the  appeals  of  screen  writers 
John  Howard  Lawson  and  Dalton 
Trumbo  from  their  convictions  in 
District  Court  here  for  contempt  of 
Congress. 

A  decision  can  be  expected  in  six 
weeks.    No  matter  how  the  Appeals 
Court  rules,  an  appeal  to  the  Su 
preme  Court  is  almost  certain. 

The  cases  of  the  eight  others  also 
cited  for  their  refusal  to  answer  ques- 
tions of  the  House  Un-American  Ac- 
tivities Committee  during  its  October, 
1947  hearings  on  Hollywood  depend 
on  the  outcome  of  the  Lawson- 
Trumbo  appeals. 


Loew's  'Clean  Slate' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


of  June,  1946,  Loew's  asserts  it  has 
been  selling  picture  by  picture  and 
theatre  by  theatre,  has  been  affording 
exhibitors  "throughout  the  country  an 
equal  opportunity"  of  obtaining  prod- 
uct through  competitive  licensing,  and 
has  made  no  less  than  4,984  changes 
in  clearances  to  further  equitable 
licensing. 

Its  vertical  integration  has  the 
sanction  of  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court 
which  has  held  that  exhibition,  pro- 
duction and  distribution  under  one 
roof  is  not  illegal  in  itself,  says 
Loew's.  The  company  states  that  its 
operations  never  were  tainted  by  any 
coercion,  restraints  or  any  other 
monopolistic  practices,  thus  are  within 
the  meaning  of  the  high  court's  "legal 
per  se"  finding. 

Theatre-wise,  Loew's  states  that  it 
has  competition  in  every  area,  both 
first-run  and  subsequent-run,  where  it 
operates ;  that  actually  it  has  favored 
the  films  of  independent  companies 
over  the  other  four  majors;  that  there 
is  no  evidence  that  a  competing  ex- 
hibitor was  bought  out  or  a  predatory 
practice  engaged  in. 
_  If  Loew's  was  out  to  control  exhibi- 
tion, there  is  no  indication  of  it  in 
the  record,  says  the  company.  "A 
very  conservative  policy  regarding 
theatre  acquisitions"  always  has  been 
pursued,  it  is  contended. 

Loew's  reports  that  when  the  hear- 
ings commenced  in  the  case,  in  1945, 
the  company  had  a  total  of  131  houses 
and  this  constituted  an  increase  of 
only  nine  theatres  in  13  years. 

By  way  of  contrast,  Loew's  points 
to  the  theatre  interests  of  other  ma- 
jors as  follows:  Warner,  501;  20th 
Century-Fox  (National),  636,  and 
Paramount,  1,395.  Presumably  because 
it  has  agreed  to  divorcement,  RKO's 
holdings  were  not  referred  to. 


Reviews 


« 


One  Night  With  You 

(Rank-TJ  nivey -sal-International) 

C  ELECTIVE  patrons  are  in  for  a  rewarding  surprise  in  J.  Arthur  Rank's 
O  "One  Night  with  You."  A  lampoon  on  film-making,  the  picture  has  sharp 
comic  bite,  fine  character  construction  and  a  wonderful  musical  sound  track. 
The  two  cast  names  relatively  well  known  on  these  shores  are  the  principals, 
Nino  Martini  and  Patricia  Roc. 

The  yarn  concerns  a  group  of  film-makers  who  are  stumped  for  a  good 
story.  Thereupon  Martini  relates  a  romantic  adventure  he  has  just  experi- 
enced, and  thus  the  basis  for  the  screenplay  is  supplied.  Through  flashback 
comes  Martini's  adventure  which  consisted  of  being  stranded  overnight  in 
an  Italian  railway  station  with  a  pretty  English  girl.  After  many  stumbling 
blocks,  romance  eventually  flowers  and  the  happy  ending  is  provided.  Several 
clever  sub-plots  and  fresh  twists  fill  out  the  story. 

Martini  sings  several  numbers  which  are  always  a  pleasure  to  hear.  The 
London  Symphony  Orchestra  provided  the  music.  A  Two  Cities  Film,  it 
was  produced  by  Josef  Somlo  and  directed  by  Shaun  Terence  Young,  from 
a  screenplay  by  C.  Brahms  and  S.  J.  Simon.  It  is  a  Prestige  Picture  released 
through  Universal-International. 

Running  time,  90  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  February 
release.  Mandel  Herbstman 

"Brothers  in  the  Saddle" 

(RKO  Radio) 

A  STOCK  Western  whose  principal  antagonists  are  two  brothers  played  by 
Tim  Holt  (who  represents  goodness)  and  Steve  Brodie  (who  portrays 
badness),  this  Herman  Schlom  production  is  composed  of  the  customary  horse 
opera  elements.  However,  in  addition  to  plenty  of  horseback  chasing,  fisti- 
cuffs, gunplay  and  card-shuffling,  it  offers  a  little  more  than  the  usual  amount 
of  blood-letting  as  the  brothers  shoot  it  out  in  the  showdown  finale. 

Holt  does  his  best  to  protect  his  brother  from  the  unhealthy  influences  of 
gamblers  in  an  Arizona  border  town,  but  his  remonstrances  are  to  no  avail. 
Brodie  doesn't  even  hesitate  to  mulct  his  pretty  fiancee  (Virginia  Cox)  of  her 
savings.  He  kills  a  gambler  in  a  gunfight,  is  caught  and  tried  only  to  escape 
punishment  with  the  assistance  of  Holt.  The  latter  keeps  his  brother  in  hiding 
until  it  can  be  proven  that  the  shooting  was  not  unprovoked  and  that  Brodie 
fired  in  self-defense.  While  Holt  is  busy  finding  witnesses,  however,  Brodie 
is  busy  robbing  stagecoaches.  Finally,  after  the  fugutive  does  shoot  an 
enemy  in  cold  blood,  the  two  brothers  turn  on  each  other  in  a  hideout  gun 
duel.  Brodie  dies  and  Holt  survives  the  bullet-riddling  he  takes.  The  cast  is 
rounded  out  with  Richard  Martin,  Carol  Forman  and  Richard  Powers.  Lesley 
Selander  directed. 

Running  time,  60  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
not  set.  Charles  L.  Franke 


To  Test  Television 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


SIMPP  May  File 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


control  of  so  many  wholly-owned 
theatres. 

_  On  the  subject  of  arbitration,  Les- 
sing  said :  "Anyone  who  does  not  be- 
lieve in  arbitration  just  doesn't  know 
what  he  is  talking  about."  He  ex- 
pressed himself,  however,  in  favor  of 
"a  free,  competitive  screen  where  we 
do  not  need  arbitration  proceedings." 

The  Disney  organization,  with  its 
tremendous  vault  inventory  of  snorts, 
is  watching  television's  growth  but 
Lessing  does  not  feel  that  the  new  me- 
dium is  ready  to  pay  enough  for  its  use. 


sion  projection  equipment,  these  ex 
hibitors  are  gathering  data  not  only 
on  the  cost  of  the  different  types  of 
projection  apparatus,  but  also  on  line 
charges,  the  cost  of  micro-wave  relay, 
the  time  period  involved  until  projec 
tors  could  be  turned  out  and  installed 
and  the  types  of  special  events  avail 
able  for  television. 

They  also  contemplated  contacting 
advertisers  and  to  prove  to  them  that 
the  showing  of  television  programs  in 
theatres  would  gain  them  a  much  wid- 
er audience.  Once  convinced  of  this, 
it  is  expected  that  the  advertisers  then 
would  in  turn  pressure  the  networks 
into  permitting  theatres  to  pick  up 
regular  broadcasts. 

Terming  concrete  action  on  theatre 
television  a  "protective  gamble,"  a 
spokesman  for  the  group  said  a  hard 
push  is  needed  to  overcome  the  inde- 
cision and  inertia  shown  so  far  and 
that  it  is  imperative  that  someone 
pioneer  in  theatre  television  activity. 


Ascap,  Telecasters 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Robert  L.  Poe,  William  Fay,  Clair  R. 
McCollough,  Theodore  C.  Streibert, 
R.  A.  Moore,  Thomas  Belviso,  Lawr- 
ence W.  Lowman  and  Edwin  Mc- 
Crossin. 

Ascap's  negotiators  are :  Edgar 
Leslie,  Max  Dreyfus,  John  Tasker 
Howard,  Frank  Connor,  Herman 
Starr,  Lester  Santly,  Herman  Finkel- 
stein,  Jules  Collins,  L.  P.  Stone  and 
Richard  F.  Murray. 


Para.  Video  Interests 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Miami,  and  United  Detroit  Theatres 
for  Detroit. 

Meanwhile,  DuMont  Laboratories 
has  told  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission  that  any  consent  decree 
entered  by  Paramount  in  the  New 
York  case  will  profoundly  change  the 
status  of  the  Commission's  proposed 
ruling  that  Paramount  controls  Du- 
Mont, and  that  the  latter  will  seek  to 
reopen  the  record  in  the  FCC  case  to 
include  the  decree  and  its  effects. 

The  FCC  has  announced  its  pro- 
posed ruling  that  Paramount  controls 
DuMont,  and  -that  applications  from 
DuMont  and  from  Paramount  sub- 
sidiaries for  five  new  television  sta- 
tions should  be  dismissed  since  Para- 
rrrount-DuMont  already  control  the 
five-station  limit.  Both  Paramount 
and  DuMont  have  filed  their  excep- 
tions to  this,  denying  control  by  Para- 
mount, and  all  that  remains  is  oral 
argument  and  a  final  FCC  decision. 


Monogram,  ABPC 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Elstree  and  Welwyn  studios  to  be 
utilized  to  full  capacity.  ABPC's  fi- 
nancing is  secure,  and  therefore  no 
recourse  will  be  made  to  outside 
sources,  Clark  said. 

Clark's  disclosure  of  the  plan 
created  no  little  interest  here,  par- 
ticularly with  regard  to  its  aim  at  the 
U.  S.  market.  J.  Arthur  Rank  and  Sir 
Alexander  Korda,  both  competitors, 
have  complained  that  their  own  efforts 
have  not  been  successful. 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.   NO.  40 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  FEBRUARY  28,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


PARA.  DECREE  SIGNED; 
PERMITS  620  THEATRES 


Independents  in  All 
Para.  Ist-Run  Areas 


1  "Substantial"  independent  first-run 
competition  in  all  communities  over 

i  25,000  population  where  theatres  are 

.  wholly-owned  by  Paramount,  with 
but  few  exceptions,  and  the  same  in 

:  communities  of  less  population  with 
more  than  one  theatre,  will  be  the  re- 
sult of  the  Paramount  consent  decree 
settlement,  according  to  a  supplement 
to  the  consent  decree  which  took  the 
form  of  a  letter  to  Attorney  General 
Tom  Clark  from  Austin  Keough, 
Paramount  vice-president  and  general 
counsel.  Keough  stated  it  is  his  under- 
standing that  the  letter  in  effect  will 
be  incorporated  in  the  consent  judg- 

■  ment. 

The  company  lists  numerous  part- 
nership holdings  which  will  be  divided 
in  such  a  manner  that  Paramount  will 
have  independent  competition  through 
numerical  divisions  of  circuits,  divesti- 

l  ture  of  its  own  stock,  or  purchase  of 
co-stockholders'  stock  and  a  subse- 
quent partial  or  complete  sale  to  a 

I  third  party.  In  no  case  will  these  in- 
terests be  disposed  of  to  other  affiliated 
companies. 

Exceptions   are   New   Haven  and 

I  Hammond,  Ind.,  where  Paramount 
operates  one  house  and  Loew's  and/or 
Warner  operate  two  or  more;  South 
Norwalk  and  Norwalk,  Conn.,  where 
Paramount  operates  one  downtown 
and  one  suburban  theatre  and  Warner 
operates  two  downtown  theatres,  and 
Phoenix,  Ariz.,  where  20th-Fox  oper- 
ates, and  Paramount,  under  the  con- 
sent decree,  will  dispose  of  its  interest 


in  a  joint  ownership  operating  a 
downtown  theatre. 

The  decree  supplement  declares  that 
Paramount  has  instituted  two  suits  to 
break  pooling  operations  and  until  a 
favorable  judgment  is  obtained  in 
each,  they  are  not  to  be  considered  a 
violation.  These  are  Louis  B.  Lausier's 
City  Theatre  and  Paramount's  Cen- 
tral Theatre,  at  Biddeford,  Me.,  and 
L.  J.  Ludwig's  State  and  Star  thea- 
tres which  are  pooled  with  Para- 
mount's Grand  in  Jamestown,  N.  D. 
Paramount  has  filed  against  Lausier 
and  Ludwig  to  terminate  the  pooling 
arrangements. 

Also  declared  not  a  violation  is  the 
pooling  of  the  Cameo  and  Ritz  Thea- 
tres, Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  which  are 
operated  by  Dora  Levy  in  conjunc- 
tion with  Paramount's  Broadway  The- 
atre, in  the  same  city.  This  joint  oper- 
ation is  to  expire  on  May  31,  1949. 

In  conformity  with  the  judgment, 
says  the  decree  supplement,  is  the 
plan  of  Florida  Coastal  Theatres,  a 
Paramount  subsidiary,  to  construct  a 
new  theatre  in  West  Palm  Beach, 
Fla.,  which  is  to  be  wholly-owned  by 
Paramount  or  the  New  Theatre  Com- 
pany. 

Paramount  declares  that  it  shares 
on  a  50-50  basis  four  theatres  in 
Shreveport,  La.,  with  Mrs.  Rebecca 
M.  Frank  and  Miss  Marie  Schuler, 
both  said  to  be  investors  only,  and 
that  the  status  quo  may  be  continued 
there,  rather  than  have  any  stock 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Houses  Outside  U.S. 
To  Para.  Pictures 


The  New  Paramount  Pictures  Co. 
which  will  emerge  from  the  reorgani- 
zation of  Paramount  Pictures,  Inc., 
under  the  consent  decree  in  the  gov- 
ernment suit,  will  take  ownership  of 
all  direct  and  indirect  theatre  holdings 
of  the  present  parent  corporation  in 
Canada  and  in  all  other  foreign  coun- 
tries, Paramount  president  Barney 
Balaban  stated  on  Friday. 

Additionally,  the  new  picture  com- 
pany will  own  the  Paramount  Theatre 
Building  in  New  York ;  television  sta- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Justice  Dept.  Hails 
Decree  as  '2nd  Step' 

Washington,  Feb.  27. — The  Jus- 
tice Department  hailed  the  signing 
of  the  Paramount  decree  as  the  "sec- 
ond step  toward  our  objective  of  res- 
toration of  competition  through  di- 
vorcement of  the  five  major  film 
distributors  from  their  theatre  operat- 
ing affiliates." 

The  RKO  decree,  of  course,  was  the 
first  step. 

Justice  officials  said  the  decree 
would  go  to  the  New  York  Court 
on  March  3.    At  the  same  time,  the 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Orders  Ending  of  774  Joint  Ownerships  of 
Theatres;  Limits  First-Run  Holdings;  Ends 
'Closed*  Situations;  Sets  Trade  Practices 


Highlights  of 
Para.  Decree 


Paramount  and  the  Department  of  Justice  on  Friday  signed  the  consent 
decree  providing  for  the  divorcement  of  the  company's  theatre  opera- 
tions from  its  production-distribution  operations  and  the  reorganization 
of  Paramount  as  two  independent  companies. 

A  hearing  on  the  decree  has  been  set  for  Thursday  in  U.  S.  District 
Court  here  and,  with  the  anticipated  approval  of  the  court,  Paramount 
stockholders  will  be  asked  to  give  their  approval  to  the  plan  by  April  19. 
Failure  to  obtain  their  approval  by  that  date  will  render  the  decree  null 
and  void. 

The  decree  permits  the  new  Paramount  theatre  company  to  retain 

approximately  620  theatres  and  re- 
quires Paramount  to  dispose  of  inter- 
ests in  774  theatres. 

Disposal  of  the  banned  theatre 
interests  is  to  be  accomplished  within 
three  years  from  the  date  of  entry  of 
the  decree,  on  a  schedule  calling  for 
disposition  of  one-third  of  the  total  in 
each  of  the  three  years.  The  two  new 
companies  are  to  be  operated  wholly 
independent  of  one  another  within 
one  year  of  entry  of  the  judgment. 

Canadian  and  all  foreign  theatre 
holdings  of  Paramount  will  be  trans- 
ferred to  the  new  picture  company, 
together  with  the  Paramount  Theatre 
Building  in  New  York. 

Though  not  a  part  of  the  decree, 
Barney  Balaban,  Paramount  presi- 
dent, will  head  the  new  producing- 
distributing  company,  and  Leonard 
Goldenson,  present  Paramount  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  theatres,  will 
head  the  new  theatre  company. 

As  previously  reported,  the  decree 
prohibits  the  joint  ownership  by  in- 
dividuals of  securities  in  both  new 
companies. 

Under  the  Paramount  reorganiza- 
tion, as  distinguished  from  the  decree, 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


CALIENT  points  of  the  Paramount 
O  consent  decree  signed  by  the 
company  arid  the  government: 

Paramount  theatre  opera- 
tions to  be  separated  from  pro- 
duction-distribution. 

Paramount  to  be  reorganized 
into  two  independent  companies 
with  five-year  prohibition  on 
individual  stock  ownership  in 
both  companies. 

New  theatre  company  to  have 
620  theatres  after  disposing  of 
774  joint  ownership  interests; 
with  closed  situations  ended 
and  limits  placed  upon  first- 
run  theatre  ownership  in  small- 
er cities.  Disposal  of  theatres 
required  within  three  years, 
one-third  annually. 

New  producing  -  distributing 
company  to  take  Paramount's 
foreign  theatre  properties,  in- 
cluding Canadian,  as  well  as  all 
production-distribution  assets, 
the  Paramount  Building  in  New 
York,  and  to  share  in  Para- 
mount television  interests. 

Decree  requires  court  and 
stockholder  approval,  the  latter 
by  April  19,  to  become  effective. 

Incorporates  trade  practice 
regulations  and  bans  previous- 
ly affirmed  by  courts. 

Reorganization  of  company 
must  be  completed  within  one 
year  after  entry  of  decree. 

Court  retains  jurisdiction,  but 
future  hearing  will  be  held  be- 
fore a  single  judge. 


Mail  Para.  Proxies 
Anytime  Now:  SEC 

Washington,  Feb.  27. — A  Se- 
curities and  Exchange  Com- 
mission official  said  today 
that  Paramount  can  start 
mailing  out  its  proxy  state- 
ments to  its  stockholders 
"whenever  they're  ready." 

He  said  that  the  SEC's 
opinion  on '  the  plan  had 
already  gone  to  the  com- 
pany, and  that  "little  or  no 
changes"  are  necessary. 


4 


Motion  picture  Daily 


Monday,  February  28,  1949 


Admission  Tax 
Collections 
Off  Only  1% 


Washington,  Feb.  27.— £ox- 
office  business  in  1948  was  only 
about  one  per  cent  below  1947  and 
less  than  one  per  cent  below  1946 — 
if  the  tax  collection  figures  of  the 
U.  S.  Bureau  of  Internal  Revenue  are 
any  indication.    ■  " 

General  admissions  tax  collections 
for  the  period  of  February,  1948, 
through  January,  1949— reflecting 
box-office  business  during  the  12 
months  of  1948— totaled  $382,207,440, 
according  to  figures  released  by  the 
Bureau  today.  This  compares  with 
$386,789,733  collected  in  the  February, 
1947,  through  January,  1948,  period, 
reflecting  1947  business,  and  $385,950,- 
164  collected  in  the  February,  1946, 
through  January,  1947,  period,  reflect- 
ing 1946  business. 

However,  since  there  is  no  accurate 
way  of  telling  how  much  of  the  total 
is  accounted  for  by  theatre  admissions, 
attempts  to  reconstruct  total  box- 
office  gross  for  any  year  from  the  tax 
collection  figures  are  virtually  iniT 
possible. 

In  any  event,  even  if  box-office  busi- 
ness held  near  the  1946  and  1947  lev- 
els, it  does  not  mean  profits  have 
stayed  at  those  levels,  since  costs  have 
risen  sharply. 

There  were  five  months  in  1948  in 
which  collections  exceeded  1947 — re- 
flecting business  in  February,  May, 
July,  October  and  November. 

The  January,  1949,  figures,  released 
today,  did  not  get  the  New  Year  off  to 
a  good  start.  General  admission  tax 
collections  in  January,  reflecting  De- 
cember business,  totaled  $25,766,798, 
compared  with  $28,688,455  collected  in 
January,  1948. 


Johnston,  Aides  At 
Paramount  Meet 

Hollywood,  Feb.  27. — Eric  Johnston 
and  staff  members  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America  continued 
the  series  of  studio  conferences  with 
two  meetings  at  Paramount  Friday, 
the  first  with  top  executives  and  the 
second  with  department  heads  and 
other  production  principals. 

As  at  previous  conferences  at 
M-G-M  and  Columbia  during  the 
week,  Johnston  and  his  aides  reviewed 
current  economic  conditions,  pointed 
out  that  films  have  failed  to  keep  up 
with  the  increased  spending  power  of 
the  population  and  counselled  fashion- 
ing future  product  that  will  cultivate 
patronage  not  now  attending  motion 
picture  theatres.  Other  studios  will  be 
visited  this  week. 


Personal  Mention 


$300,000  Union  Shortage 

Mexico  City,  Feb.  17. — Charges  of 
a  shortage  of  $300,000  in  the  savings 
funds  of  the  technical  and  manual 
workers'  sections  of  the  Picture  Pro- 
duction Workers  Union  are  being  in- 
vestigated by  the  federal  attorney  gen- 
eral. 


Roy  O.  Disney,  Disney  Produc- 
tions' president,  William  B.  Levy, 
worldwide  sales  supervisor,  and 
Charles  Levy,  •  Eastern  publicity 
manager,  left  here  for  the  Coast  Over 
the  weekend. 

• 

Saul  Bass,  art  director  in  the  Los 
Angeles  office  of  Buchanan  and  Co., 
has  won  three  awards  at  the  annual 
exhibition  of  the  Art  Directors  Club 
of  Los  Angeles. 

Carol  N.  Starr,  daughter  of  Her- 
man  Starr,  Warner  vice-president, 
was  married  yesterday  to  Robert  L. 
Walden  at  Mt.  Neboh  Temple  here. 
• 

Joseph  Friedman  of  the  Warner 
home  office  publicity  department,  and 
Mrs.  Friedman,  are  the  parents  of  a 
boy  born  here  last  week. 

• 

Harry  Blair,  trade1  press  contact 
for  RKO.  Radio  home  office,  is  in 
French  Hospital  here  with  acute  ap- 
pendicitis. ■ 

Oscar  A.  Doob,  Loew  Theatres'  ex- 
ecutive, will  return  to  his  desk  here 
today  from  a  vacation  in  Boca  Raton, 
Fla. 

Edmund  R.  Ruben,  president  of 
Welworth  Theatres,  is  in  New  York 
from  Minneapolis. 


Harold  Rosner,  of  Warner's  play- 
date  department  here,  and  Mrs.  Ros- 
ner, are  the  parents  of  a  boy^  Eric. 
• 

Carol  Brandt,  eastern  story  edi- 
tor for  MrG-M,  will  .return  here  to- 
day from '  Hollywood. 

• 

Jack  Cummings,  M-G-M  produc- 
er, will  arrive  here  .today  from  the 
Coast. 

• 

Dan  S.  Terrell  of  Loew's  adver- 
tising department,  '  will  return  here 
today  from  Washington! 

• 

Charles  C.  Moskowitz,  Loew 
vice-president,  is  due  here  today  from 
the  Coast. 

Dan  Fish,  British  film  producer, 
arrived  here  Friday  on  the  5".  6". 
Queen  Mary  from  London. 

• 

Robert  Rossen,  Columbia  producer, 
will  arrive  here  today  from  the  Coast. 
• 

Edward  Sutherland,  director,  is 
in  New  York  from  Hollywood. 
• 

Irving  Asher,  producer,  is  in  New 
York  from  the  Coast. 

• 

Sherwin  A.  Kane,  editor  of 
Motion  Picture  Daily,  has  a  birth- 
day today — his  'steenth. 


'St.  Louis'  Premiere 
In  Texas  on  March  8 

Plans  for  what  is  described  •  as  the 
first  international  world  premiere  of 
a  motion  picture  are  being  launched 
by  Mort  Blumenstock,  Warner  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  advertising- 
publicity,  for  the  company's  "South  of 
St.  Louis,"  Technicolor  production. 
The  premiere,  which  is  to  be  held  with 
the  cooperation  of  the  government  of 
Mexico,  where  a  great  deal  of  the 
action  of  the  film  takes  place,  will  be 
at  the  Capital  Theatre,  Brownsville, 
Texas,  on  March  8. 

Following  the  premiere,  it  will  open 
within  10  days  in  over  200  cities  in 
the  Southwest. 


Seven  Lloyd  Films 
To  M.P.  Sales  Corp. 

Harold  Lloyd,  in  New  York  from 
Hollywood,  closed  a  deal  at 'the  week- 
end to  reissue  seven  of  his  key  pro- 
ductions through  Motion  Picture 
Sales  Corp.,  headed  by  Neil  Agnew 
and  Charles  L.  Casanave.  All  will  be 
re-edited. 

Three  of  the  productions  are  sound- 
films,  "Movie  Crazy,"  "Welcome 
Danger"  and  "Cat's  Paw."  Four  are 
silent,  "The  Freshman,"  "Grandma's 
Boys,"  "Speedy"  and  "Safety  Last." 
Lloyd  returned  to  the  Coast  yester- 
day. 

Tourtellot  Promoted 

Arthur  B.  Tourtellot,  former  assis- 
tant to  the  producer  at  March  of 
Time,  has  been  named  associate  pro- 
ducer, by  producer  Richard  de.  Roche- 
mont. 


Gus  Eyssell  Under 
Hospital  Treatment 

Gus  Eyssell,  president  of  Rockefeller 
Center,  Inc.,  and  Radio  City  Music 
Hall,  entered  Lenox  Hill  Hospital 
here  last  week  for  a  minor  operation, 
expecting  to  be  confined  only  a  few 
days.  Following  examination,  a  cir- 
culatory ailment  was  discovered  which 
will  necessitate  Eyssell's  remaining  in 
the  hospital  for  another  week  or  10 
days  for  treatment. 


SPG  Still  'Strong; 
Officers  Declare 

Eastern  Screen  Publicists  Guild 
(CIO)  has  "never  been  stronger" 
than  at  present,  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  14  of  the  33  RKO  Radio 
unit  members  have  quit  the  union  in 
protest  against  certain  activities  and 
policies,  it  was  stated  here  at  the 
weekend  by  SPG  president  Sig  Maitles 
and  vice-president  Ray  Murray.  The 
two  officers  had  called  a  press  inter- 
view following  a  meeting  attended  by 
150  of  the  380  Guild-enrolled  pub- 
licists. 


will 
20th 


Plaque  to  Rivoli 
For  'Snake  Pit' 

The  Broadway  Association 
dedicate  a  plaque  awarded  to 
Century-Fox's  "The  Snake  Pit"  by 
the  association,  in  the  lobby  of  the 
New  York  Rivoli  Theatre  tomorrow. 

Following  the  ceremonies,  members 
of  the  association  and  attending  celeb- 
rities will  be  the  guests  of  Montague 
Salmon,  managing  director  of  the 
Rivoli,  at  a  luncheon  in  the  theatre. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


DOPE  PIUS  XII  denouncing-  Com- 
i  munism,  and  President  Weizmann 
being  sworn  in  as  first  President  of 
Israel  are  highlights  in  current  news- 
reels.'  Various  persons  in  the  news 
and  sports  round  out  the  reels.  Com- 
plete contents  follow. 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  17  —  Dr. 

Weizmann  sworn  in  as  Israel's  first  presi- 
dent. Pope  denounces  dictatorships.  Car- 
nival time  in  Europe.  Anna  Louise  Strong 
arrives  here.  German  circus  daredevil. 
Miss  Photoflash  of  1949.  Ice  skating  cham- 
pionship, i 

,  NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  251— Israel 
inaugurates  Weizmann  as  first  president. 
Pope  denounces  Reds.  Strange  case  of 
Anna  Louise  Strong.  Carnival-  time  on  the 
Riviera.  Miss.  Brevity  of  1949.  Ice  cham- 
pionships. Oarsmen>  get  spring  training. 
Red  Cross  appeal. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  54 — Pope 
denounces  Communism.  Israel-Egypt  sign 
armistice.  Paramount  News  surveys  eco- 
nomic state  of  the  union. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  225— 
Dr.  Weizmann  sworn  in  as  Israel's  first 
president.  Carnival  celebrations  usher  in 
Lent;  Mardi  Gras  in  New  Orleans,  Nice 
carnival,  Via  Reggio,  Italy,  carnival. 
"Merci  Train"  arrives  in  Los  Angeles. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  56 — 

People  in  the  news :  President  Weizmann, 
Anna  Louise  Strong,  Fritz  Kuhn,  Chicago 
press  queen.  West  Coast  hails  "Gratitude 
Train."     Pope  denounces  Mindszenty  trial. 


Lichtman  to  Start 
Today  at  20th-Fox 

Al  Lichtman  is  scheduled  to 
formally  begin  his  duties  to- 
day as  20th  Century-Fox  vice- 
president  and  executive  sales 
consultant  at  the  home  office, 
a  position  to  which  he  was  re- 
cently appointed. 

The  new  20th-Fox  executive 
a  short  time  ago  resigned  as 
an  M-G-M  vice-president  and 
studio  executive. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;   Sherwin   Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Qxiigley  Jr.,  As sociate  Editor ■  *uNish*^ 
cnn(lav,  anrl  holidays   bv  Ouielev  Publishing  Company   Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller   Center,  New  York  20.  N.  Y.    Telephone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address.  (Juigpubco, 
n"J .york"  Mt rtrr Tom^ey  tsita     R  d  S  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley.  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady  .Secretary ; 
James  P CuXgham  nIw1 ^Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vme  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 

Editoi 
J.  A. 
Othei 
Moti... 

year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


TV,  Screen  Ads  Are 
Topics  at  NT  Meet 

Hollywood,  Feb.  27. — Television 
development  and  its  implications  for 
theatres  were  among  the  major  topics 
discussed  at  the  annual  meeting  of 
National  Theatres,  which  ended  here 
yesterday,  and  the  company  is  under- 
stood to  be  ready  for  widespread  in- 
stallation of  large  screen  video  as 
soon  as  technical  developments  war- 
rant. 

Screen  advertising  was  also  dis- 
cussed extensively  by  NT  executives, 
with  Charles  Skouras,  president,  ex- 
pressing the  opinion  that  only  dig- 
nified, informative  advertising  dealing 
with  national  products  is  acceptable. 
He  warned  especially  against  local  ad- 
vertising on  screens. 

Giveaways,  the  meeting  decided, 
must  be  limited  to  major  articles, 
such  as  the  automobiles  used  for  this 
purpose  several  months  ago.  NT  di- 
vision presidents  and  their  staffs  left 
here  today  to  return  to  their  respec- 
tive home  stations. 


I.  Monday,  February  28,  1949 


motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Paramount  Decree 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

it  is  planned  to  issue  one  share  of 
stock  in  each  new  company  for  each 
|  .  share  of  Paramount  stock  presently 
iii  j  outstanding.   The  decree  provides  that 
i  )  this  be  done  by  issuing  shares  in  the 
|  .  new  picture  company  and  certificates 
)j  ,  of  interest  in  the  theatre  company. 
I  .  The  new  stock  of  the  theatre  company 
will  be  held  in  trust  for  owners  by 
1   the  Bank  of  New  York  and  Fifth 
I  ;  Avenue  Bank,  as  trustees. 
|  ■     The  trustees  are  authorized  to  re- 
!!  I  tain  50  per  cent  of  any  dividends  paid 
£  ;  by  the  new  theatre  company,  but  in 
the  event  that  less  than  51  per  cent 
^1  ,  of  the  shares  have  been  transferred 
I  j  to  new  owners  within  the  first  two 
,f  '  years,  the  trustees  will  retain  100  per 
I  '■  cent  of  such  dividends.    The  clause  is 
*.  i  designed  to  speed  dispersal  of  the  the- 
atre   company    stock   by    owners  of 
x  i  stock  in  the  new  theatre  company, 
n  i     The  decree  states  that  Paramount 
accepts  its  provisions  "for  the  pur- 
pose     of     avoiding  discrimination 
j  against  other  exhibitors  and  distribu- 
i  ( tors,  promoting  substantial  independ- 
*  !  ent     theatre     competition    for  the 
|  '  Paramount    theatres    and  promoting 
competition   in   the   distribution  and 
i  exhibition  of  films  generally." 

Trade    practice  regulations 
e  j     made  a  part  of  the  decree  en- 
join the  Paramount  defendants 
from  fixing  minimum  admission 
prices  by  any  means;  from  par- 
)  '     ticipating  with  anyone  in  the 
maintenance     of     a  uniform 
clearance  system;  from  grant- 
ing any  clearances  between  the- 
atres not  in  substantial  com- 
°  !     petition;  from  granting  exces- 
I  ,     sive    clearance    to    a  theatre 
|j  |     having  substantial  competition, 
'       with  the  burden  of  proof  that 
such  clearance  is  not  excessive 
j      placed  upon  the  distributor, 
u  i     Paramount  also  is   enjoined  from 
I  .  performing  or  making  any  franchise 
deals  except  for  the  purpose  of  en- 
abling an  "independent  exhibitor  to 
operate  a  theatre  in  competition  with 
!|  '  a  theatre  affiliated  with  a  defendant." 
£      It  is  also  enjoined  from  making  or 
i  .  further  performing-  any  formula  deal 
'  :  or  master  agreement ;  from  perform- 
9  j  ing  or  entering  into  any  license  which 
conditions  the  exhibition  of  one  fea- 
ture on  the  purchase  of  another  fea- 
1  ture*. 
s  . 

I  i    20  Per  Cent  Cancellation  Right 

|  '    If  more  than  one  feature  is  licensed 
I   at  a  time  and  they  have  not  been 
j  trade-shown,  the  licensee  must  be  given 
a  20  per  cent  cancellation  right  to 
,  be  exercised  in  the  order  of  release 
T  within  10  days  after  licensee  has  had 
the  opportunity  to  see  the  pictures. 

Paramount  is  required  to  offer  all 
pictures  "theatre  by  theatre,  solely 
upon  the  merits  and  without  discrim- 
ination in  favor  of  affiliated  theatres, 
circuit  theatres  or  others,"  presumably 
encouraging  a  competitive  bidding 
sales  method. 

The  decree  accords  Paramount  the 
right  to  receive  the  benefits  of  differ- 
ent film   licensing  provisions  which 
may  be  entered  by  the  court  subse- 
quently in  connection  with  the  con- 
tinuing litigation   of    Warner,  20th 
Century-Fox  and  Loew. 
J     In    addition    to    being  restrained 
1  from  participating  in  any  of  the  fore- 
I  going  which  is  applicable  to  theatre 
I  operation,  the  new  Paramount  theatre 
I  company  will  be  enjoined  from  engag- 
|  ing  in  pooling  agreements  ;  from  mak- 
I   ing    or    continuing    theatre  leasing 
!;   arrangements  within  its  own  competi- 
'   tive  area  which  are  based  on  a  share 


of  the  profits  of  the  theatres  so 
leased;  from  continuing  to  own  or 
acquiring  theatre  interests  in  con- 
junction with  another  defendant. 

The  new  Paramount  theatre  com- 
pany must  dispose  of  its  25  to  33  per 
cent  cent  interests  in  Butterfield  cir- 
cuit theatres,  Michigan,  by  next 
Nov.  8. 

It  must  terminate  its  interests  by 
next  March  31  in  Shea  circuit  the- 
atres, Buffalo,  except  that  it  may  elect 
to  acquire  the  interests  of  co-owners 
in  the  Great  Lakes,  Hippodrome,  Nia- 
gara, Seneca  and  Kenmore  theatres 
in  that  area  only. 

It  must  dispose  of  its  interest  in 
the  Parkhill  Theatre,  Yonkers,  N.  Y., 
by  Nov.  8. 

Pending  termination  of  its 
present  joint  ownerships  in 
theatres,  Paramount  may  ac- 
quire new  theatre  interests  as 
replacements  for  approved, 
wholly-owned  houses  which  may 
be  destroyed  or  converted  to 
non-theatrical  use;  by  renewing 
leases  on  approved,  wholly- 
owned  houses  and,  with  court 
approval,  by  replacing  approved 
houses  on  which  it  has  been  un- 
able to  renew  leases  on  equitable 
terms. 

It  is  also  authorized,  with  court 
approval,  to  proceed  with  planned 
construction  of  theatres  on  sites  it 
now  controls  for  one  theatre  each  in 
Miami,  Chattanooga,  Salt  Lake  City 
and  Tampa,  all  of  which  are  designed 
to  replace  former  Paramount  theatres 
or  leaseholds. 

Barred  from  Combines 

The  new  theatre  company  also  is 
restrained  from  participating  in  any 
form  in  film  buying  combines  and 
from  entering  into  any  agreement  re- 
stricting the  right  of  another  exhibitor 
to  acquire  a  theatre. 

Separate  decree  provisions  are 
made  to  enable  Paramount  to  comply 
with  those  provisions  covering  dis- 
posal of  joint  ownerships  where  diffi- 
culties are  encountered  by  the  com- 
pany in  obtaining  equitable  terms  for 
the  interests  it  is  required  to  sell. 

In  addition,  Paramount  is  required 
to  dispose  of  theatres  to  eliminate  63 
closed  or  semi-closed  situations  and 
is  required  to  confine  its  operations 
to  one  first-run  theatre  in  Tucson, 
Aurora,  Alton,  Danville,  Decatur, 
Galesburg,  Kewanee,  Joliet,  Wauke- 


Para.  B'way  House 
To  Either  Company 

The  Paramount  decree  au- 
thorizes the  company  to 
transfer  the  Paramount  The- 
atre, companys  Broadway 
"flagship,"  to  either  the  new 
picture  company  or  the  new 
theatre  company. 

However,  the  house  may  not 
be  operated  by  the  new  pic- 
ture company  nor  leased  by 
it  to  any  defendant  in  the 
government  suit.  It  may  be 
leased  to  the  new  Paramount 
theatre  company  on  a  non- 
profit sharing  basis.  Other- 
wise, the  new  picture  com- 
pany must  sell  it  to  a  non- 
defendant  within  five  years. 

The  picture  company  will 
receive  the  Paramount  Build- 
ing in  which  the  theatre  is 
located,  in  any  event. 


gan,  Grand  Forks,  Anderson,  Green- 
ville and  Mitchell,  and  to  two  first- 
runs  in  San  Francisco,  Duluth  and 
Sioux  Falls. 

Up  to  the  time  of  the  completion 
of  the  Paramount  reorganization,  the 
company  may  continue  to  sell  to  Para- 
mount theatres  on  terms  and  condi- 
tions of  its  own  specification. ,  The 
reorganization  is  to  be  completed 
within  one  year  after  entry  of  the 
decree. 

Future  actions  under  the  decree  are 
to  be  heard  by  any  New  York  Dis- 
trict Court  judge,  rather  than  by  the 
three- judge  Federal  Court  currently 
presiding  in  the  case.  The  decree  ex- 
tends the  Federal  Court  jurisdiction 
over  Paramount  and  the  new  compa- 
nies, even  for  the  purpose  of  settling 
disputes  which  may  arise  over  termi- 
nation of  joint  theatre  ownerships  due 
to  the  "unreasonableness"  of  either 
Paramount  or  the  joint  owner. 

Approval  of  the  decree  by  the 
court  and  Paramount  stock- 
holders will  eliminate  the  com- 
pany from  the  10-year-old  gov- 
ernment anti-trust  suit,  as  a 
similar  divorcement-reorgani- 
zation decree  ended  it  for  RKO, 
subject  still  to  approval  of 
stockholders  of  that  company. 


Justice  Dept.  Hails . 

(Continued  from  page  1 ) 

Department  probably  will  ask  to  have 
final  argument  in  the  Paramount  case 
set  back  from  March  30  to  April  19, 
the  same  date  that  is  the  deadline  for 
stockholder  approval  of  the  Para- 
mount decree. 

The  Justice  Department  stressed 
that  when  it  filed  the  suit  back  in 
1938,  it  was  announced  that  civil  rath- 
er than  criminal  proceedings  were 
begun  because  attempts  had  been  made 
"through  the  voluntary  cooperation  of 
Paramount  and  other  major  producers 
to  adjust  the  difficulties  of  independ- 
ent exhibitors  who  had  broueht  their 
problems  to  the  Justice  Department. 
In  the  light  of  this  history  it  was 
considered  inequitable  to  institute  a 
criminal  proceeding." 

The  statement  at  that  time,  the  Jus- 
tice Department  continued,  said  that 
the  most  direct  way  to  restore  compe- 
tition was  divorcement.  "This  pro- 
posed consent  judgment,"  it  stated,  "is 
designed  to  carry  out  this  purpose  and 
to  fulfill  the  announced  desire  of  the 
Government  to  encourage  and  not  to 
retard  the  development  and  orderly 
operation  of  the  motion  picture  indus- 
try." Paramount's  consent  to  this 
judgment  should  help  to  avoid  further 
prolongation  of  an  already  protracted 
litigation  and  aid  in  the  restoration 
of  competition  in  the  motion  picture 
industry." 

Competition  'Net  Effect' 

Justice  officials  said  that  "the  net 
effect"  of  the  divestiture  provisions 
of  the  decree  was  "to  provide  an 
opportunity  for  independent  first-run 
competition  in  substantially  all  cities 
over  25,000  where  Paramount  now 
owns  theatre  interests,  and  for  inde- 
pendent competition  in  substantially 
all  of  the  smaller  communities  where 
it  has  more  than  one  theatre." 

Justice  officials  estimated  that  the 
total  number  of  theatres  which  may 
be  held  by  the  new  company  would 
vary  from  about  400  to  650  theatres, 
depending  on  the  number  of  theatres 
partially  owned  by  Paramount  which 
are  converted  to  full  ownership.  This 
means  disposal  of  anywhere  from  800 
to  1,050  theatres,  and  since  Para- 
mount is  usually  accounted  as  wholly 
owning  about  400  theatres,  it  means 
a  top  of  about  250  on  the  number  of 
partners  it  can  buy  out. 


"Never  better" 


SAN  FRANCISCO  CALL-BULLETIN 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  February  28,  1949 


Para.  Product  and 
Policy  Meet  Today 

Hollywood,  Feb.  27.— Plans  for  the 
release,  distribution  and  promotion  of 
Paramount  product  for  the  remainder 
of  1949  and  discussion  of  Paramount 
production,  distribution  and  produc- 
tion policy  for  1950  will  be  topics  of 
five  days  of  intensive  meetings,  start- 
ing tomorrow,  at  the  studio,  by  New 
York  and  field  executives  with  vice- 
president  and  studio  head  Henry  Gins- 
berg, Y.  Frank  Freeman,  Jack  Karp, 
Samuel  Briskin,  D.  A.  Doran,  and 
other  studio  executives. 

Headed  by  Barney  Balaban,  presi- 
dent, and  Adolph  Zukor,  chairman  of 
the  board,  this  will  be  the  largest 
meeting  of  Paramount  executives  ever 
to  take  place  at  the  studio.  During 
the  meetings  they  will  see  all  films 
now  in  production  as  well  as  those 
in  the  cutting  rooms.  The  Paramount 
decree  in  the  government's  New  York 
case  is  almost  certain  to  be  a  topic 
high  on  the  agenda. 

In  addition  to  Balaban  and  Zukor 
the  following  executives  are  scheduled 
to  arrive  here  today  from  New  York : 
George  Weltner,  president  of  Para- 
mount International;  Paul  Rajbourn, 
vice-president ;  A.  W.  Schwalberg,  gen- 
eral sales  manager ;  Russell  Holman, 
Eastern  production  manager;  E.  K. 
O'Shea,  executive  assistant  to 
Schwalberg;  Hugh  Owen,  Eastern 
and  Southern  division  sales_  manager  ; 
Jim  Donohue,  Central  division  sales 
manager ;  George  Smith,  Western  di- 
vision sales  manager ;  Gordon  Light- 
stone,  head  of  distribution  in  Canada; 
Oscar  Morgan,  short  subject  and 
Paramount  News  sales  manager; 
Fred  Leroy,  in  charge  of  sales  statis- 
tics ;  Stanley  Shuford,  advertising 
manager  ;  Ben  Washer,  publicity  man- 
ager ;  William  Danziger,  exploita- 
tion manager ;  Paul  Ackerman,  direc- 
tor of  publicity-advertising  for  Para- 
mount International,  and  Ruby 
Montgelas,  president  of  Buchanan 
Advertising  Agency. 


Sweigert  Quits  Para, 
Phila.  District  Post 


Earle  W.  Sweigert,  Paramount  dis- 
trict manager  in  the  Philadelphia  ter- 
ritory, has  resigned,  A.  W.  Schwal- 
berg, general  sales  manager,  disclosed 
here  on  Friday.  Sweigert  asserted 
that  he  has  definite  plans  for  the  fu- 
ture but  would  announce  them  at  a 
later  date  because  of  confidential  ne- 
gotiations being  carried  on  at  this 
time.  Sweigert  announced  he  would 
carry  on  until  a  successor  is  named. 

Sweigert  has  been  with  Paramount 
for  32  years,  starting  in  Philadelphia 
as  a  salesman.  He  later  served  suc- 
cessively as  a  branch  manager  in  New 
York,  New  Jersey  and  Philadelphia, 
was  mid-Eastern  division  manager 
and  manager  in  New  York  and  Phila- 
delphia. 

When  the  mid-Eastern  division  was 
recently  returned  to  New  York,  Swei- 
gert continued  in  Philadelphia  as  dis- 
trict manager. 


RKO  Backs  Rossellini 

Hollywood,  Feb.  27. — RKO  financ- 
ing and  distribution  of  a  picture  to  be 
made  in  Italy  by  Roberto  Rossellini 
and  starring  Ingrid  Bergman  is  an- 
nounced by  Howard  Hughes.  The 
negotiations  followed  the  withdrawal 
of  Samuel  Goldwyn  from  the  project. 


New  Board  Members 
Must  Be  Non-Para. 

A  majority  of  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  new  Para- 
mount theatre  company  must 
be  persons  without  prior  con- 
nection with  Paramount  or 
the  new  production-distribu- 
tion company,  the  consent  de- 
cree directs.  Candidates  for 
the  theatre  company  board 
must  be  approved  by  the 
court  and  the  U.  S.  Attorney 
General. 

Replacements  of  members 
of  the  board  of  the  new  pic- 
ture company,  likewise,  must 
have  had  no  previous  connec- 
tion with  either  Paramount 
or  the  new  theatre  company, 
until  the  board  consists  of  a 
majority  of  such  non-Para- 
mount persons.  Thereafter, 
such  a  majority  must  be 
maintained  on  the  board. 

$1,500,000  Trust 
Suit  in  Minnesota 

Minneapolis,  Feb.  27. — The  "Big 
Eight,"  Minnesota  Amusement  Co., 
and  the  old  Publix  Theatres  are  named 
defendants  in  a  $1,500,000  anti-trust 
suit  for  treble  damages  brought  by 
W.  L.  Crouse,  owner  of  the  Regent, 
State  and  Grant  theatres  in  Eveleth, 
Minn. 

The  complaint,  which  was  filed  in 
Federal  District  Court  here,  alleges 
that  since  1932,  when  Crouse  bought 
the  Regent  in  Eveleth  from  Publix, 
all  of  the  defendants  have  combined 
and  conspired  to  force  him  to  run  pic- 
tures two  weeks  behind  theatres  now 
owned  by  Minnesota  Amusement,  a 
subsidiary  of  Paramount,  in  Virginia, 
Minn.,  four  and  one-half  miles  from 
Eveleth.  Minnesota  Amusement  took 
over  the  Publix  theatres  in  Virginia 
in  1932. 

Crouse  claims  that  when  Publix  op- 
erated in  Eveleth,  it  played  pictures 
there  at  the  same  time  as  they  were 
played  in  Publix  theatres  in  Virginia, 
but  that  since  he  began  operating  in 
Eveleth,  he  was  "moved  back"  two 
weeks  and  since  then  has  been  forced 
to  operate  as  second-run  the  Regent, 
State  and  Grant  which  he  opened  sub- 
sequently to  1932. 

This  clearance  of  14  days  in  favor 
of  Minnesota  Amusement  is  illegal 
under  the  Sherman  Act,  it  was  stated 
here  by  Stanley  Kane,  one  of  Crouse's 
attorneys. 

Crouse  asks  for  an  injunction  to  end 
the  two  weeks'  clearance,  and  for 
treble  damages  in  the  amount  of 
$1,500,000. 

In  addition  to  Minnesota  Amuse- 
ment and  Publix  Northwest  Theatres, 
named  defendants  are  Loew,  Para- 
mount, 20th  Century-Fox,  RKO 
Radio,  Warner,  Columbia,  United  Art- 
ists, and  Universal. 


Roman  Bohnen,  48 

Hollywood,  Feb.  27. — Roman  Bohn- 
en, 48,  veteran  character  actor  of 
stage  and  screen,  died  here  Thursday 
at  the  end  of  the  second  act  of  a  Little 
Theatre  play  in  which  he  was  appear- 
ing. He  had  been  suffering  a  heart 
ailment  for  some  time.  Among  the 
films  he  appeared  in  were  "Song  of 
Bernadette,"  "Of  Mice  and  Men"  and 
"Arch  of  Triumph."  He  is  survived 
by  a  daughter. 


Hear  F.&M.  Move  to 
Block  Decree  Thurs. 

Motion  by  the  Fanchon  and  Marco 
subsidiary  which  operates  the  Para- 
mount, Los  Angeles,  and  which  seeks 
to  revise  or  actually  block  the  Para- 
mount settlement  of  the  industry  trust 
suit  will  be  heard  in  New  York  Fed- 
eral Court  on  Thursday  when  the 
Court  convenes  to  consider  the  decree 
judgment. 

F.  and  M.  claims  that  the  settle- 
ment would  permit  Paramount,  which 
holds  the  lease,  to  evict  it  from  the 
Los  Angeles  house  and  that  this  is 
contrary  to  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court 
opinion  in  the  case. 


US  Asking  Another  Month 
To  Answer  Defendants 

Department  of  Justice  on  Thursday 
will  ask  New  York  Federal  Court 
for  an  extension  of  the  deadline,  from 
March  1  to  April  1;  by  which  it  is  to 
submit  answering  briefs  in  the  indus- 
try anti-trust  suit.  This  action  pri- 
marily concerns  Loew,  20th  Century- 
Fox  and  Warner  which  remain  as 
immediate  parties  to  the  suit. 

Rose's  UK  Filming 
Plan  'Beats'  Quota 

David  E.  Rose,  head  of  Coronado 
Productions,  said  here  at  the  week- 
end that  he  will  set  in  motion  next 
June  in  England  a  production  pro- 
gram which  will  make  it  possible  for 
his  future  pictures  to  overcome  mar- 
keting obstacles  in  both  hemispheres. 

Rose,  who  will  leave  New  York  by 
plane  today  for  London,  said  he  will 
return  here  in  three  weeks  with  de- 
tails of  a  long-range  operation.  Ex- 
plaining it  in  terms  of  the  single  pic- 
ture he  has  planned  thus  far,  Rose 
said  Coronado  will  use  an  American 
star,  director  and  script  to  make  in 
England,  with  sterling  funds,  a  picture 
budgeted  at  approximately  $1,250,000. 
With  Robert  Montgomery  as  star  and 
director,  and  with  a  script  by  Hugo 
Butler  and  Ann  Hunter  of  Holly- 
wood, it  will  be  an  American  picture 
in  treatment  and  approach,  but  it  will 
be  a  British  picture  for  British  film 
quota  purposes.  Rose,  a  former  man- 
aging director  for  Paramount  in  Brit- 
ain, pointed  out  that  a  simliar  pro- 
gram has  been  adopted  by  M-G-M. 

Coronado's  head  indicated  that  he 
expects  to  produce  several  pictures  in 
England  under  his  program. 

Houses  Outside  U.S. 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

tion  KTLA,  Los  Angeles,  and  the 
television  interests  represented  by  the 
holdings  in  Allen  B.  DuMont  Labora- 
tories, Inc. 

Balaban  hailed  the  terms  of  the 
trust  suit  settlement  as  opening  "the 
way  to  one  of  the  most  constructive 
moves  in  the  history  of  the  corpora- 
tion." He  said:  "It  will  leave  the 
New  Theatre  Company  with  a  large, 
well-selected  and  thoroughly  sound 
theatre  circuit.  In  my  view,  it  will  be 
a  strong,  prosperous  enterprise.  The 
New  Picture  Company  will  be  a  lead- 
er in  the  field  of  motion  picture  pro- 
duction-distribution with  excellent 
studio  facilities  and  an  unexcelled 
worldwide  distribution  organization. 
Both  companies  will  be  strongly 
equipped  in  manpower  and  financial 
resources  to  carry  on  successfully. 


Para.,  Independents 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

transferred.  The  same  holds  for  three 
houses  in  Jackson,  Miss.,  where  Para- 
mount has  50  per  cent  and  "the  Ken- 
nington  interests,"  said  to  be  investors 
but  otherwise  not  identified,  have  the 
remaining  50  per  cent. 

Film  company  further  states  that, 
"We  believe  certain  of  the  co-owners" 
of  houses  in  Alabama,  North  and 
South  Carolina  and  Tennessee  are  in- 
vestors and  it  is  understood  that  if 
Paramount  can  "satisfy"  the  Attorney 
General  that  this  is  a  fact,  the  com- 
pany need  not  acquire  the  co-owners' 
interests. 

May  Keep  Chattanooga  House 

Paramount  need  not  dispose  of  one 
first-run  in  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  as 
called  for  under  the  judgment,  if  there 
shall  be  an  independent  first-run  in 
competition  with  the  Paramount  house 
within  18  months  of  entry  of  the  con- 
sent decree,  according  to  the  supple- 
ment. 

It  is  understood,  says  Keough's  let- 
ter, that  Paramount  may  sub-lease  the 
Annex  Theatre,  Detroit,  under  certain 
competitive  conditions,  but  with' court 
approval  being  unnecessary.  Paramount 
states  that  it  is  permitted  to  continue 
the  existing  joint  ownership  with  in- 
vestors in  these  situations :  Paramount, 
Fort  Fairfield,  Me. ;  Brockton,  Brock- 
ton, Mass.,  and  the  Liberty  and  Ma- 
j  estic  Theatres,  at  Johnson  City,  Tenn. 

Paramount  confirms  that  on  Dec. 
30,  1948,  it  sold  to  Sam  Pinanski's 
American  Theatres  Corp.  its  interest 
in  45  theatres,  mostly  in  Massachu- 
setts. 

Relax  Limit  for  Three 

It  is  understood,  according  to  the 
supplement,  that  because  of  the  large 
size  of  their  holdings,  in  excess  of 
5,000  shares,  there  would  be  no  time 
limit  for  directors  Maurice  Newton, 
Stanton  Griffis  and  A.  Conger  Good- 
year for  disposition  of  their  certificates 
of  interests  in  New  Theatre  Co.  _  if 
they  become  directors  of  New  Pic- 
tures Co.  They  must  make  "a  show- 
ing of  due  diligence"  to  complete  dis- 
posal of  their  holdings  without  undue 
hardship,  however. 

One  part  of  the  supplement  con- 
tains the  first  official  confirmation 
that  Barney  Balaban  "will  become  an 
officer  and  director  of  the  New  Pic- 
tures Co."  Balaban,  it  says,  holding 
convertible  notes  of  the  present  parent 
corporation,  will,  prior  to  the  expira- 
tion of  the  trust  to  be  set  up,  dispose 
of  or  exercise  his  option  to  convert 
the  notes  into  Paramount  stock.  If 
the  warrants  are  exercised,  he  will 
dispose  of  the  holdings  in  New  Thea- 
tre Co.  which  would  be  so  acquired 
as  soon  as  sale  may  be  made  "without 
undue  hardship." 


Hollywood  Junket 
For  Para/s  'El  Paso' 

Another  Hollywood  junket  is 
planned  for  Texas  in  connection  with 
the  premiere  of  the  Pine-Thomas  pro- 
duction "El  Paso,"  to  be  held  at  El 
Paso's  Plaza  Theatre  on  March  26. 

Upon  arrival  on  a  special  railroad 
car  from  Hollywood,  the  troupe  will 
be  met  by  a  sheriff's  posse  and  es- 
corted to  their  hotel  in  buckboards, 
accompanied  by  a  15-block  parade. 
After  the  opening,  the  caravan  will 
proceed  across  Texas  and  into  Okla- 
homa, making  personal  appearances 
at  other  openings. 


Monday,  February  28,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Theatres  That  More  Competition  in  56 


Para.  Agrees 
To  Relinquish 


There  are  774  theatres  in  which 
Paramount  owns  a  joint  interest 
with  actual  or  potential  indepen- 
dent exhibitors. 

Under  the  terms  of  the  company's 
'consent  decree  it  agrees  to  dispose  of 
its  interests  in  those  theatres  within 
three  years  from  the  date  of  entry  of 
the  decree.  Disposition  of  the  inter- 
ests is  to  be  at  the  rate  of  one-third 
of  the  total  annually,  equivalent  to 
258  theatres  each  year  for  three  years. 

The  company  likewise  agrees  not  to 
acquire  similar  theatre  interests  in  the 
future. 

The  joint  ownership  may  be  dis- 
solved either  by  a  sale  or  other  out- 
right transfer  of  the  interest  of  Para- 
mount or  the  new  theatre  company  to 
the  c-owners  or  to  others  who  are  not 
defendants  or  affiliated  with  the  de- 
fendants in  the  government  suit. 

Following  are  the  theatres  in  which 
Paramount's  partial  interests  are  to  be 
disposed  of: 

ALABAMA,  Anniston:  Calhoun  Theatre, 
Cameo,  Noble,  Ritz;  Auburn:  Tiger;  Bes- 
semer: Grand,  State;  Birmingham:  Ala- 
bama, Lyric,  Ritz,  Grand,  Temple,  Drive- 
in;  Chickasaw:  Chickasaw;  Ensley  (suburb 
of  Birmingham) :  Ensley,  Franklin;  Jasper: 
Jasper,  New;  Mobile:  Crown,  Drive-In, 
Empire,  Lyric,  Loop,  Saenger;  Montgom- 
ery: Charles,  Clover,  Empire,  Grand,  Para- 
mount, Strand;  Selma:  Walton,  Wilby; 
Troy:  Enzor;  Tuscaloosa:  Bama,  Diamond, 
Druid,  Ritz. 

ARIZONA,  Phoenix:  Studio,  D'rive-In, 
Indian  Head  Drive -In. 

ARKANSAS,  Camden:  Rialto,  Ritz, 
Strand;  ClarksviHe:  Joy,  Strand;  Conway: 
Conway,  Grand;  Dardanelle:  Joy;  Fayette- 
ville:  Ozark,  Palmer,  Royal,  U-Ark;  Fort 
Smith:  Hoyts,  Joie,  New,  Plaza,  Temple, 
Uptown;  Helena:  Paramount,  Pastime; 
Hope:  New,  Rialto,  Saenger;  Hot  Springs: 
Central,  Malco,  Paramount,  Victory; 
Jonesboro:  Liberty,  Palace,  Strand;  Little 
Rock:  Arkansas,  Capitol,  Drive-in, 
Heights,  Lee,  New,  Prospect,  Pulaski, 
Roxy,  Royal;  McGehee,  Ritz;  Morrilton: 
Rialto;  Newport:  Capitol,  Strand;  Pine 
Bluff:  Malco,  Saenger,  Strand;  Russellville : 
Ritz;  Smackover:  Joy;  Stuttgart:  Majes- 
tic, Strand;  Van  Buren:  Bob  Burns,  Rio.  * 

CALIFORNIA,   Hollywood:  Paramount. 

FLORIDA  Pensacola:  Drive-In,  Isis, 
Rex,  Saenger. 

GEORGIA,  Athens:  Georgia,  Morton, 
Palace,  Ritz,  Strand;  Augusta:  Imperial, 
Miller,  Modjeska,  Rialto;  Barnesville:  Ritz; 
Brunswick:  Bijou,  Ritz,  Roxy;  Buford:  Al- 
len, Colonial;  Columbus:  Bradley,  Georgia, 
Rialto,  Royal.  Springer,  Village,  Rexview 
Drive-In;  Elberton:  Elbert;  Gainesville: 
Ritz,  Roxy,  Royal,  State;  Lexington:  Lex; 
Macon:  Capitol,  East  Macon,  Rialto,  Grand, 
Ritz;  Moultrie:  Colquitt,  Moultrie;  St.  Si- 
mons Island:  Casino;  Savannah:  Avon, 
Beach,  Bijou,  Lucas,  State,  Victory;  Way- 
cross:  Carver,  Lyric,  Ritz. 

IDAHO,  Boise:  Ada,  Boise,  Granada, 
Pinney. 

ILLINOIS:  Chicago:  Iris,  McVickers, 
North  Center,  United  Artists;  Galesburg: 
Colonial;  "LaSalle:  LaSalle,  Majestic;  Mo- 
line:  Illini,  Le  Claire;  Oak  Park:  Lake, 
Lamar;  Peru:  Peru,  Star;  Quincy:  Orphe- 
um,  Washington;  Rockford:  Auburn,  Coro- 
nado,  Midway,  Palace,  Times;  Rock  Island: 
Fort    Armstrong,    Rocket,  Spencer. 

INDIANA.  Gary:  Grand,  State. 

IOWA  Algona:  Call,  Iowa;  Boone: 
Boone,  Princess,  Rialto;  Burlington:  Capi- 
tol, Palace.  Zephyr;  Cedar  Falls:  Regent; 
Cedar  Rapids:  Paramount,  State;  Center- 
ville:  Majestic,  Ritz;  Chariton:  Ritz,  State; 
Charles  City:  Charles,  Gem;  Clarion: 
Clarion;  Clear  Lake:  Lake,  Park;  Clinton: 
Capitol,  Rialto,  Strand;  Cresco:  Cresco; 
Davepnort:  Capitol,  Esquire,  Garden;  Des 
Moines:  Des  Moines,  Garden,  Hiland,  In- 
gersoll,  Paramount,  Roosevelt,  Uptown, 
Strand,  Eastown,  Iowa,  Drive-Iri;  Eagle 
Grove:  Princess;  Estherville:  Grand;  For- 
est City:  Forest;  Fort  Dodge:  Iowa,  Rial- 
to, Strand;  Grinnell:  Iowa,  Strand;  Iowa 
City:  Englert,  Strand,  Varsity;  Mason 
City:  Cecil,  Palace,  Strand;  New  Hampton: 
Firemens;  Newton:  Capitol,  Rialto;  Oel- 
wein:  Grand,  Ritz;  Oskaloosa:  Mahaska, 
Princess,  Rivoli;  Ottumwa:  Capitol,  Ottum- 
wa,    Rialto,    Strand,    Zephyr;    Sioux  CHy: 


Towns  Created  by  Decree 


Paramount  will  dispose  of  one  or 
more  theatres,  including  numerous 
first-runs,  in  56  communities,  for  the 
purpose  of  "creating  substantial  mo- 
tion picture  theatre  operating  compe- 
tition," under  the  terms  of  its  consent 
decree.  Disposition  of  at  least  one-half 
the  properties  is  to  be  made  in  one 
year  and  the  remaining  50  per  cent 
within  the  second  year  of  entry  of 
the  consent  judgment. 

Presumably  designed  to  open 
"closed"  situations,  although  this  is 
not  specifically  stated,  Paramount  will 
sell  to  unaffiliated  interests  the  fol- 
lowing properties  : 

Florida:  Two  in  Clearwater,  in- 
cluding the  Belleview;  one  first-run 
in  Daytona  Beach ;  one  theatre  in  De- 
land;  two  in  Fort  Lauderdale,  one  of 
them  a  first-run ;  the  Ritz,  Fort  My- 
ers ;  one  first  run  in  Gainesville ;  one 
in  Hollywood  (not  the  one  located  in 
the  Hollywood  Hotel)  ;  three  in  Jack- 
sonville, one  of  them  a  first-run;  two 
in  Lakeland,  one  a  first-run;  one  each 
in  Fort  Worth,  Plant  City,  St.  Au- 
gustine, Sanford,  Sarasota,  and  Win- 
ter Park;  one  first-run  in  Ocala;  two 
in  Orlando,  one  a  first-run;  four  in 
St.  Petersburg,  one  of  which  shall  be 
a  first-run. 

Georgia:  One  first-run  in  Atlanta. 

Idaho:   One  theatre  in  Preston. 

Illinois:  One  first-run  each  in 
Bloomington,  Elgin,  Kankakee  and 
Peoria;  one  theatre  in  Pekin. 

One  first-run  in  South  Bend,  Ind. ; 


one  in  Danville,  Ky. ;  one  in  Bath, 
Me. ;  the  Regent  and  the  Annex,  De- 
troit, Mich. 

Minnesota:  One  theatre  in  Austin; 
one  first-run  each  in  Mankato,  Minne- 
apolis, St.  Cloud  and  St.  Paul. 

Also,  one  theatre  in  Peekskill  and 
one  first-run  in  Poughkeepsie,  New 
York;  one  first-run  each  in  Charlotte, 
N.  C,  Fargo,  N.  D.,  and  Minot, 
N.  D.;  one  theatre  in  Bellevue,  O., 
and  one  first-run  in  each  of  these 
cities  in  Ohio :  Fremont,  Hamilton 
and  Middletown. 

South  Carolina:  One  first-run  the- 
atre in  both  Columbia  and  Spartan- 
burg, and  one  theatre  in  Sumter. 

South  Dakota:  One  first-run  each 
in  Aberdeen,  Huron  and  Watertown. 

Tennessee:  One  first-run-in  Chat- 
tanooga and  two  first-runs  in  Knox- 
ville. 

Also,  one  theatre  in  each  of  the 
following  towns :  Logan  and  Provo, 
Utah;  Barre,  Vt,  and  Eau  Claire, 
Wise. 

Provision  is  made  for  Paramount, 
if  unable  to  dispose  of  the  properties 
on  "reasonable  terms,"  to  lease  up  to 
12  of  the  theatres  to  unaffiliated  inter- 
ests on  condition  that  the  leases  or 
sub-leases  are  not  based  upon  any 
profit-sharing.  Further  condition  is 
that  Paramount  must  sell  as  soon  as 
"reasonable  terms"  can  be  obtained 
and  in  any  event  prior  to  the  expira- 
tion of  its  leases  and  sub-leases. 


Capitol,  Drive -In,  Hipp,  Hollywood,  Iowa, 
State,  Victory;  Waterloo:  Paramount, 
Strand. 

KENTUCKY,  Fulton:  Fulton,  Orpheum, 
Strand;  Henderson:  Kentucky,  Kraver; 
Owensboro:  Bleich,  Malco,  Seville,  Strand. 

LOUISIANA,  Alexandria:  Paramount, 
Rex,  Saenger;  Baton  Rouge:  Drive-In, 
Fort,  Louisiana,  Paramount,  Varsity;  Mon- 
roe: Capitol,  Delta,  Paramount;  New  Or- 
leans: Globe,  Saenger,  Tudor;  Shreveport: 
Centenary,  Drive-In,  Majestic,  Rex,  Saen- 
ger, Strand,  Venus,  West  End. 

MAINE,  Auburn:  Auburn;  Augusta,  Co- 
lonial, Capitol;  Bangor:  Bijou,  Opera 
House,  Park;  Brunswick:  Cumberland, 
Pastime;  Gardiner:  Opera  House;  Hollo- 
well:  Rialto;  Lewiston:  Empire,  Priscilla, 
Strand;  Livermore  Falls:  Dreamland;  Nor- 
way: Rex;  Orono:  Strand;  Ramford; 
Strand;  South  Paris:  Strand;  Wilton:  Wil- 
ton. 

MASSACHUSETTS,  Chicopee:  Rivoli; 
Fitchburg:  Fitchburg;  Greenfield:  Garden; 
Haverhill:  Colonial,  Paramount;  Holyoke: 
Bijou,  Strand,  Victory;  North  Adams: 
Paramount,  Richmond;  Northampton:  Cal- 
vin, Plaza;  Palmer:  Strand;  Pittsfield: 
Capitol,  Colonial,  Palace,  Strand;  Spring- 
field: Paramount,  Broadway;  Ware:  Ca- 
sino; Westfield:  Strand. 

MICHIGAN,  Adrian:  Croswell,  Family; 
Allegan:  Regent;  Alpena:  Lyric,  Malz; 
Ann  Arbor:  Orpheum,  Michigan,  State, 
Whitney,  Wuerth;  Battle  Creek:  Bijou, 
Michigan,  Post,  Regent,  Strand;  Bay  City, 
Blay  Center,  Regent,  Westown;  Benton 
Harbor:  Lake,  Liberty;  Big  Rapids:  Big 
Rapids;  Cadillac:  Center,  Lyric;  Detroit: 
Alger,  Royal,  United  Artist;  East  Lans- 
ing: State;  Flint:  Capitol,  Delia,  Garden, 
Palace,  Regent,  Roxy,  State,  Strand; 
Grand  Haven:  Grand,  Robinhood;  Grand 
Rapids:  Center,  Eastown,  Royal,  Four  Star, 
Kent,  Majestic,  Our,  Wealthy;  Greenville: 
Gibson,  Silver;  Hillsdale:  Dawn,  Hill;  Hol- 
land: Center,  Colonial,  Holland;  Ionia: 
Center,  Ionia;  Jackson:  Capitol,  Majestic, 
Michigan,  Regent,  Rex;  Kalamazoo:  Capi- 
tol, Fuller,  State,  Michigan,  Orpheum,  Up- 
town; Lansing:  Capitol,  Gladmer,  Lansing, 
Michigan,  Nortown,  Southown;  Ludington: 
Center,  Lyric;  Manistee:  Lyric,  Ramsdell, 
Vogue;  Monroe:  Family,  Monroe;  Muske- 
gon: Michigan,  Regent,  State;  Niles: 
Ready,  Riviera;  Owosso:  Capitol,  Center, 
Strand;  Pontiac:  Eagle,  Oakland,  Orpheum, 
Rialto,  State,  Strand;  Port  Huron:  Des- 
mond, Family,  Majestic;  Saginaw:  Center, 
Franklin,  Mecca,  Michigan,  Strand,  Temple, 
Wolverine;  St.  Joseph:  Caldwell;  South 
Haven:  Michigan,  Model;  Sturgis:  Roxy, 
Strand;  Three  Rivers:  Rialto,  Riviera;  Tra- 
verse   City:     Michigan,    Trabay;  Willow 


Run:  Center;  Ypsilanti:  Martha  Washing- 
ton, Wuerth. 

MINNESOTA,  Fairmont:  Nicholas, 
Strand. 

MISSISSIPPI,  Biloxi:  Buck,  Saenger; 
Clarksdale:  Delta,  Paramount;  Columbus: 
Dixie,  Princess,  Varsity;  Greenville:  Delta, 
Paramount;  Greenwood:  Le  Flore,  Para- 
mount; Gulfport:  Gulf,  Paramount;  Hat- 
tiesburg:  Buck,  Lomo,  Rose,  Saenger; 
Jackson:  Century,  Drive-In,  Majestic, 
Paramount,  Pix;  Meridian:  Alberta,  Strand, 
Temple;  Natchez:  Baker  Grand,  Ritz;  Tu- 
pelo: Lyric,  Tupelo;  Vicksburg:  Alamo, 
Saenger,  Strand;  West  Point:  Ritz,  Star; 
Winona:  Winona. 

NEBRASKA,  Fairbury:  Bonham,  Ma- 
jestic; Falls  City:  Oil  City,  Rivoli;  Grand 
Island:  Capitol,  Empress,  Grand;  Hasting: 
Rivoli,  Strand;  Omaha:  Omaha,  Orpheum, 
Paramount,  Drive-In. 

NEW  HAMPSHIRE,  Berlin:  Albert, 
Princess,  Strand;  Concord:  Capitol,  Star; 
Portsmouth:   Colonial,  Olympia. 

NEW  JERSEY,  Newark:  Adams,  Para- 
mount; Pater  son:  U.  S. 

NEW  MEXICO,  Albuquerque:  Chief, 
Kimo,  Lobo,  Mission,  Rio,  Sunshine,  Yucca, 
Drive-In,  Mesa.   .  • 

NEW  YORK,  Fulton:  Avon,  State;  New 
York  City:  Rivoli;  Oswego:  Tioga;  Roches- 
er:  Capitol,  Paramount,  Regent;  Waverly: 
Amuzu,  Capitol;  Yonkers:  Parkhill. 

NORTH  CAROLINA  Asheboro:  Caro- 
lina ;Asheville:  Imperial,  Isis,  Palace,  Para- 
mount, Plaza,  State,  Commitment  to  build 
new  theatre;  Brulington:  Alamance,  Caro- 
lina, Paramount;  Canton:  Colonial,  Strand; 
Chapel  Hill:  Carolina,  Village;  Concord: 
Cabarrus,  Paramount;  Durham:  Carolina, 
Center,  Rialto;  Fayetteville:  Broadway, 
Carolina,  Colony;  Gastonia:  Lyric,  Temple; 
Goldsboro:  Carolina,  Paramount,  Wayne; 
Greensboro:  Carolina,  Imperial,  National; 
Greenville:  Colony,  Pitt,  State;  Henderson- 
ville:  Carolina,  State;  Hickory:  Center, 
Park;  High  Point:  Broadhurst,  Center, 
Paramount,  Rialto;  Lenoir:  Center,  State; 
Lexington:  Carolina,  Granada;  Lumberton: 
Carolina,  Pastime;  Monroe:  Center,  State; 
Mt.  Airy:  Center;  Raleigh:  Ambassador, 
Capitol,  Palace,  State,  Varsity;  Rocking- 
ham: Little,  Richmond;  Rocky  Mount: 
Carolina,  Center;  Salisbury:  Capitol,  State, 
Victory;  Wilmington:  Bailey,  Bijou,  Caro- 
lina, Royal.  Ritz;  Wilson:  Carolina,  Ritz, 
Wilson;  Winston-Salem:  Carolina,  State, 
Colonial,  Forsyth. 

NORTH  DAKOTA,  Jamestown:  Star. 

PENNSYLVANIA,  Aliquippa:  Rialto, 
State,  Strand,  Temple;  Ambridge:  State; 
Bloomsburg:  Capitol,  Columbia;  Butler: 
Capitol,  Penn;  Carlisle:  Comerford,  Strand; 
Danville:     Capitol;     Dickson    City:  Rex; 


251  May  Be 
Acquired  for 
Later  Sale 


Dunmore:  Orient;  Duryea:  Pastime;  For- 
est City:  Freedman;  Forty  Fort:  Forty 
Fort,  Institute;  Hawley:  Ritz;  Hazleton: 
Capitol,  Feeley,  Grand;  Honesdale:  Lyric; 
Jersey  Shore:  Victoria;  Kingston:  Kings- 
ton; Lebanon:  Capitol,  Colonial,  Jackson; 
Luzerne:  Luzerne;  Mauch  Chunk:  Capitol; 
Miners  Mills:  Crystal;  Northumberland: 
Savoy;  Obi  Forge:  Holland;  Olyphant:  Oly- 
phant,  Granada;  Parsons:  Parsons;  Pitts- 
ton:  American,  Roman;  Plymouth:  Shaw- 
nee; Pottsville:  Capitol,  Hipodrome,  Holly- 
wood; Sayre:  Say  re;  Scranton:  Bell,  Capi- 
tol, Comerford,  Family,  Globe,  Rialto,  Ri- 
viera, Roosevelt,  State,  Strand,  Temple, 
Westside,  Pinebrook;  Shenandoah:  Strand; 
Sunbury:  Rialto,  Strand;  Towanda:  Key- 
stone ;Wilkes-Barre:  Capitol,  Comerford, 
Hart,  Orpheum,  Penn,  Sterling,  Strand, 
Temple,  Irving;  Williamsport :  Capitol, 
Keystone. 

SOUTH  CAROLINA  Anderson:  Drive- 
In;  Columbia:  Drive-In;  Darlington:  Lib- 
erty, Darlington;  Florence:  Carolina,  Co- 
lonial; Greenville:  Drive-In;  Greenwood: 
Carolina,  Ritz,  State. 

SOUTH  DAKOTA,  Madison:  Lyric, 
State. 

TENNESSEE,  Elizabethton:  Bonnie  Kate, 
Ritz;  Jackson:  Paramount,  State,  Met, 
Drive-In;  Kingsport:  State;  Memphis:  Mal- 
co, Strand. 

TEXAS,  Abilene:  Majestic,  Palace,  Para- 
mount, Queen;  Amarillo:  Capitol,  Para- 
mount, Rialto,  State,  Esquire;  Anahuac: 
Rig;  Arlington:  Aggie,  Texan;  Arp:  Rex; 
Austin:  Paramount,  Queen,  State,  Austin, 
Capitol,  Texas,  Varsity;  Baytown:  Arcadia, 
Bay;  Beaumont:  Gem,  Jefferson,  Lamar, 
Liberty,  Star,  Tivoli,  Peoples,  Circle  Drive- 
In;  Breckenridge:  National,  Palace; 
Brownsville:  Capitol,  Queen;  Brownwood: 
Bowie,  Lyric,  Gem;  Channelview:  Sanja; 
Conroe:  Crighton,  Liberty;  Corsicana: 
Grand,  Ideal,  Palace,  Rio;  Dallas:  Capitol, 
Dalsec,  Fair,  Forest,  Majestic,  Melba,  Pal- 
ace, Rialto,  Tower,  White,  Circle,  Inwood, 
Knox,  Lakewood,  Lawn,  Esquire,  Varsity, 
Village,  Wilshire,  Telenews,  Drive'-In- 
Buckner  Blvd.,  Drive- In-Northwest  Hway; 
Denison:  Rialto,  Rio,  State  ;Denton:  Dream- 
land, Palace,  Texas;  Donna:  Plaza;  Eagle 
Lake:  Cole;  Eastland:  Majestic,  Lyric; 
El  Paso:  Ellanay,  Palace,  Pershing,  Plaza, 
Texas  Grand,  Wigwam;  Fort  Worth: 
Bowie,  Gateway,  Hollywood,  Majestic,  Pal- 
ace, Parkway,  River  Oaks,  Worth,  Tower, 
Varsity,  Bowie  Drive-In,  Belknap  Drive- 
In,  7th  St.  Theatre;  Galveston:  Key,  Mar- 
tini, Queen,  State,  Tremont,  Broadway; 
Gladewater:  Cozy,  Gregg,  Palace;  Goose 
Creek:  Palace,  Texan;  Greenville:  Colonial, 
Rialto,  Texan;  Groves:  Lyric;  Hallettsville: 
Cole;  Harlingen:  Arcadia,  Grande,  Rialto, 
Strand;  Henderson:  Palace,  Strand;  Hous- 
ton: Alabama,  Almeda,  Bluebonnet,  East- 
wood, Kirby,  Majestic,  Metropolitan,  North 
Main,  River  Oak,  Tower,  Village,  Wayside, 
Yale,  Santa  Rosa,  Broadway,  Garden  Oaks, 
Fulton,  Shepard  Drive-In,  So.  Main  Drive- 
In,  Winkler  Drive-In;  Jacksonville:  Jack- 
son, Palace,  Rialto;  Kilgore:  Crim,  Strand, 
Texan ;La  Porte:  Port;  Longview:  Arlyne, 
Rembert,  Rita;  Lufkin:  Lynn,  Pines,  Tex- 
an; McAUen:  Azteca,  Palace,  Queen,  El 
Rey  ;Marshall:  Lynn,  Paramount;  Merce- 
des: Rex,  Rio,  State;  Nacogdoches:  Rita, 
Stonefort,  Texan;  Nederland:  Rio;  Need- 
ville:  Cole;  Orange:  Bengal,  Gem,  Royal, 
Strand;  Overton:  Gem,  Strand;  Paris: 
Grand,  Main,  North  Star,  Plaza,  Rex;  Pel- 
ly:  Alamo;  Pharr:  Drive-In;  Port  Arthur: 
Majestic,  Pearce,  Peoples,  Port,  Sabine, 
Strand,  Surf  Drive-In;  Port  Neches:  Lynn, 
{Continued  on  page  6) 


Decree  Silent  on 
Para.  'Showcases' 

No  apparent  provision  is 
made  in  the  Paramount  con- 
sent decree  for  ownership  of 
"showcase"  theatres  by  the 
new  production-distribution 
company,  even  with  court  ap- 
proval. 

There  appears  to  be  no 
stated  ban,  either.  However, 
the  RKO  decree  permits  that 
company  to  acquire  show- 
'  cases  with  the  approval  of 
the  court. 


6 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Monday,  February  28,  1949 


Para,  Relinquishes 

(Continued  from  page  5) 

Neches;  Richmond:  Lamar;  Rosenberg: 
Cole,  State;  Rusk:  Cherokee;  San  Antonio: 

Aztec,  Empire,  Majestic,  Texas,  Broadway, 
Laurel,  State,  Sunset,  Woodlawn;  San 
Marcos:  Hayes,  Palace,  Texas;  Silsbee: 
Palace,  Pines;  Temple:  Arcadia,  Bell,  Gem, 
Rio,  Texas;  Texarkana:  Drive-In,  Para- 
mount, Strand,  Texan;  Tyler:  Arcadia, 
Liberty,  Majestic,  Tyler;  Vernon:  Pictori- 
um,  Vernon;  Waco:  Orpheum,  25th  Street, 
Texas,  Waco,  Circle  Drive-In;  Wallis: 
Cole;  Weslaco:  Gem,  Ritz;  Wichita  Falls: 
Majestic,  State,  Strand,  Wichita;  Yoakum: 
Grand,  Ritz. 

UTAH,  Ogden:  Colonial,  Orpheum,  Para- 
mount. 

VERMONT,  Brattleboro:  Paramount; 
Burlington:    Flynn,    Majestic;  Montpelier: 

Capitol. 

VIRGINIA,  Cape  Charles:  Radium; 
Charlottesville:  Jefferson,  Lafayette,  Para- 
mount, University;  Danville:  Capitol,  Dan, 
Rialto;Exmore:  Cameo;  Hampton:  Langley, 
Rex;  Hilton  Village:  Village;  Lynchburg: 
Isis,  Paramount,  Trenton;  Newport  News: 
James,  Paramount;  Phoebus:  Lee. 

WEST  VIRGINIA,  Bluefield:  Granada, 
State;  Wheeling:  Rex. 

WISCONSIN:  LaCrosse:  Fifth  Avenue, 
Hollywood. 

In  the  event  that  Paramount's  in- 
terest in  any  joint  ownership  shall  not 
be  terminated  as  provided  for,  Para- 
mount or  the  New  Theatre  Company 
may  acquire  the  interest  of  such  co- 
owner  or  co-owners,  after  first  nego- 
tiating for  such  acquisition  with  such 
co-owner  or  co-owners,  is  not  to  ex- 
ceed the  following  theatres  from  the 
above  list  in  each  of  the  following 
communities : 

ALABAMA:  Anniston:  Any  two  of  the 

theatres  above  listed,  only  one  of  which 
may  be  a  first-run  theatre;  Auburn:  Tiger 
Theatre;  Bessemer,  Ensley,  Jasper,  Selma: 
Any  one  of  the  theatres  above  listed  in 
each  of  these  cities;  Birmingham:  Any  four 
of  the  theatres  above  listed,  only  two  of 
which  may  be  first  run  theatres;  Chicka- 
saw: Chickasaw  Theatre;  Mobile:  Any  four 
of  the  theatres  above  listed,  only  one  of 
which  may  be  a  first  run  theatre;  Mont- 
gomery: Any  three  of  the  theatres  above 
listed,  only  one  of  which  may  be  a  first 
run  theatre;  Troy:  Enzor  Theatre;  Tusca- 


loosa: Any  three  of  the  theatres  above  list- 
ed, only  one  of  which  may  be  a  first  run 
theatre. 

ARIZONA,  Phoenix:    Either  one  of  the 
two  drive-in   theatres   above  listed. 
ARKANSAS,    Camden,    Jonesboro:  Any 

one  of  the  theatres  above  listed  in  each  of 
these  cities ;Fayetteville,  Fort  Smith,  Hot 
Springs:  Any  two  of  the  theatres  above 
listed  (only  one  of  which  may  be  a  first 
run  theatre)  in  each  of  these  cities;  Little 
Rock:  Any  two  of  the  theatres  above  listed. 

FLORIDA,  Pensacola:  Any  three  of  the 
theatres  above  listed,  only  one  of  which 
may  be  a  first  run  theatre.  * 

GEORGIA,  Athens,  Augusta,  Brunswick, 
Columbus,  Gainesville,  Macon,  Waycross: 
Any  one  of  the  theatres  above  listed  in 
each  pf  these  cities;  Savannah:  Any  two 
of  the  theatres  above  listed,  only  one  of 
which  may  be  a  first  run  theatre. 

IDAHO,  Boise:  Any  two  of  the  theatres 
above  listed,  only  one  of  which  may  be 
a  first  run  theatre. 

ILLINOIS,  LaSalle,  Moline,  Oak  Park, 
Peru,  Quincy:  Any  one  of  the_  theatres 
above  listed  in  each  of  these  cities ;Rock 
Island,  Rockford:  Any  two  of  the  theatres 
above  listed  (only  one  of  which  may  be  a 
first  run  theatre)  in  each  of  these  cities. 

INDIANA,  Gary:  Any  one  of  the  thea- 
tres above  listed. 

IOWA,  Cedar  Rapids:  Any  one  of  the 
theatres  above  listed;  Davenport:  Any  two 
of  the  theatres  above  listed,  only  one  of 
which  may  be  a  first  run;  Des  Moines: 
Any  six  of  the  theatres  above  listed,  only 
two  of  which  may  be  first  run  theatres; 
Sioux  City,  Waterloo:  Any  one  of  the 
theatres  above  listed  in  each  of  these  cities. 

KENTUCKY,  Fulton:  Any  one  of  the 
theatres  above  listed;  Owensboro:  Any  two 
of  the  theatres  above  listed,  only  one  of 
which  may  be  a  first  run  theatre. 

LOUISIANA,  Alexandria,  Monroe:  Any 
two  of  the  theatres  above  listed  (only  one 
of  which  may  be  a  first  run  theatre)  in 
each  of  these  cities;  Baton  Rouge,  New 
Orleans:  Any  one  of  the  theatres  above 
listed  in  each  of  these  cities;  Shreveport: 
Any  four  of  the  theatres  above  listed,  only 
one  of  which  may  be  a  first  run  theatre. 

MAINE,  Bangor,  Lewiston:  Any  one  of 
the  theatres  above  listed  in  each  of  these 
cities. 

MASSACHUSETTS,  Haverhill,  Holyoke, 
North  Adams,  Northampton,  Pittsfield, 
Springfield:  Any  one  of  the  theatres  above 
listed  in  each  of  these  cities. 

MICHIGAN,  Ann  Arbor,  Battle  Creek, 
Flint,  Grand  Rapids,  Kalamazoo,  Lansing, 
Pontiac,  Saginaw:  Any  one  of  the  theatres 
above  listed  in  each  of  these  cities;  Detroit: 


The  Royal  Theatre,  provided,  however,  that 
promptly  after  the  acquisition  by  Para- 
mount or  the  New  Theatre  Company  of  the 
interest  of  the  co-owner  therein,  Para- 
mount or  the  New  Theatre  Company  shall 
lease  the  said  theatre  to  a  party  not  a 
defendant  herein  or  owned  or  controlled  by 
or  affiliated  with  a  defendant  herein  and 
which  lease  shall  contain  no  rental  provi- 
sions based  upon  a  share  of  the  profits  of 
such  theatre,  and  provided  further  that 
Paramount  or  the  New  Theatre  Company 
shall  sell  such  theatre  property  as  soon  as 
practicable  and  in  any  event  before  the  ex- 
piration of  such  lease. 

MINNESOTA,  Fairmont:  Any  one  of  the 
theatres  above  listed.  • 

MISSISSIPPI,  Biloxi,  Clarksdale,  Green- 
ville, Greenwood,  Gulf  port,  Natchez:  Any 
one  of  the  theatres  above  listed  in  each  of 
these  cities;  Hattiesburg,  Meridian,  Vicks- 
burg:  Any  two  of  the  theatres  above  listed 
(only  one  of  which  may  be  a  first  run  thea- 
tre) in  each  of  these  cities;  Jackson:  Any 
three  of  the  theatres  above  listed,  only  one 
of  which  may  be  a  first  run  theatre;  Wi- 
nona: Winona  Theatre. 

NEBRASKA,  Fairbury,  Falls  City,  Hast- 
ings: Any  one  of  the  theatres  above  listed 
in  each  of  these  cities;  Grand  Island:  Any 
two  of  the  theatres  above  listed,  only  one 
of  which  may  be  a  first  run  theatre;  Oma- 
ha: Any  two  of  the  theatres  above  listed. 

NEW  HAMPSHIRE,  Concord,  Ports- 
mouth: Any  one  of  the  theatres  above  list- 
ed in  each  of  these  cities. 

NEW  JERSEY,  Newark:  Any  one  of  the 
theatres  above  listed. 

NEW  MEXICO,  Albuquerque:  Any  one 
of  the  theatres  above  listed. 

NEW  YORK,  Fulton:  Any  one  of  the 
theatres  above  listed;  New  York  City: 
Rivoli  Theatre;  Rochester:  Any  two  of  the 
theatres  above  listed,  only  one  of  which 
may  be  a  first  run  theatre. 

NORTH  CAROLINA,  Ashboro:  Caro- 
lina Theatre;  Asheville:  Any  four  of  the 
theatres  above  listed  (and  which  list  shall 
be  deemed  to  include  the  theatre  in  this 
city,  when  built,  as  to  which  there  is  a 
commitment  to  build),  provided  that  such 
four  theatres  shall  not  include,  and  Para- 
mount or  the  New  Theatre  Company  shall 
concurrently  dispose  of  the  interest  of 
Paramount  in,  one  first  run  theatre  in  this 
city;  Burlington,  Durham,  Fayetteville, 
Goldsboro,  Greensboro,  Greenville,  High 
Point,  Salisbury,  Wilmington,  Wilson, 
Winston-Salem:  Any  two  of  the  theatres 
above  listed  (only  one  of  which  may  be  a 
first  run  theatre)  in  each  of  these  cities; 
Canton,  Chapel  Hill,  Concord,  Gastonia, 
Hendersonville,  Hickory,  Lumberton,  Mon- 
roe, Rockingham,  Rocky  Mount:  Any  one 
of  the  theatres  above  listed  in  each  of  these 
cities;  Raleigh:  Any  three  of  the  theatres 
above  listed,  only  one  of  which  may  be  a 
first  run  theatre. 

PENNSYLVANIA,  Aliquippa,  Blooms- 
burg,  Butler,  Carlisle,  Hazelton,  Lebanon, 
Pittston,  Pottsville,  Shenandoah,  Sunbury, 
Wilkes-Barre,  Wililamsport :  Any  one  of 
the  theatres  above  listed  in  each  of  these 
cities;  Scranton:  Any  two  of  the  theatres, 
above  listed. 

SOUTH  CAROLINA,  Anderson,  Colum- 
bia, Greenville:  The  drive-in  theatre  in 
each  of  these  cities;  Greenwood:  Any  two 
of  the  theatres  above  listed,  only  one  of 
which  may  be  a  first  run  theatre. 

SOUTH  DAKOTA,  Madison:  Any  one 
of  the  theatres  above  listed. 

TENNESSEE,  Elizabethton,  Jackson, 
Memphis:  Any  one  of  the  theatres  above 
listed  in  each  of  these  cities;  Khigsport: 
State  Theatre. 

TEXAS,  Abilene,  Beaumont,  Brecken- 
ridge,  Brownwood,  Brownsville,  Corsicana, 
Denison,  Denton,  Galveston,  Harlingen,  Mc- 
AUen,  Orange,  Paris,  Port  Arthur,  Temple, 
Tyler,  Vernon,  Wichita  Falls:  Any  one  of 
the  theatres  above  listed  in  each  of  these 
cities;  Austin:  Any  three  of  the  theatres 
above  listed, 'only  one  of  which  may  be  a 
first  run  theatre;  Amarillo,  El  Paso,  Tex- 
arkana, Waco:  Any  two  of  the  theatres 
above  listed  (only  one  of  which  may  be  a 
first  run  theatre)  in  each  of  these  cities; 
Dallas:  Any  seven  of  the  theatres  above 
listed,  only  two  of  which  may  be  first  run 
theatres;  Fort  Worth:  Any  four  of  the 
theatres  above  listed,  only  one  of  which 
may  be  a  first  run  theatre;  Houston:  Any 
seven  of  the  theatres  above  listed,  only  one 
of  which  may  be  a  first  run  theatre;  San 
Antonio:  Any  four  of  the  theatres  above 
listed,  only  one  of  which  may  be  a  first  run 
theatre. 

UTAH,  Ogden:  Any  two  of  the  theatres 
above  listed,  only  one  of  which  may  be  a 
first  run  theatre. 

VIRGINIA,  Charlottesville,  Lynchburg, 
Newport  News:  Any  one  of  the  theatres 
above  listed  in  each  of  these '  cities. 

WISCONSIN,.  La  Crosse:  Any  one  of  the 
theatres  above  listed. 

With  respect  to  any  jointly  owned 
theatre  as  to  which  Paramount's  in- 
terest shall  not  be  sold  or  otherwise 
transferred  in  accordance  with  provi- 


sions or  as  to  which  the  interest  of 
the  co-owner  or  co-owners  shall  not 
be  acquired  by  Paramount  or  the  New 
Theatre  Company  under  the  provi- 
sions, Paramount  or  the  New  Theatre 
Company  may  negotiate  with  a  third 
person  who  is  not  a  defendant  herein 
and  not  owned  or  controlled  by  or  af- 
filiated with  a  defendant  herein,  for  a 
sale  of  the  entire  joint  interest  in  such 
theatre  to  such  third  person  and  may 
negotiate  for  the  acquisition  thereof 
and  thereafter  acquire  the  interest  of 
its  co-owner  or  co-owners  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  effectuating  such  a  sale, 
provided  that  such  sale  shall  be  con- 
summated not  later  than  six  months 
following  such  acquisition  and  shall 
create  substantial  motion  picture  thea- 
tre operating  competition  in  any  com- 
munity which  Paramount  or  the  New 
Theatre  Company  shall  retain  any 
theatre. 


UNITED 

"Haven't  I  seen  you  somewhere 
before?"  I  asked  a  passenger  the 
other  day.  He  looked  so  familiar 
he  might  have  been  one  of  the 
crew. 

I 

M    Jgg  ,  "You  may  have," 

"" ^^^^  he  replied,  "I 
travel  a  lot — and  I've  flown 
United  to  Los  Angeles  5  times 
in  the  last  4  months.' 

"I  like  United  because,  compar- 
ing everything — meals,  speed, 
fares,  frequency  of  flights,  and 
your  famous  'Service  in  the 
Mainliner  Manner ' —  United's 
got  every  other  airline  backed 
right  off  the  map!  And  what  a 
honey  your  DC-6  Mainliner* 
300  is!" 

«sS~J^>-">»     Biased?  Well, 
maybe.  But  I 
wish  you'd  try  United's  Los 
Angeles  service  yourself — then 
make  up  your  own  mind. 


Stewardess  on 


UNITED  AIR  LINES 
DC-6  MAINLINER  300s 


CINCINNATI  MAYOR  PROCLAIMS 

THE 

LIFE 
of 
RILEY 
WEEK"! 


BULLETIN  #5 

CINCINNATI—  Proclamation  of  official  "Life  of 
Riley  Week"  by  Mayor  Albert  D.  Cash  launches 
week-long  celebration  to  honor  world  premiere 
of  U-l's"The  Life  of  Riley"  on  March  5th  at  RKO 
Grand  Theatre. 

City's  leading  stores  mark  celebration  with 
full-page  newspaper  ads  and  window  displays. 
Enquirer,  Times-Star  and  Post  tie  up  with  spe- 
cial news-making  "Riley"  contests.  Traffic  Safety 
Council  campaign  heralds  "Riley"  in  posters 
throughout  Cincinnati.  City-wide  tie-up  by 
Procter  &  Gamble,  sponsors  of  "The  Life  of 
Riley"  hit  radio  show,  puts  "Riley"  displays  in 
every  drug  store  window. 

The  whole  town's  got  that  "Life  of  Riley" 
feeling! 


0 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  41 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  MARCH  1,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


US  Victory  is 
Claimed  Under 
Decree:  Clark 


More  Than  Courts  Could 
Yield,  Says  Atty. -General 

Washington,  Feb.  28.  —  At- 
torney General  Tom  C.  Clark  today 
said  that  the  Paramount  consent  de- 
cree was  "a  great  victory  for  us, 
possibly  as  much  or  more  than  we 
could  have  gotten  in  the  courts." 

Clark  pointed  out  that  the  case  is 
11  years  old,  and  said  that  "for  us 
finally  to  be  able  to  get  complete 
divorcement,  plus  the  dissolution  of 
partnerships,  plus  the  opening  of 
those  towns  where  we  don't  think 
there  is  competition,  is  really  some- 
thing." 

The  decree  should  "prove  very  bene- 
ficial to  the  industry,  particularly  if 
we  get  the  rest  of  the  case  settled 
quickly,"  the  Attorney  General  de- 
clared. He  said  he  understood  in- 
dependent exhibitor  groups  like  Allied 
States  Association  "like  it  too." 

Clark  put  in  a  plug  for  Paramount 
and  the  other  defendants.  "Ah  the 
companies  have  been  very  consider- 
ate ;  they  have  cooperated  very  well 
with  the  Government  since  the  Su- 
preme Court  decision  last  May." 


Hearing  Opens  Here 
In  NT  Settlements 


Ba  la  banHa  its 
Para.  Future 


Hollywood,  Feb.  28. — Speaking  be- 
fore the  entire  personnel  of  Para- 
mount studio,  Barney  Balaban,  Para- 
mount president,  called  1950  "the  year 
of  rebirth  of  our  company"  and  said 
that  the  intervening  months  when  the 
new  company  takes  shape  "is  an  ex- 
citing opportunity  —  a  challenge  to 
each  of  us." 

The  meeting,  first  in  a  series  over 
a  five-day  period,  attended  by  Adolph 
Zukor,  chairman  of  the  board,  and 
other  top  Paramount  executives  from 
New  York  and  the  field,  marked  the 
first  open  discussion  of  plans  and 
policies  of  the  production-distribution 
company  to  be  set  up  under  terms  of 
the  Paramount  consent  decree  signed 
Friday. 

Balaban  warned  his  listeners  not  to 
be  mistaken  about  the  far-reaching 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


AMPP  Structure  on 
Coast  Overhauled 


Motions  for  and  against  acceptance 
of  special  referee  Jacob  S.  Demov's 
report  in  the  settlement  of  National 
Theatres  minority  stockholder  actions 
against  20th  Century-Fox  were  heard 
here  yesterday  by  New  York  Supreme 
Court  Justice  Ferdinand  Pecora.  De- 
mov  has  recommended  that  court  ap- 
proval be  given  to  a  settlement  where- 
by 20th-Fox  will  benefit  by  approxi- 
mately $3,500,000. 

Under  the  terms  of  the  settlement 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


NewBuildingCode  Is 
ProposedinMissouri 

St.  Louis,  Feb.  28. — Proposed  legis- 
lation setting  up  a  new  state  building- 
code  for  theatres  has  been  introduced 
in  the  Missouri  legislature.  Its  chief 
provisions  would  set  up  new  aisle  and 
row  requirements,  and  eliminate  "in- 
former" clauses  in  old  statutes  which 
give  any  complainant  half  the  fine 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Hollywood,  Feb.  28. — The  board  of 
directors  of  the  Association  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Producers  has  been  over- 
hauled, strengthened  and  reimplement- 
ed,  and  all  officers  have  been  reelected, 
including  Eric  Johnston,  president ;  Y. 
Frank  Freeman,  board  chairman ; 
Charles  S.  Boren,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  industrial  relations,  •  and 
James  S.  Howie,  secretary-treasurer. 
The  board  has  created  two  new  vice- 
presidencies,  which  have  been  filled  by 
the  election  of  B.  B.  Kahane  and 
Louis  K.  Sidney. 

Also,  the  association's  bylaws  have 
been  amended  to  increase  the  board, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


TO  A  Warns  Theatres 
On  Censorship  Seals 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  28.— 
The  local  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  is  warning  exhibi- 
tors that  the  State  Education 
Department,  censorship  divi- 
sion, is  checking  theatres  in 
this  district  to  determine 
whether  all  films  carry  censor 
seals.  Some  situations  brought 
to  the  TOA's  attention  indi- 
cated that  prints  are  being 
serviced  by  out-of-state  ex- 
changes without  censor  li- 
cense numbers. 


Para.  Is  Free 
To  Acquire 
'Show  Cases' 


RKO  and  Disney  in 
New  3 -Picture  Deal 


A  new  releasing  agreement  has 
consummated  between  Ned  E.  De- 
pinet,  president  of  RKO  Radio,  and 
Roy  O.  Disney,  president  of  Walt 
Disney  Productions,  for  the  world- 
wide distribution  of  the  next  three 
Walt  Disney  features.  The  three 
comprise,  in  the  order  of  their  re- 
lease, "Ichabod  and  Mr.  Toad,"  "Cin- 
derella" and  "Treasure  Island."  All 
will  be  in  Technicolor.  "Cinderella" 
will  be  entirely  in  animation  and  is 
expected  to  be  ready  for  release  at 
Christmas.  "Ichabod  and  Mr.  Toad" 
will  be  ready  for  release  in  Septem- 
ber. 

Bing  Crosby  will  narrate  the  story 
of  Ichabod  and  sing  three  songs. 
Basil  Rathbone  will  be  the  narrator 
of  the  Toad  story.  It  will  be  entirely 
in  animation.  "Treasure  Island,"  by 
Robert  Louis  Stevenson,  will  be  the 
first  100  per  cent  live-action  picture 
by  Disney.  It  will  be  personally  pro- 
duced by  him.  Bobby  Driscoll  will 
play  young  Jim  Hawkins. 


New  Picture  Company 
Also  May  Sell  by  Bids 

Although  free  to  acquire  "show- 
case" theatres  under  the  terms  of 
the  consent  judgment  in  the  indus- 
try trust  suit,  the  new  Paramount 
Pictures  Co.  plans  to  engage  solely 
in  production  and  distribution,  with  no 
plan  for  first-run  exhibition  having 
been  given  any  consideration. 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,"  one  official 
here  said,  "we  don't  even  have  a  thea- 
tre department."  This  of  course  pre- 
supposes that  the  reorganization  of 
corporation  is  approved  by  the  New 
York  Federal  Court  at  a  hearing  on 
Thursday  and  by  stockholders  by 
April  19. 

According  to  the  executive's  inter- 
pretation of  the  decree,  Paramount 
Pictures  Co.  may  acquire  showcases 
under  certain  conditions  since  the 
document  contains  no  specific  injunc- 
tion which  would  enjoin  it  from  doing 
so.    The  new  Pictures  Co.,  however, 

(Continued -  on  page  4) 


74  '  Wins  More  SOPEG 
'Collarite'  Territory 


Mandel  Will  Handle 
Promotion  of  Bonds 

Max  E.  Youngstein,  chairman  of 
the  motion  picture  industry's  adver- 
tising-publicity committee  cooperating 
in  the  U.  S.  Treasury's  savings  bond 
drive,  has  named  Harry  Mandel, 
RKO's  national  director  of  advertis- 
ing-publicity, to  the  New  York  promo- 
tional chairmanship  of  the  campaign. 

Mandel  will  direct  the  campaign  in 
this  area  and  will  coordinate  the  ac- 
tivities of  national  circuits  operating 
out  of  New  York, 


Disclosure  here  yesterday  of  final 
results  in  the  National  Labor  Rela- 
tions Board's  elections  held  late  last 
week  at  six  film  company  home  of- 
fices indicates  that  the  IATSE's  year- 
long assault  on  the  "white  collarite" 
strongholds  of  Screen  Office  and  Pro- 
fessional Employes  Guild  has  yielded 
the  former  three  full  shops  and  part 
of  another. 

In  addition  to  the  United  Artists 
shop  which  was  won  away  from 
CIO's  SOPEG,  the  following  former 
SOPEG  units  will  henceforth  come 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  AFL's  "IA" 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Myers  Terms  Suits 
'Not  Confiscatory' 


Washington,  Feb.  28.  —  Allied 
States  Association  general  counsel 
Abram  F.  Myers  today  reluctantly 
added  two  more  aphorisms  to  those 
he  has  already  made  about  the  Par- 
amount and  RKO  consent  decrees. 

In  his  annual  report  to  Allied's  mid- 
Winter  board  meeting,  Myers  said 
that  the  Paramount  decree  meant 
"genuine  divorcement,"  but  that  he 
had  misgivings  about  the  RKO  decree 
provision  distributing  stock  in  the 
new  theatre  company  among  all  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


100  at  Red  Cross 
Industry  Luncheon 

One  hundred  from  the  local  film  in- 
dustry will  meet  here  today  at  a 
luncheon  in  honor  of  Basil  O'Connor, 
national  president  of  the  American 
Red  Cross,  to  be  held  at  the  Metro- 
politan Club.  The  industry's  plans  for 
participation  in  the  New  York  cam- 
paign of  the  Red  Cross  will  be 
launched  at  the  luncheon  under  the 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  1,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


ROY  HAINES,  Warner  Western 
division  sales  manager,  will  leave 
here  today  on  a  trip  to  St.  Louis, 
Detroit,  Kansas  City  and  Chicago. 
• 

Fred  C.  Dillon,  former  publicist 
in  Ottawa,  will  start  today  as  secre- 
tary of  the  Moving  Picture  Distribu- 
tors Association  of  Canada,  succeed- 
ing E.  H.  Wells,  who  held  the  office 
for  many  years. 

• 

Harry  F.  Shaw,  division  manager 
for  Loew's  Poli  Theatres,  and  Mrs. 
Shaw,  will  celebrate  their  silver  wed- 
ding anniversary  today. 

• 

Miles  Storm  II,  recently  appoint- 
ed  manager   of   Western  Electric's 
Panama  office,  will  leave  here  today 
by  plane  for  Panama  City.  . 
• 

Leon  (Lee)  Fisher,  former  pub- 
Heist  for  Columbus,  Ohio,  RKO  the- 
atres, has  been  named  manager  of 
the  Maiestic. 

• 

William  C.  Myers,  owner  of  the 
Echo  and  Deluxe  theatres  in  Balti- 
more, is  the  father  of  a  son  born  at 
the  Sinai  Hospital,  Baltimore. 
• 

Andy  Anderson,  of  Anderson  The- 
atres,   Hartford,   Ky.,   has  returned 
there  from  a  trip  to  California. 
• 

J.  Cheever  Cowdin,  Universal-In- 
ternational board  chairman,  has  ar- 
rived in  London  from  New  York. 
• 

Bill  Schiell,  former  SRO  man- 
ager in  New  Orleans,  is  now  a  sales- 
man for  Film  Classics. 


TOA  Decision  This 
Week  in  Shorts  Row 

Theatre  Owners  of  America's  board 
will  have  ready  this  week  its  decision 
on  whether  to  reaffirm  or  alter  its 
position  in  the  dispute  with  distributors 
over  rentals  to  be  charged  for  the  in- 
dustry public  relations  short  subject 
series,  Gael  Sullivan,  TOA  executive 
director,  indicated  here  yesterday. 

Sullivan,  who  has  conferred  on  the 
subject  with  a  distributors  committee 
headed  by  RKO  Radio  vice-president 
Robert  Mochrie,  said  he  will  poll  the 
board  by  mail  rather  than  ask  for  a 
special  meeting  to  submit  his  report 
.of  the  conference.  After  board  mem- 
bers read  the  mailed  report,  Sullivan 
explained,  they  will  be  asked  to  indi- 
cate whether  or  not  TOA  should  per- 
sist in  its  demand  that  exhibitor  rent- 
als be  held  to  a  nominal  fee,  and,  if 
not,  to  recommend  what  new  approach 
should  be  taken.  Meanwhile,  RKO 
Radio  is  still  holding  up  the  release 
of  "Let's  Go  to  the  Movies,"  first  of 
the  series,  which  originally  had  been 
scheduled  for  release  today. 

TOA  members  contend  that  produc- 
tion of  each  short  should  not  have 
cost  more  than  $8,000  or  $9,000.  Actu- 
al cost  of  each  was  approximately 
$35,000,  it  is  understood. 


Film  Content  Is  Up 
ToWomen:  Johnston 


200  at  Luncheon  for 
W.B.'s  George  Horan 

Boston,  Feb.  28.— A  Variety  Club 
of  New  England  luncheon  honoring. 
George  W.  Horan,  Warner  district 
manager,  was  attended  by  200.  Toast- 
master  was  Thomas  Duane  of  SRO. 
Speaking  for  Variety  was  Louis  Gor- 
don, assistant  chief  Barker.  Arthur 
Lockwood  represented  the  Theatre 
Owners  of  America,  Daniel  and  J. 
Murphy  represented  the  Independent 
Exhibitors  of  New  England.  Ed  Fay 
of  Providence  presented  Horan  with 
a  pen  and  pencil  set  in  behalf  of  the 
club. 


Alvin  Resigns  Post 

Hollywood,  Feb.  28.— Joseph  Alvin, 
press  and  public  relations  for  the  So- 
ciety' of  Independent  Motion  Picture 
Producers  for  the  past  two  and  one- 
half  years,  terminated  his  assignment 
today  following  the  executive  commit- 
tee's acceptance  of  his  resignation  last 
Friday. 


Charles  Kogod,  73 

Washington,  Feb.  28.— Charles 
Kogod,  father  of  Fred  S.  Kogod,  K-B 
Theatres  president,  died  here  Satur- 
day at  the  age  of  73. 


AMP  A  Group  Elected 
To  Select  New  Slate 

A  nominating  committee  of  seven, 
headed  by  David  A..  Bader,  was  elect- 
ed yesterday  at  a  luncheon-meeting 
here  of  the  Associated  Motion  Pic- 
ture Advertisers.  Others  on  the  com- 
mittee, which  will  submit  a  slate  of 
officers  for  the  1949-50  term,  are: 
Rutgers  Neilsbn,  Vincent  Trotta, 
Gordon  White,  Blanche  Livingston, 
Charles  Alicoate  and  Chester  Fried- 
man. Yesterday's  membership  meet- 
ing was  presided  over  by  AM  PA  vice- 
president  David  Blum  in  the  absence 
of  president  Max  Youngstein. 

A  special  AMPA  benefit  committee 
of  nine  has  been  appointed  by  Young- 
stein to  make  arrangements  for  a 
fund-raising  film  premiere  in  New 
York.  Committee  members  are : 
Blum,  Jacques  Kopfstein,  Alicoate, 
Friedman,  Herman  Schleier,  Phil 
Williams,  Harry  McWilliams,  John 
Phillips  and  Hap  Hadley. 


Hollywood,  Feb.  28. — Eric  A. 
Johnston,  president  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America,  placed 
responsibility  for  a  steady  flow  of  "pic- 
tures with  broad  vision"  squarely  in 
the  hands  of  American  women  in  an 
address  today  before  representatives 
of  14  women's  groups  at  Hollywood 
Beverly  Christian  Church. 

Outlining  reasons  why  such  films 
must  pay  their  way  in  the  U.  S., 
Johnston  said,  "the  industry  recog- 
nizes beaten  paths  are  for  beaten  men, 
and  constantly  is  looking  for  new  hori  • 
zons  and  new  roads  to  travel.  We  all 
know  there  exists  a  steady  audience 
for  conventional  pictures.  We  also 
know  there  exists  a  potentially  great 
audience,  which  you  and  your  organi- 
zations typify,  which  want  pictures 
with  broad  vision  and  intelligent 
recognition  of  what  is  going  on  in  the 
world." 

Johnston  pointed  out  that  37  per 
cent  of  the  present  adult  population 
is  composed  of  high  school  graduates, 
which  compares  with  seven  per  cent 
in  1920.  MPAA  vice-president  Fran- 
cis Harmon  also  addressed  the  forum. 


Arizona  Considers 
Ticket  Tax  Hike 

Washington,  Feb.  28— A  bill  has 
been  introduced  in  the  Arizona  legis- 
lature to  increase  the  state's  tax  on 
gross  admission  receipts  from  two 
per  cent  to  three,  according  to  Jack 
Bryson,  MPAA  legislative  represen- 
tative. 


$639,622  U.S.  Tax 
Refund  to  DuMont 

_  Washington,  Feb.  28.— Combina- 
tion income  and  excess  profits  tax  re- 
fund of  $639,622  has  been  awarded  to 
DuMont  Laboratories  by  the  Federal 
Revenue  Bureau. 


'Portrait9  to  Rivoli, 
Mamula  To  Publicize 

Sidney  Deneau,  general  sales*  man- 
ager of  the  Selznick  Releasing  Organ- 
ization, reports  that  David  O.  Selz- 
nick's  "Portrait  of  Jennie"  will  open 
at  the  Rivoli  Theatre  here  for  an  ex- 
tended run  on  Tuesday,  March  22. 
"Portrait  of  Jennie"  is  now  being  dat- 
ed in.  30  key  cities  for  Easter  playing 
time. 

Nick  Mamula  has  been  engaged  to 
handle  publicity  for  the  opening. 


Broughton  Is  Promoted 

■  Oliver  C.  Broughton,  field  auditor, 
has  been  promoted  to  succeed  Charles 
Fogk  as  M-G-M  roving  exchange 
amintenance  head,  by  William  F.  Rod- 
gers,  sales  vice-president.  Both  Brough- 
ton and  Fogle  are  on  a  tour  of  ex- 
changes in  the  West,  following  which 
Fogle  will  retire  after  20  years  with 
the  company. 


Independents  Hail 
Johnston  at  Dinner 

Hollywood,  Feb.  28,— The  Inde- 
pendent Motion  Picture  Producers 
Association  tonight  hailed  MPAA 
president  Eric  Johnston  as  the  "pre- 
mier salesman  of  American  films  and 
the  vigorous  exponent  of  the  Ameri- 
can way  of  life"  at  a  banquet  in  his 
honor  where  a  plaque  was  awarded 
Johnston. 

Johnston  and  his  staff  will  be  guests 
of  the  Motion  .Picture  Industry  Coun- 
cil tomorrow  night  at  a  meeting 
called  by  MPIC  chairman  Cecil  B 
DeMille. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


—RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — 5 

Rockefeller  Center 

CLAUDETTE  FRED 

COLBERT     ^  MacMURRAY 

"FAMILY  HONEYMOON" 

A   Universal-International  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


S1MMP  Offices  Seen 
Shifted  to  New  York 

Hollywood,  Feb.  28.— Formal  an- 
nouncement of  the  opening  of  the  So- 
ciety of  Independent  Motion  Picture 
Producers'  office  in  New  York  as 
priricipal_  headquarters  will  be  made 
later  this  week,  detailing  decisions 
made  by  the  executive  committee  at 
an  unheralded  meeting  held  here  Fri- 
day. It  was  attended  by  SIMPP  presi- 
dent Ellis  Arnall,  who  left  over  the 
-weekend  for  New  York  via  Louisville. 

Arnall's  presence  in  Hollywood  had 
been  closely  sheltered  "so  that  he 
could  accomplish  several  SIMPP  mat- 
ters without  interruption,"  it  was  said. 
Although  details  of  the  new  division 
of  responsibilities  between  New  York 
and  Hollywood  offices  are  withheld 
pending  a  formal  announcement,  it 
was  learned  that  the  Coast  office  will 
continue  to  maintain  legal  and  labor 
departments  under  the  present  heads. 

Denies  Coast  Injunction 

Hollywood,  Feb.  28.— Application 
for  an  injunction,  made  by  Griffith- 
Coleman,  to  stop  seven  distributors 
from  depriving  La  Tijera  theatre  of 
first-run  service,  was  denied  today  by 
Federal  Judge  C.  E.  Beaumont. 


Paramount  protntt 

ALAN  LADD 

ROBERT  PRESTON 
BRENDA  MARSHALL  1 
DONALD  CRISP 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER, 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Dally 
Extra  Matinee*  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Lata  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


f 


OLIVIA  de  HA Yl LLANO  I 


I Directed  by  Produced  by  "~)r\  I 

AmTmUTYM.MAlDlE  LfTVAK  *  ROBERT  BASSIER  I 


KlVOLI 


JOAN 
of  ARC 


starring 


INGRID 


BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

.COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  ■  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 


with  JOSE  FERRER  •  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  •  J.  CARROL  NA1SH  •  WARD  80ND  8 
SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  •  HURD  HATFIELD  •  GENE  L0CKHARI  -  JOHN  EMERY  S 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  •  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY 
based  upon  the  stage  play  'Joan  of  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
ween  ploy  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOLT  •  oil  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  .  director  of  photography  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  W ANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 


y  SIERRA  PICTURES,  In 


relet 


d  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


76  **  WEEK \\ 


Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  Sou?h'La  Salle  Steed ^E&torial  and  AdVertlffni  TTrnJ?>«r1«  '  F- 0  ,5  .°n  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver. 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club  Walton  DC  Lnnd£  TWau  4 iCn I  rl&i  ^T8  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington. 
Other  Quigley  PubUcationSsS:  X'ionPieTufe  Herald-  aSte  Theatres  and  Theatre  Saks  eYch  ^ubfisheT??'  Manager'  Peter  BurnuP-  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
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Tuesday,  March  1,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Hollywood 


Hollywood,  Feb.  28 

DAN  DURYEA  is  to  be  starred  in 
"Contrabrand,"  which  Aaron 
Rosenberg  will  produce  for  U.  I.  .  .  . 
William  Wellman,  whose  latest  re- 
leased work  is  "Yellow  Sky,"  will  di- 
rect "Battleground,"  the  property  ac- 
quired from  RKO  Radio  by  M-G-M 
following  Dore  Schary's  switch  to  the 
latter  studio.  .  .  .  John  Wayne  will 
have  Vera  Ralston  and  Philip  Dora 
alongside  in  starring  roles  of  "Eagles 
in  Exile,"  which  Wayne  will  produce 
for  Republic  with  George  Waggner 
directing. 

f  With  two  pictures  shooting,  another 
ready  to  roll,  and  10  in  advanced  pre- 
paration, RKO  Radio  appears  emerg- 
ing from  the  production  lull  which  fol- 
lowed Howard  Hughes'  acquisition  of 
control.  .  .  .  Samuel  Goldwyn  has  lent 
Dana  Andrews  to  U-I  to  star  tn 
"Paradise  Lost,  1949."  .  .  .  Academy 
Award  nominee  Charles  Bickford  has 
been  added  to  the  principal  cast  _  of 
Paramount' s  "Riding  High,"  the  Bmg 
Crosby  vehicle  which  Frank  Capra 
will  produce  {formerly  "Broadway 
Bill").  .  .  .  Walter  W anger  will  co- 
star  James  Mason  with  Joan  Bennett 
in  "The  Blank  Wall,"  slated  to  start 
tomorrow  for   Columbia  release. 


lst-Runs  Are 
Spotty  Here 


Red  Cross  Luncheon 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


? 


Then  it's  high  time  you  leave 
worries  behind  and  take  a 
TWA  Quickie  Vacation  in  the 
Great  Southwest.  A  few  days 
away  offers  plenty  of  time  for 
rest  and  fun  in  the  invigorating 
climate  of  Phoenix,  when  you 
go  by  TWA  Skyliner.  Big  sav- 
ings on  family  travel  and  round 
trips!  Forfacts,  call  your  local 
TWA  office  or  your  travel 
agent. 


Business  is  uneven  this  week  among 
New  York's  first-run  theatres.  Three, 
pictures  in  their  first  weeks  are  reg- 
istering nicely,  but  two  others  proved 
to  be  disappointing  business-wise. 
Meanwhile,  four  films  which  have 
been  running  on  Broadway  for  16 
weeks  or  more  are  maintaining  a 
good  grossing  pace,  while  some  of  the 
shorter  term  holdovers  are  making- 
unimpressive  showings. 

Newcomers  which  are  performing 
brightly  are  "Family  Honeymoon," 
with  a  stage  presentation,  at  the  Music 
Hall,  where  a  very  satisfactory  $138,- 
000  is  indicated  for  the  first  week; 
"Knock  on  Any  Door,"  the  first  week 
of  which  ended  yesterday,  brought  the 
Astor  a  snappy  $55,000;  "The  Fight- 
ing O'Flynn"  is  expected  to  yield  the 
Criterion  a  big  $30,500  in  its  first 
week. 

Second  week  of  "Whisperin' 
Smith,"  plus  a  stage  bill  topped  by 
comedian  Henny  Youngman,  is  giv- 
ing the  Paramount  a  fair  second 
week's  $62,000;  the  picture  will  hold 
for  a  third  week  after  which  it  will 
be  followed  by  "Alias  Nick  Beal." 

The  four  long-runners  that  are 
holding  up  well  are:  "Hamlet,"  Park 
Avenue,  22nd  week,  $15,000;  "The 
Red  Shoes,"  Bijou,  20th  week, 
$15,000;  "The  Snake  Pit,"  Rivoli. 
17th  week,  $19,000;  "Toan  of  Arc," 
Victoria,  16th  week,  $26,000. 

At  the  Roxy,  "Down  to  the  Sea  in 
Ships,"  plus  a  stage  bill  headed  by 
Rudy  Vallee,  wound  up  a  first  week 
vesterday  with  a  disappointing 
$85,000;  "Mother  Was  a  Freshman" 
is  scheduled  to  take  over  at  the.  Roxy 
on  March  11.  Special  return  engage- 
ment of  Academy  Award  nominees 
"Johnny  Belinda"  and  "The  Treasure 
of  Sierra  Madre."  gave  the  Strand  a 
very  mild  $30,000  for  a  first  week.  It 
should  be  borne  in  mind,  however, 
that  each  of  the  return  engagement 
films  had  long,  successful  runs  when 
they  played  at  the  Strand  during  the 
nast  year. 

A  slow  $24,500  is  indicated  for  the 
first  week  of  "The  Return  of  Oc- 
tober," at  the  Mayfair.  Equally  unirn- 
nressive  is  "Caught,"  together  _  with 
a  stage  bill  including  Charlie  Soivak's 
band,  which  will  bring  the  Capitol  an 
estimated  $49,000  in  a  second  and  final 
week :  "Three  Godfathers"  will  movp 
into  the  Capitol  on  Thursdav.  "Moon- 
rise"  will  replace  "State  Denartment 
—File  649"  on  Saturday  at  the  Glob^ 
where  the  second  and  final  week  of 
th"  latter  is  expected  to  bring  a  mod- 
erate $14,500. 


chairmanship  of  Spyros  P.  Skouras, 
president  of  20th  Century-Fox. 

Among  Red  Cross  officials  who  will 
attend  will  be  Howard  Bonham,  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  public  relations, 
and  Mrs.  L.  Arthur  Cushman,  chair- 
man of  Women's  Activities,  New 
York. 


<IA',  SOPEG 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Industry  Representatives 

The  following  will  also  attend: 
Dave  Bader,  Chester  Bahn,  Leon  J. 
Bamberger,  Ulric  Bell,  Maurice  A. 
Bergman,  Mort  Blumenstock,  Harry 
Brandt,  A.  W.  Burger,  Al  Butterfield, 
John  Caskey,  Mike  Clofine,  Max  A. 
Cohen,  Robert  Coyne,  Ned  Depinet, 
Howard  Dietz,  Richard  DeRoche- 
mont,  Russell  V.  Downing,  Charles 
Einfeld,  William  C.  Gehring,  William 
German,  Harry  '  Goldberg,  Eric 
Haight,  Jack  Haney,  Jack  Harrison, 
William  Heineman,  Donald  A.  Hen- 
derson, James  Ivers,  Arthur  Israel, 
Jr.,  James  A.  Jerauld,  Sherwin  Kane. 

Also :  Red  Kann,  Edward  M.  Lach- 
man,  Austin  Keough,  Mel  Konecoff, 
Jack  H.  Lang,  Jock  Lawrence,  Peter 
Levathes,  Chick  Lewis,  Samuel  Mach- 
novitch,  Charles  L.  Mathieu,  S.  Bar- 
ret McCormick,  Tom  Meade,  Don 
Mersereau,  Maurice  J.  Miller,  Rob- 
ert Mochrie,  John  O'Connor,  Tony 
Petti,  Al  Picoult,  Charles  M.  Reagan, 
George  T.  Reilly,  Al  Richard,  Hen- 
derson Richey,  Samuel  Rinzler,  Her- 
man Robbins,  Herman  Schleier,  Abe 
Schneider,  Fred  Schwartz,  Si  Sead- 
ler,  Joseph  Seidelman,  Sam  Shain, 
Frank  J.  Shea,  Emanuel  Silverstone, 
Murray  Silverstone,  Gael  Sullivan, 
Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  Morton  Sun- 
shine, Paul  Terry,  Mo  Wax,  John 
Whitaker,  William  A.  White,  Max 
Youngstein. 


Motion  Picture  Home  Office  Labora- 
tories. Results  of  the  elections  made 
it  possible  for  SOPEG  to  retain  con- 
trol over  Columbia,  Loew's,  RKO 
Service,  and  four  out  of  five  separate 
units  at  Paramount. 

Both  sides  claimed  "victory"  in  the 
elections.  H-63  business  agent  Rus- 
sell Moss,  who  pointed  out  that  it 
was  the  opposition's  shops  which  were 
at  stake,  expressed  satisfaction  over 
"I A"  jurisdictional  advances  at  home 
offices  here.  A  year  ago  "IA"  was 
bargaining  agent  for  "white  collarites" 
of  only  two  distribution  companies, 
Universal-International  and  Warner, 
whereas  it  now  is  in  full  control  at  a 
total  of  four. 

Sidney  Young,  SOPEG  president, 
termed  his  union's  retention  of  control 
at  four  of  the  six  companies  at  stake 
as  an  "overwhelming  victory."  Young 
served  notice  that  the  NLRB  elec- 
tions did  not  end  the  two  unions' 
rivalry  when  he  predicted  that  the 
employes  who  had  gone  over  to  "IA" 
would  "soon  return"  to  SOPEG. 


Off-street  Parking 
Sought  in  N.Y.  Bill 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  28.— Theatres 
and  other  places  of  public  assembly 
hereafter  erected  in  cities  in  New 
York  would  be  required  to  furnish 
off-street  parking  of  200  square  feet 
for  each  10  persons  of  total  seating 
capacity,  under  a  bill  introduced  by 
Senator  Thomas  C.  Desmond. 

The  measure,  which  also  sets  off- 
street  minimum  parking  standards  for 
hotels,  apartments  buildings  and  fac- 
tories is  similar  to  one  which  passed 
the  Senate  and  died  in  the  Assembly 
last  -"ear. 


BULLETIN  #6 


MITCHELL  MAY,  Jr. 

CO.,  INC. 

INSURANCE 
• 

Specializing 

in  requirements  of  the 

Motion  Picture  Industry 

75  Maiden  Lane,  New  York 
510  W.  6th  St.,  Los  Angeles 


M-G-M's  Rodgers  to 
Send  12  to  Europe 

Although  it  was  originally  planner! 
to  send  10  from  the  sales  department 
to  Europe  to  expand  their  ideas  on 
selling  to  embrace  the  international 
picture.  William  F:  Rodsrers,  M-G-M 
sales  vice-president,  has  increased  the 
number  to  12  and  at  the  same  time  has 
broadened  the  scope  of  men  eligible 
for  the  trip. 

In  the  new  list  of  possibilities,  an 
exnloiteer  and  salesman  from  the  field 
will  be  included.  These  two  categories 
will  supplement  the  previous  an- 
nouncement for  branch,  district  and 
sales  managers  and  their  territorial 
assistants. 


Cincinnati -Procter  &  Gamble  has 
scheduled  full -color  ads  in  Life,  Look, 
Ladies'  Home  Journal,  True  Story,  as 
well  as  coast-to-coast  newspaper 
campaign  to  advertise  special  "LIFE 
OF  RILEY"  Prell  package  in  tie-up  with 
U-I's  comedy  hit  "THE  LIFE  OF  RILEY" 
with  William  Bendix  as  "Riley." 

Also  featured  in  national  maga- 
zine ads  are  products  to  give  one 
"THE  LIFE  OF  RILEY"  feeling  in  tie-ups 
with  Pepsi-Cola,  Jergens  Lotion, 
Chesterfield  Cigarettes,  Remington 
Rand  Electric  Shavers,  Tangee  Lipstick 
and  many  more. 


Everybody's 
getting 
on  the 


I 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  1,  1949 


Para.  'Show  Cases' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


may  not  purchase  theatres  from  the 
New  Paramount  Theatres  Co.  or  any 
other  defendant  in  the  trust  case.  Ad- 
ditionally, it  may  not  enter  exhibition 
in  any  area  to  such  an  extent  that  the 
result  would  be  the  creation  of  closed 
situations. 

It  was  said  here  yesterday  that  the- 
atre acquisitions  have  not  even  been 
discussed  by  Paramount  executives. 
To  that,  one  spokesman  added,  "Be- 
sides, who  has  first-runs  for  sale?" 

Various  portions  of  the  decree, 
which  runs  79  pages  in  length  and  is 
not  devoid  of  technical  phraseology, 
came  into  clearer  focus  yesterday. 

No  More  Partnerships 

It  means  the  end  of  all  partnerships. 
It  means,  too,  that  Paramount  Thea- 
tres Co.  will  be  comprised  practically 
of  all  theatres  which  the  present  cor- 
poration wholly-owns  now  in  addition 
to  more  than  200  which  it  may  ac- 
quire from  present  co-owners. 

As  for  trade  practices,  Paramount 
Pictures  Co.  has  substantial  leeway 
in  licensing  product  to  exhibitors.  The 
company  is  called  on  to  sell  theatre- 
by-theatre  and  in  non-discriminatory 
fashion,  but  is  not  enjoined  from  sell- 
ing in  any  manner  it  sees  fit  so  long 
as  these  two  directives  are  abided  by. 
Company  may  sell  by  competitive  bid- 
ding, as  it  is  now  doing  in  some  situa- 
tions, and  by  competitive  negotiation, 
and  product  splits  in  "problem"  situa- 
tions. There  is  nothing  to  prevent  the 
company  from  rejecting  an  exhibitor's 
request  for  a  run  so  long  as  the  re 
quest  is  considered  on  its  merits  in  the 
light  of  competitive  theatres  also  seek 
ing  the  run.  In  other  words,  bidding 
is  not  mandatory.  Within  two  years, 
Paramount  must  dispose  of  68  of  its 
approximately  450  wholly-owned  thea 
tres,  the  divestiture  having  been  in- 
cluded in  the  decree  for  the  purpose  of 
opening  closed  situations. 

Wholly  Owned  Circuits 

Except  for  these  68  houses,  New 
Paramount  Theatres  substantially  will 
consist  of  the  circuits  which  the  pres- 
ent parent  corporation  wholly  owns, 
including : 

Minnesota  Amusement,  Balaban  and 
Katz,  Florida  State  Theatres,  Northio 
Theatres,  New  England  Theatres, 
Publix  Great  States  (Southern  Illi- 
nois) and  United  Detroit  Theatres. 
Some  additional  divestitures  by  whol- 
ly-owned circuits  are  ordered  in  first- 
run  areas.  This  amounts  to  an  in- 
junction on  operating  more  than  one 
first-run  in  these  cities :  Tucson, 
Ariz.;  Aurora,  Alton,  Danville,  De- 
catur, Galesburg,  Kewanea,  Wauke- 
gan  and  Joliet,  all  in  Illinois;  Grand 
Forks,  N.  D. ;  Anderson  and  Green- 
ville, S.  C. ;  and  Mitchell,  S.  D.  Para- 
mount Theatres  Co.  may  have  two 
first  runs  in  San  Francisco,  Duluth, 
Minn.,  and  Sioux  Falls,  S.  D. 

May  Acquire  236 

In  addition  to  these  the  company  is 
free  to  acquire  up  to  236  of  the  total 
of  774  theatres  which  are  operated  in 
partnership  arrangements.  Company 
also  may  take  over  full  operation  of 
nine  houses  operated  in  partnership 
but  where  the  partner  is  said  to  be  an 
investor,  rather  than  a  potential  ex- 
hibitor. It  is  generally  figured  that 
New  Paramount  Theatres  could 
emerge  with  about  620  wholly-owned 
houses. 

The  main  partnerships  companies 
which  are  to  be  dissolved  are  these: 
Tri-States  and  Central  States  in  Iowa 
and  Nebraska,  A.  H.  Blank;  Texas 
Interstate,  Karl  Hoblitzelle  and  Rob-- 


Review 


"A  Kiss  in  the  Dark" 

{Warner  Brothers)  Hollywood,  Feb.  28 

/V  MUSING  is  the  word  for  this  excursion  into  light  comedy  by  David 
j±  Niven,  Jane  Wyman,  Victor  Moore,  Wayne  Morris,  Broderick  Craw- 
ford^ and  others,  which  is  at  its  best  when  asking  for  smiles  or  chuckles 
and  is  in  trouble  when  it  goes  out  for  heavy  laughs.  When  it  is  good  it  is 
very  good  indeed,  with  Niven  handling  handily  the  role  of  a  sheltered  con- 
cert pianist  brought  abruptly  into  contact  with  plain  people,  and  when  it  is 
bad  it  is  ludicrous  instead  of  funny.  By  and  large,  it  is  likely  to  account  for 
itself  with  plus  but  not  spectacular  grosses  in  the  better  and  medium  class 
houses,  but  figures  to  lie  still  in  lesser  spots. 

Produced  and  written  by  Harry  Kurnitz,  from  a  story  by  Everett  and 
Devery  Freeman,  the  film  concerns  the  experiences  met  up  with  by  Niven, 
a  concert  pianist  weary  of  his  keyboard,  when  he  is  lured  into  taking  personal 
charge  of  an  apartment  house  which  his  manager  has  bought  him  for  invest- 
ment purposes.  Moore,  the  philosophical  former  owner  who  becomes  resident 
manager,  and  Miss  Wyman,  a  tenant  who  is  a  photography  model  and  with 
whom  Niven  falls  in  love,  transform  Niven  from  a  stuffed-shirt  to  a  humani- 
tarian in  a  series  of  humorously  complicated  incidents  which  hug  the  border  of 
probability  closely  enough  except  when  dwelling  overlong  and  tiresomely  on 
the  case  of  a  sleep-hungry  tenant,  played  by  Crawford,  this  exaggeratedly 
slapstick  section  of  the  picture  flapping  like  a  loose  shutter  in  a  gale  and 
inflicting  considerable  damage  upon  the  principal  structure.  (Shortening  of 
this  section  by  two  or  three  minutes  would  improve  the  property  materially.) 

Delmer  Daves  directed,  giving  Niven  and  Moore  the  burden  of  the  enter- 
tainment, which  they  bear  admirably.  Miss  Wyman,  whose  name  means  a 
good  deal  more  on  the  marquee  since  "Johnny  Belinda"  and  the  Academy 
nomination  than  it  did  way  back  when  this  picture  was  made,  figures  about 
third  in  story  prominence  but  makes  the  most  of  the  role  assigned  her. 

Running  time,  88  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
not  set.  William  R.  Weaver 


Balaban  Hails 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


ert  O'Donnell ;  Paramount-Richards 
E.  V.  Richards,  New  Orleans ;  Malco. 
Memphis,  M.  A.  Lightman ;  Maine 
and  New  Hampshire  Theatres ;  John 
Ford ;  Wilby-Kincey  Theatres ;  the 
Notopoulos  circuit  in  Pennsylvania ; 
Lucas  and  Jenkins  in  Georgia ;  Publix, 
Bamford,  North  Carolina,  Carl  Bam 
ford;  Dominion  Theatres  in  Virginia, 
Hunter  Perry ;  Paramount  Nace  The 
atres,  Phoenix,  Harry  Nace ;  Butter 
field  Theatres  and  Michigan  State 
Theatres ;  Jefferson  Amusement  in 
Texas,  Julius  Gordon ;  Western  Mas- 
sachusetts Theatres  and  Comerford 
Publix,  Scranton,  Pa. 

Paramount  Pictures  Co.  will  own 
the  theatres  in  Canada  and  other  for 
eign  countries.  These  include  the 
Famous  Players  Canadian  circuit  of 
370  houses,  seven  theatres  in  Great 
Britain,  and  five  elsewhere  in  Europe. 


Will  Continue  Court  Fight, 
H.  M.  Warner  Discloses 

Hollywood,  Feb.  28.— Harry  M. 
Warner,  president  of  Warner  Broth- 
ers, discloses  that  his  company  would 
not  sign  a  consent  decree  in  the  indus- 
try anti-trust  action. 

"We  will  not  give  up  our  theatres 
without  a  court  fight.  We  have  taken 
years  to  accumulate  the  company  as- 
sets we  have,  and  we  will  fight  to  hold 
them,"  Warner  said. 


Myers  on  Suits 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


RKO  stockholders  except  Howard 
Hughes. 

Today,  after  studying  the  RKO 
reorganization  plan  and  the  Para- 
mount decree,  he  said : 

"The  purpose  of  anti-trust  suits 
is  not  to  confiscate  property,  but  to 
bring  the  defendants  into  obedience 
of  the  law. 

"You  can't  make  people  compete. 
All  you  can  do  is  remove  the  bar- 
riers to  their  competing,  and  then 
rely  on  their  cupidity.  Theatre  own- 
ers have  a  lot  of  cupidity." 

Myers  and  Mrs.  Myers  will  leave 
Washington  tomorrow  for  a  two  to 
three-week  rest  in  Palm  Beach  with 
Nathan  Yamins. 


NT  Hearing  Opens 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


approved  by  Demov,  who  was  appoint- 
ed by  Justice  Pecora,  Charles  P 
Skouras,  National  president,  and  other 
executives  agree  to  the  amendment  of 
their  employment  contracts  enabling 
the  company  to  save  a  total  of  $1,750, 
000  for  the  next  seven  years.  Addi 
tionally,  it  calls  for  a  ceiling  to  be 
placed  on  further  compensation  to 
these  executives,  which  has  been  esti- 
mated might  reach  a  total  of  $1,750,- 
000.  The  company  also  obtained  from 
some  officers  and  key  executives  stock 
options  on  common  stock  of  20th-Fox. 
These  options  cover  18,500  shares  of 
common  at  $22.50  per  share  and  ex- 
pire on  Dec.  31,  1949. 

Hearings  on  the  motions  are  expect- 
ed to  continue  today  before  Justice 
Pecora. 


AMPP  Structure 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


heretofore  composed  of  one  represent- 
ative from  each  member  studio,  to 
include  two,  immediate  appointments 
under  this  provision  indicating  that 
studio  chiefs  and  their  labor-manage- 
ment executives  will  comprise  the 
board  henceforth. 

Third  step  in  the  program  is  inter- 
preted as  presaging  a  concerted  at- 
tack on  industry  problems,  which 
have  been  subject  to  daily  discussion 
since  the  arrival  here  of  Johnston, 
was  the  establishment  of  an  executive 
committee  empowered  to  act  quickly 
and  decisively,  within  a  province  out- 
lined by  the  board.  Membership  of 
the  executive  committee  has  not  yet 
been  decided  upon. 


Strotz  Resumes  NBC  Post 

Hollywood,  Feb.  28. — With  the 
completion  of  his  temporary  assign- 
ment to  reorganize  television  opera- 
tions of  National  Broadcasting,  Sid- 
ney N.  Strotz  has  resumed  his  post 
as  administrative  vice-president  in 
charge  of  the  network's  Western  di- 
vision and  will  henceforth  make,  his 
permanent  headquarters  on  the  Coast. 


nature  of  the  decree.  "If  our  stock- 
holders approve,"  he  said,  "starting 
Jan.  1,  production  and  distribution 
in  Paramount  will  stand  on  its  own 
feet.  There  can  no  longer  be  any 
claims  that  one  end  of  our  business 
is  dependent  upon  or  favors  the  other. 
There  can  be  no  shifting  of  responsi- 
bility." 

Reviewing  the  course  of  the  de- 
velopments _  leading  to  divorcement, 
Balaban  said  that  "we  knew  a  consent 
decree  was  in  the  making"  by  the 
latter  part  of  1948.  He  authorized  the 
studio  to  plan  its  1949  production 
schedule  on  the  same  budget  as  in 
1948,  Balaban  said,  "provided  the  stu- 
dio could  effect  savings  to  give  us  an 
additional  number  of  quality  pictures." 
This  meant  work  for  production  em- 
ployees, Balaban  said,  and  it  meant 
that  production  continued  during  a 
critical  period. 

Ample  Funds  Available 

"We  face  the  future  with  ample 
funds  to  meet  the  needs  and  opportuni- 
ties of  the  new  company,"  Balaban 
continued,  but  he  warned  that  the 
problem  of  costs  is  still  of  vital  im- 
portance. If  the  balance  between  pro- 
duction costs  and  film  rental  revenues 
breaks  down,  he  warned,  production 
will  falter. 

"Our  ability  to  keep  production  go- 
ing at  full  blast  depends  upon  the 
economical  operation  of  our  studio 
and  the  kind  of  pictures  we  produce," 
Balaban  said. 

"If  the  studio  makes  the  right  pic- 
tures," he  continued,  "I  promise  you 
that  advertising  and  distribution  will 
deliver  the  dollars  to  keep  the  wheels 
turning  here.  That  applies  even  in 
the  face  of  a  highly  selective  market 
and  foreign  restrictions." 

Despite  signs  of  decline  in  the  do- 
mestic economy  and  the  difficulties  of 
the  foreign  market,  Balaban  insisted 
that  the  domestic  film  market  shows  a 
decline  only  in  relation  to  the  "freak" 
boom  year  of  1946  and  that  American 
films  still  dominate  the  world  market. 

'Live  Within  Means' 

Nothwithstanding  this  favorable 
condition,"  he  continued,  we  must  con- 
tinue to  live  within  our  means.  We 
cannot  afford  to  spend  more  for  the 
making  and  marketing  of  pictures  than 
we  can  collect." 

The  Paramount  chief  said  that,  with 
11  features  complete,  six  others  being 
edited,  five  in  the  shooting  stages  and 
18  others  in  preparation,  the  studio  has 
forty  pictures  ready  for  the  future. 

He  paid  tribute  to  Zukor,  Henry 
Ginsberg,  Y.  Frank  Freeman,  Jack 
Karp,  George  Weltner,  Paul  Raiborn 
and  Al  Schwalberg,  all  top  leaders 
of  Paramount  production-distribution, 
and  asked  the  support  of  the  entire 
personnel  in  attaining  the  goal  of 
"world  leadership  in  the  production 
and  distribution  of  motion  pictures." 


New  Building  Code 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


levied  for  an  infraction  of  a  theatre 
regulation. 

Under  the  proposed  law  the  main 
aisle  would  be  at  least  three  feet  six 
inches  in  width ;  in  theatres  of  less 
than  450  seats,  two  feet  eight  inches ; 
if  there  are  side  aisles,  two  feet  four 
inches.  Side  aisles  would  be  required 
where  there  are  more  than  18  seats  in 
a  row,  or  25  seats  with  an  18-inch 
space  between  self-raising  seats.  The 
measure  also  sets  stringent  exit  re- 
quirements. 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  42 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  MARCH  2,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


1,500,000 
Yearly  Raise 
At  Exchanges 

6,300  'I A'  Workers  Will 
Get  $500,000  Back  Pay 

Salary  increases  totaling  nearly 
$1,500,000  a  year,  under  two-year 
contracts,  have  been  won  by  the 
IATSE  for  6,300  exchange  work- 
ers in  the  32  exchange  centers,  follow- 
ing over  three  months  of  negotiations, 
"IA"  headquarters  here  disclosed  yes- 
terday. Retroactive  to  last  Dec.  1, 
the  new  scales  will  go  into  effect  the 
week  ending  March  19,  and  back  pay 
checks  totaling  nearly  $500,000  will  be 
issued  as  soon  as  possible  thereafter, 
the  union  reported. 

The  salary  increase  amounts  to 
$4.50  per  week  per  employee — 11^4 
cents  per  hour  on  a  40-hour  basis. 
The  new  contracts,  scheduled  for  sign- 
ing on  Friday,  establish  a  minimum 
of  $34  per  week,  which  is  an  increase 
of  $4.90,  in  the  minimum,  with  scales 
ranging  upward  from  that  point  to  an 
{Continued  on  page  6) 

See  Extension  of 
Pickf  ord-UA  Option 


Indications  are  that  Mary  Pick- 
ford's  30-day  option  on  her  partner's, 
Charles  Chaplin's  one-half  interest  in 
United  Artists,  which  is  scheduled  to 
expire  at  midnight  tonight,  will  be  ex 
tended  for  an  additional  10  days  under 
provisions  of  the  option  agreement 

The  option  provides  that  if  Miss 
Pickford  has  negotiations  for  the  sale 
of  Chaplin's  UA  stock  under  way 
when  the  agreement  expires  tonight, 
she  will  be  permitted  an  additional  10 
days  in  which  to  endeavor  to  consum- 
mate a  deal. 

Insofar  as  could  be  learned  yester 

.  (Continued  on  page  7) 


Launch  Drive 
For  Red  Cross 


Tribute  to  the  industry  for  its  gen- 
erosity in  contributing  money  and 
services  to  worthy  causes  was  paid 
by  Basil  O'Connor,  American  Red 
Cross  president, 
at  a  luncheon 
attended  by  in- 
dustry repre- 
sentatives 
at  the  Metro- 
politan Club 
here  yesterday, 
opening  day  of 
the  1949  fund 
appeal  of  the 
Red  Cross. 

Spyros  P. 
Skouras,  20th 
Century  -Fox 
president  and 
chairman  of  the 
industry  divi- 
sion for  the  Red  Cross  appeal,  pre- 
sided at  the  luncheon. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  urge  the  mo- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


GOP  Leaders  Back 
Ticket  Tax  Slash 


Washington,  March  1.  —  The 
House  Republican  high  command 
lined  up  solidly  today  behind  the  fight 
to  reduce  the  admission  tax  and  other 
excises. 

The  26-man  House  Republican  pol 
icy    committee,    top    CO. P.  policy 
making  group  in  the  lower  chamber 
unanimously  voted  to  make  excise  tax 
reduction  one  of  its  first  orders  of 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Spyros  P.  Skouras 


James  Cagney  Back 
To  Warner  for  3 


Hollywood,  March  1. — Warner 
production  vice-president  Jack  L. 
Warner  disclosed  here  today  that 
James  Cagney  will  return  to  Warner 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Buyers  Line  Up 
For  Para.  Theatres 

Chicago,  March  1.— Aaron 
Jones,  who  owns  the  Mc- 
Vickers,  Chicago  first-run,  in 
a  partnership  with  Para- 
mount, stated  today  he  might 
buy  out  the  film  company's 
interests.  Paramount  must  di- 
vest itself  of  its  share  in  the 
house  under  its  trust  suit 
consent  judgment. 

Essaness  Theatres  is  also 
interested  in  buying  both  the 
Lamar  and  Lake  theatres  in 
Oak  Park,  111.  However, 
Paramount  is  forced  to  sell 
its  interests  in  only  one  of 
these. 


Hughes  Names  Two 
Firms  to  Receive 
RKO  Theatre  Bids 


Howard  Hughes  has  designated 
Merrill  Lynch,  Fenner  and  Beane  and 
The  First  Boston  Corp.  to  receive 
proposals  from  prospective  purchasers 
of  his  holdings  in  the  new  RKO  thea- 
tre company  to  be  formed  under  the 
RKO  consent  decree  and  reorganiza- 
tion, provided  company  stockholders 
approve  the  plan  at  their  March  28 
meeting. 

Hughes  has  agreed  to  sell  the  929,- 
000  shares  of  stock,  representing  a  24 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Sales  Set-Up 
Overhauled 
By  Paramount 

Fifth  Division  Formed; 
O'Shea,  Others  Promoted 

Hollywood,  March  1. — Division 
of  the  Paramount  sales  forces  into 
five  instead  of  four  U.  S.  divisions 
was  announced  here  today  by  Al- 
fred W.  Schwalberg,  general  sales 
manager,  at  the  start  of  the  second 
day  of  meetings  of  Paramount  New 
York  and  studio  executives  in  Holly- 
wood. This  change  in  the  sales  struc- 
ture is  one  of  Schwalberg's  first 
moves  to  meet  the  "expanded  and 
streamlined"  sales  setup  for  the  new 
Paramount  picture  production-dis- 
tribution company,  it  was  disclosed. 

The  promotion  of  E.  K.  (Ted) 
O'Shea  from  division  manager  to  the 
post  of  assistant  general  sales  mana- 
ger, effective  immediately,  also  was 
announced  by  Schwalberg. 

Harry  Goldstein,  who  has  been 
Cleveland  district  manager,  has  been 

(Continued  cm  page  7) 


Film  Exports 
SV2  Per  Cent 


Down  Only 
in  1948 


British  Can  Split 
Dual  Film  Bookings 

London,  March  1. — The  so- 
called  "Eric  Johnston  Plan" 
requiring  British  exhibitors 
playing  double  bills  of  Holly- 
wood films  to  book  both  of 
them  from  the  same  distribu- 
tor, has  been  altered.  The 
Motion  Picture  Association 
of  America  and  the  Cinema- 
tograph Exhibitors  Associa- 
tion have  agreed  to  an 
amendment  of  the  plan  to 
permit  an  exhibitor  to  book 
one  feature  from  one  U.  S. 
distributor  and  the  second 
from  another  provided  the 
exhibitor  informs  the  first 
company  of  the  name  of  the 
second. 


Washington,  March  1. — Exports 
of  exposed  or  developed  features  film 
were  off  only  about  5y2  per  cent  in 
1948  from  the  record  1947  levels,  while 
rawstock  shipments  were  down  about 
15  per  cent,  and  equipment  exports 
off  over  30  per  cent,  according  to  a 
report  released  here  today  by  Com- 
merce Department  film  chief  Nathan 
D.  Golden. 

Exports  of  exposed  35mm.  and 
16mm.  positive  and  negative  feature 
films  totaled  294.677.542  feet,  nominal- 
ly valued  at  $8,511,454  in  1948,  against 
1947  exports  of  311,240,153  feet, 
nominally  valued  at  S8, 520,258. 

Shipments  of  exposed  35mm.  nega- 
tive last  year  totalled  11,497,484  feet, 
valued  at  8511,068,  compared  with  11,- 
582,539  feet  valued  at  $484,985  in 
1947!  Exports  of  exposed  35mm. 
positive  film  dropped  from  281,836,- 
571  feet,  valued  at  $7,460,162  in  1947 
to  260,637,848  feet  valued  at  $7,237,- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Confirm  Balaban  to 
Head  New  Film  Co. 


Hollywood,  March  1 . — Further 
confirmation  that  Barney  Balaban 
will  become  president  of  the  new  Para- 
mount Pictures  Co.,  which  is  to  be 
formed  under  terms  of  the  consent 
judgment  in  the  industry  trust  suit, 
was  made  by  Adolph  Zukor,  board 
chairman  of  the  present  parent  cor- 
poration, at  a  meeting  of  the  entire 
studio  personnel  here  today. 

While  no  mention  of  the  new  Para- 
mount Theatres  Co.  was  made,  it  is 
known  that  that  company  will  be 
headed  by  Leonard  Goldenson. 

The  week-long  studio  meeting  con- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Rank  Discharges 
550  More  Workers 


London,  March  1. — J.  Arthur 
Rank's  latest  drastic  economy  move 
in  production  was  revealed  with  the 
announcement  tonight  that  he  had 
closed  his  Shepherd's  Bush  studio,  dis- 
missing its  550  workers,  and  will  con- 
centrate future  production  at  his  Den- 
ham  and  Pinewood  studios. 

He  told  the  unions  involved  that 
although  he  regretted  this  latest  cut, 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  2,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

C  H.  FABIAN,  circuit  operator, 
'-'•  has  returned  to  New  York  from 
Florida. 

• 

Melvin  L.  Gold,  director  of  adver- 
tising-publicity for  National  Screen 
Service  and  president  of  the  National 
Television  Film  Council,  will  address 
a  Chicago  conference  on  March  8, 
on  a  "Report  from  the  National  Tele- 
vision Film  Council  on  Television 
Film  Standards." 

• 

Andy  W.  Smith,  20th  Century-Fox 
vice-president  and  general  sales  man- 
ager, will  return  here  today  from  the 
Coast. 

• 

_  Fred  Meyers,  Universal-Interna- 
tional Eastern  sales  manager,  is  in 
Pittsburgh  and  Cleveland  this  week 
from  New  York. 

• 

Harold  Kingsberg,  son  of  Malcolm 
Kingsberg,  president  of  RKO  Thea- 
tres here,  has  joined  the  Boston  War- 
ner branch  to  train  in  distribution. 
• 

Richard  Morgan,  Paramount  home 
office  attorney,  is  on  the  Coast  from 
New  York. 

• 

Harold  Walker  of  the  Ball  Film 
studios  in  Miami,  has  arrived  in  New 
York. 

• 

Sam  Pinanski,  American  The- 
atres president,  Boston,  is  on  a  Florida 
vacation. 

• 

Val  Parnell,  owner  of  the  Pal 
ladium  in  London,  is  visiting  in  New 
York. 

• 

Ted  Gamble,  head  of  Monarch  The- 
atres, is  vacationing  at  Palm  Springs, 
Cal. 

• 

Jack  Ellis,  of  Ellis  Films,  left 
here  last  night'  for  Chicago. 


Mexican  Restriction 
On  Newsreels  Liftec 


Mexico  City,  March  1.— The  gov 
eminent  has  ended  a  situation — at- 
tributed to  departmental  misinterpreta 
tion  of  the  new  film  import,  export 
and  exhibition  supervision  law — that 
has  blocked  the  entry  into  Mexico  of 
American  and  other  foreign  newsreels. 

The  government  has  ruled  that 
newsreel  imports  be  subject  to  the 
former  regulation — one  permit  per 
year_  for  52  newsreels.  The  new  law 
requires  all  other  pictures  to  have  a 
single  production  permit  and  it  was 
that  phase  that  had  been  applied  to 
individual  newsreels. 


New  Partington  Firm 

Jack  Partington,  Jr.,  formerly  di- 
rector of  photography  for  the  Roxy 
Theatre,  New  York,  has  started  a 
television  company  known  as  Jack 
Partington  Television  Productions, 
here.  His  father,  the  late  Jack  Part- 
ington, was  production  director  for  the 
Roxy  as  well  as  president  of  Fanchon 
and  Marco. 


Warner  Theatre  Burns 

Lima,  O.,  March  1.— Fire  believed  to 
have  started  in  the  ladies'  lounge  com- 
pletely destroyed  Warner's  800-seat 
Sigma  Theatre  today.  Loss  is  esti- 
mated at  $200,000. 


Small  in  New  UA  Deal 

Edward  Small  has  signed  a  dis- 
tribution agreement  with  United  Art- 
ists for  the  release  of  "Black  Magic," 
which  stars  Orson  Welles. 


Joseph  W,  Brennan 

Boston,  March  1  — Joseph  W.  Bren- 
nan, secretary  of  Allied  Theatres  of 
New  England,  died  here  Monday  of  a 
heart  attack. 


Depinet  Is  Host 
To  Rossellini 

RKO  president  Ned  E.  Depinet  was 
host  here  yesterday  at  the  21  Club  at 
a  home  office  executive  luncheon  in 
honor  of  Roberto  Rossellini,  who  will 
produce  a  picture  for  RKO  in  Italy 
starring  Ingrid  Bergman.  Rossellini 
was  accompanied  by  his  associate, 
Simon  Shififrin. 

Robert  Mochrie,  RKO  Radio  sales 
vice-president,  greeted  th'e  guest  of 
honor  while  Phil  Reisman,  foreign 
sales  vice-president,  spoke  for  his 
field.  Sol  A.  Schwartz,  head  of  RKO 
Theatres,  welcomed  him.  Others  in  at- 
tendance were : 

William  Howard,  Harry  Mandel, 
Robert  Hawkinson,  Vladimir  Lissim, 
Don  Prince,  Ned  Clarke,  Ralph  Doyle, 
Walter  Branson,  Nat  Levy,  Charles 
Boasberg,  Harry  Michalson,  Len 
Gruenberg,  S.  Barret  McCormick, 
Rutgers  Neilson,  William  Clark  and 
Mendel  Silberberg. 


Israel  Project  Is 
Headed  by  Schwartz 

_  Fred  J.  Schwartz,  Century  Theatres 
vice-president,  has  been  elected  chair- 
man of  a  committee  to  organize  an 
American-Israeli  amusements  corpo- 
ration. Other  members  of  the  com- 
mittee are  Harry  Brandt,  Samuel 
Rosen,  George  J.  Schaefer,  Robert 
Goldstein,  Albert  Margolies  and  Jack 
London. 

Norman  Lourie,  president  of  Pales- 
tine Films,  who  has  been  designated 
by  the  committee  to  report  on  the  pos- 
sible scope  and  structure  of  the  pro- 
posed corporation,  will  leave  here  to- 
day for  Tel-Aviv. 


Marks,  Gottlieb  Honored 

Cleveland,  March  1. — A  dinner 
here  attended  by  SO  industry  people 
honored  Lou  Marks  and  Leo  Gottlieb, 
film  salesmen,  who  are  leaving  the  city 
for  new  posts.  Marks  is  becoming 
M-G-M  assistant  branch  manager  in 
Detroit  and  Gottlieb  will  be  Film 
Classics  branch  manager  in  Pittsburgh. 


Variety  Honors  Susse 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  1.— Ed  Susse, 
former  M-G-M  office  manager  here 
and  now  a  salesman  in  Buffalo,  was 
honored  at  a  Variety  Club  dinner  held 
at  the  Ten  Eyck  Hotel  here  last  night. 


Awardto20th,Salmon 
For  'The  Snake  PW 

In  a  ceremony  honoring  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox's "The  Snake  Pit"  at  the 
Rivoli  Theatre  here  yesterday,  the 
Broadway  Association  presented  a 
plaque  to  Montague  Salmon,  manag- 
ing director  of  the  theatre,  and  to 
Richard  Conte  in  behalf  of  the  film 
company.  The  plaque  was  presented 
by  Robert  K.  Christenberry,  president 
of  the  association. 

Among  those  present  yesterday 
were  Charles  Einfeld,  Jack  La  Rue, 
Jessie  Royce  Landis,  Natalie  Schafer, 
Glenn  Langan,  and  representatives 
from  press  and  radio. 


Award  for  "Snake  Pit" 

Twentieth  Century-Fox's  "The 
Snake  Pit"  will  be  cited  again  today 
when  Dr.  Daniel  Poling,  editor-in- 
chief  of  the  Christian  Herald,  presents 
a  plaque  to  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  presi- 
dent of  the  film  company,  naming  the 
production  "Picture  of  the  Month" 
for  January.  The  award  will  be  made 
in  cooperation  with  the  national  Prot- 
estant Motion  Picture  Council,  and 
brings  the  total  number  of  citations 
for  the  film  to  more  than  50. 


Sydney  Gross  Gets 
FC  Advertising  Post 

Temporary  appointment  of  Sydney 
Gross  as  Film  Classics  advertising- 
publicity  manager  here,  was  put  on  a 
permanent  basis  yesterday  by  B.  G. 
Kranze,  FC's  sales  vice-president,  who 
at  _  the  same  time  confirmed  the  ap- 
pointment of  Stephen  Strassberg  as 
assistant  to  Gross.  The  latter  suc- 
ceeded Al  Zimbalist,  who  resigned 
two  weeks  ago. 

Strassberg  had  been  with  Republic 
at  its  home  office,  Gross  had  been  as- 
sistant to  Zimbalist. 


Heads  Coast  Ad  Agency 

Los  Angeles,  March  1. — Frederick 
N.  Polangni,  director  of  the  Buchanan 
advertising  agency's  West  Coast  mo- 
tion picture  department  and  recently 
elected  company  vice-president,  will  be 
executive  head  of  the  agency's  Los 
Angeles  office,  Rudolph  Monteglas, 
president,  announced  today. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


THE  Hawaiian  volcano  and  the 
Israel-Arab  exchange  of  prisoners 
are  current  newsreel  highlights.  Other 
items  include  Red  Army  Day,  new 
planes,  sports  and  fashions.  Complete 
contents  folloiv: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  18— Hawai- 
ian volcano  erupts  again.  U.S.  Naval  avia- 
tion. Caroline  Mars  and  Mauler  planes. 
Spring  hat  fashions.  Sports:  Santa  Anita 
handicap,  ski  jumping,  gliding,  diving. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  252— Ha- 
waiian volcano.  Red  Army  Day.  President 
Truman  at  Jefferson-Jackson  Day  dinner. 
Raid  Miami  gambling.  Santa  Anita  handi- 
cap. New  ski  jump  record.  Daredevil 
diving. 

PARAMOUNT    NEWS,    No.    55— War 

report  from  Greece.  Israel-Arabs  begin  ex- 
change of  prisoners.  Red  Army  Day.  Fritz 
Kuhn  freed.     Spring  hemlines. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  226— 
Caroline  Mars  makes  record  flight.  Navy 
Mauler  plane.  Hawaiian  volcano  erupts. 
U.S.'s  Hungarian  minister  Chapin  arrives 
m  New  York.  Dutch  princesses  ski.  Train 
wreck  in  Spain.  Ski  jumping.  Washing- 
ton University  sculling  practice. 

WARNER   PATHE  NEWS,   No.  57— 

Red  Army  Day.  Hawaiian  volcano.  Israel's 
prisoner  exchange.  Planes:  Caroline  Mars 
and  Navy  Mauler.  Cliff  diving.  Ski  meet. 
Santa  Anita  handicap. 


Weiss  Gets  24  Westerns 

Hollywood,  March  1. — Louis  Weiss 
has  acquired  several  series  of  films  for 
television  distribution  from  A.  W. 
Hackle,  of  Supreme  Pictures.  The 
deal  gives  Weiss  world-wide  rights, 
television  and  non-theatrical,  to  24 
Westerns  starring  Johnny  Mack 
Brown  and  Bob  Steele. 


McGuinness  Leaves 
MGM  After  16  Years 

Hollywood,  March  1. — James  Kevin 
McGuinness  today  completed  a  settle- 
ment of  his  contract  with  M-G-M  and 
severed  connection  with  studio  he  has 
served  for  16  years  as  a  writer,  pro- 
ducer and  executive.  Contract,  which 
had  several  years  to  run,  was  settled 
on  terms  giving  McGuinness  his  par- 
ticipation in  the  M-G-M  pension  plan, 
although  freeing  him  for  any  other 
affiliation  he  chooses. 

McGuinness  said  he  intends  to  make 
a  motor  tour  of  the  country  before 
making  any  other  commitment.  He 
originally  was  under  personal  contract 
to  the  late  Irving  Thalberg,  and  func- 
tioned as  editor-in-chief  on  many 
M-G-M  producers'  pictures  over  the 
past  seven  years. 


New  Altec  Microphone 

The  Altec  companies  will  give  a 
luncheon  tomorrow  to  a  group  of 
executives  in  the  radio,  motion  pic- 
ture, television,  advertising  and  al- 
lied branches,  in  the  Essex  House 
here  for  the_  first  presentation  of  a 
new  Altec  miniature  microphone. 

Zeitels  in  New  Post 

Harry  Zeitels,  formerly  with  RKO 
Radio  for  17  years  and  with  Mayer- 
Burstyn  for  the  past  two  years,  has 
joined  Distinguished  Films  here  as 
;ales  director. 


Sues  Over  Actress 

Hollywood,  March  1. — Republic  Pic- 
tures is  named  in  a  suit  filed  here  for 
$330,000  by  Lewis  Lewyn,  producer, 
who  claims  Dale  Evans,'  Western 
actress,  broke  a  contract  with  him  under 
the  urgings  of  Herbert  Yates,  Republic 
president,  Roy  Rogers  and  others,  who 
persuaded  Miss  Evans  to  appear  as  a 
ieading  lady  opposite  Rogers.  Lewyn 
claims  the  contract  was  for  a  series  of 
pictures  that  would  have  established 
Miss  Evans  as  a  star  and  that  Yates 
had  indicated  acceptance  of  the  scripts. 


Two  Ansco  Meetings 

Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  March  1. — E. 
Allan  Williford,  vice-president  of 
General  Aniline  Film  Corp.,  in  charge 
of  the  Ansco  division,  has  left  here 
for  Chicago  and  Hollywood  to  take 
part  in  the  annual  district  sales  con- 
ferences planned  for  Midwest  and 
West  Coast  field  representatives  of 
Ansco.  Chicago  meetings  will  be 
held  _  tomorrow  and  the  Hollywood 
meetings  will  be  held  Friday  through 
Monday. 


Kritt'^iH  Kann.  Vice;President;  Martin  Quigley^Jr,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  vt^VrZ^nl  TrLu^^LeoLTrady.feury' 

usel,  Production  JVTanae'pr :  Hnllvwnnr]  TlnrMii    V,ir.r->-\/"i'n„  "R,,;i^;«n-   w.'ii:  r>  wt  


THE  2  WARNER 
PICTURES  NOMINATED  FOR 


SPECIAL  RETURN 

ENGAGEMENT!'! 


ACADEMY  AWARDS! 


-blW^  "BEST 
YJP^  ACTOR"? 

"BEST  SUPPORTING  ACTOR" 
"BEST  SUPPORTING  ACTRESS" 
"BEST  DIRECTION" 
"BEST  SCREENPLAY" 
"BEST  CINEMATOGRAPHY" 
AND  4  OTHER  AWARDS 


f  JANE  WYMAN-LEW  AYRES 
"JOHNNY  BELINDA" 
with  CHARLES  BICKFORD 

AGNES  MOOREHEAO 
STEPHEN  McNALLY 
,„„,„„  JEAN  NEGULESCO 
produced  er  JERRY  WALO 

Scittn  Pliy  b>  trm  jird  Von  Cub*  ind  Alltn  Vinetnl 
fcom  thi  Stut  PHy  bT  Elmir  H»"i»  ■  Produerf 
tj  Hurj  Wtiliafl  Gnbt'o  •  Mulie  by  Mix  Stcinil 


"BEST  SCREENPLAY 
"BEST  DIRECTION" 
"BEST  SUPPORTING  ACTOR" 
(IT  WON  THE  N.  Y.  FILM  CRITICS  AWARD  TOO!) 


TREASURE  OF  SIERRA  MADRE 

HUMPHREY  BO©  ART 
WALTER  HUSTON     hoLV  dennItt 

john'huston  henry  blanke 

Scrttn  Pliy  by  John  Hujton  Bimo*  on  !h«  Howl  by  8.  Trmn. 
Music  by  M»$ttincr 


The  Strand  is  happy  to  forego  its  usual  stage 
show  in  order  to  present  this  extraordinary 
double-hit  screen  program.    ^  'yna/»a$e*ne<tct 


NOW!  StranD 


1^1 


THEY  MEAN 
EVER  NO 


Exh 


Wr°»9  with  hl  l^  "°ti*a 


PART  OF  THE  PLAN! 

"COMMAND  DECISION" 

Clark  Gable  •  Walter  Pidgeon 
Van  Johnson  •  Brian  Donlevy 
Charles  Bickford  •  John  Hodiak 
Edward  Arnold 

LITTLE  WOMEN"  (Technicolor) 

June  Allyson  •  Peter  Lawford 
Margaret  O'Brien  •  Elizabeth  Taylor 
Janet  Leigh  •  Rossano  Brazzi 
Mary  Astor 

"TAKE  ME  OUT  TO  THE  BALL  GAME" 

(Technicolor) 
Frank  Sinatra  •  Esther  Williams 
Gene  Kelly  .  Betty  Garrett 


E5^^"NEPTUNE'S  DAUGHTER" 

(Technicolor) 

Esther  Williams  •  Red  Skelton  •  Ricardo  Montalban 
Betty  Garrett  •  Keenan  Wynn  •  Xavier  Cugat 

"THE  SECRET  GARDEN" 

Margaret  O'Brien* Herbert  Marshall •  Dean  Stockwell 

"THE  STRATTON  STORY" 

James  Stewart  •  June  Allyson  •  Frank  Morgan 
Agnes  Moorehead  •  Bill  Williams 

"THE  BARKLEYS  OF  BROADWAY" 

(Technicolor) 
Fred  Astaire  •  Ginger  Rogers  •  Oscar  Levant 

"ANY  NUMBER  CAN  PLAY" 

Clark  Gable  •  Alexis  Smith  •  Wendell  Corey 
Audrey  Totter  •  Barry  Sullivan  •  Frank  Morgan 
Mary  Astor  •  Lewis  Stone 

"EDWARD,  MY*  SON" 

Spencer  Tracy  •  Deborah  Kerr 

"THE  GREAT  SINNER" 

Gregory  Peck  •  Ava  Gardner  •  Melvyn  Douglas 
Walter  Huston  •  Ethel  Barrymore 
Frank  Morgan  •*  Agnes  Moorehead 

"CONSPIRATOR" 

Robert  Taylor  •  Elizabeth  Taylor 

AND  IOTS  MORE! 


M-G-M's 
PROSPERITY 
PLAN 
IS 

SWEEPING 
THE 

INDUSTRY! 


We  appreciate  the  letters  from  exhibitors 
And  the  editorials  in  the  trade  press 
Telling  us  that  M-G-M  again  has 
Galvanized  this  industry  into  action. 
In  every  Home  Office  of  every  company 
There's  a  new  optimism  and  vigor  - 
And  a  new  faith  in  film  business! 
M-G-M's  "Preview  of  Product"  Conference- 
Echoes  through  the  nation  as 
Hundreds  of  Hollywood  correspondents 
Broadcast  M-G-M  action  to  the  world! 
Talk  about  industry  public  relations,  this  is  it! 
And  now  the  product  comes  East! 
The  trade  press  raves  about  "LITTLE  WOMEN"! 
It's  Technicolor  joy,  next  at  the  Music  Hall. 
Another  Big  One  just  previewed  is 
"TAKE  ME  OUT  TO  THE  BALL  GAME"! 
It  tops  "Anchors  Aweigh"- 
It's  the  happiest  piece  of  Technicolor 
Musical  merchandise  that  this  industry 
Has  seen  in  years! 

"M-G-M's  Prosperity  Plan"  is  under  way! 
Big  pictures  produced  under  the  auspices 
Of  courage,  optimism,  faith! 
Latch  on  to  Leo  and  catch  the  new  spirit! 
You'll  be  on  the  winning  side! 

(Book  "Movies  And  You"  Series  For  Your  Industry's  Sake!) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  2,  194V 


Seek  U.  K.  Help  on 
Currencies,  Exports 

London,  March  1.  —  The 
Board  of  Trade  is  seeking  the 
assistance  of  the  British  For- 
eign Office  in  the  collection 
of  foreign  currencies  on  Brit- 
ish film  screenings  under  the 
Export  Guarantees  Act.  It  is 
also  seeking  Foreign  Office 
help  to  stimulate  film  ex- 
ports, similar  to  the  help 
given  other  industries. 

While  no  statement  was 
forthcoming,  it  is  understood 
that  Harold  Wilson,  BOT 
president,  has  promised  pro- 
ducers that  the  Foreign  Office 
would  do  all  it  can  to  help. 


Review 


Rank  Discharges  550 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  move  was  inevitable  in  view  of  the 
present  economic  situation  in  British 
production.  Late  last  week,  Rank  said 
he  hoped  that  it  would  not  be  neces- 
sary to  issue  any  further  lay-off 
notices  and  would  not  do  so  unless 
causes  beyond  his  control  demanded 
such  action.  He  had  agreed  at  that 
time  to  meet  every  two  weeks  with 
secretaries  of  the  production  unions  to 
discuss  developments. 

When  a  laying  off  of  200  Shepherd's 
Bush  studio  workers  threatened  last 
week,  some  350  protesting  workers 
marched  to  the  House  of  Commons  to 
protest.  Rank  has  now  layed  off  over 
3,000  production  workers  to  date. 


Film  Exports  Down 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


254  last  year.  Shipments  of  16mm. 
exposed  film,  both  positive  and  nega- 
tive, increased  considerably. 

Rawstock  shipments  dropped  from 
454,905,051  feet  valued  at  $6,781,822 
in  1947  to  383,482,225  feet  worth  $6,- 
653,873  in  1948.  Exports  of  35mm. 
positive,  16mm.  positive  and  8  mm. 
negative  film  were  off,  while  shipments 
of  rawstock  in  the  35mm.  negative, 
16mm.  negative  and  8mm.  positive 
categories  increased. 

Exports  of  equipment  dropped  from 
$16,245,487  to  $10,972,516. 


"El  Paso" 

(Pine-Thomas — Paramount) 

PURPORTING  to  depict  the  turbulent  outlawry  and  post-Civil  War  life 

ui  m  und  around  the  then  infant  Texas  city  of  El  Paso,  this  is  a  size- 
able, obstreperous  Cmecolor  Western  which  stretches  familiar  plot-work 
across  an  excessive  amount  of  footage.  It  is  one  of  the  first  to  come  from  the 
producer  team  of  William  Pine  and  William  Thomas  in  its  switch  to  "big 
°c-1S-d  In„terms  of  Production  effort,  cast,  camera  work  and  general  approach, 

£-1  Paso  does  indeed  emerge  as  a  contender  for  deluxe  theatre  playing  time 
and  suggests  the  future  will  bring  bigger— and  better— offerings  from  the 
new  Pine-Thomas  team.  Where  this  picture  falls  short  of  the  "big  one"  mark 
however,  is  in  its  rigid  adherence  to  stock  situations  and  its  failure  to  lend 
depth  and  conviction  to  its  characters.  The  film's  future  would  appear  to 
promise  so-so  grosses  from  the  standpoint  of  discriminating  patronage  and 
robust  business  from  the  standpoint  of  the  "hoss  opera"  and  action  patronage. 

Director  Lewis  R.  Foster's  screenplay,  based  on  a  story  by  J.  Robert  Bren 
and  Gladys  Atwater,  has  personable  John  Payne  in  the  role  of  a  dashing 
attorney,  an  ex-captain  in  the  Confederate  Army,  who  leaves  Charleston  to 
consummate  a  brief  bit  of  business  in  outlaw-ridden  El  Paso.  He  decides  to 
remain  in  the  Texas  frontier  town  to  introduce  law  and  order  and  to  win 
for  himself  the  hand  of  ex-Southern  belle  Gail  Russell.  Sterling  Hayden  and 
Dick  Foran  are  appropriately  villainous  as  corrupt  town  officials  who  stand 
in  Payne's  way,  while  George  (Gabby)  Hayes,  as  a  friend  of  the  latter,  con- 
tributes touches  of  very  broad  comedy.  Henry  Hull,  as  a  dipsomaniac  judge 
whom  Payne  sets  right  but  who  dies  for  his  defiance  of  the  corrupt  authori- 
ties, is  good  in  support,  and  so  are  Mary  Beth  Hughes,  Eduardo  Noreiga, 
H.  B.  Warner,  Bobby  Ellis,  Arthur  Space  and  others.  The  picture  offers 
some  eye-filling  Cinecolored  shots  of  the  Southwest's  wide-open  spaces,  gun- 
fightin,  brawling  and,  finally,  a  noisy  sand  storm  as  the  background  for  an 
active  showdown  gun  battle  between  the  forces  of  good  and  evil. 

Running  time,  101  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  1.  Charles  L.  Franke 


Exchange  Raises 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Ticket  Tax  Slash 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


business  and  to  support  a  measure  al- 
ready introduced  by  Minority  Leader 
Joseph  W.  Martin,  Jr.,  which  would 
cut  the  admission  tax  back  to  the  pre- 
war 10  per  cent  and  cut  other  excises 
back  to  their  pre-war  levels. 

What  the  Republicans  can  do  to 
carry  out  their  policy  is  still  a  ques- 
tion. Martin  said  one  way  to  get  the 
excise  tax  cuts  into  law  would  be  to 
have  "the  five  Democrats  on  the  Ways 
and  Means  Committee  who  favor  ex- 
cise tax  reduction  vote  their  con- 
victions." 

A  statement  by  Martin,  approved  by 
the  policy  group  today,  declared  that 
"wartime  excises  should  be  cut  back 
at  once  to  1941  rates.  All  history  tells 
us  that  no  nation  can  carry  wartime 
tax  rates  indefinitely  in  peace  times." 


Hughes  Names  Two 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


per  cent  interest,  which  he  will  receive 
in  the  new  RKO  theatre  company 
under  the  reorganization  plan.  Hughes 
said  yesterday  that  RKO  management 
is  confident  that  stockholder  approval 
of  the  reorganization  will  be  granted. 

Under  the  terms  of  an  option  agree- 
ment between  Hughes  and  Atlas 
Corp.,  the  latter  has  the  right  to  meet 
all  bids  received  by  Hughes  for  his 
interest  in  the  new  theatre  company. 
Also,  if  acceptable  bids  are  not  re- 
ceived, Hughes  agrees  to  sell  his  thea- 
tre company  stock  to  Atlas  for  a 
maximum  price  of  $4,500,000.  Last 
year  he  paid  Atlas  in  excess  of  $9,000,- 
000  for  the  24  per  cent  interest  in 
RKO  he  now  owns.  He  will  retain 
his  interest  in  the  new  RKO  picture 
company. 


average  of  approximately  $75  pen 
week  for  head  bookers. 

Companies  involved  are  Paramount 
Loew,  RKO  Radio,  20th  Century-Fox, 
Universal-International,  Columbia 
arid  Republic.  Separate  "IA"  negotia- 
tions will  open  in  the  near  future  for; 
exchange  workers  employed  by  United 
Artists,  which  dropped  out  of  the  re- 
cent negotiations  before  an  agreement 
was  reached,  and  Monogram,  Eagle- 
lion,  Film  Classics  and  National 
Screen.  In  the  past,  "IA"  points  out, 
deals  signed  with  the  smaller  compa- 
nies have  followed  the  major  pattern. 

The  three  months  of  negotiations,, 
which  were  studded  with  deadlocks 
and  talk  of  work  stoppages,  were 
transformed  finally  into  mediation 
meetings  in  the  presence  of  Federal, 
Mediation  and  Conciliation  Commis- 
sioner L.  A.  Stone  who,  after  four 
parleys,  brought  both  sides  to  the 
basis  of  an  agreement. 

The  union,  it  had  been  reported, 
originally  sought  a  general  increase  of 
between  10  and  15  per  cent,  while  the 
companies  reportedly  were  disinclined 
at  the  outset  to  grant  any  increase 
in  view  of  the  need  for  industry 
economies.  Hence,  the  increase  agreed 
upon  represents  a  compromise,  it  is 
said. 

The  "IA"  negotiating  committee,  ap- 
pointed by  international  president 
Richard  F.  Walsh,  consisted  of  assist- 
ant international  president  Thomas  J. 
Shea,  chairman;  vice-president  Louise 
Wright  and  international  representa- 
tive Joseph  D.  Basson.  Representing 
the  companies  were:  Clarence  Hill, 
20th-Fox,  chairman;  Charles  O'Brien 
Loew;  C.  J.  (Pat)  Scollard,  Para- 
mount; A.  A.  Shubart,  RKO  Radio; 
G.  J.  Malafronte,  U-I ;  H.  J.  Kauf- 
man, Columbia,  and  Al  Schiller,  Re- 
public. 


"Magnificent  performance." 


,  SAN  FRANCISCO  CHRONICLE 


SA  G  Warns  Members 
On  TV  Contracts 

Hollywood,  March  1. — The  Screen 
Actors  Guild  declared  its  intention  of 
proceeding  alone  in  its  claim  of  juris- 
diction over  actors  in  television  films, 
according  to  a  report  issued  to  Guild 
members  today,  though  the  way  was 
left  open  for  Eastern  talent  guilds  to 
work  out  their  own  agreements. 

SAG  members  were  advised  against 
signing  television  contracts  without 
submitting  them  to  the  Guild  for  ap- 
proval, or  signing  contracts  for  more 
than  one  year,  and  to  make  no^  com- 
mitments concerning  theatre  televi- 
sion. 


Screen  Writers  Appoint 
Television  Negotiators 

Hollywood,  March.  1.— The  Screen 
Writers  Guild  last  night  appointed  a 
five-man  negotiating  committee  to 
work  out  a  basic  minimum  plan  with 
the  Television  Films  Producers  As- 
sociation to  cover  video  writers. 


"Entertainment  for  all  ages." 


SAN  FRANCISCO  CALL-BULLETIN 


Orders  Dissolution 
Of  Princess  Medina 

Cleveland,  March  l.^The  Medina 
Princess  Corp.,  formed  .in '  1935  as  a 
pooling  instrument  for  joint  operation 
of  the  Temple  and  Princess  theatres 
in  Medina,  Ohio,  was  ordered  dis- 
solved today  by  Common  Pleas 
Judge  Arthur  Day. 

Medina  Princess  directors  had  pre- 
viously voted  dissolution  at  a  board 
meeting  held  here  in  January,  provid- 
ing that  the  theatres  revert  to  the 
original  owners. 


L 


Wednesday,  March  2,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Pickford,  Selznick 
Talk  Italian  Deals 

Mary  Pickford,  David  O.  Selznick 
and  a  number  of  other  U.  S.  industry 
leaders  are  scheduled  to  confer  with 
Italian  producer-distributor-exhibitor 
Feruccio  Caramelli  during  the  next 
four  weeks  in  connection  with  an 
Italo-American  cooperative  production 
program  which  Caramelli  has  drawn 
up.  In  making  this  disclosure  yester- 
day, Caramelli,  who  is  here  from  Italy 
pending  his  departure  for  the  Coast 
on  Saturday,  reported  that  already  he 
has  virtually  concluded  with  Miss 
Pickford  a  one-picture  mutual  produc- 
'  tion  deal. 

A  distributor  in  Italy  of  United  Art- 
,  ists,   Selznick  and   M-G-M  product, 
1  Caramelli  said  his  plans  call  for  pro- 
'  duction  at  his  studios  in  Italy  of  three 
pictures  a  year,  with  American  pro- 
ducers' participation  to  be  in  terms  of 
actors,    equipment,    technicians,  raw 
stock  and,  if  necessary,  blocked  cur- 
rency and  screenplays.    However,  he 
|"  said,  American  participation  per  pic- 
J  ture  would  be  limited  to  about  50  per 
3  cent  and  need  not  involve  every  one 
of  the  designated  factors.  Caramelli 
said  that  while  in  the  U.  S.  he  will 
purchase  "several  hundred  thousands 
of  dollars"  worth  of  American  studio 
and  laboratory  equipment. 

Caramelli  believes  his  "formula" 
embodies  a  solution  to  the  difficulties 
which  have  been  dogging  Italy's  pro- 
duction industry.  Blending  of  Italian 
'  and  American  elements  would,  he 
!  holds,  give  a  film  good  saleability  in 
both  Italy  and  America. 


Para.  Overhauls 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


named  Mid-Eastern  division  mana- 
ger. His  territory  will  comprise 
Cleveland,  Detroit,  Cincinnati,  Pitts- 
burgh, Philadelphia  and  Washington, 
with  headquarters  in  Cleveland. 

Harold  Wirthwein,  who  has  been 
assistant  West  Coast  division  mana- 
ger, has  been  named  Mid-Western 
division  manager.  His  territory  will 
include  Kansas  City,  St.  Louis, 
Omaha  and  Des  Moines,  with  head- 
quarters in  Kansas  City. 

The  West  Coast  division,  including 
Los  Angeles,  San  Francisco,  Port- 
land, Seattle,  Salt  Lake  City  _  and 
Denver,  will  be  under  the  division 
managership  of  George  A.  Smith  who 
will  have  headquarters  in  Los  An- 
geles. 

James  Donohue  will  continue  su- 
pervision of  the  Central  division, 
comprising  Chicago,  _  Milwaukee, 
Minneapolis,  Indianapolis,  Dallas, 
Oklahoma  City  and  Memphis,  with 
headquarters  in  Chicago. 

Completing  the  division  manager 
setup  is  Hugh  Owen,  Eastern  divi- 
sion manager,  with  territory  including 
New  York,  Boston,  New  Haven,  Al- 
bany, Buffalo,  Atlanta,  Charlotte, 
Jacksonville  and  New  Orleans. 

Schwalberg  further  announced  that 
Gordon  Lightstone  will  continue  as 
Canadian  division  manager. 

Sale  of  short  subjects  and  Para- 
mount News  will  continue  under  the 
direction  of  Oscar  Morgan. 

Duke  Clark  has  been  promoted 
from  district  manager  in  the  Central 
division  to  assistant  division  manager 
of  the  same  division. 


Now  It's  'Little  5' 
And  'Big  Three' 

It's  the  "Little  Five"  now 
that  Paramount  has  consent- 
ed to  a  decree  ending  its  the- 
atre operations,  an  industry 
attorney  pointed  out  yester- 
day. 

The  government  anti-trust 
suit  started  out  almost  11 
years  ago  as  an  action  against 
the  so-called  "Big  Five"  the- 
atre owning  companies  and 
the  "Little  Three"  theatreless 
companies.  RKO  joined  the 
ranks  of  the  latter  last  No- 
vember. Now  it's  the  "Big 
Three"  and  the  "Little  Five" 
remaining  in  the  suit. 


See  $500,000  Cut 
From  NT  Settlement 


Red  Cross  Drive 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Pickford  Option 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Balaban  to  Head 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


day,  Miss  Pickford  has  no  firm  offer 
for  Chaplin's  stock  but  does  have  in- 
quiries which  are  being  explored  cur- 
rently. It  is  surmised  that  the  in- 
quiries are  sufficiently  promising  to 
warrant  the  10-day  extension  of  the  op- 
tion in  Miss  Pickford's  favor.  Other- 
wise, the  option  reverts  to  Chaplin  to- 
morrow, with  the  latter  being  given 
30  days  in  which  to  conclude  a  sale  of 
Miss  Pickford's  half  interest  in  UA, 
also  with  a  10-day  extension  permis- 
sible in  the  event  a  deal  is  in  negotia- 
tion but  not  concluded  at  the  end  of 
30  days. 

Trade  opinion  holds  that  a  deal  is 
more  likely  to  be  concluded  after  the 
option  is  transferred  to  Chaplin  be- 
cause the  latter  is  willing  to  sell  his 
own  interest  in  addition  to  Miss  Pick- 
ford's, who  wishes  to  remain  in  the 
company  with  a  new  partner.  Thus 
complete  ownership  could  be  acquired 
when  the  option  passes  to  Chaplin,  but 
not  while  it  remains  with  Miss  Pick- 
ford. 


tinued  today  with  statements  by  Bala 
ban  on  future  plans  and  policies.    In- 1 
creasing  the  quality  of  product  and 
decreasing  its  cost  were  cited  as  "our 
two  principal  and  very  vital  objec- 
tives." 

Henry  Ginsberg,  vice-president  and 
studio  head,  and  Zukor  paid  tribute  to 
Balaban's  leadership  in  addressing  the 
2,500  who  attended  today's  session. 
Zukor,  who  received  a  standing  ova- 
tion when  introduced,  said  of  Bala- 
ban : 

"His  entire  make-up  is  to  build  up 
Paramount,  not  only  financially  but 
also  to  earn  and  retain  the  respect 
of  the  world.  That's  a  big  job  and 
I  think  we  should  dedicate  ourselves, 
each  individual  here,  to  support  this 
man  who  makes  Paramount  his  life's 
work." 

Eric  Johnston,  MPAA  president, 
was  scheduled  to  address  Paramount 
executives  at  a  dinner  to  be  held  in 
the  studio  commissary  tonight. 

Cagney  to  Warner 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


tion  picture  industry  to  help  causes 
such  as  this,"  O'Connor  said.    "It  has 
repeatedly  made  unbelievable  contri 
butions   to   worthy   causes,  contribu 
tions  which  cannot  be  appraised  in 
terms  of  dollars  only." 

Skouras,  explaining  that  there  will 
be  no  theatre  collections  for  the  Red 
Cross  1949  fund  appeal,  urged  those 
present  to  cooperate  to  the  fullest^  in 
the  campaign  and  to  assist  in  enlisting 
the  wholehearted  participation  of 
every  member  of  the  industry  in  get 
ting  in  contributions. 

The  1949  Red  Cross  budget  is  $81, 
684,600,  of  which  $21,684,600  is  avail- 
able from  American  Red  Cross  re- 
serves, leaving  $60,000,000  to  be 
raised  in  the  current  drive.  New 
York  City's  share  of  the  national  goal 
is  $4,635,000. 


Contention  that  20th  Century-Fox 
stands  to  lose  some  $500,000  of  the 
estimated  $3,500,000  which  has  been 
offered  in  settlement  of  the  National 
Theatres  stockholder  actions  was 
voiced  in  New  York  Supreme  Court 
here  yesterday  by  attorneys  for  those 
minority  stockholders  who  do  not 
favor  accepting,  without  qualification, 
referee  Jacob  S.  Demov's  recommen- 
dation that  the  proposed  settlement  be 
approved. 

Opposition  attorneys  base  their  con- 
tention on  the  belief  that  lower  levels 
of  film  company  earnings  are  in  pros- 
pect and  would  therefore  reduce  the 
prospects  of  20th-Fox's  benefiting  to 
the  full  extent  of  $1,750,000  under  the 
arrangement  whereby  a  ceiling  is  to  be 
placed  on  compensation  to  National 
president  Charles  P.  Skouras  and 
three  other  executives  over  the  next 
seven  years. 

Stockholder  plaintiffs  charged  in 
their  actions  that  Skouras  under  stock 
option  deals,  profited  $4,281,250,  that 
executives  Elmer  C.  Rhoden  and  F. 
H.  Ricketson,  Jr.,  gained  $1,027,000 
each,  and  that  executive  Harold  J. 
Fitzgerald  profited  $513,000. 

Hearings  on  Demov's  report  will 
continue  today  before  Justice  Ferdi- 
nand Pecora. 


FTC  Complaint  Stalled 

Washington,  March  1. — A  Federal 
Trade  Commission  examiner  has 
taken  under  advisement  the  FTC's  un- 
fair advertising  complaint  against 
United  Artists  in  connection  with  the 
selling  of  "The  Life  and  Death  of 
Colonel  Blimp." 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
MOTIOTI  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


MEMBER   FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


Brothers  to  appear  in  three  pictures. 
Negotiations  were  consummated  with 
William  Cagney,  president  of  Cagney 
Productions. 

"White  Heat,"  original  by  Virginia 
Kellogg,  and  "The  West  Point  Story," 
a  musical  with  U.  S.  Military  Acade 
my  background,  are  two  of  the  pic 
tures  in  which  Cagney  will  star.  Both 
will  be  produced  by  Lou  Edelman.  A 
third  will  be  selected  later. 

Warner  also  announced  completion 
of  a  deal  with  William  Cagney  for  the 
filming  by  that  company  of  three  pic- 
tures for  Warner  release.  It  is  con- 
templated that  one  of  these  produc- 
tions will  star  James  Cagney  in  "A 
Lion  in  the  Streets." 


NEW  YORK  — Streamers,  posters,  national 
magazine  and  newspaper  ads  and  a  variety 
of  counter  and  window  displays  through- 
out the  country  are  spreading  the  "Riley" 
story  in  national  merchandising  tie-ups 
with  U-I's  "THE  LIFE  OF  RILEY." 

Among  the  top-flight  brands  and  or- 
ganizations figuring  in  the  tie-ups  are 
Pepsi-Cola,  Cigar  Institute  of  America, 
Master  Photo  Dealers,  Jergens  Lotion,  Tan- 
gee  Lipstick,  Chesterfield  Cigarettes  and 
Remington  Rand  Electric  Shavers. 

In  addition,  a  special  popular-priced 
book  based  on  the  movie  "THE  LIFE  OF 
RILEY"  is  being  published  by  Movie  Readers 
Library  to  coincide  with  the  national  re- 
lease of  the  picture. 


Use  W^om/ffS^^//?/m/^QfkMJw! 


THESE  jumbo  screens  used  in  big,  drive-in 
theatres  require  projection  light  of  terrific 
brilliance.  Otherwise,  your  patrons  can't  get 
that  bright-screen  sparkle  they  are  used  to  in 
first-run,  conventional  theatres.  They  have  to 
squint  to  see. 

Give  your  patrons  vivid,  easy-to-see  pictures 
by  using  "National"  Super -High  Intensity 
carbons  in  your  drive-in  theatre.  These  carbons 
give  you  brighter  light  than  any  other  source 
of  projection  light  obtainable.  And,  because 
"National"  Super-High  Intensity  carbons  pro- 
duce light  of  almost  perfect  color  balance, 


your  color  movies  glow  with  rich  detail. 

The  slight  extra  cost  of  "National"  Super- 
High  Intensity  carbons  is  negligible  when  you 
consider  the  advantages  in  audience  approval 
and  bigger  box  office.  Write  for  complete 
details. 


The  term  "National"  is  a  registered  trade-mark  of 
NATIONAL  CARBON  COMPANY,  INC. 

Unit  of  Union  Carbide  and  Carbon  Corporation 

30  East  42nd  Street,  New  York  17,  N.  Y. 
DivisionSales  Offices:  Atlanta,  Chicago,  Dallas,  Kansas  City, 
New  York,  Pittsburgh,  San  Francisco 


Use  "National"  Super -High  Intensity  carbons  for  "the  brightest  spot  in  the  world." 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  43 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  MARCH  3,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


'Must'  Bidding 
Seen  in  Para. 
Pact  with  U.  S. 

Levy  Also  Sees  Decree 
Imperiling  Combines 

That  portion  of  the  Paramount 
decree  which  directs  the  new  dis- 
tribution company  to  sell  picture- 
by-picture  and  theatre-by-theatre 
in  non-discriminatory  fashion  is  char- 
acterized as  "vague  and  ambiguous, 
and  could  be  taken  to  mean  the  licens- 
ing of  product  on  a  compulsory  com- 
petitive bidding  basis,  Herman  Levy, 
general  counsel  of  the  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  America,  asserted  here  yester- 
day in  a  report  on  the  decree.  Levy 
points  out  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court, 
"in  no  uncertain  language,  discarded 
compulsory,  competitive  bidding." 

Levy  also  notes  that  the  consent 
document  is  worded  in  a  manner  that 
opens  to  question  the  legality  of  buy- 
ing-and-booking  combines.  He  re- 
ferred to  the  decree  section  which  en- 
joins Paramount  from  booking  or 
buying  features  for  any  of  its  theatres 
through  any  agent  who  is  known  by  it 

(Continued  on  page  7) 

TOA  Attacks  Bill 
To  Lift  Bingo  Ban 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  2.— The 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  in  this 
area  has  started  a  campaign  against 
the  proposed  new  Scanlon-Delgiomo 
bill  which  would  legalize  Bingo  for 
non-business  institutions  and  organi- 
zations in  New  York  State  and  thus 
create  what  was  described  as  unfair 
competition. 

Leonard  Rosenthal,  TOA  executive 
director  here,  explained  that  under  the 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


U.  K.  Exhibitors 
Assail  Quota 


London,  March  2. — Restrictions  in 
the  importation  of  American  films 
were  termed  the  cause  of  the  crisis  in 
the  British  industry,  the  annual  re- 
port of  the  Cinematograph  Exhibitors 
Association  said  today. 

The  government  requirement  that  45 
per  cent  of  all  first-run  features 
shown  in  the  country  must  be  British- 
made  had  disastrous  results,  the  report 
said,  and  it  recommended  that  the 
quota  be  cut  to  25  per  cent.  Imposi- 
tion of  the  quota,  the  exhibitor  associ- 
ation report  continued,  allowed  British 
producers  to  "churn  out  films"  that 
did  not  appeal  to  the  public. 

Reviewing  events  that  led  to  the 
present  crisis  which  has  put  40  per 
cent  qf  the  industry's  technicians  out 
of  work,  the  report  said  that  the  "first 
serious  jolt"  came  when  the  govern- 
ment imposed  the  75  per  cent  tax  on 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Theatre  Television 
An  SMPE  Highlight 

The  65th  semi-annual  convention  of 
the  Society  of  Motion  Picture  Engi- 
neers will  be  held  at  the  Hotel  Statler 
(formerly  the  Hotel  Pennsylvania), 
New  York,  April  4-8. 

Reports  and  demonstrations  of  late 
developments  in  theatre  television  and 
high-speed  photography  will  be  the 
subjects  of  special  sessions,  it  was 
announced  here  by  Earl  I.  Sponable, 
president  of  the  Society  and  technical 
director  of  20th  Century-Fox. 

"With  theatre  television  rapidly 
approaching  the  commercial  stage  and 
other  technical  facilities  of  the  motion 
picture  industry  undergoing  intensive 
laboratory  development,  a  major  con- 
centration of  the  scientific  and  engi- 
neering leaders  of  filmdom  is  expected 
at  the  convention,"  said  a  statement 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


N.  J.  Allied  Sets  Meet 
On  Censorship  Bill 

Allied  Theatre  Owners  of 
New  Jersey  will  hold  a  mem- 
bership meeting  at  the  New- 
ark Athletic  Club,  Newark, 
next  Wednesday  to  plan  to 
press  its  attack  on  film  cen- 
sorship legislation  which  has 
been  introduced  in  the  New 
Jersey  legislature.  Organiza- 
tion president  Edward  Lach- 
man  and  legislative  chairman 
George  Gold  will  conduct  the 
meeting. 


Famous  Players  Has 
Video  Plans  Ready 


Toronto,  March  2. — Famous  Play- 
ers Canadian  Corp.  has  plans  ready 
for  the  installation  of  television  broad 
casting  and  receiving  facilities  but 
they  are  being  held  up  because  of  the 
uncertainty  of  Canadian  government 
policy  on  video  operation. 

Revenue  Minister  McCann  has  dis 
closed  in  the  Canadian  Parliament  that 
a  government  announcement  on  tele- 
vision will  be  made  "in  the  near 
future."  He  was  answering  a  ques- 
tion of  a  member  who  wanted  to  know 
what  the  government  planned  to  do 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Para.'s  Program 
Set  a  Year  Ahead 

Hollywood,  March  2. — Mark- 
ing the  first  time  in  years 
that  a  Paramount  production 
program  for  an  entire  year  in 
advance  has  been  fully  pre- 
pared and  laid  out  in  detail, 
Paramount  production  vice- 
president  Henry  Ginsberg  to- 
morrow will  present  to  the 
meeting  here  of  home  office 
and  studio  executives  the 
company's  production  plans 
for  all  of  1949. 

The  Ginsberg  announce- 
ment will  keynote  another 
day-long  session  to  be  de- 
voted to  discussion  of  the 
company's  forthcoming  prod- 
uct, with  Paramount  presi- 
dent Barney  Balaban,  board 
chairman  Adolph  Zukor  and 
other  top  executives  partici- 
pating. 


Costs  Are  Up  282%, 
Says  Eric  Johnston 

Hollywood,  March  2. — Motion  pic- 
ture costs  today  are  up  282  per  cent 
over  those  of  1941,  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  American  president 
Eric  A.  Johnston  disclosed  at  a  Para- 
mount studio  dinner  held  here  last 
night. 

That  fact  and  the  situation  in  the 
foreign  field  are  among  the  problems 
he  has  been  discussing  in  the  series 
of  meetings  which  he  has  been  holding 
with  the  heads  of  MPAA-member  stu- 
dios during  the  past  several  days. 
Johnston  declared  at  the  dinner,  which 
was  a  highlight  of  the  five-day  con- 
ference of  Paramount  home  office  and 
studio  executives. 

Introduced  by  Paramount  studio 
head  Henry  Ginsberg,  Johnston  point- 
ed out  that  many  countries  are  stimu- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Expect  Court 
'OK'  of  Para. 
Decree  Today 

'Little  3',  SIMPP,  F.  &  M. 
May  Be  Heard  on  Pact 

Paramount's  consent  judgment 
with  the  government  in  the  indus- 
try trust  suit  will  be  taken  up  by 
the  New-  York  statutory  court  at 
a  hearing  this  afternoon  and  early 
approval  of  the  three  Federal  jurists 
is  looked  for  by  most  industry  attor- 
neys. Next  scheduled  step  is  a  meet- 
ing of  Paramount  stockholders,  by 
April  19,  to  'ratify  the  proposed  re- 
organization of  the  corporation. 

It  is  recalled  that  RKO's  settle- 
ment was  signed  by  the  court  immedi- 
ately upon  its  presentation. 

Copies  of  the  Paramount  decree 
were  delivered  to  Judge  Alfred  C. 
Coxe,  Augustus  N.  Hand,  senior  jur- 
ist, and  Henry  W.  Goddard,  last  Fri- 
day afternoon.  They  comprise  the 
statutory  court. 

Due  in  court  today  are  attorneys  for 
the  Little  Three  and  the  Society  of 
Independent  Motion  Picture  Produc- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Split  in  New  Coast 
Council  Is  Mending 


Hollywood,  March  2. — Organiza- 
tional troubles  complicating  develop- 
mental progress  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Industry  Council  to  further  industry 
goodwill  appeared  to  be  easing  last 
night  following  a  meeting  at  which 
Cecil  B.  DeMille  was  unanimously 
elected  by  ballot  to  the  chairmanship, 
with  Screen  Actors  Guild  president 
Ronald  Reagan  elected  co-chairman, 
and  writer  Art  Arthur  elected  execu- 
tive secretary. 

DeMille  had  been  chosen  chairman 
at  the  last  MPIC  meeting  by  the 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


'Jennie'  May  Get 
Chicago  Extension 

Chicago,  March  2. — The  Selznick 
Releasing  Organization's  "Portrait 
of  Jennie"  may  be  able  to  play  be- 
yond the  two-week  limit  downtown, 
but  it  may  also  be  without  a  the- 
atre. A  petition  entered  todav  in 
U.  S.  District  Court  by  SRO  attor- 
ney Aaron  Stein  asked  for  an  unlim- 
ited run  for  the  film  to  play  specific- 
ally at  the  B.  and  K.  Apollo  Theatre. 
However,  Judge  Michael  J.  Igoe,  in- 
formed that  the  Apollo  has  been  given 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Reject  $20,000,000 
Proposal  for  ERP 

Washington,  March  2. — The 
Senate  Foreign  Relations 
Committee,  which  is  working 
on  a  bill  to  extend  the  Eco- 
n  o  m  i  c  Recovery  Program 
through  June  30,  1950,  has 
voted  down  a  proposal  to  in- 
crease from  §10,000,000  to 
$20,000,000  the  funds  available 
for  guaranteeing  convertibil- 
ity for  costs  abroad  of  dis- 
tributing films  and  other  in- 
formation media. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  3,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

JACQUES  KOPFSTEIN,  Astor 
*J  Pictures  executive  vice-president, 
is  in  St.  Louis  from  New  York,  with 
stops  to  be  made  at  Chicago,  Toledo, 
Detroit  and  Cleveland  before  his  re- 
turn here. 

• 

J.  Milt  Jacobs,  M-G-M  salesman 
in  Cincinnati  for  the  past  18  years, 
has  been  named  Central  Ohio  sales 
manager  for  RCA  television  receiv- 
ers. 

• 

Harold  C.  Cummings,  formerly 
manager  of  the  Warner  Theatre, 
Lynn,  Mass.,  has  been  appointed  man- 
ager of  the  Warner  at  Morgantown, 
W.  Va. 

• 

Jack  Cummings,  M-G-M  producer, 
and   Mrs.   Cummings   are  in  New 
York  from  the  Coast  and  will  sail 
tomorrow  for  a  European  vacation. 
• 

Henry  L.  Needles,  Warner  district 
manager    in    Hartford,    and  Mrs. 
Needles,  have  returned  to  Hartford 
from  a  cruise  to  South  America. 
• 

Harry  A.  Samwick,  president  of 
American  Display  Co.,  and  Mrs. 
Samwick,  are  in  Tucson,  Ariz.,  from 
New  York. 

• 

Jimmy   Bello,  special  representa- 
tive for  Astor  Pictures  of  Georgia, 
is  confined  to  a  hospital  in  Atlanta. 
• 

Sam  Rosen,  owner  of  Rosen's  Film 
Delivery  Service,  has  returned  to  New 
Haven  from  a  Florida  vacation. 
• 

Harry  Cohn,  Columbia  president, 
is  here  from  the  Coast. 

400  in  Tribute  to 
Joseph  Brennan 

_  Boston,  March  2. — Over  400  motion 
picture  theatre  and  business  men  paid 
tribute  here  today  to  the  late  Joseph 
H.  Brennan,  secretary  of  Allied  of 
New  England,  who  died  here  on  Mon- 
day of  a  heart  attack.  Among  those 
present  at  services  were  William  Kos- 
ter,  executive  director  of  the  Variety 
Club  of  New  England;  John  T.  Pad- 
den,  secretary  to  Gov.  Paul  A.  Dever ; 
Daniel  Lynch,  president  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Exhibitors  of  New  England; 
Edward  S.  Canter,  of  American  Thea- 
tres Corp.,  and  Martin  J.  Mullin,  head 
of  New  England  Theatres  Corp. 


Johnston  Named  Director 

Baltimore,  March  2. — Eric  A. 
Johnston,  president  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America,  to- 
day was  elected  to  the  board  of  direc- 
tors of  McCormick  and  Co.,  Inc., 
large  spice  and  flavoring  extract  house 
with  headquarters  here. 


Murray  Stein,  55 

Funeral  services  for  Murray 
Stein,  55,  brother  of  Joseph  L.  Stein, 
of  the  motion  picture  copyright  law 
firm  Sargoy  and  Stein,  were  held  in 
Portland,  Me.,  yesterday. 


Urge  Court  Accept 
NT  Suit  Settlement 


Attorneys  for  National  Theatres 
stockholders  who  are  in  favor  of  ac- 
cepting referee  Jacob  S.  Demov's  rec- 
ommendation that  the  proposed  settle- 
ment of  minority  stockholder  actions 
against  20th  Century-Fox  be  approved, 
contended  in  New  York  Supreme 
Court  here  yesterday  that  it  was  a 
"surprise  business  boom"  that  brought 
stock  option  profits  totaling  $6,850,000 
to  National  president  Charles  P. 
Skouras  and  three  other  executives. 
Under  the  proposed  settlement,  ap- 
proximately $3,500,000  of  the  profits 
would  go  to  20th-Fox. 

Attacking  arguments  which  have 
been  offered  in  opposition  to  accep- 
tance of  the  settlement,  the  pro-accep- 
tance attorneys  told  presiding  Justice 
Ferdinand  Pecora  that  Skouras  and 
the  other  executives,  Elmer  C.  Rho- 
den,  F.  H.  Ricketson,  Jr.,  and  Harold 
J.  Fitzgerald,  were  instrumental  in 
bringing  National  out  of  "the  red"  be- 
tween 1931  and  1941  by  virtue  of  their 
"hard  work."  The  stock  option  profits 
received,  the  attorneys  continued,  were 
not  "bonuses"  but  rather  were  in  the 
nature  of  promised  remuneration  con- 
tingent upon  whether  the  executives 
succeeded  in  putting  National  "back 
on  its  feet." 

Yesterday  was  the  third  day  of 
hearings  before  Justice  Pecora  on 
Demov's  report. 

Republic  16mm.  Sales 
Assailed  by  Lachman 

Allied  of  New  Jersey  president  Ed- 
ward Lachman  has  denounced  in  a  let- 
ter to  Republic  distribution  vice-presi- 
dent James  R.  Grainger  that  com- 
pany's selling  of  16mm.  product  to 
units  of  the  Parent  Teachers  Associa- 
tion for  showing  in  New  Jersey 
schools.  Asserting  that  such  sales  of 
16mm.  Roy  Rogers  pictures  and  "Bill 
and  Coo"  is  in  direct  opposition  to  es- 
tablished theatres  in  the  area,"  Lach- 
man has  asked  Grainger  to  "correct 
this  abuse." 

Because  he  will  not  return  to  New 
York  from  a  nationwide  tour  until 
next  Monday,  Grainger  was  not  avail- 
able yesterday  for  comment  on  the 
Lachman  letter. 

California  Bill 
Would  Tax  Studios 

Sacramento,  Cal,  March  2. — A  film 
tax  levied  on  motion  picture  studios 
and  a  daylight  saving  bill  are  among 
the  measures  coming  up  in  the  Cali- 
fornia state  legislature,  which  opens 
here  on  Monday. 


Wm.  Saxton  Resigns 

Baltimore,  March  2. — William  K. 
Saxton,  manager  of  Loew's  Theatres 
in  Baltimore,  resigned  today  after  25 
years  with  the  organization.  A  lead- 
ing member  of  Variety  and  a  former 
chief  barker  of  the  Baltimore  Tent, 


Eric  Stacey  Moves  Up 

Hollywood,  March  2. — Eric  Stacey, 
Warner  unit  manager,  has  been  named 
assistant  to  Tenny  Wright,  studio 
production  manager. 


March  21  Deadline 
For  Ascap  Ballots 

Four  writer  members  and  four  pub- 
lisher members  of  the  American  So- 
ciety of  Composers,  Authors  and  Pub- 
lishers' board  of  directors  are  to  be 
elected  by  mail  ballots  due  on  March 
21.  The  new  three-year  terms  com- 
mence on  April  1. 

Three  popular  music  publishers  are 
to  be  elected  from  the  six-man  slate 
which  includes  Louis  Bernstein,  Saul 
H.  Bourne  and  Herman  Starr,  all  in- 
cumbents, and  Joe  Davis,  Redd  Evans 
and  Thomas  Valando.  One  standard 
music  publisher  is  to  be  elected;  the 
nominees  are  Gustave  Schirmer,  in- 
cumbent, and  Carl  T.  Fischer. 

Board  nominees  in  the  popular 
writer  division,  three  of  whom  are  to 
be  elected,  are:  Fred  E.  Ahlert,  Paul 
Cunningham  and  Oscar  Hammerstein, 
2nd,  incumbents,  and  Sammy  Gallop, 
Jerry  Livingston,  John  Redmond, 
Carl  Sigman,  Nat  Simon  and  Al  Still- 
man.  A.  Walter  Kramer,  incumbent, 
and  Marc  Blitzstein  and  W.  Clark 
Harrington  are  standard  music  writers 
nominated,  one  of  whom  •  is  to  be 
elected. 

Two  20th-Fox  Films 
Receive  Citations 

The  motion  picture  was  called  "an 
instrumentality  for  the  betterment  of 
mankind"  by  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  pres- 
ident of  20th  Century-Fox,  as  he  ac- 
cepted a  plaque  from  the  Christian 
Herald  and  the  Protestant  Motion 
Picture  Council  here  yesterday.  The 
plaque,  presented  by  Dr.  Daniel  Pol- 
ing, the  magazine's  editor,  was  for 
"The  Snake  Pit."  Skouras  cited  Dar- 
ryl  F.  Zanuck  for  the  production.  He 
remarked  that  the  industry  was  con- 
scious of  its  responsibility  "not  only 
to  entertain,  but  to  inform  and  en- 
lighten" and  help  bring  about  "good 
will." 

Also  yesterday,  Phil  Wilcox,  motion 
picture_  relations  director  of  Parents 
Magazine,  presented  Skouras  with  a 
gold  medal  for  "Down  to  the  Sea  in 
Ships." 

Four  Finished,  Four 
Started  on  Coast 

_  Hollywood,  March  2. — The  produc- 
tion tally  remained  at  19  again  this 
week,  with  four  productions  starting 
and  four  finishing. 

Shooting  commenced  on  "Thelma 
Jordon"  and  "After  Midnight,"  Para- 
mount; "Frontier  Investigator,"  Re- 
public, and  "Curtain  Call  at  Cactus 
Creek,"  Universal-International. 

Shooting  ended  on  "Rusty's  Birth- 
day" and  "Tokyo  Joe,"  Columbia; 
"Dear  Wife,"  Paramount;  "Streets  of 
San  Francisco,"  Republic. 


WB  in  'I A'  Wage  Pact 

IATSE  headquarters  reported  here 
yesterday  that  the  union  inadvertently 
omitted  Warner  Brothers  from  its 
Tuesday  announcement  of  the  new  ex- 
change workers'  contract  agreement 
reached  with  several  distributors.  De- 
tails of  the  agreement  were  published 
in  yesterday's  Motion  Picture  Daily. 
Bernard  Goodman  represented  Warner 
in  the  negotiations  with  "IA." 


Short 
Subject 


"Asia's  New  Voice" 

(March  of  Time—20th-Fox) 

India — its  birth  and  growing-pains 
as  well  as  its  conflict  of  classes  and 
creeds  are  shown  in  this  latest  March 
of  Time.  A  MOT  cameraman  was 
in  India  for  many  months  gathering 
footage  and  the  final  result-  is  a  com- 
prehensive subject  that  tells  a  graphic 
story.  _  As  the  film  shows,  one  of 
the  vital  questions  facing  this  nation 
is  whether  it  can  establish  internal 
order  in  time  to  overcome  the  pres- 
sure from  Communism. 

Some  leading  figures,  including  the 
late  Mahatma  Ghandi  and  Prime  Min- 
ister Nehru  are  highlighted.  The  film 
is  an  interesting  job,  coupled  with  an 
informative  commentary.  Running 
time,  17  minutes. 

Schary  Will  Assist 
Industry  Bond  Drive 

Dore  Schary,  M-G-M  production 
executive,  will  head  the  Hollywood 
committee  for  the  industry's  partici- 
pation in  the  U.  S.  Treasury's  savings 
bond  drive,  May  15- June  30. 

Announcement  of.  Schary's  accept- 
ance as  chairman  of  the  Hollywood 
committee  was  made  here  yesterday 
by  Maurice  A.  Bergman,  chairman  of 
the  industry  drive,  following  receipt 
of  advice  from  Eric  A.  Johnston, 
president  of  the  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of  America,  now  in  Holly- 
wood, and  who  also  pledged  full  co- 
operation of  the  directors  of  the  Asso- 
ciation of  Motion  Picture  Producers. 
As  part  of  their  contribution  to  the 
campaign,  the  producers  will  make  a 
six-to-eight-minute  film  urging  bond 
purchases.  They  will  also  make  avail- 
able leading  Hollywood  personalities 
to  assist  in  the  campaign. 

Ellis  Forms  a  New 
Distribution  Firm 

Jack  Ellis,  former  Eastern  district 
manager  of  United  Artists,  has  formed 
Crest  Films,  Inc.,  with  offices  here,  to 
specialize  in  the  distribution  of  for- 
eign films. 

Officers  are:  Ellis,  president,  in 
charge  of  distribution;  Arthur  H. 
Canton,  vice-president,  in  charge  of 
publicity-advertising,  Sanford  Weiner, 
vice-president  in  charge  of  adminis- 
tration. The  board  of  directors  also 
include  Emil  K.  Ellis  and  Arthur 
Stang,  attorneys. 

Currently  in  preparation  is  the  new 
Italian  film  "Outcry,"  directed  by 
Aldo  Vergano  which  will  have  its 
American  premiere  at  the  Avenue 
Playhouse,  New  York,  on  Saturday, 
March  12. 


Monogram  Club  Elects 

Hollywood,  March  2. — Elected  offi- 
cers of  the  Monogram  Studio  Club  are 
Harold  Olson,  president;  Pat  Offer, 
executive  vice-president ;  Rose  O'Don- 
nell,  Fred  Messenger,  Bill  Broidy  and 
Mafalda  Muilieri,  vice-presidents ; 
James  Lawlor,  treasurer;  and  Jean 
Tompkins,  secretary. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor-  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York.  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary ; 
lames  r\  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
t  A°rAi  ^t0  Purea">  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J.  A.  Utten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Qiiigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


LISTEN  IN  TONIGHT! 

At  10  P.M.  over  Station  WNBC,  New  York  and  across 
the  nation  the  public  will  enjoy  a  Big  Show  with  Big 
Stars  and  Big  Entertainment!  Additionally,  the  presen- 
tation of  the  Redbook  Magazine  trophy  (held  by 
Clark  Gable  in  photo)  will  be  made  to  M-G-M. 


M-G-M's  "COMMAND  DECISION"  WINS 
REDBOOK  MAGAZINE  ANNUAL  AWARD! 

One  of  the  most  coveted  honors  in  the  film  world  comes  to  M-G-M 
and  to  all  those  who  contributed  to  the  making  of  "Command 
Decision."  Each  year  Redbook  Magazine  presents  its  Silver  Trophy 
to  honor  "the  most  distinguished  contribution  to  the  art  of  the 
motion  picture."  This  year  "Command  Decision"  has  heen  selected. 

Tonight  the  presentation  ceremonies  will  he  broadcast  from  Holly- 
wood by  the  Screen  Guild  Players  (courtesy  Camel  Cigarettes)  over  171 
N.B.C.  network  stations  and  highlights  of  "Command  Decision"  will 
be  re-enacted  by  the  voices  of  the  stars,  Clark  Gable,  Walter  Pidgeon, 

Brian  Donlevy,  John  Hodiak  and  Edward  Arnold. 

★ 

M-G-M  presents  CLARK  GABLE  •  WALTER  PIDGEON  •  VAN  JOHNSON  •  BRIAN  DONLEVY  •  CHARLES  BlCKFORD  •  JOHN 
HODIAK  •  EDWARD  ARNOLD  in  "COMMAND  DECISION"  with  Marshall  Thompson  •  Richard  Quine  •  Cameron  Mitchell  •  Clinton 
Sundberg  •  Ray  Collins  •  A  SAM  WOOD  Production  •  Screen  Play  by  William  R.  Laidlaw  and  George  Froeschel  •  Based  on  the  Play 
by  William  Wister  Haines  •  Directed  by  SAM  WOOD  •  Produced  by  SIDNEY  FRANKLIN  •  In  Association  with  GOTTFRIED  REINHARDT 


You  can't  tell  'em  apart  at  the  boxoffice! 

Biggest  Ladd  hit  ever— shoots  "Paleface" 
records  to  "Whispering  Smithereens"  in 
dozens  of  first  dates. . . 

Heading  for  over-all  gross  right  up  in  that 
sensational  "Paleface"  bracket! 


Paramount 

chalks  up  another  terrific  hit  in  the 

©OX-D  RUSH  OF  %8 


Does  "Paleface"  Business-Plus- 

first  week  N.  Y.  Paramount— and  in  Denver,  Minneapolis,  Salt  Lake, 
Worcester,  Sioux  Falls,  Wheeling,  Altoona,  Reno,  Marion,  O., 
Hazelton,  Pa.,  Newark  and  Bangor .  .  . 

Matches  "Paleface"  Business 

in  Duluth,  San  Francisco,  Springfield,  New  Haven,  Newport, 
Torrington,  Conn,  and  Hartford  .  .  . 

Leads  Leaders  Like  "Welcome  Stranger," 
"Unconquered"  and  "California" 

in  spots  like  Phoenix,  Boise- and  Tucson. 


-  And  Even  Guns 
for  the  Industry's 
No.  1  Grosser  of  '48, 
"Road  to  Rio" 

as,  in  cities  like  Boise  and  Salt  Lake, 
it  tops  that  great  attraction's  records! 


ALAN  LADD 


1/ 


ROBERT 


BRENDA  DONALD 


PRESTOK  -  MARSHALL-  CRISP 

WMSPEBWG  SMITH 

with 

WILLIAM  DEMAREST  •  Fay  Holden  •  Murvyn  Vye  •  Frank  Faylen 

Associate  Producer  MEL  EPSTEIN  •  Directed  by  LESLIE  FENTON 
Screenplay  by  Frank  Butler  and  Karl  Kamb  •  Based  on  the  Novel  by  Frank  H.  Spearman 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  3,  1949 


7%  Foreign  Revenue 
Drop,  McCarthy  Says 


Hollywood,  March  2.  —  Industry 
revenues  from  the  foreign  market  in 
1948  were  only  seven  per  cent  below 
those  in  1947,  John  McCarthy,  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  inter- 
national department  head,  told  studio 
international  department  executives  at 
Beverly  Hill  Hotel  luncheon  here  to- 
day given  by  Joseph  Breen,  Produc- 
tion Code  Administration  director. 

McCarthy,  who  spoke  at  length  and 
detailed  conditions  prevailing  in  each 
country  that  exhibits  American  prod- 
uct, said  the  prospect  for  foreign  rev- 
enue in  1949  is  less  promising.  Eric 
Johnston,  MPAA  president,  also  spoke 
briefly  at  the  meeting. 

With  the  series  of  studio  meetings 
held  by  Johnston  and  MPAA  staff 
members  nearing  completion,  members 
of  the  party  are  preparing  to  leave 
here.  Edward  T.  Cheyfitz  left  for 
Washington  tonight  and  McCarthy 
will  leave  Friday.  Johnston  plans  to 
leave  Sunday  or  Monday. 


Reviews 


U.K.  Exhibitors 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


all  proceeds  from  U.  S.  films,  a  pro- 
vision that  has  since  been  rescinded  in 
favor  of  the  40  per  cent  quota. 

The  report  said  flatly  that  "every- 
one" knows  the  British  producing  in- 
dustry is  incapable  of  filling  the  gap 
caused  by  the  40  per  cent  quota. 

In  addition  to  requesting  a  cut  in 
the  quota,  the  exhibitors  asked  for  col- 
laboration between  American  and 
British  producers'  to  spur  the  making 
of  new  pictures. 


Republic  to  Release 
Impossible  Cartoons 

"Beyond  Civilization  to  Texas," 
first  in  a  series  of  Trucolor  cartoons 
produced  by  Impossible  Pictures,  will 
be  released  March  15  by  Republic 
Pictures,  James  R.  Grainger,  Repub- 
lic executive  vice-president,  has  an- 
nounced. 

Three  remaining  cartoons  of  the 
series,  all  complete,  will  be  released 
at  monthly  intervals  following  March 
15.  Kenny  Delmar,  radio's  "Senator 
Oaghorn,"  does  the  narration. 


"Song  of  India" 

(Columbia) 

THE  SPECTACULAR  dangers  involved  in  hunting  wild  game-  in  the 
the  heart  of  India  provide  several  points  of  merchandising  in  "Song  of 
India."  The  story  is  one  of  popular  appeal,  but  developed  in  standard  mold. 
Filmed  in  a  sepia  tint,  it  features  Sabu,  Gail  Russell  and  Turnhan  Bey. 

Unrest  caused  among  the  inhabitants  of  a  jungle  province  when  it  is  in 
vaded  by  a  hunting  expedition  is  the  basis  of  the  story.  Heading  the  expedi 
tion  are  a  prince  and  his  fiancee,  portrayed  by  Bey  and  Miss  Russell.  The 
village  folks  have  lived  in  harmony  for  years  with  the  jungle  animals,  and 
it  is  their  belief  that  a  person  must  die  for  every  animal  slain.  Thus  the  first 
shot  by  the  hunters  brings  reprisals.  The  task  of  opposing  the  hunters  is 
taken  up  by  jungle  prince  Sabu  and  the  story  soon  becomes  a  contest  between 
Sabu  and  Bey. 

There  are  many  conflicts,  flights  and  chases  before  peace  is  finally  restored 
to  the  province.  Some  catching  scenery  is  provided  as  the  camera  moves 
through  jungle  trails  and  mountain  tops.  Albert  S.  Rogell  produced  and 
directed.  The  screenplay  was  written  by  Art  Arthur  and  Kenneth  Perkins, 
from  a  story  by  Jerome  Odium. 

Running  time,  77  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  February 
release.  Mandel  Herbstman 


7  Am  With  You 


(Studio  Films-Carlson  Productions-Swedish) 

THE  personal  tragedies  and  satisfactions  experienced  by  a  young  Protestant 
missionary  during  the  early  phase  of  his  tenure  among  the  natives  of  Rho 
desian  Africa  are  set  down  with  unadorned  simplicity  in  this  Swedish-made, 
English-dubbed  feature  which  has  been  imported  by  Rudolph  Carlson  Produc 
tions  for  release  to  American  theatres  and  by  the  Religious  Film  Association 
for  distribution  to  churches,  clubs,  service  organizations  and  fraternal  and 
civic  groups.  Reportedly  the  first  Swedish-produced  feature  with  English 
dialogue  to  be  scheduled  for  U.  S.  showings,  "I  Am  With  You"  is  having  its 
American  premiere  at  New  York's  Normandie  Theatre. 

Recounted  without  excessive  emphasis  on  the  non-mundane  aspects  of  church 
work,  the  story  is  about  Swedish  pastor  Rune  Lindstrom,  who,  with  his  wife 
and  his  four-year-old  son,  leaves  his  homeland  for  Africa  to  assume  the 
responsibilities  of  Nils  Dahlgren,  an  elderly  and  kindly  pastor  who  has  earned 
retirement.  At  the  outset  Lindstrom  is  able  to  cope  manfully  with  the  climate, 
hostile  natives  and  other  instigators  of  hardship.  But  when  his  son  dies  from 
a  snake  bite  and  his  wife  succumbs  to  malaria,  the  burden  of  sacrifice  becomes 
too  heavy  for  him.  He  turns  his  back  on  faith,  only  to  reembrace  it  with 
renewed  understanding  when  an  African  native  woman  makes  an  exemplary 
display  of  religious  strength  in  the  face  of  circumstances  similar  to  those 
which  had  tried  the  young  missionary. 

Performances  are  forthright  in  a  cast  which  includes  Carin  Forsberg,  Victor 
Seastrom,  Ake  Fridell,  several  African  native  actors  and  others.  Gosta 
Stevens  directed,  from  a  screenplay  by  himself  and  Lindstrom.  Dubbing  is 
adequate. 

Running  time,  75  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  February 
release.  Charles  L.  Frankb 


Blank  Joins  Pathescope 

Pathescope  Productions,  New  York, 
has  appointed  Gerald  Blank,  formerly 
of  the  New  York  Star,  director  of 
public  relations. 


Radio  Engineers  Meet 

A  four-day  convention  and  show 
will  be  held  by  the  Institute  of  Radio 
Engineers  at  the  Grand  Central  Pal- 
ace here  beginning  Monday. 


Senator  flagkrn  &&s-"Mive  henbokhl  Sit  CartoonS 

for  nigh  onto  50 yemtrdjih  airit  neverseen 
nuthiri  like  these^T 


■m  OUGHT  TO  KNOW  BECAUSE  AH'M  THE  STAR  OF... 

"mom  cinimtion  to  vms? 

^TheTirst  Swjwttikle  Cartoon! 


REPUBLIC  EXCHANGES  NotvUook/ttaf 


Congress  Hears  of 
Minn.  Tax  Bill 


Washington,  March  2. — Another 
indication  of  the  readiness  of  states 
and  municipalities  to  leap  for  local 
admission  taxes  as  soon  as  the  Fed- 
eral tax  is  reduced  or  abolished  ap- 
peared in  the  Congressional  Record 
this  week. 

Sen.  Humphrey,  Minnesota  Demo- 
crat, called  to  the  Senate's  attention 
a  resolution  of  the  League  of  Minne- 
sota Municipalities  recommending  to 
the  1949  state  legislature,  the  enact- 
ment of  a  bill  authorizing  "the  coun- 
cil of  any  city  or  village  in  the  state 
to  levy  a  tax  on  admissions  when 
the  Federal  admission  tax  is  reduced 
or  abolished,  such  local  tax  not  to 
exceed  the  amount  of  the  reduction  in 
the  Federal  tax." 

The  resolution  also  called  for  re- 
peal of  the  Federal  tax  "so  as  to  leave 
that  field  of  excise  taxation  for  ap- 
propriate state  and  local  action." 

It  declared  that  the  financial  plight 
of  some  municipalities  is  acute,  and 
that  the  admission  tax  is  "among  the 
taxes  best  adapted  to  local  admin- 
istration because  it  is  fair  and  easy  to 
administer,  because  it  provides  for  a 
minimum  of  inter-municipal  competi- 
tion, and  because  it  is  being  increas- 
ingly and  successfully  used  by  muni- 
cipalities throughout  the  country." 


Noonan  Will  Discuss  Bill 

Albany,  March  2.  —  Assemblyman 
Leo  Noonan,  who  introduced  a  bill 
into  the  state  legislature  requiring 
that  the  original  release  date  of  mo- 
tion pictures  more  than  one  year  old 
be  in  all  advertising,  said  here  that 
he  would  be  glad  to  confer  with  ex- 
hibitor representatives  on  amendments. 
He  said  Attorney  Orrin  Judd,  repre- 
senting MMPTA,  has  talked  with  him 
and  cited  several  reasons  why  exhib- 
itor organizations  thought  the  bill  un- 
fair and  unreasonable  for  small 
theatres. 


Sues  Lasky  Productions 

Hollywood,  March  2. — Raymond 
Polnaszek,  Glen  Lyon,  Pa.,  under- 
taker, today  filed  suit  in  Federal  Court 
here  seeking  $500,000  damages  from 
Jesse  L.  Lasky  Productions  for  inva- 
sion of  his  privacy,  allegedly  commit- 
ted in  "Miracle  of  the  Bells,"  which, 
Polnaszek  asserts,  represented  him  as 
mean,  petty,  grasping,  stupid,  ig- 
norant person"  and  thereby  deprived 
him  of  his  standing  as  a  leader  in  his 
community. 


Indiana  Chain  Sues 

Indianapolis,  March  2. — Syndicate 
Theatres,  operator  of  nine  houses  in 
Indiana  towns,  filed  suit  in  Marion 
County  Circuit  Court  here  today  to 
force  Republic  Pictures  to  deliver 
"Wake  of  the  Red  Witch,"  under 
terms  of  a  contract  approved  in  July, 
1948. 


TV  Meet  in  Chicago 

Chicago,  March  2. — Chicago's  first 
national  television  conference  will  be 
held  March  7-9  at  the  Palmer  House 
and  will  feature  speakers  representing 
every  important  phase  of  television,  it 
was  announced  by  James  L.  Stirton, 
president  of  the  Chicago  Television 
Council.  One  of  the  panel  discussions 
will  be  "The  Movie  Industry  Looks  at 
TV." 


Thursday,  March  3,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Levy  on  Para. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

to  be  also  acting  in  such  a  manner  for 
any  other  exhibitor,  independent  or 
affiliate.    On  this  Levy  states : 

"It  would  seem  that  it  would  be 
most  difficult  for  a  buying-and-book- 
ing  combine  to  operate  either  legally 
or  beneficially  for  its  accounts,  under 
such  a  provision,  or  under  the  findings 
of  the  courts." 

While  at  the  moment  TOA  has  no 
plan  to  renew  its  objections  to  com- 
petitive bidding  at  the  hearing  on  the 
Paramount  decree  in  New  York  Fed- 
eral Court  today,  it  was  reported  yes- 
terday that  the  "Little  Three,"  or  one 
of  them,  might  fight  that  type  of  sell- 
ing when  the  court  convenes. 
Calls  Provision  Tague' 
Levy  regards  as  "unfortunate"  that 
the  wording  of  the  provision  on 
selling  in  the  Paramount  consent  judg- 
ment is  "vague  and  ambiguous," 
because  it  is  "the  point  of  greatest  in- 
terest to  independent  exhibitors  con- 
tained in  the  decree."  He  adds :  "It 
would  seem  that  no  language  should 
be  used  which  could  possibly  be  inter- 
preted to  mean  that  competitive  bid- 
ding is  the  only  method  by  which  the 
distributor  may  license  its  pictures." 

Levy  notes  that  the  new  Paramount 
Pictures  Co.,  which  will  "start  out 
stripped  of  its  present  theatre  hold- 
ings," will  not  be  enjoined  from  sub- 
sequently acquiring  houses,  although 
not  from  other  defendants  in  the  case 
or  from  the  New  Paramount  Theatres 
I  Co.  Motion  Picture  Daily  on  Tues- 
day reported  that  the  new  pictures 
company  has  no  plans  to  purchase 
theatre  properties,  although  it  is  free 
'  to  do  so. 

Approves  Franchises 
i      Levy  voices  approval  of  that  por- 
tion  of   the   decree   which  legalizes 
franchises  for  independent  theatremen 
who  are  in  competition  with  affiliates, 
i   "This,"   he   said,    "will   be  received 
warmly  by  many  independents."  The 
restriction  on  conditioning  one  licens- 
!   ing  deal  on  another  is  limited  to  fea- 
tures,    Levy     points     out,  adding, 
however,    that    he    doubts    that  the 
distributor  would  use  shorts  or  news- 
reels    in    conditioning    the    sale  of 
I  product. 

The  clearance  injunctions  against 
Paramount  "may  well  be  of  great  ad- 
vantage to  many  exhibitors,"  Levy 
holds.  In  many  instances  they  could 
mean  the  complete  elimination  of 
clearance,  he  adds. 


Review 


"Snowbound" 

(Rank-Prestige-Universal-International) 

THE  Italian  Alps  provide  the  setting  for  an  intermittently  exciting  and 
scenically  picturesque  post-war  study  in  international  intrigue  in  Snow- 
bound," which  is  from  J.  Arthur  Rank's  Gainsborough  Studios  m  England. 
Robert  Newton,  Dennis  Price,  Herbert  Lorn,  Marcel  Dalio  and  Mila  Rarely 
are  the  principal  players.  ... 

Villainy  develops  in  the  form  of  the  treacherous  capers  of  an  erstwhile 
Gestapo  chieftain  hankering  to  start  building  the  Fourth  Reich.  Curiously, 
it  is  not  until  very  near  the  finale  that  the  film  lets  its  audience  m  on  the 
motives  of  the  ambitious  Nazi  and,  for  that  matter,  just  what  all  parties 
to  the  complicated  scheme  of  things  are  up  to.  Consequence  of  this  is  that 
the  spectator,  while  treated  to  good  melodramatics  in  individual  sequences, 
is  at  times  left  to  wondering  what  it  is  all  about. 

The  mysterious  characters  are  unveiled  and  all  things  are  _  explained, 
plausibly  enough,  in  a  bang-up,  highly-flavored  conclusion  wherein  millions 
in  gold  looted  by  the  Nazis  during  the  war  and  hidden  in  a  ski -hut,  is  dis 
closed  to  be  the  objective  of  all  concerned.  The  unsavory  Nazi,  a  former 
British  Intelligence  officer  and  others  are  killed  when  the  hut  believed  to 
be  the  hiding  place  for  the  gold  goes  up  in  flames.  Another  dramatic  high- 
light is  a  nocturnal,  torch-light  search  for  a  missing  skier.  Aubrey  Baring 
produced  and  David  MacDonald  directed,  from  a  Keith  Campbell  screenplay. 

Running  time,  85  minutes.   General  audience  classification, 
release. 


For  February 
Gene  Arneel 


Costs  Are  Up  282% 

(Continued  from  page  1)  


lating  their  own  motion  picture  pro- 
duction by  quotas,  subsidies  and  sim- 
ilar measures  because  they  realize  the 
importance  of  their  domestic  indus- 
tries and  some  countries  have  a  "cine- 
ma minister  of  cabinet  rank  looking 
after  their  film  interests." 

"During  the  past  week,  in  industry 
sessions,  it  has  been  my  task  to  bring 
to  the  leaders  of  the  industry  some 
facts  and  figures,"  continued  Johnston. 
"The  population  of  the  United  States 
has  increased  16,000,000  since  1941, 
and  the  real  purchasing  power  of  the 
population  has  increased  50  per  cent, 
but  motion  picture  attendance  probably 
has  decreased  in  relation  to  that 
growth." 

Johnston  to  Speak  Here  March  10 

Washington,  March  2.— MPAA 
president  Eric  A.  Johnston  is  sched- 
uled to  speak  before  the  Economic 
Club  of  New  York  on  March  10. 
He  is  due  back  here  from  the  Coast 
early  next  week. 


Jennie'  May  Get 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


the"     hearing  for 


notice  by  the  Ashland  Block  to  vacate 
on  April  1  to  make  way  for  a  bus 
terminal,  set 
April  4. 

Thomas  McConnell,  Jackson  Park 
attorney,  was  opposed.  The  SRO  peti 
tion  asserted  that  the  "Jennie"  run 
will  require  installation  of  $4,500 
worth  of  special  sound  equipment  and 
is  an  "unusual  fantasy"  requiring 
careful  handling. 


Para.  Decree 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ers,  who  are  expected  to  express 
themselves  on  the  merits  of  the  Para- 
mount decree  in  relation  to  their  re- 
spective positions.  They  may  oppose 
some  phases  of  the  decree. 

Also  scheduled  to  be  heard  are  at- 
torneys for  Partmar  Corp.,  a  Fanchon 
and  Marco  subsidiary,  who  claim  the 
decree  means  they  must  vacate  the 
Paramount  Theatre,  Los  Angeles,  in 
favor  of  Paramount,  the  lessor  of  the 
house.  This,  they  say,  is  contrary_to 
the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court's  opinion 
in  the  case. 


Theatre  Television 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


from  the  SMPE.  Papers  are  being 
assembled  by  chairman  Norwood  L. 
Simmons,  Jr.,  and  vice-chairmen  Jo- 
seph E.  Aiken,  Lorin  Grignon,  Ed- 
ward S.  Seeley,  R.  T.  Van  Niman 
and  H.  S.  Walker,  of  the  papers  com- 
mittee. 

William  H.  Rivers,  chairman  of  the 
Atlantic  Coast  section  of  the  SMPE, 
is  in  charge  of  local  arrangements,  and 
William  C.  Kunzmann,  convention 
vice-president,  will  supervise  registra- 
tion and  information  for  the  meetings. 
The  committee  for  the  Society's  tra- 
ditional get-together  luncheon,  to  be 
held  on  Monday,  April  4,  and  the  65th 
semi-annual  banquet,  on  Wednesday, 
April  6,  is  headed  by  Oscar  F.  Neu, 
chairman,  and  Lester  B.  Isaac,  vice- 
chairman. 

Chairmen  of  other  committees  are : 
Publicity,  Harold  D.  Desfor;  public 
address  equipment.  R.  E.  Warn ;  hotel 
and  transportation,  William  F.  Tor- 
dan;  membership,  Lee  Jones. 


Coast  Council  Split 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


TOA  Attacks  Bill 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


bill  religious,  charitable,  fraternal, 
hospital,  welfare,  civic  or  veterans 
organizations  "shall  no  longer  be  sub- 
jected to  criminal  law  when  conduct- 
ing or  participating  in  Bingo  games ; 
for  these  groups,  the  penalty  suggested 
is  a  civil  action  to  recover  the  amount 
wagered  by  a  person  or  persons  with 
whom  such  wager  is  made." 

Rosenthal  said,  "If  passed,  theatres 
can  expect  open  and  increased  com- 
petition from  the  organizations  con- 
ducting Bingo,  while  theatres  will  still 
be  subject  to  the  penal  law  when  con- 
ducting any  game  of  chance. 

"Proposed  measure  is  unsound  and 
discriminatory,"  he  said,  adding,  "why 
should  Bingo,  when  played  or  con- 
ducted by  non-tax-paying  organiza- 
tions be  less  harmful  for  the  public 
than  if  under  the  guidance  of  a  thea- 
tre The  reasons  for  condemning  lot- 
teries remains  the  same." 

The  Senate  bill  "may  very  well  be 
passed  this  week,"  he  warned. 


"name  from  the  hat"  process,  which 
precipitated  the  .withdrawal  of  the 
Hollywood  AFL  Film  Council  and  a 
protest  by  the  SAG,  and  last  night 
it  voluntarily  subjected  his  chairman- 
ship to  a  vote. 

The  chairmanship  is  to  be  rotated 
semi-annually,  with  the  co-chairman 
succeeding  the  incumbent.  MPIC 
leaders  believe  the  action  taken  will 
lead  to  the  return  of  the  AFL  to  the 
fold  at  the  next  meeting  in  April. 


F.P.'s  Video  Plans 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


about  television  in  view  of  its  con- 
tinued progress  in  the  United  States. 

A  government  commission  to  in- 
vestigate television  has  been  author- 
ized, but,  regardless,  the  situation 
points  to  a  government  monopoly 

Famous  Players  plans  a  television 
tower  atop  the  tall  Royal  Bank  Build- 
ing in  Toronto,  with  receiving  equip- 
ment at  the  Imperial  and  Nortown 
theatres  here  for  the  first  screen 
presentations. 


Radio 

networks 

salute 

U-I's 

"The 

LIFE 
RILEY 


new  YORK -Digger  OTJell,  "The  Friendly 
Undertaker"  of  NBC's  "THE  LIFE  OF  RILEY" 
radio  show,  who  brings  his  funereal  hilarity 
to  the  U-l  comedy  hit  based  on  the  show, 
will  be  featured  on  Fred  Allen's  coast-to- 
coast  program  March  6  in  a  specially 
written  sketch  plugging  the  picture. 

This  is  the  third  national  network 
program  in  as  many  weeks  to  salute  the 
motion  picture  "THE  LIFE  OF  RILEY."  Other 
two  are  NBC's  "Truth  or  Consequences," 
which  is  honoring  a  lucky  Riley  family 
with  a  "LIFE  OF  RILEY"  week  in  Cincinnati 
during  world  premiere  celebration,  and 
the  Groucho  Marx  ABC  quiz  show  "You 
Bet  Your  Life." 


■ 


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throughout  1948  ?''lna  oufP"f 

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lu™  os  "Mother  ,s  ?UCh  p/c- 

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CENTURY-FOX 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  44 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  MARCH  4,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


All -Industry 
Arbitration 
Parley  Urged 

TOA  Is  Prime  Mover  in 
Citing  Decree's  Omission 

Theatre  Owners  of  America's 
board  of  directors  is  slated  to  con- 
sider a  proposal  that  the  U.  S. 
Department  of  Justice  be  called 
upon  to  summon  an  all-industry  con- 
ference "so  that  all  voices  may  be 
heard  on  a  constructive  and  impartial 
arbitration  plan,"  it  was  disclosed  here 
yesterday  by  Gael  Sullivan,  TOA  ex- 
ecutive director.  The  TOA  execu- 
tive committee  is  expected  to  meet 
here  within  the  next  10  days  to  set  a 
board  meeting  at  which  the  proposal 
will  be  acted  upon. 

TOA,  Sullivan  said,  "regrets  that 
so  little  progress  has  been  made  in 
developing  an  industry-acceptable  sys- 
tem of  arbitration."  He  deplored  the 
fact  that  the  Paramount-U.  S.  govern- 
ment decree  "makes  no  reference  at 
all  to  a  workable  arbitration  plan  that 
could  stem  the  rising  tide  of  litigation 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Ginsberg  Lists 
21  for  Para. 
Through  1949 


Hollywood,  March  3. — Henry  Gins- 
berg, Paramount  vice-president  and 
studio  head,  today  announced  the  com- 
pany's complete  production  schedule 
of  21  features  up  to  Jan.  1,  1950,  in  an 
address  before  Paramount's  East  and 
West  Coast  executives  in  conference 
here  this  week.  This  marks  the  first 
time  that  a  Paramount  production 
program  has  been  fully  detailed  an 
entire  year  in  advance. 

The  list  of  productions  forming  this 
year's  schedule  follows :  "Mr.  Music," 
starring-  Bing  Crosby,  directed  by 
Richard  Haydn,  and  produced  by  Rob- 
ert Welch;  "Sunset  Boulevard," 
Charles  Brackett-Billy  Wilder  produc- 
tion with  a  cast  including  Montgom- 
ery Clift;  a  Mabel  Normand-Mack 
Sennett  story  starring  Betty  Hutton 
and  John  Lund,  with  Welch  as  pro- 
ducer; "Eagles  of  the  Navy,"  starring 
{Continued  on  page  5) 


NYCOURTAPPROVES 
PARA.  SETTLEMENT 


18,000  Contracts 
For  20th  in  9  Weeks 


Cites  'High  Moral 
Ad  Standards' 


"High  moral  standards  for  motion 
picture  advertising,  already  well  es- 
tablished by  the  industry  through  14 
years  of  administration  of  the  Adver- 
tising Code,  were  strongly  supported 
and  maintained  during  1948  in  the  face 
of  all  the  stresses  and  pressures  of  the 
first  post-war  financial  readjustments," 
reported  Gordon  White,  administrator 
of  the  MPAA's  Advertising  Advisory 
Council,  yesterday,  at  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  Council  held  here. 

Mort   Blumenstock,   Warner  vice- 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


$100,000  Raise  for 
D.  C.  Theatre  Staffs 


Washington,  March  3. — The  Dis 
trict  of  Columbia  Minimum  Wage 
Board  has  approved  boosts  in  the 
minimum  wage  for  female  and  minor 
employes  of  motion  picture  theatres 
which  will  add  an  estimated  $100,000 
annually  to  the  wage  bill  of  district 
theatres,  according  to  A.  Julian  Bry 
lawski,  head  of  the  Theatre  Owners 
Association  of  Washington. 

The  board's  order  boosts  the  mini- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


'Riley'  Premiere  in 
Cincinnati  Today 

Cincinnati,  March  3. — Universal- 
International's  Irving  Brecher  produc 
tion,  "The  Life  of  Riley,"  will  have 
its  world  premiere  at  the  RKO  Grand 
Theatre,  renamed  the  Life  of  Riley 
Theatre,  here  tomorrow,  and  160-odd 
day  and  date  engagements  will  start  in 
Ohio,  Indiana,  West  Virginia  and 
Kentucky.  The  premiere  is  a  benefit 
for   Cincinnati's  Home  for  Children 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


An  all-time  record  for  contracts 
sold  on  new  product  during  the  first 
nine  weeks  of  1949  has  been  estab- 
lished at  20th  Century-Fox,  it  was 
disclosed  here  yesterday  by  A.  W. 
Smith,  Jr.,  sales  vice-president. 

Smith  said  that  82.84  per  cent  more 
contracts  on  new  pictures  were  sold 
than  in  the  same  nine-week  period  in 
1948. 

Specifically,  this  means  18,000  con- 
tracts were  signed  since  Jan.  1  against 
9,900  in  1948,  it  is  understood.  These 
figures  are  for  new  product  only  and 
do  not  include  reissues  or  old  product. 

Contributing  to  the  sales  record  was 
the  performance  of  "The  Snake  Pit," 
which  has  chalked  up  a  new  company 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Ruff  Named  MP  Sales 
District  Manager 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Mar.  3. — Edward 
Ruff,  who  recently  resigned  the  Para- 
mount branch  manager  post  here,  has 
joined  the  Motion  Picture  Sales  Corp. 
as  '  district  manager  in  charge  of 
Boston,  New  Haven,  Buffalo  and  Al- 
bany. He  will  have  headquarters  in 
Boston. 

Ruff  served  Paramount  for  26  years, 
managing  in  Boston,  New  Haven 
Portland  (Maine)  and  Albany. 


Is    Unchanged,  Despite 
Opposition;  Motions 
To  Intervene  Are  Denied 

Paramount's  consent  judgment  in 
the  industry  trust  suit  was  approved 
without  change  by  the  New  York 
Federal  Court  here  yesterday,  leav- 
ing only  ratification  by  stockholders 
of  the  corporation  necessary  to  per- 
mit its  reorganization. 

Federal  Judges  Augustus  N.  Hand, 
Henry  W.  Goddard  and  Alfred  Coxe 
signed  the  decree  document  following 
almost  three  hours  of  efforts  to  mod- 
ify it  or  prohibit  its  approval. 

Extensive  discussion  of  the  film 
licensing  section  of  the  judgment, 
while  not  resulting  in  any  change  of 
phraseology,  made  it  clear  that  the 
directive  on  selling  theatre-by-theatre 
and  picture-by-picture  does  not  mean 
a  system  of  compulsory  competitive 
bidding.  Exception  to  this  provision 
had  been  taken  by  Herman  Levy,  gen- 
eral counsel  for  Theatre  Owners  of 
America,  Edward  Raftery  and  Louis 
D.  Frohlich,  for  United  Artists  and 
Columbia,  respectively. 

Robert  Wright,  government  counsel, 
{Continued  on  page  5) 


Telecasting  Imperiled  by 
Labor  '  War, 9  Walsh  Warns 


Finally!  Exclusive 
Anti-Film-Tax  Bill 

Washington,  March  3. — Rep. 
Rogers,  Florida  Democrat, 
revealed  a  new  twist  today 
in  the  drive  to  repeal  the  ad- 
missions tax. 

All  bills  introduced  so  far 
would  reduce  or  repeal  the 
admission  tax  on  all  types  of 
motion  pictures,  plays,  sports, 
etc.  Rogers  introduced  a  bill 
today  providing  that  "the  tax 
shall  not  apply  to  any  amount 
paid  for  admissions  to  a  mo- 
tion picture  theatre." 


The  jurisdictional  "war"  which  has 
developed  on  the  television  labor  front 
could  "possibly"  interrupt  or  seriously 
interfere  with  National  Broadcasting 
and  American  Broadcasting  telecast- 
ing after  April  30,  Richard  F.  Walsh, 
IATSE  international  president,  indi- 
cated here  yesterday.  Walsh  empha- 
sized, however,  that  he  hoped  a  satis- 
factory settlement  will  be  reached  by 
the  "IA"  and  the  National  Association 
of  Broadcast  Engineers  and  Techni- 
cians, the  unaffiliated  union  which  is 
battling  AFL's  "IA,"  before  a  point 
is  reached  where  management  and  the 
public  are  inconvenienced  or  otherwise 
injured. 

April  30  is  the  expiration  date  of 
NABET's  contracts  with  the  telecast- 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Para.  Stockholders 
Meeting  April  12 

Special  meeting  of  Paramount 
stockholders  to  consider  and  vote  on 
the  company's  consent  decree  reor- 
ganization plan  will  be  held  here 
April  12,  the  Federal  statutory  court 
was  told  yesterday  by  A.  C.  Bickford, 
Paramount  attorney. 

Proxies  and  details  of  the  reorgani- 
zation plan  under  which  Paramount 
theatre  operations  will  be  divorced 
from  production-distribution   will  be 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


Ask  Admissions  Rise 
For  'Joan':  Doyle 

RKO  Radio  has  petitioned  the  Aus- 
tralian government  for  permission  to 
increase  admission  prices  on  "Joan  of 
Arc,"  Ralph  Doyle,  the  company's 
managing  director  in  Australasia,  dis- 
closed here  yesterday.  At  present, 
controls  put  a  price  ceiling  at  $1.25, 
Doyle  revealed.  He  is  here  on  a  peri- 
odic visit  for  three  or  four  weeks,  and 
plans  to  confer  with  Phil  Reisman, 
foreign  distribution  vice-president,  and 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  March  4,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


LOUIS  B.  MAYER,  M-G-M  pro- 
duction   head,    and  Howard 
Strickling,  studio  publicity  head,  ar- 
rived in  Boston  yesterday  from  the 
Coast  and  are  due  here  Monday. 
• 

Gael  Sullivan,  Theatre  Owners  of 
America's  executive  director,  left 
New  York  yesterday  for  Washington. 
General  counsel  Herman  Levy  has 
returned  to  New  Haven  from  here. 
• 

William  Miskell,  Tri-States  The- 
atres district  manager,  is  in  New 
Haven  from  Omaha,  visiting  his 
mother,  who  is  ill. 

• 

J.  R.  Poppele,  president  of  the  Tele- 
vision Broadcasters  Association,  will 
address  the  Chicago  Television  Coun- 
cil on  March  8. 

• 

Adolph  Schimel,  Universal-Inter- 
national attorney,  is  en  route  to  New 
York  from  London  and  is  due  here 
March  8. 

Maurice  Lancaster,  European  di- 
rector for  March  of  Time,  will  arrive 
here  today  from  London  on  the  ■S'.S'. 
America. 

• 

Charles  C.  Moskowitz,  vice-presi- 
dent and  treasurer  of  Loew's,  has  re 
turned  here  from  the  Coast. 

• 

Ruth  Simon,  film  publicist,  has 
married  Albert  Semsker,  New  York 
and  Florida  realtor. 


Ga.  MPTO  Film  Series 
For  State  Houses 

Atlanta,  March  3. — The  series  of 
highway  safety  films  produced  by  the 
Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  and 
Operators  of  Georgia,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  National  Safety  Council, 
will  be  >  shown  in  practically  every 
theatre  in  Georgia,  with  the  entire 
series  probably  running  a  year  and  a 
half,  J.  H.  Thompson,  president  of 
MPTOOG,  has  disclosed.  First  of 
the  series  has  been  completed. 

The  program  will  be  officially 
launched  March  9  with  a  luncheon 
and  screening  at  the  Henry  Grady 
Hotel  here.  Governor  Herman  Tal- 
madge  will  be  a  guest  along  with 
other  officials.  Governor  Talmadge 
has  commended  MPTOOG  for  their 
services  in  the  public  interest. 


Homer  H.  Harmon  to 
Leave  Roxy  Theatre 

Homer  H.  Harman,  director  of 
publicity  and  advertising  at  the  Roxy 
Theatre  here  for  the  past  \\y2  years, 
has  resigned,  it  was  announced  yester- 
day by  executive  director  A.  J.  Bala- 
ban.  Harman  expects  to  leave  the 
Roxy  next  week  for  a  vacation  and 
will  announce  his  future  plans  when  he 
returns. 

Harman  started  his  theatrical  career 
in  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  was  associat- 
ed with  Loew's  and  Fanchon  and 
Marco  theatres  in  St.  Louis  before  as- 
suming his  post  at  the  Roxy. 


Insider's  Outlook 


By  RED  KANN 


THE  grapevine  has  been  busy 
with  reports  about  things  to 
bloom  at  20th  Century-Fox 
these  days.  Yesterday  along 
came  Smith — Andy — to.  confirm 
what  has  been  known,  which  is 
that  Twentieth  is  doing  more 
business  today  than  at  any  time 
in  its  history,  not  even  excepting 
Fabulous  '46. 

In  the  first  nine  weeks  of  this 
year,  contracts  sold  represent  an 
all-time  record — 82.84  per  cent 
more  on  new  product  than  in  the 
same  period  of  last  year.  Also, 
according  to  Smith,  feature 
bookings  are  running  89.13  per 
cent  ahead  of  last  year  to  estab- 
lish another  all-time,  incredible 
peak. 

His  calculations  on  "The 
Snake  Pit"  are  interesting,  too. 
One  claim  staked  for  it  main- 
tains this  attraction  has  set  new 
records  for  moveovers  and  hold- 
overs since  entering  general  re- 
lease in  January.  Another,  that 
its  average  run  in  the  174  key 
cities  so  far  played  is  three-and- 
one-half  weeks. 


When  they  discuss  picture 
values  these  days,  circuit  opera- 
tors and  a  lot  of  other  exhibitors 
readily  acknowledge  that  Twen- 
tieth has  been  hitting  the  cylin- 
ders like  clockwork.  From  Oc- 
tober, 1947,  to  September,  1948, 
Motion  Picture  Herald  designat- 
ed Twentieth  for  12  "Monthly 
Box-Office  Champions,"  five  of 
them  among  the  top  money- 
making  attractions  of  the  period 
covered;  these  were  "Captain 
from  Castile,"  "Forever  Am- 
ber," "The  Foxes  of  Harrow," 
"Gentleman's  Agreement"  and 
"Sitting  Pretty."  The  other 
seven  were  "Call  Northside 
777,"  "Daisy  Kenyon,"  "Green 
Grass  of  Wyoming,"  "The  Iron 
Curtain,"  "The  Street  With  No 
Name,"  "That  Lady  in  Ermine" 
and  "The  Walls  of  Jericho." 

From  October  of  last  year 
through  February  of  this,  the 
company  already  has  had  five  in 
this  classification :  "Apartment 
for    Peggy,"    "Road  House," 


"When  My  Baby  Smiles  at  Me," 
"Yellow  Sky"  and  "The  Snake 
Pit."    It  is  interesting  that  no 
other  distributor  has  more. 
■ 

In  Hollywood  recently,  com- 
petitive studio  heads  offered 
without  prodding  their  opinion 
that  Darryl  F.  Zanuck  was  do- 
ing the  best  all-around  job  in 
the  production  community.  They 
praised  him  for  his  consistency 
in  turning  out  attractions  that 
were  varied  in  appeal,  approach 
and  treatment  and  made  it  clear 
they  were  not  confining  their 
appraisal  to  musicals  or  semi- 
documentaries. 

There  has  been,  and  even  to- 
day is,  an  assortment  of  view- 
points about  "The  Snake  Pit." 
Some  continue  to  believe  it  went 
too  far  in  subject  matter  de- 
signed for  mass  audiences.  But 
in  Hollywood,  where  there  is  oc- 
casional appreciation,  at  least,  of 
new  avenues  in  dramatic  content, 
the  conviction  is  quite  wide- 
spread that  Zanuck  certainly 
was  not  lacking  in  courage 
when  he  decided  to  proceed.  The 
rest  of  the  story  there  is  that  the 
film  is  doing  a  smash  business 
and  may  turn  out  to  be  Twenti- 
eth's top  attraction  of  the  season 
if  the  pace  demonstrated  thus  far 
is  maintained. 

The  point  is  no  dissertation 
on  20th-Fox's  production  per- 
formance, past,  present  or  fu- 
ture, can  be  complete  without 
full  recognition  of  the  part 
Zanuck  plays.  He  is  responsi- 
ble for  the  "A"  product,  plus 
and  minus  as  the  case  may  be. 
When  he  ends  up  with  more 
plus  than  minus,  he  ends  up 
precisely  on  the  beam.  So  far, 
he's  heavily  plus  and  Twentieth 
is  heavy  with  thanks. 

■  ■ 

One  reason — and  it's  enough 
— why  there  has  been  no  cheer- 
ing over  divorcement: 

In  1948,  it  is  understood  89 
per  cent  of  Paramount's  net 
profit  came  from  its  theatres  and 
86  per  cent  of  Twentieth's  from 
its  exhibition  arm. 


Samartano  Is  Named 
Loew  City  Manager 

Joseph  Samartano,  manager  of 
Loew's  State  Theatre  in  Providence, 
has  been  appointed  city  manager  of 
Loew's  Baltimore  theatres  (Century, 
Valencia  and  Parkway),  succeeding 
William  K.  Saxton,  who  has  resigned 
to  enter  _  a  non-theatrical  business. 
The  Providence  vacancy  will  be  filled 
by  Maurice  Druker,  of  Cleveland. 


RKO  Foreign  Drive 
Starts  on  Monday 

RKO  Radio's  1949  foreign  sales 
drive  will  begin  on  Monday  and  con- 
tinue for  three  months,  ending'  June 
4,  it  is  announced  by  Phil  Reisman, 
vice-president  in  charge  of  foreign  dis- 
tribution. 

It  will  be  known  as  the  "Phil  Reis- 
man Drive,"  and  will  embrace  all  of 
RKO  Radio's  foreign  offices. 


Decision  Reserved  in 
NT  Suit  Settlement 

Justice  Ferdinand  Pecora  has  re- 
served decision  following  three  days 
of  hearings  in  New  York  Supreme 
Court  here  on  referee  Jacob  S.  De- 
mov's  recommendation  that  the  pro- 
posed settlement  of  National  Theatres 
minority  stockholder  actions  against 
20th  Century-Fox  be  approved. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


ic — RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — ; 

Rockefeller  Center 
CLAUDETTE  FRED 

COLBERT    -  MacMURRAY 

"FAMILY  HONEYMOON" 

A   Universal-International  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


ALAN  LADD 

ROBERT  PRESTON 
BRENDA  MARSHALL | 
DONALD  CRISP 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER, 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Dally 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


r 


OLIVIA  de  HAVILLAND  | 


the  Snalce  Pit 


■ Directed  by  Produced  by 

AKATOU  UTMK  •  AKATOLE  U1YAK  S  ROBERT  BASSLER 


2pJ 


KlVOLI 


JOAN 
of  ARC  t 

starring  INGRID 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

^COLOtt  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 


with  JOSE  FERRER  -  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  ■  J  CARROL  NAISH  ■  WARD  BONO  8 
SHEPPERD  STRUOWICK  ■  HURD  HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHART  •  JOHN  EMERY  S 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  .  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY 
based  upon  the  stage  play  'Joan  ot  Lorraine1  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
tcrcen  ploy  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  ond  ANDREW  SOLT  .  on  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  ■  director  of  phologrophy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Diretterf  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

ed  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  •  releoied  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


17t*WttKL 


R  ichard 
WIDMARK 


Lionel 
BARRYMORE 


Dean 
STOCKWELL 


'DOWN  TO  THE  SEA  IN  SHIPS" 

A    20th  Century-Fox  Picture 


On    Variety  Stage — RUDY  VALLEE 
Maurice  Rocco  -  MOREY  AMSTERDAM 
BIG    ICE  SHOW 

7th  Ave.  & 
50th  St  = 


ROXY 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor:  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
bundays  and  holidays  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York  M-artm  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  f  Cunmgham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
r  irui  v  •  Ur<ia£'  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
ruiT'  rite'ni  I10!1,.  p.ress  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup-,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Uther  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  us  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


imm 

10th  Annual  Motion  Picture  Award  Winner 

"COMMAND  DECISION" 

the  Metro -Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 

with  Clark  Gable,  Walter  Pidgeon,  Van  Johnson,  Edward  Arnold, 
John  Hodiak,  Brian  Donlevy  and  Charles  Bickford 

Produced  by  Sidney  Franklin  in  collaboration  with  Gottfried  Reinbardt  and  Sam  Wood,  who  directed  the  film. 
Presented  on  Screen  Guild  Players  radio  program  Thursday,  March  3rd  (NBC,  10  P.  M.  EST) 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  March  4,  1949' 


Ten  More  Pictures 
Reviewed  by  Legion 

Ten  additional  films  have  been  rated 
by  the  National  Legion  of  Decency, 
with  RKO  Radio's  "Brothers  in  the 
Saddle"  receiving  a  "B"  classification. 
Rated  A-I  are  RKO  Radio's  "The 
Clay  Pigeon,"  Screen  Guild's  "Dead 
Man's  Gold,"  Monogram's  "Jiggs  and 
Maggie  in  Court,"  Screen  Guild's 
"Mark  of  the  Lash,"  and  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox's "Mother  Is  a  Freshman." 
Rated  A-II  are  Screen  Guild's  "Bells 
of  San  Fernando,"  Eagle-Lion's 
"Canterbury  Tale,"  Screen  Guild's  "I 
Shot  Jesse  James"  and  Columbia's 
"Knock  on  Any  Door." 


Arbitration  Parley 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


TV  Labor  'War' 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


and  give  the  small  theatre  operator  a 
tribunal  where  his  grievances  might 
be  aired  and  adjusted." 

TOA  general  counsel  Herman  Levy 
yesterday  interpolated  that  he  had 
been  inclined  to  look  for  an  arbitration 
provision  in  the  signed  Paramount  de- 
cree, and  also  expressed  regret  that  it 
was  not  included.  He  pointed  out  that 
the  Department  of  Justice  did  not  see 
fit  to  approve  the  arbitration  proposals 
which  had  been  offered  prior  to  the 
decree's  issuance. 

Sullivan  said  the  TOA  board  will 
consider  the  matter  "in  the  hope  that 
such  a  system  may  yet  be  created, 
with  the  approval  of  all  segments  of 
the  industry."  Pointing  out  that 
"TOA  since  its  inception  has  taken  a 
consistent  and  forceful  stand  in  favor 
of  such  a  system  as  an  alternative  to 
time-consuming  and  expensive  litiga- 
tion," Sullivan  said  it  is  "imperative 
that  the  small  exhibitor  have  a  source 
of  relief  where  the  time  and  cost  fac- 
tors are  reduced  to  a  minimum." 


'Riley'  Premiere 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


and  has  been  supported  by  the  three 
Cincinnati  daily  newspapers. 

Highlighting  the  ceremonies,  the 
N.B.C.  network  program  "The  Life 
of  Riley,"  will  originate  from  the 
stage  of  the  theatre.  Stars  of  the  pic- 
ture and  the  radio  show,  headed  by 
William   Bendix,   will   be   on  hand. 


ers.  "IA"  is  seeking,  Walsh  explained, 
to  establish  with  NABET  the  same 
informal  jurisdictional  agreement 
which  the  former  has  concluded  at 
Columbia  Broadcasting  with  the  In- 
ternational Brotherhood  of.  Electrical 
Workers  (AFL),  and  also  with 
NABET's  local  in  Detroit.  The  agree- 
ments give  "I  A"  jurisdiction  over 
employes  who  work  in  front  of  tele- 
vision cameras  and  those  who  project 
motion  picture  film  for  television  cam- 
eras, and  give  IBEW  and  Detroit 
NABET  control  of  employes  who 
operate  the  television  cameras  and 
who  work  "behind"  them. 

The  case  is  before  the  National  La- 
bor Relations  Board.  It  was  postponed 
on  Jan.  26  to  permit  officers  of 
NABET  and  the  "IA"  to  meet  and 
seek  a  solution  that  would  be  accepta- 
ble to  the  industry  and  provide  har- 
mony between  the  unions.  The  dead- 
lock which  has  evolved  centers,  for 
the  most  part,  around  the  30  motion 
picture  operators  which  represent 
NABET's  total  nationally  in  that 
category.  Walsh  feels  that  these  and 
15  NABET  kinetscope  operators 
rightfully  belong  under  "I A"  juris- 
diction, and  disputes  NABET's  con- 
tention that  these  are  "exhorbitant 
demands."  He  pointed  out  that 
NABET  is  a  union  of  electronic  en- 
gineers. When  a  television  scene  is 
recorded  on  film,  he  said,  "we  natu- 
rally hold  that  our  IATSE  crafts  are 
involved,  but  NABET  seeks  to  extend 
its  jurisdiction  even  into  the  develop- 
ing, printing,  cutting  and  editing  of 
the  film." 

Walsh  reported  that  whereas  a  year 
ago  "IA"  had  in  New  York  15  tele- 
vision stage  employes,  it  now  has  110. 


Altec  Shows  A 
New  Microphone 

George  L.  Carrington,  president  of 
the  Akec  companies,  here  from  Holly- 
wood, was  host  yesterday  to  press  and 
other  representatives  of  motion  pic- 
ture, television,  radio,  advertising  and 
allied  fields  at  a  luncheon  at  the  Essex 
House,  where  Altec  Lansing  gave  its 
first  public  demonstration  of  a  new 
miniature  microphone  which,  upon  in- 
spection, weighed  less  than  a  quarter 
of  an  ounce,  and  was  smaller  in  height 
that  a  dime. 

First  film-stage  house  to  install  the 
"mike"  for  stage-show  performers  is 
the  Capitol  in  New  York.  The  Roxy 
will  follow. 


$100,000  Raise 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


From  MGM  to  Ryan, 
O'Brien  and  Goldberg 

Every  Ryan,  O'Brien  and  Goldberg 
in  the  Manhattan,  Brooklyn,  Queens 
and  B  ronx  telephone  directories,  some 
7,400  of  them,  will  receive  a  telephone 
call  tomorrow  advising  them  that 
namesakes  of  theirs  contribute  a  great 
deal  to  the  goings-on  in  M-G-M's 
"Take  Me  Out  to  the  Ball  Game," 
which  will  open  for  their  pleasure  at 
Loew's    State    next  Wednesday. 


mum  rates  for  minors  and  for  females 
other  than  cleaners  from  $17  for  a 
44-hour  week  to  $31  for  a  32-to-40- 
hour  week.  For  anything  less  than  a 
32-hour  week,  theatre  owners  must 
pay  86  cents  an  hour,  with  the  mini- 
mum of  four  hours  for  any  person 
called  to  work,  compared  with  75 
cents  and  two  hours  now. 

The  minimum  rate  for  female  clean- 
ers is  boosted  from  $14.50  for  a  48- 
hour  week  to  $29.75  for  a  44-hour 
week,  Brylawski  said.  He  stated  the 
theatre  owners  did  not  oppose  the 
boost  for  cleaners,  but  did  oppose  the 
increase  for  other  female  workers  and 
for  minors,  which  will  affect  prac- 
tical all  ushers  now  employed  in  the 
theatres. 


Grosses  Increase 
On  'Joan'  Holdovers 


Higher  grosses  on  holdover  weeks, 
above  opening  weeks  are  reported  by 
RKO  Radio  for  Sierra  Pictures" 
"Joan  of  Arc." 

Now  in  its  16th  week  at  the  Vic- 
toria, New  York,  where  the  15th  week 
exceeded  the  14th  by  more  than  25 
per  cent,  "Joan"  is  in  its  10th  week 
at  the  Karlton,  Philadelphia  and  the 
Palace,  Los  Angeles.  The  Colony, 
Miami,  reports  a  big  7th  week.  In 
Boston,  after  two  record  weeks  at 
the  Keith,  it  moved  over  to  the  As- 
tor,  to  complete  a  second  week  well 
ahead  of  the  first  and  is  in  for  an 
indefinite  run. 

At  the  Palace,  Montreal,  "Joan" 
starts  its  fifth  week,  marking  the  long- 
est run  of  any  picture  at  that  house. 
It  is  being  held  indefinitely. 


RKO's  Doyle  Here 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


18,000  20th  Contracts 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


record  for  moveovers  and  holdovers 
since  its  general  release  in  January, 
Smith  said.  The  Darryl  F.  Zanuck 
production  has  averaged  three  and 
one-half  weeks  in  174  key  cities  where 
it  has  played,  Smith  added. 

Production  activity  at  the  company 
studio  has  been  stepped  up,  it  is  an- 
nounced, with  nearly  a  dozen  films 
ready  for  early  shooting.  "Twelve 
O'Clock  High,"  with  Henry  King  di- 
recting, will  have  Gregory  Peck  in  the 
lead,  while  Clifton  Webb  will  star  in 
"21  Bow  Street,"  a  Scotland  Yard 
picture  to  be  made  in  England. 


"Infinite  delight." 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


Walter  Wanger  on  the  selling  of 
"Joan."  Doyle  said  he  was  hopeful  of 
a  favorable  price  change.  A  July  re- 
lease is  planned. 

Doyle  reported  a  severe  pre-Christ- 
mas  slump  but  said  that  business  has 
now  leveled  off  to  about  25  per  cent 
of  the  war  boom.  A  remittance  deal 
with  the  Australian  government  is 
now  "approaching  the  inking  stage," 
Doyle  said,  adding  that  it  very  likely 
would,  be  the  same  deal  as  in  1948, 
under  which  remittances  of  50  per 
cent  of  the  base  year  of  1946  were 
allowed.  Companies  cannot  use  their 
frozen  funds  to  buy  or  build  theatres, 
but  can  buy  government  bonds  and 
industrial  stocks.  Doyle  sees  no  likeli- 
hood of  RKO  producing  in  his  terri- 
tory, but  said  the  company  has  bought 
a  processing  laboratory  which  is  capa- 
ble of  processing  5,000,000  feet  annu- 
ally. There  is  a  reasonable  need  for 
new  theatres  in  Australia,  he  said,  but 
building  is  prohibited  because  of  ma- 
terial shortages. 


High  Ad  Standards 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Entertainment  for  all  ages." 


SAN  FRANCISCO  CALl-BUUETIN 


president  in  charge  of  advertising- 
publicity,  was  elected  chairman  of  the 
Council  at  the  meeting,  succeeding 
Charles  Schlaifer. 

In  approving  the  administrator's  an- 
nual report,  the  Council  adopted  the 
following  resolution : 

"The  advertising  and  publicity  di- 
rectors are  gratified  that  during  the 
past  year — with  the  cooperation  of 
members,  companies  and  theatres — 
motion  picture  advertising  maintained 
an  exceptionally  high  standard  of 
quality,  integrity  and  good  taste. 

The  Council  commended  the 
MPAA  "for  its  intelligent  and  con- 
scientious administration  of  the  Ad- 
vertising Code,"  and  appealed  to  all 
branches  of  the  industry  for  "complete 
and  unfailing  cooperation  in  applying 
the  principles  of  the  Code  to  all  ad- 
vertising and  publicity  with  which  mo- 
tion pictures  are  presented  to  the 
American  public." 


Pine  at  Chicago  Luncheon 

Chicago,  March  3.— William  H. 
Pine,  of  Pine-Thomas  Productions, 
will  reveal  future  plans  at  a  lunch- 
eon to  be  given  next  Tuesday  at  the 
Blackstone  Hotel,  at  which  exhibi- 
tors throughout  Illinois  will  attend. 
Latest  production  from  Pine-Thomas 
is  "El  Paso,"  released  by  Paramount. 


Friday,  March  4,  1949 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


Para.  Settlement 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


and  A.  C.  Bickford,  for  Paramount, 
both  admitted  for  the  record  that  the 
provision  on  licensing  is  designed 
solely  to  prevent  discrimination,  and 
does  not  require  compulsory  competi- 
tive bidding,  as  opponents  feared.  ^ 
The  provision  "does  not  mean  bids, 
Bickford  flatly  stated.  To  that,  Judge 
Hand  offered:  "It  isn't  thousands  of 
miles  from  it."  _ 

The   consequence   of   this   is  that 
■  Paramount  may  engage  in  competitive 
bidding  licensing  but  is  not  forced  to 
do  so  and  cannot  claim  that  it  is. 
Another  highlight  of  yester- 
day's session  was  the  unsuc- 
cessful attempt  by  Columbia, 
UA  and  Universal  to  clear  the 
way  for  their  possible  purchase 
of  any  of  the  theatre  properties 
which  Paramount  must  dispose 
of. 

Raftery  argued  that  the  three  com- 
panies heretofore  had  not  been  consid- 
ered by  either  the  courts  or  the  gov- 
ernment with  regard  to  injunctions  on 
theatre  acquisitions  and  said  he  saw 
no  valid  reason  for  the  order  which 
enjoins  Paramount  from  selling  thea- 
tres to  them  along  with  the  theatre- 
owning  defendants.  Judge  Hand  lent 
a  sympathetic  ear,  actually  expressing 
the  opinion  that  he  failed  to  see  the 
advantages  to  the  government  of  the 
inj  unction. 

Wright's  position  was  that  to  per- 
mit any  of  the  distributor  defendants 
to  acquire  Paramount's  houses  could 
mean  merely  transferring  theatres 
from  one  distributor  to  another.  This 
could  "create  the  same  type  of  situa- 
tion that  has  brought  about  the  suit," 
he  complained. 

Judge  Goddard  wondered  how 
arbitration  would  figure  in  in- 
dustry practices  as  a  result  of 
the  consent  judgment.  Wright 
answered  that  arbitration  is  a 
"subsidiary  matter"  and  will  be 
taken  up  later,  probably  on  a 
voluntary  basis. 

Robert  J.  Rubin,  counsel  for  the 
Society  of  Independent  Motion  Pro- 
ducers, voiced  objection  to  the  court's 
sanction  of  the  new  Paramount  Thea- 
tres Co.  which  will  comprise  more 
than  600  theatres.  He  said  he  "de- 
plored" the  creation  of  such  a  concen- 
tration without  "restraining  its  activi- 
ties," suggesting  that  the  producers 
might  be  at  the  mercy  of  one  group 
to  gain  access  to  theatre  outlets.  Rubin 
said  he  spoke  primarily  for  the  record, 
doubting  that  his  remarks  would  mean 
a  revision  of  the  settlement. 

To  this  Wright  said  that 
Paramount's  divestiture  spells 
out  theatre  competition  in 
every  area  and  that  the  pro- 
ducers always  will  have  alter- 
nate theatres  to  whom  they 
could  license  their  product. 
Judge  Joseph  Proskauer,  for 
Warners,  inferred  that  the 
independent  producers'  "pros- 
perity" is  evidence  that  they 
were  not  being  discriminated 
against,  adding  that  they  "never 
have  trouble  showing  'decent' 
pictures." 

Much  of  yesterday's  session  was 
taken  up  by  parties  to  outside,  private 
suits  which,  they  said,  had  a  definite 
bearing  on  the  Paramount  judgment. 
Counsel  for  Robert  Ball,  operating  the 
Penn,  Ambridge,  Pa.,  asked  in  effect 
that  the  court  order  the  State  Theatre 
in  that  city  closed  because  it  "is  the 
fruit  of  the  conspiracy."  The  State  is 


operated  by  Paramount  and  the 
Notopoulos  Circuit  in  competition 
with  Ball's  house. 

Russell  Hardy,  for  the  Partmar 
Corp.,  a  subsidiary  of  Fanchon  and 
Marco,  asked  that  Paramount  be  en- 
joined from  evicting  Partmar  from  the 
Paramount  Theatre,  Los  Angeles. 
Paramount  is  the  lessor  and  Hardy 
said  the  eviction  stems  from  the  fact 
that  Paramount,  under  the  decree,  is 
prevented  from  selling  pictures  indi- 
vidually, thus  its  exclusive  licensing 
contract  with  Partmar  is  not  enforce- 
able. 

The  court  rejected  all  such  claims 
and  denied  all  motions  to  intervene  in 
the  Paramount  decree  settlement. 


Ginsberg  Lists  21 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Alan  Ladd,  with  Robert  Fellows  _  as 
producer;  "Copper  Canyon,"  starring 
Ray  Milland,  Hedy  Lamarr  and 
Macdonald  Carey,  in  Technicolor,  di- 
rected by  John  Farrow  and  produced 
by  Mel  Epstein ;  "Lariat  Loop,"  Bob 
Hope  comedy  in  Technicolor,  to  be 
directed  by  George  Marshall  and  pro- 
duced by  Welch;  "I  Married  a  Dead 
Man,"  starring  Barbara  Stanwyck 
and  John  Lund,  »under  direction^  of 
John  Farrow  and  produced  by  Rich- 
ard Maibaum;  "Little  Boy  Blue," 
starring  Betty  Hutton  and  Fred 
Astaire,  with  Norman  McLeod  direct- 
ing and  Welch  producing;  "Beyond 
the  Sunset,"  with  William  Holden 
heading  an  all-star  cast  and  Epstein 
producing;  "Dead  Letter,"  starring 
Alan  Ladd  and  directed  by  William 
Keighley,  under  production  super- 
vision of  Fellows;  "World  on  a 
String,"  Bob  Hope  vehicle  to  be  pro- 
duced by  Welch;  "Counter  Intelli- 
gence," starring  Ray  Milland  with 
Fellows  as  producer. 

Crosby's  'Riding  High' 
Also,  Frank  Capra's  "Riding  High," 
with  a  cast  headed  by  Bing  Crosby, 
based  on  a  Mark  Hellinger  story; 
"Montana  Rides,"  to  be  produced  by 
Fellows;  "After  Midnight,"  starring 
Alan  Ladd  and  Wanda  Hendrix,  with 
Mitchell  Leisen  directing  and  Rich- 
ard Maibaum  producing;  "Red,  Hot 
and  Blue,"  starring  Betty  Hutton  and 
Victor  Mature  with  John  Farrow  di- 
recting and  Fellows  producing;  "Dear 
Wife,"  all-star  cast  including  William 
Holden,  with  Richard  Haydn/ direct- 
ing and  Richard  Maibaum  producing. 

Also,  "Rope  of  Sand,"  Hal  Wallis 
production  starring  Burt  Lancaster, 
Paul  Henreid  and  Claude  Rains,  with 
William  Dieterle  directing;  "Thelma 
Jordan,"  Wallis  production  starring 
Barbara  Stanwyck  and  Wendell  Cor- 
ey, under  direction  of  Robert  Siod- 
mak;  "My  Friend  Irma,"  Wallis  pro- 
duction with  a  cast  headed  by  John 
Lund,  Diana  Lynn  and  Marie  Wilson 
and  directed  by  George  Marshall.  An- 
other Wallis  production  is  scheduled 
to  go  before  the  cameras  later  in  the 
year. 

Ginsberg  had  Paramount  stars,  pro 
ducers,  directors  and  writers  appear 
before  the  conference  to  personally 
outline  the  1949  productions  in  which 
they  will  participate. 

Y.  Frank  Freeman,  production  vice- 
president,  also  addressed  the  group 

Para.  Stockholders 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


mailed  to  stockholders  of  the  company 
on  Monday. 

The  Paramount  consent  decree, 
which  was  approved  by  the  court  yes- 
terday, will  be  ineffective  unless  it  is 
approved  by  the  stockholders  by 
April  18. 


CINCINNATI  LIVES 
"THE  LIFE 
OF  RILEY"! 


Cincinnati,  March  4-Tonight's  the  night  all  Cincinnati 
starts  living  "The  Life  of  Riley." 

Paving  the  way  for  tomorrow's  world  premiere  and 
4-state  territorial  kick-off  to  follow  in  Ohio,  Indiana, 
West  Virginia  and  Kentucky,  U-I's  "The  Life  of  Riley" 
bows  in  at  the  RKO  Grand  Theatre  before  a  ten-dollar- 
a-ticket  benefit  preview  audience. 

It's  the  climax  of  a  powerful  five-week  build  up  for 
"The  Life  of  Riley"  which  hit  a  high  note  with  Mayor 
Albert  D.  Cash's  official  proclamation  of  "The  Life  of 
Riley  Week."  The  whole  town's  on  the  "Riley"  band- 
wagon! 

Cincinnati's  leading  stores  saluted  "The  Life  of  Riley" 
with  full-page  newspaper  ads  and  window-displays. 

Enquirer,  Times-Star  and  Post  tied  up  with  special 
news-making  Riley  contests. 

WLW  radio  network,  penetrating  four  states,  de- 
voted entire  facilities  to  star  interviews,  spot  announce- 
ments, continuous  picture  plugs. 

Traffic  Safety  Council  heralded  "The  Life  of  Riley" 
in  a  poster  campaign  throughout  the  city. 

Every  drug  store  window  in  town  carried  "The  Life 
of  Riley"  displays  in  a  city-wide  merchandising  pro- 
motion by  Procter  &  Gamble,  sponsors  of  "The  Life  of 
Riley"  hit  radio  show  on  which  the  motion  picture  is 
based. 

The  lucky  Riley  family  chosen  on  the  "Truth  or  Con- 
sequences" radio  show  to  live  "The  Life  of  Riley"  in 
Cincinnati  during  premiere  week  made  front-page 
news  in  the  city's  press. 

Even  the  Grand  Theatre  was  re-named  "The  Life  of 
Riley  Theatre"  for  the  world  premiere! 

Tonight  critics,  columnists  and  radio  commentators 
from  the  entire  Midwest  territory  will  be  on  hand  to 
tell  the  nation's  movie-goers  about  the  gala  preview 
festivities  with  William  Bendix  heading  an  in-person 
Hollywood  caravan  and  a  live  broadcast  of  "The  Life 
of  Riley"  hit  radio  show  from  the  stage  of  the  Grand. 

It's  a  big  night  for  Cincinnati ..  .and  for  U-l  show- 
men everywhere  who  are  getting  set  to  live  "The  Life 
of  Riley." 

On  the  air,  in  magazine  and  newspaper  merchan- 
dising tieups,  through  every  exploitation  medium  all 
through  the  picture's  national  release,  the  vast  re- 
sources of  Procter  &  Gamble,  National  Broadcasting 
Company  and  Universal-International  will  go  on  giv- 
ing all  America  that  "Life  of  Riley"  feeling. 

U-l  wants  you  fo  live  "The  Life  of  Riley"! 


WILL/AM 

BENDIX  J 


Guardian  of  her  most  important  "bath"... 


COSTLY  shots  like  this  might  be 
so  much  spoiled  footage  .  .  . 
save  for  the  vigilance  and  knowl- 
edge of  the  laboratory  man. 

He  makes  sure  that  the  dailies 
take  their  all-important  bath  ...  in- 
specting, testing,  keeping  constant 
check  as  the  exposed  footage  runs 
through  the  developing,  fixing,  and 
washing  tanks  and  driers. 

To  his  skill  and  watchfulness ...  as 


film  representing  "box-office  gold" 
literally  slips  through  his  careful  fin- 
gers . .  .  motion  pictures  owe  much 
of  their  well-earned  reputation  for 
technical  excellence. 

This  skill  is  more  effective  . . .  the 
burden  of  constant  vigilancelessened 
.  .  .  when  he  works  with  depend- 
able film  of  superior  quality.  That's 
why  he  always  welcomes  the  family 
of  Eastman  motion  picture  films. 


EASTMAN   KODAK  COMPANY 

ROCHESTER  4,  N.  Y. 

J.  E.  BRULATOUR,  INC.,  DISTRIBUTORS 
FORT   LEE    .    CHICAGO    •  HOLLYWOOD 


FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate 

IN 

ATT  "^7* 

Concise 

FILM 

and 

INC  WO 

jmWlLiiiiy^A   AJI  JL/  JBL 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.  NO.  45 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  MARCH  7,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

McConnellWill 

Seek  Revised 
Chicago  Plan 

Some  Subsequents  Shy 
On  Bids  for  RKO  Films 


Chicago,  March  6. — Discussions 
for  a  revision  in  RKO  Radio's  sell- 
ing plan  in  Chicago,  which  would 
enable  the  company  to  recoup  lost 
bookings  in  fourth  and  fifth  subse- 
quent-run theatres,  will  begin  Mon- 
day in  New  York.  Thomas  McCon- 
nell,  Allied  States  of  Illinois  attor- 
ney here,  is  to  confer  with  RKO 
Radio  executives  and  their  attorneys 
for  a  possible  adoption  of  negotiation- 
selling  in  the  later  runs,  rather  than 
competitive  bidding  selling  which  is 
now  being  used. 

Desired  revision  is  based  on  a  de- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Select  Top  Showmen 
In  15  th  Quigley  Poll 


The  15th  annual  judging  in  the 
Quigley  Awards  Competition  for 
Showmanship,  conducted  by  Motion 
Picture  Herald's  Managers'  Round 
Table,  will  take  place  in  the  Le  Perro- 
quet  Room  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria 
today.  Beginning  at  11  A.M.  the 
judges  will  inspect  28  entries,  with 
luncheon  served  at  about  one  o'clock. 

The  28  contenders  represent  the  top 
winners  of  the  four  quarters  of  1948, 
and  a  selection  of  "Scroll  of  Honor" 
winners.  Judges  will  name  their  first 
three  choices,  and  one  in  the  foreign 
field  who  will  receive  a  special  Over- 
seas Award,  given  separately.  Martin 
Quigley  will  introduce  the  guest 
speaker,  S.  H.  Fabian,  head  of  Fabian 
Theatres.  Announcement  of  the  win- 
ners will  be  made  in  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture   Herald   and    Motion  Picture 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Wilbert  Named  Roxy 
Ad-Puhlicity  Chief 

Appointment  of  Christy  Wilbert  as 
director  of  advertising-publicity  for 
the  Roxy  Theatre  here  was  announced 
at  the  weekend  by  A.  J.  Balaban,  ex- 
ecutive director  of  the  theatre. 
_  Wilbert  has  held  the  post  of  adver- 
tising manager  for  20th  Century-Fox 
since  1945,  having  been  in  the  com- 
pany's advertising  department  for  13 
years.  He  will  assume  his  new  duties 
today,  succeeding  Homer  Harman 
who  resigned  and  who;  after  a  vaca- 
tion, will  announce  new  plans. 


New  Para.  Companies  to 
Have  Huge  Cash  Bulwarks 


Balaban  Urges 
Stockholders 
Ratify  Decree 


Continuation  of  the  litigation  in 
the  industry  trust  suit  to  an  ulti- 
mate U.  S.  Supreme  Court  decision 
would  have  meant  risks  and  uncer- 
tainties and  possibly  a  court  order  seri- 
ously impairing  the  values  of  its  the- 
atre properties,  Barney  Balaban, 
president  of  Paramount,  told  the  cor- 
poration's stockholders  in  a  special 
letter  accompanying  proxy  statements 
mailed  over  the  weekend. 

Paramount's  acceptance  of  the  con- 
sent judgment  represented  the  "wis- 
est course  to  follow,"  Balaban  said, 
adding :  "Your  board  and  I  recom- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Para.  Theatres  Can 
Add  Video  Outlets 


Following  divorcement  from  Para- 
mount, the  new  independent  theatre 
company  will  be  free  to  own  and  oper- 
ate four  new  television  stations  in 
addition  to  Station  WBKB,  Chicago, 
which  it  will  receive  from  Paramount, 
company  stockholders  are  advised  in 
the  reorganization  proxy  statement. 

The  new  picture  company  will  re- 
ceive Paramount's  stock  interest  in 
DuMont  Television  and,  therefore, 
under  Federal  Communications  Com- 
mission rulings  limiting  to  five  sta- 
tions the  number  that  may  be  oper- 
ated under  single  or  joint  ownership, 
the  new  picture  company,  or  DuMont, 
will  be  free  to  acquire  only  one  more 
television  station.  DuMont  operates 
stations  in  New  York,  Washington 
and  Pittsburgh  now  and  the  new  pic- 
ture company  will  receive  Station 
KTLA,  Los  Angeles.  


Para.  Dividends  from 
Canadian  Theatres 

Paramount's  66.27  per  cent 
of  Famous  Players  Canadian's 
370  theatres  paid  it  a  max- 
imum of  $2,154  000  in  1947  and 
a  minimum  of  $811,000  in  1940, 
the  company  reports. 


Para.  Reorganization 
Plan  Highlights 


Reorganization  Plan  for  Company  Is  Sent 
To  Stockholders;  Contemplates  Separate 
Film  and  Theatre  Companies  Within  a  Year 

The  new  Paramount  independent  picture  and  theatre  companies  will 
be  launched  with  strong  cash  and  credit  resources,  to  be  assumed  by  the 
new  theatre  company,  which  will  provide  Paramount  Pictures,  Inc.,  with 
approximately  $30,000,000  in  cash  assets  deriving  from  the  present  com- 
pany, Paramount's  plan  of  reorganization  now  being  distributed  to  stock- 
holders reveals. 

United  Paramount  Theatres,  Inc., 
the  new  independent  theatre  com- 
pany, will  have  a  $12,500,000  credit 
earmarked  for  acquisition  of  theatre 
interests  permitted  it  by  the  Para- 
mount consent  decree,  with  a  total  of 
$18,000,000  in  cash  and  government 
securities. 

Approval  of  the  plan  of  reorgani- 
zation will  be  sought  of  company 
stockholders  at  a  meeting  to  be  held 
at  the  home  office  on  April  12.  Two- 
thirds  of  Paramount's  6,656,539  shares 
of  stock  outstanding  must  approve  the 
plan  for  it  to  become  effective. 

Under  the  plan,  Paramount's  do- 
mestic theatre  operations  will  be  sep- 
arated to  form  the  new  independent 
theatre  company.  Production-dis- 
tribution operations,  370  Canadian  and 
14  foreign  theatres  and  a  division  of 
Paramount's  television  interests  with 
certain  other  assets  will  comprise  the 
new  independent  Paramount  Pictures. 

The  reorganization  of  the  company, 
if  approved  by  stockholders,  is  to  be 
consummated  by  Dec.  31,  next,  with 
a  March  3,  1950,  deadline  for  start 
of  independent  company  operations. 

Paramount  stockholders  will  receive 
one-half  share  in  each  new  company 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


TTIGHLIGHTS  of  the  plan  of 
J.  JL  reorganization  for  Paramount 
which  will  be  voted  upon  by  company 
stockholders  on  April  12 : 

Proposes  formation  of  new 
United  Paramount  Theatres 
company  with  maximum  of  647 
theatres,  to  be  headed  by  Leon- 
ard H.  Goldenson. 

New  picture  company,  to  be 
headed  by  Barney  Balaban,  to 
have  all  production-distribution 
assets,  370  Canadian  and  14  for- 
eign theatres  and  bulk  of 
television  assets.  Company 
will  be  known  as  Paramount 
Pictures,  Inc.,  and  will  have 
the  right  to  acquire  theatres  in 
the  future. 

Stockholders  to  receive  one- 
half  share  in  each  new  company 
for  each  present  share  of  Para- 
mount stock  held. 

Reorganization  to  be  consum- 
mated by  end  of  this  year  with 
absolute  deadline  for  indepen- 
dent companies'  start  by  March 
3,  1950. 


1949-50  Prospects 
'Encourage'  Balaban 


Hollywood,  March  6. — Barney  Bal- 
aban, president  of  Paramount,  de- 
clared here  at  the  weekend  prior  to 
his  departure  for  the  East  that  he  has 
never  been  so  encouraged  over  com- 
pany prospects  as  he  is  for  1949  and 
1950.  He  cited  Paramount  vice-presi- 
dent and  studio  head  Henry  Ginsberg 
for  the  long-range  production  pro- 
gram which  he  has  set  up. 

Balaban,  Paul  Raibourn,  Russell 
Holman,  Stanley  Shuford  and  Ben 
Washer,  who  have  been  attending  the 

(Continued  on  page  3) 

mount. 


Balaban,  Goldenson 
Set  for  Top  Posts 

Proxy  statement  sent  to 
stockholders  at  the  weekend 
confirms  that  "it  is  expected" 
Barney  Balaban,  president  of 
Paramount  Pictures,  Inc.,  will 
be  elected  president  of  the 
New  Picture  Co.  and  Leonard 
Goldenson,  Paramount  vice- 
president,  will  be  elected 
president  of  New  Theatres 
Co.  That  both  were  slated 
fir  the  respective  top  posi- 
tions, subject  to  a  vote  bv 
each  company's  board  of  di- 
rectors, had  been  reported 
previously  but  without  official 
confirmation. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  7,  1949 


Coming 
Events 


March  9 — Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Owners  and  Operators  of  Georgia 
Luncheon,  Hotel  Grady,  Atlanta. 

March  25 — Academy  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Arts  and  Sciences  .  annual 
awards,  Hollywood. 

April  4-5 — Colorado  Association  of 
Theatre  Owners  convention,  Denver. 

April  4-8 — Society  of  Motion  Picture 
Engineers  65th  semi-annual  conven- 
tion, Hotel  Statler,  New  York. 

May  15- June  30 — U.  S.  Treasury  sav- 
ings bond  drive. 

May  2-7 — Variety  Clubs  International 
annual  convention,  San  Francisco. 

June  7-8 — Allied  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  of  Kansas  and  Missouri 
annual  convention,  Kansas  City. 

June  21-23— Associated  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  Indiana  annual  convention, 
French  Lick  Hotel,  French  Lick, 
Ind. 


Personal  Mention 


Stockholders  Sue 
To  Void  Cohn  Pact 


Columbia  president  Harry  Cohn  and 
the  company's  directors  were  named 
defendants  in  a  minority  stockholder 
action  filed  in  U.  S.  District  Court 
here  on  Friday  in  protest  against  the 
new  salary  and  death  benefit  contract 
which  was  voted  Cohn  over  minority 
stockholder  objections  at  the  com- 
pany's Feb.  8  stockholders  meeting. 

Plaintiff  is  David  Cohn,  a  minority 
stockholder  who  is  said  to  have  no 
kinship  with  Harry  or  Jack  Cohn,  the 
latter  being  Columbia's  executive  vice- 
president  and  also  a  defendant  in  con- 
sequence of  his  board  membership. 
The  action  alleges  the  directors'  ap- 
proval of  the  Cohn  contract  was  "a 
fraud  on  the  rights  of  minority  stock- 
holders," and  asks  that  a  receiver  be 
appointed  to  replace  the  board  which 
is  charged  with  being  "incapable  of 
handling  company  affairs  because  of 
the  domination  of  Harry  Cohn." 

Columbia  Directors 
Cite  Harry  Cohn 

_  Directors  of  Columbia  Pictures 
cited  president  Harry  Cohn  at  their 
recent  board  meeting,  passing  a  reso- 
lution thanking  him  as  the  executive 
head  of  the  studio,  and  his  production 
staff,"  for  the  quality  of  pictures  re- 
cently completed,  and  expressing  the 
board's  appreciation  for  the  schedule 
of  pictures  now  in  production  and 
planning  stages,"  the  home  office  states. 

Set  SIMPP  N.Y. Quarters 

Society  of  Independent  Motion  Pic- 
ture Producers  of  Hollywood,  has 
leased  offices  in  the  International 
Building,  Rockefeller  Center,  to  serve 
as  Eastern  headquarters.  Marvin 
Ferris,  executive  secretary,  and  Rob- 
ert J.  Rubin,  general  counsel,  expect 
to  spend  most  of  their  time  here, 
rather  than  on  the  Coast,  hereafter. 


tpRIC  JOHNSTON  will  leave  Hol- 
'  lywood  today  for  San  Francisco 
enroute  to  Washington,  where  he  is 
due  to  arrive  Saturday. 


C.  J.  Feldman,  Universal-Interna- 
tional Western  sales  manager,  is  visit- 
ing the  Chicago,  Omaha,  Des  Moines 
and  Kansas  City  exchanges,  and  will 
return  here  about  March  11. 

• 

W.  C.  Ricord,  a  Fox  West  Coast 
theatre  manager,  and  Mrs.  Ricord, 
are  the  parents  of  a  boy  born  at 
Queen  of  Angels  Hospital,  Los  An- 
geles. 

• 

L.  J.  McGinley,  sales  manager  of 
the  Prestige  Pictures  unit  of  Univer- 
sal-International, is  visiting  Charlotte, 
Atlanta  and  Memphis. 

• 

Jerry  Whitesell,  M-G-M  booker 
at  Cleveland,  is  in  the  Bayview  Hos- 
pital there,  recovering  from  an  emerg- 
ency appendectomy. 

• 

F.  J.  A.  McCarthy,  Universal-In- 
ternational Southern  and  Canadian 
sales  manager,  will  leave  New  York 
today  for  Dallas. 

• 

Kurt  Goldberger  of  Loew's  home 
office  accounting  department  was  mar- 
ried to  Margaret  Heller  here  Friday 
at  City  Hall. 

• 

Al  Horwits,  Universal-Interna- 
tional studio  publicity  director,  is  in 
Cincinnati  and  goes  to  the  Coast  from 
there. 

• 

James   B.   Harris   and   David  L. 
Wolper,  of  Harris-Wolper  Pictures, 
are  in  Toronto  from  New  York. 
• 

Bill  Kelly,  Jr.  of  Brooklyn  has 
been  appointed  a  U-I  student  sales 
representative  in  Atlanta. 


JULES  K.  CHAPMAN,  Film 
*•»  Classics  assistant  general  sales 
manager,  will  leave  here  today  for  a 
tour  of  the  company's  exchanges  in 
the  South  and  Southwest. 

• 

Maurice  Glockner,  manager  of 
Schine's  confectionery  department,  and 
Mrs.  Glockner,  announce  the  en- 
gagement of  their  daughter,  Yolanda, 
to  Har.vey  T.  Lyon,  of  Los  Angeles. 
• 

Arthur  Pincus,  assistant  director 
of  Loew's  International  advertising- 
publicity,  will  leave  here  today  for  a 
three-month  tour  of  M-G-M  offices  in 
Central  and  South  America. 

• 

Charles  Judge,  assistant  manager 
of  the  Philadelphia  Trans-Lux  thea- 
tre, has  been  promoted  to  manager, 
replacing  Tom  Speck,  who  resigned 
to  enter  another  business. 

• 

Harold  Boyd,  formerly  with  the 
Welworth  circuit  in  Sioux  Falls, 
S.D.,  is  manager  of  the  East  Park,  a 
drive-in  of  the  same  city. 

• 

Lee  Coken,  RKO  divisional  man- 
ager in  charge  of  vending,  is  in  Wash- 
ington from  New  York  and  will  re- 
turn here  tomorrow. 

• 

Rudy  Berger,  M-G-M  Southern 
sales  manager,  returned  to  Washing- 
ton over  the  weekend  from  Charlotte 
and  Atlanta. 

e 

Walter  Titus,  Republic  Eastern 
division  sales  manager,  is  in  Cleve- 
land from  New  York. 

• 

Carol  Puciato,  Realart  home  office 
executive,  is  in  Cleveland  from  New 
York. 

• 

Donald  Wolf,  son  of  Nat  Wolf, 
Warner  Ohio  zone  manager,  has  been 
named  assistant  manager  at  Warner's 
Vogue  Theatre  in  Cleveland. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


CARDINAL  SPELLMAN  leading 
"gravediggers,"  and  the  globe- 
circling  bomber  are  current  newsreel 
highlights.  Other  items  include  the 
Mardi  Gras  in  New  Orleans,  Joe 
Louis  retiring  and  fashions  and  sports. 
Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  1&— Giant 
bomber  circles  globe.  Historic  armistice 
signed  between  Israel  and  Egypt.  Brussels 
meeting  of  European  union  heckled  by  Reds. 
Gerard  Dennis,  modern  Raffles,  held  by  po- 
lice. New  Orleans  Mardi  Gras.  New  York 
Yankees  and  St.  Louis  Cardinals  start  train- 
ing.   Water  ballet  at  Smith  College. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  253— Global 
non-stop  flight.  Cardinal  Spellman  takes 
hand  in  graveyard  strike.  Yanks  open 
spring  training.  Co-eds  learn  life  saving. 
M-G-M  party  marks  25th  anniversary. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  56—  Spring 
and  baseball.  Cardinal  Spellman  heads  stu- 
dents digging  graves.  B-50  circles  globe. 
Joe  Louis  hangs  up  his  gloves. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  227— 
Cardinal  Spellman  leads  "gravediggers." 
National  Urban  League  fund  launched. 
Whaling  ship  puts  into  New  York  drydock. 
Mardi  Gras  in  New  Orleans.  Ram  contest 
at  market  day  in  Spain.  B-50  circles  globe. 
Hat  fashions. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  58— 
B-SO  flies  around  the  world.  Reda  fail  to 
stop  Churchill  speech.  Army  convicts  spies 
in  German  spy  ring.  "DP's"  cross  U.S.  on 
long  voyage  home.  Mardi  Gras  in  New 
Orleans.  French  beach  styles.  Ski  cham- 
pionships.    Do  you  remember  1927? 


Woethe  Heads  Ohio 
Booking  Combine 

Cincinnati,  March  6.  —  Louis 
Woethe,  local  circuit  operator,  has 
been  elected  president  of  the  reorgan- 
ized Theatre  Owners  Corp.,  buying- 
and-booking  combine,  originally  es- 
tablished three  years  ago,  and  now 
serving  approximately  50  theatres  in 
Cincinnati  and  surrounding  areas. 

Others  elected  were :  Herman  H. 
Hunt  and  Willis  Vance,  first  and  sec- 
ond vice-presidents,  respectively; 
Charles  Ackerman,  secretary,  and 
Frank  W.  Huss,  treasurer.  Rex  Carr 
was  renamed  general  manager.  Direc- 
tors are  Don  Reda,  Willard  Gerves, 
John  Hewett  and  Maurice  Chase,  in 
addition  to  the  officers. 


Republic  Omits  Dividend 

At  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  direc- 
tors of  Republic  Pictures,  held  here 
Wednesday,  no  action  was  taken  with 
respect  to  the  dividend  on  the  pre^- 
f erred  stock  due  April  1,  the  com- 
pany reports. 


Regional  Ads  Aid 
Canadian  Pacific' 

San  Francisco,  March  6. — News- 
paper and  radio  spots  are  being  used 
extensively  to  obtain  widespread  re- 
gional coverage  for  the  premieres  of 
"Canadian  Pacific,"  the  Nat  Holt 
production  to  open  this  week  in  94 
theatres  throughout  the  Far  West. 

Newspapers  and  radio  stations  in 
San  Francisco,  Denver,  Salt  Lake 
Citv,  Seattle  and  Portland  are  being 
used  in  the  campaign,  which  will  open 
at  the  Fox  Theatre  here  on  Thurs- 
day with  a  delegation  of  stars  attend- 
ing, including  Randolph  Scott,  Jane 
Wyatt,  Victor  J  ory,  Nancy  Olson  and 
J.  Carroll  Naish.  all  of  whom  have 
top  roles  in  the  film. 


Broidy,  Aides  to  Chicago 

Hollywood,  March  6. — Steve  Broidy, 
Monogram  president,  will  leave  here 
Wednesday,  accompanied  by  company 
executives  George  D.  Burrows,  Har- 
old J.  Mirisch  and  Howard  Stubbins 
for  Chicago,  where  the  Monogram- 
Allied  Artists  annual  stockholders 
meeting  is  scheduled  for  Saturday. 


'Life  of  Riley'  Off 
To  a  Good  Start 

Cincinnati,  March  6. — Climaxing 
one  of  the  most  extensive  five-week 
exploitation  campaigns,  the  "Life  of 
Riley"  premiere,  Friday  night,  had  an 
overflow  audience  at  the  RKO  Grand 
Theatre,  renamed  "The  Life  of  Riley 
Theatre"  for  the  occasion.  William 
Bendix,  John  Brown,  Rosemary  De- 
Camp,  Meg  Randall,  Richard  Long, 
NBC  personalities  in  the  weekly  net- 
work "Riley"  show,  broadcast  from 
the  stage,  preceding  the  premiere. 
Bendix  presented  a  check  from  the 
proceeds  of  the  premiere  for  approxi- 
mately $5,000  from  the  stage  to  the 
Cincinnati  Children's  Home,  for  which 
the  premiere  was  held. 

Approximately  160  theatres  in  the 
Cincinnati  and  Indianapolis  exchange 
territories  have  opened  day-and-date. 


Paul  Lazarus,  Sr.,  Is 
Hospitalized  in  K.  C. 

Kansas  City,  Mo.,  March  6. — Paul 
Lazarus,  Sr.,  manager  of  United  Art- 
ists' contract  department,  has  entered 
St.  Joseph's  Hospital  here  after  hav- 
ing suffered  a  stroke  while  en  route 
from  his  home  in  New  York  to  Albu- 
querque for  a  vacation.  He  was  ac- 
companied by  his  wife. 

Paul  Lazarus,  Jr.,  executive  assis- 
tant to  UA  president  Gradwell  Sears, 
came  here  late  last  week  to  be  with 
his  father. 


Leve  to  Northern  Calif. 

San  Francisco,  March  6. — Spencer 
Leve,  Fox  West  Coast  Southern  Cali- 
fornia district  manager,  has  been  ap- 
pointed temporary  Northern  California 
district  manager,  replacing  Richard 
Spier,  who  is  in  Notre  Dame  Hospi- 
tal, during  the  latter's  illness. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor    Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,_Associate  Editor.   Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 

Quigpubco, 
Secretary; 

•         ion  ~ci  ,"  '  T — " "  ~*   ~  "*^T*  wi  "—"6    «*«""*&*"  ,    vjua  ^ouau,   i  luuutuuii   lyidiiugcj  ,   iiunjf  wuuu  uiiicau,    I  uui.a-  v  me   ouuuiug,    vv  uuam   R.  Weaver, 

r    rk.  Bureau,  120  bouth  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley.   Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 

ntiT"    n  '"i      b°S  1  "ress  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  " " 


_  n.  i      „  , .v  -.  -,v"7.  '■  "Sir— -.  vj^.uw,  om-,  "i.uupc  cuiiiup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 

Other  LJuigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,    each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  * 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


Monday,  March  7,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Para.  Pictures  Outgrossed 
Theatres  in  4  of  9  Years 

Comparison  of  earnings  of  Paramount  theatres  and  Paramount  pro- 
duction-distribution reveals  that  in  the  period  from  1940  through  the 
first  nine  months  of  1948,  picture  company  earnings  exceeded  theatre 
earnings  in  four  of  the  nine  periods. 

The  pro  forma  results,  showing  what  the  new  theatre  company  and 
new  picture  company  would  have  earned  had  they  existed  follows: 


Theatre  Picture 

Year                                  Company  Company 

1940  $  4,089,000  $  2,313,000 

1941                                       4,097,000  5,109,000 

1942                                       4,562,000  8,563,000 

1943                                     6,581,000  8,004,000 

1944                                       7,838,000  6,905,000 

1945                                       7,421,000  8,004,000 

1946                                      20,498,000  18,701,000 

1947                                    17,505,000  10,735,000 

1948  (9  mos.)                        10,976,000  4,495,000 


The  theatre  company  earnings  above  do  not  include  undistributed 
dividends  of  subsidiaries  and  affiliates,  which  ranged  from  a  minimum 
of  $1,025,000  in  1941  to  a  high  of  $4,175,000  in  1946. 

Picture  company  earnings  likewise  do  not  include  undistributed 
dividends,  which  ranged  from  $16,000  in  1940  to  a  high  of  $951,000  for  the 
nine  months  of  1948. 


Meet  the  New  Para. 
Companies  by  Name 

The  present  corporate 
name  "Paramount  Pictures, 
Inc.,"  possibly  with  some  vari- 
ation, will  be  the  name  of 
the  New  Picture  Co.  The 
New  Theatres  Co.  will  be 
known  as  "United  Paramount 
Theatres,  Inc. 


Canadian  Action  on 
Television  Is  Due 


Ottawa,  March  6. — The  Canadian 
government  is  expected  to  reach  a  de- 
cision about  the  manner  and  method 
of  procedure  for  video  in  Canada  in  a 
few  days  and  this  may  mean  that  the 
Canadian  Broadcasting  Corp.  can 
proceed  immediately  with  the  develop- 
ment of  its  television  plans. 

The  opinion  here  is  that  a  loan  may 
be  given  to  CBC  for  such  purpose 
since  one  of  the  reasons  advanced  for 
the  slow  video  progress  here  to  date 
has  been  the  heavy  expenditures  in- 
volved in  television  for  a  country  like 
Canada  with  its  comparatively  small 
population  and  wide  spaces. 

The  first  television  station  would  be 
located  in  Montreal  or  Toronto,  or 
possibly  both. 

It  is  believed  that  one  point  which 
will  be  stressed  in  the  development 
will  be  to  make  telecasts  as  distinctly 
Canadian  as  possible  and  not'  merely 
an  offshoot  of  the  U.  S.  video  indus- 
try, with  this  entailing  governmental 
control  to  a  large  extent  right  from 
the  start,  though  private  enterprise 
would  enter  the  picture. 

At  present,  the  CBC  has  several 
applications  for  private  television  sta- 
tions, and  it  is  understood  here  that  a 
co-operative  scheme  will  be  worked 
out  whereby  they  could  fit  into  the 
national  system.  It  is  certain  that  pri- 
vate stations  would  not  be  permitted 
to  operate  alone  because  it  is  feared 
that  they  would  become  units  of 
American  networks  in  time. 


McConnell  Will  Seek 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


cline  in  bookings  in  the  later  runs, 
Decause  those  houses  are  by-passing 
the  product  due  to  a  refusal  to  pay 
high  rentals  under  a  bidding  set-up. 
Under  negotiation,  they  could  prob- 
ably buy  a  film  for  less.  The  com- 
pany, however,  it  is  understood,  has 
shown  an  upswing  in  rentals  as  a 
result  of  its  sales  plan  adopted  since 
the  Jackson  Park  decree  went  into 
effect,  and  is  generally  satisfied  with 
sales  under  the  bidding  plan  for  those 
theatres  designated  in  first,  second 
and  third-run  zones. 

Using  a  similar  zoning-bidding  set- 
up, however,  20th-Fox  negotiates 
with  theatres  in  the  later  zones,  and 
is  receiving  full-scope  bookings  on  the 
majority  of  its  product. 

Canadian  Exports 
Nearly  $4  Millions 

Ottawa,  March  6. — The  Canadian 
government  reports  that  exports  of 
films  declined  to  $370,000  in  Decem- 
ber, 1948,  compared  with  $449,000  in 
December,  1947,  but  shipments  ad- 
vanced to  a  total  value  of  $3,916,000 
in  the  12  months  of  1948,  against 
$3,305,000  in  the  previous  year. 


Select  Top  Showmen 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Daily  issues  of  March  12.  Invited 
judges  include : 

Edwin  W.  Aaron,  Paul  Ackerman,  Harry 
C.  Arthur,  Barney  Balaban,  Leon  J.  Bam- 
berger, Maurice  A.  Bergman,  Joseph  Bern- 
hard,  David  Blum,  N.  J.  Blumberg,  Mort 
Blumenstock,  Lige  Brien,  Steve  Broidy, 
Harry  D.  Buckley,  Dennis  Carlin,  Samuel 
Cohen,  Jack  Cohn,  Robert  W.  Coyne,  Har- 
old Danson,  William  Danziger,  George 
Dembow,  Ned  E.  Depinet,  Howard  Dietz, 
Oscar  A.  Doob,  Steve  Edwards,  Edward  C. 
Dowden,  Charles  Einfeld,  Ernest  Emerling, 
Zeb  Epstein,  Gus  S.  Eyssell,  S.  H.  Fabian, 
Lynn  Farnol,  W.  R.  Ferguson,  Harold  J. 
Fitzgerald,  J.  J.  Fitzgibbons,  Ted  R.  Gam- 
ble, Tom  Gerety,  Robert  M.  Gillham,  Mel- 
vin  L.  Gold,  Harry  Goldberg,  Louis  Gold- 
berg, Gilbert  E.  Golden,  Leonard  H.  Golden- 
son,  E.  C.  Grainger,  Harry  Greenman,  Ben 
H.  Grimm,  Sydney  Gross,  Charles  Hacker, 
John  H.  Harris,  William  J.  Heineman, 
William  K.  Jenkins,  Ben  Kalmenson,  G.  R. 
Keyser,  Malcolm  Kingsberg,  Arthur  B. 
Krim,  Jock  Lawrence,  Paul  N.  Lazarus, 
Jr.,  Howard  LeSieur. 

Also:  Louis  S.  Lifton,  Henry  A.  Linet, 
Lawrence  H.  Lipskin,  David  A.  Lipton,  S. 
Barret  McCormick,  Vincent  R.  McFaul, 
Harry  McWilliams,  Harry  Mandel,  Sid 
Mesibov,  Dan  Michalove,  Robert  Mochrie, 
A.  Montague,  Leon  D.  Netter,  John  J. 
O'Connor,  Lew  Preston,  Paul  Raibourn, 
A.  W.  Schwalberg,  F.  H.  Ricketson,  Jr., 
H.  M.  Richey,  Herman  Robbins,  William 
F.  Rodgers,  Samuel  Rosen,  E.  H.  Rowley, 
Montague  Salmon,  Sidney  Schaefer,  J. 
Myer  Schine,  Louis  W.  Schine,  Charles 
Schlaifer,  Ted  Schlanger.  Arthur  Schmidt, 
William  B.  Schulman,  Fred  T.  Schwartz, 
S.  A.  Schwartz,  William  A.  Scully,  Silas 
F.  Seadler,  Gradwell  L.  Sears,  Joseph  M» 
Seider,  Sam  Shain,  Frank  J.  Shea,  Stanley 
Shuford,  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  Charles  P. 
Skouras,  A.  W.  Smith,  Nate  B.  Spingold, 
T.  P.  Springer,  Arthur  Tourtellot,  Joseph 
R.  Vogel,  Ben  Washer,  Robert  M.  Weitman. 
William  A.  White,  Christy  Wilbert,  R.  B. 
Wilby,  Herbert  J.  Yates,  Max  E.  Young- 
stein,  W.  Zwilor. 

U.  S.,  British  Expand 
German  Newsreels 

Washington,  March  6. — Film  of- 
ficials of  the  U.  S.  and  British  mili- 
tary governments  in  Germany  have 
agreed  to  step  up  distribution  of  the 
German  language  newsreel.  Welt  im 
Film,  according  to  information  reach- 
ing the  War  Department  here. 

Prints  of  the  newsreel,  distributed 
in  the  Anglo-American  zones  in  Ger- 
manv  and  in  Austria,  will  be  increased 
from  356  to  416  per  issue.  Purpose  is 
to  enable  audiences  in  even  the  small- 
est towns  to  get  the  newsreel  two 
weeks  to  a  month  after  production. 


Balaban  Encouraged 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

five-day  conference  of  Paramount  ex- 
ecutives in  the  company's  Hollywood 
studio,  are  due  back  at  their  desks  in 
New  York  tomorrow. 

Alfred  W.  Schwalberg,  E.  K. 
O'Shea,  Hugh  Owen,  George  A. 
Smith,  J.  J.  Donohue,  Harry  Gold- 
stein, Harold  Wirthwein  and  Gordon 
Lightstone  are  remaining  in  Holly- 
wood for  meetings  today  and  tomor- 
row. William  Danziger  is  returning  to 
New  York  by  way  of  Dallas,  where 
he  will  stop  over  a  day  or  two. 


Big  Income  from 
Foreign  Theatres 


The  new  Paramount  picture  com- 
pany would  have  received  $11,016,736 
in  admissions  and  receipts  during  the 
first  nine  months  of  1948  from  its 
Canadian  and  other  foreign  theatre 
holdings  which  it  will  retain  under 
the  reorganization  plan,  the  pro  forma 
statement  for  the  new  company  shows. 

In  addition,  its  nine  months  film 
rentals  in  1948  would  have  been 
$52,627,810,  and  rentals  and  other  in- 
come, $2,037,940,  for  a  total  of  $65,- 
682,486. 


Own  Theatres  Gave 
Para.  15%  of  Gross 

Film  rentals  received  by 
Paramount  from  theatres 
which  will  be  operated  by  the 
new  theatre  company  ranged 
from  11.  to  15  per  cent  of 
total  domestic  film  rentals 
and  eight  to  10  per  cent  of  its 
world  film  rentals  during  the 
eight  years  and  nine  months 
to  Oct.  2,  1948,  the  company 
reports.  Film  rentals  paid  to 
Paramount  by  theatres  of  the 
new  company  ranged  from  25 
to  32  per  cent  of  the  total 
paid  by  them  to  all  dis- 
tributors. 


Physical  Properties 
Of  Companies  Listed 


All  of  the  domestic  theatre  assets 
owned  by  Paramount  will  be  trans- 
ferred to  New  Theatre  Co.,  less,  of 
course,  holdings  to  be  disposed  of,  and 
all  production  and  distribution  facili- 
ties, and  all  theatre  properties  outside 
of  the  U.  S.,  will  go  to  the  New  Pic- 
ture Co.  upon  consummation  of  the 
company's  plan  for  reorganization. 
The  television  interests  are  to  be 
divided.  It  breaks  down  this  way: 

NEW  THEATRE  CO.  Will  be 
permitted  to  retain  up  to  650  wholly- 
owned  theatres,  these  to  consist  of 
380  of  the  449  theatres  which  the  cor- 
poration now  fully  owns,  plus  the  en- 
tire ownership  of  theatres,  roughly 
270  of  them,  which  the  company  is 
free  to  acquire  in  dissolving  partner- 
ships. 

Will  take  over  operation  of  Tele- 
vision Station  WBKB,  Chicago,  a 
subsidiary  of  Balaban  and  Katz. 

Paramount  discloses  in  its  proxy 
statement  to  stockholders  that  146  of 
its  wholly-owned  theatres  are  held  by 
outright  ownership,  that  is,  by  fee, 
will  be  operated  on  lease. 

To  Be  Held  Permanently 

Among  the  properties  which  will  be 
held  permanently,  free  of  encum- 
brances, all  in  fee,  are:  Paramount 
Theatre,  San  Francisco,  with  stores; 
State,  San  Francisco,  stores;  Radio 
City  Theatre,  Minneapolis,  stores  and 
radio  studio;  Florida  Theatre,  St. 
Petersburg,  office  building  and  stores; 
Florida  Theatre,  Jacksonville,  office 
building  and  stores;  Paramount,  Los 
Angeles,  office  building  and  stores. 
Held  on  lease:  State  Lake  Theatre, 
Chicago,  office  building  and  stores,  and 
Olympia  Theatre,  Miami,  office  build- 
ing and  stores. 

The  Paramount  Theatre,  New  York, 
may  be  operated  on  lease. 

NEW  PICTURES  CO.  Will 
continue  the  business  of  producing 
motion  pictures  and  distributing  them 
throughout  the  world  with  present 
physical  assets.  Will  hold  all  of 
the  stock  of  Paramount  International 
Films  which  owns,  among  other 
assets,  66.67  per  cent  of  the  outstand- 
ing common  stock  of  Famous  Players 
Canadian  Corp.  The  latter  operates  a 
circuit  of  370  theatres  in  Canada. 

Will  _  hold  all  stock  of  Paramount 
Television  Productions  which  operates 
station  KTLA,  Los  Angeles,  as  well 
as  all  of  the  stock  of  Famous  Music 
Corp.  and  Paramount  Music  Corp. 

Will  own  43,200  shares  of  Class  A 
common  and  560,000  shares  of  Class  B 
common  of  Allen  B.  DuMont  Labora- 
tories, representing  29J4  per  cent  of 
the  total  amounts  of  all  DuMont  out- 
standing. 

Will  Own  Studios 

Will  own  in  fee  the  production  stu- 
dio in  Hollywood  which  covers  26 
acres  and  contains  19  sound  stages. 

Will  own  film  processing  labora- 
tories in  New  York  City,  Long  Island 
City,  Hollywood  and  London. 

Will  have  seven  theatres  in  Eng- 
land, all  leased  to  an  English  exhibi- 
tor, and  additional  leases  on  two  more 
houses  in  London.  Will  have  three 
theatres  in  France,  one  in  Belgium 
and  one  in  Lima,  Peru. 

Will  have  the  31-story  Paramount 
home-office  building  in  New  York 
with  the  theatre  which  it  houses  go- 
ing to  New  Theatre  Co.  on  lease. 
New  Picture  Co.  must  dispose  of  the 
entire  property  within  five  years  of 
the  judgment. 


Was  her  secret  worth 
the  risk  ofMRDERf 

Vicki  Baum  knows  women! 
And  in  this  exciting  story, 
based  on  her  popular  novel, 
"Mortgage  on  Life,"  she  fear- 
lessly explores  the  souls  of  two! 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  7,  1949 


Strong  Initial  Working  Capital  Is  Set 
For  New  Para.  Independent  Companies 

Pro  forma  consolidated  balance  sheets  of  the  new  Paramount 
picture  and  theatre  companies  reveal  that  the  former  will  have 
initial  net  working  capital  of  $72,378,497,  and  the  latter,  $11,096,473. 

The  picture  company  will  have  $81,446,738  total  current  assets, 
including  $45,532,849  in  film  and  other  inventories  and  $30,016,543 
in  cash  and  government  securities.  Its  total  assets  aggregate 
$120,044,630. 

Picture  company  liabilities  include  $9,068,241  of  current  liabilities. 

The  theatre  company's  current  assets  amount  to  $19,202,550,  in- 
cluding $17,852,771  in  cash  and  government  securities.  Total  assets 
amount  to  $69,277,198. 

Current  theatre  company  liabilities  will  amount  to  $8,106,077. 
Notes  payable  to  banks  will  amount  to  $17,500,000. 


New  Para.  Companies 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

for  every  share  presently  owned.  Both 
new  companies  will  have  authorized 
capital  stock  of  4,500,000  shares,  com- 
pared with  Paramount's  presently  au- 
thorized 9,000,000  shares. 

As  previously  reported,  the  new 
theatre  company  will  be  permitted  to 
retain  380  of  its  presently  wholly- 
owned  449  theatres  and  is  authorized 
to  acquire  a  maximum  of  267  of  its 
presently  jointly-owned  955  theatres, 
indicating  a  total  of  647  theatres  for 
the  new  company. 

Earmarked  to  Buy  Out  Houses 

The  $12,500,000  bank  credit  is  ear- 
marked for  the  acquisition  of  the  au- 
thorized 267  presently  partially-owned 
theatres  under  terms  governed  by  the 
previously  published  Paramount  con- 
sent decree. 

Included  in  the  theatre  company 
assets  is  the  WBKB  television  sta- 
tion in  Chicago.  The  Paramount 
holdings  in  DuMont  Television,  con- 
sisting of  560,000  shares  of  Class  B 
and  43,200  shares  of  Class  A  stock 
and  television  station  KTLA,  Los 
Angeles,  will  go  to  the  picture  com- 
pany. 

The  Paramount  Building  in  New 
York,  together  with  the  Paramount 
Theatre  will  go  to  the  picture  com- 
pany which,  however,  must  dispose 
of  it  within  five  years.  The  Para- 
mount Theatre  will  be  leased  by.  the 
picture  company  under  authorized  con- 
ditions to  the  ncv  theatre  company. 

The  new  theatre  company  will  as- 
sume the  obligation  of  repaying  all 
sums  borrowed  up  to  $17,500,000  on 
the  new  bank  credit  agreement,  in- 
cluding $13,000,000  inuring  to  the 
new  picture  company. 

Share  Anti-Trust  Liabilities 

The  theatre  company  will  share 
with  the  picture  company  liability 
under  anti-trust  judgments  involving 
the  present  Paramount  company  and 
also  will  share  equally  the  obligation 
to  Barney  Balaban,  Paramount  presi- 
dent, for  convertible  notes  of  Para- 
mount held  by  him  in  the  amount  of 
$2,000,000. 

Paramount  stockholders  will  re- 
ceive certificates  of  interest  for  their 
shares  in  the  new  picture  company 
under  a  provision  insisted  upon  by  the 
Department  of  Justice  to  speed  dis- 


posal of  the  securities  and  encourage 
new  ownership  of  the  two  companies. 
The  theatre  company  stock  will  be 
held  in  trust  for  owners  by  the  Bank 
of  New  York  and  Fifth  Avenue  Bank, 
which  is  entitled  also  to  withhold  dur- 
ing the  first  two  years  50  per  cent 
of  dividends  paid  on  the  stock  by  the 
theatre  company,  which  will  be  paid 
to  them  only  upon  sale  or  conversion 
of  their  interest  in  the  theatre  com- 
pany. 

After  two  years,  if  certificates  have 
not  been  disposed  of  and  if  more  than 
one-third  of  the  total  still  remains 
with  the  trustee,  the  later  may  hold 
100  per  cent  of  the  theatre  company 
dividends  for  the  benefit  of  the  certifi- 
cate holders  upon  conversion  of  their 
interests.  When  two-thirds  of  the 
certificates  have  been  disposed  of  the 
voting  trust  may  be  terminated. 
Both  Companies  Enjoined 

Both  of  the  new  companies  will  be 
enjoined  from  engaging  in  trade  prac- 
tices found  illegal  by  the  New  York 
Federal  statutory  court  and  the  U.  S. 
Supreme  Court,  as  detailed  previous- 
ly under  the  Paramount  consent  de- 
cree terms. 

The  new  picture  company,  however, 
is  not  prohibited  from  acquiring  the- 
atres in  the  future  under  specified 
conditions  and  it  is  to  receive  the 
benefits  of  any  more  favorable  decree 
which  may  be  entered  as  to  the  re- 
maining integrated  defendants  in  the 
government  anti-trust  suit,  these  be- 
ing Loew's,  20th  Century-Fox  and 
Warner. 

Barney  Balaban  will  head  the  new 
picture  company  which  will  have  a 
board  of  directors  comprised  mainly 


of  present  Paramount  directors.  Va- 
cancies on  the  board,  however,  will 
be  filled  by  persons  who  have  had  no 
former  association  with  Paramount 
until  such  persons  comprise  a  majority. 

The  new  theatre  company  is  re- 
quired to  start  life  with  a  majority 
of  its  board  members  consisting  of 
those  who  have  had  no  previous  iden- 
tification with  Paramount.  The  pro- 
posed directors  are :  John  A.  Cole- 
man, broker  and  former  chairman  of 
the  board  of  governors  of  the  New 
York  Stock  Exchange ;  E.  Chester 
Gersten,  president  of  the  Public  Na- 
tional Bank  and  Trust  Co.,  New 
York ;  Leonard  Goldenson,  president 
of  the  new  company ;  Walter  Gross, 
Paramount  theatre  general  counsel ; 
William  T.  Kilborn,  president  of 
Flannery  Bolt  Co.,  Pittsburgh ;  Wal- 
ter Marshall,  president  of  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Co.,  and  Robert 
O'Brien,  Paramount  secretary. 


Employee  Investment 
Plan  Is  Abandoned 

Reorganization  of  Para- 
mount means  the  abandon- 
ment of  its  Employes'  Invest- 
ment Co.  Plan  by  which 
about  45  top  executives  would 
have  participated  in  profits 
through  stock  purchases. 
Stockholders  had  approved 
the  "incentive"  plan  in  1947, 
but  it  was  held  up  by 
minority  holders'  court  ac- 
tions against  it. 


Balaban  Urges 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

mend  unreservedly  that  you  give  your 
approval  to  it."  The  stockholders  will 
meet  here  on  April  12  to  vote  on  the 
decree  settlement ;  a  two-thirds  ma- 
jority is  required  for  ratification. 

Creation  of  the  voting  trusteeship 
to  hold  stock  in  the  New  Theatres 
Co.  is  a  burdensome  arrangement, 
Balaban  admits,  but  one  necessarily 
agreed  to  by  Paramount  to  effect  the 
overall  setlement,  the  Department  of 
Justice  having  made  it  a  condition  to 
its  agreement. 
Hopes  for  Two-Year  Trusteeship 
While  under  the  plan  for  reorgani- 
zation the  trusteeship  could  remain  in 
operation  for  a  maximum  of  five 
years,  Balaban  expresses  the  hope 
that  it  will  be  terminated  in  two.  The 
trust  will  cease  to  exist  when  the 
number  of  shares  it  holds  is  reduced 
to  one-third  of  the  outstanding  shares 
and  the  New  York  Federal  Court  is 
satisfied  that  there  will  be  no  "con- 
trolling influence"  over  either  of  the 
two  new  companies  by  any  one  affili- 
ated with  the  other. 

Under  the  plan  for  re-distribution 
of  stock,  present  holders  will  receive 
one-half  of  a  share  in  the  New  Pic- 
ture Co.  in  addition  to  one  certificate 
of  interest  for  one-half  of  a  share  in 
the  New  Theatres  Co.  for  each  share 
in  the  present  parent  corporation.  Cer- 
tificates of  interest  will  represent  the 
capital  stock  of  New  Theatres  Co.  and 
may  be  converted  into  common  shares 
by  anyone  establishing  by  affidavit 
that  he  does  not  possess  any  Picture 
Co.  securities. 

Some  Dividends  Postponed 
The  trust  arrangement  will  post- 
pone receipt  of  part  of  the  dividends 
on  stock  of  the  New  Theatres  Co., 
Balaban  advises  stockholders.  "But 
the  postponed  portions  are  your  prop- 
erty, are  held  for  your  benefit  and 
will  be  paid  to  you  upon  conversion 
of  a  certificate  of  interest  into  The- 
atres Co.  shares,  *or  a  sale  of  such 
interest,  or  upon  termination  of  the 
trust." 

Balaban  in  reporting  on  the 
New  Theatres  Co.,  says  it  will 
be  permitted  to  retain  380  of 
the  449  houses  wholly-owned  by 
Paramount.  Additionally,  it  may 
acquire  the  entire  interests  of 
267  of  Paramount's  partially- 
owned  theatres,  for  a  total  pos- 
sibly in  excess  of  600  wholly- 
owned,  he  says. 

"The  two  new  companies  will  be 
•thoroughly  sound  business  units," 
Balaban  declares.  "There  is  every 
reason  to  believe  that  the  New  Pic- 
ture Co.  will  continue  to  maintain" 
leadership  in  production  and  distribu- 
tion. "It  will  start  in  business  with 
substantial  financial  resources  and 
with  an  organization  of  men  of  proven 
competence  and  ability  in  the  motion 
picture  field." 

Sees  Excellent  Prospects 

Prospects  for  New  Theatres  Co. 
are  similar,  Balaban  states.  It  will 
start  with  an  excellent  organization, 
will  be  financially  sound  and  fully 
equipped  to  continue  as  successfully 
as  Paramount's  theatre  enterprise. 

"I  firmly  believe  that  each  of  them 
will  possess  substantial  potential  earn- 
ing power,"  Balaban  summarized. 

Beyond  preservation  of  asset  values, 
Balaban  pointed  out,  the  accord  with 
the  government  also  frees  Para- 
mount from  a  10-year-old  suit  that 
"has  taken  its  toll,  not  only  in  legal 
fees  and  other  costs,  but  in  its  con- 
stant encroachment  on  the  time  of  our 
officers  and  other  personnel." 


Culest  Things 
*inlill  ever  see 
Shorts/ 


'THE  3  MIJVNIE$ 

-f^3mfiMMe  Caftoonj 


REPUBLIC  EXCHANGES  NowBootftry/ 


The  motion  picture  good  enough  to 
sell  itself  has  not  yet  been  made" 


nftlMHlAl. XCfae/l  SERVICf 

\J  pmz( ffffjfy of me mousmY 


6fc 


LOST 


BOUNDARIES 

'0tee&^' Q£t^(c  ^vwv  *37%e  0teade*t6'  'iS^v  I 

A  STORY 
THAT  IS  CERTAIN  TO  MAKE 
MOTION  PICTURE  HISTORY 

FOR  ITS  DARING, 
FOR  ITS  DRAMATIC  IMPACT, 
FOR  ITS 

TRUTH! 

with  BEATRICE  PEARSON 


the  hit  of  "Force  of  Evil' 


fT  • 

111  l*r^^^Blir  TBBi 
r  -v  \  )  i  ■•  •  • 

FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate 

IN 

T%  ATT  "%7" 

Concise  j 

FILM 

and 

Nil  Wo 

Impartial 

j 

VOL.  65.  NO.  46 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  MARCH  8,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Fabian  Calls 
For  Return  to 
Fundamentals 


Addresses   Judges  of 
15th  Quigley  Awards 

A  return  to  the  fundamentals  on 
which  the  industry  was  built  and 
achieved  its  success  will  solve  its 
most  pressing  problems  and  will 
level  its  newer  forms  of  competition, 
Si  Fabian,  prominent  circuit  opera- 
tor, told  a  luncheon  at  the  Waldorf- 
Astoria  here  yesterday  for  industry 
advertising  and  exploitation  execu- 
tives who  served  as  judges  of  the 
15th  annuali  Quigley  Showmanship 
Awards  contest,  conducted  by  the 
Managers  Round  Table  Department 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald. 

Martin  Quigley,  who  presided  at 
the  luncheon,  said  that  the  annual 
awards  contests  not  only  "have  ex- 
erted an  influence  in  promoting  bet- 
ter showmanship"  but  also  have  been 
{Continued  on  page  5) 


Seek  to  Lessen 
Unemployment 

Hollywood,  March  7. — Joint  action 
by  production  management  and  talent 
and  labor  here  to  rectify  conditions 
which  are  blamed  for  a  reduction  of 
Hollywood  studio  employment  caused 
by  increasing  production  by  American 
producers  abroad  was  mapped  in  a 
three-hour  meeting  here  yesterday  at- 
tended by  Motion  Picture  Association 
of  America  president  Eric  Johnston, 
Paramount  production  executive  Y. 
Frank  Freeman,  and  a  committee 
representing  the  Hollywood  AFL 
Film  Council,  the  Screen  Actors 
Guild  and  the  Screen  Writers  Guild. 

The  meeting  was  an  outgrowth  of 
the  Film  Council's  proposal  last 
month  to  mass  the  entire  strength  of 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Columbia  Enters 
16mm.  Distribution 


Columbia  has  entered  the  16mm. 
distribution  field  "in  areas  where  the 
showing  of  the  films  would  not  be  in 
competition  to  regular  theatres,"  it 
was  announced  here  yesterday  by  the 
company.  Distribution  will  be  made 
through  Screen  Gems,  Inc.,  operating 
on  a  state-rights  basis,  which  will  li- 
cense 16mm.  distributors,  granting 
them  the  right  to  service  libraries, 
{Continued  on  page  5) 


Fabian  Commends 
Quigley's  "Oscars" 

The  annual  Quigley  Show- 
manship Awards  were  re- 
ferred to  yesterday  by  Si 
Fabian,  independent  circuit 
operator,  as  "Quigley's  Os- 
cars." 

Pointing  out  that  the 
awards  are  for  "meritorious 
showmanship,"  Fabian  said  in 
his  opinion  they  are  "just  as 
important  as  the  Oscars 
given  in  Hollywood  for  excel- 
lence in  production." 


Saul  Rogers  to  Head 
B'nai  B'rith  Here 


Saul  E.  Rogers,  industry  attorney 
and  one-time  vice-president  and  gen- 
eral counsel  of  Fox  Film  Corp.,  has 
been  nominated  to  the  presidency  of 
New  York's  Cinema  Lodge  of  B'nai 
B'rith  to  succeed  S.  Arthur  Glixon, 
who  has  been  elected  to  the  presidency 
of  the  Metropolitan  Council  of  B'nai 
B'rith.  Election  will  be  held  on 
Thurday  in  the  rehearsal  hall  of  the 
Paramount  theatre.  Nomination  is 
tantamount  to  election. 

Nominated  for  vice-presidencies  are 
Max  Blackman,  Warner ;  George 
Brandt,  Brandt  Theatres ;  Julius  M. 
Collins,  ASCAP  ;  Harold  L.  Danson, 
Eagle-Lion ;  Harry  Friedman,  non- 
industryite ;  Marvin  Kirsch,  Radio 
Daily ;  Harold  Hodes,  Columbia ; 
Milton  Livingston,  Universal ;  Louis' 
A.  Novins,  Paramount ;  Robert  K. 
Shapiro,  Paramount  Theatre ;  Al 
Wilde,  Moe  Gale  Agency.  Jack  H. 
Hoffberg  of  Hoffberg  Productions  has 
been  nominated  treasurer ;  Edward 
Forer  of  Maharam  Fabrics,  secretary ; 
Izzy  Grove,  monitor,  and  Rabbis  Ber- 
nard Birstein  of  Actors  Temple  and 
Ralph  Silverstein  of  the  Madison  Cen- 
ter of  Brooklyn,  chaplains. 

Cinema  Lodge,  which  has  a  mem- 
{Continued  on  page  4) 


New  75^  Wage-Hour 
Bill  Would  Cover 
All  Large  Circuits 

Washington,  March  7. — Large 
single  theatres  and  large  circuits  might 
come  under  the  Federal  wage-hour 
law  for  the  first  time  if  Congress  ap- 
proves an  Administration-backed  bill 
now  being  voted  on  in  the  House 
Labor  Committee. 

At  present,  most  retail  and  service 
establishments  are  exempt  from  the 
wage-hour  law,  which  sets  a  mini- 
mum wage  of  40  cents  an  hour  and 
calls  for  time-and-a-half  overtime  for 
firms  that  are  covered.  The  bill  pend- 
ing in  the  House  Committee  would 
boost  the  minimum  wage  to  75  cents 
and  would  extend  the  coverage  of  the 
law. 

One  of  the  groups  that  would  be 

{Continued  on  page  5) 

Mine  Workers  Claim 
Phila.  Film  Workers 


Philadelphia,  March  7. — The 
United  Mine  Workers  yesterday 
claimed  they  had  organized  a  majority 
of  the  1,300  motion  picture  theatre 
employees  in  the  Philadelphia  area. 
The  statement  followed  a  Sunday 
morning  rally  in  Turners  Hall  during 
which  500  theatrical  workers  voted 
allegiance  to  UMW  District  50. 

UMW  leaders  estimated  that  an- 
other 350  employees  of  this  area's  80 
film  houses  would  back  District  50, 
but  claimed  they  were  unable  to  at- 
tend the  meeting.  At  the  rally  theatre 
workers  voted  to  support  the  UMW 
as  first  choice  in  a  bargaining  elec- 
tion expected  to  be  held  soon  by  the 
state  labor  relations  board. 

Angelo  J.  Cefalo,  regional  director 
of  District  50,  said  the  other  unions 
on  the  ballot  would  be  the  Inter- 
national Alliance  of  Theatrical  and 
Stage  Employees  and  an  independent 
union. 


'Take  Me  Out  to  the 
Ball  Game' 


[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]  Cash  Register  -  Musical 

EXHIBITORS  who  agree  that  their  theatres  are  places  of  enter- 
tainment and  relaxation  and  who  like  to  give  the  public  that 
impression  by  providing  pictures  in  keeping  with  that  idea,  have 
in  M-G-M's  "Take  Me  Out  to  the  Ball  Game"  some  screen  fare  made 
truly  to  their  specifications. 

This  reviewer  predicts  that  a  few  months  hence  such  exhibitors  will 
be  penning  letters  to  Motion  Picture  Herald's  "What  the  Picture  Did 
for  Me"  department  reading  pretty  much  like  this : 

"Best  we  have  played  in  a  long  time.  The  kids  enjoyed  it  as  much 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Para/s  Assets 
Value  Exceeds 
Book  Listings 

Holdings  Worth  Far  More 
Than  Decree  Plan  Shows 


Actual  values  of  assets  of  the  two 
new  Paramount  companies  far  ex- 
ceed their  book  values  reflected  in 
the  company's  plan  of  reorganiza- 
tion. 

Some  assets  in  effect  are  not  car- 
ried at  all.  (Pictures  already  re- 
leased, for  example,  are  carried  at  one 
dollar.)  Their  reissue  worth  is  con- 
siderable. Numerous  theatres  are 
listed  at  the  original  purchase  price, 
whereas,  for  purposes  of  sale  or  as 
going  concerns,  they  are  actually 
worth  many  times  the  original  in- 
vestment. 

As  reported  yesterday,  the  balance 
sheets  show  that  the  new  Paramount 
Pictures  Co.  will  have  $81,446,738 
total  current  assets,  including  $45,- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Para.  Theatres  Co. 
Is  Free  to  Produce 


United  Paramount  Theatres  will  be 
free  to  engage  in  production  and  the 
new  Paramount  Picture  Company  is 
not  enjoined  from  acquiring  theatres, 
subject  to  the  restrictions  of  the  Par- 
amount consent  decree  and  Federal 
anti-trust  laws.  But  neither  company 
has  any  plans-  for  moving  into  its 
opposite  field. 

Leonard  Goldenson,  slated  to  head 
the  new  theatre  company,  made  it 
clear  at  the  weekend  that  the  job  of 
transferring  interest  in  955  theatres 
precludes  any  thought  of  possible  pro- 
duction activities.  He  said  that  he 
has  not  begun  any  negotiations  on 
splitting  with  partners,  and  will  not 
until  stockholders  approve  the  reor- 
ganization. 


Yates  Sees  July  1 
Upturn  in  Business 


Hollywood,  March  7. — Sifting 
prospects  for  improvement  in  the  in- 
dustry's business  outlook.  Republic 
president  Herbert  J.  Yates  told  a 
gathering  of  the  company's  studio  of- 
ficials today  that  he  envisions  an  up- 
swing around  July  1  next. 

"While  there  is  no  great  hope  of 
expanding  the  foreign  situation  in  the 
near  future,  there  are  certain  straws 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  8,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


JOSEPH.  HAZEN,  president  of 
*-*  Wallis-Hazen  Productions,  is  in 
Florida  from  New  York.  He  will  re- 
turn here  next  week. 

• 

Cliff  E.  Almy,  former  Warner 
manager  in  the  Philippines  who  re- 
turned to  his  post  there  after  three 
years  of  internment  by  the  Japanese, 
is  now  in  the  Pottenger  Sanatorium, 
Moravia,  Cal. 

• 

G.  S.  Eyssell,  president  of  Rocke- 
feller Center,  Inc.,  is  home  from 
Lenox  Hill  Hospital  here  recuperat- 
ing from  a  minor  'operation.  He  is 
expected  to  return  to  his  desk  next 
week. 

• 

Paul  N.  Lazarus,  Jr.,  assistant  to 
the  president  at  United  Artists,  is 
back  in  New  York  from  Kansas  City 
where  he  visited  his  father,  contract 
manager  for  UA,  who  is  ill. 
• 

James  R.  Grainger,  Republic's  ex- 
ecutive vice-president,  returned  to 
New  York  yesterday  from  a  cross- 
country business  tour. 

• 

John  Joseph,  assistant  to  Howard 
Dietz,  M-G-M  advertising-publicity 
vice-president,  arrived  here  last  night 
from  the  Coast. 

• 

Robert  Wolff,  RKO  Radio  man- 
aging director  in  the  United  King- 
dom, will  leave  London  today  by  plane 
for  New  York. 

• 

Jerome  J.  Cohen,  motion  picture 
insurance  specialist,  will  celebrate  his 
birthday  today. 

• 

Sam  Wood,  M-G-M  director,  will 
arrive  here  today  from  the  Coast. 


Nafl  Film  to  Handle 
M.  P.  Sales  Prints 

Philadelphia,  March  7.— Mo- 
tion Picture  Sales  Corp.  has 
contracted  for  National  Film 
Service  to  provide  physical 
handling  of  all  MPS  product. 
National  operates  in  all  31 
film  exchange  centers  of  the 
U.  S. 

Deal  was  closed  by  Neil  F. 
Agnew,  MPS  president,  and 
William  J.  Clark,  National's 
executive  vice-president. 


Benefit  for  Henry  St, 
Settlement  Saturday 

Industry  members  here  of  Henry 
Oldtimers,  Inc.,  alumni  organization 
of  the  New  York  Henry  Street  Settle- 
ment, are  priming  for  the  annual 
Founder's  Day  dinner-dance,  to  be 
held  Saturday  evening  at  the  Biltmore. 

Among  the  many  members  in  the 
industry  are:  Max  Blackman,  War- 
ner; Irving  Rice,  National  Screen; 
Sam  Schlein,  Deluxe  Laboratories ; 
William  Girden,  Trans-Lux;  James 
Cagney  and  William  Bendix,  and  oth- 
ers. The  organization  is  engaged  in 
a  fund-raising  campaign  for  youth 
causes  in  the  city. 


Peter  Siebel,  Pioneer 

One  of  the  charter  members  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Pioneers  passed  away 
last  Friday  when  Peter  Siebel  died  in 
Long  Beach,  Cal.,  according  to  word 
reaching  here  yesterday  from  the 
Coast.  A  resident  of  Little  Neck,  L.  I., 
Siebel  was  identified  with  the  industry 
almost  from  its  inception.  As  head  of 
the  Peter  Siebel  Publishing  Corp., 
printers,  he  devised  many  of  the  film 
business  systems  followed  today. 


Three  More  Speaking 
Dates  for  Johnston 

Washington,  March  7. — Three 
more  speaking  dates  this  month  have 
been  lined  up  for  MPAA  president 
Eric  Johnston. 

On  the  22nd,  he  will  participate  in 
a  Philadelphia  Evening  Bulletin 
Forum.  On  the  30th,  he  will  speak 
at  the  Electrical  Institute  of  Chicago. 
And  on  the  31st,  as  chairman  of  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  American 
Cancer  Society,  he  will  speak  at  the 
opening  rally  of  the  National  Cancer 
Society's  1949  campaign,  here  at  Con- 
stitution Hall. 

Johnston  is  due  in  New  York  Wed- 
nesday or  Thursday,  with  stopovers  at 
San  Francisco  and  Chicago  on  his 
way  back  from  Hollywood.  He  will 
address  the  Economic  Club  of  New 
York  Thursday  night,  and  is  expected 
back  here  over  the  weekend. 


Senate  Group  Okays 
EC  A  Media  Fund 

Washington,  March  7. — The  Sen- 
ate Foreign  Relations  committee  to- 
day approved  a  bill  for  ECA  opera- 
tions through  June  30,  1950,  including 
$10,000,000  for  the  information  media 
guaranty  program,  following  defeat 
last  week  of  a  proposal  to  raise  this 
sum  of  $20,000,000. 

So  far  only  $1,000,000  of  $10,000,000 
voted  for  the  current  year  has  been 
committed,  ECA  officials  said,  but  un- 
expended funds  of  this  $10,000,000 
cannot  be  carried  over  to  next  year. 


Showmanship  Cure 
For  Theatre  Ills:  Pine 

Atlanta,  March  7. — There  is  noth- 
ing wrong  with  the  film  business  that 
showmanship  won't  cure,  William 
Pine  of  the  Paramount  producing 
team  of  Pine-Thomas,  declared  here 
in  an  address  before  a  group  of 
Georgia  theatre  owners.  Pine  urged 
theatremen  to  get  back  into  "show 
business"  and  to  regain  the  enthusiasm 
which  so  many  lost  during  the  lush 
war  years. 

When  business  is  good  tell  the 
newspapers  about  it,  Pine  urged. 


Short 
Subject 

"On  Watch" 

{This  Is  America-RKO  Pat  he) 

An  up-to-the-minute  report  on  U.S. 
Armed  Forces  is  presented  in  this 
brisk  and  interesting  This  Is  America 
subject.  Varied  combat  maneuvers  of 
the  air,  ground  and  sea  forces  .are 
shown,  as  well  as  the  latest  weapons 
and  instruments  in  operation.  Some  of 
the  film's  highlights  include  training 
under  conditions  of  the  sub-zero  arc- 
tic to  steaming  tropical  jungles.  Also 
shown  are  GI's  standing  guard  in 
some  of  the  trouble  spots  of  the  world. 
Intelligent  preparation  to  insure  "the 
blessings  of  liberty  for  ourselves  and 
posterity"  is  a  keynote  of  the  film. 
Running  time,  17  minutes. 

"Snake  Pit"  Named 
Best  Picture  of  '48 

Editors  of  85  foreign  language 
newspapers  have  voted  20th  Century- 
Fox's  "The  Snake  Pit"  as  the  best 
picture  of  1948,  it  was  announced  here 
yesterday  by  Sigmund  Gottlober,  ex- 
ecutive director  of  the  Foreign  Lan- 
gauge  Press  Film  Critics'  Circle. 
"Snake  Pit"  also  took  top  honors  as 
the  best  American  film  of  the  year, 
with  Anatole  Litvak  qualifying  as 
"producer  of  the  year." 

Olivia  de  Havilland,  star  of  "Snake 
Pit,"  won  as  the  best  actress,  Laurence 
Oliver  takes  the  actor's  award  for 
his  performance  as  "Hamlet,"  and 
Roberto  Rossellini  took  the  directorial 
award  for  the  Italian-made,  "Paisan." 
The  awards,  which  also  include  "Red 
Shoes"  as  the  best  British-made  p:> 
ture  of  the  year,  and  "Paisan"  as 
the  best  Continental  film,  will  be 
made  Thursday  night  over  New 
York's  municipal  broadcasting  station 
WNYC. 


Kaplan  to  Assist 
Harris  of  Reade 

Seymour  S.  Kaplan  has  been  named 
assistant  to  Jack  P.  Harris,  executive 
of  the  Walter  Reade  Theatres  and 
head  film  buyer,  by  Walter  Reade,  Jr. 

Kaplan,  who  goes  to  the  Reade  or- 
ganization from  the  city  booking  of- 
fice of  RKO  Theatres,  will  assist 
Harris  in  film  booking.  Prior  to  the 
war  he  was  associated  with  his  fam- 
ily's film  delivery  business.  He  suc- 
ceeds Joseph  Kurse,  who  resigned. 


May  Re-Assign  Griffis 

Washington,  March  7. — -Stanton 
Griffis,  chairman  of  the  Paramount 
executive  committee  and  at  present 
U.  S.  Ambassador  to  Egypt,  may  be 
the  next  American  Ambassador  to 
France,  it  is  rumored  here  without 
official  confirmation. 


Waring  to  CBS  for 
Sunday  Night  Video 

Fred  Waring  has  joined  the  trek  to 
Columbia  Broadcasting,  being  slated 
for  the  television  spot  on  Sunday 
nights  from  nine  to  ten,  EST.  Gen- 
eral Electric  will  sponsor  the  show. 
Ed  Sullivan's  program,  currently  .on 
that  period,  will  move  up  an  hour. 
It  is  understood  that  "Riddle  Me 
This"  will  shift  from  CBS  to  Ameri- 
can _  Broadcasting.  National  Broad- 
casting has  Waring  on  an  exclusive 
contract  for  radio  and  video  during 
the  daytime. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


t — RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — 

Rockefeller  Center 
CLAUDETTE  FRED 

COLBERT    -  MacMURRAY 

"FAMILY  HONEYMOON" 

A   Universal-International  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


"ALMS  0, 

'     A  Pa/amount  Picture  starring  I 

RAY  MILLAND  \ 

AUDREY  TOTTER 
THOMAS  MITCHELL 


E*'-*  Ehuor 

Hi.  PIANO  4  Hi, 


JIGHT  FEATUII 


].  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER.  wJ?%SfZ'dway 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  1 1 :30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


f 


OLIVIA  de  HAVILLAND  j 


tke  Snake  Pit 


If  Directed  by  Produced  by  Of^  I 

B  AHMOLE  UTYAK  •  AHAT01E  UTVAK  8  ROBERT  BASSlflt  j^rfe  | 


KlVOLI 


JOAN 
of  ARC 


starring 


INGRID 


BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

CO  LOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 


I  ■      ' —  ^mmmmmmm 

lith  JOSE  FERRER  ■  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  •  J.  CARROL  NAISH  ■  WARD  BOND  l 
SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  •  HURD  HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHART  -  JOHN  EMERY  5 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  •  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAV 
based  upon  the  stage  play  'Joan  ol  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
jcrenn  ploy  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOLT  .  orl  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  •  director  of  photofjrophy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.  S.  C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 


v  SIERRA  PICTURES,  h 


i  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


17  &  WEEK !, 


DANE  CLARK  •  GAIL  RUSSELL 
ETHEL  BARRYMORE  in 

Frank  Borzage's  Production 

"MOONRISE" 

BRANDT'S  GLOBE 
BROADWAY  &  46th  STREET 


MYRNA  ROBERT 
LOY  MITCHUM 

"THE  RED  PONY" 

A  REPUBLIC  PRODUCTION 

BRANDTS  MA  YFAIR 
7th  AVE.  &  47th  ST. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor:  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J-  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  m  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Knock  On  Any  Door 


it's  a  strange  title- 
KNOCK  ON  ANY  DCOR.  In  a 
lot  of  ways  it's  a  strange 
kind  of  motion  picture. 
It's  different,  out  of  the 
groove,  packs  a  real  wallop, 
Even  though  I  knew  every 
word  of  dialogue,  when  I 
saw  it  put  together,  I  got 


a  real  kick  out  of  it.  I 


hope  you'll  like  it  as 


much  as  I  do .  " 


Dated  in  146  keys  starting  March  17th!... Now  Astor  Theatre,  B'way! 


COLUMBIA  PICTURES  presents  HUMPHREY  BOG  ART  in  KNOCK  ON  ANY  DOOR 

Introducing  JOHN  DEREK  •  with  GEORGE  MACREADY  •  ALLENE  ROBERTS  •  SUSAN  PERRY  •  SC"""Ato 

a  santana  production  of  the  novel  by  wiLiARD  motley  *  Directed  by  NICHOLAS  RAY  -  Produced  by  ROBERT  LORD 


4 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Tuesday,  March  8,  1949 


Earthquake  Hits 
Salt  Lake  Houses 

Salt  Lake  City,  March  7  — 
A  medium-sized  earthquake 
in  Salt  Lake  City  last  night 
caused  slight  panic  in  one 
downtown  theatre  and  shut 
off  power  at  another.  Utah 
Theatre  patrons  started  to 
run  as  the  building  shook, 
but  ushers  leaped  to  the  stage 
and  quieted  the  panic,  asking 
everyone  to  leave  orderly. 
When  the  Capitol  Theatre 
current  shut  off,  patrons  left 
without  commotion. 


Mono.  Stockholders 
Meeting  Tomorrow 

Hollywood,  March  7.  —  Steve 
Broidy,  president;  George  D.  Bur- 
rows, executive  vice-president  and 
treasurer ;  Harold  J.  Mirisch,  vice- 
president,  and  Howard  Stubbins,  Paci- 
fic Coast  franchise  holder,  will  leave 
Los  Angeles  Wednesday  for  Chicago, 
where  annual  stockholders'  meetings 
of  Allied  Artists  Productions  and 
Monogram  Pictures  will  be  held  on 
March  12  at  the  Drake  Hotel.  Other 
members  of  the  board  are :  W.  Ray 
Johnston,  Edward  Morey,  Arthur  C. 
Bromberg,  William  Hurlbut,  Herman 
Rifkin,  Norton  V.  Ritchey  and 
Charles  W.  Trampe. 

Following  the  meetings  Broidy  will 
continue  to  New  York  to  attend  the 
premiere  there  of  Allied  Artists'  "Bad 
Boy"  at  the  Palace  theatre  on 
March  22. 


Rangers  at  Premiere 

Brownsville,  Texas,  March  7. — 
Texas  Rangers,  of  the  present  and 
past  eras,  will  be  on  hand  here  to- 
morrow for  the  premiere  of  "South 
of  St.  Louis,"  Warner  Technicolor 
production,  with  the  film's  stars,  Joel 
McCrea,  Alexis  Smith  and  Dorothy 
Malone,  also  here  for  personal  appear- 
ances. 


How  about  giving  yourself  the 
new  outlook?  Just  take  a  few 
days  for  a  TWA  Quickie  Va- 
cationand  pack  them  full  with 
fun  in  Southern  California  or 
the  Southwest  Sun  Country. 
Phoenix,  Las  Vegas  or  Los 
Angeles  are  but  hours  away  by 
swift  TWA  Skyliner.  Big  sav- 
ings on  family  travel  and  round 
trips!  Call  your  local  TWA 
office  or  your  travel  agent. 


Take  Me  Out  to  the 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


as  their  elders,  even  if  they  didn't  get  all  of  the  swifter  curves.  Should 
have  booked  it  for  extra  time.  We  packed  them  in  in  spite  of  bad 
weather,  a  fire  next  door  and  the  opening  of  a  new  television  station 
nearby.  Good  songs,  swell  dances,  fine  Technicolor  and  plenty  of  laughs 
to  the  story.  Sinatra,  Esther  Williams  and  Gene  Kelly  are  tops.  Metro 
had  better  give  us  more  with  Betty  Garrett  and  Jules  Munshin.  Our 
audiences  liked  them.  Buy  it." 

That  about  tells  the  story,  but  you  need  to  know  that  Busby  Berkeley 
directed  this  slick  piece  of  entertainment  and  Arthur  Freed  produced  it  in 
a  manner  to  appeal  to  the  largest  and  most  varied  audiences. 

The  laughs,  songs  and  dances  are  not  all  there  is  to  it  either.  There  is 
a  fairly  substantial  story  line,  as  such  things  go  in  musicals,  and  some  en- 
gaging romantic  business  involving  Miss  Williams,  Sinatra  and  Kelly  at 
first,  and  eventually  Miss  Garrett,  who  can  give  with  the  songs  and  the 
comedy. 

Sinatra  and  Kelly  are  a  couple  of  baseball  stars  doubling  between  seasons 
as  a  vaudeville  team.  Miss  Williams  is  the  new  owner  of  the  ball  club,  for 
whom  Sinatra  goes  whole-hog  but  whom  Kelly  runs  afoul  of  in  breaking 
training  while  indulging  his  weakness  for  night  life.  The  feud  and  accom- 
panying misunderstandings  pursue  them  through  the  season  and  up  to  the 
pennant  race  when  Edward  Arnold,  as  a  big  time  gambler,  further  complicates 
things  by  his  efforts  to  break  up  a  star  double-play  combination  by  conniving 
to  remove  Kelly  from  the  line-up  in  order  to  win  a  bet  on  the  series.  Mean- 
while, Miss  Garrett  literally  has  jumped  out  of  the  stands  in  romantic  pursuit 
of  Sinatra.  With  the  help  of  more  laughs,  songs  and  dances  the  happy  ending 
is  served  up  as  ordered. 

Harry  Tugend  and  George  Wells  did  the  diverting  screenplay  from  a  story 
by  Kelly  and  Stanley  Donen.  The  latter  two,  additionally,  staged  the  musical 
numbers.  Lyrics  and  music  were  contributed  by  Betty  Comden,  Adolph  Green 
and  Roger  Edens.  Musical  direction  is  by  Adolph  Deutch. 

Featured  songs  include  "O'Brien  to  Ryan  to  Goldberg,"  "It's  Fate,  Baby, 
It's  Fate,"  "Strictly  U.S.A."  and  "The  Right  Girl  for  Me." 

Production  numbers,  sets,  costumes,  color  photography,  all  are  tops. 

It  is  a  production  that  looks  like  Hollywood  had  never  heard  the  word 
economy.  And  if  there  were  more  pictures  like  it  Hollywood  never  would 
have  to  hearken  to  the  word. 

Give  your  audiences  and  yourself  a  treat.  Buy  it!  Running  time,  93  min- 
utes. General  audience  classification.  April  release.  Sherwin  Kane 


Cover  Up" 

(United  Artists) 

THE  adventures  of  an  insurance  investigator  probing  a  small-town  "sui- 
cide" has  been  made  into  an  agreeable  picture  that  takes  some  novel  turns 
and  keeps  a  brisk  pace  throughout.  Cast  names  are  reliable,  headed  by  Dennis 
O'Keefe,  William  Bendix  and  Barbara  Britton.  All  told,  the  film  easily  meets 
the  demands  of  its  classification. 

When  O'Keefe  arrives  on  the  scene,  he  is  all  set  to  wrap  up  the  "suicide" 
case  in  a  few  hours.  A  little  probing,  however,  convinces  O'Keefe  that  the 
"suicide"  is  actually  a  murder,  and  thereupon  he  sets  out  to  prove  his  con- 
tention. The  only  trouble  is  that  he  meets  cold  resistance  from  everyone  in 
town,  including  Miss  Britton,  a  girl  he  met  on  the  bus  and  soon  grew  to  like. 

The  original  screenplay,  by  Jerome  Odium  and  Jonathan  Rix,  provides 
Bendix  with  an  unusual  role  as  the  hulking  sheriff  who  is  more  astute  than 
he  pretends  to  be.  As  it  obviously  becomes  a  case  of  murder,  characters  soon 
start  covering  up  for  everyone  else,  with  suspicions  cast  in  many  directions. 
By  the  time  the  solution  is  reached,  the  audience  learns  the  murdered  man 
was  an  unmitigated  scoundrel  and  the  man  who  killed  him  was  the  town's 
beloved  old  doctor  who  had  since  died  of  a  heart  attack.  Thus  is  explained 
the  townfolks'  "cover  up,"  a  reaction  which  may  strike  some  people  puzzlingly. 
Performances  are  good 1  all  around  with  others  in  the  cast  including  Art 
Baker  and  Ann  E.  Todd  as  Miss  Britton's  father  and  kid  sister;  and  Doro 
Merande.  Ted  Nasser  produced  and  Alfred  E.  Green  directed. 

Running  time,  82  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  March  release. 

Mandel  Herbstman 


Sidney  Lust  Fears 
Video  Competition 

Washington,  March  7. — Sidney 
Lust,  veteran  Washington  theatre 
owner  and  national  director  of  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America,  has  pro- 
posed that  the  motion  picture  industry 
and  promoters  of  sporting  events  work 
together  to  block  competition  from 
television. 

Lust,  in  a  letter  to  boxing  commis- 
sioner Abe  Greene,  declares  he  is  sure 
that  both  theatres  and  sporting  events 
have  suffered  attendance  drops  be- 
cause television  stations  have  been 
televising  boxing  and  wrestling 
matches,  basketball  games  and  other 
events. 

"We  cannot  afford  to  let  our  indus- 
try fall  by  the  wayside  because  tele- 
vision people  are  allowed  to  televise  all 
these  different  events  (for  little  or 
nothing)  and  stand  by  and  let  this 
continue,"  Lust  wrote  Greene.  "It 
should  be  stopped.  The  motion  picture 
industry  is  not  going  to  stand  by  idly 
and  let  this  octopus  put  us  out  of 
business.  While  I  want  to  encourage 
new  developments,  it  may  be  possible 
that  we  can  work  hand  in  hand 
somehow." 


Saul  Rogers  to  Head 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


bership  of  1,600,  will  mark  its  10th 
anniversary  this  year.  Its  honorary 
president  and  first  president  is  Alfred 
W.  Schwalberg,  sales  manager  of 
Paramount.  Other  past  presidents 
are:  Arthur  Israel,  Jr.,  Paramount; 
Irving  Greenfield,  Loew;  Adolph 
Schimel,  Universal;  Albert  A.  Senft, 
Sterling  Sign  Co.;  Jack  H.  Levin, 
Confidential  Reports,  and  Robert  M. 
Weitman,  Paramount. 


Canadian  Writ  for 
Rank,  Others 

Toronto,  March  7. — Authority  to 
issue  a  writ  for  service  outside  the 
Ontario  jurisdiction  on  J.  Arthur 
Rank  in  London  and  other  defendants 
was  obtained  today  by  Empire-Uni- 
versal-Fiims  et  at.  in  a  breach  of  con- 
tract suit  started  here  more  than  two 
years. 

Others  upon  whom  the  writ  may  be 
served  are:  General  Cinema  Finance 
Corp.  in  England,  J.  Arthur  Rank  Or- 
ganization, Universal,  and  United 
World  Pictures,  all  in  New  York.  The 
original  action  arose  over  the  distri- 
bution of  a  group  of  Hollywood  fea- 
tures in  Canada  and  Newfoundland, 
according  to  Paul  Nathanson,  presi- 
dent of  the  plaintiff  company. 


'U-I'  Inspectress 
Injured  in  Fire 

Atlanta,  March  7. — Fire  in  the 
film  exchange  of  Universal-Interna- 
tional here  today  sent  chief  film  in- 
spectress Elizabeth  Martinez  to  a  hos- 
pital. Her  condition  is  reported  to  be 
good. 

Through  the  heroic  efforts  of  James 
Daniel  and  Ralph  Burgess  the  fire  was 
confined  to  the  inspection  room  and  a 
catastrophe  to  Universal  and  other 
adjoining  distributors  was  averted. 


Fire  Damages  Theatre 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  7. — Fabian 
circuit  home  office  executives  surveyed 
their  Leland  theatre  here  today  after 
a  Sunday  morning  fire  which  caused 
damage  that  may  reach  $100,000. 


Easter  Film  To  Open 
With  a  $1,000  Top 

With  a  top  of  $1,000  and  other  seat 
prices  ranging  from  $100  to  $5,  the 
opening  at  Lawton,  Okla.,  of  "The 
Lawton  Story,"  a  Hallmark  film  based 
on  the  Wichita  Mountain  Easter  Sun- 
day Service,  is  expected  to'  gross 
$40,000,  with  all  proceeds  to  go  to  the 
association  which  sponsors  the  annual 
Easter  pageant. 

The  film  tells  the  story  of  the  late 
Rev.  Mark  Wallock,  Lawton  minister 
who  devoted  24  years  to  the  develop- 
ment _  of  the  pageant.  The  cast  was 
recruited  from  Lawton  and  surround- 
ing communities.  Kroger  Babb  and 
Jack  Jossey,  produced  the  picture. 


New  Foreign  Film  Firm 

Headed  by  Marcel  Aubry  as  presi- 
dent and  Georges  Lourau-Dessus,  vice- 
president,  Interfilm  Corp.  will  dis- 
tribute foreign  films. 


DU-ART... 

A  GOOD  NAME  TO  REMEMBER  FOR 
LABORATORY  WORK  •  16  mm,  35  mm 


HOT  PRESS  PRINTING 

TITLES  -  LAYOUTS 

ON  CELLS  AND  CARDS 


DU-ART  FILM  LABORATORIES,  Inc. 

245  WEST  55lh  ST.  .  CO.  5-5584 


Tuesday,  March  8,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Fabian  Calls 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

"the  stepping  stones  to  greater  re- 
sponsibility and  greater  opportunity 
for  many  of  the  contestants. 

Enumerating  the  problems  and 
changes,  both  economic  and  legal, 
which  confront  the  industry,  Fabian 
called  for  a  return  to  the  fundamen- 
tals which  "are  the  foundation  upon 
which  our  business  life  was  built." 

Those  fundamentals,  he  said,  are 
the  maintenance  of  comfortable,  at- 
tractive theatres ;  the  providing  of 
great  entertainment  at  reasonable 
prices,  and  "the  showmanlike  way  in 
which  we  have  exploited  our  pictures 
for  our  theatres." 

Business  Will  Go  Forward 

"If  we,  as  theatre  men,"  Fabian 
continued,  "will  keep  our  plants  in 
excellent  condition,  give  better  ser- 
vice, make  them  centers  of  the  com- 
munity and  retain  the  glamor  which 
the  theatre  has  always  had  and,  if 
Hollywood  does  its  job  properly  by 
providing  greater  and  better  enter- 
tainment, always  striving  to  exceed 
in  quality  the  great  things  they  have 
done,  and  if  we,  as  showmen,  will 
exploit  these  pictures  to  reach  the 
maximum  audience,  our  business  will 
go  forward,  no  matter  the  competi- 
tion." 

Fabian  called  attention  to  the  work 
that  needs  to  be  done  in  rehabilitating 
and  modernizing  many  theatres. 

"We  must  see  that  our  chairs,  our 
carpets,  our  ventilating  systems,  our 
projection,  our  service,  our  rest  rooms 
reach  higher  standards  than  ever  be- 
fore. We  must  instill  in  the  minds 
of  the  people  the  idea  that  our  the- 
atres are  more  inviting  even  than 
their  own  homes. 

Audiences  Are  "Shopping" 

"As  to  the  quality  of  pictures,  it  is 
evident  that  the  American  audience 
is  shopping  today  as  in  every  other 
line  of  business.  Yet  when  a  sea- 
son's product  includes  such  pictures  as 
'The  Snake  Pit,'  'Letter  to  Three 
Wives,'  'Johnny  Belinda'  and  -The 
Paleface'  the  audiences  we  attract 
approach  in  numbers  those  of  the  hec- 
tic war  days  when  all  you  had  to  do 
was  throw  open  your  doors.  People 
will  pay  to  see  great  entertainment  and 
Hollywood  must  do  its  job  to  pro- 
vide it." 

"In  the  matter  of  showmanship," 
Fabian  continued,  "we  have  done  a 
great  job  but  not  great  enough.  There 
are  still  millions  who  go  to  the  the- 
atre very  rarely  or  occasionally,  but 
the  millions  of  steady  patrons  we  have 
made  proves  that  perhaps  we  can  get 
many  of  the  millions  who  are  not  reg- 
ular patrons. 

"They  may  be  converted  by  more 
enthusiastic  exploitation  through  news- 
papers, radio  and  even  television. 
Others  may  be  won  by  greater  com- 
munity consciousness  on  the  part  of 


Q  u  i  g  I  e  y  Awards  Luncheon 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
MOTION  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


fflgjfrr^s  Trust 


COMPAN 

NEW  YORK 


MEMBER    FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


Wage  -  Hour  Bill 

(Continued  front  page  1) 


luigley  Publications  Photo 


Martin  Quigley  addressing  nearly  100  judges  and  guests  at  the 
annual  Quigley  Showmanship  Awards  luncheon  held  yesterday  at 
the  Waldorf-Astoria  Hotel  here.  In  the  photo  above  are  Si  Fabian, 
Quigley,  Louis  Schine,  A.  W.  Smith,  Jr.  and  Sam  Rosen. 


exhibitors,  to  the  extent  that  the  the- 
atre becomes  a  center  of  community 
activities.  We  cannot  live  on  the 
past  glories  of  our  wartime  contribu- 
tions. If  we  do  not  continue  our 
community  service  we  cannot  maintain 
our  position  in  the  community." 

"From  a  lifetime  spent  in  this  in- 
dustry," Fabian  concluded,  "I  tell  you 
that  we  have  nothing  to  fear  from 
other  forms  of  competition  if  we  are 
willing  to  give  the  effort  and  energy, 
the  hard  work,  it  requires  to  make 
the  fundamentals  of  our  business  ac- 
complish the  results  they  have  hereto- 
fore." 

Quigley  said :  "While  we  have  in 
no  way  lessened  our  efforts  toward 
the  promotion  of  showmanship,  the 
past  year  has  not  been  a  conspicuous 
one  in  this  area  of  the  industry's  ac- 
tivity. Due  to  a  long  list  of  reasons, 
there  has  not  been  issuing  in  recent 
times  from  many  key  positions  the 
kind  of  example  that  in  itself  pro- 
motes showmanship.  There  has  been 
too  much  public  discussion  of  what 
figures    the    books    show    and  not 


enough  discussion  of  what  pictures 
the  theatres  show. 

"Fortunately,  however,  there  have 
lately  been  indications  of  an  early  re- 
turn to  that  aggressive  brand  of 
showmanship  which  once  made  motion 
pictures  the  best  promoted  service  be- 
fore the  world  public." 

Awards  judges  present  at  the 
luncheon  included : 

Ulric  Bell,  David  Blum,  Mort  Blu- 
menstock,  Lige  Brien,  Dennis  Car- 
lin,  Samuel  Cohen,  Robert  W.  Coyne, 
Jerry  Dale,  Harold  Danson,  Ned  E. 
Depinet,  Bernard  Diamond,  Oscar 
Doob,  Steve  Edwards,  Edward  C. 
Dowden,  Ernest  Emerling,  S.  H.  Fa- 
bian, Lynn  Farnol,  W.  R.  Ferguson, 
Harry  Goldberg,  Louis  Goldberg,  E. 
C.  Grainger,  Ben  H.  Grimm,  Charles 
Hacker,  William  J.  Heineman,  G.  R. 
Keyser,  Gus  Lampe,  Jock  Lawrence. 

Also,  Henry  A.  Linet,  Lawrence 
H.  Lipskin,  S.  Barret  McCormick, 
Harry  McWilliams,  Harry  Mandel, 
A.  Montague,  James  Nairn,  John  J. 
O'Connor,  Jerry  Pickman,  H.  M. 
Richey,  Samuel  Rosen,  Milton  Silver, 


covered  would  be  the  employes  of  any 
retail  or  service  firm  engaged  in  In- 
terstate Commerce  and  grossing  more 
than  $500,000  a  year.  Officials  of  the 
wage-hour  law  administration  de- 
clared that  they  have  no  doubt  that 
the  courts  would  rule  that  theatre  em- 
ployes are  engaged  in  interstate  com- 
merce, since  the  films  move  in  inter- 
state commerce,  and  therefore  any 
theatre  or  circuit  grossing  more  than 
$500,000  annually  may  have  to  comply. 

An  original  version  would  have  also 
covered  all  circuits  with  more  than 
four  theatres,  regardless  of  how  little 
they  grossed  each  year.  This  provision 
has  been  dropped,  however. 

The  bill  also  contains  a  section  put 
in  at  the  request  of  the  International 
Alliance  of  Theatrical  and  Stage  Em- 
ployes to  leave  in  effect  certain  weekly 
salary-guaranteed  wage  plans  they 
now  have  with  the  studios  on  the 
West  Coast.  The  bill  would  have 
thrown  out  all  such  plans,  and  IATSE 
vice-president  Roy  Brewer  asked  the 
committee  to  word  the  provision  in 
such  a  way  that  the  IATSE  plan 
would  stay  in  effect. 


16mm.  Films 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


schools,  churches,  shut-in  institutions 
and  theatreless  towns  "where  the 
showing  of  16mm.  product  would  in 
no  way  infringe  on  the  right  of  recog- 
nied  theatre  operators." 

The  company  said  it  devised  this 
plan  "in  an  effort  to  protect  its  regu- 
lar customers  from  undisciplined  use 
of  16mm.  product,"  adding:  "Unreg- 
ulated" showings  of  16mm.  film  have 
already  proved  of  detriment  to  recog- 
nized exhibitors,  and  the  current 
"bootlegging"  of  top  product  is  an- 
other of  the  dangers  to  exhibitors 
which  this  system  of  distribution  will 
attempt  to  correct.  Screen  Gems  will 
at  all  times  maintain  the  closest  con- 
trol over  the  final  exhibition. 


Montague  Salmon,  Sidney  Schaefer, 
Louis  W.  Schine,  Arthur  Schmidt, 
Silas  F.  Seadler,  Frank  J.  Shea,  A. 
W.  Smith,  Jr.,  Ben  Washer,  Max  E. 
Youngstein,  W.  Zwilor. 

Awards  winners  will  be  announced 
in  the  near  future. 


"Vastly  entertaining" 


SAN  FRANCISCO  NEWS 


Author 


eoJ 


or 


by 


Entertainment  for  all  ages." 


SAN  FRANCISCO  CALL-BULLETIN 


6 


11 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  8,  1949 


Para.  Assets 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

432,849  in  film  and  other  inventories 
and  $30,016,543  in  cash  and  govern- 
ment securities. 

However,  it  was  pointed  out  by 
Paramount  executives  that  upon  con- 
summation of  the  plan  for  divorce- 
ment, the  new  picture  company  could 
start  out  with  as  much  as  an  addition- 
al $25,000,000  in  cash  derived  from 
the  sale  of  properties  listed  on  the 
books  at  a  relatively  minor  fraction 
of  that  amount. 

Paramount  figures  its  stock  in  Du- 
Mont  Laboratories  has  a  market  value 
of  about  $10,000,000.  The  company 
paid  $160,000  for  its  holdings.  Para- 
mount also  could  realize  up  to  a 
maximum  of  $7,500,000  from  sale  of 
theatres,  whereas,  company  officials 
say,  this  figure  represents  perhaps 
three  or  four  times  the  amount  of  the 
original  investment. 

Office  Building  Value  Rises 

Sale  of  the  Paramount  home  office 
building  in  New  York  could  bring 
the  new  picture  company  up  to  $12,- 
000,000.  The  original  investment  was 
$7,700,000. 

Additionally,  the  balance  sheets  do 
not  take  into  account  the  millions  in 
earnings  which  are  frozen  abroad  and 
which  will  accrue  to  the  picture  com- 
pany and  the  huge  potential  earnings 
of  pictures  destined  for  re-issue,  in- 
cluding "Going  My  Way,"  other  Bing 
Crosby,  Bob  Hope  and  Gary  Cooper 
films.  Additionally,  it  will  be  en- 
titled to  50  per  cent  of  the  yield  from 
Cecil  B.  DeMille  re-issues. 

Also  as  reported  yesterday,  the  the- 
atre company's  current  assets  amount 
to  $19,202,550,  including  $17,852,771 
in  cash  and  government  securities. 
Total  assets  amount  to  $69,277,198. 

"Hidden  assets"  are  present  in  the 
theatre  company  as  in  the  picture 
company. 

For  example,  the  assets  include 
Paramount's  initial  investments  in 
theatre  partnerships  at  $7,930,087. 
Paramount's  share  of  the  profits  in 
both  dividends  and  undistributed  earn- 
ings in  these  affiliated  in  one  year 
alone,  1947,  actually  exceeded  this 
original  investment.  Paramount  is  to 
sell  its  interests  in  688  jointly-owned 
houses  with  the  expectation  of  receiv- 
ing several  times  over  the  amount  of 
money  originally  invested  and  the 
above  comparison  of  investment  with 
one-year's  earnings  justifies  that  ex- 
pectation, the  company  feels. 

Net  Capital  Gains  in  '48 

In  this  respect  it  is  interesting  to 
note  that  the  corporation  realized  a 
net  capital  gain  of  $1,596,000  during 
the  first  nine  months  of  1948.  During 
that  period  the  only  large-scale  trans- 
action which  Paramount  is  known  to 
have  engaged  in  was  its  sale  of  its  in- 
terest in  New  England  Theatres. 

Under  the  plan  for  reorganization 
and  disposal  of  theatres,  both  new 
companies  will  share  amounts  received 
for  the  theatres  in  the  first  year  up 
to  $15,000,000  with  the  theatre  com- 
pany entitled  to  all  proceeds  from  the- 
atre sales  thereafter. 

It  was  suggested  by  reporters  that 
the  new  picture  company  might  favor 
measures  assuring  that  at  least  $15,- 
000,000  worth  of  theatre  properties 
would  be  sold  in  the  first  year  so  that 
it  might  obtain  its  maximum  of 
$7,500,000. 

This  suggestion  of  a  possible  con- 
flict was  dismissed  by  company  execu- 
tives who  maintained  that  their  sole 
objective  is  to  comply  with  the  decree 
time  schedule,  that  is,  one-third  of 
partnership  houses  to  be  sold  in  each 
of  the  next  three  years. 


Yates  Sees  Upturn 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

in  the  wind  which  indicate  that  all 
is  not  completely  dark,"  Yates  said, 
citing  the  "encouraging  political  news 
from  most  countries  in  front  of  the 
Iron  Curtain." 

When  Europe  begins  to  regain  "a 
greater  percentage  of  productivity," 
the  Republic  president  said,  "there 
will  be  an  increased  demand  for 
American  pictures  and  a  lessening  of 
restrictions  on  quotas  and  blocked 
funds."  He  said  he  hoped  that  a 
"fair  plan  can  be  arrived  at  whereby 
the  American  motion  picture  industry 
can  get  more  dollar  return  from  these 
countries." 

Economies  Do  Not  'Cheapen' 

Republic  is  continuing  a  "forward 
policy    of    production,    said  Yates. 


"True,"  he  added,  "we  have  made 
drastic  economies  in  operation  at  the 
studio,  laboratory .  and  distribution 
outlets.  Yet,  none  of  the  essential 
elements  that  went  into  making  pic- 
tures from  the  artists,  artisans  or 
from  the  construction  standpoints 
were  cheapened.  Republic's  policy  has 
been  one  of  economy,  but  this  policy 
meant  only  dispensing  with  unproduc- 
tive things,  and  did  not  call  for  tam- 
pering with  basic  production  ingredi- 
ents, or  breaking  the  morale  of  our 
creative  manpower." 

The  only  way  the  industry  can 
meet  successfully  competition  from 
television  "is  by  paying  greater  at- 
tention to  our  product  and  by  giving 
the  '  public  more  in  entertainment 
value  per  foot  of  film  per  minute^ 
penny-for-penny  and  dollar-for-dollar 
than  any  other  form  of  mass  enter- 
tainment," Yates  admonished. 


Seek  to  Lessen 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  AFL,  if  necessary,  behind  requests 
to  the  State  Department  in  Washing- 
ton and  to  Congress  for  international 
negotiations  pointing  to  an  easement 
of  remittance  restrictions  held  respon- 
sible for  forcing  American  producers 
to  make  films  in  countries  where  funds 
are  frozen. 

Immediate  result  of  yesterday's 
meeting  was  the  appointment  of  Free- 
man as  liaison  between  production 
management  and  studio  labor. 


Para.  Buys  'Father  Goose* 

Hollywood,  March  7. — Paramount 
has  acquired  Gene  Fowler's  biography 
of  Mack  Sennett  for  use  as  the  basis 
of ,  a  picture  on  the  producer's  life. 
Biography  is  entitled  "Father  Goose." 


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VOL.  65.  NO.  47 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  MARCH  9,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


lUA,  Fox-Wise. 
Clash  on  Dual 
Top-Film  Runs 

Sears  Hits  'Sabotage' ; 
Refuses  'River'  Prints 


Intended  double-billing  of  Para- 
mount's  "Paleface"  and  United 
Artists'  "Red  River"  by  Fox  Wis- 
consin Theatres  was  branded  by 
UA  president  Gradwell  L.  Sears  yes- 
terday as  "the  most  flagrant,  danger- 
ous and  downright  stupid  abuse  of  ex- 
hibitor power  in  my  recollection,"  in 
a  press  statement  in  which  he  an- 
nounced that  he  would  refuse  to  de- 
liver prints  of  "River"  to  the  circuit. 

The  two  films  were  sold  to  Fox 
Wisconsin  on  flat  rental  terms  by 
both  distributors,  it  is  understood. 
"River"  to  date  has  proved  UA's  big- 
gest grosser  in  recent  years.  "Pale- 
face" is  one  of  Paramount's  strongest 
■  box-office  attractions  this  season. 
"The    exhibitor's     threats     of  a 

reeze-out,  direct  and  implied,  do  not 

leter  me  for  one  moment  from  this 

lecision,"  Sears  said. 
The  double  bill  was  to  open  in  three 

'ox  Wisconsin  houses  in  Milwaukee 

(Continued  on  page  9) 


Union  of  Films  and 
Video  Is  Seen  Near 


"The  rapidly-growing  union"  be- 
tween television  and  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry,  which  is  believed  to  be 
nearing  a  full-scale  commercial  ex- 
change of  services,  will  be  the  subject 
of  a  clinic  occupying  all  sessions  dur- 
ing the  first  two  days  of  the  65th 
semi-annual  convention  of  the  Society 
of  Motion  Picture  Engineers,  an 
SMPE  statement  reports. 

All    aspects    of    the  "approaching 

(Continued  on  page  9) 

Video  No  Nemesis  of 
Films,  Says  Gold 

Chicago,  March  8. — Urging  that 
television  not  be  built  up  as  the  nem- 
esis of  the  motion  picture  theatre, 
Melvin  L.  Gold,  president  of  the  Na- 
tional Television  Film  Council,  speak- 
ing today  at  the  opening  session  of 
!the  Chicago  Television  Council's  first 
i  national  conference,  declared  that 
''both  fields  will  know  great  prosperity 
iif  they  tend  to  their  knitting." 

"I  don't  believe  television  was  ever 
(Continued  on  page  9) 


Monogram  to  Invest 
$4-Millions  in  UK 
ProductionProgram 

A  production-distribution  deal  in- 
volving $8,000,000  has  been  concluded 
between  Associated  British  Pictures 
Corp.  and  Monogram  under  the  terms 
of  which  the  equivalent  of  at  least 
$4,000,000  of  American  money  will  be 
made  available  by  Monogram,  the  lat- 
ter said  here  yesterday.  Word  from 
London  on  Feb.  25  indicated  that 
Monogram  was  expected  to  partici- 
pate in  a  new  ABPC  two-year  British 
production  plan  along  with  Warner 
Brothers,  which  has  a  substantial 
financial  interest  in  ABPC. 

Announced  jointly  yesterday  by 
William  Moffat,  managing  director  of 
ABPC-Pathe,  Ltd.;  Robert  Clark, 
ABPC  director,  both  in  London,  and 
Steve  Broidy,  Monogram  president, 
in  Hollywood,  the  deal  calls  for  ex- 
penditure of  $8,000,000  for  the  produc- 
tion of  eight  pictures  to  be  made 
either  at  ABPC's  Elstree  or  Welwyn 
studios.  The  arrangements  were 
brought  to  completion  by  Norton  V. 
R  i  t  c  h  e  y ,  Monogram-International 
president,  who  returned  here  recently 
from  London.  In  addition  to  the  two 
(Continued  on  page  12) 

Para.  May  Increase 
Production:  Balaban 


Paramount's  production  program  set 
up  for  the  first  nine  months  of  this 
year  may  be  increased  materially,  ac- 
cording to  Barney  Balaban,  company 
president,  who  arrived  here  yesterday 
following  executive  conferences  at  the 
studio. 

Balaban  said  additions  to  this  year's 
schedule  _  will  be  dependent  upon  the 
availability  of  outstanding  story,  cast- 
ing and  production  values.  "The  years 
1950  and  1951  are  likely  to  see  ex- 

(Continued  on  page  9) 


30%  U.  K.  QUOTA 
COMPROMISE  SEEN 


Grosses  Are  Up, 
Not  Down:  Pine 

Chicago,  March  8.  —  Ad- 
dressing exhibitors  and  Para- 
mount personnel  here  at  a 
luncheon  today  at  the  Black- 
stone  Hotel,  producer  Wil- 
liam Pine  of  Pine-Thomas, 
urged  exhibitors  and  all 
members  of  the  industry  to 
immediately  quash  rumors  of 
bad  business  allegedly  being 
done  by  theatres  throughout 
the  country. 

"Film  business  is  good," 
Pine  said.  "Reports  show  that 
film  grosses  are  four  per 
cent  higher  this  year  than 
those  of  the  same  period  in 
1948." 


$55 -Million  '48  Net 
For  Eastman  Kodak 


Rochester,  N.  Y.,  March  8. — In- 
creases in  Eastman  Kodak's  produc- 
tion and  earnings  and  a  gain  of  about 
24  per  cent  in  sales  for  1948  were 
reported  here  today  by  Perley  S.  Wil- 
cox, chairman,  and  Thomas  J.  Har- 
grave,  president,  in  the  annual  finan- 
cial report  to  stockholders.  Nearly  10 
per  cent  of  Eastman's  business  is  done 
with  the  American  motion  picture  in- 
dustry. 

The  report  listed  1948  net  sales  of 
$435,395,626;  sales  in  1947  were  $351,- 
751,098.  Consolidated  net  earnings  in 
1948  amounted  to  $55,494,425,  and  in 
1947  they  were  $43,199,254.  The  sales 
and  earnings  figures  are  for  the  parent 
(Continued  on  page  12) 


Industry  Unscathed  in 
6  State  Legislatures 


Springer  Resigns  to 
Lease  Six  Theatres 

Joseph  R.  Springer,  general  mana- 
ger of  the  Century  circuit  here,  has 
resigned  his  post  effective  July  1  and 
will  enter  exhibition  on  his  own  with 
six  theatres  leased  from  Century. 

The  theatres  are  the  Tivoli,  Vogue, 
Triangle  and  Clinton  in  Brooklyn,  the 
43rd  Street  in  Sunnyside  and  the 
Town  in  Flushing, 


Washington,  March  8— Six  of  the 
44  state  legislatures  meeting  this  year 
have  already  adjourned  without  tak- 
ing action  harmful  to  the  industry, 
according  to  Jack  Bryson,  legislative 
representative  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America. 

Four  more  states  are  expected  to 
adjourn  by  the  end  of  the  week.  Bry- 
son said  he  expects  18  of  the  44  will 
have  adjourned  by  April  1. 

The   six    state    legislatures  which 

(Continued  on  page  12) 


Alexander  King,  Named 
Head  of  CEA,  Calls  for 
Anglo-U.  S.  Film  Amity 

London,  March  8. — The  likeli- 
hood of  a  compromise  30  per  cent 
British  film  quota  looms  here  in  the 
face  of  disagreement  between  the 
British  Film  Producers  Association 
and  the  Cinematograph  Exhibitors 
Association.  The  former  has  been  in- 
sisting on  continuance  of  the  new  45 
per  cent  quota,  while  the  exhibitors 
have  shown  themselves  to  be  equally 
firm  in  their  demand  that  a  25  per 
cent  quota  be  enacted  to  replace  the 
present  law. 

CEA  maintains  that  a  reduction  in 
the  quota  is  necessary  if  the  shaky 
British  industry  is  to  be  able  to  look 
to  America  for  product.  Sir  Alex- 
ander King,  whom  CEA  today  elected 
president  to  succeed  Dennis  C.  Walls, 
made  a  powerful  plea  at  this  eve- 
ning's CEA  banquet  for  goodwill  be- 
tween the  American  and  British  in- 
dustries. A.  B.  Watts,  a  Cardiff, 
South  Wales,  exhibitor  and  an  ac- 
countant, was  elected  CEA  vice-presi- 
dent,    succeeding     Sir  Alexander. 

(Continued  on  page  12) 


Expect  U.  A.  Option 
To  Pass  to  Chaplin 

Indications  yesterday  were  that 
Mary  Pickford's  option  on  the  half 
interest  in  United  Artists  owned  by 
Charles  Chaplin  will  expire  Saturday 
without  a  deal  of  any  kind  being  con- 
cluded. 

No  firm  offers  for  the  Chaplin  in- 
terest had  been,  received  by  Miss 
Pickford  as  of  last  night.  A  deal 
would  have  to  be  concluded  by  Satur- 
day as  Miss  Pickford  already  has  ob- 

(Continued  on  page  9) 


TOA  May  Relax  Its 
Shorts  Rental  Stand 


There  is  a  tendency  among  Thea- 
tre Owners  of  America's  directors  to 
relent  somewhat  in  their  demand  for  a 
strictly  nominal  rental  for  the  indus- 
try's public  relations  short  subjects,  it 
was  acknowledged  here  yesterday  by 
TOA  executive  director  Gael  Sulli- 
van. He  said  a  willingness  has  been 
expressed  to  scale  the  rental  charge 
to  small  theatres  from  the  originally 
(Continued  on  page  9) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  9,  1949 


'Canadian  Pacific 
In  94  Coast  Houses 

San  Francisco,  March  8. — Headed 
by  Nat  Holt,  producer  of  "Canadian 
Pacific,"  and  former  San  Francisco 
exhibitor,  a  delegation  of  Hollywood 
stars  will  arrive  here  tomorrow  for 
the  two-day  world  premiere  activities 
for  the  opening  of  the  20th  Century- 
Fox  Cinecolor  release. 

Director  Edward  Marin  and  Ran 
dolph    Scott,    Jane    Wyatt,  Victor 
Jory,  J.  Carroll  Naish  and  Nancy  Ol- 
son will  arrive  with  Holt,  to  be  wel 
corned  by  Canadian  Consul  General 
W.   E.   Scott  and   Canadian  Pacific 
R.    R.    representative    Sam  Corbin, 
launching   the  festivities   which  will 
end  with  the  premiere  at  the  Fox 
Theatre  Thursday  night.    Since  Sun 
day,  theatres  in  the  area  have  been 
promoting  the  picture  by  an  extensive 
advertising  and  radio  campaign  for  a 
94-theatre  day-and-date  opening. 


Chairmen  Named  for 
Cancer  Committee 

Harry  Brandt,  president  of  Brandt 
Theatres,  will  serve  as  entertainment 
committee  chairman  for  the  New 
York  City  Cancer  Committee  during 
the  committee's  1949  fund  campaign 
for  $1,250,000,  beginning  April  4. 

Co-chairmen  to  serve  include  Frank 
W.  White,  president  of  Columbia  Rec- 
ords, music ;  Earl  Wilson,  New  York 
Post-Home  Neil's  columnist,  night 
clubs ;  Lawrence  W.  Lowman,  vice- 
president  of  Columbia  Broadcasting, 
radio;  Ted  Husing,  sports;  Brock 
Pemberton,  legitimate  theatres.  Brandt 
will  also  head  the  motion  pictures 
division. 


Two  Pass  Test  for 
New  York  Film  Post 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  8. — Two 
successful  candidates  for  the  post  of 
director  of  the  motion  picture  unit  of 
the  State  Department  of  Commerce 
are  Thomas  C.  Stoll,  of  Albany,  as- 
sistant director  of  the  division  of  pub- 
lic health  education  of  the  Health  De- 
partment, and  Kenneth  Abeel,  of 
Schenectady.  The  Civil  Service 
Commission  announced  that  six  failed 
the  test  for  the  $6,700  a  year  post. 

Glen  Allvine,  formerly  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America's 
New  York  publicity  department,  has 
held  a  probationary  appointment  in 
the  Commerce  Department  post  for  a 
year. 


SRO's  Lewis  Quits 
UK  Post;  Joins  WB 

London,  March  8.^Further  indica- 
tion of  dissolution  of  the  Selznick  Re- 
leasing Organization  has  come  with 
the  announcement  of  Louis  Lewis' 
resignation  as  Selznick  chief  here. 

Lewis  has  joined  Warner  here  as  a 
director. 


Personal  Mention 


Goldstein  in  32  Cities 

Field  representation  in  32  cities  is 
announced  by  the  Jack  Goldstein  ad- 
vertising, public  relations  and  exploi- 
tation organization,  which  has  moved 
to  larger  offices  in  the  General  Motors 
Building  here. 


ET.  GOMERSALL,  assistant  to 
•  William  A.  Scully,  U-I  sales 
vice-president,  has  returned  to  New 
York  from  California. 

• 

George  Dorsey,  Warner  Pathe 
News  Washington  bureau  manager, 
will  be  inducted,  for  the  fourth  time, 
as  president  of  the  White  House  Press 
Photographers  Association,  on  March 
19  at  a  banquet  in  honor  of  President 
Truman. 

• 

Ted  R.  Gamble,  head  of  Gamble 
Theatres  and  board  chairman  of  The- 
atre Owners  of  America,  is  expected 
in  New  York  from  the  Coast  on  Fri- 
day. 

• 

L.  J.  McGinley,  sales  manager  of 
the  Prestige  Pictures  unit  of  Univer- 
sal-International, is  visiting  the  New 
Orleans,  Oklahoma  City  and  Kansas 
City. 

• 

Harry  Blair,  RKO  Radio  home 
office  trade  press  contact,  has  left  the 
French  Hospital  here  after  an  appen- 
dectomy. 

• 

Fred  Meyers,  Universal-Interna- 
tional Eastern  sales  manager,  is  in 
Buffalo,  Albany  and  New  Haven  this 
week. 

• 

Lou  Miller,  head  of  RKO  Radio's 
Western  contract  approval  division, 
and  Mrs.  Miller,  left  here  yester- 
day for  Miami  by  motor. 

• 

Murray  Lafayette,  former  20th 
Century-Fox  field  publicity  man  in 
San  Francisco,  has  joined  National 
Screen  there  as  salesman. 

e 

William  Howard,  RKO  assistant 
general  manager,  has  left  here  to  visit 
Boston,  Lowell,  Providence  and  Wash- 
ington. 

• 

Al  Rylander,  director  of  special 
events  for  Columbia,  and  Mrs.  Ry- 
lander and  their  daughter,  have  left 
here  for  a  Florida  yacation. 

• 

Julius  Gordon,  president  of  Jeffer- 
son Amusement  Co.  and  East  Texas 
Theatres,  is  visiting  here  from  Beau- 
mont, Tex. 

• 

Harry  Dressler,  formerly  a  Selz- 
nick Releasing  Organization  salesman,- 
has  joined  Film  Classics  in  Philadel- 
phia. 

• 

Clifford    Davis,    formerly  with 
Monogram,  has  joined  Realart  as  a 
alesman  to  cover  Northern  and  South- 
ern Minnesota. 


Preben  Philipsen,  president  of 
Constantin  Films,  Copenhagen,  will 
leave  for  Europe  today  after  three 
weeks  in  New  York. 


JULES  LAPIDUS,  Warner's  East- 
ern  and  Canadian  division  sales 
manager,  left  here  yesterday  for  Bos- 
ton and  will  return  tomorrow. 
• 

Frank  Robbins,  chairman  of  the 
theatre  and  cinema  section  of  the  Irish 
Transport  and  General  Workers 
Union,  has  arrived  in  New  York  from 
Dublin  for  a  six  weeks'  stay  to  collect 
Irish  historical  documents. 

• 

James  W.  Cotia,  assistant  manager 
of  the  Warner  Regal  at  Hartford,  was 
honored  with  a  farewell  party  prior  to 
his  departure  for  Springfield,  Mass., 
where  he  will  manage  the  Warner  Art 
theatre. 

• 

Phyllis  Gloria  Salvin,  daughter 
of  Herman  Salvin,  owner  of  the 
Center  Theatre  Building,  Hartford, 
will  be  married  to  Barnard  Seligman 
in  June. 

•' 

Jack  Quirk  of  New  York  has  been 
named  exploitation  representative  for 
KKU  Radio  in  Memphis  and  New 
Orleans,  succeeding  the  late  Fred 
Ford. 

• 

Irving  Rothenberg,  of  the  Warner 
exchange  here,  has  become  a  grand- 
lather  with  the  birth  of  a  son  to  Mar- 
vin Rothenberg,  of  Trans-Film,  and 
Mrs.  Marvin  Rothenberg. 

• 

Harry  Platt,  head  of  Warner's 
studio  shop  staff,  will  take  a  two  and 
a  half  month's  leave  to  tour  England, 
his  birthplace.  He  will  be  accompanied 
by  his  daughters,  Louise  and  Mary 
• 

Harry  F.  Shaw,  division  manager 
at  New  Haven  for  Loew's  Poli-New 
England  Theatres,  and  Mrs.  Shaw, 
observed  their  25th  wedding  anniver- 
sary. 

• 

Margaret  O'Brien,  with  her  moth- 
er, Mrs.  Don  Sylvto,  will  sail  today 
aboard  the  5".  5.  Queen  Elisabeth 
from  New  York  for  Europe. 

• 

B.  W.  Smith,  formerly  Paramount 
special  sales  representative  in  Tennes- 
see, has  resigned  to  enter  business  for 
himself. 

Tom  J.  Deegan,  Jr.,  Robert  Young's 
public  relations  director,  has  become 
the  father  of  his  fifth  child,  a  boy, 
named  Timothy  J. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


rT1  HE  UN  vote  on  Israel  and  Reds 
ousted  from  the  U.  S.  zone  in 

Germany  are  current  newsreel  high- 
lights. Red  espionage  at  home,  the 
Pyramid  Club  fad,  and  baseball  are 
among  other  items.  Complete  contents 
follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  20— Vishin- 
sky  and  Gromyko  in  Red  cabinet  change. 
President  Truman  on  vacation.  U.N.  votes 
on  admitting  Israel.  U.S.  and  Canada  move 
against  Red  espionage.  Swedish  freighter 
aground  in  Holland  gale.  Pyramid  Clubs. 
Baseball  training  in  Florida.  Basketball. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  254 — U.S. 
girl  naDbed  in  spy  round-up.  New  giant  of 
the  sky.  Newsmen  honor  Gen.  Marshall. 
President  Truman  turns  reporter.  New 
Zealand  volcano  erupts.  Basketball  wizards. 
Baseball  training. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  57— Base- 
ball's world  champions  look  toward  hopeful 
season.  Soviet  commission  forced  to  quit 
U.S.  zone.  News  diary  of  First  Family. 
Security  council  admits  Israel  to  U.N. 
Basketball's  greatest  freeze. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEIi,  No.  228— 
U.S.  ousts  Soviet  commission  in  Germany. 
Portuguese  President  Carmona  reelected. 
Uranium  deposit.  U.N.  admits  Israel.  Hol- 
land's hurricane.  "Life  of  Riley"  Cincin- 
nati premiere.    Pyramid  Clubs. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  59— 

U.N.  votes  on  Israel.  Reds  quit  U.S.  zone 
in  Germany.  Holland:  rescue  at  sea. 
N.  Y.  Red  spy  suspects.  Secretary  For- 
restal  succeeded  by  Johnson.  Tokyo:  Red 
riier  deserts.  Mrs.  Roosevelt  honored  in 
Canada.  Gen.  Marshall  and  Dean  Acheson 
in  the  news.    Baseball.    Golden  Gloves. 


James  R.  Fly,  M-G-M  booker  in 
Memphis,  has  been  promoted  to  sales- 
man. 

• 

Joseph  Eagan,  Fred  Haas  and 
Nat  Lapkin,  Fabian  circuit  execu- 
tives, are  in  Albany  from  New  York. 


Paul  Purdy,  manager  of  the  New- 
ington  Theatre,  Newington,  Conn.,  is 
ill  at  home  with  pneumonia. 


In  DuMont  Sales  Post 

Trevor  Adams,  formerly  in  charge 
of  all  radio  and  television  activities 
for  the  New  York  Yankees,  has  been 
appointed  assistant  director  of  sales 
for  the  DuMont  Television  Network, 
by  Tom  Gallery,  director  of  sales. 


Censors  Okay  93 

Chicago,  March  8.— The  Chicago 
board  of  censors,  which  reviewed  95 
pictures  during  February,  placed  two 
foreign  films,  "Four  Steps  in  the 
Clouds"  and  "Angel  and  Sinner,"  in 
the  adult-only  classification. 


Eichl  er  and  Berg 
In  Public  Relations 

Myron  Eichler  and  Herbert  Berg, 
veteran  publicists,  have  formed  Eich- 
ler-Befg  Associates  and  opened  pub- 
lic relations  offices  at  369  Lexington 
Avenue,  New  York. 

Eichler,  in  addition  to  having  been 
associated  with  Columbia  and  20th 
Century-Fox,  has  been  vice-president 
of  Hope  Associates  and  publicity  di- 
rector of  USO  Camp  Shows.  Berg 
•was  associated  with  Paramount, 
United  Artists,  Selznick  and  Eagle- 
Lion  and  also  served  on  the  editorial 
staffs  of  Film  Daily  and  B ox-Office. 

Allied  Rocky  Mt. 
Convention  June  8 

Denver,  March  8.— With  John 
Wolfberg,  president,  in  the  chair, 
Allied  Rocky  Mountain  Independent 
Theatre  Owners  will  hold  its  second 
annual  convention  on  June  8-9  at  the 
Brown  Palace  Hotel  here. 


Conn.  MPTO  Meet  Set 

Hartford,  March  8. — Motion  Pic- 
ture Theatre  Owners  of  Connecticut 
will  hold  a  luncheon  meeting  on  Fri- 
day at  the  Hof  Brau,  New  Haven,  to 
discuss  pending  legislation  in  the 
Connecticut  legislature,  according  to 
Herman  M.  Levy,  MPTO  of  Con- 
necticut secretary  and  TOA  general 
counsel. 


Tennessee  Allied  to  Meet 

Memphis,  March  8. — A  meeting  of 
West  Tennessee  theatre  owners  will 
be  held  at  Lexington  on  March  16  by 
Allied  Independent  Theatre  Owners 
of  the  Mid- South,  according  to  Bob 
Bowers,  manager  of  the  organization. 


^^N»J?wSa^  ^AIn^'  1Ma^>tiu,■Q^."igle?.•  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor:  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays. 
S"_^!_,a.n,diV>y?ysAb.y.Qm?!ey  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller   Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.    Telephone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address :  "Quigpubco! 


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Wednesday,  March  9,  1949 

Fourteen  More  Films 
Reviewed  by  Legion 

Fourteen  additional  films  have  been 
reviewed  by  the  National  Legion  of 
Decency  with  four  of  them  receiving  a 
"B"  classification.  In  that  category 
are  SRO's  "The  Fallen  Idol,"  Film 
Rights  International's  "The  Idiot, 
United  Artist's  "Impact,"  and  Eagle- 
Lion's  "Miranda." 

Rated  A-I  are:  Paramount  s  A 
Connecticut  Yankee  in  King  Arthurs 
Court"  Monogram's  "The  Feathered 
Serpent"  and  "The  Law  of  the  West, 
Eagle-Lion's  "Mr.  Pernn  and  Mr. 
Traill"  and  "A  Place  of  One's  Own, 
and  M-G-M's  "Take  Me  Out  to  the 
Ball  Game."  Rated  B-II  are  Univer- 
sal-International's "City  Across  the 
River,"  20th  Century-Fox's  "I  Cheat- 
ed the  Law,"  Warner  Brothers'  "Kiss 
in  the  Dark,"  and  Columbia's  "The 
Walking  Hills." 

March  14  5th-Walnut 
Appeal  Hearing  Set 

Hearing  has  been  scheduled  for 
March  14  in  U.  S.  Circuit  Court  of 
Appeals  here  on  motions  for  and 
against  Fifth  and  Walnut  Amusement 
Co.'s  bid  for  an  appeal  from  a  judg- 
ment entered  last  June  in  favor  of 
major  distributors  in  the  Louisville 
circuit's  $2,100,000  triple-damage  anti- 
trust action.  . 

Defendants,  which  include  the  Big 
Five"  and  United  Artists,  Columbia 
I  and  certain  subsidiary  compares, 
have  filed  briefs  with  the  court  oppos- 
ing the  plaintiff's  stand  that  Federal 
Judge  Vincent  L.  Leibell  erred  in  re- 
fusing to  admit  as  _  evidence  when  the 
case  was  heard  in  U.  S.  District 
Court  here,  certain  findings-of-fact 
and  earlier  court  opinions  submitted 
by  Fifth  and  Walnut. 

Serials  -  as  -  Features 
Trial  Slated  Here 

1      A  $650,000  breach-of-contract  suit 
involving  the  question  of  whether  10 
Columbia  serials  may  be  distributed  in 
France  as  a  regular  feature  is  sched- 
uled to  be  tried  in  New  York  Su- 
preme Court  here  starting  on  March 
14.    Justice  Felix  Benvenga  yester- 
day set  the  trial  date  as  he  denied  the 
plaintiff,    American  -  European  Film 
Industries,  a  motion  for  a  temporary 
injunction  to  restrain  defendants  Co- 
lumbia   International    and  Columbia 
Pictures  Societe  Anonyme  Francaise 
from  interfering  with  a  1947  distribu- 
tion deal  for  the  serials. 

Plaintiff  claims  the  deal  granted  the 
right  to  distribute  the  10  serials  as 
features,  while  Columbia  claims  it 
does  not. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


Reviews 


'The  Green  Promise" 


NY  First-runs  Off; 
4St.  Louis'  in  Lead 


{McCarthy  Productions — RKO  Radio) 

-TEXAS  oilman  Glenn  McCarthy's  first  venture  into  motion  picture  pro- 
1  duction  results  in  a  country  drama  of  wholesome  family  appeal,  Ln  route 
to  its  happy  ending  the  picture  has  some  lively  dramatic  flourishes,  and 
hroughouf  contains*  a  reliable  blending  of  comedy,  sentiment  -and  passing 
sadness.  It  seems  fated  for  widest  popularity  in  town  and  country  situations. 
Merchandising  possibilities  are  abundant.  „  ,or.  p  •  _ 

The  cast  headed  by  Marguerite  Chapman,  Walter  Brennan  Robert  Paige 
and  Natalie  Wood,  goes  smoothly  through  its  paces,  under  the  direction  ot 
William  D.  Russell,  making  the  picture  as  agreeable  as  the  title  implies. 

The  original  story  and  screenplay,  fashioned  by  Monty  F.  Collins  is  about 
a  farm  family  dominated  by  Brennan,  an  old-school  farmer  who  resists  the 
techniques  of  scientific  agriculture,  as  advocated  by  Paige  a  county  agent. 
Thus  when  Brennan's  daughter,  Miss  Chapman,  falls  in  love  with  Paige, 
tensions  become  aggravated.  At  the  point  when  family  differences  seem  widest, 
a  violent  storm  blows  up  to  lay  waste  to  Brennan  s  farm.  But  the  silver 
lining  is  in  Brennan's  consequent  recognition  of  the  wisdom  of  modern  meth- 
ods Along  the  way,  the  story  throws  into  interesting  dramatic  focus  the 
activities  of  4-H  clubs,  members  of  which  set  about  restoring  the  ravaged 
farm  in  the  finale.  ...        i  a 

Little  Miss  Wood,  as  one  of  four  children,  bobs  mischievously  m  and  out 
of  scenes,  playing  her  role  to  its  precocious  hilt.  As  her  elder  sister,  Miss 
Chapman  is  always  visually  attractive  and  fills  the  demands  of  the  romantic 
angle  neatly.  Other  youngsters  who  romp  about  with  exuberant  talent  are 
Ted  Donaldson,  Connie  Marshall  and  Robert  Ellis.  A  Glenn  McCarthy  pro- 
duction, produced  by  Paige  and  Collins,  it  has  some  photographic  effects 
worthy  of  special  mention.  . 

Running  time,  95  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  March  re- 
lease       5  Mandel  Herbstman 

"Tale  of  the  Navajos" 

(M  etro-Goldwyn-Mayer) 

<<T  ALE  OF  THE  NAVAJOS"  can  best  be  described  as  a  dramatic  trav- 
1  elogue  in  Technicolor,  with  story  elements  and  details  based  on  the  lore 
and  legends  of  the  Navajo  Indians.  The  film's  locale  is  a  sprawling  reserva- 
tion in  Arizona,  where  some  splendid  natural  scenery  is  caught  by  the  cameras. 
As  theatre  material,  its  appeal  is  for  specialized  tastes  of  which  exhibitor 
experience  in  individual  situations  is  the  best  judge. 

The  story  centers  on  two  boys,  one  white  and  the  other  Indian,  who  go  on 
a  journey  for  the  twofold  purpose  of  finding  new  deposits  of  minera  needed 
for  the  tribe's  craft,  and  to  discover  new  pastures  for  its  flocks.  Along  the 
way  are  unfolded  fragments  of  the  beliefs  and  ways  of  life  of  the  tribe.  Some 
of  the  dramatic  situations  in  the  picture  arise  when  the  boys  meet,  up  with  a 
mystic  owl,  a  raven,  a  coyote  and  evil  spells.  Explanations  are  given,  m  an 
off-screen  narration  by  Edwin  Jerome.  The  picture  was  produced  by  John 
A.  Haeseler,  from  a  story  by  himself  and  Harry  Chandlee.  _ 

Running  time,  58  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  ^Apnl 
release. 


Services  for  Mrs.  Starr 

Funeral  services  for  Mrs.  Minnie* 
Starr,  mother  of  Myron  Starr,  United 
Artists'  New  Jersey  booker,  will  be 
held  today  at  Gutterman's  funeral 
home  in  Brooklyn.  Mrs.  Starr  died 
at  her  home  in  Brooklyn  on  Monday. 
Another  son,  William,  is  employed  in 
the  foreign  accounting  department  of 
Warner  Brothers  here.  Also  surviv^ 
ing  is  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Dolores  Shas 
tack,  who  was  formerly  with  National 
Screen  Service. 


"The  Last  Bandit" 

(Republic) 

EIGHTY  minutes  of  formula  Western  histrionics  and  incidents  are  served 
here  in  Trucolor  under  the  guidance  of  associate  producer  and  director 
Toseph  Kane  a  reputable  specialist  in  the  field  of  outdoor  action  films.  An 
appropriate  cast,  topped  by  William  Elliott  and  Adrian  Booth  and  featuring 
Forrest  Tucker,  Andy  Devine,  Jack  Holt,  Minna  Gombell  and  Grant  Withers, 
more  than  adequately  purveys  the  flavor  of  combat  and  rivalry  embodied  in 
Thames  Williamson's  screenplay,  which  was  based  on  a  story  by  Luci  Ward 

^The^ried-MdSrae  Western  plot  involving  rival  brothers,  one  upright  and 
honest  and  the  other  an  unscrupulous  villain,  is  reworked  m  The  Last  Ban- 
dit," bolstered  by  a  few  relatively  fresh  twists  including  the  mysterious  dis- 
appearance of  a  frontier  railroad  tram.  Elliott  and  Tucker  play  the  good 
and  bad  brothers,  respectively,  and  Miss  Booth  serves  as  the  romantic  target 
of  both  with  Elliott,  of  course,  eventually  the  successful  suitor  Outlaw 
Tucker  and  his  henchmen  rob  a  tram  of  its  cargo  of  $1,000,000  in  gold  by 
secreting  the  train  after  its  capture  in  an  abandoned  mine.  Express  agent 
Elliott  however,  catches  on  to  the  mysterious  trick  in  time  to  overtake 
the  crooks  as  they  are  making  away  with  the  treasure  in  a  wagon.  Many 
sequences  of  gunplay  and  other  forms  of  fightmg  as  well  as  some 
Western  scenery  complete  the  structural  framework  of  what  should  be  a 
well-received  standard  Western. 

Running  time,  80  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  25  Charles  L.  r  ranke 


Many  New  York  first-runs  are  los- 
ing considerable  ground  at  box-offices 
this  week  with  the  weather,  for  the 
most  part  mild  and  bright,  apparently 
having  a  discouraging  effect  on  the- 
atre-going. 

The  only  particularly  bright  spot 
on  the  "showcase"  scene  is  the  Strand 
where  "South  of  St.  Louis,"  with 
Desi  Arnaz  on  stage,  is  expected  to 
reach  a  peak  first-week's  gross  of 
$65,000.  Show  opened  at  a  record 
pace  on  Sunday,  chalking  up  about 
$13,500  for  the  day. 

Good,  but  not  overwhelming,  is 
"Three  Godfathers"  which,  with 
Sammy  Kaye  and  Harvey  Stone  on 
stage,  probably  will  provide  the  Cap- 
itol with  $70,000  in  its  first  week. 
The  third  newcomer,  "Moonrise,"  is 
fair  enough  with  an  estimated  $17,500 
in  an  initial  week  at  the  Globe. 

"Little  Women"  will  have  its  debut 
at  the  Music  Hall  tomorrow,  replac- 
ing "Family  Honeymoon"  which,  with 
a  stage  presentation,  figures  to  wind 
up  a  second  week  with  $113,500, 
which  is  rather  slow.  "The  Fighting 
O'Flynn"  probably  will  gross  only 
$13,000  at  the  Criterion  in  its  final 
six  days  (second  week)  and  will  be 
succeeded  on  Friday  by  "Criss  Cross." 
New  Paramount  Show 

"Alias  Nick  Beal"  is  the  Para- 
mount's  tenant  today,  after  "Whis- 
pering Smith,"  with  Henny  Young- 
man,  Buddy  Rich  and  Mel  Torme 
slipped  to  $50,000  in  its  third  week. 
At  the  Astor,  "Knock  on  Any  Door 
is  doing  good  with  $29,000  expected 
in  a  second  week  after  grossing  a 
substantial  $40,000  in  the  first. 

Much  of  the  fire  has  gone  out  of 
"Command  Decision"  after  seven 
weeks  at  the  State.  The  seventh 
week's  figure  of  $14,000  is  not  too 
disappointing  though  m  view  of  the 
length  of  the  run.  "Take  Me  Out  to 
the  Ball  Game"  will  bow  in  at  the 
State  today.  "Red  Pony"  opened 
at  the  Mayfair  yesterday  following 
"Return  of  October,"  which  grossed 
a  very  modest  $14,000  in  its  second 
week. 

'Joan'  Still  Strong 


William  V.  Mancuso 

Boston",  March  8. — William  V. 
Mancuso,  well  known  Boston  motion 
picture  and  theatre  man,  died  early 
this  morning  from  pneumonia. 


Award  to  'Belinda" 

The  Venezuelan  equivalent  of  the 
Hollvwood  Academy  Award  has  been 
presented  to  Warner's  production  of 
"Johnny  Belinda,"  according  to  a 
cable  from  Caracas.  The  presentation 
was  made  by  the  Minister  of  Educa- 
tion and  the  Governor  of  Caracas  to 
Caracas  Warner  representative  Chris- 
tian Van  De  Ree. 


Bingo  Bill  Dead 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  8.— Proba- 
bility that  the  Scanlan-Delgiormo  Bill 
removing  the  criminal  penalty  clause 
for  Bingo  held  under  the  auspices 
of  non-profit  organizations  is  dead  for 
the  current  legislature  is  seen  in  the 
fact  that  the  Senate  version  has  been 
returned  to  the  codes  committee  with 
an  enacting  clause  stricken  out. 


"Joan  of  Arc"  is  still  strong  at 
the  Victoria  where  the  17th  weeks 
take  should  reach  $17,000.  "Down  to 
the  Sea  in  Ships,"  at  the  Roxy,  with 
Rudy  Vallee,  Morey  Amsterdam  and 
the  ice  revue  on  stage  is  down  to  an 
estimated  $55,000,  in  a  second  and 
final  week.  TheRoxysnextwill.be 
"Mother  Was  a  Freshman,  opening 
on  Friday  with  Cab  Calloway  and 
Phil  Baker  in  person 

"Red  Shoes,"  in  a  21st  week  at  the 
Bijou,  and  "Hamlet,"  in  a  23rd ^  week 
at  the  Park,  are  good  for  about  $1V 
500  each.  "Snake  Pit",  is  holding  up 
well  at  the  R  voli  with  $16,500  in 
view  for  the  18th  week  "Portrait  of 
Jennie"  is  due  at  the  Rivoli  on 
March  22. 

LaunchAdCampaign 
For  'Africa  Screams' 

A  national  campaign,  with  $200,000 
allotted  to  newspaper,  magazine,  radio 
and  trade  advertising,  has  been  initi- 
ated by  Nassour  Studios  to  promote 
their  production,  "Africa  Screams, 
starring  Abbott  and  Costello. 

The  William  Kester  agency  will 
handle  the  campaign,  with  Walter 
Blake  as  account  executive.  United 
Artists  will  release. 


NATIONWIDE  FURORE 8 

Did  you  see  Life  Magazine's  double- 
spread  photo  of  M-G-M's  Coast  Con- 
ference with  all  the  might  of  its  stars 
and  production  genius  gathered  together 
before  the  press  correspondents  of  the 
world!  Just  part  of  a  nationwide  deluge 
of  publicity!  M-G-M  leads  the  industry 
forward  into  a  new  golden  era  of  show- 
manship and  security! 


Nothing  like  it  in  the  entire 
history  of  our  industry!  The 
nation  knows  that  film  business 
is  on  the  march,  spearheaded 
by  the  Roaring  Lion!  Read  the 
amazing  list  of  product  on  next 
page  either  completed  or  in 
work.  That's  M-G-M's  Prosperity 
Plan  told  in  courageous  and 
optimistic  action!  Join! 


House-record  business  in  Oklahoma  City  set  the  pace  for  better 
than  "THE  EGG  AND  I"  in  a  fifty-city  territorial  premiere. 

Top  business  and  holding-over  in  Washington,  D.  C. 

Holding-over  with  record-breaking  business  in  Columbus,  Ohio. 


Terrific  in  Dallas  and  holding-over. 

Outgrossing  "EGG  AND  \"  in  Nashville,  Chattanooga,  Tulsa,  Norfolk. 
—  it's  the  kind  of  Honeymoon  everybody  wants  to  get  onto. 


UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL  presents 


COLBERT  T^MacMURRAY 


those  Grand  "EGG  and  I"  stars  in 


^1  —  • — 

S.GG  AND  I" 


-7 


with  RITA  JOHNSON  •  HATTIE  McDANIEL  •  Screenplay  by  DANE  LUSSIER  •  Based  on  uTgIgTpERREAU 

the  novel  by  Homer  Croy  Directed  by  CLAUDE  BINYON  -  Produced  by  JOHN  BECK  and  Z.WAYNE  GRIFFIN  ''encIjTntwENT" 


Stay  on  the  Honeymoon  Special  with  U 
Get  wed  to  these  hits  coming  up 

H 


THE  LIF 


3 

\M 

Tnl 

—  Teed 


150  theatres  day-and-date  Midwest 
Premiere  to  absolute  top  record- 
breaking  business  the  territory  has 
ever  known.  For  exhibitors  who  want 
to  live  *THE  LIFE  OF  RILEY,"  this  is  it! 


I^JIIKtKKW  -  March  1 7th  "RED 
CANYON"  week  starts  in  Utah  under 
Governor's  proclamation  with  Holly- 
wood stars  and  two  national  network 
shows  in  Salt  Lake  City  to  mark  the 
territorial  premiere.  It's  as  hot  as  a 
firecracker! 


MA  AND  PA  KETTLE 


—  The 

laugh  successor  to  "THE  EGG  AND  I" 
premieres  in  Kansas  City  and  terri- 
tory with  Marjorie  Main  and  Percy 
Kilbride  heading  a  Hollywood  troupe 
to  give  the  city  a  great  show  and  a 
great  picture! 


The  natural  successor  to  nTHE  NAKED 
CITY"  in  box-office  impact. 


Key  City 
Grosses 


"HOLLOWING  are  estimated  pic- 
*.  twe  grosses  for  current  engage- 
ments in  key  cities  as  reported  by 
Motion  Picture  Daily  correspond- 
ents. Estimates  omit  admission  tax. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  9,  1949 


CHICAGO 

Weekend  attendance  was  lofty,  with 
warm,  unseasonable  weather  an  aid. 
"John  Loves  Mary,"  with  a  stage 
show,  is  doing  well,  while  "Miss  Tat- 
lock's  Millions"  is  average.  Hold- 
overs are  fair,  with  "The  Red  Shoes" 
continuing  strong.  Estimated  receipts 
for  the  week  ending  March  10: 
ACT  OF  VIOLENCE  (M-G-M) — GRAND 
(50c-65c-98c)  (1,150).  Gross:  $13,000.  (Av- 
'    erage:  $13,500) 

BACK   TO    BATAAN    (RKO    Radio)  and 
MARINE  RAIDERS  (RKO  Radio) — PAL- 
ACE  (2,500)    (50c-65c-98c)    6   days.  Gross: 
$13,500.  (Average:  $20,000) 
ENCHANTMENT  (GoldWyn-RKO  Radio)- 
WOODS    (98c)    (1,080)    2nd   week.  Gross- 
$18,000.    (Average:  $23,000) 
HAMLET    (Rank-U-I)  -  APOLLO  (1,200) 
($1.2O-$1.50-$1.8O-$2.40)    15th    week.  Gross- 
$8,000.     (Average:  $12,000) 
JOHN  LOVES  MARY  (WB)  -  CHICAGO 
(3  900)    (50c-65c-98c)    On    stage:  Lawrence 
Welk  and  orchestra.    Gross:  $52,000.  (Av- 
erage :  $50,000) 

THE    KISSING    BANDIT    (M-G-M)  - 

ORIENTAL  (3,400)  (50c-98c)  On  stage: 
Arthur  Godfrey's  Talent  Scouts.  2nd  week 
Gross:  $45,000.  (Average:  $43,500) 
MISS  TATLOCK'S  MILLIONS  (Para.)— 
STATE  LAKE  (2,700)  (50c-65c-98c).  Gross: 
$25,000.  (Average:  $25,000) 
THE  RED  SHOES  (Ramk-E-L) — SELWYN 
(1,000)  $1.20-$1.50-$1.80-$2.40).  11th  week 
Gross;  $13,080. 

^IL?F~ATLAN:n;S  ("A)  and  ROSE 
8«vJr&  YVKON  «lep.) -ROOSEVELT 
(1,500}  (50c-65c:98c)  5  days,  2nd  week 
Gross:  $10,000.  (Average:  $16,000) 
STATE  DEPARTMENT- FILE  649  (FC) 
and  ALASKA  PATROL  (FC)— GARRICK 
(1,000)  (50c-65c-98c),  Gross:  $11,000.  (A* 
erage:  $10,000) 

THE  WALKING  HILLS  (CoL)— UNITED 
ARTISTS  (1,700)  (50c-65c-98c).  Gross:  $5!- 
000.     (Average:  $17,000) 


Reviews 


"Canadian  Pacific 

(Nat  Holt  Productions— 20th-Fox)  .         Hollywood,  March  8 

DRODUCED  independently  on  the  scene  of  the  story  and  with  complete 
,  cooperation  of  the  railroad  of  the  same  name,  this  Nat  Holt  production 
in  Cinecolor  proffers  entertainment  in  the  "Iron  Horse"  and  "Union  Pacific" 
tradition  ornamented  with  the  exploitable  presence  of  Randolph  Scott  Jane 
Wyatt,  J.  Carrol  Naish,  Victor  Jory,  Robert  Barrat  and  Nancy  Olson  atop 
a  large  cast  The  story,  by  Jack  DeWitt,  scripted  by  himself  and  Kenneth 
Garnet,  is  about  the  building  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  through  a  pass  in  the 
Canadian  Rockies,  and  of  the  people  concerned  in  the  tribulations  which  com- 
plicated that  project,  but  the  personal  conflicts  are  as  varied  and  violent  as 
are  to  be  found  in  purely  fictitious  films  in  kind. 

The  names,  the  circumstances  of  setting,  and  most  especially  the  dazzlingly 
beautiful  scenery  backgrounding  the  action,  are  the  elements  to  be  stressed 
in  exploitation.  And  in  view  of  the  fact  that  few  railroad  stories  have  been 
produced  in  the  long  history  of  the  screen,  all  of  them  with  box-office  success 
there  is  point  in  emphasizing  the  authenticity  of  the  undertaking 

Scott  portrays  a  two-fisted  surveyor  assigned  to  find  a  pass  through  the 
Rockies,  and  Jory  enacts  the  unprincipled  operator  of  a  chain  of  trading  posts 
who,  to  protect  his  trade  from  damage  he  believes  the  railroad  will  bring 
to  it,  plots  Scott  s  and  the  railroad's  destruction.  His  plotting  includes  every- 
thing from  murder  by  ambush  to  wholesale  slaughter  by  way  of  the  incite- 
ment of  Indian  tribes  to  attack  the  railroad  personnel.  Jane  Wyatt  is  seen 
as  a  railroad  doctor  and  Miss  Olson  as  a  settler's  daughter,  both  in  love 
with  Scott,  who  appears  no  more  decided  about  choosing  between  them  than 
the  audience  is  until  the  last  minute  of  the  picture.  The  narrative  in  com- 
mon with  others  based  on  inflexible  fact,  tugs  and  strains  at  the'  leash  in 
spots,  and  some  of  the  characterizations  are  made  to  seem  one-dimensional 
but  a  wealth  of  action  offsets  these  circumstances  in  most  instances 

Harry  Howard  functioned  as  associate  producer,  with  Lewis  J.  Rachmil  in 
charge  of  production.  Edwin  L.  Marin  directed.  Music  written  and  directed 
by  the  gifted  Dimitn  Tiomkin  fits  the  picture  like  a  glove. 

Running  time,  90  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
not  set  William  R.  Weaver 


Propose  Another 
Unique  Tax  Slash 

Washington,  March  8.— Still 
another  new  wrinkle  in  bills 
to  reduce  the  Federal  20  per 
cent  admission  tax— and  to 
the  minds  of  many,  the  best 
yet — has  been  introduced  in 
the  House  by  Rep.  Keating, 
New  York  Republican. 

His  measure  would  elimi- 
nate the  tax  entirely  on  ad- 
missions of  less  than  $1  and 
cut  it  back  to  the  pre-war  10 
per  cent  on  admissions  over 
$1- 


Coast  Production 
Jumps  5,  to  26 

Hollywood,  March  8.— The  number 
oi  pictures  in  production  has  leaped 
upward  to  26,  from  21.  Six  started 
and  one  was  completed. 

Production  started  on  "Not  Want- 
ed (Film  Classics-Emerald);  "Red 
Danube,'  M-G-M;  "Joe  Palooka  in 
the  Return  Bout,"  Monogram;  "Out- 
r^u  °f  the  TraiI>"  Republic;  "Red 
ttt  tF'A-  '  "Sword  ^  the  Desert," 
„„  one  Production  completed 
was    House  of  Strangers,"  20th-Fox. 


BOSTON 


Weather  was  fine,  clear  and  sunny. 
Business  is  just  about  average.  Esti- 
mates for  the  week  ending  March  9  : 
ACT  OF  VIOLENCE  (M-G-M)  and  DARK 
PAST    (Col.) -STATE    (3,500)  (40c-80c). 
Gross :--  $14,000.    (Average:  $12,000) 
ACT  OF  VIOLENCE  (M-G-M)  and  DARK 
PAST  <Cbl.)-ORPHEUM  (3,000)  (40c-80c). 
Gross:  $29,500.     (Average:  $27,000) 
BAD    BOY    (AA   Mono)    and   THE  BIG 
FIGHT  (Mono.)— METROPOLITAN  (4,367) 
(40c.-80c);   Gross:  $22,000.    (Average:  $27,000) 
CRISS  CROSS    (U-I)   and  GUN  SMUG- 
GLERS   (RKO    Radio)  —  RKO  -  BOSTON 
(3,200)   (40c-80c).     Gross:  $15,000. 
I  SHOT  JESSE  JAMES  (SG)  and  VALI- 
ANT HOMBRE  (UA)- PILGRIM  (1,500) 
(40c-80c).    Gross:  $3,500.    2  days. 
JOAN  OF  ARC  (RKO  Radio)  —  ASTOR 
(1,373)  (75c-$1.40).    Gross:  $10,000. 
LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES  (20th-Fox) 
and    STRANGE    MRS.    CRANE  (E-L)— 
RKO  MEMORIAL  (3,000)  (40c-80c).  Gross- 
$22,0CO.     (Average:  $22,000) 
MINE  OWN  EXECUTIONER  (ZOth-Fox— 
Korda)  and  NANOOK  OF  THE  NORTH 
(Flaherty)    —   EXETER    (1,373)  (40c-80c). 
Gross:  $1,800  (3  days) 

PORTRAIT  OF  JENNY  (SRO)  —  MAY- 
FLOWER (700)  (60c-$1.25.  Gross:  $12,000. 
PORTRAIT  OF  JENNY  (SRO)-ESQUIRE 
(900)  (80c-$1.25),  Gross:  $9,000.  - 
PYGMALION  (Ellis)  and  SECRET  LAND 
(M  -  G  -  M)  -  EXETER  (1,373)  (40c-80c). 
Gross:  $3,750.  (Average:  $5,000)  4  days 
RED  PONY  (Rep.)  and  SO  THIS  IS  NEW 
YORK  (UA)-PILGRIM  (1,500)  (40c-80c). 
Gross:  $8,500,  5  days. 

RED!  SHOES  (E-L- Archer-Rank) — MA  I ES  - 

TK>(1,089)   (90c-$2.40).     Gross:  $7,500. 
WHISPERING  SMITH  (Para.)  and  KID- 
NAPPED   (Mono.)-PARAMOUNT  (1,700) 
(40c-80c).     Gross:   $18,000.     (Average:  $17,- 

WHISPERING  SMITH  (ParaO  and  KID- 
NAPPED (Mono.) — FENWAY  (1,373)  (40c- 
80c).    Gross:  $5,800.    (Average:  $6,000) 


Homicide" 

(Warner  Brothers)  Hollywood,  March  8 

TJNWORN  story  utensils— a  sunken  cable  used  by  bookies,  a  diabetic 
V  killers  dependence  upon  his  insulin  supply— impart  novelty  to  this  melo- 
drama predicated  on  the  contention  that  many  a  death  written  off  as  a  suicide 
is  in  fact  a  murder.  Robert  Douglas,  Helen  Westcott,  Robert  Alda  Monte 
Blue,  Warren  Douglas,  Richard  Benedict,  John  Harmon,  James  Flavin  Cliff 
Clark,  Esther  Howard  and  Sarah  Padden  are  the  names  available  for  billing 
Produced  by  Saul  Elkins  and  directed  by  Felix  Jacobes,  from  a  script  by 
William  Sackheim,  the  attraction  measures  up  to  the  average  established 
by  Elkins  in  his  contributions  to  the  Warner  schedule  of  releases. 

Robert  Douglas  plays  a  Los  Angeles  detective  unwilling  to  settle  for  the 
official  pronouncement  that  an  unemployed  ex-sailor,  found  dead  in  a  hotel 
room  committed  suicide.  Obtaining  leave  of  absence  in  order  to  follow  up 
his  theory  that  a  murder  has  been  committed,  he  follows  a .  thin  lead— an 
insulin  pill  and  a  booklet  of  matches  found  in  an  adjoining  room — to  a  resort 
where  he  meets  Miss  Westcott,  a  cigarette  girl,  who  assists  him  in  tracing 
the  murder  of  the  ex-sailor  to  the  resort's  diabetic  bartender. 

Undertaking  to  bring  the  killer  to  Los  Angeles,  the  detective  is  temporarily 
outwitted  by  the  latter,  who  prepares  to  slay  him,  but  gains  control  of  the 
situation  by  pointing  out  that  he  has  thrown  away  the  car  keys  and  the 
killer  cannot  walk  back  to  town  in  time  to  prevent  his  own  death  from  lack 
of  the  insulin  available  to  him  there.  A  secondary  phase  of  the  story  shows 
that  not  only  the  ex-sailor's  supposed  suicide,  but  also  that  of  a  dead  man 
whose  inquest  he  had  testified  under  duress,  was  tn  fact  a  murder. 

Running  time,  77  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
hot  set.  W  R  w' 


Holokan  and  Wetzel 
Open  Supply  Branch 

Cincinnati,  March  8.— John  Holo- 
kan and  J.  L.  Wetzel  have  opened  a 
local  branch  of  the  Theatre  Equip- 
ment Co.  A.  Boudouris  also  is  inter- 
ested in  the  venture,  which  will  mar- 
ket theatre  and  drive-in  equipment 
drink  dispensers  and  similar  items! 
Holokan  and  Wetzel  also  conduct  a 
buying  and  booking  service  here,  oper- 
ating under  the  title  of  Globe  Theatre 
Service. 


INDIANAPOLIS 


First-run  business  is  running  the 
gamut  here  this  week.  Three  leading 
attractions,  however,  are  doing  better 
than  average.  Interest  in  the  second 
round  of  the  state  high  school  basket- 
ball tournament  and  weather  varying 
between  winter  and  spring  are  factors. 
Estimated  receipts  for  the  week  end- 
ing March  8-9: 

ALASKA  PATROL  (FC)-CIRCLE  (2,800) 
(60c-90c)  With  Frankie  Carl's  band  on 
stage.  Gross:  $24,000.  (Average:  $18,000) 
LET'S  LIVE  A  LITTLE  (E-L)  and 
PAROLE,  INC.  (E-L)-LYRIC  (1,600) 
(44c -65c).  Gross:  $5,000.  (Average:  $6,000) 
THE  SUN  COMES  UP  (M-G-M)  and 
HIGH  FURY  (UA) — LOEWS  (2,450)  (44c- 
65c).  Gross:  $12,000.  (Average:  $11,000) 
WAKE  OF  THE  RED  WITCH  (Rep.)_ 
INDIANA  (3,200)  (44c-65c).  Gross:  $12,800. 
(Average:  $12,000) 

YELLOW  SKY  (ZOth-Fox)  and  MISS 
MINK  OF  1949  (20thj-Fox) — KEITH'S  (L- 
300)  (44c-65c).  On  a  moveover  from  the 
Indiana.    Gross:  $4,000.    (Average:  $4,500) 


Murphy  Here  Mar.  17 

Audie  Murphy,  most  decorated  hero 
of  World  War  II  and  star  of  "Bad 
Boy,"  will  arrive  here  March  17  to 
make  a  personal  appearance  at  the 
Variety  Club  all-star  benefit  to  be 
held  at  the  RKO  Palace  March  22 
with  a  special  showing  of  the  Allied 
Artists  picture. 


Halliday  to  Indianapolis 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  8.— Robert 
Halliday,  Warner  booker  here,  has 
been  promoted  to  head  booker  and  of- 
fice manager  for  Warner  at  Indian- 
apolis. 


Para.  Club  to  Stage  Show 

An  "Old  Time  Minstrel"  show  will 
be  staged  by  members  of  the  Para- 
mount Pictures  Club  here  on  Friday 
evening  at  the  Henry  Hudson  Hotel, 
George  W.  Harvey,  president,  an- 
nounces. 


Loew  Infl  Consolidates 

Loew  International's  publicity-ad- 
vertising department,  which  has  been 
housed  for  the  past  three  and  one- 

na  -i-.-yearf  ln  the  CaPito1  Theatre 
Building  here,  is  now  back  at  the 
home  office  in  the  Loew  Building 
Also  returning  to  the  home  office  is 
the  narrated  and  titled  films  depart- 
ment, which  had  been  located  in  the 
Mayfair  Theatre  Building.  Both  de- 
partments had  been  forced  to  move 
from  the  home  office  during  Loew  In- 
ternational's expansion,  immediately 
following  the  war.  Space  necessary 
for  their  return  was  provided  when 
station  WMGM  recently  moved  to 
new  quarters. 

Sugarman  in  New  Post 

Elias  E.  Sugarman  has  joined  Fur- 
man,  Feiner  and  Co.,  Inc.,  as  assist- 
ant to  president  Norman  B.  Furman, 
and  in  addition  he  will  supervise  tele- 
vision activities  of  the  organization. 
Sugarman  has  been  for  20  years  in 
executive  capacities  in  advertising, 
publications,  amusements  and  the  han- 
dling of  talent.  For  12  years  he  was 
editor  of  Billboard. 


Objects  to  Ticket  Bill 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  8.— Orrin 
Judd,  attorney  representing  the 
Metropolitan  Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Association,  has  filed  a  memorandum 
objecting  to  the  McGowan  bill  in  the 
state  legislature  which  would  require 
"partial  or  obstructed"  to  be  printed 
on  all  tickets  sold  for  reserved  seats 
without  a  full  view. 


Wednesday,  March  9,  1949 

j  U.  S.  Cool  to  TOA's 
Bid  on  Arbitration 

Washington,  March  8—  The  The- 
atre Owners  of  America  will  have  a 
very  tough  time  trying  to  convince  the 
Justice  Department  to  summon  an  all- 
industry  conference  on  arbitration. 

While  Justice  Department  officials 
are  reluctant  to  be  quoted  on  the  mat- 
ter, the  consensus  obviously  was  "our 
job  is  not  to  run  the  motion  picture 
business." 

One  top  official  said  he  doubted 
'  "that  we  can  or  should,  but  that  does 
not  mean  we  might  not  wind  up  doing 

ft  " 

Another  official  said  that  "we're 
busy  enough  trying  to  work  out  a 
judgment  in  the  case  without  getting 
involved  in  schemes  to  work  out  an 
arbitration  plan.  Our  only  position 
is  that  the  distributors  should  work 
out  arbitration  with  those  who  are 
going  to  have  to  abide  by  it— the 
exhibitors." 

When  the  •  TO  A  executives  meet 
they  will  set  a  date  for  a  board  of 
directors  meeting  which  will  assay  a 
proposal  for  an  all-industry  parley  on 
a  possible  arbitration  plan. 

TOA,  Shorts  Rentals 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


Sears,  Fox-Wise. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


stipulated  $1  per  picture  up  to  at  least 
$5.  Sullivan  indicated  that  he  fore- 
sees a  possibility  of  higher  rentals 
from  large  houses,  with  ability-to-pay 
perhaps  serving  as  a  guiding  factor. 

Having  received  a  "resume  negotia- 
tions" recommendation  from  some  24 
TOA  directors,  Sullivan  will  seek  fur- 
ther conferences  with  the  distributors' 
committee,  headed  by  RKO  Radio 
vice-president  Robert  Mochrie.  The 
TOA  executive  director  indicated  that 
he  is  looking  forward  to  meeting  with 
the  distributors'  group  again,  either 
this  week  or  early  next. 

The  committee,  which  includes  also 
distribution  chiefs  William  A.  Scully, 
Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  and  A.  Monta- 
gue, last  month  gave  Sullivan  dis- 
tribution's argument  against  the  TOA 
bid  for  low  rentals.  The  committee 
cited  the  high  cost  of  producing  the 
series.  TOA  has  contended  that  pro- 
duction costs  were  permitted  to  run 
too  high.  Meanwhile,  RKO  Radio  is 
still  holding  "Let's  Go  to  the  Movies," 
first  of  the  series  from  release.  The 
series  is  sponsored  by  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America. 


today,  followed  by  14  subsequent 
bookings.  Although  not  identified,  it 
is  believed  the  initial  three  are  key 
houses  after  first-run  in  the  Milwau- 
kee area. 

Barney  Balaban,  president  of  Para- 
mount, through  a  home-office  spokes- 
man, acknowledged  that  he  was  aware 
of  the  clash  between  UA  and  the  cir- 
cuit, but  referred  inquiries  to  Alfred 
W.  Schwalberg,  Paramount  sales 
chief,  who  left  the  Coast  by  plane  for 
New  York  and  was  unavailable  for 
comment. 

Executives  of  National  Theatres,  of 
which  Fox  Wisconsin  is  an  affiliate 
were  not  available  here  yesterday  for 
comment.  Harold  J.  Fitzgerald  is 
president  and  general  manager  of  the 
Wisconsin  group. 

Sears'  full  statement  follows : 
"The  booking  of  'Red  River'  and 
'Paleface'  on  the  same  bill  in  Milwau- 
kee is,  in  my  mind,  the  most  flagrant, 
dangerous  and  downright  stupid  abuse 
of  exhibitor  power  in  my  recollection. 
To  chew  up  top  product  and  spit  it 
out  like  so  many  melon  seeds  is  sabo- 
taging our  industry.  This  kind  of 
thinking  is  precisely  what  is  wrong 
with  the  motion  picture  business. 

"Mr.  Balaban  naturally  can  sell  his 
pictures  as  he  chooses,  but  I  for  one 
will  not  tolerate  'Red  River'  being 
ruined  in  any  territory  by  being  dou- 
ble billed  with  the  season's  other  big 
picture. 

"The  exhibitor's  threats  of  a  freeze 
out,  direct  and  implied,  do  not  deter 
me  for  one  moment  from  this  decision. 
I  shall  refuse  to  service  this  booking 
under  any  circumstances.  Every 
producer,  distributor  and  every  fair- 
minded  exhibitor  will  recognize  the 
justice  of  my  position." 


ndustry  Ranks  3rd 
n  Television  Field 


Washington,  March  8. — The  mo- 
tion picture,  industry  ranks  third,  be- 
hind newspaper  publishers  and  radio 
broadcasters,  in  an  industry  breakdown 
ot  firms  owning  or  applying  for  tele- 
vision stations,  the  Federal  Communi- 
cations Commission  revealed  here. 

As  of  Dec.  31,  1948,  Motion  picture 
companies  had  licenses,  construction 
permits  or  applications  pending  for  27 
stations,  6.6  per  cent  of  the  total  sta- 
tions authorized  or  applied  for.  News- 
paper publishers  accounted  for  128,  or 
31.3  per  cent  and  broadcasters  for  66 
or  16.1  per  cent.  Radio  manufacturers, 
oil  producers,  real  estate  firms,  educa- 
tional institutions,  and  other  groups 
trailed  the  film  industry  total.  _ 

Film  industry  firms  and  individuals 
in  or  trying  to  get  into  the  television 
field  include  Paramount,  20th  Century- 
Fox,  Warner,  Lufkin  Amusement  Co. 
of  Beaumont,  Tex.,  Van  Curler  Broad- 
casting Corp.  (Si  Fabian),  Patroon 
Broadcasting  Co.  (Schine),  and  pro- 
ducer Edward  Lasker. 


Film-Video  Union 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Video  No  Nemesis 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


U.  A.  Option 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


I 
I 


'Pride  of  Yankees' 
To  Bow  in  Florida 

The  reissue  of  the  Samuel  Goldwyn 
production,  "Pride  of  the  Yankees," 
will  have  its  first  showing  at  the 
Florida  Theatre,  St.  Petersburg,  site 
of  the  New  York  Yankees'  training 
camp,  on  Sunday.  Team  members 
will  attend  the  opening  after  playing 
their  first  exhibition  game  of  the  sea- 
son. The  picture  is  scheduled  to 
open  thereafter  in  all  theatres  of  the 
Paramount  Florida  circuit. 

Opening  of  the  picture  in  New 
York  is  being  planned  for  the  start 
of  the  major  league  baseball  season 
here  on  April  13,  but  booking  ar- 
rangements have  not  been  completed 
yet. 


Levine  Gets  'Wench' 

Boston,  March  8. — National  dis- 
tribution rights  to  "The  Wench"  has 
been  acquired  by  Joseph  E.  Levine  of 
Embassy  Pictures  from  Spalter  In- 
ternational Pictures. 


tained  a  10-day  extension  of  the  op- 
tion and  no  further  extension  is  pro- 
vided for  in  her  agreement  with 
Chaplin,  even  in  the  event  that  seri- 
ous negotiations  are  opened  in  the 
next  few  days  and  are  in  progress  on 
Saturday. 

On  the  transferral  of  the  option  to 
Chaplin,  he' will  have  30  days  in  which 
to  consummate  a  deal  for  Miss  Pick- 
ford's  half  interest  in  U.  A.,  with  the 
right  to  a  10-day  extension  in  the 
event  negotiations  are  in  progress  but 
not  concluded  at  the  end  of  the  initial 
period.  Reportedly,  when  the  option 
passes  to  Chaplin,  his  UA  interest,  as 
well  as  Miss  Pickford's  will  be  offered 
to  prospective  purchasers,  in  contrast 
to  Miss  Pickford's  wish  to  retain  a 
partnership  interest  in  the  company. 

Up  to  this  point,  it  is  learned, 
prospective  bidders  for  the  UA  stock 
have  found  the  asking  price  too  high. 

West  Coast  Operator 
Files  Trust  Suit 

Los  Angeles,  March  8. — The  Mar- 
koy  Corp.,  operating  the  Crown  The- 
atre, Pasadena,  filed  an  anti-trust  suit 
in  Federal  court  here  against  seven 
distributors,  three  circuits  and  three 
individuals,  asking  treble  damages 
amounting  to  $1,050,000  for  an  alleged 
conspiracy  to  stifle  competition  by  re- 
fusing the  Crown  first-mn  status. 

The  companies  are  20th  Century- 
Fox,  RKO,  Paramount,  Universal, 
Eagle-Lion  and  Selznick  Releasing 
Organization.  Circuits  are  National 
Theatres,  Fox  West  Coast  and  United 
Artists  Theatres. 


intended  to  replace  the  motion  picture 
theatre,"  Gold  asserted,  adding  that 
the  kind  of  film  made  for  theatrical 
distribution  is  not  the  kind  of  enter- 
tainment for  television.  He  said  that 
technique  for  television  "must  be  a 
television  technique." 

At  current  costs,  he  said,  it  can  be 
proved  that  good  films  are  available 
for  video  at  lower  prices  than  "many 
inferior  live'  shows."  He  predicted 
that  if  the  "film  production  trend 
continues  towards  films  produced  ex- 
pressly for  television,  ultimately  top 
film  shows  will  cost  less  than  top  'live' 
shows." 

Gold  disclosed  that  the  standard 
exhibition  contract  formulated  by  the 
National  Television  Film  Council  will 
be  in  final  shape  and  ready  for  gen- 
eral acceptance  by  the  television  in- 
dustry before  the  end  of  this  month. 

Frank  Schreiber,  head  of  station 
WGN,  addressing  some  400  delegates 
at  the  convention  at  the  Palmer 
House,  said  that  the  motion  picture 
industry  has  been  hiding  its  head  m 
the  sands  of  Hollywood  up  to  now. 
He  said  that  "rather  than  cooperate 
with  television,  the  film  people  have 
trembled  with  a  kind  of  adolescent 
fear."  Pointing  out  that  "cooperation 
is  more  practical  than  hibernation," 
Schreiber  declared  "I  hope  that  some 
day  soon  film  executives  will  see  tele- 
vision in  its  true  perspective  and  real- 
ize the  great  benefits  this  new  indus- 
try holds  for  them."  "Because  of  its 
direct  effect  on  operating  costs,"  he 
said,  "unionization  in  television  will 
challenge  our  best  thinking." 

Adams  to  ABC  Video 


junction"  of  these  arts  and  sciences, 
including  both  theatre  presentation  of 
television  programs  and  the  produc- 
tion of  films  for  use  as  television  pro- 
gram material,  will  be  covered  by 
technical  reports,  forum  discussions, 
and  demonstrations  at  the  meetings,  on 
April  4  and  5  in  New  York's  Hotel 
Statler  (formerly  the  Pennsylvania). 

Reporting  highlights  of  the  sessions, 
Earl  I.  Sponable,  president  of  the 
Society,  also  stressed  that  "vital  de- 
velopments" in  other  technical  and 
scientific  phases  of  the  motion  picture 
industry  will  be  reported  and  dis- 
cussed during  the  final  three  days  of 
the  convention.  These  include  signifi- 
cant advances  in  high-speed  photogra- 
phy, which  will  be  dealt  with  in  an 
all-day  symposium  on  Wednesday, 
April  6,  professional  applications  of 
16mm.  film  and  equipment,  sound 
equipment,  projection  light  sources, 
color  printing  and  magnetic  record- 
ing- 
Opening  the  convention  will  be  a 
forum  on  television  and  films,  with 
Donald  E.  Hyndman  as  moderator 
and  Ralph  B.  Austrian  as  chairman. 

Surveys  indicating  that  television 
will  have  "a  forceful  impact"  on  in- 
formal mass  education,  as  well  as  in- 
dications of  its  probable  effect  on  film- 
going  and  radio-listening,  will  be  dis- 
cussed by  William  F.  Kruse  of  Kruse 
Associates. 


TOA-SMPE  Theatre 
Video  Talks  Loom 

Efforts  reportedly  will  be  made  by 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  execu- 
tives to  hold  the  next  TOA  executive 
committee  meeting  here  on  or  about 
April  4  to  enable  a  TOA  executive 
group  to  confer  on  theatre  television 
developments  with  representatives  of 
the  Society  of  Motion  Picture  Engi- 
neers, which  will  hold  its  65th  semi- 
annual convention  at  the  Hotel  Statler 
here,  April  4-8.  Much  of  the  SMPE 
convention  will  be  devoted  to  theatre 
television,  a  subject  in  which  TOA 
has  expressed  interest. 

Para.  Production 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Adding  to  both  its  radio  and  tele- 
vision sales  staffs,  American  Broad- 
casting announces  that  Wylie  Adams, 
formerly  account  executive  in  _  charge 
of  commercial  network  expansion  has 
been  transferred  to  ABC's  television 
sales  staff  and  Richard  Hogue  has 
joined  the  network  to  assume  the 
duties  formerly  handled  by  Adams. 

Warner  Signs  Wayne 

Hollywood,  March  8.— Jack  War- 
ner announced  the  signing  of  a  con- 
tract under  which  John  Wayne  will 
star  in  one  Warner  feature  annually 
I  for  the  next  seven  years. 


panded  production  schedules,"  he  said. 
There  is  no  limit  upon  the  number 
Paramount  may  make  in  any  year,  he 
declared. 

Balaban  added  that  current  enthus- 
iasm for  fine  films  is  evident^  and  "is 
cause  for  genuine  optimism." 

Zukor  Says  Divorcement  Benefits 
New  Pictures  Company 

Hollywood,  March  8.— Declaring 
divorcement  will  be  highly  beneficial 
to  the  new  production-distribution  or- 
ganization, Paramount  board  chairman 
Adolph  Zukor,  upon  leaving  here  to- 
day for  Tucson,  said  "the  new  com- 
pany will  be  in  a  position  to  book 
films  in  the  theatres  most  suitable  for 
the  exhibition  of  particular  pictures, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  sell  on  the 
best  possible  terms.  I  am  sure  that 
our  pictures  stand  to  gain  by  this  ar- 
rangement, especially  when  they  have 
the  strong  drawing  power  we  have 
seen  in  our  new  productions." 

"Each  of  these  pictures  is  able  to 
stand  on  its  own  merits  in  the  open 
market  and  is  important  enough  to  be 
sold  individually  as  a  quality  feature, 
he  said.  .  .        L  .  . 

\\  Schwalberg  advertising-publicity 
head  and  other  Paramount  executives 
from  New  York,  left  here  tonight  by 
plane  for  the  home  office. 


arring  Wild  BiU  Elliott 


SAN  ANTONIO  KID 
CHEYENNE  WILDCAT 
VIGILANTES  OF  DODGE  CITY 
SHERIFF  OF  LAS  VEGAS 
GREAT  STAGECOACH  ROBBERY 
LONE  TEXAS  RANGER 
PHANTOM  OF  THE  PLAINS 
MARSHAL  OF  LAREDO 
COLORADO  PIONEERS 
WAGON  WHEELS  WESTWARD 


12 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Wednesday,  March  9,  1949 


U.K.  Quota 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Deputy  Prime  Minister  Herbert  Mor 
rison  was  honor  guest  at  the  banquet. 

Beginning  with  praise  for  the  states 
manship  which  brought  about  the 
Wilson-Johnston  pact  and  an  end  to 
the  confiscatory  75  per  cent  British 
ad  valorem  film  tax,  Sir  Alexander 
told  the  banquet  gathering  that  all  thai 
was  accomplished  was  subsequently 
catastrophically  wrecked  by  the  "ex- 
cessive, unreasonable,  unnecessary"  45 
per  cent  quota.  He  charged  that 
Britain's  producers  have  defaulted  on 
their  own  production  promises  which, 
Sir  Alexander  added,  took  the  govern- 
ment for  a  ride  and  deluded  its  min- 
isters into  imposing  a  reckless  quota. 

"If  (Britain's)  producers  could 
write  as  good  scripts  as  alibis," 
Sir  Alexander  observed,  "they'd 
be  geniuses."  Instead  of  friend- 
ship, the  British  producers  fo- 
ment hostility,  he  atfded,  assert- 
ing that  it  was  their  vain 
pledges  which  led  to  relations 
with  America  that  never  have 
been  more  strained.  Good  films, 
regardless  of  nationality,  enter- 
tain wherever  they  are  shown, 
Sir  Alexander  held. 

He  called  upon  Britain's  producers 
to  cease  sacrificing  quality  for  quan- 
tity, and  urged  that  the  bickering  con- 
flict with  America's  industry  stop. 
People  cannot  be  legislated  into  the 
cinema;  they  can  only  be  attracted, 
the  new  CEA  president  warned. 

Encouragement  of  Americans  to 
make  pictures  here  was  demanded  by 
Sir  Alexander.  He  urged  the  British 
industry  to  drop  politics  and  hurry 
back  "to  where  we  belong,  namely,  in 
the  show  business." 

Declining  to  enter  into  a  discussion 
of  the  British  film  industry  crisis, 
Morrison  in  his  address  issued  a 
vague  warning  that  the  industry  here 
will  prosper  only  if  all  sections  plan 
their  affairs  with  the  sober,  respon- 
sible resolve  not  to  waste  manpower 
or  money. 


Reviews 


Iff 


Joe  Palooka  in  the  Big  Fight 

T (Monogram)  Hollywood,  March  8 

HIS  latest  of  the  Joe  Palooka  series,  produced  by  Hal  E.  Chester,  rates 
rather  as  straight  stuff,  actionful,  suspenseful  and  generally  stimulating 
There  is  fighting  of  both  kinds,  in  ring  style  and  "for  keeps."  The  perform- 
ances of  Joe  Kirkwood  and  Leon  Errol  as  fighter  and  manager  maintain  the 
high  standard  which  these  players  have  established  in  those  roles.  It  should 
account  for  itself  on  even  terms  with  earlier  offerings  in  the  series. 

This  time,  in  Stanley  Prager's  screenplay,  Joe  gets  knocked  down  by  . 
sparring  partner  who  thereupon  starts  a  heckling  campaign  designed  to  pro 
mote  himself  a  match  with  Joe  for  the  championship.  Greg  McClure,  the 
sparring  partner,  is  in  the  employ  of  crooks  headed  by  Taylor  Holmes,  and  it 
is  part  of  their  plot  to  get  Joe  framed  for  a  killing  he  did  not  commit.  There 
is  a  fast  accumulation  of  complications  after  this,  winding  up  in  a  free-for-all 
which  terminates  in  the  exposure  and  apprehension  of  the  gangsters. 

Cyril  Endfield  directed  skillfully,  Bernard  Burton  was  associate  producer 
Running  time,  66  minutes.    General  audience  classification.    Release  date 
not  set. 


Odeon  and  Gaumont 
Dividends  Are  Cut 

London,  March  8. — Odeon  Thea- 
tres, Ltd.,  has  declared  a  three  and 
three-quarter  per  cent  interim  divi- 
dend for  the  year  ending  next  June  25, 
against  a  seven  and  one-half  per  cent 
dividend  last  year. 

Gaumont  British  has  declared  a  one 
and  one-quarter  per  cent  interim  divi- 
dend on  its  ordinary  stock  for  the 
year  ending  on  the  same  date,  against 
a  two  and  one-half  per  cent  payment 
for  the  15  months  ending  on  June  26, 
1948. 


The  Walking  Hills 

R (Columbia)  Hollywood,  March  8 

ANDOLPH  SCOTT  and  Ella  Raines  are  the  names  available  for  mar- 
quee  purposes,  and  their  bearers  wear  them  well,  but  the  items  that  set 
this  Western  melodrama  distinctly  apart  from  the  procession  of  basically 
similar  stories  recent  placed  in  distribution  are  the  terrific  sandstorm  in  the 
closing  sequences  and  the  folk-singing  of  Josh  White  in  the  early  and  middle 
stretches.  The  storm  is  tremendously  realistic  and  sweeps  the  narrative  to  a 
convincing  finale.  The  Josh  White  solos,  performed  to  his  own  guitar  ac- 
companiment, may  be  charged  by  the  tone-deaf  with  slowing  up  the  action  but 
will  be  relished  no  end  by  the  music-conscious  majority.  In  the  over-all  count 
the  picture  appears  certain  to  command  snug  grosses.  The  fact  that  it  was 
filmed  in  Death  Valley  may  prove  a  profitably  mentionable  detail. 

The  script,  by  Alan  LeMay,  relates  in  surprisingly  clear  manner  the  story 
of  11  men  and  a  girl  who  arrive  at  a  desert  spot  where  a  gold-laden  wagon 
train  is  said  to  have  been  lost  beneath  the  rolling  sand  dunes  (walking  hills) 
a  century  before,  and  of  the  cross  purposes  which  they  subordinate  to  the 
common  purpose  of  digging  out  the  treasures.  Scott  and  Bishop  are  former 
sweethearts  of  Miss  Raines,  John  Ireland  is  a  detective  tracking  down  Bishop 
but  willing  to  forget  that  fact  in  the  interests  of  their  quest,  and  Edward  Bu 
chanan  is  the  one  among  them  who  knows  the  desert  and  its  ways  Clashes 
occur  m  mounting  severity  as  the  digging  drags  on,  and  killings  take  place 
before  and  during  the  storm  which  brings  events  to  a  proper  conclusion  which 
includes,  in  this  instance,  the  finding  of  the  gold. 

Production  by  Harry  Joe  Brown  makes  excellent  use  of  the  Death  Valley 
terrain  as  both  setting  and  arch-villain,  and  direction  by  John  Sturges  averts 
the  drag  so  often  flawing  pictures  shot  in  the  desert. 

Running  time,  75  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  March 
release. 


.99 


Rank  to  Be  Guest  of 
Young  at  Palm  Beach 

J.  Arthur  Rank  will  begin  a  vaca- 
tion at  Palm  Beach,  Fla.,  shortly  after 
his  arrival  here  from  London  on 
March  23.  In  Palm  Beach  he  will  be 
the  house  guest  of  Robert  R.  Young, 
head  of  Pathe  Industries  and  Eagle- 
Lion.  Rank  also  plans  a  visit  to  the 
West  Coast  before  going  to  Washing- 
ton for  the  scheduled  meeting  of  the 
Anglo-U.  S.  Films  Council  on 
April  21. 


Release  Comedies 

Laurel  and  Hardy  one-reel  comedies 
will  be  released  in  April  for  the  first 
time  in  8mm.  and  16nim.  sound  films, 
Library  Films  announced. 


Bomba,  The  Jungle  Boy 

^nZTlr,  u    w  ,      w  ■  \    o  •  Hollywood,  March  8 

U  KUDU  LED  by  Walter  Minsch,  this  first  in  a  series  of  jungle  adventure 
nlms  !s  family  entertainment  in  the  full  sense  of  the  term,  a  straight  story 
about  a  white  boy  grown  to  adolescence  in  the  jungle  and  the  things  that  hap- 
pen to  him,  and  to  them,  when  members  of  a  photographing  expedition  enter 
his  world.  The  film  is,  in  kind  and  in  the  scope  of  its  appeal,  an  exemplifica- 
tion of  Monogram  president  Steve  Broidy's  recent  declaration  of  intent  to 
swing  studio  production  policy  away  from  the  lurid  type  of  melodrama  which 
community  and  club  groups  have  been  protesting  and  toward  the  family  type 
of  entertainment  which  they  have  been  saying  they  want  instead.  It  is  an 
admirable  film  for  purposes  of  testing  the  validity  of  those  club  and  commun- 
ity declarations  of  preference,  and  rates  exploitation  pointed  directly  toward 
those  quarters. 

Directed  with  skill  and  understanding  by  Ford  Beebe,  the  script  by  Jack 
DeWitt,  based  on  Roy  Rockwood's  story  of  the  same  name,  takes  Onslow 
Stevens,  a  magazine  photographer,  and  his  daughter,  Peggy  Ann  Garner,  into 
the  African  jungle,  where  Miss  Garner  runs  away  from  the  expedition'  fol- 
lowing an  incident  in  which  Johnny  Sheffield,  a  white  boy  living  in  wild  state, 
and  happily  with  his  animal  companions,  slays  a  leopard  which  has  attacked 
the  party.  Sheffield  gives  her  shelter  and  attempts  to  notify  her  father  of  her 
whereabouts,  but  is  shot  by  the  father  and,  in  consequence,  refuses  to  return 
her  to  the  camp.  A  series  of  ensuing  adventures,  in  which  a  wide  variety  of  ex- 
cellently photographed  jungle  animals  figure,  culminates  in  the  return  of  the 
party  to  civilization  and  the  jungle  boy's  decision  to  remain  in  his  own  en- 
vironment. The  attraction  merits  pin-point  exploitation  addressed  especially 
to  the  family  unit. 

Running  time,  71  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
not  set.  ' 


'Eiffel  Tower'  Deal  Set 

Arrangements  for  Motion  Picture 
Sales  Corp.  to  handle  "The  Man  on 
the  Eiffel  Tower,"  Ansco  color  film 
made  in  France  by  Franchot  Tone  and 
Irving  Allen  have  been  completed,  ac- 
cording to  an  announcement  by  Neil 
Agnew  and  Charles  L.  Casanave. 


Mullen  Circuit  Meets 

Boston,  March  8.— New  England 
Theatres,  Inc.,  held  an  executive 
meeting  at  the  Statler  Hotel  today. 
Booking,  buying  and  policies  were 
discussed  under  the  company's  new 
set  up.  Martin  J.  Mullen,  general 
manager,  presided. 


Monogram-UK  Deal 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


studios,  ABPC  owns  the  ABC  British 
circuit  of  450  theatres. 

The  British  Treasury  was  consulted 
throughout  the  negotiations,  Mono- 
gram reports.  The  films  to  be  made 
under  the  deal  will  be  produced  in 
"fullest  cooperation  between  the  three 
parties.  American  and  British  stars 
will  be  used,  production  and  technical 
personnel  will  be  drawn  from  both 
sides  of  the  Atlantic,  and  the  scripts 
will  be  written  with  an  eye  to  interna- 
tional appeal." 

"Besides  its  large  share  in  the  pro- 
duction of  the  pictures,  Monogram 
will  distribute  them  throughout  the 
Western  Hemisphere.  The  films  will 
be  handled  in  exactly  the  same  way 
as  the  Allied  Artists  product,"  it  was 
tated. 

The  first  two  pictures  are  now  being 
prepared  both  in  Hollywood  and  Lon- 
don, and  actual  filming,  it  is  planned, 
will  begin  on  the  first  picture  in  July 
of  this  year. 


Industry  Unscathed 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


have  already  quit  are:  Idaho,  Mon- 
tana, North  Dakota,  South  Dakota, 
Wyoming  and  Georgia.  They  will 
not  meet  again  until  1951. 

In  Idaho,  a  bill  was  passed  permit- 
ting Sunday  performances.  A  censor- 
ship bill  was  introduced  but  with- 
drawn in  Georgia,  and  an  admission 
tax  bill  died  in  committee  in  South 
Dakota. 

Bryson  said  Arkansas  is  scheduled 
to  quit  Thursday,  Washington  on  Fri- 
day, and  Arizona  and  West  Virginia 
on  Saturday.  In  West  Virginia,  the 
industry  is  still  fighting  a  censorship 
bill,  a  two  per  cent  reel  tax,  and  a 
bill  enabling  localities  to  tax  admis- 
sions two  cents  a  ticket. 

The  four  states  whose  legislatures 
do  not  meet  this  year  are  Kentucky 
Louisiana,  Mississippi  and  Virginia. 

Eastman  Kodak  Net 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


company  and  subsidiaries  in  the  West- 
ern Hemisphere. 

Cash  dividends  declared  in  1948 
were  at  the  same  rate  as  in  1947, 
$1.60  per  common  share,  for  a  total 
of  $19,808,104.  Preferred  dividends 
at  six  per  cent  totaled  $369,942.  To- 
gether these  amounted  to  $20,178,046 

Payrolls  totaled  $159,700,000  in 
1948,  compared  to  $141,100,000  in  1947. 

Rose  -  Montgomery 
Plan  Film  in  Britain 

London,  March  8.— David  Rose, 
former  Paramount  managing  director 
here,  says  he  plans  to  produce  in 
Britain  a  $1,000,000  picture  which  will 
star  and  be  directed  by  Robert  Mont- 
gomery. Title  of  the  picture  was  not 
disclosed. 

It  will  be  the  first  of  several  he 
plans  here,  Rose  said.  While  it  will 
be  made  from  an  American  script, 
Rose  hopes  that  it  will  qualify  for 
the  British  quota. 


New  NYC  Firemen's  BUI 

New  York  City  Councilman  Ed- 
ward Vogel,  Democrat  of  Brooklyn, 
has  introduced  a  bill  providing  for  the 
inclusion  of  fire  guards  on>  all  New 
York  theatre  payrolls.  It  has  been  re- 
ferred to  the  Council's  General  Wel- 
fare Committee.  Exhibitor  interests 
here  are  fighting  the  measure. 


MOTION  PICTURE 


NO.  48 

Weather  Hit 
Business  At 
Key-City  Runs 

$14,632  Weekly  Average; 
'Joan'  Is  Top  Grosser 

Heavy  snows,  ice  storms  and  sub- 
zero weather  in  many  sections  of 
the  country  hampered  theatre  busi- 
i  ness  last  month  with  the  result  that 
grosses  were  well  below  those  record- 
ed for  the  previous  month,  according 
to  reports  on  some  175  key  theatres 
received  from  Motion  Picture  Daily 
field  correspondents. 

Average   weekly   income  for 
February    dropped    to  $14,632 
from  the  exceptional  high  of 
$16,544    of    January.  Weekly 
average  per  theatre  for  Febru- 
ary last  year  was  $15,560. 
Away  out  front  last  month  as  the 
leading  grosser. went  "Joan  of  Arc," 
while  "The  Snake  Pit,"  one  of  the 
two  which  tied  for  first  place  in  Janu- 
ary,   fell    back    to    second  position. 
"Command  Decision,"  despite  its  en- 
try into  general  distribution  as  late 
as  the  last  week  of  February,  took 
third  place  by  virtue  of  its  immediate 

(Continued  on  page  6) 

Wrege,  Hughes  Are 
PromotedbyLazarus 

Jack  Wrege  and  John  Hughes  have 
been  moved  up  in  the  United  Artists 
sales  organization  by  Paul  N.  Laz- 
arus, Jr.,  assistant  to  Gradwell  L. 
Sears,  UA  president. 

Wrege  has  been  named  executive 
assistant  to  Edward  M.  Schnitzer, 
Eastern  sales  manager,  and  Hughes 
has  been  named  assistant  to  Fred 
Jack,  Western  sales  manager. 

Wrege  moves  over  to  the  Eastern 
division  after  several  years  as  assis- 

(Continued  on  page  9) 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  MARCH  10,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


U'  Will  Make 
30  This  Year 


Wilmington,  Del.,  March  9.— Uni- 
versal has  scheduled  30  pictures  for 
production  this  year,  compared  with 
24  last  year,  Charles  D.  Prutzman, 
vice-president  and  general  counsel, 
told  the  company's  annual  meeting  of 
stockholders  here  today. 

All  directors  of  the  company  were 
re-elected  at  the  meeting.  They  are: 
Robert  S.  Benjamin,  Nate  J.  Blum- 
berg,  Paul  G.  Brown,  J.  Cheever 
Cowdin,  Preston  Davie,  Matthew 
Fox,  William  J.  German,  John  J. 
O'Connor,  Ottavio  Prochet,  Prutzman, 
J.  Arthur  Rank,  Budd  Rogers,  Daniel 
M.  Shaeffer  and  G.  I.  Woodham- 
Smith.  Prutzman  presided  at  the 
meeting.  He  expressed  confidence  in 
the  company's  current  outlook. 

The  meeting  voted  down  three  reso- 
lutions presented  by  minority  stock- 
holders Lewis  D.  and  John  J.  Gilbert, 
both  of  New  York,  calling  for  each 
director  to  be  required  to  own  at  least 
100  shares  of  either  class  stock;  call- 
ing for  post-meeting  reports  to  stock- 
holders on  discussions  and  balloting, 
and  stockholder  election  of  auditors. 


N.  Y.  Variety  Signs 
Lease  for  Clubrooms 

Lease  was  signed  here  yes- 
terday giving  the  New  York 
Variety  Club  a  10th  floor  club- 
room  with  a  roof  terrace  ad- 
jacent, in  the  Hotel  Astor. 
The  New  York  Building  De- 
partment has  already  ap- 
proved plans  for  alterations 
and  work  will  begin  at  once. 
The  deal  requires  the  hotel 
management  to  pay  for  alter- 
ations and  decorations. 

Additionally,  Variety  will 
have  first  floor  offices  at  the 
Astor. 


WeitmanTakes  Over 
Netter's  Para.  Post 


Pickford,  Sears  and 
Kelly  to  Hollywood 

Mary  Pickford,  co-owner  oi  United 
Artists,  left  here  yesterday  for  the 
Coast  after  a  month's  visit  here.  UA 
president  Gradwell  L.  Sears  is  now 
en  route  west,  and  Arthur  W.  Kelly, 
executive  vice-president,  will  leave  for 
Hollywood  at  the  weekend. 

During  her  stay  Miss  Pickford  had 
engaged  in  conversations  relative  to 
the  possible  sale  of  her  partner's, 
Charles  Chaplin's,  50  per  cent  interest 
in  the  company,  option  on  which  she 
has  held,  but  which  expires  at  the 
weekend.  Miss  Pickford  received  no 
positive  offer  for  the  stock,  it  is  un- 
derstood, and  the  option  will  revert 
to  Chaplin. 


Baltimore  Honors 
William  K.  Saxton 

Baltimore,  March  9.  —  Mayor 
Thomas  D'Alesandro,  Jr.,  headed 
more  than  100  civic,  political,  business, 
theatre  and  film  men  attending  a  din- 
ner last  night  in  the  Park  Plaza  Ho- 
tel at  a  testimonial  to  William  K. 
Saxton,  on  completion  of  20  years  as 
a  Baltimore  showman.  Saxton,  former 
vaudevillian,  has  retired  as  city  man- 
ager of  Loew's  Baltimore  theatres. 

Arrangements  were  handled  by  the 
Mayor's  committee,  headed  by  Jack 
Sidney,  Loew's  publicity  director  here. 


Selznick  To  Be  Here 
For  'Jennie'  Premiere 

David  O.  Selznick  and  Paul  Mac- 
Namara  are  expected  here  from  the 
Coast  early  next  week  for  meetings 
on  sales  and  release  plans  for  "Por- 
trait of  Jennie"  and  to  attend  the  New 
York  premiere  of  the  picture  at  the 
Rivoli  on  March  23. 


Robert  M.  Weitman,  vice-president 
of  Paramount  Theatres  Service  Corp., 
will  replace  Leon  D.  Netter  as  head 
of  Paramount  theatres  in  the  South 
with  Netter,  as  previously  reported,  in 
turn  named  general  manager  and  ex- 
ecutive vice-presjdent  of  Florida  State 
Theatres  with  full  charge  of  all  Para- 
mount theatres  in  Florida,  it  was  an- 
nounced here  yesterday  by  Leonard 
Goldenson,  head  of  Paramount  Thea- 
tres Service. 

Weitman  is  to  be  a  top  national  of- 
ficial of  the  new  United  Paramount 
Theatres  which  is  to  be  formed  with 
Goldenson  as  president. 

Netter  will  replace  Frank  Rogers 
as  head  of  the  Florida  affiliate ;  he  has 
been  ill.  Upon  complete  recovery, 
Rogers  and  Netter  together  will  be  in 
charge  of  the  Florida  circuit.  Netter 
had  been  in  charge  of  all  Paramount 
partnership  interests  in  the  South,  and 
in  addition,  supervised  Paramount  the- 
atres in  New  York  City,  Brooklyn 
and  Philadelphia. 

Weitman's  new  duties,  in  addition 
to  representing  Paramount  in  connec- 
tion with  its  theatre  interests  in  the 
South,  will  supervise  Philadelphia 
houses  and  continue  to  direct  super- 
vision of  the  New  York  and  Brooklyn 
Paramount  Theatres. 


Atlas  Gained 
17-Million  on 
RKO  Holdings 

14-Year  Annual  Average 
Returns  Exceeded  20% 

Atlas  Corporation's  total  profits 
on  its  long-term  investments  in 
Radio-Keith-Orpheum  over  the  full 
14-year  period  of  the  holdings 
amounted  to  more  than  $17,000,000, 
Floyd  B.  Odium,  president  of  Atlas, 
disclosed  in  the  holding  company's 
1948  annual  report  issued  yesterday. 
The  total  was  an  average  return  of 
more  than  20  per  cent  per  year  on  the 
average  annual  amount  invested  in 
RKO.  Atlas  still  owns  317,812  RKO 
option  warrants. 

"  The  remaining  holdings  of  Atlas  in 
RKO,  consisting  of  approximately  24 
per  cent  of  the  common  stock,  were 
sold  during  1948  to  Howard  Hughes. 

At  Dec.  31,  1948,  Atlas  had  a  capi- 
tal and  capital  surplus  of  almost  $31,- 
000,000,  an  earned  surplus  of  more 
than  $19,000,000,   and  an  unrealized 

{Continued  on  page  9) 


Schine  Discussing 
U.  S.  Consent  Decree 


Niven  Busch  Forms 
Production  Company 

Hollywood,  March  9. — Niven,  Busch 
has  formed  Showtime  Pictures,  Inc., 
and  simultaneously  discloses  the  sign- 
ing of  Lew  Ayres  for  the  lead  in 
"Daybreak,"  the  new  company's  first 
feature,  which  starts  in  April  or  May. 


Johnston  Here,  MP  A 
Meeting  March  28 

Eric  Johnston,  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociation president,  arrived  here  from 
the  West  Coast  last  night  for  a  two- 
day  visit  before  returning  to  his 
Washington  headquarters.  He  will 
spend  about  two  weeks  in  Washing- 
ton, returning  here  for  the  scheduled 
annual  meeting  of  the  MPAA  on 
March  28,  unless  the  meeting  is  post- 
poned. 

Johnston  is  scheduled  to  speak  be- 
fore the  Economic  Club  of  New  York 
today  and  will  leave  for  Washington 
tomorrow  evening. 


Buffalo,  March  9. — Two  recent 
postponements  of  scheduled  hearings 
in  U.  5.  District  Court  here  in  the 
government's  anti-trust  case  against 
Schine  Theatres,  have  been  sought 
and  granted  to  permit  Schine  counsel 
to  attempt  to  negotiate  a  consent  de- 
cree with  Assistant  U.  S.  Attorney 
General  Herbert  Bergson  in  Wash- 
ington. 

Some  progress  in  the  negotiations 
has  been  made  but  it  is  still  uncertain 
whether  an  agreement  can  be  reached 

(Continued  on  page  9) 


Censorship  Threat 
Critical  in  Jersey 

Newark,  March  9. — The  threat  of 
municipal  film  censorship  in  _  New 
Jersey  is  as  great  at  present  as  it  was 
when  the  bill  to  empower  local  police 
to  act  against  morally-objectionable 
pictures  was  introduced  in  the  state 
legislature  several  weeks  ago.  This 
was  the  report  of  George  Gold,  legis- 
lative chairman  of  Allied  Theatre 
Owners  of  New  Jersey,  to  a  member- 
ship meeting  in  the  Newark  Athletic 
Club  today. 

Gold  indicated  that  an  "all-out" 
(Continued  on  page  9) 


2 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Thursday,  March  10,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

SAM    L.    SEIDELMAN,  Eagle- 
Lion    foreign    distribution  chief, 
left    here    yesterday    for  England, 
France  and  Switzerland.  He  will  re 
turn  to  New  York  in  two  weeks. 
• 

H.  M.  Richey,  M-G-M  exhibitor 
relations  head,  will  address  the  Illi 
nois  Federation  of  Women's  Club  at 
its  annual  convention  on  May  19  at 
Chicago.  Maurice  N.  Wolf,  his  as- 
sistant, spoke  before  the  Kingston, 
N.  Y.,  Rotary  Club  yesterday  and 
will  address  the  Newburgh  unit  on 
March  IS. 

• 

Irving  Rubine,  director  of  publicity 
and  advertising  for  W.  R.  Frank  Pro 
ductions,  is  in  New  York  from  Holly- 
wood, conferring  with  United  Artists 
home  office  executives. 

• 

Major  Barney  Oldfield,  former 
Warner  publicist,  now  attending  the 
Army  Command  and  General  Staff 
College,  has  been  notified  that  he  will 
be  sent  overseas  late  this  summer. 
• 

Phyllis  Florio,  secretary  to  Jules 
K.  Chapman,  assistant  general  sales 
manager  for  Film  Classics,  has  left 
here  for  a  vacation  at  Miami  Beach. 
• 

Norman  W.  Elson,  vice-president 
qf  Trans-Lux  Theatres,  will  be  in 
Washington  tomorrow  from  New 
York. 

• 

Nat  Liebeskind  has  returned  to 
New  York^from  a  three-week  visit  to 
Havana. 

• 

Jerry  Evans,  Universal-Interna- 
tional exploiteer,  left  New  York  last 
night  for  Buffalo. 

• 

Albert  Mannheimer,  Film  Clas- 
sics exchange  operations  head,  is  vis- 
iting Pittsburgh  and  Philadelphia. 


Schreiber  Dropping 
Four  Mich.  Theatres 

Detroit,  March  9.— Ray  Schreiber 
of  Midwest  Theatres  is  returning  four 
theatres,  the  Roxy,  Pine  and  Royal  at 
Bay  City,  and  the  Daniel  at  Saginaw, 
taken  over  by  the  circuit  several 
months  ago,  to  Harold  Bernstein. 


been 


McWeeney  Promoted 

Jack  McWeeney,  who  has 
with  Monogram  International  since 
September,  1947,  has  been  transferred 
by  company  president  Norton  V. 
Ritchey  from  the  accounting  depart- 
ment to  be  head  of  the  service  de- 
partment. Before  joining  Monogram, 
McWeeney  was  with  DeLuxe  Labora- 
tories here. 


Insider's  Outlook 


Philip  Monsky,  54 

Omaha,  March  9. — Services  were 
held  here  yesterday  for  Philip  Mon- 
sky, 54,  brother  of  the  late  Henry 
Monsky,  internationally-known  Jew- 
ish leader.  Philip,  a  Universal-Inter- 
national salesman  until  recently,  was 
also  a  brother  of  Mayer  Monsky,  U-I 
branch  manager  at  Denver. 


By  RED  KANN 


CTATISTICS  are  flying  all 
^  over  the  place  these  days. 
Eric  Johnston  is  giving  out  with 
them  in  an  effort  to  stem  the 
impression  of  celluloid  doom 
which  the  public,  in  part  any- 
way, entertains  about  the  indus- 
try. The  irrepressible  George 
Gallup  continues  at  it  and  the 
redoubtable  Elmo  Roper,  too,  al- 
though one  would  think  their 
performance  in  the  national  elec- 
tions might  put  a  cautionary 
brake  on  their  assurance  and 
positiveness. 

Because  there  is  so  much 
guesswork  and  generality  in  a 
field  lamentably  lacking  in 
marketing  research,  anything 
authentic  becomes  interesting  to 
hop  on  although  it  can  turn  out 
to  be  disproportionately  impor- 
tant. 


As  a  case  in  point,  there  are 
those  widely-accepted  statistics 
on  admission  prices.  It  is  to  be 
doubted  seriously  if  anyone  can 
prove  what  he  claims,  but 
probably  not  to  be  doubted  on 
the  other  hand  is  the  feasibility 
of  any  challenge. 

Someone  might  even  get 
around  to  a  challenge  of  what 
follows.  These  are  figures 
whipped  up  from  the  RKO 
proxy  statement  and  deal  with 
that  circuit's  price  averages  over 
a  five  year  and  nine  month  span, 
plus  a  projected  figure  for  1948. 
Our  mathematical  fury  shows 
this : 

Average 

Year  in  Cents 

1943   41.35 

1944   45.36 

1945   45.68 

1946   49.58 

1947   52  37 

1948  (9  months)  50.52 

1948  (projected)   51.77 


The  RKO  circuit,  essentially, 
is  a  big-town  affair  with  its  pre- 
dominant strength  in  Greater 
New  York,  of  course.  More- 
over, most  of  its  theatres  are 
large,  ranging  from  the  3,250- 
seat  Albee  in  Brooklyn  to  the 
540-seat  Orpheum  in  Marshall- 
town,  la.,  and  are  situated  in 
cities  with  a  high  percentage  of 
population  density. 

Nevertheless,  these  averages 
bear  an  obvious  resemblance  to 
whatever  the  actual  and  authen- 
tic national  average  might  be, 
and  which  we  do  not  know.  But 
perhaps  they  are  interesting 
chiefly  because  they  represent 


the  first,  or  one  of  the  first, 
breakdowns  of  its  kind  and  be- 
cause RKO's  theatre  business  is 
quite  an  enterprise.  In  the  five 
years  and  nine  months  covered, 
it  was  a  business  which  clocked 
off  495,516,689  in  paid  admis- 
sions and  $234,902,640  in  box- 
office  receipts.  The  peak  year, 
of  course,  was  1946,  when  94,- 
137,204  paid  admissions  piled  up 
a  $46,673,540  gross. 

Imagine  the  gross  income  of 
the  Paramount  theatre  empire  in 
the  identical  period ! 


Now  that  "The  Red  Shoes"  is 
well  on  its  way  toward  one  of 
the  highest  takes  of  any  Brit- 
ish film  to  play  this  market,  Bill 
Heineman  may  sit  back  and  wig- 
gle a  friendly  remonstrating  fin- 
ger at  a  number  of  experts  in 
and  out  of  Eagle-Lion.  When 
the  film  arrived,  it  was  screened 
for  a  number  of  top  figures  in 
production,  distribution  and  ex- 
hibition on  both  coasts.  The 
principal  reaction  was  that  here 
was  a  beautiful  picture — which 
unquestionably  it  is — that  would 
not  draw  a  dime.  But,  if  it  did, 
the  dimes  would  have  to  come 
from  so-called  art  theatre  runs. 


It  is  of  record  that  Heineman 
thought  otherwise,  argued  and 
persuaded  his  way  into  a  straight 
commercial  distribution  policy 
and  now  finds  his  analysis  to  be 
correct.  For  "The  Red  Shoes" 
is  earning  dollars,  not  dimes, 
and  a  lot  of  them.  At  the  close 
of  its  20th  week  at  the  Bijou, 
New  York  E-L's  share  was 
$137,000,  after  advertising,  and 
tickets  for  the  40th  week  were 
on  sale.  The  two-a-day  policy 
at  $2.40  top  prevails  wherever 
the  film  has  played,  including  11 
weeks  in  Philadelphia,  22  in 
Washington,  10  in  Baltimore,  15 
in  Boston,  10  in  Los  Angeles, 
and  11  in  Chicago,  Cleveland 
and  Miami  thus  far. 

E-L  talks  about  a  $2,500,000 
national  gross.  Whether  it  hits 
this  or  not,  it  is  already  estab- 
lished that  the  attraction  is  the 
company's  most  successful  film 
to  date  and  probably  No.  1  on 
its  1949  parade. 

■  ■ 

Whisper  from  the  corridors  at 
Paramount:  That  Barney  Bala- 
ban  will  be  spending  much  of 
his  time  in  Hollywood  after  the 
new  productio  n-distribution 
company  is  set  up. 


Italy  Will  Not 
Curtail  Imports 

Rome,  March  9.  —  Minister 
Andreotti,  in  charge  of  enter- 
tainment, appearing  before 
Parliament,  reaffirmed  the 
government's  position  for  the 
free  importation  of  films  and 
against  any  quota,  permitting 
the  public  to  select  either  na- 
tive or  foreign  productions. 


MPA  Negotiates  for 
Release  of  Lire 


The  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  said  here  yesterday  it  is  ne- 
gotiating with  the  North  American 
College  for  the  exchange  of  blocked 
Italian  lire  for  "around  $1,000,000" 
which  would  be  paid  to  film  companies 
here. 

The  statement  was  made  to  correct 
published  reports  that  the  industry  has 
arranged  with  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  for  the  release  of  $3,000,000 
of  impounded  lire  in  Italy. 

"The  North  American  College,  a 
Maryland  corporation  supported  by 
American  funds,  desires  to  expand  its 
facilities  in  Rome  for  the  training  of 
priests,"  the  MPAA  statement  said. 
"Any  transaction  concluded  would 
have  to  have  the  approval  of  the  Ital- 
ian government." 

"At  no  time  has  the  Vatican  or  the 
Archdiocese  of  New  York  been  in- 
volved in  the  negotiations,"  the  MPAA 
stated,  correcting  other  phases  of  the 
published  reports. 


1st  'Joan'  Opening 
In  Europe  April  8 

London,  March  9. — London  will  be 
the  first  city  in  Europe  to  present 
Sierra  Pictures'  "Joan  of  Arc,"  it  is 
announced  by  Robert  Wolff,  manag- 
ing director  of  RKO  in  the  United 
Kingdom,  the  British  premiere  taking 
place  on  April  8  at  the  London  Pavil- 
ion. 

The  opening,  to  be  attended  by 
members  of  the  Royal  Family,  will  be 
for  the  benefit  of  the  George  V  Fund 
for  Sailors.  Her  Royal  Highness,  the 
Duchess  of  Kent,  will  occupy  the  Roy- 
al Box.  Presiding  over  this  charity 
affair  will  he  Mrs.  Clement  Attlee. 


Jay  Emanuel  Heads 
Bond  Drive  Group 

Jay  Emanuel,  publisher  of  The  Ex- 
hibitor and  a  theatre  operator  in  the 
Philadelphia  area,  has  been  named 
chairman  of  the  trade  press  committee 
of  the  industry's  participation  in  the 
Treasury's  savings  bond  drive,  which 
will  run  from  May  IS  to  June  30,  it 
was  announced  here  yesterday  by  Max 
E.  Youngstein,  chairman  of  the  ad- 
vertising and  publicity  committee. 


Kerman,  Bibo  Close  Deal 

Moe  Kerman,  president  of  Favorite 
International  Film  Co.,  has  appointed 
Excelsior  Pictures,  headed  by  Walter 
Bibo,  exclusive  selling  agent  for  all 
of  its  product  in  all  foreign  territories. 


S^?s  and  hSid^f,  hv^TWl5  v <  lrQwgl%'  Edltor-Ln-Cbi<:f „a"d  Publisher;  Sherwin   Kane,  Editor:  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.   Published  daily,  except  Saturdays. 

-  Vnr£  »  M^tJn  ■  iQ  iCy  .Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20.  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address :  "Quigpubco, 
Ws  P  'r.1Wh^n,W?w='l^vSldeu;  ?ed  Saim-  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary ; 
Editor-  ChiCamR.^'a,Pl5n  c te!TH<cb?ft  Y;  Advertising Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver 

J^bk^^^^J^n^J^J^  Street  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
Other  (Wiev  pX1;9«nt«.  m  ♦••  Wasl"ngton<iD-  £  ^1don  J?r<?u'  4  G?%°  S<1-  Jr°?don  W1-  H°pe  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Motion  Figure  Atojufar   TTam»   w«t     S  ure  Herald ;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,   each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 

££°$6  in  tit  ^»«Hi2  fo^^^rtftoS"^  SePt  23'  1938'  3t         P°St  °ffiCe  3t  NeW  Y°rk'  N-  Y"  U 


under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


TRADE  SHOW 

TRADE  THRILL 


MICHAEL  CURTIZ 


PRODUCTION 


STARRING 


She's  the  no.  1  name 
in  record-sales  — and 
the  singing  star  of  the 
Bob  Hope  Radio  Show 

A 


-  am/if 

WARNER  BROS. 


S.Z."OJ  doles" 


SELENA  ROYLE  •  FRANKIE  CARLE « 

DIRECTED  BY 

MICHAEL  CURTIZ 


MUSIC  BY  HARRY  WARREN 
LYRICS  BY  RALPH  BLANE 


SCREEN  PLAY  BY 

HARRY  KURNITZ 
and  DANE  LUSSIER 


MUSICAL  DIRECTION 
RAY  HEINDORF 


MARCH 
14! 


ALBANY 

Warner  Screening  Room 
79  N.  Pearl  St.  •  12:30  P.M. 
ATLANTA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

197  Walton  St.  N.W.  •  2:30  P.M. 

BOSTON 

RKO  Screening  Room 

122  Arlington  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 

BUFFALO 

Paramount  Screening  Room 
464  Franklin  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
CHARLOTTE 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

308  S.  Church  St.  •  10:00  A.M. 

CHICAGO 

Warner  Screening  Room 

1307  So.  Wabash  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M. 

CINCINNATI 

RKO  Palace  Th.  Screening  Room 

Palace  Th.  Bldg.  E.  6th  •  2:00  P.M. 

CLEVELAND 

Warner  Screening  Room 

2300  Payne  Ave.  •  8:00  P.M. 

DALLAS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
1803  Wood  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
DENVER 

Paramount  Screening  Room 

2100  Stout  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

DES  MOINES 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1300  High  St.  •  8:00  P.M. 

DETROIT 

Film  Exchange  Building 

2310  Cass  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

INDIANAPOLIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

326  No.  Illinois  St.  •  1:00  P.M 

KANSAS  CITY 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1720  Wyandotte  St.  •  7:30  P.M. 

LOS  ANGELES 

Warner  Screening  Room 

2025  S.  Vermont  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

MEMPHIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
51  Vance  Ave.  •  10:00  A.M. 
MILWAUKEE 
Warner  Theatre  Screening  Room 
212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 
MINNEAPOLIS 
Warner  Screening  Room 
1000  Currie  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 
NEW  HAVEN 
Warner  Theatre  Projection  Room 
70  College  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
NEW  ORLEANS 
20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
200  S.  Liberty  St.  •  8:00  P.M.. 
NEW  YORK 
Home  Office 

321  W.  44th  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 
OKLAHOMA 
20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
10  North  Lee  St.  •  1:30  P.M. 
OMAHA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
1502  Davenport  St.  •  10:00  A.M. 
PHILADELPHIA 
Warner  Screening  Room 
230  No.  13th  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 
PITTSBURGH 
20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
1715  Blvd.  of  Allies  •  1:30  P.M. 
PORTLAND 
Jewel  Box  Screening  Room 
1947  N.W.  Kearney  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
SALT  LAKE 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
216  East  1st  South  •  2:00  P.M. 
SAN  FRANCISCO 
Paramount  Screening  Room 
205  Golden  Gate  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M. 
SEATTLE 

Jewel  Box  Screening  Room 
2318  Second  Ave.  •  10:30  A.M. 
ST.  LOUIS 
S'renco  Screening  Room 
3143  Olive  St.  •  9:30  A.M. , 
WASHINGTON 
Warner  Theatre  Building 
13th  &  E  Sts.  N.W.  •  10:30  A.M.. 


BOOK  "The  Movies  and  You"  short  subject  series  .  .  .  the  story  of  your  industry 


SSI 


The  Cincinnati  Post 

FRONT  PAGE  STORY 

Friday  night's  premiere 
of  "The  Life  of  Riley" 
will  be  a  colossal  event  in 
H  Cincinnati, 


onol  campaign  on  THE 
y  said:  »A_SO°iLfiicfujl 
anshiB_camEaia5J^ 


'mm 


'"■I  is  giving 
'THE  LIFE  Of  RILEY*  feeling  llQHW 

II  I    •  5  I  •  *        .  — 


to  oil  exhibitors  playing 


out-grossing 

"THEtGGANdl!" 


—doing 

"NAKED  CITY" 

business! 

new  highs 
[everywhere! 


7: 


->  jpya| 
'all  ** 

- 

""til 'yoiffe  Lived  QO 


V 


OF 


Starring 


mum  BENDIX 


in 


It 


AN" 


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RIVERA 


RIDE  HIGH       U-l ! 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  10,  1945 


IRE  Meet  Hears  New 
Video  Developments 

Use  of  a  newly-developed  method  of 
extending  television  coverage  by  re 
ducing  interference  between  stations 
on  the  same  channel  is  underway  on 
a  full  time  basis  between  the  New 
York  and  Washington  television  sta- 
tions of  National  Broadcasting  Co. 
and  between  NBC  stations  in  Cleve- 
land and  Detroit,  it  was  disclosed  here 
yesterday  at  the  Institute  of  Radio 
Engineers  convention  at  the  Hotel 
Commodore. 

The  new  method,  known  as  tele- 
vision synchronization,  was  described 
by  Ray  D.  Kell,  head  of  the  television 
section  of  RCA  Laboratories.  Kell 
said  the  effect  of  these  operations  has 
been  to  extend  interference-free  ser 
vice  to  thousands  of  additional  view- 
ers in  the  "fringe"  areas. 

Another  development  reported  was 
a  new  television  antenna  which  will 
receive  signals  from  only  one  direc- 
tion at  a  time  and,  it  is  said,  will  im- 
prove reception  of  set  owners  in  fringe 
areas  which  lie  between  stations  on 
the  same  channel.  This  was  reported 
by  O.  M.  Woodward,  Jr.,  research  en- 
gineer of  RCA  Laboratories. 


Films  Are  Best  for 
Television:  Roach 

Chicago,  March  9. — Hal  Roach, 
president  of  the  Film  Television  Pro- 
ducers Association,  and  Hollywood 
producer,  today  told  delegates  attend- 
ing the  first  annual  National  Televi- 
sion Conference  that  Hollywood- 
produced  films  have  considerable  ad- 
vantage over  "live"  shows  on  tele- 
vision. 

"Hollywood  has  at  its  command  the 
facilities  and  years  of  experience  in 
all  departments  for  turning  out  better 
productions  on  film  than  those  pro- 
duced in  New  York,"  Roach  said.  He 
stressed  that  Hollywood  is  enthusias- 
tic about  video,  but  is  cautiously 
studying  the  medium  before  it  partici- 
pates completely. 


Plan  Ads  for  Those 
Who  Share  Patronage 

Lynn  Farnol,  Eastern  advertising- 
publicity  manager  of  Samuel  Goldwyn 
Prod.,  and  Monroe  Greenthal,  adver- 
tising agency  head,  have  developed  a 
-series  of  small  underline  ads  designed 
for  distribution  locally  by  theatres  to 
businesses  which  benefit  from  theatre 
attendance. 

Theory  of  the  advertising  is  that  a 
theatre  customer  is  a  diner-out,  a 
shopper,  a  transportation-user,  a  pur- 
chaser of  newspapers,  periodicals  and 
numerous  other  things.  The  small  ads, 
such  as  "Don't  Miss  the  Latest 
Movies  When  You're  in  Town!"  are 
to  be  offered  for  insertion  or  display 
in  the  enterprises  benefiting  from  the- 
atre attendance. 


Reviews 


'Jigsaw' 


(Tower  Productions — United  Artists) 

VX7TTHIN  the  framework  of  a  murder  melodrama,  a  dramatic  preachment 
V  V  against  racial  bigotry  is  given  in  "Jigsaw,"  produced  in  New  York  by 
the  Danziger  brothers— Eddward  J.  and  Harry.  The  film  stirs  up  moments 
of  brisk  excitement  and  good  suspense,  but  as  a  detective  story,  it  may  leave 
some  questions  unanswered  for  armchair  sleuths.  Franchot  Tone  is  the  top 
marquee  name,  with  others  in  the  cast  including  Jean  Wallace,  Myron  Mc 
Cormick  and  Marc  Lawrence.  Besides  these,  surprise  appearances  are  made 
by  a  number  of  stars,  including  John  Garfield,  Henry  Fonda,  Burgess  Mere 
dith,  Marlene  Dietrich  and  Fletcher  Markle,  who  directed  the  film  for  Tower 
Productions. 

The,  story :  a  printer  owning  a  small  shop  printing  racial  hate  leaflets  is 
murdered.  A  crusading  columnist  who  was  on  the  trail  of  the  hate  mongers, 
is  also  murdered.  Tone  is  appointed  as  special  prosecutor  to  probe  the  mur- 
ders and  he  finds  a  hate  group,  never  identified,  as  being  behind  the  crimes 
His  investigations  take  him  to  a  small-time  ward-heeler,  a  swanky  New  York 
night  club,  a  cocktail  party  attended  by  persons  who  believe  in  the  "s 
perior"  race,  and  a  socialite  who  is  the  brain  behind  the  entire  group. 

The  criminals  are  finally  tracked  down  at  an  art  gallery,  and  by  the  time 
the  shooting  is  over,  the  scene,  as  one  of  the  detectives  observes  in  the  film, 
is  like  the  final  curtain  of  "Hamlet,"  with  bodies  all  over  the  place. 

Tone's  portrayal  of  the  prosecutor  is  taken  slowly  and  is  effective,  and  the 
role-  of  the  columnist,  played  by  McCormick,  is  also  done  in  an  easy-going 
manner.  Lawrence  as  the  ward-heeler,  Winifred  Lenihan  as  the  socialite,  and 
Miss  Wallace,  Betty  Harper  and  the  others  make  the  most  of  their  parts. 

Running  time,  71  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
March  11. 


Hollywood 


The  Quiet  One" 

( Mayer-Burstyn) 

A  PROFOUNDLY  satisfying  motion  picture  experience  is  in  store  for 
-fA  discriminating  film-goers  in  "The  Quiet  One."  In  terms  of-  theme  it 
breaks  new  ground,  for  this  documentary-styled  drama  tells  the  story  of  a 
10-year-old  colored  boy  who  roams  the  cluttered  streets  of  Harlem  in  con- 
fusion and  rebellion.  The  product  of  a  broken  family  and  lacking  affection, 
he  soon  turns  his  morbid  thoughts  inward  to  become  "a  quiet  one."  Photo- 
graphed mostly  in  the  slum  sections  of  Harlem  and  at  the  Wiltwyck  School 
at  Esopus,  N.  Y.  where  the  boy  is  finally  put  on  the  road  to  readjustment, 
the  film  throughout  is  marked  by  a  striking  visual  authenticity.  Very  obvi- 
ously it  is  not  designed  for  standard  houses,  but  just  as  obviously,  it  stands 
to  keep  the  turnstiles  of  most  art  houses  moving  busily. 

Donald  Thompson  plays  the  focal  role  of  the  neglected  boy  with  touching 
effect.  The  haunting,  empty  expressions  that  flash  across  his  face  are  a  praise- 
ful  reflection  on  the  directorial  skilll  of  Sidney  Meyers.  Other  characteriza- 
tions, unadorned  but  intriguingly  realistic,  are  offered  by  Sadie  Stockton,  as 
the  despairing  but  coldly  dutiful  grandmother;  Estelle  Evans,  the  hapless 
mother ;  Clarence  Cooper,  the  counselor ;  and  Paul  Baucum,  the  stepfather. 

James  Agee's  commentary  and  dialogue  have  perception  and  simple  elo- 
quence and  do  much  to  enhance  the  film.  A  Film  Documents  presentation,  it 
occasionally  bares  its  technical  crudity,  but  is  superior  to  its  modest  budget. 
Janice  Loeb  produced,  and  William  Levitt  was  associate  producer.  The 
original  screenplay  was  by  Helen  Levitt,  Meyers  and  Miss  Loeb. 

Running  time,  67  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  A  February  re- 
ease.  Mandel  Herbstmann 


Hollywood,  March  S 
Samuel  Goldwyn  has  signed  Marl. 
Robson,  director  of  "The  Champion,' 
for  Screen  Plays,  Inc.,  to  a  five-yeai 
contract.  .  .  .  John  Wayne's  perform- 
ance in  "Wake  of  the  Red  Witch"  has 
prompted  Republic  to  acquire  another 
sea  story,  "Island  of  Lost  Ships,' 
which  Joseph  Kane  will  produce  on 
similar  scale.  .  .  .  Anatole  Litvak  has* 
been  named  winner  of  the  Screen  Di- 
rectors Guild's  third  quarterly  award 
for  his  direction  of  "The  Snake  Pit.' 


Georgia  Safety  Film 
Program  Launched 


Atlanta,  March  9.— With  300  ex- 
hibitors from  Georgia  and  neighbor- 
ing states  in  attendance,  a  luncheon  at 
the  Henry  Grady  Hotel  here  today 
launched  the  highway  safety  program 
sponsored  by  the  Motion  Picture  Thea- 
tre Owners  and  Operators  of  Georgia. 

Governor  Harman  Talmadge  was 
honor  guest  and  a  speaker,  with  J.  H. 
Thompson,  MPTOOG  president,  pre- 
siding. Lt.  E.  S.  Burke,  representing 
the  Georgia  Safety  Council,  spoke  on 
safety  program  and  commended  the 
cooperation  of  the  exhibitors. 

A  series  of  shorts,  to  be  made  by 
the  MPTOOG  under  the  direction  of 
th,e  National  Safety  Council,  will  be 
shown  in  practically  every  theatre  In 
the  state,  Thompson  said.  First  film 
of  the  series  is  completed,  with  the 
entire  group  to  be  shown  over  a  peri- 
od of  a  year  and  a  half. 


WeatherHitKey-City  Grosses 


Amusement  Corp.  Files 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  9.— The  New 
Buffalo  Amusement  Corp.,  formed  at 
Wilmington,  Del,  registered  its  cer- 
tificate with  the  Secretary  of  State 
here.  Leonard  H.  Goldenson  is  listed 
as  a  vice-president. 


Delay  Censor  Hearings 

Boston,  March  9.  —  Legislative 
hearings  on  House  Bill  No.  371  and 
Bill  No.  1035,  both  intended  to  pro- 
vide a  state  censor  board,  have  been 
postponed  to  April  4. 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


high  grosses.  Close  behind  was 
"Words  and  Music,"  with  "The  Ad- 
ventures of  Don  Juan"  and  "The  Red 
Shoes"  following  at  equal  strength. 

Other  pictures  which  appeared  fre- 
quently as  better-than-average  gross- 
ers  were :  "Wake  of  the  Red  Witch," 
"Shockproof,"  "So  Dear  to  My 
Heart,"  "Blood  on  the  Moon,"  "Pai- 
san,"  "Whispering  Smith,"  "Three 
Godfathers"  and  "Fighter  Squadron." 

Also  registering  well  last  month, 
but  less  frequently  than  the  foregoing, 
^ere :  "The  Plunderers,"  "Siren  of 
Atlantis,"  "Luxury  Liner,"  "Hamlet," 
"Red  River,"  "Man  from  Colorado," 
"Miss    Tatlock's    Millions,"  '  "Flaxy 


Martin,"  "That  Wonderful  Urge," 
"Walk  a  Crooked  Mile,"  "The  Night 
Has  a  Thousand  Eyes,"  "An  Act  of 
Violence." 

Also,  "John  Loves  Mary,"  "A 
Letter  to  Three  Wives,"  "Yellow 
Sky,"  "Untamed  Breed,"  "Mexican 
Hayride,"  "Bad  Men  of  Tombstone," 
"Every  Girl  Should  Be  Married," 
"You  Gotta  Stay  Happy,"  "The 
Fighting  O'Flynn,"  "Unfaithfully 
Yours,"  "Enchantment,"  "Unknown 
Island"  and  "Down  to  the  Sea  in 
Ships." 

Composite  key  city  box-office  re- 
ports for  1949  to  date,  compared  with 
corresponding  weeks  of  1948,  follow: 


HouseUnitApproves 
New  Wage-Hour  Bill 


Washington,  March  9— The  House 
Labor  Committee  today  approved  a 
bill  which  will  probably  bring  large 
single  theatres  and  large  circuits  un- 
der the  Federal  wage-hour  law  for  the 
first  time. 

At  present,  most  retail  and  s'ervice 
establishments  are  exempt  from-  the 
wage-hour  law.  The  new  measure 
raises  the  minimum  wage  to  75  cents 
an  hour  and  broadens  the  coverage. 
One  of  the  new  activities  covered  are 
retail  or  service  establishments  with 
more  than  $500,000  anual  sales.  Wage- 
hour  officials  say  that  they  think  they 
will  not  have  much  trouble  getting 
theatres  under  the  "Interstate  Com- 
merce" definition. 


1949 
Week 
Ending 

Jan.     1-  2 


Average 
No.  of   Total  Per 
Theatres  Gross  Theatre 


Jan. 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Feb. 
Feb 
Feb. 
Feb. 


....  164 

6-7    161 

14-15    161 

21-22    162 

28-29    179 

4-5    176 

11-12    181 

18-19    170 

25-26    173 


$2,855,800 
3,195,000' 
2,609,900 
2,497,500 
2,624,100 
2,491,000 
2,788,600 
2,435,900 
2,532,800 


$17,413 
19,018 
16,211 
15,417 
14,660 
14,153 
15,407 
14,329 
14,640 


1948 
Week 
Ending 

Jan.  2 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Feb. 


3 

9-10 
16-17 
23-24 
30-31 
6-  7 
13-14 


20-21    164 

27-28    167 


Average 
No.  of   Total  Per 
Theatres  Gross  Theatre 

..  179  $3,406,600  $19,031 
..  168  3,112,700  18,528 
..  168  2,473,300  14,722 
..  166  2,419,000  14,572 
366  2,341,900  14,108 
167  2,537,800  15,196 
166  2,381,500  15,546 
2,316,500  15,125 
2,734,100  16,372 


Challenges  'Varga'  Film 

Chicago,  March  9.— Alfred  Smart, 
president  of  Esquire  Magazine,  has 
stated  that_  he  will  take  legal  steps  to 
secure  an  injunction  against  the  pro- 
posed filming  of  "The  Varga  Girl" 
reported  to  be  scheduled  by  producer 
Monte  Proser.  Smart  affirmed  that 
Esquire  was  recognized  by  the  Su- 
preme Court  as  having  full  copyright 
to  Varga  material. 


Rank  to  Attend  Premiere 

J.  Arthur  Rank,  who  will  arrive 
here  _  March  .  20,  will  attend  the 
American  premiere  of  his  production, 
"Quartet,"  which  is  scheduled  to  open 
at  the  Sutton  here  on  March  28. 


ty<utu<vitt  5,  t949 


TECHNICOLOR 
TECHNICOLOR  MOTION  "PICTURE  CORPORATION 

HERBERT  T.  KALMUS,  PRESIDENT  AND  GENERAL  MANAGER 


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WARNERS 

FLAXY  MARTIN 
Virginia  Mayo 
Zachary  Scott 

D— 86  min.  (813) 
(Rev.  1/19/49) 

JOHN  LOVES 
MARY 

Ronald  Reagan 
Jack  Carson 

CD— 96  min.  (814) 
(Rev.  1/25/40) 

SOUTH  OF 
ST.  LOUIS 

(Color) 
Joel  McCrea 
Alexis  Smith 
D— 88  min.  (815) 
(Rev.  2/17/49) 

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Robert  Douglas 
Helen  Westcott 

D — 77  min. 

(Reissue) 
SERGEANT  YORK 
Gary  Cooper 

D-134  min. 
(Rev.  7/3/41) 

(Reissue) 
CASTLE  ON 
THE  HUDSON 
John  Garfield 

D — 77  min. 
(Rev.  4/27/40) 

MY    DREAM  IS 
YOURS 
(Color) 
Jack  Carson 
Doris  Day 
C— 101  min. 

UNIV.-INT'L. 

(Feb.  Releases) 

THE  FIGHTING 
O'FLYNN 
Doug.  Fairbanks,  Jr. 
Helena  Carter 
Richard  Greene 
D— 94  min.  (687) 
(Kev.  1/6/49) 

CRISS  CROSS 
Burt  Lancaster 
Yvonne  DeCarlo 
Dan  Duryea 

D— 87   min.  (68S) 
(Rev.  1/17/49) 

(Mar.  Releases) 

FAMILY 
HONEYMOON 

Claudette  Colbert 
Fred  MacMurray 

D — 90   min.  (689) 
(Rev.  12/8/48/) 

LIFE    OF  RILEY 
William  Bendix 
James  Gleason 
Rosemary  DeCamp 

C— 87  min. 
(Rev.  1/27/49) 

(April  Releases) 

RED  CANYON 
(Color) 
Ann  BIyth 
Howard  Duff 

D— 82  min. 
(Rev.  2/2/49) 

MA   AND  PA 

KETTLE 
Marjorie  Main 
Percy  Kilbride 

C-75  min. 

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COVER  UP 
Dennis  O'Keefe 
William  Bendix 

D — 83  miu. 
(Rev.  3/8/49) 

JIGSAW 

Franchot  Tone 
Jean  Waller 
D— 77  min. 

GAY  AMIGO 

Leo  Carillo 
Duncan  Renaldo 

0 — 61  min. 

IMPACT 
Ella  Raines 
Brian  Donlevy 

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Blng  Crosby 
Rhonda  Fleming 
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Michael  Denison 

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Motion  Picture  Daily 


9 


Key  City  Grosses 


Find  TV  Viewers  Go 
To  Films  25%  Less 


Atlas  Gained 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

appreciation  in  securities  aggregating 
approximately  $4,000,000. 

Listing  of  securities  in  the  Atlas 
portfolio  includes  the  following  film 
company  common  stocks :  50,000 
shares  of  Paramount,  with  a  market 
value  listed  by  Atlas  at  $1,175,000; 
317,812  of  RKO,  $258,222,  and  91,700 
of  Walt  Disney  Productions,  $309,487. 
Atlas  carries  also  four  per  cent  1960 
maturity  bonds,  with  a  current  market 
value  of  $219,035. 

•  Additionally,  Atlas  owns  800  shares 
of  five  per  cent  cumulative  preferred 
stock  and  49,180  shares  of  common  of 
World  Commerce  Corp.,  the  interna- 
tional trading  organization  through 
which  the  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America  has  succeeded  in  un- 
blocking some  funds  which  had  been 
frozen  abroad.  The  WCC  holdings 
are  valued  at  $85,000. 

The  Atlas  affiliate,  Ogden  Corp.,  is 
listed  as  carrying  6,000  shares  of 
Paramount  common,  with  a  market 
value  listed  at  $141,000,  and  4,000  of 
20th  Century-Fox  common,  listed  at 
$77,500.  Ogden's  investment  in  City 
Theatres  Co.,  which  owns  theatre  real 
estate  in  New  York  City,  consists  of 
750  shares  (75  per  cent)  of  the  out- 
standing capital  stock,  the  value  of 
which  is  put  at  $100,000,  according  to 
the  report. 


Schine  Decree 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

by  March  28,  the  next  scheduled  date 
for  court  hearings  here.  Presumably 
additional  time  would  be  granted  by 
the  court,  however,  if  the  negotia- 
tions have  not  reached  a  conclusive 
stage  by  then. 

The  consent  decree  negotiations  for 
Schine  are  being  handled  by  Irving 
R.  Kaufman,  attorney.  Presumably, 
they  center  upon  divestiture  by  Schine 
of  additional  theatres  and  restrictions 
upon  the  exercise  of  Schine  buying 
power  and  regulation  of  its  theatres' 
clearances.  These  were  main  features 
of  the  case  which  were  remanded  to 
the  District  Court  by  the  U.  S.  Su- 
preme Court  for  further  consideration. 


Wrege  and  Hughes 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

tant  to  Jack  and  others  in  the  West. 
Before  that  he  was  manager  of  the 
play-date  department,  and  held  vari- 
ous posts  in  the  sales  office.  He  first 
joined  UA  in  1926  in  the  accounting 
department. 

Hughes  was  most  recently  in  charge 
of  contract  liquidation  in  the  home 
office.  He  has  been  with  UA  for  12 
years.  He  has  managed  the  play-date 
department,  served  in  the  Eastern 
sales  division  and  was  Jack's  assis- 
tant in  the  South. 


Jersey  Censorship 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

fight  by  theatre  owners  will  be  neces- 
sary if  passage  of  the  bill  is  to  be  pre- 
vented. Forces  supporting  the  bill,  he 
reported,  are  extremely  zealous  in 
their  endeavors  to  secure  enactment. 

Today's  meeting,  presided  over  by 
New  Jersey  Allied  president  Edward 
Lachman,  was  addressed  also  by  or- 
ganization attorney  Arthur  L.  Abrams 
who  explained  to  the  theatre  owners 
their  rights  and  benefits  under  the 
Paramount-U.S.  decree.  A  discussion 
of  the  pending  New  Jersey  minimum 
wage  law  was  also  held. 


FOLLOWING  are  estimated  pic- 
ture grosses  for  current  engage- 
ments in  key  cities  as  reported  by 
Motion  Picture  Daily  correspond- 
ed. Estimates  omit  admission  tax. 


LOS  ANGELES 


"The  Boy  with  the  Green  Hair," 
widely  praised  by  newspaper  critics, 
got  off  to  a  good  start  in  an  otherwise 
ordinary  week.  Estimated  reecipts 
for  the  week  ended  March  9 : 

ACT  OF  VIOLENCE  (M-G-M)  and  THE 
KISSING  BANDIT  (M-G-M)  —  EGYP- 
TIAN (1,000)  (60c-85c-$1.00)  6  days,  2nd 
week.  Gross:  $9,000.  (Average:  $11,800) 
ACT  OF  VIOLENCE  (M-G-M)  and  THE 
KISSING  BANDIT  (M-G-M) — FOX-WIL- 
SHIRE  (2,300)  (60c-8Sc-$I-00)  6  days,  2nd 
week.  Gross:  $7,500.  (Average:  $11,800) 
ACT  OF  VIOLENCE  (M-G-M)  and  THE 
KISSING  BANDIT  (M-G-M) — LOS  AN- 
GELES (2,096)  (60c-85c-$l'.00)  6  days,  2nd 
week.  Gross:  $13,000.  (Average:  $19,000) 
THE  BOY  WITH  THE  GREEN  HAIR 
(RKO  Radio)  and  GUN  SMUGGLERS 
(RKO  Radio) — BELMONT  (1,600)  (60c-85c- 
$1.00) 

THE  BOY  WITH  THE  GREEN  HAIR 
(RKO  Radio)  and  GUN  SMUGGLERS 
(RKO  Radio)— CARTHAY  CIRCLE  (1,516) 
(50c-60c-85c-$1.00).  Gross:  $10,000.  (Aver- 
age: $11,000) 

THE  BOY  WITH  THE  GREEN  HAIR 
(RKO  Radio)  and  GUN  SMUGGLERS 
(RKO  Radio)— ORPHEUM  (2,210)  (60c-85c- 
$1.00).  Gross:  $20,000.  (Average:  $16,300) 
THE  BOY  WITH  THE  GREEN  HAIR 
(RKO  Radio)  and  GUN  SMUGGLERS 
(RKO  Radio)— VOGUE  (800)  (60c-85c-$1.00). 
Gross:  $9,500.  (Average:  $5,700) 
COVER  UP  (UA)— MUSIC  HALL  (Bev- 
erly Hills)  (900)  (60c-85c-$1.00).  Gross:  $3,- 
800.    (Average:  $4,600) 

COVER  UP  (UA)— MUSIC  HALL  (Down- 
town) (900)  (60c-85c-$1.00).  Gross:  $10,000. 
(Average:  $10,300) 

COVER  UP  (UA)— MUSIC  HALL  (Ha- 
waii) (1,000)  (60c-85c-$1.00).  Gross:  $3,000. 
(Average:  $4,600) 

COVER  UP  (UA)-MUSIC  HALL  (Holly- 
wood) (490)  (60c-85c-$1.00).  Gross:  $3,700. 
(Average:  $3,500) 

HAMLET  (UI-Rank)— FOUR  STAR  (900) 
($1.20-$1.80-$2.40)  19th  week.  Gross:  $8,500. 
(Average:  $14,400) 

JOAN    OF    ARC    (RKO  Radio-Sierra)- 

PALACE  (1,237)  ($1.0O-$1.2O-$1.8O)  11th 
week.  Gross:  $5,000.  (Average:  $23,300) 
JOHNNY  BELINDA  (WB)  and  TREAS- 
URE OF  SIERRA  MADRE  (WB)— WAR- 
NER (Downtown)  (3,400)  (50c-60c-80c-$1.00). 
2nd  week.  Gross:  $10,000.  (Average:  $14,900) 
JOHNNY  BELINDA  (WB)  and  TREAS- 
URE OF  SIERRA  MADRE  (WB) -WAR- 
NER (Hollywood)  (3,000)  (50c-60c-80c-$1.00) 
2nd  week.  Gross:  $6,000.  (Average:  $12,- 
400) 


JOHNNY  BELINDA  (WB)  and  TREAS- 
URE OF  SIERRA  MADRE  (WB)— WAR 

NER  (Wiltern)  (2,300)  (50c-60c-80c-$1.00) 
2nd  week.  Gross:  $6,000.  (Average:  $12,- 
200) 

A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES  (20th- 
Fox)  and  HENRY,  THE  RAINMAKER 
(Mono.)— CHINESE  (2,300)  (60c-85c-$1.00) 
2nd  week.  Gross:  $14,500.  (Average: 
$12,900) 

A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES  (20th- 
Fox)  and  HENRY,  THE  RAINMAKER 
(Mono.)— LOEWS  STATE  (2,500)  (60c-85c- 
$1.00)  2nd  week.  Gross:  $15,500.  (Average: 
$20,300) 

A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES  (20th- 
Fox)    and   HENRY,    THE  RAINMAKER 

(Mono.)— LOYOLA  (1,265)  (6Oc-85c-$1.0O) 
2nd  week.  Gross:  $9,000.  (Average:  $9,000) 
A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES  (20th- 
Fox)  and  HENRY,  THE  RAINMAKER 
(Mono.)— UPTOWN  (1,716)  (6Oc-85c-$1.0O) 
2nd  week.  Gross:  $10,500.  (Average: 
$9,300) 

PAISAN  (Mayer-Burstyn) — EL  REY  (861) 
(60c-8Sc-$1.00)  2nd  week.  Gross:  $13,500. 
(Average:  $5,800) 

THE  RED  SHOES  (E-L-Rank)— FINE 
ARTS  (680)  ($1.20-$1.80-$2.40)  10th  week. 
Gross:  $12,000.  (Average:  $11,300) 
SO  DEAR  TO  MY  HEART  (RKO  Radio- 
Disney)  and  CLAY  PIGEON  (RKO  Radio) 
— HILLSTREET  (2,700)  (50c-60c-80c-$1.00) 
6  days,  2nd  week.  Gross:  $11,500.  (Aver- 
age: $17,700) 

SO  DEAR  TO  MY  HEART  (RKO  Radio- 
Disney)  and  CLAY  PIGEON  (RKOi  Radio) 

— PANTAGES  (2,000)  (5Oc-6Oc-80c-$1.0O)  6 
days,  2nd  week.  Gross:  $12,000.  (Average: 
$16,400) 

THE  WALKING  HILLS  (Col.)  and  SONG 
OF  INDIA  (Col.) — GUILD  (965)  (60c-85c- 
$1.00)  2nd  week.  Gross:  $3,500.  (Average: 
$5,300) 

THE  WALKING  HILLS  (Col.)  and  SONG 
OF  INDIA  (Col.) — IRIS  (708)  (60c-8Sc- 
$1.00)  2nd  week.  Gross:  $5,000.  (Average: 
$5,700) 

THE  WALKING  HILLS  (Col.)  and  SONG 
OF  INDIA  (Col.)— RITZ  (1,376)  (60c-85c- 
$1.00)  2nd  week.  Gross:  $6,000.  (Average: 
$8,000) 

THE  WALKING  HILLS  (CM.)  and  SONG 
OF  INDIA  (Col.) — STUDIO  (880)  (60c-85c- 
$1.00)  2nd  week.  Gross:  $5,500.  (Average: 
$6,500) 

THE  WALKING  HILLS  (CoL)  and  SONG 
OF  INDIA  (Col.)— UNITED  ARTISTS  (2,- 
100)  (60c-85c-$1.00)  2nd  week.  Gross:  $8,500. 
(Average:  $9,800) 

WHISPERING  SMITH  (Para.)  and 
DYNAMITE  (Para.)  P  ARAMOUNT 
(Downtown)  (3,595)  (50c-60c-80c-$1.00)  2nd 
week.  Gross:  $18,000.  (Average:  $16,500) 
WHISPERING  SMITH  (Para.)-PARA- 
MOUNT  (Hollywood)  (1,407)  (50c-60c-80c- 
$1.00)  2nd  week.  Gross:  $11,500.  (Average: 
$12,000) 


CINCINNATI 


"Life  of  Riley"  is  doing  an  expect- 
ed $17,000  at  the  RKO  Grand,  which 
is  the  best  figure  at  this  house  in 


Hollywood,  March  9. — Theatre  at- 
tendance by  a  tested  group  of  tele- 
vision set  owners  declined  25  per  cent, 
according  to  a  survey  undertaken  here 
by  James  Nicholson,  Picfair  theatre 
operator,  who  says  the  average  set 
owner  stays  at  home  nights  68  per 
cent  more  than  formerly. 

Nicholson's  survey  covered  100  set 
owners  in  the  Los  Angeles  area  and 
its  results,  disclosed  at  the  recent 
National  Theatres  conference  held 
here,  formed  a  major  topic  of  discus- 
sion for  the  assembled  theatre  execu- 
tives. 

Alfred  H.  Morton,  television  direc- 
tor for  20th  Century-Fox,  warned  NT 
theatre  men  not  to  be  "misled  into 
thinking  that  sports  provide  the  bulk 
or  most  popular  type  of  television 
program."  He  said  that  video  view- 
ers are  more  discerning  in  their  tastes 
than  the  average  theatregoer  and  that 
the  average  set  owner  finds  present 
television  film  fare  "poor." 


many  months ;  house  average  is  $8,000. 
Other  current  grosses  are  spotty,  for 
the  most  part  hovering  around  aver- 
age figures,  or  slightly  above.  Weath- 
er was  unusually  warm  at  the  week- 
end. Estimated  receipts  for  the  week 
ending  March  7-11 : 

AN  ACT  OF  MURDER  (U-I)— KEITH'S 
(1,500)  (50c-55c-6Oc-65c-75c).  Gross:  $7,500. 
(Average:  $7,500) 

COMMAND    DECISION    (M-G-M)— RKO 

PALACE  (2,700)  (50c -55c -60c- 65c -70c -75c) 
2nd  week.  Gross:  $11,000.  (Average:  $13,- 
000) 

DON  JUAN  (WB)— RKO  CAPITOL  (2,- 
000)  (50c-55c-6Oc-65c-7Oc-75c).  Gross:  $10.- 
000.    (Average:  $10,000) 

JOAN  OF  ARC  (RKO  Radio) — RKO  SHU- 
BERT  (2,150)  (50c-76c-90c-$1.25)  5th  week, 
on  a  moveover  from  four  weeks  at  the 
Capitol.  Gross:  $4,500.  (Average,  at  regu- 
lar scale  of  50c-55c-6Oc-65c-7Oc-75c:  $5,000) 
A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES  (20th- 
Fox) — RKO  LYRIC  (1,400)  (5Oc-55c-60c-65c- 
70c-75c)  3  days,  4th  week,  on  a  moveover 
from  two  weeks  at  the  Shubert  and  an 
opening  week  at  the  Albee. 
ALI  BABA  AND  THE  FORTY  THIEVES 
(Realart)  (5Oc-55c-6Oc-65c-70c-75c)  4  days, 
dualed  with  PHANTOM  OF  THE  OPERA 
(Realart).  Gross:  $5,000.  (Average  for 
seven  days:  $5,000) 

THE     LIFE     OF     RILEY     (U-I)— RKO 

GRAND     (1,500)  (50c-55c-60c-65c-70c-75c). 

Gross:  $17,000.     (Average:  $8,000) 

WAKE  OF  THE  RED  WITCH  (Rep.)— 

RKO  ALBEE  (3,300)  (50c-55c-60c-65c-70c- 
75c).    Gross:  $17,000.    (Average:  $13,000) 


"Directed  with  finesse." 


SAN  FRANCISCO  CALL-BULLETIN 


Tiny  Duffy  played  by  ralph  dumkje 

Jin  ThbKtn&s'Mbn 

from  the  great  Pulitzer  Prize  Novel  by  Robert  Penn  Warren 

A  ROBERT  ROSSEN  Production  .  A  Columbia  Picture 


VOL.  65.  NO.  49 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  MARCH  11,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


SRO  Sales 
Staff  to  Be 
Reorganized 

F  our  Leave  to  Join 
Expanding  Agnew  Firm 

A  complete  reorganization  of  the 
Selznick  Releasing  Organization 
sales  force  will  be  made,  Sidney  G. 
Deneau,  SRO  general  sales  man- 
ager said  yesterday  in  consequence  of 
the  resignations  of  four  sales  execu- 
tives who  are  scheduled  to  join  Neil 
Agnew's  Motion  Picture  Sales  Corp. 

Deneau  confirmed  the  resignations 
of  SRO  division  managers  J.  E.  Fon- 
taine, Eastern ;  Sam  Horowitz,  Mid- 
west ;  Henry  G.  Krumm,  Southern, 
and  Manny  Reiner,  Latin  America 
sales  manager.  All  are  expected  to 
join  Agnew,  former  SRO  head. 

Deneau  said  SRO  will  drop  the  di- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Dividends  Off 
Less  Than  1% 


Washington,  March  10.  —  Film 
company  dividends  in  1948  were  less 
than  one  per  cent  below  1947,  accord- 
ing to  revised  figures  released  by  the 
U.  S.  Commerce  Department  today. 

Back  in  January,  the  Department 
released  "preliminary  figures"  show- 
ing publicly-reported  cash  dividends  of 
film  companies  totaling  $44,905,000  in 
1948,  about  18  per  cent  below  the  $54,- 
641,000  reported  for  1947.    Today,  the 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


Report  Plan  to  Free 
Blocked  Italian  Lire 

Proposals  to  abolish  all  im- 
port taxes  and  quota  restric- 
tions on  foreign  films  will  be 
considered  Monday  by  the 
Italian  cabinet,  according  to 
press  reports  from  Rome. 

Under  terms  of  negotia- 
tions said  to  have  been  com- 
pleted by  Gerald  Mayer,  Mo- 
tion Picture  Export  Associa- 
tion European  manager,  film 
importers  would  place  in  a 
special  fund  a  specified  sum 
in  lire  for  each  picture  im- 
ported, with  the  producer 
then  authorized  to  "unfreeze" 
a  similar  sum  in  dollars,  ac- 
cording to  the  report. 


Para.  Has  Bought 
Up  841,833  Shares 

Paramount  purchased  last 
month  on  the  open  market 
25,100  more  shares  of  its  com- 
mon stock,  bringing  to  841,833 
shares  the  total  accumulated 
in  its  treasury  under  the 
stock-purchasing  program  in- 
stituted in  November,  1946, 
by  company  president  Barney 
Balaban. 

Other  recent  monthly  pur- 
chases follow:  January,  27,- 
500;  December,  41,700;  No- 
vember, 21,500;  October,  40,- 
500;  September,  32,500;  Au- 
gust, 22,200;  July,  31,000. 


Schwalberg  to  Work 
Closer  to  Theatres 


Paramount  has  plans  for  a  closer, 
more  intensified  working  relationship 
with  exhibitors  in  selling  its  product, 
A.  .  W.  Schwalberg,  sales  manager, 
told  the  press 
at  the  home  of- 
fice here  yester- 
day. He  said 
the  matter  of 
cooperative  ad- 
vertising is  be- 
i  n  g  discussed 
but  any  pro- 
gram "w  o  u  1  d 
not  be  fair  if  it 
meant  simply 
paying  adver- 
tising costs  for 
the  exhibitor." 

Divorce- 
ment o  f  its 
theatres  will 
require  more  sales  effort  than  before 
by  Paramount,  Schwalberg  said,  ex- 
plaining that  there  will  be  more  ex- 
hibitors to  "contact."  He  said  that 
the  relationship  between  United  Para- 
mount Theatres  and  Paramount  Pic- 
tures Co.  will  continue  on  the  same 
basis  despite  the  split-up — that  of  buy- 

(Contimted  on  page  3) 


A.  W.  Schwalberg 


UA,  Fox-Wise.  Row 
On  'River'  Settled 


"Red  River"  is  now  scheduled  to 
play  the  Fox  Wisconsin  circuit  begin- 
ning next  week,  in  combination  with 
either  "Rogues'  Regiment"  or  "The 
Accused." 

In  a  telegram  to  Motion  Picture 
Daily,  Fitzgerald  confined  his  com- 
ments to  this :  "The  policy  of  double- 
featuring  attractions  has  been  well 
established  in  America.  We  are  not 
playing  "Red  River"  and  "Paleface" 
(.Continued  on  page  3) 


Gorham  and  Shaffer 
Voted  Top  Showmen 
In  Annual  Awards 


Alice  Gorham  and  Willis  Shaffer 
have  been  voted  the  nation's  top  show- 
men in  the  15th  annual  Quigley 
Awards  for  Showmanship,  conducted 
by  the  Mom- 
agertf  Round 
Table  of  Mo- 
tion Picture 
Herald. 

Some  60  ad- 
vertising, dis- 
tribution and 
exhibition  ex- 
ecutives partici- 
pated in  the 
balloting, 
which  was  con- 
ducted  last 
Monday  in  the 
Waldorf  -  As- 
toria Hotel 
here  and  award- 
ed the  Silver  Grand  Award  Plaque  to 
Miss  Gorham,  who  is  publicity  direc- 
tor for  United  Detroit  Theatres  in 
Detroit ;  the  Bronze  Grand  Award 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Alice  Gorham 


D.  C.  Wage  Ruling 
Loses  Jobs  for  165 


Washington,  March  10. — Wash- 
ington theatre  owners  have  decided  to 
discharge  some  165  female  ushers  and 
about  a  dozen  minor  employes  as  a  re- 
sult of  the  District  of  Columbia  wage 
board  order  increasing  the  minimum 
wage  for  these  two  groups. 

The  decision  was  taken  at  a  meeting 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  Washington.  President  A. 
Julian  Brylawski  said  that  the  MPTO 
had  warned  the  wage  board  that  if  it 
increased  the  minimum  as  much  as  it 
proposed  the  theatre  owners  would 
find  females  and  minors  too  costly  and 
switch  to  male  workers.  Now,  he  said, 
this  has  happened. 


CBS  Offers  82  Films 
To  Video  Affiliates 


CBS  Television  has  made  available 
to  its  31  video  affiliates  the  first-run 
telecast  rights  in  their  areas  to  any  or 
all  of  four  film  packages,  totaling  82 
features  and  short  subjects,  it  was 
disclosed  here  yesterday  by  H.  Grant 
Theis,  manager  of  the  CBS  film  syn- 
dication department. 

Films  include  52  British  features 
produced  by  Pathe,  Ltd.,  Grand  Na- 
tional and  British  Lion,  and  present- 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Extend  MPEA 
Operations  to 
August,  1950 

Decision  Still  Pending, 
However,  on  Reich,  Japan 

Directors  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Export  Association,  at  a  meeting 
held  here  yesterday,  attended  by 
MPEA  president  Eric  Johnston, 
voted  to  execute  new  licensing  agree- 
ments with  the  MPEA,  thereby  ex- 
tending the  Export  Association's  op- 
erations in  all  Eastern  European 
countries  now  within  its  orbit  for  an- 
other year.  These  countries  include 
Bulgaria,  Czechoslovakia,  Hungary, 
Poland,  Rumania,  Yugoslavia  and  the 
USSR. 

The  decision  of  the  Board  with  re- 
spect to  the  continuance  of  MPEA  in 
Germany,   Austria,   Indonesia,  Japan 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Reject  Schine 
Decree  Offer 


Washington,  March  10. — The  De- 
partment of  Justice  has  received  and 
rejected  the  first  proposal  for  a  con- 
sent decree  submitted  by  Schine  Chain 
Theatres. 

The  proposals  for  settlement  of  the 
government  anti-trust  suit  which  has 
been  remanded  by  the  Supreme  Court 
to  the  U.  S.  District  Court  at  Buffalo 
are  said  to  have  been  viewed  as  too 
mild  to  win  Justice  Department 
approval. 

New  proposals  undoubtedly  will  be 
presented  by  Schine  counsel,  Irving  R. 
Kaufman,  in  the  near  future  but,  in 
the  meantime,  the  government  now  is 
planning  to  proceed  with  arguments 
in  Buffalo  District  Court  on  March 
18,  the  next  scheduled  hearing  date, 
on  whether  Schine  should  be  permit- 
ted to  introduce  new  evidence  in  the 
case  in  connection  with  the  court's  re- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Ralph  Goldberg  Sues 
Majors,  TrUStates 

Omaha,  March  10. — Ralph  D. 
Goldberg,  owner  of  the  State  Theatre 
Co.,  has  filed  a  suit  for  $900,000  dam- 
ages in  Federal  Court  here. 

Named  as  defendants  were  the  Tri- 
States  Theatres  Corp.,  and  several 
distributors.  The  Goldberg  petition 
alleges  a  "conspiracy"  contrary  to  the 
Sherman  and  Clayton  Anti-Trust  Acts 
by  refusing  his  theatre  first-runs. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Personal 
Mention 


WILLIAM  SATORI,  Monogram- 
Allied  Artists  European  repre- 
sentative, will  leave  here  today  for 
Pittsburgh,  where  he  will  spend  a  few 
days  before  leaving  on  March  24  for 
an  inspection  tour  of  the  Continent. 
• 

Louis  B.  Mayer,  Mrs.  Mayer  and 
Howard  Strickling,  M-G-M  studio 
publicity  manager,  will  leave  here 
Sunday  for  a  week's  vacation  in 
Miami,  where  they  will  visit  Nicho- 
las M.  Schenck  before  returning  to 
the  Coast. 

• 

Monte  Banks,  Union  Film  presi- 
dent, has  arrived  in  New  York  from  a 
trip  to  Rome,  Paris  and  London.  He 
and  his  wife,  Gracie  Fields,  will  soon 
leave  for  a  concert  tour  in  Canada, 
and  will  return  to  England  on  April  2. 
• 

Herman  Ripps,  field  assistant  to 
John  P.  Byrne,  Eastern  sales  man- 
ager for  M-G-M,  has  been  in  Boston 
the  past  few  days  conferring  with 
Benn  Rosenwald,  local  manager. 
• 

Haskell  _M.  Masters,  Warner 
Canadian  division  manager,  arrived  in 
New  York  yesterday  and  will  return 
to  Toronto  on  Monday. 

• 

William   B.   Levy,   Walt  Disney 
Productions    general    sales  manager, 
has  returned  here  from  the  Coast. 
• 

W  C.  Gehring,  20th  Century-Fox 
assistant  general  sales  manager,  will 
return  here  today  from  St.  Louis. 
• 

Hal  Danson,  Eagle-Lion  advertis- 
ing manager,  will  leave  New  York 
today  for  two  weeks  in  Florida. 
• 

Richard  A.  Harper,  of  M-G-M's 
home  office  sales  staff,  will  return  on 
Monday  from  a  Miami  vacation. 
• 

MacGregor  Scott,  overseas  sales 
manager  for  Associated  British  Pathe, 
is  here  from  London. 


U-l,  Rank  Publicists 
Bid  Horwits  Farewell 

Members  of  the  Universal-Inter- 
national advertising  and  publicity  de- 
partments and  representatives  of  the 
J.  Arthur  Rank  Organization  yester- 
day gave  a  farewell  luncheon  for  Al 
Horwits,  newly-appointed  U-I  studio 
publicity  director  who  leaves  for  his 
new  post  today. 

Among  those  who  attended  were 
David  A.  Lipton,  Maurice  A.  Berg- 
man, Jock  Lawrence,  Charles  Simon- 
elh,  Hank  Linet,  Jerry  Dale,  Fortunat 
Baronat,  Robert  Ungerfeld,  Lewis 
Blumberg,  Andy  Sharick,  Philip  Ger 
ard,  Laurence  Audrain,  Syd  Roye, 
Harold  Gutman,  Joseph  Gould,  Cliff 
Cane,  Charles  Cohen,  Julian  Benedet 
Carlos  Cruz,  Alfred  L.  Mendelsohn, 
Herman  Kass,  Lowell  Benedict,  Gene 
Giambalvo,  Norma  Seltzer,  Louise 
Leavitt,  Jessie  Hill,  Ed  Shulman  and 
Milton  Livingston 


A.A.-Mono.  Directors 
To  Meet  Tomorrow 

Hollywood,  March  10. — Steve  Broi- 
dy,  president;  George  D.  Burrows, 
executive  vice-president  and  treasurer ; 
Harold  J.  Mirisch,  vice-president,  and 
Howard  Stubbins,  Pacific  Coast  fran- 
chise holder,  have  left  here  to  attend 
board  of  directors'  meetings  of  Allied 
Artists  and  Monogram  at  the  Drake 
Hotel,  Chicago,  on  Saturday.  Other 
board  members  to  join  the  group  are 
Ray  Johnston,  Edward  Morey,  Arthur 
C.  Bromberg,  William  Hurlbut,  Her- 
man Rifkin,  Norton  V.  Ritchey  and 
Charles  W.  Trampe. 

Previous  erroneous  announcement 
indicated  that  a  stockholders'  meeting 
would  be  held  at  the  same  time  and 
place.  The  annual  stockholders'  meet- 
ing is  held  on  the  second  Wednesday 
in  November,  customarily  in  Holly- 
wood. 


Depinet,  Mochrie  to 
Fly  to  Houston 

Ned  E.  Depinet,  RKO  president, 
and  Robert  Mochrie,  RKO  Radio 
sales  vice-president,  will  leave  here 
Wednesday  by  plane  to  attend  the  pre- 
miere of  "Green  Promise,"  Glenn  Mc- 
Carthy production,  at  Houston. 

Tied  in  with  the  presentation  of  the 
RKO  Radio  release  is  the  opening  of 
McCarthy's  hotel,  the  Shamrock,  and 
a  number  of  press  representatives  will 
be  on  hand  as  the  guests  of  McCarthy. 


NFS  To  Handle  UA 
Prints  in  Memphis 

Philadelphia,  March  10.— United 
Artists  has  arranged  with  National 
Film  Service  for  physical  print  han- 
dling at  Memphis,  William  J.  Clark, 
National  executive  vice-president,  said 
here  today.  UA  had  been  handling  the 
Memphis  territory  out  of  its  St.  Louis 
and  New  Orleans  branches.  Memphis 
Film  Service,  a  National  affiliate,  now 
takes  over. 


Press  Unit  Gives 
'Snake  Pit'  Award 

At  a  broadcast  last  night  over  New 
York's  station,  WNYC,  the  Foreign 
Language  Press  Film  Critics  Circle 
awarded  Darryl  F.  Zanuck's  "The 
Snake  Pit"  a  citation  as  the  "Best 
Picture  of  1948."  The  award,  made  to 
Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president  of  20th 
Century-Fox,  was  accepted  by  Ulric 
Bell,  publicity  manager  of  the  com- 
pany, for  Skouras.  Also  honored  were 
Olivia  de  Havilland,  voted  best  actress 
for  her  performance  in  "The  Snake 
Pit,"  and  Anatole  Litvak,  co-producer 
and  director  of  the  film  as  best  pro- 
ducer of  the  year.  The  foreign  press 
selection  also  honored  Zanuck  as  the 
only  executive  producer  to  win  the 
award  in  two  successive  years.  Last 
year  his  "Gentleman's  Agreement' 
was  chosen  as  best. 

Others  honored  by  the  critics  were 
Laurence  Olivier,  chosen  best  actor 
for  "Hamlet,"  and  Roberto  Rossellini 
best  director  for  "Paisan."  "The  Red 
Shoes"  was  selected  as  the  best  Brit- 
ish-made picture,  and  "Paisan"  as  the 
best  Continental  film. 


S.P.G.  To  Vote  on 
Future  Affiliation 

Hollywood,  March  10.— Screen 
publicists  Guild  last  night  voted  to 
hold  a  mail  ballot  to  determine  wheth- 
er to  continue  its  present  affiliation 
with  the  Painters  Brotherhood  or 
switch  to  the  IATSE,  or  choose  an 
other  affiliation. 

The  meeting  heard  IATSE's  Roy 
Brewer  outline  advantages  which  he 
asserted  would  accrue  from  tying  up 
with  the  "IA."  The  affiliation  issue 
has  had  SPG  membership  divided  for 
the  past  several  weeks,  following  an 
IATSE-minded  faction's  protes 
against  the  Guild  officers'  waiving  a 
seniority  clause  in  a  contract  proposed 
by  producers.  The  pact  remains  un- 
signed, with  the  Guild  under  producer 
notification  that  the  old  contract  will 
be  terminated  in  April. 


Johnston  on  Socialism 

Eric  A.  Johnston,  president  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica, told  a  dinner-meeting  of  the  Eco- 
nomic Club  of  New  York  last  night 
that  continued  improvement  in  the 
"American  system"  will  remove  the 
threat  of  socialism  here.  His  subject 
was_,  "Can  the  United  States  Avoid 
Socialism?" 


Youngman  at  Studio 

Hollywood,  March  10.— Gordon 
Youngman,  RKO  Radio  general  coun- 
sel, has  established  temporary  head- 
quarters at  the  studio  in  preparation 
for  extensive  legal  work  in  connection 
with  the  company's  pending  divorce- 
ment and  reorganization.  His  stay 
here  will  be  for  an  indefinite  period, 
although  he  will  make  occasional  re- 
turn visits  to  New  York. 


'Jennie'  Date  Put  Back 

David  O.  Selznick's  "Portrait  of 
Jennie,"  scheduled  to  open  at  the  Riv- 
oli  here  on  March  23,  has  been  de- 
layed to  March  30,  it  is  announced  by 
Sidney  G.  Deneau,  SRO  general  sales 
manager. 


"St.  Louis"  Premiere 
Held  in  Texas  City 

Brownsville,  Tex.,  March  10.- 
U.S.  and  Mexican  government  repre 
sentatives  participated  today  in  the 
"two-nation  premiere"  of  Warner's 
"South  of  St.  Louis"  at  the  Capital 
and  Queen  theatres  here. 

With  stars  Joel  McCrea  and  Alexis 
Smith  here  for  the  event,  a  day-long 
celebration  began  with  a  pilgrimage 
to  Palmetto  Hill  battlefield,  followed 
by  parades,  radio  broadcasts  and  other 
special  programs.  Warner  has  set 
playdates  for  the  picture  in  200  sur- 
rounding cities  within  the  next  10 
days. 


Reeve  Heads  Coast 
Bond  Drive  Group 

Hollywood,  March  10.— Arch 
Reeve,  secretary  of  the  West  Coast 
Committee  of  Advertising  and  Pub- 
licity Directors,  has  been  named  pub- 
licity head  of  the  Hollywood  commit- 
tee for  the  industry's  participation  in 
the  Treasury's  savings  bond  drive,  by 
Maurice  A.  Bergman,  chairman  of  the 
industry  organization. 


Friday,  March  11,  1949 

—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — 

Rockefeller  Center 

^LITTLE  WOMEN 

■ 

■  June  AHysnn  .  Peter  Lawford  .  Marn't  O'Brien  1 
JElizabeth  Taylor  .  Janet  Leigh  .  Rossano  Brazzia' 
.Mary  Astor    .   A  Mervyn  Le  Roy  Production 
Color  by  Technicolor 
A  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


ALIAS 

A  Paramount  Picture  starnno       I       JuAjRRy  VnnmVT  ' 


THE 


A  Paramounl  Picture  starring 

RAYMILLAND 

AUDREY  TOTTER 
THOMAS  MITCHELL 


/.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER,  ^/tt^ 
All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinee*  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


i 


DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK  presents 

OLIVIA  de  HAVILLAND  I 


the  Snake  Pit 


■ Directed  by  Produced  by 

_  ANATOLE  UTVAK  •  ANATOLE  LITVAK  S  ROBERT  USSIER 


2a  I 


7<IVOLI 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

^COIOK  BY  TECHNICOLOR  ■  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 


tuiD'ScirflKFiS,'.  f^ANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  •  J.  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BOND  B 
SHEPPERD  STRUDW ICK  .  HURD  HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHART  .  JOHN  EMERY 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  .  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY  ! 
DaserJ  upon  Ins  stage  play  'Joan  of  Lorraine1  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
creen  ploy  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOLE  .  orr  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  •  director  of  photography  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S  C. 

ProduierJ  by  WAITER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

■   I  by  SIERRA  PICTURES.  Inc.  .  releo.ed  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


DANE  CLARK  •  GAIL  RUSSELL 
ETHEL  BARRYMORE  in 

Frank  Borzage's  Production 

"MOONRISE" 

BRANDT'S  GLOBE 
BROADWAY  &  46th  STREET 


MYRNA  ROBERT 
LOY  MITCHUM 

"THE  RED  PONY" 

A  REPUBLIC  PRODUCTION 

BRANDT'S  M  A  YFAIR 
7th  AVE.  &  47th  ST. 


Loretta  Young   .  Van  Johnson 

MOTHER  IS  A  FRESHMAN" 

A  20th  Century-Fox  Picture 
In  Technicolor 
ON  VARIETY  STAGE 

PHIL  BAKER  .   CAB  CALLOWAY 

BIG    ICE  REVUE 


ROXY 


7th  Ave.  & 
50th  St. 


^^^^^^^r^d^;t^t^^  fS^a&^B1'^i^^K^^  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays. 
W,  P  C,^Tim  Qu'Sky,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Qu%leyTr  Vice  Prel}^ -Z°Tk  J20'^^-  Y"  ,T-ele!i0ne  CTrcle  7'3m-  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
hSnmne»am'  Ne,^s  £ditor:  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager  cfus  H  Fausel  Prnrli^tii  ™ea  J"  Su^'Yan'  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertiffng  Urben  FadS  A^i  ■  "  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver 
kwS^i  Na4't>??1  P-ress  C?ub-  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Goldfn  So  London  WI  TTmi  n  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington 
Mnt?L8^,?y  P»bllcatlon|-  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Safes  eYch  ™hfuLT1??^anager'  Peter  Burnup.-  EditoT:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
5£«  it  ;    %e  Almanac>  Fame;  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938    at  the  't»tt  ♦  m     V'TV  ^ear  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 

year,  $6  in  the  Amencas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c.  1  P°st  offlce  at  Ne»  York.  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


Friday,  March  11,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Extend  MPEA 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


and  Korea  was  deferred  to  a  future 
meeting.  . 

In  retaining  MPEA  as  its  sole  dis- 
tribution agency,  directors  of  the  10 
nember  companies  agreed  to  extend 
period  of  joint  operation  until 
August  31,  1950.  Present  licensing 
contracts  under  which  MPEA  has 
been  operating  in  these  countries  since 
1946  terminate  at  varying  dates  be- 
tween May  and  September  of  this 
year.  Some  doubt  existed  during  the 
past  few  months  on  whether  MPEA 
perations  would  be  continued  or  cur- 
tailed. . 

Present  at  the  meeting  were:  .Nor- 
ton V.  Ritchey  and  William  Sartori  of 
Mlied  Artists;  Abe  Schneider,  Jack 
Segal  and  Arnold  Picker,  Columbia; 
Arthur  Loew,  George  Muchmc  and 
Seymour  Mayer,  Loew's ;  George 
Weltner,  Roger  C.  Clement  and_  Wil- 
liam Piper,  Paramount;  Phil  Reisman 
and  R.  K.  Hawkinson,  RKO ;  Richard 
W.  Altschuler  and  Theodore  Black, 
Republic;  Murray  Silverstone  and 
Emanuel  Silverstone,  20th  Century- 
Fox;  Arthur  W.  Kelly,  United  Art- 
ists •  Joseph  H.  Seidelman,  Universal ; 
John  J.  Glynn,  Warner  Brothers,  and 
Theodore  S.  Hope,  Jr, 

Present  from  the  MPEA  were: 
Francis  S.  Harmon,  John  G.  McCar- 
thy Frederick  W.  Du  Vail,  Herbert 
Erlanger,  Frank  J.  Alford,  Joe  C 
Goltz  and  Alfred  F.  Corwin. 


$13-Million  Eastman 
Dividend  to  Workers 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  March  10. 
— Eastman  Kodak  will  dis- 
tribute a  wage  dividend  of 
approximately  $13,000,000  on 
Monday,  to  50,000  employees 
in  the  Western  hemisphere, 
tne  company  announced  here 
today. 

The  wage  dividend  will  be 
the  largest  ever  distributed 
by  the  company,  comparing 
with  $11,600,000  paid  a  year 
ago. 

The  payment  on  Monday 
will  bring  the  total  to  ap- 
proximately $103,000,000. 


Schwalberg's  Plans 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Dividends  Off 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


SRO  -  Agnew 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


visional  set-up  in  reorganizing  and 
will  replace  the  men  who  are  leaving 
with  district  managers  within  10  days. 
Paul  MacNamara,  Selznick  vice- 
president  and  advertising-publicity 
head,  arrived  in  New  York  yesterday, 
and  Selznick  may  come  here  next 
week.  ^ 

Agnew's  M.  P.  Sales  Corp.  is  on 
the  verge  of  expanding  into  an  organi- 
zation similar  to  the  one  he  set  up  at 
SRO.  A  minimum  of  four  key  sales 
divisions  will  be  set  up  and  physical 
distribution  will  be  handled  by  James 
Clark's  National  Film  Service.  The 
company  is  rapidly  lining  up  product, 
with  the  Abbott  &  Costello  "Africa 
Screams,"  Franchot  Tone's  "Man  on 
the  Eiffel  Tower,"  and  Protestant 
Films'  "Prejudice,"  and  others,  al- 
ready on  its  schedule.  Company's 
representation  fee  is  three  per  cent 
of  the  gross.  The  company  also  will 
open  a  Hollywood  office. 

Leonard  Case,  SRO  treasurer,  an- 
nounced that  Reiner  will  be  replaced 
in  Latin  America  by  Alfredo  Holguin, 
who  will  headquarter  in  Mexico  City, 
and  Isidro  Rosenfeld,  with  headquar- 
ters in  Buenos  Aires. 

It  was  also  announced  that  Victor 
Hoare  will  replace  Louis  Lewis,  who 
resigned  this  week  as  SRO  general 
sales  manager  for  Britain  and  the 
Continent.  Cleave  Shepherd  will 
continue  for  SRO  as  general  sales 
manager  for  Australasia,  and  Fred  S. 
Gulbransen  has  been  named  to  handle 
sales  in  the  Far  East. 


Department  said  that  when  the  film 
companies  revised  their  reports,  the 
1948  total  was  $54,205,000— a  mere 
shade  below  the  1947  figure.  This 
means  the  1948  payments  were  the 
second  highest  on  record.  The  1946 
total  was  $46,714,000. 

Commerce  officials  said  that  much 
of  the  increase  in  the  revised  1948 
figure  over  the  preliminary  one  came 
from  dividends  reported  by  the  Stan 
ley  Co.,  a  Warner  subsidiary.  Stanley 
reported  late,  its  dividends  not  being 
included  in  the  preliminary  total. 

Commerce  officials  usually  figure 
that  publicly-reported  dividends  ac 
count  for  about  60  to  65  per  cent  of 
total  dividends,  but  they  said  that  they 
believe  the  percentage  is  higher  for 
the  motion  picture  industry.  If  the 
65  per  cent  figure  were  used,  that 
ould  mean  total  film  industry  divi 
dends  in  both  1947  and  1948  were 
in  the  neighborhood  of  $80,000,000. 


Reject  Schine 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


consideration  of  divestiture  and  other 
angles,  as  directed  by  the  Supreme 
Court. 

The  principal  issue  involved  either 
in  continued  litigation,  or  in  negotia 
tion  of  a  consent  decree,  is  exactly 
which    Schine    situations    are    to  b 
opened  and  what  theatres  disposed  of 
in  each.    The  Justice  Department  re 
portedly  is  taking  a  firm  stand  on  th 
opening  of  all  Schine  situations  where 
it  believes  competition  to  be  at  a  dis 
advantage. 

Schine  attorney  Kaufman,  inci 
dentally,  headed  the  Justice  Depart 
ment's  anti-lobbying  unit  until  recent 
ly.    He  is  well  known  here. 


Gorham  and  Shaffer 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


er  and  seller.  Affiliates  sometimes  are 
our  severest  customers,"  he  added, 
nferring  that  theatre  subsidiaries  were 
not  always  ready  outlets  for  the 
Paramount  sales  organization. 

Schwalberg  said  that  he  has  yet  to 
see  the  company's  consent  judgment 
in  the  industry  trust  suit  and  must 
consult  the  legal  department,  headed 
by  Austin  Keough,  before  mapping 
elling  policies.  He  reported  he  plans 
a  series  of  regional  sales  meetings  in 
about  60  days  for  the  purpose  of  dis- 
cussing trade  practices  under  the  de- 
cree with  the  field  staffs.  Schwalberg 
pointed  out  that  he  had  been  pre- 
occupied with  the  10-day  meeting  of 
executives  at  the  studio  and  other  mat- 
ters relative  to  his  new  position  as 
sales  chief,  in  explaining  that  he  has 
not  familiarized  himself  with  the  gov- 
ernment settlement. 

No  Product  for  TV 

He  told  reporters  that  business  so 
far  this  year  has  been  as  good  as,  if 
not  better  than,  the  same  period  in 
1948.  Contributing  to  this,  he  added, 
are  the  showings  made  by  "Paleface" 
and  "Whispering  Smith." 

He  disclosed  that  Paramount  has  no 
intention  of  selling  product  to  tele 
casters. 

Schwalberg  was  unable  to  _  clarify 
the  muddled  status  of  competitive  bid- 
ding as  provided  for  in  the  Paramount 
decree,  here  again  reminding  that  he 
had  not  consulted  the  order  and  thus 
could  draw  no  conclusions.  However, 
while  Paramount's  plans  in  this  regard 
have  yet  to  be  clearly  formulated,  it 
was  recalled  that  A.  C.  Bickford, 
Paramount  attorney,  contended  for  the 
record  in  New  York  Federal  Court 
when  the  judgment  was  presented  that 
it  does  not  make  competitive  bidding 
compulsory  for  Paramount.  He  did 
not  say  to  what  extent  Paramount 
would  license  product  in  that  manner, 
nor  did  he  explain  how  else  it  might 
be  licensed. 

Double  Bill  Row 

Although  Schwalberg  was  not  dis- 
posed to  talk  extensively  about  the 
double  billing  of  United  Artists'  "Red 
River"  and  "Paleface,"  as  planned  by 
Fox  Wisconsin,  the  indication  was 
that  Paramount  would  do  'nothing 
about  it. 

UA  president  Gradwell  Sears  earli 
er  this  week  refused  to  service  prints 
of  "River"  to  the  Milwaukee  circuit 
on  the  grounds  that  showing  two  top- 
grossing  films  on  one  program  "sabo- 
taged" the  value  of  both. 


Plaque  to  Shaffer,  who  is  manager  of 
the  .  Fox  Atchison  Theatre  in  Atchi- 
son, Kan.,  and  the  Special  Overseas 
Award  to  Guellermo  Echazu,  manager 
of  the  Metro  Theatre  in  Santiago, 
Chile. 

Miss  Gorham,  a  consistent  con- 
tributor to  the  Round  Table  pages  for 
the  last  three  years,  has  won  one 
Quarterly  Award  and  two  Scrolls  of 
Honor.  While  women  have  won  sev- 
eral lesser  awards,  Miss  Gorham  is 
the  first  to  win  the  top  QP  Showman- 
ship Award.  Shaffer,  also  a  long  and 
persistent  contributor,  has  won  two 
Quarterly  Awards.  The  Overseas 
Award  goes  for  the  first  time  to  a 
South  American  showman.  Echazu's 
campaigns  were  conspicuous  in  a  mar- 
ket which  receives  little  attention  in 
the  North  American  press. 

At  a  luncheon  which  followed  the 
judging,  Martin  Quigley,  emphasiz- 
ing the  need  for  a  return  to  showman- 
ship, said : 

"Fortunately  there  have  lately  been 
indications  of  an  early  return  to  that 
aggressive  brand  of  showmanship 
which  once  made  motion  pictures  the 
best  promoted  service  before  the  world 
public." 

Awards  Promote  Showmanship 

He  emphasized  the  influence  which 
the  Awards  have  had  in  promoting 
better  showmanship  and  the  part  they 
have  played  in  bringing  the  winners 
greater  responsibilities  and  oppor- 
tunities. 

Si  Fabian,  head  of  the  circuit  bear- 
ing his  name,  was  a  guest  speaker  at 
the  luncheon.  Enumerating  the  prob- 
lems and  changes,  both  economic  and 
legal,  which  confront  the  industry, 
Fabian  called  for  a  return  to  the 
fundamentals  which  "are  the  founda- 
tion upon  which  our  business  life  was 
built."  Those  fundamentals,  he  said, 
are  the  maintenance  of  comfortable, 
attractive  theatres ;  the  providing  of 
great  entertainment  at  reasonable 
prices,  and  "the  showmanlike  way  in 
which  we  have  exploited  our  pictures 
for  our  theatres." 


UA,  Fox-Wise.  Row 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Would  Cut  Freight  Rate 

Washington,  March  10. — The  Fly- 
ing Tiger  Air  Line  proposes  to  slash 
by  25  per  cent  its  rates  for  carrying 
motion  picture  film  and  other  freight 
from  the  West  Coast  to  the  Eastern 
seaboard.  In  a  proposed  new  tariff 
filed  with  the  U.  S.  Civil  Aeronautics 
Board,  the  line  says  it  wants  to  drop 
its  rate  to  $14.71  per  100  pounds,  from 
the  present  $19.61. 


CBS  Offers  82  Films 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ing  such  stars  as  James  Mason,  Gracie 
Fields,  Michael  Redgrave,  Bruce  Cab- 
ot, John  Loder  and  Otto  Kruger.  CBS 
claims  that  42  of  the  films  never  have 
appeared  on  any  U.S.  theatre  screen. 
Also  on  the  program  are  eight 
"Strange  As  It  Seems"  shorts  pro- 
duced by  Columbia  Pictures,  the  net- 
work states. 


Mother   of   Harry  Gold 

Mrs.  Jennie  Levin,  mother  of  Harry 
Gold,  died  Wednesday  at  White  Cross 
Hospital,  Columbus,  Ohio,  after  a 
long  illness.  Funeral  services  will  be 
held  on  Sunday  in  Columbus,  Gold's 
office  reported  here  yesterday. 


W.  B.  Murray,  59 

William  B.  Murray,  59,  head  of  the 
radio  department  of  the  William  Mor- 
ris Agency  since  1932,  died  here  yes- 
terday from  a  sudden  illness.  Murray 
handled  many  stars  of  the  screen  and 
radio  during  his  career,  which  included 
work  for  the  Baldwin  Piano  Co.,  Jud- 
son  Radio  Corp.  and  National  Broad- 
casting Co.  Among  his  clients  were 
Abbot  and  Costello,  Fred  Allen,  Danny 
Kaye,  Eddie  Cantor  and  Al  Jolson. 
Surviving  are  his  wife,  three  sons  and 
his  mother. 


Off -Street  Parking  Bill 

Albany,  N.  Y,  March  10.— The 
State  Senate  today  unanimously  passed 
and  forwarded  to.  the  Assembly  the 
Desmond  bill  which  requires  theatres 
and  other  public  places  hereafter  erect- 
ed in  New  York  cities  to  provide  off- 
street  parking  facilities.  Theatres 
would  have  to  provide  200  square  feet 
for  each  10  seats. 


together  in  any  Fox  Wisconsin  the- 
atre." 

Earlier  this  week,  UA  president 
Gradwell  Sears  announced  that  the 
company  would  refuse  to  service  prints 
of  "River"  to  the  circuit  because  the 
film  was  to  be  teamed  with  "Pale- 
face." UA  claims  it  was  so  informed 
by  its  Milwaukee  branch  manager  who 
learned  of  the  plan  in  telephone  calls 
to  the  three  Fox  theatres  involved  and 
by  matching  his  booking  records  with 
Paramount's.  Sears  said  that  the 
double  billing  constituted  a  "stupid 
abuse  of  exhibitor  power,"  and  that  it 
would  "sabotage"  the  value  of  the 
two  films. 

It  was  UA's  understanding  that  the 
two  pictures  were  to  open  last 
Wednesday  at  the  Granada,  Uptown 
and  Garfield  Theatres,  which  are  the 
three  key  subsequent  runs  in  Milwau- 
kee. No  announcement  of  the  combi- 
nation appeared  in  Milwaukee  news- 
papers. Fox  Wisconsin  generally  ad- 
vertises its  programs  a  day  before 
opening.  The  clash  with  UA  came  on 
Monday  night. 


New  Firm  To  Import 

Formation  of  Armanac,  Inc.,  a  new 
foreign  film  distributor,  is  announced 
by  A.  R.  Hourvitch.  president.  Ini- 
tial release  is  an  Italian  film. 


THE  18  HAPPIEST  GUYS  IN  PICTURE  BUSINESS! 

Paramount's  Home  Office  Delegation,  Just  Back  From  The  Coast  After  Previewing 
All  This  Fabulous  Line-Up  of  Coming  Product!  We've  Seen 'Em  All— a; 
Neither  We  Nor  You  Have  Ever  Seen  Anything  Like  Them  for  Sheer 

Sustained  Boxoffice  Quality!  Here's  the  16-Picture  Evidence  That 

THE  GOLD'S  REALLY  ROLLING  FROM  OUR  H0LLYW00 

FOR  PARAMOUNT'S  GOLD  RUSH  OF  '49 


r 


Dorothy  Lamour 
Sterling  Hayden 
Dan  Duryea 

MANHANDLED 


Bass-  1 

THE 


John  PoV"» 

••Gabby"  Hoyes  L 
DickFotanin  ■ 

Cotor  by 
Cine*°,or 


Pauletfe  Goddard 
John  Lund 
I  Macdonald  Carey 

.."BRIDE  OF 
VENGEANCE" 

A  Mitchell  Leisen 
Production 


MOTION  PICTURE  fmm 


DAILY 


Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  50 


To  Set  Status 
Of  Decree  In 
Private  Suits 

5th-Walnut  Appeal  Today 
Embodies  That  Question 

A  singularly  significant  industry 
legal  question  is  due  to  be  answered 
in  consequence  of  the  Fifth  and 
Walnut  Amusement  appeal  hearing 
which  is  slated  to  get  underway  here 
this  morning  before  Judge  Augustus 
N  Hand  in  the  U.  S.  Circuit  Court  of 
Appeals.  The  court  will  be  asked  to 
decide  in  effect,  whether  the  final 
decree  in  judgment  in  the  govern- 
ment's suit  against  Paramount,  et  al, 
can  be  admitted  in  the  industry  s 
myriad  private  anti-trust  actions. 

Louisville's  Fifth  and  Walnut  re- 
presented by  attorney  Monroe  E.  Stein 
of  New  York,  will  argue  today  that 
Federal  Judge  Vincent  L.  Leibell 
erred  on  at  least  two  counts  when  he 
{Continued  on  page  5) 

House  to  Consider 
Tighter  Trust  Laws 

Washington,  March  13.— The 
House  Judiciary  Committee  is  expect- 
ed to  soon  announce  a  year-long, 
comprehensive  investigation  of  the 
need  for  tightening  and  coordinating 
the  nation's  anti-trust  laws,  which 
have  been  applied  so  frequently  against 
distributors  in  recent  years. 

Recommendations  would  not  come 
until  next  year,  under  the  plan  being 
considered  by  Judiciary  Committee 
Chairman  Celler,  New  York  Demo- 
crat. .  . 

Celler  is  scheduled  to  meet  this 
week  with  top  officials  of  the  Justice 
Department,  Federal  Trade  Commis- 
sion, and  other  agencies  interested  m 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


Studio  Jobs  Decline; 
Expect  March  Rise 

Hollywood,  March  13.— Pro- 
duction employment  hit  a  low 
ebb  in  January,  according  to 
a  California  labor  statistics 
bulletin  issued  here,  skidding 
from  December's  75.2  per  cent 
to  67.5  on  the  Labor  Bureau's 
scale  index  which  regards  100 
as  normal.  Average  weekly 
earnings  dropped  from  $98.26 
to  $93.97.  Expectation  is  that 
February  figures  will  show 
even  a  lower  employment 
level,  with  March  witnessing 
a  sharp  rise  if  the  present 
upward  trend  in  production 
continues. 


ASCAP  IS  PRESSING 
U.  S.  DECREE  TALKS 


Want  FCC  Rule  on 
Film  Firms  in  Video 


Thompson,  Mandell, 
Mishkind  Promoted 

Three  members  of  the  field  staff  of 
Selznick  Releasing  Organization  have 
been  promoted  to  district  manager- 
ships by  Sidney  Deneau,  general  sales 
manager,  as  part  of  the  decentraliza- 
tion plan  announced  by  him  several 
days  ago  wherein  he  stated  that  SRO  s 
sales  divisions  are  being  reduced  to 
districts  in  order  to  create  closer  sell- 
ing contact  with  exhibitors. 

R.  R.  Thompson,  former  branch 
manager  of  Kansas  City,  has  been  ap- 
pointed district  manager  with  super- 
vision over  Kansas  City,  Des  Moines, 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


Washington,  March  13. — Twen- 
tieth Century-Fox  has  asked  the  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission  to 
issue  an  order  immediately  declaring 
that  film  firms  and  other  companies, 
including  theatre  circuits,  found  guilty 
of  violating  U.  S.  Anti-Trust  Laws 
are  not  barred  from  holding  radio  and 
television  licenses. 

If  it  does  not  want  to  do  this,  20th- 
Fox  said,  the  Commission  should  at 
least  immediately  ask  all  interested 
parties  for  their  views,  so  that  a  posi- 
tion can  be  taken  relatively  soon. 

The  company  declared  that  the  mo- 
tion picture  industry  cannot  plan  its 
over-all  future  until  it  knows  the 
answer  to  whether  film  firms  will  be 
allowed  into  television.  For  example, 
it  said,  film  companies  cannot  go 
ahead  with  plans  for  theatre  tele- 
vision. 


YoungsteinRenamed 
President  of  AMPA 

Max  E.  Youngstein,  vice-president 
in  charge  of  advertising-publicity  for 
Eagle-Lion,  has  been  nominated  for  a 
second  term  as  president  of  the  Asso- 
ciated Motion  Picture  Advertisers  by 
the  organization's  nominating  com- 
mittee, it  was  disclosed  by  Dave 
Bader,  committee  chairman.  Bader 
stated  that  in  naming  Youngstein  the 
committee  shattered  a  20-year  tradi- 
tion in  that  no  other  person  has  ever 
succeeded  himself  as  AMPA  presi- 
dent. .  , 

Other  officers  on  the  committees 
I  {Continued  on  page  5) 


Seeks  Modification  of 
1941  Pact  to  Permit 
Theatre  Collections 

Washington,  March  13. — Ne- 
gotiations for  modification  of  the 
1941  consent  decree  between  the 
American  Society  of  Composers, 
Authors  and  Publishers  and  the  De- 
partment of  Justice  are  being  pressed 
and  could  be  concluded  within  a  few 
weeks. 

A  key  phase  of  the  negotia- 
tions, it  is  reported,  involve 
Ascap  proposals  to  meet  the  ob- 
jections to  theatre  music  fee 
collections  by  the  Society,  now 
prohibited  by  Federal  Judge 
Vincent  L.  Leibell's  decree  in 
New  York  District  Court. 

Presumably,  if  the  proposals  are  ac- 
ceptable to  the  government  and  the 
New  York  Federal  Court,  Ascap 
would  be  authorized  to  resume  music 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


NLRB  Election  to 
Settle  Coast  Issue 


Atlas  Sold  50,000 
Warrants  of  RKO 


Thirty  Bills  in  Albany 
Could  Affect  Theatres 


Washington,  March  13. — The  sale 
of  50,000  warrants  for  RKO  common 
stock  by  Atlas  Corp.,  headed  com- 
paratively light  film  stock  transactions 
by  industry  officers  and  directors  dur- 
ing the  period  of  January  11  to  Febru- 
ary 10,  according  to  the  Securities  and 
Exchange  Commission.  Atlas  holdings 
of  warrants  at  the  end  of  the  period 
are  reported  as  267,812. 

Largest  individual  transaction  was 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  13.— Listing 
30  pending  bills  in  11  categories 
which  could  affect  theatres,  the  Al- 
bany Theatre  Owners  of  America  re- 
ports that  it  had  moved  against  Bingo 
legislation  "with  the  central  commit- 
tee" of  four  New  York  exhibitor  asso- 
ciations and  that  "results  were  very 
favorable,"  two  Senate  measures  re- 
moving criminal  penalty  for_  Bingo 
sponsored  by  non-profit  organizations 
being  recommitted. 

TO  A  sees  no  hope  of  adoption  of 
any  of  three  bills  repealing  permissive 
local  tax  laws,  which  allow  a  five  per 
cent  admission  levy.  It  warned  that 
proposals  of  a  minimum  wage  of  75 


Washington,  March  13. — The  Na- 
tional Labor  Relations  Board  has  di- 
rected a  representative  election  within 
30  days  among  set  decorators  in  10 
Hollywood  studios  to  chose  between 
IATSE  and  the  Brotherhood  of 
Painters,  Decorators  and  Paperhahg- 
ers  of  America,  both  AFL. 

Studios  affected  are  Columbia, 
Paramount,  Warner,  Loew,  Universal, 
RKO,  Samuel  Goldwyn,  Republic, 
Hal  E.  Roach,  and  20th  Century-Fox. 

The  dispute  between  the  two  unions 
for  control  of  the  studio  set  decora- 
tors has  been  one  of  the  sorest  spots 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


cents  per  hour  "will  affect  every  type 
of  business"  if  passed,  and  said  the 
Noonan  advertising  film  reissue  bill 
"is  being  watched  closely,  since  enact- 
ment will  be  a  gross  hardship." 

A  few  of  the  other  bills  listed  by 
the  TOA  include  the  Mitchell-Morgan 
Act,  passed  by  the  Assembly,  to  per- 
mit an  additional  50-cent  charge  by 
brokers  for  the  delivery  of  theatre 
tickets;  Schupler  Bill,  proposing  a 
state  theatre;  Morrit  Bill,  for  an  au- 
tomatic stay  in  proceedings  reviewing 
revocation  of  license  for  stage  shows; 
Gans-Tanken  Bill  for  the  inclusion  of 
orchestras  and  bands  in  the  law  gov- 
erning employment  agencies. 


IF  Board  to  Elect 
Officers  March  24 


Nate  J.  Blumberg,  president,  and 
J.  Cheever  Cowdin,  board  chairman, 
are  among  the  officers  of  Universal 
who  are  slated  for  re-election  by  the 
board  of  directors  at  a  home  office 
board  meeting  scheduled  for  March 
24.  Other  officers  include  Charles  D. 
Prutzman,  John  J.  O'Connor,  Mat- 
thew Fox,  William  A.  Scully,  Joseph 
Seidelman  and  Edward  Muhl,  all  vice- 
presidents  ;  Samuel  Machnovitch,  trea- 
surer, and  Adolph  Schimel,  secretary. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  14,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

FLLIS  ARNALL,  SIMPP  presi 
*-<  dent,  has  arrived  in  New  York 
from  the   Coast  after   stopovers  en 
route. 


Joseph  H.  Moskowitz,  vice-presi 
dent  and  Eastern  studio  represents 
tive  for  20th  Century-Fox,  will  ar 
rive  here  from  the  Coast  today  after 
several  weeks  of  production  confer 
ences  at  the  studio. 


Rafael  Marti,  Monogram-Allied 
distributor  in  Puerto  Rico  and  Santo 
Domingo,  and  Carlos  Plaza  Izquier 
do,  distributor  for  the  same  company 
in  Venezuela,  are  in  New  York  from 
their  respective  territories. 


Charles  Judge,  assistant  manager 
of  the  Trans-Lux  Theatre  at  Phila- 
delphia, will  become  manager  to 
morrow,  replacing  Tom  Speck,  who 
will  leave  to  take  a  post  with  the 
Kirkeby  Hotel  chain. 


Fred  Myers.,  Eastern  division  sales 
manager  for  Universal  International 
will  be  in  Washington  and  Philadel 
phia  this   week,   returning  to  New 
York  on  Friday. 


Miles  A.  Goldrick,  managing  di 
rector  for  Westrex  Corp.  in  England, 
has  returned  to  London  after  a  stay 
in  the  U.  S.  since  November. 


Julian    Lesser,    co-producer  of 
Windsor  Productions,  left  Hollywood 
yesterday   for   a   three   weeks'  tour 
which  will  take  him  to  New  York. 
• 

David  D.  Horne,  Film  Classics  for 
eign  sales  manager,  left  here  over  the 
weekend  for  two  months  in  Europe. 


Hold  'Pif  for  Oscars 

Postponement  of  the  New  York 
premiere  of  "Portrait  of  Jennie"  at 
the  Rivoli  Theatre  from  March  23 
to  March  30  was  decided  upon  to 
give  "Snake  Pit,"  current  Rivoli  ten- 
ant, the  benefit  of  publicity  which 
would  accrue  to  it  in  the  event  it 
wins  some  top  honors  in  the  Academy 
Awards  which  are  to  be  announced  on 
March  24.  "Pit"  is  among  the  leading 
contenders  for  Oscars. 


Burns  &  Allen  to  CBS 

Columbia  Broadcasting  has  signed 
George  Burns  and  Gracie  Allen  to  a 
long-term  contract  for  exclusive  radio 
and  television  services  beginning  next 
fall.  Comedy  team  is  now  on  National 
Broadcasting,  under  Maxwell  House 
sponsorship. 


New  Tarzan  Signs  For  7 

Lex  Barker,  new  star  of  Tarzan 
motion  pictures,  has  signed  with  Sol 
Lesser,  producer  of  the  series,  for 
seven  years  to  do  one  picture  a  year 
under  the  contract.  All  of  the  pictures 
will  be  released  through  RKO  Radio. 


Tradewise . . . 


By  SHERWIN  KANE 


p  ARAMOUNT  officials  make 
*■  no  secret  of  the  determina- 
tion with  which  they  fought  the 
Department  of  Justice's  insist- 
ence upon  the  consent  decree 
provision  for  the  appointment  of 
a  trustee  to  hold  and  vote  for 
several  years  the  common  stock 
of  the  new  independent  theatre 
company  which  will  emerge 
from  the  decree  and  reorgani- 
zation of  Paramount. 

They  viewed  it,  correctly 
enough,  as  an  unneeded  precau- 
tion which  would  annoy  and 
could  penalize  Paramount  stock- 
holders to  the  extent  that  their 
opposition  to  the  plan  of  reor- 
ganization would  be  stimulated 
and  market  values  of  Paramount 
stock  would  be  depressed. 

The  latter  has  happened.  The 
former  still  is  likely  but  dis- 
cernible stockholder  opposition 
to  the  plan,  while  it  unquestion- 
ably will  center  more  on  the 
theatre  stock  trusteeship  than 
on  any  other  single  provision  of 
the  decree  and  reorganization, 
does  not  at  this  time  appear  for- 
midable enough  to  threaten  re- 
jection of  the  plan  by  the  stock- 
holders at  the  meeting  set  for 
April  12. 

Without  it,  however,  some 
dissatisfaction  and  criticism 
which  it  seems  inevitably  will 
arise  at  the  stockholders'  meet- 
ing, could  not  be  generated. 

In  opposing  the  plan,  Para- 
mount officials  pointed  out  to 
the  Department  of  Justice  that 
no  trusteeship  had  been  ordered 
for  the  stock  of  the  new  RKO 
theatre  company  when  the  gov- 
ernment approved  the  RKO  con- 
sent decree. 

It  may  be  noted  here,  too,  that 
market  value  of  RKO  shares, 
unlike  that  of  Paramount's,  has 
not  since  been  depressed  nor  is 
there  any  indication  of  serious 
stockholder  opposition  to  the 
RKO  divorcement-reorganiza- 
tion plan,  perhaps  in  conse- 
quence. As  a  matter  of  fact,  it 
is  not  unlikely  that  much  stock- 
holder opposition  to  the  RKO 
plan  has  been  silenced  with  the 
appearance  in  Paramount's  plan 
of  the  theatre  stock  trusteeship 
provision. 

Paramount's  opposition  to  the 
provision  was  genuine  enough  to 
bring  about  a  termination  of 
consent  decree  negotiations  with 
the  government  over  the  single 
issue  of  the  stock  trusteeship 
and,  subsequently,  to  delay  con- 
summation of  the  negotiations 
for  weeks  after  the  principle  of 


a  trustee  had  been  accepted  but 
while  the  trustee's  powers,  par- 
ticularly over  stock  dividends, 
were  disputed. 

The  government  remained 
adamant.  It  was  determined  to 
hang  in  its  trophy  room  a  nice 
specimen  of  total  divorcement. 

Now  the  trophy  is  frightening 
other  prospective  big  game. 


Many  wonder  why  Paramount 
capitulated  on  the  point  it  felt 
itself  so  strongly  opposed  to. 

One  explanation  given  is  that 
Paramount  had  been  for  some 
time  past  completely  reconciled 
to  the  inevitability  of  divorce- 
ment. Continuing  the  litigation 
not  only  would  be  hazardous, 
costly  and  disconcerting,  even 
discounting  the  findings  and  still 
obscure  recommendations  of  the 
United  States  Supreme  Court, 
but  even  an  ultimate  victory  in 
the  courts  for  Paramount  on  the 
disputed  issue  of  divorcement 
could  turn  out  to  be  no  victory 
at  all,  or  at  best  a  victory  for 
the  moment  only. 

That  is  because  the  temper  of 
the  nation's  legislators,  as  well 
as  that  of  most  Federal  courts, 
is  weighted  against  integrated 
bigness  and  the  possession  of  po- 
tential power  to  monopolize. 

Who  can  say  that  an  ultimate 
Paramount  victory  in  the  courts 
would  not  be  nullified  by  new 
statutes  enacted  as  a  result  of 
such  a  victory? 

The  decision  to  accept  a  set- 
tlement promised  Paramount  the 
best  opportunity  to  protect  and 
preserve  for  its  stockholders  the 
finest  assets  of  both  its  picture 
and  theatre  operations.  Better, 
it  was  reasoned,  to  employ  the 
time  gained  by  prompt  settle- 
ment to  reorganization  and  es- 
tablishment of  the  sturdy  inde- 
pendent companies  than  to 
hazard  it  on  what  might  prove 
to  be  a  futile  victory,  and  there- 
after be  compelled  to  carry  out 
dissolution  under  unguessed  at 
conditions  and  restraints. 

There  can  be  no  other  conclu- 
sion but  that,  all  things  consid- 
ered, Paramount  stockholders 
have  been  well  and  ably  served. 


Apparently  Fox  -  Wisconsin 
bookers  weren't  listening  when 
Spyros  Skouras  made  his  re- 
peated urgings  for  exhibitor  co- 
operation in  getting  the  most 
from  product  values  by  every 
means. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


TgLL  ODOM's  globe  -  circling 
-LJ  flight  and  the  conviction  of  Axis 
Sally  are  current  newsreel  highlights. 
Other  items  include  Russia's  return  of 
a  lend-lease  cruiser  and  the  capture  of 
train  robbers.  Complete  contents  fol- 
lows : 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  21— Bill 
Odom  flight.  Axis  Sally  convicted.  B.  and 
O.  train  robbery.  President  Truman  re- 
ceives honorary  degree  at  Rollins  College 
Film  award  for  "The  Snake  Pit."  Carpet 
hats.  Joe  Louis  turns  in  gloves.  Baseball 
training.    Chariot  racing  revived. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  225— "Wild 
West  tram  bandits  captured.  Axis  Sally 
guilty  of  treason.  Degree  for  Princess 
Elizabeth.  Latest  dance  craze.  Romans  re- 
vive chariot  racing.  Joe  Louis'  million- 
dollar  story.    Baseball  training. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  5» — Bill 
Odum  flies  from  Hawaii  to  New  Jersey. 
Russia  returns  U.S.  lend-lease  cruiser. 
Danish  Minister  Rasmussen  here  for  pact 
talks.  Axis  Sally  guilty  of  treason.  Mod- 
ern version  of  Great  Train  Robbery.  Small- 
est engine!  smallest  car! 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  229— 
Bill  Odum  plane  sets  Hawaii-New  Jersey 
record.  News  in  brief:  Axis  Sally,  Russia 
returns  U.S.  cruiser,  carnival  in  Holland. 
Personalities  m  the  news:  Joe  Louis,  Clem- 
ent Attlee  in  Berlin,  President  Truman  at 
Rollins.    Rugged  hats.    Hare  and  hound. 

WARNER  PAT  HE  NEWS,  No.  60— 
Warner  Pathe  News  rides  the  air  lift.  Axis 
Sally  found  guilty  of  treason.  Train  rob- 
bers captured  in  gun  battle.  Bill  Odum  sets 
plane  record.  Rollins  College  honors  Presi- 
dent Truman.  Floods  threaten  Midwest. 
Brazilian  boat  visits  Golden  Gate,  San  Fran- 
c's!;0,- „  Russia  returns  lend-lease  cruiser. 
UiS  Tarawa  heads  for  "moth  balls." 


Additional  'Joan9 
Holdovers  in  Keys 

Sierra  Pictures'  "Joan  of  Arc," 
RKO  Radio  release,  is  now  in  its 
18th  week  at  the  Victoria  Theatre, 
New  York,  establishing  a  new  record 
for  run  and  intake  at  this  house,  ac- 
cording to  RKO.  It  is  in  its  12th 
week  at  the  Palace,  Los  Angeles,  and 
in  its  seventh  at  the  Apollo  there,  the 
latter  representing  a  moveover  after 
four  weeks  at  the  Beverly. 

It  holds  for  a  sixth  week  at  the 
Golden  Gate,  San  Francisco,  and  at 
Philadelphia's  Karlton,  it  is  in  its  12th 
week.  Other  reports  show  a  seventh 
week  at  Boston,  fourth  week  at  De- 
troit, St.  Louis  and  Minneapolis  and 
third  weeks  at  Omaha  and  Providence 
and  second  weeks  at  Cincinnati  and 
Denver. 


Goldwyn  Bid  High 
For  'Edge  of  Doom* 

Samuel  Goldwyn  won  out  in  produc- 
tion company  bidding  for  screen  rights 
to  "The  Edge  of  Doom,"  a  first  novel 
by  Leo  Brady,  Catholic  University, 
Washington,  speech  and  drama  in- 
structor. It  will  be  published  by  E. 
P.  Dutton  and  Co.  in  the  fall. 

Goldwyn,  who  paid  a  season's  rec- 
ord price  of  nearly  $160,000  for  the 
book,  considers  it  his  most  important 
story  buy  since  "Earth  and  High 
Heaven." 


Canadian  Film  Exports 

Ottawa,  March  13— Film  exports 
from  Canada  have  declined  from  $247,- 
000  in  January,  1948,  to  $167,000  in 
January,  1949,  according  to  a  govern- 
ment report  issued  here. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin   Kane,  Editor:  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.    Published  daily,  except  Saturdays. 


Editor ;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington! 
J-  A-  0"e.n:  N3'10™1  p.ress  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


UNITED  ARTISTS  NOW 

HAS  THE  BOXOFFICE 
SUCCESSOR  TO 
BODY  AND  SOUt:.. 

"CHAMPION 


presented  by  SCREEN  PLAYS  CORP. 


Contact  your 


United  Artists  exchange  NOW  for  an  immediate  screening  af  Boxoffice  'CHAMPION '! 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  14,  1949 


Says  Tax  Cut  Is 
'Vital'  to  Worker 

Washington,  March  13. — Rep. 
Kenneth  Keating,  New  York 
Republican,  who  last  week 
introduced  a  bill  to  end  the 
20  per  cent  admission  tax  on 
tickets  costing  less  than  $1 
and  to  cut  it  back  to  10  per 
cent  on  admissions  costing 
over  $1,  has  told  the  House 
that  his  bill  is  vital  to  meet 
"the  problem  of  the  reduced 
recreation  which  a  working- 
man  and  his  family  cannot 
now  enjoy  because  of  the  ex- 
pense involved."  Keating  said 
his  proposal  would  cost  about 
$350,000,000. 


UNITED 


Passengers  gen- 
erally get  quite 
a  kick  out  of  being  able  to 
leave  New  York  at  noon  on 
United's  DC-6  Mainliner  300, 
and  arrive  in  Los  Angeles  at 
8:45  p.m.  the  same  evening. 

But  they're  really  surprised 
to  learn  that  at  cruising  speed 
—  300  miles  an  hour— the 
DC-6's  engines  are  actually 
just  loafing! 


It's  true.  We 
cruise  at  much 
less  than  total  power,  leaving 
a  substantial  power  reserve 
for  flying  around,  or  over  the 
weather,  and  still  arrive  in 
Los  Angeles  on  time! 
See  you  aloft! 


Pilot  on 

UNITED  AIR  LINES 
DC-6  MAINLINER  300s 


Review 


"Champion" 

{Screen  Plays — United  Artists') 

HERE  is  a  rough,  tough,  no-punches-pulled  attraction  about  the  fight-ring, 
centering  around  a  character  who  has  little  to  recommend  him  beyond 
his  sheer  strength.  "Champion"  is  a  strong  attraction  for  those  who  want 
their  attractions  strong,  including  brutality  in  the  climactic  slugging  match 
which  some,  no  doubt,  will  feel  goes  beyond  dramatic  requirements.  For  a 
bead  on  what  this  show  perhaps  may  do,  theatremen  might  check  their  ex- 
perience with  the  highly  successful  "Body  and  Soul." 

"Champion"  is  based  on  a  Ring  Lardner  story  of  the  same  title.  It  tells  the 
history  of  Kirk  Douglas,  from  low  down  on  the  economic  ladder,  and  how 
he  punches  his  callous  and  unrestrained  way  through  pugilistic  opponents,  the 
"fight  racket,"  and  the  lives  of  four  women  in  his  scramble  to  the  top  of  the 
heap.  He  makes  his  grade  beyond  any  doubts. 

On  the  way,  he  leads  on  and  marries  Ruth  Roman  and  abandons  her,  suc- 
cessfully makes  up  to  the  expensive  Marilyn  Maxwell  and  walks  out  on  her, 
emotionally  upsets  Lola  Albright  and  takes  a  powder  there,  and  practically 
breaks  his  mother's  heart.  In  his  line  of  travels,  Douglas  shatters  whatever 
idealism  his  crippled  brother,  Arthur  Kennedy,  had  for  him  and  walks  out 
on  Paul  Stewart  who  made  him.  Maintaining  his  championship  title  in 
return  bout  with  John  Day,  Douglas  reaches  the  end  of  his  tether  with 
brain  hemorrhage  which  results  in  death. 

This  highly-briefed  story  outline  should  be  sufficient  to  convey  that  "Cham 
pion"  is  not  a  pretty  picture.  Whatever  sympathy  may  have  gone  to  Douglas 
at  the  outset  is  dissipated  as  the  film  unfolds,  so  that  there  is  little  or  no 
audience  pull  for  him.  So  ruthlessly  does  he  batter  his  way  toward  his  objec 
tives  that  audiences  in  every  probability  will  feel  he  has  earned  his  just  des 
serts. 

There  is,  however,  considerable  dramatic  power  in  the  telling,  Douglas 
gives  a  forceful  performance  which  will  draw  added  attention  to  his  stature 
as  a  rising  actor  in  Hollywood.  Accompanying  performances  likewise  are 
sound  and  believable.  The  melodramatic  opportunities  of  the  script,  moreover 
are  met  in  realistic  direction  for  which  Mark  Robson  is  to  be  credited.  Pro 
duction  atmosphere,  aided  by  arresting  low-key  photography  in  black-and 
white,  by  Frank  Planer,  proves  an  important  asset.  The  aroma  of  the  ring 
undeniably  has  been  caught  with  sharpness  and  authority. 

Stanley  Kramer  produced,  with  Robert  Stillman  as  associate.  Carl  Fore- 
man wrote  the  incisive  screenplay. 

Running  time,  99  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date 
May  20,  1949.  Red  Kann 


Critic  Lauds  Films 
Of  Spiritual  Worth 

Union  City,  N.  J.,  March  13- 
Countering  argument's  for  less  screen 
emphasis  on  religious  themes,  Jerry 
Cotter,  stage  and  film  critic  of  The 
Sign,  national  Catholic  magazine 
published  here,  contends  that  "there 
can  be  no  greater  assignment  for  the 
motion  picture  than  the  appeasement 
of  mankind's  current  hunger  for  hope 
and  faith." 

Cotter  cites  "Joan  of  Arc"  as  a 
"great  picture"  and  "Monsieur 
Vincent"  as  an  example  of  "how 
beautifully  inspiring  the  screen  can 
be."  He  deplores  the  "sad  fact"  that 
Catholic  groups  and  individuals  "do 
not  support  the  movies  and  plays  they' 
should,"  adding  that,  despite  that, 
"Joan"  is  a  "heartening  success." 

"It  is  all  well  and  good  to  come 
against  trashy  comedies  and  the  gross 
materialism  of  many  movies,"  he  says, 
"but  unless  we  are  equally  alert  and 
enthusiastic  about  supporting  the 
worthwhile  releases,  we  are  wasting 
our  time." 


9th  WB  Stockholder  Suit 

Marking  the  ninth  such  action  to  be 
taken  since  last  Sept.  20  against  War- 
ner executives,  Warner  minority  stock- 
holder Lawrence  B.  Dattenheim  filed 
at  the  weekend  in  U.  S.  District  Court 
here  a  suit  against  United  States  Pic- 
tures, Warner  Brothers,  Joseph  Bern- 
hard,  Robert  W.  Perkins,  Milton 
Sperling,  Harry  M.  Warner,  Jack  L. 
Warner,  Morris  Wolf,  John  E.  Bier- 
worth,  Samuel  Carlisle,  Albert  War- 
ner and  Samuel  Schneider,  alleging 
conspiracy  in  behalf  of  United  to  the 
detriment  of  Warners.  Suit  asks  for 
an  accounting  on  a  production-distri- 
bution deal  made  in  1945  between  the 
two  companies. 


Oklahoma  Unit  to 
Meet  Today  on  Tax 

Oklahoma  City,  March  13.— With 
public  hearings  on  a  bill  providing 
for  a  state  sales  tax  on  all  theatre 
admissions  scheduled  for  Tuesday,  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  Oklahoma  will 
hold  a  special  meeting  here  tomorrow 
at  the  Skirvin  Hotel  to  map  plans  to 
combat  the  measure,  according  to  C. 
B.  Akers,  chairman  of  the  TOO  legis 
lative  committee. 

The  bill  calls  for  a  one-cent  tax  on 
10-cent  admissions  and  ranges  upward 
to  five  cents  on  all  tickets  selling  at 
more  than  40  cents. 


Lincer  Dies  in  Fla., 
With  Fox  30  Years 

Isadore  Lincer,  65,  transportation 
manager  for  20th  Century-Fox,  died 
Thursday  in  St.  Petersburg,  Fla.,  it 
was  learned  here  at  the  weekend.  He 
had  been  with  the  company  for  nearly 
30  years. 

Lincer  joined  Fox  Flms  in  1920.  He 
is  survived  by  the  widow  Annie,  and 
two  sons,  Gerard  and  Arthur. 


Roger  Ferri's  Father 

Providence,  March  13.— A  Requiem 
Mass  was  sung  on  Saturday  at  Our 
Lady  of  Mount  Carmel  Church  for 
Luigi  W.  Ferri,  89,  who  died  Wednes- 
day at  his  home  here.  Honorary  pall 
bearers  will  include  Gov.  John  Pas- 
tore,  Mayor  Roberts,  the  Italian  Con- 
sul General  and  other  dignitaries.  He 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Roma 
Society,  oldest  Italian-American  or- 
ganization in  the  U.S.  Among  sur- 
vivors is  Roger  Ferri,  editor  of  the 
20th-Fox  sales  department  publication, 
Dynamo,  in  the  New  York  office. 


No  Fear  If  Pictures 
Are  Good,  Says  Wood 

Discounting  the  pronouncements  of 
gloomy  prophets,  Sam  Wood  asserted 
here  at  the  weekend  that  "the  only 
thing  Hollywood  should  fear  is  not 
making  good  pictures."  The  producer- 
director  is  here  from  the  Coast  on  a 
periodic  visit  for  "conferences,  some 
Broadway  plays,  and  to  search  for 
material." 

"If  we  make  the  type  of  picture 
which  the  public  wants  it  will  come  in 
droves  and  if  we  make  the  kind  it 
does  not  want  it  will  stay  away  in 
droves,"  Wood  added.  "Give  the  pub- 
lic good,  healthy  entertainment,  with- 
out political  messages  or  sex  ques- 
tions and  make  the  films  real  so  that 
audiences  can  live  them,"  Wood  con- 
tinued. He  pointed  out  that  this  need 
in  no  way  restricts  the  type  of  picture 
whether  it  be  a  costume  drama,  a 
period  piece,  a  contemporary  drama 
or  comedy. 

Wood  believes  that  television  will 
be  a  boon  to  Hollywood,  making  upon 
it  the  greatest  demand  for  good  pic- 
tures. Turning  to  present-day  condi- 
tions in  Hollywood,  he  saw  little  basic 
change,  but  asserted  that  people  now 
are  more  conscious  of  the  necessity  of 
avoiding  waste.  He  also  asserted  that 
Communist  elements  which  had  in- 
sinuated themselves  into  the  picture 
business  "now  have  largely  been  elim- 
inated." In  this  connection,  Wood 
commended  the  efforts  of  Roy  Brewer, 
IATSE  international  representative 
in  Hollywood,  "who  has  slugged  it 
out  with  the  Communists  and  has 
them  licked." 

Wood  recently  completed  "The 
Monty  Stratton  Story"  for  M-G-M. 
His  plans  call  for  three  more  for 
M-G-M  in  the  next  two  years,  with 
one  in  between  for  Columbia.  He  will 
return  to  the  Coast  early  in  April. 


H.  E.  Edington,  59, 
Producer  and  Agent 

Hollywood,  March  13. — Funeral 
services  for  Harry  E.  Edington,  59, 
veteran  producer,  studio  executive  and 
talent  agent,  were  held  here  yester- 
day at  Forest  Lawn.  Edington,  former 
executive  producer  at  RKO  Radio 
during  1941-42  and  independent  pro- 
ducer for  Universal,  died  at  his  Bev- 
erly Hills  home  Thursday  following  a 
heart  attack. 

A  member  of  the  board  of  Walt 
Disney  Productions,  Edington  in  recent 
years  had  been  acting  as  a  talent 
agent,  the  phase  of  the  film  business 
which  he  first  entered.  Among  his 
early  clients  were  Greta  Garbo,  John 
Gilbert,  Marlene  Dietrich  and  Clau- 
dette  Colbert.  The  widow,  two 
brothers  and  a  sister  survive. 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
MOTIfJN  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


Tarere.s  Trust 


Ban 

Compan 


NEW  YORK 


MEMBER    FEDERAL   DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPOR-ATION 


\f  Monday,  March  14,  1949 

5th-Walnut  Appeal 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


entered  last   June  his   judgment  in 
favor  of  the  distributor-defendants  in 
F  and  W's  $2,100,000  triple-damage 
anti-trust  suit:  (1)  by  refusing  to  ad- 
mit as  evidence  certain  findings-of-fact 
and  industry  anti-trust  suit  opinions 
submitted  by  plaintiff,   and    (2)  by 
not  having  charged  the  jury  in  con- 
nection  with   a   first-run  move-over 
deal  referred  to  in  the  plaintiff  s  al- 
legations.  Judgment  followed  a  jury 
,  verdict  in  favor  of  the  distributors 
Plaintiff's  appeal  brief  cited  as  de- 
fendants the  "Big  Five"  distributors, 
United  Artists,  Columbia,  and  certain 
subsidiary    companies.     During  the 
U    S   District  Court  trial  here,  _  Re- 
public and  Universal  were  dismissed 
as  defendants. 

Tighter  Trust  Laws 

( Continued  from  page  1) 

the  anti-trust  laws,  to  discuss  the  need 
for  such  an  investigation  and  just  how 
it  should  be  handled.  Then,  according 
to  the  plan,  a  special  sub-commtitee 
will  be  named  to  carry  on  the  investi- 
gation, ,    .        .  .. 

Celler  declares  that  the  investigation 
will  not  interfere  with  early  action  on 
an  Administration-backed  bill  to  pro- 
hibit firms  from  acquiring  the  physical 
assets  of  other  companies  where  the 
effect  is  to  lessen  competition  substan- 
tially At  present,  only  the  acquisition 
of  stock  is  barred.  This  proposal  is 
before  a  Judiciary  sub-committee,  and 
hearings  are  planned  as  soon  as  the 
sub-committee  concludes  hearings  now 
under  way  on  another  measure. 

NLRB  Coast  Issue 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Review 


Ascap  Decree 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


"Saraband 

(Rank— Eagle-Lion)  Arthur  Rank's  "Saraband"  sports  some 

A  S  an  historical  British  drama,  J  A™™[  Stings   which  provide 

A  highly  impressive  Technicolor  ^^Tt^LTS^Z  it,  however, 
a  visual  delight.  As  a  story  of  ^^^^.^^T^rt  t  is  leisurely 
only  occasionally  flares  into  exciting  drama,    %st  is  a  reliable  one,  headed 
aced,  with  many  conve'satW  R  and 

k£?S£^W&^^  weigh  in  its  favor,  making  it 
SSS  tha°n  Satisfactory  product  for  dis cnnnnati ng  Mackendrick, 
The  screenplay,  fashioned  by  John  D  ghton  ana  *  u  ics  and 

revolves  around  Miss  Greenwood,  a  girl  forced I  for  ^  *  The 
ambition  into  a  loveless  marriage _  with  a ^ecayed i  and l  ag  |  P  ^ 
years  bring  neglect  and  humiliation  to  Mu«^je *™oo  ^  ^ 

meets  Granger,  a  dashing  ^^f^ f°GrangeT  finally  meeting  death. 

5X^^^^^  ^  ^  a  series  of  clashes' 

^WSS  tfSSS^  date,  not 


licensing  of  theatres,  collecting  sepa- 
rately for  recording  and  performing 
rights.  Judge  Leibell  directed  Ascap 
to  license  performing  rights  to  motion 
picture  producers  concurrently  with 
the  licensing  of  recording  rights  with 
the  fee  for  the  former  to  be  added  to 
production  costs  and  recouped  through 
licensing  of  the  motion  pictures  which 
make  use  of  the  music.  _ 

The  consent  decree  negotiations 
with  the  Department  of  Justice  are 
being  conducted  for  Ascap  by  its  spe- 
cial counsel,  Robert  P.  Patterson, 
former  Secretary  of  War.  The  talks 
have  been  progressing  for  some  time 
and  admittedly  "are  going  along  very 
well."  A  conclusive  stage  could  be 
reached  within  a  few  weeks  but  un- 
foreseen complications  could  delay  it 
for  a  matter  of  months  or  even  pre- 
vent an  agreement,  it  was  said. 


Running  time,  95 


Mandel  Herbstman 


set. 


Atlas  Sold  Warrants 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


in  the  Hollywood  labor  picture.  It 
was  that  dispute  which  directly 
touched  off  the  March,  1945  strikes 

The  board's  decision  is  a  victory  for 
IATSE,  which  requested  the  election. 
The  Painters'  Union  has  pending  be- 
fore the  board  charges  of  unfair  labor 
practices  against  studio  employers,  and 
had  asked  the  Board  to  put  off  any 
election  until  the  unfair  labor  charges 
were  ruled  on.  The  board's  action  was 
approved  by  four  of  its  five  members 
—chairman    He'rzog   did   not  parti- 

C1^rhe  board's  opinion  admitted  ^that 
it  did  not  "as  a  general  practice"  di- 
rect an  election  while  unfair  labor 
practice  charges  were  pending,  but 
said  that  this  was  a  discretionary  mat- 
ter with  the  Board  and  was  not  re- 
quired by  law.  It  pointed  out  that 
two  other  unfair  labor  practice  charges 
by  the  Painters  Union  had  been  dis- 
missed by  the  regional  director,  and 
that  when  one  of  these  was  appealed 
to  the  NLRB  general  counsel,  the 
latter  upheld  the  regional  director. 

SAG,  Nets  Confer  Today 

Hollywood,  March  13.— First  step 
toward  obtaining  organizing  jurisdic- 
tion over  actors  appearing  m  films 
made  for  television  will  be  taken 
Monday  when  a  committee  represent- 
ing the  Screen  Actors  Guild  will  meet 
with  Pacific  Coast  heads  of  four  na- 
tional radio  networks  for  exploratory 
talks. 


bv  Harry  M.  Warner,  who  gave  away 
4  200  shares  of  Warner  common,  leav- 
ing him  with  278,350.  He  also  holds 
16  000  shares  in  a  trust.  Albert  War- 
ner bought  200  shares  of  common 
bringing  his  holdings  to  444,500.  He 
holds  21,000  in  a  trust. 

Columbia  president  Harry  Cohn 
gave  away  1,400  shares  of  eommon 
leaving  his  holdings  at  141,327.  He 
also  bought  200  shares  of  preferred, 
making  a  total  of  200  shares.  Jack 
Cohn  gave  away  1,100  shares  of  com- 
mon to  the  Artists'  Foundation  and 
later  bought  500  shares,  leaving  his 
holdings  at  48,568.  He  also  owns 
18,957  shares  in  trusts,  having  sold 
1,200  shares.  .  ^ 

At  Republic,  Frederick  R.  Ryan 
bought  500  shares  of  common  and  200 
shares  of  preferred,  his  total  holdings. 
Walter  L.  Titus,  Jr.,  was  given  350 
shares  of  common,  giving  him  a  total 
of  1,340  common  shares.  His  wife  is 
listed  as  holding  260  shares  of  com- 
mon and  as  also  holding  106,635  shares 
of    common    through    Tonrud,  Inc. 


Titus  also  bought  100  shares  of  pre- 
ferred, his  entire  holdings,  but  holds 
12  200  shares  of  preferred  through 
Tonrud.  Albert  W.  Lind  bought  500 
preferred  shares,  his  entire  holdings 
'  Loew's,  Inc.,  bought  305  shares  of 
Loew's  Boston  Theatres  common,  giv- 
ing a  total  of  124,026  shares. 

S.  Charles  Einfeld  is  listed  as  hold- 
ing no  20th  Century-Fox  stock  when 
he  became  an  officer  of  the  firm  on 
Dec.  31. 


3  SRO  Promotions 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Omaha  and  St.  Louis.  Harry  Mandell, 
former  SRO  sales  representative  in 
Chicago,  will  supervise  the  district 
comprised  of  Chicago,  Indianapolis, 
Minneapolis  and  Milwaukee.  Leonard 
Mishkind,  Cleveland  branch  manager, 
has  been  promoted  to  district  man- 
ager with  supervision  over  Cincinnati, 
Cleveland  and  Detroit. 


Youngstein  Renamed 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Special  "Scott"  Showing 

A  special  showing  of  J.  Arthur 
Rank's  Technicolor  production,  "Scott 
of  the  Antarctic,"  starring  John 
Mills,  will  be  presented  at  the  Museum 
of  Modern  Art  here  on  March  22. 


slate  include  Harry  Mc Williams,  Co- 
lumbia, vice-president;  Harry  Blair, 
RKO  Radio,  treasurer;  Mar  j  one 
Harker,  March  of  Time,  secretary, 
and  Lige  Brien,  Eagle-Lion,  public 
relations  director. 

The  committee  also  proposed 
Charles  Alicoate,  Vincent  Trotta,  Syd 
Gross,  Gordon  White  and  Blanche 
Livingston  as  members  of  the  board 
of  directors,  along  with  the  officers. 
Selected  as  trustees  were  Jacques 
Kopfstein,  Rutgers  Neilson  and  Ray 
Gallagher. 


Monkey  Business! 

Hollywood,  March  13— Says 
Monogram:  "Special  preview 
of  Monogram's  recently  com- 
pleted 'Bomba,  the  Jungle 
Boy'  was  held  for  20  monkeys 
yesterday  in  the  studio  pro- 
jection room,  with  peanuts, 
popcorn  and  other  delicacies 
supplied  free  for  the  simi- 
ans." 


"Picture  of  the  week" 


JIMMIE  FIDLER 


Sunday  Shows  Gain 

Atlanta,  March  13.— With  Sunday 
screenings  declared  legal  in  Cairo  and 
Rome,  Ga.,  by  votes  of  the  city  coun- 
cils, referenda  on  the  question  are 
scheduled  for  two  Alabama  towns, 
Boaz  and  Sylcauga. 


"Entertainment  for  all  ages. 

C  ft  k.  I     C  D  A 


SAN  FRANCISCO  CAll-BUUETIN 


IN  1948  .  .  . 


.  ...  IT  WAS! 


IN  1949  .  .  . 


"RED  STALLION 


RED  STALLION 
in  the  ROCKIES 


BIGGER . . . BETTER.. . BOX  OFFICE! 


RED  STALLION 
in  the  ROCKIES 


in  GLORIOUS  CINECOLOR! 


ARTHUR  FRANZ  •  JEAN  HEATHER  •  JIM  DAVIS  •  RAY  COLLINS 
WALLACE  FORD  •  LEATRICE  JOY-  JAMES  KIRKWOOD 
eon  RED  STALLION  as"DYNAMITE" 
by  AUDREY  SCHENCK  ■  Med  by  RALPH  MURPHY 

Written  by  TOM  SEED  -  Suggested  by  a  Story  by  FRANCIS  MSBIMUD 

An  Eagle  Lion  Films  Production 


L 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  51 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  MARCH  15,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


IL  S.  Will  Use 
Para.  Case  as 
An  'Example' 

To  Cite  Settlement  in 
Move  Against  Other  3 

Washington,  March  14. — The 
Paramount  consent  decree  will 
probably  be  used  by  the  Govern- 
ment as  a  weapon  against  the  re- 
maining three  distributor  -  circuit 
Paramount  case  defendants — 20th-Fox, 
Warner  and  Loew-M-G-M — when  the 
government  files  its  final  brief  in  the 
case  at  the  end  of  this  month. 

"The  Paramount  decree  indicates 
that  the  largest  firm  in  the  business 
believes  divorcement  can  work,"  one 
top  Justice  Department  official  said. 
"We  will  probably  call  that  to  the 
Federal  Court's  attention  as  an  argu- 
ment against  the  arguments  of  the  re- 
maining defendants." 

This  official  said  that  he  believes 
both  the  RKO  and  Paramount  decrees 
strengthen  the  government's  hand 
against  the  remaining  defendants,  "as 
showing  that  a  solution  could  be 
worked  out  of  court  if  the  defendants 
are  willing  to  give  up  some  of  their 
'ill-gotten  gains'." 


Minneapolis  Fight 
On  Clearance  Looms 


Minneapolis,  March  14. — A  bitter 
fight  over  clearance  in  Minneapolis 
threatened  this  week  as  the  indepen- 
dent suburban  Edina,  and  the  neigh- 
borhood Avalon  demanded  earlier  runs 
from  all  film  companies. 

The  Edina,  operated  by  Friedman 
Brothers,  in  a  veiled  threat  to  ex- 
changes, demanded  pictures  on  the  28- 
day  break  along  with  Minnesota 
Amusement,  ace  neighborhood  stand, 
the  Uptown,  and  the  independent  su- 
burban Richfield  and  neighborhood 
Boulevard,    Riverview,    Varsity  and 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Operators  In  Two 
Cities  Get  5%  Raise 


Projectionists  of  Minneapolis  and 
Memphis  have  received  five  per  cent 
wage  increases. 

In  Memphis,  the  operators  union 
has  completed  negotiations  with  both 
suburban  and  downtown  theatres,  E. 
O.  Cullen,  business  agent,  said,  with 
a  five  per  cent  increase  retroactive  to 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


New  Shows  Boost  NY 
lst-Run  Business; 
State  Hits  $57,000 


Several  new  shows  at  New  York 
first-runs  this  week  resulted  in  sub- 
stantially improved  business  over  last 
week's.  Thursday  generally  was  dull, 
but  the  overall  weekend  revenue  was 
at  a  healthy  level.  There  are  about 
the  usual  number  of  weaker  box-office 
performers. 

"Take  Me  Out  to  the  Ball  Game" 
is  a  standout  attraction  at  the  State, 
where  the  first  week's  take  of  $57,00;j 
is  very  big.  "Little  Women,"  with 
a  stage  presentation,  at  the  Music 
Hall,  is  doing  well,  with  $128,000  an- 
ticipated for  the  initial  week.  "Moth- 
er Was  a  Freshman,"  with  Cab  Cal- 
loway's orchestra  and  Phil  Baker  and 
others  on  stage,  probably  will  give  the 
Roxy  a  good  first  week's  gross  of 
$80,000. 

"Alias  Nick  Beal,"  with  the  King 
Cole  Trio  and  Elliot  Lawrence's  or- 
chestra on  stage,  at  the  Paramount, 
probably  will  wind  up  a  first  week 
with  $70,000,  which  is  healthy  busi- 
ness. "Criss  Cross"  is  fairly  strong 
with  $25,000  apparent  for  a  first  week 
at  the  Criterion.  "Red  Pony"  com- 
pleted a  first  week  at  the  Mayfair  with 
a  below  par  gross  of  $15,500. 

"Three  Godfathers,"  with  Sammy 
Kaye's  orchestra  and  Harvey  Stone  in 
person,  is  headed  for  an  adequate 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Mo.  Owners  To  Fight 
"Informer"  Clause 

St.  Louis,  March  14.  —  Missouri 
theatre  owners  will  assemble  in  Jef- 
ferson City  on  March  21  for  public 
hearings  on  the  proposed  state  legis- 
lation to  modernize  the  theatre  safety 
code.  The  exhibitors  are  also  seek- 
ing repeal  of  an  old  "public  informer" 
clause  which  is  appended  to  state 
safety  statute.  Lawyer  "informers" 
recently  sued  seven  theatres  for  mil- 
lions of  dollars  under  this  clause  for 
alleged  aisle  violations. 


U.  A.  Sale  May 
Be  Called  Off 


Hollywood,  March  14. — Probability 
that  there  will  be  no  sale  of  the  Mary 
Pickford-Charles  Chaplin  ownership 
of  United  Artists  during  the  next  30 
to  40  days  while  Chaplin  holds  an 
option  on  Miss  Pickford's  half  inter- 
est was  expressed  here  today  by  com- 
pany officials,  who  point  to  improve- 
ments in  U.A.  prospects  since  the  two 
owners  agreed  in  January  to  exchange 
options. 

Miss  Pickford  was  unable  to  con- 
clude a  deal  for  the  sale  of  Chaplin's 
half  interest  in  the  40-day  period 
which  ended  last  Saturday,  during 
which  she  held  the  option.  It  had  been 
expected  that  a  sale  might  be  con- 
summated with  the  transfer  of  the 
option  to  Chaplin,  starting  today,  as 
it  was  understood  that  Chaplin  was 
prepared  to  sell  his  own  as  well  as 
Miss  Pickford's  interest,  whereas  the 
latter  reportedly  wished  to  retain  a 
partnership  in  United  Artists  in  the 
event  she  succeeded  in  finding  a  buyer 
for  Chaplin's  shares. 

Company  officials  point  ou  that 
U.A.'s  prospects  are  brighter  now 
with  new  product  lined  up  and  more 
in  view,  and  with  healthy  grosses  con- 
tinuing for  "Red  River"  and  com- 
parable business  expected  for  "Cham- 
pion," with  a  consequent  lessening  of 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


A.  J.  Richard  Heads 
Reels'  Bond  Drive 

A.  J.  Richard,  editor  of  Paramount 
Newsreel,  has  accepted  the  chairman- 
ship of  the  newsreel  committee  for  the 
industry's  participation  in  the  Treas- 
ury Department's  savings  bond  drive, 
it  was  announced  here  yesterday  by 
Maurice  A.  Bergman,  chairman  of  the 
industry's  drive. 

Richard  will  coordinate  savings 
bond  activities  of  all  newsreel  bond- 
selling  into  the  industry's  promotion. 


D.  o  f  J.  Expects  'Flurry 
Of  Schine  Decree  Talks 


Washington,  March  14. — Justice 
Department  officials  here  expect  a 
flurry  of  consent  decree  talks  with 
Schine  attorneys  this  week,  in  an  at- 
tempt to  reach  an  "agreement  in  prin- 
ciple" before  the  next  round  of  pro- 
ceedings in  the  case  in  Buffalo  District 
Court  on  Friday. 

On  that  day,  both  sides  are  slated 
to  argue  before  Judge  Knight  in  Buf- 
falo whether  Schine  should  be  allowed 
to  introduce  further  evidence  in  the 


case.  One  top  Justice  Department  of- 
ficial said  he  did  not  think  the  gov- 
ernment would  agree  to  postpone  this 
unless  "we  have  at  least  come  to  terms 
on  the  broad  outline  of  a  decree." 

This  official  said  that  "this  week 
may  tell."  Schine  attorneys  met  with 
Assistant  Attorney  General  Herbert 
Bergson  today  for  more  than  an  hour, 
their  fourth  meeting  in  recent  weeks. 
They  also  conferred  with  him  Friday 
for  some  time. 


Seek  to  Limit 
Para.  Ruling 
Application 

5th~Walnut  Suit  Appeal 
Brings  Issue  to  Fore 

Though  distributor  defendants  in 
the  Paramount  case  were  found  to 
have  violated  the  anti-trust  laws  it 
does  not  follow  that  they  violated 
the  law  in  "every  town  and  city,"  it 
was  contended  yesterday  by  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox attorney  John  Caskey  as 
he  moved  before  the  three-judge  U. 
S.  Circuit  Court  of  Appeals  here  that 
Federal  Judge  Vincent  L.  Leibell's 
dismissal  of  the  Fifth  &  Walnut 
Amusement  Co.  anti-trust  action  be 
sustained. 

Monroe  E.  Stein  of  New  York,  at- 
torney for  the  Louisville  plaintiff, 
argued  in  his  appeal  of  Judge  Lei- 
bell's decision  in  favor  of  the  dis- 
tributor-defendants that  the  jurist 
should  have  told  the  jury  during  his 
charge  that  the  film  companies  in  the 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


WalterMirischHeads 
Mono-AA  TV  Unit 


Formation  of  an  independent  unit 
for  the  production  and  distribution  of 
films  for  television  was  announced 
here  today  by  Steve  Broidy,  Mono- 
gram and  Allied  Artists  president. 

•Walter  Mirisch,  Mono-AA  produc- 
er, has  been  named  general  manager 
of  the  new  firm,  to  be  known  as  the 
Interstate  Television  Corporation, 
and  production  will  get  underway  at 
Monogram   studios   in  Hollywood. 

The  decision  to  enter  the  television 
field  was  reached  at  the  board  of 
directors'  annual  meeting  held  Sat- 
urday at  Chicago  in  the  Hotel  Drake, 
but  public  announcement  of  the  plan 
was  withheld  until  Broidy  reached 
New  York.  The  new  corporation 
will  be  wholly  independent  of  Mono- 
gram and  Allied  Artists,  Broidy  said. 


Western  Wisconsin 
Exhibitors  Organize 

Minneapolis,  March  14. — Western 
Wisconsin  Independent  Theatres  As- 
sociation has  been  formed  at  White- 
hall, Wis.,  by  five  small-town  inde- 
pendent exhibitors,  organized  to  ''try 
through  combined  efforts  to  secure 
better  pictures"  for  their  theatres. 

Organizers  are :  Colonel  Larson  of 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  15,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


EK.  O'SHEA,  Paramount  assist 
»   ant  general  sales  manager,  is 
back  in  New  York  from  Buffalo. 
• 

Sidney  A.  Wolff,  New  York  at 
torney,  who  has  served  as  arbitrator 
in  wage  and  industrial  matters  affect- 
ing several  motion  picture  companies, 
has  been  appointed  chief  counsel,  trus- 
tee and  assistant  treasurer  of  the  Na- 
tional Jewish  Hospital  at  Denver. 
• 

David  A.  Lipton,  national  adver- 
tising-publicity director  for  Univer 
sal  International,  and  Al  Horwits, 
publicity  director  at  the  studio  arrived 
in  Hollywood  yesterday  from  New 
York. 

• 

Gus  S.  Eyssell,  president  of 
Rockefeller  Center,  Inc.,  returned  to 
his  desk  yesterday  after  recuperating 
from  an  operation  at  Lenox  Hill  Hos- 
pital here. 

• 

Jimmy  Bello,  Astor  Pictures'  At- 
lanta special  representative,  has  re- 
turned to  his  office  after  a  stay  in  a 
hospital. 

• 

Alan  F.  Cummings,  in  charge  of 
exchange  operations  for  M-G-M,  re- 
turned to  New  York  yesterday  from 
a  tour  of  exchanges. 

• 

Harry  Blair,  RKO  trade  press 
contact,  has  returned  to  the  home  of- 
fice here  after  recovering  from  an 
appendectomy. 

• 

Joseph  Hazen,  president  of  Wallis- 
Hazen  Productions,  is  scheduled  to 
return  to  New  York  today  from 
Florida. 

• 

Ted  Vane-it,  advertising-publicity 
manager  for  William  Golden  Theatres 
in  Philadelphia,  and  Mrs.  Vanett  are 
vacationing  at  Atlantic  City. 

• 

Roy  Hall,  head  booker  for  Screen 
Guild  of  Georgia,  has  resigned  because 
of  ill  health  and  will  move  from  At- 
lanta to  South  Carolina. 

• 

L.  J.  McGinley,  sales  manager  of 
the  Prestige  Pictures  unit  of  Univer- 
sal, will  visit  St.  Louis,  Indianapolis 
and  Cincinnati  this  week. 

• 

Harry  H.  Unterfort,  Schine  cir- 
cuit New  York  zone  manager,  is  in 
Palm  Beach  from  Syracuse. 

• 

Ralph  Wilson  of  Toronto  has 
been  appointed  manager  of  the  Lake- 
wood  Theatre,  Detroit. 

Ezra  Stern,  Coast  attorney,  ar- 
rived here  yesterday  from  Los  An- 
geles. 


Tolans  Are  Killed 

Salt  Lake  City,  March  14. — A.  C. 
Toland  and  his  son,  Dorian,  operators 
of  the  Tremonton,  Utah,  theatre,  were 
killed  in  a  crash  of  their  private  plane 
yesterday  near  Lewiston,  Idaho.  The 
couple  were  the  only  occupants  of  the 
plane,  which  was  lost  in  a  storm  en 
route  to  Montana. 


Carver  Medal  Goes 
To  Darryl  Zanuck 

Hollywood,  March  14. — Darryl  F. 
Zanuck,  production  head  of  20th 
Century-Fox,  has  been  named  the 
recipient  of  the  1948  Gold  Medal  of 
the  George 
Washington 
Carver  Me- 
morial Insti- 
tute and  will 
be  honored  by 
the  awards 
committee  of 
the  organiza- 
tion today.  Dr. 
C  1  a  r  e  n  ce  A. 
Dykstra,  pro- 
vost of  the 
University  of 
Southern  Cali- 
f  o  r  n  i  a,  will 
make  the  pres- 
entation. 

The  award, 
memory  of  the  scientist,  is  based 
on  outstanding  contributions  to  the 
betterment  of  racial  relations  and 
human  understanding.  Zanuck  is 
the  first  Hollywood  producer  to 
receive  the  honor. 

The  institute  was  founded  for 
the  furtherance  of  tolerance  and 
humanitarianism  among  all  races 
and  for  the  educational  advance- 
ment regardless  of  race  to  which 
Dr.  Carver  devoted  his  life  and 
scientific  endeavors. 


Darryl  JF.  Zanuck 

which    honors  the 


AFL  Film  Council 
Returns  to  MPIC 

Hollywood,  March  14. — The  Hol- 
lywood AFL  Film  Council,  compris- 
ing unions  and  guilds  with  20,000 
members,  today  rescinded  its  recent 
withdrawal  from  the  Motion  Picture 
Industry  Council,  but  issued  at  the 
same  time,  a  forthright  denunciation 
of  the  latter's  present  chairman,  C.  B. 
DeMille,  whose  selection  as  chairman 
caused  the  original  withdrawal.  To- 
day's action  by  the  AFL  Council  fol- 
lows the  selection  of  Ronald  Reagan, 
Screen  Actors  Guild  president,  as 
co-chairman  at  an  intervening  meeting 
which  also  set  up  a  secret  ballot  proc- 
ess for  electing  officers. 

The  AFL  Film  Council's  statement 
said  that  today's  action  "should  not 
be  construed  as  voicing  confidence  in 
the  present  chairman,"  but  that  it 
"hopes  the  MPIC  will  be  able  to  carry 
out  a  constructive  public  relations  pro- 
gram for  the  entire  industry." 


Lux  Sets  First  Release 

"Professor,  My  Son,"  made  in 
Italy,  is  the  first  feature  release  in  the 
U.S.  of  the  newly-formed  Lux  Film 
Distributing  Corp.,  New  York,  which 
will  have  simultaneous  premieres  in 
each  of  New  York's  five  boroughs, 
early  next  month. 


Circuit  Plans  New  House 

Cleveland,  March  14. — Architec- 
tural plans  for  a  new  1,600-seat  thea- 
tre to  be  built  at  Cuyahoga  Falls  have 
been  completed,  M.  B.  H6rwitz,  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  Washington  cir- 
cuit, announces. 


I.  W.  Schlesinger 
Of  S.  Africa  Dies 


Isadore  William  Schlesinger,  78,  a 
leader  in  film,  radio  and  other  in- 
dustries in  South  Africa,  died  on 
Friday  at  his  home  at  Johannesburg, 
according  to  press  dispatches  re- 
ceived here  from  Capetown  over  the 
weekend.  He  was  the  brother  of  M. 
A.  Schlesinger,  also  a  leader  in  the 
South  African  motion  picture  indus- 
try, who  makes  his  headquarters  in 
New  York. 

An  American  citizen,  I.  W.  Schles- 
inger emigrated  to  South  Africa  in 
1894  and  within  10  years  rose  from 
penury  to  the  presidency  of  his  own 
insurance  company  in  Johannesburg. 
He  launched  many  enterprises,  becom- 
ing a  director  of  70  corporations,  but 
was  best  known  as  the  founder  of 
African  Consolidated  Theatres,  Ltd., 
and  as  a  pioneer  of  radio  broadcast- 
ing in  South  Africa.  He  branched 
out  successively  into  chain  stores, 
hotels,  banking  and  citrus  growing. 

In  recent  years  his  son,  John,  a 
Harvard  graduate,  represented  Schles- 
inger on  all  public  occasions  in  South 
Africa. 


"Cur ley" Reaches  Top 
Court  in  Tennessee 

Memphis,  March  14. — "Curley"  is 
headed  for  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Tennessee.  "Curley,"  a  comedy,  was 
banned  from  Memphis  screens  by  the 
Board  of  censors,  headed  by  Chair- 
man Lloyd  T.  Binford,  and  United 
Artists  and  Hal  Roach  Productions 
filed  suit  asking  for  an  injunction. 
They  also  asked  damages,  charging 
violation  of  constitutional  rights. 

In  Memphis  Circuit  Court  the  case 
was_  not  heard  on  its  merits  and  a 
motion  made  by  the  censors  to  throw 
the  case  out  of  court  was  upheld. 
Since  the  case  was  decided  on  a  mo- 
tion, an  appeal  has  been  taken  direct 
to  Supreme  Court. 


Equity  Calls  Republic 
Ad  'Misleading' 

Hollywood,  March  14. — Equity 
Pictures,  through  its  counsel,  released 
to  the  press  copies  of  a  letter  sent  to 
Republic  protesting  an  advertisement 
for  'Red  Ryder"  re-releases  published 
in  the  March  9th  edition  of  Motion 
Picture  Daily  as  "misleading  adver- 
tising which  is  frowned  upon  by  fair 
trade  practices"  and  stating  that 
Equity  will  hold  Republic  "strictly  ac- 
countable for  all  damages  resulting 
therefrom"  unless  rectification  is  made 
in  future  advertisements.  The  letter 
asserts  that  the  word  "re-releases"  in 
the  Republic  advertisement  was  "in 
such  small  type  as  to  be  unnoticeable 
to  the  average  reader"  and  declares 
"your  ad  is  of  such  nature  as  to  indi- 
cate that  these  are  color  pictures  simi- 
lar to  those  being  produced  by  our 
client." 


WLWC  Opens  March  27 

Columbus,  O.,  March  14. — Opera- 
tion of  WLWC,  television  station 
under  construction  here  by  the  Cros- 
ley  Broadcasting  Co.,  begins  Mar.  27. 


Cleveland  Cheers 
Sears,  AT Ol  Sneers 

Ernest  Schwartz,  president  of  the 
Cleveland  Motion  Picture  Exhibitors 
Association,  congratulated  Gradwell 
Sears,  United  Artists  president,  for 
prohibiting  the  double  featuring  of 
"Red  River"  with  "The  Paleface"  by 
Fox  Wisconsin  theatres  in  Milwaukee 
last  week,  but  Associated  Theatre 
Owners  of  Indiana  takes  a  dim  view 
of  it,  saying  "No  cheers  for  Sears." 

Asserting  that  "Red  River"  was 
sold  flat  to  the  Milwaukee  theatres, 
ATOI  remarks :  "And  what  kind  of 
a  flat  deal  it  must  be  that  would  per- 
mit it  to  be  so  double-billed." 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

Rockefeller  Center 

"LITTLE  WOMEN 

June  AHyson  .  Peter  Lawford  .  Mars't  O'Brien! 
Elizabeth  Taylor  .  Janet  Leigh  .  Rossano  B razzia1 
Mary  Astor    .   A  Mervyn  Le  Roy  Production' 
Color  by  Technicolor 
A  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


»     A  Paramount  Picture  starring  ~~  I       A<AjRRV  STCtTtr'lJr 

,  RAYMILLAND  \  ^Btf»~ 

LAWRENCE* 

HJ«PMJ,oSHi, 

THOMAS  MITCHELL  v^™^ 


UDNIGHT  FEATUII 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER. 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


if 


OLIVIA  de  HAVILLAND  I 


the  S^ake  Pit 


I Directed  by  Produced  by  ■ 

ANATOLE  UTVAK .  ANATOLE  UTVAK I  ROBERT  BASSLER 


JOAN 
of  ARC 


'4M 


starring 


INGRID 


BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 


with  JOSE  FERRER  •  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  •  J  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BONO 
SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  •  HURD  HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHART  •  JOHN  EMERY 
GEORGE  C0ULOURIS  ■  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY 
based  upon  the  stage  play  'Joan  ol  Lorraine1  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
icreen  play  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOLT  -  art  direction  L 
RICHARD  DAY  -  director  of  photoorophy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

preienled  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  ■  releoied  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


78  r*  WEEK' 


OtheV  Qiugiey  Puulcation  ■  Motion  Pfctu?e  H^IH-  iffiS?  TW™«  *JSavH  ^°?d°Q  W  u  H°?f-  ?«™»P.  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Motion  SSSS,  Alnlk^rFam'e^ilntered1^  sS'clisf  %  IMS  "at  StheVstC  of&taf  New  VorT  N*  Sunder  ^  *  -^otion  - Picture  -Herald=  International 

year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c.  ^         Ce  at  New  York'  N>  Y-  under 


the  act  of  March  3,  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


Are  You  Plannini 
a  New  Theatre? 

See  a  Specialist! 


A  few  of  the 
hundreds  of  theatres 
we  have  built: 

Mayfair,  New  York 
Broadway,  New  York 
RKO  58th  St.,  New  York 
RKO  86th  St.,  New  York 
Trans-Lux,  Washington,  D.C. 
RKO  Palace,  Albany 
RKO  Keith  Albee,  Boston 
RKO  Flushing,  Flushing 
RKO  Plaza,  Schenectady 
Studio,  New  York 

Strand,  Utica 
Walker,  Brooklyn 
Loew's  State,  Providence 
Marlboro,  Brooklyn 
Fox,  Philadelphia 
Warner  Bros.  Strand,  Bklyn. 
Coolidge  Corner,  Brookline 
St.  George,  Staten  Island 

Laurel,  Long  Beach 
Shine's  Oswego,  Oswego 
Cataract,  Niagara  Falls 
Loew's  Fairmount,  Bronx 
Loew's  Sheridan,  New  York 
Capitol,  Jersey  City 
Embassy,  Brooklyn 
Rivoli,  Roxbury 
Strand,  Staten  Island 
Carlton,  Brooklyn 
Loew's  Inwood,  New  York 
Strand,  Lakewood 
Earle,  Bronx 
RKO  Strand,  Far  Rockaway 
Meserole,  Greenpoint 
Paramount  Casino,  Miami 
Kleinhans  Music  Hall, 
Buffalo 


For  thirty-eight  years,  we  have  been 
leaders  in  building  America's  theatres. 
This  year  again,  we  are  at  work  on 
many,  including  the  country's  largest, 
most  modern  postwar  theatre:  The 
Calderone  at  Hempstead,  New  York. 

If  you  want'  to  build  a  new  theatre  or 
rent  one,  let  us  collaborate  with  you  as 
we  have  with  other  owners,  operators 
and  architects  in  planning  and  arrang- 
ing financing  as  well  as  in  construction. 

You  will  then  have  the  full  benefit  of 
the  specialized  experience  upon  which 
our  past  achievements  are  based  and 
which  will  enable  us  to  create  an 
attractive  theatre  for  you  guickly  and 
economically. 


M.SHAPIR08S0N 

CONSTRUCTION    CO.,  INC. 


254  WEST  54th  STREET.  NEW  YORK 


INDIA  FILM  JOURNALISTS' 

ASSOCIATION 


MYSORE  CITY 


HONOURS  FOR  1948 

The  Judges  of  the  Working  Committee  of  the  India  Film  Journalists" 
Association  at  their  Anniversary  Session  on  the  31st  of  December  1948 
unanimously  declared 

MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 

World's  First  Prize  Winning 
Film  Trade  Newspaper 

In  the  year  1948,  for  the  following  unduplicated  USAs  highest  circu>- 
lated  film  daily,  newsreeling  the  reports  of  the  international  bioscope. 
A  literary  and  trade  dedication  to  the  leaders  of  movie  science  and 
research,  inside  and  outside  USA.  A  flag-bearer  of  playwrights,  drama- 
tists, novelists,  story  writers.  Worlds  best  film  trade  paper.  The  Judges 
award  this  scroll  of  honours  to 

MARTIN  QUIGLEY 

President  Quigley  Publications,  U.S.A. 


NAYEEN  IQBAL 

Film  Reviewer 
Hyderabad  Radio  Dept. 

ROBERT  H.  GRACEFIELD 

Author  of 
"Emotional  Voice" 


FAQIR  MOHAMMED 

Oversea-Editor: 
"Wayfarer  Gazette" 
"Anthology  of  Verse" 
Member,  Royal  Asiatic 
Society  of  Bengal 
Founder  and  President 
LF.J.A. 


PALGHAT  SUBRAMANYA  IYER 

Chief  Editor,  Film- 
Music-Crammar, 
All-India  Radio 

SALEEM  TOMANNA 

Film  Reviewer, 
Mysore  Broadcasting 
Station 

MADAME  FALAK  NAAZ 

Film  Reviewer, 
Hyderabad  Broadcasting 
Station 

MIR  TAJAMMUL  HUSAIN 

Contributing-Editor 
"AJ-KAL" 


mm 


Tuesday,  March  15,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Exhibitors  Organize 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  Legion  Theatre  at  Independence; 
Arthur  Johnson,  Marinuka,  Galesville ; 
Frank  Lismeister,  Century,  Blair ; 
Edgar  Ivers,  Osseo  and  Fairchild,  and 
J.  W.  Hulbert,  Augusta,  Augusta. 

Larson  acted  as  chairman  at  the  ini- 
tial meeting  of  the  group,  and  it  was 
announced  permanent  officers  will  be 
elected  at  the  next  meeting,  set  to  be 
held  March  29,  at  Whitehall,  where 
additional  members  are  expected  to 
join  the  group. 


Tennessee  Owners 
Face  Tax  Increase 


Memphis,  March  14. — Theatre 
owners  all  over  Tennessee  are  being 
aroused  to  join  the  fight  against  a  pro- 
posal to  the  legislature  that  state  ad- 
mission taxes  be  hiked  from  three  and 
four  per  cent  to  five  and  six. 

The  proposal,  expected  to  reach  the 
legislative  hopper  on  March  21,  was 
made  by  the  organization  of  municipal 
authorities. 

At  present  the  state  admission  tax 
is  three  per  cent  on  theatres  without 
bank  nights  and  four  per  cent  on  thea- 
tres with  them.  Cities  get  none  of  this 
tax,  all  of  it  going  to  the  state.  The 
city  proposal  is  to  raise  the  tax  to 
five  for  theatres  without  bank  nights 
and  to  six  for  those  that  bave  them. 
Also,  the  proposal  is  to  divide  the 
revenue  between  the  state  and  cities. 


Fight  on  Clearance 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Homewood.  The  Avalon,  operated  by 
Frank  and  Woempner,  has  asked  the 
exchanges  for  a  42-day  run,  on  the 
same  run  as  now  booked  by  Maco's 
deluxe  Rialto,  a  half  mile  distant. 
Latter  two  houses  seat  around_  900. 
The  Edina  is  now  in  the  43-day  classi- 
fication, and  the  Avalon  in  the  49 -day. 

Several  of  the  smaller  majors  are 
agreeable  to  the  demands  of  both  the 
Edina  and  Avalon,  but  the  larger 
ones  reportedly  are  backing  away 
from  them  in  the  belief  that  granting 
either  run  will  split  clearance  wide 
open  in  Minneapolis.  It  is  pointed  out 
that  the  suburban  Hopkins  was  pre- 
vailed upon  last  fall  to  stall  breaking 
into  the  28-day  runs  because  it  might 
start  a  "run  war"  with  the  competi- 
tive Edina  and  St.  Louis  Park  stands, 
a  move  which  was  claimed  at  the  time 
would  only  result  in  "a  ruinous  bid- 
ding fight." 


Follow  This  Space  for  Proof  from  Eagle  Lion! 


OklahomaUnitSeeks 
To  Kill  State  Tax 

Oklahoma  City,  March  14. — Okla- 
homa exhibitors  rallied  today  to  a  call 
for  emergency  action  against  a  bill  in 
the  State  Legislature  which  would 
levy  a  state  tax  on  theatre  admissions. 

Some  200  members  of  Theatre  Own-' 
ers  of  Oklahoma  met  in  a  special 
meeting  here,  mapped  plans  for  a  fight 
against  the  bill  and  then  went  to  the 
capital  to  talk  to  legislators. 

Tomorrow  a  group  will  appear  be- 
fore the  House  Revenue  and  Taxation 
committee  to  protest  against  the  mea- 
sure, which  calls  for  a  graduated  tax 
from  one  cent  on  10-cent  tickets  up  to 
five   cents   on  those  over  40  cents. 

TOO  president  Morris  Lowenstein 
said  that  today's  activities  brought 
promises  from  "several  legislators  that 
they  will  oppose  the  bill." 


Operators  Get  Raise 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

last  July  25  for  suburban  operators 
and  to  last  September  1  for  down- 
town operators.  First  operators  in 
suburban  jobs  will  now  get  about  $94 
on  a  40-hour  week,  he  said,  and  assis- 
tant operators  will  get  $32.  Down- 
town, where  four  chief  operators  are 
assigned  to  each  projector  booth,  the 
scale  is  $89.25  for  40  hours. 

In  Minneapolis,  after  three  months 
of  negotiations,  city  and  suburban 
independents  have  reached  an  agree- 
ment on  a  new  wage  contract  with 
projectionists,  it  was  announced  by 
Stan  Kane,  executive  counsel  for 
North  Central  Allied. 

The  new  contract,  retroactive  to 
last  Nov.  30,  is  for  a  three-year  term 
and  calls  for  a  wage  increase  of  five 
per  cent  in  the  first  year,  and  two 
and  one-half  per  cent  in  each  of  the 
succeeding  two  years.  Kane  also 
disclosed  that  his  committee  has  start- 
ed negotiations  with  St.  Paul  projec- 
tionists. 


NSS  Manager  Resigns 

Cincinnati,  March  14. — Arthur 
Mannheimer,  National  Screen  Service 
manager  here  for  the  past  10  years, 
has  resigned,  with  William  S.  Bien, 
district  manager,  taking  over  until  a 
new  appointment  is  made.  


U.  A.  Sale 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  need  for  bringing  new  money  into 
the  company  through  a  change  in 
ownership. 


Ted  R.  Gamble,  circuit  operator, 
who  reportedly  was  invited  to  bid  for 
control  of  United  Artists  in  conjunc- 
tion with  Si  Fabian,  arrived  in  New 
York  from  his  Portland,  Ore.,  home 
yesterday. 

Questioned  concerning  the  reports, 
Gamble  said  that  no  offer  has  been 
made  and  he  knows  of  no  negotiations 
in  progress  now.  He  said  he  would 
confer  with  Fabian  during  his  visit  in 
New  York  at  which  time  he  expects 
to  be  brought  up  to  date  on  whether 
or  not  there  is  sufficient  interest  to 
lead  to  formal  negotiations  by  the  two 
for  U.A.  control  later.  Gamble  had 
only  recently  returned  to  Portland 
from  a  Palm  Springs  vacation. 


NY  lst-Run  Grosses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

week's  gross  of  $48,000  at  the  Capi- 
tol. "Joan  of  Arc"  is  still  doing  well 
at  the  Victoria,  where  $15,000  is 
looked  for  in  an  18th  week.  "Knock 
on  Any  Door"  should  bring  the  Astor 
about  $21,000,  mild  business,  in  a  third 
week.  "Hamlet  will  give  the  Park 
an  estimated  $14,000,  which  is  close 
to  capacity,  in  its  24th  week. 

"South  of  St.  Louis,"  with  Desi 
Arnaz  and  a  revue  on  stage,  at  the 
Strand,  is  likely  to  do  about  $35,000  in 
a  second  week,  which  is  fair  enough ; 
the  show  brought  $45,000  in  its  initial 
week,  which  is  good,  but  considerably 
under  early  estimates.  "Moonrise" 
probably  will  get  a  meager  $10,500  at 
the  Globe  in  a  second  week ;  it  will  be 
replaced  on  Saturday  by  "Impact." 
"Champion"  is  due  in  at  the  Globe  on 
April  9. 

"Red  Shoes,"  in  a  21st  week  at  the 
Bijou,  is  headed  for  another  $14,000 
gross,  meaning  consistently  strong 
business.  "Snake  Pit"  is  nearing  the 
end  of  an  exceptionally  successful  run 
at  the  Rivoli,  where  $13,000  is  in  view 
for  the  19th  week;  "Portrait  of  Jen- 
nie" will  succeed  it  on  March  30. 
"Pygmalion"  is  performing  splendidly 
at  the  Sutton,  with  $9,000  indicated 
for  the  third  week  of  that  reissue.  Film 
did  $11,000  in  the  first  week  and  $10,- 
000  in  the  second.  


Para.  Has  Closed 
Circuit  Video  Films 


Film  recordings  of  television  shows 
proved  to  be  the  television  industry's 
major  advance  for  1948,  and  a  phase 
of  this  development — "closed  circuit 
pre-filming"  of  television  shows — "now 
becomes  a  leading  candidate  for  the 
industry's  major  contribution  to  tele- 
vision progress  in  1949,"  according  to 
Paramount  Pictures  here,  which  says 
it  is  the  first  firm — and  the  first  ma- 
jor producer — to  offer  a  "closed  cir- 
cuit pre-filming"  service. 

.Paramount  is  making  this  new  serv- 
ice available  to  advertisers,  advertis- 
ing agencies  and  package  show 
producers  in  both  New  York  and  at 
Paramount's  station  KTLA  in  Los 
Angeles.  The  Paramount  video  tran- 
scription system  is  being  installed  at 
station  WBKB,  Chicago,  and  closed 
circuit  films  will  be  available  shortly 
in  that  city. 

The  potential  for  "closed  circuit 
pre-filmed  television  shows  and  com- 
mercials was  disclosed  yesterday  by 
George  T.  Shupert,  director  of  com- 
mercial television  operations  for  Para- 
mount. "A  number  of  'closed  circuit 
pre-filmed'  television  commercials,"  he 
reports,  "were  produced  for  a  large 
national  advertiser  last  week  in  a  new 
and  specially-constructed  television 
studio  in  the  Paramount  Building, 
New  York.  "The  sponsor's  represen- 
tatives were  present  throughout  the 
camera  rehearsals  and  shooting,"  said 
Shupert.  "Sitting  in  the  control  room, 
they  were  able  at  all  times  to  view 
the  picture  exactly  as  it  would  appear 
on  home  television  screens  and  to  hear 
their  accompanying  sales  message  as 
well.  This  allowed  them  to  make 
numerous  changes  before  the  final 
recording." 


Johnston  To  Entertain 

Washington,  March  14. — Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  presi- 
dent Eric  Johnston  will  give  a  recep- 
tion Friday  afternoon  for  the  enter- 
tainers who  will  appear  at  the  dinner 
Saturday  night  of  the  White  House 
News  Photographers  Association. 
They  include  Jack  Carson,  Billy 
DeWolfe,  Dick  Haymes,  Betty  Hut- 
ton,  Margaret  Ettinger  and  Stanley 
Richardson,  Chairman  of  the  Holly- 
wood  Coordinating  Committee.   


Laielle LaTiJus  says...  - 

" I  wodi  make  amove 
until  joubook—  j 

W  Mher  Great  . 

-jmpShMe  Cartoon!". 


REPUBLIC  EXCHANGES  NotrBookfoaf 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  15,  1949 


RKO  RADIO  PICTURES,  Inc. 

TRADE  SHOWINGS 

"THE  SET-UP" 


ALBANY    Mon.    Mar.  21 

Fox  Projection  Room,  1052  Broadway 

ATLANTA     Mon.    Mar.  21 

RKO  Projection  Room,  195  Luckie  St.,  N.W. 

BOSTON   Mon.    Mar.  21 

RKO  Projection  Room,  122-28  Arlington  St. 

BUFFALO   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Motion  Picture  Op.  Projection  Room,  498  Pearl  St. 

CHARLOTTE   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Fox  Projection  Room,  308  S.  Church  St. 

CHICAGO   Mon.    Mar.  21 

RKO  Projection  Room,  1300  S.  Wabash  Ave. 

CINCINNATI   Tues.    Mar.  22 

RKO  Projection  Room,  12  East  6th  St. 

CLEVELAND   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Fox  Projection  Room,  2219  Payne  Ave. 

DALLAS   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Paramount  Projection  Room,  412  S.  Harwood  St. 

DENVER   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Paramount  Projection  Room,  2100  Stout  St. 

DES  MOINES  Mon.    Mar.  21 

Fox  Projection  Room,  1300  High  St. 

DETROIT   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Blumenthal  Projection  Room,  2310  Cass  Ave. 

INDIANAPOLIS   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Universal  Projection  Room,  517  N.  Illinois  St. 

KANSAS  CITY   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Paramount  Projection  Room,  1800  Wyandotte  St. 

LOS  ANGELES   Fri.      Mar.  18 

RKO  Projection  Room,  1980  S.  Vermont  Ave. 

MEMPHIS  Mon.    Mar.  21 

Fox  Projection  Room,  151  Vance  Ave. 

MILWAUKEE   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Warner  Projection  Room,  212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave. 

MINNEAPOLIS   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Fox  Projection  Room,  1015  Currie  Ave. 

NEW  HAVEN  Mon.    Mar.  21 

Fox  Projection  Room,  40  Whiting  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Fox  Projection  Room,  200  S.  Liberty  St. 

NEW  YORK   Fri.      Mar.  18 

Normandie  Theatre,  53rd  St.  &  Park  Ave. 

OKLAHOMA   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Fox  Projection  Room,  10  North  Lee  St. 

OMAHA   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Fox  Projection  Room,  1502  Davenport  St. 

PHILADELPHIA   Mon.    Mar.  21 

RKO  Projection  Room,  250  N.  13th  St. 

PITTSBURGH   Mon.    Mar.  21 

RKO  Projection  Room,  1809-13  Blvd.  of  Allies 

PORTLAND   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Star  Projection  Room,  921  N.W.  19th  Ave. 

ST.  LOUIS   Tues.    Mar.  22 

RKO  Projection  Room,  3143  Olive  St. 

SALT  LAKE  CITY   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Fox  Projection  Room,  216  E.  1st  South  St. 

SAN  FRANCISCO  Mon.    Mar.  21 

RKO  Projection  Room,  251  Hyde  St. 

SEATTLE   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Jewel  Box  Projection  Room,  2318  Second  Ave. 

SIOUX  FALLS   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Hollywood  Theatre,  212  N.  Phillips  Ave. 

WASHINGTON   Mon.    Mar.  21 

Fox  Projection  Room,  932  New  Jersey  Ave. 


2:30  P.M. 
10:30  A.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

3:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

9:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

3:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 
10:30  A.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

1:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 
10:30  A.M. 

2:30  P.M. 
10:30  A.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

3:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

1:00  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

9:00  A.M. 

2:30  P.M. 


5th-Walnut  Appeal 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Paramount  case  "were  found  guilty 
of  setting  up  systems  of  runs,  uni- 
formity and  availability."  That, 
Stein  contended,  was  the  crux  of 
Fifth  &  Walnut's  case. 

Presiding  U.  S.  Circuit  Court  Judge 
Augustus  N.  Hand  and  his  associates 
on  the  bench,  Judges  Harrie  B.  Chase 
and  Charles  E.  Clark,  reserved  de- 
cision following  yesterday's  three- 
hour  hearing  of  the  $2,100,000  triple- 
damage  action.  The  court's  ruling  is 
expected  to  influence  the  future 
conduct  of  private  anti-trust  actions 
within  the  industry,  as  it  may  deter- 
mine whether  a  final  decree  in  the 
industry  anti-trust  suit  can  be  used 
in  private  actions. 

Debate  Judge's  'Charge' 

Caskey  argued  yesterday  that  Judge 
LeibelJ  did  not  "ignore"  the  Para- 
mount case  in  his  jury  charge,  but 
rather  made  "many  specific  charges 
in  the  words  of  the  Paramount  opin- 
ion." Edward  Raftery,  United  Art- 
ists' attorney,  contended  as  did  other 
defense  attorneys,  that  the  charge  to 
the  jury  was  "more  favorable"  to 
the  plaintiff  than  to  the  defendants. 
The  defense  held  that  Stein  wanted 
U.  S.  Supreme  Court  Justice  William 
O.-  Douglas'  opinion  in  the  Para- 
mount case  "read"  to  the  jury.  Stein 
answered  defense  assertions  that  he 
"was  not  willing-  to  face  the  case  on 
its  merits"  with  the  contention  that 
the  defense  was  not  willing  to  face 
the  case  on  "legal  issues." 

Fifth  and  Walnut  brought  its  action 
in  July,  1946,  charging  that  the  dis- 
tributors had  "conspired"  to  deprive 
the  National  Theatre,  Louisville,  of 
first-run  product.  Represented  in 
court  yesterday  as  defendants  were 
the  "Big  Five"  distributors  and 
United  Artists,  Columbia  and  certain 
subsidiary  companies.  Republic  and 
Universal  were  dismissed  as  defend- 
ants during  the  U.  S.  District  Court 
trial  here. 

Says  Move-Over  Deal  Ignored 

Stein  also  contended  that  Judge 
Leibell  erred  in  not  having  charged 
the  jury  in  connection  with  a  first- 
run  move-over  deal  referred  to  in  the 
plaintiff's  allegations. 

Attorney  Louis  D.  Frohlich  of 
Schwartz  &  Frohlich,  representing 
Columbia,  termed  "high-handed  im- 
pudence" plaintiff's  alleged  demand 
that  the  National  be  supplied  with 
the  "cream"  of  first-run  product.  Stein 
countered  that  the  National  did  not 
want  all  "the  best,"  but  "some." 


Sol  Edwards  To  Join 
SRO  Here  on  April  1 

Boston,  March  14. — Sol  Edwards, 
operator  of  the  Park  Theatre,  Nashua, 
N.  H.,  and  former  sales  executive  for 
20th  Century-Fox,  will  join  Selznick 
Releasing  Organization  in  an  execu- 
tive sales  capacity  on  April  1.  He  will 
maintain  headquarters  at  the  home 
office  in  New  York. 


Sues  Grinieff  on  Deal 

Raphael  Van  Der  Vort  and  his 
Almo  Films  have  filed  suit  in  New 
York  Supreme  Court  against  United 
States  Film  Export  Corp.,  and  its 
president,  Jack  Grinieff,  seeking  the 
return  of  $40,000  allegedly  advanced 
in  connection  with  a  1947  four-picture 
distribution  deal  for  Belgium.  Plain- 
tiffs rejected  the  films  after  their  ar- 
rival in  Brussels  and  claim  return  of 
the  advance. 


Seek  End  of  Tulsa 
Talbot  Injunction 

Tulsa,  Okla.,  March  14.— The  Ho- 
tel Last  Frontier  of  Las  Vegas,  Nev., 
has  asked  dismissal  of  injunction  suits 
brought  against  it  in  Federal  Court 
by  minority  stockholders  in  the  Talbot 
Theatre  here  on  the  grounds  that  the 
hotel  is  a  Nevada  corporation  and  can- 
not be  sued  here. 

H.  J.  Griffith,  president  of  Last 
Frontier  and  principal  stockholder  in 
the  Griffith  circuit,  said  that  he  owns 
only  500  of  the  6,000  outstanding 
shares  in  Last  Frontier.  The  injunc- 
tion suits  were  brought  by  Mrs.  Mary 
Castle  Steinway,  New  York  City,  mi- 
nority stockholder  in  Majestic  Amuse- 
ment Co.  here,  claiming  the  Griffith 
chain  gained  control  of  theatres  here 
formerly  controlled  by  Talbot  and 
later  transferred  its  interest  to  the 
hotel  corporation.  Mrs.  Steinway,  with 
two  other  minority  stockholders  in 
Majestic  and  a  second  local  theatre 
corporation,  last  week  filed  another 
suit  against  the  Talbot  and  Griffith 
interests,  seeking  $5,000,000  damages. 

MGM  Ivins  Dismissal 
In  Meiselman  Suit 

Charlotte,  March  14. — Competitive 
bidding  practices  won  dismissal  of 
trust  charges  for  M-G-M's  distribu- 
tion ,  branch  here  after  five  days  of 
hearings  in  a  suit  brought  by  H.  B. 
Meiselman,  operator  of  the  Center 
Theatre.  « 

Federal  Judge  Wilson  Warlick  up- 
held the  defense  contention  that  com- 
petitive bidding  enables  Meiselman  to 
get  his  share  of  first-run  films  dis- 
tributed by  M-G-M.  Other  defendants, 
with  hearings  continuing  this  week, 
are  20th  Century-Fox,  Warner,  Para- 
mount, RKO,  Columbia,  United  Art- 
ists and  Universal-International. 


Calls  Off  Injunction  Plea 

Chicago,  March  14. — A  plea  for  a 
temporary  injunction  to  bar  Para- 
mount from  booking  product  into  the 
Balaban  and  Katz  Marbro  has  been 
withdrawn  by  the  Harlem  and  North 
Avenue  drive-ins,  with  a  hearing  on 
the  equity  suit  scheduled  for  March 
21  in  U.  S.  District  Court  here. 


Snowed  Under? 


You'll  polish  that 
work  off  in  no  time 
after  a  TWA  Quickie 
Vacation  in  Southern 
California  or  the 
Southwest  Sun  Coun- 
try. A  few  days  off  are 
all  you  need  for  real 
rest  and  fun  in  Phoe 
nix,  Las  Vegas  or  Los 
Angeles  when  you 
travel  TWA  Skyliner 
Big  savings  on  family 
travel  and  round  trips! 
Call  your  local  TWA 
office  or  your  travel 
agent. 


1   -  "1 

FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate 

IN 

Ti  All  x/ 

Concise 

FILM 

ana 

NEWS 

JL#/\1  JL  jl 

Impartial 

'" '  — — 

VOL.  65.   NO.  52 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  MARCH  16,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Para,  Adheres 
To  'Flexible' 
Sales  Policy 

Provides  for  Bids  in 
'Problem'  Situations 

Paramount  is  continuing  a  flex- 
ible selling  policy  under  which  prod- 
uct is  licensed  in  a  variety  of  meth- 
ods as  dictated  by  the  circumstances 
involved  in  each  situation,  including 
competitive  bidding,  "experimental" 
bidding  and  product  splits. 

Phraseology  of  the  provision,  on 
selling  in  the  company's  consent  judg- 
ment in  the  industry  anti-trust  action 
— licensing  picture-by-picture,  theatre 
by  theatre  and  in  non-discriminatory 
fashion— left  the  "Little  Three,"  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America,  and 
others,  wondering  how  Paramount 
could  comply  other  than  by  competi- 
tive bidding  in  competitive  areas.  Only 
the  assurance  that  Paramount  would 
not  be  bound  to  sell  by  bids  was  giv- 
en by  its  attorney,  A.  C.  Bickford.  No 
clarification  on  how  pictures  would  be 
sold  was  made. 

Company  is  now  selling  by  bids  in 
200  to  250  situations,  usually  with  two 

(Continued  on  page  7) 

Say  Latest  Schine 
Offer  Turned  Down 


MP  Sales  Co. 
Sets  Up  7 
US  Divisions 


April  4  will  mark  the  opening  si- 
multaneously in  New  York,  Dallas, 
Chicago,  New  Orleans,  Washing- 
ton, Boston  and  Los  Angeles  of 
Motion  Picture  Sales  Corp.  division 
offices,  with  the  following  to  take  over 
as  division  manager :  Manny  Reiner, 
Metropolitan  New  York,  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania  division;  A.  J.  Delcam- 
bre,  Southwest;  Sam  Horowitz,  Mid- 
west ;  Henry  Krumm,  Southern ;  E. 
J.  Fontaine,  Eastern ;  Edward  Ruff, 
New  England.  A  manager  for  the 
Western  division  is  expected  to  be 
named  soon ;  Cresson  Smith  has  been 
indicated  as  a  likely  candidate. 

Disclosure  of  MPS's  divisional  setup 
(.Continued  on  page  7) 


Stockholder  Suits 
Invalid,  WB  Holds 


Washington,  March  15. — The  Jus- 
tice Department  has  rejected  another 
consent  decree  offer  by  the  Schine 
circuit,  it  was  understood  today. 

Schine  attorneys  met  very  late  yes- 
terday with  Assistant  Attorney  Gen- 
eral Herbert  Bergson,  and  according 
to  a  reliable  source,  made  very  little 
progress. 

There  still  is  no  decision  reached 
on  whether  there  will  be  a  postpone- 
ment of  the  proceedings  scheduled  for 
(Continued  on  page  8) 


12  in  Mono-Allied 
Backlog:  Broidy 

Monogram-Allied  Artists  has  a 
backlog  of  12  features,  with  an  addi- 
tional four  now  in  production,  Steve 
Broidy,  president,  disclosed  here  yes- 
terday. One  of  the  four,  "Red  Light," 
will  be  released  through  United  Art- 
ists, the  unusual  arrangement  having 
been  necessitated  by  contractual  obli- 
gations of  the  film's  star,  George  Raft, 
he  said. 

Company  plans  between  54  to  58 

(Continued  on  page  8) 


Warner  Brothers  rose  to  the  attack 
yesterday  against  the  nine  individual 
minority  stockholder  actions  which 
have  been  filed  against  it  in  New 
York  and  California  courts  by  filing 
in  U.  S.  District  Court  here  papers 
seeking  suit  dismissals  on  the  ground 
that  they,  are  barred  under  the  two- 
and  three-year  statute  of  limitations. 
The  actions,  filed  variously  since  last 
(Continued  on  page  8) 


33H%  U.  K.  QUOTA 
IS  RECOMMENDED 


TOA  Executive  Meet 
Set  for  March  24-25 

A  meeting  of  the  executive 
board  of  the  Theatre  Owners 
of  America  on  March  24  and 
25  in  New  York  was  set  yes- 
terday by  Arthur  Lockwood, 
TOA  president. 

The  meeting  is  expected  to 
consider  industry  arbitration 
proposals,  television  develop- 
ments, TOA's  expansion  plans 
in  new  territories,  a  proposal 
for  the  exchange  of  informa- 
tion on  box  office  perform- 
ance of  films  among  TOA 
members  and  other  subjects. 


Ascap,  Telecasters 
Near  Accord  on  Pact 


American  Society  of  Composers, 
Authors  and  Publishers  and  represen- 
tatives of  the  television  industry  are 
understood  to  be  confident  that  an 
accord  will  be  reached  by  April  1 
on  terms  of  Ascap's  first  non-gratis 
video  contract  for  music  rights. 

Meetings  are  continuing  almost 
daily  with  no  serious  obstacles  yet 
to  be  encountered,   it  is   said  here. 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Austrian  Urges  a  Code 
For  Video  Like  PCA 's 


Meiselman  Decision 
Seen  Spurring  Bids 

Distribution  attorneys  have 
taken  a  keen  interest  in  the 
Charlotte  trust  action  from 
which  M-G-M  recently  won 
a  dismissal,  disclosing  here 
that  they  regard  the  decision 
as  encouraging  more  extend- 
ed use  of  competitive  bidding. 
Federal  Judge  Wilson  War- 
lick  in  Charlotte  dismissed 
M-G-M  from  a  trust  suit  be- 
cause that  company  made 
bidding  available  to  H.  B. 
Meiselman,  Charlotte  theatre 
operator,  who  is  the  plaintiff 
in  the  suit. 


Ralph  B.  Austrian,  television  con 
sultant,  has  urged  the  Television 
Broadcasting  Association  to  redouble 
its  efforts  to  formulate  a  code  of 
"good  taste"  for  video  broadcasting 
before  one  is  forced  upon  it  by  -a 
governmental  or  other  agency.  He 
proposes  self-regulation  like  the  Pro- 
duction Code  operation  in  the  film 
industry. 

In  an  open  letter  to  J.  R.  Poppele, 
president  of  the  TBA,  Austrian,  for- 
mer president  of  RKO  Television 
Corp.,  warns  that  "some  bad  slips" 
in  television  programming  recently 
had  resulted  in  discussions  of  censor- 
ship for  video  by  several  groups  out- 
side the  industry. 

Calling  for  a  "workable,  sensible" 
code,  Austrian  declared  that  if  self- 
regulation  is  not  immediately  forth- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Films  Council  Vote  Is 
10  to  9;  Board  of  Trade 
Must  Act  by  March  31 

London,  March  15. — The  British 
Films  Council  after  bitter  debate 
has  recommended  that  the  Board  of 
Trade  fix  a  new  film  quota  at  33^ 
per  cent,  beginning  next  October. 

The  present  quota  is  45  per  cent. 
Producers  and  studio  unions  had 
sought  an  increase  to  60  per  cent 
or,  at  least,  retention  of  the  present 
quota.  British  exhibitors  had  asked 
that  the  quota  be  reduced  to  25  per 
cent  for  the  next  quota  year,  point- 
ing out  that  producers  have  been  un- 
able to  fulfill  the  present  quota,  even 
by  the  expedient  of  sacrificing  qual- 
ity to  quantity. 

The  Council's  vote  was  10  to  nine 
for  the  33T/3  per  cent  quota.  Harold 
Wilson,  president  of  the  Board  of 
Trade,  is  considering  the  Council's 
recommendation  now.  He  is  required 
to  enter  an  order  before  the  end  of 
this  month. 

The  compromise  percentage,  even 

(Continued  on  page  8) 


Fabian-Gamble  Ask 
Firm  Offer  of  U.  A. 


Si  Fabian  and  Ted  R.  Gamble,  in- 
dependent circuit  operators,  are  wait- 
ing for  a  firm  offer  from  Charles 
Chaplin  for  the  sale  of  his  and  Mary 
Pickford's  United  Artists  stock  be- 
fore engaging  in  negotiations  for  pur- 
chase of  the  company. 

The  two  theatre  operators  spent 
months  in  negotiations  with  Miss 
Pickford  in  1947  only  to  have  the  deal 
called  off  when  it  was  ready  for  con- 
summation.   Accordingly,  while  they 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


MPEA,  Jugoslavia 
In  Deal  for  25 


The  Jugoslav  government's  Film 
Monopoly  yesterday  delivered  a  signed 
contract  to  the  Motion  Picture  Ex- 
port Association  providing  for  the 
release  in  that  country  of  25  Ameri- 
can features  and  an  equivalent  num- 
ber of  shorts  in  the  next  12_  months. 
The  agreement,  terms  of  which  were 
worked  out  in  Belgrade  last  October 
by  MPEA  president  Eric  Johnston, 
paves  the  way  for  the  immediate  en- 
(Continued  on  page  8) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  16,  1949 


Five  Committees 
Appointed  by  AMPP 


Hollywood,  March  IS. — The  Asso- 
ciation of  Motion  Picture  Producers' 
board  of  directors  has  named  mem- 
bers of  four  standing  committees  and 
one  new  committee. 

Appointed  to  the  inter-studio  and 
industry  relations  committee  were 
Louis  K.  Sidney,  B.  B.  Kahane,  Leon 
Goldberg,  Edward  Muhl  and  Robert 
Newman;  named  to  the  public  rela- 
tions committee  were  Kahane,  Sidney, 
Goldberg,  Allan  Wilson  and  Fred  S. 
Meyer ;  to  the  legal  committee,  Mey- 
er, Wilson,  Muhl  and  Carol  Sax;  to 
the  finance  committee,  Muhl,  Wilson, 
Sax,  Sidney,  Goldberg  and  Meyer, 
and  to  the  East-West  Coast  relations 
committee,  Y.  Frank  Freeman,  Mau- 
rice Benjamin  and  Mendel  Silberberg. 

The  new  executive  committee  is 
composed  of  Harry  Cohn,  Henry 
Ginsberg,  Louis  B.  Mayer,  Joseph 
Schenck,  Leo  Spitz,  Jack  Warner  and 
H.  J.  Yates,  with  Freeman  a  member 
ex-officio.  A  chairman  is  to  be  elect- 
ed by  the  committee. 


Kusell,  Out  of  SRO, 
Plans  6-Mo.  Holiday 

Milton  S.  Kusell,  whose  contract  as 
Selznick  Releasing  Organization's 
domestic  distribution  vice-president 
has  expired,  reported  here  yesterday 
that  he  will  leave  New  York  shortly 
for  his  Connecticut  farm  in  the  Berk- 
shires,  where  he  will  vacation  until 
next  September. 

Kusell,  who  has  been  an  industry 
sales  executive  for  many  years,  spiked 
reports  that  he  would  join  Motion 
Picture  Sales  Corp.,  whose  president 
is  former  SRO  president  Neil  Agnew. 
He  indicated,  however,  that  following 
his  Connecticut  vacation  he  may  make 
plans  to  re-enter  the  industry. 


'Lady  Gambles'  Air  Tieup 

Universal-International  has  com- 
pleted arrangements  with  the  Mutual 
Broadcasting  network  program,  "Take 
a  Number,"  for  a  joint  10-to-14-week 
promotion  of  U-I's  "The  Lady  Gam- 
bles." The  program  features  a  jack- 
pot. 


Reade  Builds  Drive-In 

Kingston,  N.  Y.,  March  15.— Con- 
struction of  a  new  drive-in  theatre, 
the  first  in  this  area,  began  this  week 
with  completion  set  by  June  10,  ac- 
cording to  Walter  Reade,  head  of  the 
circuit  which  will  operate  the  theatre. 


Mrs.  Allan  Divan,  47 

Hollywood,  March  IS. — Funeral 
services  for  Mrs.  Allan  Dwan,  47, 
wife  of  the  director,  will  be  held  to- 
morrow morning  at  Forest  Lawn. 
The  former  Betty  Marie  Shelton  and 
a  Ziegfeld  Follies  girl,  Mrs.  Dwan, 
who  had  been  married  for  22  years, 
died  Sunday  at  her  home  here  of  a 
heart  attack. 


Wolf  Quits  Loew's  Post 

Max  Wolf,  head  of  purchasing  for 
Loew's  at  the  home  office,  has  re- 
signed. 


Personal  Mention 


ROBERT  S.  WOLFF,  RKO  man- 
aging  director   for   the  United 
Kingdom,  has  arrived  in  New  York 
from  London.    His  scheduled  earlier 
departure  from  London  was  delayed. 
• 

Charles  L.  Casanave,  Jr.,  son  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Sales  Corp.  ex- 
ecutive vice-president,  and  Mrs.  Ca- 
sanave, Jr.,  have  become  the  parents 
of  a  daughter,  born  Monday  at  Engle- 
wood  Hotepital,  Englewood,  N.  J. 
Casanave,  Jr.,  is  also  connected  with 
MPS. 

• 

Marvin  Schenck,  Loew's  vice- 
president  and  Eastern  studio  repre- 
sentative, will  leave  here  at  the  end 
of  next  week  for  a  month's  stay  at 
the  Coast  studio. 

• 

Phil  Engel,  formerly  United  Art- 
ists exploiteer  in  New  England,  has 
joined  the  Selznick  Releasing  Organi- 
zation in  the  same  territory. 

• 

F.  J.  A.  McCarthy,  Southern  and 
Canadian  sales  manager  for  Univer- 
sal-International, is  in  Memphis  from 
New  York. 

Hank  Hearn,  head  of  Exhibitors' 
Booking  Service,  Charlotte,  is  in  New 
York  from  that  city. 

• 

George  Lynch,  Schine  circuit  gen- 
eral manager,  is  in  New  York  from 
Gloversville. 

Gkadwell  L.  Sears,  United  Artists 
president,  will  return  to  New  York 
from  Hollywood  tomorrow. 

• 

David  O.  Selznick  is  due  here 
from  the  Coast  before  the  end  of  the 
week. 

Alexis  de  Gunzburg  of  European 
Copyrights  and  Distribution,  has  re- 
turned to  New  York  from  Europe, 
c 

Hal  Horne  has  returned  here  from 
a  vacation  in  Florida  and  Cuba. 

Nat  Levine  is  here  from  the  Coast. 


TED  R.  GAMBLE,  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  America  board  chairman, 
left  here  last  night  for  Chicago.  He 
is  due  back  in  New  York  in  a  few 
days. 

• 

William  B.  Zoellner,  M-G-M 
short  subjects  sales  manager,  will 
visit  the  Albany  and  Buffalo  ex- 
changes this  week. 

• 

Samuel  J.  Switow,  Louisville  cir- 
cuit owner,  and  Mrs.  Switow,  have 
announced  the  engagement  of  their 
daughter,  Marilyn,  to  David  L. 
Waterman. 

• 

Herman    Wobber,   20th  Century- 
Fox  Western  division  manager,  and 
his  assistant,  Byron  Stoner,  are  in 
New  York  from  San  Francisco. 
• 

Gene  Markey,  producer-writer,  and 
his  wife,  Myrna  Loy,  have  left  Lon- 
don for  Rome  where  the  latter  will 
convalesce  from  a  recent  appendectomy. 
• 

William  Moore,  formerly  with 
New  England  Theatres,  has  been 
named  assistant  manager  at  Warner's 
Regal  in  Hartford. 

• 

Richard  A.  Harper  of  the  M-G-M 
sales  department,  has  returned  here 
from  a  vacation  in  Miami. 

• 

A.  M.  Kane,  assistant  Eastern  di- 
vision manager  for  Paramount,  will 
return  here  today  from  Boston, 
e 

Edward  Nassour,  of  Nassour  Stu- 
dios,  and   Bernard   Luber,  arrived 
here  yesterday  from  the  Coast. 
• 

Sam  Lefkowitz,  United  Artists 
Northeastern  district  manager,  is  in 
Boston  from  New  York. 

e 

William  Selwyn,  casting  director 
for  Samuel  Goldwyn  Productions,  will 
arrive  here  today  from  the  Coast. 
• 

George  Glass,  Screen  Plays  vice- 
president,  arrived  here  yesterday  from 
the  Coast. 


'Mochrie  Weeks'  In 
Depinet  Sales  Drive 

"Already  topping  billings  in  any  pre- 
vious sales  drive  in  RKO  Radio  his- 
tory," the  company  said  yesterday, 
the  1949  "Ned  Depinet  Drive"  will 
be  accelerated  in  the  final  two  weeks 
through  the  dedication  of  this  period 
to  Robert  Mochrie,  RKO  Radio  sales 
vice-president,  during  April  22  to 
May  5. 


20th-Fox  Crew  in  Boston 

Boston,  March  15.— A  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox camera  crew,  headed  by  di- 
rector Robert  Webb,  has  arrived  in 
Boston  for  a  week's  shooting  of  back- 
grounds and  historical  places  for  the 
studio  library.  Members  of  the  crew 
beside  Webb  are  his  assistant,  John 
Graham  ;  Saul  Midwall,  cameraman ; 
Moe  Hantzband,  assistant  cameraman  ; 
Larry  Williams,  director  of  photog- 
raphy. 


'Canyon'  Premiere  in 
Salt  Lake  Tomorrow 

Hollywood,  March  15. — Producer 
Leonard  Goldstein,  Ann  Blyth,  How- 
ard Duff  and  Edgar  Buchanan  will 
leave  here  today  for  Salt  Lake  City  to 
attend  the  premiere  of  their  Universal- 
International  picture,  "Red  Canyon," 
on  Thursday.  The  picture  will  open  in 
the  Capital  and  Utah  Theatres,  with 
the  stars  making  appearances  at  both. 


'Joan'  to  Open  New  House 

Toronto,  March  IS. — The  latest 
Toronto  theatre  of  Famous  Players 
Canadian  is  the  University,  near  the 
University  of  Toronto,  which  is  sched- 
uled to  open  shortly  with  "Joan  of 
Arc"  as  the  first  attraction  at  prices 
scaling  up  to  $1.20.  The  University 
is  to  be  teamed  with  the  Tivoli  in 
downtown  Toronto  for  simultaneous 
bookings.  The  Tivoli  has  long  been 
paired  with  the  Eglinton,  which  is  to 
become  a  second-run  house. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


zj  WIDE  diversity  of  events  are 
■tl  covered  in  current  newsreels. 
Among  the  items  are  President  Tru- 
man on  vacation,  a  Holland  warehouse 
fire,  and  Japanese  police  on  parade. 
Complete  contents  follow : 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  88— Coal 
miners  quit  as  John  L.  Lewis  orders  holi- 
day. Japanese  police  on  parade.  Rome: 
motor  vehicles  blessed.  Egyptian  temple  re- 
stored. Paris  fashions.  Colleges  run 
''Mother  Is  a  Freshman"  beauty  contest. 
Banished  ball  players  sue  major  league. 
Canoe-bogganing.     Kids  boxing. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  856— North 
Atlantic  defense  pact  stirs  Senators.  Egypt 
restores  famed  temple.  Rome's  motor  ve- 
hicles blessed.  Paris  fashions.  Junior  bat- 
tlers. Canoe-bogganing. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  59— Base- 
ball's elder,  statesman,  Connie  Mack.  Egypt 
temple  restored.  Canada  Day  at  West 
Point.  World's  lightest  solid.  Czechoslo- 
vakia: one  year  after  Red  seizure.  Motor- 
cycle derby.    Amateur  Grand  National. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  830— 
Holland  warehouse  on  fire.  Factory  explo- 
sion in  England.  Egyptian  temple  restored. 
President  Truman  on  vacation.  Kids  box- 
ing. Motorcycle  racing.  Horse  racing  in 
England. 

WARNER  PATHS  NEWS,  No.  60— 

President  Truman  and  Secretary  Vinson 
meet  in  Florida.  Egyptian  temple  restored. 
Japanese  police  on  parade.  "South  of  St. 
Louis"  premiere.  Parisian  lives  as  in  days 
of  yore.  Tank  parade.  Spring  fashions. 
Kids  boxing.  Wild  horses.  Motorcycle 
races. 


Loew's  State  Lowers 
Its  Admission  Prices 

Loew's  State  is  the  first  New  York 
"showcase"  to  cut  admission  prices 
since  the  Paramount  Theatre  here  es- 
tablished a  lowered  scale  several 
months  ago. 

New  Weekday  scale  for  the  State 
will  be  70  cents  to  $1.20  top,  com- 
pared to  the  previous  80  cents  to  $1.20. 
A  new  95-cent  admission  has  been 
set  up  for  the  weekday  hours  of  one 
to  five  P.M.,  with  $1.25  prevailing 
between  five  and  six.  Previously,  $1.20 
was  charged  between  one  and  six. 
The  Saturday  morning  price  has  been 
lowered  from  95  cents  to  85,  while  no 
change  has  been  made  in  Sunday  ad- 
missions, which  are  $1.20  to  $1.50. 


San  Juan  Film  Fire 
Hits  U.S.  Companies 

A  fire  originating  in  the  offices  of 
a  non-American  film  company  has  de- 
stroyed a  substantial  portion  of  the 
motion  picture  exchange  building  in 
San  Juan,  Puerto  Rico,  making 
"homeless"  in  that  city  Columbia  and 
Universal-International,  according  to 
word  reaching  here  yesterday.  Para- 
mount's  exchange  facilities  were  about 
half  burned,  while  United  Artists  and 
M-G-M  had  losses  to  lesser  extents. 


Cubans  Cite  2  WB  Films 

The  Federation  of  Motion  Picture 
Theatrical^  Editors  of  Cuba,  in  Hava- 
na, has  given  two  of  its  annual  film 
awards  to  Warner,  the  company  has 
announced  here.  "The  Treasure  of 
Sierra  Madre"  was  voted  the  best 
picture  of  1948  from  Hollywood,  and 
Joan  Crawford  was  awarded  the  prize 
for  the  best  foreign  actress  for  her 
role  in  "Possessed." 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley.  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor'  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays 
Sundays  and  holidays  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York.  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary: 
James  P  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
t    »  afv°  ■  "T",'  120J?°,?th„f'a,  Salle  Street-  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington. 

u  ^  "i  Na£T,al  .-ress  S?x  '•  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  tne  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c.  ^ 


NEW  SUN  IN  THE  SKY! 


We're  grateful  for  the  opportunity  to  launch 
our  "2 5th  Year  of  Motion  Picture  Leadership" 
in  the  true  tradition  of  M-G-M.  Encouraged 
by  the  trade  press,  complimented  by  exhibi- 
tors, we're  leading  this  cheering  industry  out 
of  the  gloom,  into  the  sunlight.  "M-G-M's 
Prosperity  Plan"  is  in  high  gear.  Our  Studio 
is  clicking  with  hit  after  hit.  Stick  close  to 
the  company  that's  sparking  the  entire  busi- 
ness with  optimism.  Yes,  indeed,  "The  Future 
is  M-G-M." 


M-G-M's 

COMMAND 
DECISION' 


M-G-M's 

5<i  "LITTLE 
WOMEN 


£^=3^  ivi-vj-ivi  s  rr~ZZ^~~ 

"TAKE  ME 
OUT  TO  THE  i 
BALL  GAME 


<P^\    Technicolor  / 


Direct  from  Tw<^  Big  Months  on 
Broadway,  Srr^ash  Hit  Every- 
where. Tell  the  girls  it's  Gable! 

M-G-M  presents  CLARK  GABLE  •  WALTER  PIDGEON 
VAN  JOHNSON  •  BRIAN  DONLEVY  •  Charles 
Bickford  •  John  Hodiak  •  Edward  Arnold  in 
"COMMAND  DECISION"  with  Marshall  Thompson 
Richard  Quine  •  Cameron  Mitchell  •  Clinton  Sundberg 
Ray  Collins  •  A  SAM  WOOD  Production  •  Screen  Play  by 
William  R.  Laidlaw  and  George  Froeschel  •  Based  on 
the  Play  by  William  Wister  Haines  •  Directed  by  SAM 
WOOD  •  Produced  by  SIDNEY  FRANKLIN  •  In 
Association  with  QpTTFRIED  REINHARDT 


1/ 


Gala  World  Premiere,  Radio  City 

j  i 

Music  Hall  now!  Trade  critics 
forecast  sensational  M-G-M  Hit! 

M-G-M  presents  "LITTLE  WOMEN"  starring  JUNE 
ALLYSON  •  PETER  LAWFORD  •  MARGARET  O'BRIEN 
ELIZABETH  TAYLOR  •  JANET  LEIGH  •  ROSSANO 
BRAZZI  •  MARY  ASTOR  with  Lucile  Watson  •  Sir  C. 
Aubrey  Smith  •  Harry  Davenport  •  A  MERVYN  LeROY 
Production  •  Color  by  TECHNICOLOR  •  Screen  Play  by 
Andrew  Solt,  Sarah  Y.  Mason  and  Victor  Heerman  •  From 
the  Novel  by  Louisa  May  Alcott  •  Produced  and  Directed 
by  MERVYN  LeROY  , 


Off  to  a  rousing,  start  at  World  Pre- 
miere, Loew's  State,  N.Y.  Greater 
Musical  than  "Anchors  A  weigh"! 

M-G-M  presents  FRANK  SINATRA  •  ESTHER 
WILLIAMS  •  GENE  KELLY  in  "TAKE  ME  OUT  TO 
THE  BALL  GAME"  with  BETTY  GARRETT  •  Edward 
Arnold  •  Jules  Munshin  •  Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 
Screen  Play  by  Harry  Tugend  and  George  Wells  •  Story 
by  Gene  Kelly  and  Stanley  Donen  •  Directed  by  BUSBY 
BERKELEY  •  Produced  by  ARTHUR  FREED 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  16,  1949 


Cites  High  Values 
Of  Films  and  Radio 


Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  IS. — "We 
seldom  stop  to  consider  how  much 
motion  pictures  and  radio  have  done 
for  mankind  in  this  and  every  coun- 
try of  the  world ;  they  have  achieved 
a  tremendous  amount  of  moral,  social 
and  mental  good."  This  statement 
highlighted  a  talk  given  here  last 
night  before  the  Variety  Club  in  the 
Ten  Eyck  Hotel  and  broadcast  over 
WROW,  by  Father  Benjamin  Kuhn 
of  Siena  College. 

Chief  barker  Sol  J.  Ullman  called 
Father  Kuhn's   remarks   "The  most 
generous  praise  which  films  have  re 
ceived  here  in  some  time." 

Father  Kuhn  continued,  "A  great 
deal  of  juvenile  delinquency  is  pre 
vented  by  going  to  the  movies,  al- 
though you  may  hear  the  opposite 
said.  Most  objectionable  pictures  are 
being-  eliminated  today. 

"With  the  high  class  pictures  of 
fered,  boys  and  girls  are  better  off 
in  the  movies  in  the  afternoon  and 
evening  than  they  would  be  on  the 
street,"  Father  Kuhn  added. 


Reviews 


'Impact" 


Production  Index 
Increases  on  Coast 


Hollywood,  March  IS. — The  pro 
duction  index  has  again  increased,  to 
28.  Nine  new  pictures  were  started, 
and  seven  were  finished. 

Starting  were  "Miss  Grant  Takes 
Richmond,"  "Horsemen  of  the  Sierra," 
Columbia;  "Intruder  in  the  Dust 
M-G-M;  "Fathoms  Deep,"  "A  Strange 
Caravan,"  Republic;  "Arson,  Inc.," 
Screen  Guild;  "Pinky,"  20th-Fox ; 
"Home  of  the  Brave,"  UA ;  "The 
Octopus  and  Miss  Smith,"  Warner. 
Finished  were  "Madame  Bovary," 
"Any  Number  Can  Play,"  "That  Mid- 
night Kiss"  and  "Border  Incident," 
all  M-G-M;  "Red,  Hot  and  Blue," 
Para.;  "Outcasts  of  the  Trail,"  Re- 
public; "Oh,  You  Beautiful  Doll," 
20th-Fox. 


Rush  'Set  Up'  Release 
In  RKO-UA  Race 

Hollywood,  March  15. — In  a  race 
to  get  its  production,  "The  Set  Up," 
on  the  nation's  screens  before  release 
of  United  Artists'  "Champion,"  RKO 
Radio  has  booked  its  boxing  film  into 
the  Pantages  in  Los  Angeles  and  has 
announced  immediate  release. 

The  action  is  said  to  have  followed 
denial  of  a  reauest,  made  by  RKO 
officials  to  Stanley  Kramer,  "Cham- 
pion" producer,  to  remake  a  sequence 
which  RKO  claims  follows  closely 
a  similar  scene  in  "Set  Up."  Though 
both  films  deal  with  the  same  theme, 
the  seamy  side  of  boxing,  Kramer 
reputedly  said  he  could  see  no  signifi- 
cant similarities  in  the  pictures. 


Set  3  Para.  Meetings 

George  A.  Smith,  Paramount's 
Western  division  manager,  will  con- 
duct three  local  sales  meetings  as  fol- 
lows:  Seattle,  March  17-19;  Portland, 
March  21-22;  San  Francisco,  March 
23-25. 


Film  Council  to  Meet 

The  New  York  Film  Council  will 
hold  a  luncheon  meeting  tomorrow  at 
Rosoff's  restaurant,  with  Irving  Jac- 
boy,  newly  elected  chairman,  in  charge 
of  the  proceedings. 


{Popkin — United  Artists) 

""pHE  familiar  story  of  a  devoted  husband's  betrayal  by  a  worthless  wife 
A  has  been  given  a  forthright  treatment  in  "Impact,"'  with  several  novel 
developments  along  the  way.  Arthur  Lubin's  direction,  marked  by  clever 
touches,  carefully  and  adroitly  builds  up  an  atmosphere  of  tense  expectancy 
which  enhances  the  effectiveness  of  the  melodrama.  The  screenplay,  by  Dor- 
othy Reid  and  Jay  Dratler,  is  curiously  uneven,  however.  Its  early  portions 
leave  nothing  to  be  desired  in  the  way  of  fresh  and  excitingly-rendered  melo- 
drama. But  in  its  final  stretches,  it  loses  luster  and  winds  up  in  a  somewhat 
standard  finale.  Harry  M.  Popkin  assembled  a  neat  cast  for  his  production, 
headed  by  Brian  Donlevy,  Ella  Raines,  Charles  Coburn,  Helen  Walker  and 
Anna  May  Wong.  All  factors  considered,  it  shapes  up  as  an  attractive  box- 
office  picture  for  those  situations  which  react  favorably  to  outspoken  melo- 
dramas. 

Donlevy  is  an  old  hand  at  this  type  of  role  and  he  handles  it  well  as  the 
millionaire  industrialist  who  becomes  the  marked  man  in  a  murder  plot  con- 
cocted by  his  wife,  Miss  Walker,  and  her  lover.  A  curious'  turn  of  events 
however,  results  in  the  would-be  murderer  getting  killed  and  his  body  being 
mistaken  for  Donlevy.  Plot  developments  have  Miss  Walker  held  for  com- 
plicity m  murder,  with  Donlevy  meanwhile  disappearing  so  that  she  may  be 
convicted.  A  change  of  mind  is  brought  about  for  Donlevy  when  in  his  wan- 
derings he  meets  Miss  Raines,  a  country  gas  station  owner,  and  finally  takes 
her  advice  and  goes  back  to  straighten  matters  out. 

Miss  Raines,  whether  in  working  trousers  and  smudged  face  or  in  gracious 
attire,  is  appealing.  It  is  her  sleuthing  efforts  along  with  those  of  detective 
Coburn,  that  finally  saves  Donlevy  from  his  faithless  wife's  further  treachery 
Coburn  gives  a  workmanlike  performance  that  warrants  special  mention. 

Running  time,  111  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date,  not 
set-  Mandel  Herbstman 

"My  Dream  Is  Yours" 

{Warner  Brothers)  Hollywood,  March  15 

p\ORIS  DAY  and  Jack  Carson,  who  hit  it  off  so  successfully  in  "Romance 
I-'  on  the  High  Seas,"  Miss  Day's  first  picture,  are  even  more  advan- 
tageously paired  in  this  even  more  shipshape  Michael  Curtiz  Production. 
Their  settings  this  time  are  New  York  and  Hollywood,  principally  the  latter, 
and  they  are  cast  as  showfolks,  radio  promoter  and  thrush,  respectively,  with 
Lee  Bowman,  Adolphe  Menjou,  Eve  Arden,  S.  Z.  Sakall,  Selena  Royle, 
Edgar  Kennedy,  Sheldon  Leonard  and  Franklin  Pangborn  all  giving  bang-up 
performances  alongside.  It  is  rich  in  musical  content,  richer  than  common 
in  story,  and  it  is  in  Technicolor,  altogether  a  lush  attraction  for  that  pre 
ponderant  proportion  of  the  population  which  goes  to  the  motion  picture 
theatre  to  have  a  good  time.  It  can't  miss  making  money. 

The  picture,  directed  with  easy  grace  by  Harry  Kurnitz,  from  a  screenplay 
by  himself  and  Dane  Lussier,  based  on  an  adaptation  by  Allen  Rivkin  and 
Laura  Kerr,  opens  in  a  Hollywood  broadcasting  studio  where  Bowman,  a 
conceited  crooner,  winds  up  a  season  by  dumping  his  sponsor  and  breaking 
with  Carson,  the  agent  who  built  him  up  from  nothing.  Carson  flies  to  New 
York,  seeking  a  replacement  for  Bowman,  and  is  led  by  design  into  contact 
with  Miss  Day,  who  is  employed  in  one  of  those  slot-machine  music  dis- 
pensaries and  sings  her  wares  over  the  wire.  He  brings  her  to  Hollywood 
and  together,  with  all  of  those  others  mentioned  above  figuring  in  the  pro- 
cession of  complications,  work  their  way  up  to  network  stardom  for  Miss 
Day  and  to  a  happy  ending  for  their  romance.  It  is  played  out  principally 
for  laughs,  but  packs  much  more  weight  and  sense  than  is  par  for  musicals. 
Music  by  Harry  Warren  and  lyrics  by  Ralph  Blane  assay  high  as  to  quality 
and  memorability,  and  there  is  a  wealth  of  it. 

Running  time,  104  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
not  set.  William  R.  Weaver 


Allied  Eastern  Will 
Meet  Here  Today 

Allied  leaders  from  Boston, 
Baltimore,  Washington,  Phil- 
adelphia and  New  Jersey  will 
meet  in  New  York  today  to 
discuss  taxation,  legislative 
and  other  matters  including 
distribution  sales  policies. 

The  Allied  Eastern  regional 
will  be  conducted  by  Jersey 
Allied  president  Edward 
Lachman,  who  will  be  host 
to  the  visitors. 


Chances  of  Jersey 
Censorship  Lessen 

Previous  strong  possibility  of  state- 
wide censorship  in  New  Jersey  less- 
ened sharply  yesterday  when  Allied 
of  New  Jersey  reported  the  measure, 
Assembly  Bill  No.  206,  was  referred 
by  the  committee  on  municipalities  to 
the  miscellaneous  business  committee. 
This  is  regarded  as  signifying  the 
death  of  the  proposal  through  inac- 
tion. 

The  bill  was  introduced  at  the  be- 
hest of  Newark  Public  Safety  Com- 
missioner Keenan  and  was  supported 
widely  by  women's  clubs.  New  Jer- 
sey Allied's  legislative  committee, 
headed  by  George  Gold,  spearheaded 
that  organization's  opposition. 


17th  Bill  Filed  to 
Cut  Federal  Tax 


Washington,  March  15. — Repre- 
sentative Hand,  New  Jersey  Republi- 
can, today  introduced  a  bill  to  cut 
the  U.  S.  admission  tax  back  to  the 
pre-war  10  per  cent.  His  is  the  17th 
bill  to  propose  repeal  or  reduction  of 
the  20  per  cent  cent  tax. 

Meanwhile,  House  Republican 
Leader  Joseph  W.  Martin,  Jr.,  to- 
night continued  his  fight  to  reduce 
the  admission  tax  and  other  war  ex- 
cise levies. 

In  an  address  over  the  Mutual  net- 
work, Martin  said  these  high  war  ex- 
cise rates  "are  a  gross  discrimination 
against  a  few  selected  industries  and 
their  thousands  of  employes."  Mar- 
tin has  a  bill  pending  to  cut  the  ex- 
cises back  to  pre-war  levels,  which 
has  been  indorsed  by  the  House  Re- 
publican Policy  Committee. 


Exhibitors  Protest 
Delivery  Charges 

St.  Louis,  March  15.— Complaints 
against  local  exchange  and  delivery 
services  have  been  raised  by  two  ex- 
hibitor organizations  here,  the  Motion 
Picture  Theatre  Owners  of  St.  Louis, 
Eastern  Missouri  and  Southern  Illi- 
nois; and  Mid-Central  Allied  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  owners. 

Slack  inspection  of  films  is  charged 
by  MPTO,  while  Mid-Central  Allied 
has  objected  to  alleged  "extras"  in  de- 
livery charges. 


Safety  Meet  April  1 

The  roles  of  motion  pictures,  radio 
and  the  press  in  traffic  accident  reduc- 
tion will  be  discussed  at  a  conference 
of  public  officials  and  safety  experts 
from  New  York,  Washington,  Chicago 
and  New  Jersey  to  be  held  at  the 
Hotel  Statler  here  on  April  1,  with 
Thomas  W.  Ryan,  New  York  state 
director  of  safety,  presiding. 


Protesting  Owners 
Kill  Oklahoma  Bill 


Oklahoma  City,  March  15.— Ok- 
lahoma exhibitors  were  successful  to- 
day in  their  campaign  to  kill  a  bill 
which  threatened  new  taxes  on  their 
business.  The  House  of  Representa- 
tives Revenue  and  Taxation  commit- 
tee voted  without  dissent  to  kill  the 
bill,  which  would  have  put  a  tax  rang- 
ing from  one  to  five  cents  on  theatre 
admissions. 

A  delegation  from  Theatre  Owners 
of  Oklahoma  appeared  before  the 
committee,  and  John  Griffin,  mayor 
and  exhibitor  of  Miami,  Okla.,  told 
the  group  that  theatre  taxes  have 
reached  their  limit.  The  industry,  he 
said,_  believes  its  business  should  be 
considered  "a  necessity,  not  a  luxury." 

Berlo  Vending  Gets 
New  York  Contracts 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  15— Berlo 
Vending  Co.,  Philadelphia,  has  con- 
tracted to  handle  concessions  in  three 
Hellman  closed  theatres  in  Albany  and 
Troy,  two  Fabian-Hellman  drive-ins 
in  Albany  and  Binghamton,  and  Hell- 
man  drive-in  at  Saratoga  Road.  Berlo 
will  open  an  office  here  with  Victor 
Cohen  as  manager. 

With  Hellman's  contract  with  Tri- 
state  Automatic  Candy  Corp.  expiring, 
the  new  contract  will  become  effective 
in  the  drive-ins  at  the  end  of  this 
month  and,  in  the  closed  houses  May  1. 

NYC  Tax  Levy  Up  Again 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  15.— Sena- 
tor Fred  Morritt,  Brooklyn,  is  again 
sponsoring  a  bill  to  permit  New  York 
City  to  levy  a  series  of  special  taxes, 
including  10  per  cent  admission  tax 
to  amusements  where  the  minimum 
charge  is  $1.00. 


The  Battle  in  the  Rio  Grande — as  depicted  by  a 
famous  artist  for  Paramount*  s  magazine  campaign 


Launching  Pine -Thomas'  New  Production 
Policy  of  "Big  Pictures  Only," 


Watch  for  Big-Time  Stars-In-Person  Premieres  in 
7  Texas  Cities  Starting  in  El  Paso  Late  in  March. 


WHEN  MEN  AND  WOMEN 
WENT  WRONG, 
THEY  WENT  TO 


Paramount 

oud  sores 

has  4  fabulous  color  shows  between 
now  and  May  27th:  "El  Paso," 
"A  Connecticut  Yankee  in  King 
Arthur's  Court,"  "Whispering 
Smith"  and  "Streets  of  Laredo." 


Wednesday,  March  16,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Para.  Sales  Policy 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

theatres  involved  in  each.  There 
have  been  indications  that  these  fig- 
ures will  increase  in  "problem"  areas, 
Paramount's  feeling  being  that  bidding 
is  the  most  equitable  means  of  settling 
disputes  with  exhibitors  in  competi- 
tion with  each  other.  This  feeling 
was  further  strengthened  recently 
when  Federal  Judge  Wilson  Warlick 
in  Charlotte  dismissed  Loew's  from  a 
trust  action  because  that  company 
made  bidding  available  to  a  complain- 
ant theatreman. 

Uses  Product  Splits 

Paramount  also  is  resolving  licens- 
ing issues  with  product  splits,  that  is, 
allowing  theatre  competitors  to  share 
the  company's  product  on  a  numerical 
basis  rather  than  have  them  engage 
in  bidding. 

Company  in  some  instances  is  con- 
ducting "test"  bidding  by  which  thea- 
tremen  seeking  a  run  are  invited  to 
bid  for  product.  Results  of  the  ex- 
periment determine  whether  bidding  is 
to  be  adopted  permanently. 

According  to  some  sources  Para- 
mount has  rejected  some  bids  on  the 
grounds  that  they  were  excessive  and 
made  primarily  by  the  bidder  for  the 
purpose  of  denying  his  competitor  of 
the  opportunity  to  obtain  certain  films. 

The  general  expectation  at  Para- 
mount is  that  bidding  will  never  be 
extended  to  the  point  where  it,  rather 
than  standard  licensing  practices, 
would  be  the  national,  all-embracing 
policy.  Paramount  has  plans  to  li- 
cense by  bids  only  in  trouble  spots 
and  substantially  as  a  means  of  de- 
fending itself  against  possible  legal  ac- 
tions by  theatremen. 

Sees  Bidding  Limited 

Bidding  never  will  sweep  the  coun- 
try for  the  obvious  reason  that  "thou- 
hands  of  exhibitors"  are  averse  to  it, 
according  to  one  spokesman.  Vigor- 
ous objections  to  that  type  of  licensing 
have  been  made  by  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  and  others. 

There  also  has  been  some  question 
on  whether  the  theatre-by-theatre  sell- 
ing directive  would  mean  that  Para- 
mount would  be  enjoined  from  doing 
business  with  buying  and  booking 
combinations.  Company's  position  is 
that  it  is  free  to  sell  to  combines  and 
.will  continue  to  do  so  with,  of  course, 
each  run  licensed  on  a  completely  in- 
dividual basis. 


M.  P.  Sales  Co. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


was  made  here  yesterday  by  company 
president  Neil  Agnew  and  executive 
vice-president  Charles  L.  Casanave  at 
a  trade  press  interview  in  which  MPS 
publicity  director  Joseph  L.  Roberts 
also  participated.  The  executives  re- 
vealed additionally  that  MPS  will  set 


up  Latin  American  headquarters  in 
Mexico  City  by  early  summer,  has 
laid  the  groundwork  for  a  European 
distribution  arrangement,  and  probab- 
ly will  soon  have  a  distribution  deal 
for  Canada.  Agnew  said  the  com- 
pany will  sell  the  Orient,  Philippines 
and  South  Africa  out  of  New  York. 

MPS,  Agnew  announced,  also  has 
acquired  seven  new  features,  plus  sev- 
en Harold  Lloyd  reissues,  all  of 
which  the  company  will  release  direct- 
ly, with  James  Clark's  National  Film 
Service  handling  physical  distribution. 
Additionally,  he  said,  the  company  has 
established  itself  as  producer  publicity 
representative  for  Nassour  Studios, 
the  Harry  and  Edward  Danziger  pro- 
duction "Jigsaw,"  and  Franchot  Tone's 
"The  Man  on  the  Eiffel  Tower." 

Pictures  which  will  be  distributed 
under  the  MPS  banner  include,  in  ad- 
dition to  "Movie  Crazy,"  "The  Fresh- 
man" and  five  other  Lloyd  films,  the 
following :  Roberto  Rosselini's  "The 
Beggar  of  Rome,"  Nat  Wachsberger's 
"Cairo,"  the  Maria  Montez  French 
production,  "Last  Port,"  "Thief  of 
Venice"  to  be  made  in  Italy,  "What 
Happened  to  Hitler?,"  "Prejudice," 
and  the  Brazilian-made  "Matta  Gros- 
so  Jungle." 

Looks  to  National  Distributor 

Agnew,  who  said  the  MPS  is  at 
present  geared  to  a  releasing  capacity 
of  one-a-month,  indicated  that  the 
company  may  "find  a  home  with  a  na- 
tional distributor"  for  "Cairo,"  which 
stars  George  Raft,  and  "Last  Port," 
which  stars  Miss  Montez,  Jean  Pierre 
Aumont  and  Lili  Palmer. 

The  MPS  plan,  Agnew  said,  is  to 
"farm  out"  MPS  releases  to  other 
national  distributors  when  all  but  the 
final  IS  per  cent  of  the  domestic  mar- 
ket has  been  played.  He  explained 
that  MPS  is  not  in  a  position  to  "in- 
vade" that  final  15  per  cent  because 
distribution  costs  reach  such  a  high 
point  at  that  stage  of  marketing. 

Television  interests,  Agnew  dis- 
closed, have  attempted  to  buy  telecast 
rights  to  the  Lloyd  pictures,  but,  the 
MPS  head  added,  the  films  will  be 
withheld  from  video  until  they  have 
completed  circulation  in  theatres.  He 
reported  that  Lloyd  will  produce  an- 
other picture  if  the  reissues  "go  over." 


Code  for  Video 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


coming,  telecasters  face  the  possibil- 
ity of  an  imposed  censorship. 

"The  motion  picture  industry  real- 
ized that  self-regulation,  onerous  as 
it  seemed,  was  better  than  govern- 
mental or  any  other  type  of  regula- 
tion," Austrian  observed,  adding : 
"For  years  it  has  been  operating 
within  the  framework  of  the  (PCA) 
cod"  and  has  been  eminently  suc- 
cessful in  keeping  its  skirts  clean." 


New  York  Representative,  44  Wall  St. 
Foreign  Branches: 

London,  Manila,  and  Tokyo 


MO*"! 


Ascap,  Telecasters 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


There  had  been  delays  at  the  start 
of  the  talks  but  these  were  caused  by 
the  specific  nature  of  Ascap's  licens- 
ing authority,  and  not  terms. 

In  reporting  on  the  meetings  so 
far,  a  video  spokesman  said  yester- 
day that  they  bear  absolutely  no  sem- 
blance with  the  heated  sessions  with 
the  broadcasters  late  in  1939.  As  a 
result  of  the  differences  at  that  time, 
Ascap  music  was  not  used  on  radio 
for  about  nine  months. 

Ascap's  present  gratis  pact  with  the 
telecasters  will  expire  on  April  1. 


Propose  Ascap  Fee 
On  Per -piece  Basis 

Boston,  March  15. — Hearings  have 
started  here  before  a  state  legislative 
committee  on  a  proposal  to  require 
Ascap  to  sell  the  public  perform- 
ance rights  to  the  music  of  its  mem- 
bers on  a  fixed-rate  per-piece  basis 
under  supervision  of  a  state  board. 
The  proposal  was  made  originally  by 
Charles  McGlue,  in  behalf  of  ball- 
room operators. 

Testifying  before  the  committee, 
Oscar  Hammerstein  II,  appearing  as 
an  Ascap  vice-president,  declared  that 
the  proposal  has  proved  impractical 
from  the  viewpoint  of  music  writers, 
music  users  and  the  public. 

Under  the  proposal,  music  copy- 
right owners  would  be  required  to  file 
a  list  of  their  works  with  the  state 
and  fix  a  rate  for  each  piece. 


Telecasts  Begin  April  1 

Cincinnati,  March  15.  — WKRC- 
TV,  local  television  station,  will  start 
commercial  telecasts  April  1. 


Fabian  -  Gamble 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


have  been  urged  by  United  Artists 
principals  to  re-enter  negotiations  now 
that  Chaplin  holds  a  30  to  40-day  op- 
tion on  Miss  Pickford's  U.  A.  shares 
and  is  assumed  to  be  willing  to  dis- 
pose of  his  own  holdings  also,  Fa- 
bian and  Gamble  want  to  be  sure 
beforehand  that  their  1947  experi- 
ence will  not  be  repeated. 

In  response  to  invitations  from 
United  Artists  sources  to  bid  for 
the  company  ownership,  Fabian  and 
Gamble  have  asked  for  some  firm  pro- 
posal from  Chaplin  which  they  can 
accept  or  reject  and,  if  accepted,  will 
be  the  basis  for  an  irrevocable  clos- 
ing. A  firm  sales  proposal  could  take 
the  form  of  an  option  to  them  for 
45  or  60  days  but,  since  Chaplin's 
own  option  on  Miss  Pickford's  half 
interest  in  U.  A.  extends  for  less  than 
that  time,  it  is  assumed  that  her 
approval  of  such  an  option,  as  well 
as  Chaplin's,  would  be  required. 

Pending  a  reply  from  Chaplin  on 
the  firm  sales  offer  requisite,  there 
have  been  no  negotiations  by  Fabian 
and  Gamble  who,  at  the  moment, 
appear  to  be  the  only  prospects  in 
the  field. 

Asking  price  for  the  Chaplin-Pick  - 
ford  U.  A.  shares  is  $5,400,000.  Re- 
portedly, if  a  deal  could  be  made, 
Fabian  and  Gamble  would  bring  in 
other  theatre  operators  with  an  ini- 
tial objective  of  providing  ample  cash 
for  the  financing  of  outstanding  inde- 
pendent producers  who  would  release 
through  U.  A. 


Drive-In  Registers 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  15. — Royster 
Drive-in  Theatres  registered  a  certifi- 
cate here  to  operate  in  Poughkeepsie. 


161  Sixth  Avenue 
New  York  13.  N.  Y. 
llfil  N.  Vine  Street 
Hollywood  38.  Calif. 


8 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  16,  1949 


Review 


"Tuna  Clipper" 

(Monogram) 

Hollywood,  March  IS 

TUNA  fishing  as  it  is  conducted  in  California  waters  furnishes  interesting 
and  integrated  background  for  this  story  of  human  nature's  reaction  to 
stress,  a  sensible  and  satisfying  chronicle  offering  entertainment  for  the  whole 
family.  A  little  light  on  the  name  side  for  floodlight  exploitation  purposes,  it 
is  an  attraction  in  the  solid-entertainment  category  and  capable  of  building  by 
word-of-mouth. 

Roddy  McDowall,  who  is  down  with  Ace  Herman  as  associate  producer 
to  Lindsley  Parsons,  portrays  a  serious-minded  youngster  who  sets  out  to 
protect  a  pal  by  taking  the  rap  for  a  horse  wager  which  the  latter  has  neg- 
lected to  place  for  an  unscrupulous  bettor  on  a  nag  which  has  romped  in  at 
10  to  1.  Undertaking  to  earn  enough  money  to  make  good  the  bet,  he  leaves 
home  and  takes  employment  and  residence  with  a  family  of  tuna  fisher-folk, 
where  his  dilemma  gradually  becomes  known  and  steps  are  taken  to  do  some- 
thing corrective  about  it.  When  it  is  learned  that  the  bettor,  played  by  Roland 
Winters,  has  been  collecting  not  only  from  Roddy  but  also  from  his  pal, 
played  by  Dickie  Moore,  matters  get  straightened  out  in  a  hurry  and  Roddy 
is  forgiven  by  his  parents  for  leaving  home.  Direction  by  William  Beaudine 
and  screenplay  by  W.  Scott  Darling  make  the  most  of  the  wholly  screen- 
worthy  material  in  hand. 

Others  in  the  cast  include  Elena  Verdugo,  Rick  Vallin,  Dickie  Moore, 
Russell  Simpson,  Doris  Kemper,  Peter  Mamakos,  Richard  Avonde,  Michael 
Vallon. 

Running  time,  77  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
not  set. 


Dutch  Indies  May 
Permit  120  Imports 


Washington,  March  15.  —  The 
Netherlands  Indies'  Department  of 
Economic  Affairs  is  considering  al- 
lowing major  U.  S.  film  companies 
to  send  in  120  films  this  year,  the 
U.  S.  Commerce  Department  report- 
ed here  today. 

Film  chief  Nathan  D.  Golden  said 
that  another  120  films  would  be  al- 
lotted RFD,  the  Netherlands  govern- 
ment film  firm,  which  would  be  bought 
from  U.  S.  independents  and  Con- 
tinental and  Asiatic  producers.  About 
60  films  would  be  allowed  J.  Arthur 
Rank,  and  perhaps  50  to  100  would 
come  from  Indian,  Arabic,  Egyptian 
and  Chinese  producers. 

Currency  exchange  continues  to  be 
the  major  problem,  Golden  said,  and 
through  November,  1948,  the  time 
when  the  last  report  came  in  from 
Batavia,  leading  U.  S.  producers  had 
been  unable  to  remit  dollars  for  any 
1948  showings. 

Golden  said  that  a  struggle  is  shap- 
ing up  between  the  U.  S.  Motion  Pic- 
ture Export  Association  and  the 
RFD.  RFD  tried  to  line  up  films 
from  smaller  U.  S.  independents  and 
some  European  and  Oriental  produc- 
ers, but  struck  a  snag  when  the  U. 
S.  firms  wanted  cash  payment  in 
dollars. 

A  government  ruling  prevents  dis- 
tributors from  contracting  with  the- 
atre owners  for  more  than  eight  films 
at  a  time.  Distributors  feel  this 
prevents  long-term  planning. 


33 1/3%  Quota 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

on  the  narrow  majority  accorded  it, 
is  regarded  as  a  great  personal  tri- 
umph for  Sir  Alexander  King,  newly- 
elected  president  of  the  Exhibitors 
Association,  whose  eloquence  at  the 
hearing  in  the  face  of  the  Producers 
Association's  embittered  opposition 
clearly  swayed  the  Council's  deci- 
sive section  composed  of  those  having 
no  connection  with  the  industry. 

The  45  per  cent  quota  appears  to 
have  been  a  complete  failure  in  the 
first  six  months  of  its  existence.  Thou- 
sands of  exhibitors  have  defaulted 
despite  relief  granted  to  many  of 
them. 


Latest  Schine  Offer 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Buffalo  on  March  18,  when  Federal 
Judge  Knight  will  hear  arguments  on 
whether  Schine  should  be  allowed  to 
introduce  new  evidence.  The  decision 
will-  depend  on  whether  Schine  comes 
up  with  a  "substantially  better"  offer 
today  or  tomorrow. 

Barring  that,  the  government  will 
oppose  any  postponement,  a  Justice 
official  said. 


Mono-Allied  Backlog 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

productions  this  year,  Broidy  reported, 
the  figure  including  18  Westerns.  Also 
included  are  two  high-budget  films  to 
be  made  in  England  in  association 
with  Associated  British  Pictures. 

Broidy  spoke  confidently  of  future 
operations,  saying  that  the  company 
has  cut  production  costs  without  im- 
pairing values. 


WB  Stockholder  Suits 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Sept.  20,  attack  a  production-distribu- 
tion deal  with  United  Pictures,  and 
name  as  defendants  both  companies 
and  the  following  individuals :  Joseph 
Bernhard,  Robert  W.  Perkins,  Milton 
Sperling,  Harry  M.,  Jack  L.  and  Al- 
bert Warner,  Morris  Wolf,  John  E. 
Bierwirth,  Samuel  Carlisle  and  Sam- 
uel Schneider. 

Meanwhile,  in  New  York  Supreme 
Court,  where  four  of  the  Federal 
Court  actions  have  been  duplicated, 
Justice  Samuel  Hoffsteder  yesterday 
granted  the  defendants'  motion  calling 
for  the  stockholder  plaintiffs  to  furnish 
security  bonds  in  the  amount  of  $25,000 
each  to  cover  costs  in  the  event  that 
defendants  win  the  judgments. 


2  Join  ABC  Video  Web 

Station  WCPO-TV,  Cincinnati,  and 
WBNS-TV,  Columbus,  have  affiliated 
with  American  Broadcasting's  televi- 
sion network. 


Prejudiced  Abroad 
Uninformed:  Seaton 


Hollywood,  March  15.— Unin- 
formed prejudice  against  American 
pictures  is  blamed  for  foreign  bar- 
riers set  up  by  "highly  placed  people 
who  have  never  seen  a  Hollywood 
film  but  who  actually  believe  our 
films  are  socially  undesirable  and 
detrimental,"  Screen  Writers  Guild 
president  George  Seaton  declared  on 
his  return  here  from  a  European  tour. 

Seaton  said  that,  "What  I  saw 
abroad  convinces  me  this  prejudice 
has  its  roots  in  this  country.  Over- 
coming prejudice  against  Hollywood 
requires  the  joint  action  of  all  of  us, 
and  the  SWG  intends  to  do  its  share 
toward  counter-acting  false  impres- 
sions and  inaccurate  information. 
There  is  far  too  little  understanding 
and  appreciation  of  the  vast  amount 
of  honest  work,  artistic  integrity  and 
creative  ability  that  goes  into  picture 
making. 

"Nobody  seems  to  bother  to  put 
across  the  positive  side  of  the  story. 
This  is  something  writers  can  and 
should  do  in  their  outside  writings. 

"Taking  a  poke  at  Hollywood  has 
become  something  of  a  racket.  Dispar- 
aging Hollywood  is  always  good  for 
a  sure-fire  piece,  and  there  is  so  much 
of  it  that  the  other  side  has  been  lost 
from  view.  We  need  to  bring  the  pic- 
ture back  into  balance." 


Jugoslavia  Deal 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

try  into  Jugoslavia  of  the  films  of 
MPEA's  10  member  companies. 

Announcement  that  the  Film  Mon- 
opoly had  signed  was  disclosed  in 
a  cable  from  Belgrade  received  here 
from  Irving  Maas,  MPEA  vice- 
president  now  touring  Europe. 

Under  terms  of  the  agreement,  the 
Jugoslav  Monopoly,  in  addition  to_  a 
flat  sum  advance  guarantee  per  pic- 
ture, will  remit  a  percentage  of 
MPEA's  share  of  revenue  earned  by 
each  picture  on  a  monthly  dollar  ba- 
sis. The  balance  of  the  earnings, 
which  will  accrue  in  Jugoslav  dinars, 
will  be  available  for  use  by  the  Ex- 
port Association  in  various  deals 
through  which  it  is  expected  sub- 
stantial additional  dollars  will  be 
realized.  The  agreement  further  pro- 
vides that  MPEA  will  be  permitted 
to  send  a  representative  to  Belgrade 
to  control  execution  of  the  contract. 

From  a  list  of  100  American  films 
submitted  for  its  consideration,  the 
Jugoslav  Monopoly,  Maas  reported, 
has  already  screened  and  approved 
"Madame  Curie,"  "Mr.  Smith  Goes 
to  Washington,"  "Ali  Baba  and  the 
40  Thieves,"  "Gulliver's  Travels," 
''Random  Harvest,"  "Tarzan's  Se- 
cret Treasure,"  "Citizen  Kane"  and 
"Watch  on  the  Rhine." 


CHANGE  IN  DATE 

CINCINNATI 
Trade  Showing 

of 

"THE  SET-UP" 

MON.,  MAR.  21,  9:30  P.M. 
at  RKO  Proj.  Room  •  12  E.  6th  St. 
instead  of  Mar.  22,  as  previ- 
ously advertised 

RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 


"Outstanding  photography." 


SAN  FRANCISCO  CALL-BULLETIN 


Western  Electric's  "300"  Recording  System 
Gefs  Rugged  Workout  in  Venezuela 


Faced  with  the  problem  of  mak- 
ing films  on  location  in  the 
mountainous  terrain  of  Vene- 
zuela, The  Princeton  Film  Center, 
Princeton,  N.  J.,  is  using  a  Type 
300  Recording  System  mounted 
in  a  small  truck. 

Gordon  Knox,  Executive  Direc- 
tor of  The  Princeton  Film  Center, 
says  "we  have  given  the  c300' 
System  a  rugged  workout  in 
Venezuela  and  it  has  performed 
faultlessly." 

Wherever  Western  Electric 
recording  equipment  is  used,  it 
has  earned  an  unequalled  repu- 
tation for  ruggedness,  versatility 
and  high  quality.  The  "300"  Sys- 
tem is  an  honored  member  of  the 
line  which  includes  the  Deluxe 
"400"  System  and  the  smaller 
"200"  Newsreel  System.  Write 
today  for  full  information. 


— ~ —  ■  :'  :■■   


The  Princeton  Film  Center  recordist  at  the  mixer  of  the  "300" 
System  on   location   high  in  the  Venezuelan  mountains. 


This  small  truck  contains  the  complete  "300" 
Recording  System,  plus  all  the  power 
generating  equipment  needed  on  location. 


Electrical  Research  Products  Division 

OF 

Western  Electric  Company 

INCORPORATED  "  ' 

120  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK  5,  N.Y. 

Hollywood  office  —  6601  Romaine  St. 


with  CHILL  WILLS,  LLOYD  GOUGH,  EDWARD  BEGLEY,  Jimmy  Conlin,  Roland  Jack  •  Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER- Directed  by  STUART  HEISLER  •  Associal 
Producer  EDWARD  LASKER  •  Screenplay  by  Frank  Nugent  and  Curtis  Kenyon  •  Suggested  by  a  story  by  Richard  Wormser-An  EAGLE  LION  FILMS  Releas 


j  FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

K~             JL  i 

Accurate 

IN 

T%  ATT  ~\T 

Concise 

1  FILM 

IJAI  L  jl 

and 

NLWo 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.  NO.  53 

NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  THURSDAY,  MARCH  17,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

U.  K.  Film  Men 
Bring  No 
Official  Power 


Will  Go  to  Washington 
Meet  As  Producers  Only 

London,  March  16.  —  Britain's 
members  of  the  Joint  Anglo-U.  S. 
Films  Council  will  take  with  them 
to  the  first  meeting  of  the  Council, 
in  Washington,  on  April  21,  no  official 
authority  delegated  to  them  by  the 
government,  Board  of  Trade  spokes- 
men assert. 

This  rules  out  any  possibility 
that  the  British  delegation  can 
introduce  remittance  restric- 
tions, frozen  sterling  uses, 
quota  or  other  government- 
controlled  issues  which  have 
rankled  the  American  industry 
as  bargaining  points  at  the 
forthcoming  Washington  dis- 
cussions. 

Members  of  the  British  delegation, 
J.  Arthur  Rank,  Sir  Henry  French 
and  Sir  Alexander  Korda,  have  enter- 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


British  Ticket  Tax 
May  Be  Reduced 

London,  March  16. — British  exhibi- 
tors are  increasingly  hopeful  of  a  re- 
duction of  the  entertainment  tax  when 
the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,  Sir 
Stafford  Cripps,  presents  the  new 
budget  to  the  House  of  Commons  on 
April  6. 

Sir  William  Croft,  chairman  of  the 
Excise  Board,  after  conferring  with 
exhibitors  recently,  said  he  was  im- 
pressed with  their  claims  that  the 
financial  returns  of  2,000  theatre  oper- 
ators show  that  their  businesses  are 
jeopardized  by  the  present  high  tax. 
He  said  he  would  urge  Cripps  either 

(.Continued  on  page  10) 


Say  13  of  90  U.  K. 
Films  Are  'Good' 


London,  March  16. — A  report  by 
Exhibitors'  Association  strategists 
rating  only  13  films  as  good  first  fea- 
tures of  the  90  films  offered  by  all 
British  producers  in  the  10  months 
ended  Jan.  25,  1949,  is  believed  to 
have  had  much  to  do  with  the  Films 
Council  recommendation  yesterday  for 
lowering  the  quota  to  33^  per  cent. 

The  report  graded  the  90  British 

(.Continued  on  page  10) 


McCarthy  Premiere  DECREE  SIGNED 


Houston,  .  March  16. — More  than  50 
Hollywood  personalities,  accompanied 
by  scores  of  newspaper,  trade  paper, 
magazine  and  radio  representatives 
arrived  here  today  by  plane  and  train 
to  participate  in  the  dual  premiere  of 
oil-man  and  industrialist  Glenn  Mc- 
Carthy's first  motion  picture,  "The 
Green  Promise,"  and  the  opening  of 
his  $20,000,000  Shamrock  hotel. 


Other  "  Green  Promise"— 
Shamrock  premiere  news  and 
information  will  be  found  on 
Pages  5  to  10  of  this  issue. 


The  West  Coast  contingent  was 
transported  by  a  16-car  Santa  Fe  spe- 
cial train.  Others  came  by  chartered 
American  Airline  planes.  All  will  be 
quartered  at  McCarthy's  luxurious 
new  hotel  and  they  will  be  his  guests 
at  a  press  party  and  dinner  tonight. 

(Continued  on  page  5) 

Republic,  DeLuxe 
Get  4IA'  Demands 


AFL's  IATSE  Motion  Picture 
Home  Office  Employes  Local  No.  H- 
63  has  opened  negotiations  with  Re- 
public for  a  "white  collarite"  union 
shop  contract,  it  was  reported  here 
yesterday  by  Russell  Moss,  H-63  busi- 
ness agent.  Moss  said  that  No.  H-63, 
which  won  the  Republic  home  office 
away  from  the  CIO's  Screen  Office 
and  Professional  Employes  Guild  in 
a  recent  National  Labor  Relations 
Board  election,  is  seeking  to  bring  the 
"collarite"  salary  scale  at  Republic  in 
line  with  that  prevailing  at  Warner 
and  Universal-International,  both  H- 
63  home  office  shops.  Talks  with  Re- 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


Television  Likely 
To  Kill  4BV  in 
Theatres:  Raihourn 


Chicago,  March  16. — "The  so-called 
'B'  picture  will  find  competition  in 
television  and  is  likely  to  disappear 
from  our  screens,"  Paul  Raibourn, 
Paramount  vice-president  in  charge  of 
television  activities,  told  a  luncheon- 
meeting  of  the  Investment  Bankers 
Association  at  the  Drake  Hotel  here 
today. 

"But  television,  as  yet,  has  produced 
no  serious  competition  for  the  'A's," 
he  said. 

Raibourn  said  that  it  is  "no  acci- 
dent" that  the  "Hopalong  Cassidy" 
Westerns  are  "tops"  as  television  pic- 
tures. He  indicated  that  broader  act- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Industry  Clear  in  5 
More  Legislatures 

Washington,  March  16. — Five 
more  state  legislatures  have  adjourned 
without  taking  any  action  harmful  to 
the  film  industry,  making  a  total  of 
11  so  far  this  year,  according  to  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America 
legislative  representative  Jack  Bryson. 

The  five  states  whose  legislatures 
quit  during  the  past  week  were :  West 
Virginia,  Utah,  Arkansas,  New  Mex- 
ico and  Indiana. 

In  West  Virginia,  one  of  the  key 
danger  spots  this  year,  several  harm- 
ful bills  were  left  buried  in  committee. 
These  were  bills  to  set  up  a  state 
censorship  board,  a  two  per  cent  reel 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Industry  Prepares  for 
Any  Natl  Express  Strike 


Biersdorf  Heads  SRO 
Sales  in  the  South 

Herman  Biersdorf,  film  sales  execu- 
tive of  the  South,  has  been  named  to 
handle  Selznick  Releasing  Organiza- 
tion sales  in  that  territory,  with  head- 
quarters in  Dallas.  Biersdorf  was 
Southern  division  manager  for  Eagle- 
Lion,  and  also  held  various  sales 
posts  for  20th  Century-Fox. 


The  film  industry  here,  large  user 
of  the  Railway  Express,  is  standing 
virtually  alone  in  its  lack  of  serious 
concern  over  the  complete  shutdown 
of  the  agency's  66  terminals  and  de- 
pots in  the  New  York  Metropolitan 
area.  It  already  has  circumvented  the 
local  print  shipping  problem  and  is 
also  fully  prepared  to  keep  film  mov- 
ing uninterruptedly  should  the  current 
REA  labor  trouble  and  retaliatory  lay- 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


Agreement  Reached  with 
Department  of  Justice; 
Details    Not  Disclosed 


Washington,  March  16.  —  The 
Department  of  Justice  reached  an 
agreement  here  today  with  Schine 
Chain  Theatres  for  a  consent  de- 
cree ending  the  11 -year-old  anti-trust 
litigation  against  the  large  circuit 
with  headquarters  at  Gloversville, 
N.  Y. 

Although  confirming  the  fact  that 
an  agreement  on  a  decree  had  been 
reached,  Justice  officials  declined  to 
divulge  details  on  the  grounds  that 
the  provisions  still  have  to  be  pre- 
pared in  form  for  submission  to  the 
U.S.  District  court  at  Buffalo  and 
details  of  the  injunctive  relief  to  be 
granted  the  government  against 
Schine  still  remain  to  be  worked  out. 

The  government  and  Schine  will 
ask  the  Buffalo  court  on  Friday  for 
another  30-day  postponement  of  the 
hearing  now  scheduled  for  that  day  in 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


New  Contracts  Give 
16mm.  Rights  to  UA 

United  Artists  is  now  including  in 
all  standard  distribution  contracts 
with  independent  producers  a  new 
clause  under  which  16mm.  rights  also 
are  assigned  to  the  company. 

UA's  chief  motive,  it  is  said,  is  to 
protect  itself  from  unregulated  show- 
ings of  the  narrow-gauge  prints  which 
were  in  actual  competition  with  the 
company's  regular  exhibition  outlets. 

Company  intends  to  release  the 
16mm.  films  through  its  own  ex- 
changes, but  only  after  the  product 
has  played  out  its  theatrical  runs  and 
in  no  case  where  the  showings  would 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


Berkson  to  Expand 
In  Distribution 


Expansion  in  distribution  has  been 
set  by  Screencraft  Pictures,  Inc., 
headed  by  Jack  S.  Berkson. 

Screencraft  is  currently  closing  with 
additional  franchise  holders  through- 
out the  country,  Berkson  disclosed 
here  yesterday.  The  company,  which 
since  1940  has  been  mainly  in  the  re- 
issue field,  is  now  turning  to  the  dis- 
tribution of  new  product.  The  distri- 
bution organization  will  cover  the 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  17,  194; 


Personal 
Mention 

CHARLES    LEVY,    Eastern   pub- 1 
licity  director  for   Walt  Disney 
Productions,    has    returned   to  New 
York  from  the  Coast. 

• 

William     Henderson,  formerly 
with  Selznick  Releasing  Organization, 
has  joined  Columbia  as  salesman  in 
the  Charlotte  branch,  succeeding  Nor-  i 
man  Jackter,  who  was  transferred  to  | 
the  Washington  branch. 

• 

George    Jenkins,    formerly    20th  I 
Century-Fox  publicity  representative 
at  San  Francisco,  has  become  manager 
of  the  Grand  Lake  Theatre  at  Oak- 
land, Cal. 

• 

George  Tarassoff  has  succeeded 
George    Matthews    as  Eagle-Lion 
booker  at  Cleveland,  with  John  Os- 
walt   replacing    Tarassoff    as    the  I 
Schine  booker. 

• 

Wallace    Sheppard   Jordan    has  I 
been  appointed  head  of  radio  and  tele- 
vision activities  at  the  William  Mor- 
ris Agency  here,  succeeding  the  late 
William  B.  Murray. 

• 

George  Brandon  Dowell,  former 
scenario  writer  and  now  an  instructor 
in  the  drama  department  of  Smith 
College,  will  speak  before  the  Temple 
Emanuel  League  on  April  15. 
• 

I.  J.  Hoffman,  Warner  zone  man- 
ager at  New  Haven,  has  returned 
there  from  a  vacation  in  Louisiana  and 
Florida. 

• 

Fred  Teller,  assistant  manager  of 
the  Orpheum  Theatre,  Omaha,  was  re- 
cently married  in  Lincoln,  Neb.,  to 
Lorraine  Davidson  of  the  latter  city. 
• 

John  C.  Martinson,  assistant  man- 
ager of  the  Midtown  Theatre  at  San  | 
Francisco,  was  married  on  the  thea- 
tre's stage  to  Elaine  Olhiser. 
• 

_  Maurice  Goldstein,  Monogram- Al- 
lied Artists  sales  vice-president,  will 
return  to  New  York  from  Boston 
on  Friday. 

• 

Allan  Jones  and  his  wife,  Irene 
Hervey,  will  sail  from  here  today  for  | 
Europe  aboard  the  Queen  Mary. 

Dan  Michalove  of  National  The 
atres,  is  at  San  Francisco,  en  route 
to  New  York. 

• 

John  Jenkins  of  Astor  Pictures, 
Dallas,  is  in  New  York. 


Insider's  Outlook 


By  RED  KANN 


Beigel  in  Loew's  Post, 
Replacing  Max  Wolff  \ 

Charles  Beigel,  former  president  of 
Pyramid  International  Corp.,  import- 
ers and  exporters,  has  been  appointed 
director  of  purchasing  for  Loew's, 
Inc.,  here,  succeeding  Max  Wolff  ^ 
who  has  resigned  after  some  30  years 
with  the  company.  Wolff  will  take  a 
month's  vacation  before  announcing 
future  plans. 


TN  pursuit  of  his  objective  to 
have  American  films  shown 
wherever  there  are  theatres, 
Eric  Johnston  last  fall  initiated 
a  deal  with  Yugoslavia's  state- 
operated  Film  Monopoly.  The 
contracts,  signed  now  with  the 
Motion  Picture  Export  Associa- 
tion, cover  25  features  and  a  like 
number  of  shorts  for  release  in 
this  Iron  Curtain  country  in  the 
next  12  months.  Terms  include 
an  advance  flat  guarantee  per 
picture,  part  of  the  remittances 
in  hard  currency,  the  remainder 
in  dinars  for  MPEA  use  in 
transactions  out  of  which  addi- 
tional dollars  eventually  may 
become  available  in  New  York. 

This  conveys  an  impression  of 
importance  ■  which  the  arrange- 
ment actually  does  not  hold. 
Yugoslavia  is  not  a  prime  for- 
eign outlet  for  American  prod- 
uct although,  obviously,  any 
market  opened  up.  may  be  said 
to  constitute  an  economic  gain 
and,  therefore,  is  to  be  com- 
mended. 

■ 

Certainly  equally  as  vital,  and 
perhaps  more  so,  is  the  story  of 
America  which  motion  pictures 
hold  the  power  to  tell  in  such 
broad  and  striking  strokes.  We 
venture  to  offer  on  behalf  of 
Johnston  that  he  is  constantly 
aware  of  this,  and  likewise  do  we 
venture  it  as  unthinkable  that  he 
is  not. 

However,  the  Yugoslav  deal 
creates  pause.  A  list  of  100 
films  was  submitted  for  Film 
Monopoly  selection.  Already 
screened  and  approved  from  the 
offered  lineup  are  eight  attrac- 
'trons  which  include  "Mr.  Smith 
Goes  to  Washington,"  "Citizen 
Kane"  and  "Watch  on  the 
Rhine." 

The  first  was  a  political  lam- 
poon in  which  the  U.  S.  Senate 
generally  took  it  on  its  96-man 
chin.  "Citizen  Kane,"  believed 
to.  have  been  drawn  from  inci- 
dents in  the  life  of  William  Ran- 
dolph Hearst,  was  interpretable 
as  an  attack  on  the  American 
press,  or  powerful  segments  of 
it.  "Watch  on  the  Rhine"  em- 
phasized the  indifference  of  the 
entrenched  class  in  America  to 
the  menace  of  Nazism. 

■ 

Where  this  country  and  its 
form  of  government  are  under- 
stood, it  well  may  be  argued 
these  pictures  simply  were  a  re- 
flection of  democracy  at  work. 
On  the  theory  that  democracy  is 
not  perfect,  but  is  always  strong 
enough  to  expose  its  weaknesses 


and  yet  arise  above  them,  the 
position  that  these  three  served 
a  purpose  can  be  supported. 

Where  we  are  not  understood 
because  an  opposing  ideology 
distorts  the  facts  into  grist  for 
its  perpetual-motion  propaganda 
machine,  the  industry  does  a 
disservice  to  the  nation  and  to 
itself  when  it  fails  to  remain 
abreast  of  its  responsibilities. 

Responsibility  recedes  into 
limbo  when  attractions  such  as 
those  cited  are  placed  on  a  con- 
venient platter  for  any  anti- 
democracy  county  to  grab. 
■ 

There  is,  of  course,  no  in- 
formation about  the  reactions 
of  the  Communist  propaganda 
apparatus  in  Yugoslavia.  But 
there  cannot  be  any  doubt  about 
the  avidity  with  which  these 
three  films  must  have  been 
seized,  and  perhaps  nothing-  but 
amazement  over  why  they  were 
offered. 

In  deliberate  hands,  "Mr. 
Smith"  can  be — no  doubt  will  be 
— twisted  neatly  to  prove  the 
whole  American  Congress  is 
made  up  of  a  bunch  of  crooks. 
"Citizen  Kane"  can  become  an 
argument  demonstrating  a  com- 
pletely corrupt  and  moribund 
press,  and  "Watch  on  the  Rhine" 
a  case  history  proving  all 
Americans  were  too  lazy  and  too 
rich  to  bother  about  Hitler. 

In  this  period  of  the  "cold 
war,"  it  is  clearly  not  enough  to 
make  a  deal  to  sell  numbers  of 
motion  pictures.  Where  those 
films  go  is  an  indivisible  part  of 
the  bargain.  What  those,  pic- 
tures are  about,  and  their  poten- 
tial for  good  or  bad,  should  be 
the  very  essence  of  the  bargain. 
■  ■ 

One  of  the  attention-getters  in 
the  Loew  brief  opposing  theatre 
divestiture  has  been  largely 
overlooked.  Distribution  under 
Bill  Rodgers  has  made  4,984 
changes  in  prevailing,  and  often 
long-established  clearance  sched- 
ules from  June  of  '46  to  Feb- 
ruary of  '48,  in  order  "to  further 
equitable  licensing." 

The  magnitude  of  the  job  is 
difficult  to  appreciate.  Each 
schedule  finally  changed  had  to 
be  checked  over  and  weighed  in 
relation  to  the  surrounding  com- 
petition. The  exhibitor  who 
was  moved  up  found  the  compe- 
tition whose  clearance  he  then 
shared  raising  hallelujah  and 
ready  to  yell  he  had  been 
robbed.  Metro,  undoubtedly, 
made  many  more  friends,  but  it 
also  encouraged  some  enmities. 


Talent  Is  Set  for 
Variety  Benefit 

A  large  array  of  talent  will  be  ail! 
the  RKO  Palace  next  Tuesday  nigh* 
when  the  new  Variety  Club  of  New' 
York  presents  Allied  Artists'  "Bad' 
Boy"  in  a  benefit  premiere.  Milton 
Berle  will  formally  welcome  Varietr 
on  behalf  of  the  Friars.  Chief  barker 
Max  A.  Cohen  yesterday  announcec, 
the  following  entertainers  will  par- 
ticipate : 

Phil  Baker,  Cab  Calloway,  Music  Hall 
Rockettes,  King  Cole  Trio,  Larry  Storcli 
Harvey  Stone,  Leo  De  Lyon,  Vic  Damone 
Myron  Cohen,  Phil  Reagan,  Hal  LeRoy 
Rudy  Cardenas,"  Harry  Hirshfield  and  Jean 
nette  Blair. 

Also  Frank  Fontaine,  Julie  Wilson,  Man- 
ual Viera,  Jean  Carroll,  Jack  Carter,  Larrj, 
Best,  Dave  Apollon,  Gil  Lamb,  Marilyr 
Maxwell  Virginia  O'Brien,  Paul  Brisson, 
Jerry  Colonna,  Jane  Pickens,  Connie, 
Haines,  Betty  Reilly,  Perry  Como,  Four, 
Step  Brothers,  Bunny  Briggs,  Maurice 
Rocco   and    Billy  Colby. 


Wyman,  Warner  Win 
'Golden  Globes' 

Hollywood,  March  16.— Jane  Wy- 
man was  voted  best  actress  of  the 
year  for  her  performance  in  "Johnny 
Belinda,"  and  Lawrence  Olivier  best 
actor  for  "Hamlet,"  by  the  Hollywood 
Foreign  Correspondents  Association  at 
its  "Golden  Globes"  presentation  ban- 
quet last  night,  with  Jack  Warner, 
Warner  production  vice-president 
voted  a  "double  Golden  Globe"  as  pro- 
ducer of  the  year. 

Two  Warner  films,  "Johnny  "  Be- 
linda" >(  and  "Treasure  of  Sierra 
Madre,"  won  the  award  for  the  com- 
pany's production  head  and  marked 
the  first  time  the  correspondents  had 
chosen  two  "best"  films. 


Col.  Production  Post 
To  S.  Sylvan  Simon 

Hollywood,  March  16.— Columbia 
announced  today  the  appointment  of 
S.  Sylvan  Simon  as  executive  pro- 
ducer to  function  directly  under  Har- 
ry Cohn,  company  president.  Cur- 
rently producing  "Miss  Grant  Takes 
Richmond,"-  Simon  has  been  assigned 
four  other  films  for  his  personal  pro- 
duction and  in  addition  will  supervise 
pictures  to  be  produced  by  Buddy  Ad- 
ler  and  Alex  Gottlieb. 


Skouras  Tells  Club 
Of  Trip  to  Greece 

A  first-hand  story  of  the  current 
war  m  Greece  was  given  to  members 
of  the  Overseas  Press  Club  by  Spyros 
P.  Skouras,  president  of  20th  Century- 
Fox,  at  the  club's  regular  monthly 
luncheon  at  the  Sherry  Netherlands 
here  yesterday. 


Lazarus,  Sr.,  Improving 

Kansas  City,  March  16.— Paul 
Lazarus,  Sr.,  United  Artists  sales  ex- 
ecutive, who  has  been  in  St.  Joseph 
Hospital  here,  is  improving  slowly  but 
steadily,  it  is  reported.  However,  he 
still  is  unable  to  see  visitors. 


DuMont  Video  Rate  Up 

WABD,  DuMont  television  station 
in  New  York,  has  increased  its  basic 
rate  from  $1,000  to  $1,500  per  evening 
hour,  Mortimer  W.  Loewi,  director 
of  the  network,  announces. 


year,  $6  ,n  the  Americas  and  $l2  foreign;  single^opiflO™3""'  SePt-  23'  1938"  at         ^  office  at  New  York!3*3  Sunder  thfac"  °J  MaThVi^ 


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jne^      ;  A>l.i<Sif»AL  from 

WARMER  BRoS' 


dozens  of  hit  tones  including  the  Sens 


^^31  W  DREAM  .SYOURS;  SOMEONE  LIKE  55?  LOVE  F.NDS  A  WAY/"iU  STRING  Ai-ON^.TH  YOU 


'The  Movies  and  You"  short  subject  series  ...  the  story  of  your  industry 


■ 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Mexican  Production 
May  Hit  High  of  200 

Mexico  City,  March  16.— The  trade 
sees  materialization  of  predictions 
some  producers  made  last  year  that 
1949  will  witness  a  new  high  in  Mexi- 
can production  with  an  output  of  some 
200  pictures.  That  expectation  is  based 
upon  the  announcement  by  Andres 
Serra  Rojas,  president  of  the  indus- 
try's own  bank,  the  Banco  Nacional 
Cinematografico,  that  it  has  cancelled 
the_  policy  it,  recently  announced  to 
limit  financing  this  year  to  30  pic- 
tures and  would  hand-pick  the  makers 
from  among  topflight  producers  and 
operators  of  large  theatre  circuits. 

"The  Banco  Nacional  Gnematogra- 
fico, S.A.,  has  decided  to  change  its 
policy  of  limiting  picture  production," 
Rojas  explained.  "Therefore  it  de- 
clares that  it  is  disposed  to  finance 
as  many  producers  as  possible,  with- 
out distinction  or  restriction  of  any 
kind." 

The  bank's  announcement  of  limit- 
ing production  was  originally  in- 
terpreted as  meaning  that  the  1949 
output  would  only  reach  80.  The  trade 
attributes  the  change  in  policy  to  the 
demand  that  is  said  to  have  increased 
for  films  due  to  more  and  more  the- 
atres. 


Reviews 


Six  Are  Rated  'B'  by 
Legion  of  Decency 

Twelve  additional  pictures  have  been 
rated  by  the  Legion  of  Decency  this 
week,  with  six,  an  unusually  large 
number,  receiving  a  "B"  classification. 
In  that  classification  are  Rank-Eagle 
Lion's  "Easy  Money,"  "Quartet," 
"Saraband"  and  "Sleeping  Car  to  Tri- 
este"; Warner's  "South  of  St.  Louis," 
and  Paramount's  "El  Paso." 

In  Class  A-I  are  Monogram's 
^'Crashing  Through";  RKO  Radio's 
"The  Green  Promise" ;  Eagle  Lion's 
"Scott  of  the  Antarctic,"  and  Repub- 
lic's "Sheriff  of  Wichita."  In  Class 
A-II  are  Rank-Eagle  Lion's  "Esther 
Waters"  and  "My  Brother's  Keeper." 
The  classification  of  Oxford  Films' 
"Torment"  has  been  changed  from  "C" 
to  "B." 


Forum  To  Hear  Johnston 

Philadelphia,  March  16.  —  Eric 
Johnston,  president  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America,  and 
Morris  Sayre,  president  of  Corn  Prod- 
ucts Refining,  will  discuss  the  ques- 
tion "Is  the  U.S.  Headed  Toward 
Socialism"  before  the  third  annual 
Philadelphia  Bulletin  forum  on  world 
affairs,  with  the  speeches  to  be  car- 
ried over  CBS  on  March  22. 


It  Always  Rains  on  Sunday" 

(Rank — Eagle-Lion) 

nPHE  events  in  the  lives  of  a  set  in  London's  East  End  on  a  rainy  Sunday 
have  been  leisurely  but  dramatically  recorded  in  this  J.  Arthur  Rank 
presentation.  The  characterizations  are  realistic  and  ably  handled  by  Googie 
Withers,  as  the  wife ;  Edward  Chapman,  as  the  husband,  and  John  McCallum 
as  an  escaped  prisoner.  Cockney  accents  make  some  of  the  dialogue  difficult 
to  understand. 

The  plot  concerns  primarily  a  father,  his  second  wife  and  his  two  daughters 
A  former  boy  friend  of  the  wife  escapes  from  prison  and  goes  to  her  for  aid 
Her  struggle  to  hide  him,  dry  his  clothes  and  feed  him  so  he  will  be  able  to 
make  a  getaway  is  presented  in  a  suspenseful  manner.  Many  complications 
arise  m  the  course  of  the  day.  The  elder  daughter  becomes  infatuated  with  a 
married  orchestra  leader;  the  younger  daughter  has  a  quarrel  with  her  boy 
T1CL  uu  P°hACe  are  °?  the  trail  of  the  escaPed  prisoner  and  also  a  trio  of 
petty  robbers.  An  exciting  climax  is  reached  when  the  police  are  tracking 
down  the  prisoner.  Eventually  the  convict  is  caught;  the  orchestral  leader 
returns  to  his  wife,  and  the  younger  daughter's  quarrel  is  amicably  settled. 

1  his  is  a  Michael  Balcon  production,  directed  by  Robert  Hamer  with 
Henry  Cornelius  as  associate  producer.  The  screenplay  was  written  bv  Aneus 
Macphail,  Robert  Hamer  and  Henry  Cornelius,  from  a  novel  by  ArZr 

Running  time,  88  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  March  release. 

"Red  Stallion  in  the  Rockies" 

{Eagle-Lion) 

A  WILD  stallion  that  leads  a  herd  of  horses  on  destructive  rampages  be- 
JT1  comes  the  objective  of  irate  ranch  owners  in  this  formula-made  action 
drama  Along  with  this  angle  runs  the  story  of  two  circus  performers  who 
land  interim  jobs  on  a  ranch  and  get  involved  in  ensuing  entanglements  The 
story,  provided  by  Tom  Reed,  has  the  necessary  ingredients  to  please  the 
audiences  which  it  is  intended  for,  although  it  is  occasionally  weakened  bv 
the  substitution  of  dialogue  for  action. 

_  The  circus  hands,  played  by  Arthur  Franz  and  Wallace  Ford,  finally  real- 
ize that  the  hunted  red  stallion  is  actually  a  circus  horse  which  had  its  coat 
covered  with  phosphorescent  paint.  The  boys  have  to  extend  themselves  some 
to  prevent  the  horse  from  being  shot,  and  to  ward  off  the  villainy  of  a 
ranch  foreman.  To  further  complicate  matters,  Franz  falls  in  love  with  the 
ranch  owner's  granddaughter,  Jean  Heather,  but  her  grandfather  dislikes 
circus  people.  There  is  some  brisk  excitement  in  the  customary  Western 
groove  before  the  horse  is  returned  to  its  circus,  the  villain  gets  his  due,  and 
Franz  marries  Miss  Heather.  Performances  are  generally  adequate.  An  added 
exploitation  quality  is  provided  by  Cinecolor.  Aubrey  Schenck  produced  and 
Ralph  Murphy  directed.  The  screenplay  was  suggested  from  a  story  by  Fran- 
cis Orsenwald.   ,-,  3S 

Running  time,  85- minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date,  not 
set-  Mandel  Herbstman 


Minnesota  Cities  Can 
Levy  Ticket  Tax 

St.  Paul,  March  16.  —  The 
tax  committee  of  the  Minne- 
sota House  has  approved  a 
bill  authorizing  communities 
to  impose  amusement  taxes 
should  Congress  repeal  the 
federal  levies. 

The  measure  would  permit 
communities  to  levy  taxes  up 
to  the  20  per  cent  now  col- 
lected under  the  Federal 
statute.  Referenda  would  not 
be  necessary  for  local  im- 
position of  the  taxes,  the  bill 
authorizing  approval  simply 
by  ordinance. 


Writers  Charge  Plagiary 

Hollywood,  March  16. — Writers 
Howard  J.  Green  and  Raymond  L. 
Goldman  filed  suit  in  Superior  Court 
today  charging  Monogram,  Mayfair 
Productions  and  four  individuals  with 
plagiarizing  their  produced  play,  "Peo- 
ple's Choice,"  in  "Henry  the  Rain- 
maker." They  demand  $100,000  real 
damages  and  $50,000  punitive  dam 
ages. 


Radio  Programs  Hail 
'Canyon9  Opening 

Salt  Lake  City,  March  16. — For 
the  past  three  days,  the  American 
Broadcasting  Co.  network  program, 
"Breakfast  in  Hollywood,"  has  origi- 
nated from  the  stage  of  the  Utah  The- 
atre to  help  promote  the  premiere  of 
Universal-International's  "Red  Can- 
yon." Extensive  other  radio  and 
newspaper  promotion  has  preceded  the 
two-theatre  opening  tomorrow  night. 

Aided  by  Tracy  Barham,  general 
manager  of  Intermountain  Theatres, 
U-I  exploitation  representative  Cliff 
Brown  has  been  working  on  the  cam- 
paign in  the  territory  for  several 
weeks.  Several  additional  openings 
will  follow  in  this  territory  during 
the  coming  week. 


Anti  -  Jim  Crow  Bill  Due 

Washington,  March  16. — Rep.  Ar- 
thur Klein,  New  York  Democrat,  is 
slated  to  introduce  tomorrow  a  bill  to 
deny  a  license  to  any  theatre  or  other 
public  place  in  the  District  of  Colum- 
bia which  does  not  admit  or  which 
.segregates  Negroes.  The  measure  is 
given  little  chance  of  success. 


'Bad  Boy'  at  Carthay 

Hollywood,  March  16. — The  pre- 
miere of  Allied  Artists'  "Bad  Boy," 
held  at  the  Carthay  Circle  here  last 
night,  netted  $9,850  for  the  local  Vari- 
ety Club's  Boys'  Club,  with  the  regu- 
lar run  starting  today,  in  addition,  at 
the  Orpheum,  Vogue  and  Belmont. 


Lippert  Signs  Fuller 

Hollywood,  March  16.— Samuel 
Fuller,  author  and  director  of  Lippert 
Productions'  "I  Shot  Jesse  James," 
has  been  signed  by  Robert  L.  Lippert 
to  write  and  direct  three  pictures  for 
Lippert  Productions,  to  be  released 
through  Screen  Guild. 


'Stratton  Story9  Bows 
In  Cleveland  Apr.  21 

M-G-M's  "The  Stratton  Story"  will 
have  its  world  premiere  at  Loew's 
Stillman,  Cleveland,  April  21,  pre- 
ceded by  an  extensive  campaign,  it 
was  announced  here  yesterday.  It  is 
one  of  several  pictures  announced  at 
the  recent  West  Coast  conferences  as 
being  scheduled  for  special  treatment 
and  handling. 

John  Joseph,  who  recently  joined 
M-G-M  as  assistant  to  Howard  Dietz, 
advertising  vice-president,  plans  to 
leave  Monday  for  Cleveland  to  meet 
with  Orville  Crouch,  Loew  district 
manager,  and  J.  E.  Watson,  M-G-M 
field  promotion  man,  to  discuss  pre- 
liminary arrangements  for  the  first 
opening  campaign. 


600  to  Lobby  for 
Municipal  Taxes 

Washington,  March  16.— Then 
will  be  a  lot  of  lobbying  going  oi 
here  next  week  for  repeal  or  reduc 
tion  of  the  20  per  cent  admission- 
tax,  but  the  motion  picture  industry 
cannot  take  too  much  hope  from  thai' 
activity. 

The  lobbying  will  come  from  some 
600  city  officials  from  all  sections  of 
the  U.  S.,  who  will  meet  here  Mon- 
day through  Wednesday  at  the  annual 
convention  of  the  U.  S.  Conference  of 
Mayors.  One  of  the  big  planks  in  the 
conference's  program  is  repeal  of  the 
Federal  admission  tax  so  that  munici- 
palities can  step  in  and  levy  local 
ticket  taxes.  The  meeting  next  week- 
will  probably  reaffirm  this  program, 
and  then  turn  the  members  loose  on 
their  Congressmen  in  an  attempt  to( 
get  some  action. 


Clear  Industry  Slate 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Israel  Film  Release  Date 

u  The  first  feature  film  from  Israel, 
"Dream  No  More,"  written  and  di- 
rected by  Joseph  Krumgold  and  pro- 
duced by  Krumgold  and  Norman 
Lourie  for  Palestine  Films,  will  be 
released  in  the  United  States  on 
April  26. 


use-tax,  a  two  cents-a-ticket  admission 
tax,  and  a  bill  to  legalize  dog  racing. 
The  New  Mexico  legislature  voted  to 
legalize  bank  night. 

A  bill  calling  for  a  two  per  cent 
general  sales  tax,  including  theatre 
admissions,  has  been  introduced  in 
Nevada,  but  the  legislature  is  slated 
to  adjourn  shortly,  and  the  bill  is  not 
given  much  chance  of  passage. 

Thirty-three  legislatures  are  still  in 
session.  Four  are  not  meeting  this 
year. 


Allied  Eastern  Regional 

A  closed  Allied  Eastern  regional 
meeting  was  held  here  yesterday,  with 
Edward  Lachman,  Allied  Theatre 
Owners  of  New  Jersey  president, 
serving  as  host  to  Allied  unit  leaders 
from  Boston,  Baltimore,  Washington 
and  Philadelphia.  Various  exhibitor 
problems  were  assayed  at  the  meeting, 
it  was  said. 


Skinner  in  New  Post 

Atlanta,  March  16.— Eugene  Skin- 
ner, former  manager  of  the  Jackson- 
ville, Fla.,  Drive-in,  will  be  trans- 
ferred to  the  home  office  here  of  Dixie 
Drive-in  Theatres  to  coordinate  ad- 
vertising, publicity  and  exploitation 
for  the  circuit,  Harris  Robinson,  pres- 
ident of  the  circuit,  has  announced. 


Holiday  Irks  Mexicans 

Mexico  City,  March  16.— Exhibi- 
tors are  irked  by  the  new  obligatory 
holiday,  March  21,  recently  decreed 
to  honor  Benito  Juarez,  ex-President. 
Exhibitors  must  pay  triple  wages  to 
their  help  for  holidays. 

NTS  Branch  in  Omaha 

Omaha,  March  16.— National  The- 
atre Supply  will  hold  "open  house" 
here  on  Monday  for  its  official  open- 
ing. Glenn  K.  Slipper  is  manager; 
other  staffers  are  O.  F.  (Ozzie) 
Gramlick  and  Elaine  Braun. 


Thursday,  March  17,  1049 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Two  New  Pictures 
Planned  by  McCarthy 

Hollywood,  March  16.  — 
Glenn  McCarthy  Productions, 
whose  first  picture,  "The 
Green  Promise,"  is  being  giv- 
en an  elaborate  premiere  in 
Houston  tomorrow  and  Fri- 
day, will  start  work  almost 
immediately  on  a  second,  "My 
Darling  Is  a  Kangaroo,"  a 
comedy  by  Monty  Collins, 
with  a  Hollywood  film  cartoon 
studio  background.  Robert 
Paige  and  Collins  will  co- 
produce. 

A  third  will  be  a  large-scale 
drama  of  the  oil  fields,  also 
to  be  written  by  Collins.  The 
company  plans  to  make  at 
least  two  pictures  annually. 


McCarthy  Premiere 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Raibourn  on  Video 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ing,  quicker  pace  and  action  rather 
than  characterization  will  be  relied 
upon  for  "attention  value"  in  video 
films.  He  contrasted  these  elements 
with  "the  subtle  nuances  of  emotion 
and  taste  which  Hollywood  uses  to 
tempt  you  in  the  darkened  theatre  . . . 
but  which  are  lost  on  the  average 
home  television  set." 

Plans  for  extensive  use  of  trailers 
over  television  to  promote  motion  pic- 
tures in  theatres  were  revealed  by 
Raibourn.  "We  have  learned  that  the 
television  set  in  the  home  is  going  to 
be  such  a  marvelous  instrument  for 
making  people  want  to  see  motion  pic- 
tures that  one  wonders  sometimes  if  it 
wasn't  just  devised  for  that  purpose," 
he  said.  "Through  a  television  broad- 
cast we  will  come  into  your  home  to 
show  you  just  enough  of  a  picture^  to 
make  you  hungry  for  the  rest  of  it." 

Raibourn  cited  as  an  objective  the 
means  of  applying  the  know-how 
which  characterizes  a  Hollywood 
"Oscar-Candidate"  picture  which 
costs  $25,000  to  $50,000  a  minute,  to 
films  for  video  at  a  maximum  cost  of 
$500  a  minute.  He  indicated  that  tele- 
vision could  not  afford  films  costing 
much  more  than  $50  a  minute  at  the 
present. 

He  expressed  the  belief  that  net- 
work radio,  as  it  now  exists,  would 
probably  eventually  be  replaced  by 
television  but  that  most  local  radio 
stations  would  survive. 

Raibourn  reported  on  Paramount's 
experiments  with  large-screen  tele- 
vision in  its  Paramount  Theatre,  New 
York,  disclosing  that  the  method  has 
been  developed  to  the  point  where 
video  pictures  and  sound  can  be  re 
corded  from  a  receiver,  processed_  and 
projected  on  the  large  screen  within 
eight  seconds.  When  the  process  was 
first  unveiled  here  the  reproduction 
ran  about  66  seconds  behind  the  actual 
televised  event. 


Cut  Rates  at  Coast  House 

San  Francisco,  March  16.  —  The 
1,400-seat  Tivoli  Theatre  here  will  re 
open  March  23  with  a  policy  of  two 
features  and  vaudeville.  The  theatre 
was  remodeled  at  a  cost  of  $100,000. 
Ellis  W.  Levy,  general  manager  of 
Telenews  Theatres,  and  his  New  York 
associates  will  operate  at  prices  fixed 
to  undersell  present  houses.  With 
three  shows  daily  and  a  minimum  of 
five  acts,  the  admission  range,  includ- 
ing tax,  will  be  25c  mornings,  50  cents 
in  the  afternoon,  65  cents  evenings, 
and  74  cents  on  Saturday  and  Sunday 
evenings  with  a  50-cent  matinee. 


Formal  opening  of  the  hotel  is  set  for 
tomorrow,  St.  Patrick's  Day.  Pre- 
miere of  the  picture,  which  will  be 
distributed  by  RKO  Radio,  will  be 
held  on  Friday  at  the  Metropolitan 
and  Kirby  theatres.  Premiere  seats 
are  priced  at  $4.90. 

A  five-mile  torchlight  automobile 
parade,  featuring  the  Hollywood  celeb- 
rities, will  precede  the  picture's  pre- 
miere, starting  from  The  Shamrock, 
which  is  some  distance  from  the 
Houston  business  district,  traveling 
through  main  streets  of  the  city  to  the 
theatres.  Police  have  made  plans  for 
handling  one  of  the  largest  public  turn- 
outs that  the  city  has  seen. 

Hollywood  Stars  Attend 

Among  the  Hollywood  personalities 
participating  are:  Sonja  Henie,  Mar- 
guerite Chapman,  Van  Heflin,  Kirk 
Douglas,  Joan  Caulfield,  MacDonald 
Carey,  Gale  Storm,  Robert  Preston, 
Ellen  Drew,  Robert  Paige,  Walter 
Brennan,  Chester  Morris,  Andy  De- 
vine,  Hugh  Herbert,  Brian  Donlevy, 
Edgar  Bergen,  Katharine  Grayson, 
Johnny  Johnston,  Dennis  O'Keefe, 
Ward  Bond,  Ed  Gardner,  Leo  Carillo, 
Robert  Stack,  Peggy  Cummins, 
Wayne  Morris,  Alan  Hale,  Ruth 
Warrick ,  Bruce  Cabot,  Jack  Paar, 
Joan  Davis,  Cathy  Downs  and  others. 

They  will  be  joined  at  tonight's 
banquet  by  leading  Houston  civic  and 
social  personalities.  Banquet  enter- 
tainment will  be  provided  by  Dorothy 
Shay  and  Russ  Morgan's  orchestra. 
Dorothy  Lamour's  Sealtest  show  will 
be  broadcast  and  Pat  O'Brien  will  act 
as  master-of-ceremonies. 

Plans  for  the  affair  actually  were 
started  eight  months  ago,  before  the 
picture  went  into  production.  In  con- 
sequence, it  has  amassed  reams  of 
newspaper  and  magazine  coverage  for 
both  the  hotel  and  picture,  a  reason- 
ably budgeted  production  which  has 
garnered  the  fanfare  ordinarily  given 
films  costing  five  times  as  much. 

The  exploitation  staff  includes  Blake 
McVeigh,  publicity  director  for  Glenn 
McCarthy    Productions ;    James  A. 


McCarthy  Fortune 
Made  in  Texas  Oil 


Clark,  head  of  McCarthy's  public  rela- 
tions staff  in  Houston ;  William  Ross 
Howard  of  Ruthrauf  and  Ryan,  ad- 
vertising agency  for  the  Shamrock 
hotel ;  Perry  Lieber,  RKO  radio  pub- 
licity director;  Terry  Turner,  RKO 
exploitation  director,  and  members  of 
his  field  staff. 

4-H  Club  Tie-in 

Exploitation-wise,  the  picture  is 
tied  up  with  the  2,000,000  members  of 
the  84,000  4-H  clubs  between  the  ages 
of  10  and  21,  and  their  10,000,000 
other  alumni  and  volunteer  workers 
in  the  United  States.  It  also  has  the 
support  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of 
Agriculture  and  its  employes  through- 
out the  country. 

A  nationwide  search  among  the  4-H 
clubs'  membership  was  conducted  for 
a  young  girl  to  act  in  the  picture. 
Jeanne  La  Duke  of  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind., 
was  selected  at  the  culmination  of  the 
well-publicized  search.  The  film  was 
previewed  for  an  enthusiastic  audience 
of  2,500  at  the  annual  4-H  Congress  in 
Chicago  last  December.  The  picture 
will  open  immediately  after  its  local 
bow  in  a  dozen  key  cities  of  Texas 
and  Oklahoma,  in  Galveston  on  March 
19;  Port  Arthur,  March  20;  Beau- 
mont, March  21;  Austin,  March  . 22; 
San  Antonio,  March  23 ;  Dallas, 
March  24;  Fort  Worth,  March  25; 
Abilene,  March  26;  Wichita  Falls, 
March  27 ;  Oklahoma  City,  March  28, 
and  Tulsa,  March  29. 

Tour  for  12  Openings 

Robert  Preston,  Ellen  Drew,  Ruth 
Warrick  and  Jack  Paar,  accompanied 
by  Terry  Turner,  will  make  a  personal 
appearance  tour  covering  the  12 
Texas-Oklahoma  openings.  Robert 
Paige,  co-producer  of  "The  Green 
Promise"  and  one  of  its  stars,  will  be 
at  several  of  them. 

The  local  activities  will  wind  up 
here  Saturday  morning  when  the 
McCarthy  special  train  will  return  the 
Coast  visitors  to  Hollywood  and  char- 
tered planes  convey  other  guests  to 
their  home  cities. 


Houston,  March  16. — Glenn  Mc- 
Carthy, executive  producer  of  "The 
Green  Promise,"  is  a  product  of 
Texas'  fabulous  oil  fields. 

He  began  his 
o  i  1  operations 
as  a  wildcatter 
in  1933,  experi- 
enced momen- 
tary successes, 
followed  by  re- 
verses, but  re- 
fused to  be  dis- 
couraged. .  I  n 
1940  he  brought 
in  the  Legion 
City  oil  field 
and  with  num- 
erous subse- 
quent rich 
discoveries  h  i  s 
fortune  has  in- 


Glenn  McCarthy 


British  Theatres  to 
Boycott  Video  Films 

London,  March  16. — The  Exhibi- 
tors' Association's  general  council  has 
adopted  a  resolution  calling  for  an 
effective  boycott  of  any  films  televised 
"contrary  to  the  arrangements  in  the 
industry."  That  means  that  no  films 
will  be  booked  which  have  been  shown 
on  television  before  their  theatre  value 
has  been  exhausted. 

The  resolution  is  the  aftermath  of 
the  televising  recently  of  two  West- 
erns, "Wrangler  Roost"  and  "Trail- 
ing Double  Trouble,"  simultaneously 
with  their  being  offered  to  theatres  by 
the  distributor,  New  Realm.  The  lat- 
ter said  it  did  not  control  the  tele- 
vision rights.  That  excuse  will  no 
longer  be  accepted,  exhibitors  say. 


Copyright  -  Violation 
Prints  Are  Recovered 

Sixteen  additional  lost  or  stolen 
16mm.  prints  of  features,  shorts  and 
newsreels,  have  been  recovered  here 
by  the  Federal  Bureau  of  Investiga- 
tion for  the  Army-Air  Force  Motion 
Picture  Service.  Pictures  were  pro- 
duced by  Universal,  M-G-M,  20th 
Century-Fox,  Columbia,  RKO  Radio 
and  Paramount. 


Berkson  to  Expand 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


United  States  and  Canada  100  per 
cent,  he  said. 

Berkson  also  revealed  that  he  now 
is  negotiating  with  several  independent 
production  units  on  the  Coast  for  the 
distribution  of  their  product.  He  re- 
cently signed  with  Kayson  Produc- 
tions, its  first  being  "Riders  of  the 
Pony  Express,"  in  Trucolor,  to  be 
ready  -  in  about  60  days.  Another  in 
color,  "Calamity  Jane  and  the  Texan," 
will  follow  shortly  thereafter.  Screen- 
craft  also  is  readying  for  release 
"Circus  Days,"  a  135-minute  package 
show  consisting  of  a  feature,  a  fea- 
turette,  and  several  shorts,  all  pertain- 
ing to  the  circus. 

Current  plans  call  for  the  distribu- 
tion of  from  eight  to  12  features  a 
year,  mostly  in  color. 

Berkson  started  in  the  industry  in 
1918  with  Bernard  H.  Mills.  Both 
are  still  working  together  today,  Mills 
as  vice-president  of  Sc'reencraft. 


Warner  Signs  Ginger 

Hollywood,  March  16. — Jack  L. 
Warner,  production  vice-president  of 
Warner  Brothers,  has  signed  Ginger 
Rogers  to  star  with  Dennis  Morgan  in 
the  company's  "Perfect  Strangers." 


creased  steadily  since. 

Today  a  Multi-millionaire 

His  wealth  today  is  estimated  gen- 
erally at  $65,000,000,  but  some  place 
it  as  high  as  $200,000,000  or  $300,000,- 
000.  He  is  41  years  old,  a  native  of 
Texas,  married,  and  the  father  of  four 
girls  and  one  boy. 

In  addition  to  his  huge  oil  and  gas 
interests,  McCarthy  owns  a  publishing 
company,  a  radio  station,  his  motion 
picture  company,  a  Houston  skyscrap- 
er and  the  new  $20,000,000  Shamrock 
hotel,  which  will  be  opened  tomorrow, 
St.  Patrick's  Day.  It  is  18  stories 
high,  has  1,100  luxurious,  ultra- 
modern rooms  with  radio-television 
and  individual  air-conditioning  in 
every  room.  It  is  five  miles  from 
the  business  center. 

Wide  Sports  Interests 

McCarthy  was  a  good  athlete  in  his 
school  days,  excelling  in  football  and 
boxing.  He  still  is  an  enthusiastic 
sportsman,  enjoys  hunting  and  riding, 
and  is  an  aviation  enthusiast.  He  is 
a  director  of  Eastern  Airlines  and 
the  National  Aeronautic  Association. 
His  three  planes  finished  first,  second 
and  fourth  in  the  1948  Bendix  air 
race.  He  has  a  15,000-acre  ranch  near 
Uvalde,  Texas,  where  he  spends  most 
of  his  free  weekends. 

His  interest  in  motion  pictures  is 
not  a  profit  one,  he  can  make  more 
money  in  oil,  but  like  all  successful 
businessmen  he  wants  them  to  pay 
their  own  way.  He  believes  that  mo- 
tion pictures  can  do  much  for  the 
home,  the  family  and  the  nation.  He 
plans  to  make  wholesome,  family  en- 
tertainment. American  historical  films 
will  have  an  important  part  in  his 
production  programs. 

Met  Paige  on  Tour 

Several  Hollywood  producers  tried 
in  the  past  to  interest  him  in  produc- 
tion, stressing  the  profit  possibilities, 
to  no  avail.  It  remained  for  Robert 
Paige,  whom  he  met  in  Houston 
while  the  actor  was  on  a  personal  ap- 
pearance tour  with  "Red  Stallion,"  to 
win  McCarthy's  support  for  produc- 
tion of  "The  Green  Promise,"  a  story 
of  American  farm  life,  by  recognizing 
that  the  picture  could  be  a  force  for 
good. 

McCarthy  not  only  liked  the  script 
well  enough  to  finance  the  production 
but  prevailed  upon  its  author,  Monty 
Collins,  and  Paige  to  produce  it  them- 
selves. That  started  Glenn  McCarthy 
Productions. 


ALL  TEXAS  HAILS  A 


KIND  OF  MOVIE! 

—  Brought  to  the  screen  as  the  newest  achievement  in  the  career  of  that  fabulous  Texan, 
Glenn  McCarthy,  industrialist,  oil  man,  builder  — American .. .and  now  motion  picture 
producer,  whose  beginnings  as  a  wildcat  driller  are  reaching  a  zenith  this  week  as  all 
Houston  hails  the  first  presentation  of  "The  Green  Promise"  and  the  opening  of  Mr. 
McCarthy's  luxurious  new  $20,000,000  Shamrock  Hotel!...  100  Hollywood  stars  attend- 
ing, plus  top-ranking  dignitaries  from  all  over  the  Nation! . . .  Gigantic  radio  shows!  Front- 
page newspaper  coverage!  Spectacular  parades,  dinners,  dances,  and  all  other  kinds  of 
functions,  all  a  part  of  the 

WORLD  PREMIERE  IN  HOUSTON,  MARCH  18-^  in  ,M 

tions  throughout  the  Southwest  immediately  thereafter! 


Congratulations 

GLENN 

"Slainthe" 


Producers  of 

THE  GREEN  PROMISE 


A 

Glenn  McCarthy  Production 


Che  Sh^mRock 

Here  is  a  great  new  Experience  in  Hospitality.  This  is  your  introduction  to  The  Shamrock,  a 

magnificent  symbol  of  friendliness  built  by  Texan  Glenn  McCarthy  for  America's  Magic  City .  .  .  Houston. 

Here  are  some  reasons  why  The  Shamrock  is  so  vast  a  departure  from  run-of-the-mill  hostelries  .  .  .  why 

it  represents  warm  welcome,  home-style  comfort,  unique  convenience  for  you  when  you're  in  Houston. 


Glenn  McCarthy 

.  .  .  ex-wildcatter,  sportsman, 
airman  .  .  .  head  of  16 
corporations  and  organizations, 
member  of  14  more  .  .  .  oilman 
builder  of  McCarthy  Center 
(1100-room  hotel,  1200-car 
garage,  1750-seat  theater, 
swimming  pool,  exhibition  hall) . 


The  beautifully  mod- 
ern lobby  gives  you 
your  first  taste  of  The 
Shamrock's  warm, 
friendly  atmosphere. 


Twelve  corner  rooms 
on  each  floor  ...  an 
architectural  achieve- 
ment that  affords  you 
choice  exposures,  su- 
perb views. 


Facilities  for  the  mira- 
cle of  television . . .  soon 
to  be  yours  to  enjoy 
no  matter  which  ac- 
commodations are  as- 
signed you. 


Sweet,  washed,  cooled, 
conditioned  air  .  .  . 
comfortable,  breath- 
able .  .  .  from  individu- 
ally climatized  air-con- 
ditioning units  in  every 
room. 


Beauty  salon,  barber 
shop,  teletype  service 
(No.  HO  192)  .  .  .  doz- 
ens of  stores  in  The 
Shamrock  Arcade  a  few 
minutes  away  from 
your  room. 

Smartness  and  glamor, 
fine  entertainment  and 
grand  food  ...  in  the 
many  spacious  private 
and  public  dining 
rooms  within  The 
Shamrock. 


GRAND  OPENING  •  ST.  PATRICK'S  DAY  •  MARCH  17,  1949 


he  SlnniRock 


A   GLENN   MCCARTHY  enterprise 


COMPLETE      CONVENTION      FACILITIES  AVAILABLE 


TELETYPE  NO 


H  O  1  9  2 


10 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  17,  1949 


U.  K.  Film  Men 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


tained  and  conferred  with  Harold 
Wilson,  president  of  the  Board  of 
Trade,  admittedly  to  discuss  their 
American  mission.  That  gave  rise  to 
conjecture,  officially  discredited  now, 
that  the  trio  might  take  with  them  to 
Washington  a  governmental  mandate 
fortifying  their  bargaining  position  for 
either  increased  American  playing 
time  for  British  pictures  or  other 
forms  of  American  assistance  for  pro- 
duction here. 

Makes  Status  Clear 

Sir  Henry,  at  his  most  recent  press 
conference,  confirmed  earlier  declara- 
tions at  the  Board  of  Trade,  saying 
that  he  was  anxious  to  make  it  com- 
pletely clear  that  the  three  men  will 
go  to  Washington  as  representatives 
of  the  Producers'  Association  only. 

"We  will  not  be  able  to  speak  for 
His  Majesty's  Government,"  said  Sir 
Henry  unequivocally.  "We  have  no 
authority  to  say  anything  in  the  Gov- 
ernment's behalf." 

Thus,  the  vaguely-drafted  item  on 
the  Joint  Film  Council's  agenda,  "To 
discuss  mutual  production  problems," 
is  generally  felt  here  to  be  about  all 
the  Council  will  do. 

That  is  feeding  surmises  here,  too, 
that  the  Council's  meeting  may  not 
occur  on  the  scheduled  date. 

Rank,  however,  will  sail  from 
Southampton  tomorrow  in  the  Queen 
Elisabeth,  due  in  New  York  next 
Wednesday.  He  will  visit  his  Eagle- 
Lion  associate,  Robert  Young,  in  Palm 
Beach,  and  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Fred 
Packard,  and  family  in  Hollywood  be- 
fore going  to  Washington. 

Allport  to  Observe 

Korda  and  French  will  leave  here 
later,  as  will  F.  W.  Allport,  London 
representative  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America,  who  will  sit 
in  as  an  observer  if  and  when  the 
Council  meeting  takes  place. 

There  is  still  active  dissatisfaction 
on  this  side  that  others  than  the  "big" 
producers  will  not  have  the  opportu- 
nity of  speaking  in  America  for  Brit- 
ain's film  industry.  Independent  pro- 
ducers make  it  clear  that  the  trio 
have  no  right  to  speak  for  them  and 
the  country's  3,000  independent  ex- 
hibitors, the  backbone  here  of  Ameri- 
can trade,  bitterly  resent  that  Sir 
Alexander  King,  Exhibitors'  Associa- 
tion president,  or  some  other  exhibi- 
tor, should  be  excluded  from  a  meet- 
ing ostensibly  directed  at  a  solution 
of  Anglo-American  film  problems. 


Para.  Holdings  Are 
Listed  by  the  SEC 

Washington,  March  16.  —  Para- 
mount president  Barney  Balaban,  at 
last  report  to  the  Securities  and  Ex- 
change Commission,  held  1,400  shares 
of  his  company's  common  stock,  and 
notes  for  $2,000,000,  convertible  to 
common  stock  under  certain  cond: 
tions,  at  $12.50  a  share,  the  SEC  dis- 
closes. 

Other  holders  of  large  blocks  of 
Paramount  common,  according  to  the 
last  reports  they  made  to  the  SEC,  are 
Stanton  Griffis,  with  8,700  shares  in 
his  own  name  and  15,800  shares  in 
various  trust  accounts ;  Maurice.  New- 
ton with  18,595  shares  in  his  own 
name,  18,380  shares  in  a  trust  under 
a  will ;  E.  V.  Richards,  who  controls 
13,500  shares  through  companies  in 
which  he  owns  a  majority  of  the 
stock;  and  Conger  Goodyear,  owning 
4,900  shares  in  his  own  name  and 
4,200  shares  in  trust  accounts. 

Hold  10  Per  Cent 

SEC  records  show  the  holdings  of 
officers,  directors  and  anyone  owning 
more  than  10  per  cent  of  the  outstand- 
ing stock.  Others  listed  on  the  SEC 
files,  with  their  last  reported  holdings, 
are :  Adolph  Zukor,  1 ,000  shares ; 
Leonard  Goldenson,  1,100  shares  in 
his  own  name,  700  jointly ;  Duncan  G. 
Harris,  2,700  shares ;  John  Hertz, 
2,000  shares  plus  100  through  Lehman 
Bros.,  in  which  he  is  a  partner ;  C. 
Austin  Keogh,  500;  Stephen  Cal- 
laghan,  1,400;  Y.  Frank  Freeman,  900  ; 
Henry  Ginsberg,  1,000  plus  275  shares 
for  his  sons ;  Edwin  L.  Weisl,  200 ; 
and  Earl  McClintock,  200. 


Anti-Trust  Law  Probe 
Set  by  House  Group 

Washington,  March  16.  — 
Members  of  the  House  Judic- 
iary Committee  today  con- 
firmed that  their  group  plans 
a  comprehensive  overhauling 
and  tightening  up  of  the  anti- 
trust laws. 

The  inquiry  may  be  ap- 
proved at  a  meeting  tomor- 
row. It  would  be  carried  on 
with  a  special  staff,  and  might 
last  over  a  year.  Coordination 
of  existing  laws  would  be  the 
first  order  of  business,  then 
strengthening.  The  committee 
will  meet  next  Wednesday 
with  top  officials  of  Govern- 
ment agencies  charged  with 
enforcing  the  anti-trust  laws 
to  work  out  the  scope  and 
methods  of  the  investigation. 


Schine  Decree 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Express  Tie-Up 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


13  of  90  U.K.  Films 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


films  as  follows ; 


British  Ticket  Tax 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


to  reduce  the  tax  or  permit  ticket 
price  increases  without  corresponding 
increases  in  the  tax. 

The  government,  however,  is  op- 
posed to  price  increases  and,  therefore, 
the  hoped-for  relief  most  likely  would 
be  made  by  tax  rate  reductions. 

The  relief  which  exhibitors  seek 
would  cost  the  Exchequer  some  $24,- 
000,000  annually.  They  argue  that  is 
not  unreasonable  in  view  of  the  $152,- 
000,000  now  being  collected  in  enter- 
tainment tax,  and  the  increasing  seri- 
ousness of  the  levy  to  theatre  opera- 
tion. 

Distributors'  association  and  theatre 
unions  supported  the  exhibitors'  argu- 
ments but  the  Producers'  Association 
did  not.  The  latter  would  like  to  see 
about  $60,000,000  of  entertainment  tax 
collections  ploughed  back  as  an  addi- 
tional government  subsidy  for  produc- 
tion. 


"Good  first  features,  most  of 
which  (not  all)  could  be  offered 
in  the  U.  S.  as  first  features — 
13. 

"Offered  as  first  features  in 
the  'mediocre  to  poor'  class — 32. 

"Definitely  second  features 
unacceptable  to  the  U.  S.  mar- 
ket—32. 

"Useful  to  complete  a  pro- 
gram—13." 

In  the  first  two  groups  are  45  films. 
Of  these  the  Association  says  28.9  per 
cent  were  good;  7.1  per  cent  were 
"mediocre  to  poor." 

"With  American  films,"  the  report 
observes,  "we  expect  the  proportion  of 
good  to  mediocre  to  be  50  per  cent, 
otherwise  we  change  to  another  dis- 
tributor." 

_  British  producers  had  sought  reten- 
tion of  the  present  45  per  cent  quota; 
studio  unions  wanted  it  boosted  to  60 
per  cent. 


offs  spread  to  other  sections  of  the 
country. 

Employing  for  the  past  week  the 
special  formula"  which  they  have 
held  in  reserve  for  an  emergency  such 
as  the  REA  tie-up,  the  distributors 
here  are  shipping  prints  in  and  out  of 
the  Metropolitan  area  by  film  carrier 
trucks,  with  Albany  and  Philadelphia 
serving  as  the  REA  sending  and  re- 
ceiving points  for  product  leaving  and 
destined  for  New  York.  Except  for 
direct  Coast-to-Coast  small  quantity 
print  shipping,  in  which  case  air 
freight  is  employed,  the  distributors 
usually  ship  product  for  long  hauls 
by  Railway  Express. 

In  the  event  of  a  nationwide  REA 
embargo,  the  industry  will  look  to 
the  network  of  independent  film  car- 
riers which  covers  the  country.  Thus, 
those  situations  which  normally  are 
serviced  by  REA  would  receive  prints 
under  the  "special  formula"  whereby 
prints  can  be  relayed  by  carrier  com- 
panies from  territory  to  territory.  This 
means  of  sidestepping  any  transporta 
tion  embargo  was  devised  by  the  dis- 
tributors acting  jointly  through  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer 
ica,  when  a  national  railroad  strike 
threatened  two  years  ago.  The  rail 
road  strike,  which  never  did  get  un- 
derway, would  have  tied  up  REA,  of 
course. 

Added  costs  would  be  involved  in 
employing  the  emergency  carrier  relay 
nationally,  a  distributor  transportation 
executive  has  pointed  out,  but  he  said 
the  difference  in  amount  would  not  be 
too  great. 


order  to  complete  details  of  the  con- 
sent decree  agreement. 

It  is  generally  assumed  that  the  de- 
cree, in  addition  to  providing  specific 
injunctive  relief,  will  call  for  the  open- 
ing _  up  of  all  remaining  "closed" 
Schine  situations  and  the  probable 
disposition  of  theatres  presumed  to 
have  been  illegally  acquired. 

The  government  brought  the  anti- 
trust suit  against  Schine  in  Buffalo 
Federal  court  in  1938,  concurrently 
with  similar  theatre  divestiture  suits 
against  the  Crescent  Circuit  at  Nash- 
ville and  the  Griffith  Theatres,  Okla- 
homa City.  The  District  court  ordered 
the  sale  of  some  70-odd  Schine  thea- 
tres in  New  York,  Ohio,  Kentucky 
and  Maryland,  most  or  all  of  which 
have  already  been  disposed  of. 
_  The  government,  seeking  further  re- 
lief, appealed  to  the  U.  S.  Supreme 
Court  which,  last  May,  remanded  the 
case  to  the  Buffalo  court  for  a  study 
of  illegally  held  or  acquired  theatres, 
which  it  indicated  should  be  divested. 
The  new  hearings  in  the  Buffalo 
court  have  been  postponed  pending 
the  outcome  of  the  decree  negotia- 
tions. 

Irving  Kaufman  and  Willard  S. 
McKay,  Schine  counsel,  represented 
the  circuit  in  the  negotiations  with 
Assistant  U.S.  Attorney  General  Her- 
bert Bergson. 

It  was  also  speculated  here  that  the 
decree  agreement  might  provide  for 
separation  of  large  blocks  of  Schine 
theatres  into  individual,  independent 
company  operations,  similar  to  the 
pattern  followed  in  the  break-up  of 
the  Crescent  circuit  as  ordered  by  the 
Federal  court  at  Nashville,  culminat- 
ing the  litigation  there. 

The  Griffith  suit,  like  the  Schine 
case,  was  remanded  by  the  U.S.  Su- 
preme Court  to  the  District  court  for 
further  study  of  the  divestiture  issue. 
The  Griffith  case  is  still  pending  in 
Oklahoma  City. 


16mm.  Rights  to  UA 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Republic,  DeLuxe 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Housewife  Wins  20th' 
Contest  for  'Chicken' 

An  Oregon  housewife,  Mrs.  E.  S. 
Snook,  of  Tigard,  whose  "most  de- 
sired  wish"  was  to  further  her  train- 
ing in  physical  therapy  work  asso- 
ciated with  the  care  of  cerebral  palsied 
children,  yesterday  was  named  winner 
of  the  National  Wishbone  Contest  in 
Los_  Angeles.  The  contest,  which  ran 
during  February,  was  sponsored  by 
the  Poultry  and  Egg  National  Board 
in  association  with  20th  Century-Fox, 
producers  of  "Chicken  Every  Sunday." 


public  are  "progressing  favorably,"  he 
added. 

Tomorrow,  Moss  said,  H-63  will 
open  contract  negotiations  with  De- 
Luxe  Laboratories,  a  shop  which  also 
was  won  away  from  SOPEG  in  an 
NLRB  election.  Paramount-Interna- 
tional, the  third  shop  to  pass  from 
SOPEG  to  H-63,  will  be  approached 
for  a  contract  following  the  election 
of  an  employes  negotiating  committee 
next  week,  Moss  indicated. 


Ottawa  Theatre  Robbery 

Ottawa,  March  16.— Safe-crackers 
broke  into  the  Nelson  Theatre  here 
and  took  $900  in  receipts. 


be  competitive  with  35mm.  theatres. 

A  16mm.  print  of  a  Hollywood  pic- 
ture, licensed  only  to  regular  outlets 
for  16mm.  film,  is  figured  to  bring  a 
maximum  distribution  gross  of  about 
$15,000.  Under  the  new  arrangement, 
this  probably  will  mean  about  $10,000 
to  the  producer  and  the  remainder  to 
UA  as  the  distributor. 


Set  Court  Meet  on 
Technicolor  Suit 

Hollywood,  March  16. — A  pre-trial 
conference  in  the  government's  anti- 
trust case  against  Technicolor  Corp. 
will  be  held  April  22  before  Federal 
Judge  William  C.  Mathes,  according 
to  William  C.  Dixon,  director  of  the 
Department  of  Justice  office  here. 

Counsel  for  both  sides  will  make 
stipulations  of  fact  with  the  purpose 
of  shortening  the  trial  by  eliminating 
extraneous  issues.  Date  for  the  trial 
has  not  yet  been  set. 


Sue  Bette  Davis  for  Tax 

Hollywood,  March  16.  —  Bette 
Davis,  film  actress,  has  been  sued  by 
the  U.S.  Treasury  Department  for 
$80,820  in  back  income  taxes,  and  in- 
terest, with  Edward  H.  Mitchell, 
Assistant  U.S.  Attorney,  claiming  that 
the  late  Arthur  Farnsworth,  husband 
of  Miss  Davis,  failed  to  list  half  of  the 
star's  earnings  as  community  property 


Guardian  of  her  most  important  "bath",.. 


COSTLY  shots  like  this  might  be 
so  much  spoiled  footage  .  .  . 
save  for  the  vigilance  and  knowl- 
edge of  the  laboratory  man. 

He  makes  sure  that  the  dailies 
take  their  all-important  bath  .  .  .  in- 
specting, testing,  keeping  constant 
check  as  the  exposed  footage  runs 
through  the  developing,  fixing,  and 
washing  tanks  and  driers. 

To  his  skill  and  watchfulness ...  as 


film  representing  "box-office  gold" 
literally  slips  through  his  careful  fin- 
gers .  .  .  motion  pictures  owe  much 
of  their  well-earned  reputation  for 
technical  excellence. 

This  skill  is  more  effective  .  .  .  the 
burden  of  constant  vigilance  lessened 
.  .  .  when  he  works  with  depend- 
able film  of  superior  quality.  That's 
why  he  always  welcomes  the  family 
of  Eastman  motion  picture  films. 


EASTMAN   KODAK  COMPANY 

ROCHESTER   4,   N.  Y. 

J.  E.  BRULATOUR,  INC.,  DISTRIBUTORS 
FORT   LEE    •    CHICAGO    •  HOLLYWOOD 


y  never  get  a  chance  to 
cool  off  with  smashes  like 

I  ; \ii   i  : hi 


CHNICOLOR 


DOUin  TO  THE  5EH  111  SHIPS 
THE  SHAKE  PIT  *  VEL10UI  SKV 
CHICKEN  EUERV  SUHDRV 
THAT  UIOHDERFUI  URGE 
H  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES 
UJHER  R1V  OROV  5R1IIES  RT  R1E 


TECHNICOLOR 


Rlr.  BELUEDERE  GOES  TO  COILEGE 
CRRRDIRn  PACIFIC  •  THE  FRR 


CINECOLOR 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  BLORDE  FR0R1 
BR5HFUL  BERO  •  IR1PULSE 


TECHNICOLOR 


CENTURY-FOX 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


j 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


L 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  54 


NEW  YORK,   U.S.A.,   FRIDAY,    MARCH  18,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Para.  Fights 
For  Television 


Station  Rights 


Holds  FCC  Cannot  Bar  It 
For  Trust  Violations 

Washington,  March  17. — Para 
mount  Pictures  told  the  Federal 
Communications  Commission  today 
that  the  Commission  had  no  right 
to  deny  a  qualified  applicant  a  radio 
or  television  station  because  of  anti- 
trust violations  in  a  field  outside  radio 
communications,  and  that  even  it  if 
had  such  power,  Paramount's  consent 
decree  with  the  government  gives  it  a 
clean  slate  for  broadcasting  ventures. 

"The  issues  in  U.  S.  vs.  Paramount 
have  been  settled  and  disposed  of  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  government  and 
the  courts,"  the  company  said.  "In  the 
consent  decree  there  are  no  findings 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Nassour  Sees 
FilmingSpurt 

A  great  intensification  of  production 
activity  will  occur  this  fall,  in  the 
opinion  of  Edward  Nassour,  indepen- 
dent producer.  Nassour,  who  operates 
the  Nassour  Studios  in  Hollywood, 
with  his  brother  William,  asserted 
here  yesterday  that  the  considerable 
backlog  of  product  which  the  majors 
had  is  _  running  low  and  heightened 
production  is  necessary.  As  for  him- 
self, he  said  he  is  going  ahead  with 
plans  for  expansion  and  increased  pro- 
duction. Nassour  cited  this  as  his  an- 

\Continued  on  page  6) 


Exhibitor  TV  Bids  Will 
Face  No  Bias:  FCC's  Coy 


There  is  no  "stigma"  attached  to 
being  a  motion  picture  exhibitor 
insofar  as  the  competition  for  tele- 
vision licenses  and  channels  is  con- 
cerned, and  the  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission  will  not  refuse  to 
grant  a  television  license  simply  be- 
cause an  applicant  is  a  motion  picture 
exhibitor. 

These  "personal  opinion"  state- 
ments are  embodied  in  a  letter  re- 
ceived by  Theatre  Owners  of  Ameri- 
ca executive  director  Gael  Sullivan, 
from  FCC  chairman  Wayne  Coy  in 
Washington.  Sullivan  had  written  to 
Coy,  posing  two  forthright  questions 
concerning  exhibitors'  prospects  for 
competing  on  an  equal  footing  with 
other  applicants  for  video  licenses. 

"The  Commission,"  Coy  told  Sulli- 
van, "has  no  policy  against  the  issu- 
ance of  television  permits  or  licenses 
to  motion  picture  exhibitors,  provided 
they  are  legally,  financially,  technical- 
ly and  otherwise  qualified  to  become 
broadcast  licensees.  However,  I  am 
sure  you  are  aware  of  the  fact  that 
(.Continued  on  page  6) 

Reek  Heads  MPAA 
Newsreel  Committee 


Rosenfield  Named 
20th-Fox  Ad  Chief 


SIMPP  Will 
Police  Decree 
Pacts:  Arnall 


Broidy  Sees  Rental 
Increase  of  a  Million 

Monogram  -  Allied  Artists 
president  Steve  Broidy,  visit- 
ing here  from  Hollywood, 
points  out  that  while  com- 
pany profits  have  decreased 
because  of  production  costs, 
the  release  of  completed 
high-budget  Allied  Artists 
pictures,  which  will  be  ef- 
fected by  November,  will 
bring  an  increase  of  at  least 
$1,000,000  in  rentals  next  year, 
compared  with  the  present 
fiscal  period.  "The  Babe  Ruth 
Story,"  he  noted,  has  already 
grossed  nearly  $2,000,000. 


Edmund  Reek  of  Movietone  News 
has  been  elected  chairman  of  the 
newsreel  committee  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America.  The 
committee's  annual  meeting  was  held 
here  yesterday. 

The  retiring  chairman,  A.  J.  Rich- 
ard of  Paramount  Newsreel,  made  a 
report  at  the  meeting  on  the  public 
service  and  charitable  activities  with 
which  the  newsreels  cooperated  dur 
mg  1948.  Among  the  organizations 
whose  message  was  brought  to  the  at- 
tention of  the  public  through  the  reels 
were:  American  Brotherhood,  Ameri- 
can Red  Cross,  National  Cancer  Soci- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Nasser  Rep  En  Route 
Here  on  New  UA  Bid 


Hollywood,  March  17.— Nasser 
Brothers'  long  reported  interest  in 
bidding  for  United  Artists  appeared 
to  be  taking  definite  shape  today  with 
Sam_  Wiesenthal,  General  Service 
Studios  vice-president  and  Nasser 
financial  representative,  en  route  to 
New  York  after  spending  the  day  with 
Los  Angeles  bankers. 

Gradwell  L.  Sears,  UA  president, 
also  left  here  for  New  York,  where 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Jonas  Rosenfield,  Jr.,  has  been  ap- 
pointed advertising  manager  of  20th 
Century-Fox,  by  Charles  Einfeld,  ad- 
vertising-publicity vice-president. 

Rosen- 
field,  who  has 
been  with  the 
organiza- 
tion since  No- 
vember, 1941, 
was  assist- 
ant  advertising 
manager  until 
his  elevation  to 
the  new  post 
yesterday, 
a  post  recently 
vacated  by 
Christy  Wilbert 
who  shifted  to 
the  New  York 
Roxy  Theatre 
as  advertising-publicity  manager. 

Starting  in  the  motion  picture  in- 
dustry in  1936  with  Warner  Broth- 
ers, Rosenfield  left  in  1940  to  become 
advertising  manager  for  Walt  Disney 
Productions.  Before  going  to  20th 
Century-Fox  as  copy  chief  in  1941, 
he  was  a  member  of  the  advertising 
department  of  Donahue  and  Coe.  In 
1945,  he  was  appointed  assistant  ad- 
vertising manager  for  the  20th-Fox 
film  company. 


Jonas  Rosenfield,  Jr. 


Hold  U.  A.  Eastern 
MeetHereTom'orrow 


Threatens  Court  Actions 
If  Competition  Unopened 

Society  of  Independent  Motion 
Picture  Producers  will  police  all 
consent  decrees  in  the  government's 
anti-trust  suit  against  the  distribu- 
tors to  make  certain  that  the  principle 
of  free  competition,  basis  for  the  set- 
tlements, actually  is  applied,  Ellis  G. 
Arnall,  president  of  the  organization, 
disclosed  here  yesterday. 

Speaking  specifically  of  the  Para- 
mount consent  judgment,  Arnall  de- 
clared that  unless  closed  situations  are 
opened  and  competition  is  completely 
established  in  all  areas,  the  Society 
will  endeavor  to  force  further  action 
by  the  Department  of  Justice.    If  un- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


A  sales  meeting  of  all  United  Art- 
ists Eastern  division,  district  and 
branch  managers  will  be  held  all  day 
tomorrow  at  the  Warwick  Hotel  here, 
it  was  announced  yesterday  by  Ed- 
ward M.  Schnitzer,  UA's  Eastern 
general  sales  manager. 

Meeting  with  Schnitzer  and  Paul  N. 
Lazarus,  Jr.,  executive  assistant  to 
UA's  president,  as  well  as  home  office 
assistants  John  Wrege,  Victor  Bikel 
and  John  Hughes,  will  be'  district 
managers  Sam  Lefkowitz  of  the  East- 
ern _  district ;  Mark  Silver,  Pennsyl- 
vania-Washington ;  Moe  Dudelson, 
Central,  and  Charles  Chaplin,  Canada. 

Branch  managers  present  will  be 
Abe  Dickstein,  New  York;  J.  J.  Der- 
vin,  Boston;  James  L.  Winn,  Buffalo; 
David  Leff,  New  Haven;  S.  E.  Ap- 
plegate,  Philadelphia;  Leonard  Mintz, 
Pittsburgh,  G.  P.  Price,  Washington; 
Jack  Finberg,  Cincinnati ;  Sidney 
Cooper,  Cleveland,  and  Sidney  J. 
Bowman,  Detroit. 


Momand  Files 
Trust  Appeal 


Washington,  March  17. — A.  B. 
Momand  today  asked  the  U.  S.  Su- 
preme Court  to  overrule  a  decision  of 
the  Boston  Circuit  Court  of  Appeals 
which  dismissed  his  12-year-old  anti- 
trust suit  against  Universal,  Loew's, 
20th  Century-Fox,  Warners,  RKO, 
United  Artists  and  Columbia. 

Momand  brought  the  suit  as  assignee 
of  10  theatre  corporations  in  Okla- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Schine  Decree  to 
Court  on  April  18 

Schine  circuit  attorneys 
and  the  Department  of  Jus- 
tice have  agreed  on  a  post- 
ponement to  April  18  of  the 
hearing  scheduled  for  tomor- 
row in  Federal  Court  at 
Buffalo. 

Details  of  the  consent  de- 
cree which  has  been  agreed 
upon  will  be  worked  out  in 
the  meantime  and  court  ap- 
proval of  the  settlement  will 
be  sought  on  April  18. 

"We  have  every  reason  to 
believe  we  can  complete  the 
decree  within  the  next  30 
days,"  Willard  S.  McKay, 
counsel  for  Schine,  said  yes- 
terday. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  March  18,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

GRADWELL  L.  SEARS,  presi- 
dent of  United  Artists,  returned 
to  New  York  yesterday  from  the 
Coast. 

• 

Barney  Balaban,  president  of 
Paramount,  and  Russell  Holman, 
Eastern  production  chief,  will  attend 
the  Press  Photographers  ball  at  the 
White  House  tomorrow. 

• 

David  O.  Selznick  will  leave  Hol- 
lywood over  the  weekend  for  Jamaica 
B.  W.  I.,  and  is  due  here  March  28 
to  spend  the  Easter  holiday  with  his 
son,  who  attends  school  in  the  East. 
• 

William  Howard,  assistant  general 
manager  for  RKO  Theatres,  will 
leave  here  today  for  Rochester  and 
Syracuse. 

• 

Jules  Lapidus,  Warner  Eastern 
and  Canadian  division  sales  manager 
is  in  Gloversville,  N.  Y. 

• 

J.  Edmund  Grainger,  Republic 
producer,  is  in  New  York  from  the 
Coast. 

• 

Richard  Morgan,  Paramount  home 
office  attorney,   is   expected  back  in 
New  York  from  the  Coast  on  Monday 
• 

Ted  Gamble,  head  of  Gamble  En- 
terprises, now  in  Chicago,  is  due  back 
in  New  York  next  Tuesday. 
• 

Syd  Gross,  Film  Classics  advertis- 
ing-publicity chief,  left  here  last  night 
for  Washington. 

• 

G.  L.  Carrington,  Altec  president, 
and  his  son,  Robert  J.  Carrington, 
have  left  here  to  return  to  the  Coast. 
• 

Harold  Field  of  Pioneer  Theatres, 
Minneapolis,  has  been  visiting  in  New 
York. 

• 

Robert  L.  Lippert,  head  of  Screen 
Guild  and  Lippert  Productions,  is  here 
from  San  Francisco. 

• 

Selma  Kleinfeld  of  RKO  Thea- 
tres here  was  married  last  night  to 
Arnold  Hackmyer. 

• 

Ezra  Stern,  Coast  attorney,  will 
leave  here  for  Los  Angeles  today. 
• 

Vern  Caldwell,  Walt  Disney  stu- 
dio executive,  is  here  from  the  Coast. 


Sidney  Ascher,  65 

Boston,  March  17.— Sidney  Ascher, 
65,  one-time  circuit  operator  and  in- 
dependent producer,  died  Wednesday 
at  City  Hospital  after  a  sudden  illness 
President  of  a  Kansas  City  luggage 
firm  at  the  time  of  his  death,  Ascher 
operated  an  early  nickelodeon  in  the 
Bronx, _  N.  Y.,  a  beginning  that  grew 
to  a  circuit  of  eight  houses  in  New 
York  and  Newark.  As  a  producer,  he 
made  a  serial  starring  Benny  Leon- 
ard and  participated  in  the  filming  of 
the  Georges  Carpentier-Jack  Dempsey 
fight.  The  widow  and  two  daughters 
survive. 


9  -  City  Speaking 
Tour  for  Wolf 

Nine  speaking  engagements  have 
been  lined  up  for  Maurice  N.  Wolf, 
assistant  to  H.  M.  Richey,  exhibitor 
relations  head  for  M-G-M,  starting- 
March  22,  when  Wolf  appears  at  Pat- 
erson,  N.  J. 

The  March  22  date  will  be  before 
the  Kiwanis  Club  and  two  days  later 
he  will  be  with  the  same  organization 
at  Hackensack.  On  March  29,  the 
schedule  calls  for  a  visit  to  the  Red 
Bank  Rotary  Club,  followed  by  an 
appearance  at  the  Lion's  Club  at  Pas 
saic  on  March -31.  Other  dates  are: 
April  5,  Kiwanis  Club,  Irvington,  N. 
J.,  April  7,  before  the  same  organiza- 
tion at  Jersey  City ;  April  12,  Ki- 
wanis, Lynn,  Mass. ;  April  13,  Ki- 
wanis, Taunton,  Mass. ;  April  12 
Rotary  Club,  Trenton. 


Goldenson  at  Helm 
Of  New  Palsy  Drive 

Immediate  launching  of  a  nation 
wide  campaign  to  raise  an  initial 
$100,000  for  the  newly-established 
National  Foundation  for  Cerebral 
Palsy  was  announced  here  yesterday 
by  Leonard  Goldenson,  president  of 
the  Foundation. 

According  to  Goldenson,  who  is  a 
vice-president  of  Paramount,  the  bulk 
of  the  initial  $100,000  will  be  sought 
by  the  enlistment  of  individuals  and 
business  organizations  as  founders. 


Republic  Signs  Allen 
For  Six  Westerns 

Hollywood,  March  17. — Republic 
Pictures,  under  whose  auspices  Gene 
Autry  and  Roy  Rogers  rose  to  fame, 
have  launched  Rex  Allen,  another 
singing  cowboy,  according  to  the  stu- 
dio. 

Allen,  recruited  to  films  from  radio, 
has  been  signed  to  a  term  contract 
which  calls  for  six  musical  Westerns 
annually,  with  the  first,  "The  Arizona 
Cowboy"  to  be  started  next  month  by 
Franklin  Adreon. 


Discontinue  Parkway 
Percentage  Actions 

The  RKO  Radio  and  Loew  percent- 
age actions  against  Parkway  Theatres 
Corp.,  operating  the  Parkway,  Mount 
Vernon,  and  against  operators  Nathan 
Steinberg  and  Leonard  Finkelstein, 
has  been  discontinued,  according  to 
papers  filed  here  yesterday  in  U.  S. 
District  Court  here  by  Irving  B-J. 
Levine,  attorney  for  the  defendants. 


Two  in  Tacoma  Posts 

Seattle,  March  17.— Will  J.  Con- 
ner, general  manager  of  the  John 
Hamrick  Theatres  in  Tacoma,  has  ap- 
pointed Russell  Schmidt  as  city  man- 
ager of  the  theatres  and  has  named 
Willard  Coghlan  as  publicity  director. 


Helen  Orton's  Father 

A  Requiem  Mass  was  sung  on 
Wednesday  in  St.  John's  Roman 
Catholic  Church  at  Stamford,  Conn., 
for  William  L.  Wilson,  father  of 
Helen  W.  Orton  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Almanac  staff.  Wilson  died  last 
Saturday  in  Stamford. 


Counterfeits  Are 
Plaguing  Boston 

Boston,  March  17.  — With 
counterfeit  $10  and  $20  bills 
flooding  this  area,  theatre 
cashiers  have  been  alerted  to 
scrutinize  all  bills  of  those 
denominations  on  their  pres- 
entation at  box-offices  and  to 
notify  managers  should  they 
detect  any  such  bills.  More 
than  100  counterfeits  have 
been  presented  in  the  past 
week. 


Youngstein  Names 
6  Bond  Chairmen 

Max  E.  Youngstein,  director  of  ad 
vertising-publicity  for  the  industry's 
Treasury  Savings  Bond  Drive,  which 
runs  from  May  IS  to  June  30,  has 
named  six  exchange-city  advertising- 
publicity  chairmen  who  will  coordi- 
nate drive  activities  in  their  areas,  as 
follows : 

Paul  E.  Levi,  American  Theatres, 
Boston;  Roy  Smart,  North  Carolina 
Theatres,  Charlotte ;  Russ  Fraser, 
Tri- State  Theatres,  Des  Moines ;  Ev- 
erett Callow,  Warner  Theatres,  Phila- 
delphia;  Henry  Burger,  Warner 
Theatres,  Pittsburgh ;  Jack  Matlack, 
J.  J.  Parker  Theatres,  Portland,  Ore. ; 
Frank  LaFalce,  Warner  Theatres, 
Washington. 


Warner  Coast  Confab 
On  New  Product 

Warner  home  office  executives 
Samuel  Schneider,  Ben  Kalmenson 
and  Mort  Blumenstock,  will  leave 
here  today  for  a  series  of  meetings 
at  the  company's  Burbank  studio  with 
Harry  M.  and  Jack  L.  Warner. 

Purpose  of  the  meetings  is  to  set 
merchandising  plans  for  "Kiss  in  the 
Dark,"  "My  Dream  Is  Yours," 
"Flamingo  Road,"  "The  Younger 
Brothers,"  "Task  Force,"  and  "Look 
for  the  Silver  Lining." 


Jersey  Bias  Ban  Up 
To  Governor's  Okay 

Trenton,  N.  J.,  March  17. — New 
Jersey's  anti-discrimination  law  was 
extended  to  cover  theatres  and  other 
places  of  amusement  under  terms  of 
a  bill  passed  in  the  State  Assembly 
here  yesterday. 

With  Senate  approval  already  ob- 
tained, the  bill,  which  imposes  penal- 
ties up  to  a  year  in  jail  and  a  $500 
fine,  needs  only  Governor  Alfred  E. 
Driscoll's  signature.  An  amendment 
provides  for  enforcement  to  be  car 
ried  out  by  local  councils. 


Film  Institute  Director 

London,  March  17.— J.  Denis  For- 
man,  chief  production  officer  of  the 
Films  Division  of  the  Central  Office 
of  Information,  has  been  appointed'  di- 
rector of  the  British  Film  Institute, 
replacing  Oliver  Bell,  who  resigned 
recently.  The  Institute,  concerned 
with  the  art  aspects  of  films,  is  main- 
tained by  a  levy  on  Sunday  theatre 
receipts  which,  in  the  future,  may  be 
bolstered  by  a  Treasury  grant. 


Holds  Party  at  Dallas 

Dallas,  March  17.— Some  450  in- 
dustry repre-sentatives  turned  out  for 
a  St.  Patrick's  Day  party  at  the  Re- 
public branch  here  today  as  newly- 
appointed  manager  John  O'Houlihan, 
transferred  from  Cleveland,  held  open 
house. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

Rockefeller  Center 

LITTLE  WOMEN 

•  June  Allyson  .  Peter  Lawford  .  Marg't  O'Brien! 
'Elizabeth  Taylor  .  Janet  Leigh  .  Rossano  Brazzia' 
■  Mary  Astor    .   A  Mervyn  Le  Roy  Production! 
Color  by  Technicolor 
A  Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


ALIAS  /*. 

'     A  Paramount  Picture  Starring  f 

RAYMILLAND 


ALIAS 

■^n*  person* 

E»'"  ELLIOT 
W«PHJf0  4HI. 

THOMAS  MITCHELL  ^cnB^ 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER,  ^^ad.ay 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mall  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
Ad  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK  presents  1 

OLIVIA  de  HAYILLAND  I 


the  Snake  Pit 


■ Directed  by  Produced  by 

ANATOLE  LITVAK  -  ANATOLE  UTVAK I  ROBERT  BASSLER 


K.IVOLI 


,?o| 


JOAN 
of  ARC  . 

starring  INGRID 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

.  COiOt?  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS  „ 


1  JOSE  FERRER  .  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  •  J  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARO  BOND  5 
PPrRn  SIRUDWICK  .  HURD  HA1  FIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHART  .  JOHN  EMERY  3 

GEORGE  COULOURIS  •  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY 
based  upon  the  stage  play  'Joan  of  Lorrame  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 

iceen  plo  ,  by  MAX  WEIL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOlT  .  art  direclion  by 
RICHARD  DAY  •  director  of  phofogrophy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A  S  C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

led  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  .  rcleoied  br  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


19*  week!, 


Loretta  Young    .  Van  Johnson 

"MOTHER  IS  A  FRESHMAN" 

A   20th  Century-Fox  Picture 
In  Technicolor 
ON  VARIETY  STAGE 

PHIL  BAKER  .   CAB  CALLOWAY 
BIG   ICE  REVUE 

 R  O  X  Y 7th  Ave-  & 


50th  St. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 
Sundays  and  holi 
New  York."  Ma  . 
James  P.  Cuningh 


ssociate  Editor.    Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Telephone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
.  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 

Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South' Ll'SaHe  StW*"S&ii£w  "and  Advertising.  IjrWn  Parky?  Ad'vertisZ  V--^— 7!"$*  Bure.au-.  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver. 
LA.  Otten   National  Press  Club,  Washington   D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London^  Wl ?Ho^e  Bumup 

Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;   Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales     each  nnhlish^dl?  -  „    .       -,.  • 

Motinn  Pintnf  Almanac   Tr,m-   v~*~rs  ,„  „„ — j  -i—.,  c._°  r""  c.   ..   s'    eacn JPUMis&ed  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 


hf-  ?UJnup'  ¥ana£er>  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London.' 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  "as"  seconTclasr  mattCT^Tept  "23  lPsT'It  '"the*" nZT^tr"  * 1?  vbT\?  ?rar  as,  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Internationa, 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c.  P      offlce  at  New  York-  N-  Y-  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


IMPACT! 


with  ANNA  MAY  WONG  •  Robert  Warwick  •  Art  Baker  ■  Clarence  Kolb 
William  Wright  'Tony  Barrett  •  Mae  Marsh 

Produced  by  LEO  C.  POPKIN  •  Directed  by  ARTHUR  LUBIN 

Screen  Play  by  Dorothy  Reid  and  Jay  Dratler  •  A  Harry  M.  Popkin  Production 


business  thru  U.A.! 


Exceptional  and  vastl 


A  REPUBLIC  PRODUCTION 


ntertaining  film  for  all  ages" 

SAN  FRANCISCO  CALL-BULLETIN 


. . . .  Jimmie  Fidler  calls  it 
"The  picture  of  the  week." 


CHARLES  K.  FELDMAN 

_  presents 

MYRNA  LO  land  ROBERT  MITCHUM 

JOHN  STEINBECK'S 


A  LEWIS  MILESTONE  PRODUCTION 

LOUIS  CALHERN  .„„  SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK 

and  introducing  PETER  MILES  .as  TOM 
and  MARGARET  HAMILTON 

Screen  play  by  JOHN  STEINBECK 
Music  by  AARON  COPLAND 
Produced  and  Directed  by  LEWIS  MILESTONE 


coiorb,  TECHNICOLOR 


6 


MoTidN  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  March  18,  1949 


Para.  Video 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

of  fact  and  no  final  adjudication  or 
admissions  of  anti-trust  violations," 
Paramount  said. 

Paramount  made  its  points  in  a  41- 
page  brief  filed  with  the  Commission 
in  support  of  a  motion  to  renew  the 
television  licenses  of  Paramount  sub- 
sidiaries. The  FCC  has  been  plac- 
ing such  licenses  on  a  temporary  re- 
newal basis  "pending  a  decision  as  to 
the  status  of  anti-trust  violators." 

The  Paramount  brief  came  less  than 
a  week  after  a  similar  petition  from 
20th  Century-Fox. 

In  another  Paramount  television  de- 
velopment yesterday,  counsel  for  Allen 
B.  DuMont  Laboratories  suggested  to 
the  FCC  in  a  private  meeting  that  the 
Commission  take  some  steps  in  court, 
either  in  connection  with  the  Para- 
mount decree  or  in  a  new  case,  to 
force  the  trusteeing  of  Paramount's 
DuMont  stock.  That  way,  DuMont 
feels,  it  won't  be  "tainted  with  Para- 
mount's sins  in  the  anti-trust  field." 

Paramount's  brief  stressed  that 
neither  the  government  nor  the  courts 
at  any  point  had  held  that  any  of  the 
five  major  companies  was  disqualified 
from  owning  and  operating  theatres. 

It  pointed  out  that  nowhere  in  the 
Paramount  case  records  were  there 
any  accusations  of  fraud  or  misrepre- 
sentation. This  should  be  determin- 
ing, Paramount  said,  in  deciding 
whether  the  firm's  "character"  was 
such  as  to  warrant  license  denial. 

If  the  Commission  carries  out  its 
policy,  the-  brief  said,  it  must  take 
in  such  present  licensees  as  RCA,  Co- 
lumbia Broadcasting,  Westinghouse, 
General  Tire  and  Rubber  Co.  (domi- 
nant intere'st  in  the  Yankee  network), 
many  newspapers,  and  a  long  list  of 
firms — all  losers  in  anti-trust  suits. 


Momand  Appeals 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


homa,  alleging  a  conspiracy  to  re- 
strain trade.  Filed  originally  in  June, 
1937,  in  Boston  District  Court,  the 
case  had  three  separate  trials,  all  of 
which  went  against  Momand. 

A  brief  filed  by  attorney  George  S. 
Ryan  with  the  High  Court  here  today 
declares  that  the  Circuit  Court  de- 
cision, "if  not  reversed,  will  undoubt- 
edly be  used  as  a  precedent  in  the  very 
large  number  of  civil  actions  under  the 
anti-trust  laws  now  pending  against 
these  defendants  and  affiliated  corpo- 
rations and  other  motion  picture  com- 
panies, and  will  in  all  probability  be  a 
serious  obstacle,  if  not  an  absolute 
bar,  to  the  proof  of  damages  in  many 
of  these  actions." 

Ryan  said  that  under  the  High 
Court's  Paramount  decision,  "it  is 
doubtful  whether  any  license  contract 
made  by  any  of  the  defendants  with 
any  independent  exhibitor  was  law- 
ful." 

The  Boston  jury  awarded  Momand 
damages  of  $287,611,  plus  interest  at 
five  per  cent,  but  the  verdict  was  set 
aside  by  the  court. 


Reek  Heads 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

ety,  United  Nations  Appeal  for  Chil- 
dren, Treasury  War  Bond  Drive, 
March  of  Dimes  and  the  Arthritis  and 
Rheumatism  Foundation. 

Taylor  Mills  of  the  MPAA  and 
coordinator  of  the  Canadian  Coopera- 
tion Project  reported  that  there  was 
an  increase  of  82  per  cent  last  year 
over  1947  in  the  number  of  Canadian 
sequences  appearing  in  American 
inewsreels.  . 


Nassour  Sees  Spurt 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


swer  to  gloomy  production  reports. 

Nassour,-  who  has  been  reported  to 
be  interested  in  the  purchase  of  the 
Mary  Pickford-Charles  Chaplin  shares 
in  United  Artists,  asserted  that  he  is 
"interested,"  but  added  that  "no  nego- 
tiations are  going  on.  It  never  reached 
the  negotiating  stage,"  he  said.  Nas- 
sour stressed  that  whether  or  not  a 
deal  is  consummated,  "we  will  con- 
tinue to  release  all  of  our  pictures 
through  UA."  He  remarked  that 
"through  our  pictures  we  will  have 
millions  invested  in  UA.  We  feel  UA 
is  very  strong  and  is  the  best  organ- 
ization for  the  independent  producer." 

Nassour's  current  production  plans 
call  for  approximately  four  a  year  for 
UA  release.  Already  completed  is 
"Africa  Screams,"  and  others  shortly 
to  go  into  production  are  "Daybreak," 
"Mrs.  Mike"  and  a  Mae  West  film  set 
for  the  summer. 

Nassour  declared  that  his  Coast 
studios  have  been  in  full  operation 
since  opening  in  1947.  He  said  that 
they  are  used  by  15  to  20  independents 
a  year,  pointing  out  that  they  can 
handle  three  pictures  at  a  time,  and 
can  even  manage  four. 

Nassour  sees  little  to  fear  from  tele- 
vision and  expresses  the  opinion  that 
it  will  "mean  more  outlets  for  films 
as  soon  as  a  working  formula  is  fig- 
ured out."  Nassour,  who  is  here  for 
UA  conferences,  and  to  negotiate  for 
story  material,  is  accompanied  by  his 
wife  and  Bernard  Luber,  his  execu- 
tive assistant. 


Crisp  Joins  Nassour  in 
In  Advisory  Post  on  Coast 

Actor  Donald  Crisp  has  been  made 
a  member  of  the  executive  committee 
of  Nassour  Coast  studios  and  will 
serve  in  an  advisory  capacity  on  the 
purchase  of  stories,  along  with  other 
duties,  Edward  Nassour  disclosed 
here  yesterday.  The  veteran  actor  was 
an  adviser  to  the  Bank  of  America  on 
motion  picture  loans  for  18  years,  ac- 
cording to  Nassour. 


Coy  to  Sullivan 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

the  Commission  is  considering  the 
questions  raised  by  the  court  decisions 
involving  violation  of  the  anti-trust 
laws  by  certain  motion  picture  ex- 
hibitors, major  circuits  and  their  affili- 
ates, and  my  reply  to  your  question 
should  not  be  considered  as  an  expres- 
sion of  opinion  on  that  matter."  Sul- 
livan had  inquired  as  to  the  status  of 
the  motion  picture  exhibitor  applicant 
in  a  "non-competitive  hearing." 

In  a  "competitive  and  comparative" 
hearing  television  applications  filed  by 
exhibitors  "will  be  judged  on  the  basis 
of  the  particular  facts  shown  in  the 
record  of  the  particular  hearing,"  Coy 
replied  to  Sullivan's  second  question. 

Coy  pointed  out,  "As  to  the  manner 
in  which  the  Commission  will  ap- 
proach the  problem  of  weighing  the 
relative  merits  of  motion  picture  and 
non-motion  picture  applicants  in  com- 
parative hearings,  it  may  be  helpful  to 
refer  to  the  Commission's  established 
policy  in  comparative  hearings  involv- 
ing newspaper  and  non-newspaper 
applicants.  In  cases  of  this  type,  the 
Commission  has  ruled  that,  all  other 
factors  being  equal,  it  will  favor  non- 
newspaper  applicants  over  those  own- 
ing newspapers,  with  a  view  to  pro- 
moting a  greater  diversity  in  the  own- 
ership of  the  media  of  mass 
communications." 


SIMPP,  Arnall 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

successful  in  this  respect,  the  SIMPP 
will  institute  its  own  court  proceed- 
ings against  any  element  of  monopoly, 
Arnall  threatened. 

The  former  governor  of  Georgia 
hailed  the  Paramount  settlement  as  a 
"step  ahead,  a  step  in  the  right  di- 
rection." But  although  "we  are  very 
happy  with  it,"  Arnall  made  it  clear 
that  the  decree  would  have  been  far 
more  preferable  to  the  SIMPP  if  the 
Paramount  circuit  were  "pulverized." 
Paramount  president  Barney  Balaban 
has  disclosed  that  the  new  Paramount 
theatre  company  could  comprise  over 
600  houses. 

Holds  Company  "Too  Big" 

Upon  assuming  the  presidency  of  the 
SIMPP  last  December,  Arnall  an- 
nounced as  his  objective  the  dissolu- 
tion of  all  "monopolies"  in  the  indus- 
try. He  said  yesterday  that  it  would 
be  difficult  to  determine  how  large  a 
theatre  circuit  could  be  before  be- 
coming objectionable  to  the  Society,  or 
how  limited  he  would  have  preferred 
the  new  Paramount  group  to  be.  How- 
ever, he  made  it  clear  that  the  new 
United  Paramount  Theatres  Co.  is  by 
far  too  great  a  concentration  of  thea- 
tres in  one  company. 

Arnall  expressed  considerable  inter- 
est in  the  forthcoming  meeting  of  the 
Anglo-American  Films  Council  and 
said  he  is  giving  the  matter  study  to 
determine  whether  he  would  "ask  to 
be  invited."  At  present  the.  Society 
has  no  representation  on  the  Council, 
nor  has  it  been  approached  and  asked 
to  have  representation  by  Eric  A. 
Johnston,  president  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America,  or  by 
others  in  the  Council  group,  it  is  un- 
derstood. 

Interview  at  New  Offices 

Arnall  was  interviewed  yesterday 
in  the  new  SIMPP  headquarters  in 
New  York,  located  on  the  31st  floor 
of  the  International  Building  in 
Rockefeller  Center.  The  suite  con- 
sists of  three  offices,  one  each  for  Ar- 
nall, Robert  J.  Rubin,  general  counsel, 
and  Marvin  Faris,  executive  secretary, 
plus  a  reception  room.  Faris  probably 
will  spend  most  of  his  time  on  the 
Coast,  it  is  understood,  with  Arnall 
alternating  between  here  and  Holly- 
wood and  occasional  visits  to  Wash- 
ington and  his  home  in  Atlanta. 

Arnall  reported  that  he  has  not  yet 
decided  on  appointing  any  successor  to 
Joseph  Alvin  as  public  relations  repre- 
sentative for  the  Society  and  indicated 
that  Alvin  might  be  engaged  again  on 
some  special  assignments. 


New  UA  Bid 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

Wiesenthal  is  expected  to  confer  to- 
morrow with  Arthur  Kelly,  UA  ex- 
ecutive vice-president,  a  representative 
of  Charles  Chaplin  and  attorney 
Charles  Schwartz. 

Under  discussion  will  be  a  proposal 
to  acquire  the  company  through  Chap- 
lin's option,  or  as  an  alternative, 
Chaplin's  share  in  the  UA.  It  is  be- 
lieved here  that  the  Nassers  are  in 
favor  of  acquiring  the  Chaplin  interest 
under  conditions  satisfactory  to  Mary 
Pickford,  but  assuring  them  of  suffi- 
cient management  control  to  protect 
their  investment  in  General  Service 
Studios  by  stipulating  its  use  by  pro- 
ducers releasing  through  UA. 

It  is  generally  believed  that  Wiesen- 
thal's  bank  conferences  today  cleared 
the  decks  for  executing  outright  or 
partial  purchase  if  proposals  to  be 
made  are  accepted. 


HUR-RY!  TaJHIIR-RY! 


YOUR  LAST  CHANCE  —  GET  YOUR 
TICKETS  TO  VARIETY  CLUB  TENT  NO.  35 
PREMIERE  OF  ALLIED  ARTISTS'  "BAD  BOY" 
PLUS  MAMMOTH  STAGE  SHOW  AT 

THE    RKO    PALACE    THEATRE  TUESDAY 
EVENING,  MARCH  22,  1949 

ft 

TICKETS 

$10.00  -  ORCHESTRA 
$5.00  -  MEZZANINE 

MAY  BE  PURCHASED  AT  VARIETY  CLUB 
OFFICES  IN  THE  HOTEL  ASTOR,  ROOM  158 
OR  TELEPHONE  CIRCLE  6-6460. 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  65.  NO.  55 


Nassers  Weigh 
U.  A.  Control 
Bid  This  Week 

Wiesenthal  Arrives  to 
Study  Company  Position 

Discussions  concerning  possible 
negotiations  by  Nasser  Brothers  for 
purchase  of  United  Artists  control 
from  Mary  Pickford  and  Charles 
Chaplin  are  scheduled  to  be  initiated 
here  this  week  by  Sam  Wiesenthal, 
vice-president  of  General  Service  Stu- 
dios and  Nassers'  financial  representa- 

tlVWiesenthal  arrived  in  New  York 
from  the  Coast  on  Friday  with  Grad- 
well  L.  Sears,  U.  A.  president,  and 
will  spend  a  week  or  10  days  here 
studying  U.  A.'s  current  condition 
and  prospects.  Indications  are  that 
if  the  study  proves  satisfactory  and 
initial  negotiations  are  promising,  the 
talks  would  be  transferred  to  the 
Coast  for  their  final  stages. 

Chaplin  holds  an  option  on  Miss 
(Continued  on  page  3) 

1-Year  Production 
Financing  for  E-L 

The  conference  of  top  Eagle-Lion, 
Pathe  Industries  and  First  National 
Bank  of  Boston  officials  in  Florida 
last  week  resulted  in  one  year's  pro- 
duction financing  for  E-L,  one  of  the 
conferees  reported  here  at  the  weekend. 
Declining  to  disclose  specific  figures, 
the  informant  described  the  deal  with 
First  National  as  an  "amplification" 
of  the  loan  agreement  which  has  ex- 
isted between  the  bank  and  Pathe.  It 
is  understood  that  a  large  part  of  the 
(Continued  on  page  3) 

Harold  Beecroft  to 
E-L  District  Post 


PROSPECTS  BRIGHTEN 


OUT  of  the  long  and  complicated  tangle  of  financial  and 
trading  restrictions  which  have  been  imposed  upon  the 
British  film  market,  there  now  appears  the  prospect  of 

early  relief.  .        .  , 

It  has  become  exceedingly  clear  that  the  British  and  the 
American  film  enterprises  are  linked  in  a  very  substantial  partner- 
ship of  interest.  It  has  become  increasingly  apparent  to  all  con- 
cerned that  progress  for  the  British  film  industry  is  not  to  be 
builded  out  of  arbitrarily  imposed  handicaps  upon  the  American 

film  industry.  , 

The  recently  tested  devices,  first,  of  taxation  and,  next  ot  a 
quota  barrier  have  not  proved  of  aid  and  comfort  to  the  Br.tish 
industry.  They  have  served  only  to  impede  the  Br.tish  industry 
at  points  where  progress  was  being  made  and  to  blank  out  oppor- 
tunities which  were  on  the  verge  of  realization. 

THE  time  for  a  change  in  the  dangerous  drift  of  the  past  couple 
I  of  years  seems  at  hand.  Voices  of  experience  and  authority 
have  welled  up  in  the  British  industry,  making  insistent  demand I  for 
a  new  order  of  treatment  for  the  American  fi  m  in  the  Br.tish  market. 
These  voices  make  effective  point  of  the  fact  that  severe  quota 
restriction  of  the  American  film  in  the  British  market  ,s  indeed  a 
poor  means  of  aiding  the  British  film  in  the  American  market 
P  The  suffocation  of  trade  which  is  the  inevitable  result  of  high 
quota  barriers  has  been  making  itself  felt  - a  very  different  out 
come  than  the  alluring  picture  that  had  been  pa.nted  by  persons 
who"  as   i+   now   turns   out,    had    been    indulg.ng    merely  m 

eCOnA0nmdiCthUf7new  and  hopeful  trend  has  entered  the  British 
scene  Much  g  ound  has  been  lost  but  all  of  it  may  be  regained 
f  wtth  fairness  and  determination,  all  parties  concerne I  approach 
the  coming  change  in  the  state  of  affairs  in  a  spmt  of  rnutual  aid, 
cooperation  and  reciprocity.  m-  V- 


Appointment  of  Harold  L.  Beecroft 
as  Eagle-Lion  district  manager  in 
charge  of  the  Dallas,  Oklahoma  City, 
St.  Louis,  Omaha,  Des  Moines  and 
Kansas  City  exchange  territory,  with 
headquarters  in  Dallas,  is  announced 
by  William  J.  Heineman,  vice-presi- 
dent in  charge  of  distribution. 

Heineman  also  announced  _  that 
Grover  Parsons,  Southern  district 
manager,  who  has  been  in  charge  of 
the  Atlanta-Charlotte-New  Orleans 
territory,  will  also  take  over  super- 
vision of  the  -Memphis  exchange  area, 
effective  immediately. 


Wolff  Expects  U.  K. 
Quota  Compromise 

Current  activity  in  Britain  in  behalf 
of  a  reduction  in  that  country's  45  per 
cent  film  quota  will  Pr0\elrf™ltf^Vo 
is  believed  by  Robert  S.  Wolff  RKO 
Radio  managing  director  in  Britain, 
who  arrived  here  recently  from  Lon- 
don for  seven  weeks  of  home  office 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Decide  MPEA  Reich 
Tenure  in  2  Weeks 

Decision  is  expected  to  be  made 
here  within  the  next  two  weeks  as  to 
whether  Motion  Picture  Export  As- 
sociation companies  will  discontinue 
joint  distribution  in  Germany  and 
Austria,  and  possibly  in  Japan,  Korea 
and  Indonesia,  film  company  foreign 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Theatre  Sales 
Formula  Is 
Set  by  Para. 

\Ask  $1,800,000  for 
I  Dominion  Group  in  Va. 

Paramount  has  fixed  a  formula 
which  will  determine  the  asking 
price  for  theatre  properties  it  in- 
tends to  sell,  the  basis  for  which  re- 
portedly is  seven  and  one-half  tunes 
the  average  annual  earnings  during 
the  last  five  years.  Thus  the  peak 
profits  of  1946-'47  are  included 

Among  other  holdings  which  the 
company  is  understood  to  be  consider- 
ing the  sale  of  is  its  _  lS-theatre 
Dominion  circuit  in  Virginia With  the 
formula  price  put  at  $1,800,000.  Odd- 
ly enough,  Paramount  is  not  required 
to  dispose  of  a  major  portion  of  the 
Virginia  group  under  terms  ot  its 
consent  judgment  in  the  New  York 
trust  suit. 

Meanwhile,  Leonard  Goldenson, 
slated  to  become  president  of  the  new 
(Continued  on  page  3) 

$525,000  Cleveland 
Trust  Suit  Filed 


Cleveland,  March  20.— A  $525,000 
triple-damage  suit,  charging  violation 
of  the  Federal  anti-trust  laws,  has 
been  filed  in  Federal  Court  here  by 
Samuel  T.  Gaines,  representing  Cleve- 
land's 1,500-seat  Moreland  Theatre. 
Petition  charges  unlawful  conspiracy 
to  put  the  Moreland  out  of  business. 
Defendants  named  are  Paul  Gusdano- 
vic,  owner  of  the  Regent  Theatre -  Co- 
operative Theatres  of  Ohio,  a  booking 
agency;  Milton  Mooney,  head  ot  Co- 


"Tulsa" 


[  Eagle-Lion  ]  -  The  Story  of  Oil,  Forcefully  Told 
TTTALTER  WANGER'S  Technicolor  production  of    lulsa  is  Dox- 

W  °  ^ste^te  panorama-like  presentation  of  the  story  of 
the  first  gSTrfdUn  that  ragged  country  in  Oklahoma -  ^ousty 
exciting  and  mighty  entertaining.  Exhibitors  m  virtua ly  ah  types 
situations  could  hardly  ask  for  more  exploitable  P^tuds  t ha they 
find  here  The  principal  shortness  is  m  story  line,  but  that  matters  nme 
for i -l  sufficiently  overcome  by  the  swiftness  and  switches  o  -  -n  tl  a 
run  through  the  8,100  feet  of  film  so  ably  guided  by  dnector  Stuart 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


(Continued  on  page  3) 

Exhibitor  Leaders 
Set  for  Bond  Drive 

Sixteen  additional  exhibitor  co- 
chairmen  have  accepted  posts  to  co- 
ordinate theatre  activities  for  the 
industry's  participation  in_ he  ^ 
Treasury's  Savings  Bond  Drive,  May 
15  to  June  30,  Maurice  Bergman,  in- 
dustry chairman,  announced. 

They  are-  Edward  Lachman,  l\ew 
York-  Harry  Lamont,  Albany ;  Daniel 
J.  Murphy,  Boston;  Hank  Hearn. 
Charlotte;  Jack  Kirsch  Chicago; 
Wendel  G.  Holt,  Richwood,  W.  Va. , 
Leo  F  Woolcott,  Eldora,  Iowa ;  Mar- 
tin G.  Smith,  Columbus;  Benjamin 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Personal 
Mention 

JOHN  JOSEPH,  assistant  to  How- 
•J  ard  Dietz,  M-G-M  advertising- 
publicity  vice-president,  will  leave 
here  today  for  Cleveland. 

• 

David  L.  Wolper,  president  of  Har- 
ns-Wolper  Pictures,  and  Joseph 
Harris,  board  chairman  of  Realart 
Pictures,  are  in  Washington  from 
New  York. 

• 

Oscar  F.  Neu,  president  of  Neu- 
made  Products,  will  return  here  to- 
morrow after  a  vacation  in  Los  An- 
geles and  Palm  Springs. 

• 

William  J.  Heineman,  Eagle-Lion 
distribution  vice-president,  was  con- 
fined to  his  home  with  the  grippe  on 
Friday. 

• 

E.  K.  O'Shea,  Paramount  assistant 
general  sales  manager,  will  be  in  Phil- 
adelphia tomorrow. 

Henry  Germaine,  Paramount 
branch  manager  at  New  Haven,  will 
be  m  New  York  today. 


motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  21,  194 


Universal  13  -  Week 
Loss  Is  $717,535 

Loss  of  $717,535  for  the  13 
weeks  ended  Jan.  29,  1949, 
was  announced  at  the  week- 
end by  Universal.  This  com- 
pares with  a  profit  of  $134,206 
for  the  corresponding  period 
of  the  preceding  fiscal  year. 


N.  Y.  Variety  Club 
Adopts  Constitution 


Betty  Hutton  and  her  husband, 
Ted  Briskin,  will  be  here  today  from 
W  ashington. 

• 

Joseph  Lawler,  Universal-Inter- 
national studio  newspaper  contact,  has 
arrived  here  from  the  Coast. 

• 

_  Margaret  Ettinger,  industry  pub- 
licist, will  return  to  New  York  today 
from  Washington. 

• 

Howard  Strickling,  M-G-M  stu 
dio  publicity  chief,  left  Miami  over 
the  weekend  for  the  Coast. 

A.  A.  Ward,  Altec  Service  vice- 
president,  has  left  here  for  the  Coast. 

Schussel  Sales  Head 
For  Mayer-Burstyn 

Seymour  Schussel,  former  New 
York  district  manager  for  Eagle-Lion 
and  previously  associated  with  Film 
Classics  and  Columbia,  has  been 
named  general  sales  manager  of  May- 
er-Burstyn, distributors  of  foreign 
films. 


Postpone  Suit  vs.  Rank 

Trial  in  U.  S.  District  Court  here 
erf  the  $1,000,000  breach-of -contract 
suit  filed  against  J.  Arthur  Rank  in- 
terests in  the  U.  S.  and  Britain  by 
Empire  Universal  Films,  Ltd.,  of  Can- 
ada, has  been  postponed  from  March 
28  to  June  6.  Rank,  who  is  due  to 
arrive  here  from  London  on  Wednes- 
day to  remain  until  April  28,  was 
to  have  testified  at  the  March  28 
hearing. 


Allied  Group  Confers 
With  Tenn.  Governor 

Memphis,  March  20.— A  commit- 
tee representing  the  Memphis  chapter 
of  Allied  Independent  Theatre  Own- 
ers protested  the  proposed  increase  in 
lennessee  state  theatre  admission 
taxes  in  a  conference  with  Governor 
Browning  at  Nashville  Friday.  Bob 
Bowers,  manager  of  Allied,  said  the 
governor  expressed  himself  as  "sym- 
pathetic" with  small  theatre  owners 
and  realized  that  over-burdensome 
taxation  could  bankrupt  their  theatres. 

The  tax  bill  to  be  introduced  in  the 
legislature  Monday  would  increase 
state  admission  taxes  from  3  to  4  per 
cent  for  theatres  not  having  bank 
nights  and  from  five  to  six  per  cent 
for  those  having  bank  nights. 


Frith  Citation  to 
Skouras  Tonight 

Philadelphia,  March  20.— Twenti- 
eth Century-Fox  will  be  honored  to- 
morrow night  by  the  B'nai  B'rith  of 
this  _  city,  when  Spyros  P.  Skouras, 
president  of  the  company,  will  accept 
a  special  citation  from  the  organiza- 
tion's head,  Samuel  Kornfeld,  for  the 
company's  contribution  to  democracy 
and  understanding  through  the  medi- 
um of  such  films  as  "Gentleman's 
Agreement"  and  "The  Snake  Pit."  It 
will  be  presented  at  a  dinner  for  1,000 
at  the  Benjamin  Franklin  Hotel. 

Similar  honors  were  recently  ac- 
corded Darryl  F.  Zanuck,  production 
vice-president  of  20th-Fox,  by  the 
B'nai  B'rith  of  Beverly  Hills. 

Set  Nassour  Studios 
For  Video  Films 

Plans  to  completely  equip  one  stage 
of  the  Nassour  Coast  studios  for  tele- 
vision production  was  announced  here 
at  the  weekend  by  Edward  Nassour. 
Nassour  saw  in  television  a  medium 
whereby,  through  trailers,  an  expand- 
ed audience  for  motion  pictures  could 
be  found.  This,  he  said,  would  com- 
pensate for  any  theatre  audience  that 
may  be  lost  to  the  new  medium. 

Nassour  will  return  to  the  Coast 
late  this  week. 


The  constitution  for  the  recently- 
formed  New  York  Variety  Tent  No. 
35  was  officially  adopted  Friday  at  a 
meeting  at  the  Astor  Hotel  here.  The 
meeting,  presided  over  by  Chief  Bark- 
er Max  A.  Cohen,  also  adopted  by- 
laws. 

One  point  which  occupied  consider- 
able- discussion  was  what  benefits 
members  of  the  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociates, which  has  been  merged  into 
the  New  York  Variety  tent,  will  de- 
rive from  benefit  funds  in  the  dis- 
solved organization.  The  members 
were  assured,  however,  that  those  in 
good  standing  with  the  MPA  would 
realize  the  benefits.  After  further  de- 
bate the  constitution  was  adopted. 

Reporting  on  the  premiere  of  "Bad 
Boy  tomorrow  night  at  the  Palace 
Theatre,  in  which  many  show  business 
luminaries  will  participate,  Cohen  re- 
ported that  tickets  are  practically  all 
sold  and  expenses  would  be  nil. 

It  was  also  reported  that  club 
rooms,  in  the  Astor,  would  be  ready 
in  about  two  months  and  a  maximum 
rental  of  $8,000  a  year  is  expected  to 
be  paid.  The  question  of  house  com- 
mittee membership  was  deferred  pend- 
ing an  invitation  to  the  general  mem- 
bership to  submit  nominees.  It  was 
also  announced  that  application  for 
associate  membership  have  been  held 
up  _  pending  a  more  complete  organi- 
zation of  the  new  organization. 

Mono- A  A  Report  Net 
Loss,  Rising  Gross 

_  Hollywood,  March  20.— With  gross 
income  at  $5,647,503  for  the  last  25 

Ztl  o%  i948'  an  increase  over  the 
$4,493,218  figure  reported  for  a  simi- 

Aii-  P/T\0d-  in  1947'  Mon°gram  and 
Allied  Artists  still  showed  a  consoli- 

i  i?drn^JoSS  of  $264.892  for  the  last 
half  of  1948,  according  to  Steve  Broi- 
dy  president  of  the  companies. 

T  j  £et, Ioss  fiSures  reflect  an  esti- 
mated Federal  income  tax  return  un- 
der loss  carry-back  provisions,  and 
the  gross  figures  exclude  all  inter- 
company transactions,  Broidy  said 


Newsreel 
Parade 


C  T  PATRICK'S  DAY  parade  b 
*-»  New  York  and  the  Atlantic  Pact 
talks  in  Washington  mark  current 
newsreel  headlines.  Other  items  in* 
elude  Russia's  return  of  a  U.S.  cruiser 
and  the  Oakland  pier  fire.  Complete 
contents  follow: 

.  MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  23— St.  Pat- 
ricks Day  Parade  in  New  York.  President 
JLruman  plays  host  on  his  vacation.  North 
Atlantic  pact  talks  in  Washington.  Israel's 
Minister  Sharett  arrives  in  New  York 
Russia  returns  cruiser  to  U.  S.  Last  min- 
ute rush  to  pay  income  tax.  Young  war 
orphans  find  refuge  in  U.  S.  Navy  football 
training.    Dog  racing.     Golden  Gloves. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  257— Fire 
sweeps  Army  base.  North  Atlantic  pact 
nears  reality.  Report  from  Israel.  TJ  S 
opens  doors  to  orphan  "DP's."  Soviet  at 
last  returns  one  U.  S.  cruiser.  New  water 
sport.    Skiing  paradise. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  60— Spring- 
time on  skns  in  Alberta.  Israel's  first  trans- 
Atlantic  cargo  ship.  Remote  control  hands 
tor_  atom  workers.  Russia  returns  U  S 
cruiser.  Waterfront  fire  in  California. 
_  UNIVERSAL  NEWS,  No.  231— Atlan- 
tic pact  nations  map  mutual  defense  plan 
War  orphans  find  refuge  in  America.  Israel 
group  returns  from  Palestine  visit.  First 
ship  to  fly  Jewish  flag.  End  clothes  ration- 
ing in  England.  Oakland  fire.  Irish  turn 
out_  to  honor  Patron  Saint  in  New  York 
Skiing. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  62— 

Oakland  pier  fire.  Eight  Atlantic  pact  na- 
tions meet.  .S\S  Haifa  enters  Israel-U  S 
service.  Cruiser  leased  to  Russia  rejoins 
Navy.  Orphan  airlift  flies  67  to  new  homes 
here.  British  workers  start  U.  S  study 
tour.  Navy  veteran  builds  push-button  par- 
adise. American  Judo  girl  rolls  her  own. 
Hobby  horse  stars  in  colorful  derby 


Loyola  Hears  Quigley,  Jr. 

Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  associate  edi- 
tor of  Motion  Picture  Daily  and 
Motion  Picture  Herald,  on  Friday  ad- 
dressed the  students  of  Loyola  School, 
New  York,  on  the  pleasures  and  pains 
of  the  motion  picture  industry. 


'Ambush'  Is  Wood's  Next 

Hollywood,  March  20.  —  Sam 
Wood,  who  has  already  completed  di- 
recting "Command  Decision"  and 
"The  Stratton  Story"  under  his  new 
long-term  contract  with  M-G-M,  has 
been  assigned  -  to  "Ambush,"  which 
goes  before  the  cameras  next  month 
at  the  Culver  City  studio  as  an 
Armand  Deutsch  Production.  Wood 
accompanied  by  Mrs.  Wood,  is  now  in 
New  York  scouting-  story  property 
and  acting  talent. 


400  Day  -  and  -  Date 
Openings  for  'Tulsa' 

Greatest  number  of  territorial  day- 
and-date  engagements  ever  to  break  in 
the  Southwest  is  claimed  by  Eagle- 
Lion  for  Walter  Wanger's  "Tulsa" 
which  will  open  in  more  than  400 
key  houses  during  the  week  following 
its  world  premiere  in  Tulsa  or 
April  13. 

William  J.  Heineman,  E-L  distribu- 
tion vice  president,  declared  that  the 
figure  will  be  increased  through  houses 
being  tied  into  the  regional  openings. 

$500,000~Jd~Budget 
For  UA's  'Champion' 

$50UonooeodfArtlsts  ^s  a  bud^et  of 

^00  000  for  advertising  and  .promot- 
ing Screen  Plays'  "Champion,"  which 
will  have  its  world  premiere  at  the 
Olobe  Theatre,  New  York,  on  April 
y,  it  is  announced  by  Howard  Le 
bieur,  UA  advertising-publicity  head 


Says  15  Millions  See 
Average  'A'  Film 

If  the  industry  could  attract  an  ad- 
ditional 1,000,000  to  2,000,000  regular 
theatre  customers  its  income  level 
would  rise  to  an  unprecedented  level, 
Paul  Raibourn,  Paramount  vice- 
president,  told  the  Association  of  Cus- 
tomers Brokers  at  the  New  York 
Curb  Exchange  on  Friday.  He  said 
that  the  average  "A"  production  costs 
approximately  $25,000  a  minute  to 
make  and  is  seen  by  about  15,000,000 
persons.  Both  production  and  exhibi- 
tion are  "fixed  cost  enterprises,"  Rai- 
bourn said,  thus  the  increases  in  cus- 
tomers would  bring  the  new  pros- 
perity. 


Shapiro  to  Manage 
N.  F.  Paramount 

Robert  Shapiro  has  been  promoted 
from  house  manager  to  manager  of 
the  Paramount  Theatre  at  Times 
Square,  "flagship"  of  the  Paramount 
circuit.  Robert  Weitman  will  con- 
tinue as  managing  director  of  the 
theatre  in  addition  to  his  new  duties  as 
Paramount  Theatres  vice-president  in 
charge  of  houses  in  Philadelphia  and 
the  South. 


fc^w    ™-         d     '  ^aitor;  Herbert  V.  Jbecke,  Advertising  Manager-  Gui  W  Fa,,V» 


Monday,  March  21,  1949 

Nassers-U.A.  Bid 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Pickford's  half  interest  in  U.  A.  which 
extends  to  April  21.  During  that 
period  he  could  sell  all  or  part  of  both 
Miss  Pickford's  and  his  own  U.  A. 
interests. 

There  was  speculation  here  follow- 
ing Wiesenthal's  arrival  from  the 
Coast  concerning  the  possibility  that 
Si  Fabian  and  Ted  R.  Gamble,  inde- 
pendent circuit  operators,  might  ulti- 
mately figure  in  the  Nasser  Brothers 
negotiations  for  U.  A.,  should  such 
negotiations  make  substantial  prog- 
'  ress  The  speculation  appeared  to  be 
based  on  reports  that  the  Nassers 
were  among  a  number  of  theatre  own- 
ers whom  Fabian  contemplated  invit- 
ing to  join  him  in  the  event  he  opened 
formal  negotiations  for  U.  A.  himself. 
Thus,  it  was  surmised,  that  Fabian 
might  join  the  Nassers  instead. 

Fabian  and  Gamble,  invited  by 
United  Artists  officials  to  enter  into 
negotiations  for  the  company  with 
Chaplin  replied  with  a  request  for 
a  firm  sales  offer  which  could  be  used 
as  a  basis  for  closing  of  a  deal  in 
the  event  they  found  it  acceptable.  Up 
to  Friday,  no  commitment  of  the 
kind  had  been  forthcoming  from  Chap- 
lin and,  in  consequence,  the  two  have 
not  entered  upon  formal  negotiations 
of  any  kind  with  U.  A.  representa- 

%  tives.        •  ■.  T      ■  . 

James  E.  and  George  Nasser,  in 
addition  to  being  producers  and  own- 
ers of  General  Service  Studios,  oper- 
ate the  Nasser  Brothers  circuit  in 
California  and  have  large  interests  in 
United  California  Theatres  and  1 . 
and  D.  Jr.  Enterprises  in  California. 
They  are  cousins  of  Edward  Nassour, 
head  of  Nassour  Studio,  Hollywood, 
who  also  has  expressed  interest  m 
bidding  for  U.  A. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Para.  Formula 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Heisler.  Edward  Lasker  was  associate  producer.  Espec  ally  co mmend- 
able  is  the  photography  of  Winton  Hoch,  which  reaches  a  thrilling 
climax  at  the  finale  when  a  roaring,  volcanic  fire  sweeps  the  .ml  fields 
and  sends  scores  of  oil-well  super-structures  crashing .thunderously -earth- 
ward, silhouetted  against  the  flames  in  the  sky  m  the  deep  daikness  of 

111 -Tulsa"  is  a  Western,  true,  but  as  lavishly  staged  a  Western  as  one 
could  expect  to  find,  with  a  large  and  competent  cast  headed  by  Susan 
Hayward,  Robert  Preston  and  Pedro  Armendanz,  supported  by  h  oyd  Gougl 
Chill  Wills,  Ed  Begley,  Roland  Jack  and  Harry  Shannon  It runs  the  M 
gamut  of  emotions  in  a  story  that  is  not  new,  but  is  we h/.^'  \b°^  ^V^. 
perate  efforts  of  pioneering  native  cattlemer l  unsuccessfully  fighting  the  en 
croachments  of  prospecting  oilmen  ruining  the  grazing  grasslands  with  their 

<^!^AV^£p*™  cattle  of  Susan's  father  and  their  death 
causes  hTm  to  protest  to  the  intruders.  During  his  visit  at  the  wells  to  protest, 
an  unexpected  explosion  in  a  nearby  well  kills  the  father  and  Susan  vows 
vengea.ic against  Gough,  owner  of  the  wells.  Susan  acquires  land  leases  and 
with  the  aid8  of  Preston  starts  drilling.  After  several  disappointments  she 
strikes  oil  and  riches.  The  struggle  between  the  oil  interests  of  Gough  and 
Susan  occupS  a  large  part  of  the  story,  which  has-  threads  of  a  romance 
betw  en  Pre  ton  and  Miss  Hayward,  as  the  prairie  cow  camp  on  the .  Arkan- 
sas rises  out  of  the  plains  to  become  the  nerve  center  of  a  mighty  oil  industry, 

inlhneaurncdeaof  CVo^rfirom  a  truly 

most  receptive  to  the  production  at  an  evening  preview  at  Loews  72nd  Stieet 
T  Frank  Nugent  and  Curtis  Kenyon  wrote  the  screenplay,  which  was  based 

April  13.  J  


Paramount  theatres  company,  has  be- 
gun conversations  with  many  of  the 
theatre  partners  relative  to  the  dis- 
solution of  all  joint  ownerships,  ac- 
cording to  partnership  sources. 

While  the  talks  for  the  most  part 
have  been  of  a  preliminary  nature,  con- 
siderable progress  has  been  made  in  a 
few  instances,  it  is  said.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  when  Paramount  breaks 
with  some  circuits  it  will  be  primarily 
on  the  basis  of  a  numerical  split  of 
the  theatres,  each  taking  an  equal  di- 
vision wherever  possible. 

Cleveland  Trust  Suit 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


UK  Quota  Cut 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


MPEA  Reich  Tenure 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


conferences.  Wolff  said  his  opinion  is 
that  the  new  quota  year,  beginning 
next  October  1,  will  be  launched  at  a 
"compromise"  figure  of  between  33^3 
and  the  present  45  per  cent. 

RKO  Radio's '1949  British  take 
was  less  than  five  per  cent  below  the 
company's  peak  year  of  1946,  Wolff 
reported.  Earnings  of  all  American 
companies  in  Britain  during  the  first 
10  weeks  of  this  year  are  running  be- 
hind those  of  the  corresponding  peri- 
od of  last  year,  he  said,  adding  that  he 
does  not  foresee  a  continuance  of  this 
falling  off  of  business.         .    '    „  . 

The  American  companies'  unit 
program"  releasing  in  Britain  has  been 
operating  successfully,  Wolff  said.  He 
said  the  RKO  Radio-Walt  Disney 
partnership  production,  "Treasure  Is- 
land," will  go  before  the  cameras  at 
Denham  studios  in  June.  It  will  be 
RKO  Radio's  only  British  production 
venture  this  year,  but  will  be  followed 
next  year  by  two  more,  Wolff 
indicated. 

Wolff,  who  has  been  named  tempo- 
rary chairman  of  the  pending  London 
Variety  Club,  credited  Warner  British 
chief  C.  J.  Latta  with  having  devel- 
oped the  idea  of  a  London  Variety 
tent.  The  club,-  Wolff  said,  is  await- 
ing a  charter  from  Variety  Clubs  In- 
ternational here. 


department  spokesmen  indicated  at  the 
weekend. 

The  consensus  was  that  the  major- 
ity of  U.  S.  distributors  are  in  favor 
of  continuing  joint  operations  in  those 
countries  through  the  MPEA,  but  it 
was  agreed  that  if  one  company  broke 
away  the  result  would  be  that^  the 
others  would  follow  suit.  Loew's  is 
said  to  have  made  definite  moves  pre- 
paratory to  severing  its  MPEA  opera- 
tional tie  in  Germany  and  Austria. 

For  economic,  governmental  and 
other  reasons,  it  is  expected  that  the 
MPEA  companies  will  continue  for 
another  year  to  operate  jointly  in 
Japan,  Korea  and  Indonesia.  Only 
by  experimenting  with  solo  operation 
in  Germany  and  Austria  can  it  be 


determined  whether  it  would  be  profit- 
able to  abandon  the  MPEA  in  those 
countries,  it  was  said,  since,  industry 
prospect  reports  from  occupied  areas 
have  been  conflicting. 

Financing  for  E-L 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


operative,  and  four  major  distributors. 
It  is  claimed  that  through  alleged 
conspiracy  the  Moreland  Theatre  has 
lost  $175,000  in  revenue. 

It  is  claimed  that  Gusdanovic  assist- 
ed in  the  organization  of  Co-operative 
through  which  he  allegedly  exerted 
pressure  to  prevent  the  competitive 
Moreland  from  acquiring  product.  It 
is  charged  also  that  the  distributors 
named  in  the  petition  refused  to  nego- 
tiate with  the  owners  of  the  Moreland 
on  "a  fair,  free  and  genuinely  compe- 
titive basis"  and  that  it  was  impossible 
for  the  Moreland  to  procure  product 
until  long  after  its  42-day  availability 
date.  Price  differential  in  favor  of 
the  Regent  by  one  of  the  distributor 
defendants  was  also  claimed  in  the 
petition. 

Exhibitors  Named 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


original  $7,500,000  loan  has  been  paid 
off. 

Eagle-Lion's  Coast  studios  have 
been  idle  for  the  past  four  months, 
and  while  the  company  has  a  backlog 
of  approximately  12  pictures,  under 
normal  releasing  practice  it  would  be 
exhausted  by  September  if  the  studios 
were  not  to  begin  operating  shortly. 
The  new  financing  arrangement  is  ex- 
pected to  signal  immediate  resumption 
of  Eagle-Lion  production. 


Berger,  Minneapolis;  Dr.  J.  B.  Fish- 
man,  New  Haven ;  William  A.  Pre- 
witt,  Jr.,  New  Orleans ;  Lou  Gold, 
Newark;  M.  W.  Mattecheck,  Mc- 
Minnville,  Ore. ;  Ben  Levin,  San 
Francisco ;  Lauritz  Garman,  Balti- 
more, and  Morris  Finkel,  Pittsburgh. 

F.C.  Buffalo  Manager 

Matt  Sullivan,  formerly  Film  Clas- 
sics branch  manager  at  Milwaukee, 
has  been  placed  in  charge  of  the  Buf- 
falo branch  with  supervision  over  Al- 
bany also.  He  replaces  Joe  Miller, 
resigned.  Eddie  Gavin  has  been  pro- 
moted from  salesman  to  Milwaukee 
branch  manager. 


SRO  Assigns  Brenon 

Aileen  St.  John  Brenon  has  been 
assigned  to  handle  the  magazine  pub- 
licity on  the  forthcoming  Selznick  re- 
lease, "The  Fallen  Idol,"  by  Robert 
M.  Gillham,  Eastern  advertising  pub- 
licity director  of  Selznick  Releasing 
Organization. 


Iks  ii  the  famous  explorer — • 

vriwimmm  ivrnmt 

witha  RAFT  OT  FRIEM>$— 

UnU'/f  WKE  A  RAFT  OF  FRIENDS 
~      WHEN  YOV  PLAY... 

"BUUGH  M  THE  JJIfiLF 


HtPOBLlO  EXCHANGES  NowVookfagri 


THE  SHOW  MUST  GO  ON! 


FOR  TEN  DAYS  .       an  express  embargo  has  seriously  paralysed  shipping  from  New  York 

City. 

MORE  THAN  90%         of  the  ACCESSORIES  and  TRAILERS  needed  by  theatres 

throughout  the  country  ...  are  produced  in  NEW  YORK  CITY 
fountainhead  of  production  for  stills,  lobbies,  silk  screen  accessories' 
trailer  prints,  etc. 

The  Express  Embargo  Is  A  Serious  THREAT ...  To  The 
Shipping  of  These  Items! .  .  .  B  UT  .  V 

NICHT  and  DAY  CREWS  .  .  .  in  National  Screen's  offices,  shipping  rooms  silk 

screen  plant,  lithograph  plant  and  laboratories,  have  been  busily  at 
work  finding  ways  and  means  to  OVERCOME  THE  EMBARGO! 

WE'VE  BEEN  SUCCESSFUL  ...  SO  far!  At  considerable  expense,  we  have  matched 

wits  and  manpower,  with  the  need  for  SERVICE  ...  in  an  EMER- 
GENCY ...  BUT  ...  we  don't  know  what  NEW  handicaps  will  present 
themselves.  .  .  . 

WE  HOPE  TO  KEEP  UP  THE  SERVICE       b„+       *  u.  l 

l  „         *EKV,*,B  •  •  •  But  ...  if  the  embargo  spreads 

substantially  in  area,  it  may  seriously  handicap  even  these  extraord- 
mary  efforts  to  GET  THROUGH.  In  that  case,  we  trust  we  will  have 
your  indulgence. 

If  it's  up  to  NSS 


THE  SHOW  Will  GO  ON! 

NATIONAL  SCREEN  SERVICE 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  56 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  MARCH  22,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Kingsberg  to 
Bid  for  RKO 
Theatre  Stock 


Awaits  Plan  Approval 
By  Stockholders  Monday 

Malcolm  Kingsberg  disclosed 
here  yesterday  that  he  still  is  de- 
termined to  bid  for  Howard 
Hughes's  controlling  24  per  cent 
stock  interest  in  the  new  RKO  thea- 
tres company  and  is  forming  a  group 
of  personal  friends  from  outside  the 
industry  to  join  him  in  the  project. 

Kingsberg,  president  of  the  RKO 
theatres  subsidiary  since  1946,  intends 
to  await  the  expected  stockholders' 
approval  of  the  reorganization  plan 
of  the  corporation  before  proposing 
any  deal.  Stockholders  will  meet  in 
Dover,  Del.,  next  Monday.  Kings- 
berg returned  to  the  home  office  yes- 
terday after  a  month's  stay  on  the 
Coast,  but  during  that  period  he  did 

(Continued  on  page  8) 


Noonan  to  Withhold 
'Film  Dating'  Bill 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  21.— As- 
semblyman Leo  P.  Noonan  has  indi- 
cated that  he  is  willing  to  withhold 
from  passage  at  this  session  of  the 
New  York  State  Legislature  his  bill 
requiring  the  original  release  date  of 
motion  pictures  more  than  one  year 
old  to  be  included  in  all  advertising. 
Exhibitor  organizations  oppose  the 
measure  on  the  grounds  that  it  is  "un- 
fair and  unreasonable"  for  small  thea- 
tres. 

Noonan  said  he  will  study  mean- 
while the  problems  embodied  in  "dat- 
ing" motion  pictures,  with  a  view 
toward  possibly  introducing  next  year 
a  bill  with  "more  specific"  provisions. 

(Continued  on  page  8) 


Gov't  Centralizes 
VA  Film  Operations 

U.  S.  Veterans  Administration  has 
decided  upon  complete  centralization  of 
its  motion  picture  booking  and  buying 
operations,  with  the  Veterans  Admin- 
istration office  in  New  York  serving 
as  the  focal  point,  Administration 
sources  have  reported  here.  William 
J.  Jones,  Jr.,  will  continue  as  VA  pre- 
viewing and  booking  director  here. 
Some  months  ago,  Gen.  Carl  Gray, 
VA  chief,  abolished  the  motion  picture 
(Continued  on  page  8) 


US  Mayors  Seek  to 
Levy  Admission  Tax 


Washington,  March  21. — The  U. 
S.  Conference  of  Mayors  is  continu- 
ing its  efforts  to  have  the  Federal 
government  repeal  the  admission  tax 
"so  that  this  source  of  revenue  may 
be  open  to  imposition  by  cities  if  so 
desired,"  Baltimore's  Mayor  Thomas 
D'Alesandro,  Jr.,  chairman  of  the 
conference's  standing  committee  on 
legislation,  declared  today. 

He  made  his  remarks  as  some  600 
mayors  and  city  officials  from  all 
over  the  U.  S.  gathered  here  for  the 
1949  annual  Conference  of  Mayors. 

The  mayors  won't  get  around  to 
adopting  resolutions  on  any  subjects, 
including  taxes,  until  Wednesday,  but 
it  was  obvious  from  a  series  of 
speeches   by   mayors   from  different 

(Continued  on  page  8) 


Weitman,  Lightman 
To  Confer  on  Split 

Robert  M.  Weitman,  vice-president 
of  Paramount  Theatres,  will  leave 
here  today  for  Memphis  for  confer- 
ences with  M.  A.  Lightman,  Para- 
mount partner,  presumably  on  disso- 
lution of  the  jointly-owned  Malco 
Theatres.  Accompanied  by  Hal  Per- 
reira  and  Sid  Markley  of  the  home 
office,  Weitman  will  inspect  theatre 
properties  in  Arkansas  and  Jackson, 
Miss. 

Paramount  executives  have  begun 
discussions  with  many  of  the  com- 
pany's theatre  partners  on  the  break- 
up of  all  divided  ownerships. 


20TH  HUNTS  NEW 
FILM  RENTAL  PLAN 


Cites  $200  -  Million 
Exhibition  Profit 

Last  year,  exhibition  in 
America  made  a  profit  of 
$400,000,000  before  taxes,  and 
$200,000,000  after  taxes,  20th 
Century-Fox  vice-president 
Al  Lichtman  stated  here  yes- 
terday, as  he  announced  he 
and  distribution  vice-presi- 
dent Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  will 
tour  the  country  in  an  en- 
deavor to  persuade  exhibitors 
that  a  "more  equitable"  share 
of  industry  profits  will  have 
to  go  to  production-distribu- 
tion. 

The  production-distribution 
companies,  Lichtman  said, 
are  struggling  to  "break 
even,"  and  "many  are  in  the 
red." 


Drive-In  Firm  Wins 
Chicago  Equity  Suit 

Chicago,  March  21. — A  settlement 
was  reached  today  in  the  Harlem  and 
North  Avenue  Outdoor  Theatre 
equity  suit,  which  granted  the  plain- 
tiffs, Fink  and  Gandell,  operators  of 
the  two  drive-ins,  the  opportunity  to 
compete  with  the  B.  and  K.  Marbro 
and  Uptown  theatres  for  films  in  the 
first  outlying-run  showings,  or  as 
(Continued  on  page  8) 


Distributors 
Tighter  Drive- 


to  Seek 
in  Deals 


Garman  to  Head 
Maryland  MPTO 

Baltimore,  March  21. — Lau- 
ritz  Garman  has  been  named 
president  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Theatre  Owners  of 
Maryland.  Others  named  are 
Louis  Gaertner,  vice-presi- 
dent; Jacob  Levin,  treasurer; 
Mrs.  Helen  Diering,  secre- 
tary. 

The  directors  are:  Walter 
D.  Pacy,  Leon  Back,  Meyer 
Leventhal,  Isador  Rappaport, 
Harry  Silver,  Oscar  B.  Co- 
blentz,  Jr.,  William  C  Allen, 
L.  E.  Green,  H.  Richard  Wor- 
man  and  Frank  A.  Hornig,  Jr. 


Minneapolis,  March  21. — Distrib- 
uting companies  are  looking  forward 
to  bolstering  sagging  rental  incomes 
from  drive-in  theatres,  with  all  film 
companies  here  eyeing  at  least  a  mini- 
mum number  of  bookings  on  percent- 
age terms.  It  is  reported  all  com- 
panies, including  smaller  majors  and 
independent  distributors,  will  insist  on 
"tigher"  deals  from  the  drive-ins  for 
1949  than  those  prevailing  last  year. 

Meanwhile,  indications  of  unusually 
heavy  activity  in  the  building  of  new 
drive-ins  are  included  in  reports  from 
all  over  the  Minneapolis  territory. 

Drive-in  construction  in  the  Minne- 
apolis zone,  which  has  been  largely  in 
the  "loose  talk"  stage  during  the  last 
two  years,  is  now  going  forward  in 
giant  strides  on  a  definite  building 
program  to  put  no  less  than  28  new 

(Continued  on  page  8) 


Lichtman,  Smith  Launch 
Drive  for  a  Bigger 
Slice    for  Distribution 


Stepping  into  the  vanguard  of 
distribution's  bid  for  a  "more 
equitable"  slice  of  industry  profits, 
20th  Century-Fox  announced  yes- 
terday, through  a  trio  of  key  sales 
and  advertising  executives,  that  it  will 
set  about  at  once  to  replace  customary 
pricing  formulas  with  entirely  new, 
"scientific"  marketing  economics. 

The  man  who  will  take  the  helm 
in  this  endeavor  is  Al  Lichtman,  new- 
ly-elected vice-president  of  20th-Fox, 
whom  company  president  Spyros  P. 
Skouras  described  yesterday  as  "chief 
adviser  to  every  department."  Licht- 
man, an  industry  distribution  veteran 
and  introducer  in  1936,  of  "sliding- 
scale"  selling,  recently  resigned  a 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


George  Brown  Quits 
Paramount  Post 


Hollywood,  March  21. — George 
Brown,  director  of  Paramount  studio 
publicity  and  advertising  since  1940, 
has  resigned  his  post,  it  was  an- 
nounced today. 

In  accepting  the  resignation,  Henry 
Ginsberg,  Paramount  vice-president  in 
charge  of  studio  operations,  indicated 

(Continued  on  page  8) 


U.A.  Sale  Talks  On; 
Kelly  To  See  Chaplin 

Possibility  that  control  of 
United  Artists  would  pass  to 
James  and  George  Nasser 
within  another  month  was 
strengthened  here  yesterday 
as  Sam  Wiesenthal,  repre- 
senting the  Nassers,  engaged 
in  day-long  huddles  with  UA 
officials  on  the  state  of  the 
corporation,  and  Arthur  W. 
Kelly,  UA  executive  vice- 
president,  unexpectedly  left 
for  the  Coast  by  plane  to 
confer  with  co-owner  Charles 
Chaplin  on  terms  of  a  deal. 

The  Nassers  are  under- 
stood to  already  have  estab- 
lished bank  credits  of  $3,- 
500,000  to  finance  the  pur- 
chase. It  is  said  that  Chaplin 
and  his  partner,  Mary  Pick- 
ford,  may  retain  a  minority 
interest  in  the  company. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  22,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


TAMES  R.  GRAINGER,  Republic 
»J  distribution  vice-president,  has  left 
here  on  a  tour  of  branches  that  will 
take  him  to  the  Coast. 

a 

William  Schulman,  advertising- 
publicity  director  of  Realart  Films, 
and  Mrs.  Schulman,  yesterday  be- 
came parents  of  a  daughter,  Jo-Ann, 
born  at  Doctor's  Hospital  here.  Baby's 
grandfather  is  Budd  Rogers,  Univer- 
sal-International board  member  and 
Realart  executive. 

e 

H.  M.  Bessey,  Altec  Service  ex- 
ecutive vice-president,  has  left  New 
York  for  a  month's  tour  of  company 
offices  in  the  Midwest  and  on  the 
Coast. 

• 

Maxwell  Alderman,  executive 
secretary  of  Allied  Motion  Picture 
Theatre  Owners  of  Connecticut,  has 
been  appointed  to  the  Board  of  Alder- 
men at  New  Haven. 

• 

William  F.  Rodgers,  M-G-M  sales 
vice-president,  returned  to  New  York 
yesterday  from  Washington. 

e 

Leon  Brandt,  Eagle-Lion's  exploi- 
tation manager,  has  arrived  in  Tulsa 
from  New  York. 

• 

Sam  Seidelman,  Eagle-Lion  for- 
eign sales  chief,  was  in  Paris  yester- 
day and  will  be  in  London  tomorrow. 

Nat  D.  Fellman,  Warner  The- 
atres executive,  left  here  yesterday 
for  Cleveland. 


Jeff  Livingston, 
tional  publicist,  has 
York  from  Texas. 


Universal-Inter- 
returned  to  New 


Edward  A.  Golden  has  returned  to 
Hollywood  from  New  York. 

e 

Paul  Short,  Allied  Artists 
ducer,  is  here  from  the  Coast. 


pro- 


Harrises  Form  New 
Flamingo  Film  Co. 


Formation  of  Flamingo  Films,  Inc. 
to  distribute  foreign  films  to  art  thea- 
tres and  to  produce  and  distribute  tele- 
vision films  was  announced  here  yes 
terday  by  Joseph  Harris,  chairman  of 
the  board.  The  company  has  acquired 
the  film  library  of  Television  High- 
lights, Inc.,  and  has  contracted  for 
250  foreign-made  short  subjects  for 
distribution  to  TV  stations. 

It  takes  its  bow  in  the  35mm.  the 
atrical  field  with  "Fear  No  Evil,' 
Italian-made  feature  dealing  with  the 
life  of  Saint  Benedict  which  opens  at 
the  Fifth  Avenue  Playhouse  on  March 
30.  This  was  produced  by  Maleno 
Malenotti  for  Minerva  Films.  James 
B.  Harris,  formerly  associated  with 
Budd  Rogers  in  Realart,.  will  handle 
sales  of  the  opening  attraction  and 
others  to  be  acquired  and  will  serve 
as  president  of  Flamingo.  Joseph  Har 
ris,  his  father,  sails  on  the  ^.-S".  Queen 
Mary  oh  April  2  to  acquire  further 
product.  Under  separate  arrangements 
Film  Highlights,  Inc.,  will  distribute 
all  Flamingo  releases  in  the  16mm. 
field. 

Sy  Weintraub,  former  director  of 
sales  for  Television  Highlights,  is 
vice-president  in  charge  of  television. 
David  L.  Wolper,  president  of  Harris- 
Wolper  Pictures,  which  will  become 
inactive,  is  secretary-treasurer  and 
director  of  advertising-publicity. 

Aside  from  his  activities  as  board 
chairman  of  Realart,  the  elder  Harris 
proposes  concentrating  on  Flamingo. 


Johnston  Luncheon 
Honors  L.  B.  Mayer 

Washington,  March  21. — A  small 
but  select  group  of  guests  attended  a 
luncheon  today  given  by  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America  president 
Eric  Johnston  in  honor  of  M-G-M 
studio  head  Louis  B.  Mayer. 

Guests  included  Gen.  Dwight  Eisen- 
hower, British  Ambassador  Sir  Oliver 
Franks,  French  Ambassador  Henri 
Bonnet,  Italian  Ambassador  Alberto 
Tarchiani,  ECA  Administrator  Paul 
G.  Hoffman,  and  Lt.  Gen.  Walter 
Bedell  Smith,  retiring  Ambassador  to 
Russia.  The  luncheon  was  at  MPAA 
headquarters  here. ' 


Barbara  Boston  Resumes 

Barbara  Hudnut  Boston  is  resigning 
from  Town  and  Country  Magazine  in 
order  to  resume  active  management 
as  president  of  Discovery  Agency, 
Inc.,  the  Eastern  representative  for 
United  California  Productions  of 
Robert  Cummings,  with  offices  in  the 
Capitol  Theatre  Building  here. 


Milwaukee  Variety 
Asks  Restoration 

Milwaukee,  March  21. — R.  J. 
O'Donnell,  Chief  Barker  of  Variety 
Clubs  International,  reports  that  in- 
active Milwaukee  Tent  No.  8  has 
been  reorganized  and  has  petitioned 
for  restoration  of  its  charter. 

A  general  meeting  was  held  in  Mil- 
waukee and  the  following  were  elect- 
ed officers  and  directors  :  Chief  barker, 
Lou  Elman ;  first  assistant,  Casper 
Chouinard;  second  assistant,  Harry 
Melchor;  property  master,  Ed  John- 
son ;  dough  guy,  Joe  Imhoff ;  canvas- 
men  :  Jess  McBride,  Charles  Trampe, 
Arnold  Brumm,  Erv  Clumb,  Joe 
Strothers  and  Dave  Chapman. 

The  new  tent  will  inaugurate  its  re- 
turn to  Variety  International  with  a 
dinner  in  Milwaukee  on  April  11,  at 
which  O'Donnell  will  be  represented 
by  Col.  Bill  McCraw  and  Bill  O'Don- 
nell, executive  director  and  interna- 
tional representative,  respectively. 


Short 
Subject 


"Wish  You  Were  Here" 

{March  of  Time-20th-Fox) 

Vacation  thoughts  are  always  pleas 
ant  ones  and  March  of  Time  here  de 
votes  an  .entire  subj  ect  to  vacations.  We 
learn  from  the  subject  that  Americans 
are  the  most  vacationing  people  in  the 
world,  spending  the  towering  total  of 
$11,000,000,000  a  year  traveling  and 
vacationing. 

In  popular  and  pleasant  ways,  the 
subject  shows  how  people  get  away 
from  it  all  in  cruising  ships,  at  the 
seashore,  hotels,  camps,  etc.  Some  of 
the  liveliest  shots  come  from  scenes  of 
professional  entertainers  doing  their 
stuff  at  big-time  resorts.  The  picture 
very  likely  will  provide  the  puzzled 
would-be  vacationer  with  some  fresh 
ideas.  Running  time,  I7y2  minutes. 


Lippert  Slates  Eight 
Films  Up  to  June  13 


Hollywood,  March  21. — Following 
mg  completion  recently  of  financial 
backing  by  several  San  Francisco 
banks,  Robert  L.  Lippert's  Lippert 
Productions  will  set  eight  pictures  be 
fore  the  cameras  between  April  4  and 
June  13,  the  producer  disclosed  today. 

Pictures  and  dates  when  production 
will  begin  follow:  "Come  Out  Fight- 
ing," April  4,  with  Ron  Ormond  pro- 
ducing; "Cross  Currents,"  April  11, 
Cy  Roth  producing;  "Grand  Canyon," 
April  28,  Carl  K.  Hittleman  produc- 
ng;  "Skyliner,"  May  9,  William  Ste- 
phens producing;  "Treasure  of  Monte 
Cristo,"  May  16,  Leonard  Picker  pro- 
ducing;  "The  Baron  of  Arizona," 
une  1,  Hittleman  producing.  On  June 
13  Ormond  will  start  two  as  yet  un- 
titled outdoor  features. 


to 


Georgia  Owners 
Meet  on  May  9-10 

Atlanta,  March  21.— J.  H.  Thomp- 
son, president  of  the  Georgia  Theatre 
Owners  and  Operators  reports  that 
the  organization  will  hold  its  second 
annual  convention  in  Atlanta  at  the 
Henry  Grady  Hotel  on  May  9-10. 
Highlights  will  include  an  address  by 
Governor  Herman  Talmadge,  who  is 
expected  to  discuss  legislation  handled 
during  the  recent  session  of  the  legis- 
lature that  is  of  special  interest  to  the 
amusement  business. 


Governor  Proclaims 
'Tulsa  Day'  April  13 

Tulsa,  Okla.,  March  21.— World 
premiere  of  "Tulsa"  in  this  city  on 
April  13  will  be  marked  by  the  official 
statewide  celebration  of  "Tulsa  Day," 
according  to  an  official  proclamation 
by  Gov.  Roy  J.  Turner.  The  premiere 
at  the  Ritz  and  Orpheum  theatres  here 
will  be  attended  by  Gov.  Turner, 
Oklahoma  U.  S.  Senators  Robert  S. 
Kerr  and  Elmer  Thomas,  as  well  as 
governors  of  Southwestern  states  and 
mayors  of  cities  in  the  area.  The  pre- 
miere will  be  followed  by  at  least  400 
day-and-date  engagements  throughout 
the  territory,  with  more  key  city 
houses  to  be  added. 


Says  Schools  Should 
Teach  Film  Tastes 

Present  motion  pictures  reflect  pop- 
ular taste,  and  "if  we  think  that  pop- 
ular taste  should  be  improved  we  must 
get  to  work  with  the  institutions  that 
shape  our  taste:  the  home,  the  school 
and  the  church,"  declared  Frances 
Farmer  Wilder,  specialist  in  mass 
communications  in  an  address  given 
here  yesterday  before  the  East  Coast 
Preview  Committee  of  17  national 
organizations  which  view  films  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America. 

"Our  schools  devote  much  time 
to  teaching  tastes  in  literature,  but 
few  attempt  to  teach  discrimination 
in  motion  picture  tastes,"  Miss  Wild- 
er added. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  -a 

Rockefeller  Center 

"LITTLE  WOMEN  ' 

i  June  Allyson  .  Peter  Lawford  .  Marg't  O'Brien 
J  Elizabeth  Taylor  .  Janet  Leigh  .  Rossano  Brazzla 
,Mary  Astor    .   A  Mervyn  Le  Roy  Production 
Color  by  Technicolor 
A  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Color  by  CINEC0L0R 

itorring.  1 

John  PAYNE  ■  Gail  RUSSELL  XT'**". 
Sterling  HAYDEN  -  Geo."8abby"HMES 
A      Dick  FORAN 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 


"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

JOU  THEATER,  w^%%'0^aoy 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinee*  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


r 


DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK  presents 

OLIVIA  de  HAVILLAND 


the  Smake  Pit 


1 


Directed  by  Produced  by 

I ANATOLE  U1VAK  •  ANATOLI  UTVAK  S  ROBERT  BASSLEt 


2&A 


KlVOLI 


Monogram  Will  Get 
Three  from  Parsons 

Hollywood,  March  21.— Lindsley 
Parsons,  who  heads  Parsons  Produc- 
tions, has  concluded  a  deal  with  Mon- 
ogram to  make  three  James  Oliver 
Curwood  novels.  The  three  are : 
"Tentacles  of  the  North,"  to  start  in 
April,  "The  Wolf  Hunters"  and  "The 
Captain's  Courage." 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID  mfel] 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

<COlOBBY  TECHNICOLOR  ■  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 

?:'?„J?rSE„fEBRER  ■  """CIS  L  SULLIVAN  ■  J  CARROL  NAISK  •  WARD  BOND 
SHEPPERO  STRUDWO  .  HURD  HATFIELD  .  GENE  LOCKHART  .  JOHN  EMERY 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  •  10HN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY 
D3sed  upon  the  stage  play  -loan  ol  Lortaine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
icreen  ploy  br  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOLT  .  orl  direction  b, 
RICHARD  DAY  •  director  of  obolopraphy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produted  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

Dreinnted  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  •  releaied  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


19*  WEEK  i\ 


New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigleyjr  Vice-President  Tt  T  JlivJn  &~P!~&<^/2m  Cabl?  *Mrtss:  "Qu'gPUDC0> 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  MS^TGnfff  itansd  ftXct&,  m^J^m^^A^^^  aad,£reaSl,S3  ^Or™**  Secretary; 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Wi ^  Wearer, 

L  A.  Otten   National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  L«dor?Wl.H^  Representative  Washington, 

Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales  each  orJbfisherP??' S^«rL  ,  3  ^K1116  address,  "Qmfpalco,  London." 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938  at  the post X  fN™  VnA  N  V  „ 3  '  X  °1  °J  ™  0t'?n  ,  Pl£ure  Herald;  International 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c.  P        tt'ce  at  New  York'  N-  Y  \  under  the  act  of  March  3.  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


WHEN  KANSAS  CITY  WELCOMES 


The  roof's  off  ...and  the  riot's  on. ..as  Marjorie  Main 
and  Percy  Kilbride  — Ma  and  Pa  Kettle  in  person  - 
lead  a  Hollywood  troupe  into  Kansas  City  for  a  series 
of  celebrations  to  be  climaxed  by  the  March  24th 
world  premiere  of  U-I's  hilarious  sequel  to  "The  Egg 
and  I"  in  a  three-theatre  opening  at  the  Uptown, Tower 
and  Fairway ..  .  and  a  50-city  territorial  premiere 
in  Missouri  and  Kansas  tieing  in  the  Fox  Midwest 
circuit  and  other  leading  theatres. 

The  whole  town's  cooking  with  the  "Kettles"  as  the  Mayor  pro- 
claims official  "Ma  and  Pa  Kettle  Week/'  setting  off  a  promotion 
that  leaves  no  "Kettle"  unturned. 

Month-long,  city-sponsored  "Ma  and  Pa  Kettle  World's  Cham- 
pionship Square  Dance  Contest"! 

Spring  Fashion  Festival  with  parades,  window  displays,  news- 
paper ads  and  territorial  "Miss  World  Premiere  Contest"! 

Radio  interviews  with  Marjorie  Main,  Percy  Kilbride,  Meg  Ran- 
dall, Richard  Long  and  other  visiting  Hollywood  personalities. 


It's 


the 


The  hilanous 


RICHARD  LONG-MEG 


kind  of  0-1  PR0M0TI0M  THAT  Hm  ^ 
..  MCORD-BXMK'"6  SUSINiSS  0n 

"THE  LIFE  OF  RILEY"/n  Cincinnati 
oncl"RED  CANYON"  in  Salt  Lake  City. 

NOW  WA  TCH  IT  HAPPEH  AGAIN  IN  KANSAS 


CITY! 


JSSSS* 


SSS5 


NVETROPOtn^  J 


111 


5  THEMES  DM 


a. 

SOCKWOO;* 


WHO  PUT 

THE  GUN 

IN  HIS  HAND? 


WHAT  PUT  THAT 
WILD  LOOK 
IN  HIS 
EYES? 


WHY  THE 
MURDER 
IN  HIS 
HEART? 


3U"d.  fh      cooperation  of 
ety  Clubs,  International 

ironed  by  pW  SHORT .  ttyw^j 


noun •  mm-  sum,,  •  cffifo 

VICKFRS 


with  RHYS  WILLIAMS  •  JAMES  LYOON 

DICKIE  MOORE.  SELENA  ROYLE 
TOMMY  COOK 


NEUMANN  •  Screenplay  bv  Robert  D.  An 


^j^Snai  Dialogue  bvK.n^, 


Story  by  Robert  IX  Andrews an 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  22,  194' 


Skouras  Gets  Award; 
On  Air  Tonight 

Spyros  P.  Skouras,  presi- 
dent of  20th  Century-Fox,  re- 
ceived last  night  in  Philadel- 
phia on  behalf  of  the  com- 
pany the  Philadelphia  B'nai 
B'rith's  citation  for  its  "dis- 
tinguished contribution  to 
democracy."  In  his  accept- 
ance speech,  Skouras  said: 
"As  long  as  I  am  directing 
the  affairs  of  20th  Century- 
Fox,  we  shall  never  shirk  our 
responsibility  to  meet  every 
requirement  of  public  welfare 
and  public  taste  implied  by 
this  citation."  This  respon- 
sibility, he  added,  "is  felt  by 
the  whole  motion  picture  in- 
dustry." 

Skouras  will  appear  tonight 
as  a  guest  on  "We,  the  Peo- 
ple" over  the  CBS  network 
to  describe  how  the  Greek 
people  will  celebrate  the 
127th  anniversary  of  Greek 
independence. 


'Joan'  British  Broadcast 

British  Broadcasting  Co.  will  air- 
wave the  ceremonies  at  the  Royal 
Premiere  at  the  Pavilion  of  the  RKO 
Radio-Sierra  Pictures'  "Joan  of  Arc" 
on  April  8,  Robert  Wolff,  RKO  Radio 
managing  director  in  the  United  King- 
dom, reports.  Wolff  is  now  in  New 
York  from  London.  This  is  the  first 
time  in  the  history  of  the  BBC  that 
such  a  broadcast  is  being  made,  said 
RKO. 


To  Explore  New  Sales  Formulae 


A.  W.  Smith,  Jr. 


Al  Jjichtman 


Charles  Einfeld 


New  Profit  System 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Loew's  vice-presidency  at  the  studio  to 
join  20th-Fox. 

Following  a  home  office  trade  press 
interview  yesterday,  in  which  advertis- 
ing-publicity vice-president  Charles 
Einfeld  participated,  Lichtman  and  the 
third  key  figure  in  the  campaign  to 
"eliminate  dog-eat-dog  trading,"  dis- 
tribution vice-president  Andy  W. 
Smith,  Jr.,  left  New  York  for  a  two- 
month  "grass-roots"  tour  to  confer 
with  exhibitors,  their  associations,  and 
company  exchange  executives  in  an 
attempt  to  arrive  at  a  new  formula  or 
new  formulae  for  pricing  product. 
They  will  be  in  Boston  today,  whence 
they  will  head  for  New  Haven,  Phil- 
adelphia, and  other  cities  across  the 
country. 

Exhibition  has  a  big  stake  in  the 


outcome  of  the  conference,  Lichtman 
explained  yesterday,  for  as  the  situa- 
tion stands  today  exhibitors  are 
threatened  with  finding  the  source  of 
supply  of  good  pictures  "endangered." 
Einfeld  interpolated  that  "somewhere 
along  the  line  there  is  an  unfair  divi- 
sion of  the  public's  money." 

Cites  Three  Theories 
Confident  that  new  pricing  policies 
can  evolve  from  the  two  months  of 
conferences,  which,  incidentally,  are 
designed  to  be  in  the  nature  of  "indus- 
try good-will"  meetings,  Lichtman 
said  there  are  three  theories  of  selling 
which  will  serve  as  springboards  for 
the  field  conferences : 

(1)  Sliding-scale,  with  its 
minimum  and  maximum  fig- 
ures. Lichtman  envisions  a 
raising  of  the  maximum. 

(2)  Apportionment  of  pro- 
duction costs  pro  rata  to  each 
theatre,  with  house  expense  put 
against  the  costs  and  exhibi- 
tor and  distributor  to  divide 
the  profits  equally. 

(3)  Charge  the  exhibitor  a 
flat  sum— 15,  25  or  50  cents— 
for  each  patron  who  patronizes 
the  picture,  leaving  the  exhibi- 
tor free  to  charge  whatever  he 
pleases  for  the  ticket  of 
admission. 

In  the  final  analysis,  Lichtman 
acknowledged  the  last  would  resemble 
percentage  playing.  But,  he  added,  the 
resemblance  ends  with  the  liberty  the 
exhibitor  would  have  to  charge  any 
price  for  the  ticket,  just  so  long  as  the 
distributor  gets  the  "guaranteed"  per- 
ticket  charge.  Distributor  charge  per 
ticket  would  vary  with  the  quality  of 
pictures,  and  the  sums  cited  here  by 
Lichtman  were  given  only  as  exam- 
ples. 

Sees  No  'Magic  Formula' 

Smith  explained  that  in  his  and 
Lichtman's  forthcoming  conferences 
with  exhibitors  there  will  be  "no  com- 
pulsion, no  threats."  The  two 
executives,  Smith  added,  will  "talk  the 
problems  out  with  exhibitors."  The 
problem  of  dwindling  production- 
distribution  profits,  he  said,  "is  the 
theatres'  problem  as  well  as  ours" 
There  may  be  no  "magic  formula," 
bmith  observed,  and  the  company  is 
going  about  to  search  for  a  solution 
with  'an  open  mind." 

Reminding  that  the  risks  in  the  in- 
dustry fall  mainly  on  production's 
shoulders,  Lichtman  said  that  if  the 
exhibitors  produced  pictures  they 
would  have  to  bear  all  costs  and  "gam- 
ble for  profits."  As  it  is,  he  added, 
the  exhibitor  hastens  to  protect  his 
costs  and  expects  the  producer  "to 
take  the  biggest  part  of  the  gamble  " 
_  Each  of  the  three  20th-Fox  execu- 
tives had  some  observations  and  com- 


ments about  motion  picture  advertis 
ing.  Concisely,  Lichtman  said:  "N 
picture  carries  itself."  Einfeld,  wht 
indicated  the  company  will  continu> 
strong  "national"  advertising  activity 
cited  the  advertising  practices  foi 
lowed  in  other  industries  to  suppor 
Smith's  statement  of  20th-Fox's  polio 
against  cooperative  advertising.  Fo" 
a  distributor  to  cooperate  with  a  thea 
tre  in  advertising,  Smith  contended 
is  to  usurp  the  rights  of  the  exhibitor 
He  believes  the  distributor's  functioi 
is  to  "advise"  theatre  owners  on  ad- 
vertising. 

Asks  Revival  of  Faith 

The  industry's  public  relations  at 
present  offered  a  target  for  some  sharj 
comment  from  Lichtman.  "Too  mam, 
people"  in  and  outside  the  industry 
he  said,  are  given  to  "panning"  tin 
motion  picture  business.  Describing 
the  industry  as  "hard-working,  sin- 
cere" and  dogged  by  economic,  crea- 
tive and  production  problems,  Licht- 
man called  for  a  revival  of  the 
"evangelist"  spirit,  especially  in  sales- 
men. "The  picture  business  is  too 
young  to  die;  it  needs  a  reaffirmation 
of  early  faith,"  he  declared. 

Is  television  a  threat  ?  Lichtman 
dismissed  that  one  lightly  by  main- 
taining that  "theatre  business  is  better 
in  areas  where  there  are  most  tele- 
vision sets." 

Sam  Shain,  20th-Fox  director  of  ex- 
hibitor relations,  will  accompany 
Lichtman  and  Smith  on  their  tour. 


Legion  of  Decency 
Reviews  9  Films 

Nine  films  were  reviewed  by  the 
Legion  of  Decency  this  week,  with 
one,  United  Artists'  "Too  Late  for 
Tears,"  placed  in  Class  B,  and  an 
Italian  film,  "His  Young  Wife,"  re- 
leased by  Armanac,  put  in  Class  A, 
Section  II. 

Rated  Class  A,  Section  I,  were  "Arc- 
tic >  Manhunt"  and  "Ma  and  Pa  Ket- 
tle," Universal-International;  "Blon- 
die's  Big  Deal,"  Columbia;  "Daughter 
of  the  Jungle,"  Republic;  "Gun  Law 
Justice"  and  "Gun  Runner,"  Mono- 
gram; and  "The  Secret  Garden," 
M-G-M. 


? 


Then  it's  high  time  you  leave 
worries  behind  and  take  a 
TWA  Quickie  Vacation  in  the 
Great  Southwest.  A  few  days 
away  offers  plenty  of  time  for 
rest  and  fun  in  the  invigorating 
climate  of  Phoenix,  when  you 
go  by  TWA  Skyliner.  Big  sav- 
ings on  family  travel  and  round 
trips!  For  facts,  call  your  local 
TWA  office  or  your  travel 
agent. 


Tuesday,  March  22,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


NBC's  Prexy  Blasts 
CBSTopSpot'Claim 

Battle  of  the  networks  has  flared 
anew  as  Niles  Trammell,  president  of 
National  Broadcasting,  dispatched  a 
five-page  letter  to  newspaper  editors 
blasting  Columbia  Broadcasting's 
claims  of  radio  leadership  in  vigor- 
ously-worded terms. 

Trammell  quotes  from  a  recent 
CBS  letter  which  claimed  supremacy 
on  numerous  counts,  and  thereupon 
adds  his  own  comments. 

Disputes  Hooper  Ratings 

CBS  had  reported  that  nine  of  the 
top  IS  Hooper-rating  programs  are 
on  that  network  and  that  the  other 
six  were  divided  equally  between  two 
other  networks.  Says  Trammell : 
"These  figures  played  a  limited  one- 
jweek  engagement,  Hooper's  latest 
(March  1-7)  shows  NBC  with  five, 
CBS  seven.  Beyond  his  shifting  top 
15  shows,  Hooper  continues  to  tell  the 
same  old  story — NBC  delivers  more 
ratings  over  10,  over  12,  than  any 
other  network.  Down  the  middle, 
Vvhere  most  advertisers  operate,  NBC 
consistently  produces  more  than  its 
share  of  the  solid  ratings." 

Commenting  on  CBS's  acquisitions 
of  prominent  stars  from  NBC,  Tram- 
mell asserts  that  the  ratings  for  Jack 
Benny  and  Amos  'n'  Andy  are  "con- 
siderably below"  what  they  were  a 
year  ago  on  NBC. 

'Ornamental'  and  'Meaningless' 

"Strictly  ornamental  and  strictly 
'meaningless,"  says  Trammell  of  the 
CBS  claim  of  "highest  average  station 
'power." 

1  CBS  has  reported  an  increase  of 
:ight  per  cent  in  network  billings  for 
the  first  quarter  of  1949  over  last  year. 
Trammeli's  comment :  "This  is  more 
in  the  nature  of  a  recovery.  CBS 
first-quarter  billings  have  now  caught 
ip  to  their  level  of  1945." 

The  CBS  claim  that  it  had  the 
'largest  number  of  the  most  popular 
)rograms,"  prompted  this  comment  by 
Trammell :  "Dunninger  is  still  work- 
ing on  this  one." 


Pine-Thomas  Lists 
Four  More  for  Para. 

.Hollywood,  March  21.  —  William 
H.  Pine  and  William  C.  Thomas  have 
uinounced  a  production  schedule 
inder  which  they  will  film  four  "big- 
cale"  pictures  for  Paramount  release. 

The  first,  "Captain  China,"  starring 
rohn  Payne  and  Gail  Russell,  will  go 
tefore  the  cameras  in  mid-April.  The 
econd  will  be  "Below  the  Border,"  a 
Western  which  will  be  filmed  in  Tech- 
licolor  in  Mexico.  Next  will  be  a 
newspaper  melodrama,  "Not  for  Pub- 
ication,"  scheduled  to  start  in  late 
ummer.  "The  Storm"  will  be  fourth 
m  the  schedule. 


DU-ART... 

A  GOOD  NAME  TO  REMEMBER  FOR 
LABORATORY  WORK  •  16  mm,  35  mm 


A  COMPLETE  DEPART- 
MENT FOR  MAKING 
SUPERIMPOSED  AND 
MAIN  TITLES 

-BUT  FAST 


Exchange  of  Ideas 
To  Better  Business 

Minneapolis,  March  21. — 
Organization  of  small  inde- 
pendent theatre  operators 
recently  at  Whitehall,  Wis., 
as  previously  reported,  is 
aimed  at  improving  business 
through  an  exchange  of  ideas 
at  regular  monthly  meetings 
and  to  build  goodwill,  it  was 
pointed  out  by  Colonel  Lar- 
son of  Independence,  tem- 
porary chairman  of  the  group, 
officially  known  as  Western 
Wisconsin  Independent  The- 
atres Association. 


Screen  'Outpost'  at 
'Moroccan  Michoue' 

French  Foreign  Legion  veterans 
who  served  in  Morocco  were  guests  of 
honor  at  a  Moroccan  Michoue  (tradi- 
tional Moroccan  party)  given  here 
last  night  by  M.  Raymond  Treuil, 
commercial  counselor  to  the  French 
Embassy  in  New  York.  On  the  occa- 
sion, a  preview  ©f  the  new  George 
Raft  film,  "Outpost  in  Morocco,"  re- 
leased by  United  Artists,  was  held. 

Also  yesterday,  U.A.  disclosed  that 
it  has  received  a  letter  of  commenda- 
tion from  the  director  of  the  cabinet 
of  the  French  War  Ministry  on  the 
film,  which  will  open  here  at  the  Capi- 
tol Theatre  on  March  28.  The  picture 
was  filmed  in  Morocco  with  a  Holly- 
wood troupe  supported  by  hundreds  of 
French  Foreign  Legionnaires  serving 
as  extras. 


Lancaster  Deal  Gives 
Warner  Six  Films 

Hollywood,  '  March  21. — Warner 
will  release  six  pictures  starring  Burt 
Lancaster  during  the  next  three  years, 
with  three  to  be  produced  by  Warner 
and  three  to  be  made  by  Lancaster's 
Norma  Productions,  under  terms  of 
a  new  contract. 

The  contract  is  similar  to  one 
signed  recently  with  the  Cagney 
brothers,  and  gives  Warner  an  in- 
terest in  Norma  Productions,  in 
which  Lancaster  is  associated  with 
Harold  Hecht. 


Services  Today  for 
Joseph  Gilpin,  43 

Hollywood,  March  21. — Services 
will  be  held  here  tomorrow  at  For- 
est Lawn  for  Joseph  C.  Gilpin,  43, 
production  manager  and  studio  ex- 
ecutive, who  died  Saturday  at  his 
home.  He  was  long  active  in  War- 
ner, Columbia,  Enterprise  and  other 
studio  posts.  The  widow,  a  brother, 
a  sister,  and  two  children  survive. 


Joseph  Krul,  Exhibitor 

Detroit,  March  21. — Joseph  B. 
Krul,  58,  a  veteran  of  18  years  in  the 
theater  business  was  buried  in  De- 
troit on  Friday.  He  owned  the  King, 
Park  and  Home  Theaters  here  and 
formerly  operated  a  cafe  in  Detroit. 
Surviving  are  the  widow,  Hedwig, 
three  children  and  seven  grandchil- 
dren. 


Wheeler  Oakman,  59 

Hollywood,  March  21. — Wheeler 
Oakman,  59,  former  actor  and  director 
of  silent  films  and  more  recently  assis- 
tant manager  of  a  North  Hollywood 
theatre,  died  Saturday  at  his  home  in 
Van  Nuys.  He  was  once  married  to 
Priscilla  Dean,  silent  film  actress. 


THE  NEW  YORK  WORLD-TELEGRAM 


calls  it 


Movies 


'Red  Pony'  Shows 
Steinbeck  Artistry 


the 
the 
tion 


The  story  about  a  boy  and  his 
pel  has  been  worn  threadbare  by 
Hollywood   but  the  battered  old 
fheme  emerges  new  and  rich  and 
glossy  once  more  in     The  Red 
Pony  "  This  picture  is  spreading 
a  rhapsody  of  mellow  happiness 
and    wistful    tears    through  the 
Technicolor  on  the  May  fair  screen- 
John  Steinbeck  was  in  a  tender 
mood  when  he  rearranged  parts  of 
short  stories  that  went  into 
original  "Red  Pony     col  ec, 
and   turned   them   into  this 
scenario.    He   has   made  no  im- 
portant changes  in  his  mater.aU 
dimply  arranged  his  events  mto  a 
sequence  better  suited  Jo.  movie 
purposes.   His  warm,   salty  d>a 
rogue,  the  eager  dreams  of  child 
hood  and  a  boy's  ecstasy  >n animal 
comradeship  all  have  been  affec 
tionately   caught  in  the 

The  skeleton  of  the  story  is  the 
same  one  to  which  Hollywood  has 
chSng  since  the  beginning  of 
movies.  A  lonely  little  boy  is  given 
a  pony  and  life  turns  to  pure 
ecstasy  The  world  crashes  in 
ruins  when  the  pony  sickens  and 
dUs  With  a  fierce  determina- 
tion the  boy  faces  down  his 
ordeal  but  it  does  not  really  end 
until  another  colt  is  born  and  be- 

The  dtrTerence  is  in  the  hearty 
vigor  of  the  characters  Steinbeck 
has  created.  He  has  been  given 
a  rousing  assist  also,  by  a  wonder- 
ful cast  under  inspired  d'ject  on 
of  that  old  master.  Lews  Mile 

St0First  among  these   Payers  is 
the  boy,  Peter  Miles    a  st^ 
to  major  movie  roles   In  *e  way 
that  gifted  children  have.  Peter 
plunged  into  the  story  and 


made  it  his  own  He  now  seems 
to  be  the  inspiration  for  a  story 
that  must  have  flowed  from  the 
Steinbeck  pen  before  Peter  was 
horn  The  charm  and  vividness 
of  this  boy  s  performance  are  that 

StChogice  of  other  members  of  the 
cast   was   equally   inspired.  Bob 
Mitchum  is  a  Gibraltar  of  homely 
wisdom  on  whom  the  boy  leans 
for    counsel.    The    parents  are 
Myrna  Loy  as  deeply  compassion 
ate  mother,  and  Shepperd  Strud- 
wick  as  a  father 
come  part  of  his  boy's  world  if  he 
could  only  have  understood  what 
it  was    Louis  Calhern  is  an  old 
plainsman,  lustily  roaring  out  his 
Stories,  until  the  touching  moment 
when  he  realizes  that  he  has  be- 
come   an    ancient    and  colossal 

b°One  word  of  warning  if  you 
take  a  child  to  "The  Red  Pony 
There  is  a  bloody  scene  in  which 
TheToy  flghts  a  buzzard  for  which 
a  sensitive  child  should  be  reas 
sured   in   advance    and  perhaps 

agBu"t  t  gentile  Mayfair  is 
the  best  theater  in  town  to  shower 

£"l.Vl»«.U  ol  tb.  ..».» ««™ 
the  same  errand. 


has 


"The  Red  Pony,"  with  Myrna 
l^v  Robert  Mitchum,  Louis  l-al- 
Crn    Shepperd  S.rndwiek  Peter 

Republic  picture  d.rected  by  Lew^ 
Milestone,  screen  play  by  John 
SteinWk,  based  on  a  coHection 
„f  his  short  stones.  At  the  May 
Wr    Running  time:  89  minutes. 


Reprinted  from  The  New  York  World-Telegron 


CHARLES 

MYRNA  LOY 

in  IOH\ 

K.  F  ELD  MAN  presents 

ROBERT  MITCHUM 

JUL 

7%e 

IHJ  1 1st 

Ji 

wusmi 

fat 

i  sj  ftnisnse 

wi.h  LOUIS  CALHERN  and  SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK 

and  introducing  PETER  MILES  as  TOM  and  MARGARET  HAMILTON 

Screen  Play  by  JOHN  STEINBECK  •  Music  by  AARON  COPLAND 

Produced  and  Directed  by  LEWIS  MILESTONE  ■  A  REPUBLIC  PRODUCTION 
color  BY  TECHNICOLOR 


)  DU-ART  FILM  LABORATORIES,  Inc. 

j   245  WEST  55th  ST.  •  CO.  5-5584 

L  


Motion  Picture  daily 


Tuesday,  March  22,  194Sf 


Drive-in  Deals 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

outdoor  theatres  in  operation  in  the 
area  when  the  1949  drive-in  season 
gets  into  full  swing. 

Anton  Schulz  will  have  the  500-car 
Corral  drive-in  near  Bismarck,  N.  D., 
ready  for  spring  opening;  and  W.  R. 
Hiller  and  son  Jack  have  completed 
plans  for  a  490-car  outdoors  stand  to 
be  opened  next  summer  at  Marshall, 
bringing  to  40  the  total  number  of  such 
35mm  operations  in  the  Minneapolis 
area. 

At  the  close  of  last  year's  outdoor 
activities,  there  were  eight  drive-ins  in 
operation  in  the,  Minneapolis  territory, 
comprising  Minnesota  Entertainment 
Enterprises'  Bloomington  and  Rose, 
in  suburban  Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul, 
respectively;  Austin,  Minn.,  drive-in, 
operated  by  Clem  Jaunich,  E.  R. 
Ruben  and  Harold  Field;  Ralph 
Green's  Rochester,  Minn.,  drive-in ; 
Ted  Mann-Charles  Rubenstein's  Sky- 
Line,  Duluth ;  Harold  Hanson's  East 
Park,  Sioux  Falls,  S.  D.,  and  E.  R. 
Ruben's  Ski-Lite  drive-ins  at  Sioux 
Falls  and  Rapid  City,  S.  D. 

New  drive-ins  definitely  set  include : 

Minnesota:  At  Albert  Lea,  Fried- 
man Brothers;  at  Bemidji,  Ed  Baehr ; 
Brainerd,  Home  Theatres  Co. ;  Du- 
luth, Mann-Rubenstein ;  International 
Falls,  Home  Theatres  Co. ;  Little 
Falls,  Lowell  Smoots ;  Mankato,  Pete 
Karalis ;  Owatonna,  Frank  and 
Woempner ;  Redwood  Falls,  Don 
Buckley  ;  Spring  Valley,  Joe  Milnar  ; 
St.  Cloud,  Karalis ;  Willmar,  Frank 
and  Woempner ;  Winona,  Roesner  and 
Smith ;  Worthington,  Gay  Hower. 

North  Dakota:  At  Bismarck,  Gus 
Wingreene ;  Fargo,  Ruben ;  Grand 
Forks,  Ruben ;  Jamestown,  John  Lud- 
wig ;  Minot,  Karalis. 

South  Dakota:  At  Aberdeen, 
Ruben ;  Huron,  Ruben ;  Watertown. 
Harold  Hanson. 

Wisconsin:  At  Eau  Claire,  Ted 
Karatz- Sheldon  Grengs ;  LaCrosse, 
Ruben-Ben  Marcus ;  Superior,  Roy 
McMinn  and  Clarence  Kaake. 

Minnesota  Enterprises  also  has 
drive-ins  under  construction  for 
Brooklyn  Township  in  suburban  Min- 
neapolis, and  at  Inver  Grove,  south  of 
the  St.  Paul  city  limits.  Several  ad- 
ditional drive-ins  are  known  to  be  in 
the  planning  stage  in  the  area,  par- 
ticularly at  Ashland,  Wis.,  and  in  the 
district  between  Faribault  and  North- 
field,  Minn. 

Herbert  Ochs  Will  Build 
Six  Drive-ins  in  Canada 

Cleveland,  March  21.  —  Herbert 
Ochs,  drive-in  circuit  operator,  is 
planning  to  expand  his  group  of  five 
outdoor  theatres  in  Canada  to  11.  The 
Ochs  circuit  also  includes  seven  thea- 
tres in  the  U.  S.,  in  Port  Huron,  Fort 
Wayne,  Grand  Rapids,  in  Michigan, 
and  in  Dayton,  Rayland,  Wheelers- 
burg  and  Wilmington,  all  in  Ohio. 


Reviews 


"Adventure  in  Baltimore" 

(RKO  Radio)  Hollyzwod,  March  21 

ROBERT  YOUNG,  Shirley  Temple,  John  Agar  and  Josephine  Hutchinson 
supply  the  principal  entertainment  and  name  power  on  which  this  pleas- 
ant item  of  nostalgia,  produced  by  Richard  E.  Berger  under  the  imprint  of 
Dore  Schary  during  the  latter's  RKO  Radio  regime,  depends.  The  film  is 
a  good-humored  treatment  of  the  thesis  that  forward-thinking  young  people 
in  the  Baltimore  of  1905  gave  their  elders  quite  as  much  concern  as  the  young 
people  of  today  or  any  other  day,  without  evil  intent  or  outcome,  and  the 
point  is  gently  but  firmly  made.  The  picture  plays  better  than  it  bills,  and 
figures  to  pick  up  support  from  the  family  circle  as  audience  comment  in- 
filtrates the  community. 

Miss  Temple  portrays  the  artistically  talented  and  progressively-minded 
daughter  of  a  minister,  excellently  played  by  Young,  who  is  in  line  for  the 
bishopry  and  whose  straight-laced  followers  consider  his  prospects  endan- 
gered by  his  daughter's  well-intentioned  but  gossip-provoking  escapades.  She 
gets  expelled  from  school  for  advocating  modernism,  lands  in  jail  when 
a  street  riot  develops  among  casual  admirers  of  her  painting,  and  again,  this 
time  accompanied  by  her  mother  and  her  brothers,  for  intervening  in  behalf 
of  votes-for-women  paraders.  Although  counselled  to  send  her  away  until 
gossip  dies  down,  the  minister  takes  his  case  to  the  congregation  in  a  sermon 
which  results  in  general  clarification  and  his  selection  as  bishop.  Agar  plays 
the  young  man  who  does  not  realize,  until  all.  of  this  is  over,  that  he  is  in 
love  with  the  girl.  Full  attention  to  details  of  setting  and  period,  and  expert 
direction  by  Richard  Wallace,  give  the  picture  extraordinary  realism.  The 
screenplay,  by  Lionel  Houser,  is  orderly  and  well  thought  out. 

Running  time,  90  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
not  set.  William  R.  Weaver 


Kingsberg  to  Bid 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Chicago  Equity  Suit 

( Continued  from,  page  1 ) 

early  as  films  played  in  any  theatre  in 
Chicago  outside  the  Loop. 

Defendants  were  Paramount,  War- 
ner, Universal  and  Columbia.  Plain- 
tiff's attorney  is  Seymour  Simon. 
Miles  Seeley  represented  the  dis- 
tributors. 


ABC  Drive-in  Sold 

Sale  of  the  ABC  Drive-in,  Pitts- 
burgh, to  the  Midwest  Drive-in  The- 
atres of  Boston  has  been  announced 
here  by  Berk  and  Krumgold,  theatre 
realty  firm. 


"Corridor  of  Mirrors" 

(Prestige — Universal-International) 

A CURIOUS  drama  of  love  and  death,  permeated  with  mystical  overtones, 
has  been  sent  here  from  London  by  J.  Arthur  Rank  in  "Corridor  of 
Mirrors."  As  a  story  of  a  man  obsessed  with  the  image  of  a  girl  in  a  400- 
year-old  painting,  the  film  evolves  unconventionally,  and  as  such  will  have 
appeal  for  certain  discriminating  audiences.  Measured  by  American  film  stand- 
ards, however,  it  moves  rather  slowly  and  has  frequent  interludes  of  pom- 
pous dialogue.  Eric  Portman  and  Edana  Romney  head  the  cast  of  this  Pres- 
tige Picture,  which  Universal-International  is  releasing. 

It  is  an  unusual  role  that  falls  to  Portman  as  a  cynically  sophisticated 
gentleman  who  mentally  lives  in  the  Rennaissance  period.  Believing  himself 
the  reincarnation  of  the  portrait-girl's  lover,  Portman  one  day  meets  Miss 
Romney  and  becomes  convinced  she  is  the  reincarnation  of  the  girl.  There 
follows  a  love  story  which  parallels  the  old  one.  As  it  happened,  the  lover 
of  yore,  thwarted,  finally  strangles  the  girl  with  her  _  own  hair.  The  con- 
temporary parallel,  however,  follows  another  line  as  it  is  a  different  girl 
that  gets  strangled  by  a  demented  woman  and  Portman  is  executed  for  the 
crime.  Such  is  the  outline-  of  the  obscure  tale  which  is  related  in  flashback. 
The  film's  title  derives  from  a  corridor  of  mirrors  in  Portman's  fabulous 
home. 

Miss  Romney,  in  private  life  the  wife  of  John  Woolf,  joint  managing 
director  of  Rank's  General  Film  Distributors,  Ltd.,  is  introduced  to  American 
audiences  in  the  film  for  the  first  time  and  she  performs  with  easy  com- 
petence. A  Cartier-Romney  production  for  Apollo  Films,  it  was  directed  by 
Terence  Young  and  produced  by  Rudolph  Cartier.  The  screenplay,  by  Miss 
Romney  and  Cartier,  was  from  Chris  Massey's  novel. 

Running  time,  96  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
March  22.  Mandel  Herbstman 


not  discuss  the  possible  purchase  whi 
Hughes. 

Under  its  option  agreement  witl: 
Hughes,  Atlas  Corp.  has  the  right  tc 
meet  any  offer  for  the  shares  in  the 
new  independent  theatre  company.  In 
the  event  Hughes  is  unable  to  obtain 
outside  offers,  he  must  offer  the  stock 
to  Atlas  at  a  price  not  to  exceed 
$4,500,000. 

Meanwhile,  New  York  Stock  Ex- 
change trading  in  RKO  futures  is  now 
bringing  about  $3.75  per  share  for  the 
new  RKO  pictures  company,  and 
about  $4.50  per  share  for  the  new 
theatre  company.  Hughes  will  have 
929,020  shares  of  stock  in  each  new- 
company. 


U.S.  Mayors  Seek  Tax 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Brown  Quits  Para. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


that  he  did  so  only  in  deference  to 
Brown's  wishes.  Brown's  future  plans 
have  not  been  disclosed. 

Brown  entered  the  motion  picture 
field  from  newspaper  work,  becoming 
advertising  manager  in  New  York  for 
Universal  in  1922.  He  came  to  the 
West  Coast  after  serving  as  RKO 
Theatres  publicity  director  in  Chicago. 

Subsequently  he  held  the  post  of 
advertising-publicity  director  for  Co- 
lumbia and  Warner  studios  before 
joining  Paramount. 


89,337  LA  Video  Sets 

Los  Angeles,  March  21. — There 
are  now  89,337  television  sets  in  the 
Los  Angeles  area,  a  jump  of  148  per 
cent  in  three  months,  according  to 
the  Southern  California  Radio  and 
Electrical  Appliance  Association.  The 
new  total  of  89,337  sets,  at  an  average 
cost  per  set  of  $400,  represents  an  in- 
vestment of  $35,734,800. 


VA  Film  Operations 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


division's  13  branches,  and  a  decision 
had  been  pending  meanwhile  as  to 
whether  centralization  or  a  modifica- 
tion of  the  former  setup  should  be 
adopted. 

E.  J.  Kelly,  VA  chief  of  motion 
pictures,  and  Mrs.  Adenia  Stern,  VA 
film  liaison,  will  come  to  New  York 
from  Washington  during  the  week  of 
April  4  to  confer  with  industry  dis- 
tribution executives  on  the  product 
VA  will  show  here  during  the  next 
year  in  VA  hospitals  and  homes. 

The  VA  Administration's  motion 
picture  office  here  plans  now  to  deal 
directly  with  film  exchanges  in  the 
field  and  will  adopt  a  "locked  booking 
system,"  whereby  the  VA  hospitals 
and  homes  will  be  supplied  with  prod- 
uct regularly  and  under  a  sequence 
plan  already  established.  The  VA 
will  conduct  its  motion  picture  pay- 
ment and  procurement  operations  out 
of  Washington. 


areas  and  corridor  conversations  that 
they  all  are  just  waiting  for  a  chance 
to  levy  admissions  taxes  and  that  a 
resolution  along  this  line,  marking  the 
admissions  tax  as  "peculiarly  appro- 
priate for  local  administration"  will 
be  adopted  Wednesday. 

President  Truman,  addressing  the 
conference,  said  that  one  of  the  most 
important  problems  facing  cities  is 
to  "bring  some  order  out  of  the  tangle 
among  cities,  states,  and  the  Federal 
government  in  the  field  of  taxation 
and  financial  relations."  The  Presi- 
dent said  he  had  asked  Secretary  of 
Treasury  Snyder  to  report  to  him  on 
progress  in  unraveling  the  tangle,  and 
that  "in  the  near  future,  the  Secre- 
tary is  inviting  representatives  of  state 
and  local  bodies  to  meet  with  him 
and  other  Federal  officials  in  a  pre- 
liminary conference  to  work  toward 
a  program  for  action  in  this  field." 

Conference  president  George  W. 
Welsh,  mayor  of  Grand  Rapids,  said 
that  the  Federal  and  state  govern- 
ments have  pre-empted  the  most  pro- 
ductive forms  of  taxation.  He  de- 
clared that  the  conference  should 
press  Congress  for  creation  of  a  Fed- 
eral-state and  city  tax  commission  to 
be  charged  with  responsibility  for 
developing  a  suggested  division  or 
allocation  of  tax  revenues  among  the 
three  levels  of  government. 

Mayor  David  L.  Lawrence  of 
Pittsburgh  declared  that  Federal  and 
state  governments  should  adopt  a 
"self-denying  ordinance — a  clear-cut 
determination  of  policv  that  will  leave 
them  out  of  certain  inappropriate  tax- 
ing areas  and  leave  such  resources 
to  the  cities." 

Mayor  W.  Cooper  Green  of  Birm- 
ingham also  called  for  "home  rule" 
in  matters  of  taxation.  Mayor  Joseph 
E.  Smith  of  Oakland  said  his  city 
had  found  the  sales  tax  "the  most 
painless  and  practical  method  of  mak- 
ing ends  meet." 


'Film  Dating'  Bill 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


He  indicated  he  is  inclined  to  take 
exception  to  the  practice  of  recording 
picture  copyright  dates  in  Roman 
numerals  on  films,  but  added  that  he 
does  not  believe  that  the  age  of  a 
picture  is  "a  determining  factor  as  re- 
gards  public  satisfaction." 


London  Looks  for  Sun 

London,  March  21. — Special  weath- 
er forecasts,  with  emphasis  on  the 
prospects  for  sunshine  and  visibility, 
will  be  made  availavle  twice  daily  to 
film  producers  here  by  the  Govern- 
ment meteorological  office. 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  MARCH  23,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Wilson  Fixes  New  U.  K. 
Quota  at  40  Per  Cent 


NY  Runs  Have 
Mild  Grosses 


Tickets  are  selling  at  a  leisurely 
pace  at  New  York  first-runs  this 
week  with  only  a  few  spots  ringing 
up  substantial  business.  Holdovers 
are  playing  in  all  but  two  of  the 
"showcases"  and  the  mild  weather 
has  not  especially  helped.  The  income 
generally  is  at  a  modest  level. 

"Little  Women"  with  a  stage  show 
provided  the  Music  Hall  with  a  pros- 
perous Thursday  -  through  -  Sunday 
gross  of  $84,000  (bettering  the  open- 
ing weekend  mark)    and  figures  to 

(Continued  on  page  15) 


20th's  1st  Rental 
Plan  Meeting  Today 

Boston,  March  22. — Twentieth 
Century-Fox  vice-presidents  Al  Licht- 
man  and  Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  arrived 
here  today  from  New  York  in  com- 
pany with  advertising-publicity  vice- 
president  Charles  Einfeld  and  a  num- 
ber of  other  company  executives  for  a 
sales  meeting  with  Edward  Callahan, 
Boston  branch  manager. 

Boston  is  Lichtman's  and  Smith's 
first  stop  on  their  scheduled  nation- 
wide tour  in  behalf  of  a  new,  prospec- 
tive film  rental  plan  which  is  designed 
to  provide  a  bigger  profit  for  the  dis- 
tributor. They  will  meet  exhibitors 
here  tomorrow  at  a  luncheon  at  the 
Copley  Plaza  Hotel.  Other  20th-Fox 
executives  here  from  New  York  are 
Ray  Moore,  Sam  Shain  and  Maurice 
Caplan. 


Ignores  Recommendation  of  His  Own  Films 
Council  for  Lower  Quota;  Exhibitors  Are 
Dismayed;  Approval  by  Parliament  Is  Certain 

London,  March  22. — Ignoring  the  recommendation  of  his  own 
Films  Council  for  a  33^  «]oer  cent  film  quota,  Harold  Wilson,  presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Trade,  today  fixed  the  first  feature  quota  at 
40  per  cent  for  the  year  beginning  Oct.  1. 

Wilson's  order  requires  the  approval  of  both  Houses  of  Parlia- 

 ment,  but  its  adoption  is  assured. 

The  present  quota  is  45  per  cent 
and  British  producers  have  been 
unable  so  far  to  supply  sufficient 
product  to  meet  it,  with  the  result  that 
exhibitor  defaults  are  numerous  de- 
spite exemptions  and  partial  relief 
granted  to  them. 

Wilson  is  continuing  the  25  per  cent 
quota  for  supporting  programs  (sec- 
ond features). 

The  Exhibitors'  Association  was 
dumbfounded  by  Wilson's  action  in 
setting  the  new  quota  at  40  per  cent. 
The  CEA  had  urged  the  Films  Coun- 

(Continued  on  page  13) 


NSS  Beats  Express 
Embargo  Handicaps 

Despite  the  express  embargo  which 
has  seriously  paralyzed  shipping  from 
New  York  for  12  days,  trailers  and 
accessories,  more  than  90  per  cent  of 
which  are  produced  here,  have  con- 
tinued their  uninterrupted  distribution 
to  National  Screen  exchanges,  and 
exhibitors  throughout  the  country, 
NSS  reported  here  yesterday. 

Day  and  night  crews  are  operating 
in  National  Screen's  home  office,  ship- 
ping rooms,  screen  plant  and  labora- 
tories in  routing  these  advertising- 
items  to  intermediate  shipping  stations 
outside  of  New  'York,  where  they 
have  been  relayed  to  National  Screen's 
31  offices. 

Although  NSS  spokesmen  were  re- 
luctant to  divulge  what  methods  were 
employed  to  overcome  the  embargo's 
threat  to  service,  for  fear  of  jeopard- 
izing current  advantages,  they  point 
out  that  one  such  relay  point  had  been 
Philadelphia,  which,  now  under  threat 
of  embargo  itself,  has  given  way  to  a 
new  depot. 

Daily  tactical  briefings  are  designed 
to  deploy  shipments  to  points  of  van- 
tage, and  to  checkmate  new  handicaps 
that  endanger  the  service  schedule. 


TO  A  Chiefs 
Rental  Tilt 


Sift  Shorts 
Tomorrow 


40%  Quota  Shocks 
Film  Trade  Here 


News  of  the  British  Board  of 
Trade's  order  fixing  the  film  quota 
at  40  per  cent  for  the  year  beginning 
next  Oct.  1  was  received  with  sur- 
prise and  some  bitterness  in  New 
York  film  circles  yesterday. 

"It  certainly  does  nothing  to  im- 
prove strained  relations  between  the 
American  and  British  industries,"  one 
executive  commented. 

Another  remarked  that  it  could  not 
help  but  create  "a  heavy  atmosphere" 
for  the  holding  of  the  first  meeting  of 
the  Joint  Anglo-American  Advisory 
Film  Council  meeting  in  Washington 

(Continued  on  page  13) 


5-City  Itinerary 
For  J.  Arthur  Rank 


FILM 
NEWS 

VOL.  65.   NO.  57 


U.  S.  Treasury 
'Calls  Meet  on 
Local  Taxes 


May  Have  Far-Reaching 
Effect  on  Ticket  Levy 

s  Washington,  March  22. — Sec- 
retary of  the  Treasury  Snyder  to- 
;day  summoned  state  and  local  offi- 
[cials  to  meet  with  Treasury  repre- 
sentatives here  on  April  21-22  to 
.j survey  the  problems  and  possibilities 
j,for  eliminating  overlapping  Federal, 
(I state  and  local  taxes  and  for  estab- 
lishing more  adequate  revenue  sources 
.for  local  governments. 
s  Practically  all  of  the  groups  in- 
cited to  the  conference  are  on  record 
,in  favor  of  the  Federal  government 
l,getting  out  of  the  admission  tax  field, 

leaving  the  states  and  cities  free  to 

step  in. 

'[  President  Truman  yesterday  told 
.the  1949  Conference  of  Mayors,  meet- 
.ing  here,  that  he  realized  that  many 

(.Continued  on  page  13) 


Approval  of  RKO 
jReorganization  Seen 


Very  minor  opposition  has  been  ex- 
'pressed  to  date  by  stockholders  to  the 
jRKO  reorganization  plan,  indicating 
(that  approval  is  to  be  expected  at  the 
special  meeting  of  stockholders  in 
Dover,  Del.,  next  Monday,  company 
officials  reported  here  yesterday. 

Approval  of  the  plan  requires  a  two- 
thirds  vote  of  shareholders.  The  plan 
provides  for  the  separation  of  RKO 
theatre   operations   from  production- 

(Continued  on  page  13) 
]   

Siegel  Named  Para. 
Studio  Ad  Chief 


i  Hollywood,  March  22. — Norman 
<S.  Siegel  has  been  named  advertising- 
nublicity  manager  of  the  Paramount 
Studio,  by  Henry  Ginsberg,  production 
i /ice-president. 

Siegel  joined  the  studio  publicity 
staff  of  Paramount  in  June,  1945, 
:>rior  to  that  he  had  been  on  the  edi- 
torial staff  of  the  Cleveland  Press  for 
15  years.  Last  April  he  was  appoint- 
;d  executive  assistant  to  studio  direc- 
:or  of  publicity  and  advertising 
Seorge  Brown,  who  resigned  on  Mon- 
lay.  For  three  successive  years  he 
las  served  as  Hollywood  coordinator 
or  the  Royal  Command  film  pre- 
nieres  in  London. 


Kelly  Reports  on  UA 
Bids  to  Chaplin 

Hollywood,  March  22. — Arthur 
Kelly,  United  Artists  executive  vice- 
president,  who  arrived  here  last  night 
from  New  York,  spent  the  day  con- 
ferring with  Charles  Chaplin,  report- 
edly discussing  the  present  status  of 
the  Fabian  syndicate  bid  for  UA.  He 

(Continued  on  page  13) 


Theatre  Owners  of  America's  tilt 
with  distributors  over  apportionment 
of  costs  in  connection  with  the  exhibi- 
tion of  the  industry's  series  of  public 
relations  short  subjects  will  be  in  the 
forefront  of  subjects  to  be  assayed  by 
the  TOA  executive  committee  when 
it  meets  at  the  Hotel  Astor  here  to- 
morrow, according  to  organization 
spokesmen.    Si  H.  Fabian,  executive 

(Continued  on  page  8) 


J.  Arthur  Rank,  president  of  the 
British  Film  Producers  Association 
and  head  of  the  world-wide  Rank  Or- 
ganization, will  arrive  here  today  from 
London.  He  will  be  accompanied  by 
Mrs.  Rank  and  his  general  counsel, 
G.  I.  Woodham-Smith. 

Rank  will  be  in  the  United  States 
for  five  weeks  ;  his  itinerary  follows  : 

In  New  York  March  23-31.  He 

(Continued  on  page  13) 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Wednesday,  March  23,  1949 


31  Sales  Executives 
To  Aid  Bond  Drive 


A.  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  distribution  vice- 
president  for  20th  Century-Fox  and 
national  distributor  chairman  of  the 
industry's  U.  S.  Treasury's  Savings 
Bond  Drive,  which  will  run  from  May 
15  to  June  30,  has  received  acceptances 
of  the  31  exchange  area  distributor 
chairmanships  from  distribution  ex- 
ecutives who  will  coordinate  all  film 
company  activities  into  the  industry- 
wide organization. 

Distributor  chairmen  and  the  terri- 
tories they  will  supervise  are :  E.  Vo- 
gel,  Albany ;  John  Bachman,  UA,  At- 
lanta ;  John  Moore,  Para.,  Boston ; 
Jack  Chinell,  RKO  Radio,  Buffalo; 
J.  W.  Greenleaf,  U-I,  Charlotte;  Sam 
Gorelik,  RKO,  Chicago ;  James  Ab 
rose,  WB,  Cincinnati ;  I.  J.  Schmertz 
20th-Fox,  Cleveland;  Heywood  Sim 
mons,  Para.,  Dallas. 

Also,  Joe  Emerson,  RKO,  Denver 
Clarke  Baker,  Col.,  Des  Moines  ;  Don 
Woods,  WB,  Detroit;  Foster  B.  Gau 
ker,  Loew's,  Indianapolis ;  Albert  L 
Adler,    Loew's,    Kansas    City ;  Fred 
Greenberg,  WB,  Los  Angeles ;  Her 
man  Chrisman,  Col.,  Memphis ;  Jess 
McBride,  Para.,  Milwaukee ;  Art  An- 
derson, WB,  Minneapolis;  Ben  Simon. 
20th-Fox,  New  Haven. 

Also,  Duke  Duvall,  Col.,  New  Or 
leans ;  Dave  Levy,  U-I,  New  York ; 
Dewey  Gibbs,  Col.,  Oklahoma  City ; 
J.  E.  Scott,  20th-Fox,  Omaha;  Ul 
rick  Smith,  Para.,  Philadelphia;  Saul 
Gottlieb,  Loew's,  Pittsburgh ;  Chas 
F.  Powers,  20th-Fox,  Portland;  Her- 
bert Bennin,  Loew's,  St.  Louis ;  Car- 
roll Trowbridge,  UA,  Salt  Lake  City ; 
Joe  Smith,  RKO,  San  Francisco; 
Wallace  Rucker,  E-L,  Seattle;  Fred 
Rohrs,  E-L,  Washington. 


Personal  Mention 


Mullin,  Perini  Head 
Boston  Cancer  Drive 

Boston,  March  22.— Martin  J. 
Mullin,  New  England  Theatres  presi- 
dent, and  Louis  R.  Perini,  Boston 
Braves  president,  will  act  as  co-chair- 
men of  the  Children's  Cancer  Re- 
search Foundation  fund  drive,  it  is 
announced  by  E.  Harold  Stoneman, 
chief  barker  of  the  New  England 
Variety  Club. 

.  Both  appointees  have  been  active  in 
similar  campaigns  in  the  past  and  it 
is  hoped,  according  to  Stoneman,  that 
this  year's  drive  will  top  last  year's 
collection  of  $230,000. 


DuM  ont  Ad  -  Sales 
Post  to  SchoReld 

Arthur  C.  Schofield  has  been  ap- 
pointed manager  of  the  advertising 
and  sales  promotion  department  of 
the  DuMont  Television  Network, 
succeeding  Wade  Thompson  who  has 
resigned,  it  is  announced  by  Mortimer 
W.  Loewi,  director  of  the  network. 


'Paleface9  Wins  Award 

"The  Paleface,"  Paramount  film 
starring  Bob  Hope,  will  be  presented 
an  award  for  screen  comedy  by  the 
National  Laugh  Foundation  at  the 
National  Gagwriters  Convention  to  be 
held  here  on  March  31  at  the  Park 
Sheraton  Hotel. 


CIDNEY  BERNSTEIN,  Transat 
^  lantic  Pictures  president,  is  en 
route  to  New  York  from  the  Coast, 
with  Quebec  as  the  next  stop  on  his 
itinerary.  He  will  return  to  England 
from  the  Canadian  city. 

• 

Nicky  Goldhammer,  Monogram- 
Allied  Artists  Western  sales  manager, 
left  here  last  night  for  the  Coast,  with 
stopovers '  at  Chicago,  Milwaukee, 
Minneapolis,  St.  Louis  and  Des 
Moines. 

• 

P.  C.  Kapadia  and  S.  N.  Kotwal, 
partners  in  Evergreen  Pictures,  film 
distributor  in  India,  are  visiting  New 
York  from  Bombay. 

• 

Max  Colpet,  European  film  writer, 
stopped  briefly  in  New  York  while 
en  route  by  plane  to  Italy  from  Holly- 
wood. 

• 

Robert  Arnold    has    resigned  as 
Warner  office  manager  at  Charlotte 
to  become  manager   of  the  Bryant 
Theatre  Supply  Co.  in  that  city. 
• 

Arthur  Hornblow,  Jr.,  M-G-M 
producer,  and  John  Huston,  direc- 
tor, are  expected  here  next  week  from 
the  Coast,  en  route  to  Italy. 

• 

Frank  P.  Bibas,  former  sales  vice- 
president  for  Casanave-Artlee  Pic- 
tures, has  joined  McCann-Erickson 
as  film  director. 

• 

C.  Roy  Konkright  has  been  ap- 
pointed chief  accountant  for  Mono- 
gram Pictures  in  Hollywood,  replac- 
ing Albert  F.  Martin,  resigned. 
• 

Charles  Simonelli,  Universal-In- 
ternational exploitation  manager,  left 
here  last  night  for  Kansas  City. 
• 

Ed  Grady  has  joined  Realart  at 
Dallas  as  a  booker. 


w 


ILLIAM  SATORI,  Mono- 
gram-Allied Artists  European 
representative,  will  sail  tomorrow  on 
the  5".  5\  Nieuw  Amsterdam  for  Lon- 
don and  the  Continent. 

• 

Lee  Dibble,  co-owner  of  the  Em 
bassy,  San  Francisco,  became  a  grand 
father  last  week  with  the  birth  of  I 
son  to  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Dell 
Trailor,  of  Phoenix. 

• 

George  Skouras,  Charles  Skou 
ras  and  Dan  Michalove,  National 
Theatres  executives,  arrived  in  San 
Francisco  yesterday  from  Los  An- 
geles. 

• 

Herbert  Legg,  formerly  in  the  Co 
lumbia  booking  department  at  Atlan- 
ta, has  been  promoted  to  salesman, 
replacing  Cliff  Wilson,  who  joined 
the  Moody  circuit  in  South  Georgia. 
• 

Ronald  Reagan  and  Patricia 
Neal  will  sail  from  London  Friday 
aboard  the  S.  S.  Queen  Mary,  en 
route  to  Hollywood  after  a  five 
months'  absence  abroad. 

e 

Carroll  Puciato,  Realart  general 
manager,  has  returned  to  New  York 
from  a  tour  of  exchanges  in  the  Mid- 
west. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


Erich  von  Stroheim  will  arrive  in 
New  York  from  Paris  on  the  S.  S. 
Queen  Elizabeth  today  en  route  to 
Hollywood  to  return  to  Paramount. 
• 

E.  T.  Gomersall,  assistant  to  Wil- 
liam A.  Scully,  Universal-Interna- 
tional's distribution  vice-president,  left 
New  York  yesterday  for  Chicago. 
• 

Rudy  Berger,  M-G-M  Southern 
sales  manager,  and  Jerome  Adams, 
Washington  manager,  have  returned 
to  Washington  after  a  visit  here. 


PRESIDENT  TRUMAN  receiv 
J-  ing  an  "Oscar"  from  the  news 
reels,  and  the  North  Atlantic  pact 
mark  current  newsreel  highlights. 
Other  items  include  war  orphans  ar- 
riving here  and  Oak  Ridge  opened  to 
the  public.  Complete  contents  follow : 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  34— Democ- 
racies unite  in  North  Atlantic  defense 
treaty.  Police  raid  narcotic  ring.  Tyrone 
Power  and  wife  arrive  in  England.  Oak 
Ridge,  mystery  city,  open  to  public.  Presi- 
dent Truman  given  "Oscar"  by  newsreels. 
Basketball.    Mud  motorcycle. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  258 — Three 
nations  hail  Atlantic  defense  pact.  British 
fleet  on  the  alert.  N.  Y.;  police  raid  nar- 
cotic ring.  President  Truman  wins  news- 
reel  "Oscar."     Oak  Ridge  open  to  public. 


PARAMOUNT  NEWS, 

tic  Pact. 


No.  61.— Atlan- 


UNIVERSAE  NEWSREEL,  No.  232— 
Oak  Ridge  opens  doors  to  public.  Film 
notables  gather  at  Shamrock  Hotel  opening 
at  Houston.  President  Truman  gets  "Os- 
car." New  rocket  fuel.  Mud  motorcycle 
race.  Basketball. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  63— 

British  fleet  in  war  games.  France  mourns 
Gen.  Giraud.  Hirohito  opens  Japanese  par- 
liament. Dean  Acheson  praises  Atlantic 
pact.  Do  you  remember? — Treaty  of  Ver- 
sailles. President  Truman  and  the  press. 
Foreign  correspondents  awards.  Basketball 
tournament.    Mud  motorcycle  races. 


Private  Enterprise 
Safe,  Says  Johnston 

Philadelphia,  March  22. — Ad- 
dressing the  third  annual  Philadelphia 
Bulletin  Forum,  with  his  remarks 
broadcast  by  CBS,  Eric  Johnston, 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica president,  tonight  said  that  he  be- 
'ieves  private  enterprise  to  be  secure 
in  the  United  States. 

Speaking  on  the  subject  "Is  the 
United  States  Moving  Toward  Social- 
i?,"  Johnston  said  that  business 
leaders  "must  search  diligently  for 
new  ways  to  spread  the  benefits  and 
ownership  [of  our  capitalism]  as  we 
search  for  new  techniques  and  new 
products.  When  people  have  a  real 
stake  in  something,  they  protect  it." 


Bell  and  Golding 
Promoted  by  20th 

Ulric  Bell  has  been  appointed  direc- 
tor of  information  for  20th  Century- 
Fox,  a  new  post  at  the  home  office,  the 
company  announced  here  yesterday. 
At  the  same  time,  David  Golding  has 
been  elevated  to  home  office  publicity 
manager,  assuming  the  post  held  by 
Bell  until  his  promotion. 


Gold  Names  Morley 
To  NTFC  Committee 

Henry  Morley,  Dynamic  Films  ex- 
ecutive, has  been  named  co-chairman 
of  the  production  committee  of  the 
National  Television  Film  Council  by 
Melvin  L.  Gold,  president  of  the 
Council  and  advertising  manager  of 
National  Screen.  Morley  will  con- 
duct all  of  the  activities  of  the  com- 
mittee during  the  illness  of  Jack 
Glenn,  committee  chairman  and  presi- 
dent of  the  Screen  Directors  Guild. 

Currently  under  consideration  by 
the  committee  is  an  annual  awards  for 
television  films,  a  video  film  forum, 
and  research  for  better  production 
techniques  for  television  films. 


M-G-M  Sets  'Quo  Vadis?' 

With  completion  of  arrangements 
for  the  use  of  Cinecitta  Studios  in 
Rome,  M-G-M  has  announced  here 
final  plans  for  filming  "Quo  Vadis?" 
in  Italy,  starting  in  June,  with  Arthur 
Hornblow,  Jr.,  producing  and  John 
Huston  directing.  The  arrangements 
in  Italy  were  completed  by  Benjamin 
Goetz,  head  of  Metro's  Elstree  Stu- 
dios, England,  and  Henry  Henigson, 
assistant  to  Hornblow,  who  is  in 
New  York  from  London. 


400  Are  Expected  at 
Lynch  Testimonial 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  22.— About 
400  are  expected  to  attend  the  George 
V.  Lynch  testimonial  dinner  at  the 
Ten  Eyck  Hotel  on  Monday,  April  4. 
Lynch,  who  is  film  buyer  of  the 
Schine  circuit,  is  celebrating  his  30th 
anniversary  with  that  organization. 
Sales  managers  of  every  company 
have  indicated  their  desire  to  be 
present. 

Committees  in  charge  of  arrangements 
are:  General  chairman,  Arthur  J.  Newman; 
co-chairmen,  Herman  L.  Ripps,  Charles  A. 
Smakwitz;  treasurer,  Jack  Bullwinkel; 
ticket  committee  chairman,  Dan  Houlihan; 
seating,  Nate  Dickman,  Ben  Smith;  arrange- 
ments, Gerald  L.  Atkin,  Milton  Schosberg; 
transportation,  Ray  Smith;  hotel  reserva- 
tions, Jack  Goldberg;  publicity,  Seymour 
Morris,  Floyd  Fitzsimmons,  Edward  Wall; 
radio,  Leonard  Asch;  dinner,  Eugene  Vogel, 
Harry  Alexander;  entertainment,  Gus 
Lampe,  Saul  Ullman;  area  chairmen:  Sam 
Galanty,  Washington;  David  Miller,  Phil 
Fox,  Buffalo;  Gus  Schaefer,  Boston;  Pete 
Dana,  Cleveland;  James  Grady,  Cincinnati; 
John  May,  Gloversville;  Sid  Kallet,  Syra- 
cuse; New  York  City  co-chairmen,  Ted 
O  Shea  and  Jules  Lapidus. 


Delay  Goldstein  Banquet 

Cleveland,  March  22.— The  Variety 
Club  testimonial  banquet  for  Harry  H. 
Goldstein,  announced  to  be  held  on 
April  4,  has  been  postponed  to  April 
11.  Change  of  date  was  effected  so 
as  not  to  conflict  with  the  Albany, 
N.  Y.  banquet  for  George  Lynch  who 
is  celebrating  his  30th  year  with  the 
Schine  circuit. 


Premiere  for  Showman 

World  premiere  of  20th  Century- 
Fox's  "Mr.  Belvedere  Goes  to  Col- 
lege" will  be  held  at  the  New  Theatre, 
Baltimore,  March  31,  as  part  of  the 
20th  anniversary  of  Morris  Mechanic 
as  an  exhibitor.  Dan  Dailey,  company 
executives  and  press  representatives 
will  attend  the  premiere  at  Mechanic's 
theatre. 


5?.917?N_  ^f1^5  ^A^fX'  -Mad'9..Q^«teX!  Editor-in-Chief_  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  \  Kane,  Editor:  Martin  Quigley,_  Jr.,_Associate  Editor.   Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 

hone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 

KHi'tni"  rlhi«a<rn"i>,»o««''  ion  ~c^.~.4.i.' t — c"Ti "  c,'  " •r™'7"  — "rs ,  >  iiuuuuiou  ivianagpr;  xxonywooa  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 

T  T OtteS ILwS P',A! °n,A  Jfva"*e  Stffetr  ETdlt°nal  and  Adv,erl,s;^-  yrben  Fa/ley.  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington 
Other  Oi^ev  PiAllL«on«.  Mnt'i,^  PiiS£  ir  i5'  ^l?™  luT"'  4  G?li&  Sq"  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Motim  K«fni  Ata»n ^tl  ?  '  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Hlrald;  International 
}^*6^£^'^2*^l'ti&^\&«et-  SePt-  23>  1938'  at  thC  mSt  °ffice  at  N™  York'  N'  Y-  under  the  act  *  March  3'  1879-    Subscription  rates  per 


Wednesday,  March  23,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Ascap's  Ahlert,  7 
Others  Reelected 


Fred  E.  Ahlert  and  all  seven  other 
incumbents  have  been  reelected  to  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  American 
Society  of  Composers,  Authors  and 
Publishers.  Ahlert,  who  is  president 
of  the  organization,  is  understood  to 
have  won  a  10-to-one  majority  of  the 
mailed  ballots. 

Louis  Bernstein,  Saul  H.  Bourne 
and  Herman  Starr  were,  re-elected  on 
the  popular  music  publishers  slate; 
Ahlert,  Paul  Cunningham  and  Oscar 
Hammerstein,  2nd,  were  reelected  in 
the  popular  writers  division,  and  A. 
Walter  Kramer  was  reelected  in  the 
standard  writers  group. 

The  Ascap  board  numbers  24,  with 
the  terms  running  three  years;  eight 
memberships  are  voted  each  year. 


Film  Completed  Prior 
To  Production  Date 

Hollywood,  March  22.  — 
With  all  participants  sworn 
to  secrecy,  shooting  was  com- 
plete on  "Home  of  the  Brave," 
Screen  Plays'  film  with  an 
anti  -  Negro  discrimination 
theme,  before  the  production 
was  officially  announced, 
Stanley  Kramer,  company 
president,  told  a  press  con- 
ference today. 

Rushed  to  beat  several 
major  studios  planning  simi- 
lar pictures,  "Home  of  the 
Brave"  went  before  cameras 
Feb.  8  and  was  completed 
24  Yi  days  later  at  a  cost  of 
$525,000,  with  United  Artists 
release  set  for  April  2, 
Kramer  said. 


New  Music  Fee  for 
Canada  Stage  Shows 

Toronto,  March  22. — When  a  Ca- 
nadian film  theatre  is  rented  or  is 
used  exclusively  for  a  stage  perform- 
ance, symphony  concert  or  a  recital, 
the  Composers,  Authors  and  Publish- 
ers Association  of  Canada  is  entitled 
to  collect  a  special  fee  for  performing 
rights  apart  from  the  regular  annual 
license  agreement  between  theatre  and 
CAPAC. 

This  provision  is  contained  in  a 
clause  in  the  new  three-year  contract 
of  the  association  which  has  been  ac- 
cepted by  exhibitors  and  approved  by 
the  Copyright  Appeal  Board  at  Ot- 
tawa, according  to  information  which 
has  been  sent  out  to  theatres.  _ 

It  is  pointed  out,  however,  if  a  film 
is  exhibited  in  conjunction  with  the 
stage  performance  or  "live"  talent,  the 
theatre's  customary  seat  fee  for  the 
year  covers  the  program.  The  seat 
tax  ranges  from  10  cents  to  20  cents 
per  year. 

Newmeyer  In  Ascap 
Press  Relations  Post 


Canada  Music  Group 
Headed  by  Sedgwick 


Arthur  Grover  Newmyer,  promi 
nent  in  newspaper  publishing  for  the 
past  30  years,  has  been  appointed  press 
and  public  relations  counsel  for  the 
American  Society  of  Composers,  Au- 
thors and  Publishers.  Ascap  has  yet 
to  make  the  announcement,  although 
the  organization's  board  of  directors 
already  has  ratified  it. 

Newmyer  maintains  headquarters  in 
Washington.  Executive  positions  he 
has  held  include:  national  advertising 
manager  of  all  Munsey  newspapers 
associate  publisher  of  New  Orleans 
Item,  publisher  of  the  Washington 
Times,  publisher  of  the  New  York 
Journal,  assistant  general  manager  of 
Hearst  newspapers ;  vice-president 
and  general  manager  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Record. 

Beauty  Contest  Short 

Inside  operations  of  the  annual  At- 
lantic City  beauty  contest  will  be 
on  the  screen  tonight,  as  "Talented 
Beauties,"  a  20th  Century-Fox  short 
subject,  opens  at  the  Apollo  there. 
Produced  by  Edmund  Reek,  directed 
by  Vyvyan  Donner  and  starring  the 
1948  winner,  Be  Be  Shopp,  the  film 
shows  the  course  of  the  contest  from 
preliminaries  held  throughout  the 
country  to  the  finals  at  Atlantic  City. 


Toronto,  March  22. — Angus  Mac- 
Cunn,  a  director  of  Famous  Players 
Canadian  Corp.,  has  retired  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Musical  Protective  Soci- 
ety of  Canada,  which  deals  with  copy- 
right matters  and  performing  rights 
for  all  public  music  users,  and  Harry 
Sedgwick,  Toronto  radio  executive, 
has  been  named  the  new  president. 

The  annual  meeting  was  also 
marked  by  the  resignation  from  the 
Society's  secretaryship  of  Col.  John 
A.  Cooper,  who  is  now  81  years  old 
He  was  succeeded  by  Donald  Cooper, 
a  son.  Col.  Cooper  w-as  the  founder 
of  the  Canadian  Moving  Picture  Dis- 
tributors Association  here  after  World 
War  I  and  retired  as  its  secretary 
several  years  ago.  He  is  still  actively 
identified  with  the  industry,  however, 
as  secretary  of  the  Canadian  16mm. 
Moving  Picture  Distributors  Associa- 
tion. 

The  new  MPS  vice-president  is  G. 
H.  Peters,  representing  Odeon  The- 
atres. Directors  include  Norman 
Robertson  and  MacCunn  of  Famous 
Players,  and  William  Singleton  of 
Associated  Screen  News,  Montreal, 
while  Col.  Cooper  also  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  as  representative  of 
16mm.  companies.  Arch  H.  Jolley  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Theatres  Associa- 
tion of  Ontario  was  appointed  assist- 
ant secretary-treasurer. 


'Bad  Boy'  Benefit 
Nets  Fund  $10,000 

A  net  of  over  $10,000  was  realized 
for  the  Heart  Fund  of  the  new  Vari- 
ety Club  of  New  York  as  a  result  of 
the  benefit  premiere  of  Allied  Artists' s 
"Bad  Boy,"  held  at  the  Palace  Thea- 
tre here  last  night.  All  tickets  were 
sold.  The  Friars  formally  welcomed 
Variety. 

Among  those  invited  were  Steve 
Broidy  and  Harold  Mirisch,  Mono- 
gram-Allied Artists  president  and 
vice-president,  respectively ;  Paul 
Short,  producer  of  "Bad  Boy" ;  Wal- 
ter Mirisch,  producer,  and  Audie 
Murphy,  Lloyd  Nolan  and  Jane  Wyatt, 
who  are  featured  in  the  film. 

Chief  barker  Max  A.  Cohen  report- 
ed the  following  entertainers  agreed 
to  participate  in  the  benefit  perform- 
ance :  Phil  Baker,  Cab  Calloway,  Mu- 
sic Hall  Rockettes,  King  Cole  Trio, 
Larry  Storch,  Harvey  Stone,  Leo  De 
Lyon,  Vic  Damone,  Myron  Cohen, 
Phil  Reagan,  Hal  LeRoy,  Rudy  Car- 
denas, Harry  Hirshfeld  and  Jeannette 
Blair. 

Also,  Frank  Fontaine,  Julie  Wilson, 
Manual  Viera,  Jean  Carroll,  Jack 
Carter,  Larry  Best,  Dave  Apollon,  Gil 
Lamb,  Marilyn  Maxwell,  Virginia 
O'Brien,  Paul  Brisson,  Jerry  Colonna, 
Jane  Pickens,  Connie  Haines,  Betty 
Reilly,  Perry  Como,  Four  Step 
Brothers,  Bunny  Briggs,  Maurice 
Rocco  and  Billy  Colby. 


Would  Boost  EC  A 
Fund  $5,000,000 

Washington,  March  22.— 
The  House  Foreign  Affairs 
Committee,  working  to  re- 
port out  a  bill  extending  the 
ECA  through  June  30,  1950, 
has  tentatively  voted  to  in- 
crease the  funds  for  the  in- 
formation media  guarantee 
program  during  the  next  year 
from  $10,000,000  to  $15,000,000. 


Luber  on  Four-Man 
Nassour  Board 


To  Oppose  20th-Fox 
Television  Request 

Washington,  March  22. — Several 
firms  competing  with  20th  Century- 
Fox  for  television  stations  in  five 
cities  have  already  indicated  they  will 
voice  opposition  to  20th-Fox's  request 
to  the  Federal  Communications  Com- 
mission for  .a  ruling  that  anti-trust 
violators  should  not  be  denied  broad- 
casting licenses.  One  firm  has  al- 
ready filed  a  motion  urging  that  the 
Commission  rule  that  anti-trust  viola- 
tions do  bar  firms  from  the  radio- 
television  field  while  others  have  asked 
for  extra  time  to  file  such  statements. 


Bernard  Luber,  who  recently  re- 
igned as  vice-president  and  general 
manager  of  Jack  Benny's  Amusement 
Enterprises,  joined  the  Nassour  Stu- 
dios in  Hollywood,  it  was  announced 
here  yesterday  by  Edward  Nassour, 
executive  vice-president  of  the  studio. 

Luber  who,  prior  to  joining  Jack 
Benny's  company,  was  both  a  home  of- 
fice and  studio  executive  at  Para- 
mount, will  be  a  member  of  a  four- 
man  executive  board  at  the  studio 
along  with  William  and  Edward  Nas- 
sour and  Donald  Crisp.  The  board  de- 
cides all  policies  of  production  and 
finance  for  all  Nassour  product  and 
what  financing  the  Nassour  Studio 
does  for  independent  producers  who 
produce  at  Nassour  Studio. 

Luber  and  Edward  Nassour  are 
now  in  New  York  to  discuss  with 
Neil  Agnew  and  Charles  Casanave  of 
Motion  Picture  Sales  Corp.  releasing 
plans  for  the  Abbott  and  Costello 
film,  "Africa  Screams." 


General  Precision 
'48  Net,  $936,679 

General  Precision  Equipment  Corp. 
and  subsidiary  companies  for  the  year 
ended  Dec.  31,  1948,  reports  consoli- 
dated net  sales  of  $27,008,450,  com- 
pared with  §27,748,137  in  1947,  which 
were  the  largest  in  the  company's  his- 
tory. Consolidated  net  profit  for  the 
year  was  $936,679,  equal  to  $1.56  per 
share  on  601,087  shares  outstanding 
against  $1,262,111  or  $2.10  per  share 
for  1947,  is  disclosed  in  the  company's 
annual  financial  report  to  stockholders, 
signed  jointly  by  board  chairman 
Earle  G.  Hines  and  president  Her- 
mann G.  Place. 

Dividends  from .  the  company's  in- 
vestment in  20th  Century-Fox,  includ- 
ed in  the  1948  net  profit,  amounted  to 
$113,800,  compared  with  $173,925  in 
1947. 

The  GPE  balance  sheet  showed  to- 
tal current  assets  of  $19,905,213  and 
total  current  liabilities  of  $2,859,820, 
against  $15,756,333  and  $3,081,054,  re- 
spectively, at  the  end  of  1947. 

The  report  said  the  year  was 
marked  by  increasing  evidences  of 
keener  competition  and  narrowing 
profit  margins.  Inventories  rose  by 
$1,351,557,  to  $9,392,125,  and  notes 
and  accounts  receivable  increased  by 
$1,131,827,  to  $6,770,698. 


Committee  Kills  Bill 

Albany,  March  22. — The  Assembly 
Codes  committee  today  killed  the 
Noonan  bill  requiring  prominent  dis- 
play in  all  advertising  of  the  date  of 
the  original  release  when  the  picture 
is  more  than  a  year  old. 


MP  A  A  Annual  Meet 
May  Be  Postponed 

Postponement  of  the  annual  meet- 
ing of  the  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America,  scheduled  for  next 
Monday  in  New  York,  is  anticipated 
due  to  the  absence  from  the  city  of 
several  directors.  Eric  Johnston, 
president,  will  probably  set  a  later 
date  for  the  meeting  within  the  next 
day  or  two. 

'Riley'  in  Book  Form 

"The  Life  of  Riley,"  new  Univer- 
sal-International release  and  a  cur- 
rent radio  program,  w^ill  be  the  first 
book  published  by  the  Movie  Readers 
Library,  new  firm  headed  by  Jack 
Goldstein,  to  publish  books  based  on 
film  stories. 


Resume  Negotiations 
On  Schine  Decree 

Washington,  March  22. — Meetings 
between  the  Justice  Department  and 
Schine  circuit  attorneys  to  work  out 
final  terms  of  a  consent  decree  are 
expected  to  continue  on  and  off  this 
week  and  next  in  an  attempt  to  finish 
up  the  negotiations  in  short  order. 

Assistant  Attorney  General  Her- 
bert Bergson,  who  has  been  doing  the 
negotiating,  and  who  has  been  out  of 
town  since  Thursday,  returned  today. 
He  refused  to  confirm  reports  that  he 
had  met  today  with  Schine  attorneys 
but  there  was  reason  to  believe  that 
such  a  meeting  did  take  place  and 
that  others  will  follow  during  the  next 
10  days.  Agreement  has  been  reached 
on  divestiture  provisions  of  a  de- 
cree, with  the  injunctive  relief  provi- 
sions still  to  be  worked  out. 


Ask  Films  for  Children 

Producers  were  urged  to  set  up 
script  departments  for  children's  films 
and  exhibitors  asked  to  label  adult 
pictures  clearly  in  a  resolution  passed 
by  some  200  delegates  to  the  third  in- 
stitute of  "Children's  Films  for  Chil- 
dren," sponsored  by  the  United  Par- 
ents association  held  here  recently. 


1,000th  'Joan'  Showing 

The  1,000th  showing  of  "Joan  of 
Arc"  at  New  York's  Victoria  Theatre 
will  be  observed  with  the  first  screen- 
ing on  Saturday  morning. 


JAN. 

WORDS 
AND 
MUSIC 

(Technicolor) 

The  Happy 
New  Year 
Musical 


M-G-M's  25th  YEAR  OF  MOTIOI 


UP! 


FEB. 

COMMAND 
DECISION 

'  Winner  of  Annual 
Award !"-redbook 


MARCH 

TAKE  ME 
OUT  TO  THE 
BALL  GAME" 

(Technicolor) 


'Picture  of  the 
Month!" 

— LOUELLA  PARSONS 
COSMOPOLITAN 


'Best  Musical 
Comedy  of 
the  Month!" 

—LOUELLA  PARSONS 
COSMOPOLITAN 


UP! 


UP! 

G-Mfs 


APRIL 

^LITTLE 
WOMEN" 

'Picture  of  the 
Month!" 

-LOUELLA  PARSONS 
COSMOPOLITAN 

"Picture  of  the 
Month!" 

—SEVENTEEN 
MAGAZINE 

'Picture  of  the 
Month!" 

-PARENTS' 
MAGAZINE 

'The  Perfect 
Movie!  "-look 


MAY 

"THE 
STRATTON 
STORY 

"Picture  of  the 
Month!" 

—LIBERT 

• 

BARKLEYS O 
BROADWA! 

(Technicolor) 

"Picture  of  the 
Month!" 

-LOUELLA  PARSON 
COSMOPOLITAN 


GOES  M 

PROSPERITY  KANi 


IN  ADV ERTlb", YOU1 


ONLY  W 


FOR  YOU 


i  0ok,  True  Story, 

u  Journal,  ReaD  '  Good 
Home  Jou  rompanion,  ^ 

Woman  s  Home  Con^ 

Seventeen,  Co sff .  JP    ^  magoz^ 


PICTURE  LEADERSHIP! 


JUNE 


JI 


U  V 


COMING! 

THE  SECRET  GARDEN 
THE  GREAT  SINNER 

'FORSYTE  SAGA0  (Technicolor) 

ANY  NUMBER  CAN  PLAY 
THAT  MIDNIGHT  KISS 


(Techn 

NEPTUNE'S 

(Technicolor) 

DWARD,  MY  SON 
And  More! 


color) 

DAUGHTER 


"T1B«0U  S16H  » 


AUG. 
etc. 
*tc. 


"THINGS  ARE 
REALLY  JUMPING 
AT  M-G-M!''  | 

(Excerpts  from  Coast  Report  in  Holly 
wood  Reporter.  Read  Every  Word! 


"The  sales  heads  who  attended  the  M-G-M  meeting 
here  three  weeks  ago  heard  Louis  Mayer  tell  then 
that  M-G-M  now  had  the  greatest  product  it  ha 
had  in  many,  many  years.  Then  he  proceeded  t< 
show  them  Take  Me  Out  To  The  Ball  Game',  Th< 
Secret  Garden/  The  Stratton  Story,'  'Barkleys  o 
Broadway,'  'Neptune's  Daughter,'  Tn  The  Good  Oh 
Summertime,'  'Edward,  My  Son'  and  'Conspirator.! 
They  even  saw  quite  a  bit  of  footage  on  'The  Grea 
Sinner,'  'Madame  Bovary,'  'Any  Number  Can  Play. 
'The  Forsyte  Saga'  and  'That  Midnight  Kiss;'  all  o 
which  have  since  been  finished.  The  salesmen  wer< 
more  than  impressed. 

"M-G-M,  with  good  product,  is  a  great  thing  for  th< 
whole  industry.  'As  M-G-M  goes,  so  goes  the  pictur< 
business.'  The  whole  industry  will  be  jumping.  Goo< 
M-G-M  product,  combined  with  the  fine  entertain 
ment  being  turned  out  by  some  of  the  other  majors 
is  bound  to  return  a  successful  boxoffice.  It's  grea 
to  know  M-G-M  is  in  its  stride.' ' 


111   "J  1^1 

80  Savage  Minutes  Ripped 
From  A  Man's  Battered  Body  and  a 
Woman's  Tortured  Soul— Unmasking 
With  Thrill,  Shock,  Amazement  The 
Kind  of  People  In  The  Crooked 
Fight  Racket— Raw  Realism, 
Served  Straight! 

Starring 

ROBERT  RYAN 
AUDREY  TOTTER 

GEORGE  TOBIAS  •  ALAN  BAXTER  •  WALLACE  FORD 

Produced  by  RICHARD  GOLDSTONE  •  Directed  by  ROBERT  WISE 
Screen  Play  by  ART  COHN 

•ROADWAY  WORLD  PREMIERE 
CRITERION  THEATRE  MARCH  29! 


For  every  scar 
on  his  face,  she 
wore  two  on 
her  heart! 

For  $30  —  smashed 
in  the  ring,  hunted 
in  the  alley!  Q 

RADIO 


Production  Is  Up  1 ; 
29  Films  in  Work 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Reviews 


Hollywood,  March  22.— The  total 
of  pictures  in  production  has  increased 
by  one,  to  29.  Eight  started  and  seven 
were  completed. 

Starting  were  "The-  Cowboy  and  the 
Indians,"  "The  Blank  Wall"  and 
"Barbary  Pirate,"  Columbia;  "Ali- 
mony" (Equity),  E-L;  "Leave  It  to 
Henry,"  Mono.;  "Riding  High' 
Para.;  "Father  Was  a  Fullback,'' 
20th-Fox;  "Come  Be  My  Love' 
(Neptune),  U-I. 

Completed  were  "Anna  Lucasta" 
and  "Horsemen  of  the  Sierra,"  Co- 
lumbia; "Not  Wanted"  (Emerald), 
Film  Classics ;  "Joe  Palooka  in  th* 
Return  Bout,"  Mono.;  "Rope  of 
Sand,"  Para.;  "Firebug  Squad," 
Screen  Guild;  "The  Western  Story" 


Launch  Technicians 
Pact  Talks  Apr.  11 

Representatives  of  Laboratory  Tech- 
nicians Local  No.  702,  International 
Alliance  of  Theatrical  and  Stage  Em- 
ployes, will  open  new  contract  nego- 
tiations with  22  film  companies,  in- 
cluding the  majors,  on  April  11  at  a 
meeting  at  the  Hotel  Astor  here. 
Present  pacts  will  expire  on  June  19. 

Majority  of  the  union's  claimed 
membership  of  about  1,800  meanwhile 
are  scheduled  to  convene  at  the  Hotel 
Diplomat  here  on  April  2  to  consider 
the  recommendations  of  its  negotiat- 
ing committee. 

Among  702's  top  representatives  are 
John  Francavilla,  president;  George 
Waugh,  secretary-treasurer,  and  Mi- 
chael F.  Pinto,  legal  counsel. 


"The  Set-Up 

(RKO- Radio) 

TSdtinTL^  °f  thG  fi!ht.Same  is  the  theme  of  this  realistic,  and  often 
RobSTyln^trrTinX^g.  ^  ^  ^  ^  Wash^  °f 
The  parade  of  its  chief  characters  is  not  a  pretty  one  nor  is  "The  Set-Un" 
a  pretty  picture  There  is  Ryan,  practically  finished  as  a  boxer  who  never 
manages  to  make  the  grade  and  the  money.  There  is  Audrey  Totter  his 

FX  lo?  with  R  Wife  T^f  ^  tHe  Che/p  hand-to-mo^deexIstL°c?wh  h 
is  her  lot  with  Ryan  who  refuses  to  quit.  Too,  there  are  George  Tobias 
doub  e-crossing  manager  who  sells  out  the  fighter  to  his  opponent  and  the 

Spl  a°surl  ofreA,aRT  f  ^  *  ^  mfulil^  wins  the  bouf  and  Lurs  th 
displeasure  of  Alan  Baxter,  local  gang  leader  who  arranged  the  set-up  and 
beheves  he  has  been  double-crossed.  Thus,  Ryan  becomes  fhe  innocent  victim 

°f11tlZ^gfngS,tei;,snreve"?eLand  ends  up  assa"lted  and  out  of  the  game  with  a 
crushed  hand.  What  this  brings  about,  however,  is  a  reconciliation  with  Miss 
1  otter  and  an  indicated  promise  of  happier  times  for  the  future 

Based  on  a  poem  by  Joseph  Moncure  March,  "The  Set-Up"  is  revealing  in 
still  tvWerTdeIme^TS_,Rya?'  stiI1  hopeful;  David  Clarke,  the  has-been 
still  trying,  James  Edwards,  the  confident  Negro  fighter  on  the  up-grade 
The  cross-section  is  interesting,  well-done  and  convincing.  The  picture  reaches 
its  climax  and  its  excitement  in  the  four-round  bout  in  which  Ryan  takes  a 
terrific  beating  but  manages,  out  of  sheer  willpower,  to  put  across  the  suc- 
cessful knockout  blow;  How  various  ringsiders  react  is  depicted  graphically 
in  byplays  of  comedy  and  calloused  indifference 

Performances  are  uniformly  good,  reaching  beyond  the  principals  to  such 
supporting  cast  members  as  Wallace  Ford  and  Percy  Helton.  The  atmosphere 
is  authentic  and  perhaps  there  is  more  brutality  than  many  can  take.  Robert 
Wises  direction  is  competent  and  firm.  Richard  Goldstone  produced 

Running  time,  72  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date 
ApnI  l>  1949'  Red  Kann 


"Quartet" 


Video  Manufacturers 
Form  New  Group 

Officials  representing  16  small  pro- 
ducers of  television  -  receivers  and 
components  agreed  to  establish  a  new 
trade  association  which  will  concen- 
trate exclusively  on  television  manu- 
facturing and  distribution  problems. 
The  action  was  taken  at  an  organiza- 
tional meeting  in  the  Advertising 
Club.  The  new  organization  will  be 
incorporated  under  the  name  Tele- 
vision Manufacturers  Association. 

The  first  task  of  an  organizing 
committee  named  after  election  of 
officers  will  be  to  attempt  to  persuade 
RCA,  Philco  and  DuMont  to  join  the 
organization.  Michael  Kaplan,  presi- 
dent of  Sightmaster  Corp.,  who 
called  the  organizational  session,  was 
elected  temporary  president. 


Cleveland  Papers 
Increase  Ad  Rates 

Cleveland,  March  22. — Newspaper 
amusement  advertising  rates  have  gone 
up  on  two  dailies  here  and  will  go 
up  on  the  third  on  April  1.  The 
Plain  Dealer,  only  morning  paper  and 
only  one  that  publishes  a  Sunday  edi- 
tion, boosted  its  rate  from  Z7y2  to  39c 
a  line  on  weekdays  and  from  44  to 
47c  a  line  on  Sundays.  The  Press,  a 
six-day  evening  newspaper,  boosted 
from  40 l/2z  a  line  to  A2y2z  and  the 
News,  also  a  six-day  evening  daily, 
will  advance  from  30y2  cents  a  line  to 
32y2. 

The  Youngstown  Vindicator  on 
April  1  boosts  its  rate  15  cents  an 
inch. 


(/.  Arthur  Rank-Gainsborough-Eagle-Lion) 

A  N  unusually  exgrossing  presentation  arrives  from  the  British  studios  of 
u-  ,  •  S  G,ainsbol"ou8'h  Productions.  It  has  a  wide  emotional  range 
which  is  spread  over  four  short  stories  by  that  entertaining  author  W  Som- 
erset Maugham.  Each  of  the  four  is  handled  separately  with  different  casts 
to  draw  the  line  between  them  more  sharply.  Both  production  and  perform- 
ances are  excellent. 

Maugham  followers  will  find  the  film  a  faithful  reproduction  of  some  of  the 
authors  better  known  works;  but  even  those  unfamiliar  with  Maugham 
should  be  attracted  because  the  film  as  a  whole  contains  all  of  the  ingredients 
oi  good  film  fare— adventure,  pathos,  humor  and  human  interest 

Each  of  the  four  stories— "The  Facts  of  Life,"  "The  Alien  Corn,"  "The 
Kite  and  the  Colonels  Lady '—takes  about  30  minutes  to  unreel  which 
makes,  for  rather  lengthy  running  time,  but  there  -appears  to  be  no  obvious 
way  of  cutting  or  editing  without  hurting  the  context.  This  should  prove 
no  booking  problem  since  the  films  are  so  ingeniously  directed,  that  one  gets 
the  feeling  of  seeing  complete  feature-length  films  instead  of  half-hour  ver- 
sions. There  are  no  transition  sequences  between  the  stories,  the  whole  thin" 
being  done  simply  by  fadeout  and  into  the  next  story.' 

"The  Facts  of  Life"  is  a  comedy  about  a  son  who  doesn't  heed  his  father's 
advice  about  not  gambling,  not  lending  money  and  not  having  anything  to 
innrfoA h.  wome»"  in  a  visit  to  Monte  Carlo,  ending  up  with  more  than 
100,000  francs  to  the  good.  "Alien  Corn"  tells  a  touching  story  of  a  British 
aristocrat  who  commits  suicide  because  he  cannot  become  a  concert  pianist 
The  >  Kite"  is  a  brittle  satire  of  the  English  middle  class.  •  "The  Colonel's 
Lady    takes  sly  digs  at  a  "Wimpish"  ex-army  officer  leading  a  double  life 

"Quartet  was  produced  by  R  C.  Sherriff  and  directed  by  Ken  Annakin, 
Arthur  Crabtree,  Harold  French  and  Ralph  Smart.  Maugham  makes  a 
short  introductory  appearance  at  the  beginning  of  the  film.  The  casts  follow  ■ 
The  Facts  of  Life  :  Basil  Radford,  Naunton  Wayne,  Ian  Fleming  Tack 
Raine,  Angela  Baddeley,  Mai  Zetterling ;  "The  Alien  Corn"  :  Dirk  Bogarde 
Raymond  Lovell,  Irene  Browne,  Honor  Blackman,  George  Thorpe  ■  "The 
Kite":  Bernard  Lee  Frederick  Leister,  George  Merritt,  George  Cole,' David 
Cole,  Hermione  Baddeley;  "The  Colonel's  Lady":  Cecil  Parker,  Nora 
Swinburne,  J.  H.  Roberts,  Lynn  Evans,  Linden  Travers. 

Running  time,  120  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date 
not  set.  ' 


Wednesday,  March  23,  1949 

Exhibitor  Contact 
Important:  Grainger 

Close  communication  between  ex- 
hibitor and  producer  is  important  and 
one  of  the  surest  means  for  the  latter 
to  keep  informed  on  the  tastes  of  the 
film-going  public  and  be  guided  ac- 
cordingly in  his  picture-making  activi- 
ties. This  was  cited  here  yesterday 
by  Republic  producer  J.  Edmund 
Grainger  as  one  of  his  top  business 
recipes.  The  producer,  who  began 
his  film  career  in  distribution,  is  the 
son  of  Republic  distribution  vice- 
president  James  R.  Grainger. 

Grainger,  who  has  been  here  from 
Hollywood  since  last  Friday,  was 
scheduled  to  return  to  the  Coast  last 
night  for  conferences  with  Major-Gen. 
Selden,  head  of  the  U.  S.  Army's  pub- 
lic information  division,  on  "The 
Sands  of  Iwo  Jima,"  the  producers' 
next  picture  for  Republic,  which,  he 
said,  is  scheduled  to  go  before  the 
cameras  in  May.  Grainger's  latest 
film  is  "The  Wake  of  the  Red  Witch." 

Grainger  will  submit  the  completed 
"Iwo  Jima"  script  to  Selden  for  Army 
approval,  that  being  necessary  on  all  \ 
war  pictures  that  claim  to  present  au- 
thentic accounts  of  military  undertak- 
ings, the  producer  said.  The  film  will 
be  budgeted  at  over  $1,000,000,  he 
reported. 


TOA  Chiefs  To  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


'Hoppy'  on  Video 

Hollywood,  March  22. — Barbara 
Ann  Baking  Co.  has  signed  to  spon- 
sor the  full-hour  weekly  series  of 
Hopalong  Cassidy  features  on  Para- 
mount's  television  station  KTLA. 
Films  are  telecast  on  Sundays  at  six 
P.M.  Scholts  Advertising  Service  is 
the  agency.* 


'Theatre  Guild'  to  NBC 

Theatre  Guild  of  the  Air,"  hour- 
long_  dramatic  program  heard  Sunday 
evenings  over  American  Broadcasting, 
will  switch  to  National  Broadcasting 
on  Sept.  11,  following  the  summer 
hiatus.  U.  S.  Steel  is  the  sponsor. 


Boyd  Brown,  51 

Charlotte,  March  22.— Funeral 
services  were  held  here  Sunday  for 
Boyd  Brown,  51,  theatre  operator, 
state  highway  commissioner  and  form- 
er member  of  the  South  Carolina  legis- 
lature, who  died  at  his  home  in 
Winnsboro  on  Saturday,  according  to 
word  reaching  here.  Brown  was  at 
one  time  vice-president  of  the  Thea- 
tre Owners  Assn.  of  the  Carolinas. 


committee  chairman,  will  preside  at 
the  meeting,  which  is  expected  to  run 
through  Friday. 

The  exhibitors'  organization  and 
the  distributors,  the  latter  represented 
by  a  committee  headed  by  RKO  Ra- 
dio distribution  vice-president  Robert 
Mochrie,  have  been  conferring  with  a 
view  to  reaching  an  agreement  on  the 
shorts  rentals  which  will  permit  the 
first  of  the  "Let's  Go  to  the  Movies" 
subjects  to  go  into  release.  How- 
ever, a  deadlock  persists,  with  TOA 
apparently  determined  to  hold  out  for 
more  or  less  nominal  rentals  for  each 
of  the  six  films  in  the  series.  Con- 
ferences between  the  two  sides  have 
not  been  held  for  more  than  a  week, 
since  TOA's  spokesman,  executive  di- 
rector Gael  Sullivan,  has  been  out  of 
town  and  is  not  due  to  return  to  New 
York  until  today. 

Tomorrow's  meeting  is  expected  to 
consider  also  industry  arbitration  pro- 
posals, television  developments,  TOA's 
expansion  plans  in  new  territories,  a 
proposal  for  the  exchange  of  informa- 
tion on  box-office  performances  of 
films  among  TOA  members,  and  a 
number  of  other  subjects. 


Apex  Gets  Army  Contract 

Washington,  March  22.— The  Ar- 
my has  given  the  Apex  Film  Corp.  of 
Los  Angeles  a  $245,500  contract  to 
produce  a  series  of  short  films. 


RKO  Asks  Court  to 
Halt  UA  'Champion' 

Hollywood,  March  22.— RKO  filed 
an  application  in  Federal  court  for  a 
temporary  order  restraining  United 
Artists  from  releasing  the  film 
"Champion"  on  the  ground  that  cer- 
tain scenes  in  the  latter  virtually 
duplicated  scenes  in  "Set-Up,"  an 
RKO  production,  and  asked  $500,000 
potential  damages. 

In  a  statement  issued  in  advance  of 
the  actual  filing  by  RKO,  and  follow- 
ing an  exchange  of  correspondence 
between  the  companies,  Screen  Plays 
president  Stanley  Kramer,  producer 
of  "Champion,"  said,  "There  are  ab- 
solutely no  grounds  for  RKO's  claim 
of  damaging  similarity  between  the 
two  pictures," 


J 

"Roll  Out  Your  Best  Carpet, 
Dust  Off  Those  Chairs  and 
Light  Up  That  Marquee, 
Because  You're  Going  To 
Get  A  Real  Whopper  From 
Paramount."  -m.  p.  Herald 

n  J 

Rhonda  Fleming 

William  dendix 
SirCedric  Hardw/clce 


in 


J 


it 


with 


Murvyn  Vye  •  Virginia  Field 
Henry  Wilcoxon 

Produced  by  Robert  Fellows 
Directed  by  TAY  GARNETT 

Songs  by  Johnny  Burke  and  James  Van  Heuson 
Screenplay  by  Edmund  Beloin 


J 


Color  by  j 


The  Happy  Easter 
Attraction  at  Radio 
City  Music  Hall -pre- 
ceded by  national 
magazine  double 
spreads  reproducing 
this  full-color  art. 


His  Most  Important  Vehicle— an  entirely  His  Most  Romantic  Role— played  right 
new  version  of  the  classic  Mark  down  to  earth  to  that  couple  hold- 
Twain  novel — so  wonderful  that  it  ing  hands  in  the  fifth  row.  A  definite: 
matches  Bing's  own  greatness.  -plus  to  the  famous  Crosby  charm, 


His  Most  Spectacular  Production —with  His  Most  Beautiful  Screen  Sweetheart—  His  Most  Singable  Songs —"Once  And 

Bing  in  modern  dress  most  of  the  Rhonda  Fleming,  the  girl  who'll  For  Always",  "If  You  Stub  Your 

time  ...  on  some  of  the  most  daz-  soon  be  the  talk  of  your  town  and  Toe  on  the  Moon", "When  Is  Some- 

zling  Technicolor  sets  ever  built.  of  every  other  town  in  the  nation.  time?"  and  "Busy  Doing  Nothing." 


Wednesday,  March  23,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


L3 


Review 


"The  Undercover  Man" 

(Columbia) 

THE  documentary-style  detective  melodrama  is  now  relatively  common- 
place on  the  screen,  but  it  remains  a  singularly  effective  form  of  enter- 
tainment, as  witness  "The  Undercover  Man."  Based  on  an  article  by  Frank 
J.  Wilson,  retired  chief  of  the  U.  S.  Secret  Service,  and  a  story  outline  by 
Jack  Rubin,  the  screenplay  of  Sidney  Boehm  delivers  itself  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Joseph  H.  Lewis  as  a  series  of  nakedly  realistic  episodes  in  a  Treasury 
agent's  desperate  campaign  to  "nail"  a  big-city  underworld  czar  on  income 
tax  evasion  charges.  In  a  broad  sense,  this  is  indeed  absorbing  fare,  and 
it  has  its  sights  set  squarely  on  the  mass  of  paying  customers  who  take  regular 
refuge  in  the  screen's  vicarious  thrills.  Examining  the  picture  from  closer 
perspective,  however,  one  finds  it  to  be  no  more  than  another  cops-and-robbers 
melodrama  whose  camouflage  of  documentary  realism  is  applied,  at  times,  a 
little  too  obviously.  It  is,  ironically,  the  film's  occasional  bending-over-back- 
wards  to  convey  raw  realism  that  is  responsible  for  its  failing  to  emergs  as 
something  of  a  model  for  the  genre. 

In  the  role  of  the  Treasury  sleuth,  Glenn  Ford  is  seen  to  far  better  ad- 
vantage than  he  has  been  since  "Gilda,"  and  much  credit  for  this  goes  to 
the  camera  work  of  Burnett  Guffey.  In  general  the  bold  photography  throws 
into  stark  relief  much  of  the  fearfulness,  tension  and  melodramatic  impact 
which  certainly  would  have  been  lost  had  this  story  been  served  in  ordinary 
fictional  terms.  For  it  is  a  straightforward  tale  wherein  suspicion  builds  into 
evidence  which,  in  turn,  is  ignited  by  sharp  physical  action  and  psychological 
sword-play  to  bring  about  the  explosive  indictment  of  "the  big  fellow,"  the 
film's  anonymous  arch-villain.  A  tenuous  thread  of  romance  is  woven  into 
the  proceedings,  with  Nina  Foch  functioning  pleasantly  as  Ford's  patient, 
loving  wife.  Particularly  good  in  supporting  roles  in  this  Robert  Rossen  pro- 
duction are  James  Whitmore,  Barry  Kelley,  David  Wolfe,  Joan  Lazer,  Esther 
Minciotti,  Angela  Clarke  and  Anthony  Caruso.  Additional  dialogue  was 
contributed  by  Malvin  Wald. 

Running  time,  a  fast  85  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For 
April  release.  Charles  L.  Franke 


Tax  Meeting 

(Continued  from-  page  1) 

cities  had  inadequate  resources,  that 
the  first  steps  must  soon  be  taken  to 
make  "order  out  of  the  tangle"  of 
overlapping  taxes,  and  that  Secre- 
tary Snyder  would  soon  call  a  con- 
ference on  the  subject.  Invited  to 
the  conference  were  the  American 
Municipal  Association,  the  U.  S.  Con- 
ference of  Mayors,  the  Governors' 
Conference  and  Council  of  State  Gov- 
ernment and  the  National  Association 
of  Tax  Administrators. 

The  AMA  recently  met  here  and 
I  called  for  repeal  of  the  Federal  ad- 
mission tax  so  that  states  and  cities 
could  step  in,  and  the  mayors'  con- 
ference, consisting  of  some  600  may- 
ors and  city  officials  from  all  over  the 
U.  S.,  is  expected  to  pass  a  similar 
resolution  at  its  concluding  session  to- 
morrow. The  governors'  conference 
is  also  on  record  in  favor  of  a  similar 
plan. 


RKO  Reorganization 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

distribution  operations,  the  formation 
of  two  new  independent  companies  to 
which  RKO  assets  will  be  transferred, 
and  the  dissolution  of  RKO  after  next 
Jan.  31. 

Stockholders  will  also  vote  on  re- 
duction of  RKO  directors  from  nine 
to  seven  and  will  elect  seven  directors. 
Nominees  for  the  board  are  Ned  E. 
Depinet,  Howard  Hughes,  Noah 
Dietrich,  J.  Miller  Walker,  Lawrence 
Green,  George  Shaw  and  '  Frederick 
Ehrman. 

20th  to  Produce  One 
With  'Frozen'  Money 

Hollywood,  March  22. — Twentieth 
Century-Fox's  "The  Black  Rose," 
which  was  shelved  more  than  a  year 
ago  because  of  its  cost,  will  go  before 
the  cameras  in  North  Africa  next 
month  as  a  "frozen"  currency  project. 
Tyrone  Power,  who  is  already  in 
Europe,  will  play  the  lead  and  the 
studio  will  dispatch  Alfonso  Bedoya 
and  Tommy  Blake,  a  10-year-old,  to 
Europe  this  week  for  supporting  roles. 
Henry  Hathaway  will  direct. 


Letters 


Charlotte,  N.  C. 
Editor,  Motion  Picture  Daily  : 

A  check  of  the  records  in  the  Fed- 
eral Court,  Charlotte,  N.  C,  will 
show  that  after  all  testimonies  and 
evidence  had  been  presented  by  the 
plaintiff,  H.  B.  Meiselman  and  the 
defendants,  United  Artists,  M-G-M, 
RKO,  Columbia,  Warners,  Fox, 
Paramount,  H.  F.  Kincev.  Charlotte 
Amusement  Co.  and  Strand  Theatres, 
Inc.,  and  prior  to  any  motion  for  dis- 
missal or  non-suit  by  said  defendants, 
Mr.  H.  B.  Meiselman  through  his  at- 
torneys, Clagett  and  Schilz,  requested 
that  the  court  non-suit  the  case  vs. 
M-G-M.  We  wish  to  repeat  it  was 
upon  the  request  of  the  plaintiff,  H. 
B.  Meiselman,  that  Federal  Judge 
Wilson  Warlick  non-suited  the 
charges  vs.  M-G-M. 

H.  B.  Meiselman 

(In  reporting  the  dismissal  of  M- 
G-M  from  the  Meiselman  anti-trust 
suit  Motion  Picture  Daily  on 
March  IS  said  in  a  dispatch  from 
Charlotte  that  the  dismissal  resulted 
from  the  offering  of  M-G-M  product 
to  Meiselman  on  a  competitive  bid- 
ding basis. — Ed.  Note). 


UA  Bidding 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

also  visited  downtown  Los  Angeles 
banks  in  connection  with  the  negotia- 
tions now  in  progress  at  New  York, 
where  Sam  Weisenthal  is  represent- 
ing James  and  George  Nasser.  The 
Fabian  and  Nasser  groups  are  said 
to  be  the  only  actual  bidders  at  the 
present  time. 

Chaplin  is  declining  to  take  an  ac- 
tive part  in  negotiations,  but  is  un- 
derstood to  be  ready  to  give* an  im- 
mediate reply  to  any  firm  proposition. 


Conferences  Continue  Here 
On  UA,  Nasser  Deal 

Sam  Wiesenthal  and  United  Arti- 
ists'  officials  continued  their  confer- 
ences here  yesterday  on  the  prospec- 
tive purchase  of  control  of  the 
company  by  James  and  George  Nass- 
er, whom  Wiesenthal  represents.  In- 
dications are  that  the  Nassers,  who 
have  West  Coast  theatre  interests,  op- 
erate a  studio  and  produce  independ- 
ently, prefer  to  meet  the  $5,400,000 
asking  price  for  the  Mary  Pickford- 
Charles  Chaplin  stock,  rather  than  to 
acquire  less  than  complete  ownership 
of  the  company. 

Says  NBC  Exceeding 
Hollywood  Output 

Production  of  kinescope  recording 
motion  picture  film  at  National 
Broadcasting  has  far  outstripped  on 
annual  average  the  total  production 
of  major  motion  picture  studios,  it 
was  claimed  here  last  night  by  Carle- 
ton  D.  Smith,  NBC  director  of  tele- 
vision operations.  Smith  spoke  at  a 
press  demonstration  of  NBC's  new 
kinescope  recording  equipment  at 
Radio  City. 

According  to  Smith,  total  output 
of  film  by  major  film  companies  in 
1948  was  369  feature  length  films — 
or  about  550  hours  of  product.  NBC 
Television  is  producing  an  average  of 
almost  700  hours  of  product  per  year. 


Quota  Shocks  Trade 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

next  month.  "It  is  a  poor  introduc- 
tion, if  the  British  producers  come 
here  seeking  our  cooperation,"  he 
commented. 

J.  Arthur  Rank,  president  of  the 
British  Film  Producers  Association, 
will  arrive  in  New  York  today  on  the 
Queen  Elizabeth,  preliminary  to  the 
Washington  meeting  on  April  21.  He 
is  accompanied  by  G.  I.  Woodham- 
Smith,  his  executive  aide,  and  will  be 
followed  soon  by  Sir  Henry  French, 
director-general  of  the  BFPA,  and 
Sir  Alexander  Korda.  The  BFPA 
lobbied  tirelessly  for  a  high  quota, 
urging  at  one  time  that  it  be  raised 
to  60  to  75  -er  cent,  and  continued  its 
urgings,  apparently  successfully,  after 
the  British  Films  Council  on  March 
15  recommended  a  reduction  of  the 
present  45  per  cent  quota  to  33^  per 
cent. 

New  York  home  offices  were  not 
surprised  that  the  Board  of  Trade 
had  not  followed  the  recommendation 
of  its  Council  for  a  33^5  per  cent 
quota,  since  the  Council's  recommen- 
dation was  by  the  close  vote  of  10  to 
nine.  The  surprise  was  occasioned 
more  by  the  expectancy  that  a  more 
reasonable  compromise  was  looked 
for,  one  which  would  put  the  quota 
at  35  per  cent  or,  at  the  highest, 
371/2  per  cent. 

With  hundreds  of  British  exhibitors 
in  default  of  the  45  per  cent  quota 
and  with  British  producers  cutting 
clown  production,  the  five  per  cent 
quota  reduction  is  regarded  by  most 
executives  here  as  completely  unreal- 
istic. 


Theatre  Building  Down 

Toronto,  March  22. — Theatre  con- 
struction and  remodeling  declined 
sharply  in  Canada  during  1948,  ac- 
cording to  the  results  of  a  construction 
industry  survey  completed  here.  Con- 
tracts for  theatre  work  numbered  108 
for  the  year,  with  a  total  value  of 
$4,814,500,  while  the  1947  figure  was 
$7,823,000. 


40%  Quota 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

cil  to  recommend  a  30  per  cent  fea- 
ture quota  as  realistic  and  felt  that 
it  would  be  difficult  to  comply  with 
the  33j/j  per  cent  quota  which  the 
Council  recommended  on  March  15. 

Wilson's  defiance  of  his  Films 
Council's  recommendation  clearly  fol- 
lows the  high-pressure  lobbying  of 
Sir  Henry  French,  director-general  of 
the  Producers'  Association,  and  the 
extreme  Leftist  Technicians'  union. 
Wilson  apparently  preferred  to  fly  in 
the  face  of  his  Films  Council  rather 
than  confront  the  Left  Wing  opposi- 
tion in  the  House  of  Commons. 

Exhibitors  commented  that  reduc- 
tion of  the  quota  from  45  per  cent  to 
40  per  cent,  although  trifling,  demon- 
strates nevertheless  that  Wilson's 
present  45  per  cent  quota  is  wholly 
impracticable,  and  so  demonstrated  by 
his  new  order. 

With  prospects  for  future  film  pro- 
duction here  deteriorating,  the  new 
quota  is  regarded  as  more  than  ever 
unworkable. 

Exhibitors  are  anticipating  an  in- 
crease in  quota  defaults  this  year  and 
foresee  defaults  by  the  thousand  next 
year.  They  also  expect  another  out- 
break of  the  Anglo-American  film 
warfare  in  consequence  of  the  new 
quota. 

A  typical  comment  was  that  the 
prosperity  of  the  British  and  Ameri- 
can industries  here  has  been  cast  to 
the  lions  of  Wilson's  obstinacy  and 
face-saving. 

Wilson  is  expected  to  present  his 
new  quota  order  to  Parliament  next 
week  for  approval. 


Rank  Itinerary 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

will  attend  a  Universal  Pictures  board 
of  directors'  meeting  and  be  present 
at  the  American  Overseas  Press 
Club's  benefit  premiere  of  his  film, 
"Quartet,"  on  March  28,  at  the  Sut- 
ton Theatre. 

In  Palm  Beach,  Florida  March  31- 
April  6,  as  the  guest  of  Robert  R. 
Young,  railroad  industrialist  and 
principal  stockholder  of  American 
Eagle-Lion  Films. 

In  Chicago  April  8,  for  discussions 
with  Charles  H.  Percy,  president  of 
Bell  and  Howell. 

In  Los  Angeles  April  10-17,  visiting 
his  daughter,  Mrs.  Fred  M.  Packard 
of  North  Hollywood. 

In  Washington,  D.  C.  April  20,  to 
attend  American  premiere  of  "Scott 
of  the  Antarctic" ;  April  21-22  for 
meetings  of  the  Anglo-American  Film 
Advisory  Council  (British  members: 
Rank,  Sir  Alexander  Korda,  Sir 
Henry  French  ;  American  members  : 
Eric  Johnston,  Nicholas  M.  Schenck, 
Barney  Balaban). 

Rank  will  sail  for  England  on  April 
28  on  the  S.  S.  Queen  Elisabeth. 

Several  Shifts  in 
FWC  Districts 

San  Francisco,  March  22. — W.  C. 
Ricard,  Fox  West  Coast  manager  of 
Redondo  has  been  appointed  co- 
district  manager  with  Dave  Ross  of 
the  Los  Angeles  district  to  pinch-hit 
for  Spence  Leve,  who  is  temporarily 
replacing  Dick  Spie,  who  is  on  a 
leave  of  absence  as  Northern  division 
manager  in  San  Francisco.  Hal  Bris- 
lin  has  moved  from  the  Criterion  at 
Santa  Monica  to  the  Ricard  post, 
leaving  the  Santa  Monica  job  to 
James  Wyatt,  a  newcomer  to  Fox 
West  Coast  here  from  its  Evergreen 
division  in  Eugene,  Ore. 


A 


PLAY  SAFE- 
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NOW  IN 


N^f'V  PREPARATION 


On  thousands  of  desks  throughout  the 
motion  picture  industry  and  allied  indus- 
tries you  will  find  a  well-thumbed  1948-49 
INTERNATIONAL  MOTION  PICTURE 
ALMANAC.  Producers,  distributors,  ex- 
hibitors and  all  other  factors  of  the  busi- 
ness, have  found  that  the  Almanac  is  a  ref- 
erence book  of  inestimable  value,  as  nec- 
essary as  the  telephone  and  just  as  handy. 
The  1949-50  Edition  is  now  m  preparation 
and  a  score  of  diligent  research  workers, 
after  twelve  months  of  fact-gathering,  are 
getting  together  a  treasure-trove  of  vitally 
needed  information. 


Edited  by 
Terry  Ramsaye 


QUICLEY  PUBLISHING  CO. 
Rockefeller  Center,  1270  6th  Ave. 
New  York  20,  N.  Y. 

Please  send  a  copy  of  the  1949-50 

MOTION  PICTURE  ALMANAC 

Enclosed  please  find  check  for  $5.00  in  full  payment,  in- 
cluding shipping  charges. 

Mail  to — 

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Address  


City 


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Wednesday,  March  23,  1949 


Motion  Picture  daily 


15 


NY  lst-Run  Grosses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


wind  up  its  second  week  tonight  with 
$125,000,  which  is  good  business. 
"Take  Me  Out  to  the  Ball  Game" 
still  is  giving  the  State  big  business, 
estimated  at  $40,000  for  the  second 
week.  "Mother  Is  a  Freshman"  with 
Cab  Calloway  and  Phil  Baker  on 
stage  looks  good  for  $70,000  in  its 
second  week  at  the  Roxy. 

"Impact"  bowed  in  at  the  Globe 
with  fair  results,  the  first  week's  take 
being  estimated  at  $15,000.  An  esti- 
mated $15,000  also  is  indicated  for 
the  modest  first  week  of  "Last  Bandit" 
at  the  Mayfair.  "South  of  St.  Louis" 
with  Desi  Arnaz  and  a  revue  on  stage 
probably  will  give  the  Strand  about 
$25,000  in  a  mild  final  five  days  of  a 
third  week  and  will  be  replaced  on 
Friday  with  "Kiss  in  the  Dark,"  with 
Guy  Lombardo's  orchestra. 

At  the  Paramount,  "Alias  Nick 
Beal"  with  the  King  Cole  Trio  and 
Elliot  Lawrence's  orchestra  on  stage 
did  an  estimated  $60,000,  which  is 
fairly  healthy,  in  a  second  week.  Sec- 
ond week  of  "Criss  Cross"  probably 
will  gross  about  $17,000,  which  is 
only  fair  at  the  Criterion ;  next  at 
the  house  is  "The  Set-Up"  which  will 
open  next  Tuesday. 

"Outpost  in  Morocco"  will  make 
its  debut  at  the  Capitol  tomorrow, 
replacing  "Three  Godfathers,"  which, 
with  Sammy  Kaye  and  Harvey  Stone 
on  stage,  should  wind  up  its  third 
week  with  a  $39,000  gross,  which  is 
modest.  "Hamlet,"  consistent  as 
ever,  is  likely  to  complete  a  25th 
week  at  the  Park  with  $14,000. 
Steady,  too,  is  "Red  Shoes"  at  the 
Bijou  where  the  22nd  week  should 
also  bring  $14,000. 

"Joan    of    Arc"    at    the  Victoria 


Key  City  Grosses 


FOLLOWING  are  estimated  pic- 
ture grosses  for  current  engage- 
ments in  key  cities  as  reported  by 
Motion  Picture  Daily  correspond- 
ents. Estimates  omit  admission  tax. 


CHICAGO 


The  Loop  is  active  this  week,  with 
some  strong  films,  aided  by  clear,  mild 
weather,  chalking  up  heavy  grosses  in 
some  spots.  The  "Whispering  Smith"- 
Tony  Martin  combination  is  huge, 
while  "The  Undercover  Man"  is  very 
good.  "Mother  is  a  Freshman,"  plus 
a  stage  show,  is  fine.  "Hamlet"  has 
ended  a  17-week  run.  Estimated  re- 
ceipts for  the  week  ending  March  24: 

BOMBA,  THE  JUNGLE  BOY  (Mono.)  and 
THE  BIG  FIGHT  (Mono.)  —  GARKICK 
(1,000)  (50c-65c-98c).  Gross:  $10,000.  (Av- 
erage: $10,000) 

ENCHANTMENT  (Goldwyn-RKO  Radio)— 

WOODS  (1,080)  (98c)  4th  week.  Gross: 
$15,000.  (Average:  $23,000) 
FAMILY  HONEYMOON  (U-1) — PALACE 
(2,500)  (50c-65c-98c)  5  days,  2nd  week. 
LEATHER  GLOVES  (Col.)— Gross :  $14,- 
000.    (Average:  $20,000) 

HAMLET    (Rank-U-1)  —  APOLLO  (1,200) 

($1.20-$1.50-$1.80-$2.40)    17th    week.  Gross: 

$6,500.    (Average:  $12,000) 

IT     AIN'T     HAY     (U-I)     and  GHOST 

CATCHERS  (U-I)  —  GRAND  (1,150)  (50c- 

65c-98c).    Gross:  $8,000.     (Average:  $13,500) 

MOTHER  IS  A  FRESHMAN  (20th-Fox)— 

ORIENTAL  (3,400)  (50c-65c-98c)  On  stage: 

Nellie  Lutcher  and  Charlie  Ventura.  Gross: 

$53,000.     (Average:  $43,500) 

NO  MINOR  VICES  (M-G-M)  —  UNITED 


ARTISTS     (1,700)      (50c-65c-98c).  Gross: 
$15,000.     (Average:  $17,000) 
THE    RED    SHOES    (Rank-E-L)  —  SEL- 
WYN    (1,000)    ($1.20-$1.50-$1.80-$2.40).  13th 
week.    Gross:  $12,000. 

SOUTH  OF  ST.  LOUIS  (WB)— ROOSE- 
VELT (1,500)  (50c-65c-98c)  5  days,  2nd  week. 
Gross:  $14,000.  (Average:  $16,000) 
THE  UNDERCOVER  MAN  (Col)— STATE 
LAKE  (2,700)  (50c-65c-98c).  Gross:  $30,000. 
(Average:  $25,000. 

WHISPERING  SMITH  (Para.)-CHICAGO 

f3,900)  (50c-65c-98c)  On  stage:  Tony  Mar- 
tin.   Gross:  $65,000.    (Average:  $50,000) 


CINCINNATI 


should  gross  $14,800,  which  is  good, 
in  a  19th  week.  "Knock  at  Any 
Door"  will  give  the  Astor  about 
$15,000  in  a  mediocre  fourth  week. 


"The  Clay  Pigeon,"  plus  a  stage 
show,  is  giving  the  RKO  Albee  an  ex- 
pected $30,000,  while  "Whispering 
Smith"  is  headed  for  an  estimated 
$16,000.  Otherwise,  grosses  are  spot- 
ty. Weakend  weather  was  mild.  Es- 
timated receipts  for  the  week  ending 
March  22: 

BAD  MEN  OF  TOMBSTONE  (AA- 
MONO)— RKO  GRAND  (1,500)  (50c-55c-60c- 
65c-70c-75c).  '  Gross:  $9,500.  (Average: 
$8  000) 

THE  CLAY  PIGEON  (RKO  Radio) — RKO 

ALBEE  (3,300)  (60c-95c)  On  stage:  Frankie 
Carle    and    his    orchestra    and    the  Mills 
Brothers.    Gross:  $30,000.  (Average:  $25,000) 
DOWN  TO  THE  SEA  IN  SHIPS  (20th- 
Fox) — RKO  CAPITOL  (2,000)  (50c-55c-60c 
65c-70c-75c)  8  days.    Gross:  $7,500.  (Aver- 
age for  7  days:  $10,000) 
FAMILY  HONEYMOON  (U-I)— KEITH'S 
(1,500)      (50c-55c-60c-65c-75c)      2nd  week. 
Gross:  $10,500.    (Average:  $7,500) 
MOTHER  IS  A  FRESHMAN  (20th-Fox) 
RKO    SHUBERT    (2,150)  (50c-55c-60c-65c- 
70c-75c)  2nd  week,  on  a  moveover  from  the 
Palace.    Gross:  $4,500.    (Average:  $5,000) 
WAKE  OF  THE  RED  WITCH  (Rep.) 
RKO  LYRIC  (1,400)  50c-55c-60c-65c-70c-75c) 
4  days,  3rd  week,  on  a  moveover  from  the 
Shubert,  following  an  opening  week  at  the 
Albee.     THE   DARK   PAST    (Col.)— RKO 
LYRIC    (1,400)  (50c-55c-60c-65c-70c-75c) 


days,    dualed    with    LOADED  PISTOLS 

(Col.).  Combined  gross:  $4,500.  (Average 
for  7  days:  $5,000) 

WHISPERING     SMITH     (Para.)  —  RKO 

PALACE  (2,700)  (50c-55c-60c-65c-70c-75c) 
Gross:   $16,000.     (Average:  $13,000) 


TORONTO 


Only  two  holdovers  are  in  evidence 
at  Toronto's  first-line  theatres  at  a 
time  when  concert  halls  and  night 
clubs  are  advertising  "Good  seats 
available"  and  the  sport  palaces  are 
showing  empty  spots.  Reissued  pic- 
tures continue  common  on  double  bills. 
Estimated  receipts  for  the  week  end- 
ing March  24: 

THE  CHECKERED  COAT  (20th-Fox)  and 
CHINA    GIRL     (20th-Fox)  —  BILTMORE 

(938)  (15c-30c-36c-55c)  6  days.  Gross:  $4,200. 
(Average:  $4,500) 

COMMAND    DECISION     (M-G-M)  — 

LOEWS  (2,074)  (20c-36c-50c-66c-78c)  6  days, 
3rd  week.  Gross:  $13,200.  (Average:  $14,- 
200) 

THE  COUNTESS  OF  MONTE  CRISTO 
(U-I)   and  THE  PLUNDERERS  (Rep.)— 

DANFORTH  (1,400)  (20c-36c-50c-60c)  6  days. 
Gross:  $5,200.    (Average:  $5,500) 
THE   COUNTESS    OF   MONTE  CRISTO 
(U-I)   and  THE   PLUNDERERS  (Rep.)— 

HUMBER  (1,200)   (20c-36c-50c-60c)   6  days. 

Gross:  $4,800.    (Average:  $5,200) 

THE   CREEPER   (20th-Fox)   and  SHOCK 

(20th-Fox)— VICTORIA  (1,240)  (20c-36c-42c- 

60c)    6    days.      Gross:    $4,800.  (Average: 

$5,200) 

DOWN  TO  THE  SEA  IN  SHIPS  (20th- 

Fox)— IMPERIAL  (3,343)  (20c-36c-50c-66c- 
90c)  6  days.  Gross:  $16,600.  (Average: 
$14,600) 

I  WONDER  WHO'S  KISSING  HER  NOW 
(20th-Fox)  and  THE  HOMESTRETCH 
(20th-Fox) — FAIRLAWN  (1,195)  (20c-36c- 
50c-55c)  6  days.  Gross:  $4,200.  (Average: 
$4,700) 

JOHN    LOVES    MARY    (WB)  —  SHEA'S 
(2,480)  (20c-36c-50c-66c-90c)  6  days.  Gross: 
$16,200.     (Average:  $14,700) 
JOHN  LOVES  MARY  (WB)  —  NORTON 

(950)  (20c-50c-66c)  6  days.  Gross:  $5,200. 
(Average:  $5,000) 

A  MAN  ABOUT  THE  HOUSE  (20th-Fox) 

—  EGLINTON  (1,086)  (20c-36c-50c-66c)  6 
days.    Gross:  $6,000.    (Average:  $6,400) 


SAN  FRANCISCO  CHRONICLE 


says: 


'The  Red  Pony'  Rates  Praise  on  All  Counts 

......  j  *  i_  i  Unlnfnl-    the*  inpvitable 


By  JOHN  HOBART 

From  John  Steinbeck's  story  of 
a  childhood  spent  on  a  Salinas 
valley  ranch,  "The  Red  Pony,"  Re- 
public has  fashioned  a  beautiful 
and  sensitive  picture  in  Techni- 
color, which  had  its  world  premiere 
yesterday  at  the  Fox  Theater. 

Perhaps  the  highest  praise  one 
rould  bestow  on  "The  Red  Pony" 
is  to  say  that  if  you  were  fond  of 
the  book,  which  seems  almost  in- 
evitable, you  will  encounter  no 
disappointments  in  the  film.  Mr. 
Steinbeck  himself  has  written  the 
screenplay  (blending  three  of  his 
four  original  stories  into  a  fluid 
whole);  Lewis  Milestone  has  di- 
rected it  with  the  finesse  of  a 
■vaster;  and  Aaron  Copland  has 
embellished  it  with  a  brilliant  but 
unobtrusive  musical  score  (which 
^Mr.  Bourjaily  of  the  music  de- 
partment comments  upon  in  an 
adjoining  column). 


A  TRAGEDY 

"The  Red  Pony"  deals  with  the 
first  major  emotional  crisis  in  the 
life  of  a  small  boy.  To  adults,  the 
fact  that  Tom  Tiflin's  pony,  which 
was  the  pride  of  his  young  exist- 
ence, dies  from  exposure  in  a 
rainstorm  might  seem  trifling, 
since  there  are  always  other 
ponies  one  can  buy.  But  to  Tom 
the  pony's  death  is  a  heart-break- 
ing tragedy,  and  the  film  takes 
full  cognizance  of  that  ti-agedy 
and  all  its  implications. 

For  it  is  a  tragedy  that  involves 
not  only  Tom  but  everyone  about 
him —  his  father,  a  cold,  stern 
man  who  is  not  adjusted  to  ranch 
life  and  who  has  not  won  his  son|s 
love,  but  who  nevertheless  is 
needed  in  this  crisis;  his  mother, 
who  understands  with  a  mother's 
wisdom  that  the  pony's  death  is  a 
necessary  part  of  Tom's  growing 
up;  his  garrulous  old  grandfather, 
who  puts  aside  his  dreams  of  the 


glorious  dead  past  to  be  helpful; 
and  the  ranch  hand,  Billy  Buck, 
who  finds  that  he  has  lost  caste 
in  Tom's  eyes  and  who  makes  a 
sacrificial  attempt  to  set  matters 
aright  by  promising  Tom  the  colt 
of  his  prize-winning  mare. 

CHARACTER  STUDY 

The  interrelationships  of  these 
characters  are  conveyed  in  "The 
Red  Pony"  with  the  greatest  sub- 
tlety, and  also  with  the  greatest 
ease.  The  film's  outstanding  qual- 
ity is  its  naturalness;  the  people 
in  it  are  relaxed,  unlike  the  usual 
characters  encountered  in  a  movie, 
and  you  feel  that  they  have  all 
been  living  on  this  Salinas  ranch 
for  a  considerable  time. 

As  Tom,  red-headed  9-year-old 
Peter  Miles  is  about  as  real  a 
youngster  as  you've  ever  seen  on 
the  screen.  He  is  an  imaginative, 
polite  little  boy  who  keeps  his 
emotions  to  himself  (as  most  little 
boys  are  apt  to  do),  and  when 


the  inevitable  outbursts  come, 
such  as  in  the  scene  when  the 
father  returns  home,  or  the  terri- 
fying battle  with  the  buzzard, 
they  are  all  the  more  meaningful 
and  cruel. 

FINE  CAST 

Robert  Mitchum  plays  Billy 
Buck  as  an  easygoing,  reliable 
man  who  has  been  around  horses 
for  years,  which  is  exactly  as  he 
should  be  played.  Myma  Loy  em- 
phasizes the  austerity  and  quiet 
strength  of  Tom's  mother  at  the 
expense  of  more  familiar  quali- 
ties, but  that  is  one  of  the  inter- 
esting points  of  the  picture  —  she 
is  seen  as  a  9-year-old  sees  his 
mother.  Shepperd  .  Strudwick  is 
equally  good  as  the  father  and 
Louis  Calhern  gives  a  magnificent 
performance  as  the  tired,  talk- 
ative old  grandfather. 

"The  Red  Pony"  should  have 
been  a  good  picture;  it  is  hearten- 
ing to  report  that  it  is. 


Aaron  Copland's 
'Red  Pony'  Score 
Most  Satisfying 

From  a  musical  standpoint, 
"The  Red  Pony"  is  extremely 
satisfying.  Aaron  Copland  has 
provided  a  brilliant  score  that  is 
thoroughly  characteristic  of  the 
composer  without  being  in  any 
way  out  of  character  with  the 

film-  .   "  .,  .... 

Its  structure  is  necessarily  liter- 
ary rather  than  musical,  for  it 
must  follow  the  story,  but  Cop- 
land has  managed  to  convey  a 
sense  of  form,  building  the  folksy 
themes  and  rhythms  of  the  day- 
break, daydream  and  pastoral  se- 
quences into  a  magnificent  climax 
in  Tom's  fight  with  the  buzzard. 

An  orchestral  suite  made  from 
"The  Red  Pony"  music  was  intro- 
duced with  considerable  acclaim- 
by  the  Houston  Symphony  last 
October.  —VANCE  BOURJAILY 


Reprinted  from  the  San  Francisco  Chronicle 


CHARLES  K.  K  EL  I)  !>1AN  presents 


MYRNA  LOY  ROBERT  MITCHUM 


A  LEWIS  MILESTONE  PRODUCTION 

«,h  LOUIS  CALHERN  *  shepperd  strudwick 

and  introducing  PETER  MILES  as  TOM  and  MARGARET  HAMILTON 

Screen  Play  by  JOHN  STEINBECK  •  Music    AARON  COPLAND  > 

Produced  and.  Directed  by  LEWIS  MILESTONE  ■  A  REPUBLIC  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR 


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(Enterprise) 
FORCE  OF  EVIL 
John  Garfield 
Beatrico  Pearson 

D — 76  min. 
(Bey.  12/28/48) 

CAUGHT 
James  Mason 
Barbara  Bel  Geddes 

D— 88  min. 
(Bey.  2/18/49) 

TAKE   ME  OUT  TO 
THE  BALL  GAME 

(Color) 
Frank  Sinatra 
Esther  Williams 

M — 93  min. 
(Rev.  3/8/49) 

LITTLE  WOMEN 
June  Allyson 

Margaret  O'Brien 
Janet  Leigh 

D— 122  min. 
(Bev.  2/23/49) 

THE  GREAT 

SINNER 
Gregory  Peck 
Ava  Gardner 

D 

IT  ALWAYS  RAINS 
ON  SUNDAY 
Geogie  Withers 
Jack  Warner 

D— 88  min.  (941) 

(Rev.  3/17/49) 

BROKEN  JOURNEY 
Phyllis  Calvert 
Margot  Grahams 

D— 89  min.  (916) 

TULSA 

(Color) 
Susan  Hayward 
Robert  Preston 

D — 88  min.  (927) 

(Bev.  3/21/49) 

THE  BIG  CAT 

(Color) 
Lon  McCallister 
Peggy  Ann  Garner 

D 

SCOTT  OF  THE 
ANTARCTIC 

(Color) 
John  Mills 

D 

ROLL.  THUNDER, 
ROLL 

(Color) 
Jim  Bannon 

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MOTION  PICTURE 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  58 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  MARCH  24,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Rank  Says  U.K. 
Can  Supply 
Its  Quota  Need 

Sees  Anglo-U.  S.  Meeting 
Ironing  Out  Problems 

Asserting  that  he  was  "quite 
happy"  with  the  new  40  per  cent 
quota,  J.  Arthur  Rank,  on  his  ar- 
rival here  yesterday  on  the  S.S. 
Queen  Elisa- 
beth, expressed 
confidence  that 
the  British  in- 
dustry can  sup- 
ply the  needed 
product. 

Rank  declined 
to  go  into  de- 
tails of  the 
agenda  of  the 
f  o  r  t  h  c  o  til- 
ing meetings  in 
Washington  of 
the  Anglo- 
American  Film 
Advisory 
Council,  but 
said  that  "we  will  sit  around  the  table 
and  discuss  everything  connected  with 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Senate  Action  on  British 
Film  Trade  Barriers  Asked 


Washington,  March  23. — Senator 
William  Knowland,  California  Repub- 
lican, today  called  for  a  thorough  in- 
vestigation of  Anglo-American  film 
difficulties  and  indicated  that  he  is 
considering  offering  amendments  to 
the  ECA  and  Reciprocal  Trade 
Agreements  Act  to  insure  non-dis- 
criminatory treatment  of  American 
films  by  the  British. 

It  was  disclosed  in  London  that  For- 
eign Secretary  Ernest  Bevin  will  be 
prepared  to  discuss  Anglo-American 
film  issues  on  his  arrival  in  the  United 
States  next  week.  Bevin  will  be  m 
Washington  to  sign  the  North  Atlan- 
tic pact  April  4  and  will  go  to  New 
York  for  the  United  Nations  Gen- 
eral Assembly  meetings  afterward, 
but  will  arrange  meetings  for  dis- 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


J.  Arthur  Bank 


Video  Labor 
War  to  NLRB 


Direct  action  by  the  National  Labor 
Relations  Board  in  Washington  will 
be  required  to  prevent  the  current 
television  jurisdictional  bout  between 
the  IATSE  and  the  National  Asso- 
ciation of  Broadcast  Engineers  and 
Technicians  from  exploding  into  a 
strike  which  could  interrupt  or  seri- 
ously interfere  with  National  Broad- 
casting and  telecasting  after  April  30 
it  appeared  here  yesterday. 

Unable  to  settle  their  differences 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Johnston's  Booking 
Plan  Hit  By  Wilson 

London,  March  23. — A  gratuitous 
but  vague  threat  against  the  unit  film 
booking  plan  devised  by  Eric  Johns- 
ton, Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  president,  for  British  thea- 
tres, was  voiced  by  Harold  Wilson, 
president  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  at  a 
special  luncheon  of  the  Producers'  As- 
sociation here  today. 

Wilson  described  the  unit  booking- 
plan  as  "a  restrictive  practice,"  which 
could  suitably  come  within  the  pur- 
view of  Lord  Portal's  committee  in- 
quiring into  film  industry  operation* 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Mullin  Backs 
20th's  Bid  for 
Better  Terms 


Gratis  Video  Pact 
Extended  by  Ascap 

American  Society  of  Composers, 
Authors  and  Publishers  has  extended 
its  gratuitous  music  license  to  tele- 
casters  an  additional  30  days,  to  April 
30,  with  the  condition  that  when  an 
agreement  is  reached  on  terms  of  the 
first  Ascap  non-gratis  video  pact  it 
will  be  retroactive  to  Jan.  1,  1949. 
Ascap's  board  of  directors  author- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Thinks  Other  Companies 
Should  Follow  Suit 

Boston,  March  23. — Twentieth 
Century-Fox's  campaign  to  per- 
suade U.  S.  exhibitors  that  a  "more 
equitable"  share  of  industry  profits 
should  fall  to  distribution  was  hailed 
here  today  by  Martin  Mullin,  head  of 
New  England  Theatres  Co.,  with  ex- 
pressions of  hope  that  the  other  dis- 
tribution companies  will  take  similar 
steps. 

Mullin  delivered  his  comments_  in 
his  role  as  toastmaster  of  an  exhibitor 
luncheon  at  the  Copley  Plaza  Hotel, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Columbia's  2  6- Week 
Net  Is  $148,000 


Columbia  Pictures  yesterday  report- 
ed a  net  profit  of  $171,000  for  the  13 
weeks  ended  Dec.  25,  1948,  against 
$355,000  for  the  corresponding  period 
in  1947,  and  profit  for  the  26  weeks 
ended  Dec.  25,  1948,  amounted  to 
$148,000,  the  loss  for  the  13  weeks 
ended  Sept.  25,  1948,  having  amounted 
to  $23,000.  Columbia  had  a  profit  of 
$725,000  for  the  same  1947  period. 


Most  Sections  of  British 
Trade  Stunned  By  Quota 


600  Mayors  Demand 
End  of  20%  US  Tax 


Washington,  March  23. — As  ex- 
pected, the  1949  annual  U.  S.  Confer- 
ence of  Mayors  today  unanimously 
adopted  a  resolution  calling  on  Con- 
gress to  repeal  the  Federal  admission 
tax,  "thus  leaving  this  source  of  rev- 
enue to  local  governments." 

The  1949  conference,  which  drew 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


60%  of  RKO  Proxies 
Okay  Plan  to  Date 

Sixty  per  cent  of  RKO 
stockholder  proxies  favoring 
the  plan  for  reorganizing  the 
company  have  been  filed  with 
the  management,  it  is  under- 
stood. Opposition  is  described 
as  being  very  minor.  The 
proxies  are  to  be  voted  at  the 
special  meeting  of  stock- 
holders in  Dover,  Del.,  on 
Monday.  Approval  of  the  plan 
requires  a  two-thirds  vote  of 
shareholders,  and  the  com- 
pany has  started  a  drive  to 
obtain  the  necessary  addi- 
tional six  and  two-thirds  per 
cent  for  approval. 


By  PETER  BURNUP 

London,  March  23. — Although 
greeted  with  relieved  hosannas  from 
producers  and  with  smug  triumph  by 
the  left-wing  Technicians  union, 
whose  admitted  aim  is  the  national- 
ization of  the  whole  film  industry, 
Harold  Wilson's  unexpected  obstinacy 
in  clinging  to  a  high  40  per  cent  quota 
stunned  all  responsible  sections  of  the 
industry  here. 

Their  chief  regret  is  that  a 
golden  opportunity  to  achieve 
better  understanding  between 
their  own  and  the  American 
film  industry  has  been  frittered 
away. 

Tom  O'Brien,  head  of  the  National 
Association  of  Theatrical  and  Kine 
Employes,  said  of  the  new  quota : 
"It  is  a  third-rate  palliative  which 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


TOA-SMPE 
Tieup  Pends 


Theatre  Owners  of  America's  de- 
termination to  establish  itself  firmly 
in  television  activity  was  underscored 
yesterday  with  the  disclosure  by  TOA 
executive  director  Gael  Sullivan  that 
the  Society  of  Motion  Picture  Engi- 
neers, which  is  in  close  touch  with 
theatre  video  research,  has  invited 
TOA  to  become  an  SMPE  sustaining 
member. 

The  invitation  will  be  taken  up  at 
the  TOA  executive  committee  meet- 
ing to  be  held  at  the  Hotel  Astor  here 
today,  and  acceptance  is  virtually  cer- 
tain. Only  about  10  individual  TOA 
members  now  have  membership  in 
SMPE. 

Theatre  television,  Sullivan  reported 
yesterday,  will  be  the  principal  sub- 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Heavy  Schedule  for 
Colo.  Convention 


Denver,  March  23. — A  large  regis- 
tration is  expected  at  the  first  conven- 
tion of  the  Colorado  Association  of 
Theatre  Owners  when  it  convenes  at 
the  Cosmopolitan  Hotel  here  on  April 
5-6.  With  Dave  Cockrill,  president, 
in  the  chair,  the  meeting  will  discuss 
numerous  industry  problems,  and  hear 
from  a  number  of  theatre  executives, 
including  Ted  Gamble  and  Robert  J. 
O'Donnell.  The  meeting  will  end  with 
a  dinner-dance  on  the  second  night. 
{Continued  on  page  2) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  24,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


GUS  EYSSELL,  Radio  City  Music 
Hall  managing  director,  will  re- 
turn here  from  a  Florida  vacation  by 
April  1. 

• 

Sam  Lefkowitz,  United  Artists 
Eastern  district  manager,  and  Abe 
Dickstein,  New  York  branch  man- 
ager, have  left  here  for  Buffalo  and 
Gloversville. 

• 

Jack  Cohen,  Eastern  division  man- 
ager for  National  Screen  Service,  has 
resigned  and,  after  a  vacation,  will 
join  World-Wide  Poster  Co.  as  gen- 
eral sales  manager. 

o 

Maurice  Yates,  RKO  Radio  set 
designer,  has  been  awarded  first  prize 
in  the  1948  Interior  Sets  Competition 
held  by  the  American  Institute  of 
Decorators. 

• 

Russell  Moss,  executive  vice- 
president  of  the  IATSE  Motion  Pic- 
ture Home  Office  Employes  Local  No. 
H-63  here,  will  return  to  New  York 
from  St.  Louis  on  Monday. 

• 

William      Miskell,  Tri-States 
Theatres  manager  at  Omaha,  has  left 
there  for  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  to  attend 
funeral  services  for  his  mother. 
• 

Emma  Rogers,  assistant  manager  of 
Loew's  Lincoln  Square  Theatre  here, 
has  been  transferred  to  Loew's  Pal- 
ace, Memphis,  in  the  same  capacity. 
• 

L.  J.  McGinley,  Prestige  Pictures' 
sales  manager,  will  return  to  New 
York  today  from  Indianapolis  and 
Cincinnati. 

• 

Ben-  Goetz,  head  of  M-G-M  studios 
at  Boreham  Woods,  Herts,  England, 
is  visiting  the  company's  Culver  City, 
Cal.,  studios. 

• 

Ray  Schreiber,  of  Midwest  Thea- 
tres, Detroit,  will  leave  there  Satur- 
day for  Florida  to  rest  after  an  illness. 
• 

Paul  Broder,  Realart  president, 
has  arrived  in  New  York  from 
Detroit. 

• 

Joseph  Moss,  president  of  Moss 
Associates,  advertising  agency,  has 
left  here  for  Chicago. 

• 

John  Joseph,  assistant  to  Howard 
Dietz  at  M-G-M,  will  return  here 
today  from  Cleveland. 

• 

Ken  Prickett,  Boston  field  repre- 
sentative for  M-G-M,  is  here  from 
that  city. 


Arkansas  ITO  Sets 
Meeting  May  18-19 

Gael  Sullivan,  executive  di- 
rector of  the  Theatre  Owners 
of  America,  reported  here 
yesterday  that  the  Indepen- 
dent Theatre  Owners  of  Ark- 
ansas, a  TOA  affiliate,  will 
hold  its  annual  convention  at 
the  Hotel  Marion,  Little 
Rock,  on  May  18  and  19. 

Ted  R.  Gamble,  chairman 
of  the  TOA  board;  Arthur  H. 
Lockwood,  president;  Herman 
M.  Levy,  general  counsel,  and 
Sullivan  have  been  invited  to 
attend  the  meeting.  Top  ex- 
ecutives of  distributor  com- 
pany will  also  be  invited. 


Colorado  Convention 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


National  Theatre  Debate 

Terry  Ramsaye,  editor  of  Motion 
Picture  Herald,  will  discuss  the  ques- 
tion, "Congress  and  a  National  The- 
atre" with  Robert  Breen,  secretary  of 
the  American  National  Theatre  and 
Academy,  and  Vance  M.  Morton,  pro- 
fessor at  Brooklyn  College,  on  Sta- 
tion WNYC  at  nine  P.M.  on  Wednes- 
day, March  30.  Ramsaye  is  said  to 
oppose  the  plan  for  a  national  theatre. 


Ah  exceptionally  heavy  agenda  has 
been  set. 

Cockrill,  Mayor  Quigg  Newton  and 
Governor  Leo  Knous  will  welcome  the 
delegates,  to  be  followed  by  the  follow- 
ing first-day  speakers  :  Morris  Lowen- 
stein,  Oklahoma ;  Bob  Livingston, 
Nebraska;  Miles  Hurley,  New  Mexi- 
co, and  Ted  Gamble,  board  chairman 
of  the  Theatre  Owners  of  America, 
and  Gael  Sullivan,  its  executive  direc- 
tor, both  from  New  York. 

Among  the  first  day's  subjects  will 
be  taxation,  legislation,  arbitration, 
public  service  films,  television  and 
consent  decrees.  Other  subjects  will 
include:  "What's  Ahead  for  the  Ex- 
hibitor," "Organize  to  Survive," 
"What  Is  Happening  in  New  Mexico" 
and  "The  Need  of  Organization." 

On  the  second  day  there  will  be  an 
election  of  officers,  resolutions  outlin- 
ing the  intentions  of  the  organization 
for  the  coming  year,  and  appointment 
of  committees  to  carry  out  those 
intentions. 

At  the  banquet  that  evening,  ad- 
dresses will  be  given  by  O'Donnell 
and  Col.  Bill  McCraw,  both  speaking 
as  executives  of  International  Variety. 

90  More  Days  for 
Denver  Dissolution 

New  York  Federal  Court  yesterday 
granted  the  application  of  Loew's  and 
RKO  for  an  additional  90  days  in 
which  to  dissolve  their  joint  interests 
in  the  Orpheum  Theatre,  Denver.  The 
deadline  originally  had  been  set  for 
March  31. 


DuMont  Will  Open 
SMPE  Convention 


Dr.  Allen  B.  DuMont,  head  of  the 
DuMont  Laboratories,  will  be  the 
principal  speaker  at  a  luncheon  open- 
ing the  65th  semi-annual  convention 
of  the  Society  of  Motion  Picture  En- 
gineers at  the  Hotel  Statler,  New 
York,  on  April  4. 

A  total  of  37  technical  papers,  in 
addition  to  two  forums,  lectures  and 
social  events,  are  scheduled  for  the  10 
sessions,  running  through  April  8. 

Highlights  of  the  opening  day  in- 
clude a  forum  on  television  and  mo- 
tion pictures,  led  by  authorities  on 
different  phases  of  the  growing  rela- 
tionship of  these  arts,  in  the  after- 
noon, and  a  demonstration  of  the  lat- 
est equipment  for  direct  projection  of 
theatre-size  television  images,  in  the 
evening.  Tuesday  morning  and  after- 
noon sessions  will  also  be  devoted  to 
television,  with  the  evening  open. 

Symposia  on  high-speed  photog- 
raphy, including  a  report  on  a  camera 
employing  refocused  revolving  beams 
to  obtain  half-a-million  stationary 
images'  per  second,  will  occupy  Wed- 
nesday morning  and  afternoon  ses- 
sions, while  Wednesday  evening  will 
be  given  over  to  the  social  highlight 
of  the  convention — the  Society's  65th 
semi-annual  banquet. 

Thursday  morning  will  be  open,  the 
afternoon  session  will  feature  an  open 
forum  on  16mm.  sound  recording  and 
reproducing  characteristics. 

Scheduled  for  the  Friday  morning 
session  are  papers  on  camera  objec- 
tives and  lenses  and  sound  recording, 
including  magnetic  recording  for  mo^ 
tion  pictures.  The  agenda  for  the 
final  session  on  Friday  afternoon  in- 
cludes papers  on  film  processing,  the- 
atre sound  and  projection,  and  the 
selection  of  theatre  sites. 


Tonighfs  the  Night 

Hollywood,  March  23.— The 
Academy  of  Motion  Picture 
Arts  and  Sciences  will  an- 
nounce its  annual  awards  for 
film  production  and  perform- 
ance achievements  tomorrow 
evening  at  the  Academy's  950- 
seat  theatre  here,  with  Ac- 
ademy president  Jean  Hers- 
holt  presiding.  The  cere- 
monies will  be  broadcast. 


TOA-SMPE  Tieup 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ject  of  discussion  today.  Mitchell 
Wolfson,  chairman  of  TOA's  televi- 
sion committee,  will  report  on  theatre 
video  prospects,  and  the  meeting  is 
expected  to  take  definite  action  on  a 
number  of  proposals  contained  in  the 
report.  Fifteen  items,  in  addition  to 
television,  are  on  the  meeting  agenda, 
according  to  Sullivan  who  expects  the 
session  to  run  well  into  tonight. 

Si  H.  Fabian,  executive  committee 
chairman,  will  preside.  In  addition  to 
Sullivan  and  Wolfson,  the  following 
are  expected  to  attend:  Ted  R. 
Gamble,  Robert  W.  Coyne,  A.  Julian 
Brylawski,  Leonard  H.  Goldenson, 
Lewen  Pizor,  Fred  Wehrenberg,  Ar- 
thur H.  Lockwood  (TOA  president), 
Martin  J.  Mullin  and  other  organiza- 
tion executives. 


Tent  19  Honors  Weems 

Baltimore,  March  23.— Local  Tent 
No.  19,  Variety  Club,  tonight  hon- 
ored its  ex-chief  barker,  Nick  Weems, 
at  a  testimonial  dinner-dance  at  the 
Sheraton-Belvedere  Hotel.  Chairman 
of  the  committee  in  charge  was  Mor- 
ris Oletski. 


New  Narration  Process 

With  a  new  background  process 
substituting  spoken  English  narration 
for  the  earlier  visual  titles,  the  French 
film  "Jenny  Lamour"  will  have  a 
second  Broadway  premiere  here  to- 
morrow. The  American  sponsor  is 
Vog  Film. 


Screen  Guild  Gets 
New  Composers,  Inc. 

Hollywood,  March  23. — Screen 
Guild  has  assumed  control  of  Com- 
posers, Inc.,  recently-formed  by  Al- 
bert and  Katherine  Glasser,  to  publish 
and  arrange  for  the  distribution  of 
songs  written  by  classical  musicians 
and  presented  to  the  public  by  way  of 
the  screen. 

Robert  L.  Lippert  acted  for  Screen 
Guild,  retaining  the'  directorship  of 
Glasser  on  a  non-exclusive  contract 
basis  so  that  the  latter  can  continue 
his  activities  as  an  independent  com- 
poser-conductor. 


Republic  in  Mexico  Deal 

Mexico  City,  March  23. — Republic 
now  has  a  place  in  Mexican  exhibition 
after  several  years  of  booking  only  an 
occasional  picture.  The  company  has 
contracted  with  the  Cadena  de  Oro 
(Golden  Chain),  one  of  the  largest 
circuits  here,  of  three  first-run  thea- 
tres, four  second-runs  and  10  subse- 
quent runs,  for  the  exhibition  of  its 
pictures  for  a  solid  year,  starting  soon 
with  "Wake  of  the  Red  Witch,"  Carl 
Ponedel,  Republic  manager,  announced 
here.  The  Golden  Chain  is  owned  and 
operated  by  the  Emilio  Azcarraga  in- 
terests, top  figures  in  Mexican  ex- 
hibition. 


3  -  Theatre  Premiere 
For  (Ma  &  Pa  Kettle' 

Kansas  City,  Mo.,  March  23.— 
World  premiere  for  Universal-Inter- 
national's "Ma  and  Pa  Kettle"  will  be 
held  at  the  Tower,  Uptown  and  Fair- 
way theatres  here  tomorrow  with  a 
Hollywood  contingent,  headed  by  pro- 
ducer Leonard  Goldstein  and  includ- 
ing Mar j  one  Main,  Percy  Kilbride, 
Meg  Randall  and  Richard  Long,  on 
hand  to  aid  the  promotion. 

With  50.  openings  scheduled  in  the 
territory  for  the  coming  week,  the 
group  will  leave  here  Friday  for 
Topeka,  Wichita  and  St.  Louis,  with 
radio  broadcasts,  personal  appearances 
and  visits  to  the  governor  and  legis- 
lature at  Topeka  highlighting  an  in- 
tensive campaign. 

Tied  in  with  the  opening  is  the 
World  Championship  Square  Dance 
contest  held  here  tonight  at  the  Mu- 
nicipal Auditorium  arena,  with  grand 
prizes  awarded  by  U-I. 


Director  Cites  (Manony 

The  French  film  industry  is  making 
some  top  productions,  Eric  Von  Stro- 
heim,  director  and  actor,  asserted  here 
yesterday  on  his  arrival  on  the 
Queen  Elisabeth.  He  especially  cited 
the  new  French  film,  "Manon,"  to  be 
released  in  this  country  through  Vog 
Films.  Von  Stroheim  said,  however, 
that  the  French  industry  is  hit  by  the 
"lack  of  money  and  high  costs." 


Israel  Film  Premiere 

American  premiere  of  "Tomorrow's 
a  Wonderful  Day,"  first  feature  filmed 
in  Israel,  will  be  held  on  April  9  at 
the  Stanley  Theatre  here,  according 
to  Jewish  Film  Distributors. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor:  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockeieller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P  Cumngham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Wearer, 
Editor ;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Aseher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
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Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


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Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  24,  1949 


Senate  Action 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


cussion  of  film  problems  during  his 
American  visit. 

At  the  same  time,  Lord  Strabolgi, 
Labor  Party  leader  in  the  House  of 
Lords,  issued  a  fervent  plea  here  for 
an  amicable  settlement  of  the  British- 
American  film  dispute.  Strabolgi,  who 
claimed  he  was  here  on  private  busi 
ness  but  said  that  he  "would  be  happy 
to  see  Mr.  Johnston  any  time,"  de 
clared  that  he  thought  the  British 
quota  should  be  lowered  still  further. 

Lord  Strabolgi  suggested  that  one 
compromise  might  be  to  allow  Amer- 
ican companies  to  take  more  money 
out  of  Britain  or  be  allowed  to  invest 
in  other  British  industries  and  take 
out  the  interest  on  those  investments. 
He  said  he  did  not  think  that  British 
films  had  been  given  a  fair  showing 
here,   and   was   disappointed   in  the 
grosses  of  all  British  films  here  ex- 
cept "Red  Shoes"  and  "Hamlet." 
Protests  Raising  Barriers 
Knowland  declared  that  it  was  "ut- 
terly inconsistent  at  one  time  to  talk 
of  breaking  down  barriers  and  at  the 
same   time   the   British  government 
raises  them  higher,  as  was  done  last 
year.  Then,  on  the  eve  of  our  con- 
sideration of  ECA  legislation,  they 
make  this  alleged  concession  of  five 
per  cent  in  a  quota  which  they  should 
not  have  at  all  if  they  are  truly  in- 
terested in  the  free,  unrestricted  trade 
set-up  we  are  seeking." 

The  British  government  is  giving 
only  lip-service  to  the  theory  of  re- 
ciprocity, Knowland  told  the  Senate. 
He  pointed  out  that  the  British  film 
producers  have  never  been  able  to 
provide  films  for  more  than  20  per 
cent  of  the  screen  time  in  Britain,  and 
declared  that  the  reduction  of  the 
quota  from  45  per  cent  to  40  per  cent 
is  "no  concession  whatsoever." 
Demands  Thorough  Study 
"I  want  to  serve  notice  on  the  State 
Department  and  on  the  Senate  For- 
eign Relations  and  Finance  commit- 
tees that  I  am  going  to  insist  on  a 
thorough  study  of  the  history  of  dis- 
crimination against  our  film  compa- 
nies," the  California  Republican  said. 
He  added  that  he  would  request  the 
Department  to  make  representations 
to  the  British  government  "to  live  up 
to  the  spirit  and  the  letter  of  recipro- 
city legislation. 

Lord  Strabolgi,  who  leaves  here 
Saturday,  made  his  observations  at  a 
press  conference  at  the  Mayflower 
Hotel.  He  said  he  thought  that  the 
dispute  between  the  British  govern- 
ment and  the  British  motion  picture 
industry,  and  between  the  government 
and  the  American  industry,  should 
never  have  been  allowed  to  develop. 
The  film  industries  of  the  two  coun- 
tries are  complementary,  he  declared, 
and  "there  is  no  reason  why  we 
should  not  reach  a  settlement." 


Mullin  Backs 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


SUN  DISTRIBUTORS 

630  NINTH  AVENUE 
NEW  YORK,  N.  Y. 
TELEPHONE  PL.  7-2935 

has  the 
Lorraine  Carbons 

The  Carbons  You  Have  Been 
Waiting  For. 


at  which  20th-Fox  vice-presidents  Al 
Lichtman  and  Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr., 
who  are  spearheading  the  profit  cam- 
paign, were  honor  guests.  According 
to  one  authority,  some  $5,000,000 
worth  of  exhibition  business  was 
represented  at  the  affair. 

Smith,  company  distribution  chief, 
told  the  gathering  that  20th-Fox  is 
out  to  increase  its  profit  by  25  per 
cent.  That  increase,  he  said,  is  neces- 
sary notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the 
company  has  been  able  to  reduce  dis- 
tribution costs  by  $2,000,000  since 
1947. 

Asks  Changed  Attitude 

"Exhibitors,"  Lichtman  admonished 
in  his  address,  "will  have  to  change 
their  mental  attitude  that  it  is  their 
God-given  right  to  show  a  profit  and 
the  devil  take  the  distributor." 

Restating  before  the  gathering 
much  of  what  he  told  the  trade  press 
on  Monday  before  he  and  Smith  set 
out  to  "sell"  their  ideas  to  the  nation's 
exhibitors  personally,  Lichtman  said 
even  better  product  will  be  coming 
from  Hollywood,  but  meanwhile  all 
branches  of  the  industry  must  unite 
against  criticism  of  it,  and  "horse 
trading  and  wrangling"  between  ex- 
hibitor and  distributor  must  stop. 

Smith  spread  before  the  exhibitor 
luncheon  an  array  of  figures  to  sup- 
port the  bid  for  a  "fairer"  distribution 
profit.  In  1947,  he  said,  the  average 
cost  for  one  picture  in  the  can  was 
$2,330,000,  but  in  1949  the  cost  is 
down  to  $1,751,000.  However,  he  ex- 
plained, add  to  the  current  cost  70  per 
cent  for  distribution  and  advertising 
on  black-and-white  features,  and  75 
"Iper  cent  on  Technicolor  prints, 
and  distribution's  cost  burden  is  exact- 
ly where  it  was  in  1947,  when  dis- 
tribution and  advertising  expenses 
were  below  what  they  are  now  not- 
withstanding economies  which  have 
been  adopted  meanwhile. 

Einfeld,  Lockwood  Speak 

Other  speakers  at  today's  luncheon 
were  20th-Fox  advertising-publicity 
vice-president  Charles  Einfeld,  Thea- 
tre Owners  of  America  president  Ar- 
thur H.  Lockwood,  Independent  Ex- 
hibitors of  New  England  president 
Daniel  J.  Murphy,  American  Thea- 
tres president  Sam  Pinanski. 

Attending  from  the  20th-Fox  home 
office  were  executives  Sam  Shain,  Ray 
M  oon,  Morris  Caplan  and  Lem  Jones. 
Representing  the  company's  Boston 
exchange  were  Ed  Callahan,  Jim  Con- 
nolly, John  Felony  and  Sam  Berg. 

Lichtman  and  Smith  will  be  in  New 
Haven  tomorrow  when  they  are  sched- 
uled to  meet  local  exhibition  leaders 
at  a  luncheon  in  the  Taft  Hotel. 
Exhibitors  in  Attendance 
Exhibitors  invited  to  the  luncheon 
meeting  follow : 


Rank  Will  Address 
'U's'  Board  Today 

Universal's  board  of  di- 
rectors, of  which  J.  Arthur 
Rank  is  a  member,  will  meet 
here  today  to  elect  officers 
and  receive  from  Rank  a 
first-hand  account  of  film  in- 
dustry conditions  in  Britain. 
Rank  arrived  here  yesterday 
aboard  the  S.  S.  Queen  Eliza- 
beth. 

Officers  up  for  re-election 
today  are  company  president 
Nate  J.  Blumberg,  board 
chairman  J.  Cheever  Cowdin 
(abroad  at  present),  vice- 
presidents  Charles  D.  Prutz- 
man,  John  J.  O'Connor,  Mat- 
thew Fox,  William  A.  Scully, 
Joseph  Seidelman  and  Ed- 
ward Muhl,  treasurer  Samuel 
Machnovitch,  and  secretary 
Adolph  Schimel. 


Rank  Says 

( Continued  from  page  1 ) 


British  Quota 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Leslie  Bendslev,  Philip  Bloomberg,  Harry 
Browning,  Roy  Burroughs,  Jean  Campopi- 
ano,  Edward  Canter,  Edward  Cuddy,  Albert 
Clark,  Jerry  Crowley,  John  Deery,  Richard 
Dobbyn,  Abner  Eilenberg,  Stanley  Eilen- 
berg,  Edward  Fay,  Ray  Feeley,  Thomas 
Fermoyle,  Seth  Field,  Hy  Fine,  Dan  Finn 
Max  Finn,  Ted  Fleisher,  John  Ford,  Arthur 
Frank,  John  Giles,  John  Glazier,  Louis  Gor- 
don, Gerry  Govan,  Irving  Green,  Mel 
Green,  Bill  Henry,  Larry  Herman,  Herbert 
Higgms,  Harry  Horgan,  Arthur  Howard. 

Also,  Ernest  Israel,  Bert  Jacocks,  Sam 
Kurzon,  Newell  Kurson,  Herb  Koppelman, 
Spero  Latchis,  Paul  Levi,  Max  Levenson, 
Arthur  Lockwood,  James  Mahoney,  Willard 
Mathews,  Walter  Mitchell,  William  Mul- 
eahy,  Martin  Mullin,  Dan  Murphy,  Ray 
Murphy,  Charles  Morse,  John  Nolan  Clin- 
ton Payne,  Samuel  Pinanski,  Herman  Rif- 
km,  Julian  Rifkin,  George  Roberts,  Stanley 
Rothenberg,  Henri  Schwartzberg,  Samuel 
Seletsky,  Harry  Smith,  Chester  Stoddard, 
Harold  Stoneman,  William  Sullivan,  Stanley 
Sumner,  Martin  Toohey,  Harold  Young  and 
Harry  Zeitz. 


threatens  to  reduce  British  film  pro- 
duction for  all  time  to  a  mediocre, 
second  feature  industry." 

Sir  Alexander  King,  head  of  the 
Exhibitors  Association,  protested  that 
British  exhibitors,  who  had  sought  a 
lower  quota,  had  been  treated  with 
contempt  and  that  Board  of  Trade 
president  Wilson's  own  Films  Council, 
which  had  recommended  a  33^$  per 
cent  quota,  had  been  ignored  by  Wil- 
son in  his  self-sufficiency. 

The  _  Exhibitors  Association,  again 
producing  figures  showing  recent 
British  film  grosses  to  be  generally 
less  than  box-office  averages,  forecast 
that  the  industry's  present  difficulties 
will  become  even  more  pronounced  in 
another  six  months  due  to  scarcity  of 
production  financing  and  the  cumu- 
lative losses  on  films  now  being  of- 
fered. 

CEA  officers  roundly  assert  that 
disaster  will  overcome  the  whole  in- 
dustry before  the  year's  end  if  pres- 
ent conditions  persist. 

They  again  urged  large-scale  Amer- 
ican production  here,  terming  it  the 
only  assurance  which  British  exhibi- 
tors could  have  of  obtaining  a  suffi- 
cient supply  of  worthwhile  pictures. 
"Americans  appear  to  be  the 
only   people   with  experience, 
money  and  worldwide  distri- 
bution facilities  remaining  to 
whom  we  can  look  for  12  to  15 
first-class   pictures  annually," 
King  said. 

The  new  quota  is  understood  to  be 
due  for  discussion  in  the  House  of 
Commons  next  week,  at  which  time 
Wilson's  order  undoubtedly  will  be 
confirmed. 

Wilson  is  said  to  be  convinced  that 
the  financial  advances  to  be  made  by 
his  $20,000,000  Film  Finance  Corp. 
will  succeed  in  stimulating  indepen- 
dent production  sufficiently  to  meet 
the  quota.  Also,  when  reports  are 
received  from  the  Portal  and  Gater 
committees,  now  sitting,  Wilson  will 
be  prepared  to  take  the  industry's 
problems  to  the  Cabinet  level,  if  nec- 
essary, there  to  seek  an  additional 
$20,000,000  to  add  to  his  Finance 
company's  resources. 


'Break-In'  Site  Changed 

The  Tower  Theatre,  Philadelphia, 
has  replaced  theatres  in  Newburgh 
and  Poughkeepsie  as  a  "break-in" 
house  for  Paramount  stage  shows. 


the  industry."  "Through  cooperation 
and  good-will,  I  think  we  can  iron 
out  our  problems,"  he  commented. 

Asked  if  he  favored  enlarging  the 
Anglo-U.  S.  council  to  include  in  its 
membership  exhibitor  representatives, 
he  said  that  very  likely  it  would  be 
discussed  at  the  meetings,  "and  if- 
there  is  any  advantage,  it  no  doubt 
will  be  arranged  for  labor,  exhibition 
and  everyone  in  the  industry  to  at- 
tend." 

Rank  discounted  reports  of  a  post- 
ponement of  the  meetings  which  are 
slated  for  April  21-22.  He  disclosed 
that  Sir  Henry  French,  second  British 
member  of  the  council,  will  arrive 
here  April  18,  and  Sir  Alexander 
Korda,  third  member,  about  the  same 
time.  Eric  Johnston,  Nicholas 
Schenck  and  Barney  Balaban  are  the 
American  members  of  the  Council. 
Schedules  40  Features 

Rank  revealed  that  his  production 
schedule  calls  for  40  features  for  this 
quota  year  ending  Oct.  1,  and  that  the 
number  would  be  slightly  under  that 
for  the  following  year. 

Questioned  why  British  producers 
could  not  meet  the  45  per  cent  quota, 
Rank  countered  that  "we  have  met 
the  quota  in  all  our  600  theatres." 
Pressed  for  further  comment  on  ex- 
hibitor complaints  about  British  prod- 
uct, he  remarked  that  "exhibitors  al- 
ways like  the  greatest  number  of  pic- 
tures possible."  He  said  that  in  the 
long  run  the  quota  will  prove  more 
profitable  for  the  British  industry. 

Present  grosses  in  England  are 
down  10  to  15  per  cent  from  the  1946 
peak  year,  Rank  observed.  Contrast- 
ing box-office  returns  of  American 
and  British  product,  Rank  said  that  in 
the  last  six  months  of  1948  his  600 
theatres  played  good,  medium  and 
poor  British  films  and  their  average 
gross  _  was  slightly  above  the  best 
American  films  shown. 

Sees  No  Nationalization 

Rank  asserted  that  there  was  no  fear 
of  nationalization  of  the  British  film 
industry.  He  also  said  that  divorce- 
ment of  exhibition  from  production 
"was  not  even  a  question"  now.  Turn- 
ing to  television,  he  revealed  that  a 
government  committee  shortly  will 
look  into'  theatre  television. 

Rank  said  he  was  satisfied  with  his 
distribution  here  "which  is  progress- 
ing all  the  time."  He  said  he  couldn't 
establish  his  own  distribution  company 
here  because  of  the  "lack  of  dollars." 
Asked  about  the  possibility  of  setting 
up  a  distribution  organization  in  the 
future,  he  said  "that  bridge  can  be 
crossed  when  we  come  to  it."  Citing 
distribution  progress,  he  pointed  out 
that  in  1945  only  five  of  his  films 
were  distributed  here,  in  1946  it  went 
up  to  11,  in  1947  it  reached  20,  and 
in  1948  it  rose  to  24. 


WE  BUY! 

Class  A  Westerners  & 
Top  Features 

for 

FRANCE  —  BELGIUM  — 
SWITZERLAND 

Contact 

A.  de  CUNZBURG 

E.C.D.,  151  EAST  51st  ST.,  N.Y..N.Y. 
PLaza  3-0756 


Thursday,  March  24,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Decide  Video's  Fate 
In  Canada  April  7 

Ottawa,  March  23. — One  of  the 
first  tangible  moves  to  be  taken  by  the 
Canadian  government  to  give  a  green 
light  to  television  in  the  Dominion 
came  today  when  the  government's 
Canadian  Broadcasting  Corp.  decided 
to  reconsider  applications  for  telecast 
licenses  at  a  meeting  of  its  board  of 
governors  here  on  April  7-9.  Applica- 
tions were  filed  last  November,  but 
were  not  acted  upon. 

Meanwhile,  the  Canadian  Associa- 
tion of  Broadcasters  has  issued  a  five- 
point  policy  statement,  calling  for  an 
end  to  Canadian  government  interfer- 
ence in  programming  as  the  price  for 
the  association's  co-operation  with  the 
Canadian  Broadcasting  Corp.  in  the 
development  of  television  in  Canada. 

The  statement  gave  these  conditions  : 
Powers  of  regulation  must  be  placed 
in  the  hands  of  an  independent  group ; 
the  term  for  which  television  licenses 
are  granted  must  be  sufficiently  long 
to  allow  the  operating  company  time 
to  recoup  its  initial  capital  investment ; 
private  operators  must  be  free  from 
unfair  or  subsidized  competition;  no 
system  of  television  can  render  ade- 
quate service  to  the  Canadian  public 
unless  it  is  permitted  free  access  to 
program  material  from  every  possible 
source. 


Ascap  Video  Pact 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ized  the  extension  at  a  meeting  here 
yesterday  and  this  was  followed  by 
another  session  with  representatives  of 
the  television  interests  where  negoti7 
ations  on  the  new  contract  were  con- 
tinued. 

Negotiations  have  been  on  for  two 
months  and  the  additional  30  days 
were  needed  because  "we  are  dealing 
with  a  new  industry,"  according  to 
one  of  the  negotiators  here.  He  ex- 
plained that  there  are  no  precedents 
for  music  license  arragements  in  tele- 
vision, thus  it  is  difficult  to  reach 
terms  which  would  be  agreeable  to 
both  sides. 

Representatives  of  Ascap  and  the 
telecasters  will  resume  meetings  here 
on  Monday. 


Johnston's  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


and,  more  importantly,  could  be  given 
the  attention  of  the  government's  new- 
ly   appointed    and    widely  ranging 
monopoly  commission,  which  is  prob 
ing  all  British  industries. 

Johnston's  booking  plan,  which  re 
quires  theatres  to  take  a  complete 
American  program  in  order  to  pre- 
vent quality  American  films  from 
being  booked  as  supporting  features 
for  a  British  quota  film,  is  generally 
regarded  here  as  having  proved  to  be 
a  shrewd  blow  to  the  efficacy  of  the 
high  quota,  particularly  the  25  per 
cent  quota  for  a  supporting  program. 

Video  Cuts  CBS  '48 
Net  to  $5-Million 

Consolidated  net  income  of  Cofum 
bia  Broadcasting  for  1948  amounted 
to  $5,041,682,  compared  with  $5,920 
104  in  1947.  Total  fixed  assets,  less 
accumulated  depreciation  reserves, 
rose  from  $12,174,657  on  Jan.  3,  1948, 
to  $13,490,011  on  Jan.  1,  1949.  Ex- 
penditures for  fixed  assets  in  1948 
totaled  approximately  $2,550,000,  in- 
cluding substantial  amounts  for  new 
television  studio  construction  and  as- 
sociated technical  equipment. 

Net  income  from  standard  broad- 
casting operations  in  1948  was  great- 
er than  in  1947,  but  this  gain  was 
more  than  offset  by  a  substantial  in- 
crease in  costs  of  expanded  television 
activities  and  by  reduced  earnings  of 
Columbia  Records,  Inc.,  CBS  said. 


Video  'Freeze9  May 
Come  Off  in  June 

Washington,  March  23. — Federal 
Communications    Commission  chair 
man  Wayne  Coy  said  here  today  that 
any  future  allocation  plan  adopted  by 
the  Commission  would  keep  the  pres 
ent  12  television  channels. 

Coy  said  he  thought  the  revised 
allocation  plan  would  be  completed  in 
May  or  June,  and  implied  that  the 
lifting  of  the  television  "freeze"  would 
.be  about  the  same  time. 


Video  Labor  War 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


between  themselves,  the  rival  unions 
have  again  laid  their  cases  before 
XLRB  hearing  officer  Chester  Mig- 
den  here.  Migden  conducted  hearings 
on  the  issue  almost  every  day  last 
week,  and  will  resume  them  this 
morning  when  Ferdinand  Wankel, 
NBC's  assistant  director  of  television 
engineering,  will  take  the  stand  to 
testify  on  the  various  phases  of  his 
company's  video  operations.  It  is  ex- 
pected that  "IA"  international  presi- 
dent Richard  F.  Walsh  and  NABET 
president  John  R.  McDonnell  will  be 
called  to  testify  here,  before  Migden 
submits  a  final  report  to  the  board  in 
Washington. 

On  March  3,  Walsh  warned  that 
the  jurisdictional  fight  could  take  a 
harmful  turn  for  telecasters  if  it  were 
not  settled  by  April  30,  the  expiration 
date  of  NABET's  contracts  with  the 
companies. 


Demand  End  of  Tax 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


some  600  mayors  and  city  officials 
from  all  over  the  U.  S.,  ended  today. 

Another  resolution  called  for  the 
creation  of  a  joint  Congressional  tax 
commission  to  study  over-lapping 
Federal,  state  and  local  taxes  and  to 
try  and  allocate  revenue  sources  for 
each  level  of  government.  The  com- 
mission would  consist  of  Senators, 
Representatives,  officials  of  the  inter- 
ested Federal  agencies,  and  represent- 
atives of  state  and  local  government 
organizations. 


Would  Replace  Excise  Taxes 
With  Excess  Profits  Levy 

Washington,  March  23.  —  Rep. 
Aime  J.  Forand,  R.  I.,  sponsor  of  a 
bill -to  cut  admission  and  other  excise 
taxes  back  to  pre-war  levels,  and  a 
top  Truman  Democrat  on  the  House 
Ways  and  Means  committee,  indicated 
in  a  radio  address  tonight  that  he 
would  favor  excise  tax  cuts  if  they 
were  coupled  with  an  excess  profits 
tax  to  make  up  the  loss  in  revenue. 

Forand  attacked  the  Republican  ex- 
cise tax  policy,  declaring  that  the 
G.O.P.  made  many  promises  but  nev- 
er carried  through  on  cutting  during 
its  two-year  control  of  the  80th  Con- 
gress. 

Canada  on  a  Tax-cut  Rampage; 
Some  Restrictions  Lifted 

Ottawa,  March  23. — The  Canadian 
Government  today  announced  sweep- 
ing reductions  in  its  income  taxes  for 
the  lower  and  middle  income  groups, 
and  the  relaxation  of  import  controls 
on  scores  of  articles  including  8  mm. 
and  16  mm.  motion  picture  equipment. 


NEW  ORLEANS  STATES 
calls  it  a 


For  Your 
Entertainment 


Milestone.  tea'"cr,'"gd»ick.  Peter 
ffiflSK^-*  Robe,. 
Mitchum. 

first  pony  and l  a •  forpa  the 

hand's   unStaSteinbeck's  story, 

basis  for  John         hnicolor  film- 

"The  Bed  Pony-   iebeauty  0f  the 

ins  brings  out  tne 

Wlstern  landscape.  yRl 

The  story  is  a  si  v Q  steadmg 
of  ranch  life  in  the  n  tn 
days.  Peter  Mile*         dsome  and 
part  of  the  boy  isa &a  neWcomer 

Engaging  ^^piays  the  r°le 
to  the  moMes,       p  nI1er. 

in-  an  easy,  .na™*      Robert  Mit- 

As  the  hired  rnan  ^cin  p 

chum  turns  in  a  co  sympathetic 

formance   Cast  in  lhaI1 

Part  Mitebum  J  muc  ? 

in  the  roles  he  u 

Myma  Loy  is  g  *QUgh  tne 
as  the  child  s  m°the  es  g  f 
vivacious  actress  senoUS 
ner  charm  W  tne 

Toles'  •=  <;aved  from  be- 

The  story  is  "     •   Calhero  s 
coming  tedious  b>  LouiSd.an  fi^_ 

performance  as  tne 

ing  grandfather  be 

Th%fil?y1ScSrenh«  well  as 
enjoyed  bj  cn 

grownups.  — F.J- 


Reprinted  from  the  New  Orleans  States 


CHAKLKS  h.  Fr.UDIA.N  presents 


MYRNA  LOY  ROBERT  MITCHUM 


AIM  Hi  I  DIM 


D  STRl'DWICK 

nd  introducing  PETER  MILES  as  TOM  and  MARGARET  HAMILTON 

Screen  Play  by  JOHN  STEINBECK  •  Music  by  AARON  COPLAND 

Produced  and  Directed  by  LEWIS  MILESTONE  ■  A  REPUBLIC  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR 


COLUMBIA  PICTURES  presents 

glenn  ford 

^Undercover  man 

WITH 

NINA  FOCH  *  James  Whitmore  ■  Barry  Kelley 

Written  for  the  screen  by  Sydney  Baehm  •  Additional  dialogue  by  Malvin  Wald 

a  ROBERT  ROSSEN  PRODUCTION  •  Directed  by  JOSEPH  H.  LEWIS 


Find  out  for  yourself 
the  tremendous  potential 
of  this  new  Robert  Rossen 
Production ...  an  outstandin 
Columbia  Picture! 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 

NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  59 


NEW   YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  MARCH  25,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


20th-Fox  Net 
For  1948  Is 
$12,500,000 

Yield  Off  $1,503,640  from 
Company's  1947  Profit 

Consolidated  earnings  of  20th 
Century-Fox  and  subsidiaries  for 
the  year  ended  Dec.  25,  1948,  was 
estimated  by  the  company  yesterday 
at  $12,500,000. 

The  1948  result  compares  with  net 
earnings  for  1947  of  $14,003,640. 

Gross  income  from  film  rentals  and 
National  Theatres  Corp.  and  Roxy 
Theatre,  Inc.,  receipts  during  1948  are 
estimated  at  $163,400,000,  compared 
with  $174,375,241  the  preceding  year. 
Consolidated  earnings  before  Federal 

(Continued  on  page  6) 

Conn.  Owners  Told 
Of  20th-Fox  Plan 


Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  20th  Century- 
Fox  distribution  vice-president,  and 
vice-president  Al  Lichtman,  told  an 
exhibitor  meeting  in  New  Haven's 
Hotel  Taft,  yesterday,  that  "they 
have  no  objections  to  flat  rentals  if 
the  price  is  right,"  according  to_  a 
statement  from  the  home  office,  which 
added:  Smith  and  Lichtman  "said  ex- 
hibitors had  a  tendency  to  hold  down 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Mullin  Denies  He 
Approved  Fox  Plan 

Martin  J.  Mullin,  president  of  New 
England  Theatres,  Boston,  denied  to 
Motion  Picture  Daily  yesterday 
that  he  had  approved  20th  Century- 
Fox's  current  efforts  to  obtain  a 
"more  equitable"  share  of  industry 
profits  for  distribution  or  that  he  had 
expressed  the  hope  that  other  distri- 
bution companies  would  take  similar 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


ITOA  Scores  20th 
On  Pricing  Plans 

The  Independent  Theatre  Owners 
Association  of  New  York  yesterday 
voted  to  invite  Spyros  Skouras,  20th 
Century-Fox  president,  and  Al  Licht- 
man and  A.  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  vice-presi- 
dents, to  discuss  the  company's  sales 
practices  at  an  open  forum  of  the 
independent  exhibitor  organization. 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Academy  Winners 


20th 


HOLLYWOOD,  March  24.— The  Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts 
and  Sciences  tonight  announced  the  following  winners  of  its  annual 
awards,  for  1948,  at  ceremonies  at  the  Academy  Theatre: 
Best  motion  picture  of  the  year — "Hamlet,"  J.  Arthur  Rank-Two 

Cities,  Universal-International. 
Best  performance  by  an  actor — Laurence  Olivier  in  "Hamlet,"  J. 

Arthur  Rank-Two  Cities,  Universal-International. 
Best  performance  by  an  actress — Jane  Wyman  in  "Johnny  Belinda," 

Warner. 

Best  performance  by  an  actor  in  a  supporting  role — Walter  Huston 

in  "Treasure  of  Sierra  Madre,"  Warner. 
Best  performance  by  an  actress  in  a  supporting  role — Claire  Trevor 

in  "Key  Largo,"  Warner. 
Best  achievement  in  directing — "Treasure  of  Sierra  Madre,"  Warner; 

John  Huston. 

Best  written  screen  play — "Treasure  of  Sierra  Madre,"  Warner;  John 
Huston. 

Best  original  motion  picture  story — "The  Search,"  Praesens  Film, 
M-G-M;  Richard  Schweizer  and  David  Wechsler. 

Best  achievement  in  art  direction — Black-and-white:  "Hamlet," 
J.  Arthur  Rank-Two  Cities,  Universal-International;  Roger  K. 
Furse.  Color:  "The  Red  Shoes,"  J.  Arthur  Rank- Archers,  Eagle- 
Lion;  Hein  Heckroth. 

Certificates  of  merit  for  interior  decorators  of  the  productions  re- 
ceiving awards  for  art  direction — Black-and-white:  "Hamlet,"  J. 
Arthur  Rank-Two  Cities,  Universal-International;  Carmen  Dillon. 
Color:  "The  Red  Shoes,"  J.  Arthur  Rank- Archers,  Eagle-Lion; 
Arthur  Lawson. 

Best  achievements  in  cinematography— Black-and-white:  'The  Naked 
City,"  Mark  Hellinger  Productions,  Universal-International; 
William  Daniels.  Color:  "Joan  of  Arc,"  Sierra  Pictures,  RKO 
Radio;  Joseph  Valentine,  Wm.  V.  Skall  and  Winton  Hoch. 

Best  achievements   in  sound   recording — "The   Snake  Pit," 
Century-Fox. 

Best  achievements  in  film  editing— "The  Naked  City,"  Mark  Hellinger 
Productions,  Universal-International;  Paul  Weatherwax. 

Best  achievements  in  special  effects— "Portrait  of  Jennie,"  Selznick 
Studio.  Special  visual  effects:  Paul  Eagler,  J.  McMillan  Johnson, 
Russell  Sherman  and  Clarence  Slifer.  Special  audible  effects: 
Charles  Freeman  and  James  J.  Stewart. 

Best  short  subjects — Cartoons:  "The  Little  Orphan,"  M-G-M;  Fred 
Quimby,  Producer.  One-Reel:  "Symphony  of  a  City,"  20th  Century- 
Fox;  Edmund  Reek,  Producer.  Two-Reel:  "Seal  Island,"  Walt 
Disney,  RKO  Radio;  Walt  Disney,  Producer. 

Best  scoring  of  a  musical  picture— "Easter  Parade,"  M-G-M;  by 
Johnny  Green  and  Roger  Edens. 

Best  Music  Score  of  a  dramatic  or  comedy  picture— "The  Red  Shoes," 
J.  Arthur  Rank- Archers,  Eagle-Lion;  by  Brian  Easdale. 

Best  original  song— "Button  and  Bows,"  from  "The  Paleface,"  Para- 
mount. Music  and  lyrics  by  Jay  Livingston  and  Ray  Evans. 

Best  achievement  in  costume  design— Black-and-white:  'Hamlet,"  J. 
Arthur  Rank-Two  Cities,  Universal-International;  Roger  K.  Furse. 
Color:  "Joan  of  Arc,"  Sierra  Pictures,  RKO  Radio;  Dorothy  Jenkins 
and  Karinska. 

Distinctive  achievement  in  documentary  production — Short  subject: 
"Toward  Independence,"  U.  S.  Army.  Feature :  "The  Secret  Land," 
U.  S.  Navy,  M-G-M;  O.  O.  Dull,  Producer. 

The  Irving  G.  Thalberg  Memorial  Award  for  the  most  consistently 
high  quality  of  production  achieved  by  an  individual  producer- 
Jerry  Wald. 

Special  award  to  Walter  Wanger  for  distinguished  service  to  the 

industry  in  adding  to  its  moral  stature  in  the  world  community  by 

his  production  of  the  picture,  "Joan  of  Arc." 
Special  award  to  Adolph  Zukor  for  his  services  to  the  industry  over 

a  period  of  40  years. 
Special  award  to  Sid  Grauman,  who  raised  the  standards  of  motion 

picture  exhibition. 
Special  award  to  Ivan  Jandl  for  the  outstanding  juvenile  performance 

of  1948  in  "The  Search." 
Special  award  for  the  best  foreign  language  film  released  in  the  U.  S. 

during  1948:  "Monsieur  Vincente." 


Senator  Takes 
Case  Against 
UK  to  Acheson 


Opposition  Is  Growing 
Against    Film  Barriers 

Washington,  March  24. — Sen- 
timent is  growing  in  the  Senate  to 
put  pressure  on  the  State  Depart- 
ment to  take  steps  against  British 
restrictions  on  American  films. 

Senator  William  Knowland,  Cali- 
fornia Republican,  who  yesterday  at- 
tacked the  British  quota  on  the  Senate 
floor,  today  wrote  to  Secretary  of 
State  Dean  Acheson  calling  on  him 
to  reveal  what  steps,  if  any,  the  State 
Department  has  taken  to  break  down 
such  restrictive  measures  by  the  Brit- 

(Contimted  on  page  4) 


TOA  Urges  Video 
Trailer  Production 


All  distributors  and  National  Screen 
will  be  urged  by  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  to  make  trailers  available  for 
telecasting,  Arthur  H.  Lockwood, 
TOA  president,  reported  yesterday 
following  the  close  of  the  TOA's  ex- 
ecutive committee  meeting  in  the  Hotel 
Astor  here.  Describing  television  trail- 
ers as  "a  very  potent  advertising  de- 
vice for  theatres,"  Lockwood  said  the 
TOA  executive  group,  acting  on  the 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


2,218,758  Shares 
Favor  Para.  Split 

Return  of  proxies  through  last  Tues- 
day show  that  14,863  Paramount 
stockholders,  representing  2,218,758 
shares,  have  voted  in  favor  of  the  cor- 
poration's plan  for  reorganization, 
Barney  Balaban,  president,  told  the 
stockholders  yesterday  in  a  letter  ac- 
companying SO-cent  dividend  checks 
for  the  first  quarter.  In  opposition  to 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Blumberg,  Other  'U' 
Officers  Reelected 

Universal  president  Nate  J.  Blum- 
berg, board  chairman  J.  Cheever 
Cowdin  and  all  other  company  officers 
were  reelected  at  a  board  of  directors 
meeting  held  here  yesterday. 

Others  elected  include  vice-presi- 
dents Charles  D.  Prutzman,  John  J. 
O'Connor,  Matthew  Fox,  William  A. 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Personal 
Mention 

NED  E.  DEPINET,  RKO  presi- 
dent, is  due  back  in  New  York 
today  from  Texas. 

• 

Sam  Wood,  M-G-M  director,  has 
deferred  his  departure  from  here  to 
the  Coast,  and  is  now  scheduled  to 
leave  on  April  5,  with  stopovers  at 
Cleveland  and  Chicago. 

• 

Vaughn  O'Neill,  former  manager 
of  Loew's  Ohio,  Cleveland,  has  been 
appointed  manager  of  the  State  there, 
succeeding  Maurice  Druker,  who 
transferred  to  Providence. 

• 

Arthur  M.  Loew,  Loew  Interna- 
tional president,  and  Morton  A. 
Spring,  first  vice-presidenf,  who  are 
now  in  Europe,  are  expected  in  New 
York  early  next  month. 

• 

George  Weltner,  Paramount  Inter- 
national president,  left  here  last  night 
for  Minneapolis,  from  where  he  will 
leave  by  plane  on  a  month's  tour  of 
the  Far  East. 

• 

Harold  Citron,  Northcoast  Thea- 
tres general  manager,  is  in  San  Fran- 
cisco from  Los  Angeles. 

• 

Rudy  Berger,  M-G-M  Southern 
sales  manager,  will  leave  here  today 
for  a  vacation  at  Miami. 

• 

Marvin  H.  Schenck,  Loew  vice- 
president,  and  Mrs.   Schenck,  will 
leave  here  today  for  the  Coast. 
• 

J.  Edmund  Grainger,  Republic  pro- 
ducer, left  here  last  night  by  plane  for 
the  Coast. 

• 

David  Idzal,  manager  of  the  Fox 
Theatre,  Detroit,  is  in  a  hospital 
there  for  a  check-up. 

• 

Arthur    C.    Bromberg,    head  of 
Monogram   Southern  exchanges  has 
returned  to  Atlanta  from  Chicago. 
• 

E.  R.  Holtz,  president-treasurer  of 
La  Salle  Garden  Theatre  Co.,  Detroit 
will  arrive  in  New  York  today 


Loew  Stockholders  to 
Vote  on  Board  Today 

Annual  Loew  stockholders 
meeting  will  be  held  here  at 
the  home  office  today  and  will 
vote  on  increasing  the  direc- 
torate from  10  to  11  members. 
Nominated  for  the  post  of 
11th  director  is  F.  Joseph 
Holleran,  vice-president  of  Na- 
tional City  Bank  of  New  York. 

Nominated  for  reelection 
are  Leopold  Friedman,  Eu- 
gene W.  Leake,  Charles  C. 
Moskowitz,  William  A.  Par- 
ker, William  F.  Rodgers,  J. 
Robert  Rubin,  Nicholas  M. 
Schenck,  Joseph  R.  Vogel, 
David  Warfield  and  Henry 
Rogers  Winthrop. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 

Insider's  Outlook 


By  RED  KANN 


TT  didn't  take  long  for  things 
1  to  start  seething.  On  Monday, 
Al  Lichtman  officially  got  un- 
der way  at  20th-Fox,  held  a 
press  interview,  outlined  ex- 
plorations looking  toward  a  re- 
division  of  the  box-office  dollar 
weighted  in  his  direction. 

The  three  ideas  already  re- 
ported were  approaches.  They 
were  ideas,  at  most,  and  not 
plans.  The  plan,  or  plans,  will 
come  after  discussions,  plus  per- 
suasions, with  lots  of  exhibitors 
in  lots  of  cities.  But  the  ITOA 
of  New  York  yesterday  refused 
to  wait.  It  issued  a  blistering 
attack  on  Fox's  sales  policies, 
threw  down  the  gauntlet  of  an 
open  forum,  indicated  its  confi- 
dence in  disproving  any  need  for 
disgorging  more  of  the  coveted, 
box-office  dollar  and,  in  general, 
proclaimed  that  already  it  had 
been  "robbed." 

Of  course,  this  is  no  more,  no 
less  than  was  to  be  expected. 
Anytime  price  figures  in,  the 
disagreement  between  buyer  and 
seller  assumes  its  traditional 
armor.  Fox  will  be  wanting 
more  for  its  product,  and  says 
so,  and  exhibitors  won't  be 
wanting  to  pay  it,  and  are  begin- 
ning to  say  so. 

The  position  of  each  protagon- 
ist is  woefully  simple  to  under- 
stand. By  its  very  nature  and 
the  history  of  the  business, 
however,  the  situation  suggests 
a  whale  of  a  lot  of  trading  with, 
perhaps,  no  clear-cut  victory  for 
either  side. 

Teeth  gnash  and  tempers  fray 
in  this  explosive  business.  But 
there's  a  lot  of  compromise  in  it, 
too. 


Fists-Up  Quotation  :  "Ex- 
hibitors," stated  Lichtman  in 
Boston,  "will  have  to  change 
their  mental  attitude  that  it  is 
their  God-given  right  to  show  a 
profit  and  the  devil  take  the  dis- 
tributor." 

H  B 

The  five  producing-distribut- 
ing-exhibiting  companies  have 
been  singularly  shy  about  di- 
vulging official  information  on 
returns  from  their  theatre  op- 
erations. It  took  the  highly  in- 
teresting Paramount  proxy 
statement  to  turn  up  data  not 
hitherto  exposed  to  public  view. 
Paramount  Pictures,  Inc. 
[which  is  to  say  the  company 
operating  before  the  decree  was 
signed]    and    its  consolidated 


subsidiary  corporation  grossed 
the  following  in  theatre  admis- 
sions and  receipts  for  the  fiscal 
years  note: 

December  29;  1945.  .$87,492,600 
January  4,  1947. ...  108,172,832 
January  3,  1948. ...  108,791,746 
October  2,  1948 

.(9  months)    76,418,589 

It  takes  an  avalanche  of  two- 
bit  and  four-bit  coins  to  stack 
these  many  millions. 


Post-decree  statements  issued 
variously  by  Paramount  execu- 
tives are  worth  noting.  Adolph 
Zukor,  for  instance:  "The  new 
[Paramount  Picture]  company 
will  be  in  a  position  to  book 
films  in  the  theatres  most  suit- 
able for  the  exhibition  of  par- 
ticular pictures  and  at  the  same 
time  sell  on  the  best  possible 
terms.  I  am  sure  that  our  pic- 
tures stand  to  gain  by  this  ar- 
rangement. .  .  .". 

Reads  like  a  forthright  argu- 
ment for  divorcement  from  the 
chairman  of  the  board  of  a  com- 
pany that  resisted  ten  hotly  con- 
tested years. 

■  ■ 

(.  Quotation  of  the  Week: 
"The  Paramount  decree  indi- 
cates that  the  largest  firm  in  the 
business  believes  divorcement 
can  work,"  one  top  Justice  De- 
partment official  said  [in  Mo- 
tion Picture  Daily}.  "We 
will  probably  call  that  to  the 
Federal  Court's  attention  as  an 
argument  against  the  arguments 
of  the  remaining  defendants."  ' 
Probably? 


Joe  Skeptic  asks : 

"If  producers  can't  own  thea- 
tres, why  can  exhibitors  own  a 
producing  company?" 

Actually,  he's  ahead  of  him- 
self, but  he's  thinking  early  of 
the  possibility  that  Si  Fabian, 
Ted  Gamble,  et  al,  may  end  up 
owning  United  Artists. 


Incidentally,  if  that  deal  ever 
comes  off  look  for  Ted  to  head 
the  works. 

■  ■ 

Life  Magazine,  notoriously  in- 
accurate in  motion  picture  mat- 
ters, last  week  reached  a  new 
high  in  miscues,  said: 

"  'Duel  in  the  Sun'  has  made 
$8.5  million." 


Friday,  March  25,  194S 

'Adult'  Classification 
For  Three  in  Canada 

Toronto,  March  24.— Three  TJ.  S. 
films  have  been  placed  in  the  adult 
entertainment  category  by  the  On- 
tario Board  of  Censors.  They  are: 
"This  Was  a  Woman,"  20th  Century- 
Fox  ;  'An  Act  of  Murder,"  Universal-' 
International;  and  "Flaxy  Martin," 
Warner. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


m  i 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — 

Rockefeller  Center 

LITTLE  WOMEN" 

June  Allyson  .  Peter  Lawford  .  Marg't  O'Brien. 
Elizabeth  Taylor  .  Janet  Leigh  .  Rossano  Brazzla1 
Mary  Aster  .  A  Mervyn  Le  Roy  Production! 
'  Color  by  Technicolor 
A  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
SPEGTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Paramount 

Color  by  CINEC0L0R  ( 

"  starring  « 

John  PAYNE  •  Gail  RUSSELL 
Sterling  HAYDEN  •  Geo."Gabby'HATES 
Dick  FORAN 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER,  w^%S^way 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twlee  Dally 
Extra  Matinee*  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


r 


OLIVIA  de  HAVILLAND  I 


the  Snake  Pit 


■ Directed  by  Produced  by 

_  AHATtUE  UTVAK  -  ANATOLE  LITVAK  «  ROBERT  SASSIER  £*t 


2^IVOJLI 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID 

BERGMAN 


A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 


with  JOSE  FERRER  •  FRANCIS  I  SULLIVAN  .  J  CARROL  NAISH  .  WARD  BONO  I 
SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  •  HURD  HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHART  ■  JOHN  EMERY  t 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  -  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  K  ELLA  WAY 
based  upon  the  stage  play  'Joan  oJ  Loiraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
wreen  ploy  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOU  •  orl  direction  b 
RICHARD  DAY  •  direelor  of  photography  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

■     SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  •  released  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


20  *  WEEK  I, 


Loretta  Young   .  Van  Johnson 

"MOTHER  IS  A  FRESHMAN" 

A  20tk  Century-Fox  Picture 
In  Technicolor 
ON  VARIETY  STAGE 

PHIL  BAKER  .   CAB  CALLOWAY 

BIG    ICE  REVUE 

Rft  V  V  7th  Ave-  *■ 
W  /V   I      50th  St. 


 _    "W    —  —     —         OUlll  Ol,   

J.  A.  Otteo,  K»^^t^^bw£l^^A^b  l^ndSn  SSj^TrS^  q  t  F!Srley,iMA»  ertlSing  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
Other  QuigierpSbllcaHons:  Motien  KcSfre herald-  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  sl^.Sch  ^ffuw11??'  ^anager>  Peter  BurnuP-  Editor:  cable  address,  "Qmgpubco,  London."" 
Motion  Picture  Almanac.  Fame  Entered  a 'second  class  matter  Sent  23  1918  It  thl ™f  <r  \  i$  UJT\?  £ar  a5  a  ^t,on  of  Motion  Picture  Herald'-  International 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign:  single copie *  10c  P       '        *  *  the  p0Bt  °ff,ce  at  New  Yorkl  N"  Y-  under  the  act  <*  March  3-  1879-    Subscription  rates  per 


IS  DOING  TREMENDOUS  BUSINESS! 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  March  25,  1949 


Michigan  Allied  to 
Fight  Percentages 

Detroit,  March  24.— Charles 
Snyder,  executive  secretary 
of  Michigan  Allied,  is  urging 
exhibitors  to  refuse  to  play 
percentage  pictures,  in  sup- 
port of  a  campaign  to  elimi- 
nate that  practice. 

"There  is  enough  good 
product  from  those  com- 
panies which  agreed  to  go 
along  that,  when  the  boys 
who  demand  percentage  come 
into  your  office,  they  should 
be  given  the  greatest  letting 
alone  in  history,"  Snyder 
states  in  a  bulletin  to  ex- 
hibitors. 


Lerner  in  Charge  of 
Lippert  Production 

Hollywood,  March  24.— Robert  L. 
Lippert,  upon  his  arrival  from  Palm 
Springs  today,  disclosed  that  Murray 
Lerner  has  been  placed  in  charge  of 
production  as  a  vice-president  of  Lip- 
pert Productions,  under  Lippert's  di- 
rect supervision. 

Lerner  takes  over  his  new  duties  on 
the  next  Lippert  production,  "Cross 
Currents,"  which  Seymour  Roth  will 
put  before  the  cameras  on  April  11. 


Carbon  for  Drive-Ins 

A  new  carbon  designed  for  drive- 
ins  is  being  introduced  to  the  New 
York  area  by  Sun  Distributors,  ac- 
cording to  Robert  A.  Newbergh,  Sun 
executive. 


UK-US  Production 
Urged  by  Bernstein 

Expressing  favor  of  Anglo-Ameri- 
can production,  Sidney  Bernstein, 
British  producer  and  exhibitor,  as- 
serted here  yesterday  that  it  could 
provide  one  of  the  solutions  to  the 
many  trade  problems  facing  the  in- 
dustries of  both  countries. 

Bernstein,  who  is  president  of 
Transatlantic  Pictures,  which  dis- 
tributes here  through  Warner  Broth- 
ers, and  Granada  Theatres,  a  circuit 
of  SO  British  theatres,  declared  that 
both  nations  are  indivisible  from  a 
film  point  of  view.  He  urged  closer 
production  coordination,  asserting  that 
"there  is  enough  profit  for  both  in- 
dustries." 

Without  going  into  the  new  40  per 
cent  quota  extensively,  Bernstein  ven- 
tured the  opinion  that  it  was  "high" 
and  expressed  the  hope  that  U.K. 
"producers  deliver  films  in  sufficiently 
good  quality  not  to  make  the  public 
stay  away  from  British  pictures." 

Bernstein  said  that  grosses  in  his 
theatres  are  up.  He  said  that  gener- 
ally good  British  films  gross  better 
than  good  American  films,  observing 
that  films  in  the  country  of  their  ori- 
gin always  earn  more  money  than 
films  of  equal  merit  from  a  foreign 
country. 

Bernstein  has  just  returned  here 
from  the  Coast  where  he  and  Alfred 
Hitchcock  consulted  with  Jack  L. 
Warner  on  final  sequences  of  "Under 
Capricorn"  which  were  completed  on 
the  W.  B.  Burbank  lot.  Bernstein 
shortly  will  leave  for  Quebec  to  film 
sequences  of  "I  Confess,"  his  next  film. 


Case  Against  U.K.     $TMPP  Mpptc 

(Continued  from  page  1)  KJM.X.1M.M.   M.  iTX^V^l/O 


ish  government  against  the  American 
industry." 

Knowland  also  revealed  that  he  had 
discussed  the  matter  with  several 
other  Senators  and  that  a  follow-up 
letter  with  the  signatures  of  these 
Senators  might  go  to  Acheson  very 
soon.  The  California  Republican  also 
said  that  he  is  continuing  to  try  to 
work  out  some  amendment  to  either 
the  pending  ECA  bill  or  the  Recipro- 
cal Trade  Agreement  Act  to  prevent 
British  discrimination  against  Ameri- 
can films.  He  said  that  this  is  prov- 
ing difficult  to  work  out,  and  it  might 
not  be  ready  by  the  time  these  bills 
come  up  for  voting.  In  that  event,  he 
said,  he  would  try  to  put  such  an 
amendment  on  to  a  later  bill  carrying 
appropriations  for  the  ECA. 

MPAA  Officials  Pleased 

Meanwhile,  MPAA  officials,  openly 
pleased  at  the  Senate  developments, 
said  they  knew  of  no  plans  for 
MPAA  president  Eric  Johnston  to 
confer  with  British  Foreign  Secre- 
tary Bevin  when  the  latter  comes  here 
next  week,  and  doubt  that  Bevin  will 
do  much  negotiating  on  films,  despite 
London  press  dispatches  that  he  would. 

Knowland  refused  to  say  what 
Senators  he  had  spoken  to  on  the  film 
matter,  but  other  sources  mentioned 
Senators  Smith  of  New  Jersey,  Cape- 
hart  of  Indiana,  and  Brewster  of 
Maine  as  being  among  those  most 
likely  to  sound  off  on  the  matter. 

Knowland's  letter  to  Acheson  said 
that  "at  a  time  when  we  are  being 
called  on  to  pass  a  new  ECA  Act  and 
a  new  Reciprocal  Trade  Agreements 
Bill,  both  of  which  are  presumed  to 
contribute  to  the  opening  up  of  the 
channels  of  trade,  it  seems  to  be  un- 
wise and  inconsistent  for  the  British 
government  to  establish  or  maintain 
economic  'Iron  Curtains'  of  her  own 


Favor  Para.  Split 

 (Continued  from  page  1) 


the  proposed  reorganization  are  304 
stockholders,  representing  40,249 
shares,  Balaban  reports. 

Thus,  proportionately,  the  required 
two-thirds  affirmative  vote  is  substan- 
tially exceeded  so  far.  It  is  understood 
that  Paramount  has  a  total  of  slightly 
more  than  6,000,000  shares  outstand- 
ing. 

The  proxies  for  the  special  meeting 
of  stockholders  here  on  April  12  to 
ratify  the  reorganization  "are  coming 
in  very  satisfactorily,"  Balaban  said. 
He  again  urged  holders  to  return 
proxies  which  are  still  out. 

Paramount's  report  on  1948  opera- 
tions will  be  mailed  late  next  month, 
Balaban  reported. 


FC's  Salesmen  Vote 
Colosseum  Affiliation 

Milwaukee,  March  24. — Film  Clas- 
sics has  become  the  12th  distributing 
company  whose  salesmen  will  bargain 
collectively  under  the  banner  of  the 
Colosseum  of  Motion  Picture  Sales- 
men of  America,  it  was  reported  here 
today  by  David  Beznor,  Colosseum 
attorney.  Salesmen  of  the  11  other 
distributors  won  last  year  through 
the  Colosseum  their  first  contracts 
with  the  companies,  with  wage  in- 
creases and  various  benefits  in- 
cluded. 

In  a  National  Labor  Relations 
Board  election  Film  Classics  sales- 
men voted  44  to  one  in  favor  of  the 
Colosseum,  Beznor  said. 


Today  on  UK 
Film  Problems 


Eastern  distribution  committee 
of  the  Society  of  Independent  Mo- 
tion Picture  Producers,  and  Ellis 
G.  Arnall,  SIMPP  president,  will 
meet  here  today  on  all  ramifications 
of  the  Anglo-American  film  trade  re- 
lationship with  formulation  of  a  plan 
for  new  action  seen  as  a  possible  result 
of  the  session. 

Participants  will  include  James  A. 
Mulvey,  Samuel  Goldwyn  Produc- 
tions; Gradwell  Sears,  United  Art- 
ists; William  Levy,  Walt  Disney 
Prod. ;  Harry  Kosiner,  Edward  Small 
Prod.;  Charles  R.  Rogers,  Realart, 
and  a  David  O.  Selznick  representa- 
tive. 

It  is  understood  that  the  group  has  ! 
in  mind  to  discuss,  among  other  sub- 
jects, J.  Arthur  Rank's  visit  here  and 
the  April  21-22  meeting  of  the  Anglo- 
American  Film  Advisory  Council; 
British  Foreign  Secretary  Ernest 
Bevin's  plan  to  come  here  next  week 
with  some  consideration  of  film  trade 
his  agenda;  and  Sen.  William 
Knowland's  recommendation  of  an  in- 
vestigation of  Britain's  trade  barriers. 

SIMPP  is  said  to  regard  as  es- 
pecially encouraging  Sen.  Know- 
land's  remarks  on  Wednesday  in  the 
Senate,  where  he  indicated  that  he  is 
considering  proposal  of  amendments  to 
the  Economic  Cooperation  Adminis- 
tration and  the  Reciprocal  Trade 
Agreements  Act  which  would  insure 
non  -  discriminatory  treatment  of 
American  films  by  the  British. 

Government  support  of  the  U.  S. 
industry  in  international  dealings  long 
since  has  been  the  aim  of  SIMPP. 

To  what  extent  the  society  will  con- 
cern) itself  with  the  Film  Council 
conference  in  Washington  probably 
will  be  determined  at  today's  meeting. 

Telephone  Co.  Seeks 
20  Radio  Relay  Sites 

■  Washington,  March  24.  —  The 
American  Telephone  and  Telegraph 
Co.  has  applied  for  construction  per- 
mits for  20  experimental  microwave 
radio  stations  between  Pittsburgh  and 
Chicago,  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission  announced. 

A.  T.  and  T.  stated  that  the  stations 
would  be  part  of  its  proposed  $12,- 
000,000  radio  relay  system  which 
would  eventually  transmit  television 
and  other  programs  from  New  York 
to  Chicago.  The  20  stations  applied 
for  are  in  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Indi-  j 
ana  and  Illinois. 


Al  Slep  to  Republic 

Al  Slep  has  joined  Republic  Pic- 
tures here  as  assistant  to  publicity 
manager  Evelyn  Koleman.  Before  go- 
ing to  Republic,  Slep  was  associated 
for  10  years  with  Eddie  Jaffe,  spe- 
cializing in  theatrical  and  radio  pub- 
licity. He  also  had  been  in  charge  of 
script  writing  and  publicity  for  the 
"Candid  Microphone"  radio  program. 

Distributors  Organize 

Mexico  City,  March  24.— Indepen- 
dent distributors,  mostly  those  of 
European  pictures,  principally  Span- 
ish, French  and  Italian,  have  organ- 
ized a  mutual  aid  association  with 
headquarters  here. 


161  Sixth  Avenue 
New  York  13.  N.  Y. 
llfil  N.  Vine  Street 
Hollywood  38,  Calif. 


The  Academy\Bows  To 
Hie  "BUTTONS  So  BOWS"  Boys ! 


JAY  LIVINGSTON 
and  RAY  EVANS 

WIN  ACADEMY  AWARD 

for  the  best 
screen  song  of  the  year- 

BUTTONS  AND  BOWS" 

as  introduced  by  Bob  Hope  in 

THE  PALEFACE" 


Listen  now  for  new 
JVINGSTON and  EVANS 
song  sensations  in 


William  Wyler's 

THE  HEIRESS 

starring 
Olivia  deHavilland 
Montgomery  Cliff 
Ralph  Richardson 


^3 


Hal  Wallis' 

MY  FRIEND  IRMA" 

starring  John  Lund-  Diana  Lynn 
Marie  Wilson  •  Don  De  Fore 
Dean  Martin  ♦  Jerry  Lewis 
and 

BITTER  VICTORY 

starring  Robert  Cummings 
Lizabeth  Scott  and 
Diana  Lynn 


5 


—all  box-office  pictures' 
to  sing  about  in 

Paramonnt's 

GOLD  RUSH  OP  '< 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  March  25,  194 


No  Film  Theatres  in 
10  Years:  Fleischer 

Detroit,  March  24.— "The 
revolution  in  motion  pictures 
is  on  now,"  says  Max  Fleischer 
of  New  York,  pioneer  cartoon 
producer,  now  visiting-  here. 

"The  future  of  motion  pic- 
tures is  in  television,"  he 
said,  predicting  that  in  "10  or 
15  years  there  will  be  video 
theatres  instead  of  movie 
houses.  If  they  don't  realize 
this  in  Hollywood,  it's  be- 
cause they  would  rather  not." 


Taxes  Reflect  Better 
Box-Office  Business 


'U'  Officers 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


Scully,  Joseph  H.  Seidelman  and 
Edward  Muhl;  treasurer  Samuel 
Machnovitch ;  secretary  Adolph 
Schimel;  controller  and  assistant 
treasurer  Eugene  F.  Walsh;  assistant 
treasurer  and  assistant  secretary  Mar- 
garet Sullivan;  assistant  secretaries 
Morris  Davis,  Percy  Guth  and  An- 
thony Petti,  and  assistant  treasurer 
George  Douglas. 

The  board  also  reelected  the  com- 
pany's executive  committee,  including 
Blumberg,  Cowdin,  Prutzman,  Paul 
G.  Brown,  Preston  Davie,  Budd 
Rogers  and  Daniel  M.  Sheaffer. 

British  film  industry  leader  J.  Ar- 
thur Rank,  who  is  visiting  the  U.  S., 
attended  the  meeting  of  the  board,  of 
which  he  is  a  member,  and  presented 
some  views  on  the  British  situation, 
it  was  understood. 


Washington,  March  23. — The 
year  got  off  to  a  good  start  at  the 
box-office,  according  to  tax  collection 
figures  released  here  today  by  the 
U.  S.  Bureau  of  Internal  Revenue. 

General  admission  tax  collections  in 
February,  reflecting  January  business, 
totaled  $26,907,384,  compared  with 
$25,410,738  in  February,  1948.  More- 
over, February  collections  this  year 
were  up  over  January,  whereas  in  past 
years  collections  dropped  sharply  from 
January  to  February.  The  January, 
1949,  collections,  reflecting  December, 
1948  business,  amounted  to  $25,766,798. 


Rank  and  Universal 
Must  Produce  Books 

The  American  and  British  J.  Ar- 
thur Rank  organizations,  Universal- 
International,  United  World  Films  and 
General  Film  Distributors,  Ltd.,  all 
defendants  in  U.  S.  District  Court 
here  in  the  $1,000,000  breach-of- 
contract  action  filed  by  Empire- 
Universal  Films  of  Canada,  and 
United  World  Pictures  of  Canada, 
have  been  ordered  by  Federal  Judge 
Edward  A.  Conger  to  produce  all  of 
their  records  and  documents  for  in- 
spection by  the  plaintiffs  before  the 
suit  is*  tried  on  June  6. 

The  suit,  instituted  here,  alleges 
that  the  defendants  failed  to  fulfill  a 
nine-year  distribution  contract  involv- 
ing the  release  in  Canada  of  Rank 
product  which  is  released  in  the  U.  S. 


Allied  of  Iowa  and 
Neb'ka  Meets  May  4 

Des  Moines,  March  24.— The 
annual  convention  of  Allied 
Independent  Theatre  Owners 
of  Iowa  and  Nebraska  will  be 
held  at  the  Savery  Hotel  in 
this  city  on  May  4  and  5. 
A.  C.  Myrick,  president,  is 
now  working  on  an  agenda  • 
with  convention  committees. 


20th -Fox  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


WALTER  WANGER'SH  ^" 

TULSA 

color  by  TECHNICOLOR 

IS  THE  YEAR'S  BIGGEST , 
BOX-OFFICE  HIT! 


"It  will  be  the 
greatest  event 
n  the  history  of 
our  theatres!" 
—Ralph  Drewry, 
Viee-Pres., 
Talbot  Theatres, 
Tulsa 


Follow  This  Space  for  MORE  PROOF  from  Eagle  Lion! 


receipts  to  distributors  by  buying  on 
flat  rentals."  At  the  roundtable  con- 
ference Smith  and  Lichtman  outlined 
the  new  20th-Fox  plan  to  increase  the 
company's  profit  bj  25  per  cent,  and 
said  the  home  office  statement  exhibi 
tors  at  the  meeting  "showed  sympa- 
thetic recognition  of  the  problem  and 
felt  all  exhibitors  around  the  country 
should  get  together  on  it." 

Smith  and  Lichtman  were  said  to 
have  urged  an  industry  public  rela- 
tions program  on  a  local  level.  They 
explained  to  the  New  Haven  exhibi- 
tors that  they  will  continue  their  talks 
to  theatre  operators  around  the  coun- 
try, "and  believe  an  understanding 
between  20th-Fox  and  exhibitors  will 
result,"  the  company  said. 

Sam  Shain,  Lem  Jones  and  Ray 
Moon  of  the  20th-Fox  home  office  ac- 
companied Smith  and  Lichtman  to 
New  Haven.  Similar  meetings  are 
scheduled  next  week  in  Philadelphia 
and  Washington. 

Exhibitors  invited  to  the  meeting 
included  I.  J.  Hoffman,  Max  Hoff- 
man, Larry  Germaine,  Harry  F 
Shaw,  Dr.  J.  B.  Fishman,  Maurice  J. 
Bailey,  George  Wilkinson,  Jr.,  Albert 
Pickus,  Samuel  Weiss,  Morton  Katz, 
Ralph  Pasho,  Philip  Sherman. 


20th-Fox  Net 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


taxes  and  minority  interests  for  194 
are  estimated  at  $21,600,000,  compare 
with  $25,010,308  the  previous  yea- 
5nn0n^101?  for  Federal  taxes  was  $7. 
1947  year  and  $9,100,000  i 

The  1948  estimated  earnings  ar 
equivalent,  after  deducting  dividend 
on  prior  and  convertible  preferred 
stock,  to  approximately  $4.29  pe 
share  on  the  2,769,107  shares  of  com 
mon  outstanding,  compared  with  $4  8 
per  share  in  1947. 


ITOA  Scores  20th 

(Continued  from  page  1 ) 


Mullin  Denies 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


steps.  The  statements  which  Mullin 
denies  were  contained  in  a  story  trans- 
mitted to  the  20th-Fox  home  office 
publicity  department  from  Boston  on 
Wednesday  and  distributed  by  the 
company  in  New  York. 

Mullin  said  that  he  had  been  asked 
to  introduce  20th-Fox  executives  at  a 
luncheon  given  by  the  company  for 
Boston  area  exhibitors  and  had  no 
previous  knowledge  of  what  they 
would  say.  He  denied  that  he  had 
commented  in  any  way  on  the  com- 
pany's program  other  than  to  endorse 
the  practice  of  distribution  executives 
discussing  mutual  problems  with  ex- 
hibitors. 

Motion  Picture  Daily  published 
the  20th-Fox  story  yesterday.  Its  part 
in  incorrectly  representing  Mullin's 
position  is  regretted. 


The  ITOA  meeting  simultaneously 
adopted  a  resolution  condemning  what 
it  described  as  "the  unconscionable 
arbitrary  and  unfair  pricing  of  film- 
by  z!Uth-Fox  and  challenged  the  com- 
pany executives  to  prove  at  the  open 
torum  that  its  film  pricing  policy  "is 
necessary  to  prevent  the  producing 
and  distributing  of  20th  Century-Fox 
from  taking  a  loss." 

Commenting  on  the  resolution  and 
^Oth-Foxs  current  efforts  to  obtain 
increased  distribution  revenue  Harry 
Brandt,  ITOA  president,  said:  "This 
is  a  rule  or  ruin  policy  which  Licht- 
man is  trying  to  enforce  with  brass 
knuckles.  If  we  eliminate  horse-trad- 
ing there  will  be  no  bargaining  in  the 
motion  picture  industry.  There  will 
only  be  a  dictatorship.  This  action 
will  serve  to  destroy  all  the  good  will 
that  Spyros  Skouras  has  endeavored 
to  build  up.  Lichtman  sold  Skouras  a 
bill  of  goods  here  but  he  will  never 
be  able  to  sell  it  to  the  grass  roots  of 
exhibition." 


Some  Films  Hit  by 
Pope,  U.  S.  Praised 

Films  which  "offend  modesty  and 
violate  moral  law"  were  severely  criti- 
cized by  Pope  Pius  Wednesday,  ac- 
cording to  reports  reaching  here. 
Speaking  at  his  annual  audience  with 
the  pastors  and  Lenten  preachers  of 
Rome,  he  said  that  even  in  films  con- 
sidered _  morally  without  reproach, 
"men  live  and  die  as  though  there 
were  no  God,  nor  redemption,  nor 
Church.  When  one  thinks  of  the 
nauseating  crudeness  and  immodesty 
shown  in  newspapers,  in  magazines, 
or  on  the  screen  in  theatres,  and  the 
inconceivable  aberration  of  parents 
who  go  with  their  children  to  amuse 
themselves  with  such  horrors,  one 
blushes  with  shame,"  the  Pontiff  said. 

His  _  Holiness  indicated,  however, 
that  his  censure  did  not  apply  to  the 
film  industry  in  the  United  States 
where  "Catholics  are  working  me- 
thodically and  successfully  to  bring 
about  a  moral  and  dignified  type  of 
film." 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
M0TILTN  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


Two  Join  New  Video  Firm 

William  J.  Thomas,  former  radio 
publicist  with  the  Young  and  Rubi- 
cam  agency  and  National  Broadcast- 
ing, and  Richard  Dana,  United  Na- 
tions radio  writer  and  director,  have 
become  associated  with  Hendrick  Boo- 
raem  in  Holland  Productions,  a  new 
firm  for  packaging  radio  and  television 
shows. 


MEMBER   FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


'^Friday,  March  25,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Review 


Outpost  in  Morocco 

"  {Moroccan  Pictures-U .A.) 

ALL  of  the  color,  intrigue  and  adventure  popularly  associated  with  North 
Africa  and  the  French  Foreign  Legion  runs  through  this  Moroccan 
'Pictures  production.  An  added  element  of  authenticity  is  provided  by  the 
'fact  that  much  of  the  picture  was  filmed  in  Morocco  with  the  aid  of  hundreds 
of  Spahis,  the  famed  native  cavalry.  Though  it  has  as  its  basis  only  a  routine 
story,  there  are  moments  of  suspense  and  an  abundance  of  drama  and  action. 
"  George  Raft  heads  the  cast  as  a  Legionnaire  captain  who  is  assigned  to 
'head  a  convoy  into  sinister  Arab  country  threatened  with  a  revolution.  He 
falls  in  love  with  Marie  Windsor,  daughter  of  a  wealthy  native  chief  who 
is  inciting  civil  war.  Raft  uncovers  the  enemy's  plan  but  during  his  absence 
the  Legion  outpost  is  destroyed.  He  returns  with  reinforcements,  holds  the 
garrison  against  drought  and  native  attack  but  winds  up  facing  the  future 
..alone  since  Miss  Windsor  is  killed  in  an  attempt  to  stave  off  the  attack  by 
her  tribesmen.  , 

Under  the  directorial  guidance  of  Robert  Florey,  "Outpost  in  Morocco  _  is 
,  well-knit.  Florey  has  employed  the  native  cast  with  vigor  and  imagination 
tand  has  captured  their  wild  dash  across  the  plain  with  excellent  treatment. 
[Akim  Tamiroff,  as  the  second  in  command  at  the  Legion  outpost,  heads  the 
supporting  cast  and  gives  a  performance  combining  humor,  tragedy  and  sim- 
plicity. The  picture's  one  major  drawback  is  some  dialogue  which  may  be 
construed  by  some  audiences  as  suggestive.  Joseph  H.  Ermolieff  produced 
and  also  wrote  the  original  story  upon  which  the  screenplay  by  Charles 
Grayson  and  Paul  De  Sainte-Colombe  was  based.  Samuel  Bischoff  was 
i  executive  producer. 


TOA  Meeting 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


■'recommendation  of  the  Mitchell  Wolf- 
'son  television  committee,  favors  trail - 
"ers  whose  running  times  are  30  sec- 
onds, a  minute-and-a-half  and  four- 
'and-a-half  minutes, 
t  Special  trailers  for  television  already 
'have  been  made  available  by  Para- 
mount, 20th-Fox,  United  Artists, 
i  Monogram  and  Republic,  according 
to  Wolf  son.  Additionally,  he  said, 
"practically  every  video  station  al- 
ready has  used  them." 

The  possibility  of  TOA's  making  a 
"thorough  investigation  of  wide- 
! screen  television"  with  a  view  toward 
effecting  installations  in  member  the- 
atres, also  was  discussed  by  the  or- 
ganization's executives  yesterday. 
Lockwood  said  plans  are  in  work  for 
jTOA  to  employ  a  video  engineer  to 
handle  this  task  and  submit  a  report 
on  the  cost  of  installations,  etc.  Be- 
fore TOA  moves  to  accept  the  invita- 
tion of  the  Society  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Engineers  to  j  oin  the  latter  organ- 
ization on  a  sustaining  membership 
basis,  the  exhibitor  organization  will 
have  to  discuss  "terms"  with  SMPE, 
Lockwood  said.  SMPE  is  in  close 
touch  with  theatre  video  research. 

Has  Price  Plan 

TOA  has  formulated  a  plan  for 
pricing  of  the  industry's  public  rela- 
tions short  subject  series,  and  that 
long-time  subject  of  dispute  again 
will  be  taken  up  with  the  distributors' 
committee,  headed  by  RKO  Radio's 
Robert  Mochrie,  probably  early  next 
week  by  a  TOA  committee  consisting 
of  Gael  Sullivan,  Ted  R.  Gamble  and 
Robert  W.  Coyne,  it  was  reported  by 
Lockwood. 

In  "two  or  three  weeks,"  the  TOA 
head  said,  the  organization  will  be- 
gin issuing  to  members  a  weekly  bul- 
letin which  will  report  the  box-office 
performance,  percentage-wise,  of  fea- 
tures in  current  release. 

The  distribution  committee  which 
has  had  two  conferences  with  TOA 
regarding  the  latter's  complaints  of 
"widespread"  admitting-  of  civilians  to 
Armed  Forces  camp  theatres,  is  pre- 
paring a  report  for  TOA,  Lockwood 
said.  He  stated  that  as  a  result  of 
the  "pressure  which  TOA  brought  to 
bear"  no  complaints  of  that  nature 
have  been  received  from  theatres  in 
the  past  month. 

Executive    director    Sullivan  and 


Coyne  were  named  at  the  executive 
committee  meeting  to  confer  with  tele- 
phone company  officials  to  get  their 
views  on  the  phone-vision  system  of 
television. 

TOA  general  counsel  Herman 
Levy  reported  that  the  "idea"  of  an 
industry-wide  meeting  to  discuss  a 
plan  of  arbitration  "is  not  dead," 
despite  the  Department  of  Justice's 
turning  "thumbs  down"  on  the  recent 
suggestion  to  that  effect  which  was 
offered  by  Levy. 

Si  H.  Fabian,  executive  committee 
chairman,  presided  at  yesterday's 
meeting.  In  addition  to  those  already 
named,  the  following  attended :  Leon- 
ard H.  Goldenson,  A.  Julian  Brylaw- 
ski,  Walter  Reade,  Jr. 


State  Building  Code 
In  Effect  on  May  1 

Albany,  March  24. — The  new  56- 
page  state  standard  building  code  for 
places  of  public  assembly,  approved 
by  the  State  Board  of  Standards  and 
Appeals  will  take  effect  on  May  1. 
It  replaces  the  code  in  effect  since 
1922  and  affects  all  theatres  and 
places  of  public  assembly  upstate; 
New  York  City  has  its  own  code. 

The  code  is  described  as  modern- 
izing the  one  in  existence  27  years, 
offering  greater  protection  to  the  pub- 
lic but  without  setting  up  require- 
ments too  onerous  for  owners  and 
operators  of  place  of  public  assembly. 
It  covers  every  phase  of  theatre  con- 
struction. It  divides  film  theatres  in- 
to two  classes;  major,  having  a  stage 
and  those  with  a  capacity  exceeding 
600,  and  minor,  for  all  others. 

Special  sections  cover  drive-ins,  re- 
quirements for  which  were  modified 
following  protests  by  Fabiah-Hell- 
man  and  other  open-air  operators. 
Summer  theatres — those  not  in  op- 
eration more  than  12  weeks  are  also 
included,  as  are  circuses. 

The  code  has  been  in  preparation 
four  years. 


O'Connor  to  WOR-TV 

Robert  J.  O'Connor,  formerly  a 
writer  and  editor  on  the  staff  of 
WOR's  newsroom  here,  has  been 
named  director  of  sports  for  station 
WOR-TV,  scheduled  to  go  on  the  air 
this  summer  on  New  York's  Channel 
No.  9. 


SAN  FRANCISCO  CALL-BULLETIN 

talis  it    //^ J  ^ 


'Red  Pony' 
A  Family 
Life  Study 

Bj»FRED  JOHNSON 
GIVEN  A  dog  or  a  pony  on  the 
screen,  you  also  espy  the  boy  who 
gets  same  and  loses  ditto,  or 
otherwise  does  his  juvenile  best 
to  break  your  heart. 

There's  enough  of  that  in  The 
Red  Pony,"  John  Steinbeck  s 
story  of  ranch  life  in  the  Salinas 
Valley,  which  had  its  world  pre- 
miere yesterday  at  the  Fox.  But 
there's  also  refreshment  in  its 
study  of  the  domestic  relations 
bound  up  with  and  influenced  by 
a  boy  and  his  tiny  horse. 

In  similar  screen  affairs  the 
adults  usually  are  bystanders 
whose  lives  move  placidly  on  and 
all  that  matters  is  the  adoles- 
cent's outcome  after  heart-trying 
experiences. 

Mission  to  Fulfill 

But  boy  and  pet  have  much  to 
do  in  reshaping  a  family's  way  of 
getting  on  in  "The  Red  Pony. 
They  were  needed  in  the  farm 
circle  of  the  Tiffins,  whose  head 
was  a  former  schoolteacher  who 
remained  a  stranger  to  both  fami- 
ly and  neighbors.  His  son  Tom 
had  his  gift  of  a  pony,  but  looked 
to  the  sympathetic  farm  hand  for 
companionship  and  guidance. 

A  boresome  father  in  law,  with 
his  repetitious  tales  of  the  Old 
West  was  resented  only  by  the 
maladjusted  pedagogue,  whose 
patient  wife  advised  a  visit  to  his 
San  Jose  kin,  without  suggesting 


it  might  be  a  cure  for  his  discon- 
tent. This  it  proved  to  be  after 
he'd  also  felt  loneliness  during  his 
visit  and  returned  to  find  the  cure 
within  himself. 

Child  Shall  Lead 

It  wouldn't  seem  a  boy  and  his 
pony  has  much  to  do  with  all 
this  Bui  loss  of  the  animal  does 
figure  in  it,  with  a  conflict  be- 
tween Tom  and  the  farmhand 
which  also  has  to  be  resolved, 
along  with  an  easier  life  emerg- 
ing for  the  gabby  grandfather  as 
well. 

Myrna  Loy,  oddly  cast  as  the 
drudging  wife  and  mother,  ac- 
quits herself  graciously  and  with- 
out benefit  of  smart  answers  and 
Robert  Mitchum  is  the  personi- 
fication of  a  kindly  farm  worker. 
Shepperd  Strudwick,  currently 
the  Father  Matthieu  in  "Joan  of 
Arc,"  turns  in  a  thoughtful  study 
of  the  confused  father ;  Louis  Cal- 
hern  is  delightful  as  a  Buffalo 
type  of  grandfather,  and  10  year 
old  Peter  Miles  is  lovably  unaf- 
fected as  the  boy. 

The  Republic  picture,  in  pleas- 
ing technicolor,  is  sensitively  pro- 
duced and  directed  by  Lewis 
Milestone  from  Steinbeck's  own 
adaptation  and  with  splendid  pho- 
tography by  Tony  Gaudio. 

With  no  concessions  to  youth- 
ful romance  or  other  Hollywood 
glossing,  "The  Red  Pony"  is  an 
exceptional  and  vastly  entertain- 
ing film  for  all  ages. 

Reprinted  from  The  San  Francisco  Call-Bulletin 


I'HAKLKS  K.  FEUtMAN  presents 


MYRNA  LOY  ROBERT  MITCHUM 


I  Ik^Kl  I  rl  Ik  1 1 J  rlM 


w 


with  LOUIS  GALHERN  and  SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK 

and  introducing  PETER  MILES  as  TOM  and  MARGARET  HAMILTON 

Screen  Play  by  JOHN  STEINBECK  •  Music  by  AARON  COPLAND 

Produced  and  Directed  by  LEWIS  MILESTONE  •  A  REPUBLIC  PRODUCTiO 

color  by  TECHNICOLOR 


fee**.  ifTGCHNlCOlO&g 


■ —  — 


SHE'S  GIVING  EVERYOh 
THE  BUSINESS  -  NORTH 
SOUTH-EAST  and  WES 

IT'S  "A  LETTER  TO  THRI 
WIVES"  •  "SITTING  PRET1 
and  "WHEN  MY  BABY  SMIL] 
ALL  ROLLED  INTO  ONE 

&  shopman's  best 
friend is'MOWBR! 


— 


V  /  J  ,/  ,/  X* 


 — — « 

FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate 

IN 

T%  ATT  *\7* 

Concise 

FILM 

I  IZi  11m 

and 

NEWS 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.    NO.  60 


NEW   YORK,  U.S.A.,   MONDAY,  MARCH  28,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Ticket  Prices 
At  All-time 
High,  Says  US 

Children's  Prices  Up 
After  Falling  Steadily 

Washington,  March  27. — Ad- 
mission prices  for  both  adults  and 
children  in  large  cities  rose  sharply 
during  the  last  three  months  of 
1948,  and  were  at  record  highs  at  the 
year's  end,  according  to  figures  re- 
leased here  today  by  the  Bureau  of 
Labor  statistics. 

Adult  admission  prices  rose  about 
2J4  per  cent  during  the  last  quarter, 
and  children's  admission  prices  about 
3'A  per  cent. 

The  bureau's  figures  are  collected 
quarterly  in  18  large  cities  and  then 
adjusted  to  represent  the  average 
price  trends  in  the  34  large  cities  in 
which  the  Bureau  collects  retail  price 
data. 

The  Bureau's  adult  admission  price 
index,  which  at  the  end  of  September 
was  67.1  per  cent  above  the  1935-39 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


More  Cities  Set  for 
20th's  Rental  Drive 


The  20th  Century-Fox  drive  to  in- 
crease its  film  rentals  by  25  per  cent, 
which  last  week  started  in  Boston  and 
New  Haven,  will  be  extended  todav 
to  the  Hotel  YYarfield,  Philadelphia, 
where  20th-Fox  vice-president  Al 
Lichtman,  Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  and 
Charles  Einfeld,  will  explain  the  plan 
to  a  group  of  exhibitors.  The  fourth 
meeting  will  be  held  on  Thursday  in 
New  York,  instead  of  in  Washington, 
as  originally  announced. 

The  three  company  executives  will 
leave  New  York  on  Friday  for  the 
Coast,  where,  after  an  inspection  of 
new  product  at  the  studio,  they  will 
extend  the  drive  to  Los  Angeles.  San 
Francisco  and  other  Western  cities. 


N.  J.  Allied  to  Assay 
20th  Price  Bid  Today 

Twentieth  Century-Fox's  newly-in- 
stituted campaign  to  persuade  U.  S. 
exhibitors  that  the  company  must  have 
a  25  per  cent  increase  in  film  rentals 
will  be  the  main  topic  of  discussion 
at  a  meeting  here  today  of  executives 
and  directors  of  Allied  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  New  Jersey.  Organization 
president  Edward  Lachman  indicated 
at  the  weekend  the  New  Jersey  Al- 
lied may  issue  immediately  following 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Nassers  Setting  UA 
Deal  to  Release 
25  in  Five  Years 


James  and  George  Nasser,  indepen- 
dent producers,  are  understood  to  have 
completed  negotiations  with  United 
Artists  for  the  release  of  25  films 
during  the  next  five  years. 

At  present,  UA  is  well  equipped 
with  films  on  hand  and  due  from  pro- 
ducers shortly,  thus  lessening  chances 
of  a  sale  of  the  company  by  co- 
owners  Mary  Pickford  and  Charles 
Chaplin. 

The  Nassers  were  represented  in 
the  negotiations  here  by  Sam  Wiesen- 
thal  who  has  been  examining  UA's 
position  also  with  the  possibility  of 
later  negotiations  for  purchase  of  UA 
control  by  the  Nassers. 


RKOReorganization 
Plan  Seen  Approved 


Better  than  the  required  two-thirds 
—70  per  cent— of  RKO  stockholder 
proxy  approvals  of  the  company's  pro- 
posed reorganization  under  its  consent 
decree  with  the  Department  of  Jus- 
tice are  understood  to  have  been  filed 
with  the  management  by  the  weekend. 
The  plan  of  reorganization  will  be 
voted  on  by  stockholders  today  at  a 
meeting  in  Dover,  Del. 

L  nder  the  plan,  a  maximum  cash 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


New  MPAA  Meeting 
Date  Is  April  5 

Because  several  directors 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of  America  are  absent 
from  New  York,  the  annual 
MPAA  meeting  scheduled  to 
be  held  here  today  has  been 
postponed  to  April  5,  an 
MPAA  spokesman  disclosed 
at  the  weekend. 


Additional  Support 
For  Quota  Attack 


Washington,  March  27. — Senator 
William  F.  Knowland,  California  Re- 
publican, who  has  been  leading  the 
Congressional  attack  on  the  British 
film  quota,  said  he  is  lining  up  addi- 
tional senators  to  support  amendments 
which  he  plans  to  offer  to  several  bills 
to  hit  back  at  "British  discrimination 
against  American  films." 

Knowland,  who  on  Thursday  asked 
the  State  Department  for  information 
on  any  steps  taken  so  far  against  the 
British  quota,  again  indicated  another 
follow-up  letter  might  come  soon. 

From  Hollywood,  a  telegram  from 
the  AFL  Film  Council  endorsed  Know- 
land's  stand  and  said  that  "this  rank 
discrimination  has  thrown  thousands 
out  of  work  in  this  country."  The 
Council  will  send  Roy  Brewer  and 
Kenneth  Thomson  to  Washington  to 
represent  labor's  views,  the  telegram 
said. 


Hoover  Commission  Hits 
Overlapping  Taxation 


View  Malco  Houses 
For  Decree  Split 

Memphis,  March  27—  Paramount 
theatre  executives  at  the  weekend  in- 
spected Mid-South  theatre  properties 
owned  jointly  by  Paramount  and  Mal- 
co Theatres,  preparatory  to  dissolu- 
tion of  Paramount's  theatre  holdings 
as  required  by  its  U.  S.  Supreme 
Court  divorce  decree. 

M.  A.  Lightman,  Sr.,  head  of  Mal- 
co Theatres,  said  M.  A.  Lightman,  Jr., 
showed  Robert  M.  Weitman,  vice- 
president  of  Paramount  Theatres,  and 
Hal  Pereira  and  Sid  Markley,  also 
of  Paramount,  jointly-owned  theatres 
in  Jonesboro,  Camden,  Ft.  Smith,  Hot 
Springs  and  Fayetteville,  Ark. 

He  said  that  under  the  Supreme 
Court  decree,  Paramount  may  retain 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Washington,  March  27.  —  The 
Hoover  Commission  today  added  its 
powerful  voice  to  the  numerous  de- 
mands for  eliminating  overlapping 
Federal,  state  and  local  taxes  and  for 
giving  local  government  more  ade- 
quate revenue  sources. 

In  a  report  to  Congress  today,  the 
Commission  on  Reorganization  of  the 
Executive  Branch  of  the  Government, 
headed  by  former  President  Herbert 
Hoover,  said  that  it  recommended 
that  "our  tax  systems — national,  state 
and  local — be  generally  revised  and 
that,  in  this  revision,  every  possible 
effort  be  made  to  leave  to  the  locali- 
ties and  the  states  adequate  resources 
from  which  to  raise  revenue  to  meet 
the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  local 
and  state  governments." 

While  the  Commission  itself  did 
not  specifically  mention  the  admission 
tax  as  one  of  the  levies  that  the  Fed- 
eral government  should  turn  over  to 

{Continued  on  -page  5) 


Loew  Quarter 
Earnings  Up 
To  $3-Million 


20%  Gain;  All  Officers 
And  Directors  Reelected 


Loew's  Inc.,  will  earn  about  $3,- 
084,000  after  all  taxes  in  the  second 
quarter  of  the  current  fiscal  year,  as 
against  $2,500,000  for  the  corre- 
sponding period  of  last  year,  Robert  J. 
Rubin,  vice-president  and  general 
counsel,  estimated  at  the  corporation's 
annual  stockholders  meeting  at  the 
Home  office  on  Friday. 

Rubin  spoke  in  terms  of  per-share 
earnings,  reporting  that  he  anticipated 
earnings  of  60  cents  per  share  for  the 
second  quarter  of  the  current  year 
versus  49  cents  per  share  for  the  same 
period  a  year  ago.  As  of  Feb.  14, 
1949,  Loew's  had  5,142,650  shares  of 
common  stock  issued  and  outstanding. 

The  stockholders  reelected  all  direc- 
tors of  the  corporation  and  added  an 
11th  member  to  the  board,  nominee 
F.  Joseph  Holleran,  who  is  a  vice- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


No  Video  for  Loew's 
Until  Profit  Is  Seen 


"While  watching  and  studying  de- 
velopments in  television,"  Loew's  has 
no  intention  of  entering  the  field  until 
there  is  some  prospect  of  a  return  on 
investment,  J.  Robert  Rubin,  vice- 
president  and  general  counsel,  told 
stockholders  at  their  annual  meeting 
here  on  Friday. 

Upon  a  suggestion  that  the  company 
produce  subjects  for  video,  Rubin  said 
Loew's  would  do  nothing  to  discour- 
age theatre-going  by  way  of  "en- 
couraging people  to  stay  at  home.  At 
the  present  moment  we  don't  want  to 
destroy  our  theatres,"  he  added. 

Rubin  pointed  out  that  at  present 
all  television  stations  are  operating  at 
a  loss. 


Youngman  Absorbs 
Duties  of  Nolan 

Hollywood,  March  27.— Gordon  E. 
Youngman,  RKO  vice-president  and 
counsel,  will  succeed  Joseph  Nolan 
as  vice  president  in  charge  of  studio 
commitments  and  contracts  on  the  lat- 
ter's  retirement  on  April  2  at  the  ex- 
piration of  Nolan's  contract. 

Nolan,  with  RKO  since  1920  and  a 
studio  executive  since  1934,  plans  a 
world  tour  before  considering  future 
business  activity.  Youngman  has  been 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  28,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

DAVID  O.  SELZNICK  arrived  in 
New  York  over  the  weekend 
from  Miami. 

• 

Eugen  Sharin,  president  of  Am- 
bassador Films,  was  honored  at  the 
weekend  by  a  reception  given  by  the 
management  and  members  of  the  Vi- 
enna Philharmonic  Orchestra,  held  at 
International  House  in  Vienna. 
• 

Paul  Lazarus,  Sr.,  United  Artists 
home  office  sales  contract  manager, 
ill  at  St.  Joseph's  Hospital,  Kansas 
City,  is  showing  marked  improvement 
and  is  expected  to  return  to  New 
York  within  a  few  weeks  for  further 
recuperation. 

• 

Louis  B.  Mayer,  M-G-M  produc- 
tion head,  returned  to  the  Coast  over 
the  weekend  following  a  visit  to  Bos- 
ton, Miami,  Washington  and  New 
York. 

• 

Arthur  Kelly,  United  Artists 
executive  vice-president,  returned  to 
New  York  from  the  Coast  over  the 
weekend. 

• 

Abram  Myers,  Allied  States  Asso- 
ciation general  counsel,  has  returned 
to  Washington  from  a  Florida  vaca- 
tion. 

• 

Leon  M.  Bamberger,  RKO  Radio 
sales  promotion  manager,  will  be  back 
at  his  desk  this  morning  following  a 
three-weeks'  absence  for  an  operation. 
• 

Ann  Rubin,  secretary  to  Alan 
Jackson,  Paramount  Eastern  story 
editor,  will  be  married  on  April  3  to 
Albert  Golub. 


Tradewise 


By  SHERWIN  KANE 


SIMPP  Holds  Back 
On  U.K.  Opposition 

A  meeting  of  the  Eastern  distribu- 
tion committee  of  the  Society  of  In- 
dependent Motion  Picture  Producers 
on  Friday  concerned  itself  extensively 
with  the  various  ramifications  of  film 
trade  problems  with  England  but  put 
off  consideration  of  action  to  a  later 
date.  Reportedly,  the  group,  which 
met  with  SIMPP  president  Ellis  G. 
Arnall,  limited  the  conference  to  dis- 
cussions of  the  nature  of  British  trade 
barriers,  rather  than  how  they  should 
be  dealt  with,  and  adopted  a  "wait- 
and-see"  attitude  concerning  visits 
here  by  J.  Arthur  Rank,  other  British 
producers  and  British  Foreign  Secre- 
tary Ernest  Bevin. 


Wilbert  Quits  Post 
With  Roxy  Here 

Christy  Wilbert,  director  of  adver- 
tising-publicity of  the  New  York 
Roxy  Theatre,  announced  here  on 
Friday  that  he  has  resigned,  effective 
April  8.  Wilbert  assumed  the  Roxy 
post  about  three  weeks  ago,  prior  to 
which  he  was  20th  Century-Fox  ad- 
vertising manager  here.  Wilbert  had 
been  with  20th-Fox  for  12  years.  Wil- 
bert's  future  plans  have  not  been  set. 

The  Roxy  is  expected  to  name  a 
successor  shortly. 


T  ARTHUR  RANK,  appear- 
"  •  ing  on  these  shores  last 
Wednesday  simultaneously  with 
publication  of  the  news  of  the 
British  Board  of  Trade's  deci- 
sion to  establish  a  40  per  cent 
film  quota  for  the  year  beginning 
next  October  1,  observed,  that, 
"Through  cooperation  and  good 
will,  I  think  we  can  iron  out  our 
problems." 

Rank  had  reference  to  the  first 
meeting  of  the  Anglo-American 
Advisory  Film  Council,  which  is 
scheduled  to  be  held  in  Wash- 
ington next  month.  He  added  he 
was  "quite  happy"  about  the  new 
quota. 

Rank,  as  president  of  the  Brit- 
ish Film  Producers  Association, 
did  as  much  as  one  man  reason- 
ably could  to  forestall  an  exer- 
cise of  cooperation  and  demon- 
stration of  goodwill  by  the  Brit- 
ish Board  of  Trade  in  the  setting 
of  the  new  quota.  The  BFPA 
was  foremost  in  demanding  con- 
tinuance of  a  high  quota  and  its 
influence  undoubtedly  had  much 
to  do  with  the  fact  that  a  gov- 
ernment council's  recommenda- 
tion of  a  lower  quota  was  ig- 
nored and  that  a  demonstrably 
unworkable  quota  was  adopted 
instead. 

Anglo-American  industry  re- 
lations are  much  in  need  of  the 
"cooperation  and  good  will" 
Rank  speaks  of  but  it  would 
seem  the  latest  affront,  for  the 
unfulfillable  quota  can  be  regard- 
ed as  little  else,  may  be  accepted 
as  another  notice  served  upon 
the  American  industry  that  it 
need  not  look  to  London  for  first 
manifestations  of  cooperation 
and  goodwill. 

• 

The  troubles  confronting  the 
Anglo-American  film  industries 
have  their  roots  in  the  contrast- 
ing status  of  the  two  industries. 
The  British  industry  is  a  ward 
of  its  Socialist  government.  The 
American  industry  is  a  stalwart 
unit  of  the  free  enterprise  sys- 
tem that  is  the  essence  of 
America. 

The  problems  of  Rank  and  his 
BFPA  are  simply  those  of  a 
manufacturer  and  distributor 
seeking  expanded  markets,  pref- 
erably the  lucrative  American 
market,  albeit  with  the  protec- 
tion and  collaboration  of  their 
government.  The  problems  of 
the  American  industry,  insofar 
as  the  British  market  is  con- 
cerned, have  nothing  to  do  with 
the  merits  of  its  product  or  its 
ability  to  compete  with  British 
pictures  at  home  or  abroad. 


RKO  Buys  Trucolor  Film 

Hollywood,  March  27. — RKO  has 
confirmed  the  purchase  of  "Montana 
Belle"  from  Howard  Welsch  and 
Fidelity  Pictures.  Starring  Jane 
Russell  and  George  Brent,  directed  by 
Allan  Dwan,  the  film  is  in  Trucolor, 
marking  the  first  time  the  process  will 
be  used  on  a  picture  distributed  by  a 
company  other  than  Republic,  which 
  owns  the  process. 

sSyfan^nSfs  b^^l^bn^ifico^i^T^^fSi  Publisher;  Sherwm  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays. 
New  York  "  Martin Ouigley P  kI^^'   %°  Ave"ue-  Rockefeller   Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.    Telephone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address:  "Quigpubco 

jSes  R  Cu^n|hM^fw'Mto-lHir?4?  V  ftrX A  jlV!?™  ™artm  Qai?ley'J^  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary ; 
F.Hitm-  ^™S,„™   c^J'r1?"'.?!  ^_.F5ck^  Advertising  Manager;  Gus_  H.  Jausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 

">e:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
TTprMU.  B.1..V  "riTV* ""'  '  ~r""™*  ■!    ""ft  uunmi;,  iuaiidSa,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 

werald,  Uetter  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,   each  ^published  13 ,  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 

Subscription  rates  per 


The  problem  is  that  of  a  free 
enterprise  endeavoring  to  do 
business  within  the  strait-jacket 
of  the  trade  barriers  and  restric- 
tions imposed  upon  it  by  the 
British  government  while  it 
doles  out  subsidies  to  the  home 
industry. 

Neither  Rank  nor  the  BFPA, 
even  if  they  were  so  minded, 
could  deal  with  those  problems. 
Nor  can  the  American  industry 
deal  with  them  directly,  for  they 
are  problems  on  the  government 
level  and  they  must  there  be 
dealt  with  if  they  are  solved. 
• 

The  trying  barriers,  the  se- 
vere restrictions  imposed  upon 
the  American  film  industry  by 
the  British  government  arose 
from  Britain's  need  to  conserve 
dollars  and  its  understandable 
desire  to  build  up  the  home  film 
industry.  That  was  in  the  begin- 
ning and  it  was  understood  here. 

But  does  a  demonstrably  un- 
workable quota  conserve  dollars 
for  Britain  or  do  anything  but 
further  vitiate  a  dependent  Brit- 
ish film  industry? 

Does  subsidization  of  pro- 
ducers by  the  British  govern- 
ment conserve  dollars  or  create 
film  production  know-how  where 
it  did  not  exist  before? 

Practical  people  are  fully 
aware  that  there  is  little  hope 
that  those  production  subsidies 
will  return  sterling,  not  to  men- 
tion dollars.  And  in  the  face  of 
all  the  economic  assistance  being 
given  Britain  by  the  United 
States,  who  can  say  that  those 
subsidies,  dedicated  to  the  hope 
of  unseating  the  American  mo- 
tion picture  from  its  preeminent 
place  in  world  markets,  are  not 
made  possible  by  the  dollars  of 
the  American  taxpayer,  promi- 
nently among  them  the  com- 
panies and  individuals  who  make 
up  the  American  film  industry? 

Now  comes  Harold  Wilson  of 
the  British  Board  of  Trade  to 
threaten  Eric  Johnston's  unit 
booking  plan,  adopted  by  Ameri- 
can distributors  in  Britain.  Ap- 
parently there  is  no  area  of  in- 
terest too  minor  for  the  attention 
of  the  British  government  in 
Anglo-American  film  relations 
if,  as  now  appears,  it  is  to  con- 
cern itself  with  film  booking. 

Is  it  not  time  the  British  gov- 
ernment was  asked  whether  it  is 
more  concerned  with  conserving 
dollars  or  with  crippling  the 
Hollywood  motion  picture  ? 

The  question  should  be  asked 
by  Washington,  not  the  indus- 
try. 


Neivsreel 
Parade 


THE  arrival  of  Winston  Churchill 
and  J.  Arthur  Rank  are  current 
newsreel  headlines.  Other  items  in- 
clude riots  in  London  and  sports  and 
fashions.  Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  85— Presi- 
dent Truman  talks  on  housing  and  rent  con- 
trol. Communists  here  for  International 
Peace  Conference.  Professor  Counts  warns 
of  Red  implications.  News  flashes :  Winston 
Churchill  arrives;  Polish  seamen  jump  ship; 
London  Fascists  riot.  Variety  Boys  Club 
dedicated  in  Los  Angeles.  Greeks  to  cele- 
brate independence  in  U.  S. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  859— Reds 
invade  U.  S.  to  aid  culture.  Churchill  here 
— thanks  U.  S.  aid  for  Europe.  Bastogne 
heroes  report  to  M-G-M  for  battle  epic. 
Greek  soldiers  entertain  "GI's."  Mosley 
followers  in  London  riot.  China  rebuilds 
Army  as  Reds  stall  on  peace.    Turf  thriller. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  62— West 
Berlin  outlaws  Red  currency.  Report  on 
China's  last  bastion.  Easter  fashions.  Wel- 
come Churchill.  When  in  Greece,  Yankee 
sees,  Yankee  does. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEE,  No.  233— 
Communists  and  Fascists  stage  riot  in  Lon- 
don. Red  group  here  under  storm  of  criti- 
cism. Chinese  troops  train.  Winston 
Churchill  and  J.  Arthur  Rank  arrive  here. 
Greek  soldiers  dance.  Horse  show.  Bike 
race. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  64 — 

Winston  Churchill  arrives  in  U.  S.  Reds 
here  for  conference.  Arrivals:  French  army 
chief  of  staff;  Lord  Mayor  of  Berlin;  Greek 
King's  honor  guard.  Allies  ban  Soviet 
money  in  Berlin.  Canada  trains  paratroops 
for  action.  Evening  gowns  from  France. 
Racing.  Basketball. 


Jack  Warner  Heads 
Coast  Charity  Drive 

Hollywood,  March  27.— Jack  L. 
Warner  has  been  named  president  of 
the  Los  Angeles  1949  United  Jewish 
Welfare  Fund  Campaign. 
_  Long  active  in  civic  and  welfare  ac- 
tivities, Warner  takes  active  charge 
of  the  drive  which  this  year  has  a 
quota  of  $11,000,000  for  the  relief  of 
displaced  persons,  for  aid  to  the  new 
Jewish  State  of  Israel  and  for  sup- 
port of  Los  Angeles  hospital  and  wel- 
fare institutions. 

The  Warner  production  head  ac- 
cepted the  campaign  post  at  the  in- 
vitation of  former  New  York  Gov- 
ernor Herbert  H.  Lehman. 


Velde  Will  Handle. 
MP  Sales  Accessories 

Don  Velde,  formerly  with  Para- 
mount and  National  Screen,  has  set 
up  his  own  organization,  Donald  L. 
Velde  Enterprises,  here,  to  specialize 
in  motion  picture  theatre  advertising 
and  accessories. 

Velde  has  concluded  arrangements 
with  Neil  Agnew  and  Charles  L.  Casa- 
nave  to  supervise  the  preparation  and 
manufacture  of  accessories  on  all  pic- 
tures distributed  by  their  Motion  Pic- 
ture Sales  Corp. 


Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Marti) 
Editor-  Chicago  fc'a^ ^l7o  So^tW^n  '  &  ^.Advertising  Manager;  uus  tt.  Jttausel,  i-roductxon  Manager;  Holly* 
J  A '  Otten   Nationafp'rel,  Cb?h  vJf^t^  S  n  r  ETd,t°nal  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative: 
tither  Ouklev  Publications  -  Mrti^vt^iT^U   Lcond°"  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Pe 

Motion  Rcture  ^^F.™^,^??  HerJd-  Better  Thafres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Pictur 
ye£°$6  in  the'  A™™7s  andTia  fordgn; ^ngl^it'lOr""'  ^  23>  1938'  at  the  "»*  °ffice  at  New  York'  N"      '  under  the  act  °f  March  3-  *K 


Uni  ver  s  al  -  International 

extends  its  congratulations  to  the 

J.  Arthur  Rank  Organisation 

for  the 
Acadamy  Awards  won  by 

HAMLET 

as  tne 

Best  Picture 

of  the  Year 


and 

raurence 

as  the 

Best  Actor 

of  the  Year 

and  for  tke  Awards 

to  CARMEN  DILLON 

for  the  Best  Set  Decoration; 

to  ROGER  K.  FURSE 

for  the  Best  Art  Direction, 
an  J  the  Best  Costume  Design. 


HAMLET"  is  a  Universal-International  Release 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  28,  1949 


Preview  Groups  Cite 
32  'Films  of  Merit' 


Marking  the  first  25  years  of  their 
existence,  motion  picture  preview 
groups  of  16  national  organizations, 
representing  a  combined  membership 
of  over  20,000,000  women  in  the 
United  States,  announced  at  the  week- 
end a  list  of  32  features  which  they 
rated  as  possessing  "exceptional  mer- 
it." These  features,  which  were  re- 
leased to  U.  S.  theatres  during  the 
past  14  months,  include  foreign  as 
well  as  domestic  product. 

Of  over  300  features  previewed,  71 
per  cent  were  recommended  for  fam- 
ily patronage  and  29  per  cent  exclu- 
sively for  adults. 

"There  is  today  no  reason  for  any 
mother  in  the  U.  S.  not  knowing  the 
preview  classification  of  the  picture 
playing  at  her  neighborhood  theatre 
when  she  wants  to  take  Junior  to  the 
movies,"  reported  Arthur  DeBra,  di- 
rector of  the  community  relations  de- 
partment of  the  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of  America. 

He  explained  that  through  the  of- 
fices of  the  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion in  Hollywood  and  New  York 
motion  pictures  are  made  available  for 
previewing  by  approximately  400  mo- 
tion picture  analysts  representing  each 
of  16  national  women's  organizations. 

The  32  pictures  selected  are:  "Easter 
Parade,"  "The  Lost  One,"  "Melody  Time," 
"The  Iron  Curtain,"  "Homecoming,"  "The 
Search,"  "I  Remember  Mama,"  "My  Wild 
Irish  Rose,"  "Cass  Timberlane,"  "Sitting 
Pretty,"  "Three  Daring  Daughters,"  "The 
Pearl,"  "The  Paradine  Case,"  "Mourning 
Becomes  Electra,"  "A  Double  Life,"  "Call 
Northside  777,"  "Green  Grass  of  Wyo- 
ming," "Johnny  Belinda,"  "Apartment  for 
Peggy,"  "The  Secret  Land,"  "Joan  of  Arc," 
"The  Paleface,"  "The  Snake  Pit,';  _  "So 
Dear  to  My  Heart,"  "Command  Decision," 
"Portrait  of  Jennie,"  "The  Sun  Comes  Up," 
"Down  to  the  Sea  in  Ships,"  "Hamlet," 
"Red  Shoes,"  "Paisan"  and  "Symphony 
Pastorale." 


Radio  Engineers  to  Meet 

Washington,  March  27.- — New  tech- 
nical developments  in  the  radio-tele- 
vision industry  will  be  discussed  at 
the  annual  spring  meeting  of  the  In- 
stitute of  Radio  Engineers  and  the 
Radio  Manufacturers  Association's 
engineering  department,  to  be  held  in 
Philadelphia  at  the  Benjamin  Frank- 
lin Hotel  on  April  25-27. 


Broidy  Drive  Prizes 
Go  to- Exhibitors 

Hollywood,  March  27. — Ex- 
hibitors, instead  of  salesmen, 
will  win  the  prizes  to  be 
given  away  during  Mono- 
gram's sales  drive  honoring 
president  Steve  Broidy's  25th 
anniversary  in  the  motion 
picture  business. 

A  percentage  of  the  billings 
during  the  drive,  which  be- 
gins on  Thursday  and  ends 
June  30,  will  be  donated  to 
Jim  Mote,  Oklahoma  exhibi- 
tor whose  theatre  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  according  to 
Louis  Lipton,  Monogram  ad- 
vertising-publicity director. 


Industry  Leaders  to 
'Quartet'  Tonight 

J.  Arthur  Rank,  British  producer- 
distributor  ;  Spyros  Skouras,  president 
of  20th  Century-Fox ;  Robert  R. 
Young,  whose  Pathe  Industries  owns 
Eagle-Lion ;  Robert  S.  Benjamin, 
president  of  the  U.  S.  Rank  Organiza- 
tion, and  Arthur  B.  Krim,  Eagle-Lion 
president,  will  head  the  industry's  re- 
presentation at  the  American  premiere 
of  W.  Somerset  Maugham's  "Quart- 
et," when  the  film  opens  tonight  at 
the  Sutton  Theatre  here  in  a  special 
premiere  sponsored  by  the  Overseas 
Press  Club.  Following  the  premiere, 
the  film,  a  Rank  production  which 
Eagle-Lion  is  releasing  in  this  coun- 
try, will  begin  its  regular  run  at  the 
theatre,  beginning  tomorrow. 

Approve  Legal  Fees 
In  the  Alger  Case 

Chicago,  March  27. — Master-in- 
Chancery  Joseph  W.  Elward  has  ap- 
proved attorney  fees  to  Thomas  Mc- 
Connell  of  $4,016,  and  to  Seymour 
Simon  for  $1,500,  which  were  contin- 
gent upon  dismissal  of  the  Alger  per- 
centage case  sought  by  the  eight  dis- 
tributor plaintiffs. 

The  master  charged  fees  of  $1,682. 
A  hearing  was  set  for  April  11  for 
plaintiffs'  objections. 


Loew  Earnings  Up 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

president  of  the  National  City  Bank 
of  New  York.  At  a  subsequent  meet- 
ing on  the  same  day  the  directorate 
reelected  all  officers  and  named  one 
new  officer,  Dolph  Schadler  as  assis- 
tant treasurer. 

Others  elected  were :  Nicholas  M. 
Schenck,  president  and  director ; 
Charles  C.  Moskowitz,  vice-president, 
treasurer  and  director;  J.  Robert 
Rubin,  vice-president,  general  counsel 
and  director;  William  F.  Rodgers, 
vice-president,  general  sales  manager 
and  director  ;  Leopold  Friedman,  vice- 
president,  counsel  and  director;  Jo- 
seph R.  Vogel,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  theatres,  and  director ; 
Eugene  W.  Leake,  William  A.  Parker, 
David  Warfield  and  Henry  Rogers 
Winthrop,  directors. 

Non-director  Officers 

Non-director  officers  are :  Howard 
Dietz,  Dore  Schary,  E.  J.  Mannix, 
Benjamin  Thau,  Marvin  H.  Schenck, 
Louis  K.  Sidney  and  Joseph  J.  Cohn, 
vice-presidents ;  Jesse  T.  Mills,  con- 
troller and  assistant  secretary ;  Nich- 
olas Nayfack,  Irving  H.  Greenfield 
and  Harold  J.  Cleary,  assistant  secre- 
taries, and  Rose  Lazarus,  assistant 
treasurer. 

Rubin  pointed  out  the  corporation's 
first  quarter  earnings  this  year 
amounted  to  20  cents  per  share,  or 
over  $1,000,000.  Consequently,  the 
first-half  earnings,  he  estimated,  will 
amount  to  80  cents  per  share,  as  com- 
pared with  75  cents  per  share  for  the 
first  half  of  last  year.  Loew's  fiscal 
year  begins  Sept.  1. 

Presiding  over  the  session,  Rubin 
expressed  confidence  in  future  opera- 
tions, holding  that  "with  the  quick- 
ened pace  of  production  now  in  effect, 
our  results  will  be  more  satisfactory." 

The  majority  of  holders  passed  two 
resolutions  commending  the  director- 
ate and  officers  of  the  corporation. 

Taking  up  the  industry  trust  suit, 
Rubin  said  he  was  "hopeful"  that 
divestiture  of  theatres  would  not  be 
ordered,  making  it  clear  that  the  com- 
pany will  continue  its  defense  to  an 
ultimate  court  decision.  He  also  told 
the  meeting  that  20th  Century-Fox 
and  Warners  will  stay  in  court,  rather 
than  settle  with  the  government. 

10  to  35c  Ticket  Price 
Cuts  for  B'way  Runs 

Admission  price  cuts,  ranging  from 
10  to  35  cents,  have  been  adopted  by 
several  New  York  Broadway  first- 
run  theatres,  according  to  weekend  re- 
ports. Weekend  and  holiday  admis- 
sions have  not  been  changed,  but  re- 
ductions have  been  made  in  night, 
morning  and  matinee  week-day  scales. 

The  Mayfair,  Globe  and  Criterion 
now  are  operating  on  a  55-cent  scale 
for  morning  shows.  The  Astor  re- 
duced its  morning  price  from  95  to 
60  cents.  Night  admissions  at  the 
Victoria  have  been  cut  from  $2.40  to 
$1.80.  The  Globe  and  Mayfair  slashed 
20  cents  off  their  night  admissions, 
reducing  prices  to  $1.20.  Loew's  State 
reduced  its  morning  scale  from  80  to 
70  cents  and  its  one-to-five  price  from 
$1.20  to  95  cents,  as  previously  re- 
ported. 

Legalize  Sunday  Shows 

Atlanta,  March  27.  —  Sunday 
amusements  and  sports  are  now  au- 
thorized here,  the  City  Council  having 
exercised  its  local  option  under  state 
legislation  passed  recently.  The  move 
legalizes  a  situation  that  has  existed 
for  sometime. 


Rank  Films  Got  11 
Academy  Awards 

J.  Arthur  Rank's  British  produc- 
tions won  eight  Academy  Awards  for 
1948,  led  by  Sir  Laurence  Olivier,  for 
his  part  in  "Hamlet." 

Other  awards  won  by  Rank  produc- 
tions are:  Art  direction,  black-and- 
white:  Roger  K.  Furse,  for  "Ham- 
let ;"  color :  Hein  Heckroth,  for  "The 
Red  Shoes ;"  costume  design,  black- 
and-white  :  Roger  K.  Furse,  for 
"Hamlet ;"  best  music  score  for  a 
dramatic  picture:  Brian  Easdale,  for 
"The  Red  Shoes ;"  set  decoration, 
black-and-white:  Carmen  Dillon,  for 
"Hamlet ;"  and  set  decoration,  color  : 
Arthur  Lawson,  for  "The  Red  Shoes." 


Sound  Award  Is  16th  For 
Western  Electric  Equipment 

The  1948  Academy  Award  to  "The 
Snake  Pit"  for  the  best  achievement 
in  sound  recording  marked  the  16th 
time  in  the  19  years  since  the  award 
was  established  that  it  has  gone  to  a 
producer  using  Western  Electric  re- 
cording equipment,  a  company  spokes- 
man said  here. 

Tom  Moulton,  director  of  record- 
ing, accepted  the  award  for  his  studio, 
20th  Century-Fox,  which  produced 
the  picture. 


Deliver  Award  to  Zukor 

Hollywood,  March  27.  —  Eugene 
Zukor  flew  from  Hollywood  to  Tuc- 
son, Arizona  Friday  to  deliver  to  his 
father,  Adolph  Zukor,  the  Academy 
Award  voted  him  for  his  services  to 
the  industry  over  40  years.  Zukor, 
chairman  of  the  board  of  Paramount, 
is  vacationing  in  Tucson. 


Ticket  Prices 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

base  period,  was  up  to  71.0  per  cent 
above  1935-39  figures  by  the  end  of 
December.  The  previous  high  was  at 
the  end  of  March,  1948,  when  it  was 
67.7  per  cent  above  the  base  period. 

The  children's  price  index,  which 
had  been  falling  steadily  since  late  in 
1947  and  which  at  the  end  of  Sep- 
tember was  at  the  lowest  point  in 
three  years,  also  rose  sharply  in  the 
last  quarter  of  1948.  It  went  from 
57.3  per  cent  above  1935-39  levels  at 
the  end  of  September,  to  62.8  per 
cent  at  the  end  of  1948.  The  index  has 
never  been  higher  than  this,  and  only 
onuce  before — in  February,  1947 — had 
it  been  that  high. 

As  a  result  of  the  rise  in  both  in- 
dices, the  combined  weighted  adult- 
children  admission  price  index  also  hit 
a  new  high.  It  went  from  65.7  per 
cent  above  base  levels  at  the  end  of 
September,  to  69.9  per  cent  at  the 
end  of  1948.  Previous  high  was  66.9 
per  cent  at  the  end  of  1947. 

Burial  for  Fidler 
In  Denver  Today 

Denver,  March  27. — Lon  Fidler, 
holder  of  Monogram-Allied  Artists 
franchises  in  Denver,  Salt  Lake  City 
and  Kansas  City,  died  here  Thursday 
night  following  a  heart  attack.  All 
Monogram  exchanges,  home  office  and 
studios  will  cease  activities  at  one 
o'clock,  Monday  EST.,  for  five  min- 
utes in  respect  for  Fidler.  At  one 
time  he  was  a  salesman  for  United 
Artists  and  branch  manager  for  Uni- 
versal-International. 

Burial  will  be  in  Denver  tomorrow. 
He  is  survived  by  the  widow. 


©ME 
OF  THE 

BOX- OFFICE 
GREATS 

RETURNS 
TO  THE 
SCREEN... 


Re-released  by 
RKO  RADIO  PICTURES,  INC. 


Monday,  March  28,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


View  Malco  Houses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

12  of  the  66  theatres  which  it  owns 
jointly  with  Malco.  The  12  could  in- 
clude either  the  Strand  or  the  Malco 
in  Memphis. 

"What  it  amounts  to  is  this," 
Lightman  said :  "Paramount  has  to 
get  out  of  partnership  with  Malco 
theatres.  The  Paramount  officials  are 
here  to  look  over  the  properties  and 
discuss  the  transaction,  but  no  'deal' 
can  be  made  until  after  Paramount 
stockholders  have  approved  the  com- 
'pany's  reorganization  plan."  Stock- 
holders will  vote  on  the  plan  April  12 
in  New  York. 


20th  Price  Bid 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

i  the  meeting  a  statement  regarding  its 
:  attitude  toward  the  20th-Fox  drive 
i  which  is  being  spearheaded  by  vice- 
I  presidents  Al  Lichtman  and  Andy  W. 
i  Smith,  Jr.,  in  the  form  of  a  "grass 
roots"  tour. 

Today's  meeting,  Lachman  said,  is 
expected  also  to  complete  arrange- 
ments for  Jersey  Allied's  Sept.  13-15 
annual  convention. 


Youngman  Absorbs 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

here  a  month.  Studio  executives  Sid 
Rogell  and  Leop  Goldberg,  whose  con- 
tracts also  expire  on  April  2,  are  ex- 
pected to  continue  on  in  their  present 
i  posts  without  formal  renewal,  in  line 
with  Howard  Hughes'  general  policy 
against  long-term  contracts. 


RKO  Reorganization 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

price  of  $4,500,000  for  _  Howard 
Hughes'  24  per  cent  stock  interest  in 
the  new  independent  RKO  Theatres, 
to  be  formed  as  part  of  the  reorgan- 
ization of  the  present  company,  is 
provided  for  in  the  option  held  by 
Atlas  Corp. 

Hughes  has  the  right  under  the  op- 
tion agreement  to  seek  cash  offers  for 
his  theatre  company  stock  from  out- 
siders and,  if  they  are  obtained,  Atlas 
has  the  right  to  meet  them.  The  the- 
atre company  stock  is  to  be  offered 
by  Hughes  to  Atlas  at  a  price  not  to 
exceed  $4,500,000  only  in  the  event 
he  is  unable  to  obtain  outside  offers. 
RKO  was  given  until  March  30  by  the 
U.  S.  District  Court  here  to  obtain 
stockholders'  approval  of  the  plan.  It 
would  become  ineffective  if  not  ap- 
proved by  that  date. 

NY  Case  No  Video 
Hindrance:  20th 

Washington,  March  27. — Twenti- 
eth Century-Fox  again  told  the  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission  that 
violations  of  U.  S.  anti-trust  laws  in  a 
field  other  than  radio  communications 
should  not  automatically  disqualify  a 
firm  from  holding  a  radio  or  television 
license. 

The  company  made  its  point  in 
answering  a  motion  by  the  Massachu- 
setts Broadcasting  Corp.  to  disqualify 
20th-Fox  from  proceedings  for  a  Bos- 
ton television  station  because  of  the 
New  York  trust  case  decision. 

The  film  firm  pointed  out  that  it 
cannot  get  a  decision  on  the  point 


through  the  ordinary  channel  of  a  rul- 
ing in  a  specific  processing  because  the 
television  "freeze"  is  holding  up  all 
hearings.  Accordingly,  it  said,  the 
Commission  must  resolve  the  uncer- 
tainty by  a  declaratory  ruling. 


FCC  Limits  Para., 
20th  Video  Licenses 

Washington,  March  27. — Despite 
objections  by  Paramount  and  20th 
Century-Fox,  the  Federal  Communi- 
cations Commission  has  acted  on 
its  policy  of  granting  only  short-term, 
temporary  renewals  of  television 
licenses  for  Paramount  case  de- 
fendants. 

The  action  came  in  three  sep- 
arate parts.  In  one  part,  the  FCC 
extended  from  March  1  to  June  1 
the  deadline  for  Paramount  Television 
Productions,  Inc.,  to  complete  station 
KTLA  and  experimental  station 
W6XYZ  in  Los  Angeles.  In  a  sec- 
ond action,  it  gave  Paramount  only  a 
special  temporary  authorization  to 
continue  two  experimental  television 
relay  stations  in  conjunction  with 
KTLA  and  W6XYZ.  _  Finally,  the 
Commission  gave  Television  Produc- 
tions only  a  60-day  renewal  of  its 
authorizations  for  five  experimental 
theatre  television  relay  stations  in 
New  York,  and  took  similar  action  on 
one  theatre  television  relay  set-up  of 
20th-Fox  in  New  York. 


Takes  Over  New  Hospital 

Miami,  March  27. — At  a  general 
meeting  here,  members  of  the  Miami 
Variety  Club  Tent  No.  33  voted  to 
take  over  the  operation  of  the  South 
Florida  Children's  Hospital,  now  un- 
der construction  near  this  city. 


Hoover  Commission 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


state  and  local  governments,  the  re- 
ports of  three  different  "task  forces" 
to  the  Hoover  group,  submitted  to 
Congress  on  Friday,  recommended 
turning  the  admission  tax  back  to  the 
states  and  municipalities. 

One  report  pointed  out  that  the 
government  derives  only  about  one 
per  cent  of  its  revenue  from  admis- 
sion taxes  while  this  levy  is  becom- 
ing an  increasingly  important  revenue 
source  for  states  and  local  govern- 
ments. It  was  recommended  that  the 
government  relinquish  the  admission 
tax  to  the  states. 

Another  task  force  recommended 
that  the  government  reduce  or  re- 
linquish the  admission  tax  "as  soon 
as  practicable"  since  it  could  be  effec- 
tively administered  by  state  and  local 
governments  and  since  it  was  a  rela- 
tively minor  and  non-essential  revenue 
source  for  the  national  government. 

The  third  report  came  from  the 
Council  of  State  Governments.  It  said 
the  admission  tax  was  peculiarly  well 
suited  for  state  and  local  collection. 
Concentration  of  the  tax  base,  it 
pointed  out,  tends  to  be  greatest  in 
the  urban  centers  where  governmental 
costs  are  the  highest.  Moreover,  it 
said,  amusement  enterprises  usually 
need  a  lot  of  special  police,  health, 
fire  and  other  local  services  not  sup- 
ported by  license  charges. 

The  Hoover  Commission's  report, 
on  Federal-state  relations,  pointed  out 
that  many  tax  sources  are  now  ex- 
ploited by  both  state  and  Federal 
government,  and  that  in  some  cases 
there  is  even  a  triplication  of  taxation. 


THE  PORTLAND  f,4/*f~A 
OREGONIAN    «v*  ff(i/W 


'Red  Pony'  Hit  Scored 


Love  for  Animal 
Brings  Happiness 
BY  HERBERT  L.  LARSON 

Drama  Editor,  The  Oregonian 

"The  Red  Pony,"  a  John  Stein- 
beck story  filmed  in  Technicolor,  will 
nip  at  the  heart.  The  film  is  now  un- 
reeling at  J.  J.  Parker's  United 
Artists  theater  with  Myrna  Loy  and 
Robert  Mitchum  in  starring  roles. 

In  the  role  of  the  youngster  who 
is  wrapped  up  and  tied  tightly  by 
his  love  for  a  red  pony  is  young 
Peter  Miles,  a  boy  whom  every  screen 
fan  will  take  to  heart. 


In  the  picture  from  Republic 
studio  theater-goers  will  find  much 
that  is  heart-warming  entertain- 
ment. There  is  more  to  the  film  than 
just  a  boy's  love  for  a  pony.  Shepperd 
Strudwick  is  fine  as  the  lad's  father. 
He  plays  a  former  school  teacher 
who  has  never  been  able  to  adapt 
himself  to  ranch  life.  His  son  turns 
to  the  hired  hand,  Robert  Mitchum, 
for  guidance  in  the  training  of  his 
pony. 

Despite  efforts  of  his  tactful  wife 
(Myrna  Loy),  to  draw  him  nearer 
to  ranch  life,  the  father  is  shut  off 
by  an  unseen  barrier. 

The  father  leaves  the  ranch  for 


a  reunion.  In  his  absence  the  pony 
becomes  ill.  Mitchum  had  assured 
the  youngster  that  it  would  be  safe 
to  leave  the  animal  in  his  care.  Dur- 
ing a  storm  the  pony  breaks  loose 
and  runs  into  the  hills.  In  the  eyes 
of  the  boy  Mitchum  has  "lost  face." 

In  the  crisis,  the  boy's  mother 
sends  for  her  husband.  He  is  pleased 
to  learn  that,  at  last,  he  is  needed 
at  home.  The  pony  dies  and  remain- 
der of  the  well-directed  story  con- 
cerns the  way  in  which  Mitchum 
regains  the  boy's  faith  and  the  fam- 
ily is  reunited  in  a  deeper  under- 
standing. 

Reprinted  from  The  Oregonion 


color  by  TECHNICOLOR 


Guardian  of  her  most  important  "bath"... 


COSTLY  shots  like  this  might  be 
so  much  spoiled  footage  .  .  . 
save  for  the  vigilance  and  knowl- 
edge of  the  laboratory  man. 

He  makes  sure  that  the  dailies 
take  their  all-important  bath  .  .  .  in- 
specting, testing,  keeping  constant 
check  as  the  exposed  footage  runs 
through  the  developing,  fixing,  and 
washing  tanks  and  driers. 

To  his  skill  and  watchfulness  ...  as 


film  representing  "box-office  gold" 
literally  slips  through  his  careful  fin- 
gers .  .  .  motion  pictures  owe  much 
of  their  well-earned  reputation  for 
technical  excellence. 

This  skill  is  more  effective  .  .  .  the 
burden  of  constant  vigilance  lessened 
.  .  .  when  he  works  with  depend- 
able film  of  superior  quality.  That's 
why  he  always  welcomes  the  family 
of  Eastman  motion  picture  films. 


EASTMAN   KODAK  COMPANY 

ROCHESTER  4,   N.  Y. 

J.  E.  BRULATOUR,  INC.,  DISTRIBUTORS 
FORT   LEE    •    CHICAGO    •  HOLLYWOOD 


 .  

FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate 

IN 

111  1111"  IHii        A        "W    "W   "W  TF1 

II  All 

Concise 

FILM 

and 

NEWS 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.  NO.  61 


NEW  YORK,   U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,   MARCH  29,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


20th-Fox  Will 
Pursue  Rental 
Plan:Lichtman 

Reply  to  ITOA  Blast 
Hits  Brandt  Film  Buys 

Reiterating  that  if  "producing 
companies  are  left  without  a  proper 
return  on  their  investments  and 
their  energies,"  the  source  of  sup- 
ply of  good  motion  pictures  is  in  danger 
of  survival,  Al  Lichtman,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox vice-president,  yesterday 
reaffirmed  the  company's  determina- 
tion to  seek  "more  equitable"  film 
terms  for  its  product. 

Lichtman's  statement  replied  to  a 
criticism  of  the  20th-Fox  endeavor 
made  last  week  by  Harry  Brandt, 
president  of  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  Association  of  New  York, 
whom  Lichtman  charged  is  buying 
films  "for  himself  and  his  booking 
combine  at  ridiculously  low  prices." 

"If  this  condition  prevailed  through- 
out the  country,"  Lichtman  said,  "it 
would  force  every  first-class  producer 
of  motion  pictures  to  shut  up  shop." 

Lichtman,   with  20th  Century-Fox 

{Continued  on  page  9) 

N.  J.  Allied  Wary  of 
20th's  Rental  Bid 


Following  a  special  meeting  here 
yesterday,  Allied  Theatre  Owners  of 
New  Jersey  issued  a  statement  term- 
ing "arbitrary,  unrealistic  and  unfair 
to  the  independent  exhibitors"  the  new, 
increased  rental  terms  for  which  20th 
Century-Fox  has  started  to  campaign. 
The  organization  called  the  meeting 
following  20th-Fox's  announcement 
last  week  that  it  would  seek  higher 
rentals. 

"The  receipts  at  the  box  offices  of 
the  independent  theatres  have  de- 
creased to  figures  that  leave  a  small 

{Continued  on  page  9* 


Support  Worthwhile 
Product:  C.  Skouras 


Los  Angeles,  March  28. — Operat- 
ing principles  outlined  to  National 
Theatres'  Southwest  division  personnel 
over  the  weekend  by  Charles  P.  Skou- 
iras,  president,  will  be  emphasized  in 
a  series  of  divisional  meetings  starting 
Wednesday  in  San  Francisco  and  con- 
tinuing Friday  in  Portland,  Saturday 
in  Colorado  Springs,  April  5  in  Mil- 
{Continued  on  page  9) 


Drive  on  UK  Quota 
Gaining  Momentum 

Washington,  March  28. — Senti- 
ment continues  to  mount  in  the  Senate 
today  for  State  Department  or  Con- 
gressional action  to  force  Britain  to 
modify  or  eliminate  its  film  quota. 

There  were  three  major  develop- 
ments : 

1 — Five  leading  Republican  Sena- 
tors called  on  Secretary  of  State  Dean 
Acheson  to  inform  them  what  steps 
have  been  taken  by  the  Government 
"to  have  the  British  government  ma- 
terially reduce  or  eliminate  quota  re- 
strictions which  discriminate  against 
American  industry  and  agriculture." 
Signers  were  Tatt  of  Ohio,  Bridges 
of  New  Hampshire,  Martin  of  Penn- 

( Continued  on  page  11) 


U.  A.  Board  Meeting 
On  25  from  Nassers 


United  Artists'  board  of  directors  is 
expected  to  meet  here  this  week  to 
vote  on  ratification  of  a  new  deal  to 
distribute  25  pictures  from  Nasser 
Productions  during  the  next  five 
years. 

Contract,  which  provides  for  dis- 
tribution fees  of  30  per  cent  for  UA, 
was  negotiated  on  the  Coast  by  UA 
president  Gradwell  Sears  and  James 
and  George  Nasser.  It  would  become 
effective  immediately  upon  approval 
by  the  board. 

The  Nassers,  who  have  their  own 
studio,  will  channel  product  of  other 
producers  operating  on  the  lot 
through  UA,  as  well  as  releasing  their 
own  films  through  the  company  under 
the  pact. 


16  Features  From 
MGM  in  6  Months 


Adding  two  new  pictures  for  June, 
William  F.  Rodgers,  distribution  vice- 
president,  reports  that  M-G-MV  re- 
leasing schedule  for  the  next  three 
months  will  consist  of  eight  pictures, 
the  same  number  as  for  the  first  three 
months  of  the  year,  for  a  total  of  16 
from  January  1  to  the  end  of  June. 
It  is  likely  that  Rodgers  may  add  a 
reprint  to  the  June  schedule,  namely, 
"The  Wizard  of  Oz,"  which  is  slated 
to  open  shortly  at  the  Mayfair  here. 

"Big  Jack,"  "Edward,  My  Son"  and 
"Neptune's  Daughter"  have  been 
added  to  the  schedule,  while  "Con- 
spirator" has  been  set  back  for  later 
release. 

During     April     there     will  be 
"Caught,"  third  Enterprise  film  to  be 
released  by  M-G-M;  "Take  Me  Out 
to  the  Ball  Game,"  "Little  Women" 
{Continued  on  page  11) 


Rules  Theatres  Not 
Liable  for  Paying 
Performers'  Taxes 


Hartford,  March  28.— A  U.  S. 
Treasury  Department  decision  which 
concerned  a  Petrillo  ruling  has  saved 
the  State  Theatre,  local  4,000-seat  mo- 
tion picture-vaudeville  theatre,  thou- 
sands of  dollars  and  "bushels  of  pa- 
per work,"  according  to  a  Hartford 
certified  public  accountant,  Maxwell 
E.  Lerner,  who  said  that  because  of 
the  Treasury  ruling,  independent  thea- 
tres, like  the  State,  can  no  longer  be 
held  the  "employer"  of  its  performers. 

The  local  theatre,  since  Jan.  1,  1941, 
has  paid  Social  Security,  withholding 
and  unemployment  taxes  for  those 
taking  part  in  acts  and  name  bands 
appearing  on  its  stage. 

According  to  the  Treasury  Depart- 
ment's ruling,  however,  theatre  per- 
formers are  described  as  "independent 
contractors,"  which  means  they  must 

{Continued  on  page  11) 


NCA  to  Join  Fight 
For  Anti-BMI  Bill 


Minneapolis,  March  28. — Legisla- 
tion expected  to  come  on  the  floor  of 
the  Minnesota  legislature  this  week 
which  would  make  it  mandatory  for 
Broadcast  Music,  Inc.,  to  register 
musical  compositions  for  gross  tax 
purposes,  similar  to  anti-Ascap  laws 
in  North  Dakota  and  Wasnmoton 
state,  will  be  supported  by  North 
Central  Allied,  it  was  disclosed  here 
by  Stan  Kane,  executive  counsel. 

Kane  pointed  out  that  while  BMI 
has  made  no  move  to  license  film  thea- 
tres for  public  performance,  and  has 
stated  it  has  no  intention  of  doing  so, 
the  company's  action  in  revising  its 
stand  in'  seeking  to  license  cafes  and 

{Continued  on  page  11) 


Schwalberg  Calls 
5  Para.  Meetings 


A.  W.  Schwalberg,  Paramount 
general  sales  manager,  has  called  five 
divisional  sales  meetings  from  May 
9  to  May  25  to  bring  the  story  of 
Paramount's  impending  product,  and 
the  plans  for  its  distribution,  to  field 
personnel. 

The  meetings  will  be  held  in  New 
York,  May  9-11;  in  Pittsburgh,  May 
12-14;  Chicago,  May  16-18;  Kansas 
City,  May  19-21,  and  in  Los  Angeles, 
May  23-25. 

Each  of  the  meetings  will  be  at- 
tended by  division  and  branch  sales 
personnel,  sales  managers,  booking 
managers,  field  exploiteers  and  home 
office  sales  executives. 


RKO  Split-Up 
Is  Approved 
By  80%  Vote 

7  Directors  Reelected 
At  Stockholders  Meet 


More  than  80  per  cent  of  the  total 
number  of  RKO  shares  outstanding 
and  entitled  to  vote  at  the  special 
meeting  of  company  stockholders  in 
Dover,  Del.,  yesterday,  were  voted  in 
favor  of  the  plan  of  reorganization 
providing  for  separation  of  the  com- 
pany's theatre  operating  business  from 
its  producing  and  distributing  seg- 
ments. The  dissenting  per-share  vote 
was  less  than  one  and  one-half  per 
cent. 

The  meeting  re-elected  as 
RKO  directors  the  following: 
Ned  E.  Depinet,  Noah  Dietrich, 
Frederick  L.  Ehrman,  L.  Law- 
rence Green,  Howard  R.  Hughes, 
George  H.  Shaw  and  J.  Miller 
Walker. 

Announcing  the  stockholders'  ap- 
proval of  the  plan  in  a  statement  is- 
sued here  following  the  meeting,  De- 

{Continued  on  page  10) 


Kingsberg  Starts 
RKO  Negotiations 


As  RKO  stockholders  approved 
reorganization  of  the  corporation  at 
a  Dover,  Del.,  meeting  yesterday,  it 
was  disclosed  here  that  Malcolm 
Kingsberg,  head  of  the  theatre  sub- 
sidiary, has  actually  entered  into  ne- 
gotiations for  the  purchase  of  How- 
ard Hughes'  controlling  24  per  cent 
stock  interests  in  the  independent 
circuit  which  will  emerge. 

Kingsberg  is  believed  to  have  vir-. 
tually  completed  formation  of  a  syn- 
dicate from  outside  the  industry  to 
join  him  in  the  prospective  purchase 
with  financing  already  tentatively  ar- 
ranged. 

To  what  extent,  if  any,  Atlas  Corp. 

{Continued  on  page  10) 


Files  to  Intervene 
In  Para.  Settlement 


In  a  move  which  plaintiff's  attor- 
neys claim  could  block  the  Paramount 
reorganization,  Partmar  Corp.,  which 
operates  the  Paramount  Theatre,  Los 
Angeles,  yesterday  filed  motion  in 
New  York  Federal  Court  for  the. 
right  to   take   an   appeal   from  the 

{Continued  on  page  10) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  29,  19* 


Personal 
Mention 


TED  R.  GAMBLE,  president  of 
Gamble  Enterprises,  will  leave 
New  York  tomorrow  for  Chicago  and 
Denver. 

Norman  H.  Moray,  president  of 
Warner  Pathe  News  and  Warner 
short  subjects  sales  manager,  has  left 
here  for  a  tour  of  branches  in  the 
Midwest  and  South. 

• 

Paul  Short,  Lloyd  Nolan  and 
Audie  Murphy  will  attend  the  Lon- 
don premiere  of  "Bad  Boy,"  to  be  held 
in  the  spring. 

• 

James  B.  Harris,  Flamingo  Films 
president,  and  Sy  Weintraub,  tele- 
vision vice-president,  is  in  Washing- 
ton from  New  York. 

• 

Victor  Saville,  M-G-M  director, 
accompanied  by  his  son,  David,  has 
left  for  the  Coast,  returning  from 
England. 

• 

Albert  E.  Schiller,  Republic 
branch  operations  manager,  left  here 
yesterday  for  Detroit  on  the  first  leg 
of  a  Midwest  tour. 

• 

E.  T.  Gomersall,  assistant  to  Wil- 
liam A.  Scully,  Universal-Interna- 
tional's distribution  vice-president,  has 
returned  to  New  York  from  Chicago. 
• 

Charles  Simonelli,  Universal-In- 
ternational's Eastern  exploitation 
manager,  has  returned  to  New  York 
from  Kansas  City. 

• 

Sydney  Gross,  Film  Classics  ad- 
vertising-publicity director,  is  on  the 
Coast  from  New  York. 

• 

William    B.    Zoellner,  M-G-M 
short  subjects   sales  manager,  is  in 
Kansas  City  from  Oklahoma  City. 
• 

Ray  Milland  and  Mrs.  Milland 
are  in  New  York  from  the  Coast. 


Four  Additional 
Academy  Citations 

Hollywood,  March  28. — Additional 
awards  and  citations  for  scientific  or 
technical  development  have  been  made 
by  the  Academy  of  Motion  Picture 
Arts  and  Sciences,  as  follows : 

Academy  plaque  to  Paralite,  a  light- 
weight process  for  staff  shop  set  con- 
struction, by  Victor  Caccialanza, 
Maurice  Ayers  and  the  Paramount 
set  construction  department. 

Academy  plaque  to  20th  Century- 
Fox  process  of  preserving  and  flame- 
proofing  foliage,  by  Nick  Kalten  and 
20th  Century-Fox  mechanical  effects 
department. 

Academy  certificate  to  Phomade 
Falling  Snow  Effect  by  Marty  Mar- 
tin and  Jack  Lannon. 

Academy  certificate  to  "Automatic 
or  Semi-Automatic  Control  for  Ses- 
lyn-Operated  Shutters,"  by  A.  J. 
Moran  and  Warner  Brothers'  elec- 
trical department. 


The  1948 Academy  Awards 


T 


HE  2 1st  annual  awards  of 
merit  of  the  Academy  of 
Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sci- 
ences at  the  Academy  Award 
Theatre  last  week  appear  as  of 
now  to  have  met  with  wide- 
spread approval. 

The  explanation,  perhaps,  is 
in  the  great  diversity  of  recog- 
nition which  the  1948  awards 
represent. 

Many  were  of  a  character 
pleasing  to  the  critical  fra- 
ternity; not  a  few  underscored 
popular  choices  already  made  by 
the  public ;  many  were  in  accord 
with  trade  opinion  at  large  and 
others  were  gratifying  to  large 
sections  of  the  components  of 
the  production  community. 

In  short,  recipients  of  the 
1948  awards  all  had  their  large 
and  enthusiastic  followings,  and 
for  every  shade  of  disagreement 
or  disappointment,  inevitable  in 
every  award  year,  there  were 
compensating  areas  of  popular 
agreement. 

The  special  awards  this  year 
were  more  than  a  litttle  gratify- 
ing to  the  trade  itself. 

That  Walter  Wanger  should 
be  singled  out  "for  distinguished 
service  to  the  industry  in  adding 
to  its  moral  stature  in  the  world 
community  by  his  production  of 
the  picture,  'Joan  of  Arc',"  in 
the  words  accompanying  the  spe- 
cial award  to  Wanger,  is  heart- 
ily endorsed  by  all  responsible 
sections  of  the  industry. 

The  award  to  Wanger  is  the 
first  in  the  21 -year  history  of  the 
Academy  to  be  based  upon  the 
motion  picture's  service  to 
morality. 

Not  only  is  that  award  well 
merited  in  Wanger's  case  but  it 
is  of  major  importance  in  the 
future  of  the  industry  for  the 
encouragement  it  affords  pro- 
ducers and  artists  to  continue  to 
undertake  the  filming  of  great 
moral  stories  which  open  new 
horizons  to  the  art  while  endow- 
ing the  industry  with  new  dig- 
nity and  stature  in  the  eyes  and 
minds  of  the  public. 

The  production  of  such  a  pic- 
ture as  "Joan  of  Arc"  is,  in 
truth,  a  great  service  to  the  in- 
dustry throughout  the  world. 
For  that  reason  alone  the  new 
and  special  award  is  well  merit- 
ed. And  apart  from  that,  it  is 
fitting  that  those  who  undertake 
the  difficult  and  the  hazardous 
on  planes  of  high  endeavor  be 
given  the  recognition  and  en- 
couragement of  an  award. 

That  is  of  the  very  essence  of 
the  Academy's  awards.    It  is  to 


be  hoped  that  special  awards  of 
the  kind  will  be  given  a  perma- 
nent place  in  the  annual  cere- 
monies, and  that  they  will  al- 
ways find  as  deserving  recipi- 
ents. 

• 

The  industry,  too,  was  grati- 
fied by  the  special  award  made 
to  Adolph  Zukor  for  his  services 
to  the  industry  over  a  period  of 
40  years.  One  of  the  real,  living 
pioneers  of  the  industry,  Zukor 
held  positions  of  influence,  great 
responsibility  and  leadership 
throughout  the  whole  period 
during  which  the  industry 
achieved  its  greatest  growth. 

A  special  award  for  the  grand 
old  man  of  Paramount  helps  to 
express  for  thousands  in  every 
corner  of  the  motion  picture 
world  the  warm  regard  and  high 
esteem  in  which  they  hold 
Adolph  Zukor. 

Bestowal  of  the  Irving  G. 
Thalberg  Memorial  award  on 
Jerry  Wald  for  the  most  con- 
sistently high  quality  of  produc- 
tion achieved  by  an  individual 
producer  in  1948  also  met  with 
wide  approbation  in  the  industry. 
Wald's  honor  is  the  more  not- 
able in  that  there  have  been 
years  since  the  founding  of  the 
Thalberg  Memorial  award  in 
which  it  has  not  been  bestowed 
by  the  Academy. 

The  high  number  of  awards 
which  went  to  Warner  artists 
and  properties  and  to  the  J.  Ar- 
thur Rank  productions,  "Ham- 
let" and  "The  Red  Shoes,"  were 
remarked  upon,  inside  'and  out- 
side the  industry  on  a  scale 
which  clearly  ranked  them 
among  the  high  spots  of  the 
1948  winners.  There  was  wide 
approval  of  and  special  interest 
in  the  father  and  son  team  of 
John  and  Walter  Huston,  who 
captured  a  trio  of  honors  with 
"Treasure  of  Sierra  Madre," 
John  for  direction  and  the  screen 
play,  Walter  for  best  male  sup- 
porting role. 

Walter  attributed  his  good 
fortune  to  foresight.  When 
John  was  a  boy,  he  explained, 
I  told  h  im  that  if  he  became  a 
screen  writer  when  he  grew  up, 
to  be  sure  to  write  in  a  good 
part  for  his  old  man. 

Exhibition  was  represented  in 
the  1948  awards  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  many  from  that  and 
other  branches  of  the  industry. 
The  special  award  to  Sid  Grau- 
man,  for  raising  standards  of 
motion  picture  exhibition,  was 
unique  of  its  kind  and  left  many 
with  the  hope  that  it  will  be 
continued.         Sherwin  Kane 


Third  of  Newsreei 
To  Foreign  Footau 

One-third  of  the  U.  S.  newsretj 
coverage  during  1948  was  devoted 
foreign  news,  including  United  N 
tions  activities,  Taylor  Mills  of  9 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Ame 
ica,  discloses  in  a  report  to  I 
association. 

The  analysis  shows  that  the  fi 
reels  carried  3,541  clips  last  yk 
against  3,484  in  1947;  3,559  in  194 
and  3,133  in  1945. 

U.  S.  government  news,  includi? 
coverage  of  .  the  Presidential  cart 
paign,  took  12.3  per  cent  of  total  si 
jects  in  1948.  Sports  coverage  I 
counted  for  23.1  per  cent,  against  2§| 
per  cent  in  1947  and  18.3  in  1946 


NEW  YORK  THEATRE 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — ; 

Rockefeller  Center 

LITTLE  WOMEN' 

June  Allyson  .  Peter  Lawford  .  Marg't  O'Brien 
Elizabeth  Taylor  .  Janet  Leigh  .  Rossano  Brazzli 
Mary  Astor    .   A  Mervyn  Le  Roy  Production 
Color  by  Technicolor 
A  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


-^J  Color  by  CINEC0L0R  ( 

ttarrlng  \ 

John  PAYNE  •  Gail  RUSSELL 
Sterling  HAYOEK  •  Geo."6abbr*HATES 
Dick  FORAN 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER, 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Dally 
Extra  Matinee*  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  1 1 :30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


f 


DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK  presents 

OLIVIA  de  HAV1LLAND 


the  Snalce  Pit 


I Directed  by  Produced  by 

AMAIOlE  UTVAK  •  ANATOLE  UTVAK I  ROBERT  SASSIER 


^IVOLI 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COLO*  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS  . 


h  JOSE  FERRER  •  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  ■  J  CARROL  NAISH  ■  WARD  BOND 
SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  .  HURD  HATFIELD  -  GENE  LOCKHART  ■  JOHN  EMERI 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  -  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  K  ELLA  WAY 
based  upon  Ihe  stage  play  'Joan  of  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
Kreen  ploy  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOLT  .  art  direction  b 
RICHARD  DAY  .  dirociof  of  pholoarophy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

presented  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  •  released  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY    Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin   Kane  Editor 
Sundays  and  hohdays   by  Quigley  Pubhshmg  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue   Rockefeller  Center 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley 
James  P    Cumngham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H  Fausel 
Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben 'Farley 
Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq 

each  published  13  times 


Club, 


Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.    Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
New  York  20.  N.   Y.    Telephone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address:  "Quigpubco 
Jr.^  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 

Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Advertising  Bepresentative :  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 


Editor 

o'theV  Quigley  ^Sblfcations :  "iwTtion  PictTe^H^rald  •   Be^tteT  Theatres  \ndThe^  ^  H°?f-  Bumup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address.  ••Q„i(n„,.,co.  l.-mlon. 

Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  clasfmatSrtept.         1938*™*  the  Vst  office  a*  New  YoT  N   Yaunde*   -eCtl°n  °f  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 

  single  copies,  10c.  1    ,-      '  UI'ue 


year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign; 


the  act  of  March  3,  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


4 


PARAMOUNT 

Takes  Great  Pride  in  Congratulating 

ADOLPH  ZUKOR 

for 

The  Special  Award  given  him  by  the 
Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and 
Sciences  for  his  many  years  of  out- 
standing service  and  achievements  in 
making  motion  pictures  the  great  en- 
tertainment   medium    they    are  today. 


...  My  sincere  gratitude  to  the  Board  of  Governors  of  the 
Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sciences  for  the 
Thalberg  Award,  and  I 


...  My  deep  appreciation  to  the  Warners,  Jack,  Harry 
and  Albert,  for  their  encouragement,  faith  and  confidence 
in  me  during  the  past  seventeen  years,  and 

...  My  heartfelt  thanks  also  to  Steve  Trilling,  Jean 
Negulesco,  John  Huston,  Delmer  Daves,  David  Butler, 


Raoul  Walsh,  Michael  Curtiz,  Vincent  Sherman,  Henry 
Koster,  the  many  writers,  actors  and  other  members  of 
Warner  Bros,  organization— from  the  front  office  to  the 
back  lot— who  made  this  award  possible. 


Jerry  IVald 


Sped 


WALTER  WANGER 


For  Distinguished  Service  to  the  Industry  in 
Adding  to  Its  Moral  Stature  in  the  World 
Community  by  His  Production  of  the  Picture 


JOAN  OF  ARC 


Thank  You 


JOHN  HUSTON 


BEST  DIRECTION 
and 


BEST  SCREEN  PLAY 


WALTER  HUSTON 

BEST  SUPPORTING  ACTOR 


"TREASURE  OF  SIERRA  MADRE' 
WARNER  BROS. 


Congra  tu  la  Hons 
to  all  of  the 

ACADEMY 

AWARD 
WINNERS 


EASTMAN  FILM 
BRULATOUR  SERVICE 


J.  E.  BRULATOUR,  INC. 

FORT  LEE  -  CHICAGO  ■  HOLLYWOOD 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  29,  1949 


Ed.  Sullivan  Named 
Aideto20th's  Golding 

Edward  E.  Sullivan  has  been 
named  to  the  newly-created  post  of 
assistant  publicity  manager  of  20th 
Century-Fox,  by  David  Golding,  in 
charge  of  the  film  company's  home 
office  publicity. 

Sullivan  has  been  with  the  com- 
pany's publicity  department  since  1946 
following  five  years  with  the  Army 
Air_  Force  in  Great  Britain,  North 
Africa  and  Russia.  He  was  in  the 
first  group  of  airmen  to  be  sent  over- 
seas during  the  war  and  served  with 
the  Eighth  Air  Force. 


Review 


"Ma  and  Pa  Kettle" 


Cleveland  Benefit 
For  Variety  Club 

Cleveland,  March  28. — Local  mo- 
tion picture  executives  are  completing 
arrangements  for  a  benefit  premiere  of 
"Bad  Boy,"  produced  by  Allied  Art- 
ists under  sponsorship  of  Variety 
Clubs  International,  for  Warner's 
Allen  Theatre  tomorrow  night.  Chief 
barker  I.  J.  Schmertz  of  the  local 
Variety  Club  had  appointed  Irwin 
Pollard  chairman  of  the  arrangements 
committee.  Proceeds  of  the  advanced- 
price  premiere  will  go  to  the  Variety 
Heart  Fund. 


Dozier  Leaving  April  9 

Hollywood,  March  28. — William 
Dozier  has  cancelled  his  U-I  contract, 
effective  April  9th.  The  pact  was  to 
expire  July  15.  He  decided  some  time 
ago  against  producing  the  final  picture 
for  which  his  U-I  contract  provided, 
and  cancelled  out  the  remainder  of  the 
contract  period. 


(  U niversal-International)  . 
O  EMEMBER  raucous  Marjorie  Main  and  granite-faced  Percy  Kilbride 
AV  in  their  supporting  roles  of  the  bucolic  "Ma"  and  "Pa"  Kettle  in  "The 
tgg  and  I  ?  Well,  they're  back  again  with  their  large  brood  of  children 
and  their  unorthodox  concepts  of  living.  Required  this  time  to  put  across 
a  whole  picture  with  a  callow  type  of  humor  that  ranges  from  frank 
slapstick  to  unabashed  gagging,  the  couple  is  likely  to  recruit  many  new 
admirers  from  among  family  audiences.  Seekers  after  subtle,  smooth  comedy 
however,  had  better  look  elsewhere  for  laughs.  This  picture  appears  likely 
to  hit  its  best  commercial  stride  in  neighborhood  houses 

Directed  at  a  halting  pace  by  Charles  Lament,  the  screenplay  of  Herbert 
Margohs,  Louis  Morheim  and  Al  Lewis  takes  the  Kettle  family  out  of  the 
run-down,  junk-laden  farmhouse  that  so  sorely  chagrins  the  more  civic- 
minded  members  of  the  rural  community,  and  puts  it  into  an  ultra-modern 
residence.  Pa  wins  the  push-button  electronic  house  by  submitting  the  best 
slogan  m  a  contest  sponsored  by  a  tobacco  company.  Once  the  multitudinous 
family  is  ensconced  in  the  new  home,  Pa's  semg-froid  is  put  to  the  test  bv 
all  the  amazing  new  household  appliances  and  inventions,  and  Ma  and  the 
14  youngsters  prepare  to  resist  eviction  with  shot-guns  and  slingshots 
when  a  cantankerous  neighbor  challenges  the  legitimacy  of  Pa's  Contest 
entry.  A  happy  ending  is  inevitable,  of  course.  Meanwhile,  love  has  blossomed 
between  eldest  son  Richard  Long  and  a  pretty  magazine  writer,  played  by 
Meg  Randall  A  large  supporting  cast  includes  Patricia  Alphin  Esther 
Dale,  Barry  Kelley,  Harry  Antrim  and  Isabel  O'Madigan.  Leonard  Gold- 
stein produced. 

Running  time,  75  */2  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  April 
release-  Charles  L.  Franke 


Film  Trade  Joining 
In  O'Dwyer  Salute 

Scores  of  industry  representatives, 
including  circuit  operators  and  film 
company  executives,  have  reserved 
tables  at  the  Hotel  Commodore  for 
the  testimonial  luncheon  for  New 
York's  Mayor  William  O'Dwyer  on 
Thursday,  arranged  by  a  committee 
representing  the  city's  commerce. 


To  Jean  Hersholt  and  the 
Board  of  Governors  of  the 
Academy  of  Motion  Picture 
Arts  and  Sciences,  I  am  most 
grateful. 

Sid  Crauman 


Three  Managerial 
Appointments  by  UA 

James  L.  Winn,  head  of  United 
Artists'  Buffalo  exchange,  has  been 
transferred  to  Boston  as  manager  of 
the  UA  branch  there,  replacing  John 
J.  Dervin,  who  has  resigned  after  27 
years  with  the  company,  it  was  an- 
nounced here  yesterday  by  Edward 
M.  Schmtzer,  Eastern  general  sales 
manager. 

Winn's  spot  in  Buffalo  goes  to  Da- 
vid Leff  who  has  been  manager  of  the 
New  Haven  branch.  Ray  Wiley  has 
joined  United  Artists  to  fill  the  New 
Haven  branch  managership. 

Carbons,  Inc.,  Names 
Five  New  Distributors 

Five  additional  dealers  have  been 
appointed  to  distribute  the  Lorraine 
arc-lamp  carbons  of  Carbons,  Inc., 
company  president  Edward  Lachman 
reported  here. 

The  newly-named  dealers  are:  B. 
F.  Shearer  and  Co.,  covering  Seattle, 
Portland,  San  Francisco  and  Los  An- 
geles;  Joe  Hornstein,  St.  Louis,  Mi- 
ami; Wilson  Moore,  Atlanta;  Conti- 
nental Carbons,  Philadelphia;  Central 
Radio,  Omaha.  Lachman  previously 
announced  distributors  in  New  York, 
Kansas  City,  New  Orleans,  Memphis 
and  Charlotte.  Negotiations  are  un- 
derway, he  said,  for  the  establishment 
of  distributors  in  additional  areas. 


Youngstein  Speaks 
At  Bond  Meet  Today 

Kansas  City,  March  28.— Eagle- 
Lion  advertising-publicity  vice-presi- 
dent Max  E.  Youngstein  will  outline 
tomorrow  at  a  meeting  of  business 
and  civic  leaders  ■  in  the  Hotel 
Muehlenbach  here  the  motion  picture 
industry's  role  in  the  national  savings 
bond  drive  being  conducted  by  the' 
U  S.  Treasury  Department.  Young- 
stein is  advertising-publicity  director 
of  the  industry's  drive  participation. 

Among  those  scheduled  to  attend 
the  meeting  are:  Elmer  C.  Rhoden, 
president  of  Fox  Midwest  Theatres, 
who  represents  the  industry's  drive  in 
the  Midwest;  Sam  Lawler,  assistant 
to  Rhoden ;  Earl  Shockelford,  Mis-  ' 
souri  director  of  the  U.  S.  Savings 
Bond  Division;  Mize  Peters,  deputy 
director;  David  Beals,'  president  of 
the  Kansas  City  Interstate  National 
Bank  and  chairman  of  the  Jackson 
County  savings  bond  committee; 
Murrel  Crump,  Sinclair  Oil  advertis- 
ing manager,  and  Earl  T.  Scott,  Kan- 
sas City  insurance  broker.  The  in- 
dustry's drive  will  run  from  May  15 
to  June  30. 


MMPTA  Opposes  Bill 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  28.— Metro- 
politan Motion  Picture  Theatres  As- 
sociation is  opposing  the  Fino-Banni- 
gan  bill  which  would  require  constant 
attendance  by  an  adult  male  where 
public  baggage  lockers  are  operated. 
Orrin  Judd,  MMPTA  attorney,  called 
the  bill  "make-work  legislation"  and 
"completely  unnecessary."  Many 
Times  Square  theatres  have  lockers 
for  patrons. 


Rowland  Talks  Contract 

Hollywood,  March  28. — Director 
Roy  Rowland  and  M-G-M  are  talking 
a  new  contract.  He  is  currently  at 
Palm  Springs  after  winding  up  "Scene 
of  the  Crime"  in  29  days'  shooting 
time  and  within  his  $750,000  budget. 


Services  Held  Here 
For  Jack  Kapp,  47 

Funeral  services  were  held  here  yes- 
terday for  Jack  Kapp,  47,  president 
of  Decca  Records,  Inc.,  who  died  of 
a  cerebral  hemorrhage  Friday  evening 
en  route  from  his  office  to  his  home. 
Rev.  Milton  Steinberg  officiated  at  the 
services  at  the  Park  Avenue  Syna- 
gogue, which  approximately  1,000  at- 
tended, including  many  well  known 
in  motion  pictures  and  other  branches 
of  the  entertainment  world. 

Kapp  founded  Decca  Records  in 
1934  and  developed  the  company  into 
one  of  the  leaders  in  the  disc  record- 
ing field.  Bing  Crosby  recorded  ex- 
clusively for  Decca.  The  deceased  is 
survived  by  the  widow,  Frieda  Lutz 
Kapp;  Myra,  a  daughter;  Jonathan,  a 
son;  Mrs.  Joseph  M.  Davis,  a  sister, 
and  David  and  Paul,  brothers.  In- 
terment was  a  Mount  Hope  Cemetery 
in  Westchester.  • 


Jack  Flynn,  59,  Dies 
Of  a  Heart  Attack 

Chicago,  March  28.— Jack  Flynn, 
retired  Metro  Midwest  district  man- 
ager, died  suddenly  last  night  at  his 
home  in  St.  Joseph,  Mich.,  from  a 
heart  attack.  He  was  59. 

Flynn  left  Metro  on  May  1,  1947, 
and  was  briefly  active  with  Fitz  Pat- 
rick Travelogues.  He  began  his  ca- 
reer in  1914  with  General  Film,  later 
joining  the  Goldwyn  company,  which 
in  1924  consolidated  with  M-G-M.  He 
is  survived  by  the  widow,  two  sisters 
and  two  brothers.  Burial  services  are 
to  be  held  in  Chicago. 


Laine  Left  $591,995 

Toronto,  March  28. — Jules  Laine, 
who  died  last  October,  left  an  estate 
valued  at  $591,995,  according  to  the 
probate  before  Surrogate  Court  here. 
Beneficiaries  are  the  widow,  Rose 
Laine,  and  a  son,  Michael.  The  de- 
ceased was  one  of  a  Toronto  group 
which  organized  Columbia  Pictures  of 
Canada,  and  he  also  had  various  other 
theatre  and  film  company  investments. 

Miss  Dunne  Gets  Medal 

South  Bend,  Ind.,  March  28.— The 
University  of  Notre  Dame  has  select- 
ed Irene  Dunne  as  1948's  outstanding- 
member  of  the  American  Catholic 
laity  and  winner  of  the  Laetare  medal. 


Tuesday,  March  29,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


9 


20th-Fox  Plan 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

vice-presidents  A.  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  and 
Charles  Einfeld,  will  conduct  the 
third  of  a  series  of  round-table  exhibi- 
tor luncheon  meetings  on  distribution 
problems  affecting  the  industry  at  the 
Warwick  Hotel  in  Philadelphia  today. 

Calls  Disparity  'Unhealthy' 

"The  public  is  continuing  to  give 
its  support  to  good  motion  pictures," 
Lichtman  said.  "This  is  proven  by 
;the  healthy  boxoffice  receipts  for  such 
pictures  in  theatres  throughout  the 
country.  This  would  be  highly  en- 
couraging were  there  not  an  unhealthy 
internal  state  of  affairs  with  respect 
to  the  disparity  between  the  distribu- 
tor's and  exhibitor's  share  of  the 
boxoffice  receipts.  If  this  condition 
continues  and  if  the  producing  compa- 
nies are  left  without  a  proper  return 
on  their  investments  and  their  ener- 
gies, it  is  obvious  that  the  very  source 
of  supply  of  good  motion  pictures  is 
in  danger  of  survival. 

"It  must  be  faced  and  it  must  be 
faced  with  the  highest  business  states- 
manship. Upon  its  correction  depends 
the  welfare  of  the  industry  as  a  whole 
which  includes  not  only  theatre  own- 
ers, but  also  many  thousands  of  work- 
ers in  all  branches  of  our  industry 
whose  livelihood  is  derived  from  films. 

Seeks  Mutuary  Beneficial  Level 

"What  we  are  undertaking  in  our 
survey  is  to  make  sure  that  both  the 
distributor  and  the  exhibitor  have  a 
healthy  business  on  a  level  mutually 
beneficial.  I  believe  that  we  are  serv- 
ing the  exhibitor  by  calling  his  at- 
tention to  the  danger  to  him  in  an  un- 
fair division  of  the  public's  dollar. 
We  hope  to  arrive  at  an  equitable 
yardstick  for  rental  of  our  films  with 
every  theatre  we  serve.  We  are  striv- 
ing to  do  this  by  eliminating  from 
our  business  horse-trading  methods 
and  establish  the  highest  plane  of 
business  relationship  between  exhibi- 
tor and  distributor.  We  also  hope  to 
promote  better  showmanship  on  the 
part  of  all  of  us — exhibitors,  produc- 
ers, distributors  and  all  allied  inter- 
ests— to  the  end  that  we  will  be  able 
to  maintain  on  the  highest  level  pos- 
sible the  public's  interest  in  our  en- 
deavors," Lichtman  said. 

"While  our  across-the-table  face-to- 
face  talks  with  exhibitors  are  just 
starting,  Mr.  Harry  Brandt  of  New 
York  has  complained  in  the  trade- 
press  about  the  'unconscionable  arbi- 
trary and  unfair  pricing  of  film  by 
20th-Fox'.  This  is  startling  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  we  have  not  met  with 
the  New  York  exhibitors  nor  officially 
with  Mr.  Brandt  and  thus  had  an  op- 
portunity to  disclose  our  plans  to 
them,"  he  said. 

Charges  Brandt  Pays  Too  Little 

"From  inquiries  I  have  made  re- 
garding accounts  in  our  New  York  ex- 
change, I  have  been  informed  that 
Mr.  Brandt  has  been  buying  for  him- 
self and  his  booking  combine  at 
ridiculously  low  prices.  If  this  con- 
dition prevailed  throughout  the  coun- 
try, it  would  force  every  first-class 
producer  of  motion  pictures  to  shut 
up  shop. 

"Therefore,  I  do  feel  that  my  friend 
protests  too  much.  Mr.  Brandt  is  a 
very  clever  fellow  and  has  my  deepest 
admiration.  I  can  well  understand 
that  the  outcry  on  his  part  is  the 
strategy  usually  employed  by  clever 
generals  who  believe  that  a  strong  of- 
fensive is  the  best  defense. 

"We  are  inviting  all  the  New  York 
exhibitors  to  attend  a  luncheon  next 


Friday  and  we  hope  that  Mr.  Brandt 
and  the  membership  of  the  ITOA  will 
attend.  We  also  hope  that  Mr. 
Brandt  will  bring  with  him  all  the 
exhibitor  clientele  for  whom  he  is  do- 
ing the  buying. 

"Harry  Brandt  and  his  family  have 
been  buying  pictures  from  me  since  he 
was  in  knee  britches.  I  can  never  re- 
call using  brass  knuckles  on  him.  In 
fact,  I  never  owned  a  pair.  But, 
judging  from  the  advantageous  deals 
he  has  been  making  for  himself,  it 
seems  to  me  that  the  brass  knuckles 
are  on  the  other  hand,  or  else  he  has 
been  using  chloroform  on  the  film 
salesmen,"  Lichtman  said. 

"While  Mr.  Skouras  appreciates 
Harry  Brandt's  defense  of  the  good- 
will he  has  built  in  this  industry,  I  am 
certain  that  Mr.  Skouras  would  more 
happily  welcome  the  goodwill  of  Mr. 
Brandt  in  any  plan  that  will  assist  in 
solving  the  problems  which  the  dis- 
tributor and  producer  alike  face  at 
this  time. 

Wants  Better  Relationship 

"Furthermore,  I  would  like  to  point  out 
that  it  was  at  Mr.  Skouras'  urgent  ap- 
peal, and  at  a  great  personal  sacrifice  and 
jeopardy  of  my  health,  that  I  undertook  the 
job  of  trying  to  bring  about  a  better  under- 
standing and  relationship  between  distribu- 
tor and  exhibitor.  In  the  40  years  I  have 
devoted  to  this  industry,  I  have  always 
done  everything  in  my  power  to  raise  the 
sights  of  every  branch  of  the  business — 
exhibitor,  distributor  and  producer  alike. 

"Mr.  Martin  J.  Mullin,  president  of  New 
England  Theatres,  Boston,  who-  graciously 
presided  at  our  meeting  in  Boston  con- 
gratulated Mr.  Skouras  and  the  company 
for  sending  important  executives  into  the 
field  to  participate  in  an  open  discussion 
with  exhibitors.  He  thought  it  was  a 
splendid  idea  and  felt  it  would  do  a  lot  of 
good  and  he  thought  other  companies 
should  adopt  a  similar  policy.  I  regret 
very  much  that  he  was  misquoted  in  one 
of   the  motion  picture   trade  journals. 

(Lichtman  presumably  refers  to  a 
story,  furnished  Motion  Picture 
Daily  by  20th  Century-Fox's  home 
office  publicity  department,  a  denial 
of  which  zvas  published  by  Motion 
Picture  Daily  on  March  25. — Ed. 
Note.) 

Protests  Won't  Deter  Tour 

"I  want  to*  reiterate  that  we  are  seeking 
that  common  ground  where  exhibitor  and 
distributor  can  discuss  their  mutual  affairs 
and  problems.  We  will  not  be  deterred 
from  meeting  exhibitors  on  grass  roots 
levels  by  tirades  of  self-generated  anguish. 
If  the  ITOA  does  not  understand  that  a 
serious  problem  now  confronts  the  industry, 
it  is  not  because  they  are  unaware  of  the 
true  facts.  At  our  open  meetings,  exhibi- 
tors air  their  sentiments  and  acquaint  us 
with  their  problems.  We  do  the  same. 
If  this  is  dictatorship,  we  might  as  well 
tell  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representa- 
tives to  abdicate. 

"We  shall  continue  this  procedure,  which 
is  in  the  best  traditions  of  democratic  as- 
sembly and  we  will  not  be  deterred  by 
individuals  who  seek  special  privilege,  and 
we  will  not  fail  to  maintain  the  spirit  of 
goodwill  which  is  now  the  uppermost  need 
of  our  business.  We  feel  that  we  have 
embarked  on  a  program  by  which  the  in- 
dustry and  the  public  and,  above  all,  the 
exhibitor  himself,  will  be  benefited  and 
for  which  the  exhibitor  in  the  long  run 
will  be  most  grateful,"  Lichtman  concluded. 


Philadelphia  Exhibitors  to  Hear 
Lichtman,  Smith  Today 

As  the  third  in  the  series  of  20th 
Century-Fox  round-table  exhibitor 
luncheon  meetings  gets  under  way  to- 
day in  Philadelphia  the  company  an- 
nounces that  the  New  York  meeting, 
previously  scheduled  for  Thursday  of 
this  week,  will  be  held  on  Friday  at 
the  Hotel  Astor,  starting  at  noon. 

Attending  the  Philadelphia  session 
today  will  be  20th  Century-Fox  vice- 
presidents  Al  Lichtman,  A.  W.  Smith, 
Jr.,  and  Charles  Einfeld. 


Vote  Sunday  Films 

Griffin,  Ga.,  March  28.— The  Grif- 
fin City  Commission  has  authorized 
Sunday  films  here. 


N  J.  Allied  Wary 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

profit  and  any  increase  in  picture 
rentals  would  absorb  this  profit,"  the 
post-meeting  statement  issued  by  Jer- 
sey Allied  president  Edward  Lachman 
asserted. 

"During  recent  years,"  the  statement 
continued,  "20th  Century-Fox  has  cre- 
ated a  friendly  relationship  with  New 
Jersey  independent  exhibitors  based 
upon  a  recognition  of  the  inability  of 
distributors  and  exhibitors  to  accu- 
rately and  fairly  determine  the  value 
of  pictures  until  they  have  played  in 
the  exhibitor's  theatre.  It  was  for 
this  reason  that  most  contracts  have 
been  made  with  the  understanding  that 
the  terms  are  subject  to  subsequent 
review.  The  stated  purpose  of  20th 
Century-Fox  to  discontinue  this  sell- 
ing plan  and  to  require  firm  contracts 
with  no  review  will  destroy  all  good- 
will heretofore  existing  between  this 
distributor  and  its  independent  cus- 
tomers." 

The  conciliation  boards  set  up  at 
the  recommendation  of  20th-Fox  dis- 
tribution vice-president  Andy  W. 
Smith,  Jr.,  to  attempt  to  settle  dif- 
ferences arising  between  exhibitors 
and  distributors  "will  be  very  busy 
from  now  on,"  it  was  predicted  by 
Jersey  Allied. 


'Wait-See'  Attitude  Shown  By 
Indiana  ATO  Toward  20th  Plan 

Indianapolis,  March  28. — A  wait- 
see  attitude  toward  20th  Century- 
Fox's  "equitable  rental"  plan  of  flat 
cum  film  sales  based  on  attendance 
is  advanced  by  the  Associated  The- 
atre Owners  of  Indiana. 

Claiming  the  plan  "harks  back"  to 
a  New  York  District  Court  ruling 


against  fixing  of  admission  prices 
three  years  ago,  the  ATOI  declares: 
"Without  further  clarification  we 
don't  quite  subscribe  to  this  as  an 
equitable  plan,  where  the  film  com- 
pany is  assured  that  they  will  get 
their  investment  back,  unless  the  ex- 
hibitor is  also  guaranteed  that  he  will 
not  show  a  loss  on  the  engagement." 

ATOI  also  took  a  dim  view  of 
"an  apparently  new  Fox  policy"  to 
vest  greater  authority  on  approval  of 
deals  in  the  home  office.  "Probably 
the  rejection  of  deals  by  some  in- 
dividual behind  a  desk  in  New  York 
who  never  saw  the  theatre  and  was 
never  in  the  town  and  who  has  no  per- 
sonal knowledge  of  the  exhibitor's 
personal  problems  has  been  as  much 
to  the  detriment  of  good  distributor- 
exhibitor  relations  as  any  single  fac- 
tor," it  declares. 


Skouras  on  Product 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

waukee,  and  on  the  seventh  in  Kansas 
City. 

In  his  talks  to  NT  personnel  here, 
Skouras  dwelt  on  the  necessity  of 
utilizing  the  circuit's  sliding  scale 
rental  policy  in  ways  that  will  assure 
producers  a  maximum  return  from 
meritorious  attractions,  declaring : 
"We  don't  want  to  abuse  any  produc- 
er, large  or  small.  The  number  of 
independent  producers  has  shrunk 
alarmingly,  and  we  must  take  heed  of 
this  situation  as  indicating  what  may 
happen.  They  have  produced  pictures 
and  are  entitled  to  a  square  deal. 
Don't  mistreat  good  film." 

Applying  NT's  established  formula 
in  a  manner  to  give  worthy  product 
the  full  benefit  of  the  utmost  playing 
time  it  warrants  was  the  keynote  of 
instructions  given  to  division  members. 


it 

My  Sincere  Thanks 

FRED  QUIMBY 


Best  Cartoon 

"The  Little  Orphan" 
M-G-M 


10 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  29,  1949 


RKO  Split-Up 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


pinet,  company  president,  said:  "I  am 
very  pleased  that  such  a  large  propor- 
tion of  the  owners  of  our  business 
have  confirmed  the  judgment  of  our 
directors  with  respect  tq  the  propo 
sals  which  are  so  important  to  the 
future  of  our  operations.  As  provided 
in  the  plan,  separation  of  the  busi- 
nesses through  consummation  of  the 
plan  will  become  effective  at  some 
time  prior  to  Nov.  8,  1949,  as  deter- 
mined by  the  board  of  directors  of 
Radio-Keith-Orpheum  Corp." 

The  reorganization  plan  is  pursu- 
ant to  a  consent  decree  entered  into 
by  RKO  with  the  Government  in  set- 
tlement of  the  company's  part  in  the 
anti-trust  suit  against  Paramount 
et  al. 

At  yesterday's  meeting  the  stock- 
holders approved  an  amendment  to  the 
company's  by-laws  reducing  the  num- 
ber of  directors  from  nine  to  seven 
and  an  amendment  providing  that  no 
annual  meeting  of  stockholders  for  the 
election  of  directors  shall  occur  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  1949. 
.  Hughes  has  the  right  under  the  op- 
tion agreement  to  seek  cash  offers  for 
his  theatre  company  stock  from  out- 
siders and,  if  they  are  obtained,  At- 
las has  the  right  to  meet  them.  The 
theatre  company  stock  is  to  be  offered 
by  Hughes  to  Atlas  at  a  price  not  to 
exceed  $4,500,000  only  in  the  event 
he  is  unable  to  obtain  outside  offers. 
RKO  was  given  until  March  30  by 
the  U.  S.  District  Court  here  to  ob- 
tain stockholders'  approval  of  the  plan. 


RKO  Negotiations 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

will  be  associated  with  Kingsberg 
could  not  be  determined  although  in- 
dications are  that  Kingsberg  and  At- 
las will  not  be  bidding  against  each 
other. 

Atlas'  option  on  the  Hughes'  stock 
gives  the  investment  company  the 
right  to  meet  any  offer  which  Hughes 
might  obtain  from  other  parties,  and 
in  the  event  no  offers  are  made, 
Hughes  could  be  forced  to  sell  to  At- 
las at  not  more  than  $4,500,000. 

According  to  industry  sources 
familiar  with  the  situation,  Kingsberg 
is  the  only  serious  bidder  for  the 
Hughes'   interests,  at  present. 


Reviews 


'Bride  of  Vengeance" 


(Paramount) 

A  PPARENTLY  more  concerned  with  story  values  than  historical  authen- 
"Clty>  V"s  reconstructed  tale  of  the  Borgias  has  been  filled  with  sufficient 
conflict,  excitement,  and  a  name  cast  to  assure  its  reliability  at  the  box-office 
Paulette  Goddard  is  interestingly  cast  as  Lucretia  Borgia,  with  Macdonald 
Carey  as  her  brother  Caesar,  and  John  Lund  as  the  Duke  of  Ferrara 
around  whom  this  16th  century  tale  of  intrigue  swirls. 

The  production  occasionally  rises  to  spectacular  dimensions,  as  when 
armored  soldiers  meet  m  battle,  but  generally  the  screenplay  relies  on  the 
spoken  word  of  development.  Carey's  characterization  of  the  ruler  is  one  of 
oily  intrigue.  Obsessed  with  thirst  for  power,  he  has  his  sister's  husband 
assassinated  under  circumstances  that  make  it  appear  that  the  Duke  of  Ferrara 
did  the  deed.  Lund  then  suggests  Miss  Goddard  into  marrying  the  duke  so 
that  she  thereby  could  get  her  classic  revenge  by  poisoning  him.  At  the  same 
time,  Lund  figures  he  would  gain  dominance  over  the  dead  duke's  territory 
Unfortunately  for  Lund,  his  ambitious  conspiracy  backfires  when  Miss  God- 
dard falls  in  love  with  the  duke. 

Producer  Richard  Maibaum  has  .  given  a  handsome  frame  to  a  screenplay 
by  Cyril  Hume  and  Michael  Hogan,  from  a  story  by  the  latter.  Miss  Goddard 
cavorts  in  a  variety  of  eye-catching  garments,  and  her  performance  is  satis- 
factory though  not  subtle.  Carey  emerges  vigorously  as  the  villain,  while 
Lund  certainly  has  feminine-appeal  as  the  dashing  duke  Mitchell  Leisen 
directed. 

Running  time,  91  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
May  6-  Mandel  Heebstman 


Files  to  Intervene 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


"The  Lovable  Cheat' 

(Skyline — Film  Classics) 

DURELY  in  the  mood  of  a  tongue-in-cheek  lampoon,  "The  Lovable  Cheat" 
recounts  how  a  sly  old  rascal,  having  suddenly  fallen  from  wealth,  outwits 
au^°ud^  °f-  snarhn8'  creditors.  Taken  from  a  play  by  Honore  de  Balzac, 
which  has  its  setting  m  the  Paris  of  two  centuries  ago,  the  film  is  best  for 
its  incisive  character  studies  that  are  reminiscent  of  some  of  the  better  Gallic 
productions.  Oddly,  though,  the  film  for  the  most  part  is  like  a  photographed 
stage  play,  with  a  minimum  of  sets  and  an  occasional  over-abundance  of 
dialogue.  The  cast  is  a  fairly  good  one,  headed  by  Charles  Ruggles  Peggy 
Ann  Garner  and  Richard  Ney.  ' 

Ruggles  plays  the  focal  role  as  the  suddenly  impoverished  gentleman  of 
Pans.  With  the  aid  of  his  butler,  Alan  Mowbray,  Ruggles  resorts  to  every 
guile  and  subtlety  to  keep  at  bay  his  exasperated  friends-turned-creditors 
Finally,  Ruggles  hits  upon  the  idea  of  having  his  daughter  marry  a  wealthy 
count  as  a  solution  to  his  financial  problems.  The  only  trouble  with  this  idea 
is  that  the  count  turns  out  to  be  "phony,"  and  besides  his  daughter,  Miss 
Garner,  is  in  love  with  a  humble  bank  clerk,  Richard  Ney.  When  a'  maze 
of  satirical  complications  are  ironed  out,  true  love  wins  out,  and  Ruggles  is 
saved  from  jail  by  the  unexpected  return  of  a  long-disappeared  partner  who 
has  since  become  wealthy. 

The  well-remembered  Buster  Keaton,  as  a  poker-face  creditor  and  Curt 
Bois,  as  the  disreputable  count,  fill  out  the  cast  of  the  Skyline  Pictures  pro- 
duction for  Film  Classics  release.  Richard  Oswald  and  Edward  Lewis  pro- 
duced and  did  the  screenplay;  Oswald  also  directed.  Rosario  Castagna  was 
associate  producer. 

Running  time,  74  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
not  set.  M_  H' 


TWO  GREAT  STARS  I 
MOST  BELOVED  STOS 


THE  PRIDE  Of 
THE  YANKEES' 


RETURNS  ¥© 


Re-released  by 
RKO  RADIO  PICTURES,  INC. 

118 


Selznick,  Gish  at 
Review  Board  Meet 

David  O.  Selznick  and  Lillian  Gish 
will  address  more  than  500  delegates 
from  motion  picture  councils  through- 
out the  country  who  will  attend  the 
40th  anniversary  conference  of  the 
National  Board  of  Review  of  Motion 
Pictures  here  tomorrow  at  the  Hotel 
McAlpin. 

Adult  and  youth  groups  will  par- 
ticipate in  the  principal  conference 
session  which  will  be  concerned  with 
"The  Motion  Picture  Audience,  1949  " 
Selznick's  subject  will  be  "The  1949 
Motion  Picture  Audiences  from  the 
Producer's  Point  of  View."  Miss  Gish 
will  speak  at  a  session  presided  over 
by  Quincy  Howe,  president  of  the 
board,  dealing  with  the  results  of  a 
study  of  the  general  audience. 

Sullivan  at  Atlanta  Meet 

Atlanta,  March  28.— J.  H.  Thomp- 
son, president  of  the  Theatre  Owners 
and  Operators  of  Georgia,  reports  that 
the_  principal  speaker  for  the  organi- 
zation's annual  meeting,  in  Atlanta, 
May  8-10,  will  be  Gael  Sullivan,  ex- 
ecutive director  of  TOA. 


court's  rejection  of  its  bid  to  appear 
as  mtervenor  in  the  case. 

Partmar  charges  that  under  its 
settlement  with  the  government, 
Paramount  is  free  to  evict  the  plain- 
tiff from  the  Los  Angeles  theatre  and 
that  this  is  not  consistent  with  the 
U.  S.  Supreme  Court's  opinion  in  the 
suit. 

Partmar  charges  that  the  New 
York  court  erred  in  rejecting  the 
move  to  intervene  because  it  gave  no 
findings  on  theatre  issues  still  be- 
fore the  court,  that  the  court  did  not 
recognize  the  Paramount  Theatre  to 
be  a  "fruit  of  the  monopoly"  and  on 
other  counts. 

The  New  York  court  is  expected 
to  rule  on  the  new  move  within  a 
week  and  if  granted,  Partmar  would 
take  the  appeal  to  the  U.  S.  Supreme 
Court. 


Canada  Sets  Loan 
For  TV  Stations 

Toronto,  March  28.— A  loan  of 
$4,000,000  is  being  made  by  the  Do- 
minion government  to  the  Canadian 
Broadcasting  Corp.,  Revenue  Minister 
J.  J.  McCann  announced  in  the  Com- 
mons today,  to  proceed  with  the  estab- 
lishment of  television  stations  in  To- 
ronto and  Montreal. 

_  McCann  told  Parliament  that  in  ad- 
dition to  the  one  immediate  govern- 
ment-controlled TV  station  in  each 
city  authorization  would  be  given  for 
one  _  private  television  broadcasting 
studio  under  annual  license  in  Toronto 
and  Montreal.  It  is  considered  possible 
that  Famous  Players  Canadian  Corp. 
may  secure  the  privilege  for  Toronto 
because  its  experimental  television  de- 
partment is  understood  to  be  in  an 
advanced  stage  of  development. 

They  Strike  It  Rich! 

Chicago,  March  28.— Two  masked 
bandits  held  up  the  Windsor  theatre, 
on  North  Clark  street  early  today  and 
fled  with  $2,300  just  as  the  film 
"Strike  It  Rich"  was  ending.  They 
forced  Vincent  Avery,  manager,  to 
open  the  safe  and  fled  after  cutting 
wires  of  the  inter-house  phone  system. 


TWA=TWA~TWA=TWA 


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\     offers  300-mph 
\  CONSTELLATION  \ 
SERVICE 


Coast-to-coast  ||| 

and  overseas  i 

For  reservations,  call  your  TWA  office  ||| 
or  your  travel  agent. 


Tuesday,  March  29,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


11 


Drive  on  UK  Quota 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

sylvania,  Knowland  of  California,  and 
Brewster  of  Maine. 

2 —  Senator  Downey,  California 
Democrat,  forwarded  to  Acheson  a 
vigorous  protest  against  the  British 
film  quota,  and  asked  for  word  as  to 
what  "the  Department  is  planning  to 
do  to  remedy  this  discriminatory 
action." 

3 —  Senator  Knowland,  who  started 
the  ball  rolling  last  week,  said  he  is 
making  progress  in  working  out  spe- 
cific amendments  to  hit  back  at  British 
discrimination,  and  that  they  might 
still  be  ready  in  time  to  add  to  the 
pending  bill  to  continue  ECA 
through  June  30,  1950.  If  not,  Know- 
land  said,  he  would  offer  them  to  the 
Reciprocal  Trade  Agreements  Act,  the 
ECA  appropriations  bill,  or  some  lat- 
er measure.  He  stressed  the  techni- 
cal difficulty  of  drawing  these 
amendments. 

While  the  letter  signed  by  the  five 
Republican  Senators  covered  a  broad- 
er subject  than  films  alone,  several  of 
the  signers  said  films  had  been  upper- 
most in  their  minds.  Senator  Brew- 
ster stated  he  would  hit  the  British 
film  quota  in  a  speech  he  plans  to 
make  tomorrow  or  Wednesday. 

The  five  Republicans  said  that  it 
seemed  to  them  to  be  inconsistent  for 
the  British  government  to  establish 
economic  iron  curtains — whether  in 
the  form  of  quota  arrangements,  dis- 
criminatory taxes  or  currency  restric- 
tions— at  a  time  when  Congress  is 
being  urged  to  contribute  to  the  open- 
ing up  of  the  channels  of  trade. 

Senator  Downey,  pointing  out  that 
British    producers    could   not  supply 


enough  films  to  fill  even  a  20  per  cent 
screen  quota,  said  that  he  could  see 
no  economic  justification  for  the  pres- 
ent 40  per  cent  quota  and  could  de- 
scribe it  only  as  "punitive  action 
against  an  American  industry. 

"Not  only  is  the  quota  unfair  and 
discriminatory,"  the  California  Demo- 
crat said,  but  "it  is  also  in  direct  con- 
flict with  everything  we  are  trying 
to  do  to  promote  world  recovery.  The 
American  people  are  spending  billions 
of  dollars  to  help  the  rest  of  the  world, 
and  many  American  industries  are 
making  important  trade  concessions  to 
stimulate  a  freer  flow  of  world  com- 
merce. These  sacrifices  we  are  willing 
to  make,  but  the  least  we  can  expect 
in  return  is  that  the  recipients  of 
our  aid  will  dc  their  share  to  carry 
out  the  objectives." 


NCA  to  Join  Fight 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

cabarets  is  "of  concern  to  NCA." 
Kane  drew  up  the  memorandum  for 
the  hotel  group  from  which  the  bill 
has  been  drawn. 

The  NCA  counsel  also  questioned 
the  extent  which  the  Nordbye  monop- 
oly ruling  in  the  Ascap  case  would 
have  on  BMI,  if  it  decided  to  collect 
a  license  fee  from  film  theatres,  point- 
ing out  that  Ascap  music  is  controlled 
by  members  whereas  BMI  operates  as 
a  company  with  full  control  of  its 
music  list. 


Lon  Cox  Resigns  Fox  Post 

Kansas  City,  Mo.,  March  28. — 
Lon  Cox,  head  of  the  film  buying  de- 
partment of  'Fox  Midwest  Theatres, 
has  resigned. 


Performers'  Taxes 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


pay  their  own  taxes.  It  was  ruled 
that  independent  theatres  have  no 
control  over  individual  performers 
further  than  booking  them. 

The  decision,  in  ruling  that  per- 
formers are  independent  contractors, 
voided  automatically  the  so-called 
"Form  B  Contract,"  prepared  by  the 
American  Federation  of  Musicians, 
president  of  which  is  James  C.  Pe- 
trillo.  The  contract  declared  that 
musicians  could  not  perform  until  the 
theatre  management  signed  an  affi- 
davit making  the  musicians  employes 
of  the  theatre. 

Lerner  revealed  that  he  already  has 
presented  a  refund  claim  for  the  State 
Theatre  before  the  Internal  Revenue 
Department. 

Lerner  said  the  refund  covers  a 
period  of  more  than  eight  years  and 
will  amount  to  "many  thousands  of 
dollars."  He  added  that  the  theatre 
will  not  have  to  pay  taxes  any  more, 
which  will  eliminate  much  paper  work. 


16  from  MGM 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


and  "Big  Jack,"  which  replaces  "The 
Great  Sinner." 

"The  Barkleys  of  Broadway"  and 
"The  Great  Sinner"  will  be  released 
in  May.  The  latter  replaces  "Con- 
spirator," a  new  date  for  which  will 
be  announced  later. 

June  releases  are  "Edward,  My 
Son,"  produced  in  England,  and 
"Neptune's  Daughter." 


NCA  Seeks  Outside 
Aid  in  Tax  Fight 

Minneapolis,  March  28. — Minne- 
sota independent  exhibitors  are  urged 
by  -Stan  Kane,  executive  counsel  for 
North  Central  Allied,  "to  enlist  the 
support  of  leading  merchants  and  citi- 
zens of  the  community  to  oppose  pas- 
sage of  legislation  to  enable  villages 
and  cities  to  impose  an  admission  tax, 
and  up  to  the  extent  of  such  Federal 
admission  cut  or  elimination."  The 
bill  is  now  on  general  orders  in  the 
House,  and  a  Senate  measure  is  now 
pending  in  the  committee  on  munici- 
pal affairs. 

In  addition  to  contacting  each  mem- 
ber of  the  legislature,  Kane  urges 
exhibitors  to  get  at  least  25  prominent 
citizens  of  the  community  to  send 
wires,  letters  or  postcards  to  law- 
makers opposing  municipal  admission 
taxes  on  the  grounds  that  taxation 
is  a  "retail  sales  tax  at  excessive 
rates"  and  the  levy  would  fall  on  the 
small  wage  earner. 


Fabian  Acquires  Another 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  28.— Fabian 
Theatres  has  assumed  operation  of 
the  Griswold,  in  Troy,  as  "B"  first- 
run,  after  Warner's  ran  the  same  pol- 
icy since  1942.  Warner  has  simultane- 
ously changed  the  American  there 
from  a  first  to  a  second-run,  a  sched- 
ule followed  before  it  reopened  the 
Griswold.  Vic  Bunze  has  moved  from 
the  American  to  the  Griswold  as  man- 
ager, and  John  Swarthout  went  to  the 
American.  The  Griswold  was  dark  for 
a  time  and  was  in  the  Fabian- Warner 
Troy  pool,  disbanded  two  years  ago. 


THE 

BOSTON  HERALD 

sa/s: 


PILGRIM 

'The  Red  Pony' 

s^=.,sa,s5as  ■T^Vtt  sn^te 

£t:"'--*'"'«S  rif^MStffi  £A*SfSfWSR3 

■»"«  ;.  .  •  "  ■**"«"•«  H«milto„  Slightly  out  of  steo  with  X»  >™  IJ  ?SUrc'  and  you  have  the  Shf.f*  ' 
i&^K-"mfr  E,S?"    £e"crSK  e"6  brought  '»  £  Eihr°b,hr'  Ef™  acts  'he  part  of 

^■fiSftSSS:  sasaasflSL^fflS 

^ss  tt  the  result  of  the  hired  Litabfy  ™Ut  *  thV^ 

Reprinted  from  The  Boston  Herald  — B-  O.  G. 


CHARLES  K.  FELDMAN  presents 


MYRNA  LOY  ROBERT  MITCHUM 


A  LEWIS  MILESTONE  PRODUCTION 

«ith  LOUIS  GALHERN  ,„<  shepperd  struowick 

and  introducing  PETER  MILES  as  TOM  and  MARGARET  HAMILTON 

Screen  Play  by  JOHN  STEINBECK  •  Music  -AARON  COPLAND 


color  by  TECHNICOLOR 


March  29,  1949 


Mr.  Al  Lichtman 

20th  Century-Fox  Film  Corporation 
444  West  56th  Street 
New  York  City 

Dear  Mr.  Lichtman: 

On  Friday,  March  25th,  your  company  was  invited  to  attend  an 
open  forum  for  the  purpose  of  bringing;  facts  and  figures  to  prove 
that  you  are  honestly  entitled  to  a  greater  share  of  the  Indepen- 
dent Exhibitors  gross  at  the  box  office. 

Disregarding  our  invitation,  sent  to  you  by  the  largest  number  of 
Independent  Exhibitors  in  the  New  York  Exchange  area,  you 
called  your  own  meeting  for, this  Friday. 

If  you  are  trying  to  psychologically  lessen  the  impact  of  our 
resolution  may  we  advise  that  you  have  failed.  We  will  not  attend 
your  meeting. 

Good  will  is  a  precious  asset.  Years  of  hard  work  on  the  part  of 
your  company  went  in  to  create  it. 

The  reaction  of  exhibitors  in  your  own  first  two  meetings  has 
practically  destroyed  it. 

Very  truly  yours, 

INDEPENDENT   THEATRE   OWNERS  ASSOCIATION 
OF  NEW  YORK,  INC. 

HARRY  BRANDT,  President 

MAX  A.  COHEN,  Chairman  Film  Committee 

JACK  H  ATT  EM 

LEON  ROSENBLATT 

IRVING  RENNER 

NORMAN  ELSON 

LOU  WOLFF 

SAM  EINHORN 

JACK  ROCHELL 

HENRY  SIEGEL 

AL  MARGOLIES 

RAY  RHONHEIMER 

JULIUS  SANDERS 

MARTIN  LEVINE 

BEN  WEINSTOCK 

Film  Committee  Members 


(ADVERTISEMENT) 


p—  —  -1 

FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate 

IN 

TT%  ATT  ^/ 

Concise 

FILM 

and 

MFWS 

JLI/V1  JL  I 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.  NO.  62 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  MARCH  30,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

BrewsterTakes 
Quota  Fight  to 
Senate  Floor 


Sai/s  Sfafe  Dept.  Must 
Act  Against  British 

Washington,  March  29. — Sena- 
tor Owen  Brewster,  Maine  Republi- 
can, told  the  Seriate  today  that  the 
U.  S.  State  Department  must  inter- 
vene against  the  high  British  quota  on 
American  films  "because  its  ramifica- 
tions go  far  beyond  this  one  industry. ' 
Taking  the  floor  as  debate  re- 
sumed on  a  bill  to  extend  the 
ECA,   Brewster   charged  that 
the  high  quota  was  "intended 
to  oust  American  films  from 
the  British  market  as  quickly 
as  possible."  The  quota  "jams 
the  gears  of  reciprocity,"  he 
declared. 

Meanwhile,  there  were  other  devel- 
opments in  the  Congressional  fight  for 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Krim  Predicts  50% 
E-L  Business  Rise 


Upon  leaving  here  for  Hollywood 
yesterday,  Arthur  B.  Krim,  president 
of  Eagle-Lion,  asserted  that  in  his 
opinion  the  company's  income  for 
1949  would  be  approximately  50  per 
cent  over  1948.  Eagle-Lion's  income 
for  1948,  as  reported  by  Krim,  was 
65  per  cent  higher  than  1947,  the 
company's  first  year  of  operation. 
Krim  also  confirmed  yesterday  that 
complete  financing  had  been  arranged 
for  the  company's  requirements  for 
the  next  12  months. 

First  two  months  of  1949,  Krim  de- 
clared, were  the  greatest  income-pro- 
ducing months  in  the  company's  his- 
tory. A  record  gross  for  the  company 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Wood  Urges  Return 
Of  3%  Tax  to  State 


Merge  Rank  Firms 
Into  New  Setup 

London,  March  29.  —  Con- 
solidation of  all  J.  Arthur 
Rank's  production  facilities 
into  one  firm  was  announced 
here  today  by  a  spokesman 
for  the  British  producer  now 
in  America.  Joseph  Somlo,  of 
Two  Cities,  and  Edwin  Davis, 
of  Production  Facilities,  are 
two  top  executives  let  out  by 
the  economy  move. 


McGovern,  Freiman 
In  New  Sales  Posts 


A.  W.  Schwalberg,  Paramount 
general  sales  manager,  has  appointed 
James  B.  McGovern  and  Charles  N. 
Freiman  special  home  office  sales  rep- 
resentatives. 

Both  will  confer  with  branch  man- 
agers -and  personnel  on  matters  of 
procedure  and  routine  to  further  de- 
velop the  new  Paramount  plan,  "prog- 
ress through  teamwork."  Since  the 
plan  embraces  studio,  salesman  and 
customer,  McGovern  and  Freiman 
will  have  direct  contact  with  exhibit- 
ors to  quickly  liquidate  Paramount 
contracts.  They  will  also  serve  as 
clearing  houses  for  their  respective 
territorial  subdivisions  in  the  matter 
of  unusual  sales  promotion  ideas,  not 
only  to  achieve  faster  playoff,  but  to 
make  progress  in  the  field  of  ex- 
change-exhibitor relations. 

McGovern  and  Freiman  will  leave 
the  home  office  within  the  week  on 
the  first  leg  of  their  itinerary. 


'Hamlet'  Is  Spurred 
By  Academy  Awards; 
Most  Others  Drop 


First-runs  here  for  the  most  part 
are  in  the  usual  pre-Easter  doldrums. 
Influx  of  visitors  apparently  is  at  a 
minimum  and  warm  weather  is  keep- 
ing many  New  Yorkers  outdoors. 

The  Academy  Award  citations  are 
responsible  for  a  new  prosperity  at 
the  Park  where  mail  orders  for 
"Hamlet"  shot  upwards  by  50  per 
cent.  Tickets  are  now  selling  up  to 
16  weeks  in  advance  with  the  cur- 
rent week,  the  26th,  likely  to  gross 
more  than  $15,000.  Advertisements 
pointing  up  the  Awards  for  "Ham- 
let" made  their  initial  appearances 
in  New  York  newspapers  only  yes- 
terday, thus  even  more  robust  busi- 
ness is  anticipated. 

One  of  the  most  spirited  among  the 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Lichtman  Calls 
For  a  Step-Up 
In  Clearances 


Schwartz  Promotes 
Weiss  and  Koken 


Sol  A.  Schwartz,  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  RKO  Theatres, 
has  promoted  Harry  Weiss  to  divi- 
sion manager  of  RKO  Theatres  in 
Minnesota  and  Iowa.  Weiss  who  was 
an  RKO  division  manager  in  Brook- 
lyn will  make  his  new  headquarters 
in  Minneapolis.  Robert  Whalen  will 
continue  as  assistant  division  mana- 
ger in  this  territory. 

Schwartz  also  announced  that  Lee 
Koken  will  devote  his  entire  time  to 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Majors  Halt  Support  of 
Annual  Academy  Awards 


KMTA  Talks  Over 
Exhibitor  Problems 


Columbus,  O.,  March  29. — Fear  of 
increase  in  admissions  taxes  in  Ohio 
would  be  eliminated  through  passage 
of  House  Bill  No.  526,  now  up  for 
consideration  in  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, reports  P.  J.  Wood,  secre- 
tary of  the  Independent  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  Ohio.  He  urges  all  Ohio  exhib- 
itors to  write  or  wire  House  taxation 
committee  members  and  tell  them  of 
their  support  of  the  bill.     The  bill 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Kansas  City,  March  29. — High- 
light of  the  one-day  exhibitors'  meet- 
ing under  the  sponsorship  of  the 
Kansas-Missouri  Theatre  Association, 
today  at  the  Hotel  Phillips  was  the 
discussion  led  by  Glen  Hall  of  Cass- 
ville,  on  exhibitor  exploitations,  in- 
cluding those  selling  pictures  in  small 
towns. 

Senn  Lawler  led  a  discussion  on 
public  relations,  with  specific  instances 
of  service  to  communities  in  coopera- 
tion with  local  projects  in  both  small 
and  large  centers.  Richard  Orear  of 
Commonwealth  led  an  exchange  of  ex- 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Hollywood,  March  29. — Academy 
of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sciences 
president  Jean  Hersholt  today  told 
Motion  Picture  Daily  that  major 
company  heads  have  notified  the 
Academy  board,  prior  to  last  week's 
Academy  Awards  ceremonies,  that  it 
was  the  last  time  the  companies  would 
contribute  financial  support  to  that 
feature  of  the  Academy's  activities 
Hersholt,  who  will  relinquish  the 
presidency  on  the  expiration  of  his 
fourth  term  next  month,  will  arrive 
in  New  York  April  30  for  a  month's 
stay,  during  which  he  will  talk  per- 
sonally with  company  presidents  in  an 
attempt  to  persuade  them  to  alter 
their  decision  by  demonstrating  the 
public  relations  and  goodwill  value 
of  the  annual  awards. 

Hersholt  said  company  heads  had 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Avers  Current  Method 
Is  Now  Obsolescent 


Philadelphia,  March  29. — Ex- 
sting  clearances  governing  first- 
run  operations  in  key  cities  are  ob- 
solete and  ought  to  be  modernized, 
Al  Lichtman,  vice-president  of  20th 
Century-Fox,  told  a  group  of  Phila- 
delphia exchange  area  exhibitors  at 
the  Hotel  Warwick  today. 

At  the  same  time,  he  took  a 
position  in  favor  of  simultane- 
ous runs,  such  as  now  prevail 
in  Chicago,  declaring  the  sys- 
tem there  has  resulted  in  a 
"tremendous  increase  in  admis- 
sions for  the  vast  majority  of 
independents  and  circuits." 
The  occasion  was  the  third  stop  in 
the  projected  tour  of  the  nation's  key 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


NT's  $3,500,000 
Settlement  Okayed 

New  York  Supreme  Court  Justice 
Ferdinand  Pecora  has  confirmed  the 
$3,500,000  settlement  of  National 
Theatres'  minority  stockholders'  ac- 
tions in  accordance  with  the  recom- 
mendations of  New  York  attorney  Ja- 
cob S.  Demov,  who  served  as  referee 
in  the  case.  Early  this  month,  Jus- 
tice Pecora  reserved  decision  follow- 
ing a  court  hearing  on  the  report  sub- 
mitted by  Demov. 

Under  terms  of  the  approved  settle- 
ment, National  Theatres  president 
Charles  P.  Skouras  and  three  other 
executives  agree  to  the  amendment  of 
their  employment  contracts  enabling 
the  company  to  save  a  total  of  $1,750,- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


SPG  Negotiations 
Are  Faltering  Here 

Faced  by  "an  apparent  unwilling- 
ness on  the  part  of  the  distributors  to 
negotiate  fully  the  details  of  a  new 
contract"  for  the  Screen  Publicists 
Guild  (CIO)  here,  key  committee 
members  of  the  union  met  yesterday 
to  outline  plans  for  action  designed  to 
"persuade  the  companies  to  adopt  a 
more  realistic  attitude  in  their  union 
negotiations." 

The  decisions  of  yesterday's  meeting, 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Mexico  City  Theatres 
Gross  $13y2  Millions 

Mexico  City,  March  29.— 
Motion  pictures  again  claim- 
ed most  of  the  $20,000,000 
spent  here  last  year  for  pub- 
lic entertainment,  reports  the 
Municipal  Treasury  Depart- 
ment. The  93  theatres  opera- 
ting claimed  $13,500,000  of 
that  sum  for  50,464,540  ad- 
missions, compared  with  the 
$1,100,000  gross  by  eight  stage 
houses  on  1,802,752  admis- 
sions. 

The  1948  overall  amusement 
gross  hit  a  new  high  and  was 
$900,000  higher  than  in  1947, 
which  the  Department  calls 
remarkable  because  there 
was  less  economic  depression 
in  1947  than  there  was  in 
1948. 


Wednesday,  March  30,  1949 


Personal  Mention 


j. 


Three  More  Groups 
To  Aid  Bond  Drive 

Washington,  March  29.— Secre- 
tary of  the  Treasury  John  W.  Snyder 
announces  receipt  of  pledges  of  co- 
operation in  the  industry's  participa- 
tion m  the  forthcoming  savings  bond 
drive  from  three  additional  film 
groups,  the  Screen  Directors'  Guild 
Screen  Actors'  Guild  and  the  IATSE 


Ben  Hecht  Resumes 

Ben  Hecht  has  been  signed  by  Sam- 
uel Goldwyn  to  do  the  screenplay  of 
the  yet  unpublished  novel  of  Leo 
Brady,  "The  Edge  of  Doom,"  which 
will  be  in  the  bookstores  in  Septem- 
ber from  E.  P.  Dutton.  "Hecht's  de- 
cision to  forswear  Hollywood  writing 
assignments,  made  six  months  ago, 
was  reversed  under  the  persuasion  of 
Goldwyn,"  according  to  the  Goldwyn 
office  here. 


Charles  J.  Closmann,  66 

New  Orleans,  March  29.— Charles 
J.  Closmann,  66,  pioneer  in  the  elec- 
trical projection  of  motion  pictures 
died  here  on  March  23,  it  was  dis- 
closed here  today.  His  work  in  de- 
veloping electrical  projection  started 
about  1913.  He  was  also  a  pioneer 
in  the  field  of  outdoor  films,  present- 
ing them  here  with  vaudeville  in  1913 
He  is  survived  by  the  widow,  two 
sons  and  a  sister. 


ARTHUR  RANK  is  scheduled 
to  leave  New  York  today  for 
Palm  Beach,  Fla.,  for  a  stay  with 
Robert  R.  Young,  principal  stock 
holder  of  Eagle-Lion. 

• 

Fred  R.  Lack,  vice-president  of 
Western  Electric,  has  been  elected 
president  of  the  Armed  Forces  Com- 
munication Association,  and  Thomas 
J.  Hargrave,  Eastman  Kodak  Co 
president,  was  named  an  AFCA  vice- 
president. 

• 

Walter  L.  Titus,  Jr.,  Republic 
division  manager,  is  in  Boston  from 
New  York  and  is  expected  to  return 
here  Friday. 

• 

Bob  Lynch,  M-G-M  Philadelphia 
district  manager,  and  Lou  Formato 
branch  manager,  are  in  New  York 
from  Philadelphia. 

• 

_  C.  J.  Feldman,  Universal-Interna- 
tional Western  sales  manager,  is  tour- 
ing branches  in  his  district  and  will 
return  to  New  York  in  three  weeks 
• 

Florynce  Bergstein  of  Walter 
Reade  Theatres'  bookkeeping  depart- 
ment, was  married  last  Saturday  to 
Howard  Bock. 

• 

A.  M.  Kane,  Paramount  assistant 
Eastern    division    manager,    was  in 
Charlotte  yesterday  from  New  York. 
• 

Rube  Jackter,  Columbia  assistant 
general  sales  manager,  will  leave  here 
Friday  for  Florida  on  business. 
• 

Steve  Strassberg,    Film  Classics' 
assistant  director  of  advertising-pub- 
licity, is  in  Buffalo  from  New  York 
• 

Erich  von  Stroheim  left  here  last 
night  for  Hollywood. 


CTANTON  GRIFFIS,  United  States 
^  Ambassador  to  Egypt  and  chair- 
man of  Paramount's  executive  com- 
mittee, will  arrive  here  today  abeard 
the  SS.  Queen  Mary. 

• 

Herman  Levy,  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  general  counsel,  and  Mrs 
Levy,  celebrated  their  18th  wedding 
anniversary  yesterday  with  a  cocktail 
party  at  the  Sherry  Netherlands 
Hotel  here. 

• 

Sam  Engel,  producer;  Ronald 
Reagan,  president  of  the  Screen  Ac- 
tors Guild;  Michael  Wilding  and 
Patricia  Neal  will  arrive  here  today 
from  Europe  on  the  S'.S'.  Queen  Mary, 

Ed  Hinchy,  head  of  Warner's 
home  office  playdate  department,  will 
leave  here  today  for  Pittsburgh  and 
Cleveland. 

e 

Card  Walker,  public  relations  di 
rector  of  Walt  Disney  Studios,  is 
here  from  Hollywood. 

• 

Olin  H.  Clark,  M-G-M  Eastern 
story  head,  is  back  here  from  a  Nas 
sau  vacation. 

• 

Leo  Handel  of  M-G-M's  audience 
research  bureau  will  lecture  at  Col- 
umbia University  here  tonight. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


Maxwell  Shane,  Universal-Inter- 
national producer-director,  has  arrived 
here  from  Hollywood. 

• 

Melvin  Hirsh,  president  of  Crys- 
tal Pictures,  has  left  New  Yor-L  for 
a  three-week  tour  of  the  Midwest. 

Teddy  Shull,  head  of  Peerless 
Distributing  of  Washington,  is  in 
New  York. 


Flynn  Funeral  Today 

Chicago,  March  29. — Funeral  serv- 
ices will  be  held  tomorrow  at  St 
Patrick's  Church,  Lincoln,  111.,  for 
John  E.  (Jack)  Flynn,  who  retired 
May  1,  1947  as  M-G-M's  Midwestern 
sales  manager.  William  A.  Scully, 
Universal  -  International  distribution 
vice-president,  is  en  route  here  from 
New  York  to  attend  the  funeral. 

Mrs.  Mary  Allard  Graves 

Boston,  March  29.— Funeral  ser- 
vices for  Mrs.  Mary  Allard  Graves, 
widow  of  Homer  A.  Graves  with 
whom  she  was  associated  for  many 
years  in  the  operation  of  several  thea- 
tres m  New  England,  were  held  Sat- 
urday  at  her  home  in  Lancaster,  N.  H 


Video  -  Film  Unit  to 
Finalize  Contract 

A  reading  of  the  completed  standard 
exhibition  contract  for  television  films 
will  _  highlight  the  open  forum  dis^ 
cussion  and  dinner  meeting  of  thi 
National  Television  Film  Council, 
tomorrow  evening  at  the  Brass  Rail 
here,  it  was  announced  by  Melvin  L 
Gold,   NTFC  president. 

The  contract  will  be  explained  by 
Seymour  M.  Peyser,  member  of  the 
law  firm  of  Phillips,  Nizer,  Benjamin 
and  Krim  and  NTFC  legal  counsel. 


MP  A  A  Meeting  Now 
Off  to  April  7th 

Because  a  quorum  is  not 
expected  to  be  available  on 
April  5,  the  date  previously 
set  for  the  annual  meeting 
here  of  the  directors  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America,  the  meeting  will  be 
held  instead  on  April  7,  it 
was  indicated  yesterday  by  a 
spokesman  for  MPAA's  New 
York  office. 


'Cesar'  Rated  'C; 
Ten  Others  Reviewed 

Eleven  additional  films  have  been 
classified  by  the  National  Legion  of 
Uecency,  with  Siritzky  International's 
Cesar  _  given  a  class  "C"  rating. 
Classified  A-I  were  M-G-M's  "The 
Stratton  Story";  Republic's  "Duke  of 
Chicago";  Screen  Guild's  "Frontier 
Revenge."  Classified  A-II  were 
Screen  Guild's  "Highway  13"-  War- 
ner Brother's  "Homicide";  20th  Cen- 
^UTFo*'s  "Mr-  Belevedere  Goes  to 
College  ;  Columbia's  "Undercover 
t  u''  Earner's  "Young  Brothers." 
In  the  B"  Classification  were  placed 
United  Artists'  "The  Crooked  Way" 
and  "Outpost  in  Morocco." 


T1  HE  presentation  of  the  Academy 
*  Awards  and  the  World  Peace 
Conference  m  New  York  are  among 
current  newsreel  highlights.  Other 
items  include  people  in  the  news 
sweepstakes  winners,  sports,  etc 
Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE    NEWS,    No.  26— Red 

sponsored  peace  talks  in  N.  Y.  Pope  Pius 
thanks  American  people  for  their  charity. 
Greek  Eyzones  present  President  Truman 
with  gifts.  Academy  Awards.  Tornado 
sweeps  five  states.  Roller  derby.  Grand 
National.  Sweepstakes. 

™£EWS,OF  THI?  DAY'  N°-  360— Red 

peace  conference  stirs  up  storm.  Missis- 
sippi levee  breaks.  "Dream  House"  for  child 
Cre^\  New-  defense   chief   takes  office 

t?n™,  ^  g'.ft?  t0  T™"«n.  Grand  Na- 
tional.    Sweepstakes  winners. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  63— Peace 
parley  sets  off  controversy.  Academy 
Awards  President  Peron  of  Argentina 
tfonal  oath  of  new  constitution.    Grand  Na- 

TJNIVEBSAL  NEWSKEEE,  No.  234— 
na^H*  de^ounc?  Pea£e  delegation.  Greek 
parade.  Tornado.  President  Peron  and 
NaTional     Utl0n'    Academy  Awards.  Grand 

P^AK]VE,B  PA™  NEWS,  No.  65- 

■feople  m  the  news:  Churchill,  Peron,  Ad- 
miral Leahy,  Porrestal  and  Johnson.  Acad- 

Sw^±TdS-  .Basketba"-  Grand  National, 
bweepstakes  winners. 


Premiere  of  'Jennie' 

With  Army  searchlights  giving  the 
area  the  flavor  of  a  Hollywood  first 
night,  noted  New  Yorkers  from  the 
business,  society  and  theatrical  worlds 
attended  the  premiere  of  David  O 
Selzmck's  "Portrait  of  Jennie"  at  the 
Rivoli  Theatre  here  last  night  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Free  Milk  Fund  for 
Babies.  Prominent  among  those  who 
attended  were  Selznick  and  Lillian 
Gish,  who  has  a  top  role  in  the  film. 


Production  Is  Off 
Slightly,  to  26 

Hollywood,  March  29.— The  pro- 
duction tally  dipped  to  26  from  last 
weeks  29.  Five  films  were  started 
while  eight  were  completed. 

Shooting  started  on  "Frontier 
Fear,"  Monogram;  "Down  Dakota 
Way  and  "Brimstone,"  Republic; 
Quicksand"  (Rooney-Stiefel),  United 
Artists;  "Partners  in  Crime,"  Uni- 
versal-International. Shooting  fin- 
ished on  "Barbary  Pirate,"  Colum- 
bia; "Alimony"  (Equity),  Eagle- 
Lion;  "The  Forsyte  Saga"  and 
Scene  of  the  Crime,"  Metro-Gold- 
wyn-Mayer  ;  "Fathoms  Deep,"  Repub- 
lic; "Home  of  the  Brave,"  United 
Artists ;  "Abbott  and  Costello  Meet  the 
Killers"  and  "Curtain  Call  at  Cactus 
Creek,"  Universal-International. 

Charge  High  Rentals 
Replace  Percentages 

.  Minneapolis,  March  29.  —  Local 
distributors  are  circumventing  their 
promise  not  to  force  percentages  on 
accounts  paying  under  $200  by  quot- 
ing flat  rentals  at  such  high  figures 
"it  is  still  forced  percentage— in  fact." 
Twin  Cities  exhibitors  charged  here. 

While  no  action  was  taken  on 
forced  percentages,  the  owners 
"scoffed  at  statements  entirely  at  vari- 
ance" with  branch  managers'  practices 
in  quoting  terms,  a  spokesman  said. 

Shirley  Aide  to  Davis 

P .  H.  Shirley  has  been  appointed 
personal  assistant  to  John  Davis, 
managing  director  of  the  J.  Arthur 
Rank  Organization,  Ltd.,  it  was  an- 
nounced here.  Shirley  has  been  a 
departmental  manager  with  the  firm 
of  Peat,  Warwick,  Mitchell  and  Co., 
London  accountants. 


Wednesday,  March  30,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


'Hamlet'  Is  Spurred 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


new  films  in  town  is  "El  Paso"  with 
Louis  Jordan's  "Tympony  Five"  and 
Ray  Anthony's  orchestra  at  the  Para- 
mount where  the  first  week's  take  is 
estimated  at  $68,000  which,  by  com- 
parison with  most  other  spots,  is  sub- 
stantial business. 

Also  relatively  big  is  "Outpost  in 
Morocco"  with  Gordon  Jenkins'  or- 
chestra on  stage,  which  is  headed  for 
a  first  week's  gross  of  $64,000  at  the 
Capitol.  "Kiss  in  the  Dark"  with  Guy 
Lombardo  on  stage  should  give  the 
Strand  about  $50,000  for  a  first  week, 
which  is  also  healthy  business. 

'Fan'  Comes  to  Roxy 

"The  Fan"  will  bow  in  at  the  Roxy 
on  Friday,  replacing  "Mother  Is  a 
Freshman"  which,  with  Cab  Call- 
oway's orchestra  and  Phil  Baker  on 
stage,  probably  will  wind  up  its  third 
and  final  week  with  $56,000,  a  mild 
gross. 

Immediate  gains  from  previously 
reported  price  cuts  at  some  runs  here 
is  not  too  discernible,  according  to  the- 
atremen,  who  express  the  belief  that 
advantages  will  be  felt  on  a  long- 
range  basis.  Scales  have  been  lowered 
at  the  Globe,  Mayfair,  Victoria  and 
Criterion. 

"Little  Women,"  with  a  stage  pres- 
entation at  the  Music  Hall,  should  do 
about  $115,000  in  a  third  week,  which 
is  fair  business ;  it  holds  for  a  fourth, 
to  be  followed  on  April  7  by  "Connec- 
ticut Yankee  in  King  Arthur's  Court." 
"Take  Me  Out  to  the  Ball  Game" 
looks  good  for  about  $33,000  in  a  good 
third  week  at  the  State. 

'Bad  Boy'  Off 

"Bad  Boy"  was  off  as  a  newcomer 
at  the  Palace  where  the  first  week's 
business  is  estimated  at  $14,000;  the 
film  will  bow  out  tomorrow  night  to 
make  way  for  "I  Shot  Jesse  James." 
"Impact,"  at  the  Globe,  in  a  second 
week,  should  gross  $10,500. 

"Portrait  of  Jennie"  had  an  elabo 
rate  premiere  at  the  Rivoli  last  night 
for  the  benefit  of  the  New  York  Milk 
Fund.  "The  Snake  Pit"  was  away 
down  at  the  end  of  its  highly  success- 
ful run  at  the  Rivoli,  bringing  in 
only  $4,000  in  its  final  five  days: 
two  short  of  a  full  21st  week. 

"The  Red  Shoes"  is  continuing  at 
a  good  clip  at  the  Bijou  with  about 
$13,000  seen  for  a  23rd  week.  "Knock 
on  Any  Door"  is  down  to  $13,000  in  a 
slow  fifth  week  at  the  Astor.  "Criss 
Cross"  dropped  to  an  unfavorable 
$9,000  in  its  final  four  days  at  the 
Criterion,  three  less  than  a  complete 
third  week,  and  was  succeeded  yester- 
day by  "The  Set-Up." 

"Joan  of  Arc"  is  likely  to  complete 
a  20th  week  at  the  Victoria  with 
about  $14,000,  which  is  fair  enough. 
"Casablanca,"  reissue  at  the  Mayfair, 
should  gross  about  $20,000  in  a  mild 
first  week. 


Protestants  Will 
Make  30  Films 

Hollywood,  March  29.— The 
Protestant  Film  Commission 
will  produce  a  minimum  of  30 
pictures,  predominantly  fea- 
tures, in  the  next  two  years, 
executive  producer  Paul  F. 
Heard  announces.  A  series  of 
five  features  based  on  De- 
mocracy will  be  produced  by 
Edward  Nassour.  Other 
themes  to  be  dealt  with  are 
mental  health,  foreign  mis- 
sions, ministry,  international 
relations,  family  life,  church- 
and-community,  the  Bible  in 
modern  living,  Christian 
Education. 


Ask  Court  Switch  in 
Auburn  Trust  Action 

Federal  Judge  Sylvester  Ryan  re- 
served decision  in  U.  S.  District 
Court  here  yesterday  on  a  defense 
motion  calling  for  transfer  of  the  Au- 
burn Capital  Theatre  Corporation's 
$2,500,000  triple-damage  anti-trust  ac- 
tion against  the  Schine  Circuit  Corp. 
and  major  distributors  to  the  North- 
ern U.  S.  District  Court  in  Utica, 
N.  Y.  The  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  theatre 
plaintiff  has  charged  conspiracy  to  de- 
prive the  Capital  of  product. 

In  opposing  the  motion,  Milton  Pol- 
lack, plaintiff's  attorney,  contended 
that  under  the  new  U.  S.  Code  of 
Judicial  and  Judiciary  Procedure, 
which  became  effective  last  Septem 
ber,  action  may  be  pursued  in  the 
District  Court  of  the  plaintiff's  choice. 
Judge  Ryan's  ruling  on  the  motion 
will  settle  a  test  case  on  that  point, 
it  is  said. 


Academy  Awards 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


based  their  decision  to  terminate  their 
financial  support  of  the  awards  feature 
on  the  grounds  that  "attaining  Acad- 
emy quality  on  the  screen  costs  too 
much,  due  to  the  necessity  of  expen- 
sive retakes  and  other  costly  meas- 
ures, and  we  are  interested  only  in 
commercially  successful  product." 

Hersholt  had  given  indirect  men- 
tion to  "voices"  crying  out  "we  don't 
want  Academy  standards  foisted  upon- 
us- — we  want  to  make  commercial  pic- 
tures, unhampered  by  considerations 
of  artistic  excellence"  in  his  opening 
address  at  the  Awards  ceremony  last 
Thursday  night.  Today  he  pointed 
out  that  the  aggregate  financial  assist- 
ance supplied  this  year  was  $50,000 
and  asked  how  the  industry  could  have 
secured  comparable  public  relations 
benefits  for  that  sum. 

Hersholt  said  he  had  canvassed  the 
matter  thoroughly  with  Eric  Johnston, 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica president,  during  the  latter's  recent 
visit  here  and  asked  him  to  arrange  a 
meeting  for  him  with  company  heads 
in  New  York.  He  pointed  out  his  of- 
ficial connection  with  the  Academy 
will  be  terminated  by  then  and  that, 
speaking  as  ah  individual  free  of  con- 
tractual ties  with  all  phases  of  the 
film  industry,  he  will  be  in  a  position 
to  speak  plainly  on  the  whole  matter 
of  East- West  relations  on  the  strength 
of  his  four  years  as  Academy  presi- 
dent and  12  as  president  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Relief  Fund.  He  ex- 
pressed the  hope  that  he  can  bring- 
about  a  change  in  the  decision  by  di- 
rect discussion  but  added  that  the 
Academy's  many  other  activities  are 
not  affected  and  will  continue  opera- 
tive as  in  the  past. 


Hollywood 


KMTA  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


periences  in  various  phases  of  con- 
cessions. 

With  Homer  Strowig  of  Abilene 
leading,  exhibitors  showed  they  were 
keeping  in  close  touch  with  TV  de- 
velopments. 

Marcus  Landau  of  Madison  led  a 
discussion  on  clearances,  which  the 
exhibitors  were  "told  by  attorney  Joe 
Kelly  of  the  present  Missouri  law  re- 
garding informers  in  aisle  regulation 
proceedings. 

Elmer  E.  Bills,  Salisbury,  president 
of  KMTA,  presided. 


Allow  Intervention 
Appeal  in  Para.  Suit 

New  York  Federal  Court  yesterday 
allowed  Partmar  Corp.  to  take  appeal 
to  U.  S.  Supreme  Court  from  the 
lower  court's  denial  of  a  motion  to  in- 
tervene in  the  Paramount  trust  settle- 
ment. Consequently,  attorneys  John 
H.  Amen  and  Russell  Amen,  for  Part- 
mar,  will  file  a  petition  aiming  to 
block  the  Paramount  reorganization, 
or  at  least  to  partially  upset  it,  with 
the  Supreme  Court. 

Partmar,  which  operates  the  Para- 
mount Theatre,  Los  Angeles,  on  lease 
from  Paramount,  charges  that  the 
Paramount  decree  allows  the  company 
to  evict  the  plaintiff  and  this  contra- 
venes the  Supreme  Court  decision  in 
the  industry  trust  suit. 


NT  Suit  Settlement 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Theatre  'Bank  Night' 
Okayed  in  N.Mexico 

Santa  Fe,  N.  M.,  March  29.— Gov. 
Thomas  J.  Mabry  has  signed  a  bill 
legalizing  "Bank  Night"  in  New 
Mexico  theatres. 

The  recent  legislature  passed  the 
measure  exempting  "bona  fide  amuse- 
ment establishments"  from  state  laws 
banning  lotteries.  Theatres  now  may 
offer  "prizes  of  cash  or  merchandise 
for  advertising  purposes  .  .  .  for  the 
purpose  of  stimulating  business." 


000  for  the  next  seven  years.  Addi 
tionally,  it  calls  for  a  ceiling  to  be 
placed   on   further    compensation  to 
these  executives,  which  has  been  esti 
mated  might  reach  a  total  of  $1,750, 
000.    The  company  also  obtained  from 
some  officers  and  key  executives  stock 
options  on  common  stock  of  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox,   of   which    National    is  a 
subsidiary.     These     options  cover 
18,500  shares  of  common  at  $22.50  per 
share  and  expire  on  Dec.  31,  1949. 

Milton  Pollack,  general  counsel  for 
the  suing  stockholders,  has  indicated 
that  he  will  present  Justice  Pecora's 
order  in  the  near  future  in  U.  S.  Dis 
trict  Court  here  to  arrange  for  dis 
missal  of  the  stockholder  actions 
pending  against  National,  20th-Fox 
and  the  four  executives.  A  total  of 
15  individual  suits  were  filed  charging 
that  Skouras  under  a  stock  option  deal 
profited  $4,281,250,  that  executives 
Elmer  C.  Rhoden  and  F.  H.  Ricket- 
son,  Jr.,  gained  $1,027,000  each,  and 
that  executive  Harold  J.  Fitzgerald 
profited  by  $513,000. 

Justice  Pecora  complimented  De- 
mov,  Pollack  and  other  counsel  con- 
nected with  the  case  on  their  success- 
ful efforts  to  arrive  at  a  settlement, 
and  the  jurist  said  that  upon_  settle- 
ment of  the  order  the  court  will  pass 
upon  requests  for  allowances  for  the 
attorneys. 


Hollywood,  March  29 
O  EVEN  story  properties  are  being 
^-5  prepared  for  Hal  Wallis'  produc- 
tion within  the  next  18  months,  a 
record  undertaking.  .  .  .  Chester 
Franklin,  discoverer  of  Rin  Tin  Tin, 
has  joined  M-G-M  as  a  producer  and 
will  produce  a  Lassie  picture  as  his 
first  assignment. 

• 

Stuart  Heisler  is  to  direct  Hum- 
phrey Bogart  in  "Chain  Lightning" 
for  Warner.  .  .  .  Curtis  Bernhart, 
who  gave  Marlene  Dietrich  her  first 
starring  role,  will  direct  "Bodies 
and  Souls,"  the  Pandro  Berman 
production,  for  M-G-M.  .  .  .  Burt 
Lancaster  has  signed  a  long  term 
Warner  contract. 

• 

Republic  has  signed  Rex  Allen,  a 
radio  cowboy  from  Station  WLS, 
Chicago,  to  star  in  a  new  series  of 
musical  Westerns,  with  "Arizona 
Cowboy"  his  first.  .  .  .  Producer 
Lindsley  Parsons  had  contracted  to 
produce  three  James  Oliver  Curwood 
pictures  for  Monogram  release.  .  .  . 
Mervyn  LeRoy  will  direct  Clark 
Gable  and  Loretta  Young  in  M-G-M's 
"Key  to  the  City." 


Wood  Urges  Return 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


would  return  the  three  per  cent  ad- 
mission tax  to  the  state  and  limit  it 
to  that  figure.  Ohio  municipalities 
are  now  permitted  to  exercise  ad- 
mission tax  authority. 

Wood  said  that  exhibitors,  irrespec- 
tive of  where  they  operate,  would  be 
in  a  much  safer  position  if  the  taxing 
power  on  admissions  is  left  in  the 
hands  of  the  state  rather  than  cities 
and  other  subdivisions. 

"Up  until  this  time  we  have  been 
extremely  fortunate  in  maintaining 
the  three  per  cent  rate,  but  we  con- 
stantly face  the  danger  of  having  some 
city  or  village  increase  the  rate  and 
find  ourselves  in  the  same  position 
as  scores  of  theatres  in  Pennsylvania, 
where  local  admission  tax  ordinances 
as  high  as  10  per  cent  have  been  en- 
acted," Wood  said. 

James  M.  Carney  of  Cuyahoga 
County,  is  chairman  of  the  House  tax- 
ation committee. 


'Quiet  One*  Cited 

"The   Quiet   One,"  distributed  by 

Mayer-Burstyn,     has  received  the 

Newspaper  Guild  of  New  York's 
"Page  One  Award." 


K.C.  Bond  Meet  Today 

Kansas  City,  March  29. — The 
meeting  scheduled  for  today  to  outline 
the  motion  picture  industry's  role  in 
the  national  savings  bond  drive  being 
conducted  by  the  U.  S.  Treasury  De- 
partment has  been  postponed  until 
tomorrow. 


Weiss  and  Koken 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

heading  RKO  Theatres'  vending  de- 
partment, and  his  theatres  have  been 
assigned  to  other  division  managers 
in  the  New  York  Metropolitan  area. 

Also,  Sol  Sorkin  has  been  promoted 
from  manager  of  the  RKO  Keith  The- 
atre, Flushing,  to  city  manager  in 
Syracuse.  Michael  Edelstein  in  addi- 
tion to  supervising  RKO  theatres  in 
Syracuse  and  Rochester  will  handle 
several  houses  in  New  York  City. 


Union  Conferees  Named 

Herb  Schmidt,  David  Cassidy  and 
Albert  Genovese  have  been  elected 
by  Paramount  International  "white 
collarites"  here  to  represent  workers 
in  forthcoming  contract  negotiations 
between  the  company  and  IATSE 
Motion  Picture  Home  Office  Em- 
ployes Local  No.  H-63.  Russell  Moss, 
Local  H-63  executive  vice-president, 
and  Joseph  M.  Conlon,  the  local's 
business  representative,  also  will  par- 
ticipate in  the  negotiations. 


WARNER  BROS.  GAVE  THE  SCR 


I 


WORLD 


THE  YEAR'S  BES 


u 


THE  YEAR'S  BEST  SUPPOR  l 


IN 


THE  YEAR'S  BEST  SUPPORTI 


THE  YEAR'S  BEST  DIRECTOI 


u 


FOR 


THE  YEAR'S  BEST  SCREENP1! 


U 


n 


FOR 


AND  THE  INDIVIDUAL  PRODUCER  OF  THE 
MOST  CONSISTENT  HIGH  QUALITY  PICTURES 


u 


WINNER  OF  THALBERG  MEMORIAL  AWARD 


In  acknowledging  the  high  tribul 
that  has  been  paid  the  Warne 
Bros.  Studio  I  want  to  thank  put 
licly  all  the  men  and  women  whos  t 
talents  and  efforts  brought  aboi 
these  achievements.  We  are  prou 


5  OF  THE 


MM 


CTRESS 


u. 


6  ACTOR 


ACTRESS 


0' 


L  |:; 

tuern  indeed.  And  every  one  of 
Warner  Bros,  is  determined 
even  these  standards  shall  be 
massed  by  the  program  we  are 
engaged  in.  My  thanks  and 
rtiest  congratulations  to  all. 


WINNER  WYMAN  IS  READY  TO  WIN 
THEIR  HEARTS  AGAIN  IN  HER  NEW  HIT! 

BOOKING  EVERYWHERE/ 


DAVID 


JANE 


ii 


KISS  IN  THE  DARK 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Lichtman  Calls 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


cities  during  which  Lichtman  and 
Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  20th-Fox's  distribution,  will 
discuss  with  exhibitors  the  possibili- 
ties of  developing  a  method  of  re- 
dividing  the  box-office  dollar  on  a 
basis  more  favorable  to  their  com- 
pany. They  hold  this  necessary  to 
fortify  production  and  as  insurance 
bulwarking  an  uninterrupted  flow  of 
good  films. 

Calls  Clearance  'Obsolete' 

"We  have  failed  to  recognize  that 
playing  a  picture  in  one  first-run  thea- 
tre in  a  city  as  large  as  Philadelphia 
and  then  putting  it  in  camphor  balls 
for  28  days  after  its  downtown  run 
before  playing  in  the  large  neighbor- 
hood houses  is  an  obsolete  method," 
said  Lichtman.  "By  the  time  it 
reaches  the  largest  portion  of  the  pub- 
lic in  this  city,  many  have  lost  inter- 
est in  the  picture  and  we  fail  to  obtain 
maximum  results  for  the  exhibitor  and 
ourselves. 

"Also,  the  transportation  problem 
has  become  acute  in  the  larger  cities 
and  we  have  inflicted  inconveniences 
on  our  patrons  which  has  meant  a 
loss  of  their  business  in  our  theatres. 
In  Chicago  the  courts  faced  such  a 
move  and  through  simultaneous  runs 
it  has  resulted  in  a  tremendous  in- 
crease in  admissions  for  the  vast  ma- 
jority of  independents  and  circuits," 
he  added. 

Favors  Sliding  Scale 

He  continued:  "Pictures  find  their 
own  level  of  worth  without  the  con- 
stant wrangling  and  bickering  that  is 
so  prevalent  in  many  places.  It  is  my 
hope  that  in  all  theatres  where  it  is 


worth  while  to  play  on  a  percentage 
basis  the  sliding  scale  will  be  adopted. 
However,  the  effectiveness  of  the  slid- 
ing scale  depends  upon  honest  expense 
figures.  In  smaller  situations,  where 
the  returns  are  small  and  operators 
barely  eke  out  a  living,  we  are  always 
willing  to  serve  him  on  flat  rentals. 

"We  shall  not  be  deterred  from 
meeting  exhibitors  at  grass-root  levels 
by  tirades  from  individuals  who  seek 
special  privilege.  This  shortsighted 
attitude  _  will  only  lead  to  their  own 
destruction  in  the  end  because  any- 
thing that  is  good  for  the  industry  is 
good  for  right-thinking  men  in  it. 
We  shall  continue  this  policy  of  open 
discussion  which  is  in  the  best  Ameri 
can  tradition." 

Smith  told  the  group  20th-Fox  did 
an  international  gross  of  $84,000,000  in 
1948  with  a  profit  of  $3,000,000  from 
distribution.  The  bulk  of  the  profit, 
he  continued,  stems  from  theatre  in- 
terests, a  state  of  affairs  which  he  in- 
terpreted as  showing  an  unfair  dis- 
tribution of  the  box-office  dollar  and 
a  need  for  substantial  increases  in  film 
rentals.  In  order  to  maintain  produc- 
tion at  consistently  high  levels,  he 
added,  it  is  "vital"  for  distribution  to 
have  such  an  increase.  He  took  the 
position  that  when  an  "occasional  poor 
picture"  turned  up,  it  was  the  task 
of  distribution  and  exhibition  to  bear 
"the  burden"  together. 

Questions  Combines'  Methods 

In  a  circumscribed  attack  on  buying 
and  booking  combines,  Smith  ob- 
served: "We  feel  that  the  methods 
certain  buying-and-booking  combines 
employ  in  beating  down  film  rentals 
produces  unfair  competition  and  places 
a  premium  on  constructive  effort — and 
penalizes  the  honest  exhibitor  who 
pays  his  just  share." 

Charles   Einfeld,    vice-president  in 


charge  of  advertising-publicity,  let  go 
with  a  blast  at  Harry  Brandt,  presi- 
dent of  ITOA  of  New  York  who  is 
challenging  20th-Fox  in  its  current 
move  and  who,  on  Monday,  refused 
to  attend  a  luncheon  planned  by  the 
company  for  New  York  and  New  Jer- 
sey exhibitors  in  New  York  on 
Friday. 

"I  am  impelled  to  call  this  meeting's 
attention  to  a  handbill  which  is  being 
circulated  here  by  Mr.  Kaplan,  a  paid 
employee  of  Harry  Brandt  of  New 
York,  in  an  effort  to  disrupt  this 
friendly,  democratic  assembly  in 
which  we  will  attempt  to  labor  for 
you  certain  problems  which  threaten 
the  welfare  of  our  great  industry.  We 
welcome  this  'fellow  traveler',  for  we 
assume  he  will  be  with  us  constantly 
as  we  travel  across  the  width  and 
breadth  of  this  great  land,"  he  stated. 

A  Russian  Trick 

"This  is  a  familiar  trick  at  Lake 
Success.  Commissars  Gromyko  and 
Vishinsky  have  evidently  taught  Har- 
ry Brandt  how  to  take  a  walk.  It's 
a  corny  trick  and  we  are  wise  to  it. 

"As  regards  the  New  York  meeting 
which  Mr.  Brandt  is  picketing  in  Phil- 
adelphia, let  me  say  this:  We  had 
long  since  planned  this  New  York 
meeting,  which  will  be  held  this  com- 
ing Friday.  Mr.  Brandt  knew  about 
the  meeting  last  Saturday  and  we  ex- 
pect a  large  attendance  of  New  York 
and  New  Jersey  exhibitors.  I  think 
we  know  something  about  propaganda 
— its  techniques — and  how  it  can  be 
used  to  becloud  true  issues  and  char- 
acter. We  have  all  seen  it  at  work 
and  the  only  way  to  combat  it  is 
through  honesty  and  integrity  of  pur- 
pose. Mr.  Brandt  is  'crying  wolf  and 
there  isn't  a  man  in  this  room  who 
isn't  wise  to  him.  But,  as  a  man  who 
has  the  best  interests  of  this  industry 


Wednesday,  March  SO,  1 

at  heart,  I  must  say  that  I'm  shod 
that  the  very  men  who  have  so  k 
suffered  the  unfairness  of  picket  Hi 
and  boycotts  and  censorship  could 
sort  to  these  tactics. 

"If  this  is  the  method  which  seric 
businessmen  use  to  meet  the  vital  is: 
confronting  this  industry  today,  I  £ 
to  them — 'you  are  being  misled'  anc 
warn  them  that  this  type  of  behav 
will  destroy  whatever  public  coi 
dence  they  may  enjoy. 

Will  Cover  Country 

"If  these  gentlemen  are  going 
pursue  us  around  the  country,  th 
may  as  well  settle  down  and  get  cot 
fortable  because  we  intend  to  contin 
until  we  have  covered  the  entire  cou 
try  and  we  will  try  to  make  ever 
body  happy,  including  Harry  Brand 

Other  20th  Century-Fox  horn 
office  executives  attending  were  R 
Moon,  Howard  Minsky,  Sam  Sha, 
Morris  Caplan  and  Lem  Jones.  Amoi 
exhibitors  invited  to  the  meeting  wer 

Frank  Ackley,  Ben  Amsterdam,  Geoi 
Beattie,  A.  J.  Belair,  Archie  Berish,  A. 
Boyd,  Harry  Botwick,  Harold  Brasc 
Frank  Buehler,  Harry  Chertcoff,  Hare 
Cohen,  Lou  Davidoff,  Al  Davis,  Har 
Dembow,  A.  M.  Ellis,  Eddie  Emanuel,  J. 
Emanuel,  I.  Epstein,  Roscoe  Faunce.  Ce. 
Felt. 

Also,     Sam     Frank,     Harry  Freedmals 
Phil  Person,   Ben  Goldfine,  William  Go! 
man,  Jack  Greenberg,  Bernie  Haines,  Frai 
Henry,    Harold    Hirshberg,    Elmer    Hirt;  b 
Elmer    Hollander,    W.    C.    Hunt,  Samn 
Hyman,  Paul  Kleinman,  Melvin  Koff,  Lei 
ter  Krieger,  Norman  Lewis,  P.  M.  Lewi1  * 
George  Naudascher,  Robert  Nissenson. 

Also  Mac  Margoline,  Dave  Milgram,  Sa 
Milgram,  Lewen  Pizor,  Bud  Rogasner,  M 
ton  Rogasner,  Abe  Sablosky,  Dave  Sablosk 
Lou  Sablosky,  Sidney  Samuelson,  T< 
Schlanger,  Harvey  Schwartz,  Muri 
Schwartz,  Ray  Selander,  John  Serino,  Ha 
old  Seidenberg,  William  Schmidt,  Bennai 
Shapiro,  Merton  Shapiro,  Morris  Spier 
Alex  Stiefel,  Harry  Stiefel,  Lyle  Trenchar;! 
John  Turner,  Joseph  Varbalow,  Sam  Va,J 
balow  and  Moe  Wax. 


WALTER  WANGER'S! 

TULSA 

color  by  TECHNICOLOR 

IS  THE  YEAR'S  BIGGEST . 
BOX-OFFICE  HIT! 


Follow 


We  are  proud 
of  Wanger  and 
Eagle  Lion  for 
getting  us  a 
sure  box-office 
attraction!" 

— Raymond  Willie, 
Asst.  Gen.  Mgr., 
Interstate 
Circuit,  Dallas 

Space  for  MORE  PROOF  from  Eagle  Lion! 


ANSWER 
TO  YOUR 
TECHNICAL 
PROBLEMS . 


The  Altec 
Service  Man  and 
the  organization 
behind  him 


161  Sixth  Avenue, 
New  York  13,  N.  Y. 


PROTECTING  THE  THEATRE— FIRST  PLACE  IN  ENTERTAIN  MEN 


Vednesday,  March  30,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Juota  Fight 


( Continued  from  page  1 ) 


jtate  Department  action  against  the 
ikitish  quota: 

'•■  1 — The  Motion  Picture  Association 
if  America  had  20  California  Con- 
gressmen to  dinner,  where  MPAA 
iresident  Eric  Johnston  and  IATSE 
ice-president  Roy  Brewer  outlined 
he  plight  of  the  film  industry  abroad, 
specially  in  Britain. 
2 — Senators  who  have  asked  the 
state  Department  what  action  is  being 
aken  on  the  quota  situation  indicated 
hey  are  growing  restless  at  the  lack 
if  response.  Work  is  continuing  on 
amendments  to  be  offered  to  the  ECA 
lill  or  to  later  legislation  to  hit  back 
it  the  British. 

]  3 — Brewer  and  Kenneth  Thomson 
W  the  Screen  Actors  Guild  were  cir- 
ulating  around  the  Capitol,  "button- 
holing" Congressmen  and  Senators  on 
'he  British  situation. 

Brewer  and  Thomson  are  here  to 
dso  urge  upon  William  Green,  presi- 
dent of  the  American  Federation  of 
Labor,  full  AFL  support  of  the  film 
Industry  in  dealing  with  trade  probl- 
ems abroad,  Brewer  said.  Green  is 
expected  here  on  Thursday, 
t  Brewster,  in  his  Senate  speech  to- 
ilay,  cited  last  week's  Academy  Award 
Jor  the  British-made  "Hamlet"  "as 
another  example  of  the  American 
notion  picture  industry's  consistently 
"air-minded  attitude  toward  the  film 
industries  of  other  nations."  He  re- 
minded the  Senate  that  the  American 
nlm  industry  had  never  asked  for 
'barriers  here  against  foreign  films — 
^'America  is  now  and  always  has  been 
|  free  market  for  the  motion  pictures 
)f  the  world." 

.  The  film  habit  in  Great  Britain, 
Brewster  said,  can  largely  be  traced 
o  American  films.  "The  British  gov- 
;rnment  can  legislate  foreign-made 
llms  out  of  Britain,"  he  continued, 
'but  they  cannot  legislate  their  own 
>eople  into  the  box-office  for  British 
films." 

The  Maine  republican,  who  had  a 
engthy  conversation  with  M-G-M 
studio  head  Louis  B.  Mayer  when  the 
latter  was  here  last  week,  said  that 
he  British  quota  cannot  be  defended 
i>n  fiscal  grounds,  nor  on  the  grounds 
i>|  protection,  since  it  does  not  really 
lid  the  British  film  industry  nor  the 
3ritish  economy  in  general. 


Krim  Reports 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


of  over  $3,000,000  is  expected  from 
"Tulsa,"  Walter  Wanger's  production. 

Actual  shooting  at  the  E-L  studios 
in  Hollywood  will  resume  in  two  or 
three  weeks,  Krim  stated,  as  soon  as 
scripts  which  have  been  in  prepara- 
tion for  some  time,  are  completed. 
First  pictures  to  go  before  the  cam- 
eras will  be  two  Bryan  Foy  produc- 
tions, "Port  of  New  York"  and 
"Trapped."  Also  being  readied  for 
filming  is  an  untitled  Mack  Sennett 
feature,  which  will  combine  a  con- 
temporary script  and  story  with  his- 
torical "vintage"  sequences  of  Bing 
Crosby,  W.  C.  Fields,  Sennett's  bath- 
ing beauties  and  the  Keystone  Cops. 

Additional  scripts  being  readied  for 
shooting  soon  are :  "Marker  X,"  "The 
World  and  Little  Willie,"  "Twelve 
Against  the  Underworld"  and  "Wy- 
oming Mail." 

On  his  return  to  the  studio,  Krim 
plans  to  resume  immediate  negotia- 
tions with  independent  producers  for 
release  of  their  films  by  E-L.  Sev- 
eral deals  which  have  been  under  dis- 
cussion will  probably  be  completed 
within  the  next  few  weeks,  he  said. 


SPG  Negotiations 

( Continued  from  page  1 ) 


a  follow-up  of  Monday's  joint  strate- 
gy meeting  between  SPG  and  its  sis- 
ter union,  the  Screen  Office  and  Pro- 
fessional Employes  Guild,  will  be 
brought  to  the  full  membership  of 
SPG  early  next  week  for  ratification, 
the  latter  union  reported.  It  was  said 
that  an  SPG  meeting  will  probably  be 
held  the  evening  of  the  next  negotia- 
tion meeting  with  the  companies,  thus 
giving  the  membership  "the  opportun- 
ity of  discussing  fully  the  latest  posi- 
tion taken  by  management." 

Plans  outlined  at  yesterday's  meet- 
ing include  the  "possibility  of  bring- 
ing the  union's  side  of  the  story  to 
the  public  on  the  broadest  scale  yet 
attempted,  if  necessary,"  the  SPG 
declared. 

Continued  the  union :  "While  re- 
sponsible leadership  of  the  guild 
stressed  that  they  were  in  no  way 
eager  to  break  off  negotiations  with 
the  companies,  the  feeling  of  those 
meeting  yesterday  was  that  the  union 
is  no  longer  willing  to  accept  equivo- 
cal, evasive  tactics  from  management." 


FULL  SCALE  PUBLI 
AND  EXPLOITATiC 
CAMPAIGNS . . .  . 


i 


THE 
PRIDE 
OF  THE 


Re-released  by 
0  RADIO  PICTURES,  INC. 


THE 


NEW  YORK  MIRROR  lhi 


Eloquent  'Red 

W     ^  By  JUSTIN  GILBERT. 


,  *  Milestone  scru^-  hi~s 
shunned  ~%J£^«  John 

?he  Mayfair.  J»  tf  orward  story 
wholesome,  strath"  &  ^  atld 

of  a  boy  *  ,ovffeects  him- 
ho*  its  loss  affec  lear 
This  could  n^f  it  concentrates 
tinctured  opus  buUt 

on  details  of  rancn  iri 
its  lusty  .joy  a"iS  by  things 
hard  Vivmg,         ^itv  dwellers, 
unknown  to  mos ^  he  „ 
The  joy  of* he  »  eloQUent 

^Sehensib  1.  peter 
A  wonderful  litu  ^ 

past   m    Kodbk-  d  v,hep 

Calhern,  ^  .g 

nPrd  StrudwicK.  w»    .      t  home 

A  ^Cd  PK  fengs  Billy 
as  a  ranch  "ana-  r  0f  the 

Buck  t°  ,lffhpTatrae  Louis  Calhern, 
legitimate  theatre.    ulous  j. 

is  superb  as  tne  s        ;     ,n  c0\- 
pa  who  crossed  theji  ^ 
£red  wagons.  A  ma  chance. 
rics.  he  doesn  X .  ™  ss  , 
fjZ  warmth  and  charm  of  the 
^ut  young  M?eS  ?i(|« 

VOVStS"*  tears. 


I'HAKLKS  h.  h  hi.  I  I.MAN  presents 


Reprinted  from  the 
New  York  Mirror 


MYRNA  LOY  ROBERT  MITCHUM 


7%e  Red  Pon& 


with  LOUIS  CALHERN  and  SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK 

and  introducing  PETER  MILES  as  TOM  and  MARGARET  HAMILTON 

Screen  Play  by  JOHN  STEINBECK  •  Music  by  AARON  COPLAND 

Produced  and  Directed  by  LEWIS  MILESTONE  •  A  REPUBLIC  PRODUCTION 
COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR 


H 


FOR  A  GENERAL  DISCUSSION 
OF  IMPORTANT  INDUSTRY 
PROBLEMS  RELATING  TO 

OUR  MUTUAL  WELFARE  AND 
TO  THE  PUBLIC  GOOD 


CORDIALLY  INVITES 
ALL  NEW  YORK  and  NEW  JERSEY 

EXHIBITORS 
IN  THE  GREATER  NEW  YORK  AREA 
TO  A  LUNCHEON  THIS  FRIDAY 


AT  12  O'CLOCK 


W e  hope  you  all  will  attend 


«.  ^  .  ,, 

r          ~ ~n 

FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate 

IN 

~W\  ATT 

Concise 

FILM 

mJALL,  jl 

and 

NEWS 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.  NO.  63 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  MARCH  31,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

'Oscars'  Still 
Have  Majors' 
Moral  Support 

Deny  Commercialism,  Say 
Awards  Need  Not  End 

Major  companies  will  continue  to 
give  their  "moral  support"  and  en- 
couragement to  the  idea  of  making 
awards  of  merit  for  superior 
achievements  in  motion  pictures,  but 
will  no  longer  make  "deficit  contribu- 
tions" for  the  financing  of  ceremonies 
at  which  such  awards  are  presented, 
ranking  executives  of  five  companies 
said  yesterday. 

Their  statement,  subscribed  to  by 
Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  Loew's  presi- 
dent ;  Barney  Balaban,  Paramount 
president ;  Spyros  Skouras,  20th 
Century-Fox  president ;  Albert  War- 
ner, vice-president  of  Warner  Bros., 
and  Ned  E.  Depinet,  RKO  president, 
followed  a  statement  issued  in  Holly- 
wood yesterday  by  Jean  Hersholt, 
president  of  the  Academy  of  Motion 
Picture  Arts  &  Sciences,  disclosing 
that  company  financial  support  of  the 
awards  ceremonies  was  being  ended. 

Whereas  Hersholt  implied  that  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


46  Stories  in 
Work  at  W.  B. 


Hollywood,  March  30. — Following 
a  series  of  executive  meetings  at  the 
company's  Burbank  studios,  Jack  L. 
Warner  announces  a  record  Warner 
production  program  for  1949  and  be- 
yond. Eight  top  pictures  are  sched- 
uled to  start  within  the  next  six 
weeks.  Some  46  story  properties  are 
now  in  preparation. 

"Events  at  the  Warner  studios  in 
the  past  two  months  prove  that  in  our 
business  it  is  possible  to  make  history 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Selznick  Sees  Rise 
In  Picture  Tastes 


Tastes  of  the  motion  picture  public 
are  rising  and  greater  support  is  be- 
ing given  to  finer  films,  David  O. 
Selznick  declared  yesterday  in  an  ad- 
dress to  the  40th  anniversary  confer- 
ence of  the  National  Board  of  Re- 
view, at  the  Hotel  McAlpin  here. 

In  explaining  why  the  trend  toward 
finer  films  has  not  been  more  rapid, 
Selznick  pointed  out  that  "productions 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


New  England  Allied 
Elects  Ford,  Pinanski 

Boston,  March  30.— Meeting 
of  Allied  Theatres  of  New 
England  held  today  elected 
John  J.  Ford,  chairman  of 
board  and  Sam  Pinanski  pres- 
ident. Elected  to  the  exec- 
utive board  were  Charles 
Kuntzman  of  Loew's  theatre; 
Ben  Domingo,  RKO  Theatres; 
Martin  J.  Mullin,  New  Eng- 
land Theatres;  Al  Somerby, 
Lothrop  Theatres. 

Max  Millincroft  was  elected 
vice-chairman  and  Stanley 
Summer  treasurer. 

Mullin  was  appointed  to 
the  legislative  committee  as 
chairman. 


F.  &  M.  Sues  Para. 
On  Joint  Ownership 

Fanchon  and  Marco,  Paramount 
partner  in  the  operation  of  the  Para- 
mount Theatre,  Hollywood,  yesterday 
filed  an  $850,000  treble-damage  action 
in  New  York  Federal  Court  against 
Paramount,  charging  that  the  terms  of 
the  joint  ownership  contract  are  in 
violation  of  the  U.  S.  anti-trust  laws. 

John  H.  Amen,  counsel  for  the 
plaintiff,  said  here  that  he  intends  to 
rely  substantially  on  that  portion  of 
the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court's  opinion  in 
the  industry  anti-trust  suit  which  held 
partnerships  with  other  exhibitors  to 
be  illegal. 

The  complaint  sets  forth  that  Para- 
mount charged  "excessive  and  un- 
reasonable fees"  in  licensing  its  prod- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


British  Quota  Cut 
Is  a  'Meaningless 
Gesture,'  Says  MPA 

Washington,  March  30. — The  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America 
said  today  that  the  5  per  cent  cut  in 
the  British  film  quota  was  "obviously 
a  meaningless  gesture,  and  removes 
neither  the  cause  of  the  British  indus- 
try's crisis  nor  the  discrimination 
against  American  films." 

The  MPAA  statement,  the  first  offi- 
cial reaction  to  the  British  quota  cut, 
was  given  to  a  meeting  of  California 
members  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives by  Joyce  O'Hara,  executive  as- 
sistant to  MPAA  president  Eric  A. 
Johnston. 

O'Hara  said  that  the  British  Labor 
Party's  action  upping  the  quota  from 
20  per  cent  to  45  per  cent,  "done  at 
the  insistence  of  British  producers 
even  though  thev  had  not  been  able 
to  meet  a  quota  less  than  half  that 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


All  Theatres  to  Have 
Video  :  Raibourn 


"There  are  18,000  movie  theatres  in 
the  United  States  and  eventually  all 
will  be  equipped  for  showing  televi- 
sion on  their  screens  just  as  surely 
as  they  converted  to  sound  in  the 
1930's,"  Paul  Raibourn,  Paramount 
vice-president  in  charge  of  television, 
will  say  in  the  April  issue  of  The 
Elks  Magazine. 

"The  basic  appeal  of  the  movie  is 
identical,"  he  states.  "Television 
shows  in  the  future,  especially  elabo- 

(C  continued  on  page  4) 


Detroit  Exhibitors  Hit 
Plan  to  Raise  Rentals 


Detroit,  March  30. — The  proposal 
being  made  by  20th  Century-Fox  to 
increase  rentals  was  criticized  today 
by  Detroit  theatre  owners. 

The  Detroit  opposition  came  on 
the  heels  of  the  announcement  by  Al 
Lichtman,  20th-Fox  vice-president, 
that  higher  film  rentals  would  correct 
a  "lopsided"  condition  in  which  pro- 
ducers are  struggling  to  break  even. 

"Fox  is  really  killing  the  goose 
that  laid  the  golden  egg,"  declared 
Sam  Carver,  vice-president  of  the 
local  Independent  Theatre  Owners 
and  president  of  Detroit  Consolidated 
Theatres. 

"There  are  more  than  12,000  the- 
atres in  the  country  with  seating-  ca- 
pacities averaging  500  which  will  suf- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


UTOI  Is  Urged  to 
'Resist'  Fox  Plan 

Pontiac,  111.,  March  30.— "This 
new  onslaught  on  the  part  of  20th 
Century-Fox  must  be  resisted  at  all 
costs,"  Edward  G.  Zorn,  president  of 
United  Theatre  Owners  of  Illinois,  as- 
serts in  a  bulletin  to  members  of  the 
organization  devoted  to  a  discussion  of 
20th-Fox's  current  exploration  of 
means  of  increasing  its  film  rentals  by 
25  per  cent. 

The  bulletin  cites  20th-Fox  earnings 
in  recent  years,  claiming  the  com- 
pany's 1948  gross  was  off  six  per  cent 
from  the  preceding  year  compared 
with  a  20  per  cent  decrease  which  it 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Calif.  Solons 
In  Mass  Drive 
Against  Quota 

7  -  Man  Congress  Group 
Slates  Top  Gov't  Talks 

Washington,  March  30. — Cali- 
fornia members  of  the  House  of 
Representatives  today  appointed  a 
seven-man  committee  to  meet  with 
Secretary  of  State  Dean  Acheson  and 
other  top  government  officials  in  an 
attempt  to  get  government  action  to 
force  the  British  to  cut  their  screen 
quota  back  to  the  old  20  per  cent 
figure. 

This  has  apparently  become 
the  immediate  objective  of  the 
industry.  Action  on  the  remit- 
tance freeze  and  the  $17,000,000 
yearly  limit  has  been  postponed 
until  something  is  done  about 
the  new  40  per  cent  quota. 
Complete  elimination  of  the 
quota  apparently  does  not  enter 
the  plans  at  all. 

The  action  of  the  House  California 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Re-elect  All 
RKO  Officers 


Ned  E.  Depinet,  president,  and  all 
other  officers  of  RKO,  were  re-elected 
by  the  board  of  directors  at  a  meeting 
here  yesterday,  Depinet  announced. 

Other  officers  are :  Malcolm  Kings- 
berg,  John  M.  Whitaker  and  Gordon 
E.  Youngman,  vice-presidents ;  J. 
Miller  Walker,  secretary;  Garrett 
Van  Wagner,  comptroller ;  William 
H.  Clark,  treasurer ;  Kenneth  B.  Um- 
breit  and  William  F.  Whitman,  assis- 
tant secretaries  ;  O.  R.  McMahon,  H. 
E.  Newcomb,  T.  F.  O'Connor  and  A. 
E.  Reoch,  assistant  treasurers. 


First  Quarter  Tops 
Any  Republic  Year 

Hollywood,  March  30.— Busi- 
ness for  the  first  quarter  tops 
any  previous  year  in  the  com- 
pany's history,  James  R. 
Grainger,  Republic  executive 
vice-president,  said  upon  his 
arrival  here  today  from  a 
tour  of  exchanges.  Box  of- 
fice is  steadily  improving,  he 
added. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  31,  1949 


N.  Y.  Variety  Has 
500  Applications 

New  York  Variety  Club, 
barely  functioning  as  yet  and 
with  clubrooms  still  in  the 
making,  already  has  200  ap- 
plications for  membership 
and  300  applications  for 
transfers  of  members  from 
Variety  Tents  in  other  cities. 
Under  Variety  rules  a  mem- 
ber must  belong  to  the  tent 
of  his  home  city.  Applications 
are  being  received  by  New 
York  Variety  at  its  new  of- 
fices in  the  Hotel  Astor. 


Youngstein  Pledges 
Ail-Out  Bond  Drive 


Kansas  City,  Mo.,  March  30.— 
Max  E.  Youngstein,  chairman  of  the 
motion  picture  industry's  advertising 
publicity  committee  cooperating  in  the 
U.  S.  Treasury's  savings  bond  drive, 
today  pledged  the  government  a  cam- 
paign "equalling  the  most  effective  of 
the  wartime  bond  drives,  with  full  use 
of  industry  manpower  from  every 
branch  of  exhibition,  production,  dis- 
tribution and  advertising-publicity," 
according  to  a  Treasury  Department 
statement. 

Addressing  a  group  of  film,  govern- 
ment and  industrial  executives  meeting 
at  the  Hotel  Muehlebach  here,  Young- 
stein, who  is  Eagle-Lion's  advertising- 
publicity  vice-president,  promised  on 
behalf  of  the  industry  to  set  up  bond 
premieres  in  key  situations  across  the 
country;  "name"  stars  for  the  "Cov- 
ered Wagon  Bond  Caravan" ;  a  spe- 
cial short  subject;  newsreel  coverage, 
and  other  means  of  making  the  Amer- 
ican public  aware  of  the  bond  drive 
which  runs  from  May  15  to  June  30, 
the  Treasury  statement  continued. 

Youngstein  emphasized  that  the 
film  industry  is  participating  in  the 
campaign  at  the  specific  request  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  because  of 
general  recognition  that  the  industry's 
technique  of  showmanship  combined 
with  information  and  selling  programs 
are  necessary  for  a  successful  drive, 
the  Treasury  continued. 

Among  those  present  at  today's 
meeting  were  Elmer  Rhoden,  presi- 
dent, Fox  Midwest  Theatres,  repre- 
senting the  industry  in  the  Midwest; 
Senn  Lawler,  Rhoden's  assistant;  Earl 
Shackelford,  state  director,  U.  S. 
Savings  Bonds  Division  for  Missouri, 
and  others. 


Personal  Mention 


ELLIS  ARNALL,  Society  of  In- 
dependent Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers president,  is  in  Washington, 
where  he  expects  to  remain  for  a 
week. 

• 

Paul  Lazarus,  Sr.,  sales  executive 
of  United  Artists,  recuperating  in  St. 
Joseph's  Hospital  in  Kansas  City,  is 
recovering  so  rapidly  that  he  is  ex- 
pected to  be  brought  back  to  New 
York  next  week. 

• 

J.  Arthur  Rank  delayed  his  sched- 
uled departure  yesterday  for  Palm 
Beach,  where  he  will  visit  Robert  R. 
Young,  principal  Eagle-Lion  stock- 
holder, and  will  leave  here  today 
instead. 

• 

Grant  Hawkins,  manager  of  the 
Irving  Theatre  in  Detroit,  is  home  af- 
ter a  month's  stay  at  the  Ford  Hos- 
pital and  expects  to  resume  his  duties 
within  a  few  weeks. 

• 

Sam  Lefkowitz,  United  Artists 
Eastern  district  manager,  was  in  Buf- 
falo yesterday  from  New  York  and 
will  join  Abe  Dickstein,  New  York 
branch  manager,  at  Oneida  today. 
• 

Harry  Weiss,  former  20th  Century- 
Fox  field  publicist  at  Cleveland,  has 
joined  Eagle-Lion  there  as  a  sales- 
man. 

• 

Si  Lipson,  Broder  Theatres  super- 
visor, has  returned  to  Detroit  from 
New  York. 

• 

Irving  Sherman,  Columbia  assist- 
ant exchange  operations  manager,  is 
'n  Cleveland  from  New  York. 


WrILLIAM  M.  PIZOR,  Screen 
Guild  vice-president,  will  leave 
New  York  Saturday  aboard  the  5".  5". 
Queen  Mary  for  a  three  months'  tour 
of  Europe. 

• 

Arthur  Hornblow,  Jr.,  and  John 
Huston,  M-G-M  producer-director 
team,  will  arrive  here  from  Hollywood 
on  Saturday,  and  will  leave  the  next 
day  by  air  for  London. 

• 

W.  C.  White,  former  Gibbon,  Neb., 
exhibitor,  has  purchased  the  Dana 
Theatre  in  Omaha  from  J.  L.  Way- 
bill. 

• 

Julius  Daniels,  Perth  Amboy,  N. 
J.,  manager  for  Walter  Reade  The- 
atres, has  been  elected  a  vice-president 
of  that  city's  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
• 

Sidney  Landau,  of  Monogram  In- 
ternational's accounting  department,  is 
the  father  of  a  boy,  Lawrence  David 
Landau. 

• 

Robert  L.  Lippert,  head  of  Screen 
Guild  and  Lippert  Productions,  is  here 
from  San  Francisco. 

• 

William  E.  Danziger,  Paramount 
exploitation  director,  will  leave  here 
Sunday  for  Laredo,  Texas. 


Jay  Gove,  71,  MGM 
Research  Director 


Bernard  R.  Goodman,  Warner  ex- 
change supervisor,  has  returned  to  the 
home  office  after  a  Southern  tour. 
• 

Herman  Ripps,  M-G-M  assistant 
Eastern    sales    manager,    will  leave 
Boston  today  for  New  York. 
• 

Alfred  Hitchcock  will  sail  for 
England  from  New  York  on  April  28. 


Funeral  services  for  Jay  Gove,  71, 
director  of  M-G-M  sales  research 
here,  will  be  held  at  the  Walter  B. 
Cooke  West  72nd  Street  Funeral  Par- 
lor tomorrow  evening.  Burial  will  be 
private. 

Gove  died  suddenly  yesterday  morn- 
ing at  his  home  here  from  thrombosis. 
He  had  had  several  heart  attacks  in 
recent  years  and  returned  to  his  office 
on  Tuesday  from  a  rest  of  several 
days. 

Entering  the  newspaper  field  early 
in  life,  he  worked  in  many  cities.  He 
entered  the  motion  picture  industry 
as  the  first  advertising  manager  of 
Fox  Film  Corp.  He  was  later  assist- 
ant general  manager  of  the  old  Real- 
art  Pictures  and  sales  manager  for 
Associated  Exhibitors'  and  First  Na-; 
tional.  He  joined  M-G-M  in  1927 
with  the  advent  of  short  subject  pro- 
duction and  distribution,  as  sales  de- 
velopment manager.  Gove  established 
a  yard-stick  for  the  measurement  and 
comparison  of  box-office  grosses  of 
M-G-M  pictures  and  in  recent  years 
he  had  compiled  an  analysis  of  theatre 
attendance  which  he  hoped  some  day 
to  publish  in  book  form. 

The  widow,  Inez  Faralla  Gove, 
survives. 


Name  Lodge  of  CBS 
To  Board  of  SMPE 

William  B.  Lodge,  CBS  vice-presi- 
dent in  charge  of  general  engineering, 
has  been  named  a  member  of  the 
board  of  governors  of  the  Society  of 
Motion  Picture  Engineers  by  E.  I. 
Sponable,  president  of  the  SMPE. 


Actor  to  MC  Lynch  Fete 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  30.— Sir 
Cedric  Hardwicke  will  be  master  of 
ceremonies  at  a  dinner  at  the  Ten 
Eyck  Hotel  Monday  night  when 
George  Lynch,  chief  buyer  for  the 
Schine  circuit,  will  be  honored. 


Testimonial  Tonight 
For  Retiring  Condon 

John  F.  Condon,  sales  vice-presi- 
dent of  Warner's  reclamation  plant, 
Film  Cellulose,  Inc.,  will  be  honored 
at  a  testimonial  dinner  by  his  asso- 
ciates tonight,  upon  the  occasion  of 
his  retirement  from  the  company  after 
32  years  of  service.  Condon  joined 
Vitagraph  in  1917  as  purchasing 
agent,  and  joined  Warner  Brothers 
in  his  recent  capacity  when  the  com- 
pany took  over  Vitagraph  in  1925. 

The  dinner  will  be  held  in  the 
Brass  Rail  Restaurant,  Brooklyn, 
with  Joseph  M.  Spray,  vice-president 
of  Ace  Film  Laboratories,  as  master- 
of-ceremonies,  and  Herman  Rottser 
as  chairman. 


323  Houses  Pledge 
Cancer  Collections 

Boston,  March  30.— Nearly  100  of 
the  industry  in  New  England  attended 
a  luncheon  at  the  Copley  Plaza  Hotel 
here  _  yesterday  as  guests  of  Marty 
Mullin,  chairman  of  the  1949  drive 
for  the  Children's  Cancer  Research 
Foundation.  The  gathering  endorsed 
the  drive  and  volunteered  its  coopera- 
tion to  Mullin. 

Mullin  announced  that  during  the 
past  24  hours,  323  New  England  the- 
atres have  pledged  audience  collec 
tions. 


Eastern  Division  Wins 
Realart  Sales  Drive 

The  "Budd  Rogers  Silver  Jubilee 
Sales  Drive,"  Realart  Pictures'  first 
sales  campaign,  has  been  won  by  the 
Eastern  division.  First  spot  went  to 
Bob  Synder  and  Manny  Stutz  of  the 
Cleveland  exchange.  Second  went  to 
Bernie  Mills  of  the  Washington  ex- 
change, managed  by  Fred  Sandy.  In 
addition  to  winning  first  and  second 
prizes,  Cleveland  and  Washington  will 
participate  with  Philadelphia,  Pitts- 
burgh, New  York  and  Boston  in  the 
overall  prize  for  the  winning  division. 

The  Western  division  came  in  sec- 
ond, with  Jack  Zide  winning  first 
place,  Henri  Elman  of  Chicago  win- 
ning second  place.  The  third  place 
Southern  division  was  topped  by  Lee 
Goldberg's  Cincinnati  exchange,  and 
the  runner-up  was  George  Phillips' 
and  Herman  Gorelick's  St.  Louis  ex- 
change. Cincinnati  won  first  position 
nationally. 


Baltimore  Dinner 
Honors  Mechanic 

Baltimore,  March  30. — State  and 
Congressional  representatives,  news- 
paper publishers  and  trade  press 
representatives  will  be  present  tomor- 
row night  at  a  dinner  at  the  Belve- 
dere Hotel  in  celebration  of  the  20th 
anniversary  of  Morris  Mechanic  as  an 
exhibitor. 

Following  the  dinner,  the  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox production,  "Mr.  Belvedere 
Goes  to  College,"  will  have  its  world 
premiere  at  the  New  Theatre. 


/.  Searle  Dawley,  71, 
Pioneer  Director 

Hollywood,  March  30. — J.  Searle 
Dawley,  director  of  early  Edison  films 
and  associated  with  Famous  Players, 
in  its  earliest  days,  died  here  yester- 
day at  the  age  of  71. 

Dawley  entered  the  motion  picture 
industry  with  Thomas  Edison  in  1907, 
shooting  scenes  in  a  Manhattan  loft, 
and  moving  from  there  to  a  studio  in 
the  Bronx.  He  retired  in  1938.  . 


Pathe  Omits  Dividend 

Pathe  '  Industries,  Inc.,  yesterday 
omitted  its  usual  cumulative  four  per 
cent  preferred  dividend.  The  last 
payment  was  $1.00  on  Jan.  3. 


Mrs.  Anna  Stickerling 

Funeral  services  will  be  held  this 
morning  in  Jersey  City  for  Mrs.  Anna 
Stickerling,  mother  of  Walter  Stick- 
erling of  the  RKO  Radio  home  of- 
fice. Mrs.  Stickerling  died  Monday. 

Fuller  Signed  for  Three 

Samuel  Fuller,  writer  and  director 
of  Lippert  Productions'  "I  Shot  Jesse 
James,"  who  arrived  here  yesterday 
from  the  Coast,  has  been  signed  to 
write  and  direct  three  more  films  for 
Lippert. 


Evergreen  Holds  Confab 

Portland,  Ore.,  March  30. — Mana- 
gers and  department  heads  of  Ever- 
green Theatres  in  Washington  and 
Oregon  met  in  the  semi-annual  divi- 
sion conference  yesterday. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Qmgley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigiey,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays. 
£lT  ?7  ™!,s.  W  2»'Sley  P»l>lishmg  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
T^T  P  r  Mar£m  Qmgley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
i^t.  rv,-        gB'      Tors  c    ?£;THe£burt  Y-  Fec^.  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver. 

T.-'ft  120  South  La  Salle  Street  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
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SoSL'T&££  P""lcatlon|,:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,   each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 

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in* 


THE  MOST 
WELCOME 
SALESMAN 
IN  THE 
INDUSTRY! 


Because  this  is 
in  his  brief-case! 


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stc^ 


ME  M-G-M  SMILE  SPREADS 
ACROSS  THE  NATION ! 


As  the  Hollywood  Reporter  says: 
"Things  are  really  jumping  at  M-G-M!" 
Big  pictures  completed  and  in  production! 
Never  anything  like  it ! 
Never  has  any  Studio  been  clicking  with 
Such  enthusiasm,  vigor  and  success! 
This  is  M-G-M's  Anniversary  Year! 
Truly  an  M-G-M  Year! 
Ride  with  the  winner! 


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4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  31,  1949 


'Oscars' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

awards  financing  was  being  with- 
drawn because  the  companies  were 
more  interested  in  commercially  suc- 
cessful films  than  artistic  achieve- 
ments, the  five  company  executives  as- 
serted that  "The  companies  should  not 
be  in  the  position  where  they  can  be 
accused  of  subsidizing  an  artistic  and 
cultural  forum,"  as  they  have  often 
been  accused  in  the  past. 

Donated  $50,000 

Their  statement  also  asserted  that 
withdrawal  of  their  "subsidy"  from 
awards  ceremonies  does  not  preclude 
future  Academy  Awards  being  voted 
for  superior  achievements.  The  com- 
panies are  reported  to  have  donated 
$50,000  to  finance  the  awards  cere- 
monies last  week. 

Following  is  the  statement  of  the 
five  company  executives : 

"We  intend  to  continue  our  moral 
support  of  the  idea  of  making  awards 
of  merit  for  superior  achievements  in 
motion  pictures.  We  shall,  moreover, 
encourage  additional  awards  based 
upon  high  standards  of  artistic  worth 
and  democratic  selection. 

'We  shall  continue  our  financial 
support  of  the  original  functions  of 
the  Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts 
and  Sciences  in  technical  fields,  but 
we  shall  no  longer  provide  for  the 
ceremonies  attending  the  annual 
awards  of  'Oscars'  by  deficit  contribu- 
tions. 

Deny  'Commercialism' 

"It  will  be  readily  understood  that 
this  step  is  not  a  commercialistic  one, 
but  is  in  the  interest  of  less  commer- 
cialization. The  companies,  as  com- 
panies, were  never  members  of  the 
Academy.  It  is  an  organization 
composed  of  individual  artists  and 
craftsmen  in  the  industry.  The  com- 
panies should  not  be  in  the  position 
where  they  can  be  accused  of  subsidiz- 
ing an  artistic  and  cultural  forum.  In 
fact,  they  so  have  been  accused  often 
in  the  past. 

"We  are  heartily  in  accord  with 
the  principle  of  individuals  in  the  in- 
dustry democratically  selecting  the 
best  in  artistic  achievement,  if  they 
wish  to  do  so,  and  it  is  in  the  interest 
of  this  principle  that  we  take  this  step 
to  remove  one  source  of  accusation. 

"It  does  not  follow  that  our  action 


Review 


The  Fan 

(20th  Century-Fox) 

PRIMARILY  of  interest  to  adult  audiences,  and  even  they  may  find  its 
subject  matter  archaic  and  on  the  old-fashioned  side,  "The  Fan"  actually  is 
Oscar  Wilde's  famed  "Lady  Windermere's  Fan." 

It  is  24  years  since  the  late  Ernst  Lubitsch  produced  Warner's  silent  ver- 
sion of  the  play  with  its  flair  for  the  epigrammatic.  The  new  one,  produced 
and  directed  by  Otto  Preminger,  indulges  in  a  bit  of  streamlining  seeking 
to  bridge  the  post-war  with  Victorian  London,  scene  of  the  play. 

An  aged  Madeleine  Carroll  is  claiming  a  fan  at  an  auction  of  bombed-out 
belongings.  To  establish  her  claim,  she  must  be  verified.  This  leads  to  an 
equally  aged  George  Sanders  whose  memory  requires  considerable  jogging. 
The  jogging  is  the  device  by  which  Miss  Carroll  discards  approximately 
four  decades  in  order  to  get  into  the  actual  story  of  Lady  Windermere  and 
her  fan. 

It  is  the  story  of  Miss  Carroll,  an  attractive  adventuress  who  maneuvers 
her  unwanted  way  into  the  inner  sanctums  of  Mayfair  society  through  a  hold 
on  Richard  Greene,  the  Lord  Windermere  who  is  married  to  Jeanne  Crain. 
Greene  sets  up  Miss  Carroll  in  a  town  house  with  full  trimmings  while 
his  circle  gossips,  thinks  the  worst  and  makes  certain  the  rumblings  reach 
Miss  Crain.  The  situation  is  almost  enough  to  break  up  the  Windermere 
household  and  accelerate  Miss  Crain  into  Sanders'  waiting  arms.  But  Miss 
Carroll,  who  audiences  know  by  this  time  is  Miss  Crain's  adventuress-mother, 
salvages  the  situation  in  a  pivotal  scene  at  Sanders'  apartment  where  she 
claims  her  daughter's  fan  for  her  own,  saves  the  marriage  and  adds  further 
tarnish  to  her  own  reputation.  Thereafter  she  leaves  England,  her  identity  to 
her  own  daughter  never  divulged. 

The  pace  is  leisurely.  The  performances  are  generally  competent,  but  rather 
studied,  perhaps  consciously  so  in  order  to  keep  them  in  the  period  mood 
of  the  piece.  Some  of  the  original  Wilde  epigrams — known  as  wisecracks  now- 
adays—filter through  but  are  not  present  in  any  profusion.  Charming  Miss 
Carroll  and  attractive  Miss  Crain  have  one  especially  strong  emotional  scene 
together.  Martita  Hunt,  as  the  Duchess  of  Berwick,  is  well  nigh  perfect  in 
her  role.  Production  values  are  splendid  and  in  excellent  taste.  Walter  Reisch, 
Dorothy  Parker  and  Ross  Evans  combined  efforts  on  the  screenplay. 

Running  time,  79  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  May  release. 

Red  Kann 


in  ceasing  to  pay  the  deficits  of  the 
annual  'Oscar'  ceremonies  precludes 
future  Academy  Awards  or  tends  to 
discourage  other  distinctions  for  film 
attainment. 

"Our  decision  was  .  reached  last 
autumn,  and  Mr.  Hersholt  and  his 
executive  board  were  notified  on  De- 
cember 16,  1948,  before  any  voting 
had  begun  on  the  year's  annual 
awards,  that  the  companies  no  longer 
would  meet  the  deficits. 

"We  believe  these  selections  should 
be  free  of  any  suspicion  of  company 
influence  or  of  particular  considera- 
tions that  might  sway  the  ballotting. 

"The  artistic  standards  of  our  in- 
dustry are  not  dependent  on  this  an- 


BY  MEW 


IN  LIFE,  SATURDAY  EVENING 
POST,  COLLIER'S,  TIME, 
SPORTS,  FANS 


i 


THE 
PRIDE 
OF  THE 


Re-released  by 
RK0  RADIO  PICTURES,  INC. 


nual  competition.  The  integrity  of 
the  artist  is  the  determining  factor, 
and  there  is  always  the  safeguard  of 
the  demands  of  public  taste  and  criti- 
cal standards.  There  are  many  awards 
by  many  groups  for  which  the  cre- 
ative talent  of  our  industry  can  strive." 

UTOI-Fox  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


claims  for  "the  average  independent 
theatre  owner." 

"We  know  that  the  average  inde- 
pendent exhibitor  has  paid,  and  is  now 
paying  through  the  nose,  about  all  the 
traffic  will  bear,"  Zom  writes.  He 
warns  exhibitors  not  to  take  the  20th- 
Fox  campaign  "too  lightly,"  asserting 
that  "they  have  hired  the  talent  and 
they  expect  to  do  the  job."  He  con- 
tends that  exhibition  is  earning  "only 
11  per  cent"  on  its  investment,  even 
on  the  basis  of  20th-Fox's  own  figure 
of  $200,000,000  of  net  profit  for  all 
theatres  in  1948. 

"Certainly,"  Zom  concludes,  "an 
exhibitor  should  pay  a  fair  price  for 
a  picture,  but  you  must  know  your 
limits." 


F.  &  M.  Sues  Para. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


uct  to  the  theatre  on  an  exclusive 
contract. 

In  a  separate  action  now  pending, 
Partmar  Corp.,  an  F.  and  M.  subsid- 
iary which  actually  operates  the  house, 
is  seeking  to  intervene  in  the  industry' 
suit  on  the  charge  that  Paramount, 
as  lessor,  is  insisting  upon  evicting 
the  company. 

Plaintiff  states  that  it  collects_  five 
per  cent  of  the  gross  for  maintaining 
the  theatre  with  earnings  beyond  that 
shared  equally.  Also  sought  is  an  in- 
junction on  Paramount's  continued  SO 
per  cent  interest. 


Blast  Rental  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


fer  if  they  have  to  pay  a  higher 
percentage    on    each    picture  they 

show." 

"Ultimately,  the  Fox  deal  would 
lead  to  raising  prices  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Moviegoer  and  that  would  mean 
a  drop  in  business,"  he  maintained. 

Joseph  Uvick,  president  of  Allied 
Theatres  of  Michigan,  asserted  in  a 
bulletin  sent  to  exhibitors  that,  "Fox 
is  not  satisfied  with  an  agreed  per- 
centage of  your  box-office  receipts," 
referring  to  a  sliding  scale  of  ren- 
tals being  discussed  by  20th-Fox 
executives  at  regional  exhibitor  meet- 
ings. 

Higher  Admission  Prices 

He  also  agreed  that  Fox's  plan 
would  lead  to  higher  admission  prices. 

"Distributors  cannot  now  legally 
force  us  to  raise  prices  to  our  cus- 
tomers," Uvick  contended.  "The  Su- 
preme Court  stopped  that,  but,"  he 
added,  "that  can  be  circumvented  so 
that  we  will  be  compelled  to  do  it  for 
them,  instead. 

"All  that  is  necessary  is  that  the 
distributor,  charge  us  15,  25  or  50 
cents  per  seat,  and  hocus-pocus  the 
admission  price  must  go  up,  because 
we  cannot  sell  for  less  than  we  buy," 
Uvick  continued,  referring  to  anoth- 
er proposal  by  the  distributor  provid- 
ing for  a  fixed  charge  for  each  per- 
son who  patronizes  a  picture. 
Industry  Needs  Volume 

"The  back-bone  of  this  industry  is 
volume  at  lower  and  still  lower  ad- 
missions. To  get  greater  revenue  is 
to  sell  at  less  to  more  and  more 
people.  The  Goldwyns,  Selznicks,  and 
other  apostles  of  higher  prices,"  or 
20th-Fox  vice-presidents  Andy  Wi. 
Smith,  Jr.,  Charles  Einfeld  and  Licht- 
man,  "notwithstanding,  are  all  wrong, 
always  trying  to  sell  for  more.  The 
usual  ballyhoo  may  bring  them  in, 
but  it's  the  exhibitor  who  sees  them 
coming  out  with  a  realization  that 
they  have  over-paid,  and  his  is  the 
direct  responsibility,"  Uvick  stated. 

Uvick  along  with  other  exhibitors 
in  this  area  welcomed  the  announce- 
ment of  a  tour  by  the  three  20th-Fox 
executives  to  confer  with  exhibitors 
and  their  associations  but  he  said  he 
hopes  that  they  keep  in  mind  their  own 
admission  that  "too  many  people  in 
and  outside  the  industry  are  given  to 
panning  the  motion  picture  business." 


Raibourn  on  Video 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


rate,  expensive  productions,  will  be 
filmed  and,  as  a  consequence,  will  in 
a  measure  approach  the  technical  ex- 
cellence of  motion  pictures." 

Raibourn  also  told  of  Paramount's 
experience  with  large-screen  video 
pick-ups  of  special  events  at  its  Para- 
mount Theatre,  New  York. 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
MOTION  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


ill 

MSImbrs  Trust' 


COMPAN 

NEW  YORK 


MEMBER    FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


Thursday,  March  31,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Drive  Against  Quota 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


delegation  came  after  the  British  situ- 
ation was  reviewed  for  them  by 
MPAA  representative  Joyce  O'Hara 
and  IATSE  vice-president  Roy  Brew- 
er. Brewer  told  the  representatives 
that  Hollywood  studio  employment 
was  40  per  cent  below  the  levels  of 
1942  through  1945  and  1947,  and  was 
practically  back  to  1937  figures. 

Other  Capitol  developments  on  the 
British  tax  were:  • 

l_Senator  Knowland,  California 
Republican  who  started  the  ball  roll- 
ing last  week,  took  the  industry's  case 
to  Presidential  assistant  John  Steel- 
man.  Knowland  stressed  the  employ- 
ment aspects  of  the  case  to  Steelman, 
who  handles  labor  problems  for  the 
President.  Knowland  as  yet  has  re- 
ceived no  response  from  the  State  De- 
partment in  answer  to  his  demand  for 
information  as  to  government  action 
on  the  British  quota. 

Won't  Amend  Pending  Bill 

2— Knowland  admitted  that  amend- 
ments being  discussed  to  hit  back  at 
the  British  probably  would  not  be 
ready  to  offer  to  either  the  pending 
ECA  bill  or  the  up-coming  reciprocal 
trade  agreements  extender.  If  they 
are  finally  offered,  he  indicated,  they 
will  probably  be  as  amendments  to  a 
much  later  ECA  appropriations  bill. 

3__Brewer     and     Screen  Actors 
Guild    secretary    Kenneth  Thomson 
continued  to  call  on  officials  and  legis 
lators.    Brewer  hopes  to  line  up  offi 
cial  AFL  backing  for  State  Depart 
ment  quota  action  tomorrow  when  he 
meets  with  AFL  president  William 
Green.     He  may  also  try  to  reach 
Steelman  and  other  officials  tomorrow 
and  Friday. 

The  bi-partisan  committee  appoint' 
ed  by  the  California  House  delegation 
will  be  headed  by  Rep.  Cecil  King  and 
will  include  representatives  Sheppard, 
McKinnon,  Holifield,  Hinshaw,  Mc- 
Donough  and  Jackson.  They  probably 
will  meet  with  MPAA  president  Eric 
A.  Johnston  and  other  MPAA  offi- 
cials tomorrow  or  Friday,  before 
starting  their  calls  on  Acheson  and 
other  government  officials. 

British  Quota  Cut 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


discriminating  against  American 
films,"  he  declared.  "This  British 
policy  has  been  stepped  up  constantly 
in  intensity  since  the  war." 

O'Hara  reminded  the  Congressmen 
of  the  75  per  cent  "confiscatory"  tax, 
and  stressed  the  American  industry's 
willingness  to  work  out  an  a  arrange- 
ment which  would  conserve  British 
dollars  and  assure  Britain  an  adequate 
supply  of  films.  The  March,  1948, 
agreement  removing  the  tax  but  limit- 
ing American  remittances  to  $17,000,- 
000  a  year  was  regarded  as  a  mutually 
satisfactory  accord  on  both  sides  of 
the  Atlantic,  he  said,  "and  it  was  felt 
that  a  new  era  of  mutual  understand- 
ing and  better  relations  was  to  begin. 
This  hope  was  short-lived.  Hardly 
had  the  agreement  gone  into  effect 
when  the  British  government  adopted 
another  drastic  restriction  on  Ameri- 
can films." 


46  Stories  in  Work 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


j 


figure,"  had  "undermined  confidence 
in  the  whole  British  film  industry, 
brought  protests  from  the  exhibitors 
who  relied  on  American  pictures  for 
their  theatres,  caused  studios  to  be 
shut  down,  and  threw  thousands  of 
people  out  of  work.  In  spite  of  the 
chaos  in  the  British  industry  resulting 
from  the  45  per  cent  quota,  the  Brit- 
ish government's  only  answer  is  to 
propose  to  reduce  the  quota  now  by 
only  5  per  cent." 

The  MPAA  insisted  that  it  did  not 
want  its  fight  on  the  British  quota 
to  interfere  in  any  way  with  the  ECA 
or  reciprocal  trade  programs.  Several 
legislators  have  been  talking  about 
amendments  to  the  ECA  or  Recipro- 
cal Trade  Act  to  hit  back  at  the  Brit- 
ish. 

O'Hara  reviewed  the  history  of 
British-American  film  relations  for 
the  California  members.  He  stressed 
that  America  is  a  completely  free 
market  for  foreign  films,  and  said 
U.  S.  producers  believed  that  the  mo- 
tion picture  as  a  medium  of  expres- 
sion should  have  the  widest  opportuni- 
ties for  exchange  among  the  peoples 
of  the  world. 

"An  entirely  contrary  point  of  view 
prevails  in  many  other  areas  of  the 
world,  notably  in  Great  Britain,  which 
has  adopted  various  restrictive  devices 


without  making  hysteria,"  Warner 
said  in  his  statement  covering  the 
company's  program.  "We  know  the 
motion  picture  market  is  what  the 
public  makes  it.  And  we  knew  that 
we  were  not  going  to  meet  the  public's 
demand  by  reducing  our  resources.  So 
we  increased  them.  We  have  doubled 
our  star  list  and  the  list  of  stories  for 
the  program  ahead."  Marlene  Dietrich 
will  join  Jane  Wyman  in  "Stage 
Fright,"  to  be  directed  in  England  by 
Alfred  Hitchcock. 

The  eight  pictures  which  will  launch 
the  new  Warner  production  schedule 
and  their  starting  dates  are:  "White 
Heat,"  first  to  star  James  Cagney, 
April  11;  "Always  Sweethearts," 
April  11 ;  "Barricade,"  April  11 ; 
"Chain  Lightning,"  April  18;  "Be- 
yond the  Forest,"  April  25;  "Return 
of  the  Frontiersman,"  April  25;  "The 
Miami  Story,"  May  2,  and  "Perfect 
Strangers,"  May  9. 

Pictures  in  preparation  include 
"Victoria  Grandolet,"  "Young  Man 
with  a  Horn,"  -"Ethan  Frome,"  "The 
West  Point  Story,"  "Colt  45,"  "The 
Travelers,"  "Dallas." 

Other  properties  on  the  forthcoming 
schedule     are:     "Women  Without 
Men,"  "Always  Leave  Them  Laugh 
ing,"  "The  Candy  Kid  Levels,"  "Back 
to  Broadway,"  "The  Glass  Menagerie." 

In  addition,  25  other  stories  are  in 
preparation  for  filming  and  casting. 

Sees  Rise  in  Tastes 

(Continued  from  Page  1) 


must  play  to  millions  to  get  costs 
back"  and,  therefore,  must  appeal  to 
the  lowest  common  denominator.  He 
said  that  "unless  films  are  successful, 
they  can't  afford  to  be  made,  and  this 
is  doubly  true  today"  because  banks 
have  tightened  up  and  costs  are  tre- 
mendous. Hollywood  pictures,  Selz- 
nick  continued,  "must  appeal  to  all 
ages,  groups  and  tastes."  Selznick 
cited  the  granting  of  the  Academy 
Award  to  "Hamlet"  as  an  indication 
of  improving  tastes.  A  year  ago  he 
said  "you  could  not  convince  exhibi- 
tors and  distributors  that  it  would  be 
such  a  success." 

Another  speaker,  Gilbert  Seldes, 
said  that  people  between  the  ages  of 
20  and  30  go  to  motion  pictures  less 
than  they  did  before,  and  after  30  they 
go  very  seldom.  He  advised  the  mak- 
ing of  pictures  that  are  more  "mature 
and  intelligent"  to  recapture  the  van- 
ishing audience. 

Richard  Griffith,  executive  secretary 
of  the  National  Board,  revealed  that 
a  postcard  ballot  conducted  by  the 
board  showed  that  "a  wide  variety^  of 
film  choices  is  the  principal  desire." 


DETROIT  FREE  PRESS 


calls  if  ^^^> 


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Star  Gazing 

.yVMee,*  Family  P*'"'™' 

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play. 

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the 
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hoerffia^™ocr  country 

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^^haV/i-o.e.here 

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■•"^•.i!?    ead  t  tragedy 
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Bi,ly-  ■       ;„  "The  Yearling" 
N0th'nrf  stirring  than  Tom's 
^t^  the^ard  heaves  , 

from  his  pony  s  dead  dou>.      Reprinfed  from  fhe  Detroif  F 


CHARLKS  K.  F KIDMAN  present. 


WITHOUT  USING  cartoon, 
W1THOL  i  „  a,s0 

sequences,   The  Keu       *  H 
has  the  element  of  f^tasy 

Dif,ne?  Ctr  t  My  Heart." 

SriTMS «™°<  ■ 

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reffi«stinhispony,hehves 

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:ree  Press 


MYRNA  LOY  ROBERT  MITCHUM 


m  JOHN  STEINBECK'S 


flllli^^PilMiitlBi^liMJiJjIilil^yiUlilvJn 


and  introducing 


cing  PETER  MILES  as  TOM  and  MARGARET  HAMILTON 


Screen  Play  by  10HN  STEINBECK  •  Music  by  AARON  COPLAND 

Produced  and  Directed  by  LEWIS  MILESTONE  •  A  REPUBLIC  PRODUCTION 
COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR 


bmf'Super-Higt)  Intensity 'Carbons *m W 


THESE  jumbo  screens  used  in  big,  drive-in 
theatres  require  projection  light  of  terrific 
brilliance.  Otherwise,  your  patrons  can't  get 
that  bright-screen  sparkle  they  are  used  to  in 
first-run,  conventional  theatres.  They  have  to 
squint  to  see. 

Give  your  patrons  vivid,  easy-to-see  pictures 
by  using  "National"  Super-High  Intensity 
carbons  in  your  drive-in  theatre.  These  carbons 
give  you  brighter  light  than  any  other  source 
of  projection  light  obtainable.  And,  because 
"National"  Super-High  Intensity  carbons  pro- 
duce light  of  almost  perfect  color  balance, 


your  color  movies  glow  with  rich  detail. 

The  slight  extra  cost  of  "National"  Super- 
High  Intensity  carbons  is  negligible  when  you 
consider  the  advantages  in  audience  approval 
and  bigger  box  office.  Write  for  complete 
details. 

The  term  "National"  is  a  registered  trade-mark  of 
NATIONAL  CARBON  COMPANY,  INC. 

Unit  of  Union  Carbide  and  Carbon  Corporation 

30  East  42nd  Street,  New  York  17,  N.  Y. 
Division  Sales  Offices:  Atlanta,  Chicago,  Dallas,  Kansas  City, 
New  York,  Pittsburgh,  San  Francisco 


Use  "National"  Super -High  Intensity  carbons  for  "the  brightest  spot  in  the  world." 


I 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  64 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  APRIL  1,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


20th's  Rental 
Terms  to  NY 
Owners  Today 

Executives  Make  Fourth 
Stop  in  National  Tour 

Heralded  by  a  week-long  exchange 
of  "opinions"  between  theatre  owners 
and  exhibitor  organizations  on  the  one 
hand  and  key  sales  executives  of  20th 
Century-Fox  on  the  other,  the  com- 
pany's New  York  exhibitor  luncheon- 
meeting  for  a  general  discussion  of 
rentals  and-  other  industry  problems, 
will  get  underway  at  noon  today  at  the 
Hotel  Astor  here.  The  meeting  will 
be  the  fourth  in  a  nationwide  "grass 
roots"  tour  by  20th-Fox  vice-presi- 
dents Al  Lichtman,  Andy  W.  Smith, 
Jr.,  and  Charles  Einfeld,  in  the^com- 
pany's  declared  campaign  for  "more 
equitable"  rental  terms  for  its  product. 

They  have  already  told  exhibitors 
that  (a)  the  production  end  of  _  the 
business  will  be  in  jeopardy  financially 
if  exhibition  does  not  accept  the  thesis 
that  slicing  of  profits  should  be  more 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


New  British  Quota 
Approved  by  Lords, 
Despite  Criticism 


London,  March  31. — The  House  of 
Lords  today  approved  the  new  40  per 
cent  film  quota  with  mild  debate  and 
ess  pointed  criticism  than  accompa- 
nied the  quota's  approval  by  Commons 
last  night. 

Lord  Lucas,  government  spokesman, 
said  that  the  position  of  Harold  Wil- 
son, president  of  the  Board  of  Trade, 
on  the  quota  is  something  like  that  of 
a  man  with  a  drunken  wife,  every- 
body knows  what  to  do  with  her  ex- 
cept the  man  who's  got  her. 

Lucas  said  the  salvation  of  the  Brit- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


New  Financing  for 
Independents 

Arrangements  have  been  completed 
by  Filmicas,  S.A.,  jointly  controlled 
by  American  and  Mexican  interests, 
to  finance  independent  producers  in 
making  "A"-type  English-speaking 
films  in  Mexico  with  top  stars,  for 
worldwide  release,  it  was  announced 
here  yesterday  by  Milton  Gladstone, 
New  York  attorney,  who  is  represent- 
ing the  company. 

Filmicas  plans  to  finance  a  minimum 
of  10  features  annually.  Contracts 
have  been  signed  for  the  first  and 
agreements  are  expected  to  be  con- 
cluded shortly  for  three  others.  The 
first  will  be  Seymour  Nebenzal's  pro- 
duction of  "M."    John  Brahm  will  di- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 

Skouras  Cites  Four 
In  Conspiracy  Suit 

George  Skouras  and  Skouras  Thea 
tres  have  filed  a  counter-claim  and 
cross-complaint  in  U.  S.  District 
Court  here  charging  a  conspiracy  to 
eliminate  clearances  in  violation  of  the 
anti-trust  laws,  naming  as  defendants 
J.  J.  Theatres,  RKO,  Universal  and 
Warner.  Countersuit  asks  damages 
totaling  $1,800,000,  and  the  initial  ac- 
tion, filed  a  few  months  ago  by  J.  J. 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Television  Contract 
Approved  by  NTFC 


The  new  standard  exhibition  con- 
tract of  the  National  Television  Film 
Council  was  approved  here  last  night 
by  the  organization's  membership  at 
a  meeting  in  the  Fifth  Avenue  Brass 
Rail  Restaurant  here.  Leaving  nego- 
tiable the  rates  to  be  charged  for  tele- 
casting of  films,  the  contract  sets  forth 
in  specific  terms  the  respective  re- 
sponsibilities of  television  stations 
and  film  distributors  when  product  is 
bought  or  rented. 

Stipulated  in  the  NTFC  pact  are 
provisions  taking  into  account  musical 
performing  rights,  warranties,  avail- 
abilities, print  deliveries,  payment  of 
license  fees,  runs  and  clearances,  etc. 

Presiding  at  last  night's  meeting 
was  Mel  Gold,  NTFC  president.  J. 
A.  Maurer,  vice-president  of  the  So- 
ciety of.  Motion  Picture  Engineers, 
addressed  the  meeting  on  "Films  and 
Television." 


Film  Labor  Confers 
With  Truman  Today 

Washington,  March  31. — 
Four  labor  representatives  of 
the  film  industry  will  confer 
tomorrow  noon  with  Presi- 
dent Truman  on  the  current 
fight  against  British  quota 
restrictions.  Roy  Brewer  and 
Kenneth  Thomson,  sent  here 
by  the  Hollywood  AFL  Film 
Council,  will  be  joined  by 
Ronald  Reagan  and  Richard 
Walsh,  presidents  of  the 
Screen  Actors  Guild  and 
IATSE,  respectively. 


Balaban  Clarifies 
Circuit  Asset  Sale 


All  proceeds  from  Paramount's  sale 
of  its  interests  in  seven  of  its  princi- 
pal partnership  circuits  will  accrue  to 
the  new  United  Paramount  Theatres, 
Barney  Balaban,  president  of  the  cor- 
poration, disclosed  yesterday  in  a  new 
letter  to  stockholders  which  for  the 
most  part  points  up  the  advantages, 
and  offers  further  explanation  of  the 
plan  of  reorganization. 

Balaban  calls  attention  to  the  fact 
that  the  proxy  statement  which  was 
released  on  March  7  did  not  state  that 
transactions  involving  the  seven  cir- 
cuits are  excluded  in  computing  the 
amounts  to  be  divided  between  United 
Paramount  Theatres  and  the  new 
Paramount  Pictures  Co.  He  added 
that  an  addition  will  be  made  to  the 
text  of  the  plan  of  reorganization  to 
cover  the  point. 

The  circuits,  proceeds  from  the  sale 
of  interests  in  which  will  go  to  the 
new  theatre  company,  are :  Interstate 
Circuit,  Texas  Consolidated  Theatres, 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Over  30  Adverse  Bills 
Die  in  N.  Y.  Legislature 


Boston-N.Y.  Telecast 
Stars  Churchill 

The  first  Boston-to-New 
York  full-screen  television 
was  accomplished  last  night 
when  Winston  Churchill 
made  his  debut  on  large- 
screen  theatre  video  at  the 
New  York  Paramount  Thea- 
tre with  a  pickup  of  his 
Massachusetts  Institute  of 
Technology  speech. 


Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  31.— The 
New  York  State  legislature  adjourned 
this  morning  without  passing  a  single 
bill  that  specifically  would  have  an 
adverse  effect  on  the  film  industry. 
Harry  Lamont,  chairman  of  the  Al- 
bany area  Theatre  Owners  of  Ameri- 
ca; Orrin  Judd  of  the  Metropolitan 
Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of 
New  York,  and  Leonard  Rosenthal, 
also  of  the  Theatre  Owners  of  Ameri- 
ca, jointly  expressed  satisfaction  that 
none  of  the  more  than  30  measures 
which  would  have  hit  theatres  re- 
ceived approval. 

Lamont  hailed  the  results  as  proof 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Johnston  and 
State  Dept. 
Discuss  Quota 

To  Hold  Action  Pending 
Atlantic  Pact  Signing 

Washington,  March  31. — 
MPAA  president  Eric  A.  Johnston 
today  took  the  industry's  fight  on 
the  British  quota  to  Under-Secre- 
tary of  State  James  Webb., 

Johnston  has  a  lengthy  interview 
with  Webb,  outlining  the  industry's 
foreign  plight,  with  emphasis  on  the 
British  situation. 

One  piece  of  advice  that 
Johnston  handed  out  after  the 
meeting  to  Congressmen  and 
industry  officials  fighting  the 
quota  was  to  let  things  slide 
until  the  middle  of  next  week, 
after  the  excitement  on  the 
North  Atlantic  pact-signing 
subsides. 

Johnston   indicated   that   the  Con- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 

Clark  Named  Para. 
Division  Manager 

A.  W.  Schwalberg,  Paramount 
general  sales  manager,  has  promoted 
M.  R.  (Duke)  Clark  from  assistant 
division  manager  to  division  manager, 
replacing  Harold  Wirthwein  who  has 
resigned. 

Coincidental  with  Clark's  advance- 
ment, Schwalberg  also  announced  the 
realignment  of  Paramount's  divisional 
set-up  as  follows :  Clark  will  assume 
command  of  the  South  Central  divi- 
sion, comprising  the  Dallas,  Oklahoma 
City,  Memphis,  Kansas  City  and  St 
Louis  territories  and  will  continue  his 
headquarters  in  Dallas.  J.  J.  Dono- 
hue,  Central  divisional  manager,  will 
supervise  Chicago,  Indianapolis,  Mil- 
waukee, Minneapolis,  Omaha  and  Des 
Moines. 


Fortune  Hunts  for 
New  'Movie  Era' 


Fortune  magazine,  airing  in  detail 
in  its  current  issue  some  recent,  some 
current  and  some  future  problems  and 
questions  of  the  motion  picture  indus- 
try, asks  whether  an  "era"  in  motion 
pictures  has  ended. 

The  magazine  says,  "Nearly  60  ex- 
ecutives in  film  production  and  finance 
(representing  both  major  and  indepen- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  April  1,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


JOHN  JOSEPH,  assistant  to  How- 
ard Dietz,  M-G-M  advertising- 
publicity  vice-president,  will  leave 
here  Monday  for  Chicago  and  Cleve- 
land. 

Frank  Shea  of  the  March  of  Time, 
and  Phil  Williams  of  Fortune  mag- 
azine, will  attend  the  testimonial  din- 
ner to  George  V.  Lynch,  Schine 
circuit  film  buyer,  to  be  given  Mon- 
day night  at  the  Ten  Eyck  _  Hotel, 
Albany,  on  the  occasion  of  his  30th 
anniversary  with  Schine. 

• 

Jack  Harris,  film  buyer  for  Walter 
Reade  Theatres,  and  Mrs.  Harris, 
will  leave  here  today  for  a  three-week 
vacation  at  Miami  Beach,  accompanied 
by  Alexander  A.  Abramowitz,  ex- 
ecutive of  People's  Candy  Co.,  thea- 
tre concessionaires. 

• 

Charles  Beakley  has  resigned  as 
assistant  manager  of  the  Arcadia 
Theatre,  Philadelphia,  with  Jacques 
Rion,  formerly  at  the  Aldine,  replac- 
ing him. 

Jules  K.   Chapman,  Film  Clas- 
sics assistant  general  sales  manager, 
has  returned  here  from  a  tour  of  ex- 
changes in  the  South  and  Southwest. 
• 

William  Pine,  producer,  and  John 
Payne  will  arrive  in  San  Francisco 
today  from  Hollywood. 

• 

Hunt  Stromberg  is  in  New  York 
from  the  Coast. 


Insider's  Outlook 


Gehring  at  Premiere 

Baltimore,  March  31.— William  C. 
Gehring,  assistant  general  sales  man- 
ager of  20th  Century-Fox,  presided  at 
the  premiere  here  tonight  of  the  com- 
pany's "Mr.  Belvedere  Goes  to  Col- 
lege," held  at  the  New  Theatre.  He 
represented  20th-Fox  president  Spyros 
P.  Skouras  and  distribution  vice- 
president  Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.  The 
premiere  was  staged  in  conjunction 
with  a  testimonial  dinner  at  the  Bel- 
vedere Hotel  for  Morris  Mechanic, 
operator  of  the  New  Theatre,  on  his 
25th  anniversary  in  exhibition. 


Bill  Would  Penalize 
Subversive  Films 

Washington,  March  31. — 
Rep.  Cavalcante,  Pennsyl- 
vania Democrat,  today  intro- 
duced a  bill  to  make  it  a 
crime  to  "prepare,  print,  edit, 
issue,  circulate,  sell,  distrib- 
ute, publicly  display,  bring 
into  the  U.  S.  or  send  out  of 
the  U.  S."  as  part  of  a  plan 
to  overthrow  the  government 
any  written  or  printed  matter 
or  any  motion  picture  which 
"tends  to  incite  contempt  for 
the  government  of  the  U.  S.," 
or  any  officer  or  employee  of 
the  government.  The  penalty 
would  be  a  fine  up  to  $10,000 
and/or  up  to  10  years  in  jail. 


By  RED  KANN 


HpHOSE  five  Oscars  captured 
by  "Hamlet"  in  Hollywood 
last  week  will  add  a  handsome 
decorative  note  to  the  J.  Arthur 
Rank  and  Universal-Internation- 
al offices,  of  course.  But  the  best 
guess  is  that  the  high  brass  in 
both  organiztaions  is  getting  as 
big,  or  bigger,  a  bang  from  scan- 
ning the  receipts.  Out  of  96 
American  engagements,  the  net 
film  rental  is  understood  to  have 
exceeded  $1,300,000.  It  could 
go  to  $10,000,000  in  five  years 
as  U-I  happily  calculates  it. 

There  is  a  long  history  to  be 
recorded  about  this  Shakes- 
pearean film.  Interesting,  too. 
For  instance,  U-I  originally  con- 
templated the  art-type  of  theatre 
as  its  best  outlet.  So,  also,  did 
a  number  of  reviewers,  includ- 
ing this  one.  But  unusual 
grosses  in  early  dates  began  to 
attract  circuit  attention,  with  the 
result  that  "Hamlet"  is  making 
a  very  nice  dent  in  conventional 
exhibition  at  $2.40  top,  evenings. 
To  wit  and  in  part: 

Los  Angeles :  23  weeks  at  the 
Four  Star,  a  Fox  West  Coast 
house ;  Chicago :  17  weeks  at  B. 
and  K's  Apollo;  Philadelphia: 
11  weeks  at  Warner's  Aldine; 
Cleveland:  10  weeks  at  Loew's 
Ohio ;  Dallas :  two  weeks  at  In- 
terstate's  Tower ;  Champaign, 
111. :  two  weeks  at  the  RKO  Or- 
pheum ;  Bridgeport,  Conn. :  nine 
days  at  Loew's  Lyric;  Dayton, 
O. :  one  week  at  the  RKO  Day- 
ton, then  moves  over. 


The  experience  at  the  Park 
Avenue  Theatre  here  in  New 
York  is  a  chapter  of  its  own. 
There  the  attraction  has  weath- 
ered weather,  anti-British  pick- 
eting, an  isolated  theatre  loca- 
tion and  whatever  else  might 
have  been  going  on  along 
Broadway.  Now  in  its  seventh 
month,  the  first  three  were  sell- 
outs. During-the-week  matinees 
then  shrank  and  the  house  ran 
along  at  about  85  per  cent  of 
capacity. 

Last  weekend's  figures  indi- 
cate to  the  distributor  that  the 
Park  Avenue  engagement,  and 
the  other  17  bookings  around 
the  country,  will  derive  an  av- 
erage increase  of  about  23  per 
cent  as  a  consequence  of  the 
Academy  Awards.  Not  the  least 
of  them  is  the  fact  that  "Ham- 
let" is  the  first  non-Hollywood- 
made  production  ever  to  have 
captured  the  best-picture  prize. 

Today  at  U-I  they  are  taking 
the  position  that  their  experi- 


ence indicates  a  place  in  the 
mass  medium  of  motion  pictures 
for  classic  works  brought  to  the 
screen  with  boldness  and  imagi- 
nation and  merchandised  for 
what  they  are  rather  than  for 
what  the  distributor  thinks  may 
lure  patrons  to  the  box-office. 
"Hamlet"  is  being  sold  strictly 
as  Shakespeare,  but  there  has 
been  no  neglect  of  the  basic  pre- 
cepts of  showmanship.  Twenty 
men  continue  in  the  field,  selling 
The  Bard  and  Olivier  to  the 
masses  and  helping  exhibitors 
sell  tickets. 

n  ■ 

Regardless  of  where  one  may 
stand  on  the  merits  of  demerits 
of  the  issue,  there  is  no  room 
for  argument  over  the  right  of 
20th  Century-Fox  to  present  its 
position  in  open  forum.  Nor  is 
there  room  for  argument  over 
the  right  of  any  theatre  group  to 
present  its  position  against  a 
re-allocation  of  the  box-office 
dollar  in  favor  of  the  distributor 
in  the  same  or  any  other  open 
forum.  This  is  nothing  more 
than  exercise  of  a  democratic 
principle. 

However,  when  a  representa- 
tive of  the  ITOA  of  New  York 
seeks  to  pre-determine  the  view- 
points of  exhibitors  in  another 
city — Philadelphia — by  circulat- 
ing, in  advance  of  a  luncheon 
they  have  decided  to  attend, 
copies  of  paid  advertising  voic- 
ing ITOA's  opposition,  it  be- 
comes a  case  of  very  small 
potatoes. 

It  may  be  safely  assumed 
members  of  the  New  York  ex- 
hibitor unit  would  be  the  first  to 
deplore  it  if  some  individual,  or 
some  group,  distributed  hand- 
outs on  whatever  point  may  be 
at  issue  in  front  of  their 
theatres. 

If  a  principle  is  correct,  it 
works  in  all  directions  and  ap- 
plies under  all  conditions.  Ex- 
pediency is  no  excuse. 

H  ■ 

Here  is  an  enlightened  ap- 
proach to  the  vexatious,  argu- 
ment-provoking question  over 
price.  Charles  P.  Skouras,  of- 
ficially on  behalf  of  National 
Theatres :  "We  don't  want  to 
abuse  any  producer,  large  or 
small.  The  number  of  indepen- 
dent producers  has  shrunk 
alarmingly,  and  we  must  take 
heed  of  this  situation  as  indi- 
cating what  may  happen.  They 
have  produced  pictures  and  are 
entitled  to  a  square  deal.  Don't 
mistreat  good  film." 


Tribute  to  O'Dwyer 

Scores  of  industry  representatives 
joined  other  businesses  and  labor  in 
paying  tribute  to  Mayor  William 
O'Dwyer  at  a  luncheon  here  yester- 
day at  the  Commodore  Hotel.  Among 
those  present  were  Nicholas  M. 
Schenck,  J.  Robert  Rubin,  William 
F.  Rodgers,  Robert  Weitman,  Charles 
C.  Moskowitz,  Benjamin  Fielding, 
Howard  Dietz,  Oscar  A.  Doob. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


-  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

Rockefeller  Center 

LITTLE  WOMEN 

June  Allyson  .  Peter  Lawford  .  Marg't  O'Brien', 
Elizabeth  Taylor  .  Janet  Leigh  .  Rossano  Brazzla  ■ 
Mary  Astor    .   A  Mervyn  Le  Roy  Production  J 
Color  by  Technicolor 
A  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Join  PAYNE  •  Ga,l  RUSSELL  Y^»/-. 
Sterling  HAYDEN  -  8eo."Gabby"HATES 
Dick  FORAN 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER,  wJ™SfZ'dway 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinee*  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


David  O.  Selznick  presents 

"Portrait  of  Jennie" 

starring 

JENNIFER       JOSEPH  ETHEL 
JONES         COTTEN  BARRYMORE 
Directed  by  William  Dieterle. 

RIVOLI 

Broadway  and  49th  Street 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  INGRID 

BERGMAN 

A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

kCOLOft  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 


with  JOSE  FERRER  •  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  ■  J  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  80ND  8 
SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  ■  HURD  HATFIELD  •  GENE  LOCKHART  -  JOHN  EMERY  3 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  ■  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY 
based  upon  the  stage  play  'Joan  of  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
lcrccn  ploy  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  ond  ANDREW  SOU  -  art  direction  by 
RICHARD  OAY  .  directoi  of  photoa'aphy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

nted  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  •  released  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


21st  week!. 


JEANNE  MADELEINE  GEORGE  RICHARD 
CRAIN      CARROLL    SANDERS  GREENE 

"THE  FAN " 

A  20th  Century-Fox  Picture 

On  Variety  Stage— GINNY  SIMMS,  others 
ON  ICE  STAGE— "The  MERRY  WIDOW" 
with  JOAN  HYLDOFF  ;  ARNOLD  SHODA 

RftW  7th Ave- &  
____       W  J\.   I       50th  St. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


(I  Friday,  April  1,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Review 


"Mr.  Belvedere  Goes  to  College" 

(20th  Century-Fox) 

APPARENTLY  20th-Fox  took  one  look  at  the  results  of  its  first,  and 
quite  phenomenal,  experience  with  Mr.  Lynn  Belvedere  on  the  screen 
and  apparently  asked,  why  not  again?  And,  so,  here  for  the  second  time  is 
Clifton  Webb  as  the  amiably  arrogant,  admitted  genius.  Though  it  may  not 
match  "Sitting  Pretty,"  which  had  the  added  advantage  of  being  first  to  mar- 
ket, "Goes  to  College"  is  not  likely  to  be  too  far  behind  when  all  the  returns 
are  in. 

Webb's  sophisticated  clowning  is  the  continual  high  spot  of  the  campus  com- 
edy which  is  alternately  subtle  and  broad  and,  in  one  instance,  unexpectedly 
colored. 

When  the  film  gets  serious,  fortunately  not  too  often,  it  is  to  allow  Shirley 
Temple  to  engage  the  personable  Tom  Drake  in  some  peculiarly  cooked-up 
romance  wherein  she  appears  as  a  college  student  who  does  not  tell  anyone 
that  she  has  a  young  son  at  home  and  that  her  husband  was  killed  in  the  war. 
This  is  innocent  stuff,  somewhat  incongruous,  and  not  adding  much  to  the 
entertainment. 

Excuse  for  sending  Mr.  Belvedere  to  college  is  that  he  can  collect  on  his 
prize-winning  novel  only  on  condition  that  he  obtain  a  degree.  The  story,  by 
Richard  Sale,  Mary  Loos  and  Mary  McCall,  Jr.,  provides  him  with  a  good 
comedy  foil  in  Alan  Young  as  the  browbeating  sophomore  plagued  with  the 
sniffles  whose  primary  aim  is  to  make  life  miserable  for  all  freshmen. 

Belvedere  upsets  all  college  traditions,  over-runs  the  sorority  house_  where 
he  is  employed  as  "hasher,"  wins  a  track  meet  with  one  pole  vault,  straightens 
out  the  romantic  endeavors  of  Miss  Temple  and  Drake,  and  breezes  through 
the  four-year  course  in  a  year. 

Elliott  Nugent's  direction  has  the  show  running  at  a  good,  steady  pace  with 
a  minimum  of  dull  spots.  Others  in  the  film,  which  was  produced  by  Samuel 
G.  Engel,  are  Jessie  Royce  Landis,  Kathleen  Hughes,  Taylor  Holmes,  Paul 
Harvey  and  Barry  Kelley.  Film  was  based  on  a  character  created  by  Gwen 
Davenport.  Lynn  Belvedere  is  a  refreshingly  new  comedy  figure.  All  the 
producer's  story  department  has  to  do  is  figure  where  a  man  of  his  age  and 
intellect  goes  after  college. 

Running  time,  83  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  May  release. 

Gene  Arneel 


!  Sees  Safety  Film 
I    Replacing  Standard 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  March  31. 
\  — A  new  type  of  35mm.  safety 
film  for  the  professional  field, 
i       which  was  introduced  here  in 
i      1948  by  Eastman  Kodak,  and 
;      which  is  now  being  manufac- 
tured  in   rising   volume,  is 
expected  to  replace  the  pres- 
i       ent     inflammable  standard 
(       nitrate  stock  within  a  few 
years.  This  was  disclosed  yes- 
I       terday  in  the  company's  an- 
nual report  to  stockholders. 


'Tulsa'  Premiere 
Set  by  Youngstein 

Tulsa,  Okla.,  March  31. — Final 
wrap-up  of  plans  for  the  premiere  of 
Walter  Wanger's  "Tulsa,"  'scheduled 
for  the  Ritz  and  Orpheum  Theatres 
here  on  April  13,  was  accomplished 
here  today  by  Max  E.  Youngstein, 
Eagle  Lion  advertising  and  publicity 
vice-president,  who  is  in  Tulsa  fol- 
lowing meetings  in  Kansas  City  on 
industry  participation  in  the  U.  S. 
Treasury's  Savings  Bond  Drive. 

Youngstein  huddled  with  officials  of 
Talbot  Theatres,  operators  of  the  Ritz 
and  Orpheum,  headed  by  J.  C.  Hunt- 
er, president ;  Ralph  Talbot,  secretary- 
treasurer;  and  R.  Drewry;  and  with 
.  members  of  his  E-L  organization 
working  on  the  Tulsa  opening  and  on 
400  key  theatre  day-and-date  engage- 
ments set  to  open  in  the  Oklahoma 
City,  Dallas,  Memphis  and  New  Or- 
leans territories  immediately  follow- 
ing the  premiere.  Youngstein  plans  to 
visit  Oklahoma  City  to  confer  with 
Roy  J.  Turner  on  the  state's  partici- 
pation in  the  premiere. 

,  Taxation  Question 
\  Undecided:  Snyder 

Washington,  March  31. — Secre- 
\  tary  of  the  Treasury  Snyder  said  to- 
1  day  he  did  not  know  whether  the 
]  Federal  Government  can  "get  out  of 
i  any  field"  of  taxation  at  this  time. 

Snyder  made  the  remark  in  comment- 
;  ing  on  Treasury  plans  for  the  meeting 
here  on  April  21-22  with  city  and 
state  government  officials.  The  latter 
groups  have  cited  the  admission  tax 
as  one  field  from  which  the  Federal 
I  government  should  withdraw  in  favor 
of  state  and  local  governments. 

Snyder    stressed    that    the  April 
meeting  will  be  strictly  exploratory. 
The  meeting  will  consider  the  prob- 
I  lem,   he   declared,   and   then  decide 
where  to  go  from  there. 

"VA"  Film  Conference 

Mrs.  Adenia  Stern,  chief  of  the 
U.  S.  Veterans  Administration's  con- 
tract section,  and  E.  J.  Kelly,  VA  chief 
of  motion  pictures,  will  arrive  in  New 
York  from  Washington  on  Monday 
to  confer  for  a  week  with  executives 
of  various  distribution  companies  re- 
garding the  features  and  short  sub- 
jects which  the  Administration  will 
show  during  the  next  year  in  VA 
hospitals  and  homes  throughout  the 
country. 


E.  T.  Carroll  Joins  FC 

Edward  T.  Carroll,  former  RKO 
New  York  branch  salesman,  has 
joined  Film  Classics,  effective  April 
11,  as  a  salesman  operating  out  of  the 
Philadelphia  exchange,  it  is  announced 
by  B.  G.  Kranze,  FC  sales  vice-presi- 
dent. 


Allport  and  Eckman 
Coming  from  London 

London,  March  31.— F.  W.  All- 
port,  London  manager  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America,  will 
leave  here  for  New  York  by  plane  on 
April  8  for  discussions  with  Eric 
Johnston,  MPAA  president,  prelimi- 
nary to  the  Washington  meeting  _  of 
the  Anglo-American  Advisory  Film 
Council  on  April  21. 

Sam  Eckman,  Loew's  managing  di- 
rector here,  will  also  leave  for  New 
York  but  it  still  is  uncertain  whether 
he  will  sail  on  the  -S\S"  Queen  Mary 
on  April  13,  when  Sir  Alexander 
Korda  and  Sir  Henry  French,  British 
members  of  the  Council,  are  scheduled 
to  leave. 

Hughes  Gets  Another 
Outside  Production 

Hollywood,  March  31.  —  Howard 
Hughes  has  purchased  the  completed 
production,  "Montana  Belle,"  from 
producer  Howard  Welsch  and  Fidel- 
ity Pictures  and  plans  it  for  early  re- 
lease by  RKO  Radio.  The  film, 
which  stars  Jane  Russell,  George 
Brent  and  Scott  Brady,  was  directed 
by  Allan  Dwan  and  was  filmed  in 
Trucolor. 


'Coronet'  on  Eyssell 

Gus  Eyssell,  president  of  Rocke- 
feller Center,  Inc.,  and  Radio  City 
Music  Hall,  is  the  subject  of  an  article 
in  the  April  issue  of  Coronet.  The 
article,  terming  Eyssell  "a  genial  host 
and  expert  at  picking  winners  for  the 
world's  largest  theatre,"  gives  Eyssell's 
trade  biography  and  descriptions  of 
Music  Hall  operations. 


Kazan  To  Direct  'Pinky' 

Elia  Kazan  will  return  to  Coast  to 
take  over  direction  of  20th  Century- 
Fox's  major  production  "Pinky,"  re- 
placing John  Ford,  who  is  ill. 


Percentage  Suit  Is 
Filed  in  St.  Louis 

St.  Louis,  March  31. — Loew's  and 
Paramount  each  filed  a  separate  per- 
centage action  today  in  Federal  Court 
here  against  Christ  Zotos,  operating 
the  local  Roosevelt  Theatre.  Recov- 
ery is  sought  in  each  complaint  for 
damages  resulting  from  alleged  false 
returns  on  percentage  pictures. 

Israel  Treiman  of  the  St.  Louis  law 
firm  of  Lashly,  Lashly,  Miller  and 
Clifford  is  the  attorney  for  each  plain- 
tiff with  Sargoy  and  Stein  of  New 
York  of  counsel. 


'Glamor'  At  Opening 
Of  New  FWC  House 

Hollywood,  March  31. — Glamor 
turned  out  in  full  array  tonight  for 
the  grand  opening  of  Fox  West 
Coast's  new  $400,000  Fox  Theatre, 
Inglewood,  erected  on  the  site  of  the 
circuit's  Granada  Theatre  which  was 
destroyed  by  fire  last  year.  Clifton 
Webb  and  Shirley  Temple,  co-stars  of 
the  premiere  attraction,  "Mr.  Belve- 
dere Goes  to  College,"  led  the  talent 
contingent  that  included  two  dozen 
players,  with  an  estimated  10,000  citi- 
zens lining  the  streets. 


To  Knight  Fairbanks 

Hollywood,  March  31. — Douglas 
Fairbanks,  Jr.,  has  been  notified  here 
that  he  has  been  made  an  honorary 
knight  commander  of  the  Most  Ex- 
cellent Order  of  the  British  Empire 
for  his  work  in  Anglo-American  rela- 
tions and  for  his  chairmanship  of 
CARE.  Fairbanks  plans  to  go  to 
Buckingham  Palace  to  receive  the 
knighthood  in  a  formal  ceremony. 


'Ships'  Gets  113  'Plugs' 

"Down  to  the  Sea  in  Ships"  has 
received  113  "plugs"  over  the  air  since 
its  release  in  February,  according  to 
Ulric  Bell,  20th-Fox  publicist. 


TOA,  SMPE  to  Talk 
Video  on  April  8 

Theatre  Owners  of  America  has 
joined  the  Society  of  Motion  Picture 
Engineers  as  a  sustaining  member,  a 
TOA  executive  declaring  that  the 
move  may  eliminate  the  necessity  of 
TOA  hiring  a  television  engineer  to 
do  research  on  theatre  television.  On 
April  8,  a  special  committee  of  the 
TOA  is  scheduled  to  meet  with 
SMPE  representatives  to  discuss  the 
extent  of  video  liaison  between  the 
two  groups. 

It  is  likely  that  a  TOA  liaison 
committee  will  eventually  forward 
questions  on  large-screen  television, 
estimated  costs  and  available  connec- 
tion to  the  SMPE  which  will  then 
in  turn  provide  the  answers.  Donald 
Hyndman  of  Eastman  Kodak  is  head 
of  the  SMPE's  theatre  television  com- 
mittee. 

It  is  understood  that  the  idea  of 
a  TOA  television  research  engineer 
was  dropped  not  only  because  of  the 
new  SMPE  tie-up,  but  also  because 
several  TOA  members  in  areas  not 
yet  serviced  by  television  stations  had 
indicated  their  lack  of  enthusiasm  in 
a  venture  which,  for  the  present  at 
least,  has  no  bearing  on  them. 

Many  prominent  exhibitors  were  on 
hand  Monday  night  when  RCA 
demonstrated  its  improved  theatre 
television  instantaneous  projector  at 
the  SMPE  convention  in  New  York. 

TOA's  Gael  Sullivan  and  Si  Fabian 
within  a  few  weeks  plan  to  confer 
with  executives  of  the  A.T.&T.  on 
communication  problems  relating  to 
the  piping  of  telecasts  to  theatres. 


Schedule  9  Club  Talks 
For  M-G-M's  Wolf 

Nine  speaking  engagements  at 
meetings  of  Kiwanis,  Lion's  and  Ro- 
tary clubs  have  been  scheduled  for 
Maurice  N.  Wolf,  assistant  to  H.  M. 
Richey,  exhibitor  relations  head  for 
M-G-M.  M-G-M's  plans  during  its 
anniversary  year,  its  progress  as  part 
of  the  overall  development  of  the  in- 
dustry and  its  production  plans  will 
highlight  the  talks. 

The  first  four  engagements  will 
take  place  before  members  of  the 
Kiwanis,  at  Irvington  and  Jersey 
City,  N.  J.,  on  April  5  and  7,  respec- 
tively; at  Lynn,  Mass.,  April  12  and 
the  following  day  at  Taunton,  Mass. 
Rotary  members  in  Poughkeepsie  will 
hear  Wolf  on  April  20  and  in  Trenton 
on  April  21.  These  will  be  followed 
by  appearances  at  the  Kiwanis  at  Mt. 
Vernon,  N.  Y.,  April  26;  the  Rotary 
Club,  New  Rochelle,  April  27  and  at 
White  Plains,  April  28,  at  the  Lion's 
Club. 


Para.  'Bride'  Parley 

Continuing  its  policy  of  inviting 
exhibitpr  consultants  to  home  office 
conferences  on  the  advertising  and 
general  promotion  of  new  pictures, 
Paramount  has  asked  Harry  Brown- 
ing and  Hy  Fink  of  New  England 
Theatres,  Inc.,  Boston  to  home  office 
talks  today  on  "Bride  of  Vengeance." 


Mrs.  Driscoll  in  New  Post 

Boston,  March  31. — Mrs.  Anna 
Hughes  Driscoll  has  been  appointed 
executive  secretary  of  Allied  Theatres 
of  New  England,  succeeding  the  late 
Joseph  H.  Brennan,  it  was  announced 
here  today.  Frank  Lydon  was  named 
as  field  representative. 


MO  WONDER  TH 

THEATRE  MM 


'Terrific  .  .  .  the  most  persuasive,  dramatic  fight 
picture  I  have  ever  seen  ...  A  triumph/7 

-WANDA  HALE,  N.  Y.  Daily  News 

77  A  sizzling  melodrama  ...  A  real  dilly  for  those 
who  go  for  muscular  entertainment/7 

-T.  M.  P.,  N.  Y.  Times 

"Powerful  is  the  word  for  The  Set-Up7 .  .  .  Melo- 
drama that  packs  a  terrific  wallop  ...  A  sur- 
prise hit/7  -ROSE  PELSWICK,  N.  Y.  Journal- A  merican 

"A  gripping,  action-packed  film  ...  as  harsh  and 
uncompromising  as  a  punch  in  the  face!77 

-JUSTIN  GILBERT,  N.  Y.  Daily  Mirror 

"Vivid,  panoramic  story  of  characters  around  a 
cheap  fight  club  . . .  The  fight  itself  is  something 
very  special . . .  Graphic,  dramatic,  stirring.77 

-ALTON  COOK,  N.  Y.  World-Telegram 

"A  compact,  interesting  entertainment  and  a  bit 
more  than  just  another  boxing  melodrama.77 

-HOWARD  BARNES,  N.  Y.  Herald-Tribune 


M.  r.  CRITERION 
S  ARE  BULGING! 


rA  sure-fire  hit,  a 
super-duper,  a 
knockout,  knock- 
about thriller. 

-  IRENE  THIRER,  N.  Y 
Post -Home  News 


Starring 


ROBERT  RYAN 
AUDREY  TOTTER 

with 

GEORGE  TOBIAS  •  ALAN  BAXTER  •  WALLAGE  FORD  * 

Produced  by  RICHARD  GOLDSTONE  •  Directed  by  ROBERT  WISE 
Screen  Play  by  ART  COHN 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  April  1,  1949 


Johnston  on  Quota 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


gressmen  and  industry  representatives 
would  be  more  certain  to  reach  the 
proper  officials  and  to  get  a  more 
sympathetic  hearing  if  they  wait  until 
the  pact  is  out  of  the  way. 

Meanwhile,  Senator  Knowland, 
California  Republican,  said  he  had  re- 
ceived an  acknowledgement  from  the 
State  Department  on  his  request  for 
information  as  to  what  steps  the  gov- 
ernment is  taking  on  the  British  quota 
and  that  the  Department  had  prom- 
ised him  a  full  report  shortly.  Know- 
land  stated  that  the  Department's  re- 
port indicated  that  state  officials  were 
re-examining  the  entire  question,  and 
that  some  fairly  basic  decisions  might 
result. 

Johnston's  advice  to  lie  low  until 
the  middle  of  next  week  was  taken 
immediately  by  a  committee  of  House 
members  from  California.  Appointed 
at  a  California  delegation  meeting 
yesterday  to  confer  with  State  Secre- 
tary Acheson  on  the  quota  situation, 
the  committee,  headed  by  Democratic 
Rep.  King,  today  decided  to  let  things 
slide  until  Wednesday.  King  said  he 
would  try  to  set  up  a  meeting  then 
with  Acheson '  and  other  top  State 
Department  officials. 


Quota  Approved 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ish  film  industry  needs  to  be  worked 
out  but  the  only  help  the  government 
can  extend  must  necessarily  be  of  a 
first-aid  nature  only.  He  added  that 
the  government  hoped  the  various 
Wilson  film  committees  now  sitting 
might  find  a  way  out  for  the  industry. 
In   the    Commons    debate    on  the 


British  Hit  Ending 
Of  Academy  Support 

London,  March  31.  —  Local 
quarters,  unfriendly  to  the 
American  film  industry,  are 
making  a  great  play  of  the 
withdrawal  of  financial  sup- 
port by  major  companies 
from  the  Academy  Awards 
ceremonies,  attributing  the 
action  to  the  Academy's  gen- 
erous recognition  last  week 
of  the  British-made  "Hamlet" 
and  "Red  Shoes." 

The  statement  of  the  five 
major  company  executives  is- 
sued in  New  York  yesterday 
making  clear  the  reasons  for 
the  withdrawal  of  financial 
support  under  a  decision 
made  three  months  prior  to 
the  Academy's  1948  awards  is 
expected  to  discredit  the  local 
criticism  when  the  statement 
is  circulated  here. 


quota  last  night,  Oliver  Lyttelton. 
Conservative  leader,  charged  that 
Wilson  made  a  grave  mistake  in  fixing 
the  quota  at  45  per  cent  last  year 
without  previous  consultation  with  the 
American  film  industry  immediately 
after  reaching  the  agreement  on  the 
ad  valorem  film  tax.  Lyttelton  said 
his  information  showed  that  the  pres 
ent  reduction  of  the  quota  to  40  per 
cent  did  nothing  to  relieve  the  bitter 
ness  felt  by  the  American  industry. 

Americans  understandably  became 
extremely  obstructive  in  the  matter  of 
exhibition  of  British  films,  he  said. 
Rightly  or  wrongly,  they  felt  they  had 
been  treated  in  a  smart  way  by  the 


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British  government.  Another  conse- 
quence was  that  Americans  became 
sullen  and  uncooperative  in  utilizing 
their  blocked  sterling  for  production 
purposes  here,  exhibitors  ran  short  of 
good  features,  the  public  definitely  at- 
tended theatres  less  often,  with  the  re- 
sult that  unemployment  is  becoming 
rife  in  British  studios,  he  said. 

Due  to  Wilson's  maladroit  handling 
of  negotiations  with  the  American  in- 
dustry, the  British  industry  as  a  whole 
is  getting  the  worst  of  all  possible 
worlds,  Lyttelton  remarked.  The  gov- 
ernment acted  as  though  the  industry 
already  had  been  nationalized,  he  said, 

It  is  clear  the  industry  is  in  great 
jeopardy,  Lyttelton  continued.  The 
government  should  reconcile  itself  to 
losing  face;  it  should  recognize  the 
necessity  of  having  American  coopera- 
tion and  it  is  Wilson's  duty  to  reopen 
negotiations  with  the  American  indus 
try  ferthwith,  he  said. 

Confronted  with  criticism  from  all 
sides  of  Commons,  Wilson's  40  per 
cent  quota  was  approved  only  by  vir- 
tue .  of  the  disciplined  Socialist 
maj  ority. 

In  reply,  significantly,  Wilson  ad- 
mitted that  the  former  45  per  cent 
quota  was  so  impracticable  as,  possi- 
bly, to  lead  to  the  breakdown  of  the 
whole  quota  legislation,  but  he  stub 
bornly  said  he  believes  the  present 
situation  is  temporary  and  declared  he 
would  reimpose  the  45  per  cent  quota 
as  soon  as  practicable.  Wilson  plead- 
ed lamely  that  recent  legal  decisions 
made  it  difficult  for  the  Americans  to 
negotiate  with  the  British  government 
or  industry. 


30  Adverse  Bills 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Fortune  Hunts 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


dent  studios)  were  interviewed  for  its 
article  analyzing  the  Hollywood 
slump." 

The  tone  of  the  article  is  captured 
by  the  title  subhead  which  reads : 
'With  box-office  down,  foreign  rev 
enues  cut,  critics  pained,  older  fans 
dwindling,  reorganization  at  hand  and 
television  looming,  the  motion  picture 
industry  may  be  turning  a  historic 
corner.    Eric  Johnston  demurs." 

Fortune  estimates  that  there  are 
"perhaps  40,000,000  or  more  Americans 
who  rarely  go  to  the  movies.  Perhaps 
the  motion  picture  industry,"  it  says, 
'can  no  longer  get  along  without  the 
patronage  of  the  large,  mature  audi- 
ence over  30  years  of  age  who  seldom 
go  to  the  movies.  How  to  tap  this 
market  is  something  the  industry 
knows  little  about." 

The  article  gives  what  it  describes 
as  an  "optimistic  estimate"  of  85,000,000 
weekly  theatre  attendance  in  the 
United  States  in  1941,  "and  about  the 
same  in  1948,"  pointing  out  that  in  the 
same  period  national  income,  produc- 
tion and  population  all  have  increased. 
Accepting  the  peak  attendance  esti- 
mate of  90,000,000  a  week  in  1930,  the 
article  says  it  appears  that  in  20  years 
"the  industry  has  suffered  an  absolute 
loss  of  5,000,000  patrons  a  week  while 
the  nation  increased  20  per  cent  in 
population." 

"Today  Hollywood  is  in  the  red  as 
a  result  of  rising  costs  and  falling 
revenues." 

Discussing  more  mature  pictures  for 
the  irregular  or  untouched  theatre 
audience,  the  article  cites  "Henry  V" 
and  "Hamlet,"  asserting  that  "The 
audience  that  made  these  pictures  suc- 
cessful is  the  market  that  the  industry 
generally  ignores."  Theatres  could 
market  a  full  year's  program  of  such 
pictures  successfully  except  for  "ex- 
hibitor inertia,  born  of  easy  profits 
and  lack  of  imagination,"  it  contends. 


of  "what  effective  organization  can 
achieve."  He  thanked  exhibitors  for 
"their  fine  support"  and  a  number  of 
legislators  for  "their  understanding  of 
our  problems,  their  open-mindedness 
in  accepting  suggestions,  and  their 
willingness  to  listen."  A  number  of 
exhibitor  groups  worked  in  close  co- 
operation from  the  opening  day  of 
the  session,  their  efforts  being  coordi- 
nated by  attorneys  Judd  and  Rosen- 
thal. John  D.  Phillips,  secretary  of 
the  MMPTA,  came  here  for  the  clos- 
ing of  the  session. 

It  was  the  second  consecutive  year 
that  New  York  exhibitors  escaped 
harm  from  adverse  bills,  although 
there  was  a  close  call  in  1948  with 
the  costly  firemen-in-theatres  bill. 

Among  adverse  bills  defeated  were 
measures  requiring  advertising  of 
original  release  date  when  a  picture  is 
shown  more  than  a  year  later ;  legal- 
izing Bingo  for  non-profit  organiza- 
tions ;  legalizing  lotteries ;  requiring 
constant  attendance  of  an  adult  male 
in  public  baggage  locker  rooms  (some 
New  York  theatres  have  such  lock- 
ers) ;  providing  court  review  where 
New  York  City  license  commissioner 
revokes  or  suspends  the  license  of  a 
theatre  presenting  an  indecent  or  im- 
moral stage  show ;  requiring  printing 
on  the  face  of  a  ticket  "partial  or 
obstructed  view,"  where  such  condi- 
tion exists  for  reserved  seats ;  author- 
izing municipalities  to  levy  a  50  per 
cent  tax  on  coat  check  concessions,  and 
others. 

The  legislature  did  adopt  a  bill  per- 
mitting a  50-cent  charge  for  bonafide 
delivery  of  theatre  tickets  by  a 
licensed  broker.  A  bill  changing  the 
present  75-cent  maximum  resale  price 
of  tickets  and  substituting  a  sliding 
scale  was  not  favorably  reported.  The 
lawmakers  voted  no  change  in  the 
present  permissive  tax  schedules,  in- 
cluding a  five  per  cent  admission  levy, 
which  counties  and  cities  over  25,000 
population  may  enact. 


Skouras  Cites  Four 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Theatres  and  owner  Julius  Joelson 
against  Skouras  Theatres,  George 
Skouras,  20th-Fox  and  Warner,  seeks 
anti-trust  law  violation  damages  total- 
ing $2,400,000. 

The  counter-litigation  alleges  that 
RKO  and  "one  of  its  executives  who 
said  George  Skouras  is  a  menace  to 
the  motion  picture  industry  and  should 
be  driven  out,"  inspired  a  conspiracy, 
including  the  other  defendants,  to  ruin 
Skouras'  Park  Plaza  Theatre  here  by 
removing  the  clearance  which  that 
house  had  over  J.  J.'s  Luxor.  RKO, 
it  is  further  alleged,  conspired  with 
Warner  and  Universal  to  provide 
product  day-and-date  with  the  Park 
Plaza,  whereas  the  Park  Plaza  always 
had  clearance  over  the  Luxor.  Both 
houses,  situated  in  the  Bronx,  are  in 
direct  competition,  the  counterclaim 
maintains. 

J.  J.'s  suit  charges  conspiracy  and 
combination  in  opposition  to  its  al- 
leged attempts  to  secure  first-run  non- 
exclusive product  for  the  Luxor. 
Monroe  E.  Stein  is  J.  J.'s  counsel. 


Board  To  See  'Joan' 

Members  of  the  Conference  Commit- 
tee of  the  National  Board  of  Review 
of  Motion  Pictures  will  see  "Joan  of 
Arc"  at  the  Victoria  Theatre  here  to- 
day as  the  guests  of  Maurice  Maurer, 
managing  director  of  the  Victoria; 
and  Walter  Wanger,  producer,  and 
RKO  Radio,  distributor  of  "Joan." 


Friday,  April  1,  1949 


Motion  Picture  daily 


7 


Balaban  Clarifies 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

(:Malco  Theatres,  Tri-States  Theatre 
..Corp.,  Central  States  Theatres,  Para- 
"mount-Richards,  Inc.,  and  Wilby- 
Kincey  Circuit. 

'■    That   part    of   the  reorganization 
plan  in  the  proxy  statements  dealing 
with  the  transfer  of  assets  had  set 
,,  forth  originally  only  that,  "Proceeds 
:  (after  payment  of  all  expenses  in- 
cluding taxes)  resulting  from  the  sale 
of  theatre  assets  located  in  the  U.  S. 
between  Jan.  1,  1949,  and  the  date  of 
consummation  of  the  plan  will  be  di- 
yided  equally  between  the  two  new 
.companies,  except  that  the  New  Pic- 
j  ture  Co.  will  not  share  in  any  pro- 
J  ceeds  after  it  has  received  $7,500,000." 
"    On    another   point,    Balaban  tells 
stockholders  that  upon  acceptance  of 
j  the   reorganization   proposal   by  the 
.  required  two-thirds  vote  of  stockhold- 
ers, other  holders  would  not  be  free 
to  demand  cash  for  their  shares.  He 
,  reports    some    stockholders   had  in- 
'[  quired  on  their  right  of  appraisal  and 
\  that  in  the  opinion  of  "our  counsel" 
no  such  right  exists. 

Balaban  reiterates  management's 
\  position  on  the  advisability  of  entering 
(  the  settlement  with  the  government, 
'  holding  it  to  be  the  only  means  of 
,  conserving  the  value  of  its  theatre 
'}  assets. 

He  discusses  at  length  the  voting 
trust  arrangement,  aiming  to  correct 
'  the  impression  of  some  stockholders 
i  who  regard  it  to  be  a  "far  more  re- 
strictive device  than  it  seems  to  me 
to  be."  He  points  out  that  the  pur- 
'  pose  of  the  trust  is  to  cause  a  diversity 
of  the  ownership  of  the  securities  of 
the  two  new  companies. 


Review 


"Daughter  of  the  Jungle' 


(Republic) 

THERE  is  sufficient  excitement  in  action  and  adventure  in  "Daughter  of 
the  Jungle"  to  meet  average  requirements. 
When  a  plane  with  a  U.S.  Secret  Service  agent  and  two  prisoners  and  a 
pilot  crash  in  a  jungle  they  encounter  savage  tribes  and  wild  animals  and 
attempts  to  attack  the  party  are  made  as  they  alight  from  the  wreck.  The 
natives  are  stopped  by  Lois  Hall,  an  American  girl  who  has  been  living  in 
the  jungle  since  the  plane  she  and  her  father  were  traveling  in  crashed  years 
ago.  The  girl  has  learned  how  to  cope  with  the  natives  and  knows  the 
jungle  trails.  The  Americans  join  forces  with  her  and  her  father  and 
attempt  to  get    back  to  civilization. 

Later  the  white  men  are  surrounded  and  they  try  to  make  a  deal  with  the 
natives  so  they  alone  would  be  allowed  to  go  free.  However,  the  prisoners 
are  killed  and  the  girl  and  the  pilot,  James  Cardwell,  make  their  escape. 

Franklin  Adreon  was  associate  producer  and  George  Blair  directed.  Wil- 
liam Lively  wrote  the  screenplay,  based  on  an  original  story  by  Sol  Shor. 
Others  in  the  cast  are  William  Wright,  Sheldon  Leonard,  Jim  Nolan,  Frank 
Lackteen,  George  Carleton,  Francis  McDonald,  Jim  Bannon,  Charles  Soldani, 
Alex  Momtoya,  Al  Kikune,  Leo  C.  Richmond  and  George  Piltz. 
Running  time,  69  minutes.    General  audience  classification. 


20th  Terms  Meeting 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


New  Financing 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


rect.  Norman  Reilly  Raine  has  writ- 
ten the  screenplay.  Shooting  will 
start  around  April  21  at  the  Churubus- 
cu  Studios  in  Mexico  City.  United 
Artists  will  release  "M"  throughout 
the  world. 

The  Filmicas  plan  offers  indepen- 
dent producers  both  financial  aid  and 
studio  facilities.  The  Churubuscu 
Studios,  where  "M"  is  to  be  filmed, 
has  12  stages  and  a  film  laboratory, 
and  is  partially-owned  by  RKO  Radio. 

Julian    Gladstone    is    president  of 


Filmicas,  S.A.,  which  has  headquarters 
in  Mexico  City.  Other  officers  are : 
Arthur  Bohrer,  New  York  merchant, 
vice-president ;  Mark  M.  Horblit, 
Boston  industrialist  and  attorney, 
vice-president ;  Miguel  R.  Cardenas, 
former  president  of  United  Artists  of 
Mexico,  director ;  Albert  A.  Sepul- 
veda,  Mexican  attorney,  secretary,  and 
Milton  Gladstone. 

According  to  Gladstone,  who  origi- 
nated the  Filmicas  plan,  a  feature  can 
be  made  in  Mexico  City  for  25  per 
cent  less  than  in  Hollywood.  Glad- 
stone will  leave  by  plane  today  for 
California  to  conclude  negotiations 
with  other  independent  producers. 


in  favor  of  those  who  make  and  dis- 
tribute the  product;  (b)  20th-Fox  is 
entitled  to  a  25  per  cent  increase  in 
film  rentals;  (c)  existing  clearances 
governing  first-run  operations  in  key 
cities  should  be  "modernized." 

At  a  late  hour  yesterday  indications 
were  that  there  would  be  substantial 
attendance  at  today's  luncheon-meet- 
ing. 

Among  those  scheduled  to  attend 
from  20th  Century-Fox  are :  Spyros 
P.  Skouras,  Lichtman,  Smith,  Einfeld, 
Joseph  Moskowitz,  Murray  Silver- 
stone,  W.  J.  Eadie,  Dan  Michalove, 
W.  C.  Gehring,  Martin  Moskowitz, 
Frank  Carroll,  Ed  Aaron,  Pete  Leva- 
thes,  Emanuel  Silverstone,  Ray  Moon, 
Howard  Minsky,  Sam  Shain,  Lem 
Jones,  Morris  Caplan,  Seymour  Flo- 
rin, Clarence  Hill,  David  Golding  and 
Jonas  Rosenfield. 

Following  the  meeting  Lichtman, 
Smith  and  Einfeld  will  leave  for  the 
Coast  to  view  new  product  and  also 
to  continue  similar  meetings  in  Los 
Angeles,  San  Francisco,  and  other  ex- 
change centers  in  the  West. 


N.  Y.  Loew's  Transfers 

Loew  Theatres'  John  Alexis,  man- 
ager of  the  New  York  Spooner,  is 
going  to  the  Canal,  being  replaced 
temporarily  by  Harry  Weiss.  A 
switch  in  posts  held  by  Sam  Zanger 
and  Howard  Schwartz,  assistant 
managers  at  the  Bedford  and  Broad- 
way, has  also  been  announced  by 
Eugene  Picker,  head  of  local  theatre 
operations. 


THE 

SAN  FRANCISCO  NEWS  "< 


calls  it 


'Red  Pony'  Excellent  Family  Story  at  Fox 

Serious  TW  rf  Steinbeck  Story  Is  'well' Develops 


By  Emilia  Hodel 

The  News  Drama  Editor 

John  Steinbeck's  "Red  Ponv  "  Q 
tionshipa  in  a  microcosm,  Is  worthy  o/f  h"man  rela- 

week  at  the  Fox  Theater  Y       amily  attention  this 

f  ™^f^C£Z^  Spinas  Valley  folk,  stran- 
finally  brought  together  in  understand  who  *™ 

lations  of  a  child.  standing  through  the  tribu- 

*—*•—*.«-«  <-^°.  a  terrier  scenes 

Reprinted  from  The  San  Francisco  News 


with  some  school  children  1  u  cWWpeCl 
(rootle  mother.  Sheppe,TLnl  "l™  W  «  the  stern  yet 
unable  to  make  the Sfc  /  "*  ?5  the  father 
Loois  Calhern  »  SKtaffl1-*  '»  ™h« 

»^maSL  "  ^ 
an!  topper  ai"6d  "»  "»™  ^  **.  tf  children 


CIIARI.KS  K.  r'KI.DM  AN  presents 

MYRNA  L0Y  ROBERT  MITCHUM 

in  J 


A  LEWIS  MILESTONE  PRODUCTION 

„,.„  LOUIS  CALHERN  ,d  SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK 

and  introducing  PETER  MILES  as  TOM  and  MARGARET  HAMILTON 

Screen  Play  by  JOHN  S  f  EINBECK  •  Music    AARON  COPLAND 

Produced  and  Directed  by  LEWIS  MILESTONE  ■  A  REPUBLIC  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR 


You  did  it 
in  "Margie"  i 
"Peggy"  and 
"Letter"  and 
NOW  YOU'VE 
DONE  IT 
AGAIN  IN.... 


YOU'RE  one 


of  the 


big  reasons 


why 


congratulations 

JEANNE 


WORLD 
PREMIERE 
ROXY,  N.  Y. 

NOW 


CENTURY-FOX 


/ 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  65 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  APRIL  4,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Gov't  Presses 
Fight  for 
Divorcement 


New  Brief  Rejects  Plan 
For  Arbitration  System 

Department  of  Justice  continued 
its  fight  for  complete  divorcement 
at  the  weekend  with  a  new  brief 
filed  in  New  York  Federal  Court, 
which  asserts  that  affiliation  of  the- 
atres with  production-distribution  "as- 
sures exclusion  of  independent  exhibi- 
tors from  the  first-run  field  under  any 
competitive  method  of  licensing-." 

The  government's  brief  is  in  reply 
to  the  briefs  and  proposed  findings 
submitted  last  month  _  by  the  defend- 
ants who  had  maintained  that  recent 
changes  in  licensing  and  other  trade 
practices  made  any  further  relief  in 
{Continued  on  page  7) 


SMPE  Meets  Today; 
Video  Major  Topic 

Problems  of  theatre  television  and 
films  for  television  are  high  on  the 
agenda  of  the  65th  semi-annual  con- 
vention of  the  Society  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Engineers,  which  will  open  today 
at  the  Hotel  Statler  here  and  continue 
through  Friday. 

Today's  session  will  start  with  a 
S  luncheon  at  which  Dr.  Allen  B. 
DuMont  will  be  the  principal  speaker, 
his  topic  being  "The  Relation  of  Mo- 
tion Pictures  to  Television."  Earl  I. 
Sponable,  SMPE  president,  will  pre- 
side. The  afternoon  session  will  be 
devoted  to  a  forum  on  television  and 
motion  pictures,  with  Donald  E. 
Hyndman  of  Eastman  Kodak  as  mode- 
rator, and  Ralph  B.  Austrian  as  chair- 
man. 

This   evening   Barton   Kreuzer  of 

{Continued  on  page  7) 


UA  Board  Approves 
Nasser  Deal,  Others 


United  Artists'  board  of  directors 
on  Friday  approved  a  new  releasing 
deal  with  Edward  Nasser  for  three 
to  five  pictures  a  year  for  five  years. 
Pact  provides  for  distribution  charges 
of  30  per  cent  by  UA. 

Also  approved  were  deals  to  release 
"Johnny  One  Eye,"  Damon  Runyon 
story  which  Benedict  Bogeaus  will  put 
into  production  immediately,  and 
"Two  Hearts  in  Three-Quarter  Time" 
\  which  Douglas  Sirk  will  produce  in 
Europe,  probably  in  Vienna. 


Paramount  Starts 
12  in  4J  Months 


Hollywood,  April  3. — Henry  Gins- 
berg, Paramount  studio  head,  dis- 
closed here  at  the  weekend  that  five 
pictures  will  go  in  production  during 
April  and  May,  bringing  to  12  the 
number  of  films  going  before  cameras 
during  the  first  four  and  a  half  months 
of  the  year.  Two  of  the  new  pro- 
ductions will  be  in  Technicolor. 

The  new  pictures  and  starting  dates 
are :  "Copper  Canyon,"  in  Technicolor, 
to  start  April  11 ;  Ray  Milland,  Hedy 
Lamarr  and  Macdonald  Carey  head 
the  cast,  under  John  Farrow's  direc- 
tion ;  Mel  Epstein  will  produce.  "Sun- 
set Boulevard,"  Charles  Brackett- 
Billy  Wilder  production,  to  start 
April  18,  will  mark  the  return  to  the 
screen  of  Gloria  Swanson  and  Erich 
von  Stroheim.  "Dead  Letter,"  Alan 
Ladd  starrer,  starting  May  14,  with 
Robert  Fellows  as  producer.  "Little 
Boy  Blue,"  with  music,  starring  Betty 
Hutton  and  Fred  Astaire,  starting 
May  16,  with  Norman  Z.  McLeod  di- 
recting and  Robert  Fellows  produc- 
ing. Bob  Hope  comedy  in  Techni- 
color, "Where  Men  Are  Men," 
starting  May  18,  with  George  Marshall 
as  director ;  Robert  Welch  will  pro- 
duce. 


Suchman  Joins  SRO 
As  Sales  Executive 


Al  Suchman  will  join  the  Selznick 
Releasing  Organization  in  an  execu- 
tive sales  capacity,  effective  today,  it 
was  announced  by  Sidney  G.  Deneau, 
SRO  general  sales  manager. 

Suchman  has  been  in  distribution 
and  exhibition,  more  than  25  years, 
starting  as  a  salesman  with  Universal. 
His  most  recent  assignments  were  as 
Eastern  and  Canadian  sales  repre- 
sentative for  Samuel  Goldwyn,  and 
Eastern  sales  manager  for  Eagle-Lion. 


Mistake  to  Assume 
Theatres'  Ad  Costs 

Distributors  are  guilty  of 
only  one  extravagance,  and 
that  is  that  they  have  as- 
sumed the  exhibitors'  adver- 
tising burden,  Spyros  Skour- 
as,  20th  Century-Fox  presi- 
dent, told  a  New  York  exhib- 
itor meeting  Friday. 

"The  exhibitor  stopped 
thinking  when  he  stopped 
paying  his  own  advertising 
bill,"  Skouras  said.  "The  dis- 
tributors' big  mistake  was  in 
making  that  possible." 


20th-Fox  Ends  All 
Adjustments;Weighs 
Sliding  Scale  Sales 

Under  a  new  selling  policy,  20th 
Century-Fox  will  discontinue  allowing 
credits  or  making  adjustments  and 
will  adhere  to  terms  of  every  deal  as 
it  was  made  originally,  company  ex- 
ecutives told  a  meeting  of  New  York 
exhibitors  on  Friday. 

Spyros  Skouras,  20th  Century-Fox 
president,  said  in  reply  to  a  question 
from  the  floor  that  the  policy  would 
apply  to  all  theatres,  including  those 
affiliated  with  the  company. 

In  addition,  Al  Lichtman,  20th-Fox 
vice-president,  told  the  exhibitor  meet- 
ing that  he  has  recommended  adop- 
tion by  the  company  of  the  sliding 
scale  method  of  selling,  which  must 
be  based,  he  said,  on  an  honest  ex- 
pense report  by  every  theatre.  Ex- 
hibitors who  prefer  to  play  on  a  flat 
rental  basis  will  be  permitted  to  do 
so  providing  a  fair  price  can  be  agreed 
upon,  Lichtman  said.  In  such  cases, 
he  observed,  honesty  and  fairness  on 
the  part  of  the  distributor  in  setting 
(Continued  on  -page  6) 


Truman  to  See  Acheson 
On  the  British  Quota 


Bernard  Resigns  as 
Cinecolor  President 

Joseph  Bernhard  has  resigned  as 
president  and  director  of  Cinecolor 
Corp.  to  devote  his  entire  time  to  Film 
Classics,  of  which  he  is  president. 
Bernhard  still  is  financially  interested 
in  Cinecolor  as  one  of  the  corpora- 
tion's largest  stockholders.  There  has 
been  no  successor  named  to  fill  the 
posts  he  has  vacated. 

Bernhard  stated  that  Film  Classics 
this  year  will  release  several  "A" 
pictures. 


Washington,  Apr.  3. — President 
Truman  has  promised  to  talk  to  Sec- 
retary of  State  Dean  Acheson  to  see 
what  the  State  Department  can  do  to 
help  the  film  industry  in  its  fight  on 
the  British  quota.  This  was  the  word 
brought  from  the  White  House  Friday 
by  film  industry  labor  representatives 
who  had  a  15-minute  "encouraging" 
interview  with  the  President. 

They  said  Truman  had  not  promised 
that  government  action  would  be 
taken,  but  that  he  had  been  most  sym- 
pathetic and  had  promised  to  get  the 
{Continued  on  page  7) 


20th  Presents 
Its  Case  to 
NY  Exhibitors 


350  Hear  Fox's  Story; 
Gamble  Challenges  Costs 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  on  Fri- 
day took  its  campaign  for  a  "more 
equitable"  share  of  the  box  office 
dollar  direct  to  Metropolitan  New 
York  and  New  Jersey  exhibitors  who, 
in  an  overflow  crowd  of  350,  were 
told  by  distribution  vice-president 
Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  during  a  three- 
hour  luncheon-meeting  in  the  Hotel 
Astor  here,  that  20th-Fox  last  year 
had  a  deficit  of  $1,944,000  in  nation- 
wide operations. 

Joined  by  his  fellow  vice-president, 
Al  Lichtman,  in  his  bid  for  a  "new 
deal"  in  merchandising  procedures 
prevailing  in  New  York  between  ex- 
hibitor and  distributor,  Smith  present- 
ed figures  designed  to  support  his  con- 
tention that,  the  nationwide  character 
of  the  deficit  notwithstanding,  the 
New  York  exchange  area  was  re- 
sponsible for  the  loss.    This  branch, 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Allied  Fears  20th's 
Plan  May  Be  Copied 

Washington,  April  3. — Allied 
States  Association  today  issued  an  at- 
tack on  the  20th  Century-Fox  cam- 
paign for  a  larger  share  of  the  box- 
office  dollar  and  called  on  all  other 
film  distributors  to  immediately  dis- 
claim any  connection  with  the  Fox 
plan  on  pain  of  being  considered  impli- 
cated in  a  "joint  effort  to  increase 
prices." 

All  economic  indications  point  to 
the  fact  that  "inflation  has  run  its 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


ITOA  Again  Invites 
20th  to  Open  Forum 


Independent  Theatre  Owners  As- 
sociation of  New  York  reported  at  the 
weekend  that  its  president,  Harry 
Brandt,  sent  to  Spyros  P.  Skouras, 
20th  Century-Fox  president,  on  Fri- 
day, the  following  telegram  : 

"Because  of  the  statements  made 
by  you  and  your  executives  at  your 
meeting  today,  we  are  again  inviting 
you  and  whomsoever  you  care  to 
bring  with  you  to  a  luncheon  and 
open  forum  of  the  Independent  The- 
{Continued  on  page  6) 


2 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Monday,  April  4,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

'TPED  R.  GAMBLE,  board  chair- 
man  of  the  Theatre  Owners  ■  of 
America,  left  New  York  for  Chicago 
on  Friday  and  will  return  to  his  Port- 
land, Ore.,  headquarters  from  there. 
• 

Joseph  Heppner,  partner  in  Metro- 
politan Photo  Service,  which  services 
many  motion  picture  companies  in 
New  York,  and  Mrs.  Heppner,  are 
parents  of  a  daughter  born  Friday  at 
Doctor's  Hospital  here. 

• 

Murray  Silverstone,  in  charge  of 
foreign  distribution  activities  of  20th 
Century-Fox,  was  to  fly  to  the  Coast 
yesterday  from  New  York. 

• 

Samuel  Schneider,  Warner  vice- 
president,  and  Mort  Blumenstock, 
advertising-publicity  director,  will  re- 
turn here  today  from  the  Coast. 

William  B.  Zoellner,  head  of 
M-G-M  short  subject  sales  and  re- 
prints, has  returned  here  from  a  10- 
day  field  tour. 

• 

Charles  C.  Moskowitz,  Loew 
vice-president  and  treasurer,  will  leave 
here  this  week  for  a  vacation  at 
Miami. 

• 

Sydney  Gross,  Film  Classics  ad- 
vertising-publictiy  head,  has  returned 
to  New  York  from  Hollywood. 

Joseph  Harris,  board  chairman  of 
Flamingo  Films,  left  here  over  the 
weekend  for  Europe. 

• 

Sam  Wood,  director,  will  leave  here 
Wednesday  for  the  Coast,  with  stop- 
overs at  Cleveland  and  Chicago. 
• 

Arthur  Loew,  president  of  Loew's 
International,  will  return  here  from 
Europe  this  week. 


French  Legion  Cross 
To  Harry  M.  Warner 

Hollyood,  April  3.  —  The 
Cross  of  Officer  of  the  French 
Legion  of  Honor  will  be  be- 
stowed on  Harry  M.  Warner 
on  Thursday  in  recognition  of 
his  services  to  France,  of 
which  the  latest  were  in  con- 
nection with  the  American 
Friendship  Train  and  the 
French  Gratitude  Train. 

Alexandre  de  Manziarly, 
French  consul,  will  make  the 
presentation.  Also  expected 
to  participate  in  the  cere- 
monies, to  be  held  at  the 
Warner  studio,  will  be  Capt. 
Pierre  Lancelot,  Naval  at- 
tache of  the  French  Embassy 
at  Washington. 

Warner  was  made  a  Cheva- 
lier of  the  Legion  of  Honor 
several  years  ago  for  his  con- 
tribution to  the  advancement 
of  the  screen  and  interna- 
tional relations. 


Tradewise . . . 


By  SHERWIN  KANE 


"PERSONALLY,  I  am 
against  film  quotas  of  any 
kind.  I  would  get  out  of  the 
business  if  I  couldn't  make  pic- 
tures which  deserve  to  be 
shown." — J.  Arthur  Rank,  in 
Motion  Picture  Daily,  June  5, 
1945. 

"That's  good,"  Rank  said 
when  informed  the  new  British 
quota  had  been  set  at  40  per 
cent.  "I  am  quite  happy  with 
that."  He  said  that  in  the  long 
run  the  quota  will  prove  more 
profitable  for  the  British  indus- 
try.— Motion  Picture  Daily, 
March  24,  1949. 

• 

In  the  nearly  five-year  inter- 
val between  the  two  quoted 
statements,  there  were  other  ut- 
terances from  Rank  which  make 
his  complete  about-face  on  the 
subject  of  film  quotas  less  per- 
plexing than  it  could  be  other- 
wise. 

For  example,  a  year  ago  after 
sensing  the  devastating  effect  of 
the  American  film  embargo  on 
the  British  theatre  scene,  Rank 
was  reported  to  have  said  that 
never  again  would  he  permit  the 
American  industry  to  hold  the 
power  to  close  his  theatres. 

Perhaps  it  did  not  occur  to 
•him  at  the  time  that  the  Ameri- 
can industry,  through  no  design 
of  its  own,  had  held  that  power 
for  25  years.  No  display  was 
made  of  it  until  the  American 
industry  rebelled  against  the 
confiscatory  ad  valorem  tax  im- 
posed on  its  films  by  Britain. 
And  when  it  was  displayed  it 
was  not  aimed  at  Rank's  thea- 
tres but,  rather,  was  an  act  of 
resistance  and  refusal  to  submit 
to  a  wholly  unjust  and  dis- 
criminatory tax. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  em- 
bargo, too,  there  was  no  outcry 
from  Rank.  The  silence  persist- 
ed for  as  long  as  British  produc- 
ers were  able  to  delude  them- 
selves that  the  British  market 
had  been  rid  of  American  films 
and  the  Golden  Age  of  British 
film  production  was  at  hand. 

Then  the  returns  from  British 
box-offices  could  no  longer  be 
mis-read.  The  embargo  had  to 
be  ended.  The  tax  impasse  had 
to  be  resolved. 

No  sooner  was  that  done  than 
British  producers,  Rank  openly 
among  them  now,  clamored  for 
a  high  quota — not  too  high  to 
eliminate  the  American  picture 
as  the  foundation  of  the  British 
theatre  market  (which  it  had 
proved  itself  to  be,  even  to  the 
unbelieving  British  producers), 


but  more  than  high  enough  to 
give  British  pictures  every  arti- 
ficial advantage  and  incentive  to 
overtake  and,  perhaps,  ultimate- 
ly to  displace  the  American  film, 
allowing  time  enough. 

Isn't  that  what  Rank  means 
now  when  he  says  a  high  quota 
will  prove  more  profitable  for 
the  British  industry? 

Jack  L.  Warner's  announce- 
ment last  week  of  the  company's 
production  plans  and  resources 
was  backed  with  impressive 
facts,  figures  and,  above  all, 
names — star  names.  His  claim 
that  the  studio  has  the  greatest 
array  of  talent  available  in  the 
history  of  the  company  is  no  idle 
boast. 

The  studio  contract  list  has 
been  augmented  by  the  arrange- 
ments which  make  David  O. 
Selznick's  talent  roster  available 
to  Warners,  by  the  deal  return- 
ing James  Cagney  to  the  War- 
ner lot;  and  by  deals  which 
bring  to  the  company  numerous 
other  stars. 

These  and  others,  combined 
with  the  Warner  contract  list, 
comprise  an  exceptionally  im- 
pressive star  aggregation. 

"We  want  to  make  history, 
not  hysteria,"  remarked  Jack 
Warner  in  his  announcement. 

With  that  kind  of  material,  in 
such  abundance,  Warners  may 
well  do  it. 

The  April  issue  of  Fortune 
magazine  strives  impressively  to 
get  across  its  point  that  "the 
movies  have  come  to  the  end  of 
an  era."  From  this  point  on,  in 
Fortune's  view,  motion  pictures 
in  order  to  survive  must  capture 
huge  new  audiences,  presumably 
with  year-round  programs  of 
"mature"  pictures.  Either  that 
or  Hollywood  must  fortuitously 
come  upon  new  technological  de- 
velopments which  will  make 
quality  production  possible  at 
greatly  lower  costs.  It  suggests 
that  television  may  hold  some 
answer,  for  producers,  at  least. 

Fortune's  article  would  have 
been  more  significant  six  months 
ago.  Today,  the  domestic  and 
foreign  markets  are  stabilizing 
at  a  level  which  most  film  execu- 
tives _  believe  to  be  normal  for 
the  times.  Problems  remain  and 
will  continue.  But  there  is  no 
feeling  of  crisis  or  ending  of  an 
era  in  the  industry  today,  such 
as  the  uncertainties  of  the  past 
two  years  might  have  induced 
the  panicky  to  believe  in  six  or 
more  months  ago. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


'T*  HE  arrival  of  the  foreign  minis- 
-*-  ters  for  the  Atlantic  Pact  signing 
and  Greece  celebrating  its  indepen- 
dence are  among  current  newsreel 
highlights.  Other  items  include  sheep1 
getting  shorn,  a  cancer  trailer  and 
sports  and  fashions.  Complete  con- 
tents follow. 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  27— Greece 
celebrates    128th    anniversary    of  indepen- 
dence.     Bevin    and    Gromyko    arrive    in  H 
United  States.    Israeli  war  heroes  to  tour  1 
U.  S.    Secretary  Johnston  says  U.  S.  mustL 
remain  strong.    B'nai  B'rith  honors  Spyros 
P.   Skouras.     Nine-year-old  Italian  prodigy 
conducts  orchestra.    Golden  Gloves.  Water 
skiing.     Cancer  trailer. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  261— Euro- 
pean leaders  in  U.  S.:  defense  pact  hailed 
on  eve  of  signing.  Greece  celebrates  Inde- 
pendence Day.  Sheep  shed  "woolies." 
Youngster  amazes  music  world.  Water  ski 
champ.    Cancer  trailer. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  64— Water 
artistry.  People  in  the  eyes  of  the  world. 
New  defense  chief  meets  press.  UN  seeks 
peace  for  entire  Middle  East.  "Gorilla" 
flees  zoo,  climbs  Eiffel  *  Tower.  Cancer 
trailer. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  235— 
Fog-dispersal  system  boosts  air  port  ceiling. 
Ship  news:  ministers  arrive  for  Atlantic 
Pact  meeting.  "Egg-beater"  propeller  spins 
ship.  Some  60,000  sheep  are  shorn.  Sports: 
Oxford  crew  race,  water  skiing. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  66— 
Europe's  top  diplomats  here.  Annual  French 
tidal  wave  arrives  on  time.  Spring  is  sheai 
beauty  to  sheep  ranches.  Vacation  fashions. 
Golden  Gloves.  Rugby  football,  world's 
toughest  sport.  Woman  champ  is  a  water 
ski  wizard. 


'Joan  of  Arc'  Shown 
In  Vatican  City 

By  ARGEO  SANTUCCI 

Rome,  April  1  (By  Cable).— The 
motion  picture,  "Joan  of  Arc,"  wa: 
screened  in  the  Saint  Charles  Palace 
of  Vatican  City.  Vatican  officials  whc 
attended  included  their  Excellencies 
Monsignor  Giovanni  Battista  Mon- 
tini,  acting  Secretary  of  State ;  MonJ 
signor  Valerio  Valeri,  president  of  thej 
central  committee  for  the  Holy  Year 
and  Monsignor  Maurizio  Raffa,  vice-l 
president  of  the  Pontifical  Cinema 
Committee.  All  present  warmly 
cheered  the  film. 

At  another  meeting,  Rev.  Paul 
Doncoeur,  S.J.,  religious  advisor  foi 
the  film,  explained  production  prob- 
lems, particularly  of  the  trial  scenes 
Father  Doncoeur  thanked  the  produc- 
tion company  for  its  cooperation.  He 
emphasized  the  importance  of  coopera- 
tion between  intellectuals  and  the  film 
industry.  The  French  Ambassador  tc 
the  Vatican  and  a  number  of  Vatican 
officials  were  at  the  conference. 


Canadian  V arietu 
Honors  Fitzgihbons 

Toronto,  April  3. — John  J.  Fitzgibj 
bons,  starting  his  second  term  as  chiei 
barker  of  Tent  No.  28,  Toronto,  was 
presented  with  that  organization's  firsj 
"Great  Heart  Award"  by  internationi 
al  chief  barker  R.  J.  O'Donnell,  who 
traveled  from  his  home  in  Dallas  to 
perform  that  task  at  the  invitation  o: 
the  Canadians. 

Several  hundred  from  the  Toronto 
tent  and  guests  from  Buffalo,  Detroit, 
Pittsburgh  and  Cleveland  attended. 


Weaver, 

-  '    - "  •  —  *e>    «v^ivjvUMln,v,    jiuuuj    asuici,    ijuuuiidi    jxcpicscuiauvc,     VT  aShingtOD, 

Other  Quigiey  Publications'-  "Motion  "PirtiiVe  "Her'aM  -  'Wrfw  Tfc.'at~'. %v.  *  "  £°?don  w1/  H°Pf.  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Motion  Picture  Fame Entered  £  second  'rta  ItS   w         Tofttr<\  S.tleS'   ^  PubHshed  ™  *™es  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 

^^ein^^^^riiz  i^i"^^^^1^-  SePt-  23,  1938,  at  the  P°st  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates 


pet 


IB 

tDEVlEWCl 

W.R.VVILKERSON  ] 

•  WE  HEARD  SO  MUCH  TALK  about 
the  Stanley  Kramer  production  of 
"Champion"  that  we  took  a  look  at  it 
last  night  with  the  thought  it  could 
not  be  as  good  as  painted.  We're  happy 
to  report  it's  better. 

Here  is  as  good  a  piece  of  enter- 
tainment as  any  producer,  rpajor  or 
minor,  ever  turned  out;  produced  by 
what  can  be  termed  a  "small  inde- 
pendent." However,  its  values  in  pro- 
duction accomplishment  match  and  ex- 
ceed those  in  most  of  the  recent  top 
major  efforts,  accomplished  at  five 
times  the  cost  of  Kramer's  offering. 

Everything  about  the  show  is  top 
drawer.  It  has  a  fine,  believable  script 
of  the  Ring  Lardner  original,  has  been 
perfectly  directed  by  Mark  Robson, 
who  was  one  of  the  mob  whose  con- 
tract was  dropped  at  RKO,  and  was 
magnificently  photographed  by  Frank 
Planer,  who  is  relatively  new  to  Holly- 
wood, arriving  from  Germany  about 
1939.  It  also  boasts  a  great  musical 
score  by  Tiomkin. 

The  cast  would  get  frowns  on  any 
major  lot,  but  they're  all  excellent  and 
each  will  be  playing  important  roles  in 
top  major  pictures  just  as  quickly  as 
our  big  studios  can  work  out  deals  with 
them.  They're  all  new  and  fresh  and 
lend  great  values  to  the  picture.  Kirk 
Douglas,  who  was  originally  brought 
out  here  by  Hal  Wallis,  later  went  over 
to  20th  for  a  role  in  "A  Letter  to  Three 
Wives,"  with  both  producers  dropping 
their  options  on  his  services.  He  is  now 
set  for  some  big  going.  A  fine  actor,  a 
great  personality.  Ruth  Roman  has 
been  grabbed  by  Warners  as  a  result  of 
this  picture,  and  Lola  Albright,  who 
was  one  of  the  stock  players  MCM 
dumped  recently,  will  land  a  choice 
ticket  and  quick.  Paul  Stewart  is  new 
to  us,  but  we  understand  he  has  done 
some  good  parts  hereabouts,  and  he 
would  be  an  asset  to  any  picture 

The  picture  makes  sense  in  every 
department,  will  certainly  do  a  big 
gross  in  its  UA  distribution,  and  proves 
beyond  any  doubt  that  "It  can  be 
done"  when  you  discuss  good  pictures 
at  reasonable  costs — pictures  that  will 
match  our  best  and  shows  that  will  de- 
light our  ticket  buyers. 

Our  congratulations  to  Stanley  Kra- 
mer and  his  production  organization 


AS  GOOD  A 


PIECE  OF  ENTER- 
TAINMENT AS  ANY 
PRODUCER,  MAJOR 
OR  MINOR,  EVER 


TURNED  OUT! 


n 


is  the 


SCREEN  PLAYS  CORP.  presentation  of 


A  ll  lll  All 

AMPION 


UA's  Boxoffice  "CHAMPION"! 


This  Kin 





A15Oday-and-date  territorial  premiere 
teed  off  with  Cincmnat.  as  the  key  sp 
give  BOX-OFFICE 
GLAMOR  to 


They'll  talk  about 
this  promotion  for  years ,w*h 

i.      l..w  «TMF  LIFE  OF  RlLti  , 

the  whole  live  rod.o  show  WE  U  Grand 
broadcast  right  from  the  stage 
Theatre  in  Cincinnati.  Box-oft" ,M  o  ^ 
territory  did  handspnngs,  and I  trom 

,fs  holding  over  everywhere 
to  Top  Business. 


u  INI* 

of  Glamor  PAYS  OFF 

/irm£  box-office/ 


^5 


•in^  LKKo^  lSp^        f       Then        ^^^mm^mm  Jm 


e*c>m0  w  e"  ff"'s         rc0L0R  BY  I 
iafce  Ofv        C°P'>o/  Th 
J,0"  never         Prem/ere  r     f  rm°"n- 


—  "  1 V^  v  ^    e%.  I        Ever>  oft  °OTs' 

"We  predict  'MA  AND  J^W*                J    ^  Were  fQ^    .  6  P^odes   n   J  r  f 

out  some  ancient  shm-  jflf  /  G^Al0R  -  '  *OX.  J*J 

plasters  and  oversize  {f^WM  g|  SfQyec/  r/qA*  „ 

folding  money  from  the  ^^BffgHlffiA-      ,  ,,  ^  9™  °H 

purses  of  people  who  sel-    |  ^  ^  ■  —  L 

dom  go  the  movies. 

—Kansas  Ctty  Star 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Monday,  April  4,  1949 


20th  NY  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


he  said,  had  a  1948  gross  that  was 
$2,400,000  less  than  the  previous  year. 
"Our  books  are  open  for  you 
to  check  any  figure  I  have  quot- 
ed to  you  this  afternoon,"  he 
said. 

As  they  had  done  at  similar  ex- 
hibitor luncheons  in  Boston,  New 
Haven  and  Philadelphia  recently,  the 
20th-Fox  executives  told  the  350  per- 
sons attending  the  fourth  gathering  in 
their  nationwide  "grass  roots"  tour 
that  production  and  distribution  have 
succeeded  measurably  in  cutting  costs. 
In  a  question-and-answer  period  that 
followed  the  executives'  talks,  how- 
ever, Midwest  circuit  owner  Ted  R. 
Gamble — who  chose  to  speak  in  his 
role  of  Theatre  Owners  of  America's 
board  chairman — challenged  that  con- 
tention, particularly  with  reference  to 
the  "high  salaries"  of  stars. 

Skouras  Defends  Figures 

At  that  point,  Spyros  P.  Skouras, 
20th  Century-Fox  president,  defended 
his  vice-presidents'  assertions  on  cost- 
cutting  and  invited  Lichtman  to  reply 
to  Gamble. 

Earlier,  Lichtman  suggested  that 
first-run  New  York  exhibitors  explore 
the  possibility  of  opening  pictures 
here  at  two  or  more  theatres  simul- 
taneously. 

"We  launch  a  picture,"  he  said, 
"with  a  large  expenditure  of  money 
for  advertising,  and  we  tell  the  public 
that  they  can  only  see  it  at  one  thea- 
tre. They  have  to  come  great  dis- 
tances at  great  inconvenience  in 
transportation  and  in  other  matters. 

"After  the  run  in  that  one  theatre, 
we  place  the  picture  in  moth  balls  for 
a  considerable  period  of  time  before 
that  picture  reaches  the  fine  theatres 
in  the  residential  sections  of  these 
large  cities.  By  that  time  the  adver- 
tising is  forgotten,  and  other  pictures 
are  being  announced,  with  the  result 
that  we  are  losing  a  great  portion  of 
the  patronage  which,  of  course,  means 
a  great  many  dollars  to  all  of  us. 

"Originally,  the  plan  of  showing  a 
picture  first  run  in  a  number  of  thea- 
tres simultaneously  was  put  into  ef- 
fect, out  of  necessity,  by  the  Skouras 
Bros,  in  St.  Louis.  Subsequently,  it 
has  been  tried  with  amazing  success 
in  Los  Angeles,  San  Diego,  Denver, 
Portland  and  Kansas  City.  In  all  of 
these  widely  separated  cities,  it  has  been 
proven  that  playing  pictures  simul- 
taneously in  non-conflicting  areas  is  a 
boon  to  the  box  office.  The  public  is 
supporting  these  theatres,  and  are 
gladly  paying  first  run  admission 
prices  in  theatres  where  they  formerly 
paid  subsequent  run  prices  at  a  great 
loss  to  all  of  us,"  Lichtman  said. 

Says  Larger  Audience  Result 

"Under  this  plan,"  he  added,  "all 
other  subsequent  run  theatres  are  also 
moved  up  and  the  result  is  that  a  much 
larger  theatre  audience  is  developed 
because  people  see  pictures  when  they 
want  to  see  them. 

"I  believe  if  you  will  look 
over  the  Chicago  situation,  you 
will  find  that  this  move  has  re- 
sulted in  a  great  increase  in 
admissions  to  all  theatres,  in- 
cluding the  circuits  as  well  as 
the  independents." 
In  closing,  Lichtman  said  he  had 
not  been  hired  "to  take  money  from 
theatremen  but  for  the  contributions  I 
may  be  able  to  make  toward  the  bet- 
terment of  the  industry." 

Smith,  who  said  only  one  picture 
out  of  10  distributed  by  the  industry 
recouped    its    cost    domestically  last 


year,  supported  Lichtman's  contentions 
with  figures.  He  said:  "Costs  have 
become  so  high  that  each  picture  we 
distribute  represents  a  risk  of  many 
millions  of  dollars.  For  our  com- 
pany, the  average  negative  cost  for 
24  pictures  to  be  produced  in  1949  will 
be  $1,751,000.  This  actually  means 
that  the  total  cost,  with  prints,  ad- 
vertising and  distribution,  will  aver- 
age $2,900,000." 

Foresaw  Developments 

Continued  Smith:  "More  than  two 
years  ago,  Mr.  Skouras  and  his  asso- 
ciates foresaw  present  developments 
and  we  were  among  the  first  to  under- 
take cutting  distribution  costs  as  well 
as  production  costs. 

"We  have  cut  our  distribution 
costs    aproximately  $2,000,000 
annually  and  we  find  we  can  go 
no  further  without  impairing 
our  service  to  our  customers. 
"We  formerly  had  100  employees  in 
our  New  York  exchange  and  now 
have  76.    We  are  continuing  our  ef- 
forts to  cut  production  costs." 

Smith  continued:  "Our  company  en- 
joys a  sound  financial  postion  today 
because  of  the  great  contribution  to 
profits  made  by  the  600  theatres  which 
we  own  and  operate. 

"In  studying  our  problems  we 
find  that  the  distribution  of 
the  box  office  dollar  in  many 
theatres  today  is  unfair  and  we 
feel  that  we  are  entitled  to  a 
higher  share.    We  seek  to  ac- 
complish   this   in   a  friendly, 
business-like  manner.  We  need 
a    substantial    increase  from 
those  theatres  which  have  not 
been  paying  enough.  Our  over- 
all film  rentals  are  inadequate 
to  enable  us  to  make  the  high 
quality   of   box   office  picture 
which  you  require  for  the  suc- 
cessful operation  of  your  thea- 
tres.  We  have  no  quarrel  with 
the  many  theatres  that  do  pay 
us  adequate  film  rentals." 
Lichtman    and    Smith  reiterated, 
from  time  to  time,  statements  made  at 
the  three  prior  exhibitor  meetings  in 
their  drive  to  persuade  exhibition  that 
20th-Fox — and  distribution  in  general 
— is  deserving  of  a  larger  cut  of  the 
public's  dollar.    The  former  said  he 
had  not  come  to  New  York  to  "an- 
swer any  attack."     This  apparently 
was  a  reference  to  the  stand  against 
the  20th-Fox  campaign  made  by  some 
local     exhibitors     and  associations. 
Quoting  from  the  law  of  Solomon, 
Lichtman  said :  "Let  him  who  seeks 
equity   before   the   court   come  with 
clean  hands." 

Lichtman  gave  the  trade  press  a  re- 
sounding verbal  pat  on  the  back  for 
its  role  in  keeping  the  industry  abreast 
of  the  news,  and  he  urged  all  branches 
of  the  business  to  give  the  trade  press 
their  support. 

Invites  Gamble  to  Dais 

Other  speakers  at  the  meeting  were 
20th-Fox  advertising-publicity  vice- 
president  Charles  Einfeld,  New  York 
branch  manager  Seymour  Florin  and 
Skouras,  who  introduced  the  speakers. 

Gamble,  whom  Skouras  invited  to 
speak  from  the  dais,  told  the  20th-Fox 
executives  that  he  agreed  in  principle 
with  much  of  what  had  been  said,  but 
added  that  he  "could  hardly  subscribe 
100  per  cent."  He  pointed  out  that 
exhibitors,  too,  have  high  investments 
and  overhead  costs  in  building  theatres 
and  in  maintaining  and  refurnishing 
them  to  attract  patronage.  The  ex- 
hibitor's costs,  he  declared,  are  com- 
parable to  production  and  distribution 
costs  from  a  relative  standpoint.  Gam- 
ble said  he  does  not  believe  "increased 


film  rentals  per  se  will  be  liked"  by 
exhibitors,  although  he  did  aver  that 
he  thought  the  country's  theatre  op- 
erators are  of  a  mind  to  hear  and 
consider  20th-Fox's  case.  Gamble 
added  that  exhibitors  have  resisted 
sliding-scale  selling  because  many 
found  it  used  to  get  even  higher  terms 
from  them.  No  one  company  is  to 
blame  in  this  connection ;  rather  all 
have  done  that,  Gamble  said. 

Questions  Picture  Cost 

Gamble  questioned  whether  the  na- 
tion's exhibitors  regard  $1,750,000  as 
a  proper  cost  for  a  picture  and,  assail- 
ing stars'  salaries  in  particular,  de- 
clared that  exhibitors  believe  Holly- 
wood costs  are  needlessly  more  than 
they  should  be.  "There  is  too  much 
overhead  in  Hollywood  before  the 
cameras  are  turned,"  he  said.  Gam- 
ble, who  agreed  that  selling  methods 
could  stand  some  overhauling,  asserted 
that  there  is  "nothing"  in  the  present 
methods  to  enable  the  exhibitor  to 
"profit  proportionately  on  pictures  that 
do  succeed."  The  TOA  executive  said 
he  believes  a  full  review  of  present 
conditions  should  be  made  by  all 
branches  of  the  industry  before  any 
definite  action  is  taken.  Lichtman 
agreed  with  him  on  that  point,  but 
continued  to  maintain,  in  his  reply  to 
Gamble,  that  Hollywood  has  achieved 
notable  results  in  cost-cutting,  perhaps 
as  much  as  could  be  done. 

Gamble  was  vigorously  applauded 
by  the  assembled  exhibitors  when  he 
concluded  his  remarks. 

In  supporting  the  company's  cam- 
paign, Smith  said  that  rentals  from 
the  industry's  foreign  distribution  in 
1946  were  37^>  per  cent  of  the  total. 
"In  1948,"  he  said,  "it  was  35  per 
cent,  which  is  a  shrinkage  of  two-and- 
one-half  per  cent  in  percentage,  but 
in  dollars  it  represents  a  shrinkage  of 
over  $50,000,000  due- to  the  fact  that 
the  money  is  blocked  in  these  foreign 
countries."  Added  Smith:  "When  I 
tell  you  that  in  1948,  from  a  world 
gross  of  $84,000,000,  our  combined 
distribution  profit  was  only  about  $3,- 
000,000  you  can  readily  appreciate  that 
had  only  one  or  two  more  of  our  pic- 
tures proved  inadequate  we  would 
have  a  loss  and  not  a  profit." 

Among  those  on  the  dais,  in  addi- 
tion to  20th  Century-Fox  executives 
and  speakers,  and  Gamble,  were : 
Leonard  H.  Goldenson,  Si  H.  Fabian, 
Oscar  Doob,  Sam  Rinzler,  Sam  Ros- 
en, Robert  Weitman,  and  others. 


20th-Fox  Ends 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


a  price  is  as  necessary  to  such  a  deal 
as  is  honesty  on  the  part  of  the  ex- 
hibitor concerning  theatre  expenses 
in  arriving  at  a  percentage  deal. 

A.  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  20th-Fox  vice- 
president  and  general  sales  manager, 
said  that  New  York  exhibitors  who 
had  made  deals  for  "Snake  Pit"  be- 
fore the  no-adjustment  policy  was  es- 
tablished would  be  allowed  credit  if 
they  came  to  him  with  their  figures 
and  showed  they  were  entitled  to  an 
adjustment.  In  all  other  cases  a  firm 
deal  will  be  made  and  adhered  to  by 
the  company,  he  said. 


ITOA  Invites  20th 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


atre  Owners  Association,  to  be  held 
at  the  Hotel  Astor  on  Thursday, 
April  14,  at  12:30  P.M.  Your  state- 
ments affecting  the  future  of  your 
company  and  our  theatres  make  im- 
perative this  open  forum.  Despite  the 
urgency,  we  are  deferring  the  date 
of  our  meeting  knowing  of  your  de- 
parture for  California." 


May  Ask  Exhibitors 
To  Finance  Awards 


Hollywood,    April    3. — Exhibitors  1 
may  be  invited  to  share  the  costs  of  II 
future  Academy  Awards  functions,  on 
the  ground  that  they  reap  direct  addi-  j 
tional  box-office  profit  from  films  and  }  J 
players  receiving  the  awards,  or  the  | 
whole  cost  may  be  recouped  by  ac-  \ 
cepting  commercial  sponsorship  for  a  i 
radio  broadcast  according  to  informed  il 
quarters  consulted  following  the  an-  , 
nouncement  by  the  Academy's  board  I 
that  the  award  ceremonies  will  be  con-  fl 
tinued  as  in  the  past  21  years,  regard-  fl 
less  of  the  major  companies'  with-  1 
drawal  of  financial  support. 

The  foregoing  are  among  several  f 
alternatives  which  will  receive  con- 
sideration by  the  new  board  which 
will  take  over  following  the  annual 
election  of  officers  and  a  board  this 
month.  Under  Academy  procedure, 
half  of  the  board's  membership  terms 
expire  annually. 

It  is  understood  that  radio  sponsor- 
ship presently  is  the  most  generally 
favored  plan,  since  practicability  is 
clearly  indicated  by  the  fact  that 
Camel  cigarettes  in  the  past  has  made 
such  a  proposal,  which  was  rejected. 
The  offering  price  would  amply  cover 
award  ceremonies. 


Allied  Fears 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


course,"  Myers  said,  and  "in  this  state 
of  affairs  a  drive  to  increase  film 
prices  is  decidedly  out  of  order-" 

"Calling  it  a  more  equitable  division 
of  the  box-office  dollar  is  a  mere 
quibble ;  if  film  rentals  rise,  admission 
prices  will  have  to  be  increased,  and 
thus  the  motion  picture  industry  will 
be  handicapped  in  its  race  with  com- 
peting amusements  and  will  be  going 
counter  to  the  economic  trend,"  he 
said. 

Myers  suggested  that  the  answer  to 
the  producers'  problem  was  not  high- 
er prices  but  increased  efficiency,  less 
waste,  cutting  out  dead  wood,  "es- 
pecially executives  who  live  only  in 
the  past,"  pictures  made  for  the  cus- 
tomers and  not  for  the  critics,  and 
"above  all,  increased  production." 
Myers  said  profits  in  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry  would  hereafter  have  to 
be  geared  to  production,  as  in  all 
other  industries. 

Myers  suggested  that  the  distribu- 
tors get  any  additional  revenue  they 
need  by  charging  higher  prices  to  the 
large  circuits,  especially  affiliated  cir- 
cuits. 

May  Issue  Bulletin 

Myers  said  that  the  three  possible 
methods  of  raising  revenue  outlined 
by  Fox  might  be  covered  in  a  later 
bulletin  if  the  campaign  is  continued. 
He  said  he  believed  the  immediate  ob- 
jective was  only  to  stimulate  Fox 
salesmen  to  drive  harder  bargains,  but 
that  the  long-range  objective  "appears 
to  be  to  condition  the  exhibitors' 
minds  to  the  idea  that  the  producer- 
distributors  should  have  a  still  larger 
slice  of  the  receipts." 

The  bulletin  quoted  comments  from 
nine  Allied  member  groups,  all  criti- 
cal of  the  Fox  plan  and  which  Myers 
said  were  typical  of  independent  ex- 
hibitor comment.  The  bulletins  were 
identified  as  those  of  Gulf  States  Al- 
lied, ITO  of  Wisconsin,  Allied  of 
Iowa-Nebraska,  Rocky  Mountain  Al- 
lied, Mid-Central  Allied,  Mid-South 
Allied,  MPTO  of  Maryland,  ATO 
of  Indiana  and  Allied  of  Kansas- 
Missouri. 


V  Monday,  April  4,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Gov't  Presses  Fight 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  industry  anti-trust  suit  unwar- 
ranted. 

Justice  Department  flatly  rejected 
the  system  of  arbitration  as  proposed 
by  Warner,  Loew  and  20th  Century- 
Fox  on  the  grounds  that  the  purpose 
of  the  plan  "is  to  cement  the  power 
of  these  major  defendants  to  continue 
their  domination  of  the  industry." 
i  Plaintiff  states  that  •  for  that  reason 
I  the  proposed  system  did  not  have  the 
support  of  other  defendants  and  that 
consideration  of  a  "voluntary  arbitra- 
tion system  would  be  proper  and  de- 
sirable" only  after  an  ultimate  court 
decision. 

The  "Little  Three's"  proposal  of 
franchises  which  do  not  restrain  trade 
would  violate  the  Sherman  Act,  says 
Justice,  adding  that  provisions  for 
franchises  in  the  consent  decrees  with 
RKO  and  Paramount  are  adequate. 
These  prohibit  franchises  generally, 

-  making  an  exception  only  where  they 
"may  be  necessary  to  permit  compe- 
tion"  of  an  independent  with  an  affili- 
ate. The  request  by  United  Artists, 
Universal  and  Columbia  to  modify 
clearance  and  price-fixing  relief  also 
was  attacked. 

The  RKO  and  Paramount  settle- 
ments are  relied  upon  by  the  govern- 
ment in  its  demands  for  divorcement 
by  Warner,  Loew  and  20th-Fox.  As 
a  result  of  these  consent  judgments, 
the  competitive  advantages  of  the 
three  remaining  majors  in  the  suit,  if 
they  are  to  remain  as  integrated  com- 
panies, would  be  "substantially  in- 
creased," Justice  contends.  Continued 
ownership  of  theatres  by  the  three 

]  also  would  "tend  to  nullify  the  compe- 
titive benefits  of  the  relief  granted 
against  Paramount  and  RKO,"  Jus- 
tice claims,  even  to  the  extent  of  giv- 
ing the  three  an  unfair  advantage  over 
the  new  Paramount  and  RKO  theatre 
companies. 

Hearings  in  the  trust  suit  will  be 
resumed  in  New  York  Federal  Court 
on  April  18. 

20th-Fox,  Loew,  Warner 
I  File  Quarterly  Reports 

Twentieth  Century-Fox,  Loew  and 
!  Warner  filed  regular  quarterly  state- 
ments with  New  York  Federal  Court 
on  Friday,  Loew  reporting  on  its 
split  with  Paramount  in  the  operation 
of  Buffalo  Theatres.  This  was  an- 
nounced some  time  ago.  Warner,  also 
as  previously  reported,  said  it  no 
longer  has  any  theatre  interests  with 
other  defendants.  Twentieth- Fox  re- 
ported no  changes. 


Clark  Aims  to  Quit 
D  of  J;  Wright  Does 

Washington,  April  3.  —  At- 
torney General  Tom  Clark 
has  indicated  to  the  White 
House  that  he  would  like  to 
quit  his  post  by  summer,  it 
was  reported  here  over  the 
weekend.  At  the  same  time  it 
was  disclosed  that  Robert 
Wright,  government  prose- 
cutor in  the  industry  trust 
suit,  already  has  tendered  his 
resignation,  to  become  effec- 
tive  within  60  days.  Assist- 
ant Attorney  General  Her- 
bert Bergson,  in  charge  of 
the  anti-Trust  division,  also 
is  growing  restless,  it  is  un- 
derstood. 

Presidential  assistant  Clark 
Clifford  is  most  widely  men- 
tioned as  Clark's  successor. 


Old  Man  Bevin! 

Washington,  April  3. — Brit- 
ish Foreign  Secretary  Bevin 
had  a  simple  but  meaningful 
answer  when  asked  whether 
he  intended  to  discuss  Anglo- 
American  film  problems  dur- 
ing his  U.  S.  visit.  Said  Bev- 
in: "I'm  too  old." 


British  Quota 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


State  Department  to  explore  the  en- 
tire question  very  thoroughly. 

Delegation  that  called  on  the  Presi- 
dent consisted  of  Richard  Walsh, 
president  of  the  IATSE;  Interna- 
tional representative  Roy  Brewer, 
Screen  Actors  Guild  president  Ron- 
ald Reagan  and  SAG  executive  secre- 
tary Kenneth  Thomson.  They  had  a 
separate  25-minute  interview  with 
Presidential  assistant  John  Steelman, 
whose  attitude  also  was  termed  "en- 
couraging." 

The  delegation  was  escorted  to  the 
White  House  by  Carter  Barron,  local 
Loew  representative. 

One  person  present  at  the  confer- 
ence said  that  President  Truman  in- 
dicated he  might  take  the  matter  up 
with  British  Foreign  Secretary  Fi- 
nest Bevin  while  the  latter  is  here. 

Brewer  said  that  the  President 
showed  "considerable  interest  and 
considerable  knowledge  about  the  in- 
dustry, though  he  apparently  was  not 
too  well  up  on  the  most  recent  Brit- 
ish developments." 

Reagan  and  Brewer  left  for  Holly- 
wood after  the  meeting,  and  Walsh 
and  Thomson  left  for  New  York.  ■ 


SMPE  Meet  Opens 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


RCA  will  demonstrate  and  discuss 
large-screen  television  and  give  a 
progress  report  on  theatre  television. 

Morning  and  afternoon  sessions  to- 
morrow will  also  be  devoted  to  films 
and  television.  Among  the  speakers 
will  be  William  C.  Eddy,  Roger 
Thompson,  A.  H.  Brolly,  F.  N.  Gil- 
lette, W-  Engles,  G.  Lawlor,  Otto 
Schade,  E.  F.  McDonald  and  John  R. 
Howland. 


Union  Musicians  Get 
Increase  for  Video 

American  Federation  of  Musicians 
members  have  won  a  television  wage 
increase  under  the  terms  of  a  new 
agreement,  it  was  disclosed  here  at 
the  weekend  by  James  C.  Petrillo, 
AFM  president.  The  agreement  fol- 
lowed several  weeks  of  negotiations 
with  representatives  of  the  four  radio 
networks. 

The  increase  for  local  TV  broad- 
casts is  from  66^  per  cent  to  80  per 
cent  of  the  applicable  AM  radio  rate 
and  for  network  TV  broadcasts  from 
75  per  cent  to  90  per  cent  of  the  AM 
rate.  The  new  contract  runs  for  one 
year. 


Detroit  Variety  Benefit 

Detroit,  April  3.— The  Heart  of 
Variety  charity  fund  will  receive  the 
proceeds  from  a  preview  of  "Bad 
Boy"  at  midnight  Friday,  April  8, 
simultaneously  in  12  outlying  thea- 
tres, Edward  Stuckey,  Michigan  Va- 
riety Tent's  chief  barker,  announces. 
Theatres  which  will  stage  the  screen- 
ing are  the  Riviera,  Fisher,  Cinderella, 
Royal,  Woods,  Harper,  Mel,  Wyan- 
dotte, Royal  Oak,  RKO  Uptown,  Red- 
ford  and  the  Calvin  in  Dearborn. 


an  Jffranriam  lExamtttpr 


says: 


up  world.       «_«nas  Valley,  Pho- 

Laid  in  the  Sal ^as 
tographer  W  ^J    the  spirit 

melodic  pace.  ting  10  year 

m  Peter  Miles  in^estmg  ^ 

old  redhead  « the  & 
youngster  who  hves  ^ 

Valley  *V  .  and  his  father 
(Myrna  Loy)  hasalso 

To  complete  the  cn     hum  favrn 
roundings  is  J£bert^  ■     ect  and 
employe- ••^bdoy-s  thoughts, 
awareness  of  the  Doy      .g  ^  un_ 
d  To  complicate  ms  v hichper- 
dercurrent  of [animosity  ity 
meateshishome^.a  fth 

ment. 

Reprinted  from  the  San  Francisco  Examiner 


(  rUKLKS  h.  FLLDMAN  presents 

MYRNA  LOY  ROBERT  MITCHUM 


fill  II H  Ml  IJ  Yli  *ft 


R  AiJKSU  I 1 R  Jxt  II  At  rH  d  ill  J I J II H I II  Al 


w,.h  LOUIS  CALHERN  and  SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK 

and.-irttroducing  PETER  MILES  as  TOM  and  MARGARET  HAMILTON 

Screen  Play  by  JOHN  STEINBECK  •  Music  by  AARON  COPtANO 

Produced  and  Directed  by  LEWIS  MILESTONE  •  A  REPUBLIC  PRODUCTION 
COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR 


( 


With  the  return  of  the  greaf  American  story... 
Backed  by  NATIONAL  ADVERTISING  to  the 
24,342,250  CIRCULATION  of  Life,  Saturday 
Evening  Post,  Collier's,  Time,  Sport  Magazine 
and  Motion  Picture  magazines ...  Ready  for  the 
all-new  audiences  of  new  millions  who  want 
to  see  one  of  the  biggest  and  best-loved 
pictures  in  screen  history! 


SAMUEL  GOLDVWlUese"« 

6ARV  cooTVL 

TCtftt  WRIGHT  ^MER  BWHWH 
onH  M8t  RUTH  Himself 


Directed  by  SAM  WOOD 

Screen  Play  by  Jo  Swerling  and  Herman  J. 
Mankiewicz  •  Original  Story  by  Paul  Gallico 


Re-released  through  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 


FIRST 

MOTIOKT  PTPTITRF 

TT—                      ■   1 

Accurate 

IN 

ATT  "%7" 

Concise 

FILM 

DAI  Li 

and 

NEWo 

JKLJrjL  JML.JL   ■  /  JL 

Impartial 

k„.             .   i 

VOL.  65.  NO.  66 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  APRIL  5,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

$5-Million  N.T. 
Managers'  Plan 
Of  Retirement 


Security  Benefits  Are 
Announced  by  Skouras 

Colorado  Springs,  Colo.,  April 
4. — Expansion  of  security  benefits 
to  several  hundred  theatre  man- 
agers of  National  Theatres  was  an- 
nounced here  today  by  Charles  P. 
Skouras,  president  of  the  company,  as 
a  highlight  of  the  20th  annual  conven- 
tion of  Fox  Inter- Mountain  Theatres 
in  Colorado  Springs. 

Skouras  revealed  that  more 
than  $5,000,000  has  been  con- 
tributed t9  date  to  finance  the 
retirement  plan.  Theatre  man- 
agers have  invested  as  their 
share  $600,000,  all  of  which  is 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


RCA  Theatre-Video 
Seen  By  Year's  End 

RCA's  new  theatre  television  sys- 
tem was  demonstrated  last  night  by 
Barton  Kreuzer,  who  declared  that 
the  company  expects  to  be  in  a  posi- 
tion to  manufacture  the  equipment  in 
limited  quantities  for  commercial  use, 
"possibly  by  the  end  of  the  year." 
The  demonstration  was  held  at  the 
Hotel  Statler  here,  where  the  Society 
of  Motion  Picture  Engineers  is  hold- 
ing its  65th  semi-annual  convention. 
Kreuzer,  who  is  manager  of  the  film 
recording  and  theatre  equipment  ac- 
tivities of  RCA  Victor,  said  that  "it 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Disabled  War  'Vet' 
Named  N.Y.  Censor 


Albany,  N.  Y.,  April  4. — A  dis- 
abled war  veteran,  U.  M.  Flick,  who 
rose  from  private  to  Lt.  Col.  in  four 
years  of  army  service,  and  who  has 
been  in  the  history  and  archives  sec- 

1  tion  of  the  State  Education  Depart- 
ment since  1928,  is  first,  with  a  mark 

'  of  89.268  per  cent,  in  the  examination 
for  director  of  motion  picture  division 
as  "chief  censor,"  the  Civil  Service 
Commission  announced  here  today. 
Flick  will  be  appointed.  Only  three 
qualified. 

The  position  has  been  vacant  since 
Irwin  Esmond  resigned  on  reaching 
the  age  of  70  in  April,  1945.  Ward  C. 
Bowen,  director  of  visual  aids  and 
radio,  has  been  acting  chief  censor. 


NLRB  Upholds  Trial 
Ruling  Against 
AMPP,  3  Studios 


Washington,  April  4. — The  Na- 
tional Labor  Relations  Board  ruled 
today  that  the  Association  of  Motion 
Picture  Producers  and  three  studios, 
Warners,  Columbia  and  Loew's,  had 
violated  the  National  Labor  Relations 
Act  by  discriminating  against  24 
IATSE  members  who  refused  to  cross 
Conference  of  Studio  Unions  picket 
lines  or  do  "struck  work"  during  the 
1945  jurisdictional  strike. 

Charges  of  similar  violations 
brought  by  other  employes  against 
Republic,  20th  Century-Fox  and  RKO 
were  dismissed.  The  decision  upheld 
a  trial  examiner's  report  in  almost  all 
respects. 

The  board  ordered  eight  employes 
reinstated  to  their  former  jobs,  or 
the  equivalent,  with  back  pay  for  any 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


UA  Plans  Deal  with 
16mm.  Distributor 


United  Artists  intends  to  enter  a 
franchise  agreement  with  a  regular 
16mm.  distributor  for  the  release  of 
narrow-gauge  versions  of  UA  prod- 
uct, rights  to  which  it  will  obtain 
from  indepedent  producers  along  with 
releasing  rights  to  their  standard  films. 
This  was  disclosed  by  Paul  N.  Laza- 
rus, Jr.,  executive  assistant  to  UA 
president  Gradwell  Sears,  in  a  letter 
to  Myron  Blank,  chairman  of  the  The- 
atre Owners  of  America  16mm.  com- 
mittee, which  was  released  here  by 
the  TOA  yesterday. 

UA's  objective  is  to  correct  the  "un- 
disciplined" use  of  16mm.  product  by 
way  of  barring  them  from  places  in 
competition  with  theatres. 


Chaplin  Says  No  to 
Fabian's  Proposal 

Hollyood,  April  4. — Charles 
Chaplin  has  indicated  he  will 
not  grant  the  Si  Fabian-Ted 
Gamble  request  for  a  firm 
agreement  to  purchase 
United  Artists'  control, 
either  in  form  of  a  short 
term  option  or  other  binding 
commitment  exercisable  by 
the  theatre  operators. 

Chaplin's  decision,  it  is  be- 
lieved here,  terminates  the 
Fabian-Gamble  group's  inter- 
est in  negotiating  for  pur- 
chase of  the  company.  Chap- 
lin's 30-day  option  on  Mary 
Pickford's  U.  A.  stock  will  ex- 
pire next  Monday  but  it  can 
be  extended  for  another  10 
days  if  Chaplin  so  elects. 


B'nai  B'rith  Will 
Install  Saul  Rogers 

Newly-elected  officers  of  New 
York's  Cinema  Lodge  of  B'nai  B'rith, 
headed  by  Saul  E.  Rogers,  industry 
attorney,  will  be  installed  at  the 
Lodge's  annual  presidents'  dinner  to 
be  held  at  the  Hotel  Astor  on  Tues- 
day evening,  April  26.  Jack  H.  Levin, 
vice-president  and  general  manager  of 
Confidential  Reports,  is  chairman  of 
this  year's  dinner  which  will  be  a 
joint  tribute  to  retiring  president  S. 
Arthur  Glixon  and  incoming  presi- 
dent Rogers. 

Besides  Rogers,  newly-elected  offi- 
cers who  will  be  installed  are :  vice- 
presidents  Max  B.  Blackman,  Warner 
Brothers;  George  Brandt,  Brandt 
Theatres;  Julius  M.  Collins,  Ascap; 
Hal  Danson,  Eagle-Lion;  Harry 
Friedman,  non-industry ;  Leo  Jaffe, 
Columbia     Pictures ;     Hal  Hodes, 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Minneapolis  Independents  to  Sit 
Tight  on  Double  Bill  Policies 

Minneapolis,  April  4.— The  right  of  each  exhibitor  to  "run  his 
own  business  as  he  sees  fit"  was  the  answer  of  Minneapolis  and  St. 
Paul  area  independent  theatre  owners  to  critics  of  the  "spreading 
orgy"  of  double  bills,  at  a  meeting  of  North  Central  Allied  here. 

Single  bill  members  of  NCA  requested  the  double  bill  discussion, 
declaring  the  practice  is  "getting  out  of  line"  and  would  force 
Minnesota  Amusement  Co.  into  duals,  as  well  as  opening  the  way 
for  giveaways  in  addition  to  double  bills  by  some  of  the  inde- 
pendents. 

Double-billers  argued  that  little  of  the  product  used  by  ace 
first  runs,  except  problem  pictures,  are  being  used  in  dual  book- 
ings. Theatres  riding  behind  the  28-day  and  other  earlier  clear- 
ances recently  established  in  Minneapolis,  rebuked  the  earlier  run 
houses  for  attempting  to  interfere  in  double  bills,  which  the  late 
run  stands  contend  is  their  "only  salvation"  against  the  advantages 
of  competitive  theatres  with  early  clearance. 


Theatres  Paid 
$800,000  to 
Ascap  in  1948 

Off  $500,000;  Overall 
Revenue  U p  to$ll-Million 

American  Society  of  Composers, 
Authors  and  Publishers  collected 
approximately  $800,000  from  mo- 
tion picture  theatres  for  license  to 
publicly  use  its  music  in  1948,  as 
against  $1,300,000  in  1947,  it  is 
understood. 

Despite  this  drop,  Ascap's  collec- 
tions from  all  branches  of  the  enter- 
tainment industry,  including  radio, 
night  clubs,  hotels  and  dance  halls, 
jumped  from  $10,000,000  in  1947  to  an 
estimated  $11,000,000  in  1948.  Ad- 
ministration costs  are  figured  at  about 
20  per  cent. 

Decrease  in  revenue  from  theatres 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Half  of  ECA  Media 
Funds  to  Industry 

Washington,  April  4. — Nearly  half 
of  the  funds  earmarked  by  ECA  dur- 
ing the  first  year  of  its  information 
media  guaranty  program  went  to  the 
U.  S.  motion  picture  industry,  it  was 
revealed  here  by  the  ECA  today. 

The  contract  with  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Export  Association  for  opera- 
tions in  Germany,  calling  for  a  guar- 
anty of  $457,139,  is  close  to  half  the 
$962,814  committed  to  date. 

Despite  the  fact  that  Congress  al- 
lowed ECA  $10,000,000  for  the  pro- 
gram, less  than  $1,000,000  has  been 
used  so  far. 


Coast  'Panic'  Gone, 
Says  Maxwell  Shane 

There  is  no  longer  a  post-war 
"panic"  in  Hollywood,  and  the  pro- 
duction branch  of  the  industry  appears 
to  have  settled  down  to  a  fairly  firm 
level  of  economy,  independent  produc- 
er Maxwell  Shane  visiting  here  from 
the  Coast,  said. 

But  Shane  sees  still  more  room  for 
savings  in  production  costs.  Location 
shooting,  he  holds,  is  a  big  cost-saver. 
He  recommends  the  seeking  of  actual 
background  locations  not  only  for  the 
sake  of  economies  in  terms  of  sets,  but 
because  of  the  "realism"  with  which 
they  endow  a  picture. 

Shane's  most  recent  film  is  the 
documentary-style  "City  Across  the 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  April  5,  1949 


Griffith  Decree 
Is  Not  Expected 

Washington,  Apr.  4. — Fur- 
ther proceedings  in  the  Grif- 
fith anti-trust  case  in  Okla- 
homa City  have  been  set  back 
from  April  20  to  April  25,  ac- 
cording to  a  Justice  Depart- 
ment official.  He  said  the 
postponement  has  absolutely 
no  significance,  that  he  did 
not  expect  any  consent  decree 
overtures  from  Griffith  and 
that  he  is  confident  Griffith 
will  start  presenting  its  evi- 
dence on  schedule  on  April 
25. 


Bond  Drive  Short 
To  Feature  Benny 

Hollywood,  April  4. — Jack  Benny 
will  be  starred  in  a  one-reel  subject 
to  be  filmed  by  the  Motion  Picture 
Producers'  Association  for  the  U.  S. 
Treasury,  Dore  Schary,  M-G-M  pro- 
duction vice-president  and  chairman 
of  the  Hollywood  committee  for  the 
industry's  participation  in  the  drive, 
announced. 

Benny  will  be  seen  in  the  triple  role 
of  himself,  his  father  and  his  grand- 
father in  the  film,  titled  "The  Spirit 
of  '49"  to  be  produced  this  month  by 
Richard  Goldstone  and  co-ordinated 
by  Armand  Deutsch  at  M-G-M  stu- 
dios. The  script,  written  by  Allen 
Rifkin,  will  feature  sequences  from 
historical  films  including  "The  Cov- 
ered Wagon,"  "Union  Pacific,"  "The 
Thundering  Herd,"  "Old  Ironsides" 
and  "San  Francisco." 


U.-I.'s  Sales  Drive 
Starts  Last  Month 

Final  month  of  Universal-Interna- 
tional's Unity  Sales  Drive"  is  being 
dedicated  to  the  company's  bookers 
and  will  be  known  as  "U-I  Bookers 
Month." 

Leading  booking  departments  to 
date  in  the  26-week  drive  are :  Detroit 
exchange,  Lee  Goldsmith,  Sidney 
Turor,  Harold  Morrison  and  Gerard 
Scanlon;  Cleveland,  Robert  H.  Bram, 
Frank  Musto,  Jerome  Levitt  and 
Donald  McMahon;  St.  Louis,  Henry 
Zack,  Margaret  Murphy  and  Roy 
Brown,  Jr.  The  St.  Louis  exchange, 
headed  by  Harry  Hynes,  is  the  lead- 
ing branch;  leading  salesmen  are:  in 
the  West,  David  Goldman,  Milwau- 
kee ;  South,  Floyd  Harvey,  Jr.,  Mem- 
phis ;  and  in  the  East,  Edwin  Berg- 
man, Cleveland. 


'Tulsa9  New  England 
Premiere  on  April  15 

New  England  premiere  of  Walter 
Wanger's  "Tulsa"  has  been  set  for 
Boston's  Pilgrim,  Mayflower  and 
Esquire  Theatres  on  April  15,  two 
days  after  the  world  premiere  in 
Tulsa,  Okla.,  it  was  announced  here 
by  William  J.  Heineman,  Eagle-Lion 
sales  vice-president. 

The  picture  is  set  for  more  than  400 
day-and-date  engagements  throughout 
the  Oklahoma  City,  Dallas,  Memphis 
and  New  Orleans  territories  immedi- 
ately following  the  premiere. 


Personal  Mention 


PAUL  LAZARUS,  JR.,  assistant 
to  United  Artists  president  Grad- 
well  Sears,  will  leave  here  by  plane 
tomorrow  for  Kansas  City  to  accom- 
pany Paul  Lazarus,  Sr.,  UA  sales 
executive,  on  the  latter's  return  to  his 
home  at  Lake.  Mahopac,  N.  Y.,  to 
complete  recuperation  from  his  recent 
illness. 

• 

Max  E.  Youngstein,  advertising- 
publicity  chief  for  Eagle-Lion,  and 
Terry  Dale,  advertising-publicity  di- 
rector of  the  J.  Arthur  Rank  Organ- 
ization, are  in  Washington  today  from 
New  York. 

• 

Jacques  ReVille,  M-G-M  man- 
ager at  Charlotte,  has  returned  to  that 
city  from  New  York. 

• 

Jacques  Kopfstein,  Astor  Pictures 
vice-president,  has  returned  here  from 
Boston. 

• 

R.  A.  McNeil,  San  Francisco  ex- 
hibitor, is  in  New  York. 


GUS  EYSSELL, president  of  Rocke- 
feller Center,  returned  to  his  of- 
fice here  yesterday  from  Florida. 
• 

Joe  Walsh,  in  charge  of  Para- 
mount's  branch  operations,  and  Ar- 
thur Dunne,  head  of  the  home  of- 
fice contract  department,  have  left 
here  for  the  company's  exchanges  in 
Chicago,  Los  Angeles  and  Dallas. 
• 

James  R.  Grainger,  Republic  sales 
vice-president  has  arrived  in  Port- 
land, Ore.,  for  business  conferences 
with  Mrs.  J.  J.  Parker,  president  of 
the  J.  J.  Parker  Theatres  Organiza- 
tion. 

• 

Mrs.  Jack  Warner,  wife  of  the 
producer,  and  Hans  Habe-Bekessy, 
Trans-World  producer,  are  among 
oassenge.rs  sailing  today  from  here  on 
the  6".  5".  America  for  Europe. 
• 

Melvin  Hirsh,  Crystal  Pictures 
president,  is  scheduled  to  return  here 
Monday  from  a  Western  sales  trip. 


Nelson  Joins  St.  Louis 
Allied  Unit  on  May  1 

St.  Louis,  April  4. — Dave  Nelson, 
Republic  veteran  in  St.  Louis  and 
Des  Moines,  is  expected  to  join  Mid- 
central  Allied  as  its  office  executive 
and  field  representative  on  May  1.  His 
appointment  was  announced  at  a 
Bloomington,  111.,  regional  meeting, 
attended  by  30  Illinois  exhibitors  and 
was  addressed  by  Charles  Niles.  Al- 
lied secretary,  and  Henry  Halloway, 
Hugh  Graham  and  W.  H.  Hoffman 
Mid-central  executives. 


Ray  Beall  Launches 
Advertising  Agency 

Dallas,  April  4. — Ray  Beall,  vet- 
eran theatre  publicist,  has  opened  an 
advertising  and  promotional  business 
here.  He  has  variously  handled  assign- 
ments or  otherwise  been  associated 
with  Variety  Club  of  Texas,  Variety 
International,  Interstate  Circuit,.  Bat- 
tleship Texas  and  Victory  Loan  cam- 
paigns, Paramount  Theatres  of  the 
Southwest,  Metro  -  Goldwyn  -  Mayer, 
Manley,  Inc.,  and  California  Drive-in 
Theatres. 


RKO  Streamlining  House 

RKO  reports  here  that  its  newly- 
streamlined  Kansas  City  house  at 
14th  and  Main  (formerly  the  Main- 
street)  will  be  known  as  the  RKO 
Missouri,  when  completely  rebuilt.  It 
will  open  in  July.  Plans  are  now  be- 
ing made  for  a  Hollywood  opening, 
to  be  attended  by  stars  of  stage, 
screen  and  radio,  as  well  as  public 
officials  and  civic  leaders.  Lawrence 
Lehman,  theatre  manager  long  iden- 
tified with  RKO  interests  in  K.C., 
will  direct  the  house. 


Tax  Bill  Killed 

Minneapolis,  April  4. — A  bill  to 
authorize  municipalities  to  tax  ad- 
missions up  to  the  amount  of  any 
Federal  ticket  tax  cut,  has  been  killed 
by  the  Minnesota  house  through  in- 
definite postponement. 


'Jennie*  Is  Extended 
In  Chicago's  Loop 

Chicago,  April  4. — Selznick  Releas- 
ing Organization's  petition  asking  for 
a  Loop  extension  for  its  "Portrait  of 
Jennie"  at  the  B.  and  K.  Apollo  The- 
atre was  extended  here  today  to  April 
25  in  Juge  Michael  Igoe's  U.  S.  Dis- 
trict Court.  Aaron  Stein,  SRO  at- 
torney filed  an  amendment  to  the 
original  petition  asking  that  the  B. 
and  K.  Garrick  be  an  alternate  theatre 
to  play  "Jennie."  The  Apollo,  whose 
lease  expires  today,  is  presently  operat- 
ing on  a  day-to-day  basis  until  around 
May  1,  at  which  time  it  will  be  razed 
to  make  way  for  a  bus  terminal. 


Two  Reissues  Set  for 
Paramount s  'Parade' 

Reissue  on  June  17  of  "Trail  of  the 
Lonesome  Pine"  and  "Geronimo" 
will  mark  the  first  of  a  series  of  re- 
releases  of  Paramount  films,  to  be 
made  in  pairs  at  four-month  intervals, 
A.  W.  Schwalberg,  Paramount  gen- 
eral sales  manager,  announced. 

The  pictures  will  be  released  with 
new  prints,  accessories,  trailers  and  a 
new  advertising  campaign  to  be 
known  as  the  "Parade  of  Paramount 
Champions,"  Schwalberg  said. 


New  Policy  for  Gotham 

The  Gotham  Theater  on  Broad- 
way here  will  change  its  policy  on 
Friday,  when  an  Argentine  picture, 
"White  Horse  Inn,"  produced  by 
Emelco  Buenos  Aires,  will  start  a 
run.  Dialogue  is  in  Spanish  with  En- 
glish titles.  Federico  W.  Lowe,  vice- 
president  of  Emelco,  New  York,  and 
Nat  Liebeskind  arranged  the  deal 
with  Harry  Brandt. 


Columbia  Film  in  Para. 

Columbia's  "The  Under  Cover 
Man,"  first  outside  film  to  play  the 
New  York  Paramount  since  "Hitler's 
Children,"  follows  "Bride  of  Ven- 
geance," which  will  open  there  to- 
morrow. 


AMP  A  to  Elect  at 
Thursday  Meeting 

Annual  election  of  officers  will  be 
held  at  a  closed  meeting  of  Associa- 
tion of  Motion  Picture  Advertisers 
members  at  noon  Thursday  at  the 
Trader  Tom  Steak  House  here.  Max 
Youngstein  heads  the  proposed  slate 
for  reelection,  as  president;  Harry 
McWilliams,  vice-president,  Harry 
Blair,  treasurer,  and  Marjorie  Harker, 
secretary. 

Nominating  committee  also  pro- 
posed Charles  Alicoate,  Vincent 
Trotta,  Syd  Gross,  Gordon  White 
and  Blanche  Livingston  as  members 
of  the  board.  Selected  as  trustees 
were  Jacques  Kopfstein,  Rutgers  Neil- 
son  and  Ray  Gallagher. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


-g—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL —a 

Rockefeller  Center 

LITTLE  WOMEN 


June  Ally  son  .  Pater  Lawford  .  Maro't  O'Brien 
Elizabeth  Taylor  .  Janet  Leigh  .  Rossano  Brazzla 
Mary  Astor    .  A  Mervyn  Le  Roy  Production  | 
Color  by  Technicolor 
A  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture  > 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION  \ 


Paramount  presents 


Bride  of 

PAULETTE  GODDARD 

JOHN  LUND 
MACDONALD  CAREY 

>  MITCHELL  LEISEN  ,r.l.ctim 

VESSEL 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER,  w^Ca'dway 
All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Dally 
Extra  Matinee*  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


David  O.  Selznick  presents 

"Portrait  of  Jennie" 

starring 

JENNIFER       JOSEPH  ETHEL 
JONES         COTTEN  BARRYMORE 
Directed  by  William  Dieterle. 

RIVOLI 

Broadway  and  49th  Street 


JOAN 
of  ARC 


starring 


INGRID 


BERGMAN 


asa  A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION  | 

^^COLOfi  BY  TECHNICOLOR  ■  CASTOfTHOUWNDS^ 

*ilh  JOSE  FERRER  •  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  ■  J  CARROL  NA1SH  •  WARD  B0Tw  , 
SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  .  HU'RD  HATFIELD  .  GENE  LOCKHART • JOHN  EMERY  ? 
GEORGE  COCILOURIS  •  JOHN  IRELAND  a;d  CECIL  "ELLAWAY  i 
based  upon  Ihe  stage  play  'Joan  ol  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
Krcn  pig.  b,  MAXWELL  ANOERSON  gnd  ANDREW  SOLT  .  grl  diretligg  by 
RICHARD  DAY  •  dir.Uor  gl  phglop.gph,  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A.S.C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

created  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  lite.  •  rolegied  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


21st  week!, 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigiey,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  I  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  'Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca- Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Bumup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London. 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


KETTLE 


MEMO  TO  PRINTER: 
No  red  ink  on  this  page,  please! 
This  is  a  business  report  on 
"MA  and  PA  KETTLE n 


"om£?J>*  City.  J  Hi 


o 

'01 


"  Kansas  City.  Paying  ^n.  Tower  and  Fairway,  "MA  and 
PA  KETTLE"  topped  "THE  EGG  AND  l"  by  nearly  11,000  -  and  holds. 

In  St.  Louis  at  the  Pox  Theatre,  it  opened  almost  $1,000  better 
than  "THE  EGG  AND  I?-  and  Hold*. 


In  Topeka  it  opened  to  almost  2\  times  "THE  EGG  AND  I"  figure 
In  Pittsburgh,  Kan.,  it  opened  a  couple  of  dollars  short  of 
double  "THE  EGG  AND  I"  opening  gross  figure. 

7  W"h  ^  "MA  and  P.  KETTLE"  U  bnatlm 

"THE  EGG  «B  I»  groase3  ^  ^ 


That  U-l  SHOWMANSHIP  FORM! 

is  really  paying  off! 

first  WTHE  LIFE  OF  RILEY 

then  "RED  CANYON" 
now  WMA  and  PA  KETTLE 

and  the  next  HOT  ONE  from  U-I  is 

CITY  ACROSS  THE  RIVER 


The  hilarious  sequel  fo  lhe  £66  a/idl" 

starring 

MarjorieMAIN  -  Percy  KILBRIDE 

with  RICHARD  LONG  •  MEG  RANDALL 

Screenplay  by  Herbert  Margolis,  Louis  Morheim  and  Al  Lewis -Produced  by  LEONARD  GOLDSTEI J 
Directed  by  CHARLES  LAMONT-A  UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL  PICTURE  gfi&^J 

£niemaliont\ 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  April  5,  1949 


Television  Newsreel 
Now  Twice-Weekly 

Telenews  Productions,  producing 
the  Telenews  Digest,  has  effected  a 
speed-up  in  its  release  schedule, 
facilitating  the  production  of  two 
weekly  editions,  compared  to  the 
one-a-week  edition  distributed  thus 
far.  The  innovation  will  make  the 
Digest  available  to  feature  houses,  in 
addition  to  its  present  newsreel 
accounts. 

_  The  Telenews  Daily,  television  edi- 
tion, released  five  times  a  week,  will 
not  be  affected.  The  television  editions 
are  produced  and  sold  through  a  co- 
operative tie-up  with  International 
News  Service. 


Swartz  Secures  Five 
Films  from  Pathe 

Minneapolis,  April  4.  —  Don 
Swartz,  head  of  Independent  Film 
Distributors  of  Minneapolis  and  Mil- 
waukee, has  secured  distribution  of 
five  reissues  in  a  deal  consummated 
with  Madison  Pictures,  subsidiary  of 
Pathe  Laboratories. 

The  pictures  are:  "Tiger  Fang," 
with  Frank  Buck,  and  "Nabonga," 
starring  Buster  Crabbe,  which  will  be 
packaged  in  one  combination ;  and 
"City  of  Silent  Men"  and  "Girls  in 
Chains,"  a  second  combination.  Fifth 
picture  is  "Harvest  Melody." 


UJA  Lunch  Tomorrow 

Bartley  C.  Crum,  publicist  and 
author  of  "Behind  the  Silken  Curtain," 
will  be  guest  speaker  at  the  first  lunch- 
eon meeting  of  key  workers  in  the 
amusements  field  for  the  United  Jew- 


Review 


"Flamingo  Road" 

{Warner  Brothers) 

THE  melodrama  is  lurid  and  generous  in  this  latest  Joan  Crawford  vehicle 
about  her  love  for  two  men  and  a  relentless  sheriff,  also  a  political  boss, 
who  pursues  her.  "Flamingo  Road"  ought  to  register  its  chief  appeal  with 
women  who  are  apt  to  respond  to  Joan's  romantic  troubles  with  considerable 
avidity. 

In  this  film,  based  on  a  play  by  Robert  and  Sally  Wilder,  Miss  Crawford's 
background  is  somewhat  clouded.  At  the  opening,  she  is  a  dancer  in  a  carnival 
show  and  later  explains  her  jobs  have  been  varied,  including  burlesque. 
Zachary  Scott,  indolent  deputy  to  sheriff  Sydney  Greenstreet,  befriends  her 
and  gets  her  a  job  as  a  waitress,  falls  in  love  with  her — as  she  does  with 
him — but  marries  Virginia  Huston  to  cloak  his  advent  into  machine-made 
politics  with  respectability.  Greenstreet,  sensing  his  stooge-candidate  will  not 
be  clear  of  trouble  while  Miss  Crawford  is  around,  frames  and  sends  her 
to  the  workhouse  on  a  prostitution  charge  in  his  campaign  to  drive  her  out 
of  town.  But  Miss  C,  equally  as  determined  not  to  be  pushed  around,  seeks 
sanctuary  in  the  dubious  establishment  operated  by  Gladys  George  whose 
patrons  include  local  and  state  political  bigwigs.  There,  she  meets  Donald 
Brian,  the  political  boss  and  marries  him  on  the  rebound  from  Scott. 

The  conflict  behind  this  dramatic  assemblage  is  the  fight  for  control  of  the 
state.  Greenstreet,  deciding  on  himself  for  governor,  throws  over  Scott  who 
commits  suicide.  Miss  Crawford,  facing  charges,  is  cleared.  In  what  turns 
out  tcr  be  self-defense  but  what  was  planned  as  murder,  she  kills  Greenstreet, 
who  had  trumped  up  a  labor  peonage  rap  against  Brian,  and  is  cleared  for 
a  second  time.  The  film  closes  on  a  romantic  reunion  and  a  vague  inference 
that  Brian  will  commit  himself  to  a  policy  of  democratic  government  in  the 
future  beyond  the  final  shot. 

The  story  is  involved.  Performances  are  competent  with  an  occasional  high 
moment  allowed  Miss  Crawford.  Co-author  Robert  Wilder  wrote  the  script 
for  which  Edmund  H.  North  provided  additional  dialogue.  Jerry  Wald  pro- 
duced with  George  Amy  as  his  associate.  Michael  Curtiz  directed. 

Running  time,  94  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  30.  Red  Kann 


ish  Appeal  on  Wednesday  at  the  Hotel 
Astor  here,  it  was  announced  by  Si 
Fabian  of  Fabian  Theatres,  chairman 
of  the  UJA  amusements  division. 


THE  NEW  CHILD  STAR  IN  THE 
CINEC0L0R  HIT  THAT  WORLD- 
PREMIERED  AT  $1,000.00 
PER  SEAT  AT  LAWTON 


Hart  Services  Tomorrow 

Hollywood,  April  4.  —  Funeral 
Services  for  Neal  Hart,  former  cow- 
boy star  who  died  Saturday  at  the 
Motion  Picture  Country  Home  at  the 
age  of  70,  will  be  held  Wednesday 
morning  at  the  St.  Charles  Church, 
North  Hollywood,  with  interment  at 
the  Holy  Cross  cemetery.  The  widow 
and  a  son,  Tom,  survive. 


$1.06  Columbia  Dividend 

Columbia's  board  of  directors  at  a 
meeting  here  yesterday,  declared  a 
quarterly  dividend  of  $1.06%  per  share 
on  the  $4.25  cumulative  preferred 
stock,  payable  May  16. 


Ed  Auger,  RCA  Sales, 
Dies  at  SMPE  Meet 

Ed  Auger,  with  the  sales  depart- 
ment of  the  RCA  theatre  sound  equip- 
ment division  since  1929  and  said  to 
be  about  70  years  of  age,  died  last 
night  of  a  heart  attack  in  the  lobby 
of  the  Statler  Hotel  here  just  prior 
to  a  demonstration  of  RCA's  theatre 
television  equipment. 


Peggy  DeGraw  to  MPSC 

Peggy  DeGraw,  formerly  head  of 
the  contract  departments  for  Selznick 
Releasing  Organization  and  Para- 
mount, has  joined  Motion  Picture 
Sales  Corp.  in  the  same  capacity,  it 
is  announced  by  Neil  Agnew  and 
Charles  L.  Casanave. 


Wiesenthal  on  Coast 

Hollywood,  April  4. — Sam  Wie- 
senthal returned  here  from  New  York 
at  the  weekend  to  report  to  James  and 
George  Nasser  on  his  extended  study 
of  United  Artists  relative  to  possible 
purchase  of  control  of  the  company  by 
the  Nassers.  The  Nassers  have  closed 
with  UA  for  the  distribution  of  three 
to  five  films  a  year  for  the  next  five 
years. 


RKO-UA  Suit  Thursday 

Hollywood,  April  4. — Hearings  on 
RKO's  suit  against  United  Artists, 
based  on  alleged  similarities  in  fight 
scenes  in  UA's  "Champion"  and 
RKO's  "The  Set-Up,"  were  put  over 
until  Thursday  afternoon  by  Federal 
Judge  Campbell  Beaumont. 


Kate  Kestenbaum  Dies 

Kate  Kestenbaum,  79,  mother  of 
Samuel  Kestenbaum,  manager  of  the 
Alpine  Theatre  here,  died  of  a  heart 
attack  on  Saturday.  Burial  was  yes- 
terday at  Montefiore  Cemetery  in 
Long  Island.  Samuel  Kestenbaum 
was  formerly  advertising  and  publicity 
director  of  PRC. 


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Tuesday,  April  5,  1949 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


5 


Ascap  Revenue 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


was  the  result  of  the  two  court  de- 
cisions which  held  the  Society  to  be 
in  restraint  of  trade  and  enjoined  it 
from  collecting  for  public  _  perform- 
ance rights  to  its  music  in  motion 
pictures.  The  New  York  and  Minne- 
apolis Federal  Court  opinions  came 
about  mid-year,  thus  Ascap.  could 
collect  from  theatres  only  during  the 
first  half  of  the  year. 

Pending  the  outcome  of  appeals  of 
the  rulings,  Ascap  is  not  billing  thea- 
tres at  all  for  music  in  films. 

That  Ascap's  collections  from  thea- 
tres last  year  had  not  fallen  to  a 
greater  extent  is  due  to  the  fact  that 
hundreds  of  exhibitors  who  pay  rela- 
tively small  fees,  such  as  $100  annual- 
ly, had  made  it  a  practice  to  send  a 
check  for  the  full  amount  upon 
expiration  of  each  year's  contract 
about  Jan.  1. 

Meanwhile,  Ascap  is  continuing 
negotiations  with  representatives  of 
television  stations  around  the  country 
on  terms  of  its  first  non-gratis  con- 
tract and  although  serious  snags  have 
yet  to  be  encountered,  it  is  believed 
there  have  been  some  disagreements. 

Said  to  be  cause  for  concern  is  the 
matter  of  "kinescope  rights,"  or  how 
Ascap  may  tax  the  telecasters  for  the 
projection  of  film  recordings  of  pro- 
grams. The  transcriptions  are  playing 
a  prominent  role  in  telecasting  cur- 
rently, particularly  where  stations  are 
not  serviced  by  network  facilities.  In 
these  instances,  key  stations  are  film- 
ing their  programs  and  sending  the 
prints  to  affiliates  for  subsequent 
reproduction. 


N.  T.  Retirement  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


returnable  to  them  at  any  time, 
plus  two  per  cent  interest,  he 
said. 

The  plan  also  calls  for  payment  of 
death  benefits  equal  to  two  years'  sal- 
ary, Skouras  said.  He  emphasized 
this  is  in  addition  to  other  security 
benefits  already  established  by  the 
company  for  theatre  managers  with 
three  .years'  service  or  longer.  Skou- 
ras in  1942  started  what  is  said  to  be 
the  first  retirement  plan  in  exhibition. 
Benefits  accruing  to  managers  steadily 
have  increased  over  the  years.  Group 
life  insurance  of  $10,000  for  each  man- 
ager is  also  included  in  the  plan. 

"Security    for    our    managers  and 
their  families  long  has  been  our  pri 
mary  concern,"  Skouras  said,  in  com 
menting  on  the  latest  addition  to.  the 
benefits  which  the  company  provides. 

RCA  Theatre  -Video 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


is  expected  that  the  price  for  the  unit 
without  standby  facilities,  would  be 
under  $25,000.  The  system,  demon- 
strated was  capable  of  projection  65 
feet  from  the  screen,  which  measured 
12  by  15  feet. 

Representing  a  marked  improve 
ment  over  past  similar  efforts,  several 
types  of  pickups  were  used,  including 
one  from  the  air,  one  over  a  telephone 
wire,  a  motion  picture,  and  over  a 
closed  circuit.  The  closed  circuit  pro- 
jection, with  its  clear  and  unwavering 
signal,  established  the  theatre  poten- 
tial of  the  equipment. 

During  yesterday's  SMPE  luncheon 


session,  Dr.  Allen  B.  DuMont  said  the 
DuMont  Television  Network  is  cut- 
ting down  its  use  of  film  programs 
and  developing  more  live-action  pro- 
grams. One  of  the  reasons  cited  for 
the  curtailment  is  "the  poor  quality 
of  films  available  as  well  as  rental 
and  line  charges."  DuMont  pointed 
out  that  the  use  of  films  for  commer- 
cials is  successful  and  he  predicted 
an  expansion  of  its  use.  Earl  I.  Spon- 
able,  SMPE  president,  presided  at  the 
luncheon. 

DuMont  said  there  are  now  60  tele- 
vision stations  operating  in  35  cities, 
with  40  or  50  more  expected  by  the 
end  of  the  year.  He  said  that  as  of 
March  1  there  were  some  1,315,000 
sets  in  use,  with  500,000  in  New  York. 
DuMont  said  that  14^4  per  cent  of 
the  homes  in  New  York  now  have  sets. 
He  said  that  the  indication  is  set  own- 
ers go  to  the  theatre  less  frequently. 

DuMont  declared  that  large-screen 
theatre  television  would  be  very  popu- 
lar for  certain  sporting  events,  but  said 
whether  "there  would  be  enough  of 
them  to  warrant  installation  in  thea- 
tres remains  to  be  seen." 


To  Install  Rogers 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Columbia;  Marvin  Kirsch,  Radio 
Daily;  Milton  Livingston,  Universal; 
Louis  A.  Novins,  Paramount ;  Robert 
K.  Shapiro,  Paramount  Theatre;  and 
Al  Wilde,  Moe  Gale  Agency.  Also, 
Jack  H.  Hoffberg,  treasurer ;  Dr. 
Morris  Senft,  secretary;  Isidore 
Grove,  monitor  and  Rabbis  Bernard 
Birstein  and  Ralph  Silverstein, 
chaplains. 


Coast  Tame'  Gone 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


NLRB  Ruling 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


loss  of  wages.  Two  others  were 
ordered  reinstated  without  back  pay. 
The  remaining  14  got  back  pay  with- 
out reinstatement. 

Warners  was  ordered  to  reinstate 
eight  with  back  pay,  to  give  only  back 
pay  to  10  others,  and  to  reinstate  two 
others  without  back  pay.  Columbia 
and  Loew's  each  were  ordered  to  rein- 
state one  man  with  back  pay  and  to 
give  back  pay  to  one  other  each. 


River,"  much  of  which  was  filmed  in 
New  York  without  the  use  of  sound 
equipment.  Tape  recordings  of  the 
city's  noises  were  made  and  voices 
were  dubbed  in  on  the  Coast,  Shane 
explained.  Universal-International  is 
releasing. 

The  producer's  next  for  U-I  will  be 
"Salem  Frigate,"  which  will  go  be- 
fore the  cameras  in  June  with  a 
budget  of  $1,500,000.  Before  Holly- 
wood's economy  wave  set  in,  he  said, 
the  same  picture  would  have  cost 
$2,500,000. 


Shane  Here  for  Premiere 

Continuing  its  policy  of  making 
producing  personnel  available  for  ex- 
ploitation during  premieres,  Universal- 
International  has  brought  Maxwell 
Shane,  director  of  "City  Across  the 
River,"  and  leading  members  of  the 
cast  to  New  York  to  participate  in 
the  picture's  opening  Thursday  at  the 
Capitol  Theatre. 


BOSTON  DAILY  RECORD 

talis  it 


•K,.«l  Pony'  Fta«  ,  il,n 

*  .     ......... nAft*Mredman.  The  ?o,gna. 


script  are  fetors  w  Red  pony," 

  .  •  _  * 


"This  Technicolor  versioW 

ing  other,  top  roles-  g 

There  is  conflict ,  in    •      ,  0f 
This  time  it .  « >  not  a  tnang 
tWo  men  and,  a  prt,  o  ^ 

up  between  a  nine-ye«« 


his  father  ^f^J^t 
father  having    g  to  adjust 

pr°Hfarfanshe 

maVaadV&5 fateful  to 
family-  He  is  deeply  »  t 

his  serene  ^^-^to  the  family 
efforts  to  brmg him  mto.g  ^ 

SentmeitotSe  situation  onhis 
old  father-in-law.  the 
When  his  only  son  turns  e  n 
hired  ^nj°r  tra^n rn^a 
Sth^s^uXpp"--  reaches  its 


•  „t  rrest  How  he  works  his 
poignant  crest,  n  content- 
way  out  of  despair  v  ^  & 
ment,  with  the  ing  one  0f 
small  «d  pony,  makes 
the  best  boy-and-anrma  her 

Myrna  Loy,  f amea 
"ideal  wife"  PortT*y£l*  Sirfck  is 
-other,  .^P«Jr>SS£t  Mit- 

rmanaf  he^W 

the  boy.            •         ho  directed 

Lewis  Milestone  J  hu_ 

and  Produced,  in, ecteos  e 
man  appeal  into  every 


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VOL.  65.  NO.  67 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  APRIL  6,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Ascap  Will  Not 
Bill  Theatres 
For  Live  Shows 

Will  Await  Decisions  in 
Pending  Court  Cases 

American  Society  of  Composers, 
Authors  and  Publishers  is  refrain- 
ing- from  billing  theatres  for  the  use 
of  music  in  supplementary  stage 
shows  pending  the  outcome  of  its  ap- 
peals of  Minneapolis  and  New  York 
Federal  Court  decisions  which  enjoin 
the  Society  from  collecting  from  ex- 
hibitors for  the  performance  of  music 
in  films. 

Prior  to  the  two  legal  set-backs, 
Ascap  had  taxed  motion  picture  thea- 
tres according  to  seating  capacity^  plus 
additional  amounts  covering  "live"  en- 
tertainment. The  current  rapidly  in- 
creasing addition  of  vaudeville  to  film 
programs  throughout  the  country 
would  normally  mean  commensurately 
increased  revenue  for  the  Society. 

Although  there  is  no  apparent  ban 
on  collecting  for  the  "live"  shows  sep- 
arately, Ascap  feels  that  these  are 

(Continued  on  page  4) 

M-G-M  'Friendship' 
Meets  in  96  Cities 


M-G-M  will  launch  a  series  of 
"Friendship  Meetings"  with  exhibitors, 
civic  leaders,  press  and  radio  repre 
sentatives  in  96  cities  during  the  week 
of  April  18  as  part  of  its  silver  an- 
niversary celebration,  it  is  announced 
here. 

Company's  division,  district  and 
branch  managers  will  be  hosts  at 
luncheons  in  each  of  the  cities  where 
special  screenings  of  "The  Stratton 
Story"  and  "The  Secret  Garden"  also 
will  be  held.    The  meetings  will  be 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


MPAA  Meeting  Is 
Now  Set  for  Friday 

Annual  meeting  here  of  the 
directors  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America 
has  been  set  back  again,  from 
Thursday  afternoon  to  Friday 
morning.  The  meeting  was 
previously  postponed  from 
April  5  because  a  quorum 
could  not  be  available  on  that 
date. 


Most  N.  Y.  1st  Runs 
Are  Off;  'Jennie' 
Grosses  $41,000 

Brisk  business  at  a  few  New  York 
first-runs,  primarily  where  new  at- 
tractions are  on  view,  brightens  the 
overall  "showcase"  scene  only  to  a 
limited  extent  this  week.  Grosses 
at  the  majority  of  situations  here  are 
still  showing  plenty  of  room  for 
improvement. 

The  big  newcomer  was  "Portrait  of 
Jennie"  but  even  this  fell  a  bit  short 
of  expectations,  the  estimated  first 
week's  take  of  $41,000  at  the  Riyoli 
being  good  but  not  overwhelming. 
"The  Set-Up"  is  proving  one  of  the 
better  box-office  draws  which  the 
Criterion  has  had  in  several  months, 
this  on  the  basis  of  an  anticipated 
initial  week's  take  of  $35,000.  "The 
Fan,"  with  Ginny  Simms,  a  variety 
show  and  an  ice  show  on  stage  at 
the  Roxy  figures  to  wind  up  a  first 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


1949  Business  Will 
Show  Improvement 
Over  '48,  Says  Yates 

Reviewing  Republic's  operations  at 
the  annual  stockholders'  meeting  here 
yesterday,  company  president  Herbert 
J.  Yates,  Sr.,  predicted  that  the  cur- 
rent year  would  show  a  decided  busi- 
ness improvement  over  1948. 

Citing  the  company's  reduc- 
tion of  its  bank  loans  under  a 
policy  that  was  begun  in  1946, 
Yates    told    the  stockholders 
that   he   anticipated  Republic 
would  be  clear  of  all  bank  loans 
by  the  end  of  this  year. 
Bearing  out  Yates'  optimistic  out- 
look, an  announcement  was  made  at 
the  meeting  of  Republic's  board,  which 
followed    the    stockholders'  meeting, 
that  earnings  before  taxes  for  the  13 
weeks  from  Oct.  31  to  Jan.  29  last 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Exhibitors  Protest 
'Honeymoon' Aircast 

Washington,  April  5. — Washing- 
ton exhibitors  have  protested  to  the 
National  Theatre  Owners  of  America 
over  Lux's  Radio  Theatre  broadcast 
of  Universal's  "Family  Honeymoon", 
two  weeks  before  the  film  will  play 
neighborhood  houses  here. 

Some  theatre  owners  here  are  con- 
sidering cancelling  their  booking  of 
the  film.  One  exhibitor  said  it  would 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


London  'Times9  Sees  U.  S. 
Films  Being  Squeezed  Out 


Colo.  Assn.  Hears 
Para.  TV  Plans 


Denver,  April  5. — With  ISO  persons 
registered,  the  Colorado  Association 
of  Theatre  Owners  opened  its  first 
convention  here  today  with  Gael  Sul- 
livan and  Ted  Gamble,  national  Thea- 
tre Owners  of  America  officers,  ad- 
dressing the  exhibitors. 

George  T.  Shupert,  commercial 
operations  chief  for  Paramount's  tele- 
vision division,  told  the  audience  that 
they  have  nothing  to  fear  from  video 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


London,  April  5. — Preparations  for 
squeezing  American  films  out  of  the 
British  market  are  perceived  by  The 
Times,  Britain's  leading  newspaper,  in 
commenting  editorially  on  the  new 
film  quota  and  the  present  state  of 
the  British  industry. 

"In  the  last  resort,"  The  Times 
comments,  "the  (British)  film  indus- 
try's future  fortunes  will  be  decided 
by  the  success  or  failure  of  the  efforts 
of  film  producers  to  reduce  costs  and 
to  increase  the  proportion  of  good 
films.  Without  success  in  these  ef- 
forts proposals  for  a  reduced  enter- 
tainment tax  or  for  a  state  subsidy  to 
film  making,  each  no  doubt  with  some- 
thing to  be  said  for  it,  can  offer  no 
real  remedy. 

"Mr.    Wilson's    intention  is 
that  the  British  quota  shall  be 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Sees  Theatre  Video 
BoostingAttendance 

Large-screen  theatre  television  will 
be  the  most  forceful  single  factor  in 
arresting  any  box-office  decline  due  to 
television,  Ralph  Austrian,  television 
consultant,  said  here  yesterday  at  the 
second  day  of  the  five-day  convention 
of  the  Society  of  Motion  Picture  En- 
gineers, being  held  at  the  Hotel 
Statler. 

Austrian  in  his  talk  cited  three 
other  methods  which  he  thought  the 
industry  would  adopt  to  meet  the 
threat  of  television.  They  are:  Ad- 
vertising motion  pictures  on  television  ; 
the  use  of  "closed  circuit"  television 
to  theatres  only  to  augment  regular 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Para,  Decree 
Seen  Hitting 
Buying  Groups 

TOA  Counsel  Doubts 
Group  Booking  Is  Legal 

Further  doubt  is  cast  on  the  le- 
gality of  all  film  buying  combines 
by  the  Paramount  consent  decree, 
Herman  Levy,  general  counsel  of 
Theatre  Owners  of  America,  de- 
clares in  an  analysis  of  the  decree  dis- 
tributed to  members  of  the  organiza- 
tion yesterday. 

Levy  cites  the  decree  provision 
which  enjoins  the  new  United  Para- 
mount Theatres  company  from  book- 
ing or  buying  features  for  any  of  its 
theatres  through  any  agent  who  is 
known  by  it  to  be  also  acting  in  such 
a  manner  for  any  other  exhibitor,  in- 
dependent or  affiliate. 

"This  provision,"  he  comments, 
"brings  forward  again  the  long  dis- 
cussed subject  as  to  whether _  buying 
and  booking  combines  may  validly  and 
legally  operate  in  the  light  of  the  find- 
ings of  the  Statutory  Court,  of  the 

(Continued  on  page  5) 

Dembow  Represents 
Stromberg  on  Sales 

Sam  Dembow,  veteran  industry  ex- 
ecutive, has  become  producer's  repre- 
sentative in  sales  matters  for  Hunt 
Stromberg,  it  was  announced  here 
yesterday  by  Hunt  Stromberg  prior  to 
his  return  to  the  Coast. 

First  which  Dembow  will  handle 
under  the  new  association  will  be 
"Too  Late  for  Tears,"  which  is 
scheduled  for  release  on  July  8 
through  United  Artists.  The  produc- 
er's pact  with  UA  calls  for  two  in 
addition  to  "Tears,"  with  production 
on  the  first  to  start  about  Sept.  1. 


Anti-Trust  Unit 
Expansion  Okayed 

Washington,  April  5. — The  House 
Appropriations  Committee  today 
called  for  a  further  expansion  of  the 
Justice  Department's  anti-trust  divi- 
sion, and  gave  the  Department  the 
money  to  carry  out  the  expansion.  _ 

Last  year,  the  anti-trust  division 
proposed  to  the  Budget  Bureau  an  in- 
crease of  $1,000,000  for  the  current 
fiscal  year.  The  Budget  Bureau  ve- 
toed it,  and  the  House  Appropriations 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  April  6,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


CAMUEL  GOLDWYN,  accom- 
^  panied  by  Mrs.  Goldwyn,  will  ar- 
rive here  from  the  Coast  next  Wed- 
nesday, and  will  return  to  the  Coast 
before  leaving  on  his  scheduled  trip 
to  London. 

• 

J.  Arthur  Rank  will  leave  Palm 
Beach,  Fla.,  tomorrow,  where  he  has 
been  a  guest  of  Robert  R.  Young,  for 
Chicago,  en  route  to  Los  Angeles  for 
a  two  weeks  visit  with  his  daughter, 
Mrs.  Fred  Packard,  before  going  to 
Washington  to  attend  the  Anglo-U.  S. 
Film  Council  meeting  April  21. 
• 

Arthur  Mayer,  chief  of  the  motion 
picture  branch  of  the  military  govern- 
ment in  Germany,  has  arrived  in  New 
York  by  plane  from  Frankfort  for  a 
two-week  visit. 

• 

Arthur  M.  Loew,  president  of 
Loew's  International,  has  returned 
here  from  Europe. 

• 

Arthur  L.  Brown  has  been  named 
president  of  Dominion  Sound  Equip- 
ments, Ltd.,  at  Ottawa. 

Nat  Liebeskind  will  sail  from  here 
Friday  for  Brazil  and  Argentina. 
• 

Sam  Wood  will  leave  here  today,  for 
Cleveland,  en  route  to  Hollywood. 
• 

Stanley  Kramer,  producer,  will 
arrive  here  today  from  the  Coast. 


Higher  Tenn.  Tax 
Seen  a  Certainty 

Nashville,  April  5. — Theatre  own- 
ers see  little  chance  to  prevent  the 
passage  of  an  increase  in  the  gross 
receipts  tax  on  amusements  from  three 
per  cent  on  film  houses  without  bank 
nights  and  four  per  cent  on  those  with 
bank  nights,  to  four  and  five  per  cent, 
respectively,  since  Gov.  '  Gordon 
Browning  has  consented  to  its  pas- 
sage. 

Previously,  the  annual  gross  tax  of 
about  $400,000  has  all  gone  to  the 
state,  but  the  new  measure  would  di- 
vide the  proposed  $500,000  on  a  50-50 
basis  between  the  state  and  city  gov- 
ernments. The  fact  that  local  govern- 
ments thus  share  makes  it  more  diffi- 
cult to  defeat  in  the  state  legislature. 


D.  M.  Wiley,  Writer 

Hollywood,  April  5.  —  Funeral 
services  for  Dwight  Mitchell  Wiley, 
magazine  writer  and  Paramount 
scenarist  since  1941,  who  died  today 
at  his  home  here,  will  be  held  Thurs- 
day at  Pierce  Brothers  chapel,  Santa 
Monica.  The  widow  and  two  daugh- 
ters survive. 


Auger  Services  Tomorrow 

Funeral  services  for  Ed  Auger,  RCA 
sound  equipment  salesman,  who  died 
of  a  heart  attack  Monday  evening  in 
the  lobby  of  the  Statler  Hotel,  will  be 
held  tomorrow  morning  at  St.  Jean 
the  Baptist  Church. 


Industry  Untouched 
In  19  Legislatures 

Washington,  April  5. — Only 
25  state  legislatures  are  now 
left  in  session,  the  industry 
having  emerged  unscathed  in 
the  19  that  have  met  and  ad- 
journed, according  to  MP 
AA  legislative  representative 
Jack  Bryson. 

The  four  most  recent  legis- 
latures to  quit,  Bryson  said, 
were  New  Mexico,  Nevada, 
New  York  and  Kansas.  A  two 
per  cent  sales  tax  bill  died  in 
the  Nevada  legislature.  Bry- 
son pointed  out  that  hearings 
are  being  held  in  Massachu- 
setts on  two  censorship  bills. 


MPAA  Will  Sponsor 
'Report  on  the  Atom' 

The  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  will  sponsor  "Report  on  the 
Atom",  said  to  be  the  first  film  story 
of  atomic  energy  development  in 
America,  Eric  Johnston,  MPAA 
president,  announces. 

Produced  by  the  March  of  Time, 
the  two-reeler  "will  bring  the  public 
up  to  date  on  all  phases  of  atomic  de- 
velopment since  the.  first  bomb  fell," 
according  to  an  MPAA  statement.  It 
is  the  third  in  the  association's  public 
affairs  series.  Distributed  by  20th 
Century-Fox,  the  film  is  available  for 
spot  booking  by  theatres  which  do 
not  regularly  play  March  of  Time. 


Bergman  Group  West 
On  U.  S.  Bond  Tours 

Maurice  A.  Bergman,  chairman  of 
the  industry  committee  on  the  forth- 
coming bond  drive,  May  15-June  30 ; 
Edward  Lachman,  co-chairman  of  the 
exhibitor  division,  and  Max  E. 
Youngstein,  chairman  of  the  publicity 
committee,  will  fly  to  the  Coast  today 
from  here  to  line  up  Hollywood  tal- 
ent for  bond  tours  and  radio  broad- 
casts. Gael  Sullivan,  also  a  co- 
chairman  of  the  exhibitor  division, 
will  proceed  West  from  Denver  where 
he  has  been  attending  a  convention  of 
the  newly-organized  Colorado  Asso- 
ciation of  Theatre  Owners. 


Fabian  Not 
Officially 


on 


Notified 
U.A. 

Si  Fabian,  head  of  Fabian  Theatres, 
said  yesterday  he  has  not  been  ad- 
vised officially  as  yet  that  Charles 
Chaplin  has  declined  his  request  for  a 
firm  commitment  in  the  form  of  an 
option  or  otherwise  for  the  purchase 
of  United  Artists  control.  He  added 
there  has  been  no  official  response  of 
any  kind  to  his  proposal,  although  it 
was  made  more  than  a  month  ago.  In 
Hollywood  it  was  reported  that  Chap- 
lin had  indicated  he  would  decline  the 
request. 

Fabian's  plan  was  to  obtain  the  com- 
mitment to  purchase  and  thereafter  in- 
vite other  theatre  operators  to  parti- 
cipate with  assurance  that  a  deal  could 
be  consummated. 


Free  Subject  on 
New  Para.  Product 


Eleven  of  Paramount's  new  pictures 
are  brought  to  the  attention  of  audi- 
ences in  a  nine-minute  subject,  "Eyes 
on  Hollywood,"  which  the  company 
will  supply  to  theatres  without 
charge,  starting  about  April  10. 

Alan  Ladd  does  the  narration  as 
Mary  Jane  Saunders,  juvenile  player, 
journeys  through  Hollywood  and 
tours  the  Paramount  lot,  catching 
some  of  the  pictures  in  production,  in 
the  projection  room  or  in  reminiscing. 

Features  given  attention  are  "Sam- 
son and  Delilah,"  "The  Heiress,"  "A 
Connecticut  Yankee,"  "Bride  of  Ven- 
geance," "El  Paso,"  "Sorrowful 
Jones,"  "The  Great  Gatsby,"  "Red, 
Hot  and  Blue,"  "Bitter  Victory," 
"Man-handled"  and  "Dear  Wife." 

The  subject  is  the  third  in  a  series 
instituted  by  Stanley  Shuford,  Para- 
mount advertising  manager.  Phil 
Pemberton,  head  of  Paramount's  trail- 
er department,  handled  the  production, 
and  Leonard  Neubauer  did  the  script. 

It  is  an  interesting  and  entertaining 
reel,  suitable  for  any  audience  and  of 
definite  value  to  Paramount  accounts. 
It  establishes  audience  awareness  of 
the  new  product  and  creates  an  appe- 
tite for  it.  "Eyes  on  Hollywood" 
manages  also  to  speak  some  good 
words  for  Hollywood  which  will  con- 
tribute to  public  understanding  of  the 
community.  S.  K. 


$100,000  Fund  for 
Needy  in  Canada 

Toronto,  April  5.— The  Canadian 
Picture  Pioneers,  of  which  the  presi- 
dent is  J.  Earl  Lawson,  head-  of  J. 
Arthur  Rank  companies  in  Canada, 
has  launched  a  $100,000  campaign  for 
a  benevolent  fund  to  aid  needy  film 
persons,  the  country-wide  drive  being 
under  the  direction  of  Oscar  R.  Han- 
son, past  president. 

Through  Arch  J.  Jolley,  executive- 
secretary  of  the  Motion  Picture  The- 
atres Association  of  Ontario,  a  civic 
permit  has  been  secured  for  the  stag- 
ing of  five  midnight  benefit  shows  in 
Toronto  to  open  the  campaign.  The 
first  performance  will  be  conducted 
shortly  at  the  Imperial  Theatre. 


Lynch  Lauded  At 
Albany  Testimonial 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  April  5.— George 
V.  Lynch,  chief  film  buyer  for  the 
Schine  circuit,  was  feted  by  the  film 
industry  on  his  30th  anniversary  with 
that  organization  at  a  dinner  in  the 
Ten  Eyck  Hotel  last  night.  Sir  Cedric 
Hardwicke  was  toastmaster. 

Among  those  commending  Lynch 
were:  Si  Fabian,  A.  W.  Schwalberg, 
J.  Meyer  Schine  (who  spoke  by 
phone  from  Miami),  Louis  W.  Schine, 
John  May,  Steve  Broidy,  William 
Heineman,  Tom  Connors,  Bernard 
Kranze,  Congressman  Bernard  W. 
Kearney. 


Ban  Off,  'Rope9  Opens 

Atlanta,  April  5.— "Rope,"  War- 
ner film  banned  here  sometime  ago  by 
the  local  censor  board,  has  opened  at 
the  Paramount  Theatre. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


nf1  HE  signing  of  the  Atlantic  Pact 
and  Winston  Churchill  speaking 
on  Russia  are  current  newsreel  high- 
lights. Varied  sports  are  among  other  I 
items.  Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  28 — Twelve 
nations  sign  Atlantic  Pact  in  Washington. 
Churchill  declares  the  atom-bomb  will  save 
Europe  from  Reds.  Boxing,  basketball, 
swimming. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  262— Atlan- 
tic Pact  signed.  Churchill  speaks  on  the 
atom  bomb.    Boat  race. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  65— New- 
comers win  AAU  championship  swimming 
titles.  Newfoundland  welcomed  as  10th 
province  of  Canada.    Atlantic  Pact  signed. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  236— 
Atlantic  Pact  signed.  Churchill  credits 
atom  bomb  with  stopping  Reds.  Basketball. 
Outboard  motor  speedsters. 

WARNER  PAT  HE  NEWS,  No.  67 — 
Churchill  speaks  on  Russia.  Atlantic  Pact 
signed.    Swimming,  basketball. 


Foreign  Income  Off, 
Harmon  Reports 


Toronto,  April  5.  —  Hollywood's 
foreign  revenue  is  down  by  $50,000,- 
000,  Francis  Harmon  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  said 
during  his  recent  visit  here  from  New 
York. 

"Production  and  theatre  attendance 
in  the  United  States  remain  far  above 
pre-war  levels,"  Harmon  said,  "but 
like  any  other  business,  we  depend 
heavily  on  export  trade." 

The  MPAA  executive  added  that 
if  European  governments  had  Canada's 
foresight  and  willingness  to  co-operate, 
everybody  would  be  better  off.  He 
commended  Canada  for  permitting  the 
use  of  U.  S.  dollars  for  film  imports 
from  the  U.  S.  even  though  the  Do- 
minion had  a  dollar  crisis.  Hollywood, 
in  turn,  is  making  films  on  Canada  to 
help  bring  millions  of  dollars  to  the 
country  in  tourist  trade.. 

With  respect  to  countries  behind 
the  "Iron  Curtain,"  Harmon  said: 
"We  are  sending  films  not  only  for 
their  entertainment  value  but  also  for 
the  undertones  that  show  our  way  of 
life." 


Film  Premiere  of 
'Tulsa9  for  Trailer 

Tulsa,  April  5. — Battery  of  35mm. 
sound  cameras  will  film  the  premiere 
here  of  Walter  Wanger's  Tulsa"  on 
April  15,  with  the  footage  to  be  work- 
ed into  a  special  trailer,  it  was  an- 
nounced here  today  by  Max  E.  Young- 
stein, vice-president  in  charge  of  ad- 
vertising for  Eagle-Lion,  distributor 
of  the  film.  Every  phase  of  the  2-day 
premiere  celebration  will  be  covered 
by  camera  crews,  he  said. 


George  Tice  Named 
Columbia  Manager 

George  Tice  has  been  named  to  suc- 
ceed Arthur  Levy  as  branch  manager 
of  the  Pittsburgh  exchange  of  Col- 
umbia, effective  April  18.  Tice  joined 
the  company  in  July,  1932  as  an  as- 
sistant booker  in  the  Pittsburgh 
branch  and  became  a  salesman  in  1937.. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY   Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigiey,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.   Published  daily,  except  Saturdays 


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Tom  and 
Jerry  and 
Leo  say: 

HATS  OFF 


The  most  popular  and  most 
widely  played  cartoons  in  the 
world  today  are  the  M-G-M 
"Tom  and  Jerry"  Technicolor 
series.  Their  new  Academy 
Award  cartoon  is  their  greatest! 


TO  MR.  QUIMBY! 

The  New  Cartoon  King 
Wins  His  6th  Oscar  in 
8  Years!  All-time  record! 


91 


SIMULTANEOUS  RELEASE 
EVERYWHERE! 

APRIL  30th 


We  have  timed  distribution  of  this  great  subject  so  that  its  national  release  follows 
immediately  its  fame  as  Academy  Award  Winner.  Be  among  the  theatres  to  advertise  it! 


M-G-M's  "THE  LITTLE  ORPHAN 

Best  Cartoon  Of  The  Year! 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  April  6,  1949 


Sees  Theatre  Video 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

programs,  and  greater  activity  in  the 
industo'  in  producing  TV  programs. 

If  the  film  industry  continues  apa- 
thetic in  the  face  of  television's  ad- 
vance, which  he  thought  would  not  be 
the  case,  Austrian  warned  that  film  at- 
tendance may  drop  10  per  cent  in  the 
next  five  years. 

Austrian  said  he  thought  "network 
radio  as  it  now  exists  is  about  to 
enter  the  first  stages  of  a  rapid  de- 
cline. "This  decline,"  Austrian  con- 
tinued, "will  accelerate  rapidly  in  the 
next  five  years  and  at  the  end  of  five 
years  be  so  difficult  to  maintain  be- 
cause of  the  lack  of  advertisers'  dol- 
lars that  it  will  give  way  to  local  and 
regional  broadcasting  and  be  super- 
ceded by  Coast-to-Coast  network  tele- 
vision." 


RCA  Reception  for  SMPE 

A  reception  for  SMPE  members  at- 
tending the  65th  semi-annual  conven- 
tion here  will  be  held  tomorrow 
afternoon  by  the  RCA's  film  recording 
and  theatre  equipment  department  at 
the  RCA  Exhibition  Hall. 


Set  SMPE  Regional  Meet 

Plans  for  a  Society  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Engineers'  central  section  region- 
al meeting  in  Toledo,  on  June  10,  were 
announced  here  by  R.  T.  Van  Niman, 
SMPE's  chairman  of  that  section. 


Ascap  Will  Not  Bill 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

"tied  in"  with  the  restriction  on  film 
payments,  according  to  an  official  of 
the  organization. 

Ascap's  policy  on  all  collections 
from  theatres  will  of  course  be  deter- 
mined by  the  ultimate  court  rulings  or 
perhaps  by  a  consent  decree,  which  is 
its  current  aim.  Special  counsel  Rob-' 
ert  P.  Patterson  is  currently  negotiat- 
ing with  the  Department  of  Justice  on 
a  possible  decree  settlement,  the  basis 
for  which  has  yet  to  be  clarified. 

Meanwhile,  a  substantial  number  of 
theatremen  are  holding  in  escrow 
money  which  is  ordinarily  paid  to  As- 
cap for  public  performances  of  music, 
both  on  stage  and  in  films,  with  the 
intent  of  eventually  paying  when  the 
entire  matter  is  clarified. 


M-G-M  Meetings 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

held  in  the  branch  office  projection 
rooms  in  exchange  areas  and  in  thea- 
tres in  non-exchange  cities. 

Exhibitors  and  guests  will  be 
asked  to  write  their  opinions  of 
"Secret  Garden,"  with  an  award  of 
$100  to  be  presented  for  the  best  let- 
ter in  each  of  the  two  classifications. 


20th-Fox  Tops  at  Studio 

Hollywood,  April  5.  —  Twentieth 
Century-Fox  executives  Spyros  Skour- 
as,  Al  Lichtman,  Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr., 
and  Charles  Einfeld  today  began 
screening  completed  company  product, 
with  10  pictures  to  be  seen  during 
their  10-day  stay. 


Author  Sues  Enterprise 

Hoolywood,  April  5. — Erich  Re- 
marque, author  of  "Arch  of  Triumph," 
filed  suit  here  today  against  Enter- 
prise Pictures,  charging  breach  of 
a  contract  which  calls  for  five  $10,000 
payments  for  his  novel  used  in  the 
picture  of  the  same  name. 


Atlas  Sells  Another 
33,000  Warrants 

Washington,  April  5. — Atlas  Corp. 
has  sold  another  33,000  warrants  for 
RKO  common  and  was  down  to  234,- 
812  warrants,  according  to  a  report  by 
the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commis- 
sion. The  report  on  trading  in  film 
company  stocks  by  officers  and  direc- 
tors was  the  second  successive  report 
that  showed  heavy  selling  by  Atlas. 
The  previous  report  showed  the  sale 
of  50,000  warrants. 

Other  trading  by  officers  and  direc- 
tors was  light.  At  Monogram,  W. 
Ray  Johnston  sold  2,300  shares  of 
common,  leaving  him  with  317  shares, 
and  options  for  12,500  more. 

At  Warners'  Harry  M.  Warner 
gave  away  three  blocks  of  common, 
amounting  to  4,300  shares,  leaving 
274,050  shares  held  personally  and 
16,000  in  trust.  Columbia's  Harry 
Cohn  bought  100  shares  of  $4.25  pre- 
ferred, for  a  total  of  300  shares  of 
preferred.  He  owns  141,327  shares 
of  Columbia  common. 

Charles  C.  Moskowitz  bought  1,000 
shares  of  Loew's  common,  boosting  his 
holdings  to  3,500  shares.  Loew's 
bought  224  shares  of  Loew's  Boston 
Theatres  common ;  their  total  holdings 
are  now  124,250  shares. 

Henry  Ginsberg  sold  500  shares  of 
Paramount  common,  and  now  has  only 
500  shares  in  his  own  name,  plus  275 
in  his  sons'  names.  Joseph  E.  Mc- 
Mahon  bought  100  shares  of  Republic 
$1  cumulative  preferred,  his  only  hold- 
ings of  Republic  stock. 

Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  reported  that 
he  held  200  shares  of  20th  Century- 
Fox  common  when  he  became  an  of- 
ficer of  the  firm,  and  Al  Lichtman  said 
he  held  no  20th-Fox  shares.  Douglas 
T.  Yates  said  he  personally  held  1,050 
shares  of  Republic  common  and  no 
preferred,  while  through  Tonrud  he 
held  106,635  shares  of  common  and 
12,200  shares  of  preferred.  Albert  W. 
Lind  bought  500  shares  of  capital 
stock  in  Associated  Motion  Pictures 
Industries,  Inc.,  for  a  total  of  1,000 
shares. 


New  York  Grosses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

week  with  about  $80,000,  which  is 
moderate. 

"I  Shot  Jesse  James"  probably  will 
give  the  Palace  a  luke-warm  $14,000, 
or  less,  in  a  first  week.  "Quartet" 
is  bringing  capacity  business  to  the 
Sutton  where  a  first  week's  gross  of 
$18,000  is  claimed. 

"Little  Women,"  with  a  stage 
presentation  at  the  Music  Hall,  is 
likely  to  wind  up  a  fourth  and  final 
week  with  a  meager  gross  of  $102,000 
and  is  to  be  replaced  tomorrow  by 
"Connecticut  Yankee  in  King  Ar- 
thur's Court."  "Outpost  in  Morocco" 
with  Gordon  Jenkins'  orchestra  on 
stage  is  only  fair  in  a  second  and  final 
week  at  the  Capitol,  the  gross  being 
estimated  at  $48,000;  it  will  be  fol- 
lowed tomorrow  by  "City  Across  the 
River." 

"Knock  on  Any  Door"  should  give 
the  As'tor  a  minor  sixth  week's  gross 
of  $12,000.  The  Victoria  looks  for 
about  $12,500  for  _  the  21st  week  of 
"Joan  of  Arc,"  which  is  fair  business. 

"El  Paso,"  with  Louis  Jordan's 
"Tympony  Five"  and  Ray  Anthony's 
orchestra,  wound  up  a  second  and 
final  week  at  the  Paramount  last 
night  with  a  poor  $51,000;  it  will  be 
succeeded  today  by  "Bride  of  Ven- 
geance."    "Hamlet"   is   still  playing 


to  a  full  house  at  the  Park  where  the 
27th  week  probably  will  mean  more 
than  $16,000.  "Kiss  in  the  Dark," 
with  Guy  Lombardo  on  stage,  should 
give  the  Strand  an  adequate  second 
week's  gross  of  $34,000. 

"Take  Me  Out  to  the  Ball  Game" 
at  the  State  should  do  about  $27,000 
in  a  modest  fourth  week.  "The  Red 
Shoes"  is  holding  up  remarkably  well 
at  the  Bijou  with  $14,500  in  sight  for 
a  24th  week.  "Casablanca,"  reissue 
at  the  Mayfair,  might  reach  $17,000 
in  a  slow  second  week.  About  $8,000 
is  apparent  for  "Impact"  in  a  dull 
second  week  at  the  Globe;  it  will  be 
followed  by  "The  Champion"  on 
Saturday. 


Independent  Film 
Financing  by  Majors 


Widespread  financing  of  independ- 
ent production  by  some  major  com- 
panies is  anticipated  by  film  banking 
groups  in  New  York  and  Hollywood, 
according  to  A.  Pam  Blumenthal,  for- 
mer West  Coast  investor  who  recently 
resigned  as  board  chairman  of  both 
Film  Classics  and  Cinecolor. 

By  inviting  the  independents  to  op- 
erate at  studios  of  the  majors,  in  par- 
ticipation deals,  the  latter  would  have 
an  immediate  advantage  in  the  obvious 
cut  in  overhead  expense,  Blumenthal 
said,  and  would,  of  course,  bolster 
their  own  film  line-ups  with  the  prop- 
erties of  the  independents. 

Substantiating  Blumenthal's  ob- 
servations on  the  trend  are  recent 
reports  that  Warner  has  closed  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  financing  of  films  to 
be  made  at  the  Warner  lot  by  Cag- 
ney  Productions  and  Burt  Lancaster. 
It  is  understood  that  Warner  is  en- 
couraging similar  arrangements  with 
other  producers. 

Blumenthal  feels  that  the  industry 
is  in  a  "transition"  stage  and  that 
more  than  500  features  annually  soon 
will  be  made  by  major  companies. 
These  will  cost  mainly  from  $800,000 
to  $1,500,000,  he  figures,  with  econ- 
omies already  effected  and  more  cost- 
cutting  measures  expected. 

Blumenthal  had  been  associated 
with  Century  Investment  which  re- 
portedly had  invested  close  to  $23,- 
000,000  in  second  money,  completion 
bonds  and  other  forms  of  independ- 
ent production  financing.  He  believes 
that  the  expected  spurt  in  financing 
of  independents  by  majors  will  en- 
courage more  activity  by  private 
financial  groups  in  independent  pro- 
duction. 

He  reports  that  some  of  the  princi- 
pal studios  also  are  weighing  as  an 
overhead-cutting  device  the  produc- 
tion of  television  subjects  of  the  type 
which  would  not  compete  with  stand- 
ard motion  pictures. 


Ascap  N.  Y.  Appeal 
Off  to  May  16 

Hearing  by  the  U.  S.  Circuit  Court 
of  Appeals  here  of  Ascap  and  ITOA 
of  New  York  appeals  from  Federal 
Judge  Vincent  L.  Leibell's  decision  of 
last  July,  which  prohibited  licensing 
of  theatres  by  the  Society,  as  it  is 
presently  constituted,  for  the  public 
performance  of  Ascap  music,  has  been 
postponed  to  May  16. 

Date  for  hearing  of  the  appeals  had 
been  scheduled  for  April  14.  Post- 
ponement was  sought  to  permit  con- 
tinuance of  the  current  Ascap  consent 
decree  talks  with  the  Department  of 
Justice  by  Robert  P.  Patterson,  Ascap 
special  counsel. 


'Collarites'  Wage 
Bids  Up  This  Week 

The  industry's  AFL  and  CIO 
"white  collarite"  unions  here  are 
prepared  to  submit  demands  this  week 
to  nine  film  companies  for  salary  in- 
creases for  home  office  employees.  The 
unions  opened  negotiations  with  most 
of  the  companies  a  few  weeks  ago 
following  a  National  Labor  Relations 
Board  election  which  determined  the 
jurisdictional  control  to  be  exercised 
by  each  union.  Up  to  now,  talks  with 
management  have  revolved  around 
contract  demands  other  than  wages. 

CIO's  Screen  Office  and  Professional 
Employes  Guild  ,  plans  to  discuss 
salaries  tomorrow  with  representatives 
of  Columbia,  Loew's,  Paramount, 
RKO  Radio,  RKO  Service  Corp.  and 
20th  Century-Fox.  SOPEG  report- 
edly has  not  changed  its  original 
intention  to  seek  a  25  per  cent  wage 
increase  for  the  "collarites"  of  those 
companies.  Job  security  demands  also 
will  be  presented  by  SOPEG. 

AFL's  IATSE  Motion  Picture 
Home  Office  Employes  Local  No. 
H-63  will  present  wage  demands  to- 
day to  representatives  of  DeLuxe 
Laboratories.  The  local  expects  to 
confer  on  that  subject  with  Republic 
officials  before  the  week  ends.  Mean- 
while, H-63  has  written  to  Paramount 
president  Barney  Balaban  for  an 
appointment  to  open  contract  negotia- 
tions with  Paramount-International 
executives. 

SOPEG  reports  that  the  manage- 
ments with  which  it  has  been 
conferring  have  flatly  rejected  the 
union's  demand  for  three  weeks' 
vacation  for  workers  who  have  had 
five  years  or  more  continuous  em- 
ployment with  a  company. 


SPG  Pickets  Broadway  Houses 
As  Contract  Negotiations  Fail 

Members  of  the  Screen  Publicists 
Guild  resumed  picketing  of  Broadway 
first-run  houses  last  night  after  offi- 
cials reported  to  a  special  meeting 
held  at  the  Park  Sheraton  that  nego- 
tiations with  major  companies  had 
failed  to  break  a  deadlock.  SPG  of- 
ficials charged  that  the  companies  re- 
fuse to  discuss  a  new  contract  unless 
the  Guild  is  willing  to  forego  all 
salary  and  security  demands. 

With  Eagle-Lion  the  only  major 
company  to  renew  its  SPG  contract, 
which  all  expired  last  September,  the 
joint  strategy  committee  of  the  Guild 
and  SOPEG,  its  sister  union,  will  meet 
to  outline  a  plan  of  action,  a  spokes- 
man said. 


Colo.  Assn.  Hears 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

if  they  make  proper  use  of  the  new 
development.  No  sponsor  can  afford 
to  back  large  TV  productions,  Shu- 
pert  said,  and  "quickies"  will  only 
give  the  video  audience  an  appetite 
for  something  better. 

Paramount's  strategy  "includes 
turning  television  to  the  theatre's  ad-  i 
vantage  through  telecasting  of  stage  | 
shows  and  audience  participation 
shows,"  Shupert  said.  "And  we  hope  I 
to  include  linking  of  theatres  in  a  ■ 
vast  network  to  offer  specially- 
arranged  exclusive  non-telecast  events ! 
such  as  championship  bouts,  first  [ 
nights  at  Broadway  shows,  and  the! 
like." 

The  convention  ends  tomorrow  with 
discussion  of  resolutions,  when  the  I 
association  is  expected  to  affiliate  with 
TOA,  and  the  election  of  officers. 


Wednesday,  April  6,  1949 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


Para.  Decree 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


U.  S.  Supreme  Court  and,  now,  of  the 
Paramount  consent  decree. 

"It  would  seem  that  it  will  be  most 
difficult  for  a  buying  combine  to  oper- 
ate either  legally  or  beneficially  for 
its  accounts  under  such  a  provision,  or 
under  the  findings  of  the  courts,"  he 
concludes. 

Levy  also  comments  that  the  fran- 
chise provision  of  the  decree  will  be 
received  "warmly  by  many  indepen- 
dent exhibitors  because  it  validates 
and  legalizes  franchise  agreements  to 
enable  them  to  compete  with  affiliated 
theatres." 

He  also  alerts  exhibitors  to  the 
clearance  provisions  of  the  Paramount 
decree,  observing  that  "drastic  changes 
in  clearance  and,  in  many  instances, 
the  complete  elimination  of  it"  are  to 
be  expected. 

While  noting  that  the  conditioning 
of  short  subject  licensing,  one  upon 
another,  is  not  prohibited  in  the  de- 
cree, Levy  points  out  that  one  copy- 
right may  not  be  conditioned  upon  an- 
other under  principles  of  law  already 
established. 

Levy  calls  attention  to  the  language 
of  the  decree  on  theatre-by-theatre 
film  selling,  asserting  that  while  it 
could  be  construed  as  compulsory 
competitive  bidding  both  the  govern- 
ment and  Paramount  are  on  record  in 
court  as  asserting  that  is  not  what  is 
meant. 


British  industry  must  also  fit  itself  to 
stand  on  its  own  feet.  Public  assist- 
ance, by  whatever  method,  should  be 
only  a  means  to  this  end." 

The  editorial  remarks  that  Wilson 
is  indulging  in  "mere  guess-work" 
when  he  fixes  his  quota. 

Anti-Trust  Unit 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Committee  voted  the  funds  over  the 
Bureau's  veto. 

The  same  was  repeated  this  year. 
For  1949-1950,  the  anti-trust  division 
asked  for  about  .$180,000  more  than 
last  year,  the  Budget  Bureau  sliced 
off  $100,000  of  the  increase,  and  the 
House  Committee  today  voted  the  full 
amount.  It  said  it  expects  the  division 
"to  increase  anti-trust  activities." 

In  testimony  before  the  committee 
released  today,  Assistant  Attorney 
General  Herbert  Bergson,  in  charge 
of  the  anti-trust  division,  cited  the 
Paramount  New  York  case  as  an 
example  of  "terrific"  results  obtained 
recently  by  the  division.  He  also 
told  the  committee  that  he  is  planning 
to  spend  more  time  and  money  en- 
forcing decrees  and  judgments.  He 
urged  that  the  Clayton  Act  be  amend- 
ed to  give  the  government  power  to 
block  one  firm  from  acquiring  the 
physical  assets  of  another,  as  well  as 
from  acquiring  the  stock,  and  also 
recommended  a  substantial  increase  in 
fines  for  violating  the  anti-trust  laws 
—from  $5,000  to  $50,000. 


London  'Times' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

progressively  increased  at  the 
expense  of  the  Americans  as 
British  output  goes  up ;  and  the 
Americans,  it  would  seem,  are 
expected  to  be  uncommonly  ob- 
liging during  the  pediod  while 
preparations  are  being  made  to 
squeeze  them  out  of  the  market. 

"Next  year,"  says  The  Times, 
"they  will  be  allowed  to  show 
more  films  in  this  country  than 
this  year,  but  not  to  withdraw 
more  dollars.  That  would  be 
reasonable  enough  if  at  the  end 
of  it  conditions  of  free  and 
fair  competition  were  promised, 
but  clearly  they  are  not. 

"It  is  not  easy  to  reconcile  the  gov- 
ernment's policy  towards  films,  as  Mr. 
Wilson  (Harold  Wilson,  president  of 
the  Board  of  Trade)  states  it,  with 
the  government's  general  trade  pol- 
;  icy. 

"Mr.  O'Brien's  (Tom  O'Brien,  Na- 
tional Association  of  Theatrical  and 
Kine  Employes)  warning  in  the  de- 
bate that  'artificial  props'  to  the  in- 
dustry must  not  become  permanent 
was  timely. 

"Monopolistic  practices  of  the  kind 
which  helped  the  Americans  to  com- 
mand the  British  market  in  the  past 
have  certainly  to  be  countered,  but  the 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
MOTION  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


1949  Business 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


It 


COMPAN 

NEW  YORK 


MEMBER    FEDERAL   DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


was  $413,800.  .  The  board  authorized 
a  full  payment  of  four  per  cent  inter- 
est on  the  debentures  of  the  company, 
due  June  30  and  Dec.  31,  1949.  More- 
over, the  board  declared  a  dividend 
of  25  cents  per  share  on  the  preferred 
stock,  payable  July  1  to  stockholders 
of  record  on  June  10. 

Stockholders  reelected  to  the  board 
Edwin  Van  Pelt,  Edward  L.  Walton 
and  Douglas  Yates,  and  named  as  a 
new  director  John  Petrauskas,  Jr., 
company  treasurer.  All  will  serve 
three-year  terms. 

The  board  reelected  Yates,  Sr.,  and 
all  other  company  officers,  as  follows: 
James  R.  Grainger,  distribution  vice- 
president ;  Walton,  Walter  L.  Titus, 
Jr.,  Arthur  J.  Miller  and  John 
O'Connell,  all  vice-presidents;  Pe- 
trauskas, treasurer;  Joseph  E.  Mc- 
Mahon,  secretary;  A.  E.  Schiller,  Ira 
Johnson,  and  Robert  V.  Newman,  as- 
sistant secretaries ;  N.  K.  Loder, 
Richard  Rodgers  and  Newman,  as- 
sistant treasurers. 

Directors  who  met  yesterday  includ- 
ed Richard  W.  Altschuler,  Alex 
Frieder,  Albert  W.  Lind,  Miller, 
Harry  C.  Mills,  Frederick  R.  Ryan, 
Titus,  Van  Pelt,  Walton  and  Yates, 
Sr. 


Exhibitors  Protest 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


be  too  difficult  to  get  a  good  replace- 
ment at  this  late  date,  but  that  he 
would  ask  Universal  to  reduce  the 
rental  for  the  film  as  a  result  of  the 
broadcast.  All  said  they  believed  the 
broadcast  would  hurt  their  business. 

A.  Julian  Brylawski,  president  of 
the  Theatre  Owners  Association  of 
Washington,  wrote  TO  A  executive 
director  Gael  Sullivan  suggesting  that 
the  mattter  of  radio  broadcasts  of 
films  before  neighborhood  showings  be 
made  the  subject  of  a  TO  A  bulletin. 
Brylawski  recalled  that  Washington 
exhibitors  had  protested  this  practice 
before,  and  said  he  could  not  under- 
stand why  nothing  had  been  done. 


NEW  ORLEANS 
TIMES-PICAYUNE 


SANGER 

•THE  *ED  ^e  proceed 
A  RepubUc  PgS  Milestone. 

\and  directed^  CAST    ^  ^ 

Alice  TVflin- 

j.'1-ed  i' 
■lorn  ■  ■  ■ 

jinx  mm* 


[yeBucu..---;:::..^st^ck 

U  Tift'"  *  Hanson 

.interest  » '  k-s  weU-Kn"  he  pony 
rohn  Stembg^^  andthcP 


..out  a  sen=  . 
^  *oveS-   „,  olot  of  a  ^f;eaPv0id-\ 
i\em  and.vts »     the  story  eries\ 
[naturally  ana  \  son 

W  eie  lives  of  ranchcan  Jose.  I 
of  the  »veCuisnear  i=an  -hoy's\ 

W  teUL°,  to  ad^st  Aching! 

ranper  the  boy's  a^mportance\ 
^  hi'red  man;  *e       s  jjrt 

Ufe'^°find  contentment  aga  \ 

V  and  w  born  colt.  neV,comer,\ 

a  ne   7  Peter  Miles,  »  "grtrayaU 

Uttl%rfreshing^uVe0^ncinglX\ 
gives  a  retre^        m  con,vi  di 

lof  *e  boy ,  ™         taciturn  ^  I 
-  the       ,vhern  is  n"  eX-m-\ 
HandJather,  an 
™  %gJhter  Shepperd  Stx  l 
rlian  figbter,  in  w  \ad's\ 

^^iSdoesT!ood^obastheormSl 

dependably  torches  1SV 

There  ar«  g  picture^  I 
Wumanity  »n  hnicolor.  an  Ei 
filmed;"  Identic.  Pj^e^becU 
Larently  aU,  0{  living-  *>Vr  and 
homely. *fl  te  «f«Sd  an  ex-l 
l*imSf Copland  contrite 
I  Aaron  ^      \  sc0re  w  \ 


Reprinted  from  The  Times-Picayune 


CHARLES  K.  FELIIM  AN  presents 

MYRNA  LOY  ROBERT  MITCHUM 

i«  JOHN  STEINBECK'S 

A  LEWIS  MILESTONE  PRODUCTION 
„,,„  LOUIS  CALHERN    SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK 

and  ,m,odUang  PETER  MILES  as  TOM  and  MARGARET  HAMILTON 

Screen  Play  by  JOHN  STEINBECK  •  Music  by  AARON  COPLAND 

Produced  and  Directed  by  LEWIS  MILESTONE  •  A  REPUBLIC  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  A 


hie  know, 


CENTURY-FOX 


p- 


IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  68 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  APRIL  7, 


1949 


TEN  CENTS 


UA  Purchase 
Progressing, 
;Says  Nasser 

Seeks  Other  Exhibitors* 
\Aid;  Nassours  Not  In 

Hollywood,  April  6.— Prepara- 
tions for  the  purchase  of  United 
Artists  by  Nasser  Brothers  are  pro- 
gressing favorably,  although  clos- 
ing is  not  immediately  imminent, 
James  Nasser  said  here  today. 

"We  are  working  hard  on  the  deal, 
i  he  said,  "and  on  lining  up  other  ex- 
hibitors to  come  in  with  us,  but  we 
have  two  or  three  weeks'  more  time 
to  work  it  out."  [Charles  Chaplin  s 
option  on  Mary  Pickford's  stock  ex- 
pires Monday,  but  it  can  be  extended 
another  10  days  under  terms  of  the 
agreement. — Ed.  ] 

"We  think  UA  is  a  fine  company 
and  believe  it  can  be  made  one  of  the 
biggest  in  the  business,"  Nasser  con- 
tinued. He  declined  to  name  other  ex- 
hibitors invited  to  participate  and  de- 
nied that  Nassour  interests  are  in  the 
deal,  as  has  been  reported. 

Nasser's  purchase  plan  contemplates 
complete  control  of  UA  through  ac- 
quisition of  both  Chaplin  and  Pickford 
interests. 

Cockrill  Reelected 
Colo.  ATO  President 


Denver,  April  6. — Initial  convention 
of  the  Colorado  Association  of  Thea- 
tre Owners  wound  up  today  by  re- 
electing Dave  Cockrill  president  and 
treasurer;  Pat  McGee,  vice-president, 
and  Charles  Gilmour,  secretary.  These 
and  William  Agren,  A.  P.  Archer, 
Larry  Starsmore  and  Dave  Davis 
constitute  the  board,  all  reelected. 
Stars  Roy  Rogers  and  Dale  Evans 
were  honor  guests  at_  the  convention 
dinner-dance  this  evening. 


Technicolor  Profits 
And  Production  at 
A  New  High:  Kalmus 

Technicolor  production  and  profits 
are  at  an  all-time  high,  Dr.  Herbert 
T.  Kalmus,  company  president  and 
general  manager  reported  in  Techni- 
color's annual  report  yesterday. 

Forty-two  Technicolor  features  are 
now  being  produced  or  are  in  prepa- 
ration, plus  an  additional  13  in  Eng- 
land ;  39  were  made  last  year,  and  an 
additional  nine  in  England.  Positive 
print  output  in  1948  reached  264,705,- 
797  feet,  against  222,017,439  in  1947. 
(.Continued  on  page  4) 


Cinecolor  Process 
Prices  Cut  26% 


Allied  Board  At 
Texas  Unit's  Meet 


Washington,  April  6. — Allied 
States  Association's  Spring  board  of 
directors  meeting  is  now  scheduled  for 
May  30-31  at  the  Hotel  Adolphus  in 
Dallas,  Allied  general  counsel  Abram 
F.  Myers  announces. 

The  board  meeting  will  be  preceded 
on  May  29  by  an  open  Allied  Caravan 
meeting  and  a  Caravan  Committee 
meeting,  and  will  be  followed  on  June  1 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Hollywood,  April  6. — Cinecolor  to- 
day announced  a  price  reduction  on 
normal  quantity  release  prints  to  four- 
and-one-half  cents  per  foot.  The  new 
figure,  effectively  immediately,  is  ap- 
proximately 26  per  cent  below  the 
present  price,  which  included  a  waste 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


SMPE  Gives  Award, 
Favor  Name  Change 


A  special  award  was  given  to  Don- 
ald E.  Hyndman  last  night  at  the  ban- 
quet here  of  the  Society  of  Motion 
Picture  Engineers  at  the  Hotel  Stat- 
ler,  for  "his  numerous  distinguished 
services  to  the  Society  and  to  the  in- 
dustry." Hyndman,  an  Eastman-Kodak 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


British  Ticket  Tax 
Status  Unchanged 

London,  April  6. — Britain's 
new  budget,  apart  from  tech- 
nical adjustments  providing 
relief  in  rural  areas,  calls  for 
no  change  in  the  nation's 
present  entertainment  tax. 

Exhibitors  had  sought  re- 
ductions in  the  tax  to  offset 
declining  theatre  attendance, 
while  producers  have  cam- 
paigned for  a  share  of  the 
tax  collections  as  an  in- 
creased production  subsidy. 


Schwartz  Heads  UJA 
AmusementDivision 


Fred  J.  Schwartz,  Century  Circuit 
vice-president,  has  been  named  1949 
chairman  of  the  United  Jewish  Appeal 
campaign  in  the  amusement  divi- 
sion, it  was  an- 
nounced at  a 
UJA  luncheon 
here  yesterday 
at  the  Hotel 
Astor.  Schwartz 
expressed  hope 
for  an  unprece- 
dentedly  suc- 
cessful drive. 
Si  Fabian,  cir- 
cuit executive, 
who  was  drive 
chairman  last 
year,  presided 
at  the  luncheon 
and  Bartley  C. 
Crum,  author 
the  principal 


Proposals  to 
I  Act  Against  UK 
Being  Drafted 

Arnall  Says  Knowland  is 
'Tremendously  Interested" 

First  definitive  government  ac- 
tion against  film  trade  restrictions 
abroad  is  now  taking  shape  in 
Washington  in  the  form  of  pro- 
posals now  being,  drafted  by  Sen.  Wil- 
liam Knowland,  California  Republican, 
for  early  presentation  to  Congress. 

This  was  disclosed  by  Ellis  G.  Ar- 
nall, president  of  the  Society  of  Inde- 
pendent Motion  Picture  Producers, 
who  returned  to  New  York  yesterday 
from  Washington,  where  he  discussed 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Fred  J.  Schwartz 


and  publisher, 
speaker. 

In     accepting     the  chairmanship 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Rep.  King,  Johnston 
ConferonU.K.Quota 

Washington,  April  6. — Rep.  King, 
head  of  a  committee  of  California 
representatives  which  will  urge  the 
State  Department  to  take  action 
against  the  British  screen  quota,  con- 
ferred here  today  with  Eric  Johnston, 
president  of  the  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of  America. 

The  committee  has  been  having 
trouble  lining  up  interviews  with  top 
State  Department  officials  who  are  all 
tied  up  with  Atlantic  Pact  matters  but 
hopes  to  get  going  at  the  end  of  this 
week  or  early  next. 


Include  Exhibitors  In 
Academy  Voting:  Cowan 


Independent  producer  Lester  Cow- 
an, former  executive-secretary  of  the 
Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and 
Sciences,  proposed  here  yesterday  a 
five-point  program  for  insuring  the 
perpetuation  of  the  Academy's  annual 
award  in  spite  of  recent  differences  of 
opinion  between  major  companies  and 
the  Academy  administration  over  sub- 
sidies. One  point  calls  for  exhibitor 
participation  in  the  actual  selection  of 
award  winners. 

Cowan,  who  is  visiting  New  York 
from  the  Coast,  outlined  his  program 
as  follows :  ( 1 )  popular  selection  of 
winners  must  be  abandoned  in  favor 
of  a  return  to  the  committee  system 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


'Lab'  Union  Avoids 
Direct  Pay  Hike  Bid 

When  new  contract  negotiations 
open  here  on  Monday  between  repre- 
sentatives of  22  Metropolitan  New 
York  film  laboratories  and  the  IATSE 
local  representing  1,750  "lab"  tech- 
nicians, the  customary  demand  for 
outright  pay  increases  will  be  absent. 

John  Francavilla,  president  of  the 
laboratory  technicians  Local  No.  702, 
reported  here  yesterday  that  the  union 
membership  has  approved  a  six-point 
new  contract  program  proposed  by  a 
negotiating  committee.  None  of  the 
points  calls  for  wage  hikes,  per  se. 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Wriyht  Will  Enter 
Private  Practice 

Washington,  April  6. — Rob- 
ert L.  Wright,  whose  resigna- 
tion from  the  Department  of 
Justice  was  reported  on  Mon- 
day, said  here  today  that  his 
argument  in  the  Paramount 
case  in  New  York  District 
Court  on  April  19  will  be  his 
last  official  Department  act. 
He  will  leave  government 
service  on  April  29  and  plans 
to  remain  in  Washington  in 
private  practice. 

Wright,  who  handled  the 
industry  trust  suit  from  the 
start,  said  that  he  did  not 
think  much  more  work  on  the 
case  would  be  required  by 
"anyone  in  the  anti-trust 
division"  after  the  April  19 
proceedings. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  April  7,  1949 


Indiana  ATO  Board 
Assails  20th  Plan 


Indianapolis,  April  6. — Board  of 
Associated  Theatre  Owners  of  Indi- 
ana, meeting  here,  passed  a  resolu- 
tion stating  that  it  "looks  with  dis- 
favor on  the  20th-Fox  sales  plans  and 
is  not  interested  in  considering  the 
present  plans  because  they  are  imprac- 
tical, complicated,  unsound  and  be- 
cause it  cannot  be  seen  how  the  plans 
can  be  of  any  possible  benefit  to  the 
exhibitor." 

It  describes  the  20th-Fox  plan  as 
"patently  a  device  to  secure  increased 
film  rentals,"  whereas  "exhibitors 
generally  need  a  downward  revision 
in  film  prices." 


Twentieth  Century-Fox  officials 
were  not  available  last  night  for  com- 
ment on  the  resolution  passed  by  the 
ATO  of  Indiana. 


Albany  TOA  Warns 
Of  Local  Tax  Levies 


Albany,  N.  Y.,  April  6. — The  The- 
atre Owners  of  America  here  warns 
exhibitors  in  New  York  to  be  on  the 
alert  for  any  suggestion  of  local  ad- 
mission taxes,  as  authorized  under 
state  laws  enacted  in  the  1947-48  legis- 
lature. Local  TOA  executive  director 
Leonard  Rosenthal  disclosed  that  "at 
meetings  in  various  sections  state  of- 
ficials have  been  urging  communities 
to  take  advantage  of  admission  taxes." 
An  impost  of  five  per  cent  can  be 
voted  by  counties  and  cities  with  a 
minimum  25,000  population.  Bingham- 
ton  recently  approved  such  a  tax. 

Rosenthal  warned  that  exhibitors 
"must  be  particularly  watchful  during 
periods  of  budget  proposals." 


Personal  Mention 


ERIC  JOHNSTON,  MPAA  presi- 
dent, will  be  in  New  York  today 
from  Washington  for  conferences  pre- 
liminary to  tomorrow's  annual  MPAA 
board  meeting.  Kenneth  Clark, 
MPAA  publicity  chief,  arrived  here 
yesterday. 

• 

R.  A.  McNeil,  San  Francisco  the- 
atre operator,  and  Mrs.  McNeil,  will 
sail  from  here  tomorrow  on  the  S.S. 
Uruguay  for  South  America. 
• 

Morton    Spring,   Loew's  Interna- 
tional vice-president,  is  on  the  Coast 
en  route  to  New  York  from  Aus- 
tralia ;  he  is  expected  here  Tuesday. 
• 

Ben  Berger,  North  Central  Allied 
president,  who  is  vacationing  in  Rome, 
is  expected  back  in  Minneapolis  on 
April  25. 

• 

Scott  R.  Dunlap,  executive  assist- 
ant to  Monogram  president  Steve 
Broidy,  has  returned  to  Hollywood 
from  San  Francisco. 

• 

Sam   Seidelman,   Eagle-Lion  for- 
eign   department   chief,    returned  to 
New  York  yesterday  from  Europe. 
• 

John  S.  Allen,  field  assistant  to 
Rudy  Berger,  M-G-M  Southern  sales 
manager,  is  in  New  York  from  Dallas. 
• 

Carol  Brandt,  M-G-M  Eastern 
story  chief,  will  leave  here  today  for 
Europe. 


CLIFF  LEWIS,  of  Argosy  Produc- 
tions, is  here  from  Hollywood. 
• 

Mrs.  Ruth  Cavert,  assistant  super- 
visor at  Warner  cartoons,  was  chosen 
"Queen  for  a.  Day"  by  the  radio  pro- 
gram of  the  same  name,  and  will  leave 
here  April  12  by  plane  for  Paris,  with 
the  trip  as  a  prize. 

• 

George   Weltner,   Paramount  In- 
ternational president,  now  in  Manila 
on  the  last  stop  on  a  tour  of  the  Far 
East,  is  due  back  here  next  week. 
• 

Stanley  Goldberg,  National  Screen 
Service  branch  manager  at  Philadel- 
phia, will  leave  there  next  week  for  a 
Florida  vacation. 

• 

Jonas  Rosenfteld,  20th  Century- 
Fox  advertising  manager,  is  in  Hol- 
lywood from  New  York. 

Ralph  Doyle,  RKO  Radio  manag- 
ing director  for  Australia,  left  here 
for  that  country  yesterday. 

• 

Harry  Cohn,  Columbia  president, 
and    Nate    Spingold,  vice-president, 
will  leave  here  today  for  the  Coast. 
• 

John  K.  Hilliard,  Altec  Lansing 
chief  engineer,  is  in  New  York  from 
the  Coast. 

• 

Nat  Holt,  producer,  will  arrive 
here  tomorrow  from  the  Coast. 


Oppose  Two  Bills  to 
Regulate  Exhibition 

Boston,  April  6. — Joint  Committee 
of  State  Administration  today  held 
hearings  on  Bill  No.  731,  relative  to 
the  appointment  of  a  board  to  super- 
vise and  regulate  exhibition  of  motion 
pictures  and  Bill  No.  1035  to  establish 
a  commission  to  review  certain  films 
and  comic  books.  Rep.  Bernard  Lally 
is  sponsor  of  the  bills. 

Rep.  Copin  Cameron  stated  both 
bills  were  impossible  and  unworkable. 
Several  speakers  voiced  the  opinion 
that  further  censorship  is  'not  needed 
at  this  time.  Mrs.  Anna  Hughe  Dris- 
coll,  executive  secretary,  and  Frank 
Lydon,  field  representative  of  Allied 
of  Massachusetts,  and  Ray  Feeley,  ex- 
ecutive secretary  of  the  Independent 
Exhibitors  of  New  England,  voiced 
opposition  to  the  bills. 


52  TV  Films  for 
General  Mills 

Hollywood,  April  6. — Apex  Pic- 
tures will  make  a  series  of  52  tele- 
vision films,  at  a  cost  of  $10,000  each, 
for  General  Mills,  it  was  learned  here 
today.  Based  on  the  radio  show,  "The 
Lone  Ranger,"  the  films  will  run  for 
thirty  minutes,  with  commercials  for 
the  food  company  included. 


Seek  Product  for 
Syrian  Market 

Baheej  Malik,  general  manager  of 
the  Dollar  Film  Co.  of  Beirut,  is  in 
New  York  to  negotiate  distribution 
deals  for  the  Middle  East  with 
American  distributors  on  a  dollar,  or 
"hard  currency,"  basis. 

He  reported  yesterday  that  small 
pictures  have  dropped  off  in  value  in 
Syria  to  the  point  where  "customs 
duties  cannot  be  recouped  on  them." 
However,  top  attractions  continue  to 
attract  heavy  patronage  although 
grosses  are  off  their  one-time  peak. 
Strong  dramas  and  action  films  appeal 
chiefly  in  Malik's  territory.  Color  is 
an  asset,  but  only  when  it  is  good,  he 
added. 


Hugh  Braly  Leaving 
Para,  District  Post 

Hugh  Braly,  Paramount  district 
manager  in  the  Los  Angeles  area,  will 
leave  the  company  at  the  end  of  this 
week  after  an  association  of  30  years. 
It  is  understood  that  the  post  has 
been  eliminated  as  a  result  of  the  com- 
pany's increase  of  division  managers 
from  four  to  five. 


Amend  Cohn  Charges 

Columbia  minority  stockholder 
David  Cohn  has  filed  in  U.  S.  District 
Court  here  an  amended  complaint  in 
his  suit  against  company  president 
Harry  Cohn  (no  relation)  and  Colum- 
bia's board  of  directors.  New  charges 
include  the  contention  that  Harry 
Cohn  has  used  corporate  properties 
and  services  for  his  personal  benefit. 


Lefkowitz  Is  Named 
Assistant  to  Bishop 

Sidney  Lefkowitz,  who  has  been 
with  the  M-G-M  home  office  sales  de- 
partment for  several  years,  has  been 
promoted  to  home  office  assistant  to 
Burtus  Bishop,  Jr.,  Midwestern  sales 
manager  with  headquarters  in  Chi- 
cago. The  spot  has  been  held  by  Irving 
Helfont  who  will  continue  as  assistant 
to  George  A.  Hickey,  Western  di- 
vision chief. 


Mrs.  M.  R.  Manheimer 

Mrs.  Minnie  R.  Manheimer,  wife  of 
John  Manheimer,  executive  secretary 
of  the  Independent  Theatre  Owners 
Association  of  New  York,  died  here 
yesterday.  Funeral  services  will  be 
held  tomorrow  morning  at  Gutter- 
man's  Funeral  Parlor  in  Brooklyn. 
Also  surviving  are  two  sons,  Arthur 
and  Seymour. 


John  D.  Clark's  Widow 

Funeral  services  were  held  yesterday 
at  Brown's  Funeral  Piarlors,  Montclair, 
N.  J.,  for  Mrs.  Jean  Clark,  widow 
of  the  late  John  D.  Clark,  one-time 
general  sales  manager  of  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox. Mrs.  Clark  died  Sunday 
at  the  age  of  59  and  is  survived  by 
her  daughter,  Mrs.  Christian  Heidt. 

'  Wonder  House'  Screening 

A  private  showing  of  RKO-Pathe's 
"Wonder  House",  latest  in  "This  is 
America"  series,  will  be  held  tomorrow 
afternoon  at  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  upon  which  the  film 
is  based. 


UA  Releases  50  TV 
Film  Subjects 

With  50  television  subj  ects  scheduled 
for  immediate  release,  United  Artists 
claims  to  be  the  first  major  distribut- 
ing company  to  offer  bulk  TV  prod- 
uct to  broadcasting  stations  and  ad- 
vertising agencies. 

Included  in  the  UA-TV  list  are  two 
five-minute  musicals,  produced  by  Vi- 
deo Varieties ;  two  features,  "A  Scan- 
dal in  Paris"  and  "Dark  Sands" ;  six 
subjects  ranging  in  length  from  10  to 
37  minutes ;  a  series  of  10-minute 
sport  subjects,  and  a  series  named 
"World  Windows,"  with  travel  back- 
grounds. The  majority  are  available 
in  both  16  and  35mm. 

"It  is  the  ultimate  goal  of  UA-TV 
to  bring  only  newly-produced  pro- 
grams to  television,"  said  John 
Mitchell,  sales  director  for  UA-TV. 


Film  Man  a  Witness 
In  Communist  Trial 

Herbert  A.  Philbrick,  advertising 
manager  of  Sam  Pinanski's  American 
Theatres  in  Boston,  appeared  as  a 
surprise  witness  for  the  government 
in  the  Federal  Court  trial  here  of 
eleven  Communist  leaders. 

Philbrick  testified  that  he  had 
joined  the  Communist  Party  in  Mas- 
sachusetts after  conferring  with  an 
FBI  agent  and  that  he.  reported  activ- 
ities of  the  state  party  to  the  FBI. 


Warner  Theatres  Sign 
With  Phila.  Operators 

Philadelphia,  April  6. — A  new 
two-year  contract  has  been  signed  be- 
tween Warner  Theatres  here  and  Lo- 
cal 307,  Moving  Picture  Machine 
Operators,  AFL.  The  new  agreement 
covers  109  operators  in  71  local  thea- 
tres and  includes  wage  increases  re- 
troactive to  Jan.  1  and  a  second  week's 
vacation  for  operators  with  five  or 
more  years  of  service. 


Sir  Seymour  Hicks,  78 

London,  April  6. — Sir  Seymour 
Hicks,  veteran  actor  of  the  British 
stage  and  screen,  died  here  today  at 
his  home  at  the  age  of  78.  Hicks,  who 
with  his  wife,  the  former  Ellaline 
Terriss,  appeared  in  many  comedies 
and  melodramas,  entered  films  in 
1930. 


Legion  of  Decency 
Puts  2  in  Class  B 

Two  pictures  based  on  prize-fight- 
ing, United  Artists'  "Champion"  and 
RKO's  "Set-up,"  have  received  Class 
B  ratings  from  the  National  Legion 
of  Decency,  which  reviewed  12  films 
this  week.  "Fear  No  Evil,"  an  Italian 
picture  released  by  Harris-Wolper,  re- 
ceived a  Class  A,  Section  II  classifi- 
cation. 

Placed  in  Class  A,  Section  I,  were: 
"Adventure  in  Baltimore,"  RKO ; 
"Desert  Vigilante,"  Columbia ;  "Out- 
law Country,"  Screen  Guild;  "Red 
Stallion  in  the  Rockies,"  and  "Ride, 
Ryder,  Ride,"  Eagle-Lion ;  "Rusty  j  ' 
Saves  a  Life,"  Columbia ;  "Tulsa," 
Eagle-Lion ;  "Shamrock  Hill,"  and 
"Shep  Comes  Home,"  Screen  Guild. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigiey,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer:  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cumngham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Asc'her,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnap,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  April  7,  1949 


Schwartz  Heads  UJA 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Schwartz  declared  that  "this  job  is 
too  big  for  one  man  and  I  count  on 
the  cooperation  of  every  one  of  you." 
Such  cooperation  was  pledged  by 
those  who  attended. 

Crum  described  conditions  in  dis- 
placed persons  camps  and  in  Israel. 
He  urged  "a  complete  united  front  in 
this  year's  drive." 

Fabian  declared  that  the  industry 
here  collected  $1,250,000  last  year, 
which  was  an  increase  of  22  per  cent 
over  1947.  The  goal  for  .this  year 
has  not  as  yet  been  set. 

Barney  Balaban,  Paramount  presi- 
dent, spoke  briefly  on  the  importance 
of  the  drive. 

Others  who  attended  included  Her- 
man Becker,  Harry  Brandt,  Lee 
Brecher,  James  F.  Burns,  Max  A. 
Cohen,  Jack  Cohn,  Jack  Ellis,  Dave 
Ferguson,  Emil  Friedlander,  Emanuel 
Frisch,  Nathan  Furst,  Harry  Gold- 
berg, Robert  Goldfarb,  Irving  H. 
Greenfield,  Phil  Harling,  Arthur 
Israel,  Jr.,  Julius  Joelson,  Red  Kann, 
Malcolm  Kingsberg,  Jack  Lang,  Nat 
Lefkowitz,  Jack  H.  Levin,  Chick 
Lewis,  Harry  Mandel,  Tom  Murtha, 
Sam  Machnovich,  Louis  A.  Novins, 
Harry  Nadel,  Isaac  Pacht,  Samuel 
Rinzler,  Samuel  Rosen,  Adolph  Schi- 
mel,  Abraham  Schneider,  Samuel 
Schneider,  Max  Seligman,  Solomon 
Strausberg,  Jack  Weiler,  H.  Rudner, 
Jake  Wilk. 


DuMont  Promotes  Kraber 

Tony  Kraber,  formerly  program 
manager  of  WABD,  Du  Mont's  New 
York  video  station,  has  been  pro- 
moted to  manager  of  program  pre- 
sentation for  the  Du  Mont  network. 


Review 


"Massacre  River" 

(United  Artists) 

Hollywood,  April  6 

GUY  MADISON,  Rory  Calhoun,  Carole  Mathews  and  Cathy  Downs 
are  the  four  points  of  a  romantic  pattern  worked  out  interestingly  in 
this  Windsor  production  by  Julian  Lesser  and  Frank  Melford  for  Allied 
Artists  release.  The  place  is  the  West,  the  period  immediately  after  the  Civil 
War,  and  the  natural  setting,  which  sometimes  overshadow  by  sheer  beauty 
the  action  taking  place,  is  handsomely  re-created  in  sepia  tone.  Emphasis 
is  upon  the  romantic  factors,  rather  than  the  incidents  of  physical  conflict, 
but  these  latter  make  up  for  that  in  violence,  notably  in  the  case  of  an 
Indian  fight  toward  the  close  of  the  film  in  which  various  misunderstandings 
are  cleared  up  and  the  love  equation  is  solved. 

The  original  screenplay,  by  Louis  Stevens,  concerns,  in  the  beginning, 
the  rivalry  between  Cavalrymen  Madison  and  Calhoun  for  the  hand  of 
Miss  Downs.  Although  pals,  they  become  less  than  that  when  Madison, 
after  winning  Miss  Downs'  promise  of  marriage,  becomes  enamoured  of 
Miss  Mathews,  colorful  part-owner  of  a  frontier  gambling  house,  a  relation- 
ship which  terminates  in  Madison's  killing  of  her  business  partner.  Madison 
and  Miss  Mathews  set  out  for  places  afar,  and  Calhoun,  believing  Madison 
also  guilty  of  the  slaying  of  Miss  Downs'  brother,  actually  committed  by 
Miss  Mathews,  follows  them.  Indians  attack  the  party  and  Miss  Mathews, 
dying  of  wounds  received,  tells  the  truth  about  what  has  happened. 

John  Rawlins  directed  ably.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Johnny  Sands,  Steve 
Brodie,  Art  Baker,  Emory  Parnell,  Queenie  Smith,  Eddie  Walker,  James 
Rush,  Harry  Brown. 

Running  time,  78  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
not  set. 


Texas  Allied 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


by  the  convention  of  Allied  Theatre 
Owners  of  Texas,  which  all  national 
Allied  officials  will  attend.  Col.  H.  A. 
Cole  will  be  in  charge  of  arrange- 
ments. He  will  be  host  at  a  barbeque 
at  his  home  on  the  night  of  May  30. 
All  events  will  be  climaxed  by  Texas 
Allied's  annual  banquet,  on  June  1. 


WALTER  WANGER'Si  ' 

TULSA 

color  by  TECHNICOLOR 

IS  THE  YEAR'S  BIGGEST 


BOX-OFFICE  HIT! 


'Lab'  Union 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Francavilla  explained  that  the  local 
has  decided  to  put  emphasis  this  time 
on  demands  for  health,  welfare  and 
security  benefits  to  the  exclusion  of 
increased  salary  considerations. 

Negotiating  points,  as  enumerated 
by  Francavilla,  are :  a  shorter  work 
week  at  prevailing  pay  rates,  a  health 
and  welfare  program,  improvement  in 
vacation  plans,  improvement  in  holi- 
day plans,  improvement  in  severance 
pay  conditions,  and  differential  con- 
siderations with  respect  to  technicians 
employed  on  midnight  shifts. 


"Saw  'Tulsa' 

and  know  you 

have  a  winner. 

It  is  a  great 

show!" 

— H.  J.  Griffith, 

Pres.,  Theatre 

Enterprises, 

Dallas 


Follow  This  Space  for  MORE  PROOF  from  Eagle  Lion! 


Coast  SPG  Votes  for 
Independent  Status 

Hollywood,  April  6. — Screen  Pub- 
licists Guild  has  voted  to  disaffiliate 
from  the  Painters  Brotherhood  and  to 
function  henceforth  as  an  independent 
guild. 

In  the  same  referendum,  the  mem- 
bership rejected  a  proposed  affiliation 
with  the  IATSE,  which  had  filed  an 
NLRB  petition  for  an  election  to  de- 
termine an  appropriate  bargaining 
agent.  Dissatisfaction  with  the  Paint- 
ers Brotherhood  affiliation  has  pre- 
vailed since  the  1945  studio  strike,  in 
which  the  SPG  participated  as  an 
affiliate. 


Republic  Profits  Up; 
Pays  25c  Dividend 

Dividends  of  25  cents  per  $1  share 
on  cumulative  preferred  stock  were 
announced  yesterday  by  the  Republic 
board  of  directors  for  payment  July  1. 
Herbert  J.  Yates,  president,  reported 
a  net  profit  of  $248,800  for  the  13 
weeks  ended  Jan.  29,  as  compared  to 
$139,945  for  a  similar  period  a  year 
ago. 


Technicolor  Profits 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


British  print  footage  rose  from  50,- 
487,851  in  1947  to  56,802,044  in  1948. 

Technicolor's  net  sales  in  1948  were 
$20,016,066;  in  1947  they  were  $17,- 
407,975.  Consolidated  net  profit  before 
deductions  amounted  to  $4,584,175  in 
1948  and  to  $3,492,049  in  1947.  Net 
profit  after  all  deductions  was  $1,775,- 
834  in  1948  and  in  1947  it  was  $1,422,- 
752.  Net  earnings  per  share  in  1948 
were  $1.93  and  in  1947  they  equaled 
$1.55.  Dividends  per  share  of  capital 
stock  amounted  to  $1.25  in  1948  and 
payments  totaled  $1,146,021;  in  1947 
they  were  $1,  for  a  total  of  $913,497. 

list  Current  Assets 

Current  assets  were  $7,754,258  at- 
the  end  of  the  year  and  current  liabil- 
ities were  $3,232,747.  The  cash  bal- 
ance and  United  States  government 
obligations  together  amounted  to  $6,- 
087,768. 

"The  Technicolor  companies  closed 
the  year  in  a  very  strong  liquid  posi- 
tion," it  was  said.  Besides  the  $6,000,- 
000  in  cash  and  United  States  obliga- 
tions, and  over  $4,500,000  net  in  quick 
assets,  there  were  outstanding  no  bank 
loans,  no  preferred  stock,  no  mort- 
gages _  and  no  options  on  stock  of 
Technicolor,  the  company  reported. 
Nearly  $2,000,000  were  invested  in 
permanent  assets  during  1948  as  part 
of  an  expansion  program. 

The  expansion  program  is  now  al- 
most completed,  according  to  Dr. 
Kalmus.  This  program  was  estimated 
in  April,  1947,  to  double  capacity  from 
160,000,000  feet  to  320,000,000  feet  of 
positive  prints  a  year  at  a  cost  of 
$3,500,000.  'At  present,"  Dr.  Kalmus 
stated,  "delivery  of  prints  of  features 
commences  five  months,  on  the  aver- 
age, from  the  time  photography  is 
completed.  Of  this  time,  approximate- 
ly three  months  are  taken  by  the  pro- 
ducer for  the  delivery  of  cut  negatives 
to  Technicolor,  and  the  remaining 
two  are  required  by  Technicolor  for 
the  preparation  of  an  'answer  print' 
for  the  producer's  approval  and  the 
starting  of  delivery  of  release  prints. 
Deliveries  of  prints  of  foreign  versions 
and  domestic  reissues  are  almost  im- 
mediate at  present  time.  The  backlog 
of  such  orders,  accumulated  during 
two  years  of  strikes,  has  been  elimi- 
nated," said  Kalmus. 

British  Production  Doubled 

Technicolor,  Ltd.,  British  affiliate, 
has  nearly  completed  its  expansion 
program  and  is  now  manufacturing 
about  double  the  quantity  of  film  that 
it  did  in  1947,  it  was  said. 

"The  Technicolor  policy  in  Eng- 
land," Dr.  Kalmus'  report  said,  "is 
aimed  at  cooperation  as  far  as  pos- 
sible with  American  producers  who 
are  establishing  production  units  in 
various  parts  of  Europe,  particularly 
in  England." 


NT  Division  Meets  Today 

Kansas  City,  April  6. — Charles 
Skouras  and  other  National  Theatres 
executives  arrived  here  today  to  at- 
tend a  meeting  tomorrow  of  all  branch 
managers  in  this  division. 


Danish  Producer  Is 
UN  Information  Aide 

Mogens  Skot-Hansen,  Danish  film 
writer-director-producer,  has  been 
named  information  officer  by  the 
United  Nations  Department  of  Public 
Information.  A  former  UN  film  officer 
for  Europe  with  headquarters  in 
Paris,  Skot-Hansen  will  be  the  liaison 
with  the  U.  S.  Film  Committee,  which 
cooperates  with  the  UN  and  Visual 
Information  Division  headed  by  Jean 
Benoit-Levy  and  represents  all  phases 
of  U.  S.  film  production,  distribution 
and  utilization  in  theatrical  and  non- 
theatrical  fields. 


Thursday,  April  7,  1949 


Motion  Picture  daily 


5 


To  Act  Against  UK 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

industry  affairs  with  Knowland  and 
other  officials. 

Late  last  month  Knowland  I  told  the 
Senate  that  an  investigation  of 
Anglo-U.  S.  film  difficulties  was  war- 
ranted and  that  he  was  considering 
amendments  to  the  Economic  Co- 
operation Administration  and  the  Re- 
ciprocal Trade  Agreements  Act  to  in- 
sure non-discriminatory  treatment  of 
American  films  by  the  British. 

Arnall  said  yesterday  that  he  had 
no  knowledge  of  the  specific  nature  or 
form  of  the  bill  which  the  California 
Senator  is  drafting,  but  added  that  he 
is  "highly  encouraged"  by  Knowland's 
"tremendous  interest"  in  the  U.  S. 
industry. 

Prefers  State  Dept.  Action 

Arnall  said  he  would  prefer  the 
State  Department  to  discharge  its  "ab- 
solute duty"  of  protecting  American 
film  companies  in  their  dealings 
abroad.  However,  he  felt  that  legisla- 
tion would  be  an  adequate  substitute. 
Presentation  of  the  Knowland  propos- 
als will  be  followed  by  confmittee 
hearings  and  these  will  bring  the  posi- 
tion of  the  U.  S.  industry  to  the  at- 
tention of  the  State  Department  as 
well  as  the  public,  Arnall  said,  in 
pointing  up  the  advantages  of  the 
measure. 

An  amendment  to  the  ECA  would, 
of  course,  be  directed  against  all  ECA 
countries,  rather  than  England  alone. 

Arnall  said  he  recognized  that  En- 
gland's present  economy  might  make 
some  restriction  on  American  dollar 
remittances  necessary,  but  maintained 
that  the  British  Government  should 
make  some  guarantee  that  blocked  cur- 
rency will  be  freed  eventually.  This 
could  be  in  the  form  of  bonds  or  cer- 
tificates which  would  mean  that 
American  companies  could  remit 
blocked  dollars,  perhaps  on  a  per- 
centage basis,  over  a  period  of  years, 
he  said. 

Britain's  playing-time  quota  of  40 
per  cent  for  British  product  would  be 
the  type  of  "discrimination"  which  the 
Knowland  bill  would  endeavor  to  cor- 
rect, Arnall  believes. 


Academy  Awards,  held  that  they 
should  be  for  the  U.  S.  industry  ex- 
clusively. British  and  other  foreign 
pictures,  he  maintained,  have  no  right 
to  "dislodge"  American  pictures  from 
the  running,  particularly  since  there 
is  no  apparatus  for  properly  apprais- 
ing all  foreign  pictures. 

Latest  method  of  selecting  winners, 
Cowan  believes,  is  not  fool-proof, 
since  extras  and  others  who  are 
among  the  2,000  who  vote  can  vote  for 
nominations  for  reasons  other  than 
merit.  The  committee  system,  he  con- 
tends, is  practically  fool-proof  in  that 
committee  members  could  be  elected 
democratically  and  hence  would  not 
be  "dominated"  by  special  interests. 
The  "press  agentry"  that  has  been  at- 
tendant on  the  Academy  Award  insti- 
tution must  go,  Cowan  declared,  add- 
ing a  word  of  disapproval  for  the 
"commercialization"  which  he  said  has 
been  identified  with  the  awards. 

Expressing  the  hope  that  the 
awards  will  continue,  Cowan  said  that 
each  year  they  serve  as  "the  one  big, 
honest"  effort  in  industry  public 
relations. 


Cites  Hyndman 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Academy  Awards 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


of  voting,  with  committee  members  to 
serve  only  one  year,  (2)  there  should 
be  no  "special"  awards  unless  the  com- 
mittee decides  in  favor  of  them,  (3) 
English  pictures  should  be  classed 
with  other  foreign-made  pictures, 
which,  he  added,  should  not  even  be 
considered  for  Academy  awards,  (4) 
"a  few"  outstanding  exhibitors  should 
be  invited  each  year  by  the  committee 
to  cast  award  votes,  and  (5)  the  com- 
mittee might  also  invite  a  group  of 
"distinguished  Americans"  outside  the 
industry  to  cast  votes  in  the  case  of 
deadlocks. 

The  producer,  who  spoke  over  the 
telephone  yesterday  with  Academy 
president  Jean  Hersholt,  in  Holly- 
wood, reported  that  the  latter  said  he 
will  not  resign.  Cowan  did  not  confer 
with  Hersholt  regarding  the  sugges 
tion  that  exhibitors  teke  part  in  select- 
ing Academy  Awards,  but  he  said 
Hersholt  will  be  in  New  York  next 
month  to  talk  with  theatre  owners 
regarding  possible  arrangements  for 
telecasting  to  theatres  Academy 
Award  ceremonies  of  the  future.  At 
that  time,  Cowan  added,  Hersholt  and 
exhibitors  would  have  an  opportunity 
to  assay  the  suggestion  that  exhibitors 
help  select  award  winners. 

Cowan,  who  reviewed  the  history — 
"political"     and  otherwise — of  the 


executive,  is  a  past  president  of  the 
SMPE.  The  award  was  a  bronze 
plaque  and  the  citation  was  read  by 
Loren  L.  Ryder,  also  a  past  SMPE 
president. 

Earl  I.  Sponable,  president  of  the 
SMPE,  who  presided  at  the  banquet, 
announced  that  the  board  of  governors 
has  favorably  received  a  recommen- 
dation that  the  name  of  the  society  be 
changed  to  the  Society  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture and  Television  Engineers.  The 
change  of  name  requires  an  amend- 
ment to  the  SMPE  constitution.  The 
recommendation  will  be  brought  up  at 
the  fall  meeting.  In  the  meantime, 
notices  will  be  mailed  to  all  members 
telling  of  the  proposal.  After  the  fall 
meeting  ballots  will  go  out  by  mail 
and  the  change  will  depend  on  the  re- 
sults. 

During  yesterday  morning  sessions, 
C.  D.  Miller  of  the  Battelle  Memorial 
Institute  explained  a  camera  devel- 
oped by  the  National  Aeronautics 
Committee  which  photographs  at  the 
rate  of  500,000  frames  per  second. 
Projected  at  normal  film  speed,  the 
action  of  one  second  would  take  eight 
and  two-thirds  hours  to  be  viewed  on 
a  screen. 

Earlier,  John  R.  Howland  of  Zenith 
Radio  Corp.  announced  that  plans 
have  been  formulated  to  test  Phone 
Vision  on  a  commercial  basis  later 
this  year  in  an  undisclosed  Western 
city.  He  said  arrangements  are  being 
made  to  equip  300  homes  with  re- 
ceivers in  the  locality  to  receive  the 
program.  It  will  be  the  first  commer- 
cial test  of  the  new  system  of  send- 
ing television  images  over  telephone 
wires. 


Cinecolor  Price  Cut 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


charge,  and  applies  to  two-color  do- 
mestic photography. 

Three-color  processing  price  is  re- 
duced to  five  cents  per  foot,  with  the 
waste  charge  likewise  eliminated. 
Cinecolor  officials  predicted  further  re- 
ductions, to  be  made  possible  through 
increased  volume  due  to  today's  price 
cuts. 


Set  Israel  Distribution 

Menachem  Kolari  of  Tel  Aviv  will 
distribute  Republic  Pictures  in  Israel, 
according  to  an  agreement  concluded 
with  Republic  Pictures  International 
Corp. 


THE  PHILADELPHIA  INQUIRER 


calls  it  | 

7>,L  *  & 


"0< 


Steinbeck's  The  Red  Pony 
Is  Poignant  Story  at  Aldme 

...  ^..Mtrn  ON  A  RANCH 


By  Mildred  Martin 

Having  worked  together  in  bring- 

"TtVeardeal  more  than  a  simple 

13  S  t„,t  a  little  ranch  boy  and 
story  about  a  litt  through 

infallible. 

OFFERS  POIGNANT  STORY 


Were  "The  Red  Pony"  only  a  boy 
aJ6hri3  horse  dor  r  anrveCabtern 

pillar  story,  there  worn 

story  of  an  irn »*  .  ,  ce33ions, 
who  dreams  of  medieJ*    p  .    ds  and 

rings  of  P»rf».™,»«  Wh**^ 3  Gabilan 
who   loves    his    gift  pony 

^  ^all^e  K*2b£V  hi* 
above    all    else.  arresting 

understands  she  can  pr  ^ 
her  husband  nor  her  son 


FILMED  ON  A  RANCH 

ing  promises.  And  there 
derful  portrait  of  the  ch rid  »  B 
father,  pioneer  and  Indian   hg  „ 
wh0  has  told  his  ta^s  °fW^ter,nem 
so  often  no  one  wants  to  hear  he^ 

a  leisurely   pace  The^ Ke 

ch^ho  near* 

neSS'  v,  Hv  attacked  by  buzzards,  and 
an's  body  -tucked    y     ^  ^ 

trom'hfpast'is  still  vivid  and  vita.. 


COLOR  IS  EXCELLENT 

R0brtMa^-tnrMfrenaW 
Sel  'Sa  e°pperd Psuudwick  are  quietly 
^^cfwrrrthe  parents  who -an age 
to  solve  problems  o  the rj.  ^ 
The  color  is  excellent,  es. 
daytime  and  numerous  night  seen 
The  charming  score  for  The 

P°ny'VaSH  deservedly,  has  taken 
Copland  and   dc 3Uite 

its  place  as  a  3",u        .  HoUgton 

^^^To^stra"  under  the  di- 
Symphony  Orcnesi.ro 
rection  of  Efrem  Kurtz. 


Reprinted  from 
The  Philadelphia  Inqui 


iiiiiir^iMPiT&liiMlM^ 


and  introducing  PETER  MILES  as  TOM  and  MARGARET  HAMILTON 

Screen  Play  by  JOHN  STEINBECK  •  Music  by  AARON  COPLAND 

Produced  and  Directed  by  LEWIS  MILESTONE  •  A  REPUBLIC  PRODUCTION 
COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR 


KNOCK  ON  ANT  DOOR  is  one  of  those 
rare  pictures . .. Every  engagement 


a  successful  engagement 


In  30  situations  where  the  picture  has  opened, 
246  days  of  extra  playing  time  have  already 
resulted.  For  your  own  benefit,  check  the 
picture's  proven  value  in  these  engagements. 

Held  over  for  extended  runs: 


SAN  FRANCISCO 

MINNEAPOLIS 

DENVER 

PROVIDENCE 

BOSTON 

HARTFORD 

LOS  ANGELES 

SEATTLE 

SAN  DIEGO 

BUFFALO 


OAKLAND 

SPRINGFIELD,  Mass. 
MEMPHIS 
MILWAUKEE 
NEW  ORLEANS 
ST.  LOUIS 
TOLEDO 

CHAMPAIGN,  ill. 
SACRAMENTO 
NEW  HAVEN 


WORCESTER 
DALLAS 

LONG  BEACH,  Cat. 
SYRACUSE 
PORTLAND,  Ore. 
SALT  LAKE  CITY 
RIVERSIDE,  Cal. 
PHOENIX 
BAKERSFIELD 
TUCSON 


P.S.  now  in  gth  week  at  the  Astor  on  3' way 


COLUMBIA  PICTURES  presents 


Humphrey  BOGART 

KNOCK  ON  ANY  DOOR 


JOHN  DEREK 


with  GEORGE  MACREADY  •  ALLENE  ROBERTS  •  SUSAN  PERRY  •  """.ifd'joS K'S,  «!""* 


Introducing 

A  SANTANA  PRODUCTION  OF  THE  NOVEL  BY  WILLARD  MOTLEY  •  Directed  by  NICHOLAS  RAY  *  Produced  by  ROBERT  LORD 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  69 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  APRIL  8,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


MPA  to  WeighlMP/C  Asks   DRAFTS  BILL  TO  AID 

Expansion  of  \Quota  Action 
Theatre  Unit 


Harmon  Would  Head  New 
Department;  Up  to  Board 

Directors  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America  at  their 
meeting  here  today  are  scheduled 
to  consider  proposals  for  expanding 
the  Association's  exhibitor  relations 
activities  on  a  national  basis. 

If  the  plans  are  approved,  Francis 
Harmon,  MPA  A  vice-president  in 
charge  of  the  New  York  office,  would 
head  the  new  department.  David  Pal- 
freyman,  present  head  of  the  MP  A  A 
exhibitor  relations  department  in 
Washington,  reportedly  would  become 
assistant  to  Harmon  in  the  greatly  ex- 
panded theatre  department. 

Details  of  the  program  presumably 
remain  to  be  determined  after  MPAA 
directors  have  expressed  themselves  on 
the  proposals  and  indicated  the  type 
of  budget  which  they  would  approve 
for  the  new  department. 

According  to  trade  reports  the  ex- 

( Continued  on  page  7) 

Reelect  MPA  Board: 
Terry  a  New  Member 

Paul  H.  Terry  of  Terrytoons  was 
added  to  the  board  of  directors  at  the 
annual  meeting  yesterday  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America. 
All  present  members  of  the  board 
were  reelected. 

First  quarterly  meeting  of  the  board 
will  be  held  this  morning  at  the  As- 
sociation's office  here,  when  officers 
will  be  elected. 

Members  of  the  board  reelected 
were :  Barney  Balaban,  Paramount ; 
Theodore  R.  Black,  Republic ;  Nate  J. 
Blumberg,  Universal;  Steve  Broidy, 
Allied  Artists  ;  Jack  Gohn,  Columbia  ; 

{Continued  on  page  7) 

Two  Allied  Units 
Offer  Fox  Advice 

Allied  of  Texas  suspects  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox's new  campaign  for  increas- 
ed film  rentals  is  directed  at  the  af- 
filiated circuits  in  line  for  divorce- 
ment which,  it  says,  for  years  have 
enjoyed  special  film  rental  privileges. 

Allied  of  Iowa-Nebraska  coopera- 
tively advance  some  suggestions  for 
increasing  distribution  revenue.  The 
bulletins  of  both  Allied  organizations 

{Continued  on  page  7) 


Hollywood,  April  7. — The  Motion 
Picture  Industry  Council  today  issued 
a  statement  calling  on  the  U.  S.  State 
Department  to  proceed,  under  existing 
legal  authority,  in  negotiations  with 
the  British  government  looking  to- 
ward lowering  restrictive  barriers 
against  American  films.  The  state- 
ment came  after  a  Council  meeting 
last  night  which  ran  into  the  morning 
hours,  with  Ronald  Reagan,  Council 
co-chairman,  and  Roy  Brewer,  who 
with  Reagan  conferred  with  President 
Truman  on  quota  matters  last  week- 
end, reporting  fully  to  Council  mem- 
bers. 

The  Council  represents  all  talent 
guilds,  the  Hollywood  AFL  Film 
Council,  and  all  studios.  The  state- 
ment reads  in  part : 

"Faced  with  the  greatest  unemploy- 

{Continued  on  page  8) 


US  FILMS  ABROAD 


Heart  Attack  Fatal 
To  Hal  Hode,  61 


Hal  Hode,  film  industry  veteran, 
died  suddenly  of  a  heart  attack  at  his 
home  in  Forest  Hills  yesterday  at  the 
age  of  61.  Hode  was  executive  as- 
sistant to  Jack  Cohn,  executive  vice- 
president  of  Columbia  Pictures.  He 
is  survived  by  his  wife,  Mrs.  Dorothy 
Hode ;  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Myer  Beck ; 
a  son,  Stanley ;  two  sisters,  Beatrice 
and  Kate ;  a  brother,  Ira,  and  a  grand- 
daughter, Linda  Mary  Beck. 

Hode  was  born  in  this  city  on 
March  8,  1888.  He  began  his  career 
in  the  industry  as  an  operator  with 
{Continued  on  page  6) 


Anti  -  Quota  Booklet 
Is  Issued  by  MPAA 

Washington,  April  7.— An 
eight-page  printed  booklet, 
entitled  "British  Views  on  the 
British  Film  quota,"  is  being 
mailed  by  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America  to 
Congressmen,  government  of- 
ficials, press  and  radio  re- 
porters, and  industry  leaders. 

The  pamphlet,  intended  as 
"background,"  quotes  British 
exhibitors  and  members  of 
Parliament  on  the  quota. 
Needless  to  say,  all  are 
against  the  present  high  40 
per  cent  quota. 


Youngstein  Again 
Heads  the  AMPA 


Max  E.  Youngstein,  Eagle-Lion's 
advertising  -  publicity  vice  -  president, 
yesterday  was  reelected  president  of 
the  Associated  Motion  Picture  Adver 
tisers  at  a  membership  meeting  held  at 
Trader  Tom's  Steak  House  here.  It 
was  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the 
organization  that  a  president  was  elect- 
ed to  succeed  himself,  according  to 
AMPA  old-timers. 

Elected  to  complete  the  slate  for  the 
forthcoming  year  were :  Harry  Mc- 
Williams,  vice-president ;  Harry  Blair, 
treasurer;    Marjorie    Harker,  secre- 

{Continued  on  page  7) 


Knowland    Would  Bar 
Trade  Act  Benefits  for 
'Discriminating'  Nations 

Washington,  April  7. — Senator 
Knowland,  California  Republican 
who  touched  off  the  Congressional 
fight  against  the  British  film  quota, 
today  offered  an  amendment  to  a 
forthcoming  bill  to  extend  the  Re- 
ciprocal Trade  Agreements  Act.  The 
legislation  offered  would  hit  back  at 
Britain  and  any  other  country  dis- 
criminating against  American  films 
and  other  products. 

Knowland  offered  his  proposal  as 
an  amendment  to  a  bill  which  the  Sen- 
ate will  take  up  next  week  to  extend 
the  Reciprocal  Trade  Agreements  Act. 
The  amendment  directs  the  President 
not  to  make  any  new  tariff  concessions 
to  any  country  that  discriminates 
against  American  products  "through 
restrictive  quotas,  discriminatory  taxa- 
tion or  other  restrictive  trade  prac- 
tices." 

Moreover,    existing    trade  agree- 

{Continued  on  page  8) 


TOA,  SMPE  Start  Study 
Of  Theatre  Video  Today 


Adjourn  TV  Labor 
'War'  Case  to  May  3 

With  a  total  of  800  pages  of  testi- 
mony entered  in  the  record,  National 
Labor  Relations  Board  hearings  here 
of  the  television  jurisdictional  case  in- 
volving IATSE  and  the  National  As- 
sociation of  Broadcast  Engineers  have 
been  adjourned  until  May  3,  NLRB 
hearing  officer  Chester  Migden  re- 
ported yesterday.  The  hearings  had 
resumed  on  March  24  after  the  rival 
unions  failed  to  settle  their  differences 
during  an  interim  granted  by  NLRB. 

There  is  still  uncertainty  as  to 
whether  strike  action  will  be  taken  by 

{Continued  on  page  7) 


First  formal  meeting  of  television 
groups  representing  the  Theatre 
Owners  of  America  and  the  Society 
of  Motion  Picture  Engineers  to  ex- 
plore the  possibilities  of  telecasting 
into  theatres,  will  be  held  at  the  Hotel 
Statler  here  today.  It  was  made  clear 
by  a  TOA  spokesman  that  definitive 
steps  could  hardly  be  taken  until  a 
thorough  job  of  research  throws  suffi- 
cient light  on  practical  theatre  uses 
of  the  new  medium. 

Numerous  theatremen  in  the  New 
York  area  have  been  engaged  in  in- 
formal conversations  on  adapting 
video  in  recent  months,  but  as  S.  F. 
Fabian,  circuit  operator  'reports,  there 

{Continued  on  page  7) 


Film  Code  Sought 
In  Germany:  Mayer 

One  of  the  three  dominant  plans  of 
the  motion  picture  branch  of  the 
American  Military  Government  in 
Germany  is  to  set  up  a  production 
code  of  self-regulation  similar  to  that 
in  this  country,  Arthur  Mayer,  head 
of  that  division,  asserted  here  yes- 
terday. Mayer,  who  arrived  here 
earlier  in  the  week  to  consult  with 
Army  officials  and  industry  heads, 
said  that  unless  such  a  unified  code 
is  set  up,  there  will  be  some  14  differ- 
ent forms  of  censorship  in  the  various 
German  states. 

The   second   vital   concern   is  the 

{Continued  on  page  8) 


Cliff  Lewis  Here  on 
Next  2  from  Argosy 

Cliff  Lewis,  director  of  public  re- 
lations and  advertising  for  Argosy 
Pictures,  which  is  headed  by  John 
Ford  and  Merrian  C.  Cooper,  is 
here  from  the  Coast  for  conferences 
on  promotion  budgets  and  other  pre- 
liminaries to  the  release,  through 
RKO  Radio,  of  the  independent  com- 
pany's two  latest  films,  "The  Great 
Joe  Young"  and  "She  Wore  a  Yellow 

{Continued  on  page  7) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  April  8,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

AUSTIN  KEOUGH,  Paramount 
vice-president  and  general  coun- 
sel, will  return  here  today  from  the 
Coast. 

• 

William  Kurtz,  supervising  direc- 
tor of  the  National  Theatre,  Washing- 
ton, has  announced  the  wedding  of  his 
daughter,  Joan,  to  Daniel  Genz- 
BURG,  at  the  Savory  Plaza  here  on 
Sunday. 

• 

Arthur  DeTitta,  Movietone  News 
assignment  editor,  will  address  a  semi- 
nar for  Naval  public  relations  officers 
on  April  12  at  the  Naval  Air  Station 
at  Pensacola. 

• 

Maxwell  Shane,  Universal-Inter- 
national producer-director,  will  leave 
New  York  Sunday  for  Boston,  and  is 
scheduled  to  be  in  Chicago  on  Wednes- 
day en  route  to  the  Coast. 

• 

T.  E.  Mortensen,  publisher  of 
Greater  Amusements,  industry  trade 
journal  in  the  Minneapolis  territory, 
lias  returned  to  his  office  after  an  ill- 
ness. 

• 

Watterson  Rothacker  and  Mrs. 
Rothacker  have  arrived  in  New 
York  from  Hollywood  preparatory  to 
sailing  Monday  on  a  two  months' 
European  tour. 

Nathan  E.  Goldstein,  president 
and  treasurer  of  Nathan  E.  Goldstein, 
Inc.,  Springfield,  Mass.,  has  returned 
to  Springfield  from  a  Florida  vacation. 


Stromberg  Deals  Set, 
Leaves  for  Coast 

Hunt  Stromberg  left  here  for  the 
Coast  last  night  after  setting  details 
of  his  new  production-distribution  al- 
liance with  Sam  Dembow,  Jr.,  and 
mapping  future  production  plans. 

Under  the  new  alliance  with  Dem- 
bow, the  latter  will  assume  numerous 
financial  and  business  duties,  including 
the  making  of  arrangements  for  pro- 
duction financing,  and  other  functions 
to  be  worked  out  later.  Stromberg 
thus  will  be  in  a  position  to  concen- 
trate exclusively  on  production.  First 
release  under  the  new  association  will 
be  "Too  Late  for  Tears."  United  Art- 
ists will  distribute  that  picture  and 
two  others  under  the  current  pact  with 
Stromberg. 


Notify  Fabian  His 
UA  Bid  Is  Rejected 

S.  H.  Fabian,  circuit  operator  here, 
has  received  a  formal  refusal  by  the 
Charles  Chaplin  interests  of  his  bid 
for  a  firm  offer  by  Chaplin  on  sale  of 
controlling  stock  in  United  Artists. 
Meanwhile  Chaplin,  who  is  a  partner 
with  Mary  Pickford  in  UA  ownership, 
and  has  the  option  on  her  stock,  is 
continuing  talks  on  a  possible  sale 
with  James  Nasser  on  the  Coast. 

Fabian  had  refused  to  enter  negotia- 
tions unless  he  received  a  Chaplin 
commitment,  possibly  in  the  form  of 
an  option  to  purchase. 


Insider's  Outlook 


By  RED  KANN 


ONE  of  the  brightest  chapters 
in  the  industry's  war-time 
record  was  the  measure  of  the 
job  it  undertook,  and  delivered, 
during  the  various  bond  drives. 
The  overwhelming  drama  of 
those  days,  of  course,  is  gone 
now.  The  zeal  and  the  de- 
termination brought  to  full  flow- 
er in  order  to  knit  the  economic 
sinews  of  the  nation  ever  tighter 
are  part  of  the  past.  Today,  the 
concern  is  over  inflation — a  bat- 
tle on  a  different  front. 
■ 

To  combat  this,  the  Govern- 
ment will  launch  a  bond  drive 
beginning  May  15  and  terminat- 
ing June  30  and  it  again  turns 
to  this  industry  for  a  substantial 
assist.  The  greater  the  volume 
of  savings  bonds  sold,  the  sharp- 
er the  attack  on  inflation.  If 
this  danger  can  be  successfully 
warded  off,  commodity  prices 
will  come  down  further.  If 
wages  are  maintained,  it  is  high- 
ly likely  the  people  will  have 
more  to  spend  on  their  entertain- 
ment, always  including  motion 
pictures. 

Therefore,  and  if  you  prefer  it 
this  way,  it  can  be  argued  here 
is  a  selfish  reason  to  give  Wash- 
ington all  the  help  it  needs  in 
putting  over  the  impending  drive 
with  a  generous  margin  of  suc- 
cess. 

■ 

But  here  is  another  approach, 
which,  in  our  viewpoint,  is  the 
essential  approach.  When  this, 
or  any  other  major  industry,  is 
asked  by  its  Government  to  join 
in  a  move  which  is  designed  to 
aid  the  national  economy,  it 
ought  to  be  enough.  We  believe 
it  will  be. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
the  campaign  now  taking  form 
will  be  pushed  to  its  limit.  The 
opportunity  is  self-evident.  No 
exhibitor  will  want  to  forego  the 
chance  to  prove  again  to  his 
community  that  his  theatre  is 
continuing  in  the  vanguard  when 
the  opportunity  of  performing  a 
public  service  is  offered. 
■ 

The  industry  committee,  pro- 
ceeding under  the  general  chair- 
manship of  Maurice  A.  Berg- 
man, is  attacking  the  assignment 


in  the  established  tradition  of 
men  who  know  their  way.  There 
will  be  a  short  subject  starring 
Jack  Benny,  titled  "The  Spirit 
of  '49."  In  itself,  it  will  be 
enough  of  an  attraction  to  grace 
any  showman's  screen. 

Hollywood  will  arrange  tours 
of  stars  on  the  kind  of  personal 
appearances  they  made  in  limit- 
less numbers  throughout  the 
war.  This,  too,  will  excite  and 
accelerate  the  public's  attention. 

Bond  premieres,  another  re- 
version to  a  well-proven  war- 
time device,  are  on  the  program. 

Exciting  in  prospect  will  be  a 
tour  of  100  "Covered  Wagons" 
which  will  travel  each  state  to 
symbolize  the  slogan  of  the  drive 
— "Be  a  Modern  Forty-Niner." 

Radio,  obviously,  will  not  be 
neglected. 

This  is  the  beginning.  More 
is  on  the  way,  all  of  it  intended 
to  tie  bonds  and  films  together 
on  a  program  which  will  influ- 
ence the  sale  of  both. 


Metro  plans  meeting  up  with 
a  lot  of  exhibitors,  too.  Ninety- 
six  "Friendship  Meetings"  in  as 
many  cities  are  plotted  for  the 
week  of  April  18.  Leo  will  feed 
all  hands  and  throw  in  a  couple 
of  its  heralded  big  guns  to  boot. 
"The  Stratton  Story"  will  be 
one.  "The  Secret  Garden,"  the 
other. 

The  idea  is  a  goodwill  gesture 
in  one  nationwide  swoop.  No 
accident,    either,    in  describing 
them  as  "Friendship  Meetings." 
■  ■ 

Rustle  of  Spring:  At  10:05 
yesterday  morning,  they  were 
standing  four  and  five  deep  from 
the  box-office  East  along  50th 
St.,  then  north  on  Rockefeller 
Plaza,  for  the  debut  of  Bing 
Crosby  in  "Connecticut  Yan- 
kee," plus  the  annual  Easter 
show,  at  the  Music  Hall. 

H  B 

Quotation  of  the  Week  : 
"The  exhibitor  stopped  thinking 
when  he  stopped  paying  his  own 
advertising  bill.  The  distribu- 
tors' big  mistake  was  in  making 
that  possible." — Spyros  Skouras 
for  20th  Century-Fox.  Very  of- 
ficially, too. 


Tobias  Leaves  Trojan 

Hollywood,  April  7. — Lester  S. 
Tobias  has  resigned  from  United-Tro- 
jan Pictures,  where,  he  was  in  charge 
of  national  distribution,  and  will  join 
a  new  producer-distributor  group  to 
be  formed  soon  in  New  York. 


Aid  Hospital  Fund  Drive 

Serving  as  division  chairmen  for 
the  1949  "Maintenance  Fund  Appeal" 
being  conducted  by  the  Roosevelt 
Hospital  here,  are  Spyros  Skouras, 
amusements,  and  Niles  Trammell, 
radio. 


Schlaifer  on  Forums 

Charles  Schlaifer,  former  20th  CeaN 
tury-Fox  public  relations  director  and 
now  head  of  his  own  agency  here,  wil 
conduct  a  series  of  five  public  forums 
on  public  relations  in  the  film  indu: 
try,  to  be  held  beginning  April  28  uiS 
der  the  auspices  of  the  New  Schoo, 
and  the  Dramatic  Workshop  Film 
Department.  Guest  speakers  will  apJ 
pear  with  Schlaifer. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 

—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL- 

Rockefeller  Center 
BING  CROSBY 

ihonda    FLEMING     -     Wm.  BENDIX 
Sir   Cedric  HARDWICKE 

"A  CONNECTICUT  YANKEE : 

In    King  Arthur's  Court" 

Color   by  Technicolor 
A   Paramount  Picture 
THE    GREAT    EASTER   STAGE  SHOW 


Paramount  presents 

"Bride  of 

PAULETTE  GODDARD 

JOHN  LUND 
MACDONALD  CAREY 

»  MITCHELL  LEISEN  proluttim 


"A 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER,  ^ftZdr.ay 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Dally 
Extra  Matinee*  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  1 1 :30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


David  O.  Selznick  presents 

"Portrait  of  Jennie" 

starring 

JENNIFER       JOSEPH  ETHEL 
JONES         COTTEN       BARRYMORE  . 
Directed  by  William  Dieterle. 

RIVOLI 

Broadway  and  49th  Street 


JOAN 
of  ARC 


ItVGR 


BERGMA 


A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  ■  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 

with  JOSE  FERRER  ■  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  ■  J  CARROL  NAISH  ■  WARD  BONO 
SHE PPERD  STRUDWICK  .  HUR0  HATFIELD  ■  GENE  LOCKHARI  ■  IOHN  I  MER1 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  ■  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY 
based  upon  ihe  slaee  play  'Joan  ol  Lonaine  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 

screen  ploy  b,  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDREW  SOLI  ■  o'l  direction  br 
RICHARD  DAY  -  di-eclor  ol  phologroph,  JOSEPH  VALENTINE.  A  5  C 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

r  SIERRA  PICTURES, 


JEANNE  MADELEINE  GEORGE  RICHARD 
CRAIN      CARROLL    SANDERS  GREENE 

"THE  FAN" 

A  20th  Century-Fox  Picture 
On  Variety  Stage— GINNY  SIMMS,  others 
ON  ICE  STAGE— "The  MERRY  WIDOW" 
with  JOAN  HYLDOFF  •  ARNOLD  SHODA 


ROXY 


7th  Ave.  & 
50th  St.  : 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigiey,  Jr.  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  'Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Asc'her,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington 
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0 


»A*°1?  Store  1  Yso»l'  ht  ™c»K"» 
iui  i°b  tla         _  ln  The  I*de^ 


UA's  Boxoffice  "CHAMPION" 


1 1 N  REI D 


LANCASTER  • 

Claude  RAINS  •  Peter  LORRE 


Directed    by    W  I  L  L  J  A  M    I)  1 

R  D 

Additional  Dialogue  by  J  O  H  N 


Barbara  ST 
Wendell 


i  n 


Paul  KELLY  •  Joan  TETZEL 


•  J 

Dire  c  ted    b  y   K  C)  B  E 
S  c  r  e  e  a  p  1  a  y    b  y  k 
Story    b  y    M  A  R  T 


II  I'  SIODM  A  K 
E  T  T.I  IRIN 

V  1IOI.LAN 


THE  FURIES 

From  a  novel  by  Niven  Busch 
Screenplay  by  Charles  Schnee 

SEPTEMBER 

Original  story  by  Fritz  Rotter  and 
Robert  Thoeren 
Screenplay  by  Robert  Thoeren 

THE  SOUND  OF  YEARS 

From  the  novel  by  Merriam  Modell 
Screenplay  by  Lucille  {Sorry,  Wrong  Number}  Fletcher 

NO  ESCAPE 

Story  and  screenplay  by  Lawrence  Marcus 

THE  OUTSIDE  WALL 

Story  and  screenplay  by  Ketti  Frings 

HOUSE  OF  MIST 

From  the  novel  by  Maria  Luisa  Bombal 
Screenplay  by  Ketti  Frings 

OBSESSION 

From  the  national  magazine  story  by 
Gertrude  Schweitzer 
Screenplay  by  Roy  Huggins 


FOR  FALL  RELEASE 

ROBERT  CUMMINGS  •  LIZABETH  SCOTT 


starring 


mane 


John    Diana  Don 

LUND-  LYNN  •  DeFORE*  WILSO 


introducing 


Dean  MARTIN  ami  Jerry  LEWIS 


Directed  by  GEORGE  MARSHALL 
Based  upon  characters  created  by 
Cy  Howard  for  the  CDS  Radio  program 
Screenplay  by  Cy  Howard  and  Parke  Levy 


EVE  ARDEN 


Directed  by  WILLIAM  DIETERLE 
Sreenplay  by  ROBERT  BLEES  and 
CHARLES  SCHNEE 


BURT  LANCASTER 
BARBARA  STANWYCK 

LIZABETH  SCOTT 
.  ROBERT  CUMMINGS 
WENDELL  COREY 
DIANA  LYNN 
DON  DE  FORE 
DEAN  MARTIN 
JERRY  LEWIS 
JOHN  BROMFIELD 
CORINNE  CALVET 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Reviews 

"Too  Late  for  Tears" 

( Stromberg- U n ited  A rtists) 

HUNT  STROMBERG's  latest  production  is  a  deftly  constructed  story  of 
a  lethal  lady  with  no  qualms  about  the  number  of  murders  she  commits 
in  order  to  obtain  a  satchel-full  of  stolen  money.  Rich  in  melodramatic  drive 
and  sustained  excitement,  and  with  sultry  Lizabeth  Scott  as  the  pistol-packer, 
"Too  Late  for  Tears"  is  stocked  with  all  the  requisites  for  good  box-office 
wherever  fiction  of  its  type  satisfies. 

Roy  Huggins  did  the  screenplay  from  his  own  Saturday  Evening  Post 
serial,  and  Byron  Haskin's  direction  gives  it  proper  emphasis  on  pace  and 
thrills.  Don  "DeFore  and  Dan  Duryea  are  given  top  billing  with  Miss  Scott. 
Supporting  players  include  Arthur  Kennedy,  Kristine  Miller  and  Barry 
Kelley. 

Miss  Scott  is  about  as  avaricious  and  cold-blooded  as  they  come,  having 
driven  her  first  husband  to  suicide,  and  subsequently  depositing  the  weighted 
body  of  her  second  mate  in  a  lake,  poisoning  a  confederate  in  her  money  plot 
and  planning  her  sister's  murder.  All  this  before  she  plunges  to  her  death 
from  a  hotel,  in  Mexico  and,  for  an  added  touch,  the  dollars  which  she  had 
been  clutching  go  soaring  with  the  wind. 

At  the  start,  the  stolen  money  was  tossed  into  her  automobile  by  mistake 
and  thereafter,  Duryea,  a  shady  character  who  had  intended  it  for  a  car 
driven  by  a  cohort,  is  out  to  recoup  it.  He  ends  up  fatally  poisoned.  DeFore, 
a  personable  performer,  appears  as  the  brother  of  Miss  Scott's  first  husband 
and  he  winds  up  marrying  her  sister,  played  by  Miss  Miller. 

Running  time,  99  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
July  8.  Gene  Arneel 


"Big  Jack" 

(Metro-Goldxvyn-Maycr) 

Hollyzvood,  April  7 

THAT  big  Wallace  Beery  public  which  believes  their  idol  can  do  no  wrong 
doubtless  may  be  counted  on  to  bellow  at  this,  and  weep  a  small  tear  in  the 
final  minute,  but  it  figures  to  prove  quite  a  strain  for  that  bigger  public  which 
can  take  its  Beery  or  let  it  alone.  The  principals  who  go  along  with  Beery  on 
this  excursion  are  Marjorie  Main,  Richard  Conte,  Edward  Arnold,  Vanessa 
Brown,  Charles  Dingle,  Clem  Bevans  and  some  others,  giving  an  exhibitor 
quite  a  hand  of  names  to  draw  from,  but  the  why  of  their  going,  and,  for  that 
matter,  of  the  whole  project,  seemed  to  escape  the  comprehension  of  the 
audience  which  witnessed  the  preview  at  the  Egyptian  Theatre,  and  this  use 
of  the  term  "audience"  includes  the  undersigned. 

According  to  the  picture,  a  doctor  named  Alexander  Meade  performed  the 
first  abdominal  surgery  on  a  human  being  at  a  small  town  in  Virginia  in  1802 
while  a  backwoods  bandit  named  Big  Jack  Horner  held  at  bay  a  mob  of  towns- 
folk intent  upon  hanging  the  doctor  for  stealing  bodies  from  a  graveyard  in 
the  course  of  his  preparations  for  the  operation.  That  could  be  historically 
correct,  and  under  some  circumstances  an  interesting  item  of  Americana,  but 
producer  Gottfried  Reinhardt,  abetted  by  author  Thoeren  and  writers  Gene 
Fowler,  Marvin  Borowsky  and  Osso  Van  Eyes,  have  utilized  it  merely  as  a 
fragile  peg  on  which  to  hang  a  story  which  may  be  most  accurately  and  very 
generously  termed  a  travesty. 

Not  to  undertake  the  telling  on  paper  of  a  tale  which  all  of  those  writers 
could  not  bring  to  life  on  film,  it  can  be  summarized  here  as  a  hop-skip-jump 
account  of  the  half-earnest,  half-vindictive  assistance  given  a  sincere  young 
doctor  and  grave-robber  by  an  unlettered  and  determinedly  comic  bandit  who 
dominated  the  Maryland- Virginia  border  country  in  1802.  Stick-ups,  abduc- 
tions, grave  openings,  grunts,  groans  and  shrieks  are  among  the  materials  em- 
ployed, with  laughs  at  all  times  the  objective.  Richard  Thorpe,  a  director  who 
believes  performances  by  players  are  the  salvation  of  more  pictures  than  most 
people  realize,  got  a  lot  out  of  these  players,  but  he  could  not  get  out  of  the 
story  the  values  that  producer  and  writers  did  not  put  into  it.  The  only  pic- 
ture which  a  long  memory  can  dredge  up  to  compare  generically  with  this 
one  was  Preston  Sturges'  "The  Great  Moment,"  of  1944,  which  dealt  with 
the  first  use  of  anaesthesia  in  dentistry  and  which,  like  this  one,  dealt  with 
it  humorously,  with  a  box-office  result  which  everybody  concerned  would  be 
happy  to  have  forgotten  about  permanently. 

Running  time,  86  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
not  set.  William  R.  Weavee 


6 


Coast  Production 
Drops  Two,  to  24 

Hollywood,  April  7. — The  produc- 
tion index  stands  at  24,  dropping  two 
from  last  week's  26.  Four  films  were 
started,  while  six  were  sent  to  cutting- 
rooms. 

Shooting  started  on  "On  the  Town," 
Metro  -  Goldwyn  -  Mayer;  "Safety 
Pins,"  Monogram  ;  "Renegade  of  the 
Rancho,"  RKO  Radio;  "Bandwagon," 
20th  Century-Fox.  Shooting  finished 
on  "The  Cowboy  and  the  Indians," 
Columbia ;  "Malaya,"  Metro-Gold- 
wyn-Mayer;  "Leave  it  to  Henry"  and 
"Frontier  Fear,"  Monogram ;  "File  on 
Thelma  Jordon"  and  "After  Mid- 
night," Paramount. 

H.M.  Warner  Receives 
French  Legion  Cross 

Los  Angeles,  April  7. — The 
French  Republic  honored  Harry  M. 
Warner,  president  of  Warner  Broth- 
ers, today,  when  he  was  presented 
with  the  Cross  of  an  Officer  of  the 
French  Legion  of  Honor.  The  pre- 
sentation was  made  by  Alexandre  de 
Manziarly,  French  Consul  here,  in 
recognition  of  Warner's  services  to 
France,  including  his  recent  chairman- 
ship of  the  American  Friendship 
Train  and  the  French  Gratitude  Train. 

In  accepting  the  Cross  at  cere- 
monies held  at  the  Warner  studios, 
Warner  said :  "International  expres- 
sions of  the  faith  and  good-will  that 
the  peoples  of  separate  nations  hold 
for  one  another  are  the  very  founda- 
tions upon  which  a  free  and  peaceful 
world  may  grow  and  flourish." 

PostponelTOA  Forum 
Because  of  Holiday 

April  14  meeting  of  the  Independent 
Theatre  Owners  Association  of  New 
York,  for  the  purpose  of  discussing 
20th-Fox's  increased  rentals  program, 
has  been  postponed  indefinitely  be- 
cause that  date  launches  the  Passover 
holidays.  A  new  date  is  expected  to 
bp  set  shortly. 

Meanwhile,  the  organization  has  not 
received  from  20th-Fox  executives  an 
acceptance  or  rejection  of  an  invita- 
tion to  attend  an  1TOA  open  forum. 


Reiss   to   United  World 

Saul  Reiss,  formerly  with  Bernard 
Shubert,  Inc.,  20th  Fox  Films,  and 
Ken  Dolan,  Inc.,  lias  joined  the  tele- 
vision department  of  United  World 
Films,  as  sales  representative  and 
sponsor  and  agency  contact,  it  is  an- 
nounced here  by  Lewis  Blumberg, 
United  World's  television  sales  chief. 


5  -  City  Premiere  for 
'Riley'  in  the  South 

Charles  Simonelli,  Universal-Inter- 
national Eastern  exploitation  manager, 
left  New  York  yesterday  for  Dallas 
to  set  advance  arrangements  for  the 
Southwest  premiere  of  Irving  Brech- 
er's  "The  Life  of  Riley."  William 
Bendix  and  others  of  the  cast  will  par- 
ticipate in  the  premiere,  which  will  in- 
clude Fort  Worth,  Austin,  Galveston, 
San  Antonio  and  Dallas  openings  on 
April  30  to  May  5.  Simonelli  is  ac- 
companied by  Maurice  (Bucky) 
Harris. 

From  Dallas,  Simonelli  will  go  to 
the  U-I  Studios  in  California  for  con- 
ferences with  David  A.  Lipton,  U-I's 
advertising-publicity  director,  and  will 
be  in  San  Francisco  on  April  22. 


Emhleton  to  Head 
Monogram  Branch 

Indianapolis,  April  7. — W.  K.  Era- 
bleton,  Monogram  salesman,  will  be- 
come branch  manager  for  the  com- 
pany here,  succeeding  Carl  Harthill, 
who  has  resigned,  effective  April  16. 


Mail  SWG  Award  Ballots 

Hollywood,  April  7. — The  Screen 
Writers  Guild  today  implemented  its 
recent  decision  to  make  its  own  an- 
nual awards  for  achievement  in  the 
writing  field  by  mailing  nominations, 
made  by  SWG's  seven  past  presidents, 
to  the  organization's  750  active  mem- 
bers. Awards  will  be  made  in  five 
categories,  covering  all  phases  of 
screen  writing. 


Friday,  April  8,  1949 


Hal  Hode,  61 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Vitagraph  in  1904,  left  that  position 
to  join  the  Navy  and  on  his  discharge 
became  a  reporter  on  the  Neivarlz 
Evening  Neivs,  in  1911.  Later  he  be- 
came associated  with  Kalem,  from 
which  he  resigned  in  1913  to  become 
assistant  general  sales  manager  for 
Universal. 

In  1920,  Hode  was  named  general 
sales  manager  of  Cosmopolitan  Pro- 
ductions, changing  to  Educational 
Films  in  1923  as  manager  of  the  New 
York  branch.  He  managed  his  own 
film  exchange  from  1925  through  1927 
and  for  a  short  time  after  that  was 
sales  director  of  short  subjects  for 
Universal.  He  joined  Columbia  in 
1928  as  director  of  public  relations  and 
subsequently  became  director  of  sales 
promotion.  He  was  named  executive 
assistant  to  Cohn  in  1933. 

Hode  had  been  organizing  a  televi- 
sion department  at  Columbia  to  sell 
video  rights  to  dated  company  product 
to  telecasters. 

Hode  was  active  in  the  formation 
of  the  Picture  Pioneers,  an  organiza- 
tion of  veterans  of  the  motion  picture- 
industry,  and  was  serving  as  secre- 
tary-treasurer at  the  time  of  his  death. 

Funeral  services  will  be  held  at  Riv- 
erside Memorial  Chapel,  at  3  :00  P.M. 
today.  Burial  will  be  at  Maple  Grove 
Cemetery,  Queens. 

John  C.  Shannon,  68, 
F ormer  Fox  Manager  f 

Memphis.  April  7.— John  C.  Shan-  1° 
non,  Sr.,  68,  former  manager  of  Fox  l 
Films  office  in  Memphis  and,  until  | 
his  retirement  about  two  years  ago,  I 
operator  of  theatres  at  Portageville  I 
and  Hayti,  Mo.,  died  this  w  ek  of  L 
pneumonia  at  a  hospital  at  Ironton,  jjt 
Mo.,  it  was  learned  here  today. 

Tennessee  Owners 
Face  Tax  Increase 

Nashville,  April  7.— The  Hamilton  | 

County  delegation  has  introduced  in  f 

both  Houses   [of  the  Legislature]   a  I 

bill   which  would  increase  the  state  P 

amusement  tax  from  three  to  four  f 

cents  on  regular  performances  and  pi 
from  four  to  six  cents  on  Bank  Nights. 

_  The  state,  under  provisions  of  the  (J 

bill,  would  be  required  to  share  pro-  " 
ceeds  of  the  tax  equally  with  cities. 


Memphis,  April  7. — Allied  leaders 

today  wired  protests  to  members  of  *S 

the  General  Assembly  against  the  pro-  P 

posed  state  admission  tax  increases.  p 


Portland  Owners  Face 
Tax  of  from  2  to  12% 

Portland,  Ore.,  April  7. — In  order 
to  meet  the  city's  growing  expenses, 
tax  commissioner  Ormond  Bean  has 
submitted  to  the  City  Council  a  tax 
program  which  includes  proposed 
amusement  taxes  ranging  from  two  to 
12  per  cent. 

Set  Ad.  Budget  for  Film 

Hollywood,   April   7.— A  $200,000 ! 
advertising-exploitation     budget  has 
been  set  for  "The  Syndicate,"  to  be  I 
produced  by  Roy  Del  Ruth  and  to  I  1 
star  George  Raft,  associate  producer  1 
Joe  Kaufman  has  announced.  ,  \ 


Correction 

In  a  review  of  "Massacre  River"! 
appearing  yesterday  in  Motion  Pic- I 
ture  Daily,  United  Artists  was  er-l 
roneously  listed  as  the  distributor.  The  I 
picture  is  an  Allied  Artists  production.  I 


Studio  Equipment 
Up  for  Auction 

Hollywood,  April  7. — Equip- 
ment from  the  David  O.  Selz- 
nick  studio,  originally  valued 
at  $350  000  and  recently  sold 
to  auctioneer  David  Weiss, 
will  be  sold  to  the  highest 
bidders  at  an  auction  to  be 
held  April  25. 

The  equipment  is  said  to  be 
largely  obsolescent  and  its 
disposal  is  considered  advan- 
tageous for  Selznick,  who 
probably  will  not  resume  pro- 
duction until  next  year  after 
his  return  from  Europe. 


Friday,  April  8,  1949 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Irving  Mack  Reports 
Giveaways  Spreading 

Chicago,  April  7.  —  Give- 
aways at  motion  picture  thea- 
tres are  heading  for  an  all- 
time  high  since  before  World 
War  II,  reports  Irving  Mack, 
head  of  Filmack  Trailer 
Corp.,  who  says  the  more 
popular  giveaways  and  spe- 
cial nights  are  "Money 
Nights,"  "Grocery  Nights" 
and  "Amateur  Nights,"  with 
a  marked  trend  toward  tele- 
vision set,  automobile  and 
free  vacation  giveaways. 

Local  stores  and  business 
firms  are  participating  in  a 
majority  of  these  special 
activities. 


Start  Video  Study 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Two  Allied  Units 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


still  are  many  questions  to  be  answered 

,'and  first  and  foremost  among  them  is, 

<how  can  it  be.  done? 

To  aid  in  their  investigation,  Fabian 
and  theatre-operating  colleagues  in  the 

I  East  recently  retained  Nathan  L.  Hal- 
pern,  formerly  assistant  to  the  presi- 
dent of  Columbia  Broadcasting,  to 
undertake  extensive  research. 

Fabian  pointed  out  there  have  been 
no  conclusions  reached  on  any  of  the 
basic  factors  involved.  Full  considera- 
tion must  be  given,  he  said,  to  the 
best  means  of  transmission,  whether 
by  coaxial  cable  or  micro-wave  relay, 
to  program  material  and  point  of 
origin,  to  costs  for  the  entertainment 
itself  as  well  as  the  equipment,  and 
which   would  be   the   most  feasible, 

'  either  for  each  theatre  to  offer  video 
on  a  separate  basis  or  with  a  number 
of  houses  linked  in  a  joint  operation. 

TOA  video  representatives  at  to- 
day's meeting  will  be :  Walter  Reade. 
Jr.,  co-chairman  of  the  organization's 
television  committee ;  Marcus  Cohn, 
consultant ;  Robert  W.  Coyne,  Gamble 
Enterprises ;  Nat  Lapkin,  Fabian 
Theatres;  Stanley  W.  Prenosil,  TOA 
assistant  executive,  director,  and  Hal- 
pern. 


discuss  the  20th-Fox  effort  without 
rancor. 

Texas  Allied  says  the  largest  part 
of  industry  income  rests  with  affiliated 
circuits  from  which  it  says  it  does 
not  believe  the  "distributor  has  been 

etting  his  fair  share  of  the  box-office 
dollar."  If  those  are  the  theatres  20th- 
Fox  has  in  mind,  well,  and  good,  says 
Texas  Allied.  But  if  the  company 
means  the  "little  fellow,"  it  remarks, 

we  all  better  hunt  the  cyclone  cel- 
lar." 

Iowa-Nebraska  Allied  believes  that 
distribution  revenue  from  affiliated 
theatres  can  be  increased  20  to  30  per 
cent  "by  proper  selling."  It  suggests 
that  home  office  sales  officials  and 
district  managers  handle  theatre  ac- 
counts which  average  more  than  $250 
per  picture,  and  that  branch  managers 
and  salesmen  take  care  of  the  rest. 
The  latter  should  visit  every  town  and 
theatre  in  their  territories  regularly, 
making  deals  based  on  individual  sit- 
uations rather  than  on  national  poli- 
cies which  it  claims  cannot  be  applied 
to  numerous  smaller  situations  and 
which,  therefore,  remain  unsold. 

"Every  theatre  is  a  possibility,"  the 
bulletin  reminds,  but  many  possibilities 
with  a  huge  aggregate  revenue  remain 
unsold  because  of  sales  policies  that 
cannot  be  made  to  fit  17,000  theatres, 
it  claims. 


Question  Status  of 
TOA  Conciliation 


MPA  to  Weigh 

{Contented  from  page  1) 


Albany,  N.  Y.,  April  7.— The  con- 
ciliation panel  of  the  Theatre  Owners 
of  America's  Albany  unit  decided  at 
a  meeting  yesterday  to  write  to  Ar- 
thur H.  Lockwood,  TOA  national 
president,  to  inquire  whether  the  na- 
tional committee  to  assay  local  panel 
findings  is  functioning.  A  third  and 
final  meeting  in  connection  with  the 
single  complaint  to  come  before  the 
Albany  panel  is  being  held  in  abey- 
ance, pending  receipt  of  Lockwood's 
reply. 

Under  the  conciliation  operations 
set  up  by  the  TOA,  local  panels  were 
to  function  on  a  60-day  trial  basis. 

At  yesterday's  meeting  of  the  Al- 
bany TOA  membership,  the  question 
was  weighed  as  to  whether  a  national 
TOA  organizer  should  be  assigned 
here  to  attempt  to  bring  into  the  local 
organization  several  large  circuits 
which  have  made  no  definite  move  to 
join. 


panded  theatre  department  will  be  de- 
signed primarily  to  develop  a  closer 
and  more  effective  link  between  major 
companies  and  organized  exhibition  in 
the  interests  of  improved  internal  trade 
relations  and  also  for  the  improvement 
of  coordinated  efforts  in  industry  pub- 
ic relations  activities. 

Details  of  the  plan,  however,  have 
not  been  officially  disclosed,  although 
there  have  been  denials  that  the  move 
is  linked  with  affiliated  theatre  divorce- 
ment and  a  possible  new  exhibition 
membership  of  the  association. 


Cliff  Lewis  Here 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


SMPE  Convention  to 
Close  Here  Today  . 

One  of  the  highlights  of  the  clos- 
ing sessions  of  the  Society  of  Motion 
Picture  Engineers  today  at  the  Hotel 
Statler  here  will  be  a  paper  on  "De- 
sirable Locations  for  Theatre  Sites," 
to  be  delivered  by  E.  G.  Faludi,  of 
Town  Planning  Consultants,  Toronto. 
Another  talk,  on  "Air  Cooling  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Film  for  Higher  Screen 
Illumination,"  will  be  delivered  by 
F.  J.  Kolb  of  Eastman-Kodak. 


SMPE  SeesMOT's'Atom' 

March  of  Time's  "Report  on  the 
Atom,"  its  latest  release  through  20th 
Century-Fox,  was  screened  last  night 
at  the  Hotel  Statler  here,  to  the  Soci- 
ety of  Motion  Picture  Engineers  meet- 
ing on  the  fourth  day  of  its  65th  semi- 
annual convention. 


Settle  Sargeant  Suit 

Author  Winthrop  Sargeant's  dam 
age  action  against  RKO  Radio,  Gold 
wyn  Productions  and  Samuel  Goldwyn 
has  been  settled  outside  of  U.  S.  Dis 
trict  Court  here.    Sargeant  had  charged 
that  unauthorized  use  was  made  of 
parts  of  his  book,  "Jazz,"  in  the  pro 
duction  of  "A  Song  Is  Born." 


Ribbon."  Ford  and  Cooper  co-pro- 
duced both  pictures  and  Ford,  addi- 
tionally, directed  "Ribbon." 

"Joe  Young,"  which  is  of  the  "King 
Kong"  type,  is  slated  for  release  in 
July,  and  "Ribbon"  is  tentatively  set 
for  October  but  may  be  advanced  to 
an  earlier  date,  Lewis  reports. 

Argosy  is  committeed  to  RKO  for 
the  delivery  of  two  more  productions 
and  is  scheduled  to  release  another 
through  United  Artists.  Company 
owns  several  story  properties  but  has 
not  decided  on  its  next.  Cooper  and 
Ford  produce  on  the  RKO  Pathe  lot 
in  Culver  City. 


A  TOA  headquarters  spokesman 
said  in  New  York  yesterday  that  th 
organization's  conciliation  machinery 
is  intact,  but  he  amended  this  with 
the  observation  that  "there  _  has  not 
been  much  conciliation  activity." 


Public  Hearings  Kill 
Two  Mass.  Bills 

Boston,  April  7. — By  unanimous 
vote,  the  Joint  Committee  of  State 
Administration  today  threw  out  a  pro- 
posed bill  which  would  establish  a 
commission  to  supervise  and  regulate 
motion  picture  exhibition.  Also  reject- 
ed was  a  proposal  for  another  com- 
mission to  review  films  and  comic 
books. 

The  action  followed  public  hearings 
on  the  bills,  at  which  several  persons 
spoke  in  opposition,  including  Mrs. 
Anna  Hughe  Driscoll,  executive  sec- 
retary of  Allied  of  Massachusetts, 
Frank  Lyndon,  field  representative  of 
the  same  organization,  and  Ray  Feeley, 
executive  secretary  of  the  Independent 
Exhibitors  of  New  England. 


Fabian  Unifies  Four 
Circuit  Districts 

S.  H.  Fabian,  president  of  Fabian 
Theatres,  reports  the  unification  of 
the.  Brooklyn,  Staten  Island,  Port  Jer- 
vis  and  Middletown,  N.  Y.  districts 
under  Louis  Goldberg,  Staten  Island 
district  manager,  and  Harold  Fisher 
Middletown  and  Port  Jervis  district 
manager. 

Ed  Fabian,  Brooklyn  manager,  will 
spend  much  of  his  time  upstate  with 
Saul  Ullman,  Fabian  upstate  district 
manager.  Elias  Schlenger,  Staten  Is 
land  publicity  director,  will  become 
resident  district  manager  of  that  area 


Cecil  B.  DeMille;  Ned  E.  Depinet, 
RKO ;  Earle  W.  Hammons,  Educa- 
tional. 

Also,  Edgar  B.  Hatrick ;  Eric 
Johnston,  MPAA ;  Austin  C.  Keough, 
Paramount;  W.  C.  Michel,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox ;  John  J.  O'Connor,  Uni- 
versal ;  Norton  V.  Ritchey,  Allied 
Artists ;  Hal  E.  Roach ;  Herman  Rob- 
bins.  Nicholas  M.  Schenek,  Loew's ; 
Abe  Schneider,  Columbia ;  Sam 
Schneider,  Warner  Brothers ;  Spyros 
Skouras,  20th  Century-Fox ;  Jo- 
seph R.  Vogel,  Loew's ;  Albert  War- 
ner, Warner  Brothers;  John  M. 
Whitaker,  RKO;  Herbert  J.  Yates, 
Republic. 


Court  Dismisses 
'Informer'  Suit 

Kansas  City,  April  7. — The  Cir- 
cuit Court  of  Madison  County  has 
dismissed  one  of  the  suits  brought  un- 
der the  "informer  clause"  in  an  old 
law  on  aisle  widths,  according  to  re- 
ports received  here.  The  suit  was 
against  an  independent  exhibitor  at 
Fredericktown,  and  was  dismissed  on 
the  grounds  that  the  law  violates  the 
state  constitution. 


Seek  RKO  A  ccounting 
In  N.  J.  Operations 

Long  Park,  Inc.,  and  Trenton  Thea 
tre  Building  Co.  have  served  Trenton- 
New  Brunswick  Theatres  and  RKO 
Theatres  with  a  complaint  requesting 
an  accounting  under  a  1942  agreement 
whereby  RKO  operated  the  theatres 
in  Trenton  and  New  Brunswick,  N.  J 
according  to  Walter  Reade  Theatres 
here.    The  period  of  the  accounting  i 
from  Sept.  1,  1942,  to  March  15,  1948 
it  was  stated  by  Reade. 

Long   Park   and   Trenton  Theatre 
Building  own  and  control  50  per  cent 
of  the  stock  of  Trenton-New  Bruns 
wick  Theatres,  and  RKO  owns  the 
remaining  50  per  cent. 


Hearing  Again  Put  Off 

Hollywood,  April  7. — Federal 
Judge  Campbell  Beaumont  today 
again  postponed,  until  April  18,  hear 
ings  on  RKO's  petition  for  an  injunc 
tion  to  restrain  United  Artists  from 
releasing  "Champion,"  on  the  ground 
that  certain  fight  scenes  in  it  virtually 
duplicated  scenes  in  "Set  Up." 


Stockholders  to  Meet 

Twentieth  Century-Fox's  stockhold 
ers  will  hold  their  annual  meetin, 
here  on  May  17,  company  secretary 
treasurer  Donald  A.  Henderson 
ports. 


MPA  Board  Reelected 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Again  Heads  AMPA 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


tary,  and  Lige  Brien,  public  relations 
director. 

Named  to  the  AMPA  board  were: 
Charles  Alicoate,  Vincent  Trotta, 
Sydney  Gross,  Gordon  White  and 
Blanche  Livingston.  The  officers  also 
will  serve  as  directors.  Ray  Galla- 
gher, Rutgers  Neilson  and  Jacques 
Kopfstein  were  named  trustees. 


TV  Labor  War  Case 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


one  or  both  of  the  unions  after  April 
30,  the  date  NABET's  contracts  with 
National  Broadcasting  and  American 
Broadcasting  expire.  The  companies, 
it  was  said,  are  at  liberty  to  renew 
the  pacts.  "IA"  international  president 
Richard  F.  Walsh  has  hinted  that  his 
union  may  take  strike  action  if  the 
dispute  over  lighting  workers  is  not 
settled  to  "IA's"  satisfaction  by  that 
date.  A  sufficient  number  of  employes 
would  be  involved  in  a  jurisdictional 
strike  to  interrupt  NBC  and  ABC 
telecasting. 


Hal  Wallis  Due  in 
New  York  Wednesday 

Hal  Wallis  will  arrive  in  New  York 
from  Hollywood  next  Wednesday  to 
discuss  releasing  plans  for  his  next 
three  productions  with  Paramount 
home  office  sales  executives.  The  three 
pictures,  all  completed,  are :  "Rope  of 
Sand,"  "My  Friend  Irma"  and 
"Thelma  Jordan." 

Joseph  Hazen,  president  of  Hal 
Wallis  productions,  will  leave  here  for 
Chicago  at  the  weekend  to  meet  Wal- 
lis and  return  here  with  him. 


Named  Carbons  Agents 

Theatre  Service  Supply  Co.  of  Salt 
Lake  City,  and  Associated  Industries 
of  Dallas  have  been  named  by  Ed- 
ward Lachman,  president  of  Carbons, 
Inc.,  distributors  for  his  company  in 
their  respective  areas. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Reviews 


"Too  Late  for  Tears" 

{Stromberg-Umted  Artists) 

HUNT  STROMBERG's  latest  production  is  a  deftly  constructed  story  of 
a  lethal  lady  with  no  qualms  about  the  number  of  murders  she  commits 
in  order  to  obtain  a  satchel-full  of  stolen  money.  Rich  in  melodramatic  drive 
and  sustained  excitement,  and  with  sultry  Lizabeth  Scott  as  the  pistol-packer, 
"Too  Late  for  Tears"  is  stocked  with  all  the  requisites  for  good  box-office 
wherever  fiction  of  its  type  satisfies. 

Roy  Huggins  did  the  screenplay  from  his  own  Saturday  Evening  Post 
serial,  and  Byron  Haskin's  direction  gives  it  proper  emphasis  on  pace  and 
thrills.  Don  DeFore  and  Dan  Duryea  are  given  top  billing  with  Miss  Scott. 
Supporting  players  include  Arthur  Kennedy,  Kristine  Miller  and  Barry 
Kelley. 

Miss  Scott  is  about  as  avaricious  and  cold-blooded  as  they  come,  having 
driven  her  first  husband  to  suicide,  and  subsequently  depositing  the  weighted 
body  of  her  second  mate  in  a  lake,  poisoning  a  confederate  in  her  money  plot 
and  planning  her  sister's  murder.  All  this  before  she  plunges  to  her  death 
from  a  hotel,  in  Mexico  and,  for  an  added  touch,  the  dollars  which  she  had 
been  clutching  go  soaring  with  the  wind. 

At  the  start,  the  stolen  money  was  tossed  into  her  automobile  by  mistake 
and  thereafter,  Duryea,  a  shady  character  who  had  intended  it  for  a  car 
driven  by  a  cohort,  is  out  to  recoup  it.  He  ends  up  fatally  poisoned.  DeFore, 
a  personable  performer,  appears  as  the  brother  of  Miss  Scott's  first  husband 
and  he  winds  up  marrying  her  sister,  played  by  Miss  Miller. 

Running  time,  99  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
July  8.  Gene  Arneel 


"Big  Jack" 

(Metro-Goldivyn-Maycr) 

Hollywood,  April  7 

THAT  big  Wallace  Beery  public  which  believes  their  idol  can  do  no  wrong 
doubtless  may  be  counted  on  to  bellow  at  this,  and  weep  a  small  tear  in  the 
final  minute,  but  it  figures  to  prove  quite  a  strain  for  that  bigger  public  which 
can  take  its  Beery  or  let  it  alone.  The  principals  who  go  along  with  Beery  on 
this  excursion  are  Marjorie  Main,  Richard  Conte,  Edward  Arnold,  Vanessa 
Brown,  Charles  Dingle,  Clem  Bevans  and  some  others,  giving  an  exhibitor 
quite  a  hand  of  names  to  draw  from,  but  the  why  of  their  going,  and,  for  that 
matter,  of  the  whole  project,  seemed  to  escape  the  comprehension  of  the 
audience  which  witnessed  the  preview  at  the  Egyptian  Theatre,  and  this  use 
of  the  term  "audience"  includes  the  undersigned. 

According  to  the  picture,  a  doctor  named  Alexander  Meade  performed  the 
first  abdominal  surgery  on  a  human  being  at  a  small  town  in  Virginia  in  1802 
while  a  backwoods  bandit  named  Big  Jack  Horner  held  at  bay  a  mob  of  towns- 
folk intent  upon  hanging  the  doctor  for  stealing  bodies  from  a  graveyard  in 
the  course  of  his  preparations  for  the  operation.  That  could  be  historically 
correct,  and  under  some  circumstances  an  interesting  item  of  Americana,  but 
producer  Gottfried  Reinhardt,  abetted  by  author  Thoeren  and  writers  Gene 
Fowler,  Marvin  Borowsky  and  Osso  Van  Eyes,  have  utilized  it  merely  as  a 
fragile  peg  on  which  to  hang  a  story  which  may  be  most  accurately  and  very 
generously  termed  a  travesty. 

Not  to  undertake  the  telling  on  paper  of  a  tale  which  all  of  those  writers 
could  not  bring  to  life  on  film,  it  can  be  summarized  here  as  a  hop-skip-jump 
account  of  the  half-earnest,  half-vindictive  assistance  given  a  sincere  young 
doctor  and  grave-robber  by  an  unlettered  and  determinedly  comic  bandit  who 
dominated  the  Maryland- Virginia  border  country  in  1802.  Stick-ups,  abduc- 
tions, grave  openings,  grunts,  groans  and  shrieks  are  among  the  materials  em- 
ployed, with  laughs  at  all  times  the  objective.  Richard  Thorpe,  a  director  who 
believes  performances  by  players  are  the  salvation  of  more  pictures  than  most 
people  realize,  got  a  lot  out  of  these  players,  but  he  could  not  get  out  of  the 
story  the  values  that  producer  and  writers  did  not  put  into  it.  The  only  pic- 
ture which  a  long  memory  can  dredge  up  to  compare  generically  with  this 
one  was  Preston  Sturges'  "The  Great  Moment,"  of  1944,  which  dealt  with 
the  first  use  of  anaesthesia  in  dentistry  and  which,  like  this  one,  dealt  with 
it  humorously,  with  a  box-office  result  which  everybody  concerned  would  be 
happy  to  have  forgotten  about  permanently. 

Running  time,  86  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
not  set.  William  R.  Weaver 


6 


Coast  Production 
Drops  Two,  to  24 

Hollywood,  April  7. — The  produc- 
tion index  stands  at  24,  dropping  two 
from  last  week's  26.  Four  films  were 
started,  while  six  were  sent  to  cutting 
rooms. 

Shooting  started  on  "On  the  Town," 
Metro  -  Goldwyn  -  Mayer ;  "Safety 
Pins,"  Monogram ;  "Renegade  of  the 
Rancho,"  RKO  Radio;  "Bandwagon," 
20th  Century-Fox.  Shooting  finished 
on  "The  Cowboy  and  the  Indians," 
Columbia ;  "Malaya,"  Me':ro-Gold- 
wyn-Mayer ;  "Leave  it  to  Henry"  and 
"Frontier  Fear,"  Monogram ;  "File  on 
Thelma  Jordon"  and  "After  Mid- 
night," Paramount. 

H.M.  Warner  Receives 
French  Legion  Cross 

Los  Angeles,  April  7. — The 
French  Republic  honored  Harry  M. 
Warner,  president  of  Warner  Broth- 
ers, today,  when  he  was  presented 
with  the  Cross  of  an  Officer  of  the 
French  Legion  of  Honor.  The  pre- 
sentation was  made  by  Alexandre  de 
Manziarly,  French  Consul  here,  in 
recognition  of  Warner's  services  to 
France,  including  his  recent  chairman- 
ship of  the  American  Friendship 
Train  and  the  French  Gratitude  Train. 

In  accepting  the  Cross  at  cere- 
monies held  at  the  Warner  studios, 
Warner  said:  "International  expres- 
sions of  the  faith  and  good-will  that 
the  peoples  of  separate  nations  hold 
for  one  another  are  the  very  founda- 
tions upon  which  a  free  and  peaceful 
world  may  grow  and  flourish." 

PostponelTOA  Forum 
Because  of  Holiday 

April  14  meeting  of  the  Independent 
Theatre  Owners  Association  of  New 
York,  for  the  purpose  of  discussing 
20th-Fox's  increased  rentals  program, 
has  been  postponed  indefinitely  be- 
cause that  date  launches  the  Passover 
holidays.  A  new  date  is  expected  to 
b^  set  shortly. 

Meanwhile,  the  organization  has  not 
received  from  20th-Fox  executives  an 
acceptance  or  rejection  of  an  invita- 
tion to  attend  an  1TOA  open  forum. 


Reiss   to   United  World 

Saul  Reiss,  formerly  with  Bernard 
Shubert,  Inc.,  20th  Fox  Films,  and 
Ken  Dolan,  Inc.,  has  joined  the  tele- 
vision department  of  United  World 
Films,  as  sales  representative  and 
sponsor  and  agency  contact,  it  is  an- 
nounced here  by  Lewis  Blumberg, 
United  World's  television  sales  chief. 


5  -  City  Premiere  for 
'Riley'  in  the  South 

Charles  Simonelli,  Universal-Inter- 
national Eastern  exploitation  manager, 
left  New  York  yesterday  for  Dallas 
to  set  advance  arrangements  for  the 
Southwest  premiere  of  Irving  Brech- 
er's  "The  Life  of  Riley."  William 
Bendix  and  others  of  the  cast  will  par- 
ticipate in  the  premiere,  which  will  in- 
clude Fort  Worth,  Austin,  Galveston, 
San  Antonio  and  Dallas  openings  on 
April  30  to  May  5.  Simonelli  is  ac- 
companied by  Maurice  (Bucky) 
Harris. 

From  Dallas.  Simonelli  will  go  to 
the  U-I  Studios  in  California  for  con- 
ferences with  David  A.  Lipton,  U-I's 
advertising-publicity  director,  and  will 
be  in  San  Francisco  on  April  22. 


Embleton  to  Head 
Monogram  Branch 

Indianapolis,  April  7.—W.  K.  Em- 
bleton, Monogram  salesman,  will  be- 
come branch  manager  for  the  com- 
pany here,  succeeding  Carl  Harthill, 
who  has  resigned,  effective  April  16. 


Mail  SWG  Award  Ballots 

Hollywood,  April  7.— The  Screen 
Writers  Guild  today  implemented  its 
recent  decision  to  make  its  own  an- 
nual awards  for  achievement  in  the 
writing  field  by  mailing  nominations, 
made  by  SWG's  seven  past  presidents, 
to  the  organization's  750  active  mem- 
bers. Awards  will  be  made  in  five 
categories,  covering  all  phases  of 
screen  writing. 


Friday,  April  8,  1949 


Hal  Hode,  61 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

Vitagraph  in  1904,  left  that  position  | 
to  join  the  Navy  and  on  his  discharge  fl 
became  a  reporter  on  the  Neivark 
Evening  News,  in  1911.  Later  he  be- 
came associated  with  Kalem,  from 
which  he  resigned  in  1913  to  become 
assistant  general  sales  manager  for 
Universal. 

In  1920,  Hode  was  named  general 
sales  manager  of  Cosmopolitan  Pro- 
ductions, changing  to  Educational 
Films  in  1923  as  manager  of  the  New 
York  branch.  He  managed  his  own 
film  exchange  from  1925  through  1927 
and  for  a  short  time  after  that  was 
sales  director  of  short  subjects  for 
Universal.  He  joined  Columbia  in 
1928  as  director  of  public  relations  and 
subsequently  became  director  of  sales 
promotion.  He  was  named  executive ' 
assistant  to  Cohn  in  1933. 
_  Hode  had  been  organizing  a  televi- 1 
sion  department  at  Columbia  to  sell 
video  rights  to  dated  company  product 
to  telecasters. 

Hode  was  active  in  the  formation 
of  the  Picture  Pioneers,  an  organiza- 
tion of  veterans  of  the  motion  picture 
industry,  and  was  serving  as  secre- 
tary-treasurer at  the  time  of  his  death. 

Funeral  services  will  be  held  at  Riv- 
erside Memorial  Chapel,  at  3  :00  P.M. 
today.  Burial  will  be  at  Maple  Grove 
Cemetery,  Queens. 

John  C.  Shannon,  68, 
F ormer  Fox  Manager 

Memphis,  April  7.— John  C.  Shan- 
non, Sr.,  68,  former  manager  of  Fox 
Film=  office  in  Memphis  and,  until 
his  retirement  about  two  years  ago, 
operator  of  theatres  at  Portageville 
and  Hayti,  Mo.,  died  this  w  ek  of 
pneumonia  at  a  hospital  at  Ironton, 
Mo.,  it  was  learned  here  today. 

Tennessee  Owners 
Face  Tax  Increase 

Nashville,  April  7.— The  Hamilton  ] 
County  delegation  has  introduced  in 
both  Houses  [of  the  Legislature]  a 
bill  which  would  increase  the  state 
amusement  tax  from  three  to  four 
cents  on  regular  performances  and 
from  four  to  six  cents  on  Bank  Nights. 

_  The  state,  under  provisions  of  the 
bill,  would  be  required  to  share  pro- 
ceeds of  the  tax  equally  with  cities. 


Memphis,  April  7.— Allied  leaders 
today  wired  protests  to  members  of 
the  General  Assembly  against  the  pro- 
posed state  admission  tax  increases. 


Portland  Owners  Face 
Tax  of  from  2  to  12% 

Portland,  Ore.,  April  7. — In  order 
to  meet  the  city's  growing  expenses, 
tax  commissioner  Ormond  Bean  has 
submitted  to  the  City  Council  a  tax 
program  which  includes  proposed 
amusement  taxes  ranging  from  two  to  ' 
12  per  cent. 


Set  Ad.  Budget  for  Film 

Hollywood,  April  7.— A  $200,000 
advertising-exploitation  budget  has 
been  set  for  "The  Syndicate,"  to  be 
produced  by  Roy  Del  Ruth  and  to 
star  George  Raft,  associate  producer 
Joe  Kaufman  has  announced. 


Correction 

In  a  review  of  "Massacre  River" 
appearing  yesterday  in  Motion  Pic- 
ture Daily,  United  Artists  was  er- 
roneously listed  as  the  distributor.  The 
picture  is  an  Allied  Artists  production. 


Studio  Equipment 
Up  for  Auction 

Hollywood,  April  7. — Equip- 
ment from  the  David  O.  Selz- 
nick  studio,  originally  valued 
at  $350000  and  recently  sold 
to  auctioneer  David  Weiss, 
will  be  sold  to  the  highest 
bidders  at  an  auction  to  be 
held  April  25. 

The  equipment  is  said  to  be 
largely  obsolescent  and  its 
disposal  is  considered  advan- 
tageous for  Selznick,  who 
probably  will  not  resume  pro- 
duction until  next  year  after 
his  return  from  Europe. 


Friday,  April  8,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Irving  Mack  Reports 
Giveaways  Spreading 

Chicago,  April  7.  —  Give- 
aways at  motion  picture  thea- 
tres are  heading  for  an  all- 
time  high  since  before  World 
War  II,  reports  Irving  Mack, 
head  of  Filmack  Trailer 
Corp.,  who  says  the  more 
popular  giveaways  and  spe- 
cial nights  are  "Money 
Nights,"  "Grocery  Nights" 
and  "Amateur  Nights,"  with 
a  marked  trend  toward  tele- 
vision set,  automobile  and 
free  vacation  giveaways. 

Local  stores  and  business 
firms  are  participating  in  a 
majority  of  these  special 
activities. 


Start  Video  Study 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

still  are  many  questions  to  be  answered 
and  first  and  foremost  among  them  is, 
how  can  it  be.  done? 

To  aid  in  their  investigation,  Fabian 
and  theatre-operating  colleagues  in  the 
East  recently  retained  Nathan  L.  Hal- 
pern,  formerly  assistant  to  the  presi- 
dent of  Columbia  Broadcasting,  to 
undertake  extensive  research. 

Fabian  pointed  out  there  have  been 
no  conclusions  reached  on  any  of  the 
basic  factors  involved.  Full  considera- 
tion must  be  given,  he  said,  to  the 
best  means  of  transmission,  whether 
by  coaxial  cable  or  micro-wave  relay, 
to  program  material  and  point  of 
origin,  to  costs  for  the  entertainment 
itself  as  well  as  the  equipment,  and 
which  would  be  the  most  feasible, 
either  for  each  theatre  to  offer  video 
on  a  separate  basis  or  with  a  number 
of  houses  linked  in  a  joint  operation. 

TOA  video  representatives  at  to- 
day's meeting  will  be  :  Walter  Reade, 
Jr.,  co-chairman  of  the  organization's 
television  committee ;  Marcus  Cohn, 
consultant ;  Robert  W.  Coyne,  Gamble 
Enterprises ;  Nat  Lapkin,  Fabian 
Theatres  ;  Stanley  W.  Prenosil,  TOA 
assistant  executive,  director,  and  Hal- 
pern. 

SMPE  Convention  to 
Close  Here  Today  . 

One  of  the  highlights  of  the  clos- 
ing sessions  of  the  Society  of  Motion 
Picture  Engineers  today  at  the  Hotel 
Statler  here  will  be  a  paper  on  "De- 
sirable Locations  for  Theatre  Sites," 
to  be  delivered  by  E.  G.  Faludi,  of 
Town  Planning  Consultants,  Toronto. 
Another  talk,  on  "Air  Cooling  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Film  for  Higher  Screen 
Illumination,"  will  be  delivered  by 
F.  J.  Kolb  of  Eastman-Kodak. 

!  SMPE  Sees  MOT's' Atom' 

March  of  Time's  "Report  on  the 
Atom,"  its  latest  release  through  20th 
r  Century-Fox,  was  screened  last  night 
at  the  Hotel  Statler  here,  to  the  Soci- 
ety of  Motion  Picture  Engineers  meet- 
ing on  the  fourth  day  of  its  65th  semi- 
annual convention. 


Settle  Sargeant  Suit 

Author  Winthrop  Sargeant's  dam- 
age action  against  RKO  Radio,  Gold- 
wyn  Productions  and  Samuel  Goldwyn 
has  been  settled  outside  of  U.  S.  Dis- 
trict Court  here.  Sargeant  had  charged 
that  unauthorized  use  was  made  of 
parts  of  his  book,  "Jazz,"  in  the  pro- 
duction of  "A  Song  Is  Born." 


Two  Allied  Units 

{Continued  from  page  I) 

discuss  the  20th-Fox  effort  without 
rancor. 

Texas  Allied  says  the  largest  part 
of  industry  income  rests  with  affiliated 
circuits  from  which  it  says  it  does 
not  believe  the  "distributor  has  been 
getting  his  fair  share  of  the  box-office 
dollar."  If  those  are  the  theatres  20th- 
Fox  has  in  mind,  well,  and  good,  says 
Texas  Allied.  But  if  the  company 
means  the  "little  fellow,"  it  remarks, 
"we  all  better  hunt  the  cyclone  cel- 
lar." 

Iowa-Nebraska  Allied  believes  that 
distribution  revenue  from  affiliated 
theatres  can  be  increased  20  to  30  per 
cent  "by  proper  selling."  It  suggests 
that  home  office  sales  officials  and 
district  managers  handle  theatre  ac- 
counts which  average  more  than  $250 
per  picture,  and  that  branch  managers 
and  salesmen  take  care  of  the  rest. 
The  latter  should  visit  every  town  and 
theatre  in  their  territories  regularly, 
making  deals  based  on  individual  sit- 
uations rather  than  on  national  poli- 
cies which  it  claims  cannot  be  applied 
to  numerous  smaller  situations  and 
which,  therefore,  remain  unsold. 

"Every  theatre  is  a  possibility,"  the 
bulletin  reminds,  but  many  possibilities 
with  a  huge  aggregate  revenue  remain 
unsold  because  of  sales  policies  that 
cannot  be  made  to  fit  17,000  theatres, 
it  claims. 


Cliff  Lewis  Here 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Ribbon."  Ford  and  Cooper  co-pro- 
duced both  pictures  and  Ford,  addi- 
tionally, directed  "Ribbon." 

"Joe  Young,"  which  is  of  the  "King 
Kong"  type,  is  slated  for  release  in 
July,  and  "Ribbon"  is  tentatively  set 
for  October  but  may  be  advanced  to 
an  earlier  date,  Lewis  reports. 

Argosy  is  committeed  to  RKO  for 
the  delivery  of  two  more  productions 
and  is  scheduled  to  release  another 
through  United  Artists.  Company 
owns  several  story  properties  but  has 
not  decided  on  its  next.  Cooper  and 
Ford  produce  on  the  RKO  Pathe  lot 
in  Culver  City. 

Public  Hearings  Kill 
Two  Mass.  Bills 

Boston,  April  7. — By  unanimous 
vote,  the  Joint  Committee  of  State 
Administration  today  threw  out  a  pro- 
posed bill  which  would  establish  a 
commission  to  supervise  and  regulate 
motion  picture  exhibition.  Also  reject- 
ed was  a  proposal  for  another  com- 
mission to  review  films  and  comic 
books. 

The  action  followed  public  hearings 
on  the  bills,  at  which  several  persons 
spoke  in  opposition,  including  Mrs. 
Anna  Hughe  Driscoll,  executive  sec- 
retary of  Allied  of  Massachusetts, 
Frank  Lyndon,  field  representative  of 
the  same  organization,  and  Ray  Feeley, 
executive  secretary  of  the  Independent 
Exhibitors  of  New  England. 

Court  Dismisses 
'Informer'  Suit 

Kansas  City,  April  7. — The  Cir- 
cuit Court  of  Madison  County  has 
dismissed  one  of  the  suits  brought  un- 
der the  "informer  clause"  in  an  old 
law  on  aisle  widths,  according  to  re- 
ports received  here.  The  suit  was 
against  an  independent  exhibitor  at 
Fredericktown,  and  was  dismissed  on 
the  grounds  that  the  law  violates  the 
state  constitution. 


Question  Status  of 
TOA  Conciliation 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  April  7. — The  con- 
ciliation panel  of  the  Theatre  Owners 
of  America's  Albany  unit  decided  at 
a  meeting  yesterday  to  write  to  Ar- 
thur H.  Lockwood,  TOA  national 
president,  to  inquire  whether  the  na- 
tional committee  to  assay  local  panel 
findings  is  functioning.  A  third  and 
final  meeting  in  connection  with  the 
single  complaint  to  come  before  the 
Albany  panel  is  being  held  in  abey- 
ance, pending  receipt  of  Lockwood's 
reply. 

Under  the  conciliation  operations 
set  up  by  the  TOA,  local  panels  were 
to  function  on  a  60-day  trial  basis. 

At  yesterday's  meeting  of  the  Al- 
bany TOA  membership,  the  question 
was  weighed  as  to  whether  a  national 
TOA  organizer  should  be  assigned 
here  to  attempt  to  bring  into  the  local 
organization  several  large  circuits 
which  have  made  no  definite  move  to 
join. 


A  TOA  headquarters  spokesman 
said  in  New  York  yesterday  that  the 
organization's  conciliation  machinery 
is  intact,  but  he  amended  this  with 
the  observation  that  "there  has  not 
been  much  conciliation  activity." 

Fabian  Unifies  Four 
Circuit  Districts 

S.  H.  Fabian,  president  of  Fabian 
Theatres,  reports  the  unification  of 
the.  Brooklyn,  Staten  Island,  Port  Jer- 
vis  and  Middletown,  N.  Y.  districts, 
under  Louis  Goldberg,  Staten  Island 
district  manager,  and  Harold  Fisher, 
Middletown  and  Port  Jervis  district 
manager. 

Ed  Fabian,  Brooklyn  manager,  will 
spend  much  of  his  time  upstate  with 
Saul  Ullman,  Fabian  upstate  district 
manager.  Elias  Schlenger,  Staten  Is- 
land publicity  director,  will  become 
resident  district  manager  of  that  area. 

Seek  RKO  A  ccounting 
In  N.  J.  Operations 

Long  Park,  Inc.,  and  Trenton  Thea- 
tre Building  Co.  have  served  Trenton- 
New  Brunswick  Theatres  and  RKO 
Theatres  with  a  complaint  requesting 
an  accounting  under  a  1942  agreement 
whereby  RKO  operated  the  theatres 
in  Trenton  and  New  Brunswick,  N.  J., 
according  to  Walter  Reade  Theatres 
here.  The  period  of  the  accounting  is 
from  Sept.  1,  1942,  to  March  15,  1948, 
it  was  stated  by  Reade. 

Long  Park  and  Trenton  Theatre 
Building  own  and  control  50  per  cent 
of  the  stock  of  Trenton-New  Bruns- 
wick Theatres,  and  RKO  owns  the 
remaining  50  per  cent. 


Hearing  Again  Put  Off 

Hollywood,  April  7. — Federal 
Judge  Campbell  Beaumont  today 
again  postponed,  until  April  18,  hear- 
ings on  RKO's  petition  for  an  injunc- 
tion to  restrain  United  Artists  from 
releasing  "Champion,"  on  the  ground 
that  certain  fight  scenes  in  it  virtually 
duplicated  scenes  in  "Set  Up." 


Stockholders  to  Meet 

Twentieth  Century-Fox's  stockhold- 
ers will  hold  their  annual  meeting 
here  on  May  17,  company  secretary- 
treasurer  Donald  A.  Henderson  re- 
ports. 


MPA  to  Weigh 

(Contimied  from  page  1) 

panded  theatre  department  will  be  de- 
signed primarily  to  develop  a  closer 
and  more  effective  link  between  major 
companies  and  organized  exhibition  in 
the  interests  of  improved  internal  trade 
relations  and  also  for  the  improvement 
of  coordinated  efforts  in  industry  pub- 
lic relations  activities. 

Details  of  the  plan,  however,  have 
not  been  officially  disclosed,  although 
there  have  been  denials  that  the  move 
is  linked  with  affiliated  theatre  divorce- 
ment and  a  possible  new  exhibition 
membership  of  the  association. 


MPA  Board  Reelected 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Cecil  B.  DeMille;  Ned  E.  Depinet, 
RKO ;  Earle  W.  Hammons,  Educa- 
tional. 

Also,  Edgar  B.  Hatrick ;  Eric 
Johnston,  MPAA;  Austin  C.  Keough, 
Paramount ;  W.  C.  Michel,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox ;  John  J.  O'Connor,  Uni- 
versal ;  Norton  V.  Ritchey,  Allied 
Artists  ;  Hal  E.  Roach ;  Herman  Rob- 
bins.  Nicholas  M.  Schenek,  Loew's ; 
Abe  Schneider,  Columbia ;  Sam 
Schneider,  Warner  Brothers ;  Spyros 
P.  Skouras,  20th  Century-Fox ;  Jo- 
seph R.  Vogel,  Loew's ;  Albert  War- 
ner, Warner  Brothers ;  John  M. 
Whitaker,  RKO;  Herbert  J.  Yates, 
Republic. 


Again  Heads  AMPA 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

tary,  and  Lige  Brien,  public  relations 
director. 

Named  to  the  AMPA  board  were : 
Charles  Alicoate,  Vincent  Trotta, 
Sydney  Gross,  Gordon  White  and 
Blanche  Livingston.  The  officers  also 
will  serve  as  directors.  Ray  Galla- 
gher, Rutgers  Neilson  and  Jacques 
Kopfstein  were  named  trustees. 


TV  Labor  War  Case 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

one  or  both  of  the  unions  after  April 
30,  the  date  NABET's  contracts  with 
National  Broadcasting  and  American 
Broadcasting  expire.  The  companies, 
it  was  said,  are  at  liberty  to  renew 
the  pacts.  "IA"  international  president 
Richard  F.  Walsh  has  hinted  that  his 
union  may  take  strike  action  if  the 
dispute  over  lighting  workers  is  not 
settled  to  "IA's"  satisfaction  by  that 
date.  A  sufficient  number  of  employes 
would  be  involved  in  a  jurisdictional 
strike  to  interrupt  NBC  and  ABC 
telecasting. 

Hal  Wallis  Due  in 
New  York  Wednesday 

Hal  Wallis  will  arrive  in  New  York 
from  Hollywood  next  Wednesday  to 
discuss  releasing  plans  for  his  next 
three  productions  with  Paramount 
home  office  sales  executives.  The  three 
pictures,  all  completed,  are :  "Rope  of 
Sand,"  "My  Friend  Irma"  and 
"Thelma  Jordan." 

Joseph  Hazen,  president  of  Hal 
Wallis  productions,  will  leave  here  for 
Chicago  at  the  weekend  to  meet  W al- 
lis  and  return  here  with  him. 


Named  Carbons  Agents 

Theatre  Service  Supply  Co.  of  Salt 
Lake  City,  and  Associated  Industries 
of  Dallas  have  been  named  by  Ed- 
ward Lachman,  president  of  Carbons, 
Inc.,  distributors  for  his  company  in 
their  respective  areas. 


8 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  April  8,  1949 


Reviews 


"Scott  of  the  Antarctic" 

(Rank-Eagle  Lion) 

THE  British  have  brought  to  the  screen  the  fateful  story  of  Robert  Falcon 
Scott,  that  nation's  great  Antarctic  explorer  who  raced  the  Norwegian 
Amundsen  to  the  South  Pole  in  1912  and  who  lost  that  contest,  to  die  with 
several  of  his  men  on  the  return  journey  when  only  11  miles  from  a  supply 
base. 

The  story  of  Scott  and  his  battle  with  the  elements  in  the  face  of  overwhelm- 
ing obstacles  has  been  transferred  to  the  screen  by  the  Rank  Organization  and 
producer  Sir  Michael  with  terrifying  realism,  made  even  more  effective  through 
the  use  of  Technicolor.  It  is  a  superb  photographic  accomplishment  that  will 
astound  the  audience  which,  at  the  same  time,  will  freeze  in  its  seats  as  the 
blizzard  howls  across  the  bleak,  icy  expanse  of  the  Antarctic. 

While  the  makers  have  reproduced  Scott's  trek  with  meticulous  attention  to 
historic  detail  and  while  John  Mills  here  gives  the  performance  of  his  life, 
American  exhibitors  may  nevertheless  be  tempted  to  treat  "Scott"  as  a  docu- 
mentary rather  than  an  entertainment  film. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  director  Charles  Frend  did  not  see  fit  to  give  the  film 
more  movement,  a  little  more  dramatic  punch.  American  audiences  may  find 
it  difficult  to  understand  a  man  deliberately  walking  out  into  a  storm  to  his 
death  with  a  casual  "I  may  be  a  while." 

From  a  technical,  photographic  and  performance  point  of  view,  "Scott"  de- 
serves nothing  but  the  highest  praise.  The  screenplay  by  Walter  Meade  and 
Ivor  Montague,  provides  the  basis  for  some  outstanding  acting  by  such  veteran 
performers  as  Derek  Bond,  Harold  Warrender,  James  Robertson  Justice,  Reg- 
inald Beckwith,  Diana  Churchill  and  Anne  Firth.  Not  enough  emphasis  can 
be  placed  on  the  skillful  use  of  color  which  gives  the  camera  eye  a  depth  and 
vividness  of  outstanding  quality. 

Running  time,  111  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  20. 


"Rustlers" 

(RKO  Radio) 

THE  average  follower  of  Western  outdoor  tales  will  find  enough  of  that 
which  is  to  be  desired  in  hard  riding  and  fierce  fighting  and  gunplay  in 
"Rustlers."  Herman  Schlom  produced  and  Lesley  Selander  directed,  along 
a  routine,  straight  down-the-line  formula.  The  story  is  simple  and  easily 
told. 

Tim  Holt  and  Richard  Martin  are  cowpunchers  who  run  into  a  cattle- 
rustling  situation  while  trying  to  land  jobs.  Martin  makes  a  "killing"  at  a 
gambling  saloon  and  finds  that  the  money  he  won  is  marked  and  was  stolen 
by  the  saloon  keeper  from  ranchers.  The  sheriff  is  in  cahoots  with  the 
rustlers.  There's  a  lot  of  chasing  up  and  down  canyons  and  it  takes  a  little 
while  for  Holt  and  Martin  to  clear  themselves  but  everybody  is  happy  by 
the  time  the  sun  sets.  "Rustlers"  has  some  good  photography.  Holt  and 
Martin  are  adequate.  Lois  Andrews  is  seen  as  a  singer  in  the  saloon.  Others 
in  the  cast  are  Martha  Hyer,  Steve  Broidy,  Harry  Shannon,  Addison  Rich- 
ards and  Frank  Fenton. 

Running  time,  61  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  March 
release. 


"Ride,  Ryder,  Ride" 

(Eagle-Lion) 

THE  FIRST  in  a  new  series  of  Westerns,  "Ride,  Ryder,  Ride"  makes 
its  bow  with  an  abundance  of  action  in  Cinecolor.  Jim  Bannon  is  Red 
Ryder  and  a  young  Indian  boy  and  a  grizzled  old  cowhand  are  the  star's 
partners.  As  a  Western  it  rates  satisfactorily. 

Bannon  represents  the  forces  fighting  for  law  and  order.  Don  Kay  (Little 
Brown  Jug)  Reynolds  and  Emmett  Lynn,  as  "Little  Beaver"  and  "Buckskin," 
make  up  the  trio.  The  three  thwart  a  holdup  of  a  stage  coach  in  which 
Peggy  Steward,  newspaper  publisher,  is  riding.  When  her  brother  is  killed  by 
a  suave,  French-accented  gang  leader  who  is  taking  over  control  of  the 
town,  she  joins  forces  with  Red  Ryder  and  eventually  has  him  put  behind 
bars. 

Exhibitors  playing  this  series  will  have  the  added  advantage  of  promoting 
Western  pictures  presold  through  radio  and  comic-strip  syndication.  The 
series  is  based  upon  the  character  created  by  Stephen  Slesinger. 

Running  time,  58  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  February  release. 


Drafts  Bill 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


ments  cutting  tariffs  on  goods  from 
such  a  country  will  be  terminated  at 
the  earliest  possible  date,  with  the 
President  directed  to  take  advantage 
of  any  "escape  clauses"  in  the  agree- 
ment. 

The  California  Republican  ad- 
mitted that  the  motion  picture 
industry  was  one  of  the  indus- 
tries uppermost  in  his  mind 
when  he  drafted  the  amend- 
ment. 

Indications  that  the  amendment  may 
run  into  Administration  opposition 
were  contained  in  a  letter  Knowland 
released  today  from  Under-Secretary 
of  State  James  E.  Webb,  replying  to 
queries  from  Knowland  and  four  other 
Republican  Senators,  including  Sena- 
tor Taft  of  Ohio,  as  to  what  the  State 
Department  is  doing  about  foreign  dis- 
crimination against  American  goods. 
Webb's  general  attitude  was,  "We'd 
like  to  end  that  discrimination,  too, 
but  we  can't  rush  things." 

To  Meet  Acheson 

On  the  other  side  of  the  Capitol, 
Rep.  Cecil  B.  King,  head  of  a  com- 
mittee picked  by  California  Represen- 
tatives to  talk  to  the  State  Department 
on  the  British  quota  met  with  Webb 
today.  King  outlined  the  concern  of 
the  California  delegation  over  the 
high  British  quota  and  its  results  on 
employment  and  payrolls  in  Holly- 
wood. Arrangements  were  made  for 
the  full  committee  to  meet  with  Sec- 
retary of  State  Dean  Acheson  some- 
time next  week. 

In  his  letter  to  Knowland, 
Webb  said  that  discrimination 
abroad  against  American  prod- 
ucts was  made  necessary  by  an 
inadequate  supply  of  dollars. 
By  conserving  dollars,  these 
countries  can  make  the  most  of 
the  Marshall  Plan,  Webb  wrote, 
and  so  speed  the  day  when 
they'll  no  longer  need  American 
taxpayers'  money. 

He  said  that  the  Administration's 
current  policies  are  designed  to  return 
at  the  earliest  possible  date  to  a  pat- 
tern of  world-wide  non-discriminatory 
multilateral  trade,  with  the  European 
countries  trading  with  the  dollar 
countries  as  well  as  among  themselves. 

Sees  Progress 

"The  progress  during  the  last  year 
to  achieve  this  objective  has  been 
real,"  Webb  declared,  "but  we  are  not 
yet  at  the  point  where  European  coun- 
tries can  achieve  a  balance  in  dollar 
payments  without  careful  conservation 
of  dollar  earnings.  Relaxation  of  ex- 
isting restrictions  on  trade  and  cur- 
rency convertibility  involve  questions 
of  timing  which  are  of  the  utmost 
complexity." 

Webb  recalled  that  Britain  tried  to 
restore  limited  sterling  convertibility 
under  the  British  loan  agreement  in 
the  summer  of  1947,  but  with  dis- 
astrous results  and  rapid  inroads  on 
her  dollar  reserve  that  forced  a  return 
to  non-convertibility. 

"The  Department  earnestly  en- 
deavors to  avoid  such  premature 
measures  in  the  future  which  would 
only  result  in  an  increasing  burden 
on  the  U.  S.  taxpayer,  while  at  the 
same  time  moving  toward  the  earliest 
reattainment  of  multilateral,  non-dis- 
criminatory world  trade,"  Webb 
wrote. 


Dollar  Situation 
Tightens  in  Mexico 

Mexico  City,  April  7. — The  new 
weakening  of  the  peso,  its  sudden  in- 
crease to  more  than  seven  for  a  dol- 
lar, is  a  new  worry  for  the  film  trade, 
particularly  for  U.  S.  and  other  for- 
eign distributors  and  also  for  those 
who  import  equipment  and  materials. 
The  trade  hears  insistent  rumors  of 
early  resumption  of  the  gold  monetary 
standard  which  Mexico  abandoned  in 
1931,  because  of  the  present  world 
gold  situation  and  the  belief  that  a 
gold  backing  would  strengthen  the 
peso  and  improve  things  economically. 


Fox  Midwest  Shifts 
4  in  Job  Changes 

Kansas  City,  April  7. — Appoint- 
ment of  Ralph  Adams  as  film  buyer 
for  Fox  Midwest,  succeeding  Lon 
Cox,  resigned,  was  announced  here 
by  Elmer  C.  Rhoden. 

Chet  Hilton,  formerly  booker  for 
District  5,  will  take  Adams'  place  as 
District  2  booker,  with  James  Dennis, 
formerly  in  film  statistics,  taking  over 
Hilton's  post.  Jack  Redmond,  former- 
ly manager  of  the  Esquire,  will  assist 
Senn  Lawler  in  advertising,  specializ- 
ing on  first-run  campaigns  here  and 
in  other  key  towns. 


MPIC  Demands 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ment  in  the  history  of  Hollywood,  in 
a  large  part  due  to  the  discriminatory 
trade  barriers  set  up  by  the  British 
government,  MPIC,  representing 
every  major  labor  and  management 
group,  urges  the  government  of  the 
United  States,  through  its  state  de- 
partment, to  enter  immediate  negotia- 
tions with  the  government  of  the 
United  Kingdom  to  eliminate  these 
practices  which  have  injured  the  mo- 
tion picture  industries  of  both  coun- 
tries. 

"We  are  sympathetic  to  the  post- 
war difficulties  of  Great  Britain  and 
to  the  great  sacrifices  of  the  British 
people,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  dollar 
remittance  agreement  negotiated  by 
Eric  Johnston  and  James  A.  Mulvey, 
representing  the  American  industry. 
This  agreement  was  entered  into  at  a 
considerable  sacrifice  to  the  American 
industry.  Notwithstanding,  the  British 
government,  shortly  after  the  conclu- 
sion of  this  agreement,  broke  faith 
with  the  American  industry  by  doub- 
ling the  required  playing  time  for 
British  pictures  on  screens  in  Great 
Britain. 

Sees  Harmful  Result 

"It  had  been  clearly  understood  at 
the  time  the  agreement  was  negotiated 
that  the  existing  quota  for  screen  time 
would  not  be  disturbed.  Raising  this 
quota  did  not  in  any  manner  help  to 
solve  the  British  dollar  problem.  Its 
only  result  has  been  to  injure  the 
American  industry,  deepen  the  plight 
of  British  exhibitors,  and  add  to  un- 
employment among  British  film  work- 
ers. Unless  these  restrictions  are  part 
of  a  program  aimed  at  the  destruction 
of  the  American  film  industry  in  the 
world  market,  we  are  unable  to  un- 
derstand their  purpose. 

"We  ask  the  State  Department  to 
take  this  action  under  the  authority 
of  the  general  agreement  on  tariffs 
and  trades,  and  the  International 
Trade  Organization  charter." 


German  Film  Code 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

prevention  of  the  establishment  of  a 
film  quota.  Mayer  declared  that  "if 
we  don't  use  judgment  and  forebear - 
ance"  and  hold  down  exports  so  that 
the  market  is  not  flooded  with  films, 
"we  will  have  restrictions  on  the  num- 
ber of  films  imported."  Mayer  praised 
"the  wisdom  and  foresight"  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Export  Association 
which  has  kept  U.  S.  film  exports  to 
Germany  down  to  52  a  year.  French 
and  British  industries  followed  suit 
with  35  films  a  year,  he  said. 

The  third  prime  consideration  is  to 
lift  the  monetary  moratorium  to  a 
limited  degree.  By  limited,  Mayer  ex- 
plained, he  meant  to  the  extent  that 
blocked  marks  could  be  put  to  use  in 
the  Germany  economy.  At  present 
marks  are  blocked  100  per  cent. 
Lists  Branch  Activities 

Among  its  other  activities,  the  mo- 
tion picture  branch  issues  a  weekly 
news'reel,  produces  educational  docu- 
mentaries, and  distributes  American 
documentaries. 

Mayer  pointed  out  that  there  are 
many  restrictions  in  Germany,  such 
as  maximum  film  rentals  of  43  _  per 
cent  and  maximum  admission  prices. 

At  the  moment  the  AMG  is  seeking 
to  complete  the  liquidation  of  UFA, 
the  motion  picture  monopoly. 

Mayer  plans  to  return  to  Germany 
at  the  end  of  the  month.  He  expects 
to  remain  in  his  post  for  a  few  more 
months  and  then  resign. 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.   NO.  70 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  MONDAY,  APRIL  11,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Formula  Set 
For  Industry 
Shorts  Costs 


Rentals  To  Meet  Actual 
Costs;  Trustees  Named 

With  companies  agreeing  to 
waive  distribution  charges  for  han- 
dling the  industry  promotional  short 
subjects,  a  board  of  trustees  of  20 
members,  representing  all  segments  of 
the  trade,  has  been  established  to 
control  and  disburse  all  rentals  from 
the  U.  S.  and  Canada  release  of  "The 
Movies  and  You"  series. 

This  was  disclosed  in  a  joint  state- 
ment on  Friday  by  William  Ains- 
worth,  president  of  Allied  States ;  Y. 
Frank  Freeman,  board  chairman,  As- 
sociation of  Motion  Picture  Produc- 
ers ;  Eric  A.  Johnston,  president,  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America, 
{Continued  on  page  6) 

Union  Closes 
Rank  Studios 


London,  April  10. — A  work  stop- 
page ordered  by  the  Electrical  Trades 
Union  at  J.  Arthur  Rank's  Denham 
studios  on  Friday  spread  to  Rank's 
Pinewood  studios,  resulting  in  the 
shut-down  of  both  and  the  holdup  of 
all  Rank  production  activities. 

Two  pictures  were  in  production  at 
Denham  and  one  at  Pinewood.  Shoot- 
{Continued  on  page  6) 


Brandt  Says  ITOA 
And  20th  Will  Meet 

Harry  Brandt,  ITOA  of 
New  York  president,  said  on 
Friday  that  he  had  received 
word  from  Al  Lichtman,  20th 
Century-Fox  vice-president, 
now  on  the  Coast,  that  he 
and  other  20th-Fox  officials 
are  willing  to  meet  with 
ITOA  on  their  return  to  New 
York  to  discuss  20th's  current 
drive  for  increased  film  rent- 
als. 

ITOA  boycotted  the  com- 
pany's meeting  with  New 
York  exhibitors,  then  invited 
20th-Fox  officials  to  meet 
with  it  April  14.  ITOA  subse- 
quently set  aside  that  date 
because  of  the  approaching 
religious  holidays. 


Warners  Contend 
Joint  Partnerships 
May  Be  Liquidated 

Washington,  April  10. — The  New 
York  District  Court  judgments  and 
consent  decrees  permit  any  big  five 
company  ordered  to  dispose  of  a  thea- 
tre owned  jointly  with  an  independent 
to  ask  for  the  dissolution  of  the  part- 
nership or  jointly-owned  company 
and  public  sale  of  its  assets,  even 
though  there  is  a  .prior  contract  under 
which  the  big  five  company  agrees  to 
offer  the  theatre  property  to  its  part- 
ner at  a  specified  price  before  selling 
to  anyone  else. 

That  is  the  argument  which  Warner 
Bros,  advanced  in  District  court  here 
Friday.  It  is  of  great  importance  to 
every  big  five  company  and  to  prac- 
tically every  independent  exhibitor 
who  owns  a  theatre  jointly  with  a  big 
five  company.  According  to  lawyers 
here,  many  of  the  Paramount  partners 
have  such  contracts  with  Paramount, 
and  the  same  holds  for  Fox,  Loew's 
and  RKO. 

Warners  made  the  argument  in  con- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


PCCITO  Stand  on 
20th's  Drive  Told 


The  Pacific  Coast  Conference  of  In- 
dependent Theatre  Owners  and  the 
Independent  Exhibitors  of  New  En- 
gland add  their  comments  on  20th- 
Fox's  increased  rentals  drive  to  those 
already  made,  in  current  bulletins. 

Stating  that  "no  one  denies  20th 
Century-Fox  the  right  to  adopt  any 
sales  plan  or  formula."  PCCITO 
says:  "They  are  your  pictures  and 
you  have  the  right  to  try  to  sell  them 
at  any  price  you  see  fit.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  you  can  try  to  sell  them  for 
70  per  cent  of  the  box  office  receipts. 

(.Continued  on  page  6) 


JDC  to  Cite  Fabian 
At  April  27  Fete 

Simon  H.  Fabian,  president 
of  Fabian  Theatres,  will  be 
awarded  a  special  citation  at 
the  April  27  dinner  sponsored 
by  the  Joint  Defense  Appeal 
on  behalf  of  the  United  Jew- 
ish Appeal  of  Greater  New 
York  to  be  held  at  the  Wal- 
dorf-Astoria Hotel  here. 

Fabian  will  be  cited  "in  ap- 
preciation of  the  humanitari- 
an services  and  outstanding 
leadership  he  has  rendered  in 
every  worthy  philanthropic 
and  communal  activity  in  the 
motion  picture  industry  and 
in  the  life  of  the  community," 
according  to  Samuel  D.  Leid- 
esdorf  and  Edmund  Water- 
man, dinner  chairmen. 


Future  Video  Talks 
Set  by  TOA-SMPE 

Technical  and  economic  problems  of 
theatre  television  and  the  application 
of  Federal  Communications  Commis- 
sion regulations  were  discussed  at  the 
first  formal  meeting  of  23  members  of 
television  groups  representing  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  and  the 
Society  of  Motion  Picture  Engineers 
at  the  Hotel  Statler  here  Friday. 

The  meeting  was  a  feature  of  the 
final  day  of  the  SMPE's  65th  semi- 

(C ontinued  on  page  6) 


New  Col.  Pacts  for 
Spingold,  Schneider 

Abe  Schneider,  Columbia  vice- 
president  and  treasurer,  and  Nate 
Spingold,  vice-president  in  charge  of 
advertising  and  publicity,  have  been 
given  new  contracts  by  the  company, 
it  was  announced  on  Friday. 


'The  Barkleys  of  Broadway 9 

\Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer\ — Astaire  and  Rogers  Return 

THE  team  of  Fred  Astaire  and  Ginger  Rogers,  fondly  remembered 
by  thousands  of  exhibitors,  return  to  the  screen  together  after  an 
absence  of  a  decade  in  M-G-M's  opulent  Technicolor  production, 
"The  Barkleys  of  Broadway." 

The  picture  is  a  treat  for  the  eyes  and  ears  of  a  wide  age  span. 
Dances,  songs  and  music  are  top  grade  and  tailored  to  measure  for  the 
starring  team.  Sets,  costumes  and  color  are  intriguingly  rich  enough  to 
be  box-office  factors  in  their  own  right.  The  story,  however,  follows 
well-charted  lines  and  its  too  familiar  pattern  seemingly  slows  the  pic- 
ture's pace  from  time  to  time,  contributing  to  an  impression  that  its  109 
minutes  of  running  time  may  be  more  than  actually  are  required. 

Astaire  and  Miss  Rogers  are  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barkley,  a  stellar  song  and 
dance  team  whose  professional  life  and  ambitions  keep  their  romantic 

(.Continued  on  page  3) 


Approve  Move 
For  New  MPA 
Theatre  Unit 


Depinet  Heads  Group  on 
Exhibitor  Relations 


Board  of  directors  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  at 
a  meeting  here  on  Friday  approved 
a  proposal  for  a  substantially  ex- 
panded theatre  department  and  ap- 
pointed a  new  committee  on  exhibitor 
relations,  chairman  of  which  is  Ned  E. 
Depinet,  president  of  RKO. 

Named  to  serve  with  Depinet  are 
Harry  Kalmine,  president  and  general 
manager  of  Warner  Theatres ;  Austin 
C.  Keough,  vice-president  and  general 
counsel  for  Paramount,  and  William 
F.  Rodgers,  vice-president  in  charge 
of  sales  for  M-G-M. 

The  Depinet  group  will  serve  in  an 
advisory  capacity  on  expanding  the 
theatre  activities  of  the  MPA  A  and  it 
is  understood  will  work  with  the  new 
department  to  be  established  at  the 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Loew's  Profit 
Up  for  1949 


Loew's  reports  net  profit  of  $4,117,- 
117  after  taxes  for  the  28  weeks  ended 
March  17,  an  increase  of  $230,372  over 
the  $3,886,745  recorded  for  the  corre- 
sponding period  last  year.  Profit  be- 
fore taxes  was  $7,323,810  as  against 
$7,107,434  for  the  former  period. 

For  the  16  weeks  ended  March  17, 
gross  sales  and  operating  revenues 
were  estimated  at  $55,455,000,  com- 
pared with  $59,127,000  for  the  same 
period  last  year. 

The  profit  for  this  year's  28-week 
period  is  equal  to  80  cents  per  share 
of  common  stock,  as  against  75  cents 
for  the  corresponding  period  last  year. 

Operating  profit  for  the  recent  28- 
week  period,  including  wholly  and 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


King  Asks  Acheson 
For  Meet  on  Quota 

Washington,  April  10. — The  com- 
mittee of  California  Representatives 
seeking  State  Department  action 
against  the  British  film  quota,  headed 
by  Rep.  Cecil  B.  King,  and  chosen 
by  the  California  Congressional  dele- 
gation, has  formally  asked  Secretary 
Acheson  to  set  a  time  for  a  meeting 
this  week.  King  made  the  request  in 
a  letter  to  Acheson  Friday. 


2 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  April  11,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


JEAN  RENOIR,  French  director, 
and  J.  K.  McEldowney,  Oriental- 
International  Films  president,  are  here 
from  Delhi,  India,  and  plan  to  continue 
on  to  the  Coast. 

Paul  Lazarus,  Sr.,  head  of  the 
United  Artists  contract  department, 
returned  to  his  home  at  Lake  Mahopac, 
N.  Y.,  from  Kansas  City  at  the  week- 
end for  further  recuperation  from  the 
minor  stroke  he.  suffered  while  travel- 
ing a  month  ago. 

• 

G.  I.  Wood'Ham-Smith,  a  director 
of  the  J.  Arthur  Rank  Organization, 
Monty  Banks,  British  director,  and 
his  wife,  Gracie  Fields,  left  here 
Friday  for  England  aboard  the  S.  S. 
Maureiania. 

• 

J.  Cheever  Cowdin,  Universal 
board  chairman,  is  back  in  London 
following  a  tour  of  the  Continent, 
and  is  scheduled  to  leave  for  New 
York  by  plane  this  week. 

• 

Sam   Eckman,  Jr.,  managing  di- 
rector and  board  chairman  of  M-G-M's 
British  affiliate,  and  Mrs.  Eckman, 
will  arrive  here  today  from  London. 
• 

F.  W.  Allport,  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociation London  representative,  was 
scheduled  to  arrive  in  New  York  by 
plane  over  the  past  weekend. 

• 

Alfred  Junge,  art  director  for 
M-G-M's  British  studios,  will  arrive 
here  from  the  Coast  today  and  will 
sail  tomorrow  for  London. 

• 

Edward  Lachman,  Allied  Theatre 
Owners  of  New  Jersey  president,  will 
be  in  Chicago  today  from  New  York. 
• 

Lige  Brien,  Eagle-Lion's  assistant 
exploitation  manager  was  in  Boston 
over  the  weekend  from  New  York. 

Norman  Barnett,  vice-president  of 
Massce-Barnett,  will  return  here  today 
from  Havana  and  Miami. 

• 

William  Dieterle,  director,  is  here 
from  the  Coast  preparatory  to  leaving 
for  Europe  on  Wednesday. 

• 

Bill  Farina,  Jack  Strader  Produc- 
tions vice-president,  is  in  New  York 
from  Knoxville. 

H.  M.  Richey,  M-G-M  exhibitor 
relations  head,  will  return  here  today 
from  Denver. 

• 

Jack  Berkson,  Screencraft  presi- 
dent, has  returned  to  New  York  from 
Buffalo. 


On  Golf  Committee 

Harold  Rinzler  has  been  named  co- 
chairman  with  Don  Mersereau  of  the 
Variety  Club  of  New  York's  golf 
tournament  committee.  William  White, 
Marvin  Kirsch  and  Max  Wolf  have 
been  named  to  the  committee  by  Max 
Cohen,  chief  barker.  Date  and  place 
of  the  tournament  will  be  set  soon. 


Tradewise . . . 


By  SHERWIN  KANE 


ACCORDING  to  the  best  in- 
formation obtainable,  the 
British  members  of  the  Anglo- 
U.  S.  Advisory  Film  Council 
will  go  into  the  Washington 
meeting  with  the  American 
members  next  week  intent  upon 
repeating  their  demands  for  in- 
creased American  playing  time 
for  their  pictures. 

After  the  interminable  ex- 
planations, the  patient  discus- 
sion, the  frank  replies  that  have 
been  given  the  British  producers 
over  the  past  several  years,  -by 
official  and  unofficial  sources 
alike,  it  would  seem  that  rea- 
sonable men  would  understand 
by  now  that  playing  time  in  the 
theatres  of  America  is  not  in 
the  power  of  any  small  group  of 
men  to  give. 

Even  if  it  were,  and  they  were 
disposed  to  give  it  and  to  absorb 
the  financial  losses  that  large- 
scale  playing  of  British  pictures 
here  entails,  it  is  doubtful  if  it 
could  be  done  without  the 
American  principals  running 
afoul  of  the  anti-trust  laws. 

That,  perhaps,  is  what  makes 
it  so  difficult  for  British  produc- 
ers to  comprehend.  They  are 
not  troubled  at  home  with  anti- 
trust laws.  No  doubt  they  as- 
sume even  that  the  impending- 
appreciable  divorcement  of  af- 
filiated theatres  within  the 
Amercan  industry  is  no  more 
than  window-dressing  for  ap- 
pearances' sake  and  that  pro- 
ducers-distributors here  will  con- 
tinue to  exercise  some  measure 
of  control  or  influence  over  the 
separated  theatre  operations. 
• 

Their  situation  at  home,  which 
permits  J.  Arthur  Rank,  for  ex- 
ample, to  dominate  British  ex- 
hibition and  thereby  dictate  play- 
ing time  which  decides  the  fate 
of  a  vast  amount  of  product,  ap- 
parently makes  it  difficult  for 
them  to  comprehend  that  that 
condition  does  not  prevail  here. 

The  sorry  state  of  British  pro- 
duction today  no  doubt  increases 
their  unwillingness  to  under- 
stand. Their  pictures  are  not 
profitable  at  home  but  their 
troubles  would  dissolve  almost 
overnight  if  they  could  establish 
a  steady  flow  of  dollars  from  this 
market.  That  is  the  straw  to 
which  they  cling.  To  understand 
that  there  is  no  widespread  de- 
mand for  a  continuous  supply  of 
their  pictures  here,  and  that 
without  it  there  is  no  power  that 
can  give  them  arbitrarily  the 
playing  time  they  desire,  would 
be  to  lose  that  straw. 

The    British    delegation  is 


doomed  to  disappointment  if,  as 
is  said  of  it,  it  hopes  to  come 
away  from  the  Washington 
meeting  with  extensive  playing 
time  commitments  for  British 
pictures.  Its  members  doubtless 
will  return  home  and  renew  their 
blind  complaints  of  discrimina- 
tion and  hoary  charges  of  con- 
spiracy to  keep  British  pictures 
out  of  American  theatres. 

It  may  not  even  occur  to  them, 
or  if  it  does  it  will  make  no  dif- 
ference whatever,  that  they  head, 
with  the  backing  of  departments 
of  their  government  a  campaign 
of  discrimination  against  Ameri- 
can pictures  in  Britain  which 
the  country's  leading  newspaper, 
The  Times  of  London,  views  as 
preparation  for  squeezing  our 
films  out  of  the  British  market. 

Sooner  or  later  British  pro- 
ducers will  have  to  accept  the 
fact  that  the  American  market, 
like  most  other  markets,  must 
be  won  by  the  merits  of  their 
product  and  its  acceptability  to 
the  American  public.  It  is  un- 
obtainable as  a  gift.  Nor  can  it- 
be  had  as  a  bribe  in  payment  for 
relaxation  of  penalties  designed 
to  deprive  American  pictures  of 
their  place  in  the  British  market. 

•  • 

Will  H.  Hays,  as  arbitrator  of 
the  division  among  distributors 
of  the  money  released  by  France 
under  the  Blum-Byrnes  agree- 
ment, is  about  to  conclude  his 
hearings.  They  have  .been  in 
progress  here  for  many  months, 
with  George  Borthwick,  former 
Motion  Picture  Association 
treasurer,  called  back  from  re- 
tirement in  California  to  serve  as 
expert  and  adviser  on  questions 
of  accounting. 

The  taking  of  testimony  by  in- 
dividual companies  has  followed 
formal  legal  procedure,  with  dis- 
tributors' attorneys  on  hand  and 
representatives  of  foreign  de- 
partments and  accounting  de- 
partments testifying. 

•  • 

Lagniappe :  Columbia's  bylaws 
were  amended  recently  to  trans- 
fer control  of  the  studios  from 
the  president  of  the  company  to 
the  board  of  directors.  The 
board  is  authorized  to  designate 
the  studio  head  .  .  .  The  agree- 
ment terminating  N.  Peter  Rath- 
von's  unexpired  contract  with 
RKO  provided  for  payment  to 
him  of  $66,000  in  lieu  of  further 
compensation.  .  .  .  Local  betting 
is  2  to  1  there  will  be  no  more 
consent  decrees  in  the  so-called 
Paramount  case  —  unless  the 
new  Attorney  General  will  set- 
tle for  less  than  divorcement. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


SYNOPSES  of  Telenews  Digest, 
^-J  which  has  increased  from  one  to 
two  weekly  editions,  will  be  published 
regularly  in  Motion  Picture  Daily's 
Newsreel  Parade.  Highlights  of  the 
current  newsreels  are  the  Pope's  50th 
anniversary,  the  meeting  of  the  UN 
General  Assembly,  and  the  selling  of 
the  Hope  diamond.  Complete  contents 
follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  29.— Army 
Day  parade.  UN  Assembly  meets.  Bank 
fugitive  caught.  Hope  diamond  sold.  Pope 
Pius  celebrates  Golden  Anniversary.  Lights 
go  on  again  in  England.  College  professor 
makes  hobby  of  training  jungle  killers. 
Fashions  for  tall  girls.    Sports:  golf. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  263— Bank- 
er fugitive  caught  by  FBI.  Hospital  fire 
tragedy  shocks  nation.  UN  convenes  in 
New  York.  Children  pay  tribute  on  Pontiff's 
jubilee.  Hope  diamond  changes  hands. 
Easter  hats.  President  Truman  hails  Army 
Day. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  66— Nation 
salutes  men  in  khaki:  Army  Day  1949. 
Tragic  hospital  fire  in  Illinois.  Mailman 
makes  gem  of  a  delivery.  Pope  Pius  marks 
50  years  of  priesthood.  UN  Assembly  opens 
in  New  York. 

UNIVERSAL,  NEWSREEL,  No.  237— 
Army  Day  parade.  Hospital  fire.  Pope's 
50th  anniversary.  Kids'  hat  fashions.  Ski- 
ing finals.    Circus  in  New  York. 

WARNER  PAT  HE  NEWS,  No.  68 — 
UN  General  Assembly  opens.  Hawaiian 
color  fashions.  Pope  celebrates  50th  year 
as  priest.  FBI  catches  runaway  banker. 
Armed  Forces  parade  on  Army  Day.  Lights 
go  on  again  in  London.  Four  alarm  fire  in 
Harlem.  Skiing.  Harriman  cup  races. 
Boxing. 

TELENEWS   DIGEST,   No.  14-B— 

China:  mission  to  Peiping.  Atlantic  Pact 
riots  in  Iceland.  UN  Assembly  opens.  Hos- 
pital disaster  in  Illinois.  Bank  embezzler 
caught.  Japan:  quake  area  revisited.  Hope 
diamond  sold.  Army  Day.  Pope  Pius  cele- 
brates 50th  anniversary.  Lights  go  on  in 
London. 


Lissim  Resigns  Post 
With  RKO  in  Europe 

Wladimir  Lissim,  European  general 
manager  of  RKO  Radio,  has  resigned, 
after  having  been  associated  with  the 
company  for  16  years. 

RKO  said  Lissim,  who  is  in  New 
York  from  Paris,  will  continue  to 
work  for  awhile  in  the  home  office, 
and  will  proceed  later  to  Paris,  where 
he  will  complete  final  details  prepara- 
tory to  leaving  for  a  vacation.  He 
is  expected  to  announce  his  future 
plans  following  his  vacation. 


Joseph  Gould  Gets 
20th-Fox  Ad  Post 

Joseph  Gould  has  been  appointed 
copy  chief  of  the  20th  Century-Fox  ad- 
vertising department,  headed  by  Jonas 
Rosenfield,  Jr.,  it  is  announced  by 
Charles  Einfeld,  vice-president.  Gould, 
who  has  been  in  the  industry  since 
1939,  had  been  with  Universal-Inter- 
national prior  to  the  appointment. 


Variety  Raises  $12,700 

Toronto,  April  10. — Annual  bene- 
fit performance  of  the  Toronto  Tent 
No.  28,  International  Variety  Clubs, 
raised  $12,700  for  the  fund  of  the 
Variety  Village  vocational  school  for 
crippled  children,  it  was  reported  at  a 
meeting  of  the  special  committee  head- 
ed by  Herb  Allen  as  chairman  of  the 
permanent  fund-raising  committee. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigiey,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigiey,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays. 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigiey  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigiey,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigiey,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca- Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigiey  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Monday,  April  11,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Await  Chaplin  Option 
Extension  Today 

Hollywood,  April  10.  —  Al- 
though Charles  Chaplin  has 
declined  to  comment,  he  is 
expected  to  extend  for  10 
days  his  option  to  sell  the 
United  Artists,  which  expires 
tomorrow. 

Nasser  Brothers,  now  be- 
lieved to  have  the  field  to 
themselves,  continued  nego- 
tiations over  the  weekend 
with  interests  associated  in 
their  purchase  plan,  which  is 
said  to  be  in  the  final  stages. 


IATSE  to  Charter 
Studio  Publicists 

Hollywood,  April  10.  —  IATSE 
will  issue  a  charter  covering  studio 
publicists,  not  withstanding  the  Screen 
Publicists  Guild  vote  earlier  this  week 
for  an  independent  status,  Roy  Brewer, 
IA  international  representative,  said  in 
a  statement  issued  over  the  weekend. 

Brewer  said  that  a  bargaining  elec 
tion  petition,  now  before  the  NLRB, 
will  not  be  withdrawn.  Brewer's  posi 
tion  is  that  the  majority  of  workers 
now  actively  employed  in  the  studios 
voted  in  favor  of  IATSE  affiliation 
while  those  who  voted  against  were 
in  the  main  unemployed. 


SPG  Pickets  Back 
At  Broadway  Houses 

Picketing  of  Broadway  first-run 
houses  will  be  resumed  today,  the 
Screen  Publicists  Guild  announced 
with  the  demonstrations  planned  to 
continue  until  negotiations  between  the 
Guild  and  producers,  now  deadlocked 
are  resumed. 

The  SPG  posted  temporary  picket 
lines  last  Tuesday  night,  after  a  spe- 
cial membership  meeting  where  Guild 
spokesmen  said  that  the  producing 
companies  had  refused  to  sign  new 
contracts  unless  wage  and  security  de 
mands  were  withdrawn. 


Senate  Passes  ECA 
Bill;  House  to  Act 

Washington,  April  10. — A  bill  ex 
tending  ECA  operations  through  June 
30,  1950,  was  passed  by  the  Senate 
Friday,  with  up  to  $10,000,000  avail- 
able for  information  media  guaranties 

The  House,  where  its  Foreign  Af- 
fairs committee  has  increased  the 
media  fund  to  $15,000,000,  is  expected 
to  pass  its  version  of  the  ECA  bill 
this  week. 


Two-Cent  Tax  Legal 

Washington,  April  10.  ■ —  The 
Fairfax  Corp.,  operating  theatres  in 
Virginia,  has  lost  a  court  battle 
against  a  two-cent  admission  tax  in 
nearby  Falls  Church,  Va.,  where  it 
owns  the  State  Theatre.  The  com- 
pany had  attacked  the  tax  as  beyond 
the  city's  taxing  power,  but  a  Fair 
fax  County  Circuit  Court  said  the 
tax  was  legal  and  dismissed  the  suit. 


Stromberg  in  Detroit 

Detriot,  April  10.— Hunt  Strom 
berg,  independent  producer,  was  in 
Detroit  Friday  to  give  a  deposition  in 
the  Society  of  Independent  Motion 
Picture  Producer's  anti-monopoly  suit 
against  United  Detroit  Theatres  and 
Commonwealth  Theatres  of  Michigan. 


The  Barkleys  of  Broadway 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Propose  Changes  in 
Securities  Forms 


life  off-stage  in  constant  turmoil.  Miss  Rogers  secretly  fancies  herself 
a  dramatic  actress  and  her  appetite  for  a  legitimate  role  is  whetted  by  a 
young  playwright,  Jacques  Francois,  who  sees  her  as  just  the  type  for  the 
title  role  in  his  play  of  the  young  Sarah  Bernhardt. 

Astaire  rebels  at  the  idea  and,  when  Miss  Rogers  accepts  the  role,  the  two 
separate.  Threatened  with  a  failure  as  a  dramatic  actress,  Miss  Rogers  is 
coached  to  success  by  Astaire  who  employs  a  ruse  to  correct  her  deficiencies. 
Meanwhile,  the  playwright,  Francois,  becomes  romantically  interested  in  Miss 
Rogers. 

HER  reconciliation  with  Astaire  is  managed  by  her  discovery  of  his  ruse 
and  with  the  friendly  assistance  of  Oscar  Levant  as  their  mutual  friend. 
The  happy  ending  is  achieved  with  the  song  and  dance  team  returning  to  new 
success  on  the  musical  stage. 

The  dancing  of  Astaire  and  Miss  Rogers  is  as  smooth  and  polished  as  ever, 
although  some  of  the  sparkle  and  verve  of  a  decade  ago-  may  seem  to  be  miss- 
ing. The  likeable  qualities  remain  and  many  an  individual  scene  shines  bright- 
er than  the  whole. 

There  is  lots  of  fine  music  by  Harry  Warren  and  lyrics  by  Ira  Gershwin, 
and  the  tuneful  number  "They  Can't  Take  That  Away  from  Me,"  for  which 
George  Gershwin  wrote  the  music. 

Charles  Walters  directed  with  care  and  fluency.  Betty  'Comden  and  Adolph 
Green  did  the  original  screen  play.  Arthur  Freed  produced,  with  Roger  Edens 
as  associate  producer. 

"Shoes  with  Wings  On,"  a  unique  dance  number  in  which  the  shoes  in  a 
cobbler's  shop  take  off  from  shelves  and  counters  by  themselves  for  an  engag- 
ing dance  routine,  was  directed  by  Hermes  Pan,  with  the  dancing  shoes  effects 
done  by  Irving  G.  Ries. 

The  Technicolor  photography  is  particularly  impressive  and  contributes 
much  to  the  effectiveness  of  Irene's  lavish  costumes  for  Miss  Rogers,  to  the 
art  work  of  Cedric  Gibbons  and  Edward  Carfagno,  and  the  decorations  of 
Edwin  B.  Willis  and  Arthur  Krams,  all  outstanding  in  their  own  rights. 

SUPPORTING  roles  are  engagingly  filled  by  Levant  who,  in  addition  to 
his  role  as  friend  of  the  Barkleys,  is  featured  in  several  of  his  distinctive 
piano  solos ;  by  Billie  Burke,  as  a  flighty  matron ;  Gale  Robbins,  as  Miss 
Rogers'  stage  understudy  and  feminine  foil  for  Astaire  in  arousing  his  mate's 
jealousy. 

Musical  numbers  were  engagingly  staged  and  directed  by  Robert  Alton,  with 
musical  direction  by  Lennie  Hayton. 

The  production  is  in  the  tradition  of  richness  for  which  the  studio  is  known. 
There  is  an  abundance  of  entertainment  in  the  complete  package  and  with  it 
the  box-office  pull  of  the  starring  team's  names.* 

Running  time,  109  minutes.    General  classification.    For  May  release. 

Sherwin  Kanf 


Herbert  B.  Swope 
Named  RCA  Adviser 

Herbert  Bayard  Swope  has  joined 
Radio  Corporation  of  America  as  ad- 
viser and  consultant,  it  was  announced 
Friday  by  David  Sarnoff,  chairman 
of  the  board. 

Swope  recently  resigned  as  director 
of  Columbia  Broadcasting,  of  which 
he  was  also  a  member  of  the  execu- 
tive committee  since  1932.  His  work 
with  RCA  will  not  require  his  full 
time  and  he  will  continue  his  indepen- 
dent practice  with  other  and  non- 
competing  organizations,  according  to 
RCA's  statement. 


Exhibitors  Buy  Hotels 

Toronto,  April  10. — Sam  and  Ben 
Ulster,  Ontario  exhibitors  are  going 
into  the  hotel  business.  They  own 
three  theatres  in  Toronto  and  have 
bought  the  Westminster  Hotel  in  the 
downtown  section  of  the  city.  Roy 
Miller,  manager  of  the  Lincoln  Thea- 
tre at  St.  Catharines,  Ont.,  has  taken 
managerial  charge  of  the  Leonard 
Hotel  there  in  which  he  has  obtained 
a  financial  interest.  Miller  will  direct 
both  the  theatre  and  the  hotel. 


Prewitt  Promoted 

New  Orleans,  April  10. — W.  A. 
Prewitt,  Jr.,  has  been  appointed  sales 
manager  of  the  theatre  seating  divi- 
sion of  American  Desk  Co.  for  the 
United  States.  Paul  Shallcross,  com- 
pany salesman,  has  been  appointed  as- 
sistant sales  manager  for  the  division. 
Prewitt  has  been  affiliated  with  Amer- 
ican Desk  Co.  since  1931,  with  offices 
here. 


WB.,  Para,  to  Appeal 
Bordonar  Suit  Ruling 

Warner  Brothers  Theatres  and 
Paramount  have  filed  in  the  U.  S. 
Circuit  Court  of  Appeals  here  papers 
calling  for  an  appeal  of  a  $104,000 
judgment  awarded  Bordonar  Brothers 
Theatres  of  up-state  New  York  on 
July  12  last  by  the  U.  S.  District 
Court  at  Olean. 

Bordonar  had  filed  an  anti-trust  ac- 
tion against  all  the  major  companies, 
charging  conspiracy  to  deprive  one  of 
its  houses  of  product.  All  defendants 
except  Warner  Theatres,  Paramount 
and  RKO  Radio  were  dismissed  by 
Federal  Judge  Harold  P.  Burke.  A 
judgment  of  $28,500  against  RKO 
Radio  was  set  aside  by  the  Court. 


Cleveland  Wives  Elect 

Cleveland,  April  '10. — Election  of 
officers  of  the  League  of  Showmen's 
Wives,  a  Variety  affiliate,  has  been 
announced,  with  Mrs.  Nat  Barach  the 
new  president.  Others  elected  are: 
Mrs.  Tony  Stern,  vice-president;  Mrs. 
I.  J.  Schmertz,  treasurer;  Mrs.  Leon- 
ard Greenburger,  recording  secretary, 
and  Mrs.  David  Kaufman,  correspond- 
ing secretary. 


Draws  Year  for  Theft 

Boston,  April  10.  —  Edward  C. 
Garrity,  former  manager  of  the  Re- 
gion Theatre,  Arlington,  Mass.,  was 
sentenced  to  a  year  in  jail  for  the 
theft  of  $400.  Arthur  A.  Viano,  owner 
of  the  theatre,  charged  that  Garrity 
collected  the  money  for  tickets  and 
candy  sales,  but  bet  it  on  horse  races 
instead  of  depositing  it  in  the  bank. 


Washington,  April  10. — The  Se- 
curities and  Exchange  Commission 
has  proposed  an  extensive  overhauling 
of  the  forms  which  film  companies 
and  other  firms  must  fill  out  to  regis- 
ter securities,  make  annual  or  quar- 
terly reports  to  stockholders,  or  re- 
port sales  to  the  SEC.  Some  would 
be  simplier,  other  more  complex,  and 
still  others  just  different.  Interested 
pen.  jns  have  until  April  15  to  submit 
comments. 

Form  No.  10-K,  the  annual  report, 
would  be  broadened  to  require  firms 
to  disclose  more  complete  information 
on  changes  in  business  and  physical 
properties,  important  legal  proceed- 
ings, and  developments  in  such  pro- 
ceedings. Form  No.  8-K,  the  quar- 
terly report,  would  have  to  disclose 
instituti  )n  or  termination  of  import- 
ant litigation,  changes  in  the  general 
character  of  business,  acquisition  or 
disposition  of  a  substantial  amount  of 
assets,  submission  of  reorganization 
plans  to  any  group  of  security  holders, 
defaults  on  senior  securities,  institu- 
tion of  bonus,  profit-sharing,  pension 
and  retirement  plans,  and  guarantees 
of  securities  of  other  issuers. 

Form  No.  9-K,  for  quarterly  reports 
of  gros;  sales  and  operating  revenues, 
is  a  nev  form  to  replace  the  present 
8-K,  and  Form  10  is  for  registration 
of  securities  on  a  national  stock  ex- 
change is  being  simplified  in  some 
respects  and  broadened  in  others. 


Loew's  Profit  Up 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


partly  owned  subsidiaries  and  after 
subsidiaries'  preferred  dividends,  was 
$10,935,845  as  against  $10,433,649  for 
the  corresponding  period  last  year. 
Each  comparative  period  had  $1,050,- 
000  reserved  for  contingencies,  with 
$2,562,035  reserved  for  depreciation 
this  year  against  $2,726,215  last  year. 

The  amount  reserved  for  federal 
taxes  in  the  recent  period  was  $2,783, 
302  compared  to  $2,742,694. 


NT's  'Talent  Quest' 
Reaches  Finals 

Los  Angeles,  April  10. — Finalists 
in  the  "Talent  Quest"  competitions 
held  by  the  Southern  Division  of  Na- 
tional Theatres  wound  up  a  week's 
engagement  Saturday  at  Loew's  State 
here,  with  the  winners  scheduled  to 
compete  with  other  winners  from  sev- 
en NT  divisions  at  Grauman's  Chinese 
Theatre,  starting  April  18. 

With  audiences  determining  the 
winners  through  applause,  attendance 
gains  have  been  noted  throughout 
areas  where  the  "Talent  Quest"  pre- 
sentations have  been  held.  It  is  under- 
stood that  the  competitions  were  dis- 
cussed at  the  Midwest  divisional  meet 
held  last  week  at  Kansas  City,  which 
was  attended  by  Charles  Skouras  and 
other  NT  executives.  • 


VA  Handles  Own  16mm. 

The  motion  picture  division  of  the 
Veterans  Administration  will  establish 
soon  in  New  York  its  own  16mm.  dis- 
tribution machinery,  thus  relieving 
Films,  Inc.,  and  United  World  of  the 
responsibility  for  inspection  and  ship- 
ping of  16mm.  product  to  VA  homes 
and  hospitals  across  the  country,  it 
was  disclosed  here  at  the  weekend  by 
William  J.  Jones,  Jr.,  VA  previewing 
and  booking  director. 


1 


BOXOFFICE  TIME 


—And  here's  just  the  attraction 
for  it! . . .  The  warm,  wonderful, 
completely  delightful  adventures  of 
a  lively  Miss  whose  very  modern  ideas 
were  the  talk  of  the  town! 


I 


FOR  HAPPY  ROMANCE! 


Broadway  Run  At  N.Y's  Big 

CAPITOL  THEATRE 


R  K  O 
RADIO 


A  DORE  SCHARY  Presentation 

Produced  by  RICHARD  H.  BERGER  •  Directed  by  RICHARD  WALLACE 


Screen  Play  by  LIONEL  HOUSER 


ti 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  April  11,  1949 


Shorts  Series 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

and  Arthur  Lockwood,  president,  The- 
atre Owners  of  America. 

At  the  start,  the  companies  will 
charge  their  regular  minimum  rental 
for  a  black-and-white,  one-reel  sub- 
ject with  adjustments  to  be  made  on 
subsequent  releases  so  that  the  rentals 
will  meet,  but  not  exceed,  the  produc- 
tion costs  of  the  series.  Studio  over- 
head will  not  be  included  in  the  costs. 
The  method  of  determining  the  rentals 
is  said  to  be  in  line  with  a  resolution 
adopted  by  the  executive  committee 
of  the  TOA  at  its  meeting  in  Wash- 
ington several  weeks  ago. 

First  Within  30  Days 

"Let's  Go  to  the  Movies,"  first  of 
the  series,  will  be  released  by  RKO 
within  the  next  30  days.  Four  of  the 
12  films  in  the  project  have  been  com- 
pleted and  three  others  are  near  com- 
pletion. The  remaining  five  are  sched- 
uled for  release  by  Aug.  1. 

It  was  pointed  out  in  a  joint  state- 
ment that  some  exhibitor  interests  felt 
that  50  per  cent  of  the  usual  sTiorts 
rentals  would  be  sufficient  to  cover 
costs,  while  the  national  distributors 
committee  insisted  that  the  full  rental 
would  be  needed. 

A  compromise  formula  was  arrived 
at,  under  which  the  board  of  trustees 
is  to  be  instructed  to  examine  all 
costs  of  the  first  four  subjects  after 
they  are  released,  and  if  these  a're 
lower  than  the  original  estimate,  the 
board  is  to  consider  the  reduction  of 
rentals  for  future  releases  to  approx- 
imate the  actual  costs  and  avoid  the 
accumulation  of  a  large  surplus. 

The  statement  further  explained :  "If 
after  such  a  study  and  a  possible  re- 
adjustment of  film  rentals  based  there- 
on, the  cost  of  the  entire  12  subjects 
should  be  recouped  from  less  than  12 
releases,  then  the  balance  of  the  12 
releases  are  to  be  made  available  to 
exhibitors  without  any  rental  what- 
soever." 

Last  6  May  Be  Free 

Thus,  it  is  pointed  out,  that  "if 
those  who  sincerely  feel  that  SO  per 
cent  of  the  usual  rental  will  recoup 
the  cost  of  these  films  are  correct, 
then  the  trustees  will  release  the  last 
six  without  charge." 

The  estimated  average  cost  is  $28,- 
250  per  film  and  is  broken  down  as 
follows :  $18,250  for  script  and  actual 
production  (no  studio  overhead  in- 
cluded) ;  $7,500  to  film  laboratories 
for  600  prints  of  each  release,  and 
$2,500  per  subject  for  press  books  and 
other  publicity. 

At  Friday's  meeting  of  the  MP  A  A, 
instructions  were  telegraphed  to  Free- 
man, who  is  chairman  of  the  commit- 
tee of  exhibitors,  producers  and  artists 
in  Hollywood,  which  is  supervising 
the  making  of  the  films,  to  proceed 
with  the  final  five  films  in  the  series. 

The  others  already  completed  are: 
"This  Theatre  and  You,"  Warners ; 
"Movies  Are  Adventure,"  Universal, 
and  "The  Art  Director,"  20th  Century- 
Fox.  Near  completion  are  "The  Sound 
Man,"  Columbia  ;  "The  Screen  Actor," 
M-G-M,  and  "History  Brought  to 
Life,"  Paramount.  Slated  for  immedi- 
ate production  are :  "A  Film  Goes  to 
Market,"  "Screen  Writers,"  "Screen 
Directors,"  "Moments  in  Music"  and 
"The  Stylist." 

Name  Trustees 

In  addition  to  Ainsworth,  Freeman, 
Johnston  and  Lockwood,  who  will 
serve  ex  officio,  others  invited  to  act 
as  trustees  are: 

Abe  Montague,  chairman,  national 
distributors  committee;  I.  E.  Chad- 
wick,  president,  Independent  Motion 


Picture  Producers  Association  and 
member  of  the  production  committee ; 
Jean  Hersholt,  president,  Academy  of 
Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sciences,  and 
member  of  the  production  committee ; 
Charles  P.  Skouras,  also  representing 
TOA ;  Trueman  T.  Rembusch,  also 
representing  Allied  States ;  Rotus 
Harvey,  president,  Pacific  Coast  Con- 
ference of  Independent  Theatre  Own- 
ers ;  Harry  Brandt,  president,  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  Association, 
New  York ;  John  J.  Fitzgibbons,  rep- 
resenting Canadian  exhibitors ;  Joseph 
Vogel,  chairman,  theatre  committee  of 
Motion  Picture  Association ;  Robert 
J.  O'Donnell,  chief  barker,  National 
Variety  Clubs ;  Mye.r  Schine,  Glov- 
ersville,  N.  Y. ;  and  the  following 
trade  paper  editors  and  publishers : 
Martin  Quigley,  Quigley  Publications ; 
Ben  Shlyen,  Box  Office;  Jack  Ali- 
coate,  Film  Daily;  Charles  E.  Lewis, 
Showmen's  Trade  Review,  and  Abel 
Green,  Variety. 


Warners  Contend 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

nection  with  a  suit  by  the  K-B 
Amusement  Co.  to  force  Stanley  Co., 
Warner  subsidiary,  out  of  the  Mac- 
Arthur  Theatre. 

K-B  and  Stanley,  as  a  partnership, 
operate  the  theatre  under  a  lease  from 
the  jointly-owned  MacArthur  Corp. 
Warners,  in  a  consent  judgment  en- 
tered in  New  York  in  December  and 
modified  in  March,  has  already  agreed 
to  get  out  of  both  the  lease  and  the 
owning  company.  The  argument  now 
is  just  how  it  should  get  out. 

Wants  Contract  Prices 

K-B  has  asked  the  court  here  to 
force  Stanley  to  give  its  part  of  the 
lease  and  its  stock  in  the  corporation 
to  K-B  at  prices  fixed  in  the  contract 
setting  up  the  MacArthur  Corp.  This 
provided  that  if  either  partner  wanted 
to  get  out,  it  would  first  offer  its 
stock  to  the  other  at  book  value  and 
its  share  of  the  lease  to  the  other  un- 
der a  complicated  formula  based  on 
annual  earnings  in  previous  years. 

Warners  on  Friday  asked  the  Dis- 
trict court  here  to  dissolve  the  lease, 
liquidate  'the  MacArthur  Corp.,  and 
dispose  of  its  assets  at  public  sale, 
with  the  proceeds  being  divided  be- 
tween the  two  firms. 

Obviously,  Warners  believes  that  it 
will  not  do  very  well  if  it  has  to  sell 
out  to  K-B  under  the  contract,  where- 
as it  may  do  quite  well  if  the  com- 
pany is  dissolved  and  its  assets  sold 
publicly.  Many  other  big  five  joint- 
ownership  situations  might  fit  into  the 
same  pattern. 

Claims  Dissolution  Right 

Warners  argued  that  the  New  York 
court  judgments  gave  it  the  right  to 
dispose  of  its  interests  in  jointly- 
owned  theatres  either  by  sale  or  dis- 
solution, and  that  it  chose  dissolution. 
It  said  that  the  contract  to  buy  if  the 
other  partner  offered  was  designed' for 
a  totally  different  situation,  when  one 
partner  wanted  to  get  out  voluntarily, 
and  could  not  be  stretched  to  cover 
dissolution  or  even  sale  under  a  court 
judgment. 

K-B  is  expected  to  reply  that  the 
contract  provisions  take  precedence 
over  any  court  order,  and  that  disso- 
lution cannot  be  used  to  get  around 
the  contract.  In  this  specific  case, 
K-B  will  argue,  the  lease  was  drawn 
up  after  the  Paramount  case  was 
originally  argued  and  this  provision 
was  specifically  included  with  an  eye 
on  eventual  forced  sale  or  dissolution 
of  the  Warner  interest  in  the  Mac- 
Arthur. 

Argument  on  the  case  is  set  for 
April  25. 


TOA-SMPE  Talks 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

annual  convention  and  was  considered 
an  important  step  towards  the  solution 
of  remaining  problems  in  the  realiza- 
tion of  commercial  theatre  television. 

Although  ■  Friday's  meeting  was  en- 
tirely of  an  exploratory  nature  and 
not  designed  to  formulate  conclusions, 
it  was  announced  that  the  two  groups 
will  reconvene  in  a  few  weeks  to  con- 
sider specific  points  on  the  agenda  of 
the  meeting. 

Discussion  leaders  were  Donald  E. 
Hyndman  of  Eastman-Kodak  and 
chairman  of  SMPE's  theatre  television 
committee ;  and  Walter  Reade,  Jr., 
of  Walter  Reade  Theatres,  and  co- 
chairman  of  TOA's  television  commit- 
tee. 

Other  participants  in  the  conference, 
including  representatives  of  equipment 
manufacturers,  research  laboratories, 
film  producers  and  theatre  owners 
were  : 

Ralph  B.  Austrian,  George  L.  Beers, 
F.  T.  Bowditch,  Frank  E.  Cahill,  Jr., 
Marcus  Cohn,  Robert  W.  Coyne, 
William  H.  Deacy,  Jr.,  Dr.  R.  L. 
Garman,  E.  P.  Genock,  Dr.  Alfred 
N.  Goldsmith,  Nathan  L.  Halpern, 
Richard  Hodgson,  Lester  B.  Isaac, 
Axel  G.  Jensen,  Paul  J.  Larsen,  Harry 
C.  Milholland,  Boyce  Nemec,  Stanley 
W.  Prenosil,  Otto  Sandvik,  Dr.  Nor- 
wood L.  Simmons,  Earl  I.  Sponable, 
and  John  E.  Volkmann. 


Discuss  Theatre  Sites 
At  Closing  SMPE  Meet 

Considerations  determining  the  se- 
lection of  sites  for  theatres  were  dis- 
cussed here  Friday  at  the  final  session 
of  the  Society  of  Motion  Picture  En- 
gineers by  E.  G.  Faludi,  of  Town 
Planning  Consultants,  Toronto.  As  the 
theatre  is  part  of  the  urban  retail 
structure,  to  a  large  degree  it  suc- 
ceeds or  fails  as  its  location  within 
the  city  structure  is  favorable  or  un- 
favorable, Faludi  declared. 

He  outlined  six  basic  steps  in  de- 
termining a  site.  They  were :  1 — de- 
termine size  of  population  from  which 
anticipated  attendance  will  be  drawn. 
2-determine  the  social  and  economic 
groups  of  area  and  living  and  spending 
habits  of  group.  3 — determine  accessi- 
bility of  the  site.  4 — determine  future 
residential,  industrial  or  commercial 
developments  and  probable  changes  in 
area.  5— consider  findings  in  relation 
to  existing  theatres  in  area.  6 — evalu- 
ate findings  in  relation  to  capital  in- 
vestment in  land  and  building,  an- 
ticipated operating  costs  and  revenue. 

PCCITO,  20th-Fox 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

May  I  also  state  that  any  such  formu- 
la or  sales  plan  that  you  adopt  is  your 
business  provided  you  obtain  this 
formula  or  sales  plan  from  all  exhibi- 
tors."   (Italics  are  Harvey's). 

The  bulletin  goes  on  to  term  "er- 
roneous" statements  made  by  20th-Fox 
executives  that  exhibitors  "have  been 
grabbing  too  much  of  the  ticket 
money,"  have  been  "getting  away" 
with  low  prices  and  have  slackened 
showmanship.  Harvey  suggested  that 
conferences  from  time  to  time  with 
Theatre  Owners  of  America, 
PCCITO  and  Allied  leaders  would 
have  made  unnecessary  the  current 
"grass  roots"  tour  by  20th-Fox  execu- 
tives in  connection  with  the  rentals 
campaign. 


Stage  Show  for  Memorial 

Boston,  April  10.— The  RKO  Me- 
morial Theatre  here  has  signed  a  stage 
show  for  the  week  beginning  April  16. 


MPAA  Theatre 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

New  York  office  and  to  be  headed  by 
Francis  Harmon,  vice-president  of  the 
organization. 

Heretofore,  MPAA's  exhibitor  re- 
lations department  had  been  headed  by 
David  Palfreyman  who  maintains 
headquarters  in  the  Washington  office. 
Palfreyman  is  slated  to  assist  Harmon. 

While  the  new  program  is  designed 
to  establish  a  stronger  and  closer  re- 
lationship between  the  major  compa- 
nies and  exhibition,  precisely  how  this 
will  be  accomplished  could  not  be  as- 
certained. A  spokesman  here  said  at 
the  weekend  that  details  of  the  plan 
have  yet  to  be  determined. 

Eric  A.  Johnston,  president,  and  all 
other  officers  of  the  MPAA  were  re- 
elected at  the  meeting  of  the  board. 

Other  officers  are:  Francis  S.  Har- 
mon and  Joseph  I.  Breen,  vice-presi- 
dents;  Fred  W.  DuVall,  treasurer; 
Sidney  Schreiber,  secretary;  Stanley 
Weber,  assistant  treasurer,  and  John 
G.  McCarthy  and  James  S.  Howie, 
assistant  secretaries. 

Abe  Montague,  Max  A.  Cohen  and 
Charles  E.  Lewis  appeared  at  the 
meeting  to  discuss  the  Will  Rogers 
Memorial  Hospital  in  a  bid  for  finan- 
cial support. 


Appoint  Committees 
For  MPAA  Activities 

Executive  committee  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America,  as  an- 
nounced by  president  Eric  A.  Johnston 
following  the  annual  board  of  direc- 
tors meeting  here  on  Friday,  com- 
prises the  following : 

Johnston,  chairman,  ex  officio,  and 
Barney  Balaban,  Paramount;  Nate  J. 
Blumberg,  Universal;  Steve  Broidy, 
Allied  Artists  ;  Jack  Cohn,  Columbia  ; 
Ned  E.  Depinet,  RKO;  Samuel 
Schneider,  Warners;  Nicholas  M. 
Schenck,  Loew's ;  Spyros  P.  Skouras, 
20th  Century-Fox,  and  Herbert  J. 
Yates,  Republic. 

Chairmen  of  other  MPAA  commit- 
tees were  announced  as  follows: 

F.  W.  DuVall,  MPAA,  finance; 
Jack  Cohn,  membership;  Joseph 
Vogel,  Loew's,  theatres ;  Nate  J. 
Blumberg,  public  relations ;  Mort 
Blumenstock,  Warners,  advertising 
and  publicity  directors  and  advertising 
advisory  council ;  Edwin  P.  Kilroe, 
20th-Fox,  copyrights ;  Ned  E.  Depi- 
net, exhibitor  and  community  rela- 
tions ;  Roger  C.  Clement,  Paramount, 
foreign  legal  advisory;  Austin  Ke- 
ough,  Paramount,  general  counsel ; 
John  G.  McCarthy,  MPAA,  interna- 
tional division ;  Abe  Montague,  Co- 
lumbia, national  distributors. 

Also,  Edmund  Reek,  Movietone  News, 
newsreel ;  Charles  C.  Moskowitz, 
Loew's,  research ;  John  J.  O'Connor, 
Universal,  solicitations ;  Albert  S. 
Howson,  Warners,  titles,  and  Jack 
Cohn,  television. 


Rank  Studios 

(Contimied  from  page  1) 

ing  stopped  on  all  three,  threatening 
Rank  with  heavy  expense. 

The  work-stoppage  order  followed 
the  lay-off  of  Bert  Batchelor,  leftist 
shop  steward  for  the  E.T.U.  at  Den- 
ham.  The  union  insisted  he  be  re- 
tained but  the  stuido  contended  his 
services  were  redundant  and  claimed 
he  should  have  been  dismissed  long 
ago  but  that  he  had  been  retained  only 
because  of  his  position  as  a  union  ex- 
ecutive. 

Rank  recently  reorganized  his  pro- 
duction activities  on  a  basis  which  left 
only  the  Denham  and  Pinewood  stu- 
dios still  operating. 


FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate 

IN 

■^■F^      A      WWF   mWT  ^KT  TT 

Concise 

FILM 
NFWS 

INI—  www 

DAILY 

and 
Impartial 

i   - < 

VOL.  65.  NO.  71 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  APRIL  12,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Arnall  Takes 
Film  Problems 
To  President 


Confers  at  White  House; 
To  See  Acheson  Today 

Washington,  April  11. — 
SIMPP  president  Ellis  Arnall  to- 
day took  to  President  Truman  his 
fight  to  get  the  State  Department 
working  for  the  American  film  indus- 
try abroad. 

In  a  half-hour  conference  with  the 
President  at  the  White  House,  Arnall 
reviewed  the  industry's  foreign  prob- 
lems and  told  Mr.  Truman  that  "it 
would  be  a  very  fine  thing  if  the  State 
Department  would  use  its  good  offices 
for  securing  and  insisting  on  fair  and 
non-discriminatory  treatment  of  U.  S. 
films  overseas." 

Arnall  said  the  President  was  so 
interested  and  concerned  that  he  sum- 
moned Secretary  of  State  Acheson 
immediately  and  informed  Acheson  of 
his  interest  in  the  industry's  problems. 

"In  President  Truman,  I  am  con- 
vinced that  the  American  motion  pic- 
ture industry  has  a  very  loyal  and 
understanding  friend,"  Arnall  said.  "I 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


British  Restrictions 
Uneconomic:Lessing 

British  restrictions  have  proven- un- 
economic insofar  as  its  industry  is 
concerned,  Gunther  Lessing,  vice- 
president  of  Walt  Disney,  Ltd.,  ob- 
served here  yesterday  on  his  arrival 
on'  the  -S\S"  Queen  Elisabeth  from  Lon- 
don. He  asserted  that  the  British  in- 
dustry would  thrive  if  it  entered  open 
world  competition  by  making  fewer 
but  better  pictures,  instead  of  trying 
to  meet  its  unnecessarily  large  quotas. 

He  said  that  "50  per  cent  and  may- 
be 60  per  cent  of  the  world  gross 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Lord  Reith  Heads 
Film  Finance  Corp. 

London,  April  11. — Lord  Reith, 
former  head  of  British  Broadcasting 
Corp.,  has  been  appointed  chairman  of 
the  government's  Film  Finance  Corp. 
Officers  of  the  interim  finance  com- 
pany, who  have  been  functioning  here- 
tofore, will  remain  as  directors  of  the 
corporation. 

The  Board  of  Trade  order  for  regu- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Circuit  Court  Rules 
Drive-In  Ramp 
Patent  Is  Invalid 


Boston,  April  11. — The  U.  S.  Cir- 
cuit Court  of  Appeals  here  has  handed 
down  a  decision  holding  the  drive-in 
theatre  ramp  patent  of  Park-In  The- 
atres, Camden,  N.  J.,  invalid. 

Numerous  drive-ins  throughout  the 
country  which  have  been  paying  roy- 
alties to  Park-In  on  its  ramp  patent 
are  affected  by  the  decision.  Park- 
In  has  not  indicated  yet  whether  it 
plans  to  appeal  the  decision  to  the 
Supreme  Court. 

The  Circuit  Court's  decision  was 
made  in  the  eight-year  old  case  of 
Park-In  Theatres  against  E.  M. 
Loew's  Drive-In  Theatre,  Inc.,  of 
Providence.  The  U.  S.  District  Court 
at  Providence,  in  a  decision  handed 
down  in  March,  1947,  ruled  in  favor 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


MPA  Meet  Thursday 
On  Exhibition  Plan 


Board  of  directors  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  will 
meet  here  on  Thursday  for  further 
development  of  its  plan  to  expand  its 
activities  in  exhibitor  relations.  The 
idea  was  discussed  extensively  by  the 
board  on  Friday,  at  which  time  final 
decision  was.  not  reached  on  the  actual 
scope  and  specific  nature  of  the  pro- 
posed new  functions  of  the  organiza- 
tion's theatre  department. 

At  that  time,  however,  definitive 
action  was  taken  in  the  form  of  ap- 
pointment of  a  new  committee  on  ex- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Rank  Studio  Peace 
Talks  Progressing 

London,  April  11. — Work 
resumed  at  J.  Arthur  Rank's 
Pinewood  Studio  today  as 
talks  were  continuing  be- 
tween Rank's  people  and  the 
Electrical  Trades  Union  in 
the  hope  of  resolving  the  dis- 
pute which  has  kept  the  Den- 
ham  Studio  closed  since  Fri- 
day. 

The  union  called  a  work 
stoppage  after  Bert  Batchel- 
or,  chief  shop  steward  at 
Denham,  was  laid  off  when  he 
refused  a  transfer  to  the 
maintenance  staff  at  the  new 
Shepherds  Bush  studio. 


20th  SalesTourWill 
Continue:  Lichtman 


Hollywood,  April  11. — Twentieth 
Century-Fox  vice-president  Al  Licht- 
man told  a  two-day  company  sales 
meeting  here  that  he  and  company 
vice-president  Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr., 
will  pursue  their  current  "grass  roots" 
national  sales  survey  to  its  comple- 
tion, and  made  it  clear  that  no  de- 
finitive policy  has  as  yet  been  deter- 
mined upon.  "Twentieth  Century-Fox 
will  not  make  any  announcement  of 
any  change  in  its  sales  plans  until  this 
study  of  buying  and  selling  conditions 
has  been  thoroughly  made,"  according 
to  a.  company  statement. 

Following  the  sales  meetings  here 
with  Herman  Wobber,  Western  divi- 
sion sales  manager  and  the  staffs  of 
the  company's  six  Coast  branches,  the 
two  executives  will  leave  for  Chicago 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


U.  K.  Quota  Has  a  Special 
Danger,  House  Is  Told 


Ginsberg  Heads  '49 
UJWFundCampaign 


Hollywood,  April  11.  —  Henry 
Ginsberg,  Paramount  production  vice- 
president,  today  was  named  head  of 
the  motion  picture  industry  drive  for 
the  1949  Los  Angeles  United  Jewish 
Welfare  Fund  campaign,  by  Jack  L. 
Warner,  Warner  production  vice- 
president  and  president  of  the  fund 
here. 

The  new  chairman  takes  respon- 
sibility for  a  group  which,  in  1948, 
raised  $1,925,000  for  the  Fund— $1,- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Washington,  April  11. — Britain's 
high  film  quota  is  of  particular  danger 
because  other  countries  in  Europe  and 
the  sterling  area  follow  Britain's  lead 
on  trade  restrictions,  Rep.  McDon 
ough,  California  Republican,  told  the 
House  today.  McDonough  made  his 
remarks  in  opposing  an  amendment  to 
a  pending  ECA  bill  to  the  effect  that 
one  of  ERP's  main  aims  is  to  encour- 
age unification  of  Europe. 

The  California  Republican  warned 
the  House  that  encouraging  European 
economic  unification  should  not  be  at 
the  cost  of  harming  U.  S.  economic 
development,  and  cited  the  film  indus 
try  to  prove  his  point. 

Drawing  on  material   supplied  ■  by 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Adequate  Vote 
Favoring  Para. 
Split  Apparent 


1c  of  Stock  In;  Assures 
Approval  at  Meet  Today 

Division  of  Paramount  into  two 
separate  and  independent  compa- 
nies, one  to  engage  in  production- 
distribution  and  the  other  to 
operate  theatres  already  has  been  giv- 
en enthusiastic  endorsement  by  stock- 
holders, according  to  responsible 
sources  who  report  that  proxies  repre- 
senting 68  per  cent  of  the  authorized 
outstanding  stock  had  been  received  at 
the  weekend. 

Only  about  one  per  cent  of  the  vote 
is  said  to  have  been  against  the  split 
of  the  corporation  ;  thus  the  66  2/3  ma- 
jority which  is  necessary  to  ratify  has 
actually  been  exceeded,  it  is  said. 

Stockholders  will  meet  at  noon  to- 
day at  the  Paramount  home  office  with 
a  record  attendance  of  approximately 
300  individual  holders  expected.  The 
indication  is  that  Paramount  will 
match  the  RKO  affirmative  vote  of 
close  to  80  per  cent  for  that  company's 
reorganization,  when  all  proxies  to  be 
voted  are  in  today. 


Para.  Accelerates 
Buying  Up  Its  Stock 

Paramount  sharply  accelerated  last 
month  the  buying  up  of  its  own  com- 
mon stock  on  the  open  market  with 
the  purchase  of  52,000  shares.  This 
brings  to  893,833  shares  the  total  ac- 
cumulated in  Paramount's  treasury 
under  the  stock-purchasing  program 
instituted  in  November,  1946,  by  com- 
pany president  Barney  Balaban. 

Other  recent  monthly  purchases  fol- 
low: February,  25,100;  January,  27,- 
500;  December,  41,700;  November, 
21,500;  October,  40,500;  September, 
32,500;  August,  22,200;  July,  31,000. 


Canada  Will  Probe 
Films  and  Television 


Toronto,  April  11. — Canadian  gov- 
ernment has  appointed  a  Royal  Com- 
mission whose  scope  of  investigation 
will  include  the  activities  of  the  Na- 
tional Film  Board  and  television. 
Vincent  Massey  is  chairman  and  other 
members  are  Arthur  Surveyor,  Dr. 
Norman  A.  M.  Mackenzie,  Rev. 
George  Henri  Levesque  and  Hilda  M. 
A.  Neatby. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  April  12,  1949 


3-Day  Celebraition 
For  'Tulsa'  Premiere 


Tulsa,  Okla.,  April  11. — A  three- 
day  civic  celebration  marking  the  first 
public  showing  of  Eagle-Lion's 
"Tulsa"  began  here  today  with  the 
arrival  from  Hollywood  of  players 
Susan  Hayward,  Chill  Wills,  Robert 
Preston  and  producer  Walter  Wanger. 
Formal  events  will  start  tomorrow 
night  with  a  dinner  at  which  Okla- 
homa's Governor  Roy  J.  Turner  will 
be  host. 

A  two-hour  parade,  titled  "Oil  In- 
dustry's Salute  to  the  Film  Industry" 
will  be  held  Wednesday  morning  as 
the  opening  event  of  "Tulsa  Premiere 
Day,"  proclaimed  by  the  governor. 
All  Tulsa  schools  and  stores  will  be 
closed  Wednesday. 

Following  the  premiere,  to  be  held 
at  the  Ritz,  Orpheum,  Majestic  and 
Rialto  theatres,  the  Tulsa  Press  Club 
will  sponsor  a  reception  and  midnight 
supper.  All  of  the  events  relating  to 
the  premiere  will  be  made  available  in 
a  special  advance  trailer  for  theatres 
dating  the  picture. 


35  Newsmen  Going 
To  'Tulsa'  Opening 

Some  35  news  and  trade  paper  edi- 
tors and  reporters  will  attend  the 
world  premiere  of  Walter  Wanger's 
"Tulsa,"  which  opens  at  the  Ritz  and 
Orpheum  Theatres  in  Tulsa,  Okla.,  to- 
morrow, it  was  announced  here  yes- 
terday by  Max  E.  Youngstein,  Eagle- 
Lion  advertising-publicity  vice-presi- 
dent. 

Eagle-Lion  officials  attending  will 
be  headed  by  William  J.  Heineman, 
sales  vice-president ;  Youngstein,  and 
L.  Jack  Schlaifer,  general  sales  man- 
ager. Wanger  representatives  Irving 
Lesser  and  Seymour  Poe  will  also  be 
present,  as  will  Jack  Kilty. 


Independents  Must  Be 
'Different:  Kramer 

"The  independent  producer  must 
take  a  run  at  something  different,  and 
also  be  prepared  to  take  a  fall,"  ac- 
cording to  producer  Stanley  Kram- 
er. "If  the  independent  can  keep  go- 
ing, he  will  be  in  a  better  position  in 
a  changing  industry  to  satisfy  the 
public.  If  the  independent  can  stay 
in  business  through  the  transition,  he 
will  be  able  to  cope .  with  the  new 
medium  better  than  the  majors  with 
their  overheads." 

The  independent  producer  "who  at- 
tempts these  days  to  challenge  the 
major  studios  must  have  a  creative 
approach,"  Kramer,  who  produced 
"Champion"  and  "Home  of  the 
Brave"  for  United  Artists'  release, 
said  here. 


Report  Nathanson's 
Rank  Suit  Settled 

Toronto,  April  11. — It  is  under- 
stood here  that  the  lawsuit  of  Paul  L. 
Nathanson  against  J.  Arthur  Rank 
companies,  Universal  Pictures  and 
other  defendants  has  been  settled.  Na- 
thanson had  claimed  distribution 
rights  on  a  number  of  Hollywood  pic- 
tures for  his  Empire  Universal  Film 
Co.  in  Canada  and  asked  $1,000,000 
damages. 


Personal  Mention 


MAURICE  A.  BERGMAN,  chair- 
man of  the  industry  committee 
on  the  forthcoming  Treasury  bond 
drive,  returned  here  over  the  week- 
end from  Hollywood. 

• 

Alfred  N.  Sack,  general  mana- 
ger of  Sack  Amusement  Enterprises, 
Dallas,  is  in  New  York. 

• 

E.  K.   (Ted)   O'Shea,  Paramount 
assistant  general  sales  manager,  will 
be  in  Chicago  today  from  Cleveland. 
• 

Charles  Einfeld,  20th  Century- 
Fox  advertising-publicity  vice-presi- 
dent, is  due  here  Thursday  from  the 
Coast.  Jonas  Rosenfield,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox advertising  manager,  re- 
turned here  yesterday  from  Holly- 
wood. 


HAROLD  MIRISCH,  Allied  Art- 
ist-Monogram vice  -  president, 
returned  to  Hollywood  yesterday  from 
New  York. 

• 

E.  R.  Holtz,  president-treasurer 
of  La  Salle  Garden  Theatre  Co.,  De- 
troit, will  arrive  in  New  York  today 
to  attend  the  special  meeting  of  Para- 
mount stockholders. 

• 

Thomas  J.  Hargrave,  president  of 
Eastman  Kodak,  has  been  elected  vice- 
president  and  board  member  of  the 
Armed  Forces  Communications  Asso- 
ciation. 

• 

Joseph  Strother,  buyer  and  book- 
er for  the  Marcus  circuit,  Milwaukee, 
has  returned  there  from  Florida. 


Renoir  Will  Make 
4  Films  in  India 


India  was  characterized  as  a  "mag- 
nificent" place  to  produce  pictures  of 
fresh  inspiration  by  Ken  McEldowney, 
president  of  Oriental  -  International 
Films,  and  Jean  Renoir,  French  direc- 
tor, in  an  interview  at  the  Waldorf- 
Astoria  Hotel  here  yesterday.  And 
that  is  just  what  the  pair  intends  to  do, 
for  they  have  set  plans  to  produce 
four  films  in  Technicolor  in  India  for 
worldwide  distribution. 

The  four  will  be  made  under  the 
banner  of  Commonwealth,  Ltd.,  of 
which  Oriental-International  is  the 
American  parent  company,  the  pair  ex- 
plained. Renoir  asserted  that  India 
has  "a  wealth  of  story  material,  back- 
ground and  color."  McEldowney 
pointed  out  that  the  pictures  will  be 
the  first  full-length  pictures  to  be 
made  in  India  in  Technicolor  by  an 
American  or  British  company  and  he 
said  that  Indian  authorities  were  re- 
ceptive to  the  project.  They  will  be 
made  as  British  quota  pictures  and 
cast  and  technicians  will  be  partly 
British,  partly  American  and  partly 
Indian,  it  was  revealed.  Worldwide 
distribution  is  intended,  but  no  .dis- 
tributor has  yet  been  set.  Cost  of  each 
picture  will  be  around  $600,000  ac- 
cording to  McEldowney.  The  first 
will  be  based  on  Rumer  Godden's  novel 
"The  River."  The  pair  will  leave  for 
Hollywood  Friday  to  complete  the 
script  and  select  equipment  and  tech- 
nicians. They  will  return  to  India  to 
commence  production  in  September. 


Attend  20th-Fox  Meet 

San  Francisco,  April  11. — A  20th 
Century-Fox  sales  policy  conference 
at  Los  Angeles  is  being  attended  by  a 
delegation  from  here,  headed  by  Her- 
man Wobber,  West  Coast  sales  man- 
ager, and  including  Bryan  Stoner, 
Alex  Harrison  and  Ugo  Fratto. 


Vote  on  Sunday  Shows 

Quitman,  Ga.,  April  11. — Citizens 
of  this  town  will  vote  on  Friday  to 
determine  whether  Sunday  shows  will 
be  permitted  here.  A  petition  to  the 
City  Commission  to  grant  a  license  for 
Sunday  films  has  been  presented. 


Admissions  Tax  Cut 
Is  Oleo  Bill  Rider 

Washington,  April  11. — A  pro- 
posal to  reduce  the  admissions  tax 
and  other  excises  to  prewar  levels 
was  made  today  by  Senator  Johnson, 
Colorado  Democrat,  in  the  form  of  an 
amendment  to  the  House-approved 
bill  to  repeal  Federal  taxes  on  oleo- 
margarine. 

Johnson's  purpose  is  to  kill  the 
oleo  bill,  but  the  subject  of  excise  tax 
reductions  will  reach  the  Senate  floor. 


Milwaukee  Variety 
To  Resume  Tonight 

Milwaukee,  April  11. — After  being 
eight  years  without  a  Variety  Club, 
Milwaukee  once  more  has  a  local  or- 
ganization. A  kick-off  dinner  for  the 
newly-organized  group  of  almost  300 
members  will  be  held  tomorrow  night. 


TWA=TWA=TWA=TWAi 


Sullivan,  Levy  To 
Address  Georgia  T.  O. 

Atlanta,  April  11.— J.  H.  Thomp- 
son, of  Hawkinsville,  Ga.,  president  of 
the  Theatre  Owners  and  Operators  of 
Georgia,  reports  that  a  number  in  the 
industry  had  accepted  invitations  to 
address  the  Theatre  Owners  conven- 
tion on  May  9-10  in  the  Henry  Grady 
Hotel.  Among  them  are  Gael  Sulli- 
van, executive  director  of  the  Thea- 
tre Owners  of  America;  Herman 
Levy,  counsel  for  the  TOA;  Mike 
Simons,  assistant  director  of  public 
relations  for  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 
and  Ed  Stevens,  president  of  Stevens 
Exchanges. 

The  convention  will  get  underway 
at  a  luncheon  on  May  9,  with  Gov. 
Talmadge  and  Mayor  William  B. 
Hartsfield  welcoming  the  delegates. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


T- RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — 

Rockefeller  Center 
BING  CROSBY 
Rhonda    FLEMING     -     Wra.    BENDIX  - 
Sir  Cedric  HARDWICKE 

"A  CONNECTICUT  YANKEE 

In    King  Arthur's  Court" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
A  Paramount  Picture 
THE    GREAT    EASTER   STAGE  SHOW 


unt  presents 


Bride  of 

PAULETTE  GODDARD 

JOHN  LUND 
MACDONALD  CAREY 

>  MITCHELL  LEISEH  proton.. 


ONLY  TWA 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER,  We^Toa'a„ay 
All  Seats  Reserved,  Mall  Orders 

Twice  Dally 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Lata  Show  Saturday  Evening  1 1 :30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


1 

111     offers  300-mph 
|  CONSTELLATION 
|  SERVICE 

Coast-to-coast  ||j 
|      and  overseas  | 


David  O.  Selznick  presents 

"Portrait  of  Jennie" 

starring 

JENNIFER       JOSEPH  ETHEL 
JONES         COTTEN  BARRYMORE 
Directed  by  William  Dieterle. 

RIVOLI 

Broadway  and  49th  Street 


For  reservations,  call  your  TWA  office 
cr  your  travel  agent. 


a JOAN 
of  ARC 
starring  INGRID 

BERGMAN 


A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 

with  JOSE  FERRER  ■  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  ■  t  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BONO 
SHE PPERD  STRUDWICK  ■  HURO  HATFIELD  ■  GENE  LOCKHARI  .  JOHN  EMERY 
GEORGE  C0ULOURIS  ■  JOHN  [RELANO  and  CECJL  KELLAWAY 
based  upon  the  stage  play  'loan  ol  Lorraine  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 

icreen  ploT  b/  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  and  ANDfiEW  SOLT  -  ail  di'pciion  br 
RICHARD  DAY  .  directoi  of  phologroph,  JOSEPH  VALENTINE,  A  S,  C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

preienied  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Int.  -  feleoied  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco. 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer ;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary ; 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca- Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  J>.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burr.up,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


"BOX-OFFICE,  BUT  DEFINITELY!"— Motion  Picture  Doily . .  ."GIVES  AUDIENCES  THEIR  MONEY'S  WORTH 
EVERY  CENT  OF  IT!" -Film  Daily  . . .  "CROWD-PLEASER  FROM  THE  WORD  GO!"  —  Film  Bulletin 


"POTENT  PIECE  OF  SCREEN  MERCHANDISE!"- Horrison's  Reports . .  ."BIG-TIME  PRODUCTION, 
ROARING  WITH  ACTION.  TERRIFYINGLY  REAL- EXPLOITATION  NATURAL!"- Motion  Picture  Herald 

"TREMENDOUS  EYE-FILLING  SPECTACLE  -  TOP  ENTERTAINMENT!" -Hollywood  Reporter 

"A  BOX-OFFICE  WINNER  IN  EPIC  WANGER  TRADITION!" -Boxoffice  HIGHLY  ENTERTAINING 

-GOOD  MERCHANDISE- DASH  AND  FLASH- BETTER  ENTERTAINMENT!"- The  Exhibitor 


"JUST  THE  THING  TO  ATTRACT  TICKET  BUYERS!" -variety  . .  .  "WOULD  PLAY  THIS  PICTURE  AT 
ANY  OF  OUR  HOUSES.  SPECTACULAR  SCENES,  ACTION  GALORE,  TECHNICOLOR!" -The  independent 
"BOX-OFFICE  GUSHER- TOP-NOTCH  COMMERCIAL!"- Daily  variety  ...  "PLENTY  OF  THRILLS  FOR 
EVERY  SPECTATOR.  HEALTHY  GROSSER  AT  THE  BOX-OFFICE!"- showman's  Trade  Review 


WALTER  WANGER  presents 


A 


COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR! 

Starring 


ARMENDARIZ    Chill  Wills  ■  Upyd  Gough  •  Edward  Begley 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  •  Directed  by  STUART  HEISLER 
Associate  Producer  EDWARD  LASKER  •  Screenplay  by  FRANK  NUGENT  and  CURTIS  KENYON 
Suggested  by  a  Story  by  RICHARD  WORMSER  •  An  EAGLE  LION  FILMS  Release 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  April  12,  1949 


3  Percentage  Suits 
Filed  in  N.  Orleans 


New  Orleans,  April  11.— S.  Ed- 
gar Mortimore,  Lyall  G.  Shiell  and 
Mortimore  and  Shiell,  Inc.,  were 
named  defendants  in  three  separate 
percentage  actions  commenced  here 
today  in  the  Civil  District  Court  by 
20th  Century-Fox,  Universal  and 
Loew's.  The  theatres  involved  are  the 
Bell  and  Town  in  New  Orleans.  Re- 
covery is  sought  in  each  complaint  for 
damages  resulting  from  alleged  false 
returns  on  percentage  pictures. 

Chaffe,  McCall,  Toler  and  Phillips 
of  New  Orleans  are  the  attorneys  for 
each  of  the  distributors. 


SPG  Takes  Contract 
Deadlock  to  Mediator 

In  an  attempt  to  "avoid  the  ocur- 
rence  of  a  serious  labor  dispute  affect- 
ing the  industry,"  the  Screen  Pub- 
licists Guild  of  New  York,  Local  No. 
114,  CIO,  has  called  upon  the  New 
York  State  Board  of  Mediation  to  in- 
tervene immediately  in  the  negotia- 
tions deadlock  between  the  union  and 
major  film  companies,  SPG  stated 
yesterday. 

In  a  letter  to  Arthur  S.  Meyer, 
Mediation  Board  chairman,  SPG  said 
that  "the  impasse  is  the  result  of  the 
adamant  refusal  of  the  producers  to 
discuss  terms  of  a  new  agreement  un- 
less the  union  agrees  in  advance  to 
forego  salary  increases  and  accept 
drastic  downward  revision  of  secur- 
ity, arbitration  and  other  clauses 
gained  by  the  Guild  on  contracts  with 
the  companies  since  1942." 


Review 


"Sorrowful  Jones" 

(Paramount) 

D  OB  HOPE,  playing  a  Damon  Runyon  character  in  the  style  of  Bob  Hope, 
*-*  is  something  new  for  him  and  for  his  audiences.  They  will  like  him 
a  great  deal  in  this  sentimental  comedy  based  on  "Little  Miss  Marker" 
which  good  memories  will  recall  projected  Shirley  Temple  into  fame  and 
fortune  exactly  15  years  ago. 

Mary  Jane  Saunders,  a  cute  and  quite  adorable  newcomer,  plays  the  role 
originally  assigned  to  Shirley.  She  is  the  kind  of  youngster  embroiled  in  the 
kind  of  story  make-believe  which  will  have  women  oo-ing  and  ah-ing  prac- 
tically all  of  the  way  as  she  twines  her  charm  irresistibly  around  the  Broad- 
way wise  guy  and  bookie  played  by  Hope. 

The  story  deals  with  Times  Square,  horses  and  fixed  races  and  tells  how 
Hope  falls  unwitting  and  unwilling  heir  to  Mary  Jane  whose  father  is  un- 
fortunate enough  to  run  into  information  about  the  fix  and  ends  up  in  the 
East  River  as  his  punishment.  The  child  becomes  the  problem,  faced  by  Hope 
and  shared  by  Lucille  Ball,  night  club  songbird  romantically  linked  with  Bob. 
The  detail  conveys  how  Mary  Jane  wins  and  Hope  loses  as  the  film  fades 
into  a  happy  finish  while  Bob  and  Miss  Ball  marry  because  they  want  to 
and  also  because  they  want  to  keep  Mary  Jane  out  of  an  orphanage. 

*■*  CORROWFUL  JONES"  finds  its  star  wisecracking  and  indulging  in  his 

^  established  brand  of  comedy,  but  there  is  less  of  that  than  is  normally 
associated  with  a  Hope  vehicle.  His  soft  side  comes  in  for  a  more  pronounced 
play  and,  while  it  is  a  switch,  audiences  undoubtedly  will  take  it  neatly  in  stride. 

The  climactic  episode  which  makes  it  required  to  bring  Dreamy  Joe,  the 
horse,  into  the  hospital  where  the  child  is  hovering  between  life  and  death 
is  very  tall  and,  actually,  quite  a  ridiculous  piece  of  business.  But  it  is 
played  alternately  for  laughs  and  tears  and  succeeds  on  both  counts. 

Performances  of  a  small  supporting  cast,  including  William  Demarest, 
Bruce  Cabot,  Thomas  Gomez  and  Tom  Pedi,  are  competent.  William  R. 
Lipman,  Sam  Hellman  and  Gladys  Lehman  wrote  one  screenplay  from  the 
Runyon  story.  This  in  turn  was  whipped  into  another  screenplay,  which 
was  filmed,  by  Melville  Shavelson,  Edmund  Hartmann  and  Jack  Rose.  Robert 
L.  Welch  produced  and  Sidney  Lanfield  directed  with  an  Unwavering  eye 
glued  to  the  commercial  possibilities. 

Running  time  88  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
July  4,  1949.  Red  Kann 


Nat  Holt  Here  for 
Financing  Next  Two 

Nat  Holt,  independent  producer,  is 
here  from  the  Coast  to  complete  finan- 
cial arrangements  for  his  next  two 
productions  which  he  will  release 
through  20th  Century-Fox,  each  to  be 
budgeted  at  $900,000  to  $1,000,000. 

A  former  exhibitor  who  recently 
completed  "Canadian  Pacific,"  also 
for  distribution  through  20th-Fox, 
Holt  said  here  yesterday  that  he  in- 
tends to  start  "The  Fighting  Man" 
on  May  15  and  "The  Caribou  Trail," 
to  be  made  in  British  Columbia,  prob- 
ably in  July.  Like  "Pacific,"  the  two 
new  films  will  be  in  color  and  will 
star  Randolph  Scott. 

Holt  reported  that  next  year  he  will 
do  "Santa  Fe"  in  cooperation  with 
the  Santa  Fe  Railroad.  He  will  re- 
turn to  the  Coast  at  the  end  of  this 
week. 


Taplinger  Starting 
Public  Relations  Firm 

Establishment  of  a  national  organ- 
ization for  public  relations  is  an- 
nounced by  Robert  S.  Taplinger  and 
Associates,  from  the  company's  main 
office  in  New  York.  The  firm  has 
other  offices  in  Chicago,  Washington 
and  Beverly  Hills. 

Taplinger  was  formerly  with  the 
publicity  department  of  Columbia 
Broadcasting,  which  he  left  to  open  his 
publicity  offices  in  New  York,  Chicago, 
and  Hollywood.  He  sold  his  business 
to  become  director  of  publicity  for 
Warner  Brothers.  Later  he  held  other 
public  relations  posts  in  the  film  in- 
dustry. 


Paramount  brings  you  all  the 

class  and  glamor  of  "KITTY"  plus  as  much 
scope  and  action  as  a  big-scale  western,  in  


Tuesday,  April  12,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Arnall 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


am  very  enthused  about  his  attitude." 

Arnall  said  that  he  had  not  specifi- 
cally mentioned  any  country  nor  the 
special  problems  of  the  independents 
but  rather  had  concentrated  on  the 
"general  proposition  that  we  are  not 
effectively  employing  one  of  the  best 
methods  we  have  of  selling  democracy 
abroad — American  commercially-pro- 
duced films."  Arnall  declared  that  he 
had  stressed  American  films  as  a  meth- 
od of  implementing  the  Marshall 
Plan,  the  North  Atlantic  Pact  and 
other  elements  of  our  foreign  policy. 
'  Arnall  will  see  Secretary  Acheson 
again  tomorrow  on  the  foreign  situa- 
tion and  may  stay  in  town  even  longer 
contacting  other  key  figures  on  the 
foreign  situation.  In  his  meeting  with 
Acheson  tomorrow,  he  will  probably 
concentrate  more  on  the  British  prob- 
lem, Arnall  declared. 


dollars  for  American  motion  pictures 
or  any  other  American  products."  _ 

It  was  then  that  McDonough  said 
that  the  British  policy  especially  dis- 
turbed him  because  British  actions 
serve  as  signals  to  other  countries. 

Meanwhile  the  Senate  put  off  at 
least  until  next  week  debate  on  ex- 
tending the  Reciprocal  Trade  Agree- 
ments Act.  This  is  the  measure  to 
which  Senator  Knowland  has  pro- 
posed an  amendment  designed  to  strike 
back  at  discrimination  against  Ameri- 
can films  and  other  products  by 
Britain  and  other  nations. 

A  committee  representing  California 
members  of  Congress  has  not  yet  been 
able  to  set  up  an  appointment  with 
Secretary  of  State  Acheson,  to  dis- 
cuss  with   him   the   quota  situation 


U.K.  Quota 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America,  McDonough  reviewed  the 
British  film  quota  history  and  de- 
clared that  the  quota  had  cut  deeply 
into  Hollywood's  foreign  film  market 
and  brought  about  sizeable  unemploy- 
ment in  Hollywood.  Members  of 
Parliament  and  British  theatre  own 
ers  opposed  the  quota,  he  said. 

Rep.  Judd,  sponsor  of  the  amend 
ment,  warned  McDonough  that  unless 
the  European  nations  were  better  uni- 
fied economically  the  recovery  pro 
gram  would  not  succeed  and  "the 
Marshall  Plan  countries  won't  have 


MPA  Meet  Thursday 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


hibitor  relations  which  is  headed  by 
Ned  E.  Depinet,  president  of  RKO. 

Francis  Harmon,  vice-president  of 
MP  A  A,  reportedly  is  slated  to  take 
over  direction  of  the  new  theatre  de 
partment  upon  its  enlargement. 
MPAA's  work  in  community  and 
public  relations  also  are  likely  to  be 
discussed  at  Thursday's  session. 


Film  Finance  Corp. 

(Contimied  from  page  1) 


lating  Film  Finance  Corp.  reveals 
that  it  now  is  authorized  to  advance 
financing  directly  to  producers  who 
can  satisfy  the  corporation  that  they 
have  an  organization  qualified  to  pro- 
duce a  series  of  pictures  and  who  are 
equipped  with  the  necessary  experts  to 
produce  such  a  program  and  have  ac- 
cess to  adequate  private  financing  to 
supplement  that  supplied  by  Film 
Finance. 

The  government  corporation  hither- 
to had  powers  to  make  loans  to 
distributors  only. 


Ginsberg  Heads  Fund 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


300,000  of  which  was  pledged  at  a 
single  fund-raising  dinner. 

Ginsberg  told  major  studio  execu 
tives  at  a  luncheon  in  the  Warner 
Brothers  studio,  "This  will  be  a  fast 
campaign  and  a  successful  one.  It 
must  be  both  to  meet  the  responsibili 
ties  and  opportunities  of  this  year." 


British  Restrictions 

(Contimied  from  page  1) 


could  be  made  in  the  United  States," 
but  added  that  instead  the  British  are 
concentrating  on  25  per  cent  of  the 
market  "by  artificial  restrictions." 
British  films  should  compete  in  the 
American  as  well  as  the  British  mar- 
ket, Lessing  said,  "and  they  would  not 
have  studios  closed." 

Declaring  that  British  producers' 
interests  are  parallel  to  American  in- 
dependents, Lessing  declared  that  "the 
Paramount  case  and  other  government 
cases  will  eventually  bring  on  free  and 
open  markets  where  pictures  can  be 
sold  on  their  merit."  Lessing  is  also 
chairman  of  the  executive  committee 
of  Society  of  Independent  Motion 
Picture  Producers  and  intends  to 
make  a  report  to  that  group  shortly. 

One  of  Lessing's  main  purposes 
overseas  was  to  take  care  of  the  legal 
angles  involved  in  Disney's  "Treasure 
Island."  Shooting  will  start  in  Eng- 
land around  July  15.  The  film  is  be- 


ing made  by  Disney  under  the  British 
quota.  Lessing  also  visited  France  and 
Switzerland. 

Other  arrivals  yesterday  were  Sam 
Eckman,  Jr.,  managing  director  of 
M-G-M,  Ltd.;  Kay  Harrison,  manag- 
ing director  of  Technicolor,  Ltd.,  and 
Gregory  Ratoff,  producer. 

Drive-in  Patent 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

of  Park-In  on  the  basis  of  an  agree- 
ment under  which  it  licensed  Loew's 
Drive-In  in  return  for  royalty  pay- 
ments based  on  a  percentage  of  week- 
ly gross  receipts. 

The  Drive-In  appealed  the  decision 
to  the  Circuit  Court  here,  contending 
that  the  Park-In  patents  are  invalid 
and  hence  agreement  was  not  binding. 
Circuit  Court  upheld  that  contention. 

Park-In  contends  it  holds  rights  to 
Patent  No.  1,909,537  for  drive-ins,  as- 
signed to  it  by  the  inventor,  Richard 
M.  Hollingsworth,  Jr. 


20th  -  Fox  Rentals 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


where,  on  Thursday,  an  exhibitor 
luncheon-meeting  patterned  after  the 
ones  held  recently  in  Boston,  New 
Haven,  Philadelphia  and  New  York, 
will  be  sponsored  by  20th-Fox; 

Assisting  Lichtman  and  Smith  in 
their  survey  in  the  Midwest  will  be 
Jack  Lorentz,  Central  division  sales 
manager  and  the  staffs  of  the  latter's 
six  branch  offices  in  Milwaukee, 
Omaha,  Des  Moines,  Kansas  City, 
St.  Louis  and  Minneapolis. 

At  the  meetings  here  Lichtman 
cited  the  leadership  of  Spyros  P. 
Skouras  and  Darryl  F.  Zanuck. 


Paulette 


John 


Macdonald 


Goddard  Lund  Carey 

in 

Ul 


A  MITCHELL  LEISEN  PRODUCTION 

with  ALBERT  DEKKER  •  JOHN  SUTTON  •  RAYMOND  BURR 

Produced  by  RICHARD  MAIBAUM  •  Directed  by  MITCHELL  LEISEN 

Screenplay  by  Cyril  Hume  and  Michael  Hogan  •  Additional  Dialogue  by  Clemence  Dane  •  Story  by  Michael  Hogan 


Hie  honeymoon's  started  at  the  N.  Y.  Paramount 


THE  BIG  FACT  BOOK 


•    •    •  • 


It 


Answers 
Your 

Questions 
About 
Your 
Industry 


1949-30  EDITION 
NOW  IN 
PREPARATION 


Order  your  1949-50  Almanac  now! 
The  price  is  $5.00  all  over  the 
world.  Shipping  charges  included. 


QUICLEY  PUBLICATIONS 


ROCKEFELLER  CENTER, 


NEW    YORK  (20) 


(FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  72 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  APRIL  13,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


State  Dept.  Aid 
In  Quota  Fight 
Seen  Hy  Arnall 

Acheson,  Others  Discuss 
Foreign  Discrimination 

Washington,  April  12.— SIMPP 
president  Ellis  Arnall  spent  today 
at  the  State  Department,  calling  on 
officials  from  Secretary  Acheson 
down,  and  came  away  convinced  that 
"The  American  motion  picture  indus- 
try can  count  on  the  full,  active  and 
positive  support  of  the  State  Depart- 
ment in  seeing  that  our  industry  ob- 
tains and  maintains  fair  and  non- 
discriminatory treatment  at  the  hands 
of  foreign  governments." 

In  addition  to  a  30-minute  confer- 
ence with  Acheson,  Arnall  had 
lengthy  interviews  with  Under-Secre- 
tary of  State  James  Webb,  motion 
picture  chief  Merrill  C.  Gay,  and  other 
Department  officials. 

Arnall  emphasized  that  his  confer- 
ences had  not  reached  the  point  where 
the  Department  promised  to  enter  into 
negotiations  with  any  particular  gov- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Says  UK  Financial 
Aid  to  Open  Studios 


London,  April  12. — H.  G.  Lawrie, 
managing  director  of  the  Film 
Finance  Corp.,  disclosed  here  that 
financial  aid  from  that  government  or- 
ganization will  enable  several  present- 
ly closed  studios  to  reopen.  Lawrie 
made  the  forthright  observation  that 
the  government  is  now  in  the  film 
business. 

Immediately  following  the  appoint- 
ment yesterday  of  Lord  Reith  as  chair- 
man of  Film  Finance,  formal  an- 
nouncement was  made  of  financial  ad- 
vancements to  four  distributors  and 
six  producers.  A  hitherto  undisclosed 
distributor,  George  Minters  of  Re- 
nown, has  already  received  financial 
aid. 

All  of  the  producers  are  described 
as  being  reputable  independents  who 
previously  had  satisfied  the  corpora- 
tion not  only  of  their  ability  but  also 
that  private  financing  is  available  to 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Lockwood  Calls  20th 
Plan  'Ill-Advised' 


Terming  20th  Century-Fox's  cam- 
paign for  increased  film  rentals  "ill- 
advised,"  Arthur  H.  Lockwood,  presi- 
dent of  the  Theatre  Owners  of  Amer- 
ica, has  advised  exhibitors  to  take  into 
account  the  increasing  number  of  pic- 
tures on  the  market  which,  he  said, 
requires  "highly  selective"  buying. 

In  a  bulletin  issued  yesterday, 
Lockwood  also  declared  that  20th- 
Fox's  advocacy  of  reduced  clearance 
"is  constructive  and  should  be  en- 
couraged." 

"Prompt  overhauling  of  all  clear- 
ances is  the  order  of  the  day,"  he 
said. 

Lockwood   contends   that  approxi- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Christy  Wilbert  Joins 
Schlaifer'sAd  A  gency 

Charles  Schlaifer  has  appointed 
Christy  Wilbert  copy  chief  and  a 
member  of  the  plans  board  of  the 
Charles  Schlaifer  Co.  advertising 
agency,  and  has  appointed  Evelyn 
Ahl strand  media  director. 

Wilbert  formerly  was  with  20th 
Century-Fox  from  1936  as,  successive- 
ly, copywriter,  manager  of  cooperative 
advertising  and  copy  chief,  and,  from 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


U.  K.  Theatres  Rebel 
Over  Tax  Inactivity 


London,  April  12. — Exhibitor  re- 
action to  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer 
Sir  Stafford  Cripps'  rejection  in  his 
recent  budget  of  their  appeal  for  ad- 
mission tax  relief  is  likely  to  be  re- 
consideration of  their  agreement  with 
the  government  under  which  they  give 
free  screen  time  to  government  propa- 
ganda and  information  films. 

The    Exhibitors    Association  will 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


House  Passes  Bill 
Extending  the  EC  A 

Washington,  April  12.— The 
House  today  passed  a  bill  ex- 
tending ECA  through  June 
30,  1950,  and  allowing  up  to 
$15,000,000  a  year  for  the  in- 
formation media  guaranty 
program.  The  measure  goes 
to  conference  with  a  simi- 
lar Senate-approved  bill, 
which  allows  only  $10,000,- 
000  annually  for  the  film  and 
other  information  media 
guaranties.  A  compromise 
measure  is  expected  to  be 
passed  by  both  Houses  and 
sent  to  the  White  House  by 
the  end  of  the  week. 


Para.  Split  Is 
Approved  by 
Stockholders 


To  Appeal  Ruling 
On  Park-In  Patents 


Park-In  Theatres,  Inc.,  of  Camden, 
N.  J.,  will  appeal  to  the  U.  S.  Su- 
preme Court  for  a  review  of  the  deci- 
sion by  the  U.  S.  Circuit  Court  of 
Appeals  in  Boston,  which  held  that 
the  ramp  patent  of  drive-in  theatres, 
held  by  Park-In,  Inc.,  is  invalid,  ac- 
cording to  Leonard  L.  Kalish,  attor- 
ney for  the  latter  company. 

Park-In  had  filed  an  infringement 
action  against  E.  M.  Loew's  Drive-In 
Theatres,  Inc.,  on  the  grounds  that  the 
latter  had  refused  to  pay  royalties  for 
use  of  the  plaintiff's  Hollingshead 
patent.  Scores  of  other  houses  paying 
royalties  to  the  Camden  firm  could  be 
affected  by  the  decision. 


78.18%  of  Stock  Favors 
Plan;  1.15%Voted  Against 

By  a  vote  of  78.18  per  cent  for 
and  1.15  per  cent  against,  stock- 
holders of  Paramount  Pictures,  Inc., 
at  a  special  meeting  at  the  home 
office  yesterday  ratified  the  plan  of 
reorganization  of  the  corporation.  An 
affirmative  vote  of  66  2/3  was  neces- 
sary. 

Representing  close  to  80  per  cent  of 
the  total  stock  issued  and  outstanding, 
5,202,183  shares  were  voted  in  the  af- 
firmative as  against  76,576  shares  in 
opposition,  it  was  reported  at  the 
close  of  the  meeting  by  Robert 
O'Brien,  corporate  secretary. 

The  negative  vote  was  the  lowest 
cast  on  any  issue  ever  put  before  the 
stockholders,  Barney  Balaban  com- 
mented, in  expressing  his  gratitude  for 
the  cooperation  and  support  given 
management  by  the  investors. 

Yesterday's  anticipated  indorsement 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Mayer  Favors  Continuing 
MPEA 's  Reich  Operation 


Wnai  B'rith  Will 
Honor  H.  M.  Warner 

Los  Angeles,  April  12. — Harry  M. 
Warner,  president  of  Warner  Broth- 
ers, will  be  honor  guest  at  a  banquet 
to  be  given  by  the  Beverly  Hills  B'nai 
B'rith  Women,  No.  245,  on  Wednes- 
day evening,  April  27,  at  the  Beverly 
Hills  Hotel. 

Civic,  philanthropic  and  industry 
leaders  will  be  present  at  the  dinner, 
which  is  to  be  held  in  recogntion  of 
Warner's  work  as  national  chairman 
of  the  Friendship  Train  and  the 
French  Gratitude  Train.  The  banquet 
will  also  signalize  the  rounding  out 
of  10  years'  work  by  the  women's 
organization.  Mrs.  George  B.  Taus- 
sig is  president-elect  of  the  group. 
Mrs.  Abe  Corenson  is  general  chair- 


Arthur  Mayer,  head  of  the  Ameri 
can  Military  Government  motion  pic 
ture  division  in  Germany,  indicated  at 
a  meeting  of  distribution  foreign  de 
partment  chiefs   here  yesterday  _  that 
he  personally  is  in  favor  of  continua 
tion  of  Motion  Picture  Export  Asso 
ciation    operations    in    that  occupied 
country.     The  occasion  of  his  com 
ments  in  that  connection  was  a  lun- 
cheon held  in  his  honor  at  the  Har- 
vard Club  by  foreign  heads  of  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  mem 
ber  companies  and  presided  over  by 
MPAA  international  division  director 
John  McCarthy. 

Mayer,  who  is  here  from  Frankfort 
to  confer  with  government  as  well  as 
industry  officials,  reported  that  th 
German  industry  is  geared  at  present 
for  the  production  of  between  25  and 
30  pictures   annually.     However,  he 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Paramount  Gets  17 
In  Partner  Splits 


Paramount  has  dissolved  partner- 
ship operations  of  two  circuits,  emerg- 
ing with  full  ownership  of  14  houses 
of  a  72-theatre  company,  and  taking 
full  ownership  of  three  houses  of  a 
15-theatre  company,  Leonard  Golden- 
son  told  stockholders  here  yesterday. 

He  said  that  in  both  cases  Para- 
mount and  the  partner  each  had  50 
per  cent  interests  and  that  the  thea- 
tres which  Paramount  is  to  take  full 
possession  of  had  constituted  50  per 
cent  of  the  earnings  of  each  entire 
circuit,  despite  the  wide  numerical 
difference.' 

In  the  split  of  the  72-theatre  circuit, 
he  said,  Paramount  additionally  col- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


1st  Industry  Short 
Released  on  May  13 

The  Industry  Film  Series  Commit- 
tee yesterday  reported  that  the  first  of 
"The  Movies  and  You"  short  subjects 
will  be  released  on  May  13.  The  film, 
"Let's  Go  to  the  Movies,"  will  be 
distributed  by  RKO  Radio,  which 
produced  it.  Booking  arangements 
should  be  made  through  RKO  ex- 
changes. 

A  total  of  12  shorts  will  be  pro-- 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


2 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Wednesday,  April  13,  1949 


N.Y.  Variety  Charter 
Presented  Oct.  27 


New  York's  new  Tent  No.  35, 
Variety  Clubs  International,  will  be 
formally  inducted  at  charter  presenta- 
tion ceremonies  to  be  held  at  the 
Hotel  Astor,  here,  on  October  27,  it 
was  announced  yesterday  by  Max  A. 
Cohen,  chief  barker.  International 
officers  of  Variety,  and  representatives 
of  all  tents,  are  expected  to  attend  the 
induction,  and  an  expected  turnout  of 
some  2,000  will  include  virtually  all 
Eastern  industry  toppers,  as  well  as 
many  from  the  Coast. 

The  tent's  clubrooms  on  the  10th 
floor  of  the  Astor  are  expected  to  be 
ready  for  use  in  mid-May.  Fred 
Block  has  been  engaged  as  the  club's 
executive  manager.  Block  for  many 
years  was  identified  with  the  Mutual 
Wheel  enterprises  of  the  late  Izzy 
Hirk. 

Cohen  planes  to  the  Coast  on 
Friday  and  from  Hollywood  will  go 
to  San  Francisco  to  attend  the  In- 
ternational's convention,  opening  on 
May  2.  He  will  return  here  by  plane 
on  May  7.  Eastern  delegates  to  the 
convention  will  press  for  the  selection 
of  New  York  City  for  the  fall  meet- 
ing. This  would  permit  the  Interna- 
tional board  to  convene  coincidental 
with  the  induction  meeting  of  Tent  35. 


Personal  Mention 


Bronston  to  Produce 
250  Musical  Reels 


Twenty-one  musical  films  featuring 
the  Santa  Cicilia  Orchestra,  under  the 
direction  of  Jacques  Rachmilovich, 
have  been  completed  in  Rome  as  the 
initial  step  in  a  production  program 
to  establish  a  television  and  theatrical- 
film  music  library  of  250  reels  by 
American  and  European  orchestras,  it 
was  announced  here  yesterday  by 
Samuel  Bronston,  independent  pro- 
ducer formerly  associated  with  United 
Artists  and  Columbia.  Twenty  ad- 
ditional reels  will  be  produced  in 
Rome  next  month.  The  films  will 
also  be  released  for  theatrical  and 
16mm.  distribution. 

Bronston  took  Rachmilovich  and 
an  American  production  crew  to 
Europe  with  him  to  film  the  first 
group,  at  the  Cine  Citta  Studios  in 
Rome.  The  unit  included  Ben  Berk, 
production  supervisor ;  Jerome  Cappi, 
director,  and  Hugo  Grimaldi,  film 
editor. 

Bronston  heads  his  own  film  com- 
pany, Samuel  Bronston  Productions 
of  California.  He  is  also  executive 
vice-president  of  Trans-Pacific  Film 
Co.,  which  operates  theatres  in  the 
Far  East,  principally  in  the  Philip- 
pines. 


ITTJWARD   A.   GOLDEN   is  due 
*— '  here  today  from  Hollywood. 
• 

Louis  Schine,  Schine  circuit  ex- 
ecutive, and  Mrs.  Schine,  gave  a 
dinner-dance  at  the  Ten  Eyck  Hotel, 
Albany,  this  week  in  honor  of  Mrs. 
Donald  Schine,  recently  married  to 
their  son,  Donald  Schine,  president 
of  Darnell  Co.,  Buffalo. 

• 

Bette  Davis,  her  husband,  Wil- 
liam Grant  Sherry,  and  their  two- 
year-old  daughter,  will  arrive  here 
Saturday  from  the  Coast,  with  the 
party  continuing  to  Boston  after  a 
few  days,  where  Sherry  will  have  an 
art  exhibit. 

• 

William  Dieterle,  director;  Da- 
vid Niven  and  Ivor  Novello,  actors, 
and  Everett  Crosby,  sailed  yesterday 
for  England  aboard  the  S.  S.  Queen 
Elizabeth.  • 

9 

Harold  Postman,  assistant  to 
Allan  F.  Cummings,  in  charge  of 
M-G-M  exchange  operations,  will  re- 
turn here  tomorrow  from  an  extended 
Western  tour. 

• 

Edward  Fabian,  son  of  S.  H.  Fa- 
bian, will  be  working  with  Saul  J. 
Ullman,  Fabian  Theatres  New  York 
manager,  at  Albany. 

• 

Anthony  Mann,  M-G-M  director, 
has  returned  to  the  Coast  from  here, 
but  is  due  back  for  location  shots 
within  three  weeks. 

• 

Joe  Walsh,  Paramount  sales  ex- 
ecutive, and  Arthur  Dunne,  head  of 
the  home  office  contract  department, 
are  on  the  Coast  from  New  York. 
• 

Sol  Edwards,  SRO  sales  executive, 
is  due  to  return  here  Friday  from 
Charlotte  and  Atlanta. 

• 

Norman  Elson,  Trans  Lux  The- 
atres executive,  is  in  Boston  from  New 
York. 


William  Howard,  RKO  Theatre 
assistant  general  manager  has  left 
here  for  Los  Angeles  and  San 
Francisco. 


BUDD    ROGERS,    Realart  sales 
vice-president,  is  in  Philadelphia 
today  from  New  York. 

• 

Walter  Mirisch,  Monogram  pro- 
ducer and  general  manager  of  the 
newly  formed  Interstate  Television 
Corp.,  has  returned  to  Hollywood 
from  New  York. 

• 

Gordon  Lightstone,  general  man- 
ager of  Paramount  Film  Service,  To- 
ronto, is  touring.  Eastern  provinces  of 
Canada. 


Oscar  Morgan,  Paramount  News 
and  short  subjects  general  sales  man- 
ager, will  return  here  tomorrow  from 
Cleveland  and  Chicago. 

• 

Henry  L.  Nathanson,  president  of 
M-G-M  Films  of  Canada,  and  Ted 
Gould,  general  sales  manager,  left 
here  yesterday  for  Toronto. 

• 

Maurice  N.  Wolf,  assistant  to  H. 
M.  •  Richey,  M-G-M  exhibitor  rela- 
tions head,  will  speak  today  before  the 
Kiwanis  Club  at  Taunton,  Mass. 
• 

Bernard  J.  Gates,  Latin-American 
supervisor  for  Monogram-Internation- 
al, has  left  New  York  for  a  South 
American  tour. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


J.  E.  Lawson, 
president,  was  in 
from  Toronto. 


Odeon  Theatres 
Ottawa  recently 


THE  Kathy  Fiscus  tragedy  and* 
Army  Day  parades  are  current 
newsreel  highlights.  Other  items  in- 
clude the  chiefs  of  staff  meeting  in' 
Florida,  sports  and  human  interest 
stories.  Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE   NEWS.   No.  3ft— Army 

Day  parades  in  New  York  and  Triest, 
Germany.  Kathy  Fiscus.  Florida:  Gen. 
Eisenhower  meets  joint  chiefs  of  staff. 
Greece's  King  and  Queen  tour  their  coun- 
try. New  York :  _  Ringling  Brothers  circus. 
Sports:  Golf,  boxing,  swimming. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  264 — Kathy 
Fiscus.  Israel  welcomes  U.  S.  ambassador. 
Greek  monarch  hailed  on  tour.  Juniotj 
stars  in  swimming  and  Annapolis  boxing. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  67 — Kathy; 
Fiscus.  Greek  King  reopens  Corinth  Canal. 
China:  tension  mounts  amid  bid  for  peace.; 
France:  motorcycle  race  and  turf  opening. 

TEEENEWS  DIGEST.  No.  15-A-i 
Costa  Rica  revolution.  Spain's  victory 
parade.  Mexico:  spring  fiestas.  N.  Y. : 
Inside  Ellis  Island.  London:  Sir  Stafford 
Cripps  presents  new  budget:  Eisenhower 
meets  joint  chiefs.  New  York:  German 
exhibition  picketed.  Bathing  suit  styles. 
Rome:  U.  S. -Italy  tennis. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL,  No.  238— 
Kathy  Fiscus.  King  and  Queen  of  Greece 
see  Corinth  Canal  open.  Palestine  envoy, 
James  MacDonald.  Spain:  victory  parade. 
Chiefs  of  staff  in  Florida.  Swimming,  box- 
ing, motorcycling. 

WARNER  PAT  HE  NEWS,  No.  69— 

People  in  the  news:  chiefs  of  staff  meet, 
Harry  M.  Warner  gets  award,  Ernest  Bevin 
sails,  King  and  Queen  of  Greece.  Kathy 
Fiscus.  Church  explosion.  Army  parade 
in  Germany.  Pets.  Sports:  Golf  and  kids 
boxing. 


Ed  Barison,  of  Cinema  Distribu- 
tors, San  Francisco,  is  due  in  New 
York  this  week  from  that  city. 
• 

Rudy  Weiss,  head  of  Warner's  real 
estate  department,  will  leave  here  to- 
day for  Lima,  Ohio. 

• 

Ed  Hinchy,   Warner  home  office 
playdate  department  head,  will  be  in 
Washington  today  from  New  York. 
• 

Arthur  Hornblow,  Jr.,  and  John 
Huston  are  here  from  the  Coast,  en 
route  to  London. 


Harold  D.  Field,  Minneapolis  ex- 
I  hibitor,  is  in  New  York. 


Freda  Linton  Surrenders 

Toronto,  April  12.— The  Royal  Ca- 
nadian Mounted  Police  has  reported 
that  Freda  Linton,  former  secretary 
to  John  Grierson  prior  to  his  resigna- 
tion as  general  manager  of  the  Na- 
tional Film  Board  at  Ottawa,  had 
surrendered  to  face  charges  of  violat- 
ing the  Official  Secrets  Act  in  connec- 
tion with  Soviet  spy  operations  in  Ot- 
tawa 


Jack  Roper  Heads 
Para.  Sales  Analysis 

A.  W.  Schwalberg,  Paramount 
general  sales  manager,  has  promoted 
Jack  Roper  to  the  position  of  man- 
ager of  the  box-office  analysis  depart- 
ment, a  newly  created  unit  in  the 
company's  home  office.  Roper,  who 
has  been  with  Paramount  since  1921, 
has  been  assistant  to  Hugh  Owen, 
Eastern  division  manager,  for  the  last 
four  years. 

Main  purpose  of  the  new  depart- 
ment will  be  to  study  and  recommend 
changes  in  box-office  statements  and 
other  sales  forms  and  records  to  im- 
prove overall  efficiency.  He  will  also 
act  as  liaison  between  the  field  and 
home  office  on  certain  problems  origi- 
nating in  the  field,  and  coordinate  in 
the  home  office  the  auditing  and  tabu- 
lating of  forms  and  reports  relating 
to  sharing  engagements. 


11  Additional  Films 
Are  Rated  by  Legion 

Eleven  additional  pictures  have 
been  classified  by  the  National  Legion 
of  Decency.  In  Class  A-I  are:  Mono- 
gram's "Bomba,  the  Jungle  Boy"; 
Columbia's  "Boston  Blackie's  Chinese 
Venture,"  "The  Mutineers"  and 
"Singing  Spurs";  Siritzky's  "Man  to 
Man,"  and  Screen  Guild's  "Outlaw 
Country." 

In  Class  A-II  are  :  M-G-M's  "Bark- 
leys  of  Broadway"  and  "Big  Jack"; 
Republic's  "Hideout,"  and  Film  Clas- 
sics' "Daughter  of  the  West"  and 
"Amazon  Quest." 


"Brave"  Follows  "Joan" 

"Home  of  the  Brave,"  produced  by 
Stanley  Kramer  for  UA  release,  is 
scheduled  to  follow  "Joan  of  Arc  at 
the  Victoria.  Opening  date  has  not 
yet  been  set. 


DeTitta  Cites  Value 
Of  Newsreel  Rivalry 

Pensacola,  Fla.,  April  12. — The 
competitive  spirit  among  American 
newsreels  have  made  them  popular 
throughout  the  world,  Arthur  DeTitta, 
assignment  editor  of  20th-Fox  Movie- 
tone News,  declared  this  morning  in 
an  address  before  the  district  public 
information  officers'  seminar  at  the 
U.  S.  Naval  Air  Station  here. 

DeTitta,  who  disclosed  in  detail 
the  operational  problems  and  chal- 
lenges that  newreelers  face  in  both 
peace  and  war,  told  the  seminar  that 
"by  reason  of  a  bewildering,  but  per- : 
fectly  functioning,  reciprocal  exchange 
system,  it  is  now  possible  for  us  to} 
show  any  important  actuality  in  prac- 
tically every  country  of  the  world 
within  two  days." 

Until  recently,  DeTitta  said,  Movie- 
tone  released  a  television  newsreel 
five  times  a  week,  "and  hopes  to  do 
so  again  in  the  near  future." 


Two  M-G-M  Premieres 

Two  M-G-M  pictures  will  have 
world  premieres  this  month,  the  first, 
"The  Barkleys  of  Broadway,"  will  be 
at  Loew's  State  here,  opening  April 
27,  and  the  second,  "The  Secret  Gar- 
den," at  the  Astor,  Boston,  on  April 
30.  Both  will  be  indefinite-run  en- 
gagements. 


MOT  Receptionfor'Atom' 

March  of  Time  was  host  to  press 
and  industry  representatives  at  a  re- 
ception here  yesterday  for  its  latest 
release,  "Report  on  the  Atom."  Mar- 
jorie  Harker  was  in  charge. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY  .Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin-  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor  Published  daily  excent  Saturdays 
Sundays  and  holidays  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N  Y  Telephone  C^>-MW^hMdSS?^«o5SSSa 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-Pres  dent ;  Martin  Quigley    Tr     Vice-President-  Then   T   <!«li;M^   v£»  pi  1.         j  ™  r     T?  ,  UUigpuDCO. 

James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  ManagerT  Gufk    Fausef  Production  Mana^ 

Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley '  Adverti  Z  K^^i^r^m^i\,^^^i  vUmK'  W™*™  v^J  ' 
J.  A.  Otten.  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  Ltmdon  Wl lCK ^S^^^J^ZntS^Mh^M^  Representative  Washington 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;   Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales    each  pubfishe^l 3' tim« 

Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  Vost  office  t  New  York  N  Y  under  the  art  M  M  r  i  1  !«TOre  Herald;  International 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c.  '  W'      '  under  the  act  of  March  3-  1879-    Subscription  rates  per 


NALD  REAGAN  VIVECA  UNDFORS 


WARNER  BROS.' 
TRADE  SHOW 
APRIL  18 

ALBANY 

Warner  Screening  Room 
79  N.  Pearl  St.  •  12:30  P.M. 
ATLANTA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

197  Walton  St.  N.W.  •  2:30  P.M. 

BOSTON 

RKO  Screening  Room 

122  Arlington  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 

BUFFALO 

Paramount  Screening  Room 
464  Franklin  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
CHARLOTTE 

?0th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

308  S.  Church  St.  •  10:00  A.M. 

CHICAGO 

Warner  Screening  Room 

1307  So.  Wabash  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M. 

CINCINNATI 

RKO  Palace  Th.  Screening  Room 

Palace  Th.  Bldg.  E.  6th  •  8:00  P.M. 

CLEVELAND 

Warner  Screening  Room 

2300  Payne  Ave.  •  2*00  P.M. 

DALLAS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
1803  Wood  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
DENVER 

Paramount  Screening  Room 

2100  Stout  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

DES  MOINES 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1300  High  St.  •  8:00  P.M. 

DETROIT 

Film  Exchange  Building 

2310  Cass  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

INDIANAPOLIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

326  No.  Illinois  St.  •  1:00  P.M. 

KANSAS  CITY 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1720  Wyandotte  St.  •  1:30  P.M. 

LOS  ANGELES 

Warner  Screening  Room 

2025  S.  Vermont  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

MEMPHIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
151  Vance  Ave.  •  10:00  A.M. 
MILWAUKEE 

Worner  Theatre  Screening  Room 

212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M 

MINNEAPOLIS 

Warner  Screening  Room 

1000  Currie  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

NEW  HAVEN 

Warner  Theatre  Proiection  Room 

70  College  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

NEW  ORLEANS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

200  S.  Liberty  St.  •  8:00  P.M. 

NEW  YORK 

Home  Office 

321  W.  44th  St.  •  2-30  P.M. 
OKLAHOMA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
10  North  Lee  St.  •  1:30  P.M. 
OMAHA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1502  Davenport  St.  •  10:00  A.M. 

PHILADELPHIA 

Worner  Screening  Room 

230  No.  13th  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 

PITTSBURGH 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1715  Blvd.  of  Allies  •  1:30  P.M. 

PORTLAND 

Jewel  Box  Screening  Room 

1947  N.W.  Kearney  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

SALT  LAKE 

20th  Century-Fox  Screeningp  Room 
216  East  1st  South  •  2:00  P.M. 
SAN  FRANCISCO 
Republic  Pict.  Screening  Room 
221  Golden  Gate  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M. 
SEATTLE 

Jewel  Box  Screening  Room 

2318  Second  Ave.  •  10:30  A.M. 

ST.  LOUIS 

S'renco  Screening  Room 

3143  Olive  St.  •  9:30  A.M. 

WASHINGTON 

Warner  Theatre  Building 

13th  S  E  Sts.  N.W  •  10:30  A.M. 


STARRING  ;"      4    ii     fi  jpj,     (Hil    fi — '    A     (H\\     A      \  \\     ft     ft    ft   ~~  °j 

Ji 

by  DON   SIEGEL  Screen  Play  by  Kathryn  Scola  •  From  the  Novel  by  Philip  Wyhe  •  Music  by  Franz  Waxman.  Produced  byOWEN   C  R  U  MP. 


starring 

ROBERT  RYAN  *  AUDREY  TOTTER 

with  p  K 

GEORGE  TOBIAS  •  ALAN  BAXTER  •  WALLACE  FORD  r 

Produced  by  RICHARD  GOLDSTONE  •  Directed  by  ROBERT  WISE 

Screen  Play  by  ART  COHN 


"EW  YORK- 

S.',';u:'odramo''-- 

°  ""-prise  hit  "   i  '.■ 
4m°r;can.  "Su  e.fi~  J0<,mo/- 
duper"      s      .  "re-S"Per- 

IOS  ANGELES  - 

s"re-fire  hit  "    r 

;»« -« i— 


KANSAS  CITY-  n«„ 

"Drastic  and  breath  »  k'  ^©CHESTER  — 

.  .    oreath-takino        "5...  ,  . 


"Drastic  and  breath-taking 
•  •  •  realistically  vi,al." 

—Star. 

DENVER  - 

""""roughly  „ne  fi,m..  f 
"'"on-packed"       p°  ' 
P<""h  of  realistic  drama.''' 
-/?oc/ry  M/.  A/ews. 


"Suspenseful  ond  exciting 
— Democrat  <S  Chron/c/e. 

SYRACUSE  — 

"New  angle  .  .  .  relief  Uom 
formula  "  u~    ,  ,  ; 

Re°*  slugging  match  . 
much  humor." 

Post  Standard. 


CHICAGO- 

"Should  be  your  meat."  _ 

Tnbune'  from  hokum 

•  •  •  expertly  acted." 

— Sun-Times. 


tA§M  —PostStam 

Washington-  nre 

'4Ho,>.raising,j;^  DES  MOINES  — 

,.,  ..  y        limes-  "o  , 


BOSTON  - 


-  Dati'  d  D""natK  Punch" 

Do  /y  Dec0f</  „ 

^  P°Werf»'-  hard-hitting" 

-G/o6e. 

f  AN  FRANCISCO 

""usual,  «.rtistic."_A/eM,s 
!  Contains  no  hokum." 

Chronicle. 

IlEVELAND  - 

£°Ckou'-  »ow  exciting  ca„ 
«ov,e  be"-press.  ^eC°n 

Performances."  _  p,  " 
"ler.  "Will  „ 

~News     '  f°'9et 


'Hair-raising"  _r,m 
Herald  "nil.   .  es 

ca,,y,-_;e0';;.  oryree"is"- 

NEW  ORLEANS - 

"Hard-hitting,  s,ashi 
i    No,e*orthy  fight  scene9s  „•  • 

— r/mes-P/cayone. 

SALT  LAKE  CITY- 

"One  of  year's  most  arrest- 
'"9  films"  _  Desoroi  « 
"H~.     i  .      ueseref  News. 

for  i  7  d°m  bee"  e«u°'*« 
for  real,sm."-rr,V!,u„e. 

BUFFALO  - 

"Packed  the  20tk  r 

Theatre  ''--k  e"fUry 
mf°    '  -C^"er  Express. 

boast  '/  ^  9°od-ads 
*   ^fve""»g  News. 

CINCINNATI-  | 

2l79,  Q,mOSphere'  sensa- 

-post,  tough."  s„i:rer- 

OMAHA - 

'•Pu'ls  no  punches.  Extremely 
reohstic."  World.HeJj 


"One  of  most  savage  bouts 
Hollywood  ever  filmed." 

— -Tribune. 

COLUMBUS  - 

"One  of  the  best  fight  pie- 
ces in  longtime  "-J fir 
»»a  8  me-  —Citizen. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  April  13,  1949 


Hollywood 


Hollywood,  April  12 

REPUBLIC'S  Walter  Colmes  is  to 
produce  "The  Cleveland  Story," 
wherein  members  of  the  Cleveland  In- 
dians' baseball  team  re-educate  a  way- 
ward boy,  with  George  Brent  starred. 
.  .  .  Ralph  Dietrich,  who  produced 
"My  Friend  Flicka"  and  others  for 
20th  Century-Fox,  has  signed  a  Uni 
versal-International  contract  as  pro 
ducer.  .  .  .  Edward  Small  will  put  his 
long-planned  "Valentino"  before  the 
cameras  on  June  10. 

Mack  Sennett  is  to  collaborate 
and  advise  on  Paramount's  Betty 
Hutton-John  Lund  production 
based  on  his  career.  .  .  .  Joseph 
Kane  will  product  and  direct 
"Southern  Pacific,"  the  story  of 
that  railroad,  for  Republic  in  Tru- 
color.  .  .  .  Ann  Blyth  will  star  in 
U-I's  "Abandoned,"  based  on  the 
illegal  adoption  racket.  Jerry 
Bresler  will  produce  it. 

Producer  Hal  E.  Chester  of  the 
"Joe  Palooka"  pictures,  has  acquired 
"The  Favorite,"  an  original  by  Henry 
Blankfort,  as  the  basis  of  the  next 
film  in  the  series.  .  .  .  Republic  has 
acquired  "Fair  Wind  to  Java,"  by  the 
author  of  "Wake  of  the  Red  Witch; 
as  a  vehicle  for  the  star  of  that  film, 
John  Wayne.  .  .  .  Charles  Lamont  will 
direct  "Bagdad,"  a  Yvonne  DeCarlo 
number,  for  U-I.  He  directed 
"Salome  Where  She  Danced." 


Variety  in  Court  on 
SWG  'No  AoV  Rule 

Hollywood,  April  12. — Variety, 
Inc.,  and  Variety,  Ltd.,  trade  publi- 
cations, filed  an  application  in  Federal 
Court  here  today  for  an  injunction  to 
restrain  the  Screen  •  Writers  Guild 
from  continuing  to  prevent  writers 
from  advertising,  charging  that  by 
threatening  expulsion  of  members  who 
advertise  their  services  the  SWG  has 
violated  anti-trust  laws. 

SWG  president  George  Seaton,  in  a 
statement,  welcomed  the  opportunity 
to  settle  the  legality  of  the  rule,  say- 
ing that  the  Guild  "values  its  good  re- 
lations with  trade  papers.  Writers  feel 
that  opportunities  for  employment 
should  not  depend  upon  purchase  of 
white  space,"  he  added. 


Two  Producing  Units 
Are  Formed  in  Utah 

Salt  Lake  City,  April  12. — Mid- 
Continent  Pictures  Corp.  and  Utah 
Production  and  Locations  Co.  have 
organized  in  Salt  Lake  to  make  films 
in  Utah.  The  companies  will  work 
together  and  also  furnish  locations  to 
Hollywood  companies  making  pic- 
tures here. 

Mid-Continent  plans  to  make  eight 
outdoor  films  in  Utah,  within  the 
next  year. 


Cinecolor  in  London  Deal 

Hollywood,  April  12. — Cinecolor 
today  announced  the  completion  of  a 
long  term  agreement  with  Radiant 
Films,  London,  which  provides  Cine- 
color with  complete  laboratory  and 
photographic  facilities  in  England, 
and  will  provide  a  rounded  operation, 
to  include  release  printing  facilities 
with  frozen  funds  utilized  for  pay- 
ment. 


NY  lst-Run  Grosses 
Generally  Show 
Marked  Up-Swing 


Business  at  New  York  first-runs  is 
better  this  week  with  robust  grosses 
especially  at  those  theatres  which 
brought  in  new  shows  and  with  sub- 
stantial improvement  at  other  runs  in 
sight. 

"Connecticut  Yankee  in  King 
Arthur's  Court,"  with  the  annual 
Easter  pageant  on  stage  at  the  Music 
Hall,  had  a  superb  opening  gross  of 
$91,000  for  Thursday  through  Sunday 
and  a  total  of  $148,000  apparent  for 
the  first  week.  "The  Champion"  is 
giving  the  Globe  its  best  business  in 
several  months,  the  first  week's  take 
being  estimated  at  $45,000  which  is  a 
very  high  figure  for  that  house. 

"City  Across  the  River"  is  proving 
to  be  the  best  attraction  which  the 
Capitol  has  had  this  year;  the  film, 
with  Art  Mooney's  orchestra  on  stage, 
is  expected  to  draw  a  splendid  first 
week's  gross  of  $72,000.  "Bride  of 
Vengeance,"  with  Charlie  Barnet's 
orchestra  on  stage,  should  provide  the 
Paramount  with  a  good  initial  week's 
gross  of  $65,000. 

"Portrait  of  Jennie"  is  fairly  sub- 
stantial at  the  Rivoli  where  an  esti- 
mated $32,000  is  in  sight  for  a  second 
week.  At  the  Roxy,  "The  Fan,"  with 
Ginny  Simms,  plus  a  variety  show 
and  an  ice  revue  on  stage  will  wind 
up  a  slow  second  and  final  week  to- 
morrow night  with  only  $52,000  in  the 
till;  it  will  be  replaced  on  Friday  by 
"Mr.  Belvedere  Goes  to  College." 

Second  week  of  "The  Set-Up,"  at 
the  Criterion,  is  good  at  $24,500.  At 
the  Strand,  "Kiss  in  the  Dark,"  with 
Guy  Lombardo's  orchestra,  is  mild 
with  $28,000  apparent  for  a  third 
week.  Fifth  week  of  "Take  Me  Out 
to  the  Ball  Game"  should  gross  a 
modest  $22,000  at  the  State.  Only 
$10,000  is  seen  for  the  seventh  week 
of  "Knock  on  Any  Door"  at  the 
Astor. 

"Casablanca,"  a  re-issue,  at  the 
Mayfair,  probably  will  get  a  mediocre 
third  week's  gross  of  $13,500.  "Quar- 
tet" is  doing  phenomenal  business  at 
the  Sutton  which  looks  for  $16,000  in 
a  second  week.  "Hamlet,"  at  the 
Park,  continues  close  to  capacity  with 
over  $15,000  grossed  in  a  28th  week. 
'The  Red  Shoes,"  at  the  Bijou,  should 
do  $14,500  in  its  25th  week,  which  is 
excellent  business. 


Goldwyn  Due  Today 
Has  Record  Schedule 


Samuel  Goldwyn,  accompanied  by 
Mrs.  Goldwyn,  will  arrive  in  New 
York  by  American  Airlines  this 
morning,  "committed  to  the  most 
active  season  of  his  career,"  accord- 
ing to  a  company  statement. 

With  executives  of  RKO  Radio, 
which  releases  Goldwyn  product,  he 
will  discuss  plans  for  the  tri-state 
premiere  of  "Roseanna  McCoy,"  in 
Kentucky,  West  Virginia  and  Ten- 
nessee, in  August.  Later  in  the 
season,  Goldwyn  and  Sir  Alexander 
Korda  will  release  the  Archers'  pro- 
duction of  "The  Elusive  Pimpernel," 
starring  David  Niven.  On  his  return 
to  Hollywood,  Goldwyn  will  conclude 
plans  to  film  "My  Foolish  Heart,"  to 
be  followed  by  a  screen  transcription 
of  the  Leo  Brady  novel,  "The  Edge  of 
Doom."  Ben  Hecht  is  doing  the 
screenplay. 

Also  on  his  schedule  is  "Illinois 
Incident,"  "The  Awakening,"  and 
"Commencement,"  these  in  addition  to 
the  two  pictures  Goldwyn  will  release 
later  this  year. 


State  Dept.  Aid 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Radio  City  Music  Hall 
Will  Open  at  7:45  A.M. 

To  accommodate  holiday  audiences, 
Radio  City  Music  Hall  has  scheduled 
extra  performances  of  its  Easter  pro- 
gram with  doors  opening  at  7 :45 
A.M.  tomorrow,  Friday  and  Saturday 
of  this  week  and  Monday  through 
Saturday  of  next  week. 

The  three-part  program  includes 
Bing  Crosby  in  "A  Connecticut  Yan- 
kee in  King  Arthur's  Court"  on  the 
screen,  and  '  the  annual  pageant, 
Glory  of  Easter"  and  a  new  holiday 
revue,  "Springtidings,"  on  stage. 


Benefit  Premiere  Apr.  20 

Washington,  April  12. — Premiere 
of  J.  Arthur  Rank's  "Scott  of  the 
Antarctic"  will  be  held  here  April  20 
at  the  Playhouse  Theatre  as  a  benefit 
for  the  American  Cancer  Society. 
With  Mrs.  Harry  S.  Truman  heading 
the  list  of  sponsors,  Capital  society 
is  expected  to  support  the  screening. 


Canada  Asks  Merger 
Of  'TV  Applications 

Toronto,  April  12. — In  a  further 
sudden  move,  the  Canadian  Broadcast- 
ing Corp.  has  instructed  the  four 
Toronto  applicants  for  television  li- 
censes to  get  together  for  the  opera 
tion  of  one  cooperative  video  station 
here.  Before  easing  out  of  the  re 
sponsibility  of  accepting  one  applica 
tion  the  CBC  governors  announced 
yesterday  that  all  bids  for  private  tele- 
vision  licenses  had  again  been  indefi- 
nitely deferred.  The  government  con- 
trolling authority  had  also  ruled  that 
only  one  private  station  could  operate 
in  both  Toronto  and  Montreal  after 
CBC  television  starts  in  each  place 
18  months  from  now. 

The  latest  edict  ruins  the  plan  of 
Famous  Players  Canadian  for  a  CBC 
license  for  the  exclusive  transmission 
of  TV  programs  to  its  own  theatres 
in  Toronto.  Local  television  appli- 
cants immediately  protested  that  the 
CBC  ruling  is  impracticable  and  the 
situation  is  again  up  in  the  air. 


CoL,  Manufacturers 
To  Promote  Autry 

Columbia  Pictures  was  host  here 
recently  at  a  promotion  meeting  with 
representatives  of  distributors  of  Gene 
Autry  products  to  coordinate  a  na- 
tionwide campaign  for  the  joint  pro- 
motion of  both  the  products  bearing 
the  cowboy  star's  name  and  the  six 
pictures  starring  him  which  Columbia 
releases  annually. 


Kill  Anti-Ascap  Bill 

Boston,  April  12. — The  joint  com- 
mittee of  state,  administration  has  killed 
the  bill  to  establish  an  anti-monopoly 
board  to  further  regulate  the  copyright 
law  and  to  discourage  price-fixing  and 
monopolistic  practises.  Under  it,  mu- 
sic copyright  owners  would  be  required 
to  file  a  list  of  their  works  and  fix  a 
rate  for  each  piece.  Among  those  who 
testified  at  hearings  was  Oscar  Ham- 
merstein,  second  vice-president  of 
ASCAP,  who  declared  that  the  pro- 
posal has  proved  impractical  from  the 
viewpoint  of  music  writers,  music 
users  and  the  public. 


ernment  or  to  take  any  steps  besides 
studying  what  the  Department  can 
legally  do  to  aid  the  film  industry 
abroad. 

"I  don't  know  what  approach  the 
Department  will  ultimately  adopt  for 
carrying  out  its  policy,"  the  Georgian 
said.  "We  didn't  go  into  that.  But 
the  President  is  interested,  the  Sec- 
retary and  Under-Secretary  are  in- 
terested, and  I  am  certain  they  will 
do  everything  they  possibly  can  to 
help  us." 

Arnall  said  that  he  hit  especially 
hard  on  the  industry's  British  prob- 
lems in  his  talks  with  State  Depart- 
ment officials,  but  also  went  into  the 
South  African,  French  and  general 
foreign  situation. 

The  SIMPP  official  left  here  to- 
night for  New  York,  but  plans  to  keep 
in  touch  with  the  State  Department 
and  other  officials  in  Congress  and 
Washington  agencies. 


20th's  Rental  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

mately  50  pictures  annually  may  be 
classed  as  "unique  and  original"  be- 
cause of  public  demand  to  see  them-. 
He  argues  that  the  other  350  annually 
have  doubtful  market  prospects  un- 
less their  distributors  enjoy  the  good- 
will of  exhibitors. 

The  TOA  president  contests  the 
argument  that  producers  must  get 
back  their  investments,  with  a  profit, 
by  aserting  that  "No  one  has  any 
'right'  to  anything.  The  producer  of 
a  motion  picture  should  take  the 
chance  of  gain  or  loss  based  on  public 
reception  of  his  production,  just  as 
the  producer  of  a  legitimate  play 
does." 

"If  the  presently  existing  old-line 
producing  companies  are  unable  to 
produce  enough  pictures  to  supply  the 
market,  I  for  one  am  not  concerned," 
declared  Lockwood.  "In  spite  of  the 
risks  involved,  and  the  difficulty  in 
financing  production,  I  am  sure  that 
new_  producers  and  producing  'com- 
panies will  emerge.  There  is  also  the 
strong  possibility  that  exhibitors,  if 
faced  with  unreasonable  demands  for 
higher  terms,  or  a  shrinkage  in  the 
supply  of  pictures,  will  create  their 
own  supply  of  A'  product  either  by 
strengthening  some  of  the  smaller 
companies  now  in  business  and  en- 
couraging them  to  make  more  A' 
product;  or  by  creating  a  franchise 
company  similar  to  the  old  First 
National.  Such  a  franchise  move  has 
been  under  serious  consideration  for 
long  time;  and,  in  the  opinion  of 
competent  counsel,  is  legal  under  the 
anti-trust  decision,  since  it  would  de- 
prive no  existing  theatre  of  its  sup- 
ply of  product,  but  rather  would  cre- 
ate additional  product  for  the  general 
market,"  Lockwood  said. 


Will  Not  Film  Maltz  Tale 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  announced 
here  yesterday  that  it  will  not  produce 
the  recently-acquired  property  "The 
Journey  of  Simon  McKeever"  by  Al- 
bert Maltz,  as  had  previously  been 
reported.  Maltz  was  one  of  the  "un- 
friendly 10"  witnesses  who  were 
called  to  testify  last  year  at  hearings 
of  the  House  Un-American  Activities 
Committee  in  Washington. 


Repeal  Blue  Laws 

Zion,  111.,  April  12. — By  a  •  vote  of 
1,597  to  1,305,  the  people  of  Zion  have 
voted  to  permit  the  operation  of  en- 
tertainment establishments  on  Sunday. 


Wednesday,  April  13,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Paramount  Split 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

of  Paramount's  settlement  of  its  part 
in  the  industry  anti-trust  suit  by  the 
stockholders  was  the  last  legal  require- 
ment for  the  division  of  the  corpora- 
tion into  two  wholly  independent 
companies.  As  previously  reported, 
Barney  Balaban  is  slated  to  be  presi- 
dent of  the  new  Paramount  Pictures 
Co.,  and  Leonard  Goldenson  is  expect- 
ed to  become  president  of  United 
Paramount  Theatres  with  the  forma- 
tion of  the  two  new  companies  before 
the  end  of  the  year. 

Almost  Equals  RKO  Vote 

The  return  of  proxies  almost 
equalled,  percentage-wise,  the  vote  for 
the  RKO  reorganization,  despite  the 
fact  that  RKO  had  fewer  individual 
holders  and  its  plan  of  divorcement 
permits  ordinary  shareholders  to  re- 
tain stock  in  both  new  RKO  compa- 
nies. Under  the  Paramount  plan,  SO 
per  cent  of  dividends  on  the  stock  of 
the  new  theatre  company  are  to  be 
withheld  until  the  holders  dispose  of 
their  stock  in  that  company  or  until 
the  theatre  stock  trusteeship  is  termi- 
nated by  the  court  in  five  years  or 
less. 

O'Brien  told  the  meeting  that  stock 
in  the  new  companies  will  be  listed 
on  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  to- 
day, the  trading  to  be  on  a  "when- 
issued"  basis.  Over-the-counter  trad- 
ing of  the  futures  has  been  going  on 
for  some  time. 

Balaban,  Goldenson  and  Edwin 
Weisl,  board  member,  repeated  assur- 
ances that  agreement  to  the  terms 
of  settlement  of  the  trust  suit  was  the 
only  means  of  preserving  the  values 
of  the  corporation's  theatre  assets. 
Balaban  pointed  out  that  Paramount 
was  in  the  unusual  position  of  having 
more  than  two-thirds  of  its  domestic 
theatres  tied  up  in  the  partnerships 
which  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court  has 
declared  illegal.  He  commented  on 
this  in  answer  to  a  question  on  why 
the  other  majors  apparently  plan  to 
continue  the  case  in  court. 

Nearly  300  Present 

Close  to  300  individual  holders  were 
in  attendance  at  the  meeting,  with 
considerable  interest  expressed  on  tele- 
vision's effects  on  theatre  business. 
Balaban  said  there  has  been  no  ex- 
perience that  video  has  made  any  in- 
roads on  theatre  audiences,  and  indi- 
cated that  as  television  expands  Para- 
mount plans  to  adapt  the  new  medium 
to  its  benefit. 

Adding  to  that,  Goldenson  said  that 
studies  of  television  have  been  made 
and  he  has  determined  that  there  is 
no  better  medium  through  which  to 
"sell"  motion  pictures  in  homes  by 
televised  trailers.  "Weisl  observed  that 
some  of  the  estimated  40,000,000  non- 
theatre  goers  conceivably  could  be 
attracted  to  motion  pictures  than  with 
the  televising  of  trailers. 

Balaban  told  the  meeting  that  Para- 
mount's present  intention  is  to  con- 
tinue ownership  of  its  stock  in  Du 
Mont.  Company  figures  these  hold- 
ings, which  have  been  discussed  at 
length  at  hearings  before  the  Federal 
Communications  Commission,  have  a 
market  value  of  approximately 
$10,000,000. 

Balaban  Confident 

Balaban  acknowledged  the  "vital  in- 
terest" in  the  commercial  prospects  for 
;the  new  companies,  but  said  that  "in 
a  great  measure  this  involves  prophe- 
sy." He  added :  "However,  I  believe 
that  the  new  new  companies  will  do 
as  well  as  Paramount  would  have 
done  if  it  had  been  permitted  to  con- 
tinue."   He  again  expressed  the  opin- 


Para.  Stockholders' 
Meeting  Is  Telecast 

Unique  feature  of  the  Para- 
mount stockholders  meeting 
at  the  home  office  here  yes- 
terday was  television.  Two 
video  cameras  scanned  the 
meeting  room  throughout  the 
session  so  that  the  investors 
could  see  themselves  on  re- 
ceivers which  picked  up  the 
pictures  through  a  closed  cir- 
cuit. 


ion  that  they  would  be  "strong,  pros- 
perous enterprises." 

He  said  that  theatre  earnings  from 
Jan.  1  of  this  year  to  date  are  "very 
close"  to  last  year's  level  except  for 
the  areas  in  the  Midwest  and  West 
which  were  struck  with  severe  weath- 
er over  a  period  of  a  few  weeks.  J.  J. 
Fitzgibbons,  head  of  Famous  Players 
Canadian,  added  to  Balaban's  remarks 
with  the  report  that  Canadian  business 
is  very  close  to  the  1948  revenue. 

Film  earnings  are  "suffering" 
though,  Balaban  said,  because  restric- 
tions abroad,  particularly  in  England, 
are  now  being  felt  whereas  all  earn- 
ings in  that  country  for  the  first  half 
of  last  year  were  remittable.  He 
estimated  that  Paramount  funds  froz- 
en abroad  at  present  amount  to 
$5,000,000. 

In  conclusion,  Weisl  lauded  Bala- 
ban for  having  taken  "the  hardest 
end  of  this  business,  out  of  his  loyalty 
to  stockholders,"  meaning  Balaban's 
choice  to  stay  at  the  helm  of  the  new 
picture  company.  "He  could  have 
taken  the  theatres  and  let  this  young 
fellow,  Mr.  Goldenson,  take  the  pic- 
tures," Weisl  said.  Goldenson  joined 
in  the  tribute  to  Balaban  for  his  in- 
tegrity and  devotion  to  duty. 

The  meeting  was  smooth-running, 
lasted  only  two  hours,  and  was 
marked  by  many  expressions  of  con- 
fidence in  management  from  the  floor. 
At  one  point,  Balaban  was  lavish  in 
his  praise  of  Goldenson  who,  he  said, 
"enjoys  an  unexcelled  reputation  in 
our  industry  for  his  capacity  as  an  ex- 
ecutive and  for  his  outstanding  quali- 
ties of  personal  integrity  and  char- 
acter. 

Paramount's  television  system  was 
demonstrated  throughout  the  meeting. 


Paramount  Gets  17 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

lected  $2,000,000  in  cash  and  notes. 

Goldenson  declined  to  identify  the 
two  circuits. 

He  disclosed  that  Paramount  will 
announce  in  trade  publications  and 
perhaps  in  local  areas  those  theatres 
which  it  intends  to  sell,  excluding,  of 
course,  houses  which  are  to  be  traded 
against  each  other  with  partners. 

Last  year,  Goldenson  said,  Para- 
mount's 449  wholly-owned  theatres 
earned  $11,000,000.  Of  these,  69  must 
be  sold.  Additionally  it  will  dispose 
of  properties  which  it  may  buy  from 
partners  for  subsequent  sale  to  other 
parties. 


Christy  Wilbert 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

1945  to  last  April  1,  was  advertising 
manager.  Previously  he  had  been 
with  Warner  Brothers,  Skouras  and 
Loew's,  in  the  field. 

Miss  Ahlstrand  was  formerly  space 
buyer  for  Donahue  and  Coe,  Lawrence 
Fertig  and  Co.,  and  Foote,  Cone  and 
Belding. 


Mayer  Favors 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

added,  Hollywood  pictures  still  lead 
in  popularity  in  Germany. 

Foreign  distribution  executives 
present  at  the  luncheon  included :  R. 
K.  Hawkinson,  Douglas  Yates,  Walter 
Gould,  Richard  Altschuler,  John 
Glynn,  Wolfe  Cohen,  Joseph  McCon- 
ville,  Arthur  Loew,  Joseph  Seidel- 
man,  Al  Daff,  George  Weltner,  Wil- 
liam Piper,  George  Muchnic,  Murray 
and  Manuel  Silverstone  and  Sam 
Berger.  Attending  from  MPAA  and 
MPEA  were:  Fred  DuVal,  Joseph 
Goltz,  Herbert  Ehrlanger,  Ted  Smith, 
Taylor  Mills,  Addison  Durland  and 
Alfred  F.  Corwin. 


MPEA  Germany-Austria  Status 
In  Hands  of  MPAA  Directors 

Decision  is  expected  to  be  made  by 
the  directors  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America  at  their  meet- 
ing here  tomorrow  as  to  whether  or 
not  Motion  Picture  Export  Associa- 
tion operations  will  be  continued  in 
Germany  and  Austria.  Spokesmen 
for  the  distribution  foreign  depart- 
ments said  yesterday  that  the  matter 
is  now  out  of  the  hands  of  the  foreign 
managers  and  will  be  taken  over  by 
MPAA  president  Eric  A.  Johnston 
and  the  association's  directors. 

M-G-M  has  made  preparations  to 
operate  independently  in  Germany  and 
Austria,  but  other  MPEA  companies 
have  not.  However,  it  is  said  that 
if  one  company  chooses  to  withdraw 
from  joint  operations  in  those  occu- 
pied countries,  independent  operations 
for  all  will  necessarily  follow. 


UK  Financial  Aid 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

them  equalling  that  which  the  gov- 
ernment will  loan. 

British  Lion  Film  Corp.  is  to  re- 
ceive an  advance  of  $2,000,000,  having 
had  its  accounts  and  program  pros- 
pects exhaustively  examined.  It  was 
originally  expected  that  British  Lion 
would  receive  $4,000,000.  Lawrie  em- 
phasized that  "these  loans  are  not 
charity"  advances. 


Huge  Loss  Seen  for 
British  Lion  Films 

London,  April  12. — An  eventual 
loss  of  not  less  than  $2,800,000  is  an- 
ticipated on  British  Lion  Film  Corpo- 
ration's present  production  program, 
Harold  C.  Drayton,  chairman,  esti- 
mates in  a  statement  to  stockholders 
accompanying  the  annual  report.  This 
will  prohibit  payment  of  dividends  for 
some  time  to  come,  he  adds. 

A  30  per  cent  dividend  was  paid  by 
the  corporation  on  its  ordinary  stock 
last  October  and  financial  circles  are 
asking  whether  present  conditions 
we're  unforseeable  by  the  company's 
directors  six  months  ago. 

The  government's  Film  Finance 
Corp.  made  a  $4,000,000  loan  to  Brit- 
ish Lion  last  year  on  condition  that 
the  Sir  Alexander  Korda  nominees 
vacate  their  positions  on  the  com- 
pany's board.  Drayton  took  over 
thereafter.  He  is  now  seeking  author- 
ity to  increase  British  Lion's  borrow- 
ing powers  from  $8,000,000  to  $26,- 
000,000. 


New  RCA  Projector 

Camden,  April  12. — A  new  single- 
case  addition  to  the  series  of  RCA 
16mm.  sound  projectors,  to  be  known 
as  the  RCA  "400  Junior,"  is  an- 
nounced  by   RCA   Visual  Products. 


U.  K.  Theatres 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

meet  tomorrow  at  which  time  sev- 
eral provincial  delegates  propose  to 
denounce  the  agreement,  which  runs 
to  the  end  of  this  year. 

The  stock  market  reacted  to  the 
government's  failure  to  grant  admis- 
sion tax  relief,  with  J.  Arthur  Rank's 
Odeon  circuit  ordinary  shares  being 
the  chief  victim. 

According  to  the  White  Paper  on 
National  Income  and  Expenditure, 
more  was  spent  on  entertainment  last 
year  than  in  1947,  but  less  than  in 
1946.  Expressed  in  millions  of 
pounds,  expenditure  on  entertainment, 
which  in  1938  was  £64,000,000,  had 
risen  in  1946  to  £121,000,000  on 
cinemas  and  £62,000,000  on  all  other 
entertainment;  it  was  £108,000,000 
and  £66,000,000  respectively  in  1947, 
and  £112,000,000  and  £68,000,000 
respectively  in  1948. 

Revenue  from  entertainment  tax 
last  year  is  given  as  £49,000,000,  the 
same  as  in  1947,  compared  with  £55,- 
000,000  in  1946  and  £8,000,000  in 
1938.  Estimated  receipts  from  enter- 
tainment tax  for  1949-50  are  £45,- 
000,000. 

For  the  year  just  ended,  the  budget 
estimate  was  £46,250,000,  or  consid- 
erably less  than  actual  collections 
proved  to  be.  The  Treasury  expects 
to  lose  £100,000,  this  from  the  com- 
plete tax  relief  it  granted  exhibitors, 
mainly  operating  mobile  units,  in 
areas  whose  population  density  does 
not  exceed  640  to  the  square  mile. 
That  was  the  only  entertainment  tax 
relief  granted  in  the  new  budget. 


First  Industry  Short 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

duced  to  give  the  American  public 
"an  accurate  picture  of  every  phase  of 
the  motion  picture  business,  from  pro- 
duction to  distribution  and  exhibition," 
reports  the  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America. 

The  subjects  will  be  released  at  the 
rate  of  one  every  two  months.  In 
addition  to  "Let's  Go  to  the  Movies," 
three  others  have  been  completed. 
They  are:  Warner  Brothers'  "This 
Theatre  and  You,"  Universal's 
"Movies  Are  Adventure,"  and  20th 
Century-Fox's  "The  Art  Director." 
Three  others  are  nearing  completion : 
Columbia's  "The  Sound  Man," 
M-G-M's  "The  Screen  Actor,"  and 
Paramount's  "History  Brought  to 
Life."  The  other  five  subjects  will  go 
into  production  immediately ;  the 
titles  are :  "A  Film  Goes  to  Market," 
"Screen  Writers,"  "Screen  Directors," 
"Moments  in  Music,"  and  "The 
Stylist." 

A  committee  of  exhibitors,  pro- 
ducers and  talent  in  Hollywood,  of 
which  Y.  Frank  Freeman  is  chairman, 
is  supervising  production  of  the  films. 


• 

^^^^^^^^0R  THE 

BANKE^slllyUi 

COMPANY^^ 

NEW  YORK 

MEMBER    FEDERAL   DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


SAME 


CITY  ACROSS 
THE  RIVER 

Terrific  opening,  Capitol;  N.Y. 
Terrific  week-end !— and  now 
set  for  an  extended  run! 


i  f c  i  nc t*i  i 

T  1Kb  \)j 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Am  irnfp 

IN 

11  All 

Loncise 

FILM 

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NEWS 

JLf/Yl 1>  JL 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.   NO.  73 

MRW  YORK    USA    THURSDAY    APRIL  14.  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Rep.  King  Hits 
British  Gov't. 
On  Film  Quota 

Indicts  British  Ministry 
In  Congressional  Record 

Washington,  April  13.  —  Rep. 
Cecil  R.  King,  California  Democrat, 
today  told  the  House  of  Represen- 
tatives in  a  speech  inserted  in  the 
Congressional  Record,  that  the  Brit- 
ish government's  policy  toward  the 
American  film  industry  since  the  end 
of  the  war  "has  been  one  of  steady 
harassment,  with  the  obvious  purpose 
of  driving  American  motion  pictures 
from  the  British  market." 

King,  a  member  of  the  House  Ways 
and  Means  Committee,  announced  that 
he  was  asking  the  committee  to  in- 
vestigate the  situation.  The  Ways  and 
Means  group  handles  reciprocal  trade 
legislation  and  will  also  be  assigned 
the  International  Trade  Organization 
charter.  • 

King  blasted  the  British  government 
with  the  strongest  language  yet  put 
in  the  House  record.  He  heads  a  com- 
mittee of  the  California  House  delega- 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


MPEA's  Future  May 
Be  Decided  Today 

Scope  of  future  operations  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Export  Association  is 
scheduled  to  be  decided  at  a  meeting 
here  today  of  film  company  presidents 
and  Eric  A.  Johnston,  head  of  both 
the  MPEA  and  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America.  Also  on  the 
agenda  are  continued  discussions  and 
possible  action  on  expanding  MPAA's 
work  in  exhibitor  relations,  possibly 
with  a  new  theatre  department  which 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


Paramount  Theatres 
'Futures'  At  24i 


Para.  Suit  Hearing 
Is  Off  to  April  21 

New  proceedings  in  New 
York  Federal  Court  in  the 
Paramount  -  industry  anti- 
trust suit  have  been  post- 
poned from  April  19  to  April 
21  with  all  parties  to  the  ac- 
tion agreeing  to  the  two-day 
delay.  Reason  for  the  post- 
ponement is  attributable  to 
the  original  date  conflicting 
with  other  work  of  some  of 
the  attorneys. 


To  Postpone  Schine 
Hearings  For  Month 

Washington,  April  13. — Justice 
Department  officials  indicated  here  to- 
day that  there  would  be  a  further 
postponement  of  a  month  or  more  in 
the  April  18  date  set  for  further  pro- 
ceedings in  the  Schine  anti-trust  case 
n  Buffalo  District  Court. 

Purpose  will  be  to  give  both  the 
Department  and  Schine  more  time  to 
work  out  details  of  a  consent  decree 
settlement.  Justice  attorneys  and 
counsel  for  Schine  met  yesterday  in 
their  first  session  in  two  weeks  or 
more.  Indications  were  that  progress 
was  slow. 

Judge  Knight  originally  set  March 
18  as  the  date  on  which  he  would  rule 
on  introduction  of  new  evidence,  with 
a  later  postponement  to  April  18. 


About  100  shares  of  United  Para 
mount  Theatres  futures  changed  hands 
in  the  first  day's  "big  board"  trading 
yesterday  with  the  "when-issued" 
stock  opening  at  24^  and  remaining 
unchanged. 

Stockholders'  ratification  of  the 
plan  of  reorganization  on  Tuesday  had 
no  effect  on  trading  in  the  parent  cor 
poration  issue.  It  opened  and  closed 
at  22y&  with  about  3,100  shares  traded. 
Futures  in  the  new  Paramount  pic 
ture  company  were  not  traded. 


Film  Costs  Up 
$166-Million 
In  10  Yrs.:  US 


Washington,  April  13. — Cost 
of  work  on  films  produced  for  com- 
mercial exhibition  jumped  from 
$186,776,000  in  1939  to  $352,530,- 
000  in  1947,  the  U.  S.  Census  Bureau 
reported  today.  This  includes  work 
on  completed  films,  on  positive  prints, 
and  also  work  unfinished  at  the  end 
of  the  year. 

Industry  observers  point  out 
that  Hollywood  production 
costs  have  been  downward  since 
1947. 

The  Census  Bureau  today  released 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


NSS  Albany  Plan 
Ending  60-Day  Trial 

Albany,  N.  Y,  April  13— The  60- 
day  trial  of  the  continuation  of  Na- 
tional Screen  service  to  theatres  in 
this  territory  chiefly  from  New  York, 
but  supplemented  by  its  Albany  branch 
operating  on  a  reduced  scale,  is  ex- 
piring without  a  single  complaint  hav- 
ing been  filed  by  an  exhibitor  with 
the  Albany  Theatre  Owners  of  Amer- 
ica, it  is  understood. 

At  a  February  2  meeting,  to  which 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Strike  Halts  All  Rank 
Production;  2,000  Idle 


London,  April  13. — All  J.  Arthur 
Rank  production  came  to  a  halt  today 
when  Electrical  Trades  Union  mem- 
bers at  his  Pinewood  studio  went  out 
on  strike. 

Denham,  Rank's  only  other  active 
studio,  has  been  closed  since  Friday 
by  the  dispute  with  the  ETU.  An 
estimated  Rank  studio  personnel  of 
2,000  are  idle. 

Pinewood  workers  called  a  stop- 
page last  Friday  when  the  dispute 
broke  out  at  Denham.  over  the  lay-off 
of  Bert  Batchelor,  union  shop  stew- 
ard, but  work  was  resumed  at  Pine- 
wood on  Monday.  Today's  strike  was 
called  by  the  union  as  a  result  of  the 
refusal  of  Rank  officials  to  discuss  the 
dispute  with  a  view  to  reinstating 
Batchelor.  Two  pictures  were  in  work 
at  Denham  and  one  at  Pinewood,  with 
a  new  one  scheduled  to  start  this 
week. 

Other  unions  affected  by  the  com- 
plete  shutdown   are   endeavoring  to 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


Rydge  To  Favor  UK 
Product  Over  US 

Sydney,  April  9  (By  Air- 
mail).— Norman  Bede  Rydge, 
managing  director  of  Greater 
Union  Theatres,  has  told  the 
directors,  executives  and 
managers  of  his  organization 
that  he  had  pledged  the  cir- 
cuit to  "do  everything  in  our 
power  to  advance  the  cause 
of  British  films  in  Australia." 
That  pledge  is  believed  to  be 
another  move  in  the  "cold 
war"  between  London  and 
Hollywood. 

As  a  remedy  to  poor  busi- 
ness he  suggested  extra  ef- 
forts to  win  a  broader  audi- 
ence and  a  cut  in  the  enter- 
tainment tax  which  increases 
admissions  by  32.6  per  cent. 


'Worst  Is  Over 
In  Hollywood', 
Says  Skouras 

Readjustments  Have 
Been  Completed,  He  Adds 

"The  worst  in  Hollywood  is 
over  and  we  can  now  look  ahead 
to  the  future  with  positive  op- 
timism," 20th  Century-Fox  presi- 
d  e  n  t  Spyros 
P.  Skouras  re- 
ported here  yes- 
terday on  his 
return  from  a 
survey  of  Hol- 
lywood and  his 
company's  own 
studio  in  par- 
ticular. Skouras 
said  that  a  very 
definite  feeling" 
o  f  confidence 
exists  at  every 
studio. 

"This  feeling" 
of  enthusiasm," 
he  added,  "is 
the  result  of  the  successful  job  of  re- 
tooling and  readjustment  by  the  com- 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Spyros  P.  Skouras 


TOA  Gross  Reports 
Start  Before  May  1 


Three  or  four  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  members  in  each  of  the  or- 
ganization's several  regionals  are  ex- 
pected to  be  named  soon  by  TOA 
president  Arthur  H.  Lockwood  to 
gather  and  collate  theatre  gross  fig- 
ures which  will  be  broken  down  into 
percentages  and  ratings  for  presen- 
tation in  a  weekly  bulletin  on  current 
box-office  performances  of  pictures,  it 
was  reported  here  yesterday  by  TOA 
executive  director  Gael  Sullivan. 

Lockwood  has  received  from  Sul- 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Vote  Next  Week  in 
Phila.  Union  Fight 

Philadelphia,  April  13.  —  The 
three-sided  union  fight  here,  for  juris- 
diction over  employees  of  Warner, 
Paramount  and  20th-Fox  theatres  and 
the  Theatre  Cleaning  Service  will  be 
settled  in  workers'  elections  to  be  held 
next  Tuesday,  Wednesday  and  Thurs- 
day by  the  Pennsylvania  Labor  Rela- 
tions Board.  Over  1,000  cashiers, 
{Continued  on  page  6) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  April  14,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

AL  LICHTMAN  and  Andy  W 
Smith,  Jr.,  20th  Century-Fox 
executives,  will  be  in  Chicago  from 
Hollywood  today,  while  Charles 
Einfeld  will  return  here  today  di 
rectly  from  the  Coast. 

• 

Fred  Teller,  formerly  assistant 
manager  of  the  Orpheum  Theatre, 
Omaha,  has  been  appointed  manager 
of  the  Omaha  Theatre,  succeeding 
Bernard  Dudgeon,  who  will  manage 
the  Omaha  Drive-in. 

• 

Martin  Moskowitz,  20th  Century 
Fox    Central    and    Canadian  sales 
supervisor,  is  in  Chicago  from  New 
York    to    attend    a    company  sale 
meeting. 

• 

Bruce    Holdridge,    owner    of  the 
State  Theatre,  Shenandoah,  Iowa,  is 
recovering  from  an  automobile  acci 
dent  in  which  both  of  his  arms  were 
broken. 

• 

William  K.  Saxton,  who  recently 
resigned  as  Loew's  Theatres  head  in 
Baltimore,  has  been  placed  in  charge 
of  publicity  for  the  Baltimore  Conven- 
tion Bureau. 

• 

Jack  Skirball,  independent  pro- 
ducer, and  his  bride,  the  former 
Audrey  Marx,  have  moved  into  their 
new  Beverly  Hills  home. 

• 

Hal  Wallis  is  due  in  New  York 
today  from  Hollywood,  accompanied 
by  Joseph  Hazen,  who  joined  him 
at  Chicago. 

• 

F.  A.  Bateman,  Screen  Guild  gen- 
eral sales  manager,  has  returned  here 
from  a  tour  of  the  Midwest  and 
Southwest. 

• 

Marjorie     Leczer,     secretary  to 
William  F.  Rodgers,  M-G-M  sales 
vice-president,  is  due  back  here  Mon- 
day from  a  Florida  vacation. 
• 

Edward  Schnitzer,  United  Artists 
Eastern  sales  manager,  has  returned 
here  from  a  Florida  vacation. 
• 

Walter  Bibo,  Excelsior  Pictures 
president,  will  leave  here  Sunday  for 
Europe. 

• 

William   Moss,  producer,  accom- 
panied by  his  wife,  Jane  Withers,  is 
in  New  York  from  the  Coast. 
• 

Robert  Lynch,  Philadelphia 
M-G-M  district  manager,  will  be  in 
New  York  today  from  that  city. 
• 

Martin  S.  Levine,  Distinguished 
Films  president,  will  leave  here  April 
25  for  Europe. 

• 

L.  F.  Gram,  president  of  Standard 
Theatres,  Milwaukee,  is  vacationing 
in  Honolulu. 

• 

Ralph  Barnes  has  been  appointed 
acting  manager  of  the  Strand,  Mil- 
waukee. 

• 

Gregory  Ratoff  is  in  New  York 
en  route  to  Hollywood  from  Italy. 


To  Promote  British 
Product  in  Canada 

Ottawa,  April  13. — A  deter- 
mined drive  to  show  more 
British  films  in  Canadian 
theatres  during  the  remain- 
ing months  of  1949  is  under- 
stood to  be  in  the  making, 
spearheaded  by  the  efforts  of 
the  J.  Arthur  Rank  Organi- 
zation of  Canada  whose 
Odeon  circuit  now  consists  of 
116  directly-operated  theatres 
in  this  country. 

Behind  the  drive  is  said  to 
be  the  intention  to  make  the 
Canadian  industry  a  more 
dollar-producing  factor  in 
U.  K.-Canada  trade. 


Coast  Production 
Up  One,  Total  Is  25 

Hollywood,   April    13. — The  pro- 
duction total   was   increased  to  25 
one  above  that  of  last  week.    Six  pic 
tures  went  into  work,  and  five  were 
completed. 

Shooting  started  on  "My  Next  Hus 
band,"  "South  of  Death  Valley," 
Col. ;  "Annie  Get  Your  Gun," 
M-G-M;  "The  Kid  Came  West,' 
Mono.;  "Wyoming  Bandit,"  Republic; 
"Ringside,"  Screen  Guild  (Lippert 
Productions).  Completed  were: 
''Miss  Grant  Takes  Richmond,' 
Col. ;  "Down  Dakota  Way,"  Republic  ; 
"Love  Is  Big  Business,"  "Everybody 
Does  It,"  20th-Fox;  "Red  Light,' 
U.A. 


Industry  in  India 
Expands:  Fazalbhoy 

The  film  industry  in  India  and 
Pakistan  has  entered  a  period  of  fur- 
ther expansion  and  greater  produc- 
tion, according  to  M.  A.  Fazalbhoy, 
managing  director  of  Photophone 
Equipments,  Ltd.,  Bombay,  associated 
with  RCA,  who  has  arrived  here 
from  India  for  a  three  months'  visit. 

"The  new  national  spirit  in  Paki- 
san,"  Fazalbhoy  stated,  "has  given 
impetus  to  local  production  of  motion 
pictures.  Activity  in  India  among 
film  producers,  who  number  300,  has 
substantially  increased  since  the  coun- 
try received  dominion  status." 


Fiesta  for  'Laredo' 
May  16  Premiere 

Paramount's  world  premiere  of 
'Streets  of  Laredo"  at  Laredo,  Tex- 
as, on  May  16,  will  dominate  a  city- 
wide  "Streets  of  Laredo  Founding 
Week  Fiesta,"  as  the  result  of  a  deal 
set  by  Bill  Danziger,  Paramount's 
director  of  exploitation  and  George 
Henger,  field  representative,  and  ap- 
proved by  Laredo  Mayor  Hugh  Cluck 
and  the  Laredo  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce. 


100  Dates  for  'Joan* 

Some  100  theatres  in  the  Texas- 
Oklahoma  area  will  begin  showing 
Sierra  Pictures'  "Joan  of  Arc"  on 
April  21,  with  RKO  Radio's  promo- 
tional campaign  centering  on  the 
openings  at  Dallas  and  Houston. 


Walter  Wanger  Is 
Cited  for  'Tulsa' 


Tulsa,  Okla.,  April  13.— An  esti 
mated  100,000  saw  the  "Tulsa  Day 
Parade,"  lasting  three  hours  today  in 
the  greatest  street  event  in  the  city's 
history  on  the  occasion  of  the  pre 
miere,  tonight,  of  Eagle-Lion's  pro 
duction  of  "Tulsa."  It  was  followed 
by  square-dancing  in  Western  costume 
on  roped-off  downtown  streets,  cov- 
ered by  Life  photographers.  W.  G. 
Skelly,  president  of  Skelly  Oil,  was 
host  to  500  at  last  night's  dinner  at 
the  Tulsa  Club.  He  praised  Walter 
Wanger  for  creating  a  true  picture 
of  American  industry  in  the  face  of 
Communist  influences. 

Governor  Roy  Turner  appointed 
Wanger  and  the  "Tulsa"  cast  colonels 
on  his  staff.  He  said  the  picture  was 
a  credit  to  Tulsa  and  to  Oklahoma. 

Today  the  press  and  radio  contin- 
gents from  Boston,  New  York,  Chi- 
cago and  Hollywood  were  guests  of 
the_  Tulsa  Press  Club  at  a  reception 
which  was  followed  by  the  premiere 
of  the  picture  tonight  at  Ralph  Tal- 
bot's Orpheum  and  Ritz  theatres. 


UA  Augments  Staff 
For  'Home9  Handling 

United  Artists  has  augmented  its 
publicity  staff  here  for  special  con- 
centration on  Screen  Plays'  "Home  of 
the  Brave,"  it  was  announced  here 
yesterday  by  Howard  Le  Sieur,  UA 
director  of  advertising-publicity.  Add- 
ed to  Al  Tamarin's  home  office  press 
staff  for  assignment  on  the  new 
Stanley  Kramer  production  are: 
Joseph  Wolhandler,  on  general  cov- 
erage ;  George  Nelson  and  Phil  Cow- 
an^ on  organizational  contact,  'and 
Neil  Scott,  on  special  handling. 

This  unit  will  supplement  UA's  per- 
manent staffers  Tess  Michaels  and 
Charles  Handel.  They  will  work  with 
Screen  Plays'  own  contingent,  which 
includes  George  Glass  and  Myer 
Beck,  Eastern  advertising-publicity 
director ;  also  assigned  is  Joel 
Preston. 


Short 
Subject 


"Wonder  House" 

(This  Is  America— RKO  Radio) 

An  on-the-scene  report  on  the 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History 
in  New  York,  produced  by  Jay  Bona- 
field  and  directed  and  ably  photo- 
graphed by  Larry  O'Reilly,  is  of- 
fered in  this  interesting  subject.  Not 
only  does  the  camera  explore  the 
Muesum's  different  departments, 
which  range  from  a  section  on  hats  to 
the  lecture  hall  of  the  Planetarium, 
with  its  artificial  starry  sky,  but  it 
also  gives  the  audience  a  chance  to 
meet  the  men  who  work  and  plan  to 
make  the  different  exhibits  attractive. 
The  short  accompanies  some  of  the 
Museum's  expeditions  to  show  how 
giant  lizards  are  trapped  in  the  East 
Indies  and  how  the  first  dinosaur  eggs 
were  discovered,  etc.  Running  time, 
17  minutes. 


Dieterle,  Caramelli 
Sign  Production  Deal 

William  Dieterle  has  been  signed  by 
Feruccio  Caramelli  to  produce  and  di- 
rect for  Associated  Artists  in  Italy  an 
original  entitled  "Stromboli,"  the  two 
disclosed  jointly  in  an  interview  here. 
Renzo  Avanzo,  writer-director,  will 
assist  Dieterle.  "Stromboli,"  they  said, 
will  be  produced  in  English. 

Caramelli,  Italian  exhibitor-pro- 
ducer-distributor, said  that  during  his 
stay  here  he  purchased  equipment  and 
closed  deals  for  Selznick  reissues  and 
new  and  forthcoming  Selznick,  Gold- 
wyn  and  Edward  Small  product.  He 
has  a  standing  distribution  deal  with 
United  Artists. 


Del  Ruth  To  Make  2 
With  Frozen  Funds 

Hollywood,  April  13. — Roy  Del 
Ruth  and  associate  producer  Joe 
Kaufman  plan  to  use  frozen  funds  ac- 
crued in  the  release  of  their  "Babe 
Ruth  Story"  and  "It  Happened  on 
Fifth  Avenue"  for  the  financing  of 
two  productions  to  be  made  in  Eu- 
rope. 

They  will  personally  "case"  the  Eu- 
ropean production  situation  by  plane 
in  five  foreign  capitals,  planing  from 
here  immediately  following  a  preview 
of  their  current  production  for  United 
Artists'  release,  "Red  Light,"  which 
is  now  being  scored  and  edited. 


Treason'  Starts  in  Month 

Golden  Productions  will  start  on 
'Guilty  of  Treason"  at  the  General 
Service  Studio,  Hollywood,  in  about 
four  weeks,  Edward  A.  Golden  dis- 
closed here  yesterday  upon  his  ar- 
rival from  the  Coast.  Emmet  Lavery 
did  the  script  for  the  film  which  will 
be  released  through  United  Artists. 


Soundcraft  Acquires 
Three  Video  Firms 

Tele- Video  Corp.,  manufacturer  of 
"Picturecraft"  television  sets,  which 
project  pictures  up  to  seven  by  nine 
feet  in  size,  has  been  acquired  by 
Reeves  Soundcraft  Corp.,  according  to 
H.  E.  Reeves,  president.  Tele- Video 
also  makes  receivers  that  are  dis- 
tributed by  Telecoin  Corp. 

Also  included  in  the  deal  are  Bace 
Television,  makers  of  a  15-inch  tube 
receiver,  and  Airdesign,  Inc.,  elec- 
tronic equipment  makers.  With  Reeves 
Soundcraft  already  making  recording 
discs  for  the  film  and  radio  industry, 
the  new  acquisitions  are  expected  to 
expand  its  market. 


Most  Companies  Set 
Early  Closings 

Most  film  company  home  offices 
have  made  arrangements  for  time  off 
today  and  tomorrow  for  employes 
who  wish  to  observe  Passover  or 
Good  Friday.  Passover,  beginning  to- 
day, will  be  regarded  as  a  full  day  of 
permissible  absence  from  the  offices  by 
all  companies,  while  Good  Friday,  to- 
morrow, will  be  regarded  generally  as 
a  half-holiday  for  those  employes  who 
wish  to  attend  religious  services. 
Warners,  however,  will  close  all  day 
tomorrow. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher 
holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenui 

Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Tr.    Vice -President •'  Th™        -   „,.  . 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H    Fausel    Produrtinn  w  if  '  i 

Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising.  UrbenFarie* '    M«S  StSK 
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Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;   Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales  each i  nubfished  1  ?'  W fg=,  J<=  Ed't^c^'e  address,  "Quigpubco,  London.' 

Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938  at  th !  rcott  offW  7n„,  v^  m  v  5  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
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od  Bureau,  Yucca- Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
immy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 


AMBASSADOR 
)F  GOOD  WILL ! 


■ST 


^y 

*+4 


6 


FOURTH  SENSATIONAL 
COLOR  HIT  IN  3  MONTHS  IN 

Paramount's 

GOLD  RUSH  OF  '49 
NEXT —"STREETS  OF  LAREDO"1. 


^tedrit  HARDW/CI 

I 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


The  Mirror: 

"Bing  has  a  sure  thing  in 'A  Connecticut  Yankee'!" 

The  Times: 

"Mr.  Crosby's  'Connecticut  Yankee'  is  that 
'good  time  to  be  had  by  all'." 

The  Sun: 

"The  Music  Hall  is  a  merry  place  this  week. 
Crosby  is... excellent... in  a  jolly  film." 

The  World -Telegram: 

"Full  of  bounce  and  mirth  ...  a  very  pleasant 
couple  of  hours." 

The  Morning  Telegraph: 

"To  make  this  year's  Easter  pageant  even  big- 
ger and  more  overpowering,  awe-inspiring 
j  and  overwhelming  the  Music  Hall  has  booked 
'A  Connecticut  Yankee'." 

:  The  Herald  Tribune 

"Magnificently  spangled  and  velveted  Techni- 
color production. ..to  fill  the  screen  handsomely." 


R///BENDIX 


1MARK  TWAIN'S 

IN  KING  ARTHUR'S  COURT" 

Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 

i  Murvyn  Vye  •  Virginia  Field  •  Henry  Wilcoxon 
iuced  by  Robert  Fellows  •  Directed  by  TAY  GARNETT 

'  Play  by  Edmund  Beloin  '  Lyrics  by  Johnny  Burke  •  Music  by  James  Van  Heusen 


King  Hits  Quota 

(Continued  from  page  1  ) 

tion  appointed  to  meet  with  Secretary 
of  State  Acheson  and  other  govern- 
ment officials  on  the  British  quota 
and  has  also  been  in  constant  touch 
with  Motion  Picture  Association  presi- 
dent Eric  Johnston.  His  address  car- 
ried the  obvious  blessings  of'MPAA. 

King  declared  that  the  British  gov- 
ernment has  thrown  up  one  barrier 
after  another  against  American  films, 
and-  has  attempted  to  excuse  these 
actions  because  of  its  need  to  conserve 
dollars.  "That  is  an  excuse — an  alibi 
— which  won't  hold  water,"  he  said. 
He  pointed  out  that  the  agreement 
limiting  the  remittances  of  American 
firms — -"an  extremely  generous  one  on 
the  part  of  the  American  motion  pic- 
ture industry" — took  care  of  Britain's 
need  to  conserve  dollars.  Thus,  he 
said,  this  cannot  be  used  as  an  excuse 
for  the  high  quota. 

King  said  he  would  indict  the  Brit- 
ish producers  only  "mildly,"  saying 
"that  perhaps  they  'misled'  the  British 
Ministry  into  believing  they  could 
supply  the  British  home  market  all  by 
themselves.  Let  us  say  that  they 
nudged  the  British  government  into 
drastic  acts  against  American  inter- 
ests with  the  understandable  idea  of 
garnering  a  greater  return  for  them- 
selves, but  as  it  it  turned  out,  they 
have  simply  outslickered  themselves, 
and  my  primary  indictment  of  the 
Ministry  must  stand.  The  Ministry 
should  have  foreseen  the  result." 

King  said  in  his  speech  that  "trade 
restrictions  breed  trade  restrictions," 
and  that  while  American  films  faced 
problems  all  over  the  world,  Britain 
was  the  "gross  offender."  _  "The  Brit- 
ish Ministry  gives  beguiling  lip  ser- 
vice to  the  theory  of  reviving  world 
trade,"  he  said,  "but  reneges  on  its 
word.  We  give  our  billions  and  keep 
our  promises." 

The  California  Democrat  reminded 
the  House  that  the  American  film  in- 
dustry has  never  asked  for  protection 
here  from  foreign  competition  but  has 
welcomed  British  and  other  pictures. 
American  pictures  won  their  share  of 
the  British  market  because  the  Brit- 
ish people  wanted  them,  he  said,  and 
"they  still  want  them."  King  also 
stressed  the  importance  of  films  as 
part  of  our  foreign  policy. 

British  producers  were  not  able  to 
fill  even  a  20  per  cent  quota,  King 
declared,  and  quoted  extensively  from 
speeches  by  Sir  Alexander  King  and 
Tom  O'Brien  to  show  that  British 
exhibitors  and  film-  labor  also  opposed 
the  high  film  quota.  He  reviewed  the 
75  per  cent  British  tax,  the  remittance 
agreement,  and  the  subsequent  quota 
hikes. 


Wants  Fair  Treatment  For 
U.  S.  Films  Abroad:  Acheson 

Washington,  April  13. — Secretary 
of  State  Dean  Acheson  declared  to- 
day that  it  was  the  State  Department's 
"firm  attitude"  that  the  American  mo- 
tion picture  industry  should  "receive 
fair  and  non-discriminatory  treatment 
in  foreign  countries  and  that  the  De- 
partment should  do  all  it  can  within 
the  bounds  of  propriety  to  insure  that." 

While  Acheson's  statement  had 
some  significance,  coming  after  con- 
siderable agitation  on  the  British 
quota  from  the  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of  America,  the  Society  of 
Independent  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers and  members  of  Congress,  ob- 
servers here  were  quick  to  point  out 
that  the  Secretary  left  himself  a  very 
big  "out" — his  qualification  that  the 
Department  would  only  do  what  can 


be  done  "within  the  bounds  of  pro- 
priety." Exactly  what  can  be  done 
within  the  bounds  of  propriety  is  the 
big  question. 


California  Solons,  Acheson 
Meet  Tomorrow  on  UK  Quota 

Washington,  April  13. — A  special 
committee  of  the  California  members 
of  the  House  of  Representatives  will 
meet  with  Secretary  of  State  Acheson 
Friday  afternoon  to  voice  the  Cali- 
fornia delegation's  concern  over  the 
British  film  quota.  The  group  is 
headed  by  Rep.  Cecil  King,  California 
Democrat. 


MPEA's  Future 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

would  operate  in  conjunction  with 
more  intensified  efforts  in  public  re- 
lations. 

The  indication  is  that  the  com- 
panies will  return  to  competitive  oper- 
ations in  Germany  and  Austria,  this 
based  on  steps  already  taken  by 
M-G-M  to  break  with  the  MPEA  in 
the  two  countries.  The  film  company 
has  not  as  yet  served  any  formal 
notice  on  the  MPEA  of  its  intentions 
although  it  has  proceeded  with  licens- 
ing plans  to  operate  independently  in 
Germany.  Austria,  being  operationally 
linked  with  Germany,  also  would  be 
included  in  M-G-M's  apparent  plan. 

While  MPEA  could  continue  with- 
out M-G-M  it  is  considered  likely 
that  other  member  companies  would 
consider  this  infeasible  and  would 
follow  suit. 

Arthur  Mayer,  head  of  the  Ameri- 
can Military  Government's  motion 
picture  division  in  Germany,  has  dis- 
closed that  at  today's  meeting  he  will 
recommend  continuation  of  the  MPEA 
there. 

There  have  been  reports  on  some 
sentiment  favoring  individual  opera- 
tions in  Japan,  Korea  and  Indonesia 
but  no  action  is  known  to  have  been 
taken  by  any  of  the  MPEA  companies. 

Members'  contracts  with  the  foreign 
trade  organization  will  expire  during 
the  summer,  beginning  in  June  in 
some  countries  and  in  July  and  Au- 
gust in  others.  This  excludes  the  East- 
ern Europe  (Iron  Curtain)  area, 
MPEA  contracts  for  which  had  been 
renewed  for  another  year  last  March 
10  by  all  members. 

Meeting  of  the  Anglo-American 
Films  Council  in  Washington  on  April 
21-23  is  another  subject  which  is  ex- 
pected to  be  taken  up  today. 


Strike  Halts  Rank 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

persuade  ETU  to  adopt  a  more  rea- 
sonable attitude. 

The  situation  naturally  diminishes 
the  possibility  that  British  producers 
can  furnish  enough  films  to  fulfill  the 
new  40  per  cent  quota. 

Batchelor  was  dismissed  as  un- 
needed  after  he  declined  a  transfer  to 
the  closed  Shepherd's  Bush  studio  as 
a  maintenance  man.  Rank  officials  said 
Batchelor  had  been  absent  60  per  cent 
of  his  scheduled  working  time  and 
should  have  been  dismissed  long  ago. 


New  ABC  Board  Member 

Alger  B.  Chapman,  New  York  at- 
torney, has  been  elected  a  director 
of  American  Broadcasting,  increasing 
the  board  to  nine.  The  eight  incum- 
bents have  been  re-elected ;  they  are 
Edward  J.  Noble,  Mark  Woods,  Rob- 
ert Kintner,  Earl  E.  Anderson,  Rob- 
ert H.  Hinckley,  C.  Nicholas  Priaulx, 
Franklin  S.  Wood  and  Owen  D. 
Young. 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  April  14,  1949 


Filming  Costs  Up 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


a  preliminary  report  on  the  survey 
of  film  production  it  carried  on  as 
part  of  the  1947  U.  S.  census  of 
manufacturers.  This  survey,  conduct- 
ed in  1948  on  1947  business,  was  the 
first  comprehensive  survey  of  film 
production  since  the  1940  census,  based 
on  1939  business.  No  profit  figures 
are  given,  nor  any  figures  on  indi- 
vidual companies. 

Establishments  in  film  production, 
including  laboratories,  firms  renting 
studio  facilities,  and  firms  doing  other 
work  for  production,  jumped  from 
178  in  1939  to  277  in  1947.  The 
number  of  employes  dropped  slightly, 
from  35,345  to  34,799,  but  the  salary 
and  labor  bill  rose  from  $142,500,000 
to  $293,000,000.  Expenditures  for 
new  plants  and  equipment  rose  from 
$6,000,000  to  $15,400,000. 

The  number  of  black-and-white 
features  dropped  from  493  in  1939  to 
348  in  1947,  while  the  number  of 
color  features  rose  from  27  to  68. 
Cost  of  the  348  black-and-white 
films  in  1947  was  $165,432,000,  com- 
pared to  $117,830,000  for  the  493 
black-and-white  features  in  1939. 
The  68  color  films  in  1947  cost  $43,- 
703,000,  compared  with  $14,356,000 
for  the  27  color  films  in  1939. 

Cost  of  work  during  1947  on  films 
not  finished  at  the  end  of  the  year 
jumped  from  $37,758,000  in  1939  to 
$119,892,000  in  1947,  and  costs  of 
laboratory  work  rose  from  $18,594,000 
to  $53,329,000. 


Review 


Rank  Accepts  Eight 
Awards  at  Luncheon 

Hollywood,  April  13.  —  Accepting 
eight  Awards  presented  by  Academy 
president  Jean  Hersholt  at  a  luncheon 
here  today,  J.  Arthur  Rank  said,  "In 
these  days  when  we  are  so  beset  with 
misinformation  about  one  another,  and 
with  the  misunderstandings  that  have 
resulted,  these  eight  awards  are  a 
particularly  significant  demonstration 
of  true  sportsmanship  by  the  Academy 
membership.  It  is  a  great  honor  for 
me  to  act  as  a  messenger  in  deliver 
ing  these  'Oscars'  to  the  winners  in 
England." 

"These  statuettes  are  visible  evi 
dence,"  Hersholt  said,  "of  Hollywood's 
fair-minded  attitude  toward  the  film 
industries  of  other  countries.  We  feel 
that  the  Academy  has  been  a  strong 
instrument  in  the  creation  of  finer 
films,  and  has  inspired  progress  in 
motion  picture  techniques  here  and 
abroad." 


Gilda  Sues  Over  'Gilda9 

Denver,  April  13. — Gilda  Grey,  re- 
tired "shimmy"  dancer  of  silent  pic- 
tures now  living  in  Colorado,  has  filed 
suit  against  Columbia  in  U.  S.  Dis- 
trict Court  here  for  $1,000,000,  claim- 
ing events  in  the  Rita  Hayworth  film, 
"Gilda,"  were  based  on  her  life. 


Want  Parking  Zones 

Salt  Lake  City,  April  13. — The- 
atre owners  here  oppose  the  plan  of 
the  local  Parking  Council  to  abolish 
"No  Parking"  zones  in  front  of  down- 
town theatres,  a  move  to  seek  space 
for  parking  meters. 


Exhibitor  Renfroe,  60 

New  Orleans,  April  13. — R.  E. 
Renfroe,  60,  operator  of  the  Ren 
Drive-In,  McComb,  Miss.,  and  a 
pioneer  exhibitor  in  this  area,  died 
suddenly  last  Sunday  of  a  heart 
attack. 


"Manhandled" 

(Pine-Thomas — Paramount) 

OWIFT  excitement  has  been  conjured  up  by  director  Lewis  R.  Foster  in 
^  the  making  of  this  William  H.  Pine  and  William  C.  Thomas  production 
about  a  couple  of  murders,  a  manhunt,  and  the  manhandling — mental  and 
physical — of  a  bewildered  young  woman  by  as  sneaky  and  treacherous  a 
villain  as  the  screen  can  offer.  The  marquee  lure  of  Dorothy  Lamour  and 
Dan  Duryea,  who  perform  convincingly  in  these  roles,  is  worth  citing,  of 
course,  in  commercially  appraising  this  film;  but  the  assets  of  "Manhandled" 
do  not  stop  there.  Add  a  taut — if  somewhat  formulary — crime  detection 
screenplay  by  Foster  and  Whitman  Chambers,  some  slick  and  realistic  sets, 
and  competent  photography,  all  compounded  quite  satisfactorily  by  efficient 
direction,  and  there  presents  itself  a  picture  which  should  prove  reliable  in 
almost  all  types  of  situations. 

The  audience  is  kept  informed  as  the  story  unfolds  as  to  who  the  culpable 
parties  are  in  the  murder  and  jewel  robbery  which  set  the  plot  to  thickening. 
First  of  all,  it  is  evident  that  the  shiftless  private  investigator,  whom  Duryea 
portrays,  has  designs  on  the  jewelry  owned  by  writer  Alan  Napier's  wife. 
Actually,  however,  he  does  not  get  a  chance  to  slay  the  lady.  A  phony 
psychiatrist,  for  whom  Miss  Lamour  is  an  unwitting  secretary,  kills  Napier's 
wife  after  making  certain  that  both  the  husband  and  the  police  will  think 
it  is  a  case  of  wife  murder.  But  Duryea  catches  on  to  the  quack's  scheme, 
steals  the  jewels  from  the  killer,  and  proceeds  to  plant  evidence  which  would 
frame  Miss  Lamour  while  professing  to  be  in  love  with  her.  Into  the  pic- 
ture steps  handsome  insurance  investigator  Sterling  Hayden,  who,  together 
with  shrewd  police  detective  Art  Smith,  saves  Miss  Lamour  from  the 
villainy  which  has  been  afoot,  and  sees  that  Duryea  gets  his  just  deserts. 
Rounding  out  the  cast  are  Irene  Hervey,  Harold  Vermilyea,  Irving  Bacon 
and  Philip  Reed.  The  script  was  based  on  a  story  by  L.  S.  Goldsmith. 

Running  time,  96  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
June  10.  Charles  L.  Franke 


U.  S.  Production  in 
Italy  on  the  Increase 

Ottawa,  April  13. — Production  has 
increased  considerably  in  Italy  in  the 
last  two  years,  a  great  part  of  the 
activity  being  due  to  United  States 
companies  taking  advantage  of  cheap 
production  costs,  states  A.  P.  Bisson- 
net,  Assistant  Commercial  Secretary 
for  Canada  in  Rome,  reporting  to  the 
Foreign  Trade  Department  here. 

Seven  U.  S.  film  companies  were 
producing  10  feature  films  in  Italy, 
Bissonnet  reports,  adding  that  the 
number  of  films  produced  by  Italians 
has  been  on  the  decrease.  In  1938 
there  were  produced  65  Italian  films 
and  230  foreign  films  were  imported; 
in  1948,  the  figure  was  49  Italian  films 
and  about  600  foreign  imports. 


TOA  Gross  Reports 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


livan  a  list  of  names  of  several  TOA 
members  in  each  regional  whom  the 
latter  regards  as  qualified  to  serve  as 
bulletin  "agents,"  and  the  TOA  presi- 
dent will  make  selections  from  that 
list. 

First  edition  of  the  bulletin,  Sulli- 
van said,  will  be  ready  for  distribu- 
tion before  May  1.  Its  reporting  of 
picture  performances,  percentage-wise, 
will  be  on  a  regional  basis.  Box 
office  ratings  of  "good,"  "fair"  and 
"poor"  will  supplement  the  percentage 
information,  Sullivan  said. 


NSS  Albany  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Satellites  Use  U.  S. 
Films  for  Propaganda 

Washington,  April  13. — Assistant 
Secretary  of  State  George  V.  Allen 
declares  that  the  Department  has  been 
trying  to  assist  in  preventing  Ameri- 
can feature  films  from  being  frozen 
out  of  Russian  satellite  countries  and 
"from  being  used  to  vilify  and  slander 
us."  He  said  that  satellite  countries, 
if  not  watched  closely,  take  parts 
of  American  films  "which  fit  into  a 
propaganda  program  against  the  U. 
S.,  cull  them  out,  and  present  our 
own  material  as  propaganda  against 
the  U.  S.  So  we  try  to  prevent 
films  susceptible  of  that  type  of  treat- 
ment from  going  into  those  countries." 


Drop  Radio  Show  Plan 

Detroit,  April  13.  —  Plans  for  a 
radio  giveaway  show  to  be  sponsored 
by  local  exhibitors  have  been  dropped 
because  of  disagreements  on  which 
night  the  show  should  go  on,  accord- 
ing to  Sam  Carver,  president  of 
Detroit  Consolidated  Theatres  and 
originator  of  the  plan,  which  was  an- 
nounced here  some  time  ago. 


the  TOA  invited  all  exhibitors  of 
the  district,  National  Screen  vice- 
president  George  F.  Dembow  asked 
that  the  plan  be  continued  for  a  trial. 
Subsequently,  NSS  president  Herman 
Robbins  asked  the  TOA  to  give  the 
service  as  set  up  an  additional  60- 
day  trial,  declaring  that  if  at  the  end 
of  that  period  NSS  service  was  not 
satisfactory,  he  would  accept  the  de- 
cision .of  the  TOA  and  put  the  Albany 
branch  back  in  full  operation.  Activi- 
ties were  curtailed  because  the  com- 
pany claimed  it  was  losing  $30,000 
annually  in  Albany.  Exhibitors  had 
complained  that  the  new  plan  was 
costing  them  extra  money. 


Projectionists  Get  Raise 

Minneapolis,  April  13.— The  local 
operators'  union  has  signed  a  three- 
year  contract  with  Minnesota  Amuse- 
ment and  RKO  Theatres.  It  is  re- 
troactive to  last  December  and  calls 
for  a  wage  increase  of  three  per  cent 
in  the  first  year  and  two  per  cent  for 
each  of  the  succeeding  two  years. 


August  Date  for  Shorts 

Hollywood,  April  13.— Grant  Leen- 
houts,  coordinating  producer  of  the 
industry's  shorts  series,  said  he  ex- 
pects to  complete  production  of  the 
entire  series  by  August. 


Worst  Is  Over' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

panies,  overcoming  the  odds  imposed 
upon  them  following  the  war. 

"After  making  an  objective  survey 
of  Hollywood,  and  talking  to  produc- 
tion chiefs  of  other  companies,  I  can 
report  that  the  motion  picture  indus- 
try has^  now  undergone  a  major  re- 
orientation and  is  confidently  prepared 
to  serve  the  theatre-going  public  with 
entertainment  on  a  quality  level  high- 
er than  ever  before,"  he  said. 

"Like  other  industries  we  had  to 
meet  wartime  conditions,  but  we  have 
obtained  a  great  measure  of  stabiliza- 
tion because  20th  Century-Fox  was 
among  the  earliest  to  start  readjust- 
ment and  has  virtually  completed  the 
process  of  retooling  inaugurated  more 
than  two  and  one-half  years  ago.  We 
have  overcome  the  odds  imposed  fol- 
lowing the  war  because  of  the  restric- 
tion of  dollars  in  foreign  markets, 
higher  production  costs  and  a  return 
of  domestic  box-office  receipts  to 
normal  levels. 

"We  can  look  ahead  with  confidence 
provided  we  continue  to  meet  our  re- 
sponsibilities for  serving  the  public 
with  fine  entertainment  produced  with- 
out extravagance,  but  under  a  forth- 
right and  courageous  policy  of  cater- 
ing to  the  most  exacting  requirements 
of  the  whole  American  public  of  all 
ages,  as  well  as  the  people  of  other 
countries,"  Skouras  continued. 

"There  is  also  a  marked  feeling 
throughout  our  industry  that  outcries 
of  calamity  and  disintegration,  so  of- 
ten heard  from  those  who  make  it  a 
pastime  to  belittle  Hollywood,  never 
were  justified  and  will  henceforth  be 
met  with  affirmative  action,"  he  said. 

New  20th-Fox  product  which 
Skouras  cited  included  "Come  to  the 
Stable,"  "Prince  of  Foxes,"  "Pinky," 
"Twelve  O'Clock  High,"  "House  of 
Strangers,"  "Smokey,"  "It  Happens 
Every  Spring,"  "The  Beautiful 
Blonde  from  Bashful  Bend,"  "Thieves' 
Market"  and  "You're  My  Everything," 
most  of  which  Skouras  previewed 
while  at  the  studio. 


Phila.  Union  Fight 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


doormen,  ushers,  matrons,  custodians, 
and  other  theatre  employees  are  in- 
volved. 

A  few  months  ago,  a  group  of 
workers  split  from  AFL's  IATSE 
local  No.  B-100  and  attempted  to  af- 
filiate with  the  AFL's  building  em- 
ployes local.  Recently,  however, 
AFL  president  William  Green  ruled 
that  the  "I A"  has  jurisdiction  over 
all  film  theatre  employees  here.  With 
that  ruling  some  dissidents  went  over 
to  District  50  of  John  L.  Lewis'  Unit- 
ed Mine  Workers  which  opened  a  re- 
cruiting drive,  and  still  others  set  up 
an  independent  union  known  as  the 
Employees  Representation  Commit- 
tee. The  PLRB  ballot  will  include 
the  three  unions  and  will  also  have  a 
provision  for  the  workers  to  vote  for 
"no  union"  if  they  so  choose. 


Third  Video  Station 
Set  for  Cincinnati 

Cincinnati,  April  13. — This  city 
will  have  its  third  video  station  when 
WCPTO-TV  goes  into  operation  on 
June  14,  it  was  announced  by  Morti- 
mer C.  Watters,  vice-president  of 
Scripps-Howard  Radio,  Inc.,  Mutual 
affiliate  operated  by  the  Cincinnati 
Post.  The  station  will  have  ABC 
kinescope  film  programs  until  Oct.  1, 
following  which  "live"  shows  will  be 
televised  by  coaxial  cable. 


Thanks  to  the  newsreel  editor  •  •  • 

the  world  passes  in  review 

To  his  objectivity  .  .  .  his  sense  of 
the  newsworthy  .  .  .  his  feeling  for 
concise  and  graphic  storytelling  .  .  . 
the  newsreel  owes  its  unique  place 


ACROSS  his  "front  pages,"  before 
the  eyes  of  movie-goers  on  Main 
Streets  everywhere,  the  world  passes 
in  review.  There,  North  meets  South, 
East  meets  West  through  the  special- 
ized efforts  of  the  newsreel  editor. 

He  sifts  the  facts  and  foibles  of  the 
world  .  .  .  presents  in  one  short  reel 
the  significant,  the  human,  and  the 
odd — news  that  helps  the  world  to 
know  itself  better. 


in  American  journalism. 

Yet  the  newsreel  editor  would  be 
the  first  to  give  due  credit  to  his  staff 
of  cameramen  . . .  and  to  the  family  of 
Eastman  motion  picture  films  which 
help  them  cover  the  news — and  help 
him  present  it  so  effectively. 


EASTMAN   KODAK  COMPANY 

ROCHESTER   4,  N.  Y. 

J.  E.  BRULATOUR,  INC.,  DISTRIBUTORS 
FORT   LEE    •    CHICAGO    •  HOLLYWOOD 


!* '*>  College 


Adventures 
of  that 

"Sitting  Pretty"  Man! 


"^m  bitting  Kretty  Man! 

m    g     Hp  r 


AN 


BALTIMORE'S  BIGGEST  IN  15  MONTHS! 


BEATING  "A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES'  •  "DOWN  TO  THE  SEA  IN  SHIPS' 
SITTING  PRETTY"  •  "WHEN  MY  BABY  SMILES  AT  ME"™.  •  "ROAD  HOUSE" 
AMD  SET  TO  TOP  THEM  ALL... 

ROXY,  N.Y.!  PHILADELPHIA!  PITTSBURGH!  ATLANTIC  CITY!  HOUSTON! 

HeR&  No  Business  tw  3§l  Busmssi 


CENTURY-FOX 


((FIRST)) 
IN 
FILM 

INt-VV^J 

MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

— , 

Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 

.  —a 

VOL.  65.  NO.  74 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  APRIL  15,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

$43-Million  in 
20th  Dividends 
In  Six  Years 


$15,000,000  Remittances 
Are  Reported  for  1948 

During  the  six  years,  1943 
through  1948,  20th  Century-Fox 
paid  in  dividends  to  preferred  and 
common  stockholders  a  total  of 
$43,131,700,  company  president  Spyros 
P.  Skouras  discloses  in  his  annual 
report  to  stockholders,  released  yes- 
terday. Some  32,000  individuals  own 
stock  in  the  company. 

The  report  discloses  also  that  the 
company's  dollar  remittances  from 
operations  abroad  in  1948  were  $15,-" 
000,000.  This  compares  with  $18,000,- 
000  in  1947.  However,  the  report 
states,  expenditures  of  foreign  bal- 
ances for  film  production,  story  pur- 
chases and  the  like  were  equivalent 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Allied  Urges  Use 
Of  Industry  Shorts 


Washington,  April  14. — Allied 
States  Association  today  urged  all  ex- 
hibitors to  give  full  support  to  the 
industry's  short  subject  series,  hailing 
the  shorts  as  "a  great  constructive 
enterprise  toward  better  public  rela- 
tions at  the  community  level." 

Allied  counsel  Abram  F.  Myers 
said  that  from  all  reports,  the  shorts 
have  real  entertainment  value,  the 
rentals  will  be  materially  less  than 
the  usual  short  subject  price,  and 
therefore  the  program  does  not  entail 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


U.  S.  Hopes  to  Rest 
Griffith  Case  Apr.  25 

Washington,  April  14.  — 
Justice  Department  attorney 
George  Wise,  in  charge  of  the 
Griffith  case,  will  leave  for 
Oklahoma  City  this  weekend, 
and  assistant  Milton  Kallis 
will  leave  early  next  week,  to 
work  on  some  stipulations 
with  Griffith  attorneys  in  the 
hope  that  the  Government 
can  rest  its  trust  suit  on  the 
morning  of  April  25,  soon  af- 
ter proceedings  reopen  before 
Judge  Vogt.  Griffith  attorneys 
estimate  that  they  will  spend 
two  weeks  or  more  after  that 
introducing  their  evidence. 


Fabian  Heads  UJA 
National  Division 


S.  H.  Fabian  of  Fabian  Theatres 
has  accepted  the  chairmanship  of  the 
national  motion  picture  division  of  the 
United  Jewish  Appeal  to  mobilize 
the  industry  on 
behalf  of  the 
UJA's  1949  na- 
tionwide cam- 
paign for  $250,- 
000,000  to  sup- 
port a  program 
of  refugee  .aid, 
overseas  re- 
construc- 
t  i  o  n  and  set- 
tlement in  Is- 
rael, it  was  an- 
nounced  by 
Henry  Morgen- 
thau,  Jr.,  gen- 
eral campaign 
chairman.  Fred 
Schwartz  of  Century  Circuit  was 
named  chairman  of  the  amusement  di- 
{Continued  on  page  6) 


S.  H.  Fabian 


TOA  Agrees  to  NSS 
'Local  Level'  Plan 


The  Theatre  Owners  of  America 
executive  committee  has  agreed  to 
National  Screen  Service's  proposal 
that  exhibitor  grievances  be  settled  on 
a  local  level,  Gael  Sullivan,  executive 
director,  announced  here  yesterday, 
with  the  proviso  that  the  membership 
will  be  canvassed  after  a  few  months 
and  that  the  question  be  taken  up 
again  on  a  national  level  if  problems 
have  not  been  solved. 

"The  executive  committee  is  not 
concerned  with  the  level  at  which  re- 
sults are  obtained,"  Sullivan  said, 
"but  if  it  appears  that  the  problems 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


NASSERS  AGREE  ON 
PURCHASE  OF  U.  A. 


Nemirow  and  Segal 
Win  QP  Awards 

Philip  Nemirow,  manager 
of  the  RKO  Hamilton  Thea- 
tre, New  York  City,  has  been 
declared  the  winner  in  the 
first  quarter  for  the  Quigley 
Awards  of  Motion  Picture 
Herald's  Managers'  Round 
Table,  by  the  judges  sitting 
to  determine  both  the  quar- 
terly winner  and  the  award 
of  the  special  Quigley  cita- 
tion for  "Brotherhood  Week." 
Jerry  Segal,  manager  of  the 
Strand  Theatre,  Perth  Am- 
boy,  N.  J.,  was  given,  the 
"Brotherhood"  prize. 

Judges  were  Charles  Schlai- 
fer,  head  of  his  own  adver- 
tising agency;  Leon  Bam- 
berger, head  of  RKO  Radio 
sales  promotion,  and  Milton 
Livingston,  Universal-Inter- 
national home  office  trade 
press  liaison. 


Theatre  Monopoly 
Charged  in  Mexico 

Mexico  City,  April  14. — President 
Miguel  Aleman  has  promised  to  act 
in  an  exhibitors'  "war"  resulting  from 
charges  by  independents  that  a  theatre 
monopoly  has  developed  that  threatens 
to  absorb  all  houses  in  Mexico,  it  was 
announced  by  Samuel  Granat  and 
Federico  Longoria  after  they  com- 
plained to  the  chief  executive.  Gra- 

{Continucd  on  page  6) 


Bill  In  to  Free  Theatres 
From  Minimum  Wage  Law 


French,  Korda  Due; 
Rank  Leaving  Coast 

Hollywood,  April  14. — J.  Arthur 
Rank  plans  to  leave  here  over  the 
weekend  for  Washington  where  he 
will  join  Sir  Henry  French  and  Sir 
Alexander  Korda  for  the  meeting  on 
April  21-23  of  the  Anglo-American 
Films  Council.  French  and  Korda  are 
due  in  New  York  on  Monday  from 
London  on  the  Queen  Mary.  Ameri- 
can members  of  the  council  are  Eric 
A.  Johnston,  Barney  Balaban  and 
Nicholas  M.  Schenck. 


Washington,  April  14. — Rep. Lucas, 
Texas  Democrat,  today  introduced  a 
bill  to  amend  the  wage-hour  law 
which  would,  among  other  things, 
make  virtually  all  theatres  exempt 
from  the  minimum  wage  and  over- 
time provisions  of  the  law. 

Lucas's  bill  will  be  supported  on 
the  House  floor  by  the  powerful 
Southern  Democratic-Republican  coa- 
lition, and  stands  a  good  chance  of 
being  substituted  for  the  Administra- 
tion's bill,  which  would  take  in  thea- 
tres or  circuits  grossing  more  than 
$500,000  a  year,  it  is  believed  in  Con- 
gressional circles. 


Formal  Closing  Seen 
Near  As  Sears,  Schwartz, 
Kelly  Leave   for  Coast 

Agreement  on  terms  for  the  pur- 
chase of  United  Artists  by  James 
and  Edward  Nasser  and  their  asso- 
ciates has  been  reached  and  clos- 
ing of  the  deal  is  officially  expected 
within  a  matter  of  days. 

Gradwell  L.  Sears,  UA  presi- 
dent; Arthur  W.  Kelly,  execu- 
tive vice-president,  and  Charles 
Schwartz,  counsel,  were  called 
to  the  Coast  yesterday  by 
Charles  Chaplin  for  final  con- 
sultations prior  to  consumma- 
tion of  the  deal.  Kelly  left  here 
by  plane  last  night  and  Sears 
and  Schwartz  will  leave  by 
plane  today. 

A  ranking  United  Artists  executive 
said  yesterday  that  the  transfer  of 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


MPEA  Stays  on  in 
Germany — Perhaps 

While  operation  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Export  Association  in  Germany 
was  discussed  at  length  at  an  MPEA 
board  meeting  here  yesterday,  to  what 
extent  the  organization  will  continue 
to  function  in  that  country  remains 
vague.  One  participant  at  the  meeting 
reported  that  a  lengthy  and  involved 
resolution  was  adopted  continuing 
MPEA  in  Germany  on  a  tentative 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Minor  Damage  to 
Theatres  in  Quake 

Seattle,  April  14. — Physical 
damage  to  theatres  from  the 
earthquake  which  struck  this 
area  yesterday  appeared  from 
early  checkups  to  have  been 
slight.  Many  neighborhood 
and  small  town  theatres 
which  do  not  give  matinees 
were  closed  when  the  quake 
occurred.  Minor  damage  was 
reported  by  some  larger  the- 
atres, mostly  to  electrical  and 
water  systems  and  from  ex- 
cited crowds  rushing  for 
exits. 

Attendance  is  off  due  to 
after-effects  of  the  shock. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  April  15,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

CCOTT  R.  DUNLAP,  executive 
^  assistant  to  Steve  Broidy,  Mono- 
gram-Allied Artists  president,  will 
leave  Hollywood  on  Monday  for  New 
York,  with  stopovers  at  Chicago  and 
Milwaukee. 

• 

Walter  Wanger,  Stuart  Heisler, 
Susan  Hayward,  Robert  Preston, 
Chill  Wills  and  Sam  Israel,  all 
members  of  an  Eagle-Lion  contingent 
visiting  Tulsa,  have  returned  to  Hol- 
lywood from  there. 

• 

Joaquin  Rickard,  Motion  Picture 
Association  manager  in  Latin  Amer- 
ica, left  New  York  yesterday  for  Bal- 
boa, C.  Z.,  as  the  first  stop  on  a  tour 
of  his  territory. 

• 

Jack  Yarmove,  in  charge  of  mo- 
tion pictures  for  L.  H.  Hartman  Ad- 
vertising Agency  has  been  elected  a 
director  of  American  Pacific  Indus- 
trial Corp. 

• 

Peter  C.  Vigna,  Fox  West  Coast 
booker  at  San  Francisco,  and  Mrs. 
Vigna,  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter 
born  at  St.  Mary's  Help  Hospital  in 
that  city. 

• 

John  Joseph,  assistant  to  Howard 
D  ietz,  M-G-M  advertising-publicity 
vice-president,  will  return  here  today 
from  Boston. 

• 

Ben  Goetz,  board  chairman  for 
M-G-M's  British  Studios,  and  Mrs. 
Goetz,  are  in  New  York  from  the 
Coast,  en  route  to  England. 

• 

William    J.    Heineman,  Eagle- 
Lion  distribution  vice-president,  and 
Milton  Cohen,.  Eastern  sales  man- 
ager, have  returned  here  from  Tulsa, 
e 

Rutgers  Neilson,  RKO  Radio 
publicity  manager,  and  Mrs.  Neilson, 
will  celebrate  their  27th  wedding  an- 
niversary on  Easter  Sunday. 

• 

Milton  Yassenoff,  Academy  Cir- 
cuit general   manager  at  Columbus, 
Ohio,  and  Mrs.  Yassenoff,  are  the 
parents  of  a  second  daughter. 
• 

Alan  W.  Cook,  Ansco  executive, 
has  returned  here  from  a  seven 
month's  stay  in  Europe. 

9 

Ira  Michaels,  SRO  New  York 
sales  representative,  celebrated  his 
birthday  on  Wednesday. 

0 

J.  Robert  Rubin,  M-G-M  general 
counsel,  is  due  to  return  here  Mon- 
day from  Durham,  N.  C. 

• 

Robert  J.  Flaherty,  documentary 
producer-director,  will  speak  on  April 
21  to  the  New  York  Film  Society. 
• 

Norman  Eisenstein,  Realart  sec- 
retary-treasurer, has  left  here  with 
his  family  for  Miami. 


Insider's  Outlook 


By  RED  KANN 


Charles  Goetz  of  Four  Continent 
Films,  will  leave  New  York  today 
for  a  two-week  fishing  trip  in  Florida. 


TV/Tore  Rustles  of  Spring: 
-1  "The  worst  in  Hollywood 
is  over,  and  we  can  now  look 
ahead  to  the  future  with  positive 
optimism.  This  feeling  of  'en- 
thusiasm is  the  result  of  the 
successful  job  of  re-tooling  and 
readjustment  by  the  companies, 
overcoming  the  odds  imposed 
upon  them  following  the  war. 
...  I  can  report  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry  has  now  undergone 
a  major  reorientation  and  is 
confidently  prepared  to  serve  the 
theatre-going  public  with  enter- 
tainment on  a  quality  level 
higher  than  ever  before."  — 
Spyros  P.  Skouras. 

No.  2  Rustle:  "[Barney  Bal- 
aban]  said  [at  the  Paramount 
reorganization  meeting]  theatre 
earnings  from  January  1  of  this 
year  to  date  are  'very  close'  to 
last  year's  level  except  for  the 
areas  in  the  Midwest  and  West 
which  were  struck  with  severe 
weather.  ...  J.  J.  Fitzgibbons, 
head  of  Famous  Players  Canadi- 
an, added  to  Balaban's  remarks 
with  report  that  Canadian  busi- 
ness is  very  close  to  the  1948 
r  e  v  e  n  u  e." — Motion  Picture 
Daily. 

No.  3  Rustle;'  "Loew's  re- 
ports net  profit  of  $4,117,117  af- 
ter taxes,  for  the  28  weeks  end- 
ed March  17,  an  increase  of 
$230,372  over  the  $3,886,745 
recorded  for  the  corresponding 
period  last  year." — Motion  Pic- 
ture Daily  again. 


"Quartet,"  made  in  Britain 
and  released  here  by  Eagle-Lion, 
grossed  a  formidable  $17,597  in 
its  opening  week  at  the  Sutton, 
immediately  east  of  3rd  Avenue 
on  57th  Street,  and  thereby  out- 
distanced a  previous  opening 
week's  record  of  $13,359,  which 
went  to  "I  Know  Where  I'm 
Going,"  also  British-made.  Sec- 
ond week  of  "Quartet"  closed 
Monday  night  at  an  impressive 
$15,815. 

Does  J.  Arthur  Rank,  whose 
companies  produced  both,  con- 
tinue to  think  there  is  a  "plot" 
in  America  to  keep  his  product 
off  domestic  screens  ? 


If  UA's  blood  count  rose 
with  "Champion,"  there  seems 
to  be  no  adequate  description 
for  the  goings-on  over  "Home 
of  the  Brave,"  New  York  stage 
play  by  Arthur  Laurents  with  a 
switch    in    theme    from  anti- 


Semitism  to  Negro  discrimina- 
tion. 

The  film  follows  "Joan  of 
Arc"  at  the  Victoria  about  mid- 
May  and  soon  after  opens  in 
Boston  and  Chicago.  At  a  nega- 
tive cost  of  about  $400,000, 
Grad  Sears  seems  very  positive 
he  will  recoup  the  investment 
out  of  these  three  key  runs. 

_  Disinterested,  but  experienced, 
distributors  say  it  can  be  done 
if  the  runs  are  long  and  success- 
ful. 

■  ■ 

The  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion's planned  entry  into  exhibi- 
tion relations  under  Francis 
Harmon  is  geared  to  the  pros- 
pect of  enrolling  TOA  and  Al- 
lied adherents  as  dues-paying 
members,  which  is  quite  a  pros- 
pect. 

Eric  Johnston  is  understood  to 
be  somewhat  captivated  by  the 
idea  of  getting  enough  theatre- 
men  in  MPA  ranks  to  justify 
the  claim  that  he  represents  the 
entire  industry. 


_  Grigori  Alexandrov,  Rus- 
sian director,  informed  a  Bucha- 
rest audience  the  other  evening 
that  the  Soviet  film  industry  is 
"very  near"  to  producing  smell- 
ing pictures.  "We  want  to  look 
through  the  screen  as  through  a 
window.  We  want  to  hear,  to 
see,  but  also  to  smell  the  breeze  of 
the  sea,  the  perfume  of  flowers 
and  of  green  pastures,"  he  is  re- 
ported as  stating. 

There  are  those  who  maintain 
the  Soviet  is  very  close  indeed 
to  that  accomplishment.  And 
those  who  view  with  dismal  eye 
the  whole  prospect.  Among 
them  our  old  philosopher-friend, 
Joe  Skeptic,  who  remarks : 

"Yeah,  but  you're  apt  to  end 
up  smelling  things  the  studios 
never  intended.    I'm  against." 


Frank  Capra  is  gloomy  about 
his  future  prospects,  according  to 
the  New  York  Times,  because 
"there  is  an  excess  of  caution 
and  fear  at  Paramount  and 
everywhere  in  Hollywood," 
whereas  the  producer-director 
likes  to  have  a  free  hand  for  ex- 
perimentation. Since  the  studio 
is  said  to  have  informed  him 
$3,000,000  is  maximum  domestic 
gross  expectancy  these  days  and 
has  rejected'  five  projects  as 
"unsafe,"  Frank  is  gloomy. 

How  are  you  feeling  these 
days  ? 


Wyler  Wins  Two  Awards 

William  Wyler  has  received  two 
more  international  awards  for  his  di- 
rection of  "The  Best  Years  of  Our 
Lives."  The  film  was  cited  as  the 
"best"  release  of  1947  in  Great  Brit- 
ain by  the  British  Film  Academy, 
and  named  winner  for  "best  direction" 
at  the  International  Film  Festival  at 
Marienbad,  Czechoslovakia. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — 

Rockefeller  Center 
BING  CROSBY 
Rhonda    FLEMING     -     Wm.  BENDIX 
Sir  Cedrio  HARDWICKE 

"A  CONNECTICUT  YANKEE 

In    King  Arthur's  Court" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
A   Paramount  Picture 
THE    GREAT    EASTER   STAGE  SHOW 


Paramount  presents 

"JBiide  of  , 
1/enejeance 

PAULETTE  GODDARD  ' 

JOHN  LUND 
MACDONALD  CAREY 

t  MITCHELL  LEISEN  nw> 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 


"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER, 


45M  Street 
West  of  Broadway 
All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Dally 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Releaet 


SPECIAL 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring  I1VGRID 

BERGMAN 


A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  ■  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 

Jufo'SilnKS'S"  """"^IS  1  SULLIVAN -J  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BONO 
SHIPPERO  SJRupiVICK  •  HURO  HATFIELD  .  GENE  LOCKHARI  .  JOHN  EMERY 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  ■  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  HELLAWAY 
based  upon  Ihe  slage  0lay  Joan  ol  Lorraine  Cy  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
icreen  plo  ,  b,  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  ond  ANDREW  SOLT  .  ori  dlrrcllon  b, 
RICHARD  DAY  .  d.rCIiof  „l  pholotr.oph,  JOSEPH  VALENTINE  A  S  C 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

preienled  by  SIERRA  PICTURES.  Irre  •  rcleoed  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


23  rd  WEEK/, 


W 


CLIFTON  WEBB   -  SHIRLEY  TEMPLE 

"MR.  BELVEDERE 

A  20th  Century-Fox  Picture 


G?os  COLLEGE" 


ON    VARIETY   STAGE  — VIVIAN  BLAINE 
LEO  DE  LYON  -  MCCARTHY  &  FARRELL 
On  Ice  Stage — The  ROOKIES  -  Joan  HYLDOFT 
7th  Ave.  & 
50th  St 


:ROXY 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher-  Sherwin  Kane   Edit™--  M„-f         •  ,  7  1  

Sundays  and  holidays .by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  ^Seller  CeJer New^l  Hn'&,Jt"-&*&a**  Editor-  PubUshe«i  ^ilr.  except  Saturdays. 
New  York/'  Martin  Quigley  President ;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.  Vice-President^ TTipn  T  <5  Y"  telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
James  P  Cumngham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H  Fausel  Prod, Tort™  m!  1  SuihT,an'  v]ce- President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary ; 
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Friday,  April  15,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Alger  Dismissal  Is 
Under  Advisement 


Chicago,  April  14. — Dismissal  of 
the  Alger  percentage  case,  which  has 
been  sought  by  eight  distributor  plain- 
tiffs in  U.  S.  District  Court,  here,  re- 
mains under  final  advisement  pending 
signatures  of  Master-in-Chancery 
Joseph  W.  Elward  and  the  approval 
of  Federal  Judge  William  Campbell. 

It  is  understood  that  immediately 
after  the  dismissal,  expected  with  in  a 
few  days,  the  distributor-plaintiffs  will 
file  a  new  percentage  suit  in  State 
Court  against  the  Algers. 

A  hearing  scheduled  this  week  for 
benefit  of  the  distributors  in  answer 
to  their  objections  on  the  attorneys' 
fetes  previously  approved  by  Elward 
went  unanswered,  virtually  closing 
the  case. 

The  Alger  case  is  significant  in  dis- 
tributor-exhibitor relations,  because 
its  outcome  is  earmarked  to  set  a 
precedent  in  future  cases  of  similar 
background  throughout  the  industry. 

Elward,  in  a  recent  statement,  said : 
"I  think  it  is  a  fair  inference  from 
the  record  that  this  alleged  reason 
for  dismissal  (that  the  distributors 
may  not  be  able  to  prove  that  the  mat- 
ter involved  exceeded  ($3,000)  was 
not  the  only  reason  or  the  principal 
reason  for  the  plaintiffs'  decision  to 
dismiss.  For  some  other  reason,  not 
apparent  of  record,  and  with  which 
the  court  has  no  concern,  the  plain- 
tiffs wish  to  withdraw." 

Elward  had  recommended  approval 
of  fees  to  Alger  attorney  Thomas  Mc- 
Connell  of  $4,061,  and  to  Seymour  Si- 
mon, representing  the  L.  and  P.  circuit 
(an  affiliate  of  Alger)  of  $1,500, 
which  went  uncontested  by  the  plain- 
tiffs. Representing  the  distributors  is 
Miles  Seeley. 


Famous  Players  Net 
For  1948  Increased 


Toronto,  April  14. — Famous  Play- 
ers-Canadian Corp.  has  net  earnings 
of  $3,286,264  in  1948,  compared  with 
$3,156,446  in  the  previous  year. 
Gross  receipts  were  somewhat  higher 
than  in  1947  because  of  the  additional 
number  of  theatres,  but  there  was  a 
continued  rise  in  operating  costs  in 
almost  every  department,  said  FP-C 
president  J.  J.  Fitzgibbons. 

Theatre  projects  involving  an  out- 
lay of  more  than  $3,200,000  were  paid 
for  out  of  current  earnings  and  work- 
ing capital,  he  added. 

Fitzgibbons  announced  that  a  Para- 
mount television  system  was  to  be 
established  in  the  Imperial  Theatre, 
Toronto.  The  FP-C  president  said 
another  year  of  good  business  is 
anticipated. 


100  Exhibitors  in 
Protest  Against  Tax 

Columbia,  S.  C,  April  14. — Some 
100  exhibitors  representing  250  thea- 
tres in  South  Carolina,  meeting  in 
Columbia  yesterday,  voted  opposition 
to  a  proposed  plan  in  the  Assembly 
for  an  increased  10  per  cent  ticket  tax. 
Bob  Bryant  of  Rock  Hill,  S.  C,  pre- 
sided. 

Governor  Thurmond,  addressing  the 
group,  said  motion  pictures  are  the 
poor  man's  principal  source  of  enter- 
tainment. Bryant  said  theatremen  are 
prepared  to  resist  any  move  to  in- 
crease admission  prices. 


Review 


Sleeping  Car  to  Trieste 

(  Rank-Eagle-Lion  ) 

GOOD  character  delineation  and  some  fine  bits  of  isolated  comedy  combine 
to  make  J.  Arthur  Rank's  "Sleeping  Car  to  Trieste"  a  delightful  little 
film,  even  though  the  story  runs  a  familiar  mystery-thriller  course.  Dis- 
criminating patrons  generally  should  find  it  rewarding.  In  the  way  of  popular 
cast  names,  however,  the  production  is  shy ;  handling  the  acting  chores  are 
Jean  Kent,  Albert  Lieven,  Derrick  De  Marney  and  Paul  Dupuis. 

Virtually  the  entire  story  takes  place  aboard  an  Orient  express  which  starts 
out  from  Paris.  In  the  focal  spot  are  an  adventurer  and  his  attractive  com- 
panion, both  of  whom  are  pursuing  a  double-crossing  accomplice  in  the  theft 
of  a  secret  political  diary.  A  varied  assortment  of  personalities  comes  into 
view  aboard  the  train,  including  a  sight-seeing  G.I.,  a  pompous  British 
journalist,  a  vacationing  police  inspector,  and  a  romantic  young  couple.  In 
the  course  of  their  individual  pursuits  they  become  dramatically  entangled 
over  the  diary.  Following  a  murder,  the  film  takes  on  the  aspect  of  a  detective 
story.  John  Paddy  Carstairs'  direction  provides  some  excellent  touches. 
George  H.  Brown  produced  this  Two  Cities  Film  from  a  screenplay  by  Allan 
Mackinnon,  based  on  a  story  by  Clifford  Grey. 

Running  time,  95  minutes.   Adult  audience  classification.   For  April  release. 

Mandel  Herbstman 


Congress  Approves 
Extension  of  ECA 


Washington,  April  14. — Congress 
today  approved  and  sent  to  the  White 
House  a  bill  continuing  Economic  Co- 
operation Administration  operations 
through  June  30,  1950,  and  authoriz- 
ing the  ECA  to  use  up  to  $10,000,000 
a  year  in  its  information  media  guar- 
anty program. 

The  House  had  earlier  approved 
$15,000,000  but  the  Senate  stuck  to 
$10,000,000,  and  the  House  gave  way 
when  the  bill  went  to  conference. 
ECA  during  its  first  year  committed 
only  about  $1,000,000  for  information 
media  guaranties. 


Sharp  Drop  of  U.  S. 
Films  in  Argentine 

Washington,  April  14.  —  The 
number  of  U.  S.  films  released  in  Ar- 
gentina dropped  from  375  in  1947  to 
261  in  1948,  U.  S.  Commerce  Depart- 
ment film  chief  Nathan  D.  Golden  re- 
ported today. 

The  drop  in  the  number  of  U.  S. 
features  was  responsible  for  a  drop  in 
the  number  of  features  from  all  na- 
tions released  in  Argentina  in  1948  to 
453,  from  557  in  1947.  No  Russian 
pictures  were  released  in  1948,  where- 
as 10  were  shown  in  1947.  Twice  as 
many  Italian  films  were  shown  in  1948 
as  the  previous  year,  but  French  re- 
leases fell  from  37  to  23.  British, 
Mexican  and  Argentine  releases  last 
year  stayed  at  about  1947  levels* 


2  Continue  Studio  Posts 

Mexico  City,  April  14. — Richard 
Tomkins  will  continue  to  represent 
American  stockholders  of  the  Churu- 
busco  studios  here  for  the  ensuing 
year,  with  Emilio  Azcarraga,  ex- 
hibitor and  radio  station  operator, 
representing  Mexican  stockholders. 
Andres  Serra  Rojas,  director  general 
of  Banca  Nacional  Cinematografico, 
S.  A.,  has  become  a  member  of  the 
studio's  board. 


Graham,  RKO  Executive 

W.  A.  Graham,  assistant  manager 
of  the  maintenance  department  of 
RKO  Theatres,  died  yesterday  at  his 
home  in  Westfield,  N.  J.,  after  a  long 
illness.  Graham  had  been  with  RKO 
Theatres  for  15  years. 


Mexicans  Must  Use 
80%  Native  Casts 


Mexico  City,  April  14.— Producers 
who  depend  upon  the  film  trade's  own 
bank,  the  Banco  Nacional  Cinemato- 
grafico, have  been  ordered  by  Andres 
Serra  Rojas,  the  bank's  director  gen- 
eral, to  have  at  least  80  per  cent  of 
Mexican  players  in  all  pictures  which 
they  make.  The  banker  recently  mere- 
ly requested  all  producers  to  give 
Mexicans  preference.  Mexican  players, 
through  their  union,  the  Picture  Pro- 
duction Workers,  had  complained  that 
foreigners  dominate  the  casts  of  Mexi- 
can films  by  80  per  cent.  When  the 
union  again  urged  Rojas  to  act,  con- 
tending that  last  year  more  than  200 
of  its  members  could  not  get  work 
because  so  many  foreigners  were  em- 
ployed, he  decided  to  issue  the  80  per 
cent  Mexican  order  to  producers 
which  his  bank  practically  controls. 

The  order  has  given  producers  a 
considerable  task  in  rearranging 
casts  of  new  pictures. 


13  Test  Openings  for 
"Stratton  Story" 

With  the  world  premiere  for  "The 
Stratton  Story"  set  for  April  21  at 
Loew's  Stillman,  Cleveland,  test  en- 
gagements with  special  handling  and 
promotion  have  been  tentatively  sched- 
uled for  13  situations,  it  was  an- 
nounced by  M-G-M. 

For  May,  there  will  be  at  least  seven 
test  openings,  to  include  the  Four  Star 
Theatre,  Los  Angeles ;  Music  Hall, 
New  York;  Melba,  Dallas;  theatres 
in  Denison,  Greenville  and  Sherman, 
Texas,  and  Chicago.  June  openings 
are  set  for  Pittsburgh,  Washington, 
Boston,  Philadelphia  and  Omaha.  No 
general  release  date  has  been  set. 


Drutman  with  U.A. 

Irving  Drutman  has  been  assigned 
by_  United  Artists  to  do  special  pub- 
licity on  "Home  of  the  Brave,"  the 
new  Stanley  Kramer  film,  soon  to  be 
released.  Four  others  were  named  for 
"Home  of  the  Brave"  assignments 
earlier  in  the  week. 


New  DuMont  Video  Show 

DuMont  television  dealers  will 
sponsor  a  new  television  series,  "The 
Morey  Amsterdam  Show,"  on  the  Du 
Mont  network  on  Thursday  nights, 
beginning  April  21. 


Short 
Subject 


"Report  on  the  Atom" 

(March  of  Time—20th-Fox) 

The  story  of  the  atomic  energy 
development  program  in  the  United 
States  to  date  is  told  in  terms  that 
are  comprehensible  to  the  layman  in 
this  latest  March  of  Time  release  It 
was  produced  with  the  assistance  and 
under  the  security  control  of  the 
Atomic  Energy  Commission.  It  also 
has  the  endorsement  of  the  Motion 
picture  Association  of  America,  open- 
ing with  a  short  commentary  by  Eric 
Johnston,  MPAA  president. 

While  the  subject  shows  that  atomic 
development  is  an  important  factor  in 
modern  warfare,  it  also  dwells  on  the 
peacetime  applications  of  this  great 
force  in  industry,  agriculture,  medicine 
and  biology.  It  is  informative,  ex- 
citing and  deserves  extra  exploitation 
attention.   Running  time,  20  minutes. 

New  Greek  Feature 
Shown  by  Helbanco 

The  recently  formed  Helbanco  Dis- 
tributing Corp.,  New  York,  held  a 
press  screening  here  of  its  initial  re- 
lease, "The  Germans  Strike  Again," 
a  90-minute,  Greek-made  feature,  the 
first  of  a  series  from  that  country 
which  Helbanco  will  distribute  here. 
President  and  vice-president  of  the 
company  are  Michael  Scolidis  and 
Angelo  Petrello,  respectively. 

Produced  by  Finos  Films,  "The 
Germans  Strike  Again"  is  a  dramtic 
fantasy  about  man's  inability  to  settle 
his  problems  without  recourse  to  war. 
The  action  takes  place  in  contem- 
porary Athens  where  the  people  are 
engulfed  in  constant  bickerings  over 
politics.  One  of  the  focal  figures  of 
the  drama  falls  asleep  and  dreams  that 
the  conquering  German  armies  are  on 
the  march  again,  and  once  held  cap- 
tive by  the  risen  Germans,  the  Greek 
people  realize  with  fullest  impact  the 
tragedy  of  their  inability  to  have  made 
most  of  peace.  The  best  part  of  the 
film  is  its  photography  and  some  iso- 
lated bits  of  humor.  Generally,  how- 
ever, the  action  is  static  and  the 
motivations  are  not  always  logical. 
Directed  by  Alecos  Sakellariou,  the 
film  has  been  provided  with  adequate 
English  titles  by  Euthalie  V.  Starks. 
Heading  the- cast  are  Basil  Logothetidi 
and  Costas  Tsaganeas.  M.  H. 


Carlos  Moore  Named 
To  UA  Sales  Post 

Arthur  W.  Kelly,  executive  vice- 
president  of  United  Artists,  has  ap- 
pointed Carlos  Moore  special  repre- 
sentative in  India  to  serve  as  home 
office  liaison  with  Western  Indian 
Theatres,  Ltd.,  UA  distributor  in  In- 
dia, Burma,  Ceylon  and  Pakistan. 

Moore  was  the  company's  general 
manager  in  India  in  1937-42.  He  has 
also  held  various  sales  posts  in  UA's 
domestic  sales  organization.  Accom- 
panied by  his  wife,  Moore  will  sail  for 
his  Bombay  headquarters  on  Tuesday 
on  the         Steel  Surveyor. 


To  Rebuild  Ohio  Houses 

Cleveland,  April  14. — Two  Ohio 
theatres  recently  destroyed  by  fire,  the 
Columbia  at  Alliance,  and  the  Ohio 
at  Lima,  will  be  rebuilt. 


The  Biggest  Sign  or 
Broadway  for  a  Hi 
Box  Office  Picture 


starring 

WILLIAM  ELLIOTT  •  ADRIAN  BOOTH 

with 

FORREST  TUCKER  •  andy  devine 

and 

JACK  HOLT    •    MINNA  GOMBELL 
GRANT  WITHERS 


Screen  Play  by  Thames  Williamson 
Story  by  Luci  Ward  and  Jack  Natteford 
Associate  Producer  and  Director  —  JOSEPH  KANE 

A  REPUBLIC  PRODUCTION 


H 


'The  last  Bandit- Gread 
Train  Theft  at  Mayfair 

By  IRENE  THIRER  J 

Out  of  the  bandit  ridden  Mi«  I 
soun   of  the   '70'*    L    °  Mis"l 

thaHr0^oldh,e  t0  that 

Frank      Wiir       r.own  brother 
formed   Tut  aw"  ?iott)'  *  re- 
agent on   tL   Western  cS^f 
will   be  the  middle  man  tW' 
|  h™  i\  (Arrest  Tucler)  figures 

that  he'll  iSttf^  ffja 
\  means  his  own  brother's  undo wi 

Jim's  S  f?Lhe  SChDGme  but  f«l 
ujiii  s,  glri    (Adrian  Booth  1  wh^l 

OzarSTo  P!1  the,Wa^  iomtel 

to  '°  !  a"n°ck  ,City>  Nevada! 
L"    «y   and   inveig-  e  *.  H 

CShenfae„hiS,  mlnd-  Whit  havens  I 

she%  to„  °h' J"™  riguht  back,  and! 
„    s  torn  between  her  love  fmJl 

VxT-TT  hat  ma  was  right  ■ 
Without  Frank's  aid  the"  holrl  I 

aPperfSn,ned  M^ oJt  ?  J 
a  perfect  crime  whereby  the  Pn  I 
tire .tram  Local  No.  44  is  stoler" 

steal  the  gold,  but  derail  thi 
train  running  it  into  a  cave  i  V 

^^^^ 
catE,wtUaIiy  ^e  sheriff's  Possei 

The  people  in  "The  Last  r,„  J 
I  '  are  agreeable,  down  to  th  J 
eft  Tuck"""  blonde^rf 
rest  Tucker  steals  the  show  as! 
the  terror  of  Missouri;  Adrian! 

fehertrnroVc=f!s 

Iari°nt?olkShe  ^  amm4%| 
is  trup  h,f°!k  S0"g-  Bi]1  Elliott  i  J 
Sit  h  bJ  .e  a  railr°adman  as  ever! 
»  banditry  for  the  rails.  Other! 

IheV '  v,vlnna  Gombell,  Granfe 

tv,  T  lmP°rtant  than  iossef 
this  bang-up  opry.  6  : 

Reprinted  from 
New  York  Post  Home  News 
Monday,  March  21,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  April  15,  194!l 


Nassers-U.  A. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ownership  is  fully  expected  to  occur 
before  Chaplin's  option  on  Mary  Pick- 
ford's  half  interest  in  U.  A.  expires 
next  Thursday.  Thus  the  closing, 
presumably,  will  be  entirely  in  Chap- 
lin's hands  and  he  is  known  to  be  less 
reluctant  than  Miss  Pickford  to  part 
with  the  company  with  which  the  two 
have  been  associated  since  its  found 
ing.  United  Artists  is  just  entering 
upon  its  30th  anniversary. 

The  Nasser  Brothers,  official  sources 
said  yesterday,  have  agreed  after  a 
thorough  study  of  United  Artists'  as- 
sets and  current  position,  to  meet  the 
Chaplin-Pickford  asking  price  of 
$2,700,000  for  the  half  interest  of  each, 
or  a  total  of  $5,400,000.  According 
to  reports,  the  purchase  price  will  be 
paid  in  cash. 

Several  prominent  theatre  opera 
tors,  among  them  Robert  McNeil,  for- 
merly of  the  McNeil  and  Naify  cir- 
cuit, San  Francisco,  are  known  to  be 
associated  with  the  Nassers  in  the 
purchase. 

No  Major  Changes 

It  is  generally  believed  that  acqui 
sition  of  UA  by  the  Nassers  would 
not  be  followed  by  any  major  changes 
in  the  executive  administration  of  the 
company. 

The  Nassers  are  owners  of  General 
Service  Studios,  Hollywood,  and  plan 
to  concentrate  on  obtaining  a  full 
schedule  of  production  for  their  stu- 
dio from  producers  releasing  through 
UA.  In  addition,  they  own  impor- 
tant California  theatre  operations  and 
will  concentrate  on  handling  their 
West  Coast  interests,  leaving  UA  ad- 
ministration to  the  present  executive 
personnel  here,  it  is  believed.  Nasser 
Brothers  recently  concluded  a  five- 
year  deal  for  delivery  of  a  total  of 
25  pictures  to  UA. 

Prepare  Credit  Facilities 

It  is  reported  that  the  Nassers  also 
are  preparing  credit  arrangements  by 
which  independent  producers  can  be 
attracted  to  UA  by  the  available 
financing  as  well  as  deferments  of  stu- 
dio charges  which  the  Nassers  are  in 
a  position  to  offer  at  General  Service. 

Agreement  on  the  terms  of  the  deal 
followed  a  favorable  report  on  UA's 
condition  brought  back  to  the  Nassers 
by  Sam  Wiesenthal,  their  financial 
representative,  following  a  two  weeks' 
study  of  the  company's  books  in  New 
York. 

While  agreement  to  meet  the  ask- 
ing price  normally  would  guarantee 
closing  of  such  a  deal,  skeptics  pointed 
out  here  yesterday  that  a  group  head- 
ed by  Si  Fabian,  head  of  Fabian  The- 
atres, actually  reached  an  agreement 
on  terms  for  the  purchase  of  UA  with 
Mary  Pickford  two  years  ago  only  to 
have  the  seller  change  her  mind  sub- 
sequently. 

Fabian  Kept  Aloof 

With  that  experience  in  mind,  Fa- 
bian refused  to  enter  the  current  bid- 
ding for  UA,  although  invited  to  do 
so,  unless  a  firm  commitment  to  -sell 
in  the  event  terms  could  be  agreed 
upon  was  issued  to  him  in  advance 
of  negotiations.  Chaplin  declined  that 
proposal  recently.  . 

It  is  pointed  out,  however,  that  no 
option  was  in  existence  at  the  time 
of  Fabian's  1947  negotiations  and  the 
dealing  then  was  with  Miss  Pickford 
who  always  has  been  more  reluctant 
than  Chaplin  to  part  with  her  inter- 
est in  the  company.  Chaplin  and  Miss 
Pickford  exchanged  options  on  each 
other's  UA  stock  last  January,  Miss 
Pickford  obtaining  the  option  on 
Chaplin's  stock  first  for  a  period  of 


30  days  which  was  extended  for  an- 
other 10  days.  No  serious  negotia- 
tions occurred  during  that  period. 
Thereafter,  an  option  on  Miss  Pick- 
ford's  stock  passed  to  Chaplin,  with 
the  initial  30-day  period  having  ex- 
pired last  Monday.  Chaplin  also 
availed  himself  of  the  permitted  10- 
day  extension,  which  period  will  ex- 
pire next  Thursday. 

Although  indications  of  interest 
were  manifested  by  several  other 
sources  during  the  period  Chaplin  has 
held  the  option,  the  Nasser  and  Fa- 
bian groups  were  the  only  ones  which 
were  regarded  as  serious  contenders. 
Like  Nasser,  Fabian  too  had  planned 
to  associate  himself  with  other  ex- 
hibitors in  the  bidding  for  UA  if  he 
had  entered  it. 


MPEA  in  Germany 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


basis  and  subject  to  future  considera- 
tions of  the  problems  which  would 
confront  the  companies  if  they  were 
to  operate  individually. 

A  spokesman  for  M-G-M,  which 
had  made  some  plans  to  operate  com- 
petitively in  Germany,  said  yesterday 
nothing  is  certain  at  this  time.  Arthur 
Mayer,  chief  of  the  film  branch  of  the 
U.  S.  Military  Government  in  Ger- 
many, offered  a  review  of  conditions 
there  and  advised  a  continuance  of  the 
MPEA. 

The  MPEA  meeting  followed  a 
meeting  of  the  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of  America,  both  organizations 
having  an  interlocking  directorate, 
with  an  assortment  of  domestic  mat- 
ters reportedly  taken  up  but  with 
final  decisions  still  yet  to  be  reached. 
Among  these  was  said  to  be  the 
MPAA  proposal  for  expanded  activi- 
ties in  exhibitor  relations. 

Maurice  Bergman,  chairman  of  the 
motion  picture  division  of  the  U.  S. 
Savings  Bond  campaign,  May  16- 
June  30,  appeared  before  the  board  to 
discuss  the  industry's  participation. 

Board  members  who  attended  were 
Barney  Balaban,  Theodore  R.  Black, 
Nate  J.  Blumberg,  Jack  Cohn,  Ned 
E.  Depinet,  E.  W.  Hammons,  Eric  A. 
Johnston,  Austin  C.  Keough,  W.  C. 
Michel,  Norton  V.  Ritchey,  Herman 
Robbins,  Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  Sam 
Schneider,  Spyros  P.  Skouras  and 
Joseph  R.  Vogel. 


20th-Fox  Report 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Allied  Urges 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


any  sacrifice  by  exhibitors.  "On  the 
contrary,"  he  said,  in  urging  exhibitors 
to  run  the  reels,  'Allied  is  merely  sug- 
gesting that  they  help  themselves  and 
the  industry  in  general  without  sacri- 
fice and  without  imposing  on  their 
patrons." 

In  two  bulletins  issued  here  today, 
Myers  also  took,  another  swipe  at  the 
20th  Century-Fox  campaign  for  a 
bigger  share  of  the  box-office  dollar. 

Myers  said  he  regretted  to  read  in 
the  trade  press  that  20th-Fox  vice- 
presidents  Al  Lichtman  and  Andy 
Smith,  Jr.,  planned  to  "pursue  their 
'grass  roots'  survey  to  its  completion." 
He  pointed  out  that  this  did  not  mean 
that  they  will  continue  to  claim  that 
rentals  must  be  raised.  "Certainly 
that  misbegotten  idea  should  be  quiet- 
ly buried  in  the  still  of  the  night,"  he 
declared.   "There  will  be  no  mourners." 


Suburb  Houses  Up  Prices 

Louisville,  April  14. — Reversing 
the  trend  toward  lower  admission 
prices  in  some  Eastern  cities,  several 
suburban  houses  here  have  increased, 
ticket  prices  from  34  to  40  cents. 


to  an  additional  $3,000,000  in  1948 
and  $2,000,000  in  1947. 

Theatre  receipts  in  1948,  it  was 
reported,  "declined  in  comparison  with 
1947  by  ;$9,444,000  and  worldwide 
film  rental  by  $1,535,000.  However, 
income  from  other  sources  increased 
about  $2,969,000.  This  favorable  fac- 
tor resulted  in  reducing  the  net  de- 
cline in  income  to  $8,010,000." 

Domestic  Rentals  Drop 

The  decline  in  worldwide  film  ren- 
tals of  $1,535,000,  it  was  reported,  "is 
represented  by  a  drop  in  the  U.  S. 
and  Canada  of  $1,669,000,  coupled 
with  an  increase  in  the  rest  of  the 
world  by  $134,000.  Film  •  rentals 
from  foreign  operations  amounted  to 
$30,044,157  in  1948  compared  with 
$29,909,857  in  the  preceding  year  in 
spite  of  a  further  drop  of  about  $2,- 
000,000  in  the  United  Kingdom  caused 
by  quota  restriction.  The  UK,  Aus- 
tralia and  South  Africa  contributed 
48  per  cent  of  foreign  film  rentals  in 
1948  and  56.6  per  cent  in  1947." 

Substantiating  an  estimate  released 
on  March  25,  consolidated  earnings  of 
20th  Century-Fox  and  voting-con- 
trolled subsidiaries  for  the  year  ended 
Dec.  25,  1948,  after  all  charges,  in- 
cluding Federal  income  taxes,  totalled 
$12,509,265,  _  the  _  report  disclosed. 
After  deducting  dividends  paid  on  the 
prior  preferred  and  convertible  pre- 
ferred stock  of  the  parent  corpora 
tion,  consolidated  earnings  amounted 
to  $4.29  per  share  on  2,769,107  shares 
of  common  stock  outstanding  at  the 
year-end.  The  corporation  reported 
consolidated  earnings  for  1947  of 
$14,003,640  which,  after  prior  pre- 
ferred and  convertible  preferred  divi- 
dends, amounted  to  $4.81  per  share 
on  2,769,016  shares  then  outstanding 

Shows  Current  Assets 

The  consolidated  balance  sheet  at 
Dec.  25,  1948,  shows  current  assets  of 
$109,651,760  and  current  liabilities  of 
$28,689,745,  in  the  ratio  of  3.8  to  1 
Current  assets  include  cash  and  gov- 
ernment securities  of  $42,682,375  and 
inventories  of  $54,811,284. 

During  1948  the  corporation  ex- 
pended a  total  of  $1,397,879  for  re- 
tirement of  6,085  shares  of  prior  pre- 
ferred stock  and  23,400  shares  of 
convertible  preferred  out  of  retirement 
funds.  In  addition,  the  company  and 
its  subsidiaries  expended  approximate- 
ly $5,400,000  during  the  year  for  addi- 
tions to  fixed  assets. 

Twentieth-Fox  initially  borrowed 
$5,000,000  in  1947  under  the  terms  of 
a  $25,000,000  credit  agreement.  No 
subsequent  borrowings  have  been  ef- 
fected under  the  agreement  and  none 
are  currently  contemplated,  the  report 
states. 

Economy  Saves  Millions 

"Economy  measures  instituted  in  all 
phases  of  our  business  in  1947,"  it  is 
reported,  "resulted  in  savings  of  sev- 
eral millions  of  dollars  in  1948,  both 
in  the  cost  of  pictures,  which  were 
reduced  substantially,  and  in  adminis- 
tration," distribution,  and  overhead  ex- 
penses. The  drive  for  further  econ- 
omies is  being  pursued  with  vigor." 

The  company  will  continue  its  pol- 
icy of  producing  pictures  in  Britain 
'as  long  as  the  necessity  exists  and 
blocked  funds  can  be  successfully  con- 
verted into  feature  pictures  to  the 
advantage  of  your  corporation,"  the 
stockholders  were  informed. 

The  company,  which  owns  a  total  of 
484  theatres  overseas,  "recently  ex- 
pended approximately  70,000  pounds 
of  blocked  sterling  in  acquiring  a  new 
theatre  in  South  Africa,  and  a  fur- 


ther 96,000  pounds  by  increasing  its 
investment  in  the  Amalgamated  The- 
atre Circuit  in  New  Zealand  from  5C< 
per  cent  to  about  75  per  cent,"  ac-'j 
cording  to  the  report. 

Twentieth- Fox  "accelerated  its  study1 
and  development  of  television  during! 
1948,"  it  is  stated,  and  its  video  re-f 
search  laboratory  "is  devoting  all  of 
its  activities  to  the  development  of? 
large-screen  television  for  future  use.";! 


Fabian  Heads 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


vision  here,  last  week.  Fabian  held 
that  post  last  year. 

In  accepting  the  chairmanship  of  the 
national  division,  Fabian  called  for 
"devoted  support  and  total  mobiliza- 
tion" of  the  industry  to  insure  the 
success  of  the  drive  which  supports 
the  relief,  rehabilitation  and  settle- 
ment programs  of  the  Joint  Distribu- 
tion Committee,  United  Palestine 
Appeal  and  United  Service  for  New 
Americans. 

Barney  Balaban,  president  of  Para- 
mount, and  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  presi- 
dent of  20th  Century-Fox,  are  among 
the  200  entertainment,  business  and 
professional  leaders  sponsoring  the 
Joint  Defense  Appeal  dinner  which 
will  cite  Fabian  for  his  services  to 
civic  and  philanthropic  causes. 

The  event,  to  be  held  on  Wednes- 
day, April  27,  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria 
here,  will  climax  the  efforts  of  the 
Joint  Defense  Appeal  to  aid  the  1949 
campaign  of  the  United  Jewish  Ap- 
peal of  Greater  New  York.  Others 
from  the  industry  serving  as  sponsors 
for  the  dinner  include:  Harry  Gold- 
berg, Leonard  H.  Goldenson,  Arthur 
Israel,  Jr.,  and  Louis  A.  Novins. 

Monopoly  in  Mexico 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


nat  and  his  brother  Oscar  operate  a 
large  circuit  here.  They  are  soon  to 
open  what  they  say  its  the  world's 
largest  theatre,  the  Cine  Florida, 
which  will  seat  10,000.  Longoria  op- 
erates a  circuit  here  and  in  the  prov- 
inces. They  are  leaders  of  the  recent- 
ly organized  Independent  Exhibitors 
Association. 

They  told  the  President  of  alleged 
encroachments  by  the  big  circuits  op- 
erated throughout  Mexico  by  William 
Oscar  Jenkins,  wealthy  American,  and 
the  Mexican  syndicates,  the  Alarcon 
and  the  Espinosa  Igelias. 


'Local  Level'  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


have  not  been  substantially  solved,  the 
entire  matter  will  be  submitted  to  the 
next  board  of  directors'  meeting  with 
a  recommendation  for  further  and 
affirmative  action." 


.3, 


Holbrook  Depositions 
To  Start  on  April  25 

Boston,  April  14. — Depositions  in 
the  anti-trust  suit  filed  by  Donald  B. 
Holbrook,  operator  of  the  Four  Star 
Theatre,  Palmer,  Mass.,  against  16 
theatre  and  film  companies,  will  be 
taken  at  the  U.  S.  District  Court  here 
during  the  week  of  April  25. 

Listed  as  defendants  are:  Palmer 
Theatres  Corp.,  Western  Massachu- 
setts Theatres,  New  England  Thea- 
tres, M.  and  P.  Theatres,  Warner 
Theatres,  Warner  Circuit  Manage- 
ment Corp.,  Paramount,  Loew's,  20th 
Century-Fox,  Warner  Distributing 
Corp.,  RKO,  United  Artists,  Univer- 
sal, Columbia,  Republic  and  Mono- 
gram. 


VOL.  65.  NO.  75 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  APRIL  18,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Goldman  Plans 
To  Strengthen 
Phila.  Position 

Acquires  Two  from  W.B., 
Will  Enlarge  Another 

\  Philadelphia,  April  17. — Fur- 
ther implementing  his  plans  for  a 
imore  dominant  position  in  first-run 
(exhibition  here,  William  Goldman 
tias  announced  his  intention  of  taking 
over  operation  of  the  3,000-seat  State 
Theatre  in  West  Philadelphia  from 
Warner  Brothers  next  August  27  as  a 
':ity  first-run,  of  remodelling  and  en- 
larging the  first-run  Keith's  and  of 
:aking  over  the  Grange,  North  Phila- 
delphia, from  Warners. 

Goldman  has  served  notice  on  all 
'film  exchanges  here  that  he  will  bid 
for  Philadelphia  first-runs  for  the 
State  when  he  assumes  its  operation. 
There  are  indications  that  he  may 
have  in  mind  dual  first-runs  involving 
the  State,  along  the  lines  being  ad- 
vocated by  Al  Lichtman,  20th  Cen- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Anniversary  Drive 
Will  Honor  Kelly 

Marking  the  company's  30th  anni- 
versary on  April  17,  United  Artists  is 
launching  an  international  sales  drive, 
dedicated  to  Arthur  W.  Kelly,  execu- 
tive vice-president,  and  highlight  an 
anniversary  sales  contest,  the  first  in 
the  history  of  U.A.'s  foreign  division. 

The  drive  is  scheduled  to  run 
through  March  31,  1950.  Participants 
in  the  contest  will  include  the  com- 
pany's 22  territorial  offices  and  10 
licensee  agencies. 

Current  edition  of  Around  the 
World,  the  foreign  department's  pub- 
lication, edited  by  Samuel  Cohen, 
highlights  a  30-year  history  of  the 
company. 


Nasser,  UA  Officials 
Confer;  Prepares 
Alternative  Offer 


Hollywood;  April  17.  —  Weekend 
conferences  between  the  1  Nasser 
brothers,  bankers,  United  Artists 
officials  and  attorneys  representing  all 
factions  appeared  to  be  building  stead- 
ily toward  closing-  a  deal  for  the  pur- 
chase of  the  distributing  company  on 
or  before  the  expiration  of  Charles 
Chaplin's  option  to  sell  Thursday. 

James  Nasser  indicated  on  Friday 
that  he  is  prepared  to  present  an  al- 


Hollywood,  April  17.  — S.  H. 
Fabian,  from  New  York,  and 
Ted  Gamble,  from  Portland, 
Ore.,  arrived  here  over  the 
weekend.  It  could  not  be  as- 
certained immediately  if  they 
were  preparing  a  competitive 
bid  for  the  United  Artists  deal. 


ternative  arrangement,  should  Chaplin 
reject  his  offer  to  meet  the  asking 
price  of  $5,400,000  for  the  Chaplin- 
Pickford  stock,  which  would  entail 
outright  purchase  of  Chaplin's  share 
but  would  provide  for  Mary  Pickford 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


Briant  Will  Assist 
U.  A.'s  Fred  Jack 

W.  A.  Briant  has  been  named  assis- 
tant to  Fred  Jack;  United  Artists 
Southern  sales  manager,  it  was  dis- 
closed here  at  the  weekend  by  Paul 
N.  Lazarus,  Jr.,  executive  assistant 
to  UA  president  Gradwell  L.  Sears. 

Briant  will  have  headquarters  in  the 
Dallas  office,  effective  today.  He  re- 
cently resigned  a  salesman's  post  with 
20th-Fox  in  New  Orleans. 


BRITISH  GET  U.  S. 
PROTEST  ON  QUOTA 


Set  Central  'Vets' 
Film  Agency  May  14 

May  14  is  the  deadline  set  by  the 
U.  S.  Veterans  Administration  for 
the  completion  of  its  program  for  cen- 
tralizing of  VA  motion  picture  book- 
ing and  buying  operations,  it  is  re- 
ported following  recent  product- 
buying  conferences  here  between  dis- 
tribution executives  and  E.  J.  Kelly, 
VA  chief  of  motion  pictures.  Mrs. 
Adenia  Stern,  chief  of  VA's  contract 
section,  came  with  Kelly  from  Wash- 
ington to  participate  in  the  talks. 

Centralization  follows  the  abolish- 
ment of  the  motion  picture  division's 
13  branches.  Under  it  William  J. 
Jones,  Jr.,  will  continue  as  VA  pre- 
viewing and  booking  director  in  New 
York  which  will  be  the  focal  point  of 
operations.  Rental  payments  and  pro- 
curement will  be  handled  out  of  Wash- 
ington. 

Bidding  by  the  distributors  will  be- 
gin shortly  to  establish  the  prices 
which  the  government  will  pay  for  the 
reels  which  will  be  shown  by  the  VA 
in  hospitals  and  homes  across  the  coun- 
try during  1949-50. 


Wechsler  to  Para. 
As  Hugh  Owen  Aide 

Louis  Wechsler,  veteran  in  distribu- 
tion and  formerly  associated  with 
Eagle-Lion  in  branch  sales,  has 
joined  Paramount  as  assistant  to  Hugh 
Owen,  Eastern  division  sales  manager. 


Petition  to  Inspect 
Producers'  Records 


Detroit,  April  17. — United  Detroit 
Theatres,  co-defendant  with  Coopera- 
tive Theatres  of  Michigan  in  the  re- 
straint-of-trade  action  instituted  by 
the  Society  of  Independent  Motion 
Picture  Producers,  will  petition  Fed- 
eral Court  here  tomorrow  for  the 
right  to  inspect  all  documents  on  films 
made  by  the  independent  producers 
who  are  party  to  the  suit. 

Rockwell  Gust,  counsel  for  United, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Disability  Benefits  Set 
For  NY  Theatre  Employes 


Albany,  N.  Y.,  April  17.  —  The 
Condon-Mailler  sickness  disability 
benefits  bill,  approved  by  Governor 
Dewey,  will  require  payments  by  all 
theatres  with  more  than  four  em- 
ployes and  by  the  employes  of  such 
houses,  effective  Jan.  1,  1950.  IATSE 
gave  the  State  Federation  of  Labor 
strong  support  in  the  fight  for  enact- 
ment of  the  legislation,  which  the  CIO 
opposed  on  the  ground  that  all  costs 
should  be  borne  by  employers. 

Paul  Shea,  Warner  Theatres  em- 
ploye in  Elmira  and  director  of  Dis- 
trict No.  10,  IATSE,  was  one  of  the 
leaders  in  the  AFL  effort,  according 
to  Harold  Hanover,  secretary  of  the 
State  Federation. 

The  law  becomes  effective  on  July 


1,  1950,  but  from  Jan.  1  to  June  30, 
to  accumulate  funds  for  the  start  of 
payments  on  the  former  date,  all  em- 
ployes will  contribute  a  maximum  of 
six  cents  weekly,  and  employers  will 
pay  equal  amounts.  Beginning  July  1 
employes  will  contribute  not  exceed- 
ing 30  cents  per  week  and  the  em- 
ployers the  remainder  of  the  cost. 

Mary  H.  Donlon,  chairman  of  the 
State  Workmen's  Compensation  Board, 
which  will  administer  the  program, 
estimated  the  annual  cost  to  employes 
and  employers  would  be  $90,000,000  to 
$100,000,000,  divided  about  equally. 
Employers  will  have  the  choice  of 
using  the  State  Insurance  Fund,  pri- 
vate insurance  carriers  or  company 
self-insured  plans^ 


State  Dept.  Told  Bevin 

That  U.  S.  Holds 

Quota  'Unfair,  Arbitrary' 

Washington,  April  17.  —  The 
State  Department  has  told  the  Brit- 
ish Government  that  it  believes  its 
action  on  the  British  film  quota  was 
unfair,  arbitrary  and  not  in  keeping 
with  the  Anglo-American  policy  look- 
ing toward  free  international  trade. 

This  was  revealed  by  a  three-man 
Congressional  delegation  which  went 
to  the  State  Department  Friday  to 
protest  the  British  quota  on  behalf  of 
all  members  of  the  California  delega- 
tion in  the  House  of  Representatives. 
The  three — Representatives  King  and 
McKinnon,  Democrats,  and  McDon- 
ough,  Republican- — had  a  40-minute 
session  with  Secretary  of  State  Dean 
Acheson,  Under-Secretary  James 
Webb,  and  film  chief  Merrill  C.  Gay. 

While    British    Foreign  Secretary 

(.Continued  on  page  7) 


4A1  Lichtman  Speaks 
Only  for  20th-Fox' 


Answering  Abram  Myers'  state- 
ment that  he  had  a  letter  from  one 
major  company  repudiating  Al  Licht- 
man as  its  spokesman,  20th  Century- 
Fox  declared  at  the  weekend  that  its 
vice-president  Al  Lichtman  at  no 
time  undertook  to  speak  for  the  indus- 
try and  that  he  speaks  only  for  his 
own  company. 

"However,"  the  20th-Fox  statement 
said,  "it  believes  that  what  Mr.  Licht- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


20th  Executives  Meet 
In  Atlanta  Today 

Atlanta,  April  17. — Twen- 
tieth Century-Fox  vice-presi- 
dents Al  Lichtman,  Andy  W. 
Smith,  Jr.,  and  Charles  Ein- 
feld  have  arrived  here  from 
Chicago  to  meet  tomorrow 
with  sales  personnel  of  the 
company's  Southern  division 
for  conferences  in  connection 
with  the  trio's  nation  wide 
"grass  roots"  tour  designed 
to  bring  about  upward  revi- 
sions in  20th-Fox's  film  ren- 
tals. Company's  Southern  di- 
vision manager  is  Harry 
Ballance. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  April  18,  1949 


'Friendship'  Meets 
Will  Start  Today 


First  of  the  series  of  M-G-M 
"Friendship  Meetings"  will  get  under 
way  today  in  eight  non-exchange  cities 
when  screenings  in  theatres  will  be 
held  for  "The  Stratton  Story"  and 
"The  Secret  Garden."  One  of  the  pic- 
tures will  be  shown  in  the  morning, 
followed  by  luncheon  and  then  the 
second  picture.  In  all,  there  will  be  64 
individual  meetings,  exclusive  of  regu- 
lar trade  showings  in  32  branches. 

M-G-M  managers  will  be  hosts  at 
the  invitational  affairs,  the  aim  being 
to  bring  two  of  the  company's  latest 
films  to  theatre  owners  unable  to  at- 
tend trade  showings  in  branch  areas. 

First  group  of  non-exchange  towns 
include  Butte,  Columbus,  Hartford, 
Houston,  Lincoln,  Minot,  Mobile  and 
Syracuse. 

Tomorrow,  M-G-M's  executive  per- 
sonnel will  be  hosts  to  exhibitors  in 
15  non-exchange  cities  as  well  as  30 
exchange  territories.  "The  Stratton 
Story"  only  will  be  shown  in  branch 
projection  rooms.  On  the  following 
day  "The  Secret  Garden"  will  be 
screened. 

On  April  20,  IS  additional  non-ex- 
change cities  will  have  the  special 
screenings  and  luncheons.  Fifteen  more 
are  scheduled  for  the  following  day, 
as  well  as  the  trade-showing  in  Boston 
of  "The  Stratton  Story." 

On  April  22,  three  towns,  Duluth, 
Newark  and  Richmond  will  stage  the 
meetings.  Erie  will  have  its  meet  on 
April  26,  and  Columbia,  April  27.  The 
last  two  theatre  parties  will  be  held 
April  28  at  Charleston  and  Raleigh. 


Personal  Mention 


Pickman  Resigns  E-L 
Ad-Publicity  Post 

Jerry  Pickman  has  resigned  his  post 
of  assistant  director  of  advertising- 
publicity  at  Eagle-Lion  to  take  an- 
other position  in  the  industry,  it  was 
announced  here  on  Friday  by  Max 
E.  Youngstein,  E-L's  advertising- 
publicity  vice-president.  Following 
the  announcement  Pickman  declined 
to  comment  on  his  new  affiliation,  but 
it  is  understood  that  he  will  head  a 
new  sales  promotion  department  in 
one  of  the  major  companies. 

Pickman  has  been  in  the  industry 
since  1944  when  he  joined  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox to  handle  a  special  assign- 
ment. Later  he  was  appointed  assis- 
tant to  Hal  Home,  20th-Fox  director 
of  advertising-publicity.  After  leaving 
that  company,  in  1946,  he  was  asso- 
ciated with  Selznick  Productions, 
later  joining  E-L  as  publicity  man- 
ager. 


Dewey  Signs  Fino  Bill 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  April  17.— The  Fino 
bill,  which  exempts  motion  picture 
theatres  from  a  1948  law  which  makes 
discrimination  against  a  blind  person 
accompanied  by  a  "seeing  eye"  dog 
a  misdemeanor,  has  been  signed  by 
Governor  Thomas  E.  Dewey. 


PE.  FURBER,  Trans  Lux  board 
•  chairman,  and  Norman  Elson, 
vice-president,  will  leave  here  tomor- 
row for  Washington. 

• 

George  Jessel  will  be  presented 
with  a  life  membership  card  from  Na- 
tional Variety  Artists  tonight,  with 
the  presentation  to  be  made  on  the 
Roxy  stage  by  Milton  Berle. 
• 

R.  E.  Peckham,  former  branch 
manager  for  Film  Classics  in  Atlanta 
and  Dallas,  has  been  appointed  man- 
ager of  the  Kay  Exchange  at  Wash- 
ington. 

• 

Perce  Pearce,  producer,  and  Byron 
Haskin,  director,  were  in  New  York 
over  the  weekend  from  Hollywood, 
en  route  to  London. 

• 

R.  H.  Robertson,  owner  of  the 
Majestic  Theatre,  Springfield,  Ky., 
and  Mrs.  Robertson,  have  returned 
there  from  Florida. 

• 

Morton  Lane,  Paramount  home 
office  attorney,  will  leave  New  York 
for  Minneapolis  today. 

• 

Joseph  Faith,  Connecticut  exhibi- 
tor, has  returned  to  Hartford  from  a 
Florida  vacation. 

• 

W.  E.  Carrell,  head  of  the  Falls 
City  Theatre  Equipment  Co.,  has  re- 
turned to  Louisville  from  New  York. 


CAMUEL  GOLDWYN  is  at  Hark- 
^ness  Pavilion,  Medical  Center 
here,  where  he  will  undergo  a  minor 
operation  today.  He  is  expected  to 
return  to  his  New  York  office  in  about 
a  week. 

• 

John  S.  Allen,  field  assistant  to 
Rudy  Berger,  M-G-M  Southern  sales 
manager,  will  return  to  his  Dallas 
headquarters  tomorrow  from  a  tour  of 
New  York,  Charlotte,  Atlanta  and 
Jacksonville. 

• 

Albert  Mannheimer,  Film  Clas- 
sics exchange  operations  head,  who 
has  been  hospitalized  at  St.  Clare's 
here  for  the  past  two  weeks,  is  ex- 
pected to  leave  there  at  the  end  of  this 
week. 

• 

Herman  Ripps,  field  assistant  to 
John  P.  Byrne,  M-G-M  Eastern  sales 
manager,  is  here  from  Albany. 
• 

Margaret  O'Brien,  accompanied  by 
her  mother,  is  due  here  today  from 
England,  en  route  to  Hollywood. 
• 

Jack  Mills,  president  of  Mills 
Music,  will  leave  here  today  for  the 
Coast,  with  a  stopover  at  Colorado 
Springs. 

• 

Sam  Engel,  producer,  and  Jules 
Dassin,  director,  will  leave  Holly- 
wood shortly  for  London. 

• 

Vincent  Sherman,  director,  will 
arrive  here  tomorrow  from  Paris. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


E-L  Establishes  536 
Playdates  for  'Tulsa* 

Playdates  already  established  by 
Eagle-Lion  for  "Tulsa,"  Walter 
Wanger  production,  number  536,  E-L 
advertising  -  publicity  vice  -  president 
Max  E.  Youngstein  reported  at  the 
weekend. 

Theatres  which  have  signed  for  the 
picture  are  in  the  following  22  ex- 
change areas  :  Albany,  Boston,  Buffalo, 
Charlotte,  Chicago,  Cincinnati,  Cleve- 
land, Dallas,  Des  Moines,  Detroit,  In- 
dianapolis, Kansas  City,  Los  Angeles, 
Memphis,  New  Orleans,  Oklahoma 
City,  Omaha,  Pittsburgh,  St.  Louis, 
San  Francisco,  Seattle,  Washington. 


New  Astor  Franchise 

Ace  Film  Exchange  of  Indianapo- 
lis has  acquired  the  Astor  Pictures 
franchise  for  Indiana  and  Kentucky, 
Robert  M.  Savini,  Astor  president, 
has  announced. 


Ask  SO  -  Day  Delay 
F or  Schine  Hearing 

Buffalo,  April  17.  —  Government 
and  Schme  attorneys  have  asked  Fed- 
eral Court  here  for  a  60-day  postpone- 
ment of  the  hearing  in  the  anti-trust 
action  against  Schine  which  had  been 
scheduled  for  tomorrow,  in  order  to 
work  out  details  of  a  consent  decree 
in  the  suit.  That  the  extension,  which 
would  be  to  June  20,  will  be  granted  is 
regarded  as  likely  since  both  parties 
to  the  action  are  agreeable  to  it.  Ne- 
gotiations of  a  settlement  have  been 
going  on  for  several  weeks. 


Anglo-US  Group  to 
'Scotf  Premiere 

Washington,  April  17.— Members 
of  the  Anglo-American  Film  Council 
—J.  Arthur  Rank,  Sir  Henry  French, 
Sir  Alexander  Korda,  Eric  A.  John- 
ston, Nicholas  M.  Schenck  and  Barney 
Balaban — and  an  upper-level  delega- 
tion of  government  and  embassy  offi- 
cials have  been  invited  to  attend  the 
American  premiere  here  next  Wednes- 
day night  of  Rank's  "Scott  of  the 
Antarctic,"  which'  is  being  released 
in  the  U.  S.  by  Eagle-Lion. 

Premiere  will  be  held  at  Lopert's 
Playhouse,  where  the  picture  will  be- 
gin a  regular  run  on  Thursday.  The 
American  Overseas  Press  Club  is 
sponsoring  the  Wednesday  perform- 
ance. 

The_  Anglo-American  Council  will 
begin  its  scheduled  meetings  on  Thurs- 
day. 


THE  Northzvest  earthquake  and 
the  fourth  year  as  President  for 
Harry  S.  Truman  are  current  news- 
reel  highlights.  Other  items  include 
the  arrival  here  of  Chaim  Weizmann, 
plus  fashions  and  sports.  Complete 
contents  follow. 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  31— North- 
west earthquake.  Ship  collision.  Woman 
Marines.  Way  of  the  Cross  reenacted. 
Chaim  Weizmann  arrives  in  U.S.  Boy 
scientist.  Sports.  Acrobatic  dog.  California 
rodeo.   CARE  trailer. 

NEWS    OF    THE    DAY,    No.  265— 

Earthquake  rocks  Northwest.  Truman  goes 
a-calling.  Israel  president  on  official  visit 
here.  In  memory  of  FDR.  London's  fa- 
mous "quads"  baptized.  Cultural  treasures 
returned  to  India.  Cheerful  signs  of  balm- 
ier days. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  68— What 
Price  Housing?  (entire  reel  devoted  to 
housing  problem) . 

TELENEWS    DIGEST,     No.  15-B— 

Seattle:  earthquake.  Remembrance  to  FDR. 
Fourth  year  for  Harry  Truman  as  Presi- 
dent. New  York:  Passover  begins.  Chaim 
Weizmann  arrives  in  U.  S.  Japan:  war 
mine  kills  63.  Drought  causes  new  prob- 
lem for  Germany.  Berlin:  Conflict  of  cur- 
rency poses  problems.  San  Marino  installs 
executive  leaders.  Japan:  Kobe  vessel  fin- 
ished. India  launches  freighter.  Capt.  Joy 
Hancock  visits  Portsmouth. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEE,  No.  239- 
Earthquake  in  the  Northwest.  Workshops 
of   Valencia,    Spain,   make   effigies  for  : 
ligious  ceremonies.     Canadian  ice  spectacle. 
Two  strikes  on  DiMaggio.     CARE  trailer. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS  No.  70— 
Quake  rocks  Northwest.  Truman  marks 
four  years  as  President.  Israeli  president 
arrives  in  U.S.  Ships  burn  after  collision. 
Norway  launches  new  liner.  French  fash- 
ions. Blindfolded  boxers  dance  in  the  dark. 
Europe's  youngsters  say  thanks  for  CARE. 


Joins  ABC  Video  Net 

_  WKY-TV,  Oklahoma  City,  will 
join  the  ABC  television  network  on 
about  June  1. 


C.  France,  British  Actor 

London,  April  16.— Charles  Vernon 
France,  veteran  character  actor  who 
appeared  in  many  Hollywood  films  af- 
ter a  successful  London  stage  career, 
died  at  his  home  in  Gerrards  Cross  last 
week  at  the  age  of  80. 


Victor  Green  Dies 

Chicago,  April  17.— Victor  Green, 
45,  in  the  Balaban  and  Katz  account- 
ing department  for  nine  years,  died 
suddenly  Thursday  of  a  heart  attack 
at  his  home.  He  is  survived  by  a  sister 
in  Texas.  Burial  services  are  to  be 
held  here  tomorrow  morning. 


MPEA  Undecided  on 
Austria,  Far  East 

Member  companies  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Export  Association  have  de- 
ferred decision  on  whether  to  con- 
tinue the  organization  in  Austria, 
Japan,  Korea  and  Indonesia  pending 
further  study  of  those  market*  for 
competitive  operations. 

At  a  meeting  here  last  week,  the 
MPEA  board  voted  to  continue  opera- 
tions in  Germany  until  Jan.  1  after 
which  the  companies  will  function  in- 
dividually but  with  MPEA  as  a  ser- 
vice organization.  Under  the  plan 
MPEA  will  handle  physical  distribu- 
tion, billing  and  rental  collections  and 
maintain  records  in  Germany,  simi- 
larly as  it  has  been  doing  in  the  Neth- 
erlands. 


Charles  Skouras  Will 
Aid  UJA  on  the  Coast 

Los  Angeles,  April  17— Charles  P. 
Skouras,  president  of  National  Thea- 
tres, has  been  named  special  gifts 
chairman  of  the  theatre  and  exchange 
division  of  the  Los  Angeles  United 
Jewish  Welfare  fund  campaign,  by 
Hollywood  industry  chairman  Henry 
Ginsberg,  appointed  last  week  by 
Jack  L.  Warner,  campaign  president. 

Named  to  head  the  theatre  division 
of  the  drive  was  Mike  Rosenberg, 
theatre  owner.  Working  with  Skou- 
ras and  Rosenberg  will  be  Sherrill 
C.  Corwin,  O.  N.  Srere  and  Jack  Y. 
Berman,  all  identified  with  exhibition. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher-   5ur„;„   ir,„„   tj-jv  ZTT- — TTT^.  ;  '  

Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  I„  ^  1270  Sixth  Avenue  f££  "lW  Ce'nfer  nL  ^ iV^J^'^V^  £dit,0r-,  ££HslJ?d  daiIy'  eXCept  Saturdays 
New  York/'  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley fr  Vice  P  *!  tI  An-  Y'  Telephone  CTrcle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco. 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager- ^fus  H  Fa^S  P^.l^i.  ^f60"  J"  Su^1T,an'  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary ; 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertifine  Urben '  FsrW  *  f™duction  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Goldln  So     I^don  W1  ReP,r!sentatlv|,:  J""my  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 

Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and I  Theatre  S      w-  u"!*1??'  Manager,  Peter  BurnuP.-  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 

Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter    Sept   23     !        t  .    ^         ,?  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 

year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c.       '  '         '  offlce  at  New  York-  N-  Y--  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


1  Hffi  "A  SCREEN  MASTERPIECE! 

"AN  OUTSTANDING  HIT!" 


mm  "BRILLIANT!" 
—  "FASCINATING  TO  WATCH!" 
EES  "A  KNOCKOUT  OF  A  MOVIE! 
BB  'A  RARE  MOVIE!" 

mmm  "PICTURE  OF  THE  MONTH!" 

HEME'TOP  BRACKET!" 


J? 


SCREEN  PLAYS  CORP.  presents 


CH 


PION 


UA's  Boxoffice  "CHAMPION"! 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


H o,  Hum  Department 

Telegram  received  from 
Reeves  Wetherill  of  Gimbel 
Brothers,  Philadelphia : 

"We  hope  that  you  will  join 
us  at  Gimbel  Brothers,  Phila- 
delphia, Monday,  April  18, 
1:30  P.  M.,  in  the  bedding  de- 
partment, sixth  floor,  to  wit- 
ness the  first  of  a  new  series 
of  television  shows  featuring 
'Sleep  Through  the  Ages.' 
This  production  dramatizes 
the  development  made  by  the 
bedding  industry  in  produc- 
ing comfort  for  our  sleeping 
requirements.  The  programs 
are  dedicated  to  'National 
Bedding  Week.' " 


Push  FCC  Action  on 
WarnerTVPurchase 


Washington,  April  17.— In  an  ef- 
fort to  force  action  by  the  Federal 
Communications  Commission  on  its 
application  to  buy  a  Los  Angeles 
television  station,  Warner  Bros,  gave 
notice  that  it  would  advertise  its  pur- 
chase plans  in  Los  Angeles  newspapers 
tomorrow.  This  step,  and  an  announce- 
ment by  the  FCC  in  the  Federal  Reg- 
ister, are  necessary  prerequisites  to 
approval  of  the  purchase. 

Warner  has  asked  FCC  approval 
of  its  plans  to  buy  a  Los  Angeles  tele- 
vision station,  a  Los  Angeles  standard 
station,  and  a  San  Francisco  standard 
station  from  Dorothy  Thackrey,  New 
York  publisher.  The  FCC  has  been 
sitting  on  the  "package"  application, 
pending  its  study  of  the  anti-trust 
status  of  film  companies. 

Warner  also  pointed  out  that  the 
commission  might  be  worried  that  it 
would  control  two  standard  broadcast- 
ing stations  in  Los  Angeles — the  new 
one  and  its  present  KFWB.  It  said  a 
contract  had  already  been  made  with 
Ralph  Atlass,  of  Chicago,  to  sell  him 
the  new  standard  station  it  would  ac- 
quire under  this  "package"  plan,  keep- 
ing the  television  station  itself  and,  for 
the  time  being,  the  San  Francisco  sta- 
tion. The  contract  with  Atlass  expires 
in  August,  Warner  said,  urging  this  as 
an  additional  reason  for  early  FCC 
action. 


3  Drive-ins  to  Open 
Soon  in  the  South 

Atlanta,  April  17. — Three  new 
drive-ins  are  scheduled  to  open  in  this 
territory  within  the  next  month,  and 
a  charter  for  a  fourth,  at  Macon,  has 
been  granted  to  Outdoor  Theatres. 

Newly  opened  is  the  Normandy  at 
Jacksonville,  owned  by  Tropical 
Drive-in  Theatres  and  managed  by 
Spence  Pierce,  former  Southern  pub- 
licist for  20th  Century-Fox ;  on  April 
20,  the  Shy-Way  will  open  at  Colum- 
bia, S.  C. ;  and  on  May  1,  a  new 
drive  is  to  be  opened  here  by  Dixie 
Drive-in.  >   


Review 


.ft 


The  Lawton  Story 

(Hallmark) 

A Hollyzvood,  April  17 
CURIOUSLY  constituted  and  uniquely  blended  collection  of  screen 
materials  which  do  not  easily  fit  into  standard  theatrical  categories  is 
presented_  in  this  Hallmark  production. 

Its  major  content  is  an  extremely  interesting  filming  in  Cinecolor  of  an 
Easter  pageant,  entitled  "The  Prince  of  Peace,"  presented  annually  in  the 
Wichita  Mountains  near  Lawton,  Oklahoma,  by  the  good  people  of  that  area 
and  to  an  attendance  that  has  numbered  as  high  as  250,000  persons.  Its  sec- 
ondary and  introductory  content  is  a  semi-fictional  story  concerning  the  late 
Reverend  A.  M.  Wallock  of  the  First  Congregational  Church  of  Lawton, 
who  founded  the  Easter  pageant  in  1926,  and  his  family.  This  introductory 
story  leads  up  to  the  beginning  of  the  pageant  itself  and  is  cut  back  to 
momentarily  from  time  to  time  thereafter  as  the  latter  progresses.  Pro- 
fessional players  and  some  of  the  Lawton  pageant  players  are  used  in  the 
introductory  story,  but  the  Lawton  players  take  over  exclusively  in  the 
pageant  sequences  and  impart  to  them  the  warm  impact  of  inspired  amateur- 
ism. 

Quite  clearly  the  strongest  appeal  of  the  attraction  is  to  the  religious- 
minded,  and  there  is  a  plenitude  of  warrant  for  soliciting  the  interest  and 
cooperation  of  churches  and  church  groups.  The  pageant  itself  corresponds 
in  scope  and  spirit  to  the  Passion  Play  at  Oberammerergau  and  is  reverently 
dealt  with  in  the  picture. 

Probably  the  purpose  of  the  introductory  phase  of  the  film  is  to  broaden 
the  base  of  exploitation  and  thus  bring  to  the  theatre  many  who  might  not 
pay  to  witness  an  outrightly  religious  subject,  and  as  if  in  line  with  this 
purpose  the  producers  have  starred  a  personable  and  gifted  six-year-old 
child,  Ginger  Prince,  who  acts  very  well  but  is  given  four  song  numbers  to 
work  into  a  little  story  that  could  have  stood  one  without  strain.  Thus  this 
section  of  the  picture  is  made  to  seem  somewhat  more  a  showcase  for  Miss 
Prince's  talents  than  an  integral  and  homogeneous  part  of  the  whole,  but 
this  flaw  is  soon  forgotten  when  the  pageant  gets  under  way. 

The  picture  was  produced  by  Kroger  Babb,  with  J.  S.  Jossey  and  Neil  E. 
Bogan  as  associate  producers.  Harold  Daniels  directed  the  pageant  portion 
and  William  Beaudine  the  introductory  story. 

Running  time,  111  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  April 
release. 


"Prince  of  the  Plains" 

{Republic) 

\/|  ELVILLE  TUCKER  produced  and  Philip  Ford  directed  this  smooth- 
ly 1  titled  Western  quite  satisfactorily,  using  a  new  character  of  villainy  in 
the  person  of  the  town's  photographer  who  sets  out  to  ruin  local  ranchers  by 
murdering,  through  h'is  henchmen,  the  town's  banker  and  securing  control 
of  the  bank  in  order  to  foreclose  on  the  ranchers. 

/nThe  villain'  Rory  Mallinson,  does  not,  however,  figure  on  Bat  Masterson 
(Monte  Hale),  a  hard-hitting  cow-puncher  who  arrives  on  the  scene  to  foil 
the  shenanigans  of  the  photographer.  With  the  help  of  a  kindly  sheriff,  the 
hero  plays  the  son  of  the  murdered  banker  and  succeeds  in  saving  $50,000  in 
insurance  money  and  toppling  the  villain  from  a  cliff  in  a  nicely-staged  battle. 

Photography  is  good  and  the  action  has  lots  of  spirit.  The  plot  is  slightly 
more  complicated  than  in  the  average  Western  but  is  not  really  difficult  to 
follow.  Hale  is  the  tall-and-silent  type  that  is  especially  effective  for  this  type 
of  film.  Paul  Hurst  provides  some  amusing  moments  as  the  sheriff.  Shirley 
Davis  is  the  feminine  lead.  Also  in  the  cast  are  Roy  Barcroft,  Harry  Lauter, 
Lane  Bradford. 

Running  time,  60  minutes.  General  audience  classification  Release  date 
April  8. 


WILL  SELL  WORLD  RIGHTS 

100  FAMOUS  MACK 
SENNETT  COMEDIES 

Silent  2  -  reel  subjects,  suitable  for  sound. 
Turpin    -    Langdon    -    Clyde    -    Hardy  - 

Bathing  Beauties 
35,   16,  8  MM.  for  all  purposes  except  video 

in    the    U.  S. 
Will  make  available  original  35  MM.  negatives 
for  duping    in  .New  York.     Principals  only. 

Box  425.  MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 
1270  Sixth  Ave.  -  New  York  20 


Salt  Lake  Club  Sets 
'Roundup'  for  June  14 

Salt  Lake  City,  April  17. — An- 
nual exhibitor-distributor  "Roundup" 
of  the  Salt  Lake  Mlotion  Picture 
Club  will  be  held  here  June  14-17,  it 
is  announced  by  Harold  Chesler,  gen- 
eral chairman. 

This  year's  event  will  be  lengthened 
from  three  to  four  days,  Chesler  said, 
because  of  three  state  conventions  of 
exhibitors  to  be  held  during  that  time. 
Montana,  Idaho  and  Utah  exhibitors 
are  scheduled  to  meet  during  the  af- 
fair. 


RMA  Launches  Video 
InformationProgram 

Washington,  April  17.— Television 
Information  Committee,  whose  purpose 
will  be  to  acquaint  the  public,  gov- 
ernment and  other  interests  on  video 
levelopments,  has  been  appointed  by 
tine  Radio  Manufacturers  Association, 
with  Paul  V.  Galvin,  past  president 
of  the  RMA,  as  chairman. 


4  New  Theatres 
To  Open  in  Utah 

Salt  Lake  City,  April  17. — Three 
new  theatres  and  a  drive-in  are  due  to 
open  in  Utah  within  the  next  few 
weeks.  They  are  the  Highland,  being 
built  in  Salt  Lake  City  by  Joseph 
Lawrence  Theatres;  a  house  in  Boun- 
tiful, to  be  operated  by  Davis  County 
Amusement  Corp.;  a  Huish  Theatre 
Enterprises  house  at  Payson,  and  a 
drive-in  being  built  between  Price  and 
Helper,  towns  Southeast  of  Salt  Lake 
City,  by  Ray  Webb. 


Para.  Hits  Partmai 
Move  to  Intervene 


Paramount  on  Friday  moved  t 
block  the  action  by  Partmar  Corp 
which  operates  the  Paramount  Thea 
tre,  Hollywood,  on  lease  from  Para 
mount,  to  intervene  in  the  Paramour 
consent  decree  in  the  industry  trus 
suit.  Partmar  has  contended  that  th 
settlement  contravenes  the  U.  S.  Su 
preme  Court  decision  because  it  allow 
Paramount  to  re-acquire  operation  o 
the  house. 

Paramount  on  Friday  filed  opposi 
tion  papers  in  New  York  Federa 
Court  which  charge  that  it  is  free  t 
evict  Partmar  under  terms  of  the  leas 
ing  arrangement.  As  lessor,  Para 
mount  claims  that  having  cancelled  it 
franchise  agreement  on  films  for  th: 
house,  in  line  with  the  New  Yorl 
court  opinion  of  1946,  the  lease  i 
now  cancellable. 

Partmar's  move  to  intervene  wa 
denied  by  the  New  York  Court  bu 
the  right  to  appeal  the  denial  to  th. 
U.  S.  Supreme  Court  was  given. 

Would  Probe  Loury 
In  Ridge  Trust  Suit 

Chicago,  Apr.  17. — A  motion  tc 
compel  Ben  Loury,  Columbia  ex- 
change manager,  to  answer  question: 
relating  to  his  conversations  witt 
Harry  Lustgarten,  Balaban  &  Kat; 
film  buyer,  and  Abe  Montague,  Col- 
umbia general  sales  manager,  witl 
respect  to  the  Olympic,  Empress 
Rockne,  Harlem  and  North  Avenut 
outdoor  theatres,  claiming  that  th( 
conspiracy  of  which  the  Ridge  The 
atre  complained  in  its  Equity  anti 
trust  suit  extended  to  all  independent 
ly  operated  theatres  in  Chicago  wa 
made  Thursday  by  attorney  Seymou, 
Simon  before  Federal  Judge  Johi 
Barnes  in  U.  S.  District  Court.  Judgt 
Barnes  overruled  defendant  attorne} 
Miles  Seeley's  objections  to  the  ques- 
tions. 

A  hearing  is  scheduled  tomorrow  in 
the  same  suit,  on  another  motion 
made  by  Simon  compelling  Balaban 
and  Katz  and  Great  States  to  makel 
available  to  the  Ridge  all  of  their 
books  and  records  for  inspection,  to 
show  admissions  and  film  rentals  re- 
ceived and  paid  by  the  circuit's  "A" 
outlying  houses. 


I 


Petition  to  Inspect 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


will  ask  the  court  for  permission  to 
inspect  all  records  of  costs  of  product, 
terms  of  deals  with  distributors  and 
the  grosses  of  films  of  the  plaintiffs. 

Meanwhile,  the  plaintiff  producers 
still  are  slow  in  giving  their  deposi- 
tions with  only  Walt  Disney,  Hunt 
Stromberg  and  Marvin  Faris,  execu- 
tive secretary  of  the  SIMPP,  having 
so  testified. 


Promises  $100,000  for 
'Home  of  the  Brave' 

The  Victoria  Theatre  here  has 
guaranteed  United  Artists  $100,000 
for  the  run  of  the  UA-Screen  Plays 
production  "Home  of  the  Brave,"  it 
was  disclosed  here  at  the  weekend  by 
UA  president  Gradwell  L.  Sears.  The 
picture  will  have  its  world  premiere 
at  the  Victoria  in  mid-May,  following 
Walter  Wanger's  "Joan  of  Arc." 


Princeton  Names  Lalley 

Princeton,  N.  J.,  April  17_J0hn[ 
B.  Lalley  has  been  appointed  public 
relations   director   of   the  Princeton 
Film  Center,  independent  film  studio, 
by  Gordon  Knox,  executive  director. 


WANTED  — THEATER 

AUDITOR 

Experienced 

auditor   who  is 

capable  of 

handling  6 

or    8  theaters 

in  Pacific 

Northwest. 

Write  Box 

No.  426, 

MOTION 

PICTURE  DA 

LY.  Give 

qualifications 

,      age  and 

references. 

I  Monday,  April  18,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Conditions  Worse  in 
Mexican  Exhibition 

Mexico  City,  April  17.— Though 
Mexican  theatres'  general  grosses  are 
higher  this  year  over  last — some  $35,- 
000  more  in  January  than  for  the  same 
month  of  1948 — individual  exhibitors 
are  complaining  of  progressively  de- 
creasing business,  attributing  this  to 
the  worsening  of  the  economic  situa- 
tion and  to  too  many  theatres.  They 
fear  the  situation  will  be  even  worse 
because  36  theatres  are  due  to  open 
this  year  and  to  complicate  matters 
they  are  all  first  and  second  runs. 
Exhibitors  say  they  cannot  afford  to 
hike  prices  under  these  circumstances, 
though  their  costs  are  very  high.  They 
say  that  57  cents  (the  dollar  price 
based  on  seven  pesos  per  dollar,  the 
current  exchange  rate)  standard  for 
first-class  first-runs  is  the  maximum. 

Only  the  exceptional  picture  now 
warrants  more  than  a  week  in  a  first- 
run  house  here.  Previously,  the  aver- 
age picture  that  did  well  in  the  first 
week  dropped  off  only  25  per  cent  in 
the  second.  Now,  that  type  of  picture 
is  hardly  worth  holding  over  because 
it  drops  by  60  to  75  per  cent. 


4  Managers  Win  Awards 

Winners  of  four  extra  days  off  and 
$200  cash  through  a  merit  rating  sys- 
tem devised  by  Century  Theatres  are 
the  following  managers :  Charles 
Call,  Bliss  Theatre;  Allen  Grant, 
Patio ;  Jack  Dieber,  Marine ;  Murray 
Greene,  Vogue.  Mike  Rudish,  mana- 
ger of  the  Rialto,  won  a  special  $100 
award. 


Reviews 


"The  Lost  Tribe" 

(Columbia) 

SECOND  in  the  new  "Jungle  Jim"  series,  "The  Lost  Tribe"  re-introduces 
Johnny  Weismuller  in  the  role  of  Jim.  Although  the  lead  characteriza- 
tion isn't  too  much  of  a  liability,  the  inches  Weismuller  has  added  to  his 
waistline  belie  the  athletic  character  which  he  is  called  upon  to  portray 
here.  However,  there  is  excitement  aplenty  in  the  story,  which  was  produced 
by  Sam  Katzman  and  directed  by  William  Berke. 

The  tale  is  routine:  Jungle  Jim  is  asked  by  the  leader  of  a  peace-loving 
tribe  living  in  a  jungle  Shangri-La  to  stop  attempts  by  outside  intruders 
to  steal  sacred  treasures.  They  are  determined,  regardless,  to  get  the  treasure, 
but  after  a  few  killings  and  jungle  fights  involving  animals,  for  which  clips 
of  previous  documentaries  are  used  with  great  generosity,  the  villains  are 
beaten  off,  and  the  Shangri-La  is  restored  to  its  peaceful  atmosphere. 

Best  parts  of  the  film  are  the  trained-animal  sequences  and  the  savage 
struggles  in  the  jungle.  Photography  is  good  and  direction  is  par  for  the 
type.  The  story  line  is  easy  to  take  and  simple  to  follow.  Myrna  Dell  is  a 
native  girl  who  befriends  Jungle  Jim.  Joseph  Vitale  and  Ralph  Dunn  are 
also  in  the  cast.  . 

Running  time,  72  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  May  release. 


Nasser,  UA  Deal 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Frontier  Revenge" 


"r  ruruivi  imuvuyv 

(Screen  Guild)  Hollywood,  April  17 

WITH  Lash  LaRue  and  Fuzzy  St.  John  in  the  leads,  this  sagebrush  saga 
follows  the  customary  Western  pattern.  The  redoubtable  pair,  in  reality 
U.  S.  marshals,  set  out  to  break  up  a  gang  of  outlaws  by  joining  the  des- 
perados. In  the  course  of  action,  Lash  finds  ample  use  of  his  educated  whip 
and  Fuzzy  has  several  opportunities  for  bristling  his  beard  and  getting  off  a 
few  equally  whiskered  gags. 

Gang  leader  Ray  Bennett  attempts  to  double-cross  his  recruits  in  a  fast 
chase  climaxed  by  several  shootings,  rough-and-tumbles  and  nick-of-time 
arrival  by  Peggy  Stewart,  who,  it  turns  out,  is  not  really  a  dancehall  enter- 
tainer but  a  lady  marshal.  The  film  has  an  exciting  music  score  by  Walter 
Greene.  Ray  Taylor's  direction  is  understandably  attuned  to  his  own  screen- 
play, which  receives  a  photographic  lift  during  the  chase  scenes  from  James 
Brown's  camera.  The  film  should  comfortably  fill  any  Western  bill.  J.  Fran- 
cis White,  Jr.,  produced. 

Running  time,  55  minutes.  General  audience  classification. 


to  continue  holding  a  substantial 
minority  interest  without  voting- 
power.  Pickford  has  been  reported 
favorable  to  such  an  arrangement,  due 
to-  the  preferred  status  it  would  give 
her  as  a  producer  releasing  through 
UA. 

Nasser  also  indicated  that  purchase 
is  contingent  upon  assurance  that  re- 
sponsibility in  legal  actions  pending 
against  UA  shall  be  retained  by  the 
present  owners.  He  also  confirmed  re- 
ports that  substantial  new  working- 
capital  is  being  arranged  in  connec- 
tion with  financing  of  the  purchase. 


WBKB  to  CBS  Network 

WBKB,  Chicago  television  station 
owned  and  operated  by  Balaban  and 
Katz:,  will  join  the  Columbia  Broad- 
casting video  network  within  six 
months,  it  is  announced  by  Herbert 
V.  Akerberg,  CBS  vice-president  in 
charge  of  station  relations.  John  Bala- 
ban and  John  Mitchell  signed  for  the 
station  and  William  A.  Schudt,  Jr., 
represented  CBS. 


Forman  Buys  Two 

Portland,  Ore.,  April  17. — Pur- 
chase of  the  Liberty  Theatre  at 
Camas  and  the  Roxy  Theatre  at 
Washougal,  both  in  Washington, 
from  Melvin  Bennett  has  been  an- 
nounced by  Albert  J.  Forman  of  For- 
man Brothers,  Portland  head  of 
United  Theatres.  Early  construction 
of  a  stadium-type  theatre  at  Camas 
is  also  planned. 


Oor  tfie*  *  -tad 


190* 

Stye* 


A^fiB^gUJ  VStt  w  BwS&y   .FREE TH1AW'  f 

ll^-^^ntratWe  Society 1 
son*  us  a       i^MtfHfl  JRPf 


FOR  SOME  REAL  CHANGES 
READ  THE  NEXT  2  PAGES! 


NO  WONDER  16,000  SHOWMEN  NOW  PLAY 
MONOGRAM'S  GREAT  SERIES  REGULARLY! 

62  MILLIONS  READ  HIS  ADVENTURES  DAILY! 

JOE 
PALOOKA 


A  NATIONAL  INSTITUTION  FOR  37  YEARS! 


JIGGS  AND 

MAGGIE 

Based  on  the  newspaper  feature 
by  GEORGE  McMANUS 


JIGGS  AND  MAGGIE  IN  COURT.  JIGGS  AND  MAGGIE 
IN  SOCIETY. BRINGING  UP  FATHER 


Based  on  the  comic  strip 
by  HAM  FISHER 


|  AMERICA'S  FAVORITE  ROUGHNECKS! 

K     11  .  StMf  H 

THE 

|c:/     .  1 

BOWERY 

mK&.          ...    *  : 

BOYS 

FIGHTING  FOOLS  •  TROUBLE  MAKERS  •  JINX  MONEY 
SMUGGLERS'  COVE. ANGEL'S  ALLEY 

JOE  PALOOKA  in  THE  BIG  FIGHT.  WINNER  TAKE  ALL 
THE  KNOCKOUT. FIGHTING  MAD 

THE  SCREEN'S  MOST  FAMOUS  DETECTIVE! 

CHARLIE 
CHAN 

Suggested  by  the 
EARL  DERR  BIGGERS'  character 

SKY  DRAGON. THE  FEATHERED  SERPENT 
THE  GOLDEN  EYE. THE  SHANGHAI  CHEST 


HENRY,  the  Rainmaker 

"MAKES  THE  PLEASED  PATRON  WONDER  WHY  HOLLYWOOD 
DOESN'T  TURN  OUT  A  GREAT  DEAL  MORE  LIKE  THIS." 

-MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 


onday,  April  18,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Itate  Dept.  Protest 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


(truest  Bevin  was  here  early  this 
lonth,  Department  pfficials  took  up 
le  film  situation  with  his  personal 
"icretary,  R.  E.  Barclay,  and  outlined 
lie  Department's  stand.  The  govern - 
•lent  stressed  that  it  was  not  trying 
|)  interfere  in  Britain's  internal  af- 
urs  or  tell  the  Labor  Party  Ministry 
-xactly  what  quota  should  be  set,  but 
lat  the  British  action  had  created 
,iuch  resentment  here  and  that  the 
iritish  approach  should  be  more  con- 
jiliatory  in  working  out  the  quota 
vith  representatives  of  the  British 
!il<d  American  film  industries 

I  Had  Tried  'Channels' 

It  was  learned  that  the  Congress- 
len  had  been  told  earlier,  while  Bevin 
/as  here,  that  the  Department  had 
Vied  for  several  months  to  work  out, 
Vough  Embassy  channels,  some  solu- 
tion of  the  film  situation,  and  had 
,  otten  nowhere.  Accordingly,  they 
Lrere  told,  no  attempt  would  be  made 

II  take  the  matter  up  with  Bevin 
■lie  he  was  here.  The  Congressmen 
insisted,  and  the  matter  was  taken  up 
kith  Barclay  just  before  Bevin  left 
iVashington. 

1  Acheson  suggested,  it  was  reported 
Friday,  that  the  film  quota  be  high  on 
me  agenda  of  the  coming_  Anglo- 
kmerican  Film  Council  meeting. 

Congressmen  Encouraged 

I  The  Congressmen  declared  that  they 
Lame  away  encouraged  by  a  "very 
Satisfactory  conference,"  and  that 
Ihey  were  convinced  the  State  De- 
partment was  sympathetic  to  the  in- 
lustry's  needs  and  is  working  on  the 
•roblem.  They  said  that  Acheson  in- 
licated  that  he  realized  the  quota  was 


creating  unemployment  and  cutting 
industry  earnings  here,  that  the  Brit- 
ish action  was  significant  in  that  other 
countries  follow  England's  lead,  and 
that  the  film  industry  is  important  not 
only  as  an  employer  but  as  an  instru- 
ment of  U.  S.  foreign  policy  abroad. 


Goldman  Moves 

(Continued  from,  page  1) 


Al  Lichtman 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


tury-Fox  vice-president,  in  that  com- 
pany's current  drive  for  exhibition 
revenue  reforms.  Goldman  is  known 
to  be  interested  in  the  idea  and  the 
State,  second  largest  theatre  in  the 
city  and  heretofore  operated  as  a  key 
neighborhood  house  by  Warners, 
would  fit  into  such  a  plan. 

Goldman  purchased  the  State  about 
two  years  ago.  The  Warner  lease  on 
it  expires  this  summer. 

Goldman's  plans  for  the  Keith's 
Theatre,  which  he  has  been  operating 
on  a  first-run  policy,  whereas  it  form- 
erly was  a  second-run  or  move-over 
house,  contemplate  its  closing  around 
June  1,  after  which  the  office  building 
in  connection  with  it  will  be  demol- 
ished and  the  theatre  will  be  com- 
pletely remodelled,  modernized  and 
enlarged  from  its  present  1,700  seating 
capacity  to  approximately  2,500  seats. 
He  plans  to  rename  the  theatre  and 
reopen  it  about  Thanksgiving  Day. 
"A  Connecticut  Yankee  in  King  Ar- 
thur's Court"  is  playing  the  Keith's 
first  Philadelphia  run  now  and  is  ex- 
pected to  continue  there  until  about 
June  1. 

Goldman's  take-over  of  the  Grange 
from  Warners,  whose  lease  on  that 
theatre  also  is  expiring,  is  scheduled 
for  next  September.  That  house, 
too,  will  be  closed  and  remodelled  be- 
fore  Goldman  begins  operating  it. 


man  is  trying  to  accomplish  is  for  the 
good  of  the  whole  industry.  If  any- 
body in  this  -industry  does  not  believe 
that  the  source  of  supply  is  seriously 
threatened  because  it  is  impossible  for 
producers  to  continue  making  quality 
product  without  a  fair  return,  let  the 
company  which  wrote  the  secret  letter 
come  out  into  the  open. 

"It  is  time  that  Myers  stopped  re- 
sorting to  smokescreens,  wisecracks 
and  innuendos  because  the  issue  is 
very  serious  and  clear  and  should  be 
faced  with  business  statesmanship  and 
not  wily  evasions. 

"We  challenge  this  anonymous  let- 
ter-writing company  to  come  out  in 
the  open.  All  that  20th  Century-Fox 
wants  is  a  fair  share  for  its  product. 
It  wants  what  the  pictures  are  worth 
— no  more,  no  less.  It  wants  to  con- 
tinue to  work  for  the  best  interests 
of  the  exhibitor." 


M-G-M  Replies  to 
Allied  Bulletin 

M-G-M  revealed  on  Friday  that,  to 
avoid  any  misunderstanding,  William 
F.  Rodgers,  general  sales  manager, 
had  replied  to  Abram  F.  Myers 
chairman  and  general  counsel  of  Al- 
lied States,  who  in  a  recent  bulletin 
suggested  that  20th  Century-Fox's 
current  rental  increase  campaign 
might  be  an  endeavor  in  behalf  of  all 
companies. 

Following  is  the  text  of  Rodgers' 
letter  to  Myers: 

"Thank  you  for  sending  me  your 
bulletin  dated  March  31,  1949,  which 
I  read  with  interest. 

"You  know  that  Mr.  Lichtman  is 
no  longer  associated  with  us.  His  new 


St  Louis  MPTO  Hits 
20th-Fox  Policy 

St.  Louis,  April  17.— Motion 
Picture  Theatre  Owners  of 
St.  Louis,  Eastern  Missouri 
and  Southern  Illinois  have 
adopted  a  resolution  protest- 
ing the  new  sales  policy  pro- 
jected by  20th  Century-Fox. 
The  exhibitors  urged  a  down- 
ward revision  of  rentals  to 
stabilize  the  industry  in  what 
they  call  a  time  of  reorienta- 
tion. The  resolution  was  for- 
warded to  Spyros  P.  Skouras 
and  Andy  Smith,  respective 
president  and  general  sales 
manager  of  20th  Century- 
Fox,  by  Tom  Edwards  of 
Farmington,  Mo.,  president  of 
the  MPTO  unit. 


association  is  with  20th  Century-Fox. 
He  does  not  speak  for  us. 

"Be  assured,  if  and  when  we  have 
any  policy  to  announce  we  will  an- 
nounce it  directly  ourselves." 

Rodgers'  letter  appears  in  the  cur- 
rent issue  of  The  Distributor,  the 
company's  sales  department  house 
organ. 


Stamper  Heads  'I A'  Local 

Portsmouth,  O.,  April  17. — Jack 
Stamper  has  been  elected  president 
of  IATSE  Local  No.  B-33,  with  El- 
mer Hileman  named  vice-president. 
Paul  E.  Williams  was  named  finan- 
cial secretary;  Goldie  Abrams,  re- 
cording secretary ;  Woodrow  Grif- 
fith, business  agent  and  James  Atkin- 
son, chairman  of  the  executive  board. 


'EXPLOITATION  NATURAL!  EXCITING,  AUTHENTIC!" 

-FILM  DAILY 

"EVERY  SIGN  OF  A  LONG,  MONEY-MAKING  CAREER!" 

-BOXOFFICE 


VERY  GOOD!  NO  EXHIBITOR  NEED  HESITATE  TO 
BOOK  AND  EXPLOIT  IT !"    -Harrison  s  reports 

SEA  STORY  HOLDS  ACTION,  SUSPENSE,  REALISM  \" 

-HOLLYWOOD  REPORTER 


RANK  A THE  JUNGLE  B0Y 

D^rlWlDffV       In  Sepia  Tone 

^Johnny  SHEFFIELD -Peggy  Ann  GARNER 


TUNA  CLIPPER 


Starring 


RODDY  McDOWALL  •  -  £SS 


XHIBITOR  ORGANIZATIONS  EVERYWHERE  ARE  GIVING  100%  SUPPORT  T 
TEVE  BROIDY'S  25th  ANNIVERSARY  DRIVE  For  The  JIM  MOTE  FUND! 


v.:..:.:-....v...    ...........     _..  ...:_„.  ,;  , 


The  motion  picture  good  enough  to 
sell  itself  has  not  yet  been  made  " 


n«T.on«,CWsERV.« 

\J  pmzf  aoer  of  mfmousmv 


VOL.  65.  NO.  76 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  APRIL  19,  1949   


TEN  CENTS 


Korda,  French 
See  Solution  of 
U.  K.  Problem 

Criticize  Protest  of 
U.  S.  State  Department 

By  MANDEL  HERBSTMAN 

Optimism  that  Anglo-American 
film  industry  problems  will  be 
worked  out  at  the  meetings  m 
Washington  of  the  Anglo-Ameri- 
can Film  Councils,  April  21-23,  were 
expressed  by  both  Sir  Alexander 
Korda  and  Sir  Henry  French  on  their 
arrival  here  yesterday  on  the  SS 
Queen  Mary  from  London.  Both  are 
members  of  the  British  Council,  along 
with  J.  Arthur  Rank. 

Declining  to  comment  on  the 
agenda  of  the  meetings,  Korda, 
managing  director  of  London 
Film  Productions,  declared  that 
he  was  "very  optimistic"  that 
the  problems  facing  both  na- 
tions "would  be  cleared." 
Informed  that  the  U.  S.  State  De- 
(Continued  on  page  8) 


Strike  at  British 
Studios  Near  an  End 


Theatres  in  Toronto 
Increasing  Prices 

Toronto,  April  18. — Admis- 
sion prices  at  a  number  of 
Toronto  theatres  of  Famous 
Players  and  affiliated  com- 
panies have  been  raised  from 
three  to  five  cents  to  meet 
higher  operating  costs.  Gen- 
erally, the  odd-cent  rates  of 
scales  were  eliminated,  the 
66  cent  night  adult  admission 
at  large  units  being  raised  to 
a  flat  70  cents  and  the  early 
matinee  fee  of  36  cents  going 
to  40  cents. 

Other  circuit  companies 
and  independent  exhibitors 
are  expected  to  follow  suit. 


UA  in  Deal  for  1,000 
Television  Shorts 


N.  Y.  lst-Runs  Are 
Huge;  Record  for 
4YankeeYBelvedere' 


New  York  first-runs  are  turning 
the  corner  to  a  new  prosperity  this 
week  with  grosses  mounting  to  record 
proportions.  Superb  business  of  the 
weekend  continued  in  large  _  part 
through  yesterday  and  no  lag  in  re- 
turns is  anticipated  by  theatremen  for 
the  remainder  of  the  week,  this  on 
the  basis  of  the  school  holiday  and 
the  large  number  of  out-of-towners  in 
the  city.  Majority  of  runs  are  open- 
ing one  to  two  hours  earlier  this 
week  to  allow  for  an  extra  perform- 
ance. 

"Connecticut  Yankee  in  King  Ar- 
thur's Court,"  with  the  "Glory  of 
Easter"  stage  presentation,  established 
a  new  record  at  the  Music  Hall,  pro- 
viding the  house  with  $102,000  on 
Thursday  through  Sunday,  which  is 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


London,  April  18—  Despite  the 
spread  of  the  Denham  electricians' 
strike  to  Pinewood,  indications  are 
that  the  dispute  will  be  settled  imme- 
diately after  the  Easter  holidays,  this 
in  part  being  based  on  the  allegation 
that  the  strike  is  an  infringement  _  of 
the  law  which  requires  a  trade  union 
to  give  21  days'  notice  of  a  dispute 
before  calling  a  strike.  This  statutory 
notice  was  not  given  at  either  Denham 
or   Pinewood,  it  is  understood. 

Comment  has  also  been  made  that 
no  ballot  of  the  men  was  taken  before 
the  strike  was  ordered. 

The  J.  Arthur  Rank  Organization 

(Continued  on  page  8) 

Wilcox  Coming  to 
Set  Release  of  3 

London,  April  18. — Sailing  for  New 
York  on  the  5.  5\  Queen  Elizabeth  on 
Thursday  are  producer  Herbert  Wil- 
cox and  his  wife,  Anna  Neagle,  to 
resume  negotiations  which  are  ex- 
pected to  lead  to  American  distribu- 
tion of  their  last  three  films,  "Court- 
neys  of  Curzon  Street,"  "Spring  in 
Park  Lane"  and  the  just-completed 
"Maytime  in  Maryfair." 

Also  on  the  Queen  Elizabeth  on  the 
(Continued  on  page  8) 


Another  major  distribution  agree- 
ment for  television  film  programs  was 
concluded  here  yesterday  between 
United  Artists-TV  and  Ruby  Films 
Corp.,  which  will  put  well  over  1,000 
video  films  on  the  market  within  the 
next  few  months,  it  was  announced 
by  John  H.  Mitchell,  director  of 
UA-TV.  The  agreement  was  signed 
by  the  company  with  Edward  Ruby, 
executive  producer,  and  Val  Irving, 
associate  producer. 

Under  the  terms  of  the  distribution 
arrangement,  United  Artists  Televi- 
sion will  release  three  new  program 

(Continued  on  page  8) 


Nassers'  U.  A. 
Bid  Runs  into 
Bankers'  Wall 


8  Majors  Challenge 
Momand  Review 


Washington,  April  18.  —  Eight 
major  film  companies  today  told  the 
U.  S.  Supreme  Court  that  the  First 
Circuit  Court  of  Appeals  had  rightly 
thrown  out  an  anti-trust  suit  against 
them  by  A.  B.  Momand.  Momand  is 
seeking  a  high  court  review  of  this 
decision. 

The  eight  companies  are :  Universal, 

(Continued  on  page  8) 


Financing  Conditions 
Stall  Bid;  Fabian  Out 

Hollywood,  April  18. — Pros- 
pects for  consummation  of  the 
Nasser  Brothers'  bid  for  acquisition 
of  United  Artists  was  lessened  to- 
day as  financing  complications  appar- 
ently remained  unsolved  after  a  week- 
end of  conferences,  and  Si  Fabian 
and  Ted  R.  Gamble,  theatre  operators, 
declined  invitations  to  participate  in 
the  proposed  purchase  of  Mary  Pick- 
ford's  and  Charles  Chaplin's  UA  stock. 

The  Nassers  continued  their  dis- 
cussions today  with  Bank  of  America 
and  UA  officials,  but  indications  were 
the  situation  had  not  changed  up  to 
tonight.  Meanwhile,  Fabian  left  for 
New  York  last  night  and  Gamble  for 
his  home. at  Portland,  Ore. 

Lack  of  agreement  reportedly 
stemmed  from  Bank  of  America's  con- 
ditions attached  to  its  part  of  the 
financing  of  the  deal.    One  condition, 

(Continued  on  page  8) 


US-German  Zone  Houses 
Rise  from  16  to  1,450 


Washington,  April  18. — The  num- 
ber of  motion  picture  theatres  in  the 
American  Zone  of  Germany  has  in- 
creased to  1,450  from  a  1945  count  of 
16,  according  to  the  U.  S.  War  De- 
partment. 

The  Department's  report  also  stated 
that  under  an  agreement  between 
American  Military  Government  film 
officers  and  representatives  of  the 
German  film  industry,  distributors  may 
help  in  the  financing  of  German  films 
if  their  money  is  counted  as  an  ad- 
vance payment  on  the  film,  rather 
than  as  a  permanent  investment.  This 
is  in  line  with  Military  Government's 
policy  of  keeping  distribution,  produc- 
tion and  exhibition  separate. 

Effects  of  the  currency  reform  as 
outlined  in  the  report  indicate  that 
although  the  immediate  effect  was  to 
reduce  theatre  attendance  by  75  to  90 
(Continued  on  page  8) 


TOA's  Conciliation 
Still  Available 

Speculation  as  to  whether 
Theatre  Owners  of  America's 
conciliation  machinery  is  still 
operative  has  been  forestalled 
by  organization  president  Ar- 
thur H.  Lockwood  who,  in 
answer  to  a  direct  inquiry 
made  by  the  Albany,  N.  Y., 
TOA  unit,  indicated  that 
disputes  between  exhibitors 
and  distributors  can  still  be 
brought  before  local  TOA 
conciliation  boards  which,  in 
turn,  can  make  use  of  the  or- 
ganization's national  concilia- 
tion panel  if  settlements  are 
not  reached  on  the  local  level. 


KB  Moves  to  Uphold 
Partnership  Deal 


Washington,  April  18. — Theatre- 
owning  defendants  in  the  Paramount 
case  cannot  choose  to  dissolve  jointly- 
owned  theatre  companies  which  they 
must  dispose  of  under  a  court  order — 
even  if  the  court  gives  them  that  op- 
tion— when  they  have  a  prior  contrac- 
tual obligation  to  sell  their  interest  to 
their  partner,  the  K-B  Amusement 
Co.  argued  in  District  Court  here 
today. 

K-B  is  seeking  to  force  Warner 
Brothers  to  sell  its  interest  in  the 
jointly-owned  MacArthur  Theatre  to 
K-B  at  a  price  stipulated  in  a  con- 

(Continued  on  page  8) 


Goodman  Is  Named 
Aide  to  Rosenfield 

Abe  Goodman,  advertising  produc- 
tion manager  of  20th  Century-Fox 
here,  has  been  promoted  to  assistant 
to  Jonas  Rosenfield,  advertising  man- 
ager, by  Charles  Einfeld,  advertising- 
publicity  vice-president. 

Goodman  has  been  with  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox since  1926  and  has  been 
production  manager  since  1932.  In 
addition  to  his  duties  as  assistant  to 
Rosenfield,  Goodman  will  continue  as 
production  manager. 


Personal 
Mention 

OSCAR  A.  DOOB,  Loew's  general 
theatre    executive,    will    be  in 
Washington  today  from  New  York. 

Byron  Stoner,  20th  Century-Fox 
executive  at  San  Francisco,  underwent 
an  emergency  appendectomy  Sunday 
night  at  the  Merritt  Hospital,  Oak- 
land, Cal. 

• 

Lionel  Barrymore  will  receive  an 
award  from  the  National  Council  on 
Rehabilitation  at  a  dinner  here  Thurs- 
day night  at  the  Hotel  Astor,  for  his 
example  of  medical  rehabilitation. 
• 

Irving  Greenfield,  assistant  secre 
tary  of  Loew's,  became  a  father  yes 
terday  for  the  second  time.  Mother 
and  child,  Lois  Barbara,  are  at  Lenox 
Hill  Hospital  here. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


S  chine  Hearing  Is 
Put  Off  to  June  20 

Buffalo,  April  18.— Hearing 
in  the  Schine  Theatres  anti- 
trust suit,  which  had  been 
scheduled  for  today,  has  been 
adjourned  to  June  20,  the 
•postponement  of  60  days  hav- 
ing been  agreed  to  by  plain- 
tiff and  Department  of  Jus- 
tice attorneys  who  meanwhile 
will  continue  negotiations  of 
a  decree  settlement. 


Para.  Opposes  2nd 
Decree  Intervener 


Alfred  Hitchcock  will  arrive  here 
Monday  from  the  Coast  and  will  leave 
for  England  on  the  following  Thurs- 
day. 

• 

Jules  Lapidus,  Warner  Eastern 
and  Canadian  sales  manager,  left  here 
last  night  for  Cleveland  and  Pitts- 
burgh. 

• 

MacGregor  Scott,  Associated 
British-Pathe  Overseas  sales  mana- 
ger, has  left  London  for  an  extended 
tour  of  South  and  Central  America. 

James  R.  Grainger,  Republic  dis- 
tribution vice-president,  has  returned 
to  New  York  from  a  national  tour  of 
branches. 

• 

Sam  Zimbalist,  M-G-M  produc- 
er, and  Anthony  Mann,  % director, 
will  arrive  here  tomorrow  from  the 
Coast. 

• 

John  Joseph,  assistant  to  Howard 
Dietz,  M-G-M  advertising-publicity 
vice-president,  will  leave  here  for 
Cleveland  on  Thursday. 

• 

William  B.  Zoellner,  M-G-M  re- 
print and  short  subject  sales  manager, 
has  returned  here  from  a  10-day  tour 
of  exchanges. 

• 

Philip  Gerard,  Universal-Interna- 
tional acting  Eastern  publicity  mana- 
ger, will  return  here  tomorrow  from 
Atlanta. 


Paramount  filed  its  objections  in 
New  York  Federal  Court  yesterday 
to  the  pettion  of  Harry  Norman  Ball, 
operator  of  the  Penn  Theatre  at  Am- 
bndge,  Pa.,  for  the  right  to  take  an 
appeal  to  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court  of 
the  lower  court's  denial  of  his  motion 
to  intervene  in  the  Paramount  consent 
decree  case. 

The  New  York  court  granted  the 
Ball  petition  the  same  as  it  approved 
the  similar  petition  of  Partmar  Corp., 
Hollywood,  which  Paramount  also 
has  opposed. 

Ball  charges  that  the  State  Theatre, 
Ambndge,  which  is  a  Paramount 
partnership  house,  is  a  "fruit  of  con- 
spiracy" within  the  meaning  of  the 
Supreme  Court's  opinion  on  partner- 
ships and  cognizance  of  this  is  not  tak- 
en in  the  Paramount  consent  decree. 


Heavy  Program  for 
Ia.-Neb.  Allied  Meet 


Harry  F.  Shaw,  division  manager 
at  New  Haven  for  Loew's  Poli-New 
England  Theatres,  and  Mrs.  Shaw, 
have  left  there  for  Florida  vacation. 
• 

Herbert  Copelan,  head  of  War- 
ner's Latin  American  theatres,  arrived 
here  yesterday  from  Cuba. 

• 

E.  K.   (Ted)  O'S  hea,  Paramount 
assistant  general  sales  manager,  has 
returned  to  New  York  from  Chicago, 
o 

Ted  Toddy  ,  president  of  Toddy 
Pictures,  has  left  Atlanta  for  the 
Coast. 

• 

John  May,  treasurer  of  Schine  The- 
tres,  Gloversville,  N.  Y.,  was  in 
Albany  yesterday. 


Sixteen  More  M-G-M 
'Friendship  Meetings' 

Sixteen  more  M-G-M  "Friendship 
Meetings"  and  screenings  of  "The 
Secret  Garden"  and  "The  Stratton 
Story"  will  be  held  today  in  as  many 
non-exchange  areas.  This  supplements 
the  eight  held  yesterday.  In  addition 
to  these  gatherings  exhibitors  in  each 
of  the  32  branch  territories  today  will 
have  witness  showings  of  "The  Strat- 
ton Story." 

Towns  where  exhibitors  today  will 
congregate  as  luncheon  guests  of 
M-G-M  are:  Altoona,  Pa.;  Anamosa 
Iowa ;  Cape  Girardeau,  Mo. ;  Charles- 
ton, Fargo,  Louisville,  Rochester, 
Saginaw,  San  Antonio,  Santa  Bar- 
bara, Shreveport,  Sioux  City,  Spring- 
field, Mass.;  Topeka,  Wilkes-Barre 
and  Miami  Beach. 


Des  Moines,  April  18.— Some  17 
exhibition  problems  have  already  been 
definitely  designated  for  discussion  at 
the  annual  spring  convention  of  Allied 
Independent  Theatre  Owners  of  Iowa 
and  Nebraska,  to  be  held  at  the  Hotel 
Savery  here  on  Wednesday  and 
Thursday,  May  4-5,  to  which  all  in- 
dependent theatre  owners  have  been 
invited.  A  special  session  will  be  held 
Thursday  morning  for  subsequent-run 
exhibitors. 

Guest  speakers  will  include  William 
L.  Ainsworth,  president  of  national 
Allied,  Trueman  T.  Rembusch,  Allied 
treasurer,  and  Kroger  Babb,  president 
of  Hallmark  Productions.  Gov.  Wil- 
lam  Beardsley  will  be  guest  speaker 
at  an  all-industry  banquet  on  Thurs- 
day evening. 

Topics  scheduled  for  floor  discus- 
sion follow:  division  of  box-office 
dollar,  forcing  pictures,  extended  play- 
ing time,  the  decree,  forcing  of  local 
checkers,  admission  scales,  exhibitors 
rights,  forced  percentages,  P.T.A. 
children  shows,  television,  legislation, 
trade  practices,  auditing  suits,  film 
rentals,  showmanship,  overhead,'  local 
licenses. 


Tuesday,  April  19,  194 

20th  Southern  Salel 
Meetings  Under  Wai\ 

Atlanta,  April  18.— Twentiet  j 
Century-Fox  representatives  front 
branches  at  Charlotte,  New  Orlean<' 
Memphis,  Dallas,  Oklahoma  City  an! 
here  are  meeting  with  company  vice 
presidents  Al  Lichtman,  Charles  Ein 
feld  and  Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  to  dis 
cuss  proposed  revisions  in  sales  policy 
.No  meetings  with  exhibitors  ard 
planned  here  at  this  time,  it  was  an  ! 
nounced.  Accompanying  the  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox officers  are  Frank  Carrell, 
Sam  Sham  and  Lem  Jones.  Harr> 
Ballance,  Southern  division  manager,, 
is  presiding  at  the  meetings  and  will! 
be  host  at  a  dinner  Thursday  nigh 
at  the  Capital  City  Club 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


To  Weigh  Atlanta 
Censorship  Bans 


Atlanta,  April  18.— A  new  "de- 
layed-action" procedure  of  censoring 
motion  pictures  has  been  adopted  by 
the  Atlanta  Carnegie  Library  Board. 

Milton  G.  Farris,  chairman  of  the 
board,(  recommended  that  board  mem- 
bers "wait  several  days"  after  seeing 
a  picture  banned  by  the  Atlanta  cen- 
sors before  deciding  whether  or  not  to 
uphold  the  ban.  He  also  recommend- 
ed that  representatives  of  film  compa- 
nies be  allowed  to  submit  a  brief  on 
the  film   in  question. 

"A  considered  opinion,"  he  said,  "is 
better  than  a  hasty  one." 

The  board  adopted  Farris'  recom- 
mendation after  two  representatives  of 
Columbia  Pictures  appeared  before  the 
board  and  asked  for  reversal  on  an 
earlier  ban  against  "Knock  on  Any 
Door." 


f- RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL— 5 

Rockefeller  Center 
BING  CROSBY 
■  Rhonda    FLEMING     -     Win.    BENDIX  . 
Sir  Cedric   HARD WICKE 

"A  CONNECTICUT  YANKEE 

In    King  Arthur's  Court" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
A  Paramount  Picture 
THE    GREAT    EASTER   STAGE  SHOW 


(OIUMBIA  PICTURES  proiMi 

GLENN  FORD 

■m"m 

l/wmom 

MM 

.in, NINA  FOCH 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER,  We}?%S?Zd„a, 
All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twlea  Dally 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Releaaa 


E.  D.  Cruea  Is  Named 
Monogram  Manager 

Portland,  Ore.,  April  18.— Howard 
Stubbins,  president  of  Monogram  Pic- 
tures of  the  Northwest,  has  appointed 
Edmond  D.  Cruea  manager  of  the 
local  branch,  succeeding  Larry  C. 
Bristol. 


Goldwyn  Recovering 

Samuel  Goldwyn  underwent  a  suc- 
cessful operation  for  a  minor  ailment 
at  Harkness  Pavilion,  Medical  Cen- 
ter, here  yesterday  and  was  reported 
resting  comfortably  last  night.  He 
is  expected  to  leave  the  hospital  with- 
in a  week. 


Luncheon  for  Albert 

Randal  Heymanson,  American  rep- 
resentative of  the  Australian  News- 
paper Service,  was  host  here  yester- 
day at  a  luncheon  at  Sardi's  for  Wil- 
liam Albert  of  the  Sydney  Bulletin, 
who  has  been  visiting  the  U.  S.,  and 
foreign  department  film  executives. 
Among  those  present  were  David 
Blum,  Loew's ;  Michael  Hoffay,  Eagle- 
Lion,  and  Gerald  R.  Keyser,  Warners. 

To  Honor  Rabbi  Bir stein 

Broadway  actors  and  actresses  who 
have  known  Rabbi  Bernard  Birstein 
during  the  25  years  he  has  officiated 
at  Manhattan's  Actor's  Temple,  will 
honor  him  at  a  silver  anniversary, 
bon  voyage  banquet  here  on  April  25, 
two  days  before  he  sails  with  his  wife 
for  a  trip  to  Israel. 


DOORS 
OPEN. 
WO  A.  U 


Broadway  «  49th  3k 


POPULAR  PRICES 


JOAN 
of  ARC 

starring 

INGRID 

BERGMAN 


A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 

SHEPPEBD  l?SimifrKANHnDLn  SVfeKfK  '  '  CARR0L  NA,SH  "  WARD  &0ND 
^ntrKtKu  SIKUDWICK  .  HURO  HAT F  ELD  •  GENE  LOCKHARI  .  iflHfu  fmfov 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  ■  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  K  EL  LA  WAY  ' 
oased  upon  the  stage  play  loan  of  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 
IDREW  SOIT  ■ 


■NDERSON 


RICHARD  DAY  .  director  ol  pholo0fophy  JOSEPH  VaVeNTINE,"**. a 

Prodded  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

prnenled  by  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Inc.  -  releoied  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


23  «»  WEEK/i 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher    Sherwin  Kane 

Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Ouigley  P«mj»i,j —  r-   t_.    ,o.,„  "v  *  uuuwkt,  onerwm  Kane 

New  York."    Martin  Quig'fey,  Presii 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor; 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  „ 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Wash 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  singl 


Tuesday,  April  19,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Broidy  Observing 
25th  Anniversary 

Steve  Broidy,  president  of  Allied 
Artists  and  Monogram,  now  here 
from  Hollywood,  is  observing  his 
25th  anniversary  in  the  film  busi- 
ness which  he 
entered  when  he 
abandoned  the 
study  of  law  at 
Boston  Univer- 
sity to  join  the 
old  Franklin 
Film  Co.  Sixteen 
years  later,  fol- 
lowing sales 
posts  with  Uni- 
versal, Warner 
and  Monogram's  ■ 
Boston  ex-1 
change,  which 
he  headed  when  steve  Broidy 
it  was  set  up  m 

1937,  Broidy  was  elected  to  the 
Monogram  board.  By  the  end  of 
1940  he  was  sales  vice-president, 
with  headquarters  in  Hollywood.  In 
1945,  he  was  elected  president,  and 
with  the  incorporation  two  years 
ago  of  Allied  Artists,  Monogram 
producing  affiliate,  Broidy  became 
its  president  also. 


Review 


N.Y.  lst-Runs  Huge 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


unprecedented  for  any  like  period,  and 
appears  on  its  way  to  a  gross  of 
$170,000  for  the  week,  an  all-time 
high.  The  show  will  enter  its  third 
week  on  Thursday. 

Business  is  similarly  exciting  at  the 
Roxy,  which  announces  that  "Mr.  Bel- 
vedere Goes  to  College,"  with  Vivian 
Blaine  and  McCarthy  and  Farrell  on 
stage,  hit  a  new  Easter  weekend  (Fri- 
day-Sunday) mark  of  $80,300,  indicat- 
ing a  mammoth  first  week's  gross  of 
$160,000. 

Also  doing  an  amazing  box-office 
job  is  "Wizard  of  Oz"  at  the  May- 
fair,  where  business  for  the  first  week 
of  the  reissue  could  reach  $55,000. 
"City  Across  the  River,"  with  Art 
Mooney's  orchestra  on  stage,  figures 


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offers  300-mph 
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|  SERVICE 

Coast-to-coast  || 
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||      For  reservations,  call  your  TWA  office 
ib  or  your  travel  agent. 


"Shamrock  Hill" 

(Eagle-Lion)  Hollywood,  April  18 

SPRINKLED  with  Gaelic  charm  and  elfin  humor,  this  tidbid  featuring 
Peggy  Ryan  and  Ray  McDonald  should  prove  a  pleasing  and  reliable 
program  picture.  Fact  and  fancy  are  neatly  blended  with  dance,  song  and 
comedy.  However,  the  Irish  gaiety  and  brogue  appear  a  little  forced  at 
times,  and  the  little  men  don't  ring  quite  as  true  as  in  an  earlier  Margaret 
O'Brien  film  of  similar  theme.  Particularly  good  in  character  roles  are 
Mary  Gordon,  James  Burke  and  Tim  Ryan  as  Miss  Ryan's  wise,  ever-paint- 
ing grandmother,  inventive  father  and  hair-growing  Uncle  Dan,  respectively. 

Peggy  is  the  colleen  whose  loving  care  has  made  an  imaginative  play-haven 
for  youngsters  on  Shamrock  Hill.  When  industrialist  John  Litel  decides 
the  location  is  ideal  for  his  contemplated  television  station,  the  two  tangle 
and  Peggy,  with  the  aid  of  a  man-aided  miracle,  convinces  the  practical 
business  man  that  another  hill  will  serve  his  purpose. 

A  refreshing  youthfulness  permeates  the  picture,  thanks  to  Miss  Ryan, 
McDonald,  Trudy  Marshall  and  Rick  Vallin,  the  four  offering  a  happily 
resolved  eternal  triangle  plus  one.  The  nimble  Ryan  and  McDonald  feet 
account  for  several  delightful  dance  sequences,  including  an  especially  beau- 
tiful, fairylike  production  number.  And  for  those  who  doubt  the  existence  of 
leprechauns,  producer-director  Arthur  Dreifuss  cleverly  worked  in  a  quintet 
by  the  little  fellows. 

Running  time,  82  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  14. 


to  give  the  Capitol  a  robust  second 
week's  gross  of  $70,000,  after  ringing 
up  $67,800  in  the  first  week. 

"Champion"  is  climbing  to  a  huge 
second  week's  business,  estimated  at 
$55,000,  at  the  Globe.  "Hamlet"  still 
is  giving  the  Park  peak  returns,  $16,- 
500  being  apparent  for  a  29th  week. 
"Life  of  Riley"  at  the  Criterion 
probably  will  bring  an  adequate  $25,- 
000  in  a  first  week. 

At  the  Strand,  "My  Dream  Is 
Yours,"  with  Lionel  Hampton's  or- 
chestra on  stage,  is  likely  to  do  $60,- 
000  in  a  big  first  week.  "Take  Me 
Out  to  the  Ball  Game"  is  good  for 
$28,000  in  a  sixth  week  at  the  State. 
"Portrait  of  Jennie"  is  holding  up  well 
at  the  Rivoli,  where  the  third  week 
is  likely  to  bring  $30,000.  "Bride  of 
Vengeance,"  with  Charlie  Barnet's 
orchestra  on  stage,  should  give  the 
Paramount  $55,000  in  a  moderate  sec- 
ond week. 

About  $15,500  is  apparent  for  the 
26th  week  of  "The  Red  Shoes"  at  the 
Bijou,  where  there  seems  to  be  no 
let-up  in  business.  "Joan  of  Arc"  is 
improving  at  the  Victoria,  where  $18,- 
000  is  indicated  for  a  23rd  week. 
"Knock  on  Any  Door"  should  give 
the  Astor  an  estimated  $15,000  in  a 
mild  ninth  week.  At  the  Sutton, 
"Quartet"  still  is  drawing  choice  busi- 
ness, estimated  at  $15,000  for  the 
third  week. 


Philbrick's  Ad  Post 
Awaits  His  Return 

Boston,  April  18. — Edward  S.  Can- 
ter, executive  assistant  to  Samuel 
Pinanski  of  American  Theatres  Corp., 
declared  here  that  the  circuit  status 
of  Herbert  A.  Philbrick,  government 
witness  at  the  Communist  trial  in 
New  York,  remains  the  same  as  be- 
fore, his  position  of  assistant  advertis- 
ing and  exploitation  manager  being 
open  for  him  "if  he  desires  to  return." 


Try  to  Boost  Local  Tax 

Columbus,  O.,  April  18. — Attempt 
of  the  Warren,  Ohio,  city  council  to 
increase  the  local  admission  tax  to 
five  per  cent,  if  successful,  would  open 
the  door  to  similar  action  by  city 
councils  throughout  the  state,  warns 
P.  J..  Wood,  secretary  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Theatres  Owners  of  Ohio, 
who  is  urging  Ohio  exhibitors  to  sup- 
port a  bill  before  the  state  legislature 
which  would  restore  the  admissions 
taxing  power  to  the  state. 


Drive-Ins  Delaying 
New  Product  Buying 

Minneapolis,  April  18. — Drive-in 
film  buyers  in  the  Minneapolis  zone 
are  lining  up  solidly  in  opposition  to 
increased  rentals  and  improved  play- 
ing time  announced  by  major  film 
companies  and  independents  alike,  it 
is  learned,  and  the  jockeying  for  low 
er  rentals  reportedly  will  delay  some 
outdoor  stands  openings. 

Film  companies  have  let  the  drive 
ins  know  that  rentals  for  the  coming 
season  will  be  in  line  with  film  prices 
for  the  conventional  stands,  plus  a 
certain  amount  of  percentage  and  pre 
ferred  playing  time.  The  independents 
and  smaller  majors  are  not  expected 
to  be  tough  in  demanding  either  per- 
centages or  good  playing  time,  but 
they  are  holding  out  for  higher  rent 
als  up  and  down  the  line,  declaring 
drive-ins  last  year  "stole"  their  films. 

Although  a  number  of  drive-ins  in 
the  Minneapolis  zone  have  already  set 
opening  dates  for  this  month  and 
May,  film  companies  report  that  very 
few  product  deals  for  the  outdoor 
stands  have  been  closed. 


Services  for  Beery 
Today  on  the  Coast 

Hollywood,  April  18. — Funeral  ser- 
vices will  be  held  here  tomorrow  at 
Forest  Lawn  Memorial  Park  for 
Wallace  Beery,  64,  veteran  screen 
star  who  died  Friday  night  at  his 
Beverly  Hills  home  of  a  heart  ail- 
ment. Beery,  who  held  a  reserve 
commission  as  a  U.  S.  Navy  Lieuten- 
ant Commander,  will  be  buried  in  his 
uniform.  He  was  one  of  M-G-M's 
top  stars  for  years. 

Louis  B.  Mayer,  M-G-M  produc- 
tion chief,  and  another  of  that  studio's 
executives,  Edward  J.  Mannix,  will 
be  among  the  funeral  pallbearers. 
Honorary  pallbearers  include  Bing 
Crosby,  Clark  Gable,  Robert  Taylor, 
Spencer  Tracy,  Leo  Carillo,  George 
Murphy,  Frank  Capra,  Jesse  Lasky, 
Mervyn  LeRoy,  Joseph  Schenck, 
Nicholas  Schenck,  Mack  Sennett,  Sam 
Wood,  Darryl  F.  Zanuck  and  Jack 
Dempsey. 

Beery,  who  had  played  in  more  than 
250  pictures  since  1913,  won  an  Acad- 
emy Award  in  1931  for  his  perform- 
ance in  "The  Champ,"  and  received 
an  Italian  award  for  his  characteriza- 
tion in  "Viva  Villa"  in  1934.  He  was 
the  brother  of  the  late  Noah  Beery, 
screen  actor,  who  died  in  1946.  They 
were  sons  of  a  Kansas  City  police- 
man. 

Survivors  include  Carol  Ann  Beery, 
the  actor's  daughter;  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
William  Beery,  brother  and  sister-in- 
law,  and  Noah  Berry,  Jr.,  nephew. 


Say  20th  Aim  Is  to 
Block  Rental  Cuts 

Milwaukee,  April  18.  —  Board 
members  of  the  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  of  Wisconsin  at  a  meeting 
here  expressed  the  opinion  that  the 
20th  Century-Fox  plan  for  adjust- 
ments in  rentals  to  benefit  the  distribu- 
tor actually  is  designed  to  stave  off 
anticipated  requests  for  a  reduction  in 
rentals  by  exhibitors.  It  is  understood 
that  the  directorate  felt  that  theatre- 
men  are  entitled  to  a  slash  of  film 
costs  of  a  minimum  of  25  per  cent 
because  of  the  decline  in  box-office. 

If  and  when  Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr. 
and  Al  Lichtman,  20th-Fox  vice-pres- 
idents, visit  Wisconsin  they  would  be 
welcomed  at  a  meeting  with  the  the- 
atremen  and  the  latter  would  present 
their  reasons  for  cuts  in  rentals,  the 
board  decided.  John  P.  Adler  is  presi- 
dent of  ITO  of  Wisconsin. 


New  Date  for  'Barkleys' 

World  premire  for  M-G-M's  "Bark- 
leys  of  Broadway,"  scheduled  for 
April  24  at  Loew's  State  here,  has 
been  postponed  to  May  4. 


Some  in  NCA  Would 
Abandon  Smith  Plan 

Minneapolis,  April  18. — A  move- 
ment has  been  started  by  some  mem- 
bers of  North  Central  Allied  to  aban- 
don the  20th  Century-Fox  Andy 
Smith  plan  of  conciliating  product 
and  contract  disputes,  in  retaliation 
for  establishment  by  20th-Fox  of  a 
new  selling  formula  aimed  at  "equal- 
izing" the  split  of  the  box-office 
dollar. 

Smith  and  Ben  Berger,  NCA  presi- 
dent, last  year  developed  the  concilia- 
tion plan  as  a  means  of  halting  a  num- 
ber of  threatened  court  suits  over 
alleged  forced  selling  and  other  trade 
abuses,  with  NCA  members  backing 
the  plan  with  a  resolution. 

Out-of-town  members  are  now 
urging  the  NCA  board  to  make  con- 
ciliation a  main  subject  at  the  unit's 
annual  convention  and  election  of 
officers  May  22-23,  and  are  asking 
support  of  a  move  to  "throw  out"  any 
form  of  conciliation  of  grievances 
against  the  film  companies. 


Officials  at  20th  Century-Fox's 
home  office  declined  to  comment  here 
yesterday  on  the  Minneapolis  devel- 
opment. 


Reade's  Drive-In  Reopens 

Walter  Reade's  Drive-In  No.  1, 
near  Woodbridge,  N.  J.,  has  reopened 
after  re-paving  and  enlargement.  Sup- 
plementing the  double-bill  film  fare 
are  dance  floor,  pony  rides,  shufflle- 
board,  quoits  courts,  a  children's 
playground  and  a  nursery. 


36th  Astor  Anniversary 

On  April  27,  City  Entertainment 
Corp.  will  celebrate  with  ceremonies  in 
the  lobby  of  the  Astor  Theatre  here 
what  is  described  as  the  36th  anniver- 
sary of  Broadway's  first  "all-movie 
show"  in  April,  1913. 


WE  KNOW  AND  YOU 
HAS  DELIVERED  OR  I 

MR.  BELVEDERE  GOES  TO  COLLEGE  •  THE  SNAKE  PIT  •  A 
THE  SEA  IN  SHIPS*  YELLOW  SKY*  ROAD  HOUSE*  APART 
TO  BROADWAY*  CAPTAIN  FROM  CASTILE*  YOU  WERE  M 
HOO,  SCUDDA  HAY  •  GREEN  GRASS  OF  WYOMING  •  FOXI 
WORE  TIGHTS  •  MIRACLE  ON  34th  STREET  •  \ 

YESTERDAY...  TODAY. 
FOR  YOU  —  YOUR  TH 

BECAUSE  /M^/f£-g<w 


FACTS  ABOUT 


(NOW  THAT  NOBODY 
N  DELIVER  LIKE 


TO  THREE  WIVES  •  MOTHER  IS  A  FRESHMAN  •  DOWN  TO 
PEGGY  •  STREET  WITH  NO  NAME  •  GIVE  MY  REGARDS 
9!  ME  •  CALL  NORTHSIDE  777  •  SITTING  PRETTY  •  SCUDDA 
RROW  •  I  WONDER  WHO'S  KISSING  HER  NOW  •  MOTHER 
1  BABY  SMILES  AT  ME  •  GENTLEMAN'S  AGREEMENT 


CENTURY-FOX 


rOMORROW 


IT'S 


IRE 


CENTURY-FOX 


YOUR  FUTURE 


2a  8 


0W 


TRIGGER  is  a  Dark  Horse! 


(THE  STORY  OF 


AN  UPSET  AT  SIX) 


T 


hoc.!,  has  serious  ccnpeuuon. 
21st  place  (T0.al  Audience). 


J„een  this  show  and  Jack  Benny. 

u  ^bchtotalandavetageaudience) 


ma„yotnetsno.s.hatcos,t»o,nteeandfou[ 

times  as  much. 

A„di,topstehi6hes,comPetingsnowW 

6  points. 

This  is  really 

•.Nielsen  would  let  us  publish  the 

WeWS      u  l  But  you  know  the  name  of 
name  of  the  show.  But  yo 
the  network. 

...  mean>  For  one  thing,  ^ 
What  ^es  th1S  mean  ^ 

means  that  with  a  good  show ^ 

can  deliver  ratings  at 

„«rl  a  lower  cost  per 


and  economical  selling 
look  at  Mutual? 


Mutual  Broadcasting  System 

-a  f  TV'S   LARGEST  NETWORK 
WORLDS  L/vivvj 


*  REPRINT  FROM  RADIO  DAILY 
FEBRUARY  4,  1949 


We  know  you 


Trucohr 


STARRING  IN  REPUBLIC'S  ffUOVIVr  PRODUCTIONS 

NOW  IN  RELEASE  NOW  IN  PRODUCTION 

SUSANNA  PASS  '    •    "DOWN  DAKOTA  WAY 


8 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Tuesday,  April  19,  1949 


Korda,  French 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


partment  had  protested  the  40  per  cent 
British  quota  as  "unfair,"  Korda  as- 
serted that,  "I  don't  know  what  is 
unfair  when  the  American  film  indus- 
try already  has  two-thirds  of  the 
British  market."  Korda  said  he  was 
pleased  with  the  40  per  cent  quota 
and  that  he  did  not  think  it  was  harm- 
ful to  anybody.  He  said  that  the 
British  industry  can  meet  the  40  per 
cent  quota,  and  even  a  50  per  cent 
quota  if  need  be. 

Korda  dismissed  the  prospect  of  na 
tionalization  of  the  industry  in  En 
gland  with  the  assertion  that  "I  don't 
think  it  has  a  chance."  He  revealed 
that  he  has  started  three  films  and 
added  that  his  production  schedule  for 
the  year  would  be  announced  later. 

French,  director  general  of  the  Brit 
ish  Film  Producers  Association,  and 
a  director  of  the  Rank  organization, 
sharply  parried  most  of  the  queries 
put  to  him  by  the  ship-news  reporters. 
Relenting  somewhat  finally,  he  said 
that  divorcement  of  the  industry  in 
England  is  under  inquiry  by  the  Lord 
Portal  Committee,  but  added  that  even 
if  the  committee  recommended  di- 
vorcement he  did  "not  know  if  the 
government  would  accept." 
_  Like  Korda,  French  said  he  is  "op- 
timistic" about  the  Washington  meet- 
ing this  wek.  Asked  about  the  Brit- 
ish industry  being  able  to  meet  the 
quota,  he  said  "we  always  have  filled 
the  quota." 


K.-B.  Moves 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


tract  outlining  conditions  under  which 
a  partner  planning  to  dispose  of  its 
interest  must  offer  its  interest  first  to 
the  other  partner.  Warners  argued 
10  days  ago  that  it  did  not  have  to 
sell  the  K-B  under  the  contract  terms, 
but  rather  could  dissolve  the  jointly- 
owned  corporation  and  dispose  of  its 
assets  at  public  sale.  It  said  the  Dis- 
trict Court's  judgments  and  decrees 
in  the  Paramount  case  permitted  this. 

K-B,  in  a  brief  filed  today,  said  that 
the  New  York  District  Court  never 
intended  to  overrule  existing  contrac- 
tual obligations. 


Review 


"Night  Unto  Night 

(Warner  Brothers) 

HP  HE  "action"  in  this  adaptation  of  a  novel  by  Philip  Wylie  is  confined 
for  the  most  part  to  the  principal  characters'  grappling  with  philosophical 
questions  of  life  and  death  and  speculation  as  to  the  destiny  of  the  human 
soul.  This  fact  is  stated  here  purely  to  inform  exhibitors  of  the  thematic 
mood  of  "Night  Unto  Night,"  and  not  to  insinuate  that  the  picture  is  "over 
the  heads"  of  average  audiences.  Actually,  notwithstanding  its  pretentions  to 
profundity,  the  story  unfolds  on  a  note  of  romance  and  emotion  rather  than 
of  genuine  intellectuality.  It  is,  essentially,  a  woman's  picture.  Kathryn  Scola's 
screenplay  and  Don  Siegel's  direction  both  are  sharply  slanted  toward  the 
distaff  trade. 

Co-starred  are  Ronald  Reagan  and  Viveca  Lindfors,  with  support  fur- 
nished by  Broderick  Crawford,  Rosemary  DeCamp,  Osa  Massen,  Art  Baker, 
Craig  Stevens  and  several  others.  The  setting  is  the  East  Coast  of  Florida, 
with  the  camera  divided  between  a  residential  community  and  a  lonely  beach 
mansion  where  a  biochemist  (Reagan),  who  is  subject  to  occasional  fits  of 
epilepsy,  comes  for  his  health  and  to  work  in  quiet.  He  rents  the  home  from 
a  war  widow  (Miss  Lindfors)  who  so  sorely  mourns  the  loss  of  her  young 
husband  that  she  believes  she  hears  his  "ghost"  speaking  to  her  when  she  is 
alone.  She  comes  to  visit  Reagan  occasionally  and  eventually  falls  in  love 
with  him,  and  thus  no  longer  hears  the  "voice."  Reagan,  unknown  to  the 
girl,  fears  he  will  not  recover  from  his  disease,  and  therefore  attempts  to 
resist  his  feelings  of  love  for  her.  During  a  party  at  the  house,  when  a  hurri- 
cane serves  to  isolate  all  present  from  the  outside  world,  Reagan  is  overcome 
by  a  depression  over  the  frequency  with  which  his  epilepsy  has  manifested 
itself,  and  retreats  from  the  group  to  end  his  life  with  a  bullet.  Suspicious, 
Miss  Lindfors  follows  him  and  talks  him  out  of  suicide  with  declarations  of 
love  and  hope.  Crawford,  a  painter  with  a  flair  for  glib  observations  about 
eternity,  affords  relief  occasionally  from  the  generally  dolorous  atmosphere 
of  a  picture  that  somehow  does  not  register  the  dramatic  intensity  it  strives 
for.  Owen  Crump  produced. 

Running  time,  92  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification  Release  date 
Ma^  R  Charles  L.  Franke 


Nassers'  U  .A. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


U.A.  in  Deal 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


series,  ranging  from  a  39-week  half- 
hour  series  to  1,000  four-minute  musi- 
cal  subjects   for   a   projected  video 

disc-jockey"  package. 
The  first  program  series  is  entitled 

The  World  Is  My  Beat."  A  second 
program  series  of  "Hints  and  Tips" 
will  also  be  ready. 

Third  programming  release  will  be 
the  1,000  short  musical  subjects,  fea- 
turing full  orchestras,  choruses  and 
dancing  contingents,  all  of  which  will 
be  made  available  to  television  stations 
in  developing  visual  disc-jockey  shows. 


"Paramount 's 


Streets  of 
I^redo 

is  stocked  with  the  stuff 
to  banish  the 
boxoffice  blues,"  says  M.P.  Daily 


Wilcox  Coming 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


same  voyage  will  be  Clifford  Dickin- 
son, _  Monogram's  London  manager ; 
William  Moffat,  managing  director  of 
Associated  British-Pathe,  and  Robert 
Clark,  Associated  British's  executive 
producer,  who  plan  to  discuss  with 
Monogram  executives  Steve  Broidy 
and  Norton  V.  Ritchey,  details  of  an 
ambitious  production  program  upon 
which  Monogram  will  shortly  embark 
in  Britain  in  collaboration  with 
ABPC. 


it  was  reported,  was  that  the  new 
owners  of  United  Artists  assume  some 
$3,500,000  of  obligations  of  Enterprise 
Prod,  in  return  for  which  the  remain- 
ing free  assets  of  the  latter  company 
would  be  assigned  to  it  together  with 
a  percentage  of  profits  from  unliqui- 
dated product. 

Another  proposal  said  to  have  been 
advanced  was  that  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Boston  be  invited  to  partici- 
pate on  the  basis  of  a  merger  of  physi- 
cal properties  of  UA  and  Eagle  Lion, 
the  new  company  to  assume  certain 
obligations  of  the  latter.  The  First 
National  of  Boston  has  been  associ- 
ated with  E-L  financing  in  the  past. 
_  Whatever  the  reason,  the  negotia- 
tions have  failed  to  make  progress 
since  last  week  when  financing  of  the 
UA  stock  purchase  deal  by  the  Nas- 
sers appeared  to  be  assured.  Where 
all  was  optimism  last  week,  today  no 
one  would  predict  that  a  deal  would  be 
closed  by  Thursday,  when  Chaplin's 
option  on  Miss  Pickford's  half  inter- 
est in  UA  expires. 


Si  Fabian,  head  of  Fabian  Theatres, 
arrived  in  New  York  from  Holly- 
wood yesterday  but  declined  to  com- 
ment on  the  UA  situation.  It  was  in- 
dicated, however,  that  he  and  Ted 
Gamble,  head  of  Gamble  Enterprises, 
have  no  plans  to  participate  in  the  ne- 
gotiations for  UA  control  now  in 
progress  in  Hollywood. 


8  Majors  Attack 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


U.S.  -  German  Zone 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


per  cent — due  to  the  fact  that  people 
had  less  _  money  to  spend  on  luxury 
items — within  two  months  near-capa- 
city crowds  were  again  attending  the 
theatres. 

The  currency  reform  also  eliminated 
temporarily  the  hitherto  large  number 
of  private  individuals  with  film  invest- 
ments, forcing  producers  to  turn  to 
banks  for  financing. 


British  Strike 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


makes  no  attempt  to  minimize  the 
potential  gravity  of  the  situation  in 
regard  to  its  production  output.  But 
John  Davis,  in  charge  during  Rank's 
absence  in  America,  regards  the  mat- 
ter as  one  of  high  principle  which 
cannot  be  conceded. 


Brown  Leases  2  Houses 

Dr.  Henry  Brown,  New  York  and 
New  Jersey  exhibitor,  has  leased  the 
Edison  Theatre,  New  York,  and  the 
Bell  Theatre,  Brooklyn,  from  Samuel 
Silver,  who  operated  the  houses  for 
many  years  and  is  now  retiring,  it 
was  announced  by  Berk  and  Krum- 
gold,  theatre  realty  brokers  who  han- 
dled the  deal. 


Loews',  M-G-M,  20th  Century-Fox, 
Vitagraph,  RKO,  United  Artists,  and 
Columbia.  The  Momand  suit  alleges 
injuries  from  an  anti-trust  conspiracy 
against  Momand  Theatres  in  Okla- 
homa. 

A  brief  filed  by  Jacob  J.  Kaplan 
said  the  issues  in  the  current  case 
were  the  same  as  in  three  earlier  cases 
brought  by  Momand  and  that  judg- 
ment in  every  case  has  been  in  favor 
of  the  eight  companies  involved  in  this 
proceeding. 

Recovery  in  this  case,  the  brief  said, 
was  barred  both  by  the  statute  of 
limitations  and  by  the  fact  that  the 
issues  had  already  been  tried.  "The 
petitioner  (Momand)  seeks  in  sub- 
stance a  declaration  by  this  court  that 
the  public  policy — that  there  be  an  end 
to  litigation  once  fully  and  fairly  tried 
— should  not  be  applied  in  anti-trust 
cases,"  the  eight  companies  said,  "and 
that  plaintiff  should  have  two  chances 
to  try  his  cause  of  action ;  and,  if  two, 
why  not  three  or  more?  This  propo- 
sition is  as  unsound  as  it  is  novel," 
it  was  charged. 


'Pit'  Cuts  Ordered  by 
British  Censors 

London,  April  18. — Subject  to  cuts 
of  approximately  1,000  feet,  the  Brit- 
ish Board  of  Film  Censors  has  given 
an  "Adults  Only"  certificate  to  "The 
Snake  Pit."  The  cuts  are  said  to  af- 
fect the  most  violent  scenes. 

Considerable  pressure  had  been 
brought  to  bear  on  the  Censor  Board 
by  representatives  of  the  nursing  pro- 
fession who  urged  that  the  film  be 
banned  entirely.  It  was  suggested 
that  young  girls  seeing  the  film  might 
thereby  be  deterred  from  becoming 
nurses.  Anatole  Litvak,  here  for  con- 
sultation with  the  censors,  replied  that 
girls  so  deterred  are  unsuitable  for 
nursing.  Litvak  now  travels  to  Paris 
for  similar  consultations. 


(FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate 

IN 
1  IM 

"W^  ▲    ¥  ¥17" 

Concise 

FM  AA 

11  A  1  1  ^ 

and 

NEWS 

- 

JJAi  lu  I 

Impartial 

^OL.  65.  NO.  77 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  APRIL  20,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

TO  A  Blames 
British  for 
Rental  Rise 


Restrictions  Abroad  Hit 
Theatres  Here:  Lockwood 

i  U.  S.  exhibitors  are  facing  in- 
leased  film  rentals  by  distributors, 
'principally  as  a  result  of  dis- 
criminatory actions  taken  by  the 
British  government  against  American 
lilms,"  Arthur  H.  Lockwood,  presi- 
lent  of  the  Theatre  Owners  of  Ameri- 
;a,  asserts  in  a  statement  which  was 
■eleased  here  yesterday  on  the  eve 
of  the  Washington  meeting  of  the 
\nglo-American  Films  Council,  which 
starts  tomorrow. 

Lockwood  states  that  it  is  "highly 
ippropriate"  to  make  the  position  of 
American  exhibitors  clear  to  the  Brit- 
ish members  of  the  council  and  he 
hereupon  points  out  that  U.  S.  thea- 
:remen  "carry  our  full  share  of  the 
{Continued  on  page  4) 

Myers  Calls  Rental 
Drive  Unfortunate 


Washington,  April  19. — Abram  F. 
Myers,  Allied  States  general  counsel, 
in  a  bulletin  issued  today  expressed 
Allied's  pleasure  "that  no  other  dis- 
tributor (but  20th-Fox)  is  implicated 
;n  this  unfortunate  campaign  for 
ngher  film  rentals." 

Lauding    M-G-M    for    its  "grass 
roots"    public    relations  operations, 
Myers  said,  "The  lion  demonstrates 
that  it  is  smarter  than  the  fox." 

Referring  to  the  letter  by  M-G-M 
sales  manager  W.  F.  Rodgers  to 
Myers  disclaiming  any  policy  similar 
to  that  voiced  by  Al  Lichtman  for 
20th-Fox,  Myers  praised  Motion  Pic 
{Continued  on  page  4) 


Nassers  Still  Try 
For  U.  A.  Purchase 


Hollywood,  April  19. — Nasser 
Brothers  continued  their  negotiations 
:oday  for  purchase  of  United  Artists' 
control,  but  numerous  conditions  in 
iected  by  banking  interests  involved 
.n  the  financing  still  present 
:ormidable  obstacle  to  consummation 
}f  the  deal  by  Thursday  midnight 
when  the  option  on  Mary  Pickford's 
mlf  interest  in  U.  A.,  held  by  Charles 
3haplin,  will  expire. 

Some  of  those  close  to  the  situation 
{Continued  on  page  4) 


Exhibitor  Bond 
Chairmen  Set  in 
All  Territories 


Washington,  April  19. — Gael  Sulli- 
van, executive  director  of  the  Theatre 
Owners  of  America  and  national  ex- 
hibitor co-chairman  of  the  Treasury's 
1949  savings  and  bond  drive,  May  16 
through  June  30,  today  submitted  to 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury  Snyder  a 
complete  list  of  TOA  exhibitor  co- 
chairmen  in  each  of  the  31  exchange 
areas  who  have  accepted  invitations  to 
direct  the  drive  in  their  territory.  The 
list  follows : 

Saul  J.  Ullman,  Albany;  _E.  D. 
Martin,    Columbus;    Sam  Pinanski, 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


US  LIMITS  BRITISH 
FILMS,  UK  COUNTERS 


Truman  Dines  Film 
Bond  Drive  Heads 


Washington,  April  19. — President 
Harry  S.  Truman  this  evening  was 
host  at  a  dinner  to  motion  picture  in- 
dustry chairmen  of  the  committee  co- 
operating with  the  U.  S.  Treasury's 
savings  bond  drive,  which  was  held 
here  in  the  Presidential  Room  of  the 
Hotel  Statler. 

Industry  drive  chairmen  attending 
included  Maurice  A.  Bergman,  Uni- 
versal-International advertising-pub- 
licity director,  and  chairman  in  the 
industry's  drive ;  Jay  Emanuel,  chair- 
man of  the  trade  paper  committee ; 
Edward  Lachman,  president  of  Allied 
of  New  Jersey,  and  Gael  Sullivan, 
Theatre  Owners  of  America,  national 
exhibitor  co-chairmen ;  Harry  Mandel, 
RKO  Theatres'  advertising-publicity 
director  and  New  York  advertising- 
publicity  chairman ;  Arch  Reeve,  sec- 
retary of  the  West  Coast  Advertising- 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Overtime  Parleys  Aim 
At  Schine  Agreement 

Washington,  April  19. — At- 
torneys Willard  McKay  and 
Irving  Kaufman,  for  the 
Schine  interests,  and  Philip 
Marcus  and  Sigmund  Tim- 
berg  for  the  Government 
were  locked  in  conference 
after  regular  business  hours 
today  in  an  effort  to  reach  a 
final  agreement  on  a  consent 
decree  to  end  the  govern- 
ment's 10-year-old  anti-trust 
case  against  Schine.  At  a  late 
hour,  there  was  no  indication 
of  their  progress  thus  far. 


London  'Hints9  That  a 
Dossier  'Indictment? 
Covers  30  -  Year  Period 


Van  Nomikos  Sues 
B.  &  K.,  4  Majors 


Chicago,  April  19. — Inability  _  to 
compete  for  first-run  product  against 
the  opposition  B.  and  K.  Southtown 
and  Warner's  Stratford  brought  about 
the  filing  today  of  an  anti-trust  suit 
asking  for  equitable  relief  by  the  Em- 
press Theatre,  operated  by  Van  A. 
Nomikos,  and  located  on  the  South- 
side  of  Chicago. 

The  Empress  several  months  ago 
adopted  a  first-run  policy,  but  the  suit 
charges  it  is  unable  to  secure  prod- 
uct from  Paramount,  Warner,  Colum- 
bia and  United  Artists,  all  named  de- 
fendants. Balaban  and  Katz  is  also 
named.  Plaintiff's  attorney,  Seymour 
Simon,  filed  the  suit  in  Judge  Phillip 
Sullivan's  U.   S.  District  Court. 


66 


The  Stratton  Story" 


[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer] — Big  League  Stuff 

THE  story  of  Monty  Stratton,  the  country  boy  who  lost  a  leg  in  a 
hunting-  accident  about  12  years  ago  at  the  beginning  of  what 
promised  to  be  a  spectacular  career  in  major  league  baseball,  is 
told  in  an  exceptionally  fine  motion  picture.  It  should  be  an  outstanding 
attraction  in  every  theatre  in  the  land. 

James  Stewart,  as  Stratton,  gives  what  is  far  and  away  his  best  per- 
formance in  a  long  time,  perhaps  the  best  of  his  career,  and  scene  for 
scene,  he  is  matched  every  step  of  the  way  by  June  Allyson,  the  girl 
who  becomes  his  wife. 

Sam  Wood  directed  with  all  the  sure  touches  and  overall  finesse  which 
he  gave  to  "Pride  of  the  Yankees,"  with  which  "The  Stratton  Story" 
inevitably  will  be  compared,  for  there  is  much  in  this  to  recall  the  other. 

Stewart  is  picked  up  at  a  Texas  sand-lot  game  by  Frank  Morgan,  who 
plays  a  baseball  has-been.  After  a  winter  spent  in  coaching  the  promising 
young  pitcher,  Morgan  gets  him  a  tryout  with  the  Chicago  White  Sox 

{Continued  on  page  4*) 


London,  April  19. — The  indigna- 
tion expressed  in  America  over 
Britain's  40  per  cent  film  quota  has 
stirred  caustic — but  as  yet  unofficial 

comment  in  the  Foreign  Office  here 
to  the  effect  that  since  World  War 
I  the  U.  S.  film  industry  has  con- 
sistently engineered  limitations  against 
the  showing  of  British  pictures  on 
American  screens. 

Meanwhile,  regarding  a  reported 
U.  S.  State  Department  protest  to 
the  British  Embassy  in  Washington 
against  the  "discriminatory"  quota,  it 
was  said  here  that  Foreign  Minister 
Ernest  Bevin  has  no  official  knowledge 
of  it. 

It  was  suggested  here — again  un- 
{Continued  on  page  4) 


Strike  at  Two  Rank 
Studios  Collapses 

London,  April  19. — The  strike  of 
electricians  of  J.  Arthur  Rank's  Den- 
bam  and  Pinewood  studios  collapsed 
today,  as  expected,  and  spokesmen  for 
Rank  agreed  to  meet  with  officials  of 
the  Electrical  Trades  Union  at  the 
Labour  Ministry  on  Thursday  on 
terms  of  a  settlement. 

The  outcome  of  the  meeting,  though 
officially  unpredictable,  is  considered 
to  be  obvious  in  view  of  the  ETU 
chiefs  having  originally  put  themselves 
completely  in  the  wrong  by  infringing 
the  law  when  they  called  the  strike 
in  defiance  of  a  statutory  obligation  to 
give  a  21-day  notice  of  the  existence 
of  an  industrial  dispute.  It  is  under- 
stood that  the  Labour  Ministry  has 
already  talked  roughly  to  ETU  offi- 
cials, warning  them  of  dire  conse- 
quences for  continued  misbehavior. 


Quota  Impractical, 
EOT  Acknowledges 

London,  April  19.— The  Brit- 
ish Board  of  Trade,  acknowl- 
edging the  impracticability  of 
the  40  per  cent  film  quota, 
disclosed  here  today  that  it 
has  given  screen-tim?  relief 
to  an  additional  158  theatres 
and  total  exemption  from  ad- 
hering to  the  quota  to  an- 
other 308. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  April  20,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


T  ROBERT  RUBIN,  M-G-M  gen- 
"  •  eral  counsel,  has  returned  here 
from  Durham,  N.  C. 

• 

Norman  Clark,  film  critic  and  tele- 
vision columnist  for  the  Baltimore 
News-Post,  was  a  patient  at  the  Union 
Memorial  Hospital  Monday,  suffering 
from  a  severely  lacerated  hand.  A  bot- 
tle of  beer  burst  as  he  was  trying  to 
open  it. 

• 

Janet  Ward,  daughter  of  Gene 
Werner,  of  the  Warner  home  office, 
has  been  given  the  star  roles  Lady 
MacBeth  and  Queen  Gertrude  of  Mar- 
garet' Webster's  touring  Shakespeare 
company. 

• 

Ben  Goetz,  head  of  M-G-M's  Brit- 
ish producing  activities,  and  Henry 
Henigson,  studio  executive,  will  sail 
from  here  today  aboard  the  S.S.  Queen 
Mary  for  London. 

• 

Dr.  Frank  Stanton,  president  of 
CBS.  and  Mrs.  Stanton,  are  sched- 
uled to  leave  here  today  for  Europe 
aboard  the  S.S.  Queen  Mary. 
• 

Joe  Roberts,  publicity  director  of 
Motion  Picture  Sales  Corp.,  returned 
here  yesterday  from  Montreal  and 
Toronto. 

• 

Sam  Lefkowitz,  United  Artists 
Eastern  district  manager,  will  return 
here  tomorrow  from  Boston. 

• 

Valli,  Italian  screen  actress,  will 
arrive  here  today  on  the  5\.S\  America 
from  London. 

• 

Dr.  Herbert  T.  Kalmus,  Techni- 
color president,  is  here  from  the 
Coast. 

• 

Ben  Thau,  M-G-M  studio  execu- 
tive, is  here  from  the  Coast. 

• 

J.  Cheever  Cowdin  is  due  to  arrive 
here  Friday  from  Europe. 


Tennessee  Gets  an 
Enabling  Measure 

Memphis,  April  19.  —  Gov. 
Browning  has  signed  into  law 
a  new  Tennessee  admission 
tax.  It  reduces  the  state  tax 
from  three  to  two  per  cent 
but  authorizes  cities  to  pass 
a  two  per  cent  tax  on  the- 
atres located  in  their  munici- 
palities. Thus  if  cities  take 
advantage  of  the  act,  the  to- 
tal city-state  tax  will  be  four 
per  cent  instead  of  three  as 
in  the  past. 


Settle  $1,000,000 
Rank  Contract  Suit 


Joelson  and  Frisch 
To  Aid  UJA  Drive 

Independent  New  York  circuit  oper- 
ators Julius  Joelson  and  Manny 
Frisch  have  been  named  co-chairmen 
of  the  United  Jewish  Appeal  amuse- 
ment division  in  their  field,  to  aid  the 
UJA's  1949  drive  for  funds.  Fred  J. 
Schwartz  is  chairman  of  the  division. 


'Jennie'  Capital  Premiere 

Washington,  April  19.— Mrs.  Harry 
S.  Truman  headed  the  list  of  sponsors 
of  the  benefit  performance  of  David 
O.  Selznick's  "Portrait  of  Jennie," 
which  had  its  Washington  premiere  at 
the  Trans-Lux  Theatre  here  last 
night,  with  proceeds  going  to  the  Davis 
Memorial  Goodwill  Industries,  Wash- 
ington's workshop  for  the  handicapped. 
Chairman  of  the  sponsoring  commit- 
tee was  Mrs.  Fred  M.  Vinson,  wife 
of  the  Chief  Justice  of  the  U.  S.  Su- 
preme Court.  Other  Justices'  wives 
were  among  the  sponsors. 


Rogers  Hospital  to 
Variety  on  May  30 


Arrangements  have  been  completed 
for  Variety  Clubs  International  to 
take  over  operation  of  the  Will  Rogers 
Hospital,  Saranac  Lake,  N.  Y.,  on  or 
about  May  30,  it  was  announced  yes- 
terday by  Robert  J.  O'Donnell,  In 
ternational  chief  barker. 

The  institution  will  be  known  as 
Variety  Clubs  International — Will 
Rogers  Hospital  and  patients  will  be 
restricted  to  persons  connected  with 
the  film  industry  and  allied  branches 

O'Donnell  expressed  Variety's  grati- 
tude to  the  film  sales  managers  com- 
mittee, "through  whose  efforts  the  hos- 
pital has  been  kept  open,  and  also  to 
company  presidents  who  supported  the 
managers  in  this  difficult  task  and  who 
more  recently  pledged  their  further 
financial  support." 

Plans  for  operation  of  the  institu- 
tion have  been  mapped  out  by  a  New 
York  committee  which  comprises  Max 
Cohen,  Abe  Montague,  Chick  Lewis, 
Si  Fabian  and  Ted  Gamble. 


Stars  at  Dinner 
For  Harry  Warner 

Hollywood,  April  19.  —  Dennis 
Morgan,  Gordon  MacRae  and  Eddie 
Bracken  will  be  among  the  stars  who 
will  entertain  at  the  dinner  being  giv- 
en Harry  M.  Warner,  president  of 
Warner  Brothers,  by  Beverly  Hills 
B'nai  B'rith  Women,  No.  245,  on 
April  27  at  the  Biltmore  Bowl. 

The  dinner,  to  be  attended  by  more 
than  1,000,  will  honor  Warner  for  his 
efforts  as  national  chairman  of  the 
Friendship  Train. 


Toronto,  April  19. — An  out-of- 
court  settlement  has  disposed  of  the 
$1,000,000  breach-of-contract  actions 
filed  by  Empire-Universal  Films  of 
Canada  in  U.  S.  and  Canadian  courts 
against  J.  Arthur  Rank  interests, 
Eagle-Lion,  Monogram  of  Canada, 
Universal-International  and  United 
World,  it  is  understood  here.  Terms 
of  the  settlement,  which  brings  to  an 
end  a  two-year  dispute  involving  the 
distribution  of  some  pictures  in  Can- 
ada and  Newfoundland,  were  reached 
in  New  York  following  the  recent  ar- 
rival there  from  England  of  Rank 
who  was  to  testify  at  a  scheduled 
hearing  of  the  suit  in  U.  S.  District 
Court  there. 

Empire-Universal  alleged  in  the  two 
actions  that  a  block  of  films  produced 
in  England  by  Rank  was  to  have 
been  distributed  in  Canada  by  U-I's 
subsidiary,  United  World  Pictures  of 
Canada,  in  accordance  with  the  terms 
of  a  nine-year  agreement  closed  with 
the  Rank  Organization.  The  charge 
was  made  that  the  agreement  was  not 
fulfilled  and  that  the  product  in  ques- 
tion had  been  diverted  to  Eagle-Lion, 
Universal-International  and  Mono- 
gram for  Canadian  distribution. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


New  York  attorneys  handling  the 
Empire-Universal-Rank  litigation  re 
fused  to  comment  yesterday  on  the  re- 
port from  Toronto  that  out-of-court 
settlement  had  been  made. 


Plans  Set  for  K.  C. 
Bond  Campaign  Rally 

Kansas  City,  April  19. — Proposed 
plans  for  a  show  at  the  Municipal 
Auditorium  here  on  May  15  that  will 
be  broadcast  as  the  "kick-off"  feature 
of  the  Treasury's  savings  bond  cam- 
paign, were  made  at  a  weekend  meet- 
ing of  motion  picture,  Treasury  and 
local  bond  campaign  executives,  under 
the  chairmanship  of  Elmer  C.  Rhoden. 
industry  representative  on  the  Jack- 
son County-Kansas  City  bond  cam- 
paign organization. 

The  regional  industry  committee 
also  includes  Senn  Lawler,  M.  D. 
(Babe)  Cohn  and  Bernard  Joffee. 


Two  Days  for  Para. 
Suit  Oral  Arguments 

New  York  Federal  Court  will  allow 
♦■he  government  and  distributor  defen- 
dants two  days  in  which  to  complete 
their  oral  arguments  in  the  industry 
anti-trust  suit.  The  hearings  are  to 
begin  here  tomorrow.  Entry  of  new 
evidence  will  not  be  permitted.  The 
court's  opinion  is  not  anticipated  for 
several  weeks. 


Will  Hay,  British  Comic 

London,  April  19.— Will  Hay,  60, 
whose  comic  portrayal  of  a  school- 
master has  been  a  fixture  on  the  Brit- 
ish screen  and  stage,  died  here  yester- 
day after  a  long  illness. 


Royal  C  ommand  Show 
On  Armistice  Day 

London,  April  19. — World  War  I 
Armistice  Day,  on  November  11,  and 
the  Marble  Arch  Odeon  Theatre  have 
been  set  as  the  date  and  place  for  a 
Royal  Command  Performance.  That 
theatre  was  selected  because  Britain's 
ailing  King  George  will  have  to  nego- 
tiate only  one  step  from  the  foyer  to 
the  Royal  box.  He  has  promised  def- 
initely to  be  present. 

Title  of  the  film  to  be  honored  on 
the  occasion  has  not  been  disclosed. 


ASTER  sendees  throughout  the 
*-*  nation  mark  a  highlight  in  all 
current  ntwsreels.  Other  items  include 
President  Truman  opening  the  base- 
ball season  and  Dr.  Ralph  Bundle 
arriving  here.  Complete  contents  fol- 
low : 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  32— Easter 
services:  Hollywood  Bowl,  St.  Patrick's. 
Syracuse  "Miracle  girl,"  Shirley  Ann  Mar- 
tin. U.S.  answers  Russia's  Atlantic  Pact 
blast.  UN  mediator  Bunche  returns  from 
Palestine.  Mississippi  River  shortened  for 
flood  control.  Paris:  dancing  champs 
crowned.  Aviation.  President  Truman 
opens  baseball  season. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAT,  No.  266— Easter 
Parade.  Airmen  in  new  endurance  tests. 
U.S.  denounces  Soviet  attack  on  defense 
pact.  Parisian  dance  champs.  President 
Truman  opens  baseball  season.  Derby  test 
thriller. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS.  No.  69— People 
in  the  eyes  of  the  world:  Ralph  Bunche, 
Stephen  T.  Early,  Burt  Lancaster.  A  Day 
of  Devotion.  Baseball  gets  down  to  busi- 
ness. 

TELENEWS     DIGEST,     No.  16-A— 

Miracle  in  Syracuse?  Easter  Parade.  War- 
ren Austin  defends  Atlantic  Pact.  Missis- 
sippi River  blasted.  Russians  protest 
American  diplomats'  fishing  trip.  Finland: 
Spring  in  the  North. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWS,  No.  240— Easter 
across  the  nation.  Endurance  flyers.  Eng- 
land: bus  tests.  Toronto  wins  Stanley  Cup 
for  third  year. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  71 — 
Paul  Reynaud  and  Dr.  Bunche  arrive  in  the 
U.S.  "Miracle  Girl."  President  Truman 
throws  first  ball.  Mississippi  River  blast. 
Endurance  flyers.  Easter  Parade.  Do  you 
remember? 


5 


( 


Companies  Decline 
SPG  Mediation  Bid 


An  offer  by  the  New  York  State 
Board  of  Mediation  to  step  into  the 
deadlocked  contract  negotiations  be- 
tween CIO's  Screen  Publicists  Guild 
and  distributors  has  been  turned  down 
by  the  companies,  the  union  reported 
here  yesterday. 

The  Guild  had  written  to  Arthur  S. 
Mayer,  board  chairman,  asserting  that 
the  companies  have  refused  to  discuss 
terms  of  a  new  labor  agreement  unless 
the  union  agrees  in  advance  to  forego 
salary  demands  and  security  and  arbi- 
tration clauses  gained  by  the  SPG 
during  seven  years  of  contracts  with 
the  producers,  according  to  a  state- 
ment issued  by  the  union  here  yester- 
day. 


Cinema  Lodge  Dinner  Set 

The  Cinema  Lodge  of  B'nai  B'rith 
will  hold  its  "Presidents'  Dinner"  at 
the  Hotel  Astor  next  Tuesday,  Jack 
H.  Levin,  committee  chairman,  re- 
ports, with  Ed  Sullivan,  columnist,  as 
master-of -ceremonies 


Day  Tour  as  'Live  Trailer' 

Doris  Day,  star  of  the  Warner 
picture,  "My  Dream  Is  Yours,"  is  on 
a  personal  appearance  tour  with  the 
Bob  Hope  show,  which  will  cover  20 
cities  and  serve  as  a  "live  trailer"  for 
the  film,  according  to  Mort  Blumen- 
stock,  Warner  advertising-publicity 
chief.  Art  Moger  is  advance  agent 
for  Miss  Day. 


Will  Distribute  Recorder 

American  National  Distributing, 
with  Edwin  Scheuing  as  president  in 
charge  of  sales  and  promotion,  has 
been  organized  to  distribute  the  Wag- 
ner-Nichols recorder  in  metropolitan 
New  York,  Northern  New  Jersey, 
Cincinnati,  Chicago,  Cleveland,  Buffa- 
lo and  Rochester. 


th 

toai 
« i 
prii 

msii 


ltor;  Martin  Quigley.  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.    Published  daily,  except  Saturdays. 

New  York  20,  N.  Y.    Telephone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
ident;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
uction  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver 
lurean   i  rnM«  c~  " f "" "j  "  ~<if/ '  tt" -JveI,tlsmg  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
_Jre  Herald-  Better  Theatres  and  TwV  W1\H°PuAUrPlT-  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor:  cable  address.  "Quigpubco,  London." 

Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  das  ll *  Sent  A  ,o\T\t S**'  nTh«?ubl*h£d  "  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign    sinefe  copies   }0c  '       %  6  P    '  °ffi°e  at  New  York'  N'  Y"  under  the  act  of  March  3-  1879-    Subscription  rates  per 


Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Pictu 


'ict 

ncer 
iii 

in 


AKEMEOUTTO 
(HE  BALL  GAME 

(Technicolor) 

th  walloping  week  on 
roadway!  Big  everywhere! 
ist  what  they  want  for  gay 
pringtime  Technicolor 
musical  entertainment. 


LITTLE 
WOMEN 

(Technicolor) 

4  weeks  of  happy  crowds  at 
Radio  City  Music  Hall.  Ter- 
rific biz  in  Philly  and  first 
40  dates  ditto! 


THE  SECRET 
GARDEN 

Hcture  of  the  Month"  in 
irents'  Magazine  is  first  of 
any  awards  to  come!  Pro- 
icer  of  "Yearling"  does  it 
;ain!  World  Premiere  at 
stor,  Boston,  coming! 


EDWARD, 
MY  SON 

Broadway's  No.  1  Dramatic 
Stage  Hit.  Almost  a  year  of 
S.  R.  O.  has  given  it  nation- 
wide attention.  Another 
M-G-M  Big  One! 


BARKLEYS  OF 
BROADWAY 

(Technicolor) 

"Picture  of  the  Month"  in 
Cosmopolitan.  Trade  press 
predicts  smash  hit.  World 
Premiere  Loew's  State,  N.  Y. 
Another  "Easter  Parade"! 


THE  STRATTON 
STORY 

Cleveland  critics  print  raves 
in  advance  of  World  Pre- 
miere. Every  screening  sen- 
sational! Next  attraction  at 
Radio  City  Music  Hall. 


THE  GREAT 
SINNER 

Seven  top  stars!  The  year's 
greatest  cast  in  a  magnificent 
production  in  the 
M-G-Manner!  Destined  to 
be  one  of  1949's  headliners. 


ANY  NUMBER 
CAN  PLAY 

Every  preview  on  Coast 
sends  them  out  raving  about 
"the  best  Gable  picture  in 
years!"  It's  got  everything! 


AND  ANOTHER  BIG  M-G-M  TECHNICOLOR  MUSICAL  "NEPTUNE'S  DAUGHTER" 

(Froo'e  Shows  May  11th,  except  N.  Y.  May  9th) 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  April  20,  1949 


U.S.  Limits 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


officially — that  an  impressive  dossier 
could  be  made  available  in  connection 
with  the  alleged  restrictions  put  on 
British  films  not  only  in  America  but 
also  in  Britain,  by  Americans.  This 
"evidence,"  covering  a  period  of  30 
years,  could  serve  as  a  surprising  in- 
dictment which  would  ill  become  the 
American  industry  which  now  is 
seeking  the  protection  of  its  State 
Department's  umbrella  because 
Britons  have  "gotten  tough"  in  their 
own  territory,  a  spokesman  said. 

"Why  cannot  the  Americans  be  con- 
tent with  60  per  cent  of  our  market 
when  our's  in  America  is  less  than 
one  per  cent?"  was  one  unofficial  For- 
eign Office  comment. 

It  is  understood  that  the  British 
Board  of  Trade  is  considering  the 
cabled  State  Department  protest,  but 
opinion  in  official  circles  is  that  this 
is  being  done  only  to  appease  the 
manifested  indignation  of  California's 
legislators  in  Washington. 

Britain's  independent  exhibitors  uni- 
versally hope,  of  course,  that  the  State 
Department  protest  will  lead  to  an 
abatement  of  the  quota. 


The  Stratton  Story9 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Bond  Chairmen 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Boston ;  Vincent  R.  McFaul,  Buffalo ; 
Ben  L.  Strozier,  Rock  Hill,  S.  C; 
John  Balaban,  Chicago;  Jack  R.  Kee- 
gan,  Cincinnati;  Ron  Gamble,  Akron; 
Robert  J.  O'Donnell,  Dallas;  Robert 
Selig,  Denver;  Myron  N.  Blank,  Des 
Moines;  Earl  J.  Hudson,  Detroit;  Ken 
Collins,  Indianapolis ;  Elmer  Rhoden, 
Kansas  City;  Charles  P.  Skouras, 
Los  Angeles;  M.  A.  Lightman,  Jr., 
Memphis. 

Also,  Harold  Fitzgerald,  Milwau- 
kee; Harry  French,  Minneapolis; 
Albert  Pickus,  Stratford,  Conn.;  N. 
L.  Carter,  New  Orleans;  Walter 
Reade,  Jr.,  New  York;  Marce  B razee, 
Oklahoma  City;  Robert  R.  Living- 
ston, Lincoln;  Harold  Seidenberg, 
Philadelphia;  Moe  Silver,  Pittsburgh; 


at  the  team's  California  spring  training  camp.  Stewart  meets  Miss  Allyson 
on  a  blind  date  and  the  two  fall  in  love. 

D  ETWEEN  alternately  charming  and  humorous  courtship  scenes,  Stewart's 
-L*  introduction  to  the  big  leagues  suffers  a  reverse  and  he  is  sent  to  the 
Omaha  farm  team.  While  there  he  marries  Miss  Allyson.  He  is  recalled  by 
the  White  Sox  and  finishes  the  reason  with  the  best  pitching  record  in  the 
American  League,  despite  at  least  one  particularly  bad  game  the  day  a  son 
is  born  to  his  wife. 

Spending  the  winter  on  his  Texas  farm  with  his  mother,  played  by  Agnes 
Moorehead  with  her  accustomed  beguiling  taciturnity,  the  hunting  accident 
which  necessitates  amputation  of  a  leg  occurs.  Thereafter,  Stewart  sinks  into 
a  spell  of  despondency.  All  efforts  of  his  wife  to  renew  his  interest  in  living 
fail,  but  one  day  watching  his  infant  son's  attempts  to  walk,  he  recognizes 
a  mutual  bond  of  helplessness.  Using  an  artificial  limb,  he  begins  the  arduous 
task,  with  the  child,  of  learning  to  walk. 

Eventually,  his  wife  succeeds  in  reawakening  his  interest  in  baseball  and 
the  time  comes  when  he  decides  he  must  have  the  answer  to  his  question 
whether  he  is  as  good  a  man  as  the  next.  He  induces  friends  to  permit  him 
to  pitch  in  a  regional  all-star  game  and  his  belief  in  himself  is  restored. 
THE  Douglas  Morrow  story  is  basically  and  in  large  part  the  real  life 
story  of  Monty  Stratton.  In  its  essence  it  is  an  inspirational  story  of 
courage  in  overcoming  a  grievous  handicap.  But  "The  Stratton  Story"  is 
much  more  than  that.  It  is  the  engaging  story  of  a  very  likeable  young  man 
making  his  way  to  the  top  in  the  game  all  America  loves ;  and  the  story  of 
his  romance  and  married  life  with  an  equally  likeable  girl  It  is  the  story 
of  their  joys  as  well  as  their  tragedy,  and  the  rebirth  of  their  hopes  after 
utter  dejection.  It  is  appealing  and  amusing  and  moving.  It  is  a  motion 
picture  for  the  whole  family  and  many  will  want  to  see  it  more  than  once 

It  boosts  an  already  high  batting  average  for  Leo  this  season  and  with 
its  release  at  the  beginning  of  a  new  baseball  year  it  should  still  be  going 
strong  when  the  nation  is  waiting  for  another  World  Series  results 

Morrow  did  the  screenplay  with  Guy  Trosper,  and  Jack  Cummings  is 
credited  with  the  fine  production. 

Baseball  sequences  are  numerous  and  are  miniature  shows  in  themselves 
Scenes  range  from  spring  training  camps,  through  the  American  League 
circuit  to  post-season  all-star  games.  Audience  interest  and  theatre  exolohV 
tion  possibilities  are  enhanced  by  glimpses  of  the  home  parks  of  American 
League  teams  and  of  action  therein.  An  able  supporting  cast  is  augmented 
by  appearances  of  Gene  Bearden,  Bill  Dickey,  Jimmy  Dykes  and  MervhT  Shea 

to  themfSansVeS'  Wh°  wil1  be  Cognizable 

Running  time,  106  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  May  release. 

 Sherwin  Kane 


Lockwood  on  Rentals! 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Jack  Matlack,  Portland,  Ore.;  Tom 
Edwards,  Farmington,  Mo. ;  Tracy 
Barham,  Salt  Lake  City ;  C.  M.  Thai!, 
San  Francisco ;  W.  Gamble,  Chehalis, 
Wash. ;  F.  Boucher,  Washington,  D.  C. 


Nassers  -  U.  A. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


"EL  PASO" 
"THE  PALEFACE" 
"WHISPERING  SMITH" 
"CONNECTICUT  YANKEE" 
||    .  AND  NOW 

Streets  of 


Laredo 


say  the  chances  of  a  deal  being  made 
are  less  than  even. 

The  belief  is  general  that  if  control 
TV,  '  i  ^  not  change  hands  by 
Thursday  the  present  owners,  Miss 
Pickford  and  Chaplin,  will  discontinue 
all  negotiations  for  some  time  to 
come. 

■M/a.uW.hile'  ?fficiaI  sources  empha- 
sized hat  the  Nassers  still  are  work- 
ing diligently  in  an  effort  to  consum- 
mate a  deal  and  could  upset  the 
dopesters  by  effecting  some  last- 
minute  compromises  with  financial 
groups  tomorrow  or  Thursday.  The 
odds,  however,  appear  to  be  against 
it,  largely  because  of  the  time  ele- 
ment. 

There  were  reports,  too,  of  a  Brit- 

!  /r°uU[LSaid  ,t0  have  been  interested 
m  he  bidding  for  U.A.  by  Arthur  W 
Kelly,  executive  vice-president  of  the 
company,  which  might  come  to  the 
tore  if  and  when  the  Nassers  with- 
draw. Identity  of  members  of  the 
group  has  been  closely  guarded,  but 
it  has  been  ascertained  that  it  does 
not  include  J.  Arthur  Rank.  Accord- 
ing to  one  report,  Teddy  Carr,  former 
mint  managing  director  for  U  A  in 
Britain,  is  included  in  the  group. 

Official  sources,  however,  admitting 
that  they  knew  of  the  British  group's 
"lterTest.  said  that  no  formal  offer  for 

j  -j-  stock  has  been  made  by  it 
and  indications  are  that  it  lacks  suffi- 
cient funds  in  this  country  to  finance 
a  deal  and  cannot  get  British  Treasury 
approval  to  convert  the  needed  pounds 


tax  burden  which  is  making  possible! 
the  flow  of  vast  sums  for  aid  toil 
Britain.  We  now  find  that  our  dollars 
are  being  spent  to  bolster  a  sick  Brit- 
ish motion  picture  industry  for  the 
purpose  of  competing  with  American 
films." 

Britain's  screen-time  quotas  and  cur-j 
rency  restrictions  "strike  at  American 
film  producers  who  are  now  attempt- 
ing to  transfer  the  adverse  effect  of 
these  British  moves  to  American  ex-i 
hibitors,"   Lockwood  continues,   add-  j 
ing :  "Under  the  circumstances  we  can 
hardly  be  expected  to  look  with  en-| 
thusiasm  upon  the  efforts  of  the  Brit-  'i 
ish  to  obtain  more  playing  time  for 
their  films  in  American  theatres."  $ 


Dines  Drive  Heads 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Publicity  Directors  Committee  and  Hol- 
lywood bond  drive  publicity  head;  A. 
J.  Richard,  Paramount  Newsreel  edi- 
tor and  chairman  of  the  newsreel 
committee;  Dore  Schary,  M-G-M 
production  vice-president  and  chair- 
man of  the  Hollywood  committee;  A. 
W.  Smith,  Jr.,  20th  Century-Fox  dis- 
tribution vice-president  and  national 
distributor  chairman;  Max  E.  Young- 
stein,  Eagle-Lion  advertising  vice- 
president  and  chairman  of  the 
advertising-publicity  committee. 

Myers  on  Rentals 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ture  Daily  for  publishing  the  Rod- 
gers  letter  right  along  with  the  20th- 
Fox  statement  challenging  Myers  to 
name  the  company  which  repudiated 
the  Lichtman  policy  yesterday.  Fox, 
said  Myers,  made  it  plain  that  it  alone 
was  pushing  for  higher  films  rentals, 
adding  that  "it  will  not  be  necessary 
for  them  (exhibitors)  to  paste  this  in- 
formation in  their  hats." 

He  said  that  20th-Fox  will  survive 
under  its  present  leadership,  but  add- 
ed that  "there  will  be  one  licked  man 
in  the  organization." 


IS  Additional  M-G-M 
'Friendship  Meetings' 

Sixteen  additional  cities  today  will 
be  the  center  of  M-G-M  "Friendship 
Meetings,"  at  which  time  M-G-M 
managers  will  be  host  to  exhibitors. 

Situations  where  theatre  owners 
will  gather  today  for  screenings  and 
luncheon  are:  Aberdeen,  S.  D. ;  Al- 
bany, Ore.;  Baltimore;  Birmingham; 
Boise;  Eldora,  Iowa;  Evansville;  Ft. 
Wayne;  Grand  Rapids;  Green  Bay, 
Wis. ;  Harrisburg;  Montgomery,  Ala. ; 
Phoenix  ;  Springfield,  111.,  and  Wichita. 

Academy  Directory 
Cut  to  3  a  Year 

Hollywood,  April  19.— Publication 
of  the  Academy  Players  Directory, 
which  lists  more  than  2,000  film, 
stage,  radi©  and  television  performers, 
will  be  limited  to  three  times  a  year 
instead  of  quarterly,  according  to  a 
joint  announcement  by  the  Screen 
Actors  Guild  and  the  Academy  of 
Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sciences. 


Rifkin  To  Honor  Broidy 

Boston,  April  19.— Herman  Rif- 
kin, Monogram  vice-president  and 
local  franchise  holder,  will  give  a 
luncheon  for  Steve  Broidy,  Mono- 
Allied  Artists  president,  at  the  Copley 
Plaza  on  April  25. 


— "» 


(FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 


DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  78 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  APRIL  21,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Reciprocate, 
Or  Else,  Myers 
Tells  British 


Says  State  Dept.  Should 
Be  Firm  on  the  Quota 

Washington,  April  20. — Allied 
States  Association  general  counsel 
Abram  F.  Myers  declared  today 
that  it  was  time  for  the  U.  S.  State 
Department  "to  deal  very  firmly"  with 
the  British  on  the  film  quota  and  on 
other  American  film  restrictions. 

He    warned    that    if  Great 
Britain  persisted  in  its  overly- 
protective    policies,    "we  will 
have  to  put  some  limit  on  im- 
ports of  British  films  here." 
"We  have  been  opening  our  mar- 
kets to  other  countries  to  a  degree 
never  imagined  before,"  Myers_  said. 
"There  must  be  some  reciprocity  in 
such  relations,   or  they  simply  will 
not  stand  up.    The  British  govern- 
ment has  a  splendid  record  of  fair 
dealing  in  its  international  relations, 
but  seems  to  have  slipped  very  badly 
in  this  particular  instance. 

"It  is  time  Uncle  Sam  told  John 
Bull  that  cooperation  is  not  a  one- 
way street,"  Myers  declared. 

'Stratton  Story'  Goes 
To  RKO  Loop  House 

Chicago,  April  20— "The  Stratton 
Story"  will  follow  "Joan  of  Arc"  into 
the  RKO  Grand,  it  was  learned  today, 
making  this  the  first  top  M-G-M  film 
to  play  away  from  either  the  Balaban 
&  Katz  or  Essaness  Loop  showcase 
houses.  While  terms  of  the  bidding 
were  not  disclosed,  it  is  understood 
that  M-G-M  was  seeking  a  house 
which  could  play  the  film  beyond  the 
two-week  limit  imposed  under  Jack- 
son Park  decree  rulings. 

The   film   will   probably   play  the 

(Continued  en  page  11) 


New  Arguments  In 
Para.  Suit  Today 


Another  step  toward  the  ultimate 
disposition  of  the  industry  anti-trust 
suit  will  be  taken  today  when  attor- 
neys for  the  government  and  the  six 
remaining  distributor  defendants  begin 
two  days  of  oral  arguments  in  New 
York  Federal  Court,  preliminary  _  to 
the  court's  promulgation  of  its  opinion 
and  decree. 

Warners,  Loew's  and  20th  Century- 
Fox  are  expected  to  continue  their 
fight  against  complete  divorcement, 
while  the  "Little  Three"  probably  will 
again  argue  for  modification  of  trade- 
practice  edicts. 

Government  prosecutor  Robert 
Wright  will  make  his  final  public  ap- 
pearance in  behalf  of  the  Department 
of  Justice  at  the  hearings.  As  pre- 
viously reported,  he  will  quit  the  post 
on  April  29  to  enter  private  practice 
in  Washington. 


QUOTA  PROTESTED 
'ORALLY,'  UK  SAYS 


Para.  Stockholder 
Would  'Upset'  Plan 

Defying  Paramount  president  Bar- 
ney Balaban's  March  31  declaration 
that  upon  two-thirds  acceptance  of  the 
company's  reorganization  plan  stock- 
holds  would  not  be  free  to  demand 
cash  for  their  shares,  a  minority  stock- 
holder has  applied  for  a  court  order 

(Continued  on  page  11) 


Embassy  Got 
Quota  Protest, 
Acheson  Says 


Washington,  April  20. — Secre- 
tary of  State  Dean  Acheson  de- 
clared today  that  the  U.  S.  State 
Department  has  protested  the  Brit- 
ish film  quota  to  the  British  Embassy 
here. 

Acheson  said  the  Department  be- 
lieved the  quota  made  the  earlier 
agreement  on  remittances  unworkable 
and  also  was  directed  at  protecting 
the  British  film  industry. 

Asked  to  comment  on  the  quota  at 
his  weekly  press  conference,  Acheson 
first  reviewed  the  remittance  agree- 
ment and  then  the  film  quota  actions. 
"It  seemed  to  the  film  industry  and  to 
the  State  Department  that  the  imposi- 
tion of  this  quota  did  several  things," 
he  told  reporters.  "One  of  them  was 
that  it  made  quite  impossible  the 
working  out  of  the  agreement  previ 
ously  reached  on  the  earnings  of  the 
(Continued  on  page  15) 


Fight  for  State,  City 
Ticket  Tax  Starts  Today 


Eastern  Pa.  Allied 
Hits  20th's  Plan 


Philadelphia,  April  20. — Allied 
Independent  Theatre  Owners  of  East- 
tern  Pennsylvania  has  released  to  its 
members  a  bulletin  wherein  it,  too, 
takes  exception  to  20th  Century-Fox's 
plan  for  increased  rentals.  The  bulle- 
tin states,  in  part: 

"The  Fox  theatre  circuit,  owned  by 
(Continued  on  page  11) 


Yog  el  Is  Chairman 
Of  Fund  Campaign 

Joseph  R.  Vogel,  Loew's  Inc.,  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  theatre  opera- 
tions, has  been  named  amusement  in- 
dustry chairman  of  the  Greater  New 
York  Fund  by  John  D.  Rockefeller, 
3rd,  campaign  chairman. 

Vogel's  committee  for  the  forthcom- 
ing fund-raising  campaign,  though 
not  yet  named,  will  include  leaders  in 
motion  picture  distribution,  theatres, 
sports,  legitimate  theatre,  music  pub- 
lishing, record  companies,  radio 
broadcasting,  New  York  motion  pic- 
ture studios,  the  manufacture  of  mu- 
sical instruments,  theatre  furnishings 
and  projection  equipment. 


Washington,  April  20— State  and 
local  governments  will  make  their 
most  determined  efforts  to  date  to  get 
the  Federal  Government  to  leave  the 
theatre  admission  tax  field  to  them 
when  their  representatives  meet  with 
U.  S.  Treasury  officials  here  tomorrow 
and  Friday. 

The  two-day  conference,  called  by 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury  Snyder,  will 
deal  with  the  problems  of  overlapping 
taxes  and  inadequate  state  and  local 
revenue.  While  Treasury  officials  em- 
phasize that  the  meeting  is  "explora 
tory,"  representatives  of  state  and  lo 
cal  government  associations  are  "very 
hopeful"  that  definite  decisions  may 
be  made  in  their  favor. 

The  place  of  the  admission  tax  and 

(Continued  on  page  15) 


Warners'  Production  and 
Release  Program— See  Page  3 


Commercial  Counsellor 
Received  U.  S.  State 
Department's  Message 

London,  April  20. — Secretary  of 
State  Acheson's  official  protest 
against  the  40  per  cent  British  film 
quota  was  made  orally  to  British 
Commercial  Counsellor  Percival  in 
Washington,  and  not  in  the  form  of  a 
formal  note  to  the  Washington  Em- 
bassy as  had  been  supposed  originally, 
it  has  been  learned  here. 

That  accounts  for  the  British  Board 
of  Trade's,  and  not  the  Foreign  Of- 
fice's, having  taken  the  matter  under 
advisement  here,  it  was  said. 

The  feeling  has  grown  here  that 
had  Acheson  been  "vitally"  concerned 
over  the  quota  he  would  have  ad- 
dressed a  formal  note  to  the  British 
Embassy  in  Washington.  Opinion 
here  is  leaning  increasingly  to  the  view 
that  the  protest  was  made  firstly  to 
appease  California's  indignant  legis- 
(Continued  on  page  15) 

Talk  Uppermost  As 
UK-US  Group  Meets 

Washington,  April  20.— Three- 
day  meeting  of  the  Anglo-American 
Films  Council  will  open  here  tomor- 
row with  general  discussion  of  "mu- 
tual problems"  regarded  as  the  prin- 
cipal prospect. 

American  members  Eric  A.  Johns- 
ton, Barney  Balaban  and  Nicholas  M. 
Schenck  would  like  to  see  a  large  part 
of  the  restrictions  confronting  U.  S. 
(Continued  on  page  15) 


Pickford  Enters 
UA  Negotiations 

Hollywood,  April  20.— Mary 
Pickford  today  for  the  first 
time  joined  the  conferences 
between  James  Nasser  and 
United  Artists  officers  Grad- 
well  Sears  and  George  L. 
Bagnall  which  have  been  pro- 
ceeding virtually  around  the 
clock  for  the  past  three  days. 
All  principals  withheld  com- 
ment on  the  progress  of  ne- 
gotiations leading  to  the  sale 
by  Charles  Chaplin  of  his 
own  and  Pickford's  UA  in- 
terests to  the  Nassers,  under 
an  option  that  expires  tomor- 
row midnight. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  April  21,  1949 


Technicolor  Profit 
Up  More  Than  50% 

Technicolor's  Consolidated 
net  profit,  after  taxes  and 
other  charges,  for  the  quarter 
ended  March  31,  1949,  is  es- 
timated to  be  $663,750,  equiv- 
alent to  72  cents,  an  increase 
of  more  than  50  per  cent  per 
share,  over  the  $402,750  and 
44  cents  per  share  for  the 
corresponding  quarter  of 
1948,  company  president  Dr. 
Herbert  T.  Kalmus  reported 
yesterday. 


Films  Are  Without 
Communism:  DAR 


Washington,     April     20. —  The 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolu 
tion  motion  picture  committee  has  giv 
en  the  film  industry  a  clean  bill-of- 
health    as     free    from  Communist 
propaganda. 

A  report  given  to  the  national 
DAR  convention  by  film  committee 
chairman  Mrs.  Leroy  Montgomery  of 
Norwalk,  Conn.,  said  the  committee 
had  received  reports  from  sub-commit- 
tees throughout  the  country  on  all 
major  films  and  "in  not  a  single  report 
was  Communism  reported  as  having 
been  noted  in  any  picture."  Other 
highlights  of  the  committee's  report : 

Double  features  seem  to  be  on  the 
wane  in  many  sections  of  the  country, 
and  many  states  report  that  theatre 
managers  are  willing  to  try  a  single 
feature,  plus  good  shorts. 

Saturday-morning  matinees  for  chil- 
dren are  increasing. 

"There  are  many  fine,  patriotic,  edu- 
cational and  altogether  entertaining 
short  subjects"  which  go  very  nicely 
with  a  good  single  feature. 

In  many  cases  where  a  good  film  for 
children  is  shown,  the  second  feature 
is  not  at  all  appropriate.  Theatre 
managers  should  be  urged  to  substitute 
another  film  more  suitable  for  children 
with  a  good  first  feature. 

The  MPAA  has  given  "fine  co- 
operation," making  many  short  sub- 
jects available  for  chapter  programs 
and  state  conferences. 

Friday  night  is  becoming  more 
popular  as  family  night  in  theatres, 
and  managers  are  making  more  effort 
to  have  films  on  Friday  suitable  for 
the  whole  familv. 


Personal  Mention 


CHARLES  P.  SKOURAS,  Nation- 
al   Theatres    president,    has  ar- 
rived here  from  the  Coast. 


Gilbert  Spertell,  head  of  Eagle- 
Lion's  advertising  accounting  depart- 
ment, and  Mrs.  Spertell,  the  former 
Martha,  Kaplan  of  Goldwyn  Pro- 
ductions,' are  the  parents  of  a  son, 
Robert  Bruce,  born  at  the  Beth  Is- 
rael Hospital  here. 

• 

David  D.  Horne,  Film  Classics 
foreign  sales  manager,  is  due  in  New 
York  Monday  from  an  extended  trip 
abroad. 

• 

Monroe  Greenthal,  head  of  the 
Monroe   Greenthal   Agency,   has  be- 
come a  father  for  the  first  time  with 
the  birth  of  a  son,  Stanley  Scott. 
• 

Dan  S.  Terrell  of  Loew's  adver- 
tising department  will  return  here 
Saturday  from  a  tour  of  Loew's  thea- 
tres. 

• 

Mrs.  John  Joseph,  wife  of  the  ex- 
ecutive assistant  to  Howard  Dietz, 
will  leave  for  Europe  in  June. 
• 

Oscar  A.  Doob,  Loew's  Theatre 
executive,  will  be  in  Cleveland  today 
and  tomorrow  from  New  York. 


HENRY  A.  (HANK)  LINET, 
Universal-International  Eastern 
advertising  manager,  will  address  the 
spring  seminar  of  the  American  Thea- 
tre Wing  tonight  on  the  subject,  "The 
Operation  of  a  Motion  Picture  Adver- 
tising and  Publicity  Department." 
• 

Norman  Poller  of  RKO  Radio's 
home  office  publicity  department,  and 
Mrs.  Poller,  are  parents  of  a  daugh 
ter,  Judy,  born  at  Bronx  Maternity 
Hospital. 

• 

Sam  Shain,  head  of  exhibitor  re 
lations  for  20th  Century-Fox,  became 
the  father  of  a  third  son,  Richard 
Matthew,  born  yesterday  at  Doctors 
Hospital  here. 

• 

I.  E.  Lopert,  Lopert  Films  presi 
dent,  will  leave  here  Tuesday  aboard 
the  S.  S.  America  for  a  four  months' 
trip  to  Europe. 

• 

Karl  HerzOG,  executive  vice-presi- 
dent of  Cinecolor  and  Film  Classics, 
left  Hollywood  by  plane  last  night  for 
New  York. 

• 

Charles     Simonelli,  Universal- 
International     Eastern  exploitation 
manager,  returned  to  New  York  yes 
terday  from  the  Coast. 


Says  Consent  Decree 
Bars  Video  License 


Government  Claims 
$336,701  Evasion 

Charlotte,  April  20.— Ellis  Blum- 
enthal,  operating  the  Tryon  Theatre 
here  and  houses  throughout  the  Caro- 
linas  and  Georgia,  today  faced  a 
charge'  of  attempting  to  defeat  and 
evade  the  Federal  income  tax  law  to 
the  amount  of  $336,701  for  the  years 
1943  through  1945.  The  bill  of  in- 
dictment was  presented  by  U.  S.  Dis- 
trict Attorney  Bryce  R.  Holt.  It  will 
come  up  in  June  at  Federal  Court 
in  Greensboro,  N.  C.  Investigators 
claim  Biumenthal  made  returns  for 
less  than  half  of  what  they  really 
were. 


SPG  to  Turn  to  U.  S. 
Mediation  in  Impasse 

CIO's  Screen  Publicists  Guild  here 
will  ask  the  Federal  Mediation  and 
Conciliation  Service  to  take  steps  to 
break  the  deadlock  in  contract  negoti- 
ations between  the  union  and  distribu- 
tors, SPG  indicated  yesterday  follow- 
ing the  report  that  the  companies  have 
turned  down  an  offer  of  the  New 
York  State  Board  of  Mediation  to 
review  the  situation. 

The  Guild  charges  that  the  compa- 
nies have  refused  to  discuss  terms  of 
new  labor  agreement  unless  the 
union  agrees  in  advance  to  forego 
salary  demands  and  security  and  arbi- 
tration clauses. 

DeLuxe  'Collarites'  Vote 
In  Favor  of  a  Union  Shop 

DeLuxe  Laboratory's  "white  collar- 
ites" yesterday  voted  100  per  cent  in 
favor  of  a  union  shop  in  an  election 
conducted  by  the  National  Labor  Re- 
lations Board  here,  it  is  reported  by 
AFL's  IATSE  Motion  Picture  Home 
Office  Employes  Local  No.  H-63, 
which  recently  won  the  DeLuxe  unit 
away  from  CIO's  Screen  Office  and 
Professional  Employes  Guild. 


MGM  Sets  Final  26 
'Friendship  Meetings' 

Having  already  held  40  get- 
togethers  for  exhibitors,  M-G-M  to- 
day will  hold  another  19  "Friendship 
Meetings"  in  non-exchange  areas. 

Today's  sessions,  at  which  M-G-M 
managers  will  be  hosts,  will  take  place 
at  Akron  ;  Cheyenne  ;  Frankfort,  Ky. ; 
Jackson,  Miss.;  Jacksonville;  Lans- 
ing; Little  Rock;  Lubbock,  Tex., 
Madison,  Wis.;  Moline ;  Providence; 
Reading;  Sacramento;  San  Diego; 
Sioux  City;  Spokane;  Toledo;  Tulsa,' 
and  Utica. 

Dates  and  places  of  the  seven  final 
meetings  are:  Duluth,  Newark  and 
Richmond,  on  April  22;  Erie,  April 
26;  Columbia,  April  27;  Charleston 
and  Raleigh,  April  28. 


Special  Para.  Sales 
Post  for  Pickman 

Jerry  Pickman,  who  has  resigned 
as  Eagle-Lion's  assistant  advertising- 
publicity  director  to  join  Paramount, 
will  start_  with  the  latter  company  on 
Monday  in  the  specially-created  post 
of  exhibitor-public  relations  represen- 
tative in  the  sales  department,  under 
distribution  vice-president  Alfred  W. 
Schwalberg. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue  , 
.New  York       Martin  Quigley.  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Ou  iglev  T 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor-  TT--1 — *  "         '--    *  J  *■=-»--     "  wuigiey^  j 


Para.  Opposes  Brandt 
Plea  for  Particulars 

Paramount  has  moved  in  New 
York  Supreme  Court  here  to  vacate  a 
demand  by  Harry  Brandt  and  the  160- 
odd  other  theatre  defendants  for  a 
bill  of  particulars  in  connection  with 
the  $573,000  percentage  action  brought 
by  the  company.  The  motion  is  due  to 
be  argued  in  court  next  month.  The 
numerous  defendants  are  corporations 
and  individuals  representing  97  Metro- 
politan New  York  theatres  for  which 
Brandt  has  booked  product. 

Brandt  Booking  Upstate 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  April  20.— Brandt 
I  heatres  of  New  York  City  will  buy 
and  book  product,  and  also  manage 
the  new  Tyron  Theatre  at  Amsterdam 
for  Robert  Zimmerman  of  that  city. 
Harry  Brandt,  Joe  Ingber  and  Lou 
Wolf  attended  the  opening  Monday. 


Washington,  April  20. — The  Fed-  ) : 
eral  Communications  Commission  to- 
day, in  one  of  the  most  bitter  tongue- 
lashings  ever  given  any  government . 
agency  on  the  Senate  floor,  was  ac- 1 
cused  of  being  a  captive  of  a  few 
large  firms  in  the  radio-television  field 
and  of  helping  them  "perpetuate  their 
control"    of   broadcasting   and   tele-  I 
vision. 

The  denunciation  came  from  Sena-  \i 
tor  Ed  Johnson,  Colorado  Democrat  4 
and  chairman  of  the  powerful  Senate 
Interstate      Commerce  Committee, 
which  handles  all  radio  legislation. 

"Interests  who  have  accepted  con- 
sent decrees  stand  at  the  counter  de-  I 
manding  the  right  to  get  into  tele-  .1 
vision,"  Johnson  said.  "The  Communi-  I 
cations  Act  makes  it  quite  clear  that 
convicted  monopolists  should  not  hold 
licenses,    but   strangely   enough,   the  1 
Commission  has  never  promulgated  a  I 
rule  which  would  settle  directly  once  'i 
and  for  all  its  own  interpretation  of 
the  act  on  the  rights  of  those  who  I 
run  afoul  of  the  anti-trust  laws." 

Paramount,  which  entered  a  con-  I 
sent  decree  in  the  government's  New 
York  anti-trust  suit,  has  applications 
pending  for  television  stations  and 
asked  the  FCC  to  settle  its  own  in- 
terpretation of  the  act  in  this  con- 
nection. 


250-Theatre  Opening 
For  'Younger  Bros! 

With  the  backing  of  an  extensive 
campaign  by  Mort  Blumenstock's  ad- 
vertising-publicity department,  War- 
ner Brothers'  production  of  "The 
Younger  Brothers"  is  set  for  a  Great 
Plains  area  premiere  in  250  theatres 
during  the  first  two  weeks  of  May. 
In  addition  to  the  territorial  campaign, 
company  stars  Wayne  Morris,  Bruce 
Bennett,  Alan  Hale,  James  Brown 
and  Barbara  Bates  will  take  part  in 
the  event. 

The  Great  Plains  premiere  will 
cover  the  following  areas :  Memphis, 
27  cities;  Omaha,  25  cities;  Kansas 
City,  120  ;  Oklahoma  City,  20 ;  Dallas, 
56 ;  St.  Louis,  25,  and  Des  Moines,  20. 

The  premiere  playdates  will  tee-off 
at  the  Paramount  Theatre  in  Kansas 
City  on  May  4.  In  addition  to  dis- 
patching three  field  men  to  set  up  the 
campaign,  Hall  Walsh,  Prairie  dis- 
trict manager;  Doak  Roberts,  South 
Western  district  manager,  and  local 
branch  managers  will  assist  in  the 
campaign. 


Quigley  Jr.,  Associate  Editor 


Polio  Foundation 
Gets  $400,000  Check 

Charles  P.  Skouras,  president  of 
National  Theatres,  yesterday  presented 
a  ^  check  for  $400,796  to  Basil 
O'Connor  for  the  Infantile  Paralysis 
Foundation  in  behalf  of  National  The- 
atres and  a  number  of  independent 
theatres  in  California.  The  presenta- 
tion was  made  in  the  New  York  of- 
fices of  20th  Century-Fox,  and  repre- 
sents polio  collections  from  all  Na- 
tional Theatre  divisions,  including 
Southern  and  Northern  California, 
Midwest,  Mountain,  Wisconsin, 
Northwest,  Detroit  and  Philadelphia. 


James  V.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Managerr  (fti*  H  F»„«Vi  v  j f  !■  '  i,'  h  ^aUlva",  Vice-P 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and [Advert  "in* .V^Ir^lJ'f^.-.^^  Hollywood  Bu 


Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
r.  Vice-President-'  Thin"  f"k  iv  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
fo..:-V3e£re?Id?Pt>  T!>e°-  J-  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary ; 

jreau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 


m,  _r3.""c  London  'Bureau,  4  Grfto  Sq. ^London  W?'  H^1&?^S%iLJ&J^f:L?^ia?  7*W&&&%  Washington! 


Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre i  Sales  each  m^lilwTi  ^anag;er-  Peter  BurnuP-  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London' 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept  23  1938  at  tht ™Jt  a?  ub,,(s\eTd  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald"  Tnternatinnai 
year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c  '      P  1938'  at  the  post  office  at  N™  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879  Subscription ^  rates  per 


WARNER  BROS.  ARE 

READY! 

WARNER  BROS.  ARE 

SET! 

WATCH  WARNER  BROS. 


AS  NEVER 


w 


THEIR  FUTURE,  YOUR 


BETTE  DAVIS 
HUMPHREY  BOGART 
INGRID  BERGMAN 
ERROL  FLYNN 


JOAN  CRAWFORD     JANE  WYMAN 


RAY  BOLGER 


GARY  COOPER 
DENNIS  MORGAN 
LAUREN  BACALL 
DAVID  NIVEN 


DANNY  KAYE  DORIS  DAY 

VIVECA  LINDFORS  RONALD  REAGH 

JACK  CARSON  ALEXIS  SMITH 

VIRGINIA  MAYO  JOEL  McCREA 


NEVER  MORE 


WARNERS  ARE  ON  l^T 


UTURE.  OUR  FUTURE 


EVE  ARDEN 
JUNE  HAVER 
GORDON  MACRAE 
LEW  AYRES 
ELEANOR  PARKER 


CLAUDE  RAINS  ZACHARY  SCOTT 

PATRICIA  NEAL  S.  Z.  SAKALL 

SYDNEY  GREENSTREET  RAYMOND  MASSEY 

DANE  CLARK  MICHAEL  WILDING 

EDDIE  BRACKEN  DAVID  BRIAN 


¥ 


¥ 


WLLIANT ! 


if 


A 


123 


ALL  THESE 

JENNIFER  JONES  *  GREGORY  PECK  *  JOSEPH  COTTEN  *  SHIRLE 
JAMES  CAGNEY*JOHN  GARFIELD  -  MARLENE  DIETRICH  *  RANDOLPH  SCO 

ADD  NEW  WARN 


4 


"A 

i~Vt  no  period  in  our  Studio's  history  has  so  much  been  ac 
complished  -  so  much  of  major  importance  to  the  industry. 

In  the  product  completed  and  in  the  story  properties  we 
have  assembled  for  full-speed-ahead  production,  exhibitors 
can  see  that  our  Studio  is  prepared  to  surpass  every  past 
record  of  performance. 

Our  plans  go  so  far  beyond  any  program  we  have  ever 
put  forward  that  the  addition  of  more  and  more  stars  was 
required. 


WNARNERS  Mi 


r?EAT  NAMES 

EMPLE  *  LOUIS  JOURDAN  *  BETSY  DRAKE  *  RORY  CALHOUN 
JOHN  WAYNE  BURT  LANCASTER  KIRK  DOUGLAS  GINGER  ROGERS 

:r  greatness  ! 


Through  arrangements  with  David  O.  Selznick  we  are 
happy  to  welcome  many  of  his  important  personalities.  We 
eare  very  proud  too,  to  welcome  the  many  other  great  names 
who  have  joined  our  already  impressive  star  roster. 

These  people,  this  program,  and  the  vast  resources  of 
our  Studio,  are  positive  testimony  that  Warner  Bros,  are 
prepared  as  never  before  to  bring  new  levels  of  success  to 
the  motion  picture  exhibitor.        t   #     g  v  _yi/^h^rje/^^ 


//  EXECUTIVE  PRODU 


CER 


*    -fa-  * 


>N  WHB  mO! 


READY! 


Every  one  of  these  productions  is  complete 
and  ready  for  release! 


FLAMINGO  ROAD"  JOAN  CRAWFORD  m-tik.*mk 


THE  FOUNTAINHEAD"  GARY  COOPER  PATRICIA  NEAL 


RAYMOND  MA  Br 
ROBERT  DOUG! 


UNDER  CAPRICORN 


11  TECHNICOLOR 

Transatlantic  Picture 


fS       INGRIO  f\     JOSEPH         Iff  MICHAEL 

Bergman  Cotten  Wilding 

DAY  m  CARSON  m  BOWMAN « ARDEN 
"THE  HASTY  HEART"  RONALD  REAGAN  PATRICIA  NEAL  RICHARD  TODD 


' '  TECHNICOLOR 

MICHAEL  CURTIZ 
Production 


adolphe  mm 

'Cuddles'  SAK 


HAPPY  TIMES 

F 


TECHNICOLOR 


DANNY  KAYE 


u 


it 


'Cuddles' 
SAKALL 


BRODERICK 
CRAWFORD 


TECHNICOLOR 


AND  SURPRISE 
APPEARANCE  OF  ALI 
STUDIO'S  STARS 


LOOK  FOR  THE  SILVER  LINING"  .=«.,«„„  Haver  Bolger  Macrae 

MONTANA"  TECHNICOLOR  ERROL  FLYNN  ALEXIS  SMITH 

T"  RONALD  REAGAN  VIVECA  L 
"IT'S  A  GREAT  FEELING" 

COLORADO  TERRITORY  a- JOEL  McCREA  VIRGINIA  MAYO 
BACKFIRE"  Clark  Mayo  Macrae  Lindfors  O'bI'n 

"THE  YOUNGER  BROTHERS"™..-  MS  Mm  Pi  BiE  Hii 
"TASK  FORCE"  GARY  COOPER 


U 


JANE  WYATT 
WALTER  BRENNAN 


i 


WARNERS  ARt 


SET! 


The  most  valuable  properties  ever  assembled  on  our  sound 
stages — preparing  and  in  production  at  full-speed-ahead! 


it 


it 


it 


It 


it 


it 


it 


a 


it 


it 


ti 


a 


a 


CHAIN  LIGHTNING  HUMPHREY  BOGART  ELEANOR  PARKER 
BEYOND  THE  FOREST  BETTE  DAVIS  JOSEPH  COHEN 
WHITE  HEAT  JAMES  CAGNEY 
PERFECT  STRANGERS  GINGER  ROGERS  DENNIS  MORGAN 
THE  MIAMI  STORY  BURT  LANCASTER 
ETHAN  FROME  GREGORY  PECK 
DALLAS  technicolor  ERROL  FLYNN  PATRICIA  NEAL 
BRIGHT  LEAF  GARY  COOPER 
THE  VICTIM  JOAN  CRAWFORD  DAVID  BRIAN 
YOUNG  MAN  WITH  A  HORN"  lauren  BACALL  kirk  DOUGLAS  doris  DAY 
THE  GLASS  MENAGERIE  JANE  WYMAN  KIRK  DOUGLAS 
VICTORIA  GRANDOLET  technicolor  JENNIFER  JONES  LOUIS  JOURDAN 
ALWAYS  LEAVE  THEM  LAUGHING  techno  DANNY  KAYE 

ALWAYS  SWEETHEARTS  TECHNICOLOR  Temple  Fitzgerald  McAllister  Seabiscuit 

THE  TRAVELERS  technicolor  JOHN  WAYNE  ELEANOR  PARKER 
THE  OCTOPUS  AND  MISS  SMITH "  jane  WYMAN  dennis  MORGAN  eve  ARDEN 
WEST  POINT  STORY  technicolor  james  CAGNEY  june  HAVER  gordon  MACRAE 
BARRICADE"  technicolor  DANE  CLARK  VIRGINIA  MAYO  RAYMOND  MASSEY 
COLT  45  technicolor  RANDOLPH  SCOTT  ALEXIS  SMITH 
STAGEFRIGHT  ALF— K  JANE  WYMAN  MARLENE  DIETRICH 


ON  TH 


iiiiiiiu»iiwh»»ww 


RICHARD  BARE 
DAVID  BUTLER 
MICHAEL  CURTIZ 
PETER  GODFREY 
STUART  HEISLER 
ALFRED  HITCHCOCK 
VINCENT  SHERMAN 
KING  VIDOR 
RAOUL  WALSH 
BRETAIGNE  WINDUST 


HENRY  BLANKE 
JAY  DRATLER 
LOU  EDELMAN 
SAUL  ELKINS 
EVERETT  FREEMAN 
WILLIAM  JACOBS 
HARRY  KURNITZ 
MILTON  SPERLING 
ANTHONY  VEILLER 
JERRY  WALD 


CAGNEY  PRODUCTIONS 
BRYAN  FOY  PRODUCTIONS 
NORMA  PRODUCTIONS 
ROBERTS  PRODUCTIONS 
TRANSATLANTIC  PICTURES 

UNIT"  mm  PlnT,,B" 


PRODUCT 

AS  NEVER  BEFORE! 

STARS 

AS  NEVER  BEFORE! 

WARNER  BROS. 
ARE  GEARED  TO 


AS  NEVER  BEFORE! 


Thursday,  April  21,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


11 


Production  Is  Up, 
27  Before  Cameras 


Reviews 


Hollywood,  April  20.— The  produc- 
tion index  has  moved  up  to  27,  two 
over  last  week.  Eight  pictures  were 
started  and  six  were  completed. 

Shooting  started  on  "Lawless," 
Columbia ;  "Battleground,"  M-G-M ; 
"Forgotten  Women,"  Monogram; 
"Copper  Canyon"  (Technicolor), 
Paramount;  "The  Arizona  Cowboy," 
Republic ;  "Always  Sweethearts," 
"Return  of  the  Frontiersman"  (Tech- 
nicolor), and  "Barricade,"  Warners. 
Completed  were  "South  of  Death 
Valley,"  Columbia;  "Safety  Pins" 
and  "The  Kid  Came  West,"  Mono- 
gram; "My  Friend  Irma,"  Para- 
mount; "Wyoming  Bandit,''  Repub- 
lic; "Ringside,"  Screen  Guild. 


Bernard,  T  homer 
To  Promote  'Laredo' 

Judd  Bernard  and  Everett  Thorner, 
publicists,  were  engaged  by  Para- 
mount yesterday  for  special  assign- 
ments in  the  promotion  of  the  world 
premiere  of  "Streets  of  Laredo"  at 
Laredo,  Texas,  on  May  16.  With 
George  Henger,  Paramount's  South- 
western representative,  they  will  do 
the  groundwork  for  an  all-star  junket 
which  will  tour  Texas  and  Oklahoma 
following  participation  in  "The 
Streets  of  Laredo  Founding  Week 
Fiesta"  at  Laredo. 

In   a   wire   from   Laredo,  Mayor 
Hugh   Cluck  announced  that  Para 
mount's  prexy  Barney   Balaban  ha 
been   appointed   honorary   mayor  of 
Laredo  for  the  premiere  and  has  been 
made  an  honorary  citizen  for  life. 


CBS  Shows  13-Week 
Net  of  $855,764 

Columbia  Broadcasting  yesterday 
reported  earnings  of  $855,764  for  the 
13  weeks  ending  April  2,  1949,  against 
$1,553,686  for  the  corresponding  peri 
od  of  last  year.  The  1949  profit  is 
equivalent  to  50  cents  per  share,  com- 
pared with  90  cents  per  share  in  1948 


Louis  L.  Marks,  62, 
Pioneer  in  Chicago 

Chicago,  April  20. — Services  for 
Louis  L.  Marks,  62,  former  co-owner  of 
the  Granada  and  Marbo  theatres,  who 
died  Monday  in  Grant  Hospital,  will 
be  held  tomorrow.  With  his  late 
brother,  Meyer  Marks,  he  built  a  large 
circuit  of  theatres  in  Chicago,  whicl 
they  sold  in  1928,  including  the  Gra- 
nada and  Marbro,  to  Balaban  and 
Katz. 

Surviving  are  two  sons,  Jerome  and 
Raymond,  and  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Reeva 
Rosenfield. 


Joan  Blaine,  Actress 

Joan  Blaine,  radio,  stage  and  screen 
actress,  who  appeared  in  the  film. 
"The  Knife,"  died  Monday  at  New 
York  Hospital.  The  widower,  William 
Pitts,  a  member  of  Young  and  Rubi- 
cam,  two  brothers  and  two  sisters 
survive. 


The  Big  Sombrero' 


(Columbia) 

GENE  AUTRY  heads  the  cast  of  this  Cinecolor  Western  which  has  all 
the  necessary  ingredients  of  action,  shooting,  guitar-playing  and  singing. 
A  Gene  Autry  production,  with  Arrnand  Schaefer  as  producer  and  Frank 
McDonald  as  director,  it  rates  well  in  its  category. 

This  time  Autry  is  somewhere  South  of  the  border,  down  Mexico  way, 
where  after  being  stranded  with  a  show,  he  becomes  the  foreman  of  a 
ranch  on  which  the  "ranchers"  are  getting  the  wrong  steer  and  a  bum's  rush. 

Autry  spots  the  villain  almost  from  the  opening  reel,  and  could  no  doubt 
square  things  up  in  10  seconds  flat,  but  he  drags  things  out  nicely  enough 
so  that  all  Autry  fans  will  have  a  wonderful  time  watching  him  gallop  his 
horse  Champion  through  some  gorgeously  photographed  scenery. 

The  action  scenes  are  all  up  to  par  and  some  of  the  sequences  of  the 
Mexican  fiestas  and  dances  are  colorful  and  tuneful.  The  girl  in  the  case  is 
good-looking  Elena  Verdugo  who  is  being  swindled  out  of  her  ranch  (until 
Autry  comes  along)  by  the  villain,  Steve  Dunne,  whom  she_  has  taken  into 
her  confidence.  Everything  ends  nicely  by  the  fadeout  which  again  finds 
Gene  singing  the  finale. 
Running  time,  78  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  A  March  release. 


Eastern  Pa.  Allied 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


"Duke  of  Chicago" 

(Republic) 

A RETIRED  middleweight  fighter's  return  to  the  ring  marks  the  central 
theme  of  this  film.  An  exciting,  but  standard  action  drama,  it  reaches 
its  climax  when  the  former  champion  meets  the  current  title  holder.  The 
leading  parts  are  played  by  Tom  Brown,  as  the  fighter;  Audrey  Long 
newspaper  reporter, 


Brown  is  forced 


and  Grant  Withers, 
to  return  to  the 


the 


Audrey  Long,  as  a 
a  betting  syndicate 


leader  of 

ring  after  his  book  publishing  business 
gets  in  debt.  He  challenges  the  present  champion.  A  racketeer  planning  to 
make  a  fortune  on  the  deal  builds  up  good  publicity  stories  so  the  public 
will  bet  on  Brown.  When  it  is  realized  that  Brown  will  probably  beat  his 
opponent,  the  gamblers  threaten  to  kill  him  unless  he  throws  the  fight. 
In  the  contest,  Brown  is  slow  in  the  first  rounds  but,  finally,  in  the  15th, 
knocks  out  his  rival.  The  gamblers  make  an  attempt  to  kill  Brown  but 
police  intervene.  Stephen  Auer  was  associate  producer,  and  George  Blair 
directed.  Albert  DeMond's  screenplay  is  based  on  a  novel  by  Lucian  Cary. 
Running  time,  59  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  A  March  release. 


the  film  company,  paid  approximately 
32  per  cent  for  film.  But,  the  32  per 
cent  covered  a  double  feature  policy 
generally  used  by  the  circuit,  with 
such  programs  as :  Yellow  Sky'  and 
'Paleface',  Wake  of  the  Red  Witch' 
and  Yellow  Sky',  'Snake  Pit'  and 
'Every  Girl  Should  Be  Married', 
'Wake  of  the  Red  Witch'  and  'Mexi- 
can Hayride'. 

"What  percentage  of  the  gross 
would  it  have  cost  you,  Mr.  Indepen- 
dent Exhibitor,  to  play  these  double 
feature  combinations  ':  Compare  your 
cost  with  the  Fox  circuit  cost  of  32 
per  cent  of  the  gross. 

'Before  coming  to  exhibitors  for 
higher  film  rental,  particularly  at  a 
time  when  exhibitor  costs  have  in- 
creased and  box-office  grosses  have 
fallen,  the  producer-distributors  should 
institute  still  greater  economies  in 
production  and  distribution.  Figures 
were  cited  comparing  the  executive 
salaries  in  the  motion  picture  industry 
with  those  of  a  great  business  enter- 
prise such  as  the  Union  Pacific  R.R. 

"Hand  in  hand  with  the  economy 
program  by  the  distributors,  there 
should  be  an  equalization  of  film 
rentals  to  be  paid  by  the  heretofore 
'favored'  exhibitors.  Such  a  double- 
barrelled  campaign  for  economy  and 
equalization  would  give  the  film  com- 
panies all  the  money  they  need  to 
properly  operate  their  business,  and 
yield  them  a  fair  profit." 


Seasonal  Dip  at  Key  Houses 


A  marked  drop-off  was  registered 
last    month    in    first-run  key-city 
grosses,  but,  in  view  of  the  Lenten 
season,  it  was  not  unexpected.  Ac- 
cording to  reports  on  some  180  key 
theatres  received  from  Motion  Pic- 
ture   Daily     field  correspondents, 
other  factors  also  played  a  part  in  im- 
pairing business  at  box-offices,  name- 
ly, inclement  weather  and  the  March 
15  Federal  income-tax  deadline. 
Average  weekly  income  for 
March  fell  to  $13,633  from  Feb- 
ruary's $14632.    Weekly  aver- 
age per  theatre  for  March  last 
year  was  $15,201. 

Gaining  impetus  from  the  fast 
pace  at  which  it  started  in  late  Feb- 
ruary, "Command  Decision"  moved  up 
to  first  place  grossing  position  last 
month.  "Whispering  Smith"  emerged 
a  fairly  close  second,  while  "Joan  of 
Arc,"  the  February  leader,  ran  a 
strong  third  in  March. 

Pictures  which  also  registered 
strongly  last  month  but  in  fewer  sit- 
uations, were:  "The  Life  of  Riley," 
"A  Letter  to  Three  Wives,"  "En- 
chantment," "The  Red  Shoes,"  "The 
Boy  with  the  Green  Hair,"  "Chicken 


Para.  Stockholder 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Ross,  Windsor  Exhibitor 

Boston,  April  20. — Charles  Ross, 
owner  of  the  Windsor  Theatre,  Wind- 
sor, Vt,  died  here  yesterday  of  a 
heart  attack  as  he  was  transacting 
business  on  Boston's  Film  Row. 


194S 
Week 
Ending 

Jan.  i 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Mar 
Mar. 
Mar 
Mar 
ADr. 


I-  2   164 

6-7   161 

14-15   161 

21-22   162 

28-29   179 

4-5   176 

II-  12   181 

18-19   170 

25-26   173 

4-5   179 

11-12   185 

18-19   175 

25-26   180 

1-2   181 


Average 

No.  of    Total  Per 
Theatres  Gross  Theatre 

2,855,800  $17,411 
3,195,000  19,018 
2,609,900  16,211 
2,497,500  15,417 
2,624,100  14,660 
2,491,000  14,153 
2,788,600  15,407 
2,435,900  14,329 
2,532,800  14,640 
2,545,800  14,222 
2.447,600  13,375 
2,441,800  13,953 
2,378^100  13,212 
2.426,000  13,403 


Every  Sunday,"  "Family  Honeymoon," 
"The  Wake'  of  the  Red  Witch,' 
"Bribe,"  "So  Dear  to  My  Heart," 
"South  of  St.  Louis,"  and  "Knock 
on  Any  Door." 

Coming  through  with  better-than 
average  grosses  from  time  to  time 
were :  "The  Kissing  Bandit,"  "John 
Loves  Mary,"  "Paisan,"  "The  Fight 
ing  O'Flynn,"  "Yellow  Sky,"  "The 
Snake  Pit,"  "My  Dear  Secretary," 
"He  Walked  by  Night,"  "The  Man 
from  Colorado,"  "The  Sun  Comes 
Up,"  "The  Countess  of  Monte  Cristo," 
"The  Dark  Past,"  "Act  of  Violence," 
"Symphonie  Pastorale,"  "Siren  of  At- 
lantis," "Alaska  Patrol,"  "I  Shot 
Jesse  James." 

Also,  "The  Girl  from  Manhattan," 
"Every  Girl  Should  Be  Married," 
"Portrait  of  Jennie,"  "Down  to  the 
Sea  in  Ships,"  "Canadian  Pacific," 
"The  Red  Pony,"  "The  Undercover 
Man,"  "Three  Godfathers,"  "Bad 
Boy,"  "Take  Me  Out  to  the  Ball 
Game,"  "The  Walking  Hills,"  "Ma 
and  Pa  Kettle,"  and  "A  Kiss  in  the 
Dark." 

Composite  key  city  box-office  reports 
for  1949  to  date,  compared  with  cor- 
responding weeks  of  1948,  follow : 

Average 

Per 
Theatre 


1948 
Week 
Ending 


Jan. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Feb. 

Feb. 

Feb. 

Feb. 

Mar. 

Mar. 

Mar. 

Mar. 

Apr. 


2-  3  

9-10   168 

16-17   168 

23-24   166 

30-21   166 

6-7   167 

13-14   166 

20-21....   164 

27-28   167 

5-6   165 

12-13   165 

19-20   175 

26-27   162 

2-3   171 


No.  cf  Total 
Theatres  Gross 

..    179  $3,406,600 
3,112,700 


2,473,300 
2.419,000 
2,341,900 
2,537,800 
2,381.500 
2,316,500 
2,734,100 
2,372,700 
2,441,800 
2,626,800 
2,356,800 
2,953,500 


$19,031 
18,528 
14,722 
14,572 
14,108 
15,196 
15,546 
15,125 
16.372 
14,380 
14,799 
15,010 
14,548 
17,272 


to  secure  an  appraisal  of  his  300  com- 
mon shares  and  to  force  Paramount 
to  purchase  them. 

If  the  order  is  granted,  the  way 
would  be  open  for  holders  of  76,576 
shares  to  follow  suit,  that  being  the 
number  voted  in  opposition  to  the  re- 
organization as  against  5,202,183  in 
favor. 

The  "test"  move  was  made  yester- 
day in  New  York  Supreme  Court  here 
by  minority  holder  Sol  Kokol. 

In  making  his  assertion  in  his 
March  31  letter  to  stockholders  that 
they  would  not  be  free  to  demand  cash 
for  their  holdings  once  the  plan  was 
accepted,  Balaban  reported  that  some 
stockholders  had  inquired  on  their 
right  of  appraisal  and  were  informed 
by  the  company  that  in  the  opinion 
of  "our  counsel"  no  such  right  exists. 
Balaban  warned,  moreover,  that  the 
company  would  "vigorously  resist" 
court  action  which  might  be  taken  in 
opposition  to  that  opinion. 

On  April  12,  close  to  80  per  cent 
of  the  total  stock  issued  and  outstand- 
ing was  voted  in  favor  of  the  reor- 
ganization plan  which  calls  for  the 
formation  of  two  new  companies,  one 
a  theatre  company  and  one  a  produc- 
tion-distribution company,  before  the 
end  of  the  vear. 


'Stratton  Story' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Grand  under  a  pact  similar  to  that 
which  allowed  "Joan"  to  play  indef- 
initely. Under  its  terms,  the  RKO 
Palace  would  play  double-features  so 
as  not  to  block  the  flow  of  product  to 
neighborhood  houses.  "Stratton  Story" 
will  play  at  regular  admissions  with 
no  date  yet  set  for  its  opening. 


New  Video  Firm 

Hartford,  April  20.  —  Federated 
Television  Productions,  Stamford, 
has  filed  a  certificate  of  incorporation. 


12 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  April  21,  1949 


WARNERS  BOOST  SCHEDULE,  [ 
ADD  TO  STUDIO  STAR  POWER 


COMPANY  HAS  15  PICTURES  COMPLETED  AND 
SET  FOR  RELEASE;  20  OTHERS  PREPARING 
OR  IN  WORK;  RECORD  LIST  OL41TOP  STAR 


s  ! 


A PROGRAM  of  expansion  of  Warner  Bros,  production  resources, 
in  work  for  the  past  several  months,  has  been  completed  by 
Harry  M.  Warner,  Jack  L.  Warner  and  Albert  Warner. 
The  program  is  designed  to  meet  what  the  company  perceives  as 
"a  buyer's  market  in  entertainment." 

"We  know,"  said  Jack  Warner,  "the  motion  picture  market  is  what 
the  public  markes  it.   We  know  we  cannot  meet  the  public's  demand 
by  reducing  our  resources.    So  we  increased  them." 
The  Warner  studio,  as  a  result,  has: 
15  pictures  completed  and  ready,  for  release 
20  pictures  in  preparation  or  shooting 

38  stars  under  contract,  supplemented  by  at  least  15  others  made 
available  through  special  arrangements 

10  active  producers  and  a  like  number  of  directors 

Six  individual  producing  companies  whose  pictures  will  be  distrib 
uted  by  Warners. 

The  greatest  possible  star  value  will  be  given  to  the  largest  possible 
number  of  films,  Harry  Warner  promised.  The  studio's  goal,  he  said, 
is  "quality  pictures  produced  in  quantity"  to  meet  what  he  sees  as 
"a  greater  market  than  ever  before  for  good  pictures.  "In  this  period 
that  demands  better  pictures  than  ever  before,"  he  added,  "we  have 
used  the  past  several  months  to  anticipate  the  demands." 

PICTURES  COMPLETED  AND 
READY  FOR  RELEASE 

"CLAMINGO  ROAD,"  starring  Joan  Crawford,  Zachary  Scott  and 

■  Sydney  Greenstreet,  and  introducing  David  Brian.  This  is  a 
Michael  Curtiz  production,  produced  by  Jerry  Wald  and  directed  by 
Michael  Curtiz  from  a  screenplay  by  Robert  Wilder  and  based  on  a 
play  by  Robert  and  Sally  Wilder.   Release  date,  April  30. 

"The  Fountainhead,"  starring  Gary  Cooper,  Patricia  Neal,  Raymond 
Massey  and  Robert  Douglas.  This  was  produced  by  Henry  Blanke, 
directed  by  King  Vidor  from  a  screenplay  and  the  novel  by  Ayn  Rand. 

"Under  Capricorn,"  starring  Ingrid  Bergman  and  Joseph  Cotten 
with  Michael  Wilding.  This  is  a  Transatlantic  Pictures  production 
directed  by  Alfred  Hitchcock  in  Technicolor  from  a  screenplay  by 
Jam.es  Bridie.  Release  date,  Sept.  24. 

"My  Dream  Is  Yours,"  starring  Doris  Day,  Jack  Carson,  Lee  Bow- 
man, Adolphe  Menjou,  Eve  Arden  and  S.  Z.  Sakall.  This  is  a  Michael 
Curtiz  Technicolor  production,  directed  by  Michael  Curtiz  from  a 
screenplay  by  Harry  Kurnitz  and  Dane  Lussier.  Release  date,  April  16. 

"The  Hasty  Heart,"  starring  Ronald  Reagan,  Patricia  Neal  and 
Richard  Todd.  Directed  by  Vincent  Sherman  from  a  screenplay  by 
Ranald  MacDougall,  based  on  the  Broadway  play  by  John  Patrick. 

"Happy  Times,"  starring  Danny  Kaye.  Produced  in  Technicolor  by 
Jerry  Wald,  directed  by  Henry  Koster  from  a  screenplay  by  Philip 
Rapp  and  Harry  Kurnitz.    Release  date,  Dec.  31. 

"The  Girl  From  Jones  Beach,"  starring  Ronald  Reagan,  Virginia 
Mayo  and  Eddie  Bracken.  Produced  by  Alex  Gottlieb,  directed  by 
Peter  Godfrey  from  a  screenplay  by  I.  A.  L.  Diamond,  based  on  a 
story  by  Allen  Boretz.  Release  date,  July  16. 

"Look  for  the  Silver  Lining,"  starring  June  Haver,  Ray  Bolger, 


Jack  L.  Warner 


Harry  M.  Warner 


Albert  Warner 


Gordon  MacRae.  Produced  in  Technicolor  by  William  Jacobs, 
directed  by  David  Butler  from  a  screenplay  by  Phoebe  and  Henry 
Ephron  and  Marian  Spitzer,  based  on  a  story  by  Bert  Kalmar  and 
Harry  Ruby.    Release  date,  July  30. 

"Montana,"  starring  Errol  Flynn,  Alexis  Smith  and  S.  Z.  Sakall,  pro- 
duced in  Technicolor  by  William  Jacobs,  directed  by  Ray  Enright 
from  a  screenplay  by  James  R.  Webb,  Borden  Chase  and  Charles 
O'Neal,  based  on  a  story  by  Ernest  Haycox. 

"Night  Unto  Night,"  starring  Ronald  Reagan,  Viveca  Lindfors  and 
Broderick  Crawford,  and  produced  by  Owen  Crump,  directed  by 
Don  Siegel  from  a  screenplay  by  Kathryn  Scola,  based  on  the  novel 
by  Philip  Wylie.  Release  date,  May  14. 

"It's  a  Great  Feeling,"  starring  Dennis  Morgan,  Doris  Day,  and 
Jack  Carsor  and  with  appearances  of  all  studio's  stars.  Produced  in 
Technicolor  by  Alex  Gottlieb,  directed  by  David  Butler  from  a  screen- 
play by  Jack  Rose  and  Mel  Shavelson,  based  on  a  story  by  I.  A.  L 
Diamond.    Release  date,  Oct.  8. 

"Colorado  Territory,"  starring  Joel  McCrea,  Virginia  Mayo.  A 
United  States  Pictures  production  produced  by  Anthony  Veiller,  di- 
rected by  Raoul  Walsh  and  written  by  John  Twist  and  Edmund  H. 
North.  Release  date,  Sept.  3. 

"Backfire,"  starring  Dane  Clark,  Virginia  Mayo,  Gordon  MacRae, 
Viveca  Lindfors  and  Edmond  O'Brien.  Produced  by  Anthony  Veiller, 
directed  by  Vincent  Sherman  from  a  screenplay  by  Larry  Marcus, 
Ivan  Goff  and  Ben  Roberts,  based  on  a  story  by  Larry  Marcus. 

"The  Younger  Brothers,"  starring  Wayne  Morris,  Bruce  Bennett, 
Janis  Paige,  Geraldine  Brooks  and  Robert  Hutton.  Produced  in  Tech- 
nicolor by  Saul  Elkins, 'directed  by  Edwin  L.  Marin  from  a  screenplay 
by  Edna  Anhalt,  story  by  Morfon  Grant.  Release  date,  May  28. 

"Task  Force,"  starring  Gary  Cooper,  Jane  Wyatt  and  Walter  Bren- 
nan.  Jerry  Wald,  producer;  Delmar  Daves,  author  and  director. 

WARNER  PICTURES  IN 
PREPARATION  OR  SHOOTING 


TWENTY  of  Warners'  most  important  properties  are  among  those 
•  now  in  various  stages  of  preparation  or  before  the  cameras.  They 

are: 

"Chain  Lightning,"  starring  Humphrey  Bogart  and  Eleanor  Parker. 
Produced  by  Anthony  Veiller,  directed  by  Stuart  Heisler,  from  a 
screenplay  by  Liam  O'Brien  and  Vincent  Evans,  based  on  a  story  by 
J.  Redmond  Prior. 

"Rose  Moline,"  starring  Bette  Davis  and  Joseph  Cotten.  Produced 
by  Henry  Blanke,  directed  by  King  Vidor  from  a  screenplay  by  Lenore 
Coffee,  based  on  the  novel  "Beyond  the  Forest,"  by  Stuart  Engstrand. 


THE  FOUNTAINHEAD 


■[A 


THE  HAPPY  TIMES  (Color 


l  ;  _  : 

MY  DREAM  IS  YOURS  (Color) 


MONTANA  (Color) 


Thursday,  April  21,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


13 


"White  Heat,"  starring  James  Cagney.  Produced  by  Lou  Edel- 
man,  from  a  screenplay  by  Ivan  Goff  and  Ben  Roberts,  based  on  a 
story  by  Virginia  Kellogg. 

"Perfect  Strangers,"  starring  Ginger  Rogers  and  Dennis  Morgan. 
Produced  by  Jerry  Wald,  from  a  screenplay-  by  Edith  Sommer. 

"The  Miami  Story,"  starring  Burt  Lancaster.  Produced  by  Jay 
Dratler,  from  a  screenplay  by  Dratler. 

"Ethan  Frome,"  starring  Gregory  Peck.  Produced  by  Henry  Blanke, 
based  on  a  novel  by  Edith  Wharton.  ■ 

"Dallas,"  starring  Errol  Flynn  and  Patricia  Neal.  Produced  in  Tech- 
nicolor by  Anthony  Veiller,  from  a  screenplay  by  John  Twist. 

"Bright  Leaf,"  starring  Gary  Cooper. 

"The  Victim,"  starring  Joan  Crawford  and  David  Brian.  Produced 
by  Jerry  Wald,  from  an  original  screenplay  by  Gertrude  Walker. 

"Young  Man  With  a  Horn,"  starring  Lauren  Bacall,  Kirk  Douglas 
and  Doris  Day.  Produced  by  Jerry  Wald,  directed  by  Bretaigne 
Windust,  from  a  screenplay  by  Carl  Foreman,  based  on  a  novel  by 
Dorothy  Baker. 

"The  Glass  Menagerie,"  starring  Jane  Wyman  and  Kirk  Douglas. 
Produced  by  Jerry  Wald,  based  on  a  play  by  Tennessee  Williams. 

"Victoria  Grandolet,"  starring  Jennifer  Jones  and  Louis  Jourdan, 
produced  in  Technicolor. 

"Always  Leave  Them  Laughing,"  starring  Danny  Kaye. 

"The  Travelers,"  starring  John  Wayne  and  Eleanor  Parker.  Pro- 
duced in  Technicolor  by  Anthony  Veiller,  from  a  screenplay  by  Walter 
Doniger,  based  on  Doniger's  original  story. 

"The  Octopus  &  Miss  Smith,"  starring  Jane  Wyman,  Dennis  Mor- 
gan. Produced  and  written  by  Harry  Kurnitz,  directed  by  Michael 
Curtiz.  , 

"The  West  Point  Story,"  starring  James  Cagney,  June  Haver  and 
Gordon  MacRae.  Produced  in  Technicolor  by  Lou  Edelman,  from 
a  screenplay  by  Charles  Hoffman  and  Irving  Wallace. 

"Barricade,"  starring  Dane  Clark,  Virginia  Mayo,  Raymond  Massey. 
Produced  in  Technicolor  by  Saul  Elkins,  directed  by  Peter  Godfrey 
from  an  original  screenplay  by  William  Sackheim. 

"Colt  45,"  starring  Randolph  Scott,  Alexis  Smith.  Technicolor. 

"Stagefright,"  starring  Jane  Wyman.  Alfred  Hitchcock  producer. 

"Return  of  the  Frontiersman,"  starring  Randolph  Scott,  produced 
by  Saul  Elkins,  in  Technicolor,  directed  by  Ray  Enright,  from  a  screen- 
play by  Edna  Anhalt. 

"Always  Sweethearts,"  starring  Shirley  Temple  and  Barry  Fitzgerald. 


STAR  POWER  GREATEST 
IN  WARNER  HISTORY 

THE  star  roster  at  the  Warner  studio,  always  impressive,  has  been 
enhanced  by  several  important  arrangements  recently  completed 
which  make  available  to  it  additional  names  of  box  office  potency. 

Under  the  Warner  banner  for  sometime  are  such  stars  as:  Lew 
Ayres,  Lauren  Bacall,  Humphrey  Bogart,  Jack  Carson,  Dane  Clark, 
Gary  Cooper,  Joan  Crawford,  Bette  Davis,  Erroll  Flynn,  Danny  Kaye, 
Viveca  Lindfors,  Gordon  MacRae,  Virginia  Mayo,  Dennis  Morgan, 
Wayne  Morris,  Patricia  Neal,  Edmond  O'Brien,  Eleanor  Parker,  Claude 
Rains,  Ronald  Reagan,  Zachary  Scott,  Alexis  Smith  and  Jane  Wyman. 

Through  arrangements  with  David  O.  Selznick,  the  following  players 
will  be  seen  in  Warner's  forthcoming  release  schedule:  Jennifer  Jones, 
Gregory  Peck,  Joseph  Cotten,  Shirley  Temple,  Betsy  Drake,  Louis 
Jourdan  and  Rory  Calhoun. 

In  addition,  James  Cagney  returns  to  Warner  Bros,  to  star  in  three 
pictures,  plus  several  pictures  for  Cagney  Productions,  under  William 
Cagney,  for  distribution  by  Warner  Bros. 

Other  stars  who  have  been  signed  to  appear  under  the  Warner 
banner  are:  John  Garfield,  Burt  Lancaster,  John  Wayne,  Randolph 
Scott,  Kirk  Douglas,  Marlene  Dietrich  and  Ginger  Rogers. 


WARNERS  TO  DISTRIBUTE  FOR 
SIX  PRODUCING  COMPANIES 

JOINING  Transatlantic  Pictures,  which  has  Alfred  Hitchcock  produc- 
ing and  directing  several  films  for  Warner  Bros.'  distribution  and 
United  States  Pictures,  under  Milton  Sperling  are  four  new  production 
units  which  will  release  through  that  company.  These  are:  Cagney 
Productions,  which  will  star  James  Cagney  in  a  series  of  films  under 
the  guidance  of  William  Cagney;  Bryan  Foy  Productions;  Norma  Pro- 
ductions, which  will  star  Burt  Lancaster,  and  Roberts  Productions, 
which  will  star  John  Garfield. 

"Murder,  Inc.,"  "The  Hoodlum"  and  "Marked  Children"  are  the 
next  three  pictures  scheduled  by  Sperling's  United  States  Pictures, 


story  properties,  we 
believe  our  production  clock 
is  fully  wound  and  the  hands 
t  in  perfect  timing  to  pub- 
lic taste,"  say  the  Brothers 
Warner,  announcing  one  of 
the  most  ambitious  produc- 
tion programs  in  the  history 
of  their  company. 


^^^m      FLAMINGO  ROAD 


IT'S  A  GREAT  FEELING  (Color) 


LOOK  FOR  SILVER  LINING  (Color) 
U 


TASK  FORCE 


BACKFIRE 


NIGHT  UNTO  NIGHT 


COLORADO  TERRITORY 


THE  YOUNGER  BROTHERS  (Coior)        UNDER  CAPRICORN  (Color) 


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Thursday,  April  21,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


15 


George  Opposes  Tax 
Cut  as  'Oleo  Rider' 

Washington,  April  20. — Sen. 
George,  chairman  of  the 
Senate  Finance  Committee 
and  generally  in  favor  of  ex- 
cise tax  cuts,  said  he  opposed 
reduction  of  the  admission 
tax  and  other  excises  when 
offered  as  a  rider  to  a  bill  to 
repeal  Federal  Taxes  and 
licenses  for  oleomargarine. 

Sen.  Johnson  has  offered 
the  excise  reduction  as  an 
f  amendment  to  the  oleo  bill  in 
hopes  of  killing  the  oleo  tax 
repealer.  The  Senate  Com- 
mittee will  probably  vote  on 
the  measure  tomorrow. 


State,  City  Tax 

(Contimied  from  page  1) 


other*  excises  in  the  Federal-state-local 
tax  scheme  is  one  of  five  points  on 
the  agenda  for  the  two-day  conference. 
Another  item  is  whether  states  and 
cities  should  be  given  the  right  to  tax 
Federally-owned  property  in  their 
jurisdiction.  If  this  power  were  giv- 
en, some  of  the  steam  might  be  re- 

j  moved  from  the  state-local  campaign 

;  for  the  admission  tax. 

;  Among  the  groups  meeting  with 
Snyder  and  other  Treasury  officials 
are  the  American  Municipal  Associa- 
tion, Council  of  State  Governors, 
U.  S.  Conference  of  Mayors,  Nation- 
al Association  of  County  Officials,  and 

;  the  Federation  of  Tax  Administrators. 
At  least  the  first  three  organizations 


Government,  Film 
Leaders  See  'Scott' 


Washington,  April  20. — Top  levels 
of  the  film  industry  and  of  Washing- 
ton officialdom  turned  out  tonight  for 
the  premiere"  of  J.  Arthur  Rank's 
"Scott  of  the  Antarctic,"  at  the  Play- 
house Theatre  here. 

Mrs.  Harry  S.  Truman  led  the 
guest  list  at  the  premiere,  a  benefit 
for  the  American  Cancer  Society. 
Other  Washington  notables  included 
Vice-President  Barkley,  Justices  Reed, 
Rutledge  and  Burton  and  their  wives, 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury  and  Mrs. 
Snyder,  Secretary  of  Agriculture  and 
Mrs.  Brannan,  British  Ambassador 
and  Mrs.  Franks,  and  other  Ambassa- 
dors, members  of  Congress,  military 
leaders,  and  other  government  officials. 

Film  leaders  included  MPAA  presi- 
dent Eric  A.  Johnston,  M-G-M  presi- 
dent Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  Para- 
mount president  Barney  Balaban, 
Rank,  Sir  Henry  French,  Sir  Alex- 
ander Korda — all  on  hand  for  to- 
morrow's Anglo-American  Film  Coun- 
cil meeting,  and  Robert  S.  Benjamin 
and  Jock  Lawrence,  president  and 
vice-president  of  the  U.  S.  J.  Arthur 
Rank  Organization ;  Kay  Harrison, 
head  of  British  Technicolor,  William 
Heinemann,  vice-president  of  Eagle- 
Lion  Films,  and  I.  E.  Lopert,  presi- 
dent of  Lopert  Films  and  owner  of 
the  Playhouse. 


are  on  record  as  favoring  Federal 
Government  repeal  of  the  20  per  cent 
admission  tax  so  that  state  and  local 
governments  may  step  in. 


Acheson  Says 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

industry  and  the  withdrawal  of  dol- 
lars because  it  greatly  cut  down  the 
time  American  films  can  be  shown. 
It  also  seemed  to  us  more  directed  to 
the  protection  of  the  British  film  in- 
dustry than  to  an  exchange  restriction 
because  the  exchange  difficulties  had 
been  taken  care  of  in  the  previous 
agreement." 

Acheson  continued  that  "the  film  in- 
dustry has  protested  and  we  have 
made  our  views  known  through  the 
British  Embassy  here."  He  said  he 
hoped  that  "an  adjustment  will  be 
made  more  equitable  than  the  existing 
situation." 

One  reporter  asked,  just  to  be  sure, 
was  the  Department  passing  on  the 
views  of  the  government  or  the  film 
industry. 

"We  were  passing  on  the  views  of 
the  U.  S.  Government,"  Acheson  de- 
clared firmly. 

Meanwhile,  California  Congressmen 
will  file  a  formal  brief  tomorrow. 


UK-US  Group  Meets 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

films  in  England  removed,  while  J. 
Arthur  Rank,  Sir  Henry  French  and 
Sir  Alexander  Korda,  representing 
the  British  industry,  would  be  de- 
lighted to  obtain  additional  playing 
time  for  British  films  here.  Neither 
side  has  the  power  to  make  either  ob- 
jectives a  reality. 

Fayette  Allport,  British  representa- 
tive of  the  Motion  Picture  Association 
of  America,  and  John  Davis,  Rank's 
executive  assistant,  are  expected  to 
participate  in  the  sessions. 


Quota  Protest 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

lators  in  Washington  and,  secondly, 
to  augment  the  ammunition  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America 
president  Eric  A.  Johnston  in  his 
talks  with  the  British  delegation  which 
has  arrived  in  the  U.  S. 

It  is  understood  that  BOT  president 
Harold  Wilson,  now  vacationing  in 
France,  agrees  in  substance  with  un- 
official Foreign  Office  opinion  to  the 
effect  that  since  World  War  I  the 
U.  S.  film  industry  has  consistently  en- 
gineered limitations  against  the  show- 
ing of  British  pictures  on  American 
screens,  and  it  is  expected  that  Perci- 
val  will  be  instructed  to  convey  this 
contention  orally  to  the  State  Depart- 
ment. 


Remittances  from 
AustraliaUnchanged 


Washington,  April  20. — It  is  "un- 
likely" that  Australia  in  1949  will 
liberalize  'to  any  appreciable  extent" 
its  restrictions  on  remittances  by  U.S. 
film  companies,  Commerce  Department 
film  chief  Nathan  D.  Golden  declared 
here  today. 

Golden  pointed  out  that  in  1948  re- 
mittances equal  to  SO  per  cent  of  1946 
remittances  were  allowed  to  be  sent  to 
the  U.S. 

Some  progress  is  being  made  in  uni- 
fying film  censorship  laws  in  Australi- 
an states,  Golden  reports.  Queensland, 
Western  Australia  and  Tasmania  have 
all  transferred  censoring  authority  to 
the  Commonwealth  Censor. 


NOW  AVAILABLE::. "Ride,  Ryder,  Ride!", "Roll Thunder  Roll!", others  in  production 


MAY2-3-4-5-6  1949 


LADIES  FASHION  SHOW 
VARIETY  MOVIE  BALL 


HUMANITARIAN  AWARD  DINNER 
LADIES  TAHITI  AN  NITE 
AND  AQUACADE 


VARIETY  ROUND-UP 


GOLF  -  RACES 
TRIP  AROUND  S.F.BAY 
VARIETY  FROLICS 


FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

HIT  .jdjjWlt).  t|  ft^^M 

Accurate 

IN 

T%  ATT  ^L7" 

Concise 

FILM 

JLJ/V1  JL  i 

and 

1  NEWS 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.  NO.  79 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  APRIL  22,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

UK-US  Council 
Meets  All  Day, 
Bars  Comment 


Only  Six  Top  Men  Attend 
Session;  Details  Secret 

Washington,  April  21. — The 
three  British  and  three  American 
members  of  the  Anglo-American 
Film  Council  met  all  morning  and 
afternoon  behind  closed  doors  at  the 
headquarters  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  here  today,  but  clamped  a 
tight  "iron  curtain"  over  the  results 
of  their  deliberations. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  afternoon 
session,  members  Eric  Johnston,  Bar- 
ney Balaban,  Nicholas  Schenck,  J.  Ar- 
thur Rank,  Sir  Alexander  Korda  and 
Sir  Henry  French  approved  a  brief 
statement  declaring  that  there  had  been 
"a  frank  exchange  of  views  in  regard 
to  the  difficulties  encountered  by  both 
the  British  and  American  film  indus- 
tries during  the  last  two  years."  The 
Council  members  said  they  hope  to  is- 
sue a  "more  complete  statement"  to- 
morrow, when  they  are  scheduled  to 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


TOA  Gross  Report 
Plan  Starts  Today 


Theatre  Owners  of  America  head- 
quarters here  will  begin  mailing  to- 
day to  its  theatre  members  the  forms 
on  which  picture  grossing  information 
is  to  be  submitted  in  connection  with 
the  organization's  plan  to  publicize 
the  box-office  performances  of  cur- 
rent pictures  through  a  weekly  bulle- 
tin, it  was  reported  here  yesterday  by 
TOA  president  Arthur  H.  Lockwood. 
First  edition  of  the  bulletin  is  due  to 
be  released  to  members  around  May  1. 

It  is  understood  that  the  TOA  here 
has  been  delayed  in  getting  its  gross- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Govt,  to  Arbitrate 
UK  Studio  Strike 

London,  April  21. — Follow- 
ing discussions  today  under 
the  chairmanship  of  Labor 
Ministry  officials,  representa- 
tives of  the  British  Film  Pro- 
ducers Association  and  the 
Electrical  Trades  Union 
agreed  to  refer  to  govern- 
mental arbitration  the  Den- 
ham-Pinewood  strike  ques- 
tion. 


Big  Three  Cite 
Competition; 
Fight  Renewed 


Final  phase  of  the  government 
anti-trust  suit  was  opened  in  U.  S. 
District  Court  here  yesterday 
with  20th  Century-Fox  and  Loew's 
attorneys  re-asserting  their  argument 
against  divorcement,  holding  the  gov- 
ernment has  offered  no  evidence  to 
support  its  proposal  of  such  a  remedy 
and,  in  hitting  charges  of  market  con- 
trol, declaring  that  three  of  the  re- 
maining defendants  in  the  suit  operate 
only  six  per  cent  of  the  theatres  in 
the  U.  S. 

James  F.  Byrnes,  counsel  for  20th- 
Fox,  informed  the  court  that  that  com- 
pany offered  a  divest  itself  of  one 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Make  Firm  Demand 
For  Local  Tax  Right 

Washington,  April  21. — State  and 
local  governments  today  formally 
pressed  on  the  Treasury  their  demands 
that  the  admissions  tax  be  turned  over 
to  them. 

This  was  the  last  item  to  come  up 
at  the  opening  day  session  of  the  two- 
day  conference  here  between  top 
Treasury  officials  and  representatives 
of  state  and  local  government  associa- 
tions on  the  problem  of  overlapping 
taxes  and  inadequate  state  and  local 
revenue.  Secretary  of  the  Treasury 
Snyder  presided,  with  organizations 
present  including  the  American  Muni- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Nassers — UA 
Deal  Is  Off 


Hollywood,  April  21. — A  brief  state- 
ment by  George  Nasser  at  10 :30  P.  M. 
dashed  the  widespread  expectations  of 
the  sale  of  United  Artists  by  Charles 
Chaplin  to  the  Nasser  interests  under 
terms  of  an  option  that  expired  at  mid- 
night. 

"We  have  been  and  still  are  inter- 
ested in  acquiring  United  Artists," 
Nasser  said.  "However,  due  to  cir- 
cumstances beyond  our  control,  we  are 
unable  to  meet  the  April  21  deadline." 

With  negotiations  continuing  up  to 
the  last  minute,  the  deal  under  which 
Chaplin  and  Mary  Pickford  would  re- 
ceive $5,400,000  for  their  interests  in 
UA  was  considered  virtually  complete. 
Checks  for  that  amount  were  deposited 
at  the  Bank  of  America  this  afternoon, 
with  only  a  '  formal   statement  that 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Legislatures  in  4 
More  States  Adjourn 

Washington,  April  21. — Legisla- 
tures in  Tennessee,  Oregon,  Iowa  and 
Colorado  quit  within  the  last  48  hours. 
So  far  this  year,  23  state  legislatures 
have  adjourned,  while  21  are  still  in 
session.    Four  did  not  meet. 

In  Colorado,  a  censorship  bill  and 
general  sales  tax  were  killed  in  com- 
mittee. In  Oregon,  a  10  per  cent  ad- 
mission tax  died  in  committee,  in 
Iowa  a  $1  reel  tax  was  killed,  while 
in  Tennessee  the  legislature  passed  a 
bill  permitting  municapilities  to  levy 
an  admission  tax  up  to  any  amount  by 
which  the  Federal  ticket  levy  may  be 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Congressmen  Push  Fight 
Against  40%  U.  K.  Quota 


Postpone  Vote  on 
Tax  Cut  Proposal 

Washington,  April  21. — Final  vote 
on  a  proposal  to  cut  back  the  U.  S. 
admission  tax  and  other  excises  to 
pre-war  levels  has  been  postponed  by 
the  Senate  Finance  Committee  until 
next  week,  because  too  many  commit- 
tee members  were  out  of  town  to  vote 
today,  as  scheduled. 

The  proposal,  offered  by  Senator 
Johnson,  Colorado  Democrat,  is  an 
amendment  to  a  bill  repealing  Federal 
taxes  and  license  fees  for  oleomar- 
garine and  has  instigated  considerable 
debate  on  the  Senate  floor. 


Washington,  April  21. — California 
members  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives today  continued  their  pressure 
on  the  U.  S.  State  Department  for 
strong  U.  S.  government  action 
against  the  British  film  quota. 

In  a  brief  filed  with  Secretary  of 
State  Acheson,  the  California  House 
delegation  charged  that  the  quota's 
purpose  is  to  drive  American  .films 
from  the  British  market,  "through  the 
medium  of  '  an  arbitrary  and  dis- 
criminatory protective  device  which 
violates  the  spirit  and  intent,  if  not 
the  letter,  of  the  Gatt  and  ITO 
charter." 

The  brief  was  filed  by  Rep.  Cecil 
(Continued  on  page-  4) 


Distributo  rs 
May  Use  TOA 
Conciliation 


TOA  Panels  Can  Accept 
Complaints  vs.  Owners 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  April  21. — Dis- 
tributors are  at  liberty  to  file  with 
Theatre  Owners  of  America's  local 
conciliation  panels  in  the  field 
complaints  against  exhibitors,  just  as 
the  latter  have  been  invited  to  name 
distributors  in  complaints. 

This  was  revealed  today  as  being 
TOA  policy.  An  inquiry  as  to  wheth- 
er distributors  may  set  before  TOA 
conciliation  boards  complaints  against 
exhibitors  in  connection  with  selling 
of  pictures,  etc.,  was  sent  to  TOA 
president  Arthur  H.  Lockwood  by  the 
Albany  unit.  Lockwood  replied  in 
the  affirmative. 

The  panel  here  has  held  two  meet- 
ings to  consider  complaints  against 
distributors  brought  by  an  unnamed 
exhibitor.  The  three-man  board  was 
able  to  achieve  some,  though  not  com- 
plete, relief  for  the  exhibitor,  it  is 
said.  Twentieth  Century-Fox  was 
said  to  have  agreed  to  "go  all  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Holiday  Gives  B 'way 
Boom -Town  Look 


New  York's  showcase  theatremen 
are  hosts  this  week  to  as  huge  and 
avid  a  throng  of  ticket  buyers  as  ever 
was  here  to  send  receipts  soaring  to 
peak  levels. 

Out-of-towners  are  here  by  the 
hundreds  of  thousands,  forming  lines 
at  box-offices  in  a  manner  reminiscent 
of  the  lush  war  years. 

Times  Square  is  jammed  as  students 
on  vacation  and  visitors  merge  with 
the  normally  heavy  pedestrian  traffic 
in  the  area. 

Biggest  attraction  in  town  is,  of 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Grosses  Soar  at 
Many  Key  Runs 

Easter  school  holidays,  th? 
end  of  Lent  and  good  weather 
generally  combined  this  week 
to  send  key  theatre  box-offic^ 
grosses  soaring  in  many  parts 
of  the  country,  establishing 
records  or  near  records  in 
places,  including  New  York, 
Los  Angeles,  Toronto,  Balti- 
more, Cincinnati,  Buffalo. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  April  22,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

SIDNEY  SCHREIBER,  MPAA 
general  counsel,  will  leave  here 
tomorrow  for  Rio  de  Janeiro  on  in- 
dustry business. 

• 

Frances  and  Samuel  Goldwyn 
will  celebrate  their  24th  wedding  an- 
niversary tomorrow  with  a  quiet  din- 
ner at  Harkness  Memorial  Pavilion 
here  where  Goldwyn  is  recovering 
from  a  minor  operation. 

• 

Floyd  Stone,  writer-photographer 
for  Motion  Picture  Herald,  and  Mrs. 
Stone,  are  parents  of  a  son,  Geoffrey 
Maely,  born  Wednesday  at  West- 
chester Hospital,  Mount  Kisco. 
• 

Spence  Leve,  Fox  West  Coast  man- 
ager at  San  Francisco,  will  leave 
there  today  for  a  weekend  at  Los 
Angeles. 

• 

F.  M.  Billingsley,  IATSE  inter- 
national vice-president,  will  return  to 
his  San  Francisco  office  today  from 
Hollywood. 

• 

S.  Sylvan  Simon,  Columbia  pro- 
ducer-director, is  in  New  York  from 
the  Coast. 


B.&K.  Earnings  Off 
8J-10%  for  Quarter 

Chicago,  April  21. — Earnings  of 
Balaban  and  Katz  for  the  first  quarter 
of  this  year  are  running  from  eight 
and  a  half  to  10  per  cent  lower  than 
a  year  ago,  according  to  unaudited 
figures  reported  by  company  secretary- 
treasurer  John  Balaban  to  stockhold- 
ers at  the  annual  meeting  here.  He 
ascribed  most  of  this  loss  to  the  Jack- 
son Park  decree  which  limited  runs 
at  B.  and  K.  theatres  to  two  weeks. 

At  the  same  time,  Barney  Balaban, 
president,  revealed  that  B.  and  K. 
earned  $3,455,071,  equal  to  $13.07  a 
share  on  B.  and  K.  stock,  for  the  year 
ended  Jan.  1,  1949.  This  compared 
with  $5,043,228,  equal  to  $19.09  a 
share  last  year.  Current  assets  as  of 
Jan.  1  were  $4,626,477  and  current 
liabilities,  $2,537,464  compared  with 
$4,545,279  and  $1,912,910,  respectively, 
a  year  earlier. 


New  Opportunities 
For  Showmen:  Linet 

With  the  resurgence  of  showman- 
ship in  motion  picture  theatres,  there 
are  numerous  opportunities  for  new 
people  who  can  combine  theatre  man- 
agership with  advertising,  publicity 
and  exploitation  abilities,  Henry  A. 
Linet,  Universal-International  Eastern 
advertising  manager  declared  here  last 
night  at  the  spring  seminar  of  the 
American  Theatre  Wing's  training 
program. 

Linet  attributed  the  resurgence  to 
developing  competition  from  other 
forms  of  entertainment,  including  tele- 
vision and  sports.  He  also  sees  thea- 
tre divorcement  creating  new  oppor- 
tunities for  "showman"  managers. 


Insider's  Outlook 


By  RED  KANN 


ORGANIZED  exhibition  now 
stands  alongside  major  pro- 
duction and  distribution  on  the 
British  situation.  This  is  the 
first  time  these  interests  have 
joined  in  a  united  stand  and  a 
common  front  on  a  problem  from 
which  no  sector,  however  small, 
of  the  American  industry  can 
hope  to  escape. 

The  Anglo-American  agree- 
ment on  remittances,  and  the  re- 
cently enacted  40  per  cent  Brit- 
ish quota,  in  combination,  con- 
front American  §roduction  with 
an  ever-increasing  burden, 
threaten  Hollywood's  qualitative 
standards  and  compel  American 
distribution  to  ponder  if,  and 
how,  it  can  bridge  the  economic 
gap  by  persuading  American 
exhibition  to  pay  more  for 
American  product. 

Exhibition  rises  most  reluct- 
antly to  the  occasion  and  be- 
lieves it  is  being  caught  in  the 
middle. 

■ 

Arthur  H.  Lockwood,  presi- 
dent of  TOA,  on  Tuesday  said 
so  in  language  which  removed 
any  doubts.  Abram  F.  Myers, 
chairman  of  Allied's  board,  on 
Wednesday  took  the  same  posi- 
tion by  a  different  approach. 

"The  British  producers  must 
realize  that  the  enactment  of  ar- 
bitrary restrictions  upon  those 
who  are  our  principal  source  of 
supply  is  a  matter  of  unavoidable 
interest  to  us.  Discrimination 
against  them  reacts  against  us. 
.  .  .  The  problem  besetting  the 
British  industry  can  never  be 
solved  by  penalizing  the  Ameri- 
can industry.  That  can  only 
lead  to  recrimination  and  re- 
taliation."— Lockwood. 

"We  have  been  opening  our 
markets  to  other  countries  to  a 
degree  never  imagined  before. 
There  must  be  some  reciprocity 
in  such  relations,  or  they  simply 
will  not  stand  up.  ...  It  is  time 
Uncle  Sam  told  John  Bull  that 
cooperation  is  not  a  one-way 
street."— Myers. 

■ 

There  should  be  no  misunder- 
standing over  Britain,  her  na- 
tional pride  and  her  ambitions 
for  a  firm  place  in  the  interna- 
tional production  sun.  No  one, 
reasonably,  can  criticize  such  an 


objective.  Nor  should  it  be  dif- 
ficult to  appreciate  her  demon- 
strated need  to  place  severe 
brakes  on  the  flight  of  dollars 
out  of  London.  Many  months 
ago,  Eric  Johnston,  on  behalf  of 
the  major  companies,  made  it 
clear  the  American  industry  was 
sympathetic. 

But  prime-pumping  British 
production  through  legislated 
trade  barriers  submits  itself  to 
all  kinds  of  attack.  More 
severely  than  before  the  quota 
restricts  the  market  in  which 
American,  and  any  other  product 
imported  by  Britain,  may  func- 
tion. It  throws  into  the  laps  of 
the  majority  of  British  exhibi- 
tors an  impractical  and  unwant- 
ed something  over  which  they 
have  made  vigorous  protest 
without  avail.  Like  its  predeces- 
sor, the  new  quota  puts  a  premi- 
um on  mediocre  and  incompetent 
British  production  because  it 
guarantees  playing  time  regard- 
less of  how  empty  British  thea- 
tres may  get.  It  seems  to  us 
this  is  hardly  the  way  to  encour- 
age a  young  industry  to  become 
strong,  reliant  and  independent. 


The  British  make  almost  a 
fetish  of  their  obeisance  to  fair 
play.  But  there  is  a  convenient 
forgetting  in  this  case. 

Their  films  enter  this  market 
at  will  and  take  their  chances 
under  the  competitive  conditions 
which  prevail.  When  they  de- 
liver the  goods  and  their  price 
is  held  to  be  right  by  the  custom- 
er, those  goods  are  bought. 
They  may  complain  they  don't 
make  enough  sales,  and  they 
don't.  But  let  them  look  their 
films  squarely  in  an  unprejudiced 
eye  for  the  answer. 

Everyone  here  knows  it,  if  the 
British  do  not.  Everyone  here 
knows  their  product  preponder- 
antly has  remained  stubbornly 
British — so  provincial  in  ap- 
proach and  treatment  that  the 
American  audiences  in  wholesale 
simply  refuse  to  buy  it. 

It's  a  free  market  for  the  Brit- 
ish here  and  a  controlled  market 
for  us  there.  Someone  somehow 
may  be  able  to  square  this  with 
the  precepts  of  fair  play.  Some- 
how it  escapes  us. 


One  for,  One  Against 

Atlanta,  April  21. — Two  Georgia 
towns  have  voted  on  Sunday  screen- 
ings, with  Monroe  approving  by  a 
three-to-one  margin,  and  Lafayette 
banning  both  films  and  athletic  events 
by  a  two-to-one  vote. 


Selig  Takes  Over  Acme 

Selig  Theatres  has  closed  a  long- 
term  lease  for  the  Acme  Theatre, 
Glendale,  Queens,  N.  Y.,  with  Fran- 
Lynn  Amusement  Corp.,  according 
to  Berk  and  Krumgold,  theatre  realty 
firm  which  handled  the  deal. 


Heads  Fund  Drive 
For  Film  Industry 

Malcolm  Kingsberg,  RKO  Theatres 
president,  has  been  named  chairman 
of  the  motion  picture  industry  division 
for  the  Greater  New  York  Fund 
Drive.  Joseph  R.  Vogel,  Loew's  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  theatre  opera- 
tions, heads  the  overall  amusement  in- 
dustry committee. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  - 

Rockefeller  Center 
BING  CROSBY 
FLEMING     •     Wm.  BENDIX 
Sir  Cedrlc  HARDWICKE 

"A  CONNECTICUT  YANKEE  i 

In   King  Arthur's  Court" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
A   Paramount  Picture 
THE    GREAT    EASTER   STAGE  SHOW 


COLUMBIA  PKTURtS  prmnli 

GLENN  FORD 

m'TWf 

MM 

..NINA  FOCH 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

45th  Street 
IF  est  of  Broadway 
All  Seats  Reserved,  Mall  Orders 

Twice  Dally 
Extra  Matinee*  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Lata  8liow  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Releaia 


BIJOU  THEATER, 


BJOAN 
of  ARC 
starring  INGRID 

BERGMAN 


A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 

wilh  JOSE  FERRER  ■  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  ■  J  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BOND 
SHEPPERD  STRUDWICK  .  HURD  HATFIELD  •  GENE  L0CKHARI  ■  )0HN  EMERY 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  ■  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY 
based  upon  Ihe  stage  play  'Joan  of  Lorraine'  by  MAXWELL  ANDERSON 

screen  plor  br  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  ond  ANDREW  SOLT  .  ort  direction  by 
RICHARD  DAY  .  d.reclor  of  phologrophy  JOSEPH  VALENTINE.  A  S  C 

ProdWd  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 

*  SIERRA  PICTURES,  Int.  .  releoied  by  RKO  RADIO  PICTURES 


24  m. 


CLIFTON  WEBB   -  SHIRLEY  TEMPLE 

"MR.  BELVEDERE^8 COLLEGE" 

A  20th  Century-Fox  Picture 

ON  VARIETY  STAGE  — VIVIAN  BLAINE 
LEO  DE  LYON  -  MCCARTHY  &  FARRELL 
On  Ice  Stage— The  ROOKIES  -  Joan  HYLDOFT 


ROXY 


7th  Ave.  & 
50th  St. 


Sunday^  and  hoTidayf  b^WlJ^i^^L^r^f1^^  Fu^^  ^VT,, Ka^'  Editor;  Martin  Q«W*y.  Jr-  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
\ew  York  ,?  H  'o,Lw  S*JC&?£  m°  A.ven^e:  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.    Telephone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 

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EdTtor ■  Chicaec  tu    l  o  w  '  ¥, fcSf- \SS H^^^T?  Manager;  Gus  H.Fause  ,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
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NEWS 


 OF  ANOTHER 

GREAT  MOVIE  AND 
ANOTHER  GREAT 
SONG  HIT 

From  Paramount 


You  know  what  happened  with  "Buttons  and  Bows"  and  "The  Paleface."  Now 
history  is  repeating  itself!  Leading  disk  and  radio  artists  are  already 
singing  out  the  news  of  Paramount's  Technicolor 

n 


of  Laredo 


with  a  new  song  sensation  by  Oscar-winning  Livingston  and  Evans-a  hit 
already  so  popular  that  it's  bound  to  do  for  this  picture  what  "Buttons  and 
Bows"  did  for  "The  Paleface"!  On  best-selling  records,  on  juke  boxes,  on  the 
air,  stars  like  Dick  Haymes,  Ray  Noble,  Dennis  Day  and  Patti  Page  are  singing 


"The  Streets  of  Laredo 


31 


H'$«^rU  :  Survey  1 

She<*  of  »  u. 
Songs  on  *» 

"Top  ^e  , 

.    a  on  BigSest 


Streets 
^teredo 

H'«*5hH«?  • 0,,d 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  April  22,  194i| 


Anglo-U.S.  Meet 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

wind  up  their  two-day  session  here. 

Nothing  could  be  learned  beyond 
the  approved  statement.  Only  the  six 
members  of  the  Council  attended  the 
sessions,  and  they  were  pledged  to 
silence.  Their  assistants — even  top 
aides  like  MPAA's  Joyce  O'Hara,  Fay 
Allport,  and  John  McCarthy — cooled 
their  heels  outside  the  MPAA  board 
room,  where  the  meeting  took  place. 

The  meeting  got  under  way  at  11 
A.M.  and  continued,  with  a  short 
break  for  lunch,  until  shortly  before 
six  P.M.  After  the  session  tomorrow, 
Johnston  will  be  host  at  a  cocktail 
party  at  MPAA  headquarters  in  honor 
of  the  British  producers. 


\Review 


Push  Quota  Fight 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

King,  who  heads  a  special  committee 
of  the  California  delegation  on  the 
film  situation.    King  was  one  of  three 
representatives   who   personally  pro 
tested  the  quota  in  a  40-minute  inter 
view  with  Acheson  last  Friday. 

Reviewing  the  75  per  cent  U.  K. 
import  tax,  the  March,  1948,  remit- 
tance agreement,  and  the  subsequent 
boost  in  the  quota  from  20  per  cent  to 
45  per  cent,  the  brief  said  that  the 
high  quota  did  not  conserve  dollars, 
since  the  remittance  agreement  already 
did  that,  nor  did  it  give  any  reasonable 
protection  to  British  film  producers, 
since  they  had  already  proved  they 
were  unable  to  fill  even  the  lower  20 
per  cent  quota. 


Local  Tax  Right 

(Continued-  from  page  1) 


cipal  Association,  the  U.  S.  Conference 
of  Mayors,  and  the  Council  of  State 
Governments — all  on  record  as  favor- . 
ing  the  Federal  government  withdraw-   R'tpov    "RfknTtl  Tftwn 
al  in  their  favor  from  the  admissions  I       w  a ?  XUWIl 
tax  field. 

The  state  and  local  groups  barely 
had  time  to  outline  their  position  on 
the  admissions  tax  when  the  meeting 
broke  up.  It  will  be  the  first  item  on 
the  agenda  tomorrow. 


The  Secret  Gardens" 

(Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) 

'TRANSCRIBING  this  well-known  Frances  Hodgson  Burnett  children's 
story  t0  the  screen,  M-G-M  delivers  an  unusual  motion  picture   It  has 
many  dramatic  merits,  due  largely  to  its  fine  cast,  headed  by  Margaret 
Brien,  Herbert  Marshall,  Dean  Stockwell,  Gladys  Cooper,  Elsa  Lanchester 
and  the  new  and  able  juvenile  import  from  Britain,  Brian  Roper. 

Clarence  Brown  has  provided  a  finely  atmospheric  production,  including  a 
pictorially  interesting  switch  from  black-and-white  to  Technicolor  in  scenes 
enacted  within  the  secret  garden.  The  story's  background  of  mystery  and 
suspense  is  well  staged  but  the  unusual  nature  of  the  plot  and  some  peculiar 
quirks  of  personality  of  the  juvenile  stars  and  male  lead  give  the  film  a 
make-believe  stamp  that  detracts  from  its  value  as  adult  fare.  But  most  of 
it  should  be  a  delight  to  children  and  not  too  hard  for  most  adults  to  take 
It  is  not  a  run-of-the-mill  picture  and  for  that  reason  it  may  prove  to  be  a 
pleasant  surprise  m  numerous  neighborhood  and  small  town  theatres  and 
to  all  exhibitors  resourceful  enough  to  devise  and  execute  campaigns  which 
will  spotlight  its  many  unusual  features  and  possibilities. 

Margaret  O'Brien,  an  imperious,  willful  child,  is  orphaned  in  a  cholera 
epidemic  m  India  and  sent  to  England  to  live  with  her  wealthy  uncle 
played  by  Marshall.  The  huge,  gloomy  manor  home  and  its  nearby  walled 
and  sealed  garden  hide  the  secret  of  the  tragic  death,  10  years  before  of 
Marshall's  wife  and  mother  of  his  invalid  son,  played  by  Dean  Stockwell,  a 
child  as  willful  and  demanding  as  Miss  O'Brien. 

Since  his  wife's  death,  Marshall  has  been  on  the  verge  of  mental  collapse 
and  has  vowed  that  human  eyes  will  not  rest  upon  the  garden  enclosure 
where  she  met  her  death.  Miss  O'Brien's  curiosity  is  aroused  by  servants' 
tales.  She  finds  the  key  to  the  forbidden  garden's  door  and  with  the  help  of 
a  servant  s  boy,  played  by  Roper,  they  enter  and  transform  the  wasted  en- 
closure to  its  original  beauty  by  tending  the  neglected  plants  and  flowers 
tor  a  season.  It  becomes  a  wonderful,  secret  land  for  the  three  children  the 
invalid,  _  Stockwell,  being  taken  there  in  his  wheel  chair  by  the  other  'two 
althougn  theretofore  most  of  his  10  years  of  life  had  been  spent  in  bed  In 
the  out-of-doors  he  grows  stronger  and  his  health  improves 
_  There  comes  the  time  when  Marshall  discovers  his  sealed  garden  has'  been 
invaded.  In  a  rage,  he  storms  in  to  punish  the  intruders  In  the  tense  mo 
ment  m  which  he  discovers  the  children,  his  son  rises  from  the  wheel  chair 
and  takes  his  first  steps.  In  the  father's  joy  over  the  recovery  of  his  son 
from  what  he  had  believed  to  be  an  incurable  ailment  there  is  the  promise 
of  normal  living  in  the  great  house  in  the  future. 

Fred  M.  Wilcox  directed.  The  screenplay  is  bv  Robert  Ardrey 
Running  time,  92  minutes.  General  classification.  Release,  not  set. 

Sherwin  Kane 


to  create  independent  competition  i 
10  cities  where  it  has  two  theatres  b 
the  "sale  or  conveyance"  of  one  c. 
them.  Also,  he  said,  in  six  othei 
towns  where  20th  and  another  majoi 
have  theatres  an  agreement  will  b 
sought  for  one  of  the  companies  to  sel 
to  an  independent. 

John  W.  Davis,  counsel  for  Loew's 
declared  he  "can't  understand  why  th- 
government  opposed"  the  proposec 
system  of  arbitration  and  asked  th. 
court  to  reinstate  it  in  the  decree. 


Conciliation 

 (Continued  from  page  1) 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


TOA  Gross  Report 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ing  information  machinery  operating, 
because  of  problems  which  arose  in 
connection  with  drafting  of  the  forms 
which  are  to  be  filled  in  by  exhibitors 
in  the  field.  It  was  felt  that  if  the 
forms  were  too  involved  and  would 
demand  too  much  time  to  fill  in,  the 
whole  plan  to  compile  and  release  ac 
curate  box-office  performance  percent 
ages  might  be  jeopardized.  However, 
the  form  which  will  be  mailed  out 
today,  it  has  been  indicated,  will  re 
quire  about  two  hours  to  prepare. 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
MOTION  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


SSBsSTRUST 


COMPAN 


NEW  YORK 


MEMBER   FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


course,  Radio  City  Music  Hall,  tradi- 
tionally a  "must"  for  tourists  at  this 
time  of  the  year,  where  a  special  de- 
tail of  police  is  regimenting  the  crowds 
into  some  semblance  of  order.  Here 
the  customers  are  almost  continually 
lined  around  a  large  portion  of  Rocke- 
feller Center  apparently  undeterred  by 
the  prospect  of  waiting  perhaps  four 
house  to  see  the  theatre's  annual 
Easter  pageant  on  stage  and  "Connec 
ticut  Yankee"  on  the  screen. 

Showmen  say  their  barometer  on 
the  extent  of  the  influx  is  the  number 
of  persons  entering  their  theatres  and 
on  this  basis  they  figure  that  the  pop- 
ulation in  the  Times  Square  district 
this  week  probably  is  just  a  little  short 
of  2,000,000. 

Houses  in  the  first-run  belt  are  do 
ing  brisk  business,  almost  without  ex 
ception,  led  by  the  Music  Hall,  which 
is  bearing  out  earlier  estimates  that 
the  week  will  bring  a  record  gross  of 
$170,000. 

The  Paramount  came  in  for  its 
share  of  the  big  money  with  the  debut 
of  "The  Undercover  Man"  with  Duke 
Ellington's  orchestra  on  stage.  An 
estimated  6,800  admissions  were 
registered  by  11  A.M.  on  its  first  day. 

Another  outstanding  success  is  "Mr. 
Belvedere,"  at  the  Roxy,  where  a  first 
week's  take  has  reached  $162,335,  an 
Easter  week  high.  "Champion"  is 
going  at  a  record-breaking  pace  at 
the  Globe.  A  pair  of  reissues,  too, 
is  up  with  the  big  ones.  "Pride  of 
the  Yankees"  is  giving  the  Palace  its 
most  vigorous  business  in  many 
months,  the  timeliness  of  the  film  evi- 
dently     being      partly  responsible. 


Para.  Suit  Hearing 

(Continued  from,  page  1) 


theatre  in  cities  where  it  operates  two 
or  more,  and  to  allow  the  entry  of  in- 
dependent competition  where  it  and 
other  majors  operate  the  only  theatres, 
as  the  basis  for  a  settlement  with  the 
government.  The  latter  refused,  he 
said,  and  negotiations  of  a  consent 
judgment  collapsed  six  months  ago. 

Justice  Department  attorney  Robert 
Wright  answered  that  20th-Fox  had 
insisted  on  "expanding"  in  other  cities 
and  for  that -  reason  an  agreement 
could  not  be  reached.  Byrnes'  re- 
joinder was  that  Wright  had  not  par- 
ticipated in  the  decree  meetings  and 
inferred  that  Wright  had  no  knowl- 
edge on  which  to  base  the  answer  he 
offered. 

Yesterday's  hearing  opened  with 
the  presentation  to  the  bench  of  an 
affidavit  signed  by  Paramount  secre- 
tary Robert  O'Brien  reporting  on  the 
stockholders'  approval  given  that  com- 
pany's reorganization,  thus  severing 
Paramount  from  the  case. 

Wright  made  repeated  references  to 
the  majors'  "exclusionary  power"  and 
"abuse  of  power"  in  countering  all 
argument  for  a  court  decree  that 
would  not  order  total  divestiture.  In 
New  York's  metropolitan  area,  he 
said,  Loew's  Theatres  has  prior  run 
as  a  result  of  "exclusionary  con- 
spiracy." 

John  Caskey,  also  for  20th-Fox,  and 
John  W.  Davis,  for  Loew's,  cited  the 
Paramount  and  RKO  settlements  as 
adding  considerably  to  independent 
competition  in  exhibition  and  further 
rendering  unwarranted  any  extensive 
divestiture  order.  Adding  to  that, 
Caskey  said  that  20th-Fox  is  willing 


way"  to  provide  the  relief  sought 
while  two  other  companies  offeree 
their  own  individual  plans  for  reliev- 
ing the  exhibitor's  condition. 

The  complaining  exhibitor  was 
notified  a  month  ago  that  the  concilia- 
tion board  had  done  all  it  could  under 
present  circumstances,  and  that  he 
could  take  further  action  on  his  own 
or  wait  to  see  if  TOA  could  accomp- 
lish more  later.  The  board  has  not 
heard  from  him  since. 

Trade  opinion  here  is  that  extensive 
use  of  conciliation  is  unlikely  while 
there  continues  the  present  uncertainty 
over  establishing  a  national  arbitration 
system  for  the  industry. 


Deal  Is  Off 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Chaplin  had  exercised  his  option  ex- 
pected to  be  issued  tonight. 

Pickford  had  made  an-  arrangement 
with  the  Nassers,  'should  the  purchase 
go  through,  to  buy  back  into  the  com- 
pany at  the  rate  of  $54,000  for  each 
per  cent  of  ownership  acquired,  up  to  a 
possible  40  per  cent.  This  money  was 
to  be  used  for  operating  expenses  and 
to  establish  financing  for  independent 
producers. 

For  the  moment,  at  least,  the  UA 
negotiations  appear  to  be  back  where 
they  _  started.  Nasser's  statement  em- 
phasizes his  continuing  interest  in  ac- 
quiring the  company,  but  where  further 
steps  will  begin  is  not  clear. 


Legislatures  Adjourn 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


reduced  this  year  or  next. 

Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  legislative  representative 
Jack  Bryson  said  here  today  that  the 
Governor  of  Florida,  in  his  message 
opening  that  state's  legislative  session, 
called  for  a  five  per  cent  admission 
tax. 


Would  End  Tax  Oath 

_  Hartford,  April  20.— The  Connec- 
ticut legislature's  Finance  Committee 
has  favorably  reported  a  bill  which 
would  eliminate  the  requirement  that 
theatre  owners  file  tax  returns  under 
oath. 


DU-ART... 

A  GOOD  NAME  TO  REMEMBER  FOR 
LABORATORY  WORK  •  16  mm,  35  mm 


NEGATIVE  DEVELOPING 
IMMEDIATE  SERVICE 
NIGHT  OR  DAY 

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245  WEST  55th  ST.  .  CO.  5-5584 


IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  80 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,   MONDAY,   APRIL  25,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Amity  Rules  at 
UK-US  Confab; 
To  Meet  Again 

2 -Day  Session  Attended 
By  Six  Top  Leaders  Only 

\  Washington,  April  24.  —  The 
:  Anglo-American  Film  Council  will 
hold  another  session  in  the  very 
near  future,  "possibly  within  sev- 
eral weeks."  The  two-day  session  of 
the  Council  broke  up  here  Friday  with 
both  British  and  American  members 
"   agreeing  that  a  conciliatory  attitude 

•  marked  the  sessions  but  with  all  state- 
ments in  very  general  terms. 

!  It  was  admitted  that  the  British 
j   quota  had  come  up,  but  all  partici- 

•  pants  refused  to  reveal  details  of  con- 
versations on  this  point  as  well  other 

f  items  on  the  agenda, 

i  A  Council-approved  statement  said 

I  the  meeting  was  exploratory  and  that 

I'  results  will  be  reported  back  to  the 
members  of  the  respective  associations 

j  preparatory  for  the  next  Council  meet- 

:  ing.    Both  Eric  Johnston  and  J.  Ar- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Demand  For  Local 
Tax  Rights  Fails 

Washington,  April  24.  —  The 
Treasury  appears. to  have  turned  down 
requests  by  state  and  local  govern- 
ments that  the  Federal  government 
get  out  of  the  admissions  tax  field. 

This  was  apparent  from  a  release 
issued  Friday  on  the  results  of  the 
two-day  meeting  here  between  top 
government  officials  and  representa- 
tives of  state  and  municipal  govern- 
ment associations  on  overlapping  taxes 
and  increased  revenue  sources  for 
local  governments. 

The  representatives  of  the  state  and 
local  governments,  the  release  said, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


4IA'  Defeats  Lewis 
Union's  Phila.  Bid 


Philadelphia,  April  24. — The  juris- 
dictional controversy  here  affecting 
more  than  1,000  cashiers,  doormen, 
ushers,  matrons  and  other  theatre 
personnel  in  Warner,  20th-Fox  and 
Paramount  houses  has  been  won  by  a 
vote  of  two-to-one  by  IATSE  over 
its  rival,  District  No.  50  of  the  United 
Mine  Workers  of  America,  the  "IA" 
reports. 

In  a  collective-bargaining  election 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Bank's  Last-Minute 
Withdrawal  Caused 
U.  A.  Deal  Collapse 


Hollywood,  April  24. — Collapse  of 
the  deal  for  the  Nasser  Brothers'  pur- 
chase of  control  of  United  Artists 
was  attributed  here  at  the  weekend 
to  an  11th  hour  decision  by  the  Bank 
of  America  to  withdraw,  the*  bank 
having  considered  advancing  $5,000,000 
purchase  money,  with  the  Nassers  to 
provide  the  remaining  $400,000,  it  is 
said. 

Thus  the  company  fully  remains 
with  its  former  ownership,  Charles 
Chaplin  and  Mary  Pickford,  each 
with  50  per  cent.  Little  prospect  of 
any  deal  is  seen  for  the  present. 

Had  the  deal  gone  through,  Miss 
Pickford  had  intentions  of  buying 
back  into  the  company  up  to  a  pos- 
sible 40  per  cent  with  her  money  to 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Leon  Brandt  Named 
E-L  Ad  Assistant 

Max  E.  Youngstein,  Eagle-Lion 
advertising  -  publicity  vice  -  president, 
has  promoted  Leon  Brandt  to  assistant 
director  of  advertising-publicity,  to 
succeed  Jerry  Pickman,  who  resigned 
to  join  Paramount,  where  he  starts 
today. 

Brandt,  who  has  been  E-L  exploi- 
tation manager  since  October,  1948, 
joined  the  company  in  1946  as  Mid- 
western exploitation  representative  in 
Chicago.  He  entered  the  industry  in 
1935  as  a  manager  for  Fox  Theatres, 
leaving  to  set  up  his  own  publicity 
office.  In  1942  he  joined  United  Art- 
ists as  home  office  exploitation  repre- 
sentative. 


GOV'T  SUBMITS  ITS 
DIVORCEMENT  PLAN 


Marcus  To  Replace 
Wright  in  N.Y.  Suit 

Philip  Marcus,  government 
attorney  in  the  Schine  Thea- 
tres anti-trust  action,  is 
slated  to  replace  Robert 
Wright  in  the  U.  S.  Para- 
mount case,  when  the  latter 
resigns  his  Department  of 
Justice  post  at  the  end  of 
this  month  to  enter  private 
practice  in  Washington. 


AAAAPreparesPlan 
For  TV  Trusteeship 


A  committee  of  representatives 
from  Actors  Equity,  Chorus  Equity, 
American  Federation  of  Radio  Art- 
ists and  American  Guild  of  Musical 
Artists  is  about  to  draft  a  final  plan 
for  organization  and  administration 
of  television  jobs  under  a  trusteeship 
for  the  Four  A's,  Actors  Equity  re- 
ports here.  Recently  the  performer 
unions  rejected  proposals  for  a  mer- 
ger and  partnership  for  television. 
The  trusteeship  was  proposed  follow- 
ing rejection  of  the  merger  and  part- 
nership. 

"For  those  who  believe  that  ultimate 
merger  of  all  branches  into  one  big 
union  is  still  the  goal  which  should  be 
sought,  this  essay  into  a  joint  trus- 
teeship is  a  first  and  a  long  step," 
Actors  Equity  maintains. 


Lists  Allied  Co-chairmen 
For  Savings  Bond  Drive 


Discloses  Parity  in 
3  Branches'  Incomes 

Washington,  April  24. — Total  re- 
ceipts of  the  film  industry  in  1946 — 
close  to  $2,000,000,000— based  on  re- 
ports filed  in  1947,  were  almost  even- 
ly divided  between  production,  dis- 
tribution and  exhibition,  according  to 
figures  released  here  by  the  U.  S. 
Treasury  Department. 

The  Treasury  defines  "total  com- 
piled receipts"  as  consisting  of  gross 
sales,  gross  receipts  from  operations, 
all  interest  on  government  obligations, 
other  interest,  rents,  royalties,  excess 
of  net  short-term  capital  gains  over 
net  long-term  capital  losses,  excess 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Edward  Lachman,  national  exhibi- 
tor co-chairman  of  the  motion  picture 
industry's  participation  in  the  Treas- 
ury's savings  bond  drive,  which  will 
run  from  May  15  "through  June  30, 
has  announced  the  nationwide  list  of 
Allied  and  independent  state  chairmen 
in  each  exchange  area  who  will  co- 
ordinate exhibitor  bond  activities  dur- 
ing the  drive.  On  Tuesday,  Gael  Sul- 
livan, executive  director  of  the  Thea- 
tre Owners  of  America,  listed  TO  A 
exhibitor  co-chairmen  who  will  serve 
in  the  same  territories. 

The  Allied  Theatre  Owners  and  in- 
dependent area  chairmen  are : 

Albany,  Harry  Lamont,  ATO  ;  At- 
lanta, Winfield  Snelson,  Buckhead 
Theatre ;  Boston,  Daniel  J.  Murphy, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Court  Takes  Case  Under 
Advisement;  'Little  3' 
Asks    Separate  Decree 

The  government's  industry  anti- 
trust suit  was  taken  under  advise- 
ment by  the  three  judges  of  New 
York  Federal  Court  on  Friday  fol- 
lowing the  government's  proposal  of 
its  first  specific  order  on  the  method 
of  divorcement  for  the  remaining  cir- 
cuit-owner distributors ;  additional  ex- 
pressions of  interest  by  Judge  Augus- 
tus N.  Hand  in  the  plaintiff's  reason- 
ing which  holds  vertical  integration  in 
the  industry  to  be  illegal;  and  a  bid 
by  the  "Little  Three"  for  a  separate 
decree  with  modifications  of  trade- 
practice  restraints. 

Judge  Hand's  queries  were  prompt- 
ed by  U.S.  attorney  Robert  L.  Wright's 
objections  to  the  proposed  arbitration 
system  which  had  been  advocated  by 
Loew's  and  20th  Century-Fox  on 
Thursday,    and   by  Warner  counsel 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Loop  Decree  Favors 
RKO  Grand  Theatre 


Chicago,  April  24.— The  RKO 
Grand  Theatre  here  may  turn  out  to 
be  a  "breadwinner"  among  defendant 
theatres  in  the  Loop  because  of  its 
new  status  as  a  theatre  which  can 
play  top-ranking  films  beyond  the 
two-week  Loop  limit  prescribed  under 
the  Jackson  Park  decree. 

It  was  learned  at  the  weekend  that 
an  agreement  reached  previously 
with  the  consent  of  Judge  Michael 
Igoe  of  U.  S.-  District  Court  and  Jack- 
son Park  attorney  Thomas  McCon- 
nell,  granting  a  long  run  for  RKO 
Radio's  "Joan  of  Arc,"  extends  be- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Dismissal  of  Alger 
Suit  Is  Due  Today 


Chicago,  April  24. — Official  dismis- 
sal of  the  Alger  rental  percentage  case 
is  due  on  Monday  in  U.  S.  District 
Court  here,  when  Judge  William 
Campbell  is  scheduled  to  sign  the  or- 
der by  Master-in-Chancery  Joseph  W. 
Ehvard  recommending  payment  of 
attorneys'  fees  to  Thomas  McConnell 
and  Seymour  Simon  of  $4,016  and 
$1,500,  respectively.  Dismissal  will  be 
a  matter  of  course  inasmuch  as  a 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  April  25,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

O  J.  O'DONNELL,  Variety  In- 
AV»  ternational  chief  barker,  and 
John  Harris,  a  Variety  founder,  have 
arrived  in  San  Francisco  from  Dallas 
and  Pittsburgh,  respectively,  and  will 
remain  for  the  Variety  convention. 
• 

Herbert  A.  Philbrick,  American 
Theatres  assistant  advertising  man 
ager,  who  appeared  as  a  government 
witness  in  the  trial  of  the  Communist 
leaders  at  New  York,  is  back  at  his 
desk  in  Boston. 

• 

Paul  Lazarus,  Sr.,  making  a  sub- 
stantial recovery  from  his  recent  ill- 
ness^ is  now  able  to  be  out-of-doors 
at  his  Mahopac  home,  where  he  is 
recuperating. 

• 

John  Joseph,  assistant  to  Howard 
Dietz,  M-G-M  advertising-publicity 
vice-president,  will  leave  here  today 
for  the  Coast,  making  a  stop  at  Chi- 
cago. 

• 

J.  Cheever  Cowdin,  Universal- 
International  board  chairman,  was  due 
to  arrive  in  New  York  over  the  week- 
end by  plane  from  London. 

• 

Steve  Broidy,  Monogram-Allied 
Artists  president,  now  visiting  New 
York,  is  expected  back  at  his  Holly- 
wood office  on  May  1. 

• 

Lillian  Gish  will  leave  here  to- 
day for  Europe,  where  she  will  serve 
as  a  correspondent  for  Theatre  Arts 
magazine. 

• 

Jack  Harris,  Walter  Reade  Thea- 
tres film  buyer,  and  Mrs.  Harris. 
will  return  here  today  from  a  Florida 
vacation. 

• 

\ .  Frank    Freeman,  Paramount 
vice-president,  arrived  in  New  York 
over  the  weekend  from  the  Coast. 
• 

Norman    Newman,    North  Coast 
booker-buyer,  will  return  to  Los  An- 
geles today  from  San  Francisco. 
• 

Jules  Nayfack,  of  Sack  Amuse- 
ment Enterprises,  left  here  on  Friday 
for  a  Southern  business  tour. 
• 

B.  G.  Kraxze,  Film  Classics  sales 
vice-president,     has     returned  here 
from  a  South  American  trip.  . 
• 

William  Satori,  Monogram  Euro- 
pean representative,  left  Paris  over 
the  weekend  for  Brussels. 

• 

_  Nate  Blumberg,  Universal-Interna- 
tional president,  left  here  for  Holly- 
wood over  the  weekend. 

o 

_  Joe  Siritzky  of  Siritzky  Interna- 
tional Pictures,  will  leave  New  York 
next  month  for  Paris. 

• 

David  Bursten,  Selznick  Releasing 
Organization  counsel,  is  in  Chicago 
today  from  New  York. 

• 

William  F.  Rodgers,  M-G-M  sales 
vice-president,  left  here  yesterday  for 
Chicago. 


Tradewise . 


By  SHERWIN  KANE 


EXT  month  the  nation's  the- 
atres  will  have  at  least  two 
outstanding  opportunities  to  ren- 
der valuable  service  to  the  coun- 
try, the  motion  picture  industry 
and  the  theatre  as  a  community 
institution. 

Participation  in  the  U.  S. 
Treasury's  savings  bond  drive 
and  earnest  effort  in  exploiting 
the  first  release  in  the  industry 
series  of  "The  Movies  and  You" 
short  subjects  are  the  means  by 
which  that  may  be  accomplished. 

Weeks  of  planning  and  labor 
by  Maurice  Bergman,  industry 
bond  drive  chairman,  and  Max 
Youngstein,  advertising-public- 
ity chairman,  and  their  commit- 
tees will  have  prepared  the  way 
for  theatre  participation  in  the 
savings  bond  drive.  The  co- 
operation, the  ideas,  the  mate- 
rials to  aid  the  government  in 
the  sale  of  savings  bonds  will 
soon  be  ready  for  theatres  to 
make  use  of. 

It  has  been  four  years  since 
the  government  has  called  upon 
the  industry  to  give  its  valuable 
help  to  such  a  campaign.  The 
fact  that  the  Administration  and 
the  Treasury  are  convinced  that 
a  savings  bond  drive  is  in  the 
best  interests  of  the  nation  at 
this  time  should  be,  and  is,  suf- 
ficient reason  for  loyal  Ameri- 
can exhibitors  to  enlist  their  in- 
valuable public  resources  in  the 
service  of  their  government,  and 
thereby  contribute  to  the  honor 
of  their  industry  and  the  pres- 
tige of  their  theatres  in  neigh- 
borhood and  community  life. 

Make  ready  and  make  room 
on  your  screens,  marquees,  lob- 
bies and  stages,  in  your  adver- 
tising, publicity  and  exploita- 
tion, for  the  1949  savings  bond 
drive. 

And  help  the  sale  of  bonds 
within  your  own  organization 
and  by  being  a  purchaser  your- 
self. 

• 

"Let's  Go  to  the  Movies," 
first  in  the  series  of  12  subjects 
in  which  the  industry  will  tell 
its  own  story  to  theatre  audi- 
ences in  the  interests  of  a  better 
understanding  and  improved 
public  relations,  will  be  released 
through  RKO  Radio  about  mid- 
May. 

Exhibitors  should  need  no 
urging  to  book  and  play  these 
subjects.  They  were  planned 
and  produced  with  the  sole  idea 
of  making  the  public  better  ac- 
quainted with  motion  pictures, 
the  industry  and  its  workers, 
and  your  theatre,  to  the  end  that 


industry  achievements  and  prob- 
lems, even  its  critics,  will  be  re- 
garded by  the  public  with  bet- 
ter knowledge  and  increased 
interest. 

To  book  every  subject  in  the 
series,  to  advertise  and  exploit 
each  adequately,  is  not  only  a 
constructive  service  to  the  in- 
dustry but  is  as  well  a  contribu- 
tion to  the  welfare  of  your  own 
theatre.  No  audience  will  resent 
the  screen  time  devoted  to  these 
subjects  nor  regard  them  as  an 
intrusion  or  imposition.  They 
are  professional  accomplish- 
ments, entertainingly  done  and 
centered  upon  that  most  inter- 
esting of  all  subjects  to  the  the- 
atre patron — motion  pictures. 
They  represent  a  suitable  addi- 
tion to  any  program,  for  any 
time. 

Now  that  an  eminently  fair 
method  of  determining  rentals 
for  these  subjects  has  been 
agreed  upon  there  no  longer  is 
any  valid  reason  why  a  place 
should  not  be  made  for  them  on 
every  screen  in  the  land. 
•  • 

One  of  the  more  encouraging 
and  praiseworthy  examples  of 
exhibitor  ingenuity  and  enter- 
prise in  promoting  a  picture  to 
come  to  the  attention  of  this  de- 
partment in  a  long  time  is  that 
engineered  by  W.  F.  Deaton  and 
J.  L.  Kelley  of  the  Pix  The- 
atre, Alva,  Okla.,  on  behalf  of 
Umversal's  "The  Life  of  Riley." 

Co-owners  of  a  small  town 
theatre,  Deaton  and  Kelley  han- 
dle their  own  advertising  and 
promotion  as  well  as  all  the 
other  phases  of  theatre  opera- 
tion. Necessity  not  only  has 
made  them  independent  of  dis- 
tributor largesses  in  the  way  of 
co-op  advertising  but  also  has 
developed  in  them  a  resource- 
fulness that  too  often  is  lacking 
in  big  city  and  big  theatre  oper- 
ations. Strictly  limited  adver- 
tising funds  do  not  deter  these 
small  town  showmen  from  try- 
ing for,  and  getting,  full  page 
space  in  their  local  paper  when 
they  believe  they  have  a  hit  show 
coming  up. 

Deaton  and  Kelley  sold  12 
local  merchants  on  taking  and 
paying  for  space  which,  in  con- 
junction with  their  theatre's  ad, 
filled  a  page  in  the  Alva  Review- 
Courier.  Through  a  further 
tie-up,  copies  of  the  paper, 
individually  addressed,  were 
mailed  to  every  home  within  a 
radius  of  30  miles.  Result: 
"Riley"  was  held  over  two  days 
in  that  small  town  theatre. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


T*  HE  birth  of  the  Irish  Republic 
and  anti-  Communist  demonstra- 
tions in  Berlin  are  current  newsreel 
highlights.  Other  items  include  the 
U.  S.  Bond  drive,  sports  and  fashions. 
Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  33— Presi- 
dent Truman  has  a  busy  day  in  Washington. 
Chinese  Reds  on  the  way  to  Nanking.  Doo- 
little  raiders  mark  an  anniversary.  Deep- 
sea  fishermen.  New  Irish  Republic  pro- 
claimed. Anti-Red  parade  ends  in  a  riot 
in  Germany.  Nipponese  take  to  square 
dancing.  King  Farouk  and  sisters  visit 
junior  world's  fair  in  Cairo. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  267— $7,- 
000,000  Capitol  vacated  as  quake  cracks 
building.  King  Farouk  opens  Egypt's  world's 
fair.  German  war  crimes  trial  ends.  Anti- 
Reds  riot  in  Munich.  Bigger  and  better 
spring  bonnets.  Swedish  champ  wins  mara- 
thon in  Boston.  Memorial  to  Babe  Ruth. 
Bond  campaign  opens. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  70 — "DP's" 
stage  anti-Communist  demonstration  in  Mu- 
nich. Taxes  slashed  in  Canada.  News 
portraits  of  King  Farouk  and  sisters.  Presi- 
dent Truman  rallies  nation  to  bond  drive. 
Erwin  hails  birth  of  Republic  of  Ireland. 

TEEENEWS  DIGEST,  No.  16-B— 
Shanghai  under  threat.  Birth  of  the  Re- 
public of  Ireland.  Costa  Rica  between 
revolutions.  Washington:  hot  words  in 
cold  war.  Korea:  President  Rhee  celebrates 
birthday.  Barbecue  in  Argentina.  King 
Farouk  opens  fair.     Spring  fashions. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWS,  No.  241— Riot  in 
Munich  against  Soviets.  Rebirth  of  city  in 
Texas.  President  Truman  spurs  new  bond 
drive.  King  Farouk  opens  Egypt's  world's 
fair.     Sports:  hobby  planes,   Roller  derby. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  72— 
People  in  the  news :  Cordell  Hull,  Babe  Ruth 
Memorial,  Egyptian  Royal  Family.  Irish 
Republic  born.  ECA  drive.  President  Tru- 
man spurs  bond  drive.  Jap  barn  dance. 
Air-lift  in  Berlin.  Midget  planes.  Great 
Americans:  James  Madison. 


Lichtman  and  Smith 
End  Southern  Tour 


Twentieth  Century-Fox  .vice-presi- 
dents Al  Lichtman,  Andy  W.  Smith, 
Jr.,  and  Charles  Einfeld  are  due  back 
in  New  York  today  from  the  South- 
ern leg  of  their  current  sales  confer- 
ence tour  which  is  a  facet  of  the  com- 
pany's "grass  roots"  campaign  for  in- 
creased rentals. 

The  trio  conducted  a  -  meeting  in 
Washington  at  the  weekend  with 
division  sales  personnel,  headed  by 
division  manager  Ray  Moon.  Earlier 
last  week  Lichtman,  Smith  and  Ein- 
feld conferred  in  Atlanta  with  South- 
ern division  personnel,  headed  by 
division  manager  Harry  Ballance. 
Previously  the  trio  covered  New  Eng- 
land, New  York,  Philadelphia,  Chi- 
cago and  the  West  Coast. 


Spyros  Skouras  to 
Aid  War  Veterans 

Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president  of 
20th  Century-Fox,  has  agreed  to  serve 
on  the  honorary  committee  of  the 
Jewish  War  Veterans  fourth  annual 
show,  to  be  held  on  May  18  at  Madi- 
son Square  Garden  here,  it  was  an- 
nounced by  Jacob  S.  Spiro,  general 
chairman.  Twelve  hundred  hospital- 
ized veterans  will  be  guests  of  the 
JWV  at  the  show.  Proceeds  will  be 
used  for  JWV  rehabilitation  work 
among  hospitalized  veterans  of  all 
faiths. 


Sa^an^^  It&l^en^^l  j^J^Bto,  Pushed  daily,  except  Saturdays, 

T^T  YS  h  ^alUn  Quigley-  P^sident;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Qt  glly  J ^  Vic?President  T^n  T  \  n:  '  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
James  P    Cunmgham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager-  GusH  Fause    p7^  J'  SuT"1T,an'  Vjce-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 

Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and I  Adverfising  Urbeii ^  Ad^si^  ^rX^^00^-301^'  Yucca-Vine.  Building,  William  R.  Weaver 

Otten  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  So    London  W1    Hn,r£i  mP  Jimmy  As£\e.r>  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 

Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Pieture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales  each  publisher i  n  wf  f'  ^  BurnU*  Ed*>r:  cable  address.  "Quigpubco,  London." 
11,1 ,0t«^,CtS.re  AAlma°ac,  Fame.    Entered  as  secand  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938 at  th post  office  a  York   N   ^    «  ai  \fctl°n  °J™otlon  Pic^e  Herald;  International 

year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c.  P  New  York'  N-  Y-  under  the- act  of  March  3,  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


Monday,  April  25,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Wilcox's  "Spring"  Sweeps  British 
Poll;  Anna  N eagle,  Wilding  Cited 

London,  April  24. — Producer  Herbert  Wilcox's  "Spring  in  Park 
Lane,"  which  was  released  here  last  year,  has  captured  all  of 
the  British  film  awards  in  the  nationwide  poll  of  audiences  con- 
ducted by  the  London  Daily  Mail,  it  was  disclosed  here  at  the  week- 
end. The  results  follow  closely  the  pattern  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Herald-Fame  British  film  poll  and  box-office  survey  which  disclosed 
"Spring"  to  be  1948's  leading  grosser  here. 

Not  only  was  the  film  voted  the  best  of  the  year,  but  its  stars, 
Anna  Neagle  and  Michael  Wilding,  were  voted  best  actress  and 
actor  for  their  performances  in  the  picture.  Wilcox  pictures  won 
the  awards  of  two  previous  years,  and  the  results  of  the  latest 
poll  mark  the  first  time  that  the  triple  crown  went  to  one  team. 


Herbert  Wilcox  and  his  wife,  Anna  Neagle,  are  due  to  arrive 
in  New  York  on  Tuesday  from  London  aboard  the  S.  S.  Queen 
Elizabeth. 


Variety  of  London 
Requests  a  Charter 


Robert  J.  O'Donnell  and  John  H. 
Harris,  circuit  executives  and  Inter- 
national Variety  chiefs,  have  received 
from  London,  the  official  petition  for 
a  charter  for  Tent  No.  36,  to  be 
known  as  the  Variety  Club  of  Lon- 
don. Vote  on  the  petition  will  take 
place  at  the  annual  Variety  meeting 
in  San  Francisco  on  May  2. 

Officers  and  crew  for  the  first  year 
follow:  Chief  barker,  Robert  Wolff, 
RKO;  first  assistant,  C.  J.  Latta, 
ABP,  Ltd. ;  second  assistant,  Sam 
Eckman,  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,  Ltd. ; 
property  master,  L.  Wilson,  Stoll 
Theatres;  dough  guy,  W.  J.  Kupper, 
20th  Century-Fox;  canvasmen,  C. 
Tucker,  C.  R.  Tucker  Enterprises ; 
J.  E.  Perkins,  Paramount  Film  Serv- 
ice; A.  Abeles,  Warner  Brothers; 
L.  R.  Kent,  Gaumont-British ;  David 
Coplan,  Ganesh  Productions ;  J. 
Friedman,  Columbia  British  Prod. 

The  London  Tent  will  arrange  a 
function,  probably  in  July,  at  which 
time  the  new  Tent  will  receive  its 
charter.  Flying  to  London  for  the 
event,  will  be  O'Donnell,  Harris, 
Chick  Lewis  and  William  McCraw. 
They  will  also  visit  other  European 
capitals  to  meet  with  industry  execu- 
tives to  lay  the  groundwork  for  Tents 
in  other  countries. 

Two  Classed  "B"  by 
Legion;  Six  Reviewed 

Six  additional  films  have  been  clas- 
dfied  by  the  National  Legion  of  De- 
cency with  two  of  them  getting  a  "B" 
•ating.  In  that  classification  are  Para- 
nount's  "Bride  of  Vengeance"  and 
Columbia's  "We  Were  Strangers." 

In  Class  A-I  are  United  Artists' 
'Africa  Screams,"  and  Lux  Films' 
'Professor,  My  Son."  In  Class  A-II 
ire  Warner  Brothers'  "My  Dream  Is 
Vours"  and  Film  Classics'  "Search  for 
Danger." 

 . 

Hochfeld,  Roman  Are 
Warned  to  SPG  Posts 

Screen   Publicists   Guild  here  has 
j  :lected  a  new  second  vice-president 
!  .nd  a  new  secretary  following  recent 
esignations.    Harry    Hochfeld,  20th 
I  "entury-Fox,  has  been  elected  second 
i  ice-president  replacing  Murray  Gold- 
|  tein  of  Columbia,  and  Sey  Roman  of 
Columbia  has  been  elected  secretary 
eplacing  Maria  Van  Slyke  of  Eagle- 
Jon. 


Pickford  Asks  FCC 
For  2  TV  Stations 

Washington,  April  24. — 
Mary  Pickford  has  thrown 
her  hat  into  the  televi- 
sion ring  with  applications 
for  Federal  Communications 
Commission  approval  for  two 
new  stations  in  North  Caro- 
lina. 

Miss  Pickford  asked  the 
FCC  Friday  for  construction 
permits  for  stations  in  Dur- 
ham and  Winston-Salem.  She 
estimated  that  each  station 
would  cost  $215,000  to  build 
and  $250,000  to  get  operating. 
The  application  listed  her  net 
worth  as  "in  excess  of 
§2,000,000." 


Parity  of  Incomes 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

of  net  long-term  capital  gains  over 
net  short-term  capital  losses,  net  gain 
from  sale  or  exchange  of  property 
other  than  capital  assets,  dividends, 
and  other  receipts  required  to  be  in- 
cluded in  gross  income.  Non-taxable 
income  is  excluded. 

The  Treasury  figures  show  that  718 
production-distribution  corporate  in- 
come tax  returns  had  total  compiled 
receipts  of  $977,857,000  in  1946,  while 
3,560  returns  from  exhibition  showed 
compiled  receipts  of  $971,517,000. 

The  Treasury  some  weeks  ago  re- 
leased 1946  figures  for  the  industry 
as  a  whole,  but  the  production-exhibi- 
tion breakdown  was  first  released  Fri- 
day. 

There  were  855  returns  from  pro- 
duction firms  in  all,  but  137  did  not 
include  income  data.  Net  income  was 
reported  on  350  returns,  and  no  net 
income  or  a  ne+  deficit  on  368.  The 
350  returns  with  a  net  income  showed 
receipts  of  $948,342,000,  a  net  income 
of  $166,746,000,  total  income  and  ex- 
cess profits  taxes  of  $55,137,000,  and 
dividends  paid  in  cash  and  assets  other 
than  their  own  stock  of  $55,635,000. 
The  368  returns  with  no  net  income 
showed  receipts  of  $29,515,000,  a 
deficit  of  $12,287,000. 

Theatres  filed  3,691  corporate  in- 
come tax  returns,  of  which  3,074 
showed  a  net  income,  486  a  net  deficit, 
and  the  balance  contained  no  income 
data.  The  3,074  net  income  returns 
showed  receipts  of  $942,389,000,  net 
income  of  $202,829,000,  total  taxes  of 
$73,179,000,  and  dividends  of  $57,641,- 
000.  The  486  no  net  income  returns 
showed  receipts  of  $29,128,000,  a 
deficit  of  $1,121,000. 


$21,000  for  "Belvedere" 

Twentieth  Century-Fox's  "Mr.  Bel- 
vedere Goes  to  College"  at  the  Roxy 
here,  together  with  a  holiday  stage 
show,  on  Friday — first  day  of  a  second 
week — exceeded  the  opening  day  by 
$1,570,  with  a  gross  of  $7,369  at 
mid-afternoon,  it  was  reported  by  the 
theatre's  executive  director,  A.  J. 
Balaban,  who  estimated  that  the  total 
for  the  first  dav  of  the  second  week 
hit  $21,000,  against  $18,417  taken  in 
on.  the  opening  day  on  April  15. 


Hodgson  to  Speak  on  TV 

Richard  Hodgson.  Paramount  tech- 
nical director,  will  speak  on  the  opera- 
tion of  the  New  York  Paramount 
Theatre  television  system  at  the 
monthly  dinner  of  the  National  Tele- 
vision Film  Council,  to  be  held  at  the 
Brass  Rail  here  on  Thursday. 


'IA'  Defeats  Lewis 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

conducted  by  the  Pennsylvania  Labor 
Relations  Board,  the  workers  cast 
472  votes  for  "IA"  Local  No.  B-100 
and  212  for  the  John  L.  Lewis  Mine 
Workers  union,  the  latter  having 
challenged  the  "IA's"  11-year  control. 
Twenty-two  votes  were  cast  for  "no 
union,"  and  two  for  the  Employe 
Representation  Committee,  a  group 
which  "IA"  said  had  thrown  its  sup- 
port to  the  Mine  Workers  after  ob- 
taining a  place  on  the  ballot. 

"IA"  emerged  victor  in  the  voting 
at  all  of  the  individual  circuits,  tak- 
ing Warners  by  387  to  183;  Para- 
mount 41  to  15;  20th- Fox  30  to  seven, 
and  the  Theatre  Cleaning  Service  14 
to  seven. 

"IA"  international  president  Rich- 
ard F.  Walsh  has  promised  the  Phila- 
delphia theatre  employes  wage  in- 
creases retroactive  to  last  August  3. 


TV.  /.  Allied  Meet  Today 

Allied  Theatre  Owners  of  New 
Jersey  is  expected  to  take  up  at  a 
membership  meeting  here  today  fur- 
ther discussion  of  20th  Century-Fox's 
"grass  roots"  increased  rentals  cam- 
paign. 


Alger  Suit 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

hearing  scheduled  last  week  for  objec- 
tions to  fees  went  uncontested  by  the 
eight  distributor-plaintiffs. 

The  court  action  arose  from  the  de- 
mand by  the  eight  plaintiffs  that  the 
Alger  books  be  submitted  for  audit  by 
the  distributing  companies.  Alger 
Theatres  said  it  was  willing  to  have 
the  books  audited  but  only  by  a  rep- 
utable independent  auditing  firm  and 
would  pay  any  amount  found  due. 

After  the  suit  was  brought  several 
months  ago,  E.  R.  Alger,  president 
of  the  circuit,  pointed  out  that  his 
company  owns  three  theatres  in  con- 
junction with  Publix  Great  States,  a 
subsidiary  of  Balaban  &  Katz,  which 
in  turn,  is  owned  by  Paramount.  All 
books  of  this  company  were  kept  by 
B.  and  K.  in  its  Chicago  office,  it  was 
said.  This,  Alger  added,  placed  Para- 
mount in  the  position  of  suing  them- 
selves for  fraud. 

After  months  of  delay  the  Alger 
circuit  said,  the  major  companies 
asked  for  dismissal  of  the  suit,  but 
only  after  the  circuit  refused  some 
payment  to  the  companies  without  in- 
volving an  audit. 


No  Favoritism  in 
Booking,  Rydge  Says 

Norman  B.  Rydge,  chair- 
man of  Greater  Union  The- 
atres, Australia,  asserts  in  a 
cable  received  here  Friday 
that  his  recent  pledge  "to  do 
everything  in  our  power  to 
advance  the  cause  of  British 
films  in  Australia"  does  not 
refer  to  preferential  treat- 
ment for  British  films  in 
GUT's  bookings. 

"As  far  as  our  booking 
policy  is  concerned,"  he  said, 
"it  remains,  as  always,  a  free, 
open  market  and  at  no  time 
will  I  permit  any  discrimina- 
tion against  America  or  any 
other  country's  product." 


4 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Monday,  April  25,  194i 


Divorcement  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Joseph  Proskauer  on  Friday.  The 
proposed  plan  presupposes  continued 
integration  of  exhibition  with  produc- 
tion-distribution. 

"Isn't  it  true,"  asked  Judge  Hand, 
"that  all  he  (Proskauer)  is  doing  is 
protecting  their  (the  distributors') 
right  to  show  their  own  pictures  in 
their  own  theatres?" 

"The  proposed  arbitration 
plan  goes  further,"  Wright  re- 
plied. "It  gives  them  a  right  to 
discriminate  in  favor  of  their 
own  theatres  and  the  Sherman 
Act  does  not  give  them  them 
that  right." 

"Do  they  have  to  give  pictures  on 
the  same  terms  to  other  theatres?" 
Judge  Hand  inquired.  Wright  said 
that  his  objection  was  that  the  theatre 
could  license  the  films  of  its  affiliated 
distributor  exclusively  and  then  com- 
pete with  other  theatres  for  the  films 
of  other  distributors. 

"The  key  to  the  whole  rem- 
edy," Wright  maintained,  "is 
the  creation  of  wholly-competi- 
tive distribution,  to  eliminate 
the  power  and  incentive  in  fa- 
vor of  affiliated  houses  and  this 
can  be  achieved  only  when  all 
theatres  have  an  opportunity  to 
obtain  all  product  on  the  basis 
of  normal,  competitive  consid- 
erations." 

Earlier  in  the  day  Wright  was 
asked  by  Judge  Hand  to  reconcile  his 
views  with  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court 
opinion,  frequently  cited  by  defense 
attorneys,  which  held  that  vertical  in- 
tegration in  itself  is  not  illegal. 

Repeats  Stand 

Wright's  answer  was  that  whether 
by  a  "calculated  scheme"  to  build  a 
monopoly  or  whether  there  were  oth- 
er motives  for  developing  their  thea- 
tre interests,'  the  majors  have  the 
"power  and  incentive"  to  exclude 
competition.  A  similar  answer  was 
given  when  Wright  was  asked  by 
Judge  Hand  what  his  attitude  would 
be  if  the  distributors  had  acquired 
their  theatres  "only  yesterday." 

Wright  submitted  his  proposed  or- 
der for  divorcement  in  the  form  of  a 
memorandum  to  the  court,  which 
reads  as  follows : 

"On  and  after  Dec.  31,  1949,  all 
licenses  for  motion  pictures  distributed 
by  (name  of  distributor  to  be  inserted) 
for  exhibition  in  any  theatre  regardless 
of  whether  owned  or  operated  by  it 
shall  be  in  all  respects  subject  to  the 
terms  of  this  judgment.  On  and  after 
said  date  its  production  and  distribu- 
tion business  shall  be  conducted  sepa- 
rately from  its  domestic  exhibition 
business  and  said  business  shall  have 
no  common  directors,  officers,  agents 
or  employes. 

To  Submit  Plans 

"Within  60  days  of  the  entry  hereof, 
the  defendant  (name  of  distributor  to 
be  inserted)  shall  submit  a  plan  for 
permanently  separating  the  ownership 
and  control  of  said  business  respec- 
tively described  in  Paragraph  A  above. 
Such  plans  shall  be  served  upon  the 
Attorney  General  who  shall  have  the 
opportunity  to  object  thereto  and  pre- 
sent to  the  court  such  modified  or 
alternative  plan  accomplishing  the 
same  objective  as  may  be  deemed 
appropriate." 

Proskauer  began  summation  of  the 
Warner  defense  by  rejecting  as  in- 
appropriate precedents  the  Paramount 
and  RKO  consent  judgments.  Para- 


mount was  vulnerable,  he  said,  be- 
cause of  its  substantial  joint  owner- 
ships held  to  be  contrary  to  law. 
"The  government  doesn't  have  us  by 
the  throat  as  it  had  Paramount  by  the 
throat,"  he  said. 

"RKO,  as  everyone  knows, 
was  a  'stock  situation',"  Pros- 
kauer commented. 

"There  is  no  point  to  Wright's 
charge  of  competitive  exclusion  by 
putting  our  pictures  in  our.  own  the- 
atres," he  declared,  adding  there  was 
"not  a  single  living  witness  here  to 
support  the  charge  of  conspiracy,  mo- 
nopolistic intent,  and  so  on." 

Referring  to  the  arbitration  pro- 
posal, Proskauer  declared :  "We  mean 
this  to  be  an  effective  weapon  in  the 
hands  of  any  exhibitor  who  feels  he 
has  been  aggrieved." 

'Little  3'  Object 

_  Counsel  for  United  Artists,  Colum- 
bia and  Universal  reiterated  their  ob- 
jections to  arbitration,  primarily  be- 
cause, as  UA's  Edward  Raftery  put 
it,  "it  is  too  rich  for  our  blood."  He 
added  that  UA  was  "in  the  red  last 
year  and  not  doing  much  better  this 
year."  Cyril  Landau,  Universal  attor- 
ney, said  the  company  was  in  favor 
of  arbitration  but  unable  to  sustain 
the  costs. 

Landau  reminded  the  court  that 
while  the  "Little  Three"  were  not 
party  to  the  arbitration  system  under 
the  consent  decree  of  1940  they  gen- 
erally complied  with  the  terms  of  the 
awards. 

Raftery  called  for  a  separate  decree 
for  the  "Little  Three"  to  protect  it 
from  an  anticipated  flood  of  private 
trust  actions.  He  said  that  85  such 
suits  are  pending  and  other  theatres 
are  now  waiting  for  the  court's  de 
cree  to  use  in  more  Sherman  Act 
suits. 

Raftery  asked  for  the  inclusion  of 
admission  prices  on  contracts  only  to 
determine  rental,  the  right  to  license 
on  a  franchise  basis  wherever  not  in 
restraint  of  competition,  and  modifi 
cation  of  the  restraints  on  roadshows 
and  moveovers. 

Pleads  'Different'  Problems 

Louis  Frohlich,  Columbia  counsel, 
maintained  that  the  problems  of  the 
Little  Three  are  "different,"  in  ask- 
ing for  a  separate  decree.  He  said 
that  the  government  is  "bringing  in 
compulsory  competitive  bidding  by 
the  back  door"  and  the  three  com- 
panies are  "vigorously  opposed  to  it." 
He  added  that  Columbia  has  "built  a 
customer  relationship"  over  the  past 
20  years  and  this  would  be  threatened. 

Frohlich  said  that  the  clause  in  the 
Paramount  decree  directing  "theatre- 
by-theatre  selling  on  the  merits  and 
without  discrimination"  was  not  called 
for  by  the  Supreme  Court  and  asked 
that  this  be  clarified  so  that  it  could 
not  be  construed  as  meaning  compul- 
sory bidding. 

Friday's  session  came  to  a  close 
with  a  request  by  Proskauer  to  see 
the  court's  findings  before  they  are 
signed,  "so  that  we  may  offer  some 
comment."  Hearing  this,  Wright 
asked  for  an  injunction  against  any 
theatre  expansion  while  the  court  is 
deciding  the  issues.  There  are  no  rul- 
ing given  on  Proskauer's  request  and 
Wright's  bid  was  rejected. 

"I  guess  we  will  have  to  take  the 
case  and  study  it,"  Judge  Hand  said. 


Wright  Made  Trust 
History,  Boss  Says 

Upon  occasion  of  his  resig- 
nation from  the  Department 
of  Justice,  Robert  Wright  re- 
ceived the  plaudits  of  Attor- 
ney General  Tom  Clark.  In 
a  letter  to  Wright,  Clark 
said:  "I  accept  your  decision 
with  more  than  the  usual  re- 
gret over  the  government's 
loss  of  an  outstanding  lawyer, 
realizing  the  full  value  of 
your  distinguished  services  to 
the  anti-trust  division.  Your 
tasks  in  the  moving  picture 
cases  were  monumental  and 
the  results  you  achieved  have 
made  anti-trust  history." 


UK  -  US  Confab 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Tax  Demand  Fails 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Another  Odeon  Theatre 

Toronto,  April  24. — A.  J.  Laurie, 
promotion  manager  of  Odeon  Thea- 
tres, has  announced  the  opening  of  the 
Odeon  at  Ottawa  on  May  12. 


urged  that  _  tax  legislation  this  year 
should  provide  enough  revenue  to  per- 
mit immediate  repeal  of  the  general 
admissions  tax  "in  order  to  release  an 
immediate  revenue  source  to  locali- 
ties where  local  taxes  on  admissions 
are  already  authorized."  Elsewhere 
state  enabling  legislation  would  be 
required.  The  approved  release  made 
no  comment   on   this  suggestion. 

The  release  added,  however,  that 
the  conference,  among  other  things, 
explored  a  suggestion  that  the  Fed- 
eral government  relinquish  some  ex- 
cise taxes  to  localities,  including  taxes 
on  amusements,  gasoline,  electrical 
energy  and  local  phone  calls,  all 
"most  suitable  for  administration  by 
towns  and  cities." 

"While  present  Federal  budgetary 
conditions  preclude  the  revenue  loss 
which  would  result  if  the  Federal 
government  gave  up  these  taxes,  the 
conference  agreed  that  when  condi- 
tions permit  general  Federal  excise 
tax  revision,  the  interest  of  the  states 
and  municipalities  should  be  recog- 
nized." 

Secretary  of  the  Treasury  Snyder 
said  that  the  meeting  had  made  prog- 
ress toward  a  better  understanding 
of  the  problems  involved,  that  the 
Treasury  will  consider  all  the  sugges- 
tions, and  that  he  would  continue  to 
work  closely  with  the  state  and  local 
organizations  with  a  view  to  develop- 
ing concrete  proposals. 

Among  organizations  represented  at 
the  conference  were  the  American 
Municipal  Association,  the  Council  of 
State  Governments,  and  the  U.  S. 
Conference  of  Mayors — all  in  favor 
of  repeal  of  the  Federal  excise  tax 
so  that  state  and  local  governments 
can  step  in. 


thur  Rank  agreed  the  next  meetin; 
would  be  held  soon  and  probably  hert! 

Friday's  meetings  were  conducted 
by  the  six  Council  members  only  be 
hind^closed  doors,  as  was  Thursday' 
meeting.  A  statement  issued  at  the  em 
of  the  meeting  said  the  Council  ha< 
been  aware  for  a  long  time  of  the  con 
troversial  issues  which  had  arisen  be 
tween  the  British  and  American  in 
dustries  have  had  a  detrimental  effec 
not  only  on  the  two  industries  but  os 
Anglo-American  relations. 

"We  have  decided  that  in  the  futur 
we  shall  discuss  our  problems  and  dit 
Acuities  together  and  try  to  work  then 
out  to  the  mutual  advantage  of  ou 
two  industries,"  the  statement  said 
"Our  hope  is  that  the  frank  and  cor 
dial  discussions  at  the  meeting  hen 
will  mark  the  beginning  of  new  anc 
better  relations  between  our  indus 
tries." 

Sir  Henry  French  declared  it  no 
important  whether  the  quota  is  40  pei 
cent  or  35  per  cent  but  that'  represen 
tatives  of  the  two  industries  had  sa 
down  together  to  work  out  their  dim 
culties.  He  admitted  the  industrie: 
had  been  fighting  for  the  past  twr 
years  and  praised  the  new  spirit  ot 
cooperation. 


Allied  Co-Chairmen 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


lar 
: 

it 
:-: 


or:: 

h 

th 
la 

Dl 

et 


user.: 


U.A.  Deal  Collapse 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


be  used  for  operating  expenses  and 
to  establish  financing  for  independent 
producers. 

The  Chaplin  option  on  Miss  .Pick- 
ford's  stock  expired  at  midnight  last 
Thursday  with  negotiations  continu- 
ing almost  to  the  last  minute. 

UA  president  Gradwell  Sears  said, 
upon  leaving  here  Friday  for  New 
York,  "The  expiration  of  Chaplin's 
option  with  no  deal  being  culminated 
means,  as  far  as  I'm  concerned,  that 
all  negotiations  are  definitely  at  an 
end.  I  am  returning  to  New  York 
because  I  have  a  business  to  run." 
Arthur  Kelly,  executive  vice-presi- 


Independent  Exhibitors  of  New  En- 
gland ;  Buffalo,  George  MacKenna 
Lafayette  Theatre;  Charlotte,  Hanl$f; 
Hearn,  Exhibitors'  Booking  Service : 
Chicago,  Jack  Kirsch,  ATO  of  Illi 
nois;  Cincinnati,  Wendel  H.  Holt, 
West  Virginia  Managers'  Association ; 
Cleveland,  Martin  G.  Smith,  ATO  of 
Ohio;  Dallas,  Col.  H.  A.  Cole,  ATO 
of  Texas. 

Denver,  Fred  Bfown,  Black  Hills 
Amusement  Co. ;  Des  Moines,  Leo  F. 
Wolcott,  AITO  of  Iowa  and  Nebras- 
ka ;  Detroit,  Joseph  P.  Uvick,  ATO  o 
Michigan ;     Indianapolis,     Trueman  »i 
Rembusch,  Associated  Theatres  of  In-  or  i 
diana ;  Kansas  City,  Jay  Means,  OakfK 
Park  Theatre ;  Los  Angeles,  Charles 
Minor,    PCCITO ;    Memphis,   J.  C. 
Mohrstadt,  ATO  of  Mid- South;  Mil- 
waukee, John  T.  Adler,  ITO  of  Wis- 
consin. 

Minneapolis,  Benjamin  A.  Berger, 
North  Central  AITO;  New  Haven, 
Dr.  J.  B.  Fishman,  ATO  of  Connecti- 
cut ;  New  Orleans,  William  A.  Pre- 
witt,  Jr.,  ATO  of  Gulf  States;  New 
York,  Lew  Gold,  Rivoli  Theatre; 
Omaha,  Elmer  J.  Tilton,  AITO  of 
Iowa  and  Nebraska ;  Philadelphia, 
Mrs.  Dorothy  A.  Samuelson,  AITO 
of  Eastern  Pennsylvania ;  Pittsburgh, 
Morris  Finkel,  AITO  of  Western 
Pennsylvania ;  Portland,  M.  W.  Mat- 
techeck,  PCCITO;  St.  Louis,  Dave 
Nelson,  Mid-Central  AITO;  San 
Francisco,  Ben  Levin,  PCCITO ;  Se- 
attle, L.  O.  Lukan,  PCCITO;  Salt 
Lake  City,  Harold  Chesler,  Bingham 
Canyon,  Utah ;  Washington,  Law- 
rence Garman,  MPTO  of  Maryland. 


Loop  Decree  Favors 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

yond  that  film,  thus  paving  the  way 
for  a  long  run  for  M-G-M's  "The 
Stratton  Story,"  set  to  open  on  May 
11  or  18. 

Under  the  pact,  the  RKO  Palace 
plays   double   features,    thereby  pre- 


l 
too 
to 
nan 
ise 
;pec: 
meni 

Mi 

m 
De- 
ictic 
pore] 

COt'": 


3 

Jew 
U  f 
and 
iresi 


venting  a  stoppage  of  product  from 

reaching  outlying  theatres.  The  Woods  Ltl". 

and  Oriental,  operated  by  Essaness,  ^ 

dent,  also  left  here  Friday  for  New  I  are  the  only  other  two  Loop  houses  s , 
York.                                              *  which  are  unaffected  by  the  decree. 


MOTION  PICTURE 

FIRST 

Am  irnf £> 

IN 

Concise 

FILM 

Gnu 

NEWS 

Impartial 

VOL.  65,  NO.  81 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  APRIL  26,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

U.S.  Admission 
Tax  Income  Up 
14  Per  Cent 


34,304,680  Increase  in 
I  Month,  Says  Treasury 

i  Washington,  April  25. — Gen- 
iral  admission  tax  collections  in 
larch,  reflecting  February  box- 
iffice  business,  were  a  smashing  14 
fer  cent  above  comparable  1948  fig- 
ires,  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Internal 
-tevenue  revealed  here  today.  March 
1-949  collections  totaled  $34,716,074, 
lompared  with  $30,461,572  collected  in 
March,  1948,  an  increase  of  $4,304,680. 

]      In  the  first  nine  months  of 
the  current  fiscal  year,  starting 
last  July  1,  admission  tax  reve- 
"  nue  rose  to  $298,098,655,  an  in- 
l  crease   of  $4,525,618  over  the 
$293,573,036     for     the  same 
j  months  in  1947-48. 
\  March  was  the  second  successive 
,ionth  in  which  1949  collections  topped 
ohose  of  1948,  and  indicates  that  1949 
^ox-office  business  ran  ahead  of  1948 
„or  the  only  two  1949  months— January 
ifnd    February — for   which  Treasury 
{Continued  on  page  S) 


Butterfield  Waives 
1KO  StockPur  chase 


RKO  is  free  to  sell  its  stock  in  the 
wo  Butterfield  circuits  in  Michigan 
o  any  buyer  it  chooses,  Butterfield 
nanagement  having  refused  to  exer- 
cise its  option  to  buy  under  the  terms 
;pecified  in  the  partnership  agree- 
nent. 

Montague  Gowthorpe,  president  of 
Butterfield,  was  here  last  week  from 
Detroit  for  talks  on  a  possible  trans- 
ition but  reached  the  conclusion  that 
>urchase  of  the  RKO  shares  in  ac- 
cordance with   the  unusual  formula 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


NY  lst-Run  Income 
Big;  $97,000  For 
'Undercover  Man' 


New  York's  first  runs  enjoyed  a 
continuation  of  big  business  over  the 
weekend  while  yesterday's  returns 
represented  not  too  severe  a  drop  de- 
spite the  end  of  the  holiday  period. 

"The  Undercover  Man,"  with  Duke 
Ellington  and  Billy  Eckstein  on  stage, 
is  bringing  top  money  to  the  Para- 
mount, where  the  first  week's  gross  is 
figured  at  $97,000. 

The  weekend  at  the  Music  Hall 
brought  superb  business,  estimated  at 
$102,000  for  Thursday  through  Sun- 
day, indicating  a  smash  third  week's 
gross  of  $153,000  for  the  third  week 
of  "Connecticut  Yankee"  with  the  stage 
presentation.  The  Roxy,  too,  _  is 
drawing  unusually  robust  revenue  with 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Film  Council  Moves 
Against  Reissues 

Hollywood,  April  25. — The  Holly- 
wood AFL  Film  Council,  representing 
studio  unions  here,  today  voted  to 
bring  the  growing  problem  of  reissues 
before  the  Motion  Picture  Industry 
Council  for  solution. 

The  AFL  group  is  not  opposed  to 
occasional  reissues  of  outstanding  mo- 
tion pictures,  but  it  charges  that  the 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


U.  S.  PROTEST  ON 
QUOTA  STRESSED 


Ne  w  A  Ige  r 
Suits  Filed 


Chicago,  April  25. — New  per- 
centage accounting  suits  were  filed  in 
Cook  County  Superior  Court  here  to- 
day by  eight  major  distributors  against 
E.  E.  Alger  and  other  defendants  im- 
mediately following  withdrawal  of  the 
original  actions  from  U.  S.  District 
Court  here. 

The  new  suits  involve  complaints 
similar  to  those  originally  filed  in 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


B'nai  B'rith  Will 
Induct  Saul  Rogers 


Entertainment  industry  representa- 
tives and  civic  leaders  will  be  among 
the  500  who  are  to  attend  the  annual 
presidents'  dinner  of  Cinema  Lodge, 
B'nai  B'rith  at  the  Hotel  Astor  here 
tonight,  to  honor  retiring  president  S. 
Arthur  Glixon  and  incoming  president 
Saul  E.  Rogers.  Besides  Rogers, 
those  scheduled  to  be  inducted  include 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Broidy  Honored  at 
Boston  Testimonial 

Boston,  April  25. — One  hundred 
tfew  England  theatre  and  other  indus- 
(ry  executives  attended  a  testimonial 
uncheon  here  today  for  Steve  Broidy, 
^resident  of  Allied  Artists  and  Mono- 
ram,  here  from  New  York  and  Hol- 
ywood.  The  tribute  was  given  at  the 
Copley  Plaza  Hotel. 

Broidy  told  his  hosts  that  in  his 
xperience  exhibitors  in  most  instances 
.re  prone  to  look  ahead  only  as  far 
s  they  book  pictures.  Monogram  will 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


4,336  Titles  Filed  in  '48 
Highest  in  Six  Years 


Missouri  Getting 
New  Building  Code 

St.  Louis,  April  25. — A  new 
Missouri  building  code  for 
theatres  has  been  completed 
in  the  state  Senate  where  it 
was  halted  two  years  ago.  A 
last-minute  amendment  ex- 
empts churches,  schools,  tent 
shows,  baseball  parks  and 
buildings  with  less  than  180 
seats.  An  amendment  to  re- 
quire all  motion  picture  the- 
atres to  be  of  fireproof  con- 
struction was  voted  down. 
The  legislation  is  a  revision 
of  Missouri's  old  theatre  stat- 
utes which  date  from  before 
motion  pictures  and  had  not 
been  enforced  on  a  state-wide 
basis. 


A  total  of  4,336  film  titles  were 
submitted  to  the  title  registration  bu- 
reau of  the  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America  last  year,  the  largest 
number  since  1942  when  4,572  were 
offered  for  registration,  according  to 
an  annual  report  to  Eric  A.  Johnston, 
association  president. 

In  addition  to  MPAA  member  com- 
panies, there  were  76  non-members 
participating  in  the  service  last  year, 
against  59  in  1947. 

Margaret  Ann  Young,  director  of 
the  bureau,  also  reported  that  3,847 
titles  were  actually  registered  in 
1948;  250  others  were  approved  un- 
der the  provisions  of  the  Production 
Code  for  non-member  companies 
which  are  not  signatories  to  the  title 
registration  agreement ;  183  were  re- 
turned because  of  identity  with  exist- 
ing prior  registrations,  and  56  titles 
were  considered  unsuitable.  Some  564 
protests  were  made  on  title  priorities 
but  only  six  required  arbitration. 


State  Dep't.  Says  Views 
Made  Known  on  Highest 
Levels;  Being  Followed 


Washington,  April  25. — The 
State  Department,  in  its  strongest 
statement  to  date  on  the  .British 
film  quota,  today  emphasized  its 
"serious  concern"  over  the  restriction 
and  left  no  doubt  that  it  believed  it  had 
protested  the  matter  to  the  British 
government  very  officially  and  on  the 
highest  levels  necessary — despite  asser- 
tions to  the  contrary  from  British  of- 
ficials in  London. 

The  Department  said  it  had  made 
representations  in  London  on  the  75  per 
cent  tax  and  on  the  original  45  per 
cent  quota,  and  that  it  had  recently 
made  representations  to  officials  "at- 
tached to  Mr.  Bevin's  party  and  the 
British  Embassy"  with  assurances 
that  these  protests  would  "be  brought 
fully  to  the  attention  of  the  appropri- 
ate authorities  in  London  and  to  Mr. 
Bevin  personally." 

The  American  Embassy  in  London 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Nominate  Hannegan 
To  20th-Fox  Board 


Former  U.  S.  Postmaster  General 
Robert  E.  Hannegan  has  been  nomi- 
nated for  election  to  the  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox board  of  directors  to  suc- 
ceed John  R.  Dillon,  stockholders 
have  been  notified.  Nominated  for 
reelection  to  the  board  are  L.  Sher- 
man Adams,  Robert  L.  Clarkson,  Wil- 
fred J.  Eadie,  Daniel  O.  Hastings, 
Donald  A.  Henderson,  Robert  Leh- 
man, William  C.  Michel,  William 
P.  Philips,  Seton  Porter,  Murray  Sil- 
verstone,  Spyros  P.  Skouras  and 
Darryl  F.  Zanuck.  Elections  will 
be  held  on  May  17  at  the  annual 
meeting  of  stockholders  in  New  York. 

Hannegan,  now  a  practicing  attor- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Coplan  to  Distribute 
In  US  and  Britain 

London,  April  25. — David  H.  Cop- 
lan, formerly  United  Artists'  manag- 
ing director  here,  newly  returned  from 
the  U.  S.,  plans  to  be  in  Britain  for 
about  six  weeks.  He  visualizes  en- 
gaging not  only  in  production  here 
but  in  distribution,  and  contemplates 
also  setting  up  an  organization  in 
America  for  the  distribution  of  British 
films  there. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  April  26,  1949 


52  Subjects  in  New 
'Quiz  Show'  Series 

A  52-subject  quiz  show  series  of 
one-reelers  will  be  made  available  na- 
tionally to  theatres,  starting  May  11, 
sponsored  by  Santa  Claus  Quiz 
Shows,  Inc.,  entitled,  "Who?,  When? 
and  Where?" 

Ten  major  prizes  will  be  offered 
at  every  weekly  performance,  "plus 
a  $100,000  national  jackpot,"  and 
manufacturers  will  cooperate,  accord- 
ing to  Richard  S.  Robbins,  spokes- 
man in  New  York,  who  said  that 
there  will  be  tieups  with  radio,  tele- 
vision and  newspapers,  nationally. 
There  will  be  a  public  relations 
representative  assigned  to  each  100 
theatres  in  an  area,  according  to  Rob- 
bins.  Bonnie  Busch  is  president  of 
Santa  Claus  Quiz  Shows. 


Personal  Mention 


T  ARTHUR  RANK  will  leave 
*■*  •  New  York  for  England  tomor- 
row night  aboard  the  Queen 
Elizabeth. 


Hearing  on  K-B  Case 
In  Capital  Today 

Washington,  April  25.— Federal 
District  Court  Judge '  McGuire  put 
off  until  tomorrow  arguments  in  the 
K-B  Amusement  Co.  suit  to  force 
Warner  Brothers  out  of  the  jointly- 
owned  MacArthur  Theatre.  Argu- 
ment had  been  set  for  today. 

K-B  wants  Warner  to  sell  its  inter- 
est to  K-B  at  terms  fixed  in  a  1941 
contract.  Warner  says  it  can  dissolve 
the  partnership  and  sell  its  assets  pub- 
licly. Argument  will  also  be  heard 
on  a  motion  by  Kass  Realty  Corp., 
with  which  K-B  and  Warner  had  a 
contract  to  build  a  second  theatre. 
Kass  wants  the  court  to  say  for  which 
of  the  two  it  is  supposed  to  build  the 
theatre,  or,  if  the  court  says  neither, 
to  award  it  $100,000. 


Brien  Appointed  E-L 
Exploitation  Director 

_  Max  E.  Youngstein,  Eagle-Lion 
vice-president  in  charge  of  advertis- 
ing-publicity, has  promoted  Lige 
Brien  to  the  post  of  exploitation  man- 
ager, effective  immediately.  Brien 
succeeds  Leon  Brandt,  who  has  be- 
come E-L  assistant  advertising  direc- 
tor. Brien  has  been  assistant  exploi- 
tation manager  of  Eagle-Lion  since 
the  inception  of  the  company.  Prior 
to  joining  E-L  he  held  managerial 
posts  with  Warner  Theatres. 


Robert  M.  Weitman,  Paramount 
Theatres  vice-president,  and  Hal 
Pereira,  Paramount  architectural 
and  engineering  executive,  left  here 
yesterday  for  Jacksonville  and  from 
there  will  make  an  extensive  tour  of 
theatres  in  the  Southern  district. 
• 

David  O.  Selznick  will  receive  the 
Gold  Medal  Award  from  the  Ameri- 
can Schools  and  Colleges  Association 
here  tomorrow  for  his  production, 
"Portrait  of  Jennie." 

• 

Jeff  Livingston  of  Universal-In- 
ternational's publicity  department,  and 
Mrs.  Livingston,  are  the  parents  of 
a  daughter,  Ellen  Laurie,  born  here 
Friday  at  Doctors'  Hospital. 

• 

Jacques  Kopfstein,  Astor  Pictures 
executive  vice-president,  and  Mrs. 
Kopfstein,  will  leave  here  tomorrow 
on  the  6".  S.  Queen  Elisabeth  for  a 
tour  of  Europe. 

• 

Y.  Frank  Freeman,  Paramount 
studio  vice-president,  and  Mrs.  Free- 
man, will  arrive  here  today  from 
Hollywood. 

Samuel  Goldwyn  has  shown  steady 
improvement  following  a  minor  oper- 
ation and  plans  to  leave  Harkness  Pa- 
vilion here  next  week. 


Joseph  Cane,  head  booker  for  Re- 
public at  San  Francisco,  has  been 
away  from  his  office  for  a  week  be- 
cause of  illness. 


r^RADWELL    SEARS,  president 
of  United  Artists,  is  back  in  New 
York  from  the  Coast. 

• 

Maurice  A.  Bergman,  Universal- 
International  Eastern  advertising-pub- 
licity director ;  Charles  Simonelli, 
U-I  Eastern  exploitation  manager, 
and  Phil  Gerard,  U-I  acting  Eastern 
publicity  manager,  will  leave  here  to- 
day for  Washington.  They  will  re- 
turn Thursday. 

• 

Phil  Reisman,  RKO  Radio  for- 
eign distribution  chief ;  Neil  Agnew, 
president  of  Motion  Picture  Sales 
Corp.,  and  Geraldine  Fitzgerald, 
actress,  will  leave  here  today  for  Eu- 
rope aboard  the  S.S.  America. 
• 

Ann  Reagan,  daughter  of  Charles 
M.  Reagan,  former  distribution  vice- 
president  of  Paramount,  was  married 
here  Saturday  to  John  Joseph  Haf- 
er,  Jr. 

• 

Eric  A.  Johnston,  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America  president,  and 
Kenneth  Clark,  MPAA  director  of 
public  relations,  are  here  from  Wash- 
ington. 

• 

•  Sam  Forgotson  of  M-G-M's  ad- 
vertising department  returned  to  his 
desk  yesterday  after  recovering  from 
the  grippe. 

• 

Lee  Koken,  head  of  concessions  of 
RKO  Theatres,  is  on  a  tour  of  Ohio 
theatres  from  New  York. 


Kane  Successful  in 
Legislative  Battle 

Minneapolis,  April  25.  — Every 
threatened  piece  of  adverse  film  legis- 
lation in  the  1949  session  of  the 
Minnesota  legislature  was  defeated. 

Principal  credit  for  halting  anti-film 
legislation  in  the  state  goes  to  North 
Central  Allied  and  the  unit's  execu- 
tive counsel,  Stanley  D.  Kane. 

Most  notable  victory  for  exhibitors 
was  defeat  of  the  proposed  admission 
tax  enabling  act,  which  would  have 
empowered  municipalities  to  impose 
an  entertainment  tax  in  the  event  of 
a  reduction  or  elimination  of  the  Fed- 
eral tax.  The  powerful  League  of 
Minnesota  Municipalities  fought  bit- 
terly for  passage  of  this  act.  (Kane 
and  his  committees,  aided  by  Minne- 
sota Amusement  Co.,  also  succeeded 
in  turning  back  similar  bills  in  North 
and  South  Dakota.) 

In  Minnesota,  Kane  and  NCA  also 
succeeded  in  having  the  legislature 
bury  a  proposal  of  the  state  fire  mar- 
shal to  increase  the  state  license  fee 
for  theatres  from  $5  to  $25,  and  were 
responsible  for  killing  a  bill  which 
would  prohibit  smoking  in  theatres. 

A  bill  supported  by  the  NCA  which 
would  have  required  ASCAP, .  BMI 
and  other  copyright  owners  to  regis- 
ter song  titles,  failed  of  enactment, 
and  a  measure  to  legalize  bank  night 
failed  to  become  law. 


Robert  Wolff,  RKO  Radio  general 
manager  for  the  United  Kingdom,  will 
leave  here  tomorrow  for  London. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


TV  Producers'  Group 
Elects  Martin  Gosch 

.  Martin  Gosch  of  Gosch  Produc- 
tions, has  been  elected  president,  and 
Henry  White,  of  World  Video,  vice- 
president  of  the  Independent  Televi- 
sion Producers  Association.  Others 
elected  were:  Nathan  M.  Rudich,  sec- 
retary, and  Irvin  Paul  Sulds,  treasur- 
er. Directors  elected  were  Charles 
Basch,  Jr.,  Judy  Dupuy,  Oliver  Nicoll, 
Arthur  Ehrlich  and  Walter  Armitage. 


Slate  Ridge  Equity 
Hearing  for  Sept.  12 

Chicago,  April  25.— Trial  hearings 
in  the  Ridge  Theatre  equity  anti-trust 
suit  have  been  set  for  Sept.  12.  Mean- 
while, motions  made  by  attorney  Sey- 
mour Simon  to  inspect  the  books  of 
Balaban  and  Katz  for  rental  receipts 
in  its  "A"  outlying  houses  was  set 
for  hearing  on  May  2. 


Cuts  Taxes  30  Per  Cent 

Ottawa,  April  25.— Effective  im- 
mediately, a  30  per  cent  cut  in 
amusement  taxes  is  announced  by  the 
government  of  Prince  Edward  Island. 
The  provincial  tax  is  removed  out- 
right on  children's  tickets  under  17 
cents  and  for  all  amusements  on  Sat- 
urdays and  holidays. 


$448,000  for  UJR 
Relief  Fund  Drive 

Hollywood,  April  25. — Twenty- 
one  industry  leaders  attending  an  ad- 
vance-gift dinner  presided  over  by 
Henry  Ginsberg,  contributed  $448,000 
to  the  1949  United  Jewish  Relief 
Fund  campaign.  The  dinner  was 
given  Sunday  at  the  home  of  Jack 
L.  Warner,  president  of  the  Los  An- 
geles drive,  who  today  at  a  luncheon 
held  at  the  Beverly  Hills  Hotel, 
named  19  chairmen  for  the  drive.  The 
city-wide  quota  is  $11,000,000. 


Rank's  'HamleC  Gets 
121  Additional  Dates 

Laurence  Olivier's  "Hamlet,"  the  J. 
Arthur  Rank-Universal-Internationai 
release,  will  open  in  44  situations  in 
the  seven-day  period  starting  yester- 
day. Additionally,  77  new  dates  have 
already  been  set  for  May. 

"Hamlet"  has  already  played  or  is 
playing  163  engagements  in  the  U.  S. 
since  its  American  premiere  in  Bos- 
ton last  August.  Plans  are  now  in 
progress  to  book  the  picture  into  re- 
sort areas  during  the  summer. 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — 5 

Rockefeller  Center 
BING  CROSBY 
.Rhonda    FLEMING     -     Wm.  BENDIX 
Sir  Cedric  HARDWICKE 

'A  CONNECTICUT  YANKEE  i 

In    King  Arthur's  Court" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
A   Paramount  Picture 
THE    GREAT    EASTER   STAGE  SHOW 


Fabian  at  Phila.  Dinner 

Philadelphia,  April  25.— S.  H.  Fa- 
bian, New  York  circuit  owner,  ad- 
dressed the  trade  dinner  held  tonight 
by  the  theatrical  division  of  the  Unit- 
ed Jewish  Appeal  at  the  Ritz-Carlton 
Hotel. 


Astor  Anniversary  Party 

Prominent  persons  in  the  industry 
will  be  present  here  tomorrow  at  11 
A.M.  in  the  lobby  of  the  Astor  Thea- 
tre when  John  Garfield  cuts  a  birth- 
day_  cake  commemorating  the  36th 
anniversary  of  motion  picture  exhibi- 
tion at  the  Broadway  house.  The 
Astor's  first  motion  picture,  in  1913, 
was  an  Italian  version  of  "Quo 
Vadis." 


COLUMBIA  PICTURES  p.™... 

GLENN  FORD 

ln"7Wf 

ymtcom 

MM 

.M NINA  FOCH 


'Brave'  Opens  May  12 

The  world  premiere  of  the  Stanley 
Kramer-Screen  Plays  "Home  of  the 
Brave  '  will  take  place  on  Thursday, 
May  12,  at  the  Victoria  Theatre  here, 
it  was  announced  by  Gradwell  L. 
Sears,  president  of  United  Artists  dis- 
tributing the  film. 


/.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER, 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mall  Orders 

Twlea  Dally 
Extra  Matin***  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Lata  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
Ad  BAGLB  LION  FILM  Releaaa 


DOORS 
OPEN. 
1M  A.M. 
POPULAR  PRICES 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher    Sherwin   Tr=„„   «  ■ — 7T~.  :  

Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center  Neu VWk  ?nU,gwy  VJr"^SS?ciate  Editor-  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
New  \ork."    Martm  Quigley   President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Qu  gley   T I    Vice  pS^  Y-    Telephone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address:  "Quigpubco 

James  P  Cunmgbam,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager?  Gus  H  Fause I  ProdS  MrS?^  ^h"1'  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau.  120  South  La  Salle  Street.  Editorial  and  Advertising  Urben  Farlpv  AHitp  t  '  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R  Weaver 
J  A  Otten  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  GoWen  Sq.  London  W?' ttZte"1^  J^my  A%her>  EditoriaI  Representative  Washington 
Other  Quigley  Pubhcations:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales  each  published  1^  ft, ^  Ct£r  BurnuP-.  Edit°r:  cable  address.  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  a  Ne w  York  V  v"''  3  ueCtion  of  Motion  Pictu^  Herald:  International 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c.  '  e  P      °mce  at  New  York-  N-  V.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879     Subscription  rates  per 


Thanks  to  the  newsreel  editor  •  •  • 

the  world  passes  in  review 


ACROSS  his  "front  pages,"  before 
the  eyes  of  movie-goers  on  Main 
Streets  everywhere,  the  world  passes 
in  review.  There,  North  meets  South, 
East  meets  West  through  the  special- 
ized efforts  of  the  newsreel  editor. 

He  sifts  the  facts  and  foibles  of  the 
world  .  .  .  presents  in  one  short  reel 
the  significant,  the  human,  and  the 
odd — news  that  helps  the  world  to 
know  itself  better. 


To  his  objectivity  .  .  .  his  sense  of 
the  newsworthy  .  .  .  his  feeling  for 
concise  and  graphic  storytelling  .  .  . 
the  newsreel  owes  its  unique  place 
in  American  journalism. 

Yet  the  newsreel  editor  would  be 
the  first  to  give  due  credit  to  his  staff 

of  cameramen  and  to  the  family  of 

Eastman  motion  picture  films  which 
help  them  cover  the  news — and  help 
him  present  it  so  effectively. 


EASTMAN   KODAK  COMPANY 

ROCHESTER   4,   N.  Y. 

J.  E.  BRULATOUR,  INC.,  DISTRIBUTORS 
FORT   LEE    •    CHICAGO    •  HOLLYWOOD 


4 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Tuesday,  April  26,  1949 


Indiana  Theatres 
In  a  Time  Mixup 

Indianapolis,  April  25. — Indiana 
exhibitors,  particularly  in  smaller 
communities,  are  caught  in  a  crossfire 
between  city  and  rural  areas  over  a 
highly  controversial  issue. 

Most  Indiana  cities  in  the  North 
and  Central  parts  of  the  state  went  on 
daylight  saving  time  unofficially  last 
Sunday  despite  a  state  law  passed  by 
the  rural-dominated  legislature  mak- 
ing it  illegal  for  a  city  to  adopt  any 
other  than  Central  standard  time.  The 
action  generally  was  taken  on 
"recommendations"  of  mayors  or  city 
councils,  or  by  local  merchants  and 
industries  working  independently. 

To  add  to  the  confusion,  clocks  in 
all  state,  county  and  municipal  build- 
ings, including  schools,  will  remain 
on  Central  standard  time,  in  compli- 
ance with  the  law,  in  the  advanced- 
time  cities.  But  schools  and  govern- 
ment offices  will  open  and  close  an 
hour  earlier  to  conform  to  the  civic 
pattern. 

The  great  majority  of  exhibitors  are 
going  along  with  the  daylight  saving 
program  where  it  will  be  in  effect. 

//  Speaking  Dates 
For  M-G-M's  Wolf 

Eleven  more  speaking  engage- 
ments have  been  lined  up  for  Maurice 
N.  Wolf,  assistant  to  H.  M.  Richey, 
exhibitor  relations  head  of  M-G-M, 
starting  today  before  the  Kiwanis  at 
Mt.  Vernon.  The  second  is  sched- 
uled for  tomorrow,  at  the  Rotary, 
New  Rochelle,  and  the  third  on 
Thursday,  at  the  Lion's  Club,  White 
Plains. 

Seven  engagements  are  slated  for 
May  and  include  talks  on  May  3  be- 
fore the  Kiwanis,  Chicago;  May  10, 
the  Rotary,  Miami,  Okla. ;  May  11, 
Rotary,  Tulsa;  May  16,  Rotary, 
Ponca  City,  Okla.;  May  17,  Rotary, 
Oklahoma  City ;  May  18,  Kiwanis, 
Norman,  Okla. ;  May  19,  Kiwanis, 
Oklahoma  City.  The  only  June  en- 
gagement scheduled  to  date  is  Wolf's 
appearance  before  the  Kiwanis,  Yon- 
kers,  on  June  6. 


Reviews 


'TWA 


TWA=TWA=TWA 


i 


\  ONLY  TWA  \ 

offers  300-mph 

\  CONSTELLATION  \ 
\      SERVICE  1 


1 


Coast-to-coast' 
and  overseas 


For  reservations,  call  your  TWA  office 
or  your  travel  agent. 


We  Were  Strangers 

(Horizon  Productions — Columbia) 

THE  year  1933  was  a  crucial  one  in  Cuban  history.  It  brought  the  over- 
throw by  democratic  forces  of  a  police  state  regime  which  for  seven  long 
years  had  trampled  with  audacity  on  human  rights  and  civil  liberties.  The 
months  which  preceded  the  violence  of  open  revolution  in  Havana  were  rife 
with  intrigue  and  underground  activity. 

Producer  S.  P.  Eagle  has  set  down  on  celluloid  in  graphic  and  dramatic 
fictional  strokes  a  glowing  tribute  to  the  laborers,  intellectuals  and  artisans 
of  Cuba  who  united  in  the  campaign  against  tyranny.  Under  the  astute 
direction  of  1948  Academy  Award  winner  John  Huston,  a  high-calibre  cast, 
headed  by  Jennifer  Jones,  John  Garfield  and  Pedro  Armendariz  has  trans- 
lated the  screenplay  of  Peter  Viertel  and  Huston  into  a  film  of  strong  com- 
mercial promise.  "We  Were  Strangers"  offers  exploitation-minded  showmen 
a  field  day,  which  fact,  together  with  the  film's  inherent  box-office  power, 
indicates  long  and  prosperous  runs. 

Based  upon  an  episode  in  Robert  Sylvester's  novel,  "Rough  Sketch,"  the 
Viertel-Huston  script  seethes  with  bitter  irony  in  its  examination  of  man's 
helplessness  before  the  caprices  of  fate.  The  story  focusses  on  a  tiny  group 
of  revolutionaries — four  men  and  one  woman — which  dedicates  itself  to  the 
pick-and-shovel  task  of  tunnelling  through  clay  and  cadavers  from  the  cellar 
of  the  girl's  home  to  the  subterranean  base  of  the  vault  of  an  aristocratic 
Cuban  family  in  a  nearby  cemetery.  The  rebels  plan  to  assassinate  a  popular 
politico — a  more  or  less  innocuous  individual  who  is  merely  an  instrument 
of  the  tyrannical  regime — with  a  view  to  dynamiting  the  tomb  when  he  is 
laid  to  rest,  thereby  killing  all  who  would  attend  the  funeral  including  the 
Cuban  president  and  other  key  governmental  figures.  Thus  the  way  would 
be  open  for  a  coup  d'etat. 

After  a  month  of  arduous  work  the  sweating,  nerve-wracked  diggers  reach 
the  tomb,  then  shoot  down  the  politician — only  to  learn  that  the  victim's 
family  decides  for  sentimental  reasons  to  bury  him  elsewhere !  The  little 
groups  breaks  up  in  dumbfounded  disillusionment  and  despair,  with  new- 
found love  keeping  together  only  the  leader,  Garfield,  and  the  girl,  Miss 
Jones.  The  suspicion  of  secret  police  inspector  Armendariz,  a  most  ubiquitous 
fellow,  brings  him  and  his  lieutenants  to  the  girl's  home  where,  amid  the 
pyrotechnic  thunder  of  dynamite-throwing  and  tommy-gun  fighting,  Garfield 
dies  in  Jennifer's  arms  just  as  news  comes  that  Havana's  revolutionary 
forces  have  succeeded  in  smashing  the  government  in  sudden  street  warfare. 
_  Huston's  direction  has  imbued  this  drama  with  feverish  suspense.  At 
times,  however,  the  treatment  could  have  been  a  little  more  on  the  concise 
side,  with  a  view  toward  quickening  the  action  and  cutting  the  film's  running 
time.  Miss  Jones's  part  called  for  a  Latin  accent;  that  was  a  mistake,  for 
she  does  not  use  it  with  a  completely  convincing  ring.  All  in  all,  however, 
performances  are  first-rate  in  a  cast  which  includes,  in  support,  Gilbert 
Roland,  Ramon  Novarro,  Wally  Cassell,  David  Bond,  Jose  Perez,  Morris 
Ankrum,  Tito  Rinaldo,  Paul  Monte,  Leonard  Strong  and  Robert  Tafur. 
Armendariz  is  a  standout  as  the  epitome  of  police  tyranny.  This  is  an  Horizon 
Production. 

Running  time,  106  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  May  re- 
lease. Charles  L.  Franke 

"Make  Believe  Ballroom" 

(Columbia)  Hollywood,  April  25 

YOUNGSTERS  whose  favorite  pastime  is  listening  to  disc-jockeys' 
platters  and  chatter  should  accept  this  film  favorably,  even  enthusiasti- 
cally, notwithstanding  its  painful  lack  of  pace,  story  and  performance.  "Make 
Believe  Ballroom"  appears  likely  to  stand  up  well  at  houses  which  cater 
largely  to  the  juvenile  trade.  Elsewhere  it  should  quite  innocuously  round 
out  the  program. 

While  a  strong  story  was  not  expected,  or  needed,  the  plot  and  its  labored 
unwinding  manage  even  to  lessen  interest  in  the  several  good  musical  special- 
ties sprinkled  throughout  the  picture.  Perhaps  the  most  discomforting  feature 
is  Ruth  Warrick,  a  fine  actress,  in  the  role  of  a  fast  talking  combination 
press  agent  and  Cupid,  one  quite  as  unbelievable  as  the  other. 

Jerome  Courtland  and  Virginia  Welles,  a  pleasing  pair  of  youngsters,  are 
the  central  characters  in  the  make-believe  story,  portraying  a  couple  of  car- 
hops whose  temperamental  conflict  blossoms  into  true  love  under  the  stimulus 
of  the  super-smart  press  agent  and  the  competition  of  a  disc-jockey  contest. 

Al  Jarvis,  a  leading  Los  Angeles  disc- jockey,  plays  himself  in  the  film  and 
probably  does  justice  to  the  profession.  It  is  certainly  not  his  fault  that  adult 
audiences,  at  least,  will  be  impatiently  waiting  between  his  spinning  records. 
Solid  entertainment  is  offered,  in  the  order  of  juvenile  audience  response 
by  Frankie  Laine,  11-year-old  Toni  Harper,  Kay  Starr,  Jack  Smith,  the 
King  Cole  Trio,  and  the  bands  of  Jimmy  Dorsey,  Charlie  Barnet,  Jan  Garber 
and  Gene  Krupa.    Ted  Richmond  produced,  and  Joseph  Santley  directed.  - 

Running  time,  78  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
April  12. 


Against  Reissues 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


practice  of  reissuing  scores  of  me- 
diocre films,  often  with  new  titles 
which  mislead  the  public,  is  unfair  to 
the  movie-going  public  and  results  in 
alienating  box-office  patrons.  Reissue 
of  these  pictures  is  also  a  major  cause 
of  studio  unemployment,  the  Council 
said. 

Delegates  to  the  MPIC  were  urged 
to  stress  that  reissues  are  creating 
bad  public  relations  for  the  entire  in- 
dustry and  to  ask  the  intra-industry 
group  to  help  prevent  misleading  ad- 
vertising of  the  old  pictures. 


Morley  on  NTFC  Group 

Henry  Morley,  president  of  Dy- 
namic Films,  has  been  named  chair- 
man of  the  production  committee  of 
the  National  Television  Film  Coun- 
cil, replacing  Jack  Glenn,  director  for 
March  of  Time,  who  has  curtailed 
his  activities  because  of  a  recent  op- 
eration. 


Jarvis,  Delmar  Exhibitor 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  April  25.— Funeral 
services  for  Joseph  Jarvis,  who  died 
at  Delmar,  N.  Y.,  today,  will  be  held 
Wednesday  at  the  St.  Thomas  Church 
there.  Jarvis,  for  15  years  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  Delmar  Theatre,  is 
survived  by  the  widow  and  three  chil- 
dren. 


N.  Y.  Theatre  Fire 
Death  Record  Clean 

Through  the  cooperation  of  the- 
atre owners  and  the  public,  the  New 
York  Fire  Department  has  been  able 
to  keep  spotless  its  record  of  not  hav- 
ing lost  a  single  life  in  a  theatre 
fire  for  some  time,  Fire  Commission- 
er Frank  J.  Quayle  reports.  Figures 
issued  by  Quayle  showed  that  in  1948 
his  department's  Division  of  Licensed 
Places  of  Public  Assembly  approved 
2,380  premises  for  license  out  of  2,- 
559  inspected.  The  total  seating  ca- 
pacity of  the  licensed  places  was  1,- 
815,087. 


Urge  Backing  for  'Atom* 

Leaders  of  civic  groups  and  college 
presidents  throughout  the  nation  are 
being  urged  to  support  exhibition  of 
March  of  Time's  "Report  on  the 
Atom"  in  letters  sent  out  by  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America 
this  week.  David  Palfreyman  of  the 
MPAA  trade  relations  department, 
reminds  exhibitors  that  the  subject 
can  be  booked  separately,  from  20th 
Century-Fox,  by  theatres  not  regu- 
lary  showing  March  of  Time. 


Charles  Middleton,  75 

Hollywood,  April  25. — Funeral 
services  were  held  here  today  for 
Charles  B.  Middleton,  75,  actor,  who 
appeared  in  230  pictures  since  entering 
films  in  1927  after  a  long  career  on 
the  stage,  in  vaudeville,  the  circus  and 
carnivals,  who  died  Friday  night  after 
a  three-week  illness.  William  Far- 
num  and  Alan  Mowbray  gave  readings 
at  the  funeral  ceremonies.  Interment 
was  in  Hollywood  Cemetery.  A 
daughter,  Mrs.  William  F.  Ladd,  sur- 
vives. 


Edward  O'Donnell,  69 

Hartford,  April  25. — Edward  W. 
O'Donnell,  69,  theatre  manager  in 
Webster,  Mass.,  for  44  years,  died  at 
a  Worcester,  Mass.,  hospital  on  April 
21.  He  first  managed  the  old  Music 
Hall  in  Webster,  which  was  destroyed 
by  fire. 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
MOTION  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


rafcter^s  Trust 


COMPAN 

NEW  YORK 


MEMBER    FEDERAL   DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


Tuesday,  April  26,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


US  Admission  Tax 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

figures  are  available.  January  collec- 
tions reflect  business  in  December  of 
the  previous  year. 

February  collections,  reflecting  Jan- 
uary business  totaled  $26,907,384, 
against  $25,410,738  in  February,  1948. 

The  general  admission  tax  collec- 
tions do  not  include  roof  garden  and 
cabaret  taxes  nor  taxes  from  various 
overcharges.  Total  admission  tax  col- 
lections in  March,  including  all  of 
these  categories  as  well  as  general  ad- 
mission taxes,  totaled  $38,743,621, 
compared  with  834,426,156  in  March, 
1948. 

Ticket  Rise  Should 
Be  Avoided:  Arthur 

St.  Louis,.  April  25. — Edward  B. 
Arthur,  general  manager  of  Fanchon 
and  Marco,  calls  upon  producers  to 
reduce  their  "fabulous  executive  sal- 
aries" and  profit-sharing  arrange- 
ments to  reasonable  amounts,  and  also 
to  refuse  to  spend  "fabulous  sums"  in 
the  production  of  pictures  that  never 
should  be  made,  in  order  to  continue 
to  furnish  the  American  public  with 
"fine  motion  pictures"  without  forcing 
the  public  to  pay  an  increase  for  its 
entertainment. 

It  is  plain  to  all,  Arthur  stated,  that 
the  costs  of  doing  business  no  matter 
what  business,  are  necessarily  reflect- 
ed in  the  price  charged  to  the  public. 
It  is  the  policy  of  Fanchon  and  Marco 
to  keep  its  costs  at  the  point  where 
it  may  give  the  public  the  benefit  of  a 
reasonable  admission  price. 

That  policy  may  require  the  closing 
of  a  theatre  to  eliminate  unnecessary 
duplication  of  costs  in  operations  by 
showing  quality  product  doubled  up  at 
a  related  theatre  in  the  city. 

That  policy,  he  continued,  may  also 
require  a  refusal  to  pay  film  rentals 
that  would  necessarily  require  a  raise 
in  admission  prices.  He  suggested  the 
producers  adopt  reasonable  economies 
that  would  enable  them  to  furnish  the 
best  pictures  without  demanding  more 
money  from  the  American  public  at 
the  box-office. 


Broidy  Honored 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

be  fair  with  exhibitors  and  expects 
them  to  reciprocate,  he  said,  disclosing 
that  he  is  more  determined  now  to 
create  a  position  in  the  industry  with 
respect  to  quality  pictures  for  exhibi- 
tors. "We  know  more  now  than  be- 
fore and  are  about  to  attain  our  aim  in 
the  industry."  Among  those  present 
were  Arthur  Lockwood,  president  of 
the  Theatre  Owners  of  America;  Dan 
Murphy,  president  of  the  Independent 
Exhibitors  of  New  England;  Harold 
Stoneman,  representing  the  Variety 
Clubs,  and  Sam  Pinanski. 


Butterfield 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

which  governs  dealings  with  RKO  to 
be  too  uncertain. 

RKO  has  10  per  cent  of  W.  S. 
Butterfield  Theatres  and  30  per  cent 
of  Butterfield  Michigan  Theatres,  the 
latter  being  the  smaller  of  the  two 
circuits  controlled  by  the  Butterfield 
estate. 

The  agreement  directs  that  Butter- 
field could  buy  RKO's  holdings  at  a 
set  price  but  must  do  so  before  ap- 
praisal of  the  assets  is  made  by  a 
court-appointed  appraiser. 


Municipalities  Will 
Insist  on  Local  Tax 


Washington,  April  25. — Officials 
of  state  and  local  government  associa- 
tions will  meet  here  either  May  5  or 
May  12  to  draw  up  a  joint  specific 
program  for  increased  state  and  local 
revenue  sources,  including  an  admis- 
sion tax. 

The  groups  got  a  cold  shoulder 
from  the  U.  S.  Treasury  during  a  two- 
day  meeting  here  last  week  on  a  pro- 
posal that  the  Federal  government 
withdraw  from  the  admission  tax  field 
and  leave  it  to  states  and  municipali- 
ties. The  state  and  local  groups  now 
feel  that  they  may  not  have  made  as 
much  progress  as  possible  last  week 
on  this  and  other  points  because  each 
group  was  pushing  a  different  pro- 
gram, and  they  hope  to  make  more 
progress  by  getting  together  among 
themselves  on  a  program  and  then 
taking  it  back  to  the  Treasury  as  a 
common  proposal. 


Induct  Saul  Rogers 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

vice-presidents  Max  B.  Blackman, 
Warner;  George  Brandt,  Brandt  The- 
atres ;  Julius  M.  Collins,  ASCAP ; 
Hal  Danson,  Eagle-Lion ;  Harry 
Friedman,  non-industry ;  Leo  Jaffe, 
Columbia ;  Marvin  Kirsch,  Radio 
Daily;  Milton  Livingston,  Universal; 
Louis  A.  Novius,  Paramount ;  Robert 
K.  Shapiro,  Paramount  Theatre,  and 
Al  Wilde,  Moe  Gale  Agency ;  also, 
treasurer  Jack  H.  Hoffberg  ;  secretary 
Dr.  Morris  Senft ;  monitor  Isadore 
Grove  and  chaplains  Rabbis  Bernard 
Birstein  and  Ralph  Silverstein. 

Jack  H.  Levin  is  chairman  of  the 
dinner  committee,  Wilde  is  honorary 
chairman  of  the  entertainment  com- 
mittee, and  columnist  Ed  Sullivan  is 
master  of  ceremonies. 

Among  those  scheduled  to  be  on  the 
dais  are  Arthur  Israel,  Jr.,  Irving 
Greenfield,  Al  Senft,  Joseph  Paradise, 
Arthur  Rosenbluth,  Harry  Brandt, 
Samuel  Rinzler,  Wilde,  Max  Schneid- 
er, Leo  Jaffe,  Alfred  W.  Schwalberg, 
Fred  Schwartz,  Ed  Forer,  Levin, 
Rabbis  Birstein  and  Silverstein  and 
Judges  Henry  Clay  Greenberg  and 
Samuel  Null.  Special  B'nai  B'rith 
awards  will  be  made  at  the  dinner  to 
Wilde,  Jaffe  and  Forer. 


Nominate  Hannegan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ney  in  Washington,  was  also  for- 
merly chairman  of  the  Democratic 
National  Committee,  Commissioner 
of  Internal  Revenue  and  president  of 
the  St.  Louis  Cardinals. 

According  to  the  notice,  the  follow- 
ing officers  received  during  the  last 
fiscal  year  fees,  salaries  and  commis- 
sions in  the  total  amounts  indicated : 
Skouras,  company  president,  $252,385  ; 
Zanuck,  production  vice-president, 
$260,000 ;  Silverstone,  president  of 
20th-Fox  International,  $109,405  (Sil- 
verstone's  1948  remuneration  exceeded 
his  1947  remuneration  by  more  than 
10  per  cent,  by  $12,555,  it  is  report- 
ed) ;  Michel,  vice-president  and  direc- 
tor of  National  Theatres,  $116,830; 
Henderson,  secretary-treasurer,  $69,- 
405 ;  Eadie.  controller  and  assistant 
treasurer,  $55,270,  and  Thomas  J. 
Connors,  advisor  to  the  distribution 
department,  $54,000.  All  officers  and 
directors  of  the  corporation  as  a  group 
received  a  total  of  $1,250,000  during 
the  last  fiscal  year,  the  notice  states. 


Servicemen  Like 
Good  Westerns 

Washington,  April  25. — The 
man  in  Army  uniform  still 
goes  for  good  Westerns,  melo- 
dramas and  comedies,  accord- 
ing to  a  poll  of  film  favorites 
taken  by  the  Army  and  Air 
Force  Motion  Picture  Service. 

The  top  20  of  1948,  listed  in 
alphabetical  order,  were:  "Al- 
buquerque," "Best  Years  of 
Our  Lives,"  "Beyond  Glory," 
"Bishop's  W  i  f  e,"  "Black 
Bart,"  "Call  Northside  777," 
"Casbah,"  "Duel  in  the  Sun," 
"Fort  Apache,"  "Fuller  Brush 
Man,"  "Intrigue,"  "Key  Lar- 
go," "Naked  City,"  "One  Touch 
of  Venus,"  "Rogue's  Regi- 
ment," "Saigon,"  "To  the  Ends 
of  the  Earth,"  "Treasure  of 
the  Sierra  Madre,"  "Tycoon" 
and  "Unconquered." 


N.  Y.  lst-Run  Income 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

"Mr.  Belvedere  Goes  to  College"  and 
the  stage  show  likely  to  complete  a 
second  week  with  $120,000. 

At  the  Globe,  "Champion"  is  prov- 
ing all  that  could  be  hoped  for  at  the 
box-office,  with  a  rousing  third  week's 
gross  of  $40,000  apparent.  "My  Dream 
is  Yours,"  with  Lionel  Hampton's 
orchestra  on  stage,  is  fairly  strong  at 
the  Strand,  with  second  week's  income 
estimated  at  $40,000.  "City  Across 
the  River,"  with  Art  Mooney's  orches- 
tra on  stage,  should  give  the  Capitol 
about  $51,000  in  a  third  week,  which 
is  fair  enough. 

"Pride  of  the  Yankees"  is  doing  well 
at  the  Palace,  which  looks  for  around 
$12,000  in  the  second  week  of  the  re- 
issue. "Hamlet,"  the  constant  big 
money-maker  at  the  Park,  should  con- 
clude a  30th  week  with  $16,500.  Other 
British  imports  which  are  doing  re- 
markably high  business  are  "The  Red 
Shoes,"  which  is  likely  to  bring  the 
Bijou  an  estimated  $15,500  in  a  27th 
week,  and  "Quartet,"  at  the  Sutton, 
where  the  fourth  week's  gross  should 
reach  $14,500. 

"Portrait  of  Jennie"  will  ring  up 
about  $29,000  in  a  fourth  week  at  the 
Rivoli,  which  is  good  business.  "Life 
of  Riley"  collapsed  at  the  Criterion, 
where  only  $7,000  is  apparent  for  the 
final  four  days,  three  short  of  a  com- 
plete second  week.  Criterion's  next 
will  be  "Red  Canyon,"  which  bows  in 
tomorrow  and,  subsequently,  "Africa 
Screams,"  due  on  May  6. 

The  Astor  will  have  a  36th  anni- 
versary ceremony  in  the  lobby  tomor- 
row, when  "We  Were  Strangers" 
makes  its  debut.  "Knock  on  Any 
Door"  will  wind  up  its  10th  and  final 
week  at  the  Astor  with  about  $9,000. 
The  24th  week  of  "Joan  of  Arc" 
probably  will  mean  about  $14,000  to 
the  Victoria. 

"Take  Me  Out  to  the  Ball  Game" 
figures  to  give  the  State  a  fair  sev- 
enth week's  gross  of  $20,000,  and  will 
be  followed  by  "Barkleys  of  Broad- 
way" on  May  4.  "Wizard  of  Oz"  is 
doing  handsome  business  at  the  May- 
fair,  estimated  at  $30,000  for  the 
second  week. 


Coast  'Loyalty  Parade' 

Los  Angeles,  April  25. — Gene  Au- 
try,  Columbia's  cowboy  star,  is  chair- 
man of  Los  Angeles  first  "Loyalty 
Day  Parade,"  which  will  take  place 
Sunday  evening  as  opposition  to  Com- 
munist-inspired May  Day  celebrations. 


U.  S.  Quota  Protest 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

and  the  Department  here  are  both  fol- 
lowing the  matter  closely,  the  Depart- 
ment said. 

Today's  outline  of  the  U.  S.  govern- 
ment stand  was  contained  in  virtually 
identical  letters  from  Assistant  Sec- 
retary of  State  Ernest  A.  Gross  to 
California  Senators  William  Know- 
land  and  Sheridan  Downey.  Both 
had  protested  the  quota  and  asked  the 
Department  what  action  was  being 
taken. 

The  State  Department's  strong  stand 
will  undoubtedly  strengthen  the  hand 
of  members  of  Congress  who  have 
been  threatening  to  strike  back  at 
Britain  in  some  bill.  Senator  Know- 
land,  who  has  introduced  such  an 
amendment  to  the  pending  bill  to  ex- 
tend the  Reciprocal  Trade  Agreements 
Act,  said  he  was  very  pleased  with 
the  Department's  forthright  statement. 
Restrictive  Measures' 

Gross'  letter  to  Downey  said  that 
the  Department  was  concerned  about 
the  quota,  "particularly  inasmuch  as 
it  is  coupled  with  other  restrictive 
measures  affecting  the  film  industry." 
It  said  that  when  the  British  inaugu- 
rated the  75  per  cent  tax  early  in 
1948  (the  letter  referred  to  a  75  per 
cent  "import  limitation"),  the  Depart- 
ment had  "made  representations  on 
the  highest  level  in  London,"  and  that 
it  believed  that  these  representations 
had  to  some  extent  paved  the  way  for 
the  March,  1948,  film  agreement  re- 
moving the  tax  but  limiting  remit- 
tances by  American  film  companies. 

When  the  45  per  cent  quota  was 
announced,  Gross  continued,  the  De- 
partment again  made  representations 
in  London  "indicating  its  belief  that 
the  quota  constituted  excessive  protec- 
tion to  British  producers  and  that  the 
British  action  was  creating  serious  re- 
sentment, particularly  in  view  of  the 
good  faith  in  which  the  American  in- 
dustry negotiated  the  aforementioned 
(March,  1948)  agreement." 

Spoke  to  Bevin's  Aides 

"The  Department's  serious  concern 
over  the  problem,"  the  State  Depart- 
ment official  concluded,  "has  been 
again  strongly  emphasized  in  consul- 
tations with  officials  attached  to  Mr. 
Bevin's  party  and  the  British  Em- 
bassy. It  has  been  pointed  out  that 
the  Department  considers  the  film 
quota  excessive,  that  it  is  causing 
growing  resentment  on  the  part  of 
the  U.  S.  film  industry  and  is  an  in- 
creasingly serious  public  relations 
problem.  The  Department  has  re- 
ceived assurances  that  these  represen- 
tations would  be  brought  fully  to  the 
attention  of  the  appropriate  authorities 
in  London  and  to  Mr.  Bevin  person- 
ally. The  foregoing  has  been  fully 
reported  to  our  Embassy  in  London 
which  will,  as  will  the  Department, 
continue  to  follow  the  situation. 


New  Alger  Suits 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Federal  Court  and  name  the  same  de- 
fendants and  theatres.  The  theatres 
are  the  Majestic  and  LaSalle  in 
LaSalle ;  the  Peru,  Peru,  111. ;  Hub  in 
Rochelle,  Co-Ed  and  Park,  Cham- 
paign; Apollo  and  State,  Princeton; 
State,  Mendota;  Valley,  Spring  Val- 
ley, and  the  Princess,  at  Urbana. 

Withdrawal  of  the  Federal  Court 
suit  was  approved  by  Judge  William 
Campbell,  without  prejudice,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  report  of  Master- 
in-Chancery  Joseph  L.  Elward,  condi- 
tional upon  the  payment  of  the  mas- 
ter's fees  and  fees  of  attorneys  of  the 
defendants. 


NO  OTHER 
COMPANY 
CAN  MAKE  THIS 
STATEMENT! 


Technicolor 


MR.  BELVEDERE  GOES  TO  COLLEGE 
The  BEAUTIFUL  BLONDE  from  BASHFUL  BEND 
CANADIAN  PACIFIC  

C/neco/or 

THE  FAN"  

MOTHER  IS  A  FRESHMAN  .... 

Technicolor 

THE  FORBIDDEN  STREET  

THE  SNAKE  PIT  

A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES  .  .  . 

YELLOW  SKY  

DOWN  TO  THE  SEA  IN  SHIPS  .  .  . 


IS  A 


IS  A 


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CENIUR1- 


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CENTURY-FOX 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
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MOTION  PICTURE 

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WKBM^^^  mmm     aflBi  Mi     tm^mtmmF  Hna 

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VOL.  65.  NO.  82 

MPTW  YORIf    TT  ^  A     WFDNF^nAY    APRTi    91  1949 

I>  C  VV       I  W  I\  »\ •     LJ .  O .  /A..,     VV  EiJJli  CJL//\  1  ,     J-\L  IML    £,/  ,  171/ 

TEN  CENTS 

TOA  Asks  400 
ToFileWeekly 
Gross  Reports 

Checkup  To  Cover  Towns 
Up  to  25,000  Population 

Theatre  Owners  of  America  ex- 
ecutive director  Gael  Sullivan  dis- 
closed here  yesterday  that  some  400 
TOA  members  in  the  field,  in  towns 
of  from  2,500  to  25,000  population, 
have  been  invited  to  submit  weekly 
box-office  reports  for  the  organiza- 
tion's picture  performance  checkup 
plan  which  was  approved  by  TOA's 
board  of  directors  at  its  January 
meeting. 

The  checkup  will  be  inaugu- 
rated on  May  3  and  will  con- 
tinue indefinitely.     It  will  be 
based  on  picture  performances 
in  the  previous  week,  computed 
in  terms  of  percentages  to  nor- 
mal gross,  with  100  per  cent 
considered  normal. 
The  country  has  been  divided  into 
five    geographical     divisions :  East, 
Central  Atlantic,  Midwest,  South  and 
West,  with  representative  theatres  se- 
{Continued  on  page  5) 


Warners,  K-B  Agree 
OnMacArthurTerms 


Washington,  April  26. — Warner 
Bros,  and  the  K-B  Amusement  Co. 
have  reached  an  agreement  on  the 
terms  for  Warners  to  sell  to  K-B  its 
interest  in  the  jointly-owned  and 
jointly-operated  Mac  Arthur  Theatre, 
but  the  agreement  is  contingent  upon 
K-B  reaching  terms  with  a  third 
party,  Kass  Realty  Co.,  on  the  build- 
ing of  a  new  theatre  here. 

This  complicated  legal  tangle  was 
unveiled  in  tj.  S.  District  Court  today 
when  the  K-B  suit  to  force  Warner 
out  of  the  MacArthur  came  up  for 
{Continued  on  page  5) 


Last  Korda  Nominee 
Leaves  British  Lion 


London,  April  26. — Hugh  Quennell, 
last  of  Sir  Alexander  Korda's  nomi- 
nees on  the  board  of  British  Lion  has 
resigned,  it  was  made  known  today, 
prior  to  the  making  of  a  new  loan  to 
the  company  by  the  government's.  Film 
Finance  Corp. 

Harold  Drayton,  newly  appointed 
chairman  of  British  Lion,  revealed  to 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Schwartz  Names  100  to 
Aid  1949  UJA  Campaign 


With  Fred  J.  Schwartz  of  the  Cen- 
tury Circuit,  heading  the  amusement 
division  of  the  1949  United  Jewish 
Appeal,  an  organization  of  100  volun- 
teer workers  has  been  set  up  to  launch 
a  UJA  campaign  in  all  sections  of  the 
amusement  industry. 

In  making  public  the  names  of  com- 
mittee chairmen  and  other  officers, 
Schwartz  declared  that  no  effort  for 
the  United  Jewish  Appeal  "would  be 
too  great  in  this  year  of  opportunity 
and  fulfillment." 

On  the  advisory  and  special  assign- 
ments committee  of  the  amusement 
division  are  the  following :  Barney 
Balaban,  Harry  Brandt,  Max  A. 
Cohen,  Jack  Cohn,  S.  H.  Fabian, 
Emil  Friedlander,  Leopold  Friedman, 
Mannie  Frisch,  Leonard  H.  Golden- 
son,  Julius  Joelson,  Harry  Kalmine, 
Malcolm  Kingsberg,  Mac  Kriendler, 
Jack  H.  Levin,  Louis  A.  Novins,  Sam 
Rinzler,     Herman     Robbins,  Sam 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


First  JDA  Citation 
To  Fabian  Tonight 

Simon  H.  Fabian,  president  of  Fa- 
bian Theatres,  will  be  awarded  the 
first  Joint  Defense  Appeal  citation  to- 
night in  the  Waldorf-Astoria  Hotel 
here  at  a  JDA  dinner  on  behalf  of  the 
United  Jewish  Appeal  of  Greater  New 
York. 

The  Joint  Defense  Appeal,  a  par- 
ticipant in  the  Metropolitan  New 
York  UJA  campaign,  is  the  financial 
arm  of  the  American  Jewish  Commit- 
tee and  the  Anti-Defamafion  League 
of  B'nai  B'rith. 

Fabian  will  be  cited  for  his  "out- 
standing leadership  and  humanitarian 
services  in  every  worthy  philanthropic 
and  communal  activity  in  the  motion 
picture  industry  and  in  the  life  of  the 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


U.  K.  Industry 

Faces  Changes, 
Says  Wilcox 


Although  the  possibility  of  the 
Lord  Portal  committee  recommend- 
ing' divorcement  in  England  was 
seen  as  unlikely  by  Herbert  Wilcox, 
the  British  pro- 
ducer yesterday 
expressed  the 
opinion  that  the 
commit- 
tee  would  rec- 
ommend the 
revamping  of 
the  British  in- 
dustry struc- 
ture. Wilcox, 
who  is  chair- 
man and  man- 
aging director 
of  Imperadio 
Film'  Produc- 
tions, Ltd., 
London,  arrived 
here  on  the  S.S.  Qwen  Elizabeth 
with  his  wife,  Anna  Neagle,  and  film 
actor  Michael  Wilding. 

Recommendations     which  Wilcox 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


Herbert  Wilcox 


Links  Chaplin  with 
Communist  Fronts 

Washington,  April  26. — Charles 
Chaplin  was  attacked  on  the  Senate 
floor  as  a  man  with  "a  record  of  Com- 
munist-front affiliations  equal  to  very 
few  of  the  highest  ranking  Commun- 
ists in  the  country." 

Senator  Cain,  Washington  Republi- 

{Contimted  on  page  4) 


British  Board  of  Trade  Report  Lists  1,367 
Defaults  Under  20  Per  Cent  Quota  in  1948 

London,  April  26. — The  Board  of  Trade  reported  today  that 
there  were  1,367  defaults  on  the  old  20  per  cent  film  quota  during 
the  year  ended  Sept.  30,  1948.  This  compares  with  959  defaults 
during  the  previous  year  under  the  17'/2  per  cent  quota  then  in 
effect. 

British  exhibitors  generally  regard  the  figures  as  a  contemptuous 
commentary  on  the  present  45  per  cent  quota  and  the  40  per  cent 
quota  scheduled  to  become  effective  next  October  1. 

The  Board  of  Trade  also  discloses  that  170  British  feature  films 
were  registered  during  the  year  ended  March  31,  1948.  During  the 
quota  year  47,142,000  feet  of  film  were  exhibited  in  Britain  com- 
pared with  46,412  000  feet  in  the  previous  year.  Total  length  of 
British  films  exhibited  was  12,559,000  feet. 


Ascap  Theatre 
Take  for  1st 
Quarter  'Nil' 

First  Full  Effect  of  2 
Court  Decisions  Felt 


Ascap  has  felt  the  first  full  effect 
of  the  two  court  decisions  against 
it,  in  terms  of  revenue,  with  collec- 
tions from  theatres  for  the  first 
quarter  of  this  year  "just  about  nil," 
according  to  informed  sources.  The 
adverse  rulings  in  New  York  and 
Minneapolis  Federal  Courts  are  now 
on  appeal. 

However,  despite  the  loss  of  money 
from  theatre  licenses,  the  Society  col- 
lected close  to  $2,500,000  for  the  first 
three  months  of  this  year,  and  this  ap- 
proximates the  take  for  the  like  period 
of  1948,  it  is  said.  Accounting  for 
this  is  the  increase  in  income  derived 
from  radio,  night  clubs  and  other  pub- 
lic music  users.  Prior  to  the  legal 
set-backs,  theatres  yielded  a  little  more 
than  10  per  cent  of  Ascap's  overall 
revenue. 

Theatre  collections  fell  substantially 
but  not  entirely  after  the  court  deci- 
sions against  Ascap  as  many  exhibi- 

{Continued  cm  page  5) 


Vaudeville  Returns 
To  Palace  May  19 

Settling  a  frequently  recurring  ru- 
mor, Sol  A.  Schwartz,  vice-president 
and  general  manager  of  RKO  Thea- 
tres, yesterday  declared  vaudeville 
will  return  to  the  Palace  on  Broad- 
way beginning  May  19  in  combination 
with  a  first-run  feature.  The  shows 
will  change  weekly  on  a  popular-price, 
grind  policy  calling  for  four  eight-act 
performances  daily. 

Big-time  acts  which  were  associated 
with  the  Palace  when  the  two-a-day 
thrived  will  be  absent,  however.  Tal- 
ent will  be  sought  largely,  but  not 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


20th  Overhauling 
Phila.  Clearances 


Philadelphia  April  26. — Clearance 
and  availability  in  the  Philadelphia 
area,  unchanged  for  15  years,  will  be 
considered  altered  by  20th  Century- 
Fox  for  all  of  its  pictures  starting 
with  "Mr.  Belvedere  Goes  to  Col- 
lege" which  is  now  playing  first-run 
downtown,  A.  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  sales,  told  a 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  April  27,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

WALTER  E.  BRANSON,  RKO 
Radio's  Western  division  sales 
manager,  has  returned  here  from  the 
Coast. 


Sid  Lefkowitz,  home  office  assis- 
tant to  Burttjs  Bishop,  Jr.,  M-G-M 
Midwestern  sales  manager,  is  in  Chi- 
cago from  New  York,  his  first  stop 
on  a  tour  of  exchanges. 

• 

H.  M.  Richey,  M-G-M  exhibitor 
relations  head,  will  speak  before  the 
Philadelphia  Motion  Picture  Preview 
group  at  the  Ritz-Carlton  Hotel 
there  on  May  4. 

Sam  Lefkowitz,  United  Artists 
district  manager,  and  Abe  Dickstein, 
branch  manager,  were  in  Gloversville 
yesterday  from  New  York. 

• 

Bernard     (Bingo)     Brandt  of 
Brandt  Theatres,  and  Mrs.  Brandt 
are  the  parents  of  their  second  son, 
born  at  Doctors'  Hospital  here. 
• 

Joseph  Cifre,  former  chief  barker 
of  Boston  Variety,  has  been  chosen  to 
receive  the  Great  Heart  Award  given 
by  that  tent. 

• 

John  Davis,  managing  director  of 
the  Rank  organization,  left  here  yes- 
terday by  plane  for  London. 

• 

Ben  Rose,  Eagle-Lion's  representa- 
tive in  Britain,  is  here  from  London 
for  a  two-week  visit. 


Six  M-G-M  Releases 
For  July  and  August 

Five  new  pictures  and  one  reissue 
have  been  set  for  release  by  M-G-M 
during  July  and  August.  The  latest 
additions  to  the  schedule  made  by  Wil- 
liam F.  Rodgers,  sales  vice-president, 
now  give  the  company  a  total  of  22 
new  films,  plus  the  reissue  for  the 
first  eight  months  of  1949. 

Latest  plans  calls  for  the  redistribu- 
tion of  "The  Wizard  of  Oz"  on 
July  1. 

The  July  schedule  will  be  supple- 
mented by  "The  Stratton  Story"  only 
where  special  engagements  prevail.  In 
addition,  there  will  be  the  Clark 
Gable's  "Any  Number  Can  Play,"  and 
■"Madame  Bovary,"  starring  Jennifer 
Jones,  Van  Heflin,  James  Mason  and 
Louis  Jourdan. 

For  August  there  will  be  "In  the 
Good  Old  Summer  Time,"  in  Techni- 
color, starring  Judy  Garland,  and 
"Scene  of  the  Crime,"  with  Van 
Johnson. 


Chicago's  Astor  Opens 

Chicago,  April  26. — The  refur- 
bished 300-seat  Astor  Theatre,  located 
in  the  Loop  and  operated  by  Abe 
Teitel  and  Daniel  Newman,  today  be- 
came the  third  first-run  art  house 
here  to  feature  foreign  product  exclu- 
sively. Opening  bill  is  "Volpone,"  a 
Siritzky  release. 


Urges  British  to 
Stress  Quality  Films 


British  producers  should  concen- 
trate on  making  quality  pictures  to 
send  to  America  and  not  attempt  to 
compete  with  Hollywood  with  stereo- 
typed pictures,  Filippo  Del  Giudice, 
managing  director  of  Pilgrim  Pic- 
tures, Ltd.,  asserted  here  yesterday 
on  his  arrival  on  the  S.S.  Queen  Elis- 
abeth from  London.  The  attempt  to 
press  certain  British  films  on  the 
American  market  is  unhealthy  and  il- 
logical, he  said. 

Del  Giudice  said  he  hopes  there  will 
be  divorcement  in  England.  He  de- 
clared that  the  British  quota  "has 
nothing  to  do  with  any  anti-Holly- 
wood feelings"  but  is  motivated  by 
home  needs. 

Del  Giudice  plans  to  make  12  pic- 
tures in  1949-50.  He  revealed  that 
while  crossing  on  the  Queen  he  met 
Robert  Clark,  executive  director  of 
production  for  Associated  British, 
and  William  Moffat,  managing  direc- 
tor of  Associated  British  Pathe,  and 
set  with  them  a  deal  for  the  produc- 
tion of  two  pictures  with  Associated 
and  the  distribution  of  the  balance  of 
his  1949-50  program  through  British 
Empire  by  Associated  Pathe.  The 
agreement  is  subject  to  approval  of 
the  board  of  both  companies. 


New  York  Banned 
Seven  Last  Year 


Albany,  N.  Y.,  April  26.— Of  1,648 
pictures  reviewed  by  the  Motion  Pic 
ture   (censor)    Division  of  the  New 
York    State    Education  Department 
during  the  year  ended  last  March  31, 
seven  were  rejected  and  47  were  re- 
quired to  make  deletions.     This  was 
disclosed  in  a  summary  issued  yes 
terday  by  Dr.  Ward  C.  Bowen,  acting 
division  director.     It  was  Dr.  Bow 
en's  final  report ;  he  will  be  succeeded 
on  May  16  by  Dr.  Hugh  M.  Flick. 

It  is  the  policy  of  the  division  not 
to  identify  rejected  pictures  by  titles 
and  distributors.  However,  Dr.  Bow- 
en  did  disclose  that  the  seven  which 
were  refused  licenses  represented  two 
foreign-made  features  and  five  Ameri 
can-made  shorts. 


General  Precision 
Stock  Rise  Voted 


U-I  Sales  Drive  to 
End  on  Saturday 

Universal  -  International's  "Unity 
Sales  Drive"  will  end  Saturday.  The 
company's  district  managers,  branch 
managers,  salesmen,  office  managers 
and  bookers  in  31  exchange  centers 
will  divide  $65,000  in  cash  prizes. 

Awards  will  go  to  the  four  leading 
district  managers,  the  first  15  branch 
managers  ;  10  leading  salesmen  in  the 
East  and  South  and  the  first  12  in 
the  West,  and  the  first  four  leading 
booking  staffs  in  the  East  and  South 
and  the  first  five  in  the  West. 


8  Cities  in  8  Days 
For  'Laredo'  Stars 

Paramount's  Hollywood  star  ."jun- 
ket" of  "Streets  of  Laredo"  has  been 
set  for  eight  cities,  with  special  rep- 
resentative George  Henger  and  Al 
Jermy  guiding  the  group  on  a  special 
train. 

The  stars  will  appear  in  complete 
shows  in  Laredo,  on  May  16 ;  Beau- 
mont, May  17;  Houston,  May  18; 
San  Antonio,  May  19;  Dallas,  May 
20  ;  Fort  Worth,  May  21 ;  Oklahoma 
City,  May  23;  and  Tulsa,  May  24. 


Mandel  West  on  2 
New  RKO  Theatres 

Harry  Mandel,  advertising-pub- 
licity director  of  RKO  Theatres,  will 
leave  New  York  by  plane  today  for 
Kansas  City  to  confer  with  division 
manager  Jerome  Shinback  on  the 
opening  of  the  new  RKO  Missouri 
Theatre  in  that  city.  He  will  then 
confer  in  Minneapolis  with  Iowa  divi- 
sion _  manager  Harry  Weiss  on  the 
opening  of  the  circuit's  new  theatre 
at  Marshalltown,  Iowa.  Opening  dates 
for  both  houses  have  not  yet  been  set. 


Stockholders  of  General  Precision 
Equipment,  at  their  annual  meeting 
here  yesterday,  approved  an  amend- 
ment to  the  certificate  of  incorporation 
authorizing  an  increase  in  the  capital 
stock  of  the  company  from  800,000 
shares,  without  par  value,  to  1,135,000 
shares,  to  be  divided  into  three  classes. 
The  new  stock  will  consist  of  120,000 
shares  of  preferred,  15,000  shares  of 
convertible  preferred,  and  1,000,000 
shares  of  common  stock,  without  par 
value. 

Purpose  of  the  increase,  Earle  G. 
Hines,  chairman  of  the  board,  stated 
at  the  meeting  is  to  make  available 
shares  of  the  new  classes  of  stock  for 
raising  corporate  funds  at  some  time  in 
the  future,  possibly  for  retiring  out- 
standing bank  loans,  for  raising  addi- 
tional working  capital,  when  neces- 
sary, and  to  make  provision  for  the 
requirements  of  an  employe  stock  pur- 
chase plan  which  was  also  approved 
at  the  meeting.  Under  the  plan,  cer- 
tain officers  and  employees  of  the  com- 
pany may  acquire  shares  of  the  new 
preferred  stock  which  later  may  be 
converted  into  common  stock  on  a 
date  and  at  a  price  to  be  fixed  by  the 
board  of  directors. 


TOA  Annual  Meet 
To  Start  Sept.  12 

Week  of  Sept.  12  has  been  set  by 
the  Theatre  Owners  of  America  for 
its  annual  convention  which  will  be 
held  at  the  Hotel  Ambassador  in  Los 
Angeles.  TOA  treasurer  Charles  P. 
Skouras  will  be  convention  chairman. 

Arrangements  are  being  made  to 
provide  exhibition  space  for  manufac- 
turers of  theatre  equipment  and  sup- 
plies and  for  theatre  Concessionaires. 
Plans  call  for  one  business  session  a 
day  and  a  forum  on  the  final  day. 

Warner  Honor  Today 

Los  Angeles,  April  26.— Screen 
star  Vincent  Price  will  be  master-of- 
ceremonies  at  the  dinner  which  Bev- 
erly Hills  B'nai  B'rith  Women  No. 
245  will  sponsor  tomorrow  at  the 
Biltmore  Bowl  in  honor  of  Harry  M. 
Warner,  Warner  Brothers  president. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


THE  critical  situation  in  China 
and  the  visit  of  Chaim  Weizmann 
to  President  Truman  are  highlights  in 
the  current  newsreels.  Items  of  inter- 
national and  national  importance 
round  out  the  reels.  Complete  con- 
tents follow. 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  34— Chinese 
Communists'  advance  South  imperils  Na- 
tionalist China.  London:  King  George  is  host 
to  Commonwealth  Premiers.  New  York: 
European  war  victims  find  new  homes. 
Puerto  Rico:  greatest  sugar  crop  in  history 
harvested.  Washington:  Chaim  Weizmann 
visits  President  Truman.  Mother  of  eight 
seeks  new  husband.  Chicago:  Brother  and 
sister  stunt  act.  Speed  skating.  Hell 
divers. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAT,  No.  268— China 
Communists  shell  British  warships.  Wash- 
ington slums  shock  Senators.  King  George 
resumes  duties.  Lightning  house-painting 
job.  Record  sugar  crop  in  Puerto  Rico. 
New  York:  art  students'  hijinks.  Photo- 
finish derby  test. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  71— Olym- 
pia  wins  Wood  Memorial.  World  record 
painting  job  on  veteran's  house.  Circus: 
new  cure  reported.  China:  decisive  stage  in 
civil  war. 

TEEENEWS  DIGEST,  No.  17-A— Am- 
bassador Stuart:  America's  key  to  Red 
China.  William  Green  talks  on  Social  Se- 
curity. Cleveland:  truck  rodeo.  England: 
Prime  Ministers  of  United  Kingdom's  Do- 
minions meet.  Puerto  Rico's  record  sugar 
crop.  Russia's  newest  glass,  "Stalinite." 
New  York:  Art  League  Ball.  Olympia 
wins  Wood  Memorial. 

TJNIVERSAE  NEWS,  No.  243— British 
ships  shelled  by  Chinese  Communists.  New 
streamlined  train.  Art  League  Ball.  Rec- 
ord house-painting.  Window  ledge  stunting. 
Rodeo.     Wood  Memorial  Race. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  73 — 
People  in  the  news:  Presidents  Truman  and 
Weizmann,  Dean  Acheson,  King  of  Eng- 
land. Shirley  Temple,  acrobats.  House 
painting.  Bicycle  race  in  France.  Car 
thrill  show.     Horse  race. 


Plan  1-Week  Limit 
For  'Youth  Month' 


Theatre  Owners  of  America's 
"Youth  Month"  campaign  directed 
against  juvenile  delinquency  will  be 
limited  to  one  week  this  year,  it  has 
been  tentatively  decided  by  TOA  ex- 
ecutive director  Gael  Sullivan  and 
U.  S.  Attorney-General  Tom  Clark. 
The  two  have  been  conferring  on  the 
subject. 

"Youth  Month,"  which  last  year  was 
extended  beyond  a  month,  will  not  be 
sponsored  exclusively  by  TOA  this 
year,  as  previously.  It  is  expected 
that  this  year  all  forms  of  communica- 
tion, press,  radio,  television,  as  well 
as  motion  pictures,  will  participate. 
The  plan  is  to  invite  all  information 
media,  and  also  business,  labor  and 
religious,  educational,  social  welfare 
and  other  organizations  to  join  in  the 
1949  program. 


Award  for  John  Huston 

John  Huston,  director-writer,  will 
be  this  year's  recipient  of  the  One 
World  Flight  Award  and  will  circle 
the  globe  like  Norman  Corwin  in 
1946,  Jacques  F.  Ferrand,  executive 
secretary  of  the  One  World  Award 
Committee,  announces.  The  award,  a 
silver  globe  and  a  round-the-world 
goodwill  mission,  will  be  presented  at 
the  fifth  annual  One  World  Award 
Dinner  at  the  Hotel  Plaza  May  11.  . 


S^undal^Ind^oTidavs5  h^OuXiev^uhH ,h9n ^r^t^t'^f-,^  Publisher,  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
bundays  and  Holidays,  by Quigley  publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270_Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New_York  20,_  N.  Y.    Telephone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address: 


New  York.' 


"Quigpubco, 


Martin  Quigley  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice'-pTerident'and  Treasurer-"  Leo"f"Brady  Secretary":' 
EdTtor-  Chk™BuTeau^lo  South'  KeVf^^  Manager;  Gus  H.Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureat f  Yucctvine  BuHding,0  WiUiam  R  WeavCT 
T  A  Otten National  Press  Huh  W^hln^tnn  n  T  T  /  fl  and  ^J?8'"!'  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
Other  Oui"lev  Publ Lat^  ™ >'  4  ^^i?":'  H"^*  Wl   Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor:  cable  address,  "Ouigpubco,  London." 

Other  Quigley  Publications.  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,   each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald-  International 

yifr?n$6^ft^AAm?ricLC'a^Tl2  Eg£  ^tToLtll^'  ^  ™'  19M'  "  *e  P°St  0ffiCe  '*  N™  ^  N'  *-  ^  *°  -"of  iZESTs.^  SH«&KSS°S 


YOVJ 


THOSE  FRIENDSHIP 
MEETINGS  I  WOW! 


The  pleasure  was  all  ours!  Thanks,  thanks  to  show- 
men and  to  the  trade  press  for  the  enthusiastic 
reception  to  M-G-M's  96  "Friendship  Meetings." 


This  is  a  typical  response  from 
BOXOFFICE  issue  of  April  16. 


"STRATTON  STORY"  CLEVELAND 
SETS  NEW  ATTENDANCE  RECORD! 

Opened  to  Biggest  biz  in  2  years!  First  Sunday  sets 
new  attendance  record  at  Stillman  Theatre.  It's  a 
solid  hit,  another  one  to  join  "Command  Decision," 
"Take  Me  Out  To  The  Ball  Game,"  "Little  Women" 
and  more  Big  Ones!  For  hits  and  happiness  —  it's 
the  Friendly  Company! 


Trade  Screening^  Close  By 
Pleases  an  Exhibitor 

TIM  DUNBAR  of  the  Roxy  Theatre  at 
*  Wichita  has  this  item  to  report: 

"An  orchid  to  'The  Friendly  Company ,* 
Metro- Goldwyn -Mayer.  Today  I  received 
notice  inviting:  my  wife  and  myself  to  a 
tradeshowing  of  two  of  their  latest  re- 
leases. This  in  itself  is  not  new,  but  it 
is  news  when  a  distributor  gives  the  ex- 
hibitor a  break  by  screening;  products 
nearer  the  exhibitor's  place  of  business. 

"The  Stratton  Story'  and*'The  Secret 
Garden'  will  be  screened  at  the  Civic  The- 
atre here  in  Wichita.  Seldom  does  an 
exhibitor  drive  200  or  300  miles  to  a  dis- 
tribution center  just  to  view  a  trade- 
screening*.  By  screening-  products  out  in 
the  territory,  the  distributor  will  benefit 
both  himself  and  the  exhibitor,  in  good 
will  and  intelligent  buying. 

"Personally,  I  hope  the  local  screening 
is  a  huge  success  and  that  other  com- 
panies as  well  as  Metro  will  do  this  more 
often,  both  here  and  at  other  locations 
too  far  distant  for  the  exhibitors  to  view 
the  newest  release  at  the  distributors' 
screening  rooms." 

*  "Secret  Garden,"  World  Premiere 
Astor  Theatre,  Boston,  May  4th 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  April  27,  1949 


B'nai  B'rith  Roster 
Hits  Record  1,635 


"Benevolence,  brotherly  love  and 
harmony,  the  ancient  watchwords  of 
B'nai  B'rith,  should  be  our  impelling 
slogan  as  we  approach  our  problems 
in  the  present  unsettled  world,"  Saul 
E.  Rogers,  film  industry  attorney,  de- 
clared here  last  night  in  assuming  the 
presidency  of  New  York's  Cinema 
Lodge  of  B'nai  B'rith  at  the  Lodge's 
annual  presidents'  dinner  at  the  Hotel 
Astor  here. 

The  dinner  marked  the  induction  of 
Rogers  and  other  officers  and  was  a 
tribute  to  retiring  president  S.  Arthur 
Glixon.  Before  turning  over  the 
gavel  to  Rogers,  Glixon  announced 
that  the  Lodge's  membership  had 
reached  a  record  of  1,635. 

Leo  Jaffe,  Columbia  Pictures,  vice- 
president  of  the  Lodge  and  retiring 
treasurer,  was  presented  with  a  B'nai 
B'rith  district  award  for  efforts  on 
behalf  of  the  Lodge.  Al  Wilde  and 
Ed  Forer  were  presented  with  awards 
for  fund-raising  and  membership  en- 
rollment. Glixon  received  a  desk  set 
for  his  record  as  president.  Al 
Schwalberg  made  the  presentation. 

Jack  Levin  was  toastmaster  and 
dinner  chairman. 


Review 


France  May  Allow 
Dollar  Withdrawals 


David  Kay,  president  of  Foremost 
Films,  distributors  of  foreign  films  in 
the  U.  S.,  has  returned  here  from  a 
tour  of  France  with  encouraging  news 
for  American  producers  who  plan  to 
make  pictures  in  that  country.  The 
French  government,  Kay  said  yester- 
day, is  preparing  to  lift  the  bars 
against  the  withdrawal  of  film  invest- 
ments and  profits  in  U.  S.  dollars. 

This  anticipated  move  by  the 
French  government,  according  to  Kay, 
will  be  aimed  at  encouraging  French 
production,  which,  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  it  has  some  70  independent 
producers,  has  only  a  dozen  pictures 
in  the  making  at  present,  although 
18  more  are  being  prepared. 

Kay,  who  has  organized  a  French 
production  company,  Superb  Films, 
has  slated  "The  Girl  from  Maxim's" 
for  filming  beginning  next  month.  He 
said  he  will  make  the  picture  in 
French  and  English  simultaneously,  a 
procedure  which,  he  explained,  will 
add  25  per  cent  to  the  cost. 


Edward,  My  Son 

{Metro-Goldwyn-M  ayer) 

FINE  acting,  dramatic  dialogue  and  careful  staging  make  this  an  outstand- 
ing production  of  marked  interest  to  the  mature  and  entertaining  to  all 
those  who  may  be  attracted  to  see  it.  Based  on  the  successful  stage  play  by 
Robert  Morley  and  Noel  Langley,  the  screenplay  by  Donald  Ogden  Stewart 
deals  with  a  spoiled  son  who  is  the  cause,  or  occasion,  of  his  family's  un- 
happiness.  The  son,  Edward,  never  is  seen  in  the  film.  The  story  is  told 
mainly  through  the  person  of  the  father,  played  by  Spencer  Tracy,  who  sev- 
eral times  steps  out  from  the  action  and  addresses  the  audience  with  com- 
ments on  what  has  happened  and  what  is  coming. 

The  direction  by  George  Cukor  aims  at  character  development  and  allows 
the  long  and  difficult  plot  to  be  spread  over  nearly  two  hours  of  running 
time.  The  story  is  told  chiefly  by  dialogue;  little  of  the  action  is  on  the 
screen.  Edwin  H.  Knopf,  the  producer,  assembled  an  excellent  cast  and  gave 
the  film  a  good  mounting.  Exhibitors  need  to  rely  on  the  drawing  power 
of  Tracy,  the  fame  of  the  stage  play  and  interest  among  their  patrons  in 
parent-child  relationships.  The  film  requires  careful  selling. 

Tracy  gives  an  effective  portrayal  of  the  father  who  puts  his  son,  and 
himself,  above  law  and  custom.  He  sets  fire  to  his  shop  to  get  money  for 
an  operation  on  the  boy's  leg,  plus  more  for  himself.  Through  unscrupulous 
operations  the  father  prospers  but  the  son  goes  from  difficulty  to  difficulty. 
To  save  the  boy  from  being  expelled  the  father  buys  up  the  school  mortgage. 
Later  the  youth  is  given  so  much  money  that  he  squanders  it  in  drinking  and 
loose  living.  The  father  even  tries  to  soothe  the  feelings  of  a  girl  made 
pregnant  by  his  son.  When  the  son  dies,  stunting  a  plane  during  the  war  to 
impress  another  girl,  only  the  father  is  sorry. 

The  wife,  a  part  in  which  Deborah  Kerr  gives  a  moving  performance,  and 
the  family  doctor,  Ian  Hunter,  really  know  the  father,  but  are  powerless  to 
prevent  the  unwitting  destruction  of  his  son.  On  his  road  to  power,  Tracy  ruins 
his  partner,  a  pathetic  figure,  well  acted  by  Mervyn  Johns,  who  goes  to  prison 
instead  of  Tracy  and  commits  suicide  when  he  finds  only  ingratitude.  Another 
suicide  is  the  secretary,  Leueen  MacGrath,  who  was  the  father's  mistress. 
She  was  discarded  when  Tracy  thought  his  son  might  be  hurt  in  divorce 
proceedings  brought  by  his  wife.  Eventually  the  wife  becomes  an  alcoholic 
and  dies.  At  the  end  Tracy  loses  much  of  his  power  and  is  determined  to  find 
his  grandson.  However,  the  family  doctor  tries  to  prevent  this  so  that  the 
grandson  may  not  be  spoiled  as  the  son  was. 

Running  time,  112  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  June  release. 

M.Q.Jr. 


SOPEG  Cleared  in 
Para.  Vote  Dispute 

National  Labor  Relations  Board  re- 
gional director  Charles  Douds  yester- 
day certified  CIO's  Screen  Office  and 
Professional  Employes  Guild  as  bar- 
gaining representative  of  Paramount 
home  office  "white  collarites,"  thus 
dismissing  charges  brought  by  AFL's 
IATSE  Motion  Picture  Home  Office 
Employes  Local  No.  H-63  that 
SOPEG  had  committed  certain  viola- 
tions during  the  recent  employes'  elec- 
tion which  settled  the  jurisdictional 
dispute  between  the  rival  unions. 
H-63  is  not  expected  to  appeal  the  de- 
cision to  the  NLRB  in  Washington. 

SOPEG  is  now  at  liberty  to  begin 
new  contract  negotiations  covering  all 
home  office  "collarites"  except  those 
in  Paramount-International,  which 
shop  was  won  by  H-63  in  the  election. 
The  "IA"  local  will  open  contract  ne- 
gotiations tomorrow  with  Paramount- 
International  executives. 


See  No  Problems 
In  Selling  'Brave' 

"Home  of  the  Brave,"  first  large- 
scale  production  to  focus  on  Negro 
discrimination,  will  be  sold  to  United 
Artists  accounts  in  the  South  prob- 
ably next  fall  with  the  distributor 
making  no  provision  for  "problems." 
UA  already  has  screened  the  Stanley 
Kramer  film  for  prominent  exhibitors 
in  the  Southern  states  and  all  are  said 
to  be  uniformly  enthusiastic  about  its 
merits  and  assure  the  company  they 
will  license  it  when  selling  begins. 

Company  feels  that  "Brave"  is  a 
"big  production"  and  will  attract  large 
audiences  wherever  played.  On  the 
basis  of  past  experience  _  with  the 
Memphis  censor  board,  which  banned 
Hal  Roach's  "Curley"  which  depicts 
a  Negro  boy  at  play  with  white  young- 
sters, objections  to  the  Kramer  pic- 
ture from  that  source  would  come  as 
no  surprise.  Court  action  by  Roach 
and  UA  against  Memphis  censor 
Lloyd  Binford  on  the  "Curley"  case 
is  pending. 

"Brave  will  open  in  New  York  and 
Chicago  next  month  and  the  entire 
North  will  be  covered  before  the  film 
is  launched  in  the  South.  Company  is 
continually  giving  private  screenings 
for  various  groups  and  claims  that 
to  date  comments  have  been  highly 
favorable  with  the  "word-of-mouth" 
campaign  well  underway. 


Links  Chaplin 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Short 
Subject 

"Seal  Island" 

{Walt  Disney-RKO  Radio) 

"Seal  _  Island"  introduces  a  new 
Walt  Disney  series,  "True-Life  Ad- 
ventures," the  subjects  of  which  will 
"delve  deep  and  wide  into  the  most 
vital  concerns  of  man  and  the  uni- 
verse which  affects  his  fate  and  for- 
tunes." Although  this  three-reel  pro- 
duction does  not  do  precisely  that,  it 
most  certainly  depicts  in  thrilling  de- 
tails the  fascinating  life  of  Alaska  fur 
seals  herded  on  the  Pribilof  reefs  of 
Seal  Island  in  the  Bering  Sea. 

There  are  few  who  will  not  be 
moved  by  the  sweep  of  color,  beauty 
and  abundance  of  the  rare  plants  and 
birds  of  the  island,  the  impressive 
musical  background  and  interesting 
cavortings  of  100,000  seals  which  an- 
nually emerge  from  the  sea  each  May, 
like  clockwork,  and  depart  in  mid-fall. 
A  Disney  production  crew  stayed  on 
the  island  through  a  full  season,  so  we 
are  told,  to  photograph  the  cycle  of 
the  seals,  and  the  results  of  their  pa- 
tience and  skill  have  produced  an 
astonishing  record  of  wild  life,  most 
deserving  of  the  Academy  documen- 
ary  award  accorded  it  last  month. 
Plaudits  aplenty  to  cinematographer 
Alfred  G.  Milote,  to  Winston  Hibler's 
interesting  and  entertaining  narration, 
to  James  Algar's  direction  and  to  the 
musical  arrangements  by  Oliver  Wal- 
lace. Running  time,  28  minutes. 


Vaudeville  at  Palace 

{Continued  from  page'  1) 


Technicolor  Dividend 

A  dividend  of  40  cents  per  share, 
payable  on  May  24  to  stockholders  of 
record  on  May  6,  has  been  declared 
by  the  Technicolor  board,  it  was  an- 
nounced here  by  Dr.  Herbert  T.  Kal- 
mus,  president  and  general  manager. 


can,  told  the  Senate  that  "the  point  of 
hospitality  is  stretched  to  the  breaking 
point  with  such  a  person."  Speaking 
on  a  bill  introduced  by  Sen.  McCar- 
ran  (D.,  Nev.),  which  would  require 
the  U.  S.  Attorney  General  to  deport 
any  alien  who  has  engaged  in  sub- 
versive activity,  Cain  said  that  there 
was  "little  question"  that  the  Attorney 
General,  under  the  bill,  would  have  to 
deport  Chaplin.  Cain  listed  state- 
ments of  Chaplin's  on  behalf  of  Com- 
munist agents  and  alleged  Communist- 
front  organizations  before  which  he 
spoke  or  which  he  sponsored. 


SMPE  Publishing 
Theatre  Handbook 

A  428-page  theatre  engineering 
handbook,  detailing  physical  require- 
ments of  the  theatre,  has  been  pub- 
lished by  the  Society  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Engineers,  which  describes  the 
book  as  "a  contribution  by  the  tech- 
nical and  scientific  branch  of  the  in- 
dustry to  the  man  who  pays  most  of 
the  industry's  bills  by  marketing  its 
product — the  man  at  the  box  office." 

It  is  titled  "The  Motion  Picture 
Theatre — Planning  and.  Upkeep,"  and 
presents  in  non-technical  language 
data  on  theatre  design,  construction, 
modernization  and  maintenance.  James 
Frank,  Jr.,  directed  the  project. 


exclusively,  from  radio  and  television, 
and  in  a  sense  the  theatre  is  expected 
to  provide  a  testing  ground  for  new- 
comers without  resort  to  amateurs. 

RKO  officials  feel  that  "for  some- 
time interest  in  vaudeville  has  been  re- 
born and  that  the  public  again  is  in  a 
receptive  mood  for  this  form  of  enter- 
tainment." They  did  not  mention  that 
"live"  acts  are  now  in  scattered  de- 
mand by  theatres  in  various  sections 
of  the  country.  But  they  are  open  to 
proof  that  the  forthcoming  Palace 
policy  might  prove  feasible  in  other 
RKO  theatres,  perhaps  as  unit  shows 
booked  along  lines  more  or  less  re- 
sembling standard  practice  when  the 
Keith-Albee-Proctor  vaudeville  inter- 
ests were  in  their  hey-dey. 

The  Palace  will  shut  down  shortly 
for  renovations  from  backstage  to 
front,  including  new  seats,  decorations, 
carpets,  settings  and  stage  equipment. 


British  Lion 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Ark.  no  Meets  May  18 

Little  Rock,  Ark.,  April  26.— In- 
dependent Theatre  Owners  of  Arkan- 
sas, a  Theatre  Owners  of  America 
affiliate,  will  meet  at  the  Hotel  Marion 
here  on  May  18-19.  Gael  Sullivan, 
TOA  executive  director,  and  Herman 
M.  Levy*  general  counsel,  will  attend. 


company  stockholders  that  all  but  two 
productions  turned  in  losses  during  the 
year  ended  March  31,  1948,  when  the 
company  was  $3,000,000  in  the  red. 
Further  losses  were  feared  for  the  year 
ended  last  March,  Drayton  said. 

He  holds  no  hope  of  preferred  divi- 
dends being  paid,  but  stockholders 
were  promised  by  Drayton  that  he 
would  continue  his  current  drastic 
economy  drive  to  put  British  Lion  af- 
fairs in  order. 


Alfred  Drayton  Dead 

London,  April  26. — Alfred  Drayton, 
well  known  British  actor,  died  sud- 
denly in  his  hotel  here  today. 


Wednesday,  April  27,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Ascap  Theatre  Take 

(Continued  from  page  1)  

tors  already  had  paid  the  full  amount 
for  music  for  all  of  1948. 

Meanwhile,  Ascap  is  continuing 
conversations  with  the  government  on 
amending  the  consent  decree  which 
they  entered  in  1940  and  which  now 
requires  adjustments  in  view  of  the 
New  York  and  Minneapolis  court 
findings.  It  is  understood  that  Ascap's 
aim  is  to  establish  a  legal  means  of 
collecting  public  performance-right 
fees  from  film  producers,  possibly  in 
some  way  attaching  these  licenses  to 
'the  synchronization  rights  for  which 
the  producers  are  now  paying  the 
Music  Publishers  Protective  Assn. 


Warners,  K-B  Agree 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

a  hearing  before  Judge  Matthew  F. 
McGuire. 

Shortly  before  the  court  proceedings, 
K-B  and  Warners  agreed  on  terms  for 
Warners  selling  out  and  for  K-B  pick- 
ing the  new  theatre  site,  providing 
that  Warners  does  not  have  to  post 
bond  nor  be  in  any  way  financially 
responsible  for  the  new  theatre.  When 
this  was  presented  to  Kass  attorney 
Louis  Ottenberg,  he  refused  to  release 
Warners  unless  K-B  furnished  a  sim- 
ilar bond.  K-B  attorney  Robert  Sher 
said  K-B  would  assume  all  normal 
obligations  and  responsibility  for  ful- 
filling the  contract  for  the  new  thea- 
tre, but  would  not  post  the  bond.  Then 
Judge  McGuire  recessed  the  hearings 
for  a  week,  instructing  the  parties  to 
try  to  get  together  on  some  compro- 
mise on  the  new  house. 

If  a  compromise  cannot  be  worked 
out,  the  three  parties  will  argue  next 
Tuesday  the  original  Kass  motion  for 
$100,000,  and  the  original  K-B  and 
Warner  motions  on  how  the  Mac- 
Arthur  venture  should  be  dissolved. 

Attorneys  for  K-B  and  Warners 
refused  to  discuss  the  exact  financial 
terms  for  Warners  getting  out  of  the 
MacArthur,  but  it  is  understood  that 
they  are  fairly  close  to  those  provided 
for  in  the  1945  agreement. 

Defends  MGM  Sales 
At  Griffith  Hearing 

Oklahoma  City,  April  26.— J.  M. 
Eisenberg,  Loew's  executive  from 
New  York,  testified  today  in  the  Grif- 
fith mandate  hearing  that  independents 
in  competition  with  the  defendant  cir- 
cuits have  had  equal  opportunities  to 
purchase  M-G-M  product. 

He  appeared  after  testimony  Mon- 
day by  Daniel  J.  Loventhal,  RKO 
Radio  sales  executive,  also  from  New 
York.  Both  were  questioned  on  speci- 
fic competitive  situations  covered  pre- 
viously by  government  witnesses.  Eis- 
enberg declared  emphatically  that  his 
firm  makes  product  available  to  any 
exhibitor  who  desires  to  bid  for  it. 

Eisenberg  took  the  stand  after  at- 
torneys for  the  defense  and  Justice 
Department  lawyers  had  sparred  at 
length  over  the  introduction  of  deposi- 
tions. Presiding  Judge  Edgar  S. 
Vaught  ruled  that  the  defense  could 
proceed  with  its  interrogatories,  and 
that  the  government  would  be  entitled 
to  submit  additional  cross  interroga- 
tories. 

The  interrogatories  were  resorted  to 
by  Griffith  to  obtain  testimony  from 
Sol  Sachs,  Dallas;  Louis  Phillips, 
New  York;  H.  H.  Martin,  Dallas; 
and  several  other  distributor  execu- 
tives, who  could  not  come  here. 


Another  30  Days  for 
Ascap's  Video  Pact 

American  Society  of  Com- 
posers, Authors  and  Publish- 
ers has  extended  its  gratis 
contract  with  telecasters  an- 
other 30  days,  to  May  30,  as 
negotiations  on  the  Society's 
first  non-gratis  pact  con- 
tinues. Next  meeting  of  rep- 
resentatives of  Ascap  and 
television  interests  is  sched- 
uled for  next  Monday,  a 
meeting  which  had  been 
planned  for  yesterday  having 
been  put  off.  When  agreement 
is  reached  on  terms  of  a  li- 
cense for  video  it  will  be  re- 
troactive to  Jan.  1. 


20th  Phila.  Clearance 

(Continued  from  page  1)" 

meeting  of  35  exhibitors  in  the  Ritz 
Carlton  Hotel  here  today. 

Neighborhood  first-runs  are  now 
limited,  by  custom,  to  only  eight  or 
nine  theatres  with  a  total  seating  ca- 
pacity of  16,000.  Under  the  new  plan, 
Smith  said,  neighborhood  first-runs 
will  be  available  to  several  dozen 
houses  with  a  total  capacity  of  28,000. 
In  addition,  clearance  over  first-runs 
downtown  will  be  reduced  by  an  aver- 
age of  seven  days. 

Under  the  plan  the  territory  will  be 
divided  into  18  zones  each  including 
one  or  more  theatres.  In  those  zones 
including  more  than  one .  house  the 
run  will  be  opened  to  competitive  slid- 
ing scale  bidding.  Any  theatres  not 
now  listed  in  any  zone,  Smith  said, 
may  enter  the  bidding  if  it  can  meet 
standards  set  by  20th-Fox  for  the- 
atres already  in  its.  zone. 

The  zones  and  theatres  are :  Zone 

1,  Keswick,  Yorktown,  Glenside ;  Zone 

2,  Erlin ;  Zone  3,  Oxford,  Lawndale ; 
Zone  4,  Liberty,  Mayfair ;  Zone  5, 
Roosevelt,  Circle ;  Zone  6,  Roxy ; 
Zone  7,  Bandbox,  Vernon,  Colonial, 
Orpheum;  Zone  8,  Iris,  Midway; 
Zone  9,  Astor,  Girard ;  Zone  10,  Park ; 
Zone  11,  Fern  Rock;  Zone  12,  Car- 
men; Zone  13,  Logan,  Rockland; 
Zone  14,  Broadway,  Savoia ;  Zone  15, 
Nixon,  State ;  Zone  16,  Towers ; 
Zone  17,  Benn,  Benson;  Zone  18, 
Suburban,  Bryn  Mawr. 

Smith  said  the  new  plan  might 
bring  about  some  admission  price 
changes  but  he  warned  exhibitors 
against  starting  any  admission  cut- 
ting wars.  He  told  exhibitors  that 
the  same  plan  had  been  used  success- 
fully in  Cleveland  by  the  company  and 
that  three  other  distributors  had  fol- 
lowed 20th-Fox's  lead  in  that  city. 


First  JDA  Citation 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

community."  In  selecting  Fabian  as 
the  first  recipient  of  the  JDA  award, 
dinner  chairmen  Samuel  D.  Leidesdorf 
and  Edmund  Waterman  pointed  out 
that  "he  is  among  the  foremost  Amer- 
icans in  aiding  the  victims  of  bigotry 
and  persecution  throughout  the  world, 
and  in  helping  to  secure  as  well  as 
expand  our  traditional  democratic  lib- 
erties." 


Ellis  Film  Opens  May  4 

"Outcry,"  Italian  import  distributed 
here  by  Ellis  Films,  recently  organ- 
ized by  Jack  Ellis  who  was  formerly 
with  United  Artists,  opens  at  the 
Stacy  in  Trenton  on  May  4  and  at  the 
Adams,  Newark,  on  May  5. 


Clark,  Moffat  Here 
To  Set  AA  Deal 

Details  of  the  first  four  pictures  to 
be  made  in  the  long-term  production 
deal  between  Allied  Artists  and  As- 
sociated British  Picture  Corp.,  Ltd., 
will  be  discussed  here  by  Robert 
Clark,  executive  director  of  the  latter, 
and  William  Moffat,  managing  direc- 
tor of  Associated  British  Pathe,  Ltd. 
Both  arrived  here  yesterday  on  the 
S'.S'  Queen  Elizabeth  along  with  Clif- 
ford George  Dickinson,  Monogram- 
A.A.  representative  for  the  United 
Kingdom.  A  press  reception  was  held 
for  them  by  Monogram-A.A.  at  the 
Hotel  Warwick  yesterday. 

Under  the  arrangement  two  pictures 
will  be  made  per  year  in  England  un- 
der the  quota.  A.A.  will  provide  half 
of  the  finances  and  some  of  the  stars. 
The  pictures  will  be  produced  by  As- 
sociated British  Pictures  and  distribut- 
ed in  the  British  Empire  by  Associat- 
ed British  Pathe  and  in  the  Western 
Hemisphere  by  A.A.  The  rest  of  the 
world  market  will  be  divided  equitably. 
Each  film  will  be  budgeted  from  $800,- 
000  to  $1,000,000.  Shooting  on  the 
first  is  expected  to  start  in  September. 
It  was  pointed  out  that  the  deal  pre- 
dated the  quota  and  frozen  funds  and 
emanated  from  mutual  interest  of  the 
British  and  American  companies. 

Clark  said  ABC  plans  to  make 
about  12  pictures  this  year  inclusive  of 
the  two  under  the  joint  arrangement. 


100  to  Aid  UJA 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Rosen,  Ed  Rugoff,  Mannie  Sachs,  Abe 
Schneider,  George  P.  Skouras,  Spyros 
P.  Skouras,  Nate  Spmgold,  Solomon 
M.  Strausberg,  Joseph  K.  Vogel  and 
Albert  Warner. 

Co-chairmen  of  the  independent  ex- 
hibitors committee  are  Frisch  and 
Joelson.  Members  of  the  committee 
are:  Herman  Becker,  Harry  Brandt, 
William  Brandt,  Leo  Brecher,  Alfred 
Burger,  Max  Cohen,  Norman  Elson, 
Ed  Fabian,  Nat  Harris,  Charles 
Moses,  Charles  B.  Moss,  Jules  Lig- 
gett, Arthur  Rapf,  Walter  Reade,  Jr., 
Rinzler,  Rosen,  David  Rosenzweig, 
Rugoff,  Joseph  M.  Seider,  George 
Skouras,  Jesse  Stern,  Leopold  Storcn, 
Strausberg,  Morton  Sunshine,  David 
Weinstock  and  Bernard  ZimmetDaum. 

Joe  Hornstein  is  chairman  of  the 
vendors  committee,  with  the  follow- 
ing as  members :  Charles  tieigel, 
Ethel  Black,  James  F.  Burns,  Jules 
Catsiff,  William  Friedman,  Ida  Gar- 
retson,  Lou  Goudreau,  Milton  Green, 
Nat  Lapkm,  Peter  Lewis,  Herman 
Maier,  Charles  B.  Moss,  Harry 
Nadel,  Charles  O'Reilly,  Leonard 
Satz,  Max  Seligman  and  Ben  Sher- 
man. 

Spyros  Skouras  is  chairman  for 
corporate  gifts,  William  J.  German 
heads  laboratories,  Louis  A.  Lotito 
ticket  agencies,  and  Mannie  Sachs  and 
Robert  Weitman  will  lead  the  drive 
among  music  publishers. 

Sparkplugging  the  campaign  in  the 
legitimate  field  will  be  William 
Brandt,  Friedlander,  Max  Gordon, 
Moss  Hart,  Marcus  Heiman,  George 
S.  Kaufman,  William  Klein  and  Lee 
Shubert. 

Heading  the  drive  among  talent 
agencies  and  related  groups  are  Moe 
Gale,  Nat  Kalcheim,  Nat  J.  Lefkow- 
itz,  Charles  Miller,  William  Morris, 
Jr„  Sam  Rauch,  Emanuel  Sachs, 
Weitman  and  David  A.  Werblin.  _ 

On  the  committee  for  publications 
are :  Jack  Alicoate,  Red  Kann,  Chick 
Lewis  and  Martin  Quigley. 


TOA  Asks  400 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

lected  in  each  section.  Replies  of  in- 
dividual theatres,  which  will  include 
both  small  independents  and  circuit 
houses,  will  be  regarded  as  strictly 
confidential. 

The  reports  are  to  be  mailed  to 
TOA  headquarters  here  not  later  than 
Tuesday  of  each  week.  Copies  of  the 
weekly  summary  will  be  mailed  to  all 
TOA  members  in  towns  and  cities  up 
to  50,000  population  to  assist  them  in 
booking  of  feature  pictures. 


UK  Industry 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

expects  the  Portal  committee  to  pro- 
pose are  the  abolition  of  the  "barring 
system,"  the  extension  of  playing  time 
and  the  zoning  of  first-runs  through- 
out the  United  Kingdom.  Under  the 
barring  system,  a  film  playing  first- 
run  in  London  can  not  play  anywhere 
else  in  the  country  simultaneously. 
Among  other  recommendations  which 
he  sees  as  likely  is  the  reduction  of 
distribution  costs  to  producers  from 
the  present  20  per  cent. 

Wilcox  is  here  to  set  up  an  Anglo- 
American  production  plan  for  a  series 
of  pictures  to  be  made  in  England  un- 
der the  quota  with  American  stars, 
for  the  world  market.  An  agreement, 
he  asserted,  will  be  consummated  with 
"ohe  of  two  major  American  com- 
panies." Wilcox  and  Wilding  Will 
confer  today  and  tomorrow  with  Al- 
fred Hitchcock  here  about  the  next 
picture  to  be  made  in  England  which 
will  star  Wilding.  The  film  will  be 
made  by  Hitchcock  and  distributed 
here  by  Warner  Brothers. 

Wilcox  while  here  also  plans  to  set 
American  distribution  of  three  films, 
"Courtneys  of  Curzon  Street," 
"Spring  in  Park  Lane"  and  "Maytime 
in  Mayfair." 

He  plans  to  leave  for  Hollywood  in 
a  week  for  discussions  with  Bernard 
Giannini  of  the  Bank  of  America. 
Wilcox  made  it  clear  that  he  will  be 
seeing  Giannini  "not  for  financing" 
but  to  "get  a  comprehensive  view  of 
the  economics  ■  of  the  industry"  with 
regard  to  his  Anglo-American  produc- 
tion plan. 

Wilcox  asserted  that  the  British 
industry  could  meet  "the  quota  quan- 
titatively but  not  qualitatively"  and 
said  he  is  for  fewer  but  better  pic- 
tures. He  sees  "no  chance  whatso- 
ever of  the  British  industry  getting 
any  portion  of  the  entertainment  tax 
plowed  back  to  producers  because  that 
would  then  extend  to  other  indus- 
tries." He  said  the  government  takes 
the  view  that  there  is  nothing  wrong 
with  the  industry,  except  the  inequit- 
able distribution  of  money  that  is  paid 
by  the  public. 

Wilcox  remarked  that  producers 
need  to  get  more  from  exhibitors  and 
pay  less  to  distributors.  To  back  his 
point  he  cited  his  film  "Spring  in 
Park  Lane"  which  made  a  record 
gross  of  $5,600,000  in  England.  He 
said  that  out  of  this,  $2,250,000  went 
for  the  entertainment  tax ;  $1,800,000 
went  to  exhibitors,  and  $320,000  to 
the  distributor.  Thus,  Wilcox  pointed 
ou'f,  "the  producer  is  left  only  a  little 
more  than  the  cost  of  production." 


WANTED 
FILM  PROCESSING  LABORA- 
TORY SUPERVISOR  (MALE) 
Minimum  of  five  years'  motion  pic- 
ture   film    developing    experience.  A 
knowledge  of  photographic  chemistry 
and   color   film    processing  essential. 
New  York  State  location.  Please  send 
brief  resume  of  qualifications. 
BOX  No.  427,  MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 
1270  Sixth  Ave.,  New  York  20,  N.  Y. 


National"  high  intensity 
carbons  change 
dim  screen 

SQUINT 


M, 


and  make  box  office 


"National"  H.I.  Arc 
"Brightest  spot 
in  the  world ! 


The  term  "National" 
is  a  registered  trade-  mark  of 

NATIONAL  CARBON  COMPANY,  INC. 

Unit  of 

Union  Carbide  and  Carbon  Corporation 

30  East  42nd  Street,  New  York  17,  N.  Y. 

Division  Sales  Offices: 
Atlanta,  Chicago,  Dallas,  Kansas  City, 
New  York,  Pittsburgh,  San  Francisco 


MUTION  PICTUIvJb 

FIRST 

Accurate 

k        i ''  / '  \    if  ,/ 

IN 

T%  A    T  T  f 

Concise 

Fll  AA 
r  1  l/v\ 

1  1  /%  I  1 

and 

NEWS 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.  NO.  83 


NEW  YORK,    U.S.A.,    THURSDAY,    APRIL  28,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


U.  S.  Industry 
Hopes  Hit  in 
South  Africa 

Gold,  Sterling  Holdings 
Drop  Breeds  Pessimism 

The  American  film  industry's  po- 
sition in  South  Africa  may  have 
suffered  a  severe  blow  with  the  an- 
nouncement by  the  South  African 
Reserve  Bank  that  that  country's  ster- 
ling and  gold  holdings  declined  sharply 
during  March,  it  is  believed  in  film 
foreign  management  circles  here. 

South  Africa's  sterling  holdings  fell 
nearly  £5,500,000  ($22,000,000)  last 
month,  and  at  the  same  time  gold  hold- 
ings dropped  £5,000,000  ($20,000,- 
000),  according  to  a  monthly  state- 
ment of  the  Reserve  Bank. 

Since  the  beginning  of  this  year,  the 
American  film  industry  has  been 
dogged  by  uncertainties  in  consequence 

j  of  moves  made  by  the  Capetown  gov- 
ernment. When,  late  last  year,  South 
Africa  clamped  a  50  per  cent-of-earn- 
ings  restriction  on  films  and  all  other 
imports,  it  was  planned  here  to  send 
to   Capetown   an   American  industry 

i  mission  headed  by  Motion  Picture  As- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Unlimited  Run  For 
'Jennie'  in  Chicago 

Chicago,  April  27. — Selznick  Re- 
I  leasing  Organization's  "Portrait  of 
Jennie"  can  play  for  an  unlimited  run 
at  the  Balaban  and  Katz  Garrick  The- 
atre, Judge  Michael  Igoe  of  U.  S. 
District  Court  stated  here  today  in  a 
written  statement  favoring  the  peti- 
tioners in  the  hearing  held  on  Mon- 
day. The  statement  read  in  part : 
"Selznick  has  spent  $3,000,000  and 
took  two  years  to  produce  'Jennie.' 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Government  Rests 
In  Griffith  Hearing 


Oklahoma  City,  April  27.— The 
government  rested  its  case  today  in 
the  mandate  hearing  on  the  Griffith 
anti-trust  suit,  which  was  filed  10 
years  ago  tomorrow.  Two  defense 
witnesses  had  been  called  to  testify 
before  Federal  Judge  Edgar  S. 
Vaught  when  Assistant  Attorney 
Generals  Milton  Kallis  and  George 
Wise  announced  that  the  government 
rested.  Preceding  this  action,  the  gov- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Kenneth  Royall  to 
20th-Fox  Law  Firm 


Washington,  April  27. — Kenneth 
C.  Royall,  Secretary  of  the  Army,  on 
his  retirement  today  announced  that 
he  will  join  the  New  York  law  firm  of 
Dwight,  Harris, 
Koegel  and 
Caskey,  which 
is  general  coun- 
sel for  20th 
Century-Fox. 

Name  of  the 
firm  which,  with 
its  predecessors 
has  engaged  in 
the  practice  of 
law  in  New 
York  for  close 
to  80  years  will 
be  changed  to 
Dwight,  Royall, 
Harris,  Koegel 
and  Caskey. 
Except  for  two  periods  of  govern- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Kenneth  C.  Royall 


Eisenhower  Video 
Series  Starts  May  5 

Most  widely-distributed  film  pro- 
gram on  television  to  date  will  be 
launched  on  May  5  with  the  first  of  a 
26-subject  series  on  General  Eisen- 
hower's "Crusade  in  Europe"  going 
over  32  stations  owned  or  affiliated 
with  American  Broadcasting,  in  addi- 
tion to  independent  stations  in  every 
other  available  video  market. 

The  Eisenhower  series  was  made 
by  March  of  Time  for  20th  Century- 
Fox,  the  latter  having  acquired  tele- 
vision rights  to  the  book  from 
Doubleday  Doran,  which  published  it. 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


To  Fill  New 
MPA  Job  Soon 


Washington,  April  27. — Direction 
of  both  the  exhibitor  and  community 
relations  departments  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  proba- 
bly will  be  assigned  to  Francis  Har- 
mon, MPAA  vice-president,  by  Eric 
Johnston,  president,  within  the  next 
week. 

As  a  corollary  to  the  appointment, 
Harmon  will  be  relieved  of  supervi- 
sion over  phases  of  MPAA  foreign 
activities  and  these  will  be  added  to 
the  duties  of  John  G.  McCarthy,  head 
of  MPAA's  international  department. 

Both  Harmon  and  McCarthy  will 
continue  to  maintain  headquarters  in 
MPAA's  New  York  office.  It  could 
not  be  determined  whether  David  Pal- 
freyman,  present  MPAA  exhibitor 
relations  head,  will  work  under  Har- 
mon, but  indications  are  he  will  not. 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


600  Pay  Tribute  to 
Simon  H.  Fabian 


Leaders  of  amusement  fields  joined 
with  more  than  600  business,  civic 
and  professional  figures  in  a  tribute 
to  Simon  H.  Fabian  last  night  at  the 
Joint  Defense  Appeal  dinner  held  at 
the  Waldorf-Astoria  here  on  behalf  of 
the  United  Jewish  Appeal  of  Greater 
New  York. 

Fabian  received  a  special  award  for 
his  "outstanding  leadership  and  hu- 
manitarian services  in  every  worthy 
philanthropic  and  communal  activity 
in  the  life  of  our  community." 

Spyros  Skouras,  20th  Century-Fox 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Value  of  Trade  Shows 
Appears  Negligible 


Auburn  Trust  Action 
Set  for  Trial  Here 

Ruling  in  U.  S.  District  Court  here 
yesterday  on  motions  made  by  de- 
fendants Schine  Circuit  Corp.,  et  al, 
Federal  Judge  Sylvester  J.  Ryan  de- 
clined to  dismiss  the  $2,500,000  triple- 
damage  anti-trust  action  brought  by 
Auburn  Capital  Theatre  Corp.,  Au- 
burn, N.  Y.  Major  distributors  are 
among  the  defendants  charged  with 
having  conspired  with  Schine  to  de- 
prive the  plaintiff  of  product. 

The  jurist  simultaneously  ruled 
against  the  defendants'  motion  calling 
for  transfer  of  the  case  to  the  North- 
ern U.  S.  District  Court  in  Utica. 


The  practice  of  exhibitor  trade 
screenings  which  originated  within  the 
industry  trust  suit  consent  decree  of 
1940  as  a  measure  against  blind  selling 
has  yet  to  prove  itself  as  being  of 
value  to  exhibitors. 

M-G-M  has  been  keeping  a  close 
check  on  exhibitor  attendance  at  its 
showings,  and  its  experience,  said  to  be 
typical,  is  that  the  last  43  films  trade 
shown  had  an  average  audience  in 
each  city  of  seven  theatre  owners  or 
their  representatives.  The  company 
figures  its  costs  in  having  the  potential 
buyers  in  the  projection  room  or  thea- 
tre at  eight  dollars  each. 

Here  are  M-G-M's, records  with  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Ticket  Tax  Cut 
Loses  by  Only 
A  Single  Vote 

Chances  for  Reduction 
Are  Seen  Brighter 

Washington,  April  27.  —  The 
outlook  brightened  today  for  a  cut 
in  the  Federal  admission  tax,  even 
though — and  perhaps  because — the 
Senate  Finance  Committee  defeated  by 
only  seven  to  six  a  proposal  to  cut 
the  20  per  cent  ticket  levy  and  other 
excises  back  to  pre-war  levels.  The 
pre-war  admission  tax  level  was  10 
per  cent. 

The  outlook  became  brighter  for 
several  reasons :  The  fact  that  power- 
ful Senate  Finance  Committee  Chair- 
man George  favors  excise  reductions 
and  voted  against  it  today  only  be- 
cause it  was  proposed  as  an  amend- 
ment to  a  bill  repealing  Federal  oleo- 
margarine taxes;  the  fact  that  the  Ad- 
ministration was  able  to  defeat  the 
move  by  only  one  vote  despite  the  un- 
usual manner  in  which  it  was  pro- 
posed; the  fact  that  Senator  McGrath, 
chairman  of  the  Democratic  National 
Committee,  broke  away  from  Senator 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


FTC  Inquires  Into 
CRFs  Operations 

The  Federal  Trade  Commission  has 
opened  here  an  informal  investigation 
of  Confidential  Reports,  Inc.,  theatre 
checking  organization  backed  by  all 
major  distributors  except  M-G-M. 
Said  to  have  been  instigated  by  "cer- 
tain exhibition  interests,"  the  FTC 
probe  into  the  nature  of  CRI  opera- 
tions has  manifested  itself  in  the  form 
of  personal  visits  to  a  number  of  com- 
panies' sales  executives  by  Joseph  H. 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Carver  Hits  'Beer 
Guzzling'  Film  Ads 


Detroit,  April  27. — Sam  Carver,  ex- 
hibitor and  president  of  Detroit  Con- 
solidated Theatres,  has  started  to  issue 
a  weekly  bulletin,  his  first  one  sound- 
ing off  on  "free  advertising"  in  films. 

"Six  major  producing  companies 
are  advertising  beer  in  many  new  pic- 
tures," writes  Carver.  "Already  21 
pictures  have  been  made  showing- 
stars  drinking  beer." 

To    exhibitors.    Carver  addresses 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Thursday,  April  28,  1949 


Max  Youngstein  May 
Leave  Eagle -Lion 

While  disclosing  that  he  has  re- 
ceived a  number  of  offers  from  other 
companies,  Max  Youngstein,  vice- 
president  of  Eagle-Lion  in  charge  of 
advertising-publicity,  yesterday  coun- 
tered _  reports  that  he  will  soon  join 
a  major  company  with  the  statement 
that  he  has  made  no  deal  "as  of  now." 

"Frankly,"  Youngstein  said,  "I  am 
dissatisfied  with  curtailed  operations 
with  a  skeleton  staff  and  unless  the 
situation  is  rectified  within  the  next 
month  or  two  I  shall  be  forced  to  act 
on  the  offers  which  have  been  made 
me." 

Youngstein  indicated  that  an  assured 
supply  of  product  for  the  future  is 
E-Us  basic  need.  The  company's 
studio  has  been  closed  since  Novem- 
ber and  new  production  financing  has 
not  been  obtained  to  make  possible  a 
permanent  reopening.  Company  execu- 
tives have  taken  salary  cuts  and  staffs 
in  most  departments  have  been  skel- 
etonized, with  additional  retrench- 
ments scheduled  for  the  end  of  the 
week  unless  new  financing  is  forth- 
coming. 


Williams  to  Resign 
As  SCTOA  Counsel 

Hollywood,  April  27. — Paul  Wil- 
liams, general  counsel  and  presiding 
executive  of  the  Southern  California 
Theatre  Owners  Association  for  the 
past  four  years,  will  resume  his  pri- 
vate law  practice  on  June  1st  either  in 
New  York  or  here.  Williams,  with  the 
United  States  Department  of  Justice 
prior  to  coming_West  for  the  SCTOA 
post,  will  continue  to  represent  the 
organization  as  counsel  if  he  decides 
to  remain  here. 

The  board  of  directors  will  conduct 
the  association's  activities  beginning 
June  1,  with  Ida  Schreiber,  who  also 
joined  the  organization  four  years 
ago,  in  charge  of  the  office. 


Personal  Mention 


XT  ED  E.  DEPINET,  president  of 
-L  ^  RKO  Radio,  will  leave  here  for 
Hollywood  over  the  weekend. 
• 

Sir  Alexander  Korda  and  his 
American  representative,  Morris 
Helprin,  will  leave  here  Friday  by 
plane  for  the  Coast  and  will  return  in 
time  for  the  former's  departure  for 
England  on  Tuesday. 

• 

Leon  Bamberger,  RKO  Radio  sales 
promotion  manager,  will  address  the 
annual  convention  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Owners  and  Operators  of  Georgia, 
to  be  held  at  Atlanta  on  May  9-10. 
• 

Messmore  Kendall,  Capitol  Thea- 
tre president,-  and  Mrs.  Kendall  will 
return  to  New  York  this  week  from 
a  stay  at  their  Palm  Beach,  Fla., 
home. 

• 

Si  Seadler,  M-G-M  advertising 
manager,  will  leave  here  tomorrow  by 
plane  for  Europe. 

• 

Lamar  Trotti,  20th  Century-Fox 
producer,  will  sail  from  here  today  on 
the  ^.S.  Saturnia  for  Europe. 


JOSEPH  I.  BREEN,  Production 
•J  Code  Administrator,  left  here  for 
Hollywood  last  night. 

• 

Mike  Simon,  Paramount  Buffalo 
exchange  manager,  Edgar  A.  Fitter, 
office  manager,  John  McMahon, 
Syracuse  representative,  and  John 
Good,  Buffalo  and  Rochester  sales- 
man, will  attend  a  home  office  con- 
ference on  May  9. 

• 

Sir  Henry  French,  director  gen- 
eral of  the  British  Film  Producers  As- 
sociation, and  Leopold  Friedman, 
secretary  and  counsel  for  Loew's, 
sailed  from  here  yesterday  aboard  the 
S.S.  Queen  Elizabeth  for  Europe. 
• 

Charles  Smakwitz,  Warner  The- 
atres district  manager,  accompanied 
by  Ralph  Crabhill  and  Joseph 
Weinstein,  was  in  Buffalo  from  New 
York  this  week. 

• 

Eduard  and  Francois  Harispuru, 
French  producers  and  exhibitors  who 
recently  arrived  in  New  York  from 
Paris,  are  spending  a  week  in  Canada. 


'Frisco  Operators 
Elect  1949  Officers 

San  Francisco,  April  27. — Anthony 
L.  Noriega  has  been  elected  president 
of  the  Moving  Picture  Machine  Oper- 
ators Union  Local  No.  162  here,  with 
Floyd  M.  Billingsley  elected  business 
agent,  and  Thomas  J.  Kearney,  re- 
cording secretary-treasurer.  Board 
members  elected  are  R.  M.  Combs, 
also  vice-president,  O.  G.  Roush,  John 
A.  Forde,  H.  Erickson  and  Robert  N. 
Wilson. 

Billingsley  announced  that  all  thea- 
tre telecasts  here  will  be  handled  by 
members  of  the  IATSE.  First  TV 
show  is  scheduled  to  be  transmitted 
from  the  Golden  Gate  theatre  on  May 
5  over  KGO-TV. 


'Curley'  Appeal  in  June 

Nashville,  April  27. — Hearing  on 
the  appeal  of  United  Artists  on  its 
suit  against  the  Memphis  Board  of 
Censorship,  which  banned  UA's 
"Curley,"  is  expected  to  be  set  for 
Jtine.  according  to  the  Supreme  Court 
Clerk's  office  here. 


Rank  Asks  for  More 
Films  on  Religion 

More  extensive  use  of  motion  pic- 
tures for  Sunday  school  teaching  was 
called  for  by  J.  Arthur  Rank  at  a 
luncheon-meeting  of  educators  and 
film_  industry  executives  at  the  Uni- 
versity Club  here  yesterday.  He  said 
he  hopes  to  be  able  to  reduce  the  costs 
of  films  for  religious  education. 

Among  film  persons  attending  the 
luncheon  were  Francis  Harmon,  vice- 
president  of  the  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociation of  America ;  Spyros  P. 
Skouras,  20th  Century-Fox;  William 
Sherman  Greene,  Jr.,  United  World 
Films,  and  Robert  R.  Young,  Pathe 
Industries. 


Campbell  Joins  New  Firm 

_  John  F.  Campbell,  former  produc- 
tion vice-president  for  International 
Projector,  has  joined  the  Adelhardt 
Construction  Co.,  Maspeth,  N.  Y.,  as 
operating  vice-president,  according  to 
Andrew  Adelhardt,  president.  Camp- 
bell will  head  Ro-An  Devices,  a  new 
subsidiary  formed  by  Adelhardt  to 
manufacture  motion  picture  equipment. 
Another  division,  Luna  Metal  Craft, 
will  specialize  in  theatre  design  and 
engineering  with  a  nationwide  theatre 
remodeling  service. 


Legion  Reviews  10; 
4  Rated  Class  'B' 

Ten  additional  films  have  been  re- 
viewed by  the  National  Legion  of  De- 
cency with  four  getting  a  "B"  rating. 
In  that  category  are  Film  Classic's 
"C  Man" ;  Distinguished  Films'  "Con- 
fessions of  a  Rogue";  Warner  Broth- 
ers' "Flamingo  Road";  United  Art 
ists'  "The  Great  Dan  Patch." 

In  Class  A-I  are:  United  Artists' 
"Home  of  the  Brave";  Universal- 
International's  "Illegal  Entry";  and 
Republic's  "Prince  of  Thieves."  In 
A-II  are  Universal-International's 
'('The  Lady  Gambles";  Eagle-Lion's 
'  Reign  of  Terror,"  and  Paramount's 
"Sorrowful  Jones." 


Clements  at  Great  Lakes 

Buffalo,  April  27.— Joseph  B. 
Clements  has  been  appointed  manager 
of  Paramount's  Great  Lakes  Theatre 
here,  succeeding  George  Mason,  who 
transferred  to  the  Kenmore  at  Ken- 
rnore,  N.  Y.  Clements,  who  started 
with  Paramount  as  an  usher  23  years 
ago,  came  here  from  St.  Paul. 


Famous  Distributes  Film 

Famous  Pictures  will  distribute 
Screencraft's  "Riders  of  the  Pony 
Express"  in  the  New  York  Metro- 
politan area,  it  is  announced  by  Sam 
Goldstone  of  that  exchange. 


Eudy  Vice-President 
Of  Tri-States  TO  A 

Memphis,  April  27.— Charles  Eudy, 
operating  theatres  at  Houston  and 
Ackerman,  both  in  Mississippi,  was 
named  vice-president  of  the  Tri- 
states  unit  of  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America,  at  a  board  of  directors  meet- 
ing here  today.  He  succeeds  Arthur 
Rush  of  Houston,  who  had  resigned 
Burges  Waltman  of  Columbus,  Miss., 
was  named  to  the  board  to  succeed 
Eudy. 


AT 01  Convention  Is 
Set  for  June  22-23 

Indianapolis,  April  27.— Associat- 
ed Theatre  _  Owners  of  Indiana  will 
hold  its  mid-summer  convention  at 
French  Lick  Springs  on  June  22-23. 
A  board  meeting  will  be  held  on  the 
evening  of  June  21. 

Business  will  be  confined  to  one  ses- 
sion, on  June  22.  A  top  sales  execu- 
tive of  one  of  the  major  film  compa- 
nies will  be  a  guest  at  the  business 
session.  Marc  Wolf  is  chairman  of 
the  convention  committee. 


Drive-ins  Trouble 
Minnesota  Theatres 

Minneapolis,  April  27.  —  Outstate 
conventional  theatre  operators  in  the 
Minneapolis  area  are  expressing  con- 
cern over  possible  inroads  on  their 
attendance  potential  by  drive-ins  and 
are  looking  ahead  to  meet  such  com- 
petition, according  to  film  company 
branch  managers  and  salesmen.  The 
year-round  operators  are  also  fearful 
of  the  outdoor  stands  raising  the  ante 
on  film  rentals  in  making  a  bid  for 
certain  type  product. 

While  the  drive-ins  located  in  the 
congested  area  of  the  Twin  Cities 
reportedly  have  so  far  failed  to  make 
a  dent  in  the  conventional  box-office 
grosses,  outstate  exhibitors  say  the 
situation  is  entirely  different  in  the 
hinterlands.  They  point  out  that  the 
big  city  outdoor  stands  pull  trade 
from  the  suburbs  because  they  are 
located  on  the  outskirts,  and  in  addi- 
tion they  attract  the  factory  worker 
who  can  attend  drive-ins  without 
changing  clothes. 

With  comparatively  few  exceptions, 
the  34  new  outstate  drive-ins  already 
announced  for  construction  during  the 
coming  season  in  the  Minneapolis 
zone  will  be  operated  by  conventional 
theatre  owners  in  the  area.  This  will 
help  keep  film  rentals  down  for  such 
dual  operations,  but  competitive  year- 
around  stands  fear  the  drive-ins  will 
eventually  come  around  to  bid  for 
prior  runs  for  an  entire  zone. 

Maurer  Presides  at 
Astor  Anniversary 

Maurice  Maurer,  managing  director 
of  City  Entertainment  Corp.,  which 
operates  the  Astor  Theatre,  here,  of- 
ficiated yesterday  at  cake-cutting  cere- 
monies in  the  theatre's  lobby  in  cele- 
bration of  the  36th  anniversary  of  film 
exhibition  at  that  Broadway  house. 
The  occasion  marked  also  the  world 
premiere  of  Columbia's  "We  Were 
Strangers."  Columbia  advertising-pub- 
licity vice-president  Nate  B.  Spingold 
represented  the  company  at  the  event. 

20  -  Week  Depinet 
Drive  Nearly  Over 

RKO  Radio's  Denver  exchange,  J. 
C.  Emerson,  manager,  holds  first  place 
at  the  end  of  the  18th  week  in  the 
1949  "Ned  Depinet  Drive."  Montreal, 
M.  L.  Devaney,  manager,  leads  in 
Canada.  The  19th  and  20th,  final 
weeks  of  the  drive,  will  honor  Robert 
Mochrie,  sales  vice-president. 

Rivoli  Books  20th  Film 

Portrait  of  Jennie,"  current  at  the 
New  York  Rivoli  Theatre,  will  be  fol- 
lowed by  20th  Century-Fox's  "House 
of  Strangers,"  which,  in  turn,  will  be 
followed  by  Alexander  Korda's  "Wins- 
low  Boy,"  distributed  by  the  same 
company. 


25-Cent  W.B.  Dividend 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  board  of 
directors  of  Warner  Brothers  held 
here,  a  dividend  of  25  cents  per  share 
was  declared  on  the  common  stock, 
payable  on  July  5  to  stockholders  of 
record  on  June  3,  1949. 


lunJay^anl^nYays1;  b^2ufeie^  fAfr^ntf^^  ^V^^T^  Edit°r-    Published  da!1^  SatUrda^ 

New  York."'  Martin  Quiglcy.  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  QuigW  Jr  Vice  P^^TW  T  °Q  n'-  Y"  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address;  "Quigpubco, 
James  P.  Cunmgham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager PnA,^1  T/r  '  J"  Su"'lzn'  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau.  120  South  La  Salle  Street.  Editorial  and  ^^m^^YzJ^tA^\^rC''  H°'  .ywood.  Burea»-  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau  4  Golden  In    iZdn,  Wl  p      g  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington. 

Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better Erei  and  Theatre  Sale!  ^ach SSb^nVTft  ^ana*er-  Peter  Bur"«P-.  Editor:  cable  address.  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter  Sept  23  1938  at  tt  no,?  nffW  It m  VTeV  Zeav  aI  a  ,section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald:  International 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies  10c  P        '         '  3   tbe  P°St  °ffice  at  New  York-  N-  Y-,  under  the  act  of  March  3.  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


////  <  ' 


And 

TRADE  SHOW 
MAY  2 

ALBANY 

Warner  Screening  Room 

79  N.  Pearl  St.  •  12:30  P.M. 

ATLANTA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

197  Walton  St.  N.W.  •  2:30  P.M. 

BOSTON 

RKO  Screening  Room 

122  Arlington  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 

BUFFALO 

Paramount  Screening  Room 
464  Franklin  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
CHARLOTTE 

20th  Century-Fox  Screeninq  Room 

308  S.  Church  St.  •  10:00  A.M. 

CHICAGO 

Warner  Screening  Room 

1307  So.  Wabash  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M. 

CINCINNATI 

RKO  Palace  Th.  Screening  Room 

Palace  Th.  Bldg.  E.  6th  •  8:00  P.M. 

CLEVELAND 

Warner  Screening  Room 

2300  Payne  Ave.  •  8:00  P.M. 

DALLAS 

20lh  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
1803  Wood  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
DENVER 

Paramount  Screeninq  Room 

2100  Stout  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

DES  MOINES 

20th  Century-Fox  Screeninq  Room 

1300  High  St.  •  8:00  P.M. 

DETROIT 

Film  Exchonqe  Building 

2310  Cass  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

INDIANAPOLIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screeninq  Room 

326  No.  Illinois  St.  •  1:00  P.M. 

KANSAS  CITY 

20th  Century-Fox  Screeninq  Room 

1720  Wyandotte  St.  •  1:30  P.M. 

LOS  ANGELES 

Warner  Screeninq  Room 

2025  S.  Vermont  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

MEMPHIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screeninq  Room 
151  Vance  Ave.  •  10:00  A.M. 
MILWAUKEE 

Warner  Theatre  Screening  Room 

212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

MINNEAPOLIS 

Warner  Screening  Room 

1000  Currie  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

NEW  HAVEN 

Warner  Theatre  Proiection  Room 

70  College  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

NEW  ORLEANS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screeninq  Room 

200  S.  Liberty  St.  •  8:00  P.M. 

NEW  YORK 

Home  Office 

321  W.  44th  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 
OKLAHOMA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screeninq  Room 
10  North  Lee  St.  •  1:30  P.M. 
OMAHA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screeninn  Room 
1502  Davenport  St.  •  10:00  A.M. 
PHILADELPHIA 
Warner  Screeninq  Room 
230  No.  13th  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 
PITTSBURGH 

20th  Century-Fox  Screeninq  Room 
1715  Blvd.  of  Allies  •  1:30  P.M. 
PORTLAND 
Jewel  Box  Screeninq  Room 
1947  N.W.  Kearney  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
SALT  LAKE 

20th  Century-Fox  Screeninq  Room 
216  East  1st  South  •  2:00  P.M. 
SAN  FRANCISCO 
Republic  Pict.  Screening  Room 
221  Golden  Gale  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M. 
SEATTLE 

Jewel  Box  Screening  Room 
2318  Second  Ave.  •  10:30  A.M. 
ST.  LOUIS 
S'renco  Screening  Room 
3143  Olive  St.  •  9:30  A.M. 
WASHINGTON 
Worner  Theatre  Buildina 
13th  &  E  Sts.  N.W.  •  10:30  A.M. 


..-LASiVNF     rvlANIS        n   BRUCE      r\GERALDlNE     1 1  ROBERT  DIRE 

MB  Pfc  Bennett  Brooks  Hottonm 


DIRECTED  BY  PRODUCED  BY 

L.MARIN  •  SAUL  ELKINS 

i  by  Edna  Anhalt  •  From  a  Story  by  Morton  Grant 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  April  28,  1949 


South  Africa 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


sociation  vice-president  Francis  Har 
man  to  seek  relief  for  U.  S.  films.  Th 
mission  was  called  off,  however,  upon 
receipt  of  word  from  South  Africa 
that  its  government  would  endeavor 
to  work  out  a  separate  ruling  for  mo 
tion  picture  imports. 

No  such  ruling  has  been  made  yet 
however,  and  prospects  of  one  have 
dimmed  somewhat  since  the  latest  re 
port  of  the   South  African  Rese 
Bank.    It  is  held,  however,  that  the 
restrictions  order  as  it  now  stands 
rather  vague  in  its  application  to  fil 
imports,  for  its  specific  references  ar 
said  to  be  made  in  terms  of  commodi 
ties.    Thus,  if  a  separate  order  per 
taining  to  films  is  forthcoming  to  fill 
the  need  for  one,  it  may  offer  littl 
or  no  actual  relief  from  the  provisions 
that  would  be  applicable  perhaps  un 
der  the  existing  order.    At  least  that 
is  said  to  be  the  possibility  in  light 
of  the  latest  report  on  South  Africa' 
finances. 

On  the  other  hand,  assurances  that 
the  U.  S.  companies  "have  the  com 
plete  support  and  cooperation"  of  in 
fluential  elements  in  the  South  Afri 
can    film   industry   are   a   source  of 
hope  and  optimism.    Pending  a  possi 
ble  decision  here  again  to  make  plan 
for  a  South  African  mission,  U.  S 
filrn  companies  are  looking  to  South 
African  friends  to  secure  relief  there 
for  American  films. 


Eisenhower  Series 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Each  subject  will  run  25  minutes  and 
will  be  telecast  on  Thursdays  from 
nine  to  9:25  P.M.,  EST,  or  as  clo 
to  that  time  as  network  facilities  and 
individual  station  commitments  will 
allow. 

The  series  will  be  sponsored  by 
Time  and  Life,  which  paid  in  the 
neighborhood  of  $400,000  to  20th-Fox 
for  the  rights  to  show  the  shorts  three 
times  in  each  city  over  a  period  of 
24  months. 

The  two-year  license  provides  the 
sponsors  with  the  opportunity  to  pre 
sent  the  films  in  cities  which  do  not 
have  video  stations  in  commercial  op 
eration  at  present  but  will  have  before 
the  expiration  of  that  period.  It  is  the 
intention  of  the  news-magazine  pub- 
lishers to  blanket  the  country  with  the 
series  on  video  in  as  far-reaching  a 
fashion  as  the  new  medium  will  per- 
mit. 

In  addition  to  the  $400,000  to  20th- 
Fox,  Time  and  Life  will,  of  course, 
pay  for  the  station  time  slots,  which 
are  becoming  increasingly  expensive. 
ABC's  New  York  station,  WJZ-TV, 
this  week  increased  its  basic  evening 
hour  rate  to  $1,500,  effective  June  1, 
on  both  a  network  and  local  basis. 
Time  and  Life,  however,  having 
ordered  its  time  prior  to  that  date  for 
the  Eisenhower  films,  will  pay  at  the 
present  basic  rate  of  $1,000  per  eve- 
ning hour. 

Standard  motion  picture  rights  to 
the  Eisenhower  book  have  not  been 
acquired. 


Mitchell,  British  Director 

London,  April  27. — Oswald  Mitch- 
ell, 52,  British  film  director  and  for- 
mer production  manager  for  Stoll 
Studios,  died  suddenly  at  his  home 
today.  Mitchell  began  his  film  career 
as  talent  scout  and  stunt  publicist  for 
Sir  Henry  Stoll  and  turned  to  direct- 
ing in  1935.  Among  his  pictures  were 
"Rose  of  Tralee,"  "Danny  Boy,"  "Pack 
Up  Your  Troubles"  and  the  "Mother 
Riley"  series. 


Trade  Show  Values 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


recent^  "Take  Me   Out  to  the  Ball 
Game" :  Costs  for  advance  notices  of 
screenings,  $1,921 ;  costs  for  use  of 
projection  rooms   or  theatres,  $517 
contract  signers  or  their  representa 
tives  present  in  all  31  exchange  cen 
ters,  approximately  221. 

The  current  average  of  seven  actual 
ly    constitutes    an   increase,  M-G-M 
records  show.    In  previous  years  each 
of  the  screenings  drew  an  average  at 
tendance  of  only  five  potential  buyers 
The  low  exhibitor  attendance  is  at- 
tributable  to   a   variety   of  factors 
Buyers  for  the  combines,  circuits  and 
larger  single  houses  generally  prefer 
to  screen  the  new  product  at  their  own 
screening  rooms  and  at  their  own  con 
venience.     Time    considerations  and 
inconvenience  of  travel  deter  others 
And,  as  pointed  out  by  distribution 
spokesmen,  theatremen  generally  "have 
a  way  of  knowing"  of  the  merits  of 
new  films.    Reviews  in  trade  publica- 
tions are  relied  upon,  one  distributor 
observed. 

No  part  of  this,  though,  is  to  indi 
cate  that  trade  screenings  are  likely  to 
be  abandoned  by  the  distributors,  for 
with  the  practice  has  come  an  orderly 
and  uniform  system  of  selling  each 
picture  around  the  country.  Unles, 
the_  company  purposely  sells  a  film 
division  by  division,  such  as  United 
Artists  did  with  "Red  River"  which 
opened  in  the  Southwest  and  crossed 
the  country  gradually,  one  exchange  is 
not  far  ahead  or  behind  the  others  in 
contracts.  Instead,  all  are  about  even, 
having  begun  selling  at  the  time  of 
national  trade-show  dates. 


'Beer  Guzzling'  Ads 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


this  message :  "You  are  running  a 
nice  theatre  catering  to  women  and 
children,  and  you  are  supposed  to 
show  these  beer-advertised  pictures  on 
your  screen— and  you  get  nothing 
from  the  national  beer  companies  for 
advertising  this  beverage.  You  should 
find  out  about  these  beer-guzzling 
pictures.  Maybe  you  should  advertise 
this  on  your  marquee. 

"During  the  last  two  years  numer- 
ous pieces  of  evidence  have  come  to 
ight  that  leave  little  doubt  that  pro- 
ducers have  accepted  compensation 
from  manufacturing  companies  for  ad- 
ertising  the  manufacturer's  product 
for  feature  pictures,"  it  is  stated. 

"If  relations  between  exhibition  and 
production  are  to  be  improved,  the 
above  practice  of  production  surrep- 
titiously appropriating  the  advertising 
potential  of  the  exhibitors'  screens 
must  be  discontinued. 

"Or  if  not  discontinued,  those  fea- 
tures containing  advertising,  for  which 
the   producer    received  compensation 
hould  be  plainly  labeled  as  such." 


Tribute  to  Fabian 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


president,  made  the  presentation  to 
Fabian. 

"I  think  I  would  not  be  far  wrong 
if  I  were  to  say  that  all  of  us  here 
tonight  have  benefited  from  the  ex- 
ample Si  Fabian  has  set,"  Skouras 
said.  "Whenever  the  call  has  come  to 
give  aid  to  the  afflicted  and  the  op- 
pressed, he  has  been  among  the  first  to 
respond.  Whenever  the  need  has  aris- 
en for  leadership  in  a  national  or  com- 
munal effort,  he  has  been  the  one 
looked  to  for  that  leadership.  When- 
ever the  call  came  forth  for  generous 
and  self-sacrificing  devotion  in  behalf 
of  a  worthy  cause,  it  was  Si  Fabian 
whose  actions  set  the  example  of  gen- 
erosity, of  self-sacrifice,  of  devotion." 


FTC,  CRI  Inquiry 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Klein,  New  York  district  investigator 
for  the  Commission. 

A  CRI  spokesman  said  yesterday 
that  he  was  aware  of  the  FTC  activ- 
ity, and  added  that  he  believed  it  was 
"routine"  investigation  in  conform- 
ity with  the  regular  functions  of  the 
Commission. 

Some  of  the  questions  put  to  the 
sales  executives  by  Klein  were  de- 
scribed by  one  as  being  "rather  point- 
ed." For  example,  the  investigator 
asked  how  CRI  member  companies 
ould  undertake  to  check  theatre  re- 
ceipts if  CRI  operations  were  discon- 
tinued, it  was  said.  Klein  reportedly 
was  told  in  reply  that  the  companies' 
only  recourse  would  be  to  set  up  their 
own  independent  checking  operations, 
and  that  such  independent  checking 
would  make  the  procedure  consider- 
ably more  expensive  for  each  company. 

Klein  was  told  also  that  CRI  op- 
erates in  such  a  fashion  as  to  make 
impossible  the  exchange  of  any  signifi- 
cant information  among  member  com- 
panies. 


Griffith  Hearing: 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


MPAA  Theatre  Post 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


\rthur  DeBra,  present  head  of  com- 
munity relations,  will  continue  as  as- 
stant  to  Harmon  in  that  division. 
According  to  reports,  an  ambitious 
program  of  expanded  activity  for 
MPAA  in  the  fields  of  community, 
xhibitor  and  public  relations  has  been 
prepared  for  the  new  departments  un- 
ler  Harmon's  direction.  Considerable 
ttention  will  lie  paid  to  intra-industry 
ations  in  an  endeavor  to  hold  ex- 
hibitor-distributor friction  and  public 
outbursts  to  a  minimum,  it  is  reported, 
and  to  bring  exhibitor  relations  closer 
to  the  framework  of  the  industry. 


ernment  attorneys  introduced  contracts 
'  etween  the  defendant  circuits  and 
major  distributors  dating  from  the 
1943-44  season  to  the  present.  Wise 
said  the  exhibits  were  an  attempt  to 
prove  the  exercise  of  monopoly  buying 
power  up  to  the  present.  He  said 
1939-40  to  1942-43  contracts  will  be 
offered  "in  evidence  later. 

Testifying  today  were  J.  M.  Eisen- 
berg,  New  York  Loew's  executive, 
and  Walter  Penn,  Columbia  salesman 
out  of  Dallas.  Penn,  at  one  point, 
stated  that  his  firm  still  does  not  sell 
to  an  independent  operating  in  com- 
petition with  Griffith's  Theatre  Enter- 
prises, Inc.,  at  Ballinger,  Tex.,  al- 
though the  same  independent,  Ford 
Taylor,  buys  Columbia  product  for 
Big  Lake,  Tex. 

Previously,  Penn  said  buying  re- 
strictions in  effect  against  Griffith 
competitors  prior  to  1947  had  been 
relaxed.  He  said  that  the  branch 
manager,  rather  than  himself,  handled 
sales  in  towns  where  Griffith  had  in- 
dependent competitors. 


Ticket  Tax  Cut 

(Continued  from  page  1)  % 

George  on  the  issue  and  voted  for  re- 
duction, and  the  persistent,  although 
unconfirmed,  rumor  on  Capitol  Hill 
that  House  Ways  and  Means  Com- 
mittee Chairman  Doughton  has  made 
some  commitment  to  send  to  the  Sen 
ate  later  this  year  a  bill  including  ex- 
cise revision  or  one  to  which  excise 
revisions  could  be  added. 

The-  excise  reduction  amendment, 
sponsored  by  Colorado  Democratic 
Senator  Johnson,  will  be  offered  on 
the  Senate  floor  again  when  the  oleo 
bill  reported  by  the  Finance  Commit- 
tee today,  comes  up  for  floor  action. 
Democratic  leaders  admit  that  on  the 
basis  of  the  closeness  of  today's  vote, 
the  amendment  will  be  hard  to  beat. 

If  the  amendment  should  be  put  in 
the  bill  on  the  Senate  floor,  it  un- 
doubtedly would  receive  powerful 
House  support. 

Senator  George  may  have  to  give 
some  pledge  of  handling  excises  in 
another  bill  this  year  in  order  to  mus- 
ter enough  support  to  defeat  the 
Johnson  amendment  on  the  Senate 
floor.  He  has  been  exploring  the  situ- 
ation with  House  Ways  and  Means 
Committee  Chairman  Doughton — the 
Senate  cannot  originate  tax  legisla- 
tion— but  as  yet,  they  claim,  nothing- 
definite  has  been  decided.  If  the  House 
does  not  take  up  taxes  this  year,  and 
if  the  excises  are  not  handled  in  the 
oleo  bill,  there  is  a  possibility  that  the 
excises  .may  be  considered  as  an 
amendment  to  the  Social  Security  bill 
now  being  shaped  by  the  House  com- 
mittee. 

Five  Democrats — Geprge,  Connallv, 
Lucas,  Byrd  and  Hoey,  and  two  Re- 
publicans, Taft  and  Williams — voted 
against  the  Johnson  amendment.  John- 
son and  McGrath  were  joined  by  four 
Republicans — Millikin,  Butler,  Brew- 
ster and  Martin — in  support  of  the 
amendment. 

Senator  Butler  announced  he  would 
offer  an  amendment  on  the  Senate 
floor  to  reduce  the  tax  on  photograph- 
ic apparatus.  This  was  not  reached  by 
the  cpmmittee  today. 


Kenneth  Royall 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Schulherg  to  Italy 

Hollywood,  April  27.— B.  P.  Schul- 
herg, former  Paramount  production 
chief,  will  produce  a  picture  in  Italy 
in  partnership  with  Americo  Benefico, 
an  Italian  who  will  finance  production, 
it  is  understood.  The  picture  will  be 
based  on  a  forthcoming  Lion  Feucht- 
wanger  novel,  "Gova  and  the  Duchess 
of  Alva." 


ment  service,  Royall  has  been  engaged 
in  law  practice  since  his  graduation 
from  Harvard  Law  School  in  1917. 
He  served  overseas  with  the  army  in 
World  War  I.  Since  1945  he  has  been 
successively  Under-Secretary  of  War, 
Secretary  of  War  and  Secretary  of 
the  Army. 

Other  former  top  government  of- 
ficials who  have  been  engaged  by  20th 
Century-Fox  for  special  legal  work 
include  James  F.  Byrnes,  former  Sec- 
retary of  State,  and  Robert  P.  Patter- 
son, former  Secretary  of  War.  This 
week  Robert  E.  Hannegan,  former 
Postmaster  General,  was  nominated 
for  membership  on  the  board. 


Extend  'Jennie'  Run 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


This  constitutes  the  largest  single  in- 
vestment of  its  producer.  Cost  of  such  a 
film  would  be  unprofitable  on  the  basis 
of  a  two-week  run.  Inasmuch  as  the 
Garrick  is  not  being  used  for  first- 
rate,  first-run  -film,  neither  the  public 
nor  the  plaintiffs  will  be  prejudiced 
by  granting  the  relief  for  an  indefinite 
period  of  time." 

Aaron  Stein  represented  the  Selz- 
nick  Organization,  while  Norman 
Korfist  opposed  because  of  Jackson 
Park  attorney  Thomas  McConnell's 
absence. 


II 
II 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE  ■  ^ 

DAI  LY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  84 


NEW  YORK,   U.S.A.,   FRIDAY,   APRIL  29,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


$173,709,000 
4th  Quarter 
Gross  for  8 

Only  Slight  Drop  Under 
3rd  Period,  Says  SEC 

Washington,  April  28. — Gross 
income  of  eight  motion  picture 
companies  in  the  fourth  quarter  of 
last  year  dropped  only  slightly  be- 
low the  gross  of  the  third  quarter,  the 
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission 
disclosed  here  today. 

Total  gross  for  the  fourth 
quarter  was  $173,709,000,  com- 
pared with  a  third  quarter  total 
of  $177,938,000.  However,  it  was 
eight  per  cent  below  the  $188,- 
570,000  gross  of  the  fourth 
quarter  in  1947. 

The  SEC  report  covered  Loew's, 
Paramount,  RKO,  Warner  Brothers, 
Universal,  Columbia,  Monogram  and 

(Continued  on  page  6) 

E-L  Expects  12,000 
Dates  in  Krim  Week 


"President's  Week"  in  the  current 
Jack  Schlaifer  Eagle-Lion  sales  tes- 
timonial drive  will  start  today,  in 
honor  of  Eagle-Lion's  president,  Ar- 
thur B.  Krim.  E-L  sales  vice-presi- 
dent William  J.  Heineman  yesterday 
predicted  that  on  the  basis  of  pledges 
which  he  has  received  from  E-L  ex- 
changes throughout  the  country,  the 
company  should  hit  a  new  high  mark 
of  12,000  feature  dates  during  the 
tweek.  . 

"President's  Week"  coincides  with 
the  22nd  week  of  the  26-week  Schlaif 
er  drive,  which  is  under  the  chair- 
manship of  Milton  E.  Cohen,  Eastern 
sales  manager  of  the  company. 

Four  films  will  be  placed  in  national 
release  by  Eagle-Lion  during  May,  it 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


TOA  Theatre  Video 
Progress  Hampered 
By  Vexing  Problems 


If  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission's  "freeze"  on  applica- 
tions for  television  channels  were  re- 
moved tomorrow,  a  remote  possibility, 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  would 
be  unprepared  to  make  a  bid  for  chan- 
nels, notwithstanding  the  considerable 
time  and  effort  the  organization  has 
put  into  exploring-  the  theatre  tele- 
vision field  "--ith  a  view  to  entering  it. 
Consequently,  decisive  action  by  TOA 
is  still  some  distance  away. 

This  is  viewed  as  evidence  of  the 
difficult  problems  which  have  arisen 
in  connection  with  the  organization's 
expressed  determination  to  establish 
itself  firmly  in  the  theatre  video  field. 
The  TOA  television  committee,  which 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


NCA  To  Hear  20th's 
Program  on  Rentals 

Minneapolis,  April  28.- — Al 
Lichtman,  20th-Fox  vice-pres- 
ident, has  accepted  the  invita" 
tion  of  Ben  Berger,  North 
Central  Allied  president,  to 
outline  the  company's  film 
rental  plans  at  NCA's  annual 
convention  here  May  23-24,  it 
was  announced  by  Stan  Kane, 
NCA  executive  counsel. 

Kane  said  the  entire  20th- 
Fox  "film  rental  entourage" 
has  promised  to  come  to  Min- 
neapolis to  defend  its  position 
in  seeking  a  more  equitable 
share  of  the  box-office  dollar. 


20th  Weighing 
More  2nd-Run 
Availabilities 


It  Likes  Phila.  Reception 
Of  Plan;  May  Extend  It 


Most  Houses  Need 
Rental  Cuts:  Cole 


Bourme,  Harbach, 
New  Ascap  Officials 


Saul  H.  Bourme,  head  of  the  music 
publishing  company  bearing  his  name, 
and  Otto  A.  Harbach,  librettist  and 
song  writer,  were  elected  vice-presi- 
dents of  the  American  Society  of 
Composers,  Authors  and  Publishers  at 
the  annual  board  meeting  here  yester- 
day. They  succeed  Gustave  Shirmer 
and  Oscar  Hammerstein,  2nd. 

Fred  E.  Ahlert,  president,  was  re- 
elected along  with  other  incumbents, 
including  George  W.  Meyer,  secre- 
tary ;  Louis  Bernstein,  treasurer ; 
Donald  Gray,  assistant  secretary,  and 
Frank  H.  Connor,  assistant  treasurer. 

Ascap's  membership  now  embraces 
some  2,041  in  the  writer  group  and 
361  in  the  publisher  category. 


Anamosa,  la.,  April  28.  —  Twenty 
per  cent  of  the  theatres  in  the  U.  S. 
"are  not  giving  the  distributors  a  just 
return  in  film  rentals,"  and  if  20th 
Century-Fox  vice-presidents  Al  Licht- 
man and  Andy  Smith  had  confined 
their  campaign  for  increased  rentals 
to  that  20  per  cent  "they  could  have 
had  the  applause  of  the  80  per  cent 
balance  of  theatre  operators."  Col. 
H.  A.  Cole  of  Allied  of  Texas  is  so 
quoted  in  a  bulletin  issued  here  this 
week  by  Charles  Niles  of  Allied  of 
Iowa  and  Nebraska.  Cole  says  this 
20  per  cent  includes  practically  all 
distributor-owned  and  controlled  thea 
tres. 

Another  20  per  cent  are  paying  fair 
and  adequate  rental,  "and  make 
legitimate  profit,"  the  bulletin  says. 
"Forty  per  cent  are  paying  somewhat 
more,  but  by  hard  work,  manage  to 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


That  20th  Century-Fox  is  giving 
serious  thought  to  increasing  sec- 
ond-run availabilities  and  reducing 
clearances  after  first-run  in  other 
cities,  somewhat  adhering  to  the  pat- 
tern established  in  Philadelphia  this 
week,  became  apparent  here  yesterday. 

While  official  confirmation  was  lack- 
ing, it  was  said  that  the  company  has 
in  mind  an  extension  of  the  plan  be- 
cause of  the  "warm  reception"  it  was 
given  in  Philadelphia.  Some  sources 
here,  however,  claimed  that  while 
those  houses  moving  up  to  first-run 
neighborhood  runs  in  Philadelphia 
are  giving  the  idea  full  approval,  some 
of  those  which  had  that  neighborhood 
run  alone  before  but  are  now  to  share 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


hanger  Would  Break 
Integrated  Industries 

Washington,  April  28. — Sen- 
ator Langer,  frequent  critic 
of  the  "Big  Five"  film  com- 
panies and  monopolies  in  in- 
dustry, has  introduced  a  bill 
to  break  up  vertically-inte- 
grated industries. 

The  bill  would  prohibit  pro- 
ducers and  manufacturers 
from  owning  retail  outlets. 


"Home  of  the  Brave 


99 


N' 


{Screen  Plays  -  United  Artists]  —  New  in  Theme,  Approach 

EW  ground  in  motion  picture  themes  is  broken  in  "Home  of  the 
Brave,"  an  eloquently  moving  drama  that  explores  the  effects  of 
racial  prejudice  upon  a  young  Negro  G.  I.  Although  the  picture 
underlines  a  social  problem,  it  primarily  has  been  fashioned  for  enter 
tainment  and  as  such  is  a  first-class  job  that  mounts  to  moments  of  raw 
power  and  excitement.  Like  its  sturdy  predecessor,  "Gentleman's  Agree 
ment,"  it  is  outspoken  in  dialogue  and  uncompromising  in  content. 

In  large  metropolitan  theatres  the  picture  very  likely  will  draw  out 
standing  grosses.  Its  merchandising  is  sure  to  be  forwarded  by  special 
articles  in  periodicals  that  are  certain  to  follow  the  opening  of  this  un 
usual  film.  However,  the  nature  of  the  theme  would  suggest  that  exhib 
itors  in  certain  sections  of  the  country  give  full  consideration  to  com 
munity  feelings  on  the  subject. 

Stanley  Kramer's  production  has  an  extremely  capable  cast,  although 
it  is  relatively  unknown.  James  Edwards,  of  the  legitimate  theatre,  holds 
the  focal  role  of  the  Negro  soldier  suffering  from  shock  that  leaves  his 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Agnew  Will  Open 
European  Office 

Neil  Agnew,  president  of  Motion 
Picture  Sales  Corp.,  now  en  route  to 
Europe,  is  making  the  trip  to  estab- 
lish European  headquarters  for  Mo- 
tion Picture  Sales,  to  visit  producers 
in  England ,  France,  Italy,  Sweden, 
Switzerland  and  Portugal,  to  look  at 
product  suitable  for  the  American 
market,  and  to  complete  negotiations 
with  foreign  producers  that  were  ini- 
tiated when  these  producers  were  here 
recently. 

Agnew's  first  stop  will  be  in  Paris. 
In  all  likelihood,  Paris  will  be  selected 
as  the  permanent  location  of  Motion 
Picture  Sales'  European  office. 

It  is  expected  that  Agnew  will  re- 
turn here  in  six  weeks.  He  is  accom- 
panied by  Mrs.  Agnew. 


Next  Anglo-U.SMeet 
May  Be  Held  Here 

Washington,  April  28. — Next 
meeting  of  the  Anglo-Ameri- 
can Films  Council  will  be 
held  about  mid-June  either 
here  or  in  New  York,  Motion 
Picture  Assocation  officials 
said  today.  Any  meeting  of 
the  council  thereafter  prob- 
ably would  be  held  in  London, 
it  was  said. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  April  29,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

DAT  CASEY  has  arrived  in 
*■  York  from  Hollywood. 


New 


Murray  Whiteman,  active  for 
many  years  in  the  Buffalo  Variety 
tent,  was  married  Wednesday  to  Mil- 
dred M.  Johnson,  also  of  Buffalo. 
The  couple  left  yesterday  for  San 
Francisco,  where  they  will  attend  the 
Variety  Clubs  International  conven- 
tion. 

• 

Harvey  A.  King,  veteran  Hart- 
ford stage  manager,  will  be  honored 
on  his  80th  birthday  May  9  with  a 
dinner  to  be  given  at  Loew's  Poli 
Palace  Theatre  by  members  of  Local 
No.  84,  IATSE. 

• 

Meyer  Stern  and  Edward  Shafton 
have  been  selected  Omaha  tent  dele- 
gates to  the  Variety  Clubs  Interna- 
tional convention,  with  Joseph  Scott 
and  M.  G.  Rogers  serving  as  alter- 
nates. 

• 

Arthur  Mayer,  head  of  the  Amer- 
ican Military  Government's  motion 
picture  division  in  Germany,  is  sched- 
uled to  return  to  Frankfort  from  New 
York  over  the  weekend. 

• 

B.  G.  Kranze,  Film  Classics  sales 
vice-president,  has  left  here  on  a  tour 
of  exchanges  in  Chicago,  St.  Louis, 
Dallas,  Los  Angeles  and  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

• 

Mike  Simons  of  M-G-M's  exhibi- 
tor relations  department,  will  attend 
the  annual  convention  of  the  Georgia 
Theatre  Owners  at  Atlanta  on  May 
9-10. 

• 

Terry  Turner,  RKO  exploitation 
director,  and  his  assistant,  Harry 
Reiners,  are  scheduled  to  visit  Al- 
bany from  here  Thursday. 

• 

Jerome  M.  Evans,  Universal-Inter- 
national exploitation  representative, 
will  leave  New  York  for  Dallas  over 
the  weekend. 

• 

Roy   Pace,   formerly   assistant  to 
Barnett  Shapiro,  Monogram  attor- 
ney in  Hollywood,  has  joined  the  legal 
department  of  Warners  studio  there. 
• 

Harry  Levine  of  Paramount  will 
leave  here  today  for  Chicago  and 
Buffalo. 


Harold  Auten  was  host  to  trade 
press  representatives  at  a  dinner  at 
the  Lotos  Club  here  last  night. 

William  Zimmerman,  RKO  Radio 
attorney,  left  here  yesterday  for  Chi- 
cago. 

• 

R.  F.  (Bob)  Pinson,  head  of  the 
Astor  exchange  at  Charlotte,  is  in 
New  York. 

• 

Max  Gomez,  Monogram  manager 
for  Mexico,  has  returned  to  Mexico 
City  after  a  visit  to  New  York. 
• 

David  Burstin,  Selznick  Releasing 
Organization  counsel,  has  returned  to 
New  York  from  Chicago. 


Insider's  Outlook 


By  RED  KANN 


*~pHE  Internal  Revenue  Bu- 
■■■  reau's  general  admission  tax 
collections  on  February  business 
make  a  piece  of  arresting  read- 
ing on  their  own.  They  make  a 
better  story  on  a  comparative 
basis. 

Collections  on  general  admis- 
sions that  month,  with  its  28 
days,  were  $34,716,074,  and  the 
total  admission  tax  $38,743,621, 
which  marks  February  business 
as  the  biggest  of  any  January, 
February,  March  or  December 
since  the  current  tax  schedule 
went  into  effect  with  business  for 
April,  1944. 

The  general  admission  tax  on 
February  also  was  higher  than 
collections  covering  receipts  in 
the  following  five  months  of 
1948:  April  at  $28,309,290; 
May  at  $31,639,479;  June  at 
$33,054,712;  July  at  $34,141,294 
and  September  at  $32,136,111. 
Thus,  business  in  February  was 
heavier  than  it  was  in  nine  of 
12  months  last  year,  having  been 
outrun  only  by  August,  October 
and  November.  It  was  $7,808,- 
690  greater  than  January  of  this 
year,  when  the  return  was 
$26,907,384. 


All  of  this,  of  course,  does 
not  reflect  only  grosses  at  pic- 
ture theatres,  although  this  is 
preponderantly  correct.  Perhaps 
the  salient  point  here  is  the  proof 
that  the  entertainment  dollar 
continues  to  be  generous  and 
plentiful.  The  figures  demon- 
strate that  the  public  is  spending 
money  on  some  form  of  enter - 
ment,  aside  from  roof  gardens 
and  cabarets,  which  are  tabulat- 
ed separately. 

Counter  attractions  may  be 
taking  away  patronage  to  which 
the  industry  may  feel  it  is  en- 
titled. But  the  industry  has  to 
remember  that  the  entertainment 
medium  which  offers  the  better 


Explains  Para.  Television 

New  York  Paramount  Theatre's 
system  was  explained  last  night  to 
members  of  the  National  Television 
Film  Council,  meeting  at  the  Brass 
Rail  here.  Richard  Hodgson,  director 
of  television  operations  for  Paramount 
Pictures,  told  how  the  system  picks 
up  an  image,  photographs  it  from  the 
tube,  processes  it  and  projects  it  on 
the  theatre's  screen  in  one  minute. 


Babcock  to  Build  Drive-In 

Buffalo,  April  28.— Erection  of  a 
new  600-car  drive-in  near  Batavia  is 
scheduled  to  start  at  once,  with  Ray- 
mond T.  Babcock,  the  builder,  expect- 
ing  to  have  it  in  operation  by  July  1. 


attraction  is  the  one  which  the 
public  will  buy. 

It  is  clearly  apparent,  there- 
fore, that  this  industry  cannot 
relax  in  its  efforts  to  make  more 
pictures  better  than  they  have 
been;  that  there  is  an  ample  and 
constantly  present  need  to  keep 
the  selling  fires  burning  so  that 
enthusiasm  may  be  generated  in- 
ternally and  then  made  to  ex- 
plode externally  where  the  pub- 
lic may  see  it  perform. 

■  ■ 

Pete  Wood  could  not  offer 
better  advice  to  his  members  in 
the  ITO  of  Ohio  than  this,  from 
one  of  his  bulletins: 

"There  are  plenty  of  reissues 
on  the  market.  Some  of  them 
are  doing  a  whale  of  a  business, 
others  are  not.  We  recommend 
that  you  look  before  you  leap 
and,  having  decided  to  play 
them,  let  your  public  know  it. 
If  there  is  anything  distasteful 
in  life,  it  is  to  be  'taken  in',  and 
everyone  resents  this  —  even 
movie  patrons. 

"When  you  play  a  re-release, 
advertise  it  as  such.  In  the  long 
run,  it  will  pay.  Your  patrons 
will  appreciate  it." 

■ 

The  motion  picture  committee 
of  the  Daughters  of  the  Ameri- 
can Revolution,  in  turn  reflect- 
ing its  sub-committees  through- 
out the  nation,  states  "in  not  a 
single  report  was  Communism 
reported  as  having  been  noted 
in  any  [major]  picture." 

This  is  not  news  to  the  indus- 
try, although  it  may  be  to  the 
House  Un-American  Activities 
Committee. 

■  ■ 

What  was  it  that  the  president 
of  one  company  is  reported  to 
have  said  to  the  president  of  an- 
other at  a  recent  Johnston  office 
meeting?  Whatever  it  was,  the 
feelings  ran  high.   Very  high. 


Premiere  for  "Flamingo" 

Los  Angeles,  April  28— World  pre- 
miere of  "Flamingo  Road,"  Warner 
Brothers,  was  held  here  tonight  at 
the  Warner  Downtown  Theatre,  with 
some  30,000  persons  jamming  the 
streets  to  greet  Hollywood  celebrities. 
In  a  departure  from  premiere  routine 
stars  entered  by  the  stage  entrance 
and  later  appeared  outside. 


JEH*E  P.A^X,  Martin  QuigW,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher 


Crawley  Wins  Award 

Ottawa,  April  28.— First  annual 
Canadian  Film  Award  was  presented 
to  Crawley  Films  by  Prime  Minister 
M.  Laurent  for  the  production  "The 
Loon's  Necklace,"  a  full  color 
based  on  an  Indian  legend 


film 


Urge  Improvement 
Of  Trade  Relations 

Boston,  April  28.— Improved  trade 
relations  are  more  necessary  to  the 
industry  now  than  better  public  rela- 
tions, Independent  Exhibitors,  Inc., 
declares  in  its  current  bulletin  to 
members. 

_  "When  the  various  divisions  of  the 
industry  become  related  to  one  an- 
other, each  accepting  its  rightful 
place  with  a  friendliness  and  under- 
standing that  makes  for  better  busi- 
ness," the  bulletin  asserts,  "the  pub- 
lic relations  will  not  be  too  necessary 
as  our  one  and  only  objective  will  be 
better  pictures  for  a  happier  public. 
With  a  satisfied  public  we  will  have 
nothing  to  fear  from  any  other  form 
of  comrjetition." 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


-RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — 

Rockefeller  Center 
BING  CROSBY 
Rhonda    FLEMING     ■     Wm.  BENOIX 
Sir  Cedrlc  HARDWICKE 

"A  CONNECTICUT  YANKEE 

In   King  Arthur's  Court" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
A   Paramount  Picture 
THE    GREAT    EA9TER   STAGE  SHOW 


B'WAY  &  45th  ST. 


JENNIFER  JONES -JOHN  GARFIELD 
PEDRO  ARMENDARIZ  in  JOHN  HUSTON'S 
WE  WERE  STRANGERS 

.  A  COLUMBIA  PICTURE 


GLENN  FORD 

ln*jJHF 

MM 

-»NINA  FOCH 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER.  Wetf%SBrVadWay 
All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Dally 
Extra  Matinee*  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Lata  Shew  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


CLIFTON  WEBB  -  SHIRLEY  TEMPLE 

"MR.  BELVEDERE  G°os  COLLEGE" 

A  20th  Century-Fox  Picture 


ON  VARIETY  STAGE  — VIVIAN  BLAINE 
LEO  DE  LYON  -  MCCARTHY  &  FARRELL 
On  Ice  Stage— The  ROOKIES  -  Joan  HYLDOFT 

7th  Ave.  & 
50th  St  ^= 


ROXY 


feP~(>ln^am.  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  £  Vfc,, 


|h^S°,,.^?.^^TL  Martin  Quigley    Tr.,_ Associate  Editor. 


Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South'  La 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washi 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Pi 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Enters 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign; 


Vicef^Sa^rS  jfS*   ^ '   Circle"  7-3100. 


Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 


Friday,  April  29,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Coast  Leaders  Head 
UJW  Fund  Drive 

Hollywood,  April  28— An  all-out 
drive  by  Hollywood  industry  leaders 
in  behalf  of  the  Los  Angeles'  United 
Jewish  Welfare  Fund  campaign,  has 
begun  with  the  naming  of  top  studio 
executives  as  drive  chairmen. 

At  a  luncheon  in  the  Beverly  Hills 
Hotel  attended  by  campaign  president 
Jack  L.  Warner,  the  following  were 
named  by  industry  division  chairman 
Henry  Ginsberg  to  head  the  drive  in 
studios :  Columbia,  Irving  Briskin  and 
'S.  Sylvan  Simon;  Goldwyn,  George 
Slaff;  independents,  Steve  Broidy, 
Joseph  I.  Breen,  Jr.,  and  William 
Pine ;  M-G-M,  J.  J.  Cohn,  Armand 
Deutsch  and  Marvin  Schenck ;  Para- 
mount, Jacob  H.  Karp;  RKO,  Leon 
Goldberg  and  Sid  Rogell ;  Republic, 
Hyman  J.  Glick;  20th  Century-Fox, 
Fred  S.  Meyer  and  Lew  Schreiber ; 
United  Artists,  Stanley  Kramer; 
Universal,  M.  W.  Weiner ;  Warner 
Brothers,  Harry  Kurnitz  and  Jerry 
Wald. 

Goal  of  the  city-wide  campaign  is 
$11,000,000,  to  be  allocated  to  overseas, 
local  and  national  organizations. 

Jack  Warner  and  Ginsberg 
To  Attend  Israel  Dinner 

Hollywood,  April  28. — Jack  L. 
Warner,  president  of  the  Los  Angeles 
United  Jewish  Welfare  Fund  drive, 
and  Henry  Ginsberg,  industry  chair- 
man, will  leave  here  for  New  York 
over  the  weekend  to  attend  a  dinner 
Wednesday  in  celebration  of  the  first 
anniversary  of  the  State  of  Israel. 
The  invitation  was  extended  by  Dr. 
Chaim  Weizmann,  president  of  Israel, 
through  Henry  Morgenthau,  Jr., 
UJA  chairman. 

Reach  Settlement  in 
Monroe  Trust  Suit 

Chicago,  April  28. — Terms  of  the 
cash  settlement  of  the  Monroe  The- 
atre anti-trust  suit,  dismissed  this 
week,  are  said  to  'involve  a  sum  un 
der  $75,000,  though  treble  damages 
of  $1,580,000  were  sought  by  the 
plaintiffs,  Lubliner  and  Trinz,  former 
operators  of  the  Monroe. 

Defendants  in  the  suit,  which 
charged  a  conspiracy  to  prevent  the 
house  from  obtaining  product  from 
Jan.  1,  1933  to  March  4,  1945,  were 
'  Balaban  and  Katz,  Publix  Great 
States,  Warner,  Loew's,  RKO,  20th- 
Fox,  Paramount,  Columbia,  Universal 
and  United  Artists.  Attorneys  Sey- 
mour Simon  ^nd  Miles  Feeley  repre- 
sented plaintiffs  and  defendants,  re- 
spectively. 


"Home  of  the  Brave 


99 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


legs  paralyzed.  Under  the  probings  of  an  Army  psychiatrist,  the  patient's 
whole  agonized  past  of  persecution  comes  back  in  dream-like  images.  Flash- 
back technique  has  seldom  been  used  more  imaginatively  than  here.  It  is  while 
on  a  reconnaissance  mission  on  a  Jap-held  South  Pacific  atoll  that  the  patient's 
deep-rooted  sense  of  persecution  becomes  aggravated  by  the  severe  battle  con- 
ditions and  the  bigoted  taunts  of  one  of  the  other  soldiers.  The  breakdown 
follows. 

By  the  slow  therapy  of  psychoanalysis  the  doctor  lifts  the  sense  ot  persecu- 
tion from  the  patient's  mind  and  finally  cures  him  physically  with  the  dramatic 
reassurance  that  he  is  not  different  from  any  other  man. 

Mark  Robson's  direction  keeps  the  story  on  the  constant  edge  of  excite- 
ment, and  Carl  Foreman  has  provided  a  screenplay  in  which  the  characters 
emerge  from  their  experiences  as  real  human  beings.  The  film,  for  the  most 
part,  is  set  in  the  grimy,  Jap-held  atoll  and  centers  on  five  soldiers  who  went 
on  the  mission.  Frank  Lovejoy,  prominent  radio  performer,  plays  a  "Tech- 
sergeant,  always  at  odds  with  Steve  Brodie  who  uses  the  lone  Negro  soldier 
as  a  whipping  boy.  The  two  others  on  the  mission  are  Douglas  Dick,  the 
officer  in  charge,  and  Lloyd  Bridges,  who  is  killed  in  action. 

This  Screen  Plays  production  was  adapted  from  the  Broadway  play  by 
Arthur  Laurents,  which,  instead  of  Negro  prejudice,  had  anti-Semitism  as  its 
central  theme.  Robert  Stillman  was  associate  producer.  Plaudits  are  de- 
served in  every  department.  .  T  , 

Running  time,  88  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  June  or  July 
release  Mandel  Herbstma-n 


Short 
Subject 


"Fraud  Fighters"  \ 

(This  Is  America — RKO  Pathe) 

The  ever-vigilant  activities  of  the 
Food  and  Drug  Administration  of  the 
Federal  Securities  Agency  in  protect- 
ing the  public  from  manufacturers  of 
fake  products  is  spotlighted  in  the  cur- 
rent This  Is  America  subject.  It  is 
highly  interesting  and  informative. 

The  subject  for  the  most  part  shows 
how,  in  one  typical  case,  the  FDA 
tracked  down  a  quack  medicine  manu- 
facturer. It  has  many  other  high- 
lights, including  scenes  of  the  huge 
FDA  laboratories  in  Washington 
where  scientists  make  extensive  tests 
on  medical  and  other  products.  Run- 
ning time,  17  minutes. 


Sand" 

(20th-Centnry-Fox)  ,    .  . 

WILL  JAMES'  novel  of  the  same  title  served  as  the  source  ot  this 
noteworthy  film  about  horses  and  the  West.  Fine  motion  pictures  have 
sprung  from  other  Will  James  books— "Smokey,"  for  example— but  none  we 
venture,  can  match  Robert  Bassler's  Technicolor  production  of  Sand  from 
the  standpoints  of  scenic  and  animal  beauty,  intelligent  approach  and  dramatic 

^Sensitively  directed  by  Louis  King,  from  an  adult  and  literate  script  by 
Martin  Berkeley  and  Jerome  Cady,  this  wholesome,  full-bodied  story  about  a 
"civilized"  prize-winning  stallion  that  is  thrown  on  its  own  resources  in  the 
open  wilds  of  Colorado  stands  as  really  delightful  entertainment.  One  of  this 
picture's  prime  virtues  is  the  fact  that  it  does  not  rest  its  appeal  in  artifices 
and  cliches  as  have  some  pictures  about  horses  .      .  <1 

Mark  Stevens  is  given  top  billing  as  a  wealthy  horse  fancier  whose  blue 
ribbon  champion,  Jubilee,  escapes  from  a  fire  in  a  railroad  horse  car  and 
dashes  in  panic  into  the  Western  desert  and  hill  country  where  the  train 
is  forced  to  stop.  Pretty  ranch  owner  Coleen  Gray,  who  sights  the  beautiful 
runaway  stallion  as  he  seeks  to  strike  up  a  romantic  attachment  with  one 
of  the  mares  in  her  herd,  communicates  with  Stevens,  and.  together  they 
set  out  to  hunt  Jubilee.  The  animal,  meanwhile,  has  developed  wild  instincts 
which  together  with  its  inherent  "sand"  (slang  for  courage)  leads  it  to 
survive  in  the  wilderness,  elude  recapture,  and  even  acquire  a  mate  > 

In  their  association  Stevens  and  Miss  Gray  borrow  inspiration  from  Jubilee  s 
progress  at  romance— with  some  broad  hints  by  the  lady's  outspoken  grandad, 
Charley  Grapewin,  helping  to  ripen  their  affection  for  each  other  Finally 
they  are  able  to  capture  Jubilee,  but  are  alarmed  to  find  him  wild  almost 
beyond  rehabilitation.  But  before  disposing  of  the  horse  with  a  bullet.  Stevens 
makes  a  desperate  attempt  at  suasion,  and  thereby  succeeds  m  bringing  the 
animal  to  its  "civilized"  senses.  Rory  Calhoun  lends  a  mild  touch  of  hot- 
headed villainy  to  the  proceedings.  Others  in  the  competent  cast  include  Bob 
Patten    Mikel   Conrad,   Tom  London,   Paul   Hogan   and  Jack  Gallagher. 

Running;  time,  77  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  July  release. 

-  .  Charles  L.  Franke 


Actress  Asks  Share 
In  Beatty  Estate 

Detroit,  April  28.  — A  $350,000 
claim  by  a  Chicago  actress  against  the 
$1,500,000  estate  of  the  late  Edward 
C.  Beatty,  former  head  of  the  But- 
terfield  circuit,  is  before  Probate 
Judge  Thomas  C.  Murphy  here. 

Dorothy  Van,  the  claimant,  says 
that  for  30  years  prior  to  Beatty's 
death  she  was  associated  with  him  in 
his  numerous  theatrical  enterprises  and 
that  for  her  advice  and  assistance 
Beatty  promised  she  would  receive  the 
Michigan  Theatre  at  Ann  Arbor,  a 
Butterfield  unit  valued  at  $250,000, 
and  $100,000  cash  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  Judge  Murphy  is  considering 
a  motion  to  dismiss  the  claim. 


Wright  Leaves  Post 
With  D.  of  /.  Today 

Washington,  April  28. — Robert 
Wright,  Justice  Department  attorney 
in  charge  of  the  Paramount  and  other 
film  anti-trust  cases  for  the  last 
decade,  cleaned  out  his  desk  today. 

Wright  will  leave  government 
service  tomorrow,  just  short  of  11 
years  with  the  anti-trust  division.  He 
joined  in  July,  1938.  He  plans  to  set 
up  his  own  law  office  here  "in  a  couple 
of  months." 


Canadians    Get  a 
Video  Coordinator 

Ottawa,  April  28.  —  Canadian 
Broadcasting  Commission  has  ap- 
pointed Alphonse  Ouimet,  engaged  m 
television  research  for  the  Commis- 
sion since  1932,  as  television  coordi- 
nator and  regional  representative  in 
Newfoundland. 

Dr.  Augustin  Frigon,  CBC  general 
manager,  states  Ouimet  will  be  coordi- 
nator during  the  "preliminary  stages 
preceding  actual  television  operations 
in  Canada." 


Book  on  Industry  Short 

A  four-page  campaign  book  on 
"Let's  Go  to  the  Movies,"  first  of  the 
industry  short  subjects,  has  been  pre- 
pared by  RKO  Radio,  distributor  of 
the  one-reeler. 


Cougar  in  'Cat9  Troupe 

Salt  Lake  City,  April  28.— A  cou- 
gar headed  the  Hollywood  troupe  that 
arrived  here  today  for  the  world  pre- 
miere of  Eagle-Lion's  "Big  Cat,"  open- 
ing at  the  Utah  and  Capitol  theatres 
tomorrow.  Mayor  Earl  J.  Glade  greet- 
ed the  visitors,  who  include  Peggy 
Ann  Garner,  Lina  Romay,  Preston 
Foster,  Chill  Wills,  Lois  Butler,  Jane 
Withers  and  producer  Bill  Moss. 


Says  Griffith  Buys 
'One  At  a  Time* 

Oklahoma  City,  April  28. — De- 
fense witnesses  continued  to  appear  at 
the  Griffith  mandate  hearing  here  to- 
day, with  John  Underwood,  Colum- 
bia Southern  division  manager  testify- 
ing that  his  company  now  negotiates 
with  the  circuit  on  a  one-picture-at-a- 
time  basis. 

"We  work  several  hours  on  one 
picture  where  we  used  to  sit  down  and 
and  agree  on  44  films  in  a  day  or 
two,"  Underwood  told  Federal  Judge 
Edgar  S.  Vaught.  He  denied  that 
Columbia  had  an  understanding  with 
Griffith  to  deny  sales  to  independent 
competitors.  Robert  C.  Hill,  another 
Columbia  salesman  from  Denver,  also 
took  the  stand. 


Enterprise  Cancels 
Film  for  M-G-M 

Hollywood,  April  28. — Enterprise 
will  not  produce  "Third  Secret," 
fourth  picture  promised  to  M-G-M 
for  distribution,  due  to  the  company's 
inability  to  meet  the  delivery  date, 
David  Loew,  board  chairman,  said 
here  today.  Loew  said  that  Enterprise 
is  in  the  process  of  liquidation. 

New  'I A'  Buffalo  Heads 

Buffalo,  April  28. — City.  Council 
president  Peter  J.  Crotty  last  evening 
installed  officers  of  two  IATSE  Film 
Exchange  Employes  (AFL)  locals  in 
the  Hotel  Markeen.  The  new  officers 
are :  Local  No.  F-9,  President,  Ger- 
trude S.  Franklin;  vice-president, 
Ruth  Martin ;  business  agent,  Gerald 
Stark ;  recording  secretary,  Rose 
Sinatra ;  financial  secretary,  Margaret 
Onions,  and  sergeant-at-arms,  Doris 
Maes.  Local  B-9,  president,  Mary 
Fiallella ;  vice-president,  William 
Sheridan ;  business  agent,  John  A. 
Brunner ;  recording  secretary,  John 
Wilhelm  and  financial  secretary,  Eve- 
lyn Garnham. 


Ohio  Child  Labor  Bill 

Columbus,  Ohio,  April  28. — Chil- 
dren under  14  would  be  barred  from 
any  gainful  employment  under  a  bill 
designed  to  tighten  child  labor  laws. 


Trade  Charter  May 
Cut  Film  Barriers 

Washington,  April  28. — 
President  Truman  today  sub- 
mitted for  Congressional  ap- 
proval the  International 
Trade  Organization  Charter. 

The  charter  has  several 
provisions  which  might  mean 
fewer  restrictions  on  films. 


«NTURY.FOx 


PARADE 


HEADING  PUR  WAY 
WITH  THE  GREATEST 


STORY  THIj 
HAS  EVER 


INDUSTRY 
KNOWN! 


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in 


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KEEP  IN  STEP 

w/ffc  the  company  that  keeps  proving 


CENTURY-FOX 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


20th,  Availabilities 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


it  do  not  endorse  the  program.  The 
latter  are  said  to  feel  that  "there 
is  not  sufficient  business"  to  sustain 
the  larger  amount  of  spots  on  the 
same  run. 

In  Philadelphia,  20th-Fox  has  di- 
vided the  territory  into  18  zones  with 
one  house  in  each  to  be  given  neigh- 
borhood first-run  availability  on  the 
basis  of  competitive  sliding-scale  bid- 
ding. In  the  past  only  eight  or  nine 
houses  had  that  availability  after  a 
downtown  first-run. 

Al  Lichtman,  Charles  Einfeld  and 
other  20th-Fox  executives  were  in 
session  at  the  home  office  yesterday, 
exchanging  notes  on  the  results  of 
their  recent  tour  of  exhibitor  meet- 
ings at  which  they  announced  the 
company's  intention  of  adjusting  ren- 
tals upwards.  A,  W.  Smith,  Jr., 
sales  vice-president,  is  now  in  St. 
Louis  on  sales  matters. 

There  has  been  no  decision  on  where 
or  when  the  company  executives  will 
meet  next  with  exhibitors  although  it 
is  said  they  are  considering  "invita- 
tions." 


Reviews 


"Africa  Screams' 


TOA  Theatre  Video 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


is  under  the  chairmanship  of  Mitch- 
ell Wolfson,  is  slated  to  attack  the 
problems  again  at  a  meeting  here  on 
May  4.  The  following  day  it  will 
meet  again  with  video  specialists  of 
the  Society  of  Motion  Picture  Engi- 
neers. 

While  describing  as  "feasible"  the 
chances  of  TOA's  setting  up  a  tele- 
vision broadcasting  station  in  New 
York,  Gael  Sullivan,  executive  direc 
tor  of  the  organization,  said  yester 
day  that  TOA  has  yet  to  examine  the 
possible  bases  of  financing  such  a 
project.  The  physical  engineering  as- 
pects of  theatre  video,  such  as  the  ef- 
fecting of  installations  in  theatres, 
Sullivan  regards  as  "no  particular 
problem."  TOA's  tie-up  with  SMPE 
evidently  has  brought  about  solutions 
to  whatever  engineering  difficulties 
that  may  have  existed  originally. 

The  engineering  problems  which 
remain  a  challenge  to  TOA  appear  to 
be  those  associated  with  pending  de- 
velopments in  ultra-high  frequency 
telecasting,  according  to  Sullivan.  As 
the  medium  "grows"  so  do  the  prob- 
lems for  TOA  increase,  he  said. 


(Nassour-  United  Artists) 

JLJOW  do  you  like  your  comedy?  Broad?  No  holds  barred?  Slapstick  of 
a  •  unSAU^'e'  double-take  species?  "Africa  Screams"  has  it  all  in  abun- 

ofA?WcaIth  Abb,0tt  Crell°  at  Play  With  SCOres  of  Iions  a"d  other  denizens 
lughTcitef  thea;ubHc'rfagncern'  "  *"  br°ader  ^  ^  *  ^ 
Some  of  the  gags,  perhaps,  should  not  have  been  disinterred  at  all  but 
for  the  most  part  it  is  not  too  difficult  to  expect  an  audience  to  behave  like 
so  many  uninhibited  and  highly  amused  youngsters  as  Bud  and  Lou  romp 
from  one  absurdity  to  another,  within  claw's  reach  of  an  orang-utang  or 
So7  stew-pot  when  ensnared  by  cannibals,  all  in  the  zaniest 

For  exploitation  purposes,  Abbott  and  Costello  are  in  good  company.  Clyde 

^JSfc£?»tft  w  VIOm'  Cage^  th.e  jungle:  Frank  Buck  »  seen 
vZJa  a  ™  ~d  °f  traPPin^s'  whlle  brother  behemoths  of  the  ring 
Buddy  and  Max  Baer,  take  part  in  the  fun,  however  clumsily  g' 
Costello  is  the  animal-fearing  buffoon  whose  boastings  of  prowess  on  the 
hunt  lead  him  and  his  book-selling  partner,  Abbott,  to  an  African  expedit  on 

h^T°r^  Hllla/T  B,r°0kf-  Her  aim  is  d^monds.  It  is  Costello  who  comes 
back  with  the  wealth,  though,  mostly  because  a  jungle  ape  becomes  enamored 
of  him  and  lends  assistance.  Joe  Besser  and  Shemp  Howard  also  Tre  in 
NaVn  BaJd™nVcreenplay  was  directed  by  Charles  Barton  Edward 

Action  m  WhlCh  "  Hsted  aS  a  Hu»tington  Hartford  pro- 

Running  time,  79  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 

Gene  Arneel 


Friday,  April  29,  1949 

4th  Quarter  Gross 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


.ft 


12,000  E-L  Dates 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

was  announced  by  Heineman.  They 
are:  "The  Big  Cat,"  William  Moss' 
Technicolor  production  which  will 
have  its  world  premiere  tomorrow  at 
the  Utah  Theatre  in  Salt  Lake  City ; 
W.  Somerset  Maugham's  "Quartet," 
a  J.  Arthur  Rank  production  now  at 
the  Sutton  Theatre  in  New  York; 
"Shamrock  Hill,"  starring  Peggy 
Ryan,  and  Rank's  Technicolor  "Sara- 
band." 


Lone  Wolf  and  His  Lady 

(Columbia) 

R0i^£D^LV  -PPea?  aS  the  "L°ne  Wolf"  in  a  quick-moving  yarn 
inrriZ  «V  u  mystenous  disappearance  of  a  fabulous  diamond,  in  I  pro- 
duction which  measures  up  to  about  average  for  the  series 

June  Vincent,  as  a  police  reporter,  meets  the  Lone  Wolf  who  promises 
to  give  her  paper  the  exclusive  story  of  his  past  exploits.  When  there  *  an 
exposition  of  a  very  large  diamond,  the  city  editor  has  the  Lone  Wolf  reoort 
mond  T/'t  1"  midile  °f  thVecePtion.  a  gas  bomb  explodes  and  the  E 
hZ  t  ,1 2£ m£°m  thA  CaSe-  Immediately  the  police  arrest  the  Lone  Wolf 
rias    The  WWnlfl  PT«  StT  in  the  ^position  was  merely 

Ha  waa  fads  the  poIlce  t0  the  cuIPrit>  the  jewel  cutter  who 

had  hidden  the  diamond  in  his  case  and  was  about  to  leave  the  counTry 
This  film  was  produced  by  Rudolph  Flothow  and  directed  by  John  Hoffman 

vLnrpmn^art  °7Iand  Wr°te  the  screenPlay-  from  a  story  "by  Lours  JoTeph 
Vance.  Other  performers  are  Alan  Mowbray,  William  Frawlev  dbfiS* 
Lyons,  Douglas  Dumbrille,  James  Todd  and  Steven  Geray 

rekaTenmg  tlm6'  6°  minUteS'  Gen6ral  audienCe  classification.  For  August 


(C'-Man" 


Selznick  in  Detroit 
On  SIMPP  Suit 

Detroit,  April  28.— David  O.  Selz- 
nick gave  a  deposition  here  today  in 
the  $8,750,000  anti-trust  suit  brought 
by  the  Society  of  Independent  Motion 
Picture  Producers  against  United  De- 
troit Theatres  and  Commonwealth 
Theatres.  Robert  J.  Rubin,  SIMPP 
counsel,  accompanied  the  producer. 

After  being  questioned  about  profits 
and  losses  of  his  company,  Selznick 
left  immediately  for  the  Coast. 


( Laurel— Film  Classics) 

C°nnJEf?JI0^L/°PS-and-robbers  melodramatics  are  flavored  with  the 
ortLfT  tfashlonable  documentary  technique  in  "  'C'-Man,"  a  frugal-bud- 
geted, fast-moving  foray  into  the  exploits  of  U.  S.  Customs  investigators 

te^iSf?  rportions  bifpeak  °«*n«si£gS5s 

n^^^SL^^gSET a      s' but  at  "action" situations 

With  most  of  the  exteriors  filmed  on  location  in  New  York  City  the  oic 
ture  takes  on  an  occasional  tone  of  authenticity  which  is  dissipated  a  times 
Sndlr  fjr0a-  theatn,C-S  Whlch  the  P^rmers  introduce  into  the  SoSeSSS 
Berne  fZ—  ^T™  °f  J°Seph  Lerner-  who  aIso  produced  * 
f«v t ♦     1-  S  s"ee"Play  assigns  to  Customs  Agent  Dean  Tagger  the  -rim 

£s  MWlSLrtW  ?mUgHgIing,ring  Wl]0Se  ^ader  <Rene  already 
nas  killed  Jagger  s  best  friend  and  co-worker.  The  agent  runs  ud  asraimt 
the  fists  of  Paul's  mad-doggish  henchman,  luridly  portrayed  b    Harrv  Lan 
ders  as  he  latches  onto  the  scent  of  the  culprits.  Excitement "and  interest 

fnTdelulte^teTbefore5  ^^.cacaphonous  musical  score"  buM  to 
♦I  T T  ,e  the  chases,  double-crosses,  rough-housine  and  a 

ducer  for  this  Laurel  Films  presentation'  execuitve  pro- 
Runmng  time,  75  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
 C.  L.  F. 


Discina  Acquires  Six 

Acquisition  of  six  films,  four  of 
them  in  a  foreign  language,  from 
M-G-M  International  Films  Corp.  for 
distribution  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  has  been  announced  here  by 
Discina-International  Films  Corp.  The 
films  are:  "Angels  of  the  Streets," 
"It  Happened  at  the  Inn,"  "Stormy 
Water,"  "When  Words  Fail,"  "The 
Last  Chance"  and  "Portrait  of 
Maria."  The  latter  two,  though  for- 
eign-made, are  in  English. 


Roger  Touhy  Gains  Point 

Chicago,  April  28.— Judge  Michael 
L.  Igoe  of  U.  S.  District  Court  has 
overruled  a  motion  to  dismiss  a  $500,- 
000  damage  suit  brought  by  Roger 
Touhy  against  Balaban  and  Katz  and 
^Oth-Fox  on  the  grounds  that  he  was 
libeled  by  the  film,  "Roger  Touhy 
gangster,"  released  by  20th-Fox.  The 
Court  rejected  a  defense  argument 
that  Touhy  lost  his  rights  to  citizen- 
ship when  he  was  convicted  and  sent 
to  prison. 


Republic.  United  Artists  and  20th 
Century-Fox  were  the  only  majors 
not  reported.  Also  not  included  were 
Lagle-Lion  and  Film  Classics. 

Company-by-company  figures  for  the 
fourth  quarter  of  1948  and  a  compari- 
son with  the  third  quarter  of  1948  and 
the  fourth  quarter  of  1947,  follow : 

Columbia:  $8,525,000;  (third  quar- 
ter, July  1-Sept.  25,  $8,668,000:  fourth 
quarter  1947,  Sept.  28-Dec.  31,  $7,172,- 
U00).  Gross  income  from  Columbia's 

«0/^nnnnU^Sldi,aries  was  reported  as 
$o,o/4,000  for  the  third  quarter  of  1948 

a?d1n%°77T'000  for  the  fourth  quarter 
of  1947.  No  figure  was  given  for  the 
final  quarter  of  1948.  These  foreign 
sales  figures  were  not  included  in  the 
quarterly  sales  figures. 

Loew's  and  wholly  owned  subsid- 
iaries consolidated :  $34,042,000:  (third 
quarter,   $39,446,000;   fourth  quarter 

ooo)        Sept  1_Nov"  20,  $33>107>- 

Monogram:  $3,157,000;  (third 
quarter,  13  weeks,  $2,491,000;  fourth 
quarter  1947,  for  the  13  weeks  ending 
Dec.  27,  $2,313,000). 

Paramount:  $41,300,000;  (third 
quarter,  13  weeks,  $43,320,000;  fourth 
quarter  1947,  $49,197,000). 

RKO:  $27,500,000;  (third  quarter 
13  weeks,  $26,500,000;  fourth  quarter 
1947,  from  Sept.  28-Dec.  31,  $31,552,- 
000).  The  RKO  figures  include  net 
amounts  of  "film  earnings  of  subsid- 
iaries not  consolidated,  operating  in 
foreign  territories"  of  $2,825,000  in  the 
fourth  quarter  of  1948,  $3,379  000  in 
the  third  quarter  and  $4,575,000  in  the 
fourth  quarter  of  1947. 

Republic:  $7,443,000,  for  14  weeks- 
(third  quarter,  13  weeks,  $6,427  000- 
£u/$  quarter  1947,  13  weeks,  $7,- 
306,000). 

Universal:  $15,742,000;  (third 
quarter,  $12,086,000;  fourth  quarter 
1947,  $17,912,000). 

Warner  Brothers:'  $36,000,000; 
(third  quarter,  $39,000,000;  fourth 
quarter  1947,  $40,011,000).  The  two 
1948  figures  are  "estimated  gross  in- 
come." 

Three  theatre   companies  reported 
the  following  figures  : 

Consolidated     Amusement  Co 
Ltd.:  $1,170,000;  (third  quarter,  $1  - 
333,000;  fourth  quarter  1947,  $1,127,- 

Loew's    Boston    Theatres    Co  ■ 

$432,000;  (third  quarter,  $424  000- 
fourth  quarter  1947,  $405,000). 

Penn- Federal  Corp.:  $290,000- 
(third  quarter,  $298,000;  fourth  quar- 
ter 1947,  $301,000). 

Trans-Lux  Corp.:  1948  fourth 
quarter  sales,  $434,000,  compared 
with  $387,000  in  the  third  quarter  and 
$241,000  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  1947. 

Eastman  Kodak  Co.:  $138,000,000 
in  sales  for  the  16  weeks  ending  Dec. 
26,  1948,  compared  with  $120,000,000 
for  the  comparable  1947  period  and 
$105,000,000  for  the  12  weeks  ending 
Sept.  4,  1948. 

General  Precision  Equipment 
Corp.:  1948  fourth  quarter  sales  of 
$7,626,000,  third  quarter  sales  of 
$7,162,000  and  $7,849,000  for  the  fourth 
quarter  of  1947. 


Need  Rental  Cuts 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


make  a  dollar  or  two;  this  group  is 
entitled  to  reductions."  The  final  20 
per  cent  are  paying  "considerably  more 
than  they  can  afford  to,"  continued 
Cole,  and  "this  entire  group  is  entitled 
to  and  must  have  a  reduction." 


-.ajfll  MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  85 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,   MONDAY,   MAY  2,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Ticket  Prices 
Reach  All-time 
High,  Says  U.  S. 

Large  -  City  Admissions 
Continue  to  Climb 


Washington,  May  1— Adult 
and  children's  admission  prices  in 
large  cites  continued  to  soar  up- 
wards during  the  first  three  months 
of  1949,  and  at  the  end  of  March, 
had  established  new  records,  accord- 
ing to  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Labor 
Statistics. 

The  index  of  adult  admission 
prices,  which  at  the  end  of  1948 
was  71  per  cent  above  the  1935- 
39  base,  jumped  to  72.7  per  cent 
at  the  end  of  March.  It  has 
been  going  up  steadily  since 
last  June. 

The  children's  admission  price  in- 
dex jumped  even  more  sharply.  It 

(Continued  on  page  3) 

RKO  Radio  to  Study 
Minnesota  Clearance 


Para.  Divestiture  in 
MinnesotaUnderway 

Minneapolis,  May  1. — Early  iden- 
tification of  theatres  which  Minnesota 
Amusement,  Paramount  affiliate,  must 
part  with  is  expected  following  recent 
discussions  here  of  the  Paramount 
trust  suit  settlement,  between  Harry 
French,  president  of  the  circuit,  and 
Paramount  home  office  theatre  offi- 
cials. Leonard  Goldenson,  Paramount 
theatre  head;  Walter  Gross,  attorney 
and  officer  of  the  new  Paramount 
theatre  company  to  be  formed,  and 
Robert  O'Brien,  Paramount  secretary, 
participated  in  the  discussions  with 
French.  The  former  two  returned 
to  New  York  immediately  following 
the  discussions,  while  O'Brien  left 
for  Butte,  Mont.,  his  home  town. 

Under  terms  of  the  decree,  Para- 
mount-Minnesota Amusement  must 
dispose  of  one  theatre  in  each  of  the 
following  cities :  Fairmont,  Austin, 
Mankato,  Minneapolis,  St.  Cloud  and 
St.  Paul,  Minn. ;  Fargo  and  Minot, 
N.  D. ;  Aberdeen,  Huron  and  Water- 
town,  S.  D.,  and  Eau  Claire,  Wise. 


Minneapolis,  May  1. — The  mud- 
dled clearance  situation  in  Minneapolis 
will  be  studied  by  RKO  Radio  attor- 
neys in  the  next  week,  it  is  under- 
stood, in  the  hope  of  bringing  about 
clarification  of  the  clearance  which 
each  individual  theatre  may  demand. 
The  attorneys  will  be  accompanied 
by  Walter  Branson,  RKO  Western 
sales  manager. 

Chief  cause  of  the  RKO  clearance 
study,  which  will  also  include  St. 
Paul,  is  the  request  made  recently 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Selznick  Elected 
Head  of  Selznick 

David  O.  Selznick  has  be- 
come president  of  the  Selz- 
nick Releasing  Organization 
in  a  new  alignment  of  the 
film  distributing  company's 
officers. 

Other  officers  appointed  by 
Selznick  were:  Sidney  G. 
Deneau,  sales  vice-president; 
Leonard  R.  Case,  vice-presi- 
dent and  treasurer;  David  I. 
Bursten,  secretary ;  Richard 
Hungate  and  Betty  Goldsmith, 
assistant  secretaries.  Paul 
MacNamara  continues  as 
vice-president  in  charge  of 
public  relations. 


Paramount    Theatres    officials  in 
New  York  were  not  available  at  the 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


MGM  Played  aoy0 
Of  Music  Hall  Time 

Since  October  27,  1938  when 
the  first  M-G-M  picture 
played  Radio  City  Music  Hall, 
M-G-M  pictures  have  played 
a  total  of  209  weeks  or  38.5 
per  cent  out  of  543  weeks  of 
available  time,  according  to 
the  company.  Some  47  M-G-M 
pictures  have  played  the  Mu- 
sic Hall.  The  company's 
"Random  Harvest"  holds  the 
all-time,  long-run  record  of 
11  weeks  for  the  house. 

M-G-M's  "The  Stratton 
Story"  will  start  a  run  at  the 
house  on  May  5,  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  the  company's  "Ed- 
ward, My  Son." 


Colorado  Theatre 
Owners  Join  TO  A 

Gael  Sullivan,  executive  director 
of  the  Theatre  Owners  of  America, 
has  been  advised  by  B.  D.  Cockrill, 
president  of  the  Colorado  Association 
of  Theatre  Owners,  that  the  direc- 
tors of  that  organization,  following 
its  recent  meeting,  had  voted  to  af- 
filiate with  the  TOA.  The  association 
now  numbers  over  75  members. 


Mexican  Industry 
Faces  50%  Pay  Hike 

Mexico  City,  May  1.  —  Labor 
trouble  again  looms  for  the  Mexican 
trade  with  the  announcement  by  the 
National  Cinematographic  Industry 
Workers  Union  that  in  June  or  July  it 
will  demand  a  50  per  cent  pay  raise 
for  its  members,  who  are  mostly  em- 
ployees of  Mexican  producers,  dis- 
tributors and  exhibitors.  This  move  is 
apart  from  a  similar  one  that  Ameri- 
can and  other  foreign  distributors  ex- 
pect in  August. 

Producers  and  studios  affected  by 
this  move  indicate  they  would  not  be 
able  to  meet  the  raise.  Trade  opinion, 
though,  is  that  they  must  make  a  con- 
cession, as  they  did  in  1947. 


20th  Resumes 
Adjustments 
In  New  York 


Company's  'Final'  Policy 
Is  Now  Being  Drafted 

The  experimental  nature  of  20th 
Century-Fox's  methods  in  its  cam- 
paign for  upward  revisions  in  film 
rentals  has  been  manifested  in  the 
New  York  Metropolitan  area  where 
exhibitors  report  that  the  company 
has  abandoned  its  recently-established 
policy  of  disallowing  adjustments  and 
credits. 

Although  spokesmen  for  the  com- 
pany declined  at  the  weekend  to  either 
confirm  or  deny  the  reports  that  it 
has  reverted  to  the  selling  procedures 
which  were  terminated  here  a  month 
ago,  it  is  understood  that  20th-Fox 
vice-president  Al  Lichtman  has  been 
preparing    a    document    which  sets 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


1,60  0  Due  at  Annual 
Variety  Meet  on  Coast 


Gov't  To  Name  Mayer 
Successor  Shortly 

Arthur  Mayer,  head  of  the  Ameri- 
can Military  Government's  motion 
picture  division  in  Germany,  returned 
to  New  York  from  Washington  at  the 
weekend  following  conferences  there 
with  government  officials.  He  said 
candidates  for  his  post,  which  he  has 
expressed  a  desire  to  leave,  are  being 
interviewed  in  Washington,  and  that 
an  appointment  probably  will  be  made 
within  two  weeks.  Mayer  expects  to 
continue  active  in  the  post  for  60  or 
90  days  longer. 

Scheduled  to  leave  New  York  today 
for  the  U.  S.  Army  airport  at  West- 
over,  Mass.,  Mayer  will  fly  from 
there  tomorrow  for  Frankfort  where 
he  makes  his  headquarters. 


San  Francisco,  May  1. — Approxi- 
mately 1,500  Variety  Club  members 
from  the  48  states,  Canada  and  Mex- 
ico are  expected  to  attend  the  13th 
annual  Variety  Clubs'  International 
convention  which  will  open  here  to- 
morrow and  run  through  Friday. 

The  convention's  social  program  is 
highlighted  by  a  "Variety  Movie  Ball" 
at  the  St.  Francis  Hotel  Tuesday 
night,  the  "Humanitarian  Award" 
dinner  at  the  Palace  Hotel  Wednes- 
day night,  a  "Variety  Round-up"  in 
Hayward  Thursday  afternoon  and  a 
"Variety  Frolics"  Friday  night  at  the 
Tivoli  theatre. 

Chief  aim  of  the  convention  is  to 
raise  $100,000  for  blind  babies.  Rotus 
Harvey  is  general  convention  chair- 
man. 

R.  J.  O'Donnell,  International  Chief 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


9  Percentage  Suits 
Filed  by  Majors 

Nine  new  percentage  suits  have 
been  filed  in  Ohio  and  Louisiana. 

In  Cleveland,  four  suits  were  filed 
in  U.  S.  District  Court,  in  which  M. 
C.  Martin  and  others  operating  the 
Dayton  Theatres  in  Akron,  were 
named  defendants.  Separate  suits  were 
brought  by  RKO,  Loew's,  Paramount 
and  20th  Century-Fox.  Jones,  Day, 
Cockley  and  Reavis  of  Cleveland  are 
the  attorneys  for  the  plaintiffs  with 
Sargoy  and  Stein  of  New  York  acting 
as  counsel. 

In  New  Orleans,  five  suits  naming 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Semenenko  Confers 
With  E-L  Bidders 

Serge  Semenenko,  vice- 
president  and  motion  picture 
financing  specialist  for  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Bos- 
ton, conferred  here  on  Friday 
with  prospective  bidders  for 
control  of  Eagle-Lion.  The 
Boston  bank  has  been  promi- 
nently identified  with  E-L 
financing. 

Separate  conferences  re- 
portedly are  under  way  on 
the  West  Coast.  Identity  of 
the  prospective  bidders  could 
not  be  confirmed  but  reports 
were  that  all  are  well  known 
within  the  industry. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  May  2,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


CAMUEL  GOLDWYN  left  Hark- 
^  ness  Memorial  Pavilion  here  on 
Saturday,  fully  recovered  from  a  mi- 
nor operation.  He  is  scheduled  to 
spend  this  week  in  New  York,  leaving 
for  the  Coast  with  Mrs.  Goldwyn  at 
the  end  of  the  week. 

• 

William  McCraw  and  William 
O'Donnell,  from  Dallas,  Max  Cohen 
and  Mrs.  Cohen,  from  New  York, 
and  Nathan  Golden,  from  Washing- 
ton, were  among  those  arriving  in  San 
Francisco  over  the  weekend  to  attend 
the  Variety  Clubs  convention. 

• 

Irving  Maas,  Motion  Picture  Ex- 
port Association  vice-president  and 
general  manager,  will  arrive  here  to- 
day by  plane  from  Germany,  complet- 
ing a  tour  of  MPPA  Continental 
markets. 

• 

Bernard  J.  Gates,  Monogram 
Latin  American  supervisor,  has  ar- 
rived in  Rio  de  Janeiro  from  New 
York,  on  the  start  of  a  South  Ameri- 
can tour. 

• 

Joseph  Pasternak,  M-G-M  pro- 
ducer, and  Mrs.  Pasternak,  will  ar- 
rive here  tomorrow  from  the  Coast 
for  a  vacation. 

• 

_  Charles  C.  Moskowitz,  Loew's 
vice-president  and  treasurer,  will  re- 
turn here  today  from  a  vacation  at 
Miami. 

• 

Ned  E.  Depinet  has  postponed  his 
scheduled  departure  from  here  for  the 
Coast. 

• 

Steve  Broidy,  Monogram-Allied 
Artists  president,  left  here  over  the 
weekend  for  the  Coast. 

• 

John  Huston  will  leave  here  to- 
day by  plane  for  the  Coast. 


Tradewise 


By  SHERWIN  KANE 


NCA  Meeting  Today 
To  Map  Convention 

Minneapolis,  May  1. — North  Cen- 
tral Allied's  board  of  directors  will 
meet  here  tomorrow  to  map  plans  for 
the  unit's  annual  convention,  May  23- 
24,  and  the  National  Allied  conclave 
to  be  held  in  Minneapolis  on  October 
24-26. 

_  Already  set  for  the  NCA  conven- 
tion is  the  second  annual  banquet 
for  past  chief  barkers,  slated  to  close 
the  sessions. 


State  Building  Code 
Effective  Today 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  May  1.— The  new 
New  York  State  building  code  for 
theatres  and  other  places  of  public 
assembly  will  become  effective  to- 
morrow. It  replaces  the  code  which 
has  been  in  effect  since  1922,  and  ex- 
empts from  its  provisions  only  the- 
atres in  New  York  City  which  has 
its  own  building  code. 

The  new  code  was  in  preparation 
four  years. 


'TPHERE  is  very  definite  inter- 
est  on  the  part  of  a  sizeable 
group  of  theatre  operators  in  ac- 
quiring or  forming  a  production- 
distribution  company,  as  the 
trade  press  has  reported  from 
time  to  time  over  the  past  sev- 
eral years. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  now 
that  there  has  been  no  abatement 
of  that  interest;  in  fact,  it  has 
probably  increased  in  recent 
months  and  has  spread  to  addi- 
tional exhibitors,  thus  giving  it 
a  national  complexion  at  the 
present  time. 

The  subject  was  referred  to  by 
Arthur  Lockwood,  Theatre 
Owners  of  America  president,  in 
a  recent  organizational  bulletin. 
The  present  interest  appears  to 
have  stemmed  from  the  negotia- 
tions for  the  purchase  of  United 
Artists  conducted  two  years  ago 
by  Si  Fabian  and  Ted  R.  Gam- 
ble, and  was  stimulated  to  great- 
er proportions  when  the  two 
reentered  the  United  Artists  sale 
picture  recently. 

As  is  generally  known,  the 
Fabian-Gamble  plan  provided 
for  the  participation  of  a  repre- 
sentative number  of  theatre  op- 
erators in  the  event  purchase  of 
United  Artists  proved  feasible. 
There  was  widespread  exhibitor 
interest  in  the  plan  two  years 
ago,  certainly  of  sufficient  pro- 
portions to  insure  its  success  had 
Mary  Pickford  accepted  the  deal 
which  to  all  intents  and  purposes 
had  been  agreed  upon  then. 
• 

In  the  two-year  interval  be- 
tween the  first  and  recent  Fabi- 
an-Gamble negotiations  for 
United  Artists,  exhibitor  interest 
in  such  an  enterprise  had  in- 
creased considerably.  Experi- 
ence with  single  picture  selling 
and  competitive  bidding  un- 
doubtedly contributed  to  the 
added  interest. 

Small  and  large  circuit  owners 
missed  the  assurance  of  definite 
supplies  of  product,  decreasing 
lengths  of  runs  added  to  the  un- 
certainties and  periodic  short- 
ages of  good  first  run  product 
in  a  period  of  mounting  costs 
induced  more  and  more  exhibi- 
tors to  think  in  terms  of  stock  or 
franchise  ownership  in  a  produc- 
ing-distributing  company  of 
their  own.  A  product  franchise 
has  all  the  earmarks  of  a  busi- 
ness insurance  policy  to  many 
circuit  operators  today. 

Numbers  of  them  in  every  sec- 
tion of  the  country  are  more 
alert  today  than  ever  before  to 


an  opportunity  to  invest  50,  100 
or  several  hundred  thousand  dol- 
•  lars  each  in  a  project  that  will 
assure  them  a  supply  certain  of 
20  to  30  reasonably  good  fea- 
tures a  year.  It  is  not  unlikely 
that  they  will  reappear  in  nego- 
tiations for  one  or  another  exist- 
ing production-distribution  com- 
panies nor  is  it  entirely  unlikely 
that,  failing  in  that  direction, 
they  may  yet  establish  a  produc- 
tion company  of  their  own. 
•  • 

An  interesting  aspect  of  the 
recent  two-day  meeting  in 
Washington  of  the  Anglo- 
American  Film  Advisory  Coun- 
cil is  that  a  full  week  later  no 
report  of  what  occurred  had  been 
made  to  directors  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  nor  to  com- 
pany presidents  who  were  not 
in  attendance  at  the  meeting. 

The  explanation  given  is  that 
the  three  American  industry 
representatives,  Eric  Johnston, 
Barney  Balaban  and  Nicholas 
Schenck,  assured  their  British 
counterparts,  J.  Arthur  Rank, 
Sir  Alexander  Korda  and  Sir 
Henry  French,  that  no  state- 
ments, not  even  private  ones, 
would  be  made  here  until  such 
time  as  the  British  council  mem- 
bers had  returned  to  London  and 
had  an  opportunity  to  report  to 
their  associates  there. 

A  nice  enough  courtesy,  to  be 
sure,  but  puzzling  in  view  of 
the  generally  supposed  lack  of 
anything  momentous  to  be  re- 
ported. As  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
voluntarily  imposed  secrecy  gave 
rise  to  the  impression  that  some 
understanding  or  agreement  of 
import  may  have  been  arrived  at 
by  the  conferees.  Highly  placed 
men  in  the  industry  concede  that 
there  could  have  been  agreement 
or  understanding  on  any  number 
of  subjects — none  of  them  urgent 
or  important  enough  to  warrant 
prompt  exposition  to  MPAA 
directors. 

The  most  frequently  encoun- 
tered impression  is  that  the 
meeting  provided  a  convenient 
forum  for  frank  talk  and  an  ex- 
change of  views  that  should 
prove  helpful  to  better  under- 
standings and  improved  relation- 
ships between  the  two  industries 
in  the  future.  But  the  basic  trade 
problems  remain  where  they 
were  before  — on  the  govern- 
mental level. 

And  as  for  information  that  is 
withheld  indefinitely,  it  usually 
proves  to  be  less  interesting  to 
others  than  to  its  custodians. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


E>  EN E  WED  peace  hopes  and  the 
-*»-  resignation  of  Army  Secretary 
Royall  are  current  newsreel  high- 
lights. People  in  the  news,  sports,  and 
'  Mother-oj-the-Y ear"  round  out  the 
reels.  Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  35— Victory 
for  air  lift:  Reds  move  to  end  Berlin  block- 
ade. Secretary  of  Army  Royall  resigns.  En- 
durance fliers.  Christopher  Society  awards. 
Richard  Widmark's  hand  in  print  in  cement 
at  Grauman's  Chinese  Theatre.  "Mother-of- 
the-Year."  Greek  King  and  Queen  visit 
Kalavrita.  Egypt  excavates  buried  treasure. 
Water  sports. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  269— "Cold 
War"  sensation:  Reds'  Berlin  offer  lifts 
peace  hopes.  Greek  royalty  on  mountain 
pilgrimage.  Down  to  earth  after  six  weeks 
in  the  air.  Egypt's  amazing  treasure  hunt. 
Ring  thriller. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  72— Cali- 
fornia fliers  set  endurance  mark.  World 
news  in  the  making:  First  move  toward 
ending  Berlin  blockade;  Dean  Acheson  asks 
arms  support  for  peace;  Paris:  Red-backed 
KjJ?y.  ?ives  Peace  aims-  Steve  Belloise 
KO's"  Jean  Stock. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWS,  No.  243— Air  lift 
and  Atlantic  Pact  spur  peace  bids.  Greek 
rulers  visit  scene  of  war  tragedy.  Egypt 
digs  for  ancient  treasures.  Boxing.  Spring 
brings  joy  to  all. 

TEEENEWS    DIGEST,    No.  17-B— 

Washington:  Defense  shake-up.  People  in 
the  news :  L'il  Abner,  Josephine  Baker,  King 
Tut  s  tomb.  Berlin  "curtain"  partially 
raised.  J.  Kingsbury  Smith;  Ambassador 
Jessup  and  Soviet  Envoy  Malik.  Airlift  pilots 
i?r  Berlln-  Secretary  Acheson.  Switzerland: 
Western  politicians  meet.  Asiatic  Russia: 
expanding  railroad  construction. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  74  

People  in  the  news:  "Mother-of -the- Year," 
King  and  Queen  of  Greece,  Jessup  and  Gro- 
myko.  Atlantic  Pact  before  Senate.  Endur- 
ance fliers.  Gag  story.  AAU  swim  meet. 
Wood  choppers. 

Warner,  MacArthur 
Settlement  Fading 

Washington,  May  1. — Hope  for  an 
out-of-court  settlement  of  the  War- 
ner and  K-B  Co.  row  over  the  Mac- 
Arthur  Theatre  split  faded  Friday. 

K-B  and  Warners  last  week  agreed 
on  terms  for  Warners  to  get  out  of 
the  joint  venture,  but  this  was  con- 
tingent on  K-B  coming  to  terms  with 
a  third  party,  Kass  Realty  Corp.,  to 
free  Warners  of  all  financial  respon- 
sibility for  a  second  theatre  to  be 
built  by  Kass  for  K-B.  Kass  has 
refused  to  release  Warners  from  a 
contractual  promise  to  post  a  $50,000 
bond  in  such  a  case,  and  attorneys 
for  all  parties  agreed  that  as  of  this 
moment  the  whole  settlement  is  off. 


Brecher,  Goldberg 
To  Aid  N.  Y.  Fund 

Malcolm  Kingsberg,  president  of 
RKO  Theatres,  and  chairman  of  the 
motion  picture  division  of  the  Greater 
New  York  Fund,  reports  that  Leo 
Brecher  and  J.  Joshua  Goldberg  have 
accepted  the  co-chairmanship  of  the 
independent  exhibitors  committee  for 
the  1949  campaign. 


Dunlap  Heads  South 

Scott  R.  Dunlap,  Monogram-Allied 
Artists  production  vice-president,  left 
New  York  yesterday  for  Atlanta  and 
New  Orleans,  to  conduct  meetings 
with  representatives  of  circuits  and 
the  company's  sales  staffs,  and  will 
return  to  Hollywood  Thursday. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher,  Sherwin  Kane   Editor-  Mart;,,  r.„;„i       t      a         .    -n-j-.  -r.ui-i.jj., 

Sundays  and  holidays  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center   New  York  20 "  N ?V r-  Associate  Editor.    PjAlish^d  daily  except  Saturdays, 
Vnrl- "    Mart;r.  n.,iVi»,r   p,».:Jmi.  t>.j.  TV-,™   \r:~„  T>-»„:j»„*.  >»•  ? i      . ^ _  lcr; . ^ ew  * oric  4 JN .   x.    Telephone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address:  Qmgpubco, 


Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales    each  oubliX^  ft  '„         Burnup  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London.1 

Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1 9 38,  at  lie  post  office  at  New  vlrW  TVT  v  "  aJectl0P-  ?f^Motion,  F,^e  prald;  International 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies   10c.  ^      '  P  e  at  New  York-  N-  Y-  under  the  act  of  March  3.  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


Monday,  May  2,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Ticket  Prices 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


went  from  62.8  per  cent  above  the 
base  period  as  of  the  end  of  December 
to  66.5  per  cent  above  the  base  at 
the  end  of  March.  It  has  been_  going 
up  since  last  September,  when  it  was 
57.3  per  cent  above  the  1935-39  aver- 
age. . 

Hie  Bureau  collects  its  statistics 
in  18  key  cities,  then  adjusts  them  to 
represent  the  trend  in  the  34  largest 
U.  S.  cities. 


Minnesota  Clearance 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


by  Harold  Field  and  Harold  Kaplan 
of  the  Minneapolis  suburban  St.  Louis 
Park,  who  have  proposed  a  new  35- 
day  "slot"  for  the  Park  and  its  near- 
est independent  competitor,  Friedman 
Brothers'  Edina.  Field  and  Kaplan 
took  their  35-day  proposal  to  New 
York  when  the  Edina  made  a  demand 
for  a  28-day  run,  the  Park  owners 
fearing  a  competitive  bidding  war  if 
the  Edina  demand  is  granted.  They 
also  reasoned  the  28-day  run  would 
bring  in  the  deluxe  Hopkins,  in  subur- 
ban Hopkins,  five  miles  west  of  the 
Park,  to  add  to  a  possible  film  rental 
price  war. 

Requests  of  the  Alhambra,  Camden, 
Hollywood  and  El  Lago,  all  independ- 
ent neighborhood  runs,  for  a  28-day 
run  two  weeks  ago,  brought  the  deci- 
sion of  RKO  to  study  the  situation. 

Meantime,  a  bombshell  was  dropped 
in  the  middle  of  the  clearance  squabble 
last  week  when  Minnesota  Amuse 
ment  Co.  notified  exchange  managers 
that  the  east  side  Arion,  competitor 
to  the  Hollywood,  would  switch  to 
28-day  policy.  The  move,  made  by 
Maco's  chief  film  buyer  John  Branton, 
came  as  a  surprise,  as  Branton  is 
said  to  have  stymied  28-day  run  plans 
of  distributors  for  a  number  of  St. 
Paul  outskirt  stands  late  last  year, 
and  has  been  regarded  as  unalterably 
opposed  to  advancing  clearance  sched 
ules  in  any  marked  degree. 


Harmon  Appointment 
All  Set  with  MPAA 

Washington,  May  1.— Offi- 
cial appointment  of  Francis 
Harmon,  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociation of  America  vice- 
president,  as  head  of  the  ex- 
panded exhibitor  and  com- 
munity relations  departments 
of  the  MPAA,  is  expected  to 
be  announced  here  within  the 
next  few  days,  possibly  to- 
morrow. 

Harmon  was  here  from 
New  York  yesterday  for  con- 
ferences with  Eric  Johnston, 
MPAA  president,  at  which 
final  arrangements  reportedly 
were  made.  Inasmuch  as  the 
new  program  is  entirely  de- 
partmental, approval  of  the 
MPAA  board  of  directors  is 
not  required. 


Minn.  Divestiture 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


weekend  for  comment  on  relinquish- 
ing some  of  the  Minneapolis  Amuse- 
ment holdings. 


of 


20th  Resumes 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Weeks  Required  to  Complete 
Para.-Comerford  Split-Up 

Negotiations  for  the  ending 
Paramount's  50  per  cent  interest  in 
Comerford  Theatres  of  Pennsylvania, 
comprising  some  64  jointly-owned  the- 
atres, are  progressing  but  many  more 
weeks  of  work  are  still  involved  in  the 
task,  it  was  stated  here  officially  on 
Friday. 

While  details  of  the  negotiations 
were  not  disclosed,  it  is  reported  that 
efforts  are  being  made  to  so  appor- 
tion the  division  of  properties  in  _  ac- 
cordance with  agreed-upon  valuations 
as  to  require  the  transfer  of  a  mini- 
mum amount  of  cash  by  either  side. 


Republic  'Collarites' 
Vote  for  Union  Shop 

Republic's  home  office  "white  col- 
larites" at  the  weekend  voted  two-to- 
one  in  favor  of  a  union  shop  in  an 
election  conducted  by  the  National 
Labor  Relations  Board  here,  it  was 
reported  by  Joseph  M.  Conlon,  busi- 
ness agent  for  AFL's  IATSE  Motion 
Picture  Home  Office  Employes  Local 
No.  H-63.  The  "IA"  local  recently 
won  the  Republic  unit  away  from 
CIO's  Screen  Office  and  Professional 
Employes  Guild. 

Conlon  said  H-63's  contract  nego- 
tiations with  Republic  officials  will 
"reach  a  climax"  shortly. 


Defense  in  2nd  Week 
At  Griffith  Hearing 

Oklahoma  City,  May  1. — A  con- 
tinued lengthy  hearing  appears  likely 
in  the  Griffith  anti-trust  case,  which 
moves  into  the  second  w-eek  of  de 
fense  testimony  tomorrow,  with_  de- 
fense witnesses  going  into  consider- 
able detail  to  answer  the  charges 
and  allegations  by  Oklahoma,  Texas 
and  New  Mexico  independents  on  dis- 
crimination by  distributors. 

Friday  witnesses  include  Robert  C. 
Hill,  supervisor  of  the  Denver-Salt 
Lake  City  area  for  Columbia ;  T.  D. 
Tidwell  and  W.  B.  Williams  of  the 
20th  Century-Fox  Dallas'  office;  and 
Harold  Beecroft,  former  20th-Fox 
branch  manager  at  Dallas. 


SPG,  SOPEG  Will  Hold  Joint 
Strategy  Meeting  Wednesday 

CIO's  Screen  Publicists  and  Screen 
Office  and  Professional  Employes 
guilds  will  hold  a  joint  strategy  meet 
ing  Wednesday  evening  at  the  Park 
Sheraton  Hotel  here.  Both  unions 
have  been  negotiating  with  distributors 
for  new  contracts,  and  have  encoun- 
tered unyielding  opposition  to  a  num 
ber  of  their  demands.  Wednesday's 
meeting  reportedly  will  be  for  the  pur- 
pose of  deciding  whether  the  two 
guilds  will  take  so-called  "cold  strike" 
action  against  the  companies. 


Percentage  Suits 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Harold  H.  Bailey,  I.  Roy  Calamia 
and  Bailey-Calamia  Theatrical  Co. 
were  filed  in  Civil  District  Court  for 
the  Parish  of  Orleans.  Separate  suits 
were  brought  by  Universal,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox, Loew's,  RKO  and  Para- 
mount. The  theatre  involved  is  the 
Gentilly  in  New  Orleans.  Chaffe,  Mc- 
Call,  Toler  and  Phillips  of  New  Or- 
leans are  the  attorneys  for  the  plain- 
tiff distributors. 

The  complaints  in  all  of  these  cases 
are  substantially  similar  to  each  other 
and  to  those  in  various  other  actions 
pending  throughout  the  country. 


Annual  Variety  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


forth  the  company's  final  decisions 
with  respect  to  its  campaign.  Licht- 
man  and  distribution  vice-president 
Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  have  spent  the 
past  six  weeks  in  making  first-hand 
surveys  of  selling  methods  in  various 
parts  of  the  country  with  a  view  to  re- 
shaping the  company's  merchandising 
approach. 

In  addresses  before  exhibitor  gath- 
erings and  20th-Fox  sales  division 
meetings,  Lichtman  has  repeatedly 
admonished  that  he  and  Smith,  with 
the  assistance  of  advertising-publicity 
vice-president  Charles  Einfeld,  were 
engaged  only  in  investigatory  and 
"educational"  activity,  and  that  ulti- 
mately the  company  would  put  its  final 
decisions  on  the  record. 

At  the  company's  New  York  City 
exhibitor  meeting  last  April  3,  the 
20th-Fox  executives  announced  that 
under  a  "new  selling  policy"  credits 
and  adjustments  were  discontinued. 
The  new  policy  applied  to  all  theatres, 
including  those  affiliated  with  the  com- 
pany, they  said.  Exhibitors  here  were 
uninformed  at  the  weekend  as  to 
whether  the  new  policy  has  been  al- 
tered in  other  sections  of  the  country. 

During  the  executives'  nationwide 
tour,  Lichtman  has  at  various  times 
expressed  himself  as  being  in  favor 
of  "modernizing"  clearances  governing 
first-run  operations,  and  adoption  by 
the  company  of  the  sliding  scale 
method  of  selling.  His  final  report  is 
expected  to  state  the  company's  posi- 
tion on  these  as  well  as  other  possibili- 
ties which  have  been  examined  by  him 
and  Smith. 

Smith  and  Lichtman  were  unavail- 
able  for   comment  on  Friday. 


Barker,  from  Dallas,  and  John  Har- 
ris, Variety  Club  founder,  of  Pitts- 
burgh, will  greet  the  visitors.^ 

In  a  pre-convention  celebration  Fri- 
day night  at  the  local  Press  Club, 
they  will  be  joined  by  Harvey,  Abe 
Blumenfeld  and  Chief  Barker  of  Tent 
No.  32,  James  O'Neil.  Graham  Kis- 
lingburv,  member  of  both  Variety  and 
the  Press  Club,  will  be  host  to  the 
welcome-dinner. 

Registration  started  this  afternoon 
and  will  continue  daily.  International 
canvasmen  meet  tomorrow,  with  the 
first  general  session  Tuesday. 


Essaness  Follows 
B&K's  Video  Lead 

Chicago,  May  1. — Plans  for  live 
television  shows  at  the  Essaness  Ori- 
ental in  the  Loop  are  being  formu- 
lated, president  Edwin  Silverman  said 
Friday,  in  a  move  to  keep  up  with  the 
B  &  K  Chicago,  which  will  shortly 
premiere  its  first  live  television  show. 

Paramount's  tele-transcription  sys- 
tem has  already  been  installed  at  the 
Chicago,  but  the  inaugural  show  is 
being  delayed  until  a  local  show  of 
star  caliber  is  lined  up.  According  to 
Silverman,  the  Oriental  will  adopt 
a  somewhat  different  format  for  tele- 
vision shows  than  that  of  the  Chicago 


Crosby  and  Hope  on  (Road  to  Security' 


TWO  of  the  film  industry's 
best  salesmen,  Bing  Crosby 
and  Bob  Hope,  team  up  on  "The 
Road  to  Security,"  one  of  the 
U.  S.  Treasury  savings  bond 
posters  to  be  displayed  in  thea- 
tres in  this  year's  bond  drive. 
The  entertainment  world  has 
massed  its  most  important  talent 
to  help  make  this  drive  the 
greatest  since  the  end  of  the 
war.  Others  in  show  business 
are  participating,  including  Jack 
Benny  and  other  personalities 
from  his  radio  show,  who  have 
made  a  10-minute  short  which 
will  be  shown  in  theatres  and  on 
television  programs. 

The  poster  is  printed  in  red, 
white  and  blue,  and  is  a  stand- 
ard size  one-sheet  which  will  be 
sent  to  all  theatres  by  the  mo- 
tion picture  industry  committee 
working  in  cooperation  with  the 
Treasury  Department. 


"BcUEV£  rr  os?  not, 

■HOPE  WAS  AN 
INTELLiSENT  SPEA! 


8UY  U.  S.  SAVINGS  BONDS 
FOR  OPPORTUNITY  AND  SECURITY 


F.&M.  Sets  St  Louis 
First  Run  Deal 

St.  Louis,  May  1.  —  A  first  run 
sales  agreement  between  Fanchon  and 
Marco,  20th  Century-Fox  and  Para- 
mount has  been  reached  at  a  confer- 
ence here  last  week  attended  by  Andy 
W.  Smith,  Jr.,  20th-Fox  sales  vice- 
president,  M.  R.  Clark,  Paramount 
division  manager,  and  Edward  B.  Ar- 
thur, Fanchon  and  Marco  general 
manager.  The  terms,  which  cover 
10  new  films,  were  not  revealed. 

Three  Paramount  films  will  remain 
at  the  small  independent  World  The- 
atre where  they  were  reassigned  after 
Paramount  and  Fanchon  and  Marcc 
failed  to  reach  a  rental  agreement. 


'Paso'  Booking  Hit 
By  St.  Louis  Group 

St.  Louis,  May  1. — Motion  Picture 
Theatre  Owners  of  St  Louis,  Eastern 
Missouri  and  Southern  Illinois  have 
passed  a  resolution  hitting  Paramount 
for  showing  "El  Paso,"  on  first  run 
at  the  World  Theatre,  a  small  house 
in  far  downtown  St.  Louis.  Para- 
mount switched  "El  Paso"  to  the 
World  after  a  disagreement  with  Fan- 
chon and  Marco  over  terms  for  the 
picture.  The  exhibitors'  association 
expressed  the  opinion  that  a  first-run 
in  a  big  St.  Louis  theatre  is  highly 
desirable  before  releasing  a  film  in  the 
St.  Louis  area. 


Barovic,  54,  Exhibitor 

Seattle,  Wash.,  May  1.  —  Frank 
Barovic,  54,  co-owner  with  his  broth- 
er, Michael,  of  theatres  in  Tacoma, 
Puyallup,  Sumner  and  Bellingham, 
died  Friday  at  his  home  in  Puyallup, 
Wash.,  after  a  long  illness. 


MARK  THE  DATE 


WHEN  THE 
BIGGEST  PICTURE  IN  TEN 
YEARS  BACKED  BY  THE 
BIGGEST  AD  CAMPAIGN  OF 
THE  YEAR  WILL  PLAY 
TO  THE  BIGGEST 
BUSINESS  OF  1949! 


Special  Studio  Preview 

"MY   FRIEND    IRM  A" 

April  22,  1949 
How  would  you  rate  the  picture? 
EXCELLENT^  VERY  GOOD  □  GOOD  □ 
FATR  □      POOR  □ 

Did  the  picture  seem  too  long? 

YES   □  NO^ 

If  so,  what  specific  scenes  would  you  $horten 
or  eliminate?  — \j\  .  


Whose  performance  did  you,  like  best? 


General  comments:       ^  «-^v^^ v^WVUyWQ 


MALE>tf      FEMALE  □ 
YOUR  AGE  GROUP 
□  12-18   □  18-30  □  30-45  W  Over  45 


Paid  advertisement  inserted  by  Paramount  Pictures 
for  Hal  Wallis  Productions 


r      |  ^ 

FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate 

IN 

11  ATT  X/ 

Concise 

FILM 

ana 

NEWS 

JJAlI  JL  jl 

Impartial 

—  J 

VOL.  65.  NO.  86 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  MAY  3,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Supreme  Court 
Turns  Down 
Momand  Case 


Enrfs  12-Y ear-Old  Suit 
Against  Major  Firms 

Washington,  May  2. — The  U.S. 
Supreme  Court  today  refused  to  re- 
view a  decision  of  the  Boston  Cir- 
cuit Court  of  Appeals  throwing  out 
a  12-year-old  anti-trust  suit  by  A.  B. 
Momand  against  major  film  com- 
panies. 

Defendants  in  the  action  were  Uni- 
versal, Loew's,  M-G-M  Distributing 
Corp.,  20th  Century-Fox,  Vitagraph, 
RKO,  United  Artists  and  Columbia. 

The  suit,  brought  originally  in  the 
Boston  District  Court  in  June,  1937, 
alleged  damages  from  a  conspiracy 
against  Momand  Theatres  in  Okla- 
loma.  The  companies  declared  that 
the  issues  had  been  fully  tried  in  three 
earlier  suits  by  Momand,  and  that 
the  statute  of  limitations  had  run  out 
on  most  of  the  counts.  The  lower 
courts  upheld  their  contention,  and  the 
Supreme  Court  today  stood  by  the 
lower  court  rulings. 


U-I  Selling  Away 
From  RKO  in  Loop 

Chicago,  May  2. — Universal- 
International  is  gradually 
selling  away  some  of  its  first- 
product  to  Essaness  and 
Balaban  and  Katz  Loop 
houses.  With  "City  Across 
the  River"  currently  playing 
the  Oriental,  "Ma  and  Pa 
Kettle"  is  scheduled  for  the 
Roosevelt  on  Wednesday.  U-I 
normally  plays  first-run  prod- 
uct at  either  the  RKO  Palace 
or  Grand.  Fact  that  the 
Grand  is  emerging  into  a  long 
run  house  may  partially 
account  for  selling  away  to 
the  two  other  circuits. 


Another  Trust  Suit 
Is  Filed  in  Chicago 

Chicago,  May  2. — An  anti-trust 
suit  was  filed  in  U.  S.  District  Court 
at  South  Bend,  Ind.,  on  behalf  of 
the  South  Bend  Drive-in  Theatre  Co., 
operator  of  the  Auto  Outdoor  Thea- 
tre. Suit,  charges  that  eight  de- 
fendant distributors  give  clearance 
priority  of  30  days  to  the  State, 
Colfax,  Granada  and  Palace  theatres 
(all  Publix  Great  States)  and  14  days 
clearance  to  the  Niles  Drive-in. 

Defendants  are :  Paramount,  War- 
ner, Loew's,  Columbia,  RKO,  United 
Artists,  Universal,  20th-Fox,  Balaban 
and  Katz  and  subsidiaries.  George 
N.  Beamer,  former  attorney  general 
of  South  Bend,  represents  the 
plaintiff. 


MGM  Explores 
Sliding-Scales 


A  new  type  of  "sliding-scale"  sell- 
ing directed  at  aiding  exhibitors  _  to 
strive  for  higher  grosses  is  being 
sought  by  M-G-M.  The  company's 
sales  organization  reportedly  is  work- 
ing on  an  "incentive"  formula  which 
would  turn  the  percentage  scale  down- 
ward when  a  theatre's  gross  reaches  a 
pivotal  figure. 

Declining  to  comment  on  the 
progress  of  the  sales  department's 
reported  research  into  new  sales  tech- 
niques, distribution  vice-president 
William  F.  Rodgers  yesterday  par- 
ried inquiries  by  stating  that  "we  are 
always  trying  to  improve  our  mer- 
chandising methods." 

New  industry  interest  in  "sliding- 
scale"  possibilities  has  been  stimulated 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Life 's  Film  Seminar 
To  Hear  Producers 
At  Final  Session 


Call  20th  -  Fox  Men 
In  Griffith  Hearing 

Oklahoma  City,  May  2. — Defense 
attorneys  in  the  Griffith  anti-trust 
mandate  hearing  presented  two  more 
witnesses  today  to  deny  statements 
attributed  to  them  by  Texas  and 
Oklahoma  independents. 

The  witnesses  were  Herman  Beiers- 
dorf,  former  branch  manager  for  20th 
Century-Fox  at  Dallas,  and  Louis  M. 
McCarthy,  20th-Fox  salesman  in  the 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Third  phase  of  a  motion  picture  re- 
search round-table  discussion  being 
conducted  by  Life  magazine  will  open 
at  Lake  Arrowhead,  Cal.,  May  13. 

The  initial  session,  presided  over 
by  Eric  Hodgins,  former  publisher  of 
Fortune,  was  held  here  recently  with 
film  critics,  educators  and  others  ex- 
pressing their  views  on  motion  pic- 
tures. A  follow-up  on  that  is  sched- 
uled for  next  week  here  with  several 
industry  officials  having  been  invited 
to  participate. 

A  second  phase,  held  in  _  Chicago, 
sought  the  views  of  exhibitors  and 
also  will  be  supplemented  by  a  follow- 
up  session.  Hollywood  producers  and 
technicians  will  be  heard  during  the 
final  phase  at  Lake  Arrowhead. 

The  motion  picture  discussions  are 
described  by  Life  as  a  procedure  for 
briefing  and  orienting  its  editors  on 
motion  picture  subjects,  after  which 
staff  members  will  prepare  stories  and 
pictures  on  the  sessions  for  publica- 
tion by  the  magazine  this  summer. 
Similar  sessions  were  held  and_  report- 
ed upon  by  Life  on  the  subjects  of 
"Pursuit  of  Happiness,"  Art  and 
Housing.  , 


Stress  Public 
Relations  At 
Theatre  Meets 


%RMIT  Claims  20th's 
Rental  Plan  Fails 

Denver,  May  2. — Rocky  Mountain 
Allied  in  a  current  bulletin  advises 
its  members  that  20th  Century-Fox's 
program  for  increasing  film  rentals 
"has  flopped." 

"Twentieth  Century-Fox  distribu- 
tors in  the  field  already  are  apologiz- 
ing for  the  whole  thing,"  the  bulletin 
states. 


Variety  Clubs  Convene; 
Annual  Award  to  Hoover 


Film  Executives  in 
Int'l.  Trade  Group 

Washington,  May  2. — Eric  Johns- 
ton, president  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America ;  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox president  Spyros  P.  Skouras 
and  Matthew  Fox,  Universal,  are 
listed  as  members  of  the  newly- 
formed  Committee  for  the  Interna- 
tional Trade  Organization,  designed 
to  support  the  ITO  and  secure  U.S. 
ratification  of  the  Havana  ITO  char- 
ter. 

Other  members  of  the  124-man 
sponsoring  group  are :  Douglas  Fair- 
banks,    Eastman     Kodak  treasurer 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


San  Francisco,  May  2. — Former 
President  Herbert  Hoover  will  be  giv- 
en the  annual  Humanitarian  Award  by 
Variety  Clubs  International  at  its  con- 
vention which  opened  here  today. 
Award  will  be  accepted  by  Dr.  Ray 
Lyman  Wilbur,  president  of  Stanford 
University,  in  behalf  of  Hoover,  who 
will  be  unable  to  attend  because  of 
the  pressure  of  government  work  in 
the  East. 

Approval  of  the  application  of  the 
Variety  Club  of  Great  Britain  was 
voted  at  the  first  general  meeting  to- 
day by  officers  of  the  international 
canvasmen,  with  the  club  to  receive 
its  charter  in  July.  Robert  Wolff, 
RKO  managing  director  for  England, 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Gets  Big  Play  in  Lieu  of 
Ascap,  Taxes,  Gripes 

Industry  public  relations  and  in- 
dividual theatre  showmanship  as 
kindred  subjects  have  soared  to 
among  the  most  prominent  positions 
on  the  agenda  of  exhibitor  organiza- 
tion meetings  around  the  country, 
having  supplanted  in  large  part  such 
favorite  topics  in  the  past  as  Federal 
admission  taxes,  Ascap  and  general 
business  conditions  in  terms  of  re- 
ceipts. 

This  is  the  observation  of  industry 
executives  who  have  attended  recent 
meetings  in  the  field  and  plan  to  sit 
in  at  others  in  the  immediate  future. 
At  least  nine  regional  and  state  or- 
ganizations will  convene  within  the 
next  two  months. 

Except  such  business  as  may  de- 
mand immediate  attention,  like  the 
threat  of  new  local  taxation  or  other 
legislative  action,  or  consideration  of 

(Continued  on  page  3) 

Loew's  Starts  Own 
German  Sales  Set-up 

Sam  Burger  and  Norman  Beckett 
of  Loew's  International  home  office 
here  have  left  for  Germany  to  make 
plans  for  the  company's  own  sales  or- 
ganization there,  which  is  scheduled 
to  begin  functioning  after  next  Jan- 
uary 1.  •«  . 

Member  companies  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Export  Association  decided 
recently  to  set  up  their  own  sales  or- 
ganizations in  Germany  next  year  al- 
though they  may  continue  to  use 
MPEA  facilities  there  for  physical 
distribution. 

Also,  Loew's  International  reveals 
that  the  new  assignment  in  Britain  of 
Charles  Goldsmith,  formerly  of  the 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Won't  Let  Schenck 
Resign:  Skouras 

Joseph  M.  Schenck  has  submitted 
his  resignation  as  20th  Century-Fox 
studio  executive  but  the  company  will 
not  accept  it,  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  pres- 
ident, told  the  press  yesterday. 

Schenck  wishes  to  resign  in  order 
to  concentrate  on  his  theatre  interests, 
it  is  said,  but  company  officials  em- 
phasized that  Skouras  hopes  to  per- 
suade him  to  stay  at  his  post.  Schenck 
is  expected  here  from  Florida  in  a  few 
days, 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  May  3,  194! 


Personal 
Mention 

D  OY   D.    DISNEY,   president  of 
Disney   Productions,   arrived  in 
New  York  yesterday  from  Hollywood. 
• 

Ben  Henry,  Universal  foreign 
managing  director;  Gabriel  Pascal, 
British  producer-director,  and  Mar- 
garet O'Brien,  accompanied  by  her 
mother,  are  due  to  arrive  here  today 
from  Europe  aboard  the  S.S.  Queen 
Mary. 

• 

Norman  Siegel,  recently  appointed 
director  of  Paramount  studio  adver- 
tising-publicity, is  here  from  the  Coast 
and  will  spend  10  days  at  home  office 
promotion  conferences. 

• 

Arthur  Sachson,  Samuel  Gold- 
wyn  Productions  sales  executive,  re- 
turned to  New  York  yesterday  from 
a  two-week  tour  of  RKO  Radio 
Southern  exchanges. 

• 

Spence  Pierce,  former  Southern 
publicity  chief  for  20th  Century-Fox, 
has  been  appointed  manager  of  the 
new  Normandy  Drive-in  at  Jackson- 
ville, Fla. 

• 

Herbert  Wilcox,  his  wife,  Anna 
Neagle,  and  Michael  Wilding  will 
leave  here  Thursday  by  plane  for  the 
Coast. 

• 

Frank  Boyle,  formerly  with  the 
RKO  Keith  Theatre  at  Lowell,  Mass., 
has  been  appointed  manager  of  the 
Allen  Theatre,  Fitchburg,  Mass. 
• 

Charles  Moore,  Atlanta  theatre- 
man,  has  sold  his  interest  in  Wilson 
and  Moore  Enterprises  to  James  Wil- 
son. 

• 

Ben  Hill,  former  publicity  chief  for 
United  Artists  at  Atlanta,  has  joined 
Universal-International  as  Southern 
representative. 

• 

David   Williams,   former  Eagle- 
Lion  sales  representative  at  Charlotte, 
has  been  transferred  to  the  Atlanta 
branch  as  special  representative. 
• 

Henry  A.  Linet,  Universal-Inter- 
national advertising  manager,  returned 
to  New  York  yesterday  from  Detroit. 
• 

Jay  Eisenberg  of  M-G-M's  legal 
department  returned  here  yesterday 
from  Oklahoma  City. 


Assign  Studios  to  5 
Industry  Subjects 

Hollywood,  May  2. — Five  short 
subjects  which  will  complete  the  first 
series  of  the  industry's  "The  Movies 
and  You"  films  have  been  assigned  to 
studios  for  production,  Grant  Leen- 
houts,  coordinator-producer  of  the  se- 
ries, announced  here  today.  The  as- 
signments are : 

"History  Brought  to  Life,"  to  be 
made  at  Paramount;  "Moments  in 
Music,"  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ;  "The 
Costume  Designer,"  RKO  Radio, 
"Screen  Directors',"  Warner ;  "Screen 
Writers,"  20th  Century-Fox.  Scripts 
on  all  five  have  been  approved  by  the 
industry  committee  in  charge,  of 
which  Y.  Frank  Freeman  is  chairman. 


Studio  Jobs,  Wages 
Show  March  Rise 

Hollywood,  May  2. — Studio  em- 
ployment rose  in  March  to  67.8  from 
February's  63.9,  according  to  the  Cali- 
fornia Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics, 
which  regards  100  as  the  base  figure, 
predicated  on  1940  records.  The 
March  figure  is  equivalent  to  approxi- 
mately 12,700  individuals,  principally 
craft  unions  and  guilds.  Average 
weekly  earnings  rose  from  February's 
$96.36  to  $97.50. 


Sullivan  to  Address 
Exhibitor  s  in  Atlanta 


Dinner  To  Start 
Coast  UJW  Drive 

Los  Angeles,  May  2.— The  indus- 
try will  open  its  drive  for  the  United 
Jewish  Welfare  Fund  campaign  here 
at  a  dinner  Thursday  at  the  Beverly 
Hills  Hotel.  Jack  L.  Warner  is  cam- 
paign president.  More  than  350  lead- 
ers of  the  industry  are  expected  to 
attend. 

Principal  speakers  will  be  Darryl  F. 
Zanuck,  Quentin  Reynolds  and  Reu- 
ven  Dafni,  Israel  Consul.  Warner 
and  Henry  Ginsberg,  industry  chair- 
man, will  welcome  the  guests. 


Atlanta,  May  2.— Second  annual 
convention  of  the  Georgia  Theatre 
Owners  and  Operators  at  the  Henry 
Grady  Hotel,  Monday  and  Tuesday, 
May  9-10,  will  feature  talks  by  a 
group  of  key  speakers.  Gael  Sulli- 
van, president  of  the  Theatre  Owners 
of  America,  will  head  the  group  of 
visiting  dignitaries.  R.  B.  Wilby, 
Mike  Simons,  Leon  Bamberger,  Fran- 
cis H.  Hare  and  Herman  Levy  are 
among  those  who  will  journey  to  At- 
lanta to  bring  messages  from  various 
national  organizations  and  distribut- 
ing companies.  Wives  will  join  their 
husbands  at  the  opening  luncheon  on 
Monday.  Gov.  Talmadge  and  Mayor 
Hartsville  will  be  honor  guests. 

For  the  first  time  an  M-G-M 
Records  representative  will  attend  a 
convention  of  thetare  owners.  This  is 
understood  to  be  part  of  a  new  plan  to 
expand  and  promote  the  M-G-M 
brand  with  exhibitors.  The  idea  be- 
hind the  move  to  send  Sol  Handwerg- 
er  of  M-G-M  Records  in  New  York 
down  here  for  the  two-day  session  of 
the  Georgia  Theatre  Owners  is  to  get 
theatre  men  interested  in  M-G-M  mu- 
sic _  and  then  know  the  pictures  in 
which  that  music  can  be  heard  so  that 
hit  songs  can  be  passed  on  to  the 
public. 


Dr.  N.  H.  Aydelotte,  director  of 
Republic's  16mm.  exchange  at  Atlan- 
ta, has  resigned. 

• 

J.  R.  Dickson  has  been  appointed 
manager  of  the  Triangle  Theatre  at 
Eustis,  Ga. 

• 

Paul  W.  Amadeo  has  been  named 
manager  of  E.  M.  Loew's  Hartford 
Drive-In  at  Newington,  Conn. 
• 

Arthur  Keenan  has  been  appointed 
manager  of  the  Strand  Theatre,  Low- 
ell, Mass. 

• 

Rodney  Bush,  20th  Century-Fox 
exploitation  manager,  is  due  in  St. 
Louis  today  from  New  York. 


Eckstein  Joins  Para. 
As  Siam  Branch  Head 

Irving  M.  Eckstein  has  resigned  as 
head  of  Motion  Picture  Export  Asso- 
ciation's sales  control  department  here 
to  join  Paramount-International  as 
branch  manager  for  Siam.  Before  his 
association  with  MPEA  early  in  1946, 
Eckstein  served  with  the  foreign  de- 
partment of  United  Artists  following 
four  years  of  Army  service  in  the 
South  Pacific. 

MPEA  will  name  a  successor  to 
Eckstein  shortly. 


Shane  Slates  'Crosstown' 

_  Hollywood,  May  2. — "Crosstown," 
similar  in  theme  to  his  "City  Across 
the  River,"  but  with  a  Los  Angeles 
background,  will  be  the  next  produc- 
tion for  Maxwell  Shane,  it  is  report- 
ed here.  Others  on  his  schedule  are 
"The  Big  Frame,"  a  semi-documen- 
tary by  Leo  Katcher,  and  "The  Salem 
Frigate,"  based  on  an  historical  novel 
by  John  Jennings. 


Approve  Sunday  Films 

Rockmart,  Ga.,  May  2.— At  a  called 
session  of  the  Rockmart  City  Council, 
Sunday  films  were  approved. 


Legion  Reviews  8, 
Rates  Three  (B' 

Eight  additional  films  have  been  re- 
viewed by  the  National  Legion  of  De- 
cency, with  three  of  them  receiving  a 
class  "B"  rating.  In  that  classifica- 
tion are  _  M-G-M's  "Edward,  My 
Son"  ;  Distinguished  Films'  "Her  First 
Affair"  ;  20th  Century-Fox's  "Forbid- 
den Street." 

In  Class  A-l  are  Republic's  "Death 
Valley  Gunfighters" ;  Variety  Films' 
"The  Guinea  Pig" ;  Columbia's  "The 
Lost  Tribe" ;  Monogram's  "Mississip- 
pi Rhythm"  ;  RKO  Radio's  "Rustlers." 

Pressbooks  Out  on 
Savings  Bond  Drive 

Distribution  to  all  theatres  of  12- 
page,  two-color  pressbooks  containing 
selling  slants  and  promotion  angles 
for  the  motion  picture  industry's  par- 
ticipation in  the  U.  S.  Treasury's 
"Opportunity  Savings  Bond  Drive" 
has  begun  under  supervision  of  Max 
E.  Youngstein,  chairman  of  the  in- 
dustry's advertising-publicity  commit- 
tee for  the  drive  which  runs  from 
May  15  through  J  une  30.  The  press- 
books  were  prepared  by  Eagle-Lion. 


Sharin  Returns  with 
Five  Musical  Shorts 

Eugene  Sharin,  president  of  Am- 
bassador Pictures,  is  back  from  Vien- 
na where  he  produced  five  musica! 
shorts  for  theatre  and  television  dis- 
tribution. The  films  are:  Beethoven'' 
"Turkish  March"  and  Strauss'  "Per- 
petuum  Mobile,"  two  of  26  three-min- 
ute shorts  in  the  "Program  for  To- 
night" series;  "Andalusian  Nights," 
first  of  13  in  a  second  series,  "Openi 
Without  Makeup" ;  Tschaikowsky's 
"Fourth  Symphony"  and  Strauss' 
"Vienna  Blood,"  two  of  13  concerts  by 
the  Vienna  Philharmonic. 

The  subjects  range  from  three  to, 
11  minutes  in  length. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL—, 

|  Rockefeller  Center 

EING  CROSBY 
Rhenda    FLEMING     -     Wm.  BEND1X 
Sir  Cedric  HARDWICKE 

"A  CONNECTICUT  YANKEE 

In    King  Arthur's  Court" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
A  Paramount  Picture 
THE    GREAT    EASTER   STAGE  SHOW 


muMuncnjat  imm 

GLENN  FORD 

h'JMF 

UHDIRCOViR 

Man 

.mNINA  foch 


/.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 


BIJOU  THEATER, 


45/A  Street 
West  of  Broadway 
All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Dally 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  1 1 :30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Releaaa 


File  Plagiarism  Suit 

Hollywood,  May  2— Playwright 
Arthur  Rebner  has  filed  suit  against 
Loew's,  Joseph  Pasternak  and  Hans 
Wilhelm  for  $750,000,  plus  counsel 
fees  in  Federal  Court,  here,  asserting 
that  "On  an  Island  With  You"  pla- 
giarized his  "With  You  on  a  Desert 
Island,"  a  stage  play  produced  in  Ber- 
lin in  1930  and  subsequently  sub- 
mitted to  M-G-M  for  picture  uses. 
The  complainant  says  Pasternak  and 
Wilhelm  were  in  Berlin  at  the  time 
and  became  familiar  with  his  play. 


B  JOAN 
■j  of  ARC 

jjQQup  starring  MIGRID 

BERGMAN 


A  VICTOR  FLEMING  PRODUCTION 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR  •  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 

wilh  JOSE  FERRER  -  FRANCIS  L  SULLIVAN  •  I  CARROL  NAISH  •  WARD  BONO 
SHEPPERO  SFRUDWO  -  HURD  HATFIELD  ■  GENE  L0CKHAR1  -  JOHN  £  VFff, 
GEORGE  COULOURIS  -  JOHN  IRELAND  and  CECIL  KELLAWAY 
t'?  '■■)  .JC-r,  ir...  r        |;,-jn  or  L0M,:,r,e  h,  f.'A-.'.fLL  iNOfRSON 

ier«cn  plo,  b,  MAXWEll  ANDERSON  ond  ANDREW  SOLI  .  an  direction  b, 
RICHARD  DAT  .  d..cc!of  ot  phoToflro  ch ,  JOSEPH  VAlENTINE.  A  S.  C. 

Produced  by  WALTER  WANGER  Directed  by  VICTOR  FLEMING 


b»  SiER 


25  *i>  WEEK 


v  pictures, inc.  by  uico  radio  pictures 


New  York."    Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  i Ou  gW fr     Vice  P     iHen     n       r  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 

Washington, 
ibco,  London." 

International 
tion  rates  per 


v  Tuesday,  May  3,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


M-G-M  Sliding-Scales 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

by  Al  Lichtman,  new  20th  Century- 
Fox  vice-president  who  left  an 
M-G-M  studio  vice-presidency  to  ex- 
plore new  merchandising  approaches 
for  20th-Fox.  He  recently  stated  to 
exhibitors  that  he  would  recommend 
the  adoption  by  20th-Fox  of  the 
"sliding-scale"  method,  which  he  in- 
troduced in  elemental  form  to  the 
industry  in  1936. 

It  is  said  that  one  of  the  prime 
virtues  of  "sliding-scale"  with  a 
mutually-satisfactory  control  figure 
i  would  be  its  tendency  to  encourage 
second  and  subsequent-run  exhibitors 
to  expend  greater  efforts  in  the  ex- 
ploitation and  promotion  of  pictures. 


Provincial  Censor 
Rejected  10  in  '48 

Ottawa,  May  2.  —  Only  10  mo- 
tion picture*  were  rejected  by  cen- 
sors in  Saskatchewan  during  1948, 
according  to  D.  J.  Vaughan,  provin- 
cial film  censor,  who  said  that  the 
decline  in  recent  years  reflected  the 
cooperation  of  producers  in  removing 
objectionable  scenes  and  dialogue. 
Vaughan  views  all  features  coming 
into  the  province,  classifying  them  as 
"general"  or  "adult,"  and  also  sees 
all  newsreels  and  shorts. 


British  Guiana  Plans 
20  Per  Cent  Quota 

The  British  Guiana  Colonial  gov- 
ernment at  Georgetown  has  announced 
a  20  per  cent  quota  impost  requiring 
the  exhibition  of  20  per  cent  of  British 
films  for  all  houses  in  the  country, 
according  to  press  dispatches  reaching 
here  from  that  city. 


Withdraw  Linton  C harges 

Ottawa,  May  2. — Charges  of  espio- 
nage have  been  withdrawn  against 
Freda  Linton,  former  secretary  to  the 
National  Film  Board  Commissioner, 
Justice  Minister  Garson  announced  to 
Parliament.  The  step  was  taken  on 
the  advice  of  the  prosecutor,  it  was 
said. 


DU-ART... 

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LABORATORY  WORK  •  16  mm,  35  mm 


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DU-ART  FILM  LABORATORIES,  Inc. 

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MITCHELL  MAY,  Jr. 

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INSURANCE 
• 

Specializing 

in  requirements  of  the 

Motion  Picture  Industry 

75  Maiden  Lane,  New  York 
510  W.  6th  St.,  Los  Angeles 


Review 


"The  Great  Gatsby" 


(Paramount) 

F SCOTT  FITZGERALD'S  heralded  novel  of  the  jazz-mad  twenties, 
•  when  the  Charleston  was  the  dance  craze  and  bootleggers  made  head- 
lines, has  been  made  into  a  picture  that  follows  pretty  closely  the  story  outline 
of  the  original.  Alan  Ladd  has  been  fitted  neatly  into  the  title  role,  with 
support  coming  from  Betty  Field,  Barry  Sullivan,  Macdonald  Carey  and 
Ruth  Hussey.  The  picture  should  bring  in  reliable  returns  from  the  adult 
audiences  for  which  it  is  intended.  As  a  cinema  voice  from  the  past,  it  is 
paced  in  rather  leisurely  style,  with  intermittent  flashes  into  brisk  excitement. 

The  picture  has  Ladd  rise  above  poverty  through  bootlegging  and  he  yearns 
for  social  "class."  He  buys  a  fabulous  Long  Island  estate  to  impress  and  be 
near  Miss  Field,  the  girl  he  was  in  love  with  in  his  earlier  years  and  still 
desires.  Gradually  he  persuades  her  to  leave  her  husband,  and  just  when 
this  is  about  to  happen,  there  is  an  automobile  accident  in  which  a  woman 
is  killed.  Miss  Field  had  been  driving  the  car,  but  Ladd  decides  to  assume 
the  blame  in  order  to  protect  her.  After  some  soul-searchings  by  several 
persons  about  who  really  should  take  the  blame,  the  film  comes  to  an  un- 
orthodox ending  when  the  victim's  crazed  husband  shoots  Ladd  in  mistaken 
vengeance. 

The  social  set  mingles  with  the  underworld  in  many  of  the  sequences. 
Representatives  of  the  latter  are  Miss  Hussey  and  Carey,  both  giving  sound 
support.  Elliott  Nugent's  direction  catches  the  mood  of  the  era  well.  Richard 
Maibaum  produced,  from  a  screenplay  by  himself  and  Cyril  Hume,  based 
on  the  Fitzgerald  novel  and  the  play  by  Owen  Davis. 

Running  time,  92  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
August  5.  Mandel  Herbstman 


Variety  Clubs 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


is  slated  to  become  first  chief  barker. 

Robert  J.  O'Donnell,  Variety's  In- 
ternational chief  barker,  has  announced 
that  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  John 
Snyder  will  make  the  presentation  on 
Wednesday  night  and  is  expected  to 
relay  a  message  from  President  Tru- 
man. George  Jessel  also  is  slated  to 
speak  at  the  banquet. 

Former  recipients  of  the  Humani- 
tarian Award  include  Msgr.  Edward 
J.  Flanagan,  Sister  Kenny,  George  C. 
Marshall,  George  Washington  Carver, 
Alexander  Fleming,  Cordell  Hull, 
Martha  Berry,  James  F.  Byrnes  and 
Evangeline  Booth. 


Committee  To  Set 
Video  Film  Bureau 

A  committee  has  been  named  to 
plan  a  television  film  clearance  bu- 
reau for  the  National  Television  Film 
Council,  headed  by  William  L.  Roach, 
United  Artists  legal  counsel,  of  the 
law  firm  of  O'Brien,  Driscoll,  Raftery 
and  Lawler. 

Committee  appointed  by  -  Council 
president  Melvin  L.  Gold  is  comprised 
of  William  Holland,  John  Mitchell, 
Connie  Lazaar,  Paul  White,  Charles 
Basch,  Waldo  Mayo,  Ed  Evans,  An- 
drew P.  Jaeger,  Robert  Paskow,  and 
Jerry  Albert. 


Loot  Buffalo  House 

Buffalo,  May  2. — Burglars  used 
sledge-hammers  to  batter  open  a  safe 
in  the  Jubilee  Theatre  here  and  took 
between  $300  and  $400  in  cash.  Jubilee 
owner  Sidney  J.  Cohen  said  thieves 
also  took  daily  records  from  the  safe, 
making  it  difficult  to  determine  the 
exact  amount  stolen.  This  is  the  sec- 
ond time  Jubilee  was  entered  by  thieves 
in  a  month. 


Rank  Film  to  Rivoli 

J.  Arthur  Rank's  "One  Woman's 
Story"  will  have  its  American  pre- 
miere at  the  Rivoli  Theatre  here  on 
May  17.  The  film  will  be  the  _  first 
Rank  picture  to  play  at  the  Rivoli,  ac- 
cording to  Montague  Salmon,  man- 
aging director  of  the  house.  Released 
by  Universal-International,  it  star? 
Ann  Todd  and  Claude  Rains. 


Griffith  Hearing 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Oklahoma  City  office.  Beiersdorf  de- 
nied telling  Joe  Bryant  and  Preston 
Smith,  Lubbock,  Tex.,  that  he  couldn't 
afford  to  do  business  with  them  be- 
cause Griffith  was  such  a  good  cus- 
tomer. 

He  said  he  did  not  license  film  to 
Smith,  cooperator  of  the  Tech  at  Lub- 
bock, because  of  the  house's  double 
bills,  giveaways,  low  admissions  and 
pass  policies.  Bryant,  operator  of  the 
Midway,  wasn't  sold  by  20th-Fox  be- 
cause Lubbock  had  plenty  of  runs 
without  adding  any,  Beiersdorf  stated. 

McCarthy  denied  statements  by 
Volney  Hamm,  independent  at  Elk 
City,  Frederick  and  Altus  in  Western 
Oklahoma.  Hamm  testified  earlier  that 
McCarthy  told  him  he  could  have  only 
pictures  that  Griffith  didn't  want,  and 
that  he  wouldn't  want  them  either. 


Int'l.  Trade  Group 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Marion  B.  Folsom,  General  Electric 
chairman  Philip  D.  Reed  and  honor- 
ary president  Gerard  Swope,  William 
Benton,  Robert  P.  Patterson,  and 
American  Broadcasting  chairman  Ed- 
ward J.  Noble.  Johnston,  Fox  and 
Reed  are  members  of  the  group's  ex- 
ecutive committee. 


Goldberg  To  Build 
3  and  Modernize  8 

Omaha,  May  2.— R.  D.  Goldberg 
plans  to  build  three  new  neighborhood 
theatres.  Goldberg,  who  owns  seven 
Omaha  houses  and  one  in  Council 
Bluffs,  la.,  also  announced  a  modern- 
ization program  for  all  of  his  theatres. 


Approve  Dewey  Veto 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  May  2.— Industry 
leaders  here  have  expressed  satisfac- 
tion with  Governor  Thomas  E.  Dew- 
ey's veto  of  a  bill  that  would  have 
permitted  boxing  and  wrestling  shows 
in  armories  in  cities  of  less  than  100,- 
000  population.  Leonard  L.  Rosenthal. 
TOA  counsel  here,  said  in  opposing 
the  bill  that  it  makes  way  for  "an- 
other kind  of  competition  through  the 
use  of  tax-exempt  properties." 


Public  Relations 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  20th  Century-Fox  bid  for  adjust- 
ments in  rental  terms,  the  showmen 
are  said  to  be  giving  a  large  part  of 
their  time  to  exchanging  ideas  on  pro- 
motion, including  the  effectiveness  of 
certain  lobby  displays,  the  industry 
short  subject  series  and  like  matters. 

These,  of  course,  have  taken  the 
form  of  informal  discussions  and  fol- 
ow  the  type  of  business  that  requires 
adoption  of  resolutions,  appointment 
of  committees  and  other  formal  action. 

Griping  about  box-office  returns  is 
said  to  have  hit  a  new  low ;  television 
is  a  subject  of  concern  in  only  a  few 
areas ;  the  industry  anti-trust  suit  is 
given  a  minimum  of  attention  and  the- 
atremen  are  awaiting  a  clarification  on 
how  music  licenses  are  to  be  cleared 
— all  these  being  the  items  which  had 
in  past  been  foremost  in  exhibitors' 
minds.  And  many  are  resigned  to  the 
belief  that  the  20  per  cent  Federal 
tax  is  here  to  stay  at  least  for  a  sub- 
stantial length  of  time. 

The  schedule  of  exhibitor  meetings 
for  May  and  June  is  as  follows :  Al- 
lied Independent  Theatre  Owners  of 
Iowa  and  Nebraska,  in  Des  Moines, 
May  4-5 ;  Georgia  Theatre  Owners 
and  Operators,  Atlanta,  May  9-10 ;  In- 
dependent Theatre  Owners  of  Arkan- 
sas, Little  Rock,  May  18-19;  North 
Central  Allied,  Minneapolis,  May  23- 
24;  Independent  Exhibitors  of  New 
England,  Boston,  May  25-26;  Allied 
Theatre  Owners  of  Texas,  Dallas, 
June  1 ;  Allied  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  of  Kansas  and  Missouri,  Kan- 
sas City,  June  7-8;  Rocky  Mountain 
Independent  Theatre  Owners,  Denver, 
June  8-9 ;  Associated  Theatre  Owners 
of  Indiana,  French  Lick,  June  22-23. 


Loew's  German  Sales 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


home  office,  will  be  to  coordinate  Brit- 
ish regional  operations  of  the  com- 
pany and  serve  as  central  liaison  in 
matters  of  sales  control  and  inter- 
departmental  sales  policy. 

Seymour  Mayer  has  been  named  as- 
sistant to  Morton  Spring,  Loew's  In- 
ternational vice-president,  on  special 
sales  and  theatre  operation  assign- 
ments. 


-TWA 


TWA 


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offers  300-mph 
1  CONSTELLATION  \ 
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Coast-to-coast 
and  overseas  | 

For  reservations,  call  your  TWA  office 
or  your  travel  agent. 


OSCAR 


nr.  «UrSore^  Service 
Cear  Kftit! 


*e  front  page  of  ^/our 
+  read  a  «**L^£l>tf*  rf^,  ^accessor 

Tories8  ^.  _  receiit  ^ao,  .  a  +lie  good 

this  business  fail  do  *en  C0B- 

Slo*  de^r  comply  !•  ^our  toes  *  ^ 
past  and  being  «J  *  e8. 

*  „„-rn  for  a1  iLi  nP  at  all  voiurs. 
^flest  in  «ervi=e  Sincerely^0 


Adver 


ftCF',mn 


^»#^y& ,  i«rr  ii 


fiarca  b\\cbeea  service 

V_y  Pfuzfa/mr  Of  mf  wousmr 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  87 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  MAY  4,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


PCA-Okayed 
Production 
Increased  7.7% 

Unacceptable  Original 
Scripts  Dropped  in  '48 

The  Production  Code  Adminis- 
tration gave  certificates  of  approval 
to  435  feature  films  during  1948,  an 
increase  of  7.7  per  cent  over  the 
previous  year,  when  404  productions 
were  approved,  according  to  an  annu- 
al report  by  Joseph  I.  Breen,  PCA 
director,  to  Eric  Johnston,  president 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America,  released  here  yesterday. 
The    report    added    that  58 
scripts,  which  were  found  unac- 
ceptable in  their  original  form, 
were  revised  and  subsequently 
approved.    During    1947  the 
scripts  falling  in  this  category 
amounted  to  72.  A  total  of  51 
scripts,  novels,  plays  and  short 
stories  were  turned  down  by 
PCA  during  the  last  year  and 
(Continued  on  page  4) 

So.  Africa  Report 
Studied  by  MPAA 

Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  here  has  received  from  South 
Africa  official  reports  concerning  re- 
strictions against  American  motion 
pictures  and  although  MPAA  has 
chosen  to  withhold  comment  on  the 
reports'  character,  it  is  understood 
that  they  closely  resemble  the  un- 
official, pessimistic  advance  reports 
which  reached  here  last  week.  Little 
or  no  relief  from  the  50  per  cent-of- 
earnings  restriction  on  film  imports  is 
expected. 

When  MPAA  international  division 
director  John  McCarthy  and  other  As- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Video  on  Agenda  of 
Ia.-Neb.  Allied  Meet 


Des  Moines,  May  3. — The  use  of 
television  as  a  theatre  attraction  will 
highlight  the  discussions  at  the  annual 
convention  of  the  Allied  Independent 
Theatre  Owners  of  Iowa-Nebraska  at 
the  Hotel  Savery  here  tomorrow  and 
Thursday.  An  attendance  of  400  is 
expected.  Other  topics  will  include 
trade  practices,  children's  shows,  com- 
fort and  service  and  public  relations. 

"The  meeting  is  being  held  concur- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


NY  lst-Run  Income 
Spotty;  'Strangers' 
Strong  at  $42,000 

Business  is  varied  at  New  York 
first-runs  this  week  with  grosses 
ranging  from  mild  to  impressive 
levels,  and  with  the  overall  take  a 
good  deal  short  of  the  lofty  returns 
registered  during  the  previous  two 
weeks  when  the  Easter  holiday  period 
was  an  important  factor. 

The  Astor  has  a  big  one  in  "We 
Were  Strangers"  which  is  likely  to 
wind  up  an  initial  week  with  an  esti- 
mated $42,000.  "Adventure  in  Balti- 
more" with  Enric  Madriguera's  or- 
chestra on  stage  is  slow  at  the  start 
with  only  $35,000  apparent  for  a  first 
week  at  the  Capitol.  Third  newcomer 
is  "Red  Canyon"  at  the  Criterion 
which  looks  for  $15,000  in  a  mild 
single  week.  "Africa  Screams"  will 
follow  at  the  Criterion  today. 

"Champion"  continues  strong  at  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Oleo  Amendment 
Would  Cut  Excises 


Washington,  May  3.  —  Senator 
Wiley,  Wisconsin  Republican,  today 
formally  introduced  an  amendment  to 
be  offered  to  the  oleo  bill,  when  it 
comes  up,  to  cut  the  admissions  tax 
and  other  excises  back  to  the  pre-war 
10  per  cent.  Since  Senator  Johnson, 
Colorado  Democrat,  has  already  said 
he  would  offer  the  same  amendment  on 
the  Senate  floor,  and  since  an  amend- 
ment will  fare  better  coming  from  the 
Democratic  side,  apparently  Wiley's 
action  today  is  merely  a  guarantee 
against  any  slip-ups.  Wiley,  who  is 
leading  the  fight  against  the  oleo  bill, 
has  previously  introduced  a  separate 
bill  to  cut  the  excises  back. 


Loew's-U.  A.  Theatre 
Split  -  Ups  Readied 

Final  auditors'  figures  are 
now  being  awaited  as  the  last 
step  preliminary  to  the  disso- 
lution of  the  joint  operation 
of  nine  theatres  by  Loew's 
and  United  Artists  Theatres, 
with  both  sides  apparently 
agreeable  to  a  numerical  split 
primarily,  in  addition  to 
whatever  cash  considerations 
that  might  be  required. 

Operated  under  the  part- 
nership are  the  Broad  and 
Ohio  Theatres,  Columbus,  O.; 
Loew's  and  Louisville,  Louis- 
ville; Century,  Valencia  and 
Parkway,  Baltimore,  and  the 
Penn  and  Ritz,  Pittsburgh. 


6IA'  Refrains  From 
Strike  in  TV  Feud 


IATSE  probably  will  refrain  from 
striking  against  the  ABC  and  NBC 
television  networks  while  the  Nation- 
al Labor  Relations  Board  here  is  tak- 
ing testimony  in  that  union's  jurisdic- 
tional dispute  with  the  National  Asso- 
ciation of  Broadcast  Engineers  & 
Technicians,  it  was  indicated  yester- 
day as  the  broadcasters  entered  the 
second  day  of  new  contract  negotia- 
tions with  NABET. 

The  NLRB  hearings  were  scheduled 
to  begin  again  yesterday  before 
Board  hearing  officer  Chester  Mig- 
den,  following  a  three-week  hiatus. 
NLRB's  heavy  schedule  here  has 
caused  another  postponement,  however, 
with  IATSE  and  NABET  represen- 
tatives tentatively  scheduled  to  appear 
again  at  hearings  three  weeks  hence. 

The  unions  have  clashed  over  which 
is  to  be  the  bargaining  representative 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Variety  Sessions  Start, 
Hoover  Awbrd  Tonight 


Renewal  of  Goldwyn 
RKO  Pact  Expected 

Renewal  of  Samuel  Goldwyn's  dis- 
tribution contract  with  RKO  is  ex- 
pected to  be  formalized  shortly,  with 
representatives  of  the  producer  and 
the  distributor  already  going  on  the 
assumption  that  extension  of  the  pres- 
ent pact,  which  expires  next  month,  is 
a  foregone  conclusion.  Plans  for  dis- 
tribution of  Goldwyn's  "Roseanna 
McCoy,"  which  is  not  scheduled  for 
release  until  late  summer,  are  now  be- 
ing discussed. 


San  Francisco,  May  3. — Delegates 
to  the  annual  convention  of  Variety 
Clubs  International  opened  their  first 
general  business  session  today,  with 
international  chief  barker  R.  J. 
O'Donnell  presiding.  Screen  comedian 
Red  Skelton  was  voted  a  gold  mem- 
bership card  in  recognition  of  his  ef- 
forts in  behalf  of  Variety  Clubs'  char- 
itable work. 

With  some  1,600  delegates  and  visi- 
tors assembled  here,  tomorrow's  high- 
light will  be  the  presentation  of  the 
annual  Humanitarian  Award  to  Her- 
bert Hoover,  with  Secretary  of  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


British  Survey 
Warns  Against 
Theatre  Video 


CEA  Report  Cites  Many 
Obstacles  to  Use  Now 

London,  May  3. — Britain's  ex- 
hibitors, and  the  industry  in  general 
here,  must  realize  that  the  immedi- 
ate installation  of  television  in  large 
numbers  of  theatres  is  an  impossiblity, 
a  sub-committee  of  the  London  and 
Home  Counties  Branch  of  the  Cine- 
matograph Exhibitors  Association  has 
declared  in  a  report  which  will  be 
made  public  here  tomorrow. 

The  CEA  investigators  have  found 
that  large-screen  television  equipment 
has  very  severe  limitations  at  the 
present  stage  of  development.  The  in- 
stallation of  three  or  four  theatre  tele- 
vision units  within  six  months  might 
be  possible,  but  it  is  doubtful  whether 
the  average  exhibitor  would  consider 
it  worthwhile  when  he  realized  the 
cost,  difficulties  and  limitations  in- 
volved, the  report  states. 

The  committee  has  been  unable  to 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


FCC  Opens  Radio  to 
Location  Filming 

Washington,  May  3. — Federal 
Communications  Commission  today 
opened  the  way  for  widespread  use  of 
radio  for  studio  on-location  work. 

In  a  sweeping  decision,  effective 
July  1,  the  commission  opened  up  the 
band  over  300  megacycles  for  non- 
broadcast  radio  services.  And  taking 
advantage  of  this  new  band,  the  FCC 
raised  on-location  radio  to  the  status 
of  an  independent,  separately  recog- 
nized service  under  the  general  cate- 
gory of  industrial  radio  services. 

This  means  that  on-location  radio 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Wilson  Still  Weighs 
U.  S.  Quota  Protest 


London,  May  3. — British  Board  of 
Trade  President  Harold  Wilson  still 
is  considering  the  U.  S.  quota  protest 
report  which  he  has  received  from  his 
films  division  and,  as  yet,  no  reference 
has  been  made  to  the  Foreign  Office 
by  BOT  of  the  State  Department's 
action. 

Meanwhile,  it  is  pointed  out  by  gov- 
ernment spokesmen  that  the  present 
40  per  cent  quota  act  requires  that 
(.Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  May  4,  194! 


Personal 
Mention 


B. 


G.  Kranze,  Film  Classics  sales 
chief,  is  in  San  Francisco  on  a 
tour  of  exchanges  and  will  attend  the 
Variety  Clubs  convention  before  re- 
turning to  New  York. 

• 

Frank  C.  Hensler,  M-G-M  field 
assistant  sales  manager  for  the  Central 
area  at  Detroit,  Frank  J.  Downey, 
Detroit  branch  manager,  and  Edwin 
C.  Booth,  Cincinnati  manager,  are  due 
here  tomorrow  for  home  office  con- 
ferences. 


Bernard  Maguire,  assistant  to 
Andy  Sharick,  Universal-Interna- 
tional sales  contact,  has  returned  to  his 
desk  after  being  confined  to  his  bed 
for  eight  weeks  with  a  broken  leg. 
• 

Harold  Dudoff,  Universal-Interna- 
tional manager  in  Puerto  Rico,  has 
arrived  in  New  York  for  a  three 
weeks  visit. 

Hal  Rosson,  M-G-M  cameraman 
and  Stanley  Donen,  director,  are  due 
here  tomorrow  from  the  Coast 
• 

Tom  Waller,  director  of  informa 
tion  at  the  New  York  office  of  the 
MPAA,  was  in  Washington  yesterday 
• 

Doak  Roberts,  Warner  district 
manager,  was  in  Memphis  from 
Dallas. 

• 

Fred  Raphael,  Walt  Disney  Pro 
ductions  music  exploitation  director,  is 
here  from  Hollywood. 

George   Cukor,   M-G-M  director, 
has  arrived  here  from  the  Coast. 
• 

Terry  Turner,  RKO  exploitation 
director,  is  in  Boston  from  New  York. 


Venezuela  Remits 
$2,500,000  to  U.  S. 

Washington,  May  3.  —  Re- 
mittances to  U.  S.  film  com- 
panies from  Venezuela  in 
1948  were  estimated  at  about 
$2,500,000,  according  to  a 
Commerce  Department  re- 
port. The  report  stated  that 
last  year  U.  S.  films  in  Vene- 
zuela gained  in  popularity 
compared  to  Mexican  films. 


Industry  Backs  US 
Bond  Drive  100% 


Harry  Popkin,  producer,  is  in  New 
York  from  Hollywood. 


Rosmarin  New  RKO 
Argentine  Manager 

Charles  Rosmarin  has  been  ap- 
pointed manager  of  RKO  Radio's 
Argentinian  office,  replacing  George 
Kallman,  recently  resigned  after  13 
years  with  the  company.  Rosmarin  has 
been  in  motion  picture  business  in 
Latin  America  since  1931,  serving  with 
Columbia,  Monogram  and  Interamerica 
Pictures. 


Madison  Buys  Old  Films 

Madison  Pictures  has  purchased  the 
entire  1944-1946  production  program 
of  Pathe  Industries,  Armand  Schneck, 
Madison  president,  announces.  'The 
company  had  previously  acquired 
Pathe  product,  which  include  Eagle 
Lion,  for  the  years  1940  to  1944. 


The  nationwide  public  information 
facilities  of  the  industry  have  been 
placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  U.  S. 
Treasury  to  stimulate  public  interest 
in  the  Opportunity  Savings  Bond 
Drive,  May  15  through  June  30,  it  is 
revealed  by  Maurice  A.  Bergman  of 
Universal-International,  who  is  chair 
man  of  the  industry's  participation  in 
the  drive. 

Local  industry  drive  chairmen  and 
sub-chairmen  have  been  appointed  in 
cities  and  towns  in  all  31  exchange 
areas,  with  their  task  being  to  see  that 
every  theatre  in  the  country  serves  as 
a  "public  information  outlet"  for  the 
campaign.  Six  hundred  prints  of  the 
drive  short,  "Spirit  of  '49,"  starring 
Jack  Benny  and  produced  with  the  co- 
operation of  M-G-M's  studios,  East- 
man Kodak  and  Pathe  Laboratories, 
will  be  distributed  free  for  showing  in 
all  theatres.  A  special  12-page  press- 
book  has  been  prepared,  outlining  of- 
ficial policy  and  approach,  and  listing 
drive  promotion  and  exploitation 
suggestions. 

The  Rivoli  Theatre  here  will  hold 
the  first  of  more,  than  100  planned 
theatre  bond  premieres  on  May  16, 
when  it  devotes  the  opening  of  U-I's 
"One  Woman's  Story"  to  the  cam- 
paign fund. 


Ark.  ITO  30-Year 
Meet  Opens  May  17 


Little  Rock,  Ark.,  May  3— A 
group  of  the  original  founders  of  the 
Moving  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of 
Arkansas,  parent  organization  of  In- 
dependent Theatre  Owners  of  Arkan- 
sas, will  be  present  for  the  30th  anni- 
versary meeting  to  be  held  here  May 
17-19  at  the  Hotel  Marion.  The  con- 
vention will  honor  Eli  Whitney  Col- 
lins, C.  A.  Lick,  Sr.,  O.  C.  Hauber, 
Sidney  M.  Nutt,  Will  Mack,  John 
Collins  and  D.  E.  Fitton,  veteran  ex- 
hibitors, who  in  1919  formed  the  first 
exhibitor  association  in  Arkansas. 

E.  W.  Savage,  president  of  ITO, 
announces  that  this  year's  meeting  has 
been  set  up  to  deal  with  the  many 
complex  problems  that  theatres  are 
facing  today.  Discussions  and  forums 
will  be  held  on  municipal  and  county 
admission  taxes ;  television ;  film 
rentals  and  overhead ;  the  high  cost 
of  a  declining  box  office ;  the  screen 
as  a  medium  to  combat  taxes  and  un- 
fair legislation ;  conciliation  and  pub- 
lic relations  on  the  local  level. 

Gael  Sullivan  and  Herman  -  Levy, 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  execu- 
tive director  and  counsel,  respectively, 
and  Dave  Palfreyman  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America,  will 
be  among  the  speakers.  Mike  Simons 
of  M-G-M,  and  Leon  Bamberger  of 
RKO  Radio  will  attend.  Dave  P.  Cal- 
lahan and  Sam  B.  Kirby  are  in  charge 
of  the  convention. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


Wm.  J.  Scully  Services 

Hollywood,  May  3. — Funeral  ser- 
vices were  being  planned  here  today 
for  William  J.  Scully,  60,  veteran  pro- 
duction manager  and  director,  who 
died  at  the  weekend  after  an  illness  of 
several  months. 


'Brothers'  Premiere 
Linked  to  Bond  Drive 

Kansas  City,  May  3. — Pegged  on 
a  local  Opportunity  Bond  Drive  in 
honor  of  President  Truman,  Warner 
Brothers'  Great  Plains  area  premiere 
of  "The  Younger  Brothers"  was 
launched  here  tonight.  The  premiere 
at  the  Paramount  Theatre  is  the 
springboard  of  the  entire  festivities 
which  take  place  in  four  other  cities  in 
this  area. 

Ceremonies  today  consisted  of  news- 
reel  and  radio  coverage  at  bond 
booths  at  five  central  points  in  the 
city.  Personal  appearances  were  made 
by  the  players,  including  Alan  Hale, 
Wayne  Morris,  Bruce  Bennett  and 
ames  Brown.  The  day's  ceremonies 
reached  a  climax  with  the  receipt  of 
a  message  from  President  Truman. 


'Collarites'  to  Picket 
Key  Loew's  Houses 

Picketing  and  leaflet  distribution  in 
front  of  key  Loew's  houses  in  New 
York's  five  boroughs  will  begin  to- 
night as  the  result  of  action  taken  at 
a  joint  membership  meeting  held  by 
the  Screen  Office  and  Professional 
Employes  and  the  Screen  Publicists 
guilds,  both  CIO,  at  the  Park  Shera- 
ton last  night. 

_  The  action,  to  take  place  seven 
nights  a  week  and  to  be  extended  in 
subsequent  weeks  to  other  theatres,  is 
an  effort  to  force  major  film  com- 
panies to  negotiate  new  pacts  with  the 
"white  collar"  unions,  a  spokesman 
said.  The  membership  also  empow 
ered  the  joint  strategy  committee  of 
the  two  unions  to  take  a  strike  vote 
in  the  event  that  negotiations,  now 
deadlocked,  do  not  progress. 


Jy1  VACUEES  in  flight  from  Strang- 
le' hai,  and  Loyalty  Day  activities  at 
home  mark  current  newsreel  high- 
lights. Blossom  festival  time,  people  in 
the  news  and  sports  round  out  the, 
newsreels.   Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  36— Evacu- 
ees flee  Shanghai  as  Reds  close  in.  Loyalty 
Day  parade  in  New  York.  Apple  blossom 
festival.  Berlin:  new  gambling  casino 
opened.  New  Navy  plane.  Track  meet 
Gymnastics.    Water  ski  clowns. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  270— Flight 
from  Shanghai.  World  sees  new  kind  of 
May  Day.  Berlin  gets  gambling  fever. 
New  Navy  plane.  Track  meet.  Water  ski 
clowns. 

PARAMOUNT    NEWS,    No.  73— May 

Day  m  U.  S.  and  abroad.  Zany  water  ski- 
ing. Shanghai:  the  great  exodus.  Blossom 
festival. 

T  E  EE  NEWS  DIGEST,  No.  18-A— 

Peace — it's  wonderful!  Ethiopia:  prayer  to 
the  world.  Washington:  health  bill  de- 
bated. Princess  Margaret  Rose  in  Italy. 
Dutch  move  into  former  German  territory. 
American  Navy  takes  part  in  floral  warfare 
on  French  Riviera. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWS,  No.  244— Crowds 
flee  Shanghai.  Loyalty  Day.  Gymnastics. 
Soccer  cup  finals  in  England.   Water  skiing. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  75— 
People  in  the  news:  Steve  Early,  Allied 
Military  Governors  in  Frankfort,  Princess 
Margaret  Rose.  Shanghai  evacuation.  Ap- 
ple blossom  festival.  D.P.'s  in  America. 
AAU  gymnastics.  Water  ski  maniacs.  Do 
you  remember — World's  Fair? 


Industry  Leaders  at 
UJW  Fete  Tomorrow 

Los  Angeles,  May  3. — Nineteen 
prominent  industry  figures  have  been 
invited  to  the  speakers'  platform  at 
the  industry  dinner  opening  the  United 
Jewish  Welfare  Fund  drive  Thursday, 
at  the  Beverly  Hills  Hotel  here.  They 
will  share  the  dais  with  Jack  L.  War- 
ner campaign  president ;  Henry  Gins- 
berg, industry  division  chairman ;  and 
the  three  guests  of  honor  and  principal 
speakers,  Darryl  F.  Zanuck,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox production  chief ;  Quentin 
Reynolds,  author,  and  Reuben  Dafni, 
consul  of  Israel. 


Ida  Lupino  Reception 

Ida  Lupino  will  be  the  guest  of 
honor  at  a  reception  to  be  given  Mon- 
day afternoon  at  Hampshire  House 
here  by  Film  Classics.  Miss  Lupino's 
first  producing  picture,  "Not  Wanted," 
will  be  released  shortly  by  Film  Clas- 
sics. 


Griffith  Defense  Says 
Bidding  'Competitive' 

Oklahoma  City,  May  3.— Marion 
Osborne,  local  branch  manager  for 
20th  Century-Fox,  testified  today  in 
the  Griffith  anti-trust  hearing  that 
competitive  bidding  and  negotiation 
had  been  general  in  his  district.  He 
said  that  independents  called  as  gov- 
ernment witnesses  had  misquoted 
him. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publishw,  Sherwin   Kane,  Editor 


Para.  Votes  Dividend 

Paramount  Pictures,  Inc.,  yesterday 
declared  a  regular  quarterly  dividend 
of  50  cents  per  share  on  the  common 
stock,  payable  June  24,  1949,  to  holders 
of  record  on  June  3,  1949. 


RKO-Disney  Prod, 
Is  Formed  in  Britain 

London,  May  3.— RKO-Walt  Dis- 
ney British  Productions,  Ltd.,  has  been 
formed  here.  It  is  understood  that 
the  company  will  utilize  frozen  sterl- 
ing accrued  here  to  the  credit  of  Dis- 
ney, with  the  Technicolor  production 
of  Robert  Louis  Steven's  "Treasure 
Island"  to  be  the  first  production  of 
the  new  organization. 

Directors  of  the  new  company  are 
Thomas  Swann  (chairman),  Robert 
S.  Wolff  (managing  director),  Ste- 
phen L.  Forwood,  George  W.  Dawson 
and  Cyril  James.  Wolff  is  RKO  Ra- 
dio's managing  director  in  Britain. 


WB  Sales  Group  Meets 

Boston,  May  3. — Jules  Lapidus, 
Warner  Brothers  Eastern  and  Can- 
adian division  sales  manager,  will 
preside  at  a  meeting  of  the  company's 
New  England  sales  heads  here  to- 
morrow. Attending  will  be  George  W. 
Horan,  district  manager ;  Ray  S. 
Smith,  Albany  manager ;  Al  Daytz, 
Boston  manager ;  E.  A.  Catlin,  Buf- 
falo manager,  and  Carl  Goe,  New 
Haven  manager. 


Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  RockeielleV^C^'nt^r'New^York  20 


Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor. 
.7  York  20,  N.  Y.    Telephone  Circle  \ 
Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary 


Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Telephone  Circle  7^3100.    Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 


New  York."    Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley '  Jr"  , 

James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager-  Gus  H  Fansel    p„j,„,;„„  iw       -       tt   v;  — ■>•  "^".a,, , 

Editor;  Chicago  Bureau.  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and f  Advetfuing.  Vrber ^  &v  AdvlT^  lTJJ  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-V.ne.  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl  HodI  Riirmfn  Ma  p  V  7^mY  As£?T'  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 

Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales  each  nSblUW ?  ft  ¥ana^er-  Peter  Burnup,  Editor:  cable  address.  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.    Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the post  office  at New  York '  V  V^ndtAtT'T  *fMMo^Ml  ?£!?re  cHf  a'-=  .Interaational 

fore  en:  sinirlo  rnnips   lOr-  e  p        mce  at  wew  York-  w-  Y->  under  the  act  of  March  3.  1879.    Subscription  rates  oer 


year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c 


A  nationwide  survey  was 
conducted  by  Motion 
Picture  Research  Bureau. 
1000  fans  were  inter- 
viewed in  18  cities  from 
Coast  to  Coast  as  to  which 
company  consistently 
turned  out  the  best  pic- 
tures within  the  last  few 
years.  M-G-M  was  voted 
tops  by  the  public  in  each 
of  the  18  cities  and  the 
overall  result  was  M-G-M 
42%,  next  Company  15%, 
etc.  1000  exhibitors  were 
circularized  as  to  the 
movie  Trade-Mark  most 
popular  with  their  pa- 
trons. The  M-G-M  Trade- 
Mark  was  voted  tops 
with  71%,  next  Company 
27%,  etc. 


VOTED  TOP  MOVIE 

The  Roaring  Lion,  voted  the  top  movie  trade -mark,  fulfills  its  obligation  of  leader- 
ship with  the  greatest  production  activity  in  our  history.  And  we  back  our  product 
with  more  advertising  in  newspapers,  magazines  and  radio  than  any  other  company. 
You'll  be  happy  to  show  the  Friendly  trade-mark  on  your  screen  all  through 
M-G-M's  Anniversary  Year.  Here  are  pictures  to  be  proud  about: 


"LITTLE  WOMEN" 
(Technicolor) 
June  Allyson  •  Peter  Lawford 
Margaret  O'Brien  •  Elizabeth  Taylor 
Janet  Leigh 

'TAKE  ME  OUT  TO  THE  BALL  GAME" 

(Technicolor) 
Frank  Sinatra  •  Esther  Williams  •  Gene  Kelly 

Betty  Garrett 

"THE  BARKLEYS  OF  BROADWAY" 
(Technicolor) 
Fred  Astaire  •  Ginger  Rogers  •  Oscar  Levant 

"THE  GREAT  SINNER" 
Gregory  Peck .  Ava  Gardner  •  Melvyn  Douglas 
Walter  Huston  •  Ethel  Barrymore 
Frank  Morgan 

"THE  STRATTON  STORY" 
lames  Stewart  •  June  Allyson  •  Frank  Morgan 
Agnes  Moorehead  •  Bill  Williams 

"THE  SECRET  GARDEN" 
Margaret  O'Brien  •  Herbert  Marshall 
Dean  Stockwell 

"EDWARD,  MY  SON" 
Spencer  Tracy  •  Deborah  Kerr 

"BORDER  INCIDENT" 
Ricardo  Montalban  •  George  Murphy 


"NEPTUNE'S  DAUGHTER" 

(Technicolor) 
Esther  Williams  •  Red  Skelton 
Ricardo  Montalban  •  Betty  Garrett 
Keenan  Wynn  •  Xavier  Cugat 

"IN  THE  GOOD  OLD  SUMMERTIME" 
(Technicolor) 
Judy  Garland  •  Van  Johnson 

"THAT  MIDNIGHT  KISS" 
(Technicolor) 
Kathryn  Grayson  •  Jose  Iturbi 
Ethel  Barrymore  •  Mario  Lanza 

"ANY  NUMBER  CAN  PLAY" 
Clark  Gable  •  Alexis  Smith 

"MADAME  BOVARY" 
Jennifer  Jones  •  James  Mason  •  Van  Heflin 
Louis  Jourdan 

"THE  FORSYTE  SAGA" 
(Technicolor) 
Errol  Flynn  •  Greer  Garson  •  Walter  Pidgeon 
Robert  Young  •  Janet  Leigh 

"CONSPIRATOR" 
Robert  Taylor  •  Elizabeth  Taylor 

"SCENE  OF  THE  CRIME" 
Van  Johnson  «Arlene  Dahl  •  Gloria  DeHaven 
Tom  Drake 


"BATTLEGROUND" 
Van  Johnson  •  John  Hodiak 
Ricardo  Montalban  •  George  Murphy 
Marshall  Thompson 

"THE  RED  DANUBE" 
Walter  Pidgeon  .  Peter  Lawford 
Angela  Lansbury  •  Janet  Leigh 

"ANNIE  GET  YOUR  GUN" 
(Technicolor) 
Judy  Garland  •  Howard  Keel.  Frank  Morgan 
Keenan  Wynn  •  Edward  Arnold 

"MALAYA" 
Spencer  Tracy  »  James  Stewart 
Valentina  Cortesa  •  Sydney  Greenstreet 
John  Hodiak  •  Lionel  Barrymore 

"BODIES  AND  SOULS" 
Glenn  Ford  •  Janet  Leigh  •  Charles  Coburn 
Gloria  DeHaven 

"KEY  TO  THE  CITY" 
Clark  Gable  .  Loretta  Young 

"SIDE  STREET" 
Farley  Granger  •  James  Craig 
Cathy  O'Donnell  .  Paul  Kelly 

"ON  THE  TOWN" 
(Technicolor) 
Frank  Sinatra  .  Gene  Kelly  .  Betty  Garrett 
Vera-Ellen  •  Jules  Munshin  •  Ann  Miller 


The  Biggest  Picture  of  All  Time  Is  In  Production:  "QUO  VADIS" 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


PCA  Approvals 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

were  not  resubmitted  for  con- 
sideration. 

In  the  report,  Breen  stated  that  511 
short  subjects  were  approved  last 
year  against  544  in  1947,  a  decrease  of 
6.1  per  cent. 

A  total  of  41  foreign  films  from 
both  member  and  non-member  com- 
panies were  approved  by  PCA  last 
year,  against  34  in  1947;  28  in  1946  • 
31  in  1945;  12  in  1944;  20  in  1943  ■ 
30  in  1942,  and  22  in  1941. 

7,071  Since  1935 

The  number  of  feature  films  ap- 
proved by  the  PCA  from  1935  to  1948 
was  7,071,  while  over  the  same  period 
9,276  short  subjects,  including  serials, 
were  okayed.  This  includes  domestic 
and  foreign  productions  of  member 
and  non-member  companies. 

In  a  breakdown  of  literary  material, 
Breen  revealed  that  244,  or  56.1  per 
cent,  of  the  feature  films  approved 
last  year  were  based  on  original  screen 
stories,  compared  with  233,  or  57.7 
per  cent,  in  1947.  In  addition,  26  were 
adapted  from  stage  plays,  against  17 
in  1947;  76  from  novels,  compared 
with  87  in  1947 ;  and  23  from  published 
short  stories,  against  five  in  1947. 

'48  Total  Under  '47 

The  report  to  Johnston  also  dis- 
closed that  a  total  of  4,353  original 
screen  stories  were  approved  by  the 
PCA  from  1935  to  1948.  During  the 
same  14-year  period  the  average  per- 
centage of  approved  original  screen 
stories  was  62.6  per  cent  of  all  source 
material  used  for  feature  pictures. 

The  number  of  books,  stage  plays, 
synopses  and  scripts,  including 
changes,  analyzed  by  the  PCA  last 
year  totaled  2,639,  compared  with  3,- 
530  in  1947. 

In  an  analysis  of  the  types  and 
kinds  of  features  approved  last  year, 
the  report  classed  169  as  melodrama, 
94  Westerns,  81  drama,  12  crime,  48 
comedy,  and  31  miscellaneous,  which 
includes  sports,  adventure,  cartoon, 
fantasy  and  musicals. 


NY  Ist-Run  Income 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Globe  where  $28,000  is  indicated  for 
a  fourth  week.  Roxy  is  chalking  up 
fairly  strong  business  with  "Air. 
Belvedere  Goes  to  College,"  plus  a 
stage  show  headed  by  Vivian  Blaine, 
the  third  week's  gross  being  estimated 
at  $85,000. 

"Connecticut  Yankee  in  King 
Arthur's  Court"  with  a  stage  show, 
probably  will  give  the  Music  Hall  a 
good  fourth  week's  gross  of  $125,000 ; 
it  will  stay  for  at  least  another  week, 
"The  Stratton  Story"  being  booked  to 
follow.  "My  Dream  is  Yours,"  with 
Lionel  Hampton's  orchestra  on  stage, 
might  reach  $34,000,  which  is  fair 
enough,  in  a  third  and  final  week  at 
the  Strand;  it  will  be  replaced  on 
Friday  by  "Flamingo  Road." 

"Undercover  Man"  with  Billy  Eck- 
stein and  Duke  Ellington's  orchestra 
on  stage  is  plenty  strong  at  the  Para- 
mount where  the  second  week's  gross 
is  estimated  at  $82,000.  Fifth  week 
of  "Portrait  of  Jennie"  probably  will 
mean_  about  $15,000  to  the  Rivoli; 
this  is  unimportant  business.  "Red 
Shoes"  looks  good  for  $14,500  in  a 
28th  week  at  the  Bijou. 

At  the  Mayfair,  "Wizard  of  Oz" 
should  bring  a  fairly  heavy  $25,000 
in  a  third  week.  Continuing  a  very 
successful  engagement,  "Quartet"  has 
$14,200  in  view  for  a  fifth  week  at 
the  Sutton.  "Take  Me  Out  to  the 
Ball  Game"  at  the  State,  should  gross 
about  $17,000  in  a  very  modest  eighth 
and  final  week;  it  will  be  succeeded 
today  by  "Barkleys  of  Broadway." 
"Hamlet"  is  still  drawing  close  to 
capacity  with  $15,000  apparent  for  the 
31st  week.  "Joan  of  Arc"  probably  will 
do  about  $11,000  in  a  mild  25th  week 
at  the  Victoria ;  it  will  be  replaced  by 
"Home  of  the  Brave"  on  May  11. 


Rank  Organization 
Expands  in  Ireland 

Dublin,  April  30  (By  Air- 
mail).—The  J.  Arthur  Rank 
interests  have  purchased  four 
more  of  the  larger  theatres  in 
Dublin.  They  previously  were 
run  by  the  Ging  circuit.  The 
fourth  was  constructed  only 
recently  and  had  its  opening 
Easter  Sunday. 

Latest  Rank  move  has  been 
the  subject  of  questions  in 
the  Irish  Dail.  The  Minister 
of  Industry  and  Commerce 
stated  that  he  had  been  con- 
sulted and  that  he  could  see 
no  objection. 


Ia.-Neb.  Allied  Meet 

 (Continued  from  page  1) 


Wednesday,  May  4,  19' 

U.K.  Theatre  T.V. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Variety  Sessions 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Treasury  John  Snyder  on  hand  to 
make  the  presentation  and  to  deliver 
a  message  from  President  Truman. 

Yesterday  the  international  can- 
vasmen  discussed  a  proposal  to  have 
the  international  tent  arrange  and 
conduct  the  1950  convention.  Subject 
to  ratification  by  the  delegates,  the 
next  annual  meet  will  be  held  at  Boca 
Raton,  Fla.,  starting  April  9.  Mid- 
year conference  of  the  international 
officers  will  be  held  at  New  York, 
Oct.  25-27,  to  coincide  with  the  induc- 
tion of  New  York  tent  officers. 

Prior  to  the  New  York  session,  the 
officers  will  inspect  the  Will  Rogers 
Memorial  Hospital  at  Saranac,  N.  Y., 
a  project  of  Variety  Clubs  Interna- 
tional. Officers  of  the  hospital  fund, 
set  up  as  a  separate  corporation,  were 
ratified  yesterday,  with  chief  barker 
O'Donnell  as  president;  John  H.  Har- 
ris, chairman  of  the  board;  Chick 
Lewis,  executive  vice-president;  A. 
Montague  and  Ted  Gamble,  vice-presi- 
dents ;  S.  H.  Fabian,  treasurer  and 
Marc  J.  Wolf,  assistant  treasurer. 

O'Donnell  reported  that  the  Will 
Rogers  Fund  has  $270,000  cash.  In 
addition,  major  companies  have 
pledged  $75,000  annually  for  two 
years,  making  a  total  of  $420,000  as- 
sured for  two  years'  operation  and 
rehabilitation. 


So.  Africa  Report 

 (Continued  from  page  1) 


rently  with  completion  of  postwar  ad- 
justments in  the  Hollywood  studios, 
and  the  breaking  up  of  the  picture 
monopoly  by  the  Federal  courts,"  said 
Leo  F.  Wolcott,  Eldora,  chairman  of 
the  association's  board.  "This  has  re- 
sulted in  the  production  and  immedi- 
ate release  of  a  much-improved  line 
of  feature  pictures." 

Speakers  tomorrow  will  include 
William  L.  Ainsworth,  president  of 
National  Allied;  Trueman  T.  Rem- 
busch,  Indianapolis,  Allied  treasurer, 
who  will  discuss  television;  and  Kro- 
ger Babb,  Hollywood,  who  will  speak 
on  practical  showmanship. 

Gov.  William  S.  Beardsley  is  sched- 
uled to  speak  at  Thursday's  session. 


Wilson,  Quota 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


obtain  any  definite  figures  of  the  in 
ltial  cost  of  the  direct  projectioi 
equipment,  but  is  led  to  believe  tha 
the  first  sets  would  probably  cost  be 
tween  £8,000  ($32,000)  and  £10,00( 
($40,000).  As  soon  as  quantity  pro! 
duction  commences,  it  was  said,  mucl 
lower  figures  should  apply.  With  re  J 
gard  to  the  intermediate  film  system 
a  price  of  $35,000  has  been  reporter] 
from  the  U.  S. 

.  ^  is  not  perhaps  generally  appre- 
ciated, the  report  says,  that  as  long 
as  the  BBC  is  limited  to  its  present 
405-line  transmission,  theatre  tele- 
vision can  never  give  a  picture  com- 
parable in  definition  to  a  film,  and,  un- 
fortunately, the  government  has  given 
a  commitment  to  continue  the  405-line 
transmissions  until  1956. 

Meanwhile,  there  would  appear  to 
be  very  few  items  in  the  present  BBC 
programs  suitable  for  theatre  presen- 
tation and  these  would  in  almost  every 
case  involve  copyright  difficulties  or 
the  payment  of  substantial  fees  by  ex- 
hibitors in  addition  to  the  capital  and 
running  costs  of  the  equipment. 

Summing  up,  the  committee  feels 
that  its  efforts  will  not  have  been 
wasted  if  the  report  induces  an  atti- 
tude of  caution  among  exhibitors  as  to 
the  present  position  on  the  equipment 
side  and  its  potential  value. 


FCC  Opens  Radio 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


sociation  foreign  specialists  have  com- 
pleted an  examination  of  the  South 
African  reports  it  is  expected  that  a 
foreign  managers'  meeting  will  be 
called  to  discuss  possible  action  by 
MP  A  A.  A  mission  to  South  Africa 
under  the  leadership  of  MPAA  vice- 
president  Francis  Harmon  was  called 
off  late  last  year  pending  further  de- 
velopments and  official  clarification  in 
connection  with  the  effect  on  films  of 
planned  import  restrictions.  The  pend- 
ing foreign  managers  meeting  may 
decide  whether  such  a  mission  should 
be  undertaken  in  the  near  future  it  is 
believed. 


TV  Labor  Feud 

 (Continued  from  page  1) 


for  workers  engaged  in  the  telecasting 
of  motion  picture  film.  "IA"  spokes- 
men have  hinted  that  if  a  settlement 
satisfactory  to  "IA"  were  not  forth- 
coming by  April  30,  the  expiration 
date  of  NABET's  contracts  with  the 
networks,  strike  action  could  be  ex- 
pected. Evidently,  the  delays  which 
have  extended  the  NLRB  hearings 
have  been  unavoidable,  with  "IA" 
willing  to  bear  with  the  issues  because 
of  that  and  await  a  final  ruling. 

Set  Date  for  Inquiry 

Ottawa,  May  3.— Royal  Commis- 
sion inquiry  into  the  activities  of  the 
National  Film  Board,  Canadian  Broad- 
casting Corporation  and  other  film 
and  and  radio  groups  will  begin  pub- 
lic hearings  here  August  1  and  con- 
tinue for  five  weeks,  chairman  Vin- 
cent Massey  announced  today. 


both  houses  of  Parliament  be  given 
six  months'  notice  of  any  statutory 
order  varying  the  quota.  Hence,  with- 
out an  amending  act  of  Parliament  no 
alternation  m  the  quota  can  be  effec- 
tive before  at  least  the  end  of  1949. 
Legally  and  circumstantially,  any 
early  quota  revision  is  regarded  as  un- 
likely and  an  informal  intimation  of 
this  will  be  conveyed  to  the  appropri- 
ate State  Department  official  in  Wash- 
ington by  the  government  in  due 
course. 


will  be  given  the  use  of  a  minimum 
of  105  frequencies,  shared  with  other 
industrial  radio  services.  Previously, 
it  had  been  on  an  experimental  basis' 
and  had  access  to  only  four  shared 
frequencies. 

Spokesman  for  the  studios,  who  had 
urged  the  Commission  during  hearings 
last  fall  to  allocate  more  frequencies 
for  on-location  work,  said  they  were 
well  pleased  with  today's  FCC  action. 

Portland  Owners  Retire 

Portland,  Ore.,  May  3. — Retire- 
ment from  theatre  business  by  Charles 
Ames  and  his  son  has  been  announced 
with  the  sale  of  their  theatres,  the 
Dishman  at  Spokane,  and  the  Ames 
here.  Willard  R.  and  Walter  L.  Seale' 
brothers,  and  W.  K.  Beckwith  have 
purchased  the  Spokane  house. 


VOL.  65.  NO.  88 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  MAY  5,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


UK  Takes  Dim 
View  of  Anglo- 
US  Conference 


Rank  Seeks  Date  with 
Wilson  Without  Result 

London,  May  4.— If  the  recent 
Anglo-U.  S.  Films  Council  meeting 
in  Washington  projected  any  un- 
derstanding involving  a  reduction 
of  Britain's  quota  or  other  film  laws, 
the  government's  Board  of  Trade  here 
appears  to  be  singularly  disinterested. 

J.  Arthur  Rank,  one  of  the  three 
British  members  of  the  Council,  who 
recently  returned  to  London,  inquired 
at  the  Board  of  Trade  today  when 
Harold  Wilson,  its  president,  would  be 
likely  to  be  available  for  an  interview. 
He  apparently  received  an  indefinite 
reply  as  B  of  T  officials  stated  spe- 
cifically that  no  appointment  has  been 
made  yet. 

Wilson  plans  to  leave  here  for  Can- 
ada next  Tuesday  for  a  lengthy  stay. 

With  Wilson  evincing  no  eagerness 
to  meet  with  Rank  and  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  F.  W.  Allport,  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America  repre- 
(Continued  on  page  5) 

Para.  Sales  Meets 
Will  Start  Here 

Series  of  five  divisional  sales  meet- 
ings will  be  launched  by  Paramount 
with  a  three-day  confab  of  Eastern 
and  Southern  district  and  branch  man- 
agers at  the  Hotel  Pierre  here  begin- 
ning Monday  with  Hugh  Owen,  head 
of  that  division,  presiding. 

Although  the  sessions  are  the  first 
since  the  plan  for  reorganization  of 
the  corporation  was  approved,  it  is 
said  that  no  extensive  changes  in 
policy  are  anticipated.  Forthcoming 
product  and  campaigns  are  to  be  dealt 
with  in  large  part. 

Partmar  to  Supreme 
Court  on  Para.  Case 

Washington,  May  4.— Allowing 
Partmar  Corp.  to  intervene  to  protect 
its  interests  in  the  Paramount  consent 
judgment  would  not  in  any  way  delay 
the  effectuation  of  the  judgment,  Part- 
mar told  the  Supreme  Court  today. 

Appealing  the  New  York  District 
court's  refusal  to  allow  Partmar  to 
intervene,  Partmar  attorney  Russell 
Hardy  said  that  the  intervention  could 
have  been  granted  and  the  judgment 
entered  as  proposed.  "Neither  was  in- 
consistent and  preclusive  of  the  other," 
Hardy  declared  in  a  13-page  brief. 


$1,450,000  to  RKO 
For  Its  Stock  in 
Butterfield  Groups 

RKO  yesterday  sold  its  interests  in 
the  two  Michigan  Butterfield  circuits 
to  the  Butterfield  estate  at  a  price 
estimated  to  be  $1,450,000.  RKO's 
holdings  comprised  10  per  cent  in  W. 
S.  Butterfield  Theatres  and  33^S  per 
cent  in  Butterfield  Michigan  Theatres 
Corp. 

.  The  deal  was  consummated  at  the 
RKO  home  office  here  with  Montague 
Gowthorpe  and  Byron  Ballard  repre- 
senting Butterfield,  and  Thomas 
O'Connor,  assistant  treasurer,  and 
William  Whitman,  assistant  secretary, 
signing  for  RKO.  Gowthorpe  is  head 
of  Butterfield  Theatres. 

Paramount  also  has  a  minority  in- 
terest in  Butterfield  which  it  must 
dispose  of  and  is  understood  to  be 
negotiating  sale  of  its  holdings  cur- 
rently. 


Hughes'  RKO  Stock 
Attracts  Trans -Lux 


Trans-Lux  Theatres  Corp.,  which 
operates  13  feature  houses  and  one 
newsreel  theatre  in  the  East,  has  be 
gun  discussions  with  Howard  Hughes 
representatives  here  on  possible  pur 
chase  of  Hughes'  controlling  stock  in 
terests  in  RKO  Theatres. 

Principal  stockholder  of  Trans-Lux 
is  Harry  Brandt,  whose  other  exten 
sive  theatre  interests  in  New  York 
has  made  Department  of  Justice  ap 
proval   of   such   a   transaction  with 
Hughes  a  "must"  consideration,  aC 
cording  to  some  sources.  Justice  at 
torneys  would  not  comment. 

Meanwhile,  Malcolm  Kingsberg,  in 
a  working  agreement  with  Atlas 
Corp.,  continues  as  the  most  prominent 
prosective  buyer. 


Fox  Was  Prospering 
At  Time  of  Merger 

A  statement  in  the  New 
York  Times  yesterday  de- 
scribing Fox  Film  Corp.  as 
"bankrupt"  when  it  merged 
with  20th  Century  Pictures  in 
1935  is  in  sharp  conflict  with 
the  records  of  earnings  which 
show  that  the  company  had 
a  net  profit  of  $3,563,000  in 
that  year.  The  Times  traced 
the  history  of  the  present 
20th  Century-Fox  Corp.  in 
concluding  a  story  on  Joseph 
M.  Schenck's  request  to  re- 
sign from  the  company. 
Schenck  and  Darryl  Zanuck 
headed  20th  Century  when 
the  merger  was  effected.  The 
late  Sidney  R.  Kent  was  pres- 
ident of  Fox. 


U.  A.  Theatres  to 
Meet  on  FWC  Split 


Board  of  directors  of  United  Art- 
ists Theatres  of  California,  wholly- 
owned  subsidiary  of  United  Artists 
Theatres  Circuit,  will  meet  on  the 
Coast  in  about  10  days  to  decide  on 
procedure  for  dissolution  of  the  cir- 
cuit's partnership  operations  with  Fox 
West  Coast. 

UA  of  California  originally  placed 
14  houses  in  the  joint  operation  with 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Krim  Resigns 
As  President 
Of  Eagle  Lion 

Staying  on  Temporarily; 
Differed  with  Young 

Hollywood,  May  4. — Arthur.  B. 
Krim  announced  here  yesterday 
that  he  has  resigned  as  president 
of  Eagle-Lion  Films.  His  resigna- 
tion was  ten- 
dered last  Sat- 
urday in  a  tele- 
gram to  Robert 
Purcell,  chair- 
man of  the 
board  of  Pathe 
Industries,  of 
which  E-L  is  a 
subsidiary,  in 
New  York. 

At  Purcell's 
request  Krim 
has  agreed  to 
remain  with  E- 
L  until  new  ar- 
rangements can 
be  made,  the 
company  said.  Krim  indicated  that  he 
would  remain  with  the  company  un- 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Williford  Resigns 
Aniline,  Ansco  Posts 

E.  A.'  Williford  has  submitted  his 
resignation  as  vice-president  of  Gen- 
eral Aniline  &  Film  Corp.  and  general 
manager  of  the  Ansco  Division,  he 
announced  yesterday.  Action  on  the 
resignation  is  expected  at  the  next 
meeting  of  the  board  of  directors. 


Truman  Lauds  Variety 
As  Hoover  Gets  Award 


Arthur  B.  Krim 


18th  Bill  on  U.  S. 
Ticket  Tax  Filed 

Washington,  May  4.  —  Rep. 
Curtis,  Nebraska  Republican, 
is  the  latest  Congressman  to 
introduce  a  bill  to  cut  the  ad- 
missions tax  back  to  the  pre- 
war 10  per  cent. 

There  are  now  18  bills  pend- 
ing to  repeal  or  reduce  the 
admissions  levy. 


San  Francisco,  May  4. — Citing 
Herbert  Hoover  as  "a  humane  citi- 
zen of  the  world  whose  noble  en- 
deavors in  behalf  of  humanity  have 
placed  him  among  the  'all-time'  great 
Americans,"  Variety  Clubs  Interna- 
tional presented  the  ex-president  with 
its  Humanitarian  Award  at  a  dinner 
held  here  last  night  at  the  Palace 
Hotel. 

John  Snyder,  Secretary  of  the  Trea- 
sury, made  the  presentation  and  de- 
livered   a    message    from  President 
Truman  which  lauded  VCI  activities 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Theatre  Video  Cost 
Too  High  Now:  TO  A 

Informed  by  NBC  executive  vice- 
president  Charles  R.  Denny  that  the 
estimated  cost  of  instantaneous  or  di- 
rect television  projection  equipment 
for  individual  theatres  is  $25,000, 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  executive 
director  Gael  Sullivan  yesterday 
termed  that  figure  "almost  prohibitive" 
for  TOA  member  theatres  and  said 
TOA  would  recommend  today  to  the 
Society  of  Motion  Picture  Engineers 
that  it  examine  the  possibilities  for 
bringing  that  cost  down  to  between 
$5,000  and  $7,500. 

The  figure  quoted  by  Denny  is  ex- 

(Continued  cm  page  5) 


Canadian  Video  Set 
Back  2  More  Years 

Toronto,  May  4. — The  hurried  dis- 
solution of  Parliament  to  prepare  the 
way  for  the  federal  elections  in  June 
has  given  a  two-year  setback  to  the 
introduction  of  television  in  Canada 
because  no  approval  was  voted  for  the 
$4,000,000  _  loan  to  the  Canadian 
Broadcasting  Corp.  for  the  develop- 
ment of  video. 

It  may  be  early  next  year  before 
the  new  Parliament  can  get  to  a  vote. 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  May  4,  194S 


PCA  Approvals 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


were  not  resubmitted  for  con- 
sideration. 

In  the  report,  Breen  stated  that  511 
short  subjects  were  approved  last 
year  against  544  in  1947,  a  decrease  of 
6.1  per  cent. 

A  total  of  41  foreign  films  from 
both  member  and  non-member  com- 
panies were  approved  by  PCA  last 
year,  against  34  in  1947;  28  in  1946; 
31  in  1945;  12  in  1944;  20  in  1943; 
30  in  1942,  and  22  in  1941. 

7,071  Since  1935 

The  number  of  feature  films  ap- 
proved by  the  PCA  from  1935  to  1948 
was  7,071,  while  over  the  same  period 
9,276  short  subjects,  including  serials, 
were  okayed.  This  includes  domestic 
and  foreign  productions  of  member 
and  non-member  companies. 

In  a  breakdown  of  literary  material, 
Breen  revealed  that  244,  or  56.1  per 
cent,  of  the  feature  films  approved 
last  year  were  based  on  original  screen 
stories,  compared  with  233,  or  57.7 
per  cent,  in  1947.  In  addition,  26  were 
adapted  from  stage  plays,  against  17 
in  1947;  76  from  novels,  compared 
with  87  in  1947;  and  23  from  published 
short  stories,  against  five  in  1947. 

'48  Total  Under  '47 

The  report  to  Johnston  also  dis- 
closed that  a  total  of  4,353  original 
screen  stories  were  approved  by  the 
PCA  from  1935  to  1948.  During  the 
same  14-year  period  the  average  per- 
centage of  approved  original  screen 
stories  was  62.6  per  cent  of  all  source 
material  used  for  feature  pictures. 

The  number  of  books,  stage  plays, 
synopses  and  scripts,  including 
changes,  analyzed  by  the  PCA  last 
year  totaled  2,639,  compared  with  3,- 
530  in  1947. 

In  an  analysis  of  the  types  and 
kinds  of  features  approved  last  year, 
the  report  classed  169  as  melodrama, 
94  Westerns,  81  drama,  12  crime,  48 
comedy,  and  31  miscellaneous,  which 
includes  sports,  adventure,  cartoon, 
fantasy  and  musicals. 


NY  Ist-Run  Income 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Globe  where  $28,000  is  indicated  for 
a  fourth  week.  Roxy  is  chalking  up 
fairly  strong  business  with  "Mr. 
Belvedere  Goes  to  College,"  plus  a 
stage  show  headed  by  Vivian  Blaine, 
the  third  week's  gross  being  estimated 
at  $85,000. 

"Connecticut  Yankee  in  King 
Arthur's  Court"  with  a  stage  show, 
probably  will  give  the  Music  Hall  a 
good  fourth  week's  gross  of  $125,000 ; 
it  will  stay  for  at  least  another  week, 
"The  Stratton  Story"  being  booked  to 
follow.  "My  Dream  is  Yours,"  with 
Lionel  Hampton's  orchestra  on  stage, 
might  reach  $34,000,  which  is  fair 
enough,  in  a  third  and  final  week  at 
the  Strand;  it  will  be  replaced  on 
Friday  by  "Flamingo  Road." 

"Undercover  Man"  with  Billy  Eck- 
stein and  Duke  Ellington's  orchestra 
on  stage  is  plenty  strong  at  the  Para- 
mount where  the  second  week's  gross 
is  estimated  at  $82,000.  Fifth  week 
of  "Portrait  of  Jennie"  probably  will 
mean_  about  $15,000  to  the  Rivoli; 
this  is  unimportant  business.  "Red 
Shoes"  looks  good  for  $14,500  in  a 
28th  week  at  the  Bijou. 

At  the  Mayfair,  "Wizard  of  Oz" 
should  bring  a  fairly  heavy  $25,000 
in  a  third  week.  Continuing  a  very 
successful  engagement,  "Quartet"  has 
$14,200  in  view  for  a  fifth  week  at 
the  Sutton.  "Take  Me  Out  to  the 
Ball  Game"  at  the  State,  should  gross 
about  $17,000  in  a  very  modest  eighth 
and  final  week;  it  will  be  succeeded 
today  by  "Barkleys  of  Broadway." 
"Hamlet"  is  still  drawing  close  to 
capacity  with  $15,000  apparent  for  the 
31st  week.  "Joan  of  Arc"  probably  will 
do  about  $11,000  in  a  mild  25th  week 
at  the  Victoria;  it  will  be  replaced  by 
"Home  of  the  Brave"  on  May  11. 


Rank  Organization 
Expands  in  Ireland 

Dublin,  April  30  (By  Air- 
mail).—The  J.  Arthur  Rank 
interests  have  purchased  four 
more  of  the  larger  theatres  in 
Dublin.  They  previously  were 
run  by  the  Ging  circuit.  The 
fourth  was  constructed  only 
recently  and  had  its  opening 
Easter  Sunday. 

Latest  Rank  move  has  been 
the  subject  of  questions  in 
the  Irish  Dail.  The  Minister 
of  Industry  and  Commerce 
stated  that  he  had  been  con- 
sulted and  that  he  could  see 
no  objection. 


Ia.-Neb.  Allied  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


U.K.  Theatre  T.V. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Variety  Sessions 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Treasury  John  Snyder  on  hand  to 
make  the  presentation  and  to  deliver 
a  message  from  President  Truman. 

Yesterday  the  international  can- 
vasnren  discussed  a  proposal  to  have 
the  international  tent  arrange  and 
conduct  the  1950  convention.  Subject 
to  ratification  by  the  delegates,  the 
next  annual  meet  will  be  held  at  Boca 
Raton,  Fla.,  starting  April  9.  Mid- 
year conference  of  the  international 
officers  will  be  held  at  New  York, 
Oct.  25-27,  to  coincide  with  the  induc- 
tion of  New  York  tent  officer*. 

Prior  to  the  New  York  session,  the 
officers  will  inspect  the  Will  Rogers 
Memorial  Hospital  at  Saranac,  N.  Y., 
a  project  of  Variety  Clubs  Interna- 
tional. Officers  of  the  hospital  fund, 
set  up  as  a  separate  corporation,  were 
ratified  yesterday,  with  chief  barker 
O'Donnell  as  president;  John  H.  Har- 
ris, chairman  of  the  board;  Chick 
Lewis,  executive  vice-president;  A. 
Montague  and  Ted  Gamble,  vice-presi- 
dents ;  S.  H.  Fabian,  treasurer  and 
Marc  J.  Wolf,  assistant  treasurer. 

O'Donnell  reported  that  the  Will 
Rogers  Fund  has  $270,000_  cash.  In 
addition,  major  companies  have 
pledged  $75,000  annually  for  two 
years,  making  a  total  of  $420,000  as- 
sured for  two  years'  operation  and 
rehabilitation. 


So.  Africa  Report 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


sociation  foreign  specialists  have  com- 
pleted an  examination  of  the  South 
African  reports  it  is  expected  that  a 
foreign  managers'  meeting  will  be 
called  to  discuss  possible  action  by 
MPAA.  A  mission  to  South  Africa 
under  the  leadership  of  MPAA  vice- 
president  Francis  Harmon  was  called 
off  late  last  year  pending  further  de- 
velopments and  official  clarification  in 
connection  with  the  effect  on  films  of 
planned  import  restrictions.  The  pend- 
ing_  foreign  managers  meeting  may 
decide  whether  such  a  mission  should 
be  undertaken  in  the  near  future,  it  is 
believed. 


rently  with  completion  of  postwar  ad- 
justments in  the  Hollywood  studios, 
and  the  breaking  up  of  the  picture 
monopoly  by  the  Federal  courts,"  said 
Leo  F.  Wolcott,  Eldora,  chairman  of 
the  association's  board.  "This  has  re- 
sulted in  the  production  and  immedi- 
ate release  of  a  much-improved  line 
of  feature  pictures." 

Speakers  tomorrow  will  include 
William  L.  Ainsworth,  president  of 
National  Allied;  Trueman  T.  Rem- 
busch,  Indianapolis,  Allied  treasurer, 
who  will  discuss  television;  and  Kro- 
ger Babb,  Hollywood,  who  will  speak 
on  practical  showmanship. 

Gov.  William  S.  Beardsley  is  sched- 
uled to  speak  at  Thursday's  session. 


Wilson,  Quota 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


obtain  any  definite  figures  of  the  in- 
itial cost  of  the  direct  projection 
equipment,  but  is  led  to  believe  that 
the  first  sets  would  probably  cost  be- 
tween £8,000  ($32,000)  and  £10,000 
($40,000).  As  soon  as  quantity  pro- 
duction commences,  it  was  said,  much 
lower  figures  should  apply.  With  re- 
gard to  the  intermediate  film  system, 
a  price  of  $35,000  has  been  reported 
from  the  U.  S. 

It  is  not  perhaps  generally  appre- 
ciated, the  report  says,  that  as  long 
as  the  BBC  is  limited  to  its  present 
405-line  transmission,  theatre  tele- 
vision can  never  give  a  picture  com- 
parable in  definition  to  a  film,  and,  un- 
fortunately, the  government  has  given 
a  commitment  to  continue  the  405-line 
transmissions  until  1956. 

Meanwhile,  there  would  appear  to 
be  very  few  items  in  the  present  BBC 
programs  suitable  for  theatre  presen- 
tation and  these  would  in  almost  every 
case  involve  copyright  difficulties  or 
the  payment  of  substantial  fees  by  ex- 
hibitors in  addition  to  the  capital  and 
running  costs  of  the  equipment. 

Summing  up,  the  committee  feels 
that  its_  efforts  will  not  have  been 
wasted  if  the  report  induces  an  atti- 
tude of  caution  among  exhibitors  as  to 
the  present  position  on  the  equipment 
side  and  its  potential  value. 


FCC  Opens  Radio 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


TV  Labor  Feud 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


for  workers  engaged  in  the  telecasting 
of  motion  picture  film.  "IA"  spokes- 
men have  hinted  that  if  a  settlement 
satisfactory  to  "IA"  were  not  forth- 
coming by  April  30,  the  expiration 
date  of  NABET's  contracts  with  the 
networks,  strike  action  could  be  ex- 
pected. Evidently,  the  delays  which 
have  extended  the  NLRB  hearings 
have  been  unavoidable,  with  "IA" 
willing  to  bear  with  the  issues  because 
of  that  and  await  a  final  ruling. 

Set  Date  for  Inquiry 

Ottawa,  May  3.— Royal  Commis- 
sion inquiry  into  the  activities  of  the 
National  Film  Board,  Canadian  Broad- 
casting Corporation  and  other  film 
and  and  radio  groups  will  begin  pub- 
lic hearings  here  August  1  and  con- 
tinue for  five  weeks,  chairman  Vin- 
cent Massey  announced  today. 


both  houses  of  Parliament  be  given 
six  months'  notice  of  any  statutory 
order  varying  the  quota.  Hence,  with- 
out an  amending  act  of  Parliament  no 
alternation  in  the  quota  can  be  effec- 
tive before  at  least  the  end  of  1949. 
Legally  and  circumstantially,  any 
early  quota  revision  is  regarded  as  un- 
likely and  an  informal  intimation  of 
this  will  be  conveyed  to  the  appropri- 
ate State  Department  official  in  Wash- 
ington by  the  government  in  due 
course. 


will  be  given  the  use  of  a  minimum 
of  105  frequencies,  shared  with  other 
industrial  radio  services.  Previously, 
it  had  been  on  an  experimental  basis 
and  had  access  to  only  four  shared 
frequencies. 

Spokesman  for  the  studios,  who  had 
urged  the  Commission  during  hearings 
last  fall  to  allocate  more  frequencies 
for  on-location  work,  said  they  were 
well  pleased  with  today's  FCC  action. 

Portland  Owners  Retire 

Portland,  Ore.,  May  3. — Retire- 
ment from  theatre  business  by  Charles 
Ames  and  his  son  has  been  announced 
with  the  sale  of  their  theatres,  the 
Dishman  at  Spokane,  and  the  Ames, 
here.  Willard  R.  and  Walter  L.  Seale, 
brothers,  and  W.  K.  Beckwith  have 
purchased  the  Spokane  house. 


1903  •  1949 


Arthur  Paderewski 

"PAKI" 


A  fine  artist 
A  fine  friend 


T 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  88 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  MAY  5,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


UK  Takes  Dim 
View  of  Anglo- 
US  Conference 

Rank  Seeks  Date  with 
Wilson   Without  Result 

London,  May  4.— If  the  recent 
Anglo-U.  S.  Films  Council  meeting 
in  Washington  projected  any  un- 
derstanding involving  a  reduction 
of  Britain's  quota  or  other  film  laws, 
the  government's  Board  of  Trade  here 
appears  to  be  singularly  disinterested. 

J.  Arthur  Rank,  one  Of  the  three 
British  members  of  the  Council,  who 
recently  returned  to  London,  inquired 
at  the  Board  of  Trade  today  when 
Harold  Wilson,  its  president,  would  be 
likely  to  be  available  for  an  interview. 
He  apparently  received  an  indefinite 
reply  as  B  of  T  officials  stated  spe- 
cifically that  no  appointment  has  been 
made  yet. 

Wilson  plans  to  leave  here  for  Can 
ada  next  Tuesday  for  a  lengthy  stay. 

With  Wilson  evincing  no  eagerness 
to  meet  with  Rank  and  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  F.  W.  Allport,  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America  repre- 
(Continued  on  page  5) 

rara.  Sales  Meets 
Will  Start  Here 


,450,000  to  RKO 
For  Its  Stock  in 
Butterfield  Groups 

RKO  yesterday  sold  its  interests  in 
the  two  Michigan  Butterfield  circuits 
to  the  Butterfield  estate  at  a  price 
estimated  to  be  $1,450,000.  RKO's 
holdings  comprised  10  per  cent  in  W. 
S.  Butterfield  Theatres  and  33^  per 
cent  in  Butterfield  Michigan  Theatres 
Corp. 

The  deal  was  consummated  at  the 
RKO  home  office  here  with  Montague 
Gowthorpe  and  Byron  Ballard  repre- 
senting Butterfield,  and  Thomas 
O'Connor,  assistant  treasurer,  and 
William  Whitman,  assistant  secretary, 
signing  for  RKO.  Gowthorpe  is  head 
of  Butterfield  Theatres. 

Paramount  also  has  a  minority  in- 
terest in  Butterfield  which  it  must 
dispose  of  and  is  understood  to  be 
negotiating  sale  of  its  holdings  cur- 
rently. 


Hughes'  RKO  Stock 
Attracts  Trans -Lux 


Series  of  five  divisional  sales  meet- 
ings will  be  launched  by  Paramount 
with  a  three-day  confab  of  Eastern 
and  Southern  district  and  branch  man- 
agers at  the  Hotel  Pierre  here  begin- 
ning Monday  with  Hugh  Owen,  head 
of  that  division,  presiding. 

Although  the  sessions  are  the  first 
since  the  plan  for  reorganization  of 
the  corporation  was  approved,  it  is 
said  that  no  extensive  changes  _  m 
policy  are  anticipated.  Forthcoming 
product  and  campaigns  are  to  be  dealt 
with  in  large  part. 

Partmar  to  Supreme 
Court  on  Para.  Case 

Washington,  May  4.— Allowing 
Partmar  Corp.  to  intervene  to  protect 
its  interests  in  the  Paramount  consent 
judgment  would  not  in  any  way  delay 
the  effectuation  of  the  judgment,  Part- 
mar told  the  Supreme  Court  today. 

Appealing  the  New  York  District 
court's  refusal  to  allow  Partmar  to 
intervene,  Partmar  attorney  Russell 
Hardy  said  that  the  intervention  could 
have  been  granted  and  the  judgment 
entered  as  proposed.  "Neither  was  in- 
consistent and  preclusive  of  the  other," 
Hardy  declared  in  a  13-page  brief. 


Trans-Lux  Theatres  Corp.,  which 
operates  13  feature  houses  and  one 
newsreel  theatre  in  the  East,  has  be- 
gun discussions  with  Howard  Hughes 
representatives  here  on  possible  pur 
chase  of  Hughes'  controlling  stock  in 
terests  in  RKO  Theatres. 

Principal  stockholder  of  Trans-Lux 
is  Harry  Brandt,  whose  other  exten 
sive  theatre  interests  in  New  York 
has  made  Department  of  Justice  ap 
proval    of   such   a   transaction  with 
Hughes  a  "must"  consideration,  ac 
cording  to  some  sources.  Justice  at 
torneys  would  not  comment. 

Meanwhile,  Malcolm  Kingsberg,  in 
a  working  agreement  with  Atlas 
Corp.,  continues  as  the  most  prominent 
prosective  buyer. 


Fox  Was  Prospering 
At  Time  of  Merger 

A  statement  in  the  New 
York  Times  yesterday  de- 
scribing Fox  Film  Corp.  as 
"bankrupt"  when  it  merged 
with  20th  Century  Pictures  in 
1935  is  in  sharp  conflict  with 
the  records  of  earnings  which 
show  that  the  company  had 
a  net  profit  of  $3,563,000  in 
that  year.  The  Times  traced 
the  history  of  the  present 
20th  Century-Fox  Corp.  in 
concluding  a  story  on  Joseph 
M.  Schenck's  request  to  re- 
sign from  the  company. 
Schenck  and  Darryl  Zanuck 
headed  20th  Century  when 
the  merger  was  effected.  The 
late  Sidney  R.  Kent  was  pres- 
ident of  Fox. 


U.  A.  Theatres  to 
Meet  on  FWC  Split 


Board  of  directors  of  United  Art 
ists  Theatres  of  California,  wholly 
owned  subsidiary  of  United  Artists 
Theatres   Circuit,  will  meet  on  the 
Coast  in  about  10  days  to  decide  on 
procedure  for  dissolution  of  the  cir 
cuit's  partnership  operations  with  Fox 
West  Coast. 

UA  of  California  originally  placed 
14  houses  in  the  joint  operation  with 

(Continued  cm  page  5) 


Krim  Resigns 
As  President 
Of  Eagle  Lion 

Staying  on  Temporarily; 
Differed  with  Young 

Hollywood,  May  4. — Arthur.  B. 
Krim  announced  here  yesterday 
that  he  has  resigned  as  president 
of  Eagle-Lion  Films.  His  resigna- 
tion was  ten- 
dered last  Sat- 
urday in  a  tele- 
gram to  Robert 
Purcell,  chair- 
man of  the 
board  of  Pathe 
Industries,  of 
which  E-L  is  a 
subsidiary,  in 
New  York. 

At  Purcell's 
request  Krim 
has  agreed  to 
remain  with  E- 
L  until  new  ar- 
rangements can 
be    made,  the 

company  said.  Krim  indicated  that  he 
would  remain  with  the  company  un- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Arthur  B.  Krim 


Williford  R  e  signs 
Aniline,  Ansco  Posts 

E.  A:  Williford  has  submitted  his 
resignation  as  vice-president  of  Gen- 
eral Aniline  &  Film  Corp.  and  general 
manager  of  the  Ansco  Division,  he 
announced  yesterday.  Action  on  the 
resignation  is  expected  at  the  next 
meeting  of  the  board  of  directors. 


Truman  Lauds  Variety 
As  Hoover  Gets  Award 


18th  Bill  on  U.  S. 
Ticket  Tax  Filed 

Washington,  May  4.  —  Rep. 
Curtis,  Nebraska  Republican, 
is  the  latest  Congressman  to 
introduce  a  bill  to  cut  the  ad- 
missions tax  back  to  the  pre- 
war 10  per  cent. 

There  are  now  18  bills  pend- 
ing to  repeal  or  reduce  the 
admissions  levy. 


San  Francisco,  May  4. — Citing 
Herbert  Hoover  as  "a  humane  citi- 
zen of  the  world  whose  noble  en- 
deavors in  behalf  of  humanity  have 
placed  him  among  the  'all-time'  great 
Americans,"  Variety  Clubs  Interna- 
tional presented  the  ex-president  with 
its  Humanitarian  Award  at  a  dinner 
held  here  last  night  at  the  Palace 
Hotel. 

John  Snyder,  Secretary  of  the  Trea- 
sury, made  the  presentation  and  de- 
livered a  message  from  President 
Truman  which  lauded  VCI  activities 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Theatre  Video  Cost 
Too  High  Now:  TO  A 

Informed  by  NBC  executive  vice- 
president  Charles  R.  Denny  that  the 
estimated  cost  of  instantaneous  or  di- 
rect television  projection  equipment 
for  individual  theatres  is  $25,000, 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  executive 
director  Gael  Sullivan  yesterday 
termed  that  figure  "almost  prohibitive" 
for  TOA  member  theatres  and  said 
TOA  would  recommend  today  to  the 
Society  of  Motion  Picture  Engineers 
that  it  examine  the  possibilities  for 
bringing  that  cost  down  to  between 
S5.000  and  $7,500. 

The  figure  quoted  by  Denny  is  ex- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Canadian  Video  Set 
Back  2  More  Years 

Toronto,  May  4. — The  hurried  dis- 
solution of  Parliament  to  prepare  the 
way  for  the  federal  elections  in  June 
has  given  a  two-year  setback  to  the 
introduction  of  television  in  Canada 
because  no  approval  was  voted  for  the 
$4,000,000  loan  to  the  Canadian 
Broadcasting  Corp.  for  the  develop- 
ment of  video. 

It  may  be  early  next  year  before 
the  new  Parliament  can  get  to  a  vote. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  May  5,  1949 


Ia.-Neb.  Exhibitors 
Hit  Hayworth,  Ingrid 

Des  Moines,  May  4. — The  marital 
affairs  of  Ingrid  Bergman  and  Rita 
Hayworth  were  under  discussion  at 
the  Iowa-Xebraska  AITO  convention 
which  opened  here  today,  with  the  two 
stars  expected  to  be  the  subject  of  a 
possible  resolution  of  censure  before 
the  parley  adjourns  Thursday  night. 
One  association  official,  an  Iowan, 
said  that  the  pastors  of  his  town  had 
called  on  him  and  asked  what  he  was 
going  to  do  about  "Rita  Hayworth 
pictures,"  and  threatened  to  urge  peo- 
ple not  to  see  Rita  Hayworth  films. 

Speakers  were  unanimously  agreed 
on  the  importance  of  creating  good 
will  between  theatres  and  the  public. 
Howard  Brookings,  Iowa  theatre  own- 
er and  state  representative,  urged  in- 
dependents to  give  passes  to  legis- 
lators and  advised  his  fellow  exhibitors 
to  run  for  public  office.  Other  speakers 
stressed  the  need  for  a  rebirth  of 
"showmanship"  as  it  used  to  be  in  the 
1920's,  and  told  of  the  coming  bond 
drive  and  its  part  in  building  good 
will. 


Personal  Mention 


ALEXANDER  KORDA,  who 
here  following  a  visit  to  the 
Coast,  will  leave  by  plane  for  London 
on  Saturday. 


Canadian  Showmen 
Set  Annual  Meets 

Toronto,  May  4. — The  annual  meet- 
ing of  the  national  committee  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Theatres  Associations  of 
Canada,  of  which  J.  J.  Fitzgibbons  is 
national  chairman,  has  been  scheduled 
for  June  at  Niagara  Falls,  Ont.  The 
all-Canadian  conference  will  deal 
with  censorship,  amusement  taxation, 
legislation  and  other  matters  of  mu- 
tual interest  to  all  provincial  exhibitor 
groups. 

The  Alberta  Exhibitors'  Association 
will  meet  at  Banff,  in  the  Rockies, 
June  5-6,  and  the  Manitoba  associa- 
tion will  have  its  annual  meeting  at 
Winnipeg  June  13,  after  which  the 
delegates  from  all  Provinces  will  con- 
vene at  Niagara  Falls.  Arch  H.  Jolley 
of  Toronto,  assistant  secretary  of  the 
committee,  is  in  charge  of  arrange- 
ments. 


Edward  J.  Wall,  Paramount  field 
representative  for  the  Buffalo  and  Al- 
bany territories,  is  in  Buffalo.  His 
son,  Robert  T.  Wall,  was  married 
recently  to  Miss  Gloria  Ann 
DAiello  of  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y. 
• 

Earl  Hudson,  United  Detroit  The- 
atres president,  and  Mrs.  Hudson, 
have  left  Detroit  for  a  vacation  at 
Lake  Lure,  N.  C. 

• 

Arthur  Goldsmith,  RKO  Cleve- 
land salesman,  suffered  a  sprained 
ankle  when  a  ladder  collapsed  under 
mm. 

• 

John  M.  Antonuk  of  Universal- 
International's  sales  promotion  art  de- 
partment, will  be  married  to  Anne 
Zorila  of  Yonkers  on  June  4th. 
• 

Rosemary  Kelly,  secretary  at 
M-G-M's  Detroit  branch,  was  chosen 
"Orchid  Girl"  by  the  Detroit  Times. 


CAM  ECKMAN,  JR.,  M-G-M  man- 
^  aging  director  for  Great  Britain, 
has  recovered  from  his  recent  illness 
and'  has  left  New  York  for  a  two 
weeks'  vacation. 


Joseph  Pasternak,  M-G-M  pro- 
ducer, and  Mrs.  Pasternak,  sailed 
yesterday  from  here  for  a  European 
vacation. 

• 

James  Stewart  is  due  here  over 
the  weekend  from  the  Coast  and  will 
leave  for  Indiana,  Pa.,  to  visit  his 
family. 

• 

Marion  B.  Folsom,  Eastman  Kodak 
treasurer,  has  been  reelected  to  the 
board  of  the  National  Industrial  Con- 
ference. 

• 

George  Seaton,  writer-producer, 
has  arrived  here  from  the  Coast  with 
his  family  and  is  scheduled  to  sail  for 
Europe  tomorrow. 

• 

William  B.  Zoellner,  M-G-M 
short  subjects  sales  head,  left  here 
yesterday  for  Oklahoma  City. 


Coming 
Events 


Film  To  Be  Shot  Here 

Independent  producer  Edmund  L. 
Dorfmann  has  announced  that  he  will 
shoot  his  next  film,  "Guilty  Bystand- 
er," in  New  York.  Associated  with 
him  are  Rex  Carlton  and  Joe  Lerner. 
Don  Ettlinger  is  working  on  the 
screenplay  and  shooting  will  begin 
next  month.  Negotiations  for  a  na- 
tional release  are  under  way. 


Production  Total 
Unchanged  at  26 

Hollywood,  May  4. — The  produc- 
tion total  remained  the  same  as  last 
week,  26.  Seven  pictures  were  started 
and  seven  completed. 

Shooting  started  on  "Blondie's 
Hero,"  "Beyond  These  Walls,"  Col 
South  of  Rio,"  Republic;  "The  Bail 
Bond  Story,"  RKO  Radio;  "Sky- 
liner,"  Screen  Guild;  "Three  Came 
Home,"  20th- Fox;  "Abandoned,"  U-I. 
Completed  were  :  "Forgotten  Women," 
"Range  Rogues,"  Monogram;  "The 
Fighting  Kentuckian,"  "The  Arizona 
Cowboy,"  "Flaming  Fury,"  Republic 
"Father  Was  a  Fullback,"  20th-Fox  ; 
"The  Octopus  and  Miss  Smith," 
Warners. 


Lockwood  Allied  Guest 

Boston,  May  4. — Arthur  Lockwood, 
president  of  Theatre  Owners  of 
America,  has  accepted  an  invitation  to 
attend  the  21st  annual  banquet  of  the 
Independent  Exhibitors  of  New 
England,  an  Allied  States  affiliate,  at 
the  Copley  Plaza  Hotel  here,  May  26. 


Paderewski  Services  Held 

Funeral  services  for  Arthur  'Paki' 
Paderewski,  Warner  home  office  art- 
ist, were  held  Tuesday  at  the  Park 
West  Memorial  Chapel  here.  Pade- 
rewski, who  had  been  with  Warner 
since  1942  and  was  the  winner  of 
numerous  awards  in  the  field  of  com- 
mercial art,  died  on  Monday. 


Book  'Champion'  for 
30  Loew's  Cities 

Thirty  Loew's  cities  will  begin  cir- 
cuit bookings  of  "Champion,"  Screen 
Plays-United  Artists  film  now  playing 
New  York  and  Los  Angeles,  early  in 
June,  Gradwell  Sears,  UA  president, 
announced  yesterday. 

Negotiations  for  similar  bookings 
across  the  Warner  circuit  will  also  be 
concluded  within  the  next  few  days, 
Sears  said. 


Broders  Here  for  Meet 

Paul  Broder,  Realart  president, 
arrived  here  yesterday  from  Detroit 
accompanied  by  Si  Lipson  to  attend  a 
series  of  Realart  board  meetings. 
Jack  Broder,  Realart  vice-president, 
has  arrived  from  Los  Angeles  for  the 
meetings. 


SIMPP  Housewarming 

Ellis  Arnall,  president  of  the  Soci- 
ety of  Independent  Motion  Picture 
Producers,  and  his  staff  here  will  be 
hosts  at  a  reception  at  the  organiza- 
tion's new  headquarters  offices  here 
today  in  the  International  Bldg., 
Rockefeller  Center. 


New  Censor  Board 
Set  in  W.  Memphis 

Memphis,  May  4. — Mayor  P.  M. 
Dacus,  West  Memphis,  Ark.,  and  his 
city  council,  have  constituted  them- 
selves as  the  official  board  of  censors 
of  West  Memphis. 

Mayor  Dacus  announced  the  new 
board  today  and  said  all  pictures 
banned  in  Memphis  by  censors  would 
be  screened  before  being  permitted  to 
show  in  West  Memphis.  In  the  past 
all  pictures  in  Memphis  were  shown 
in  West  Memphis — just  across  the 
Mississippi  River  from  Memphis— 
and  theatres  there  were  attended  by 
many  Memphians.  First  two  such  pic- 
tures—"A  Song  Is  Born"  and  "New 
Orleans" — which  were  banned  in 
Memphis— were  okayed  for  West 
Memphis  showings. 


May  9-10— Georgia  Theatre  Owners 
and   Operators  annual  convention, 
Henry  Grady  Hotel,  Atlanta. 
May  15- June  30— Industry  participa- 
tion in  the  U.  S.  Treasury's  Savings 
Bond  Drive. 
May    18-19  —  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  of  Arkansas  annual  conven- 
tion, Hotel  Marion,  Little  Rock. 
May  23-24— North  Central  Allied  an- 
nual convention,  Minneapolis. 
May  25-26— Independent  Exhibitors' 
21st    annual    convention,  Copley- 
Plaza,  Boston. 
May  30-31  and  June  1— Allied  States 
Association    board    meeting,  and 
Texas  Allied  Theatre  Owners  con- 
vention, Dallas. 
June  7-8— Allied  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  of  Kansas-Missouri  annual 
convention,  Kansas  City. 
June  8-9— Allied  Rocky  Mountain  In- 
dependent Theatres  annual  conven- 
tion, Brown  Palace  Hotel,  Denver. 
June  21-23— Associated  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  Indiana  annual  convention, 
French  Lick  Hotel,  French  Lick, 
Ind. 


Army  Report  Hits 
German  Film  Trust 


Radio,  Video  Show  on 
Censorship  of  Films 

"America's  Town  Meeting"  pro- 
gram over  American  Broadcasting 
radio  and  television  networks  next 
Tuesday  evening  will  take  up  the  ques- 
tion, "Should  Minority  Groups  Exer- 
cise Censorship  Over  Books  and 
Films.-"'  George  V.  Denny,  Jr.,  will 
be  moderator  and  the  affirmative 
speakers  will  be  Harry  Epstein,  chair- 
man of  the  National  Community  Re- 
lations Advisory  Council,  and  Robert 
J.  O'Donnell,  professor  of  philosophy, 
Iona  College.  Taking  the  negative 
will  be  Morris  L.  Ernst,  attorney  and 
author,  and  John  Mason  Brown,  au- 
thor and  drama  critic. 


Washington,  May  4. — The  Ger- 
man decartelization  law  has  not  yet 
been  "implemented"  to  break  up 
monopoly  in  the  German  film  indus- 
try, and  "there  has  been  no  deconcen- 
tration  of  any  kind  in  the  industry,' 
according  to  the  report  of  a  special 
committee  appointed  by  former  Army 
Secretary  Royall  to  study  decarteliza- 
tion in  Germany. 

The  report  admitted  that  breaking 
up  the  German  film  monopoly  was 
"an  enormous  job."  It  praised  the 
basic  decartelization  policy,  but  criti- 
cized present  A.M.G.  officials  for  not 
carrying  out  the  stated  policy. 

The  report  said,  "There  has  been 
no  deconcentration  of  any  kind." 


O'Dea  Heads  Irish  Equity 

Denis  O'Dea,  Irish  actor  who  ap- 
pears m  Alfred  Hitchcock's  Trans- 
"mtic  production,  "Under  Capri- 
corn," has  been  elected  the  first  presi- 
dent of  the  Irish  Actors  Equity  Asso- 
ciation, according  to  a  report  received 
here  by  Warner  Bros.,  which 
distribute  the  film. 


will 


NAM  'Freedom'  Short 
Screened  for  Press 

A  special  press  screening  of  the  Na- 
tional Association  of  Manufacturers' 
new  film,  "The  Price  of  Freedom," 
was  held  here  yesterday  at  the  RCA 
Exhibition  Hall.  The  23-minute  sub- 
ject, which  is  intended  for  distribution 
to  television  stations  as  well  as  clubs 
and  civic  organizations,  is  available 
free  in  16  and  35  mm. 

Produced  by  Apex  Film  Corp.,  it 
emphasizes  the  role  of  a  free  press  in 
maintaining  our  democracy.  Jack 
Chertok  produced,  and  William  J. 
Thiele  directed. 


SPG  Names  Goldsmith 

Len  Goldsmith  has  been  appointed 
the  Screen  Publicists  Guild's  business 
manager  and  organizer.  He  replaces 
Honore  Armstrong  who  recently  re- 
signed. Goldsmith  was  formerly  with 
the  New  York  Newspaper  Guild. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher,  Sherwin   Kane    Editor-  M^tfr,  n  ■  i   t     

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Xew  York, 
James  P 

Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120 


Y.    Telephone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
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Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Pisture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales  each  nuhlUW?  fh  Manager.  Peter  Burnup,  Editor:  cable  address.  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  2.3.  1938  at  the -  post  office  at  n!„  v  T"™3  Jear  *I  a  ,sectlon  °f  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
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■n  South  La  Salle  Street    Editorial  and  Advertising,  Urbln  Far^  Hollywood  Bureau, 


ON 


FLAMINGO  ROAD 


THE 
FIGURES 

ARE 
TERRIFIC! 


IT'S  THE 

MARVELOUS  MATCH 
FOR  THE 

'MILDRED  PIERCE' 
FIGURE 

EVERYWHERE// 

LA..'  SPRINGFIELD 
KANSAS  CITY/  PHILLY/ 
PITTSBURGH/  MILWAUKEE/ 
BALTIMORE/  WASHINGTON/ 


itsJOA 

CRAWFORD 

AT  HER  WARNER  BROS.  BEST! 


)  STARRING 


AT 


DIRECTED  BY 


Screen  Play  by  ROBERT  Wl  LDER    •  Additional  Dialogue  by  EDMUND  H.  NORTH 
Based  on  a  Play  by  ROBERT  and  SALLY  WILDER 


MICHAEL  CURTIZ 

PRODUCED  BY  (m|S 

JERRY  WALD w 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  May  5,  1949 


Defense,  Gov't  Clash 
At  Griffith  Hearing 

Oklahoma  City,  May  4. — W.  S 
Miller,  Dallas  sales  manager  for  20th 
Century-Fox,  told  Judge  Edgar  S 
Vaught  today  that  a  government  wit 
ness  had  misrepresented  the  case  in 
earlier  testimony  in  the  Griffith  man 
date  hearing. 

_  Miller's  testimony  was  marked  by 
bitter  controversy  between  C. 
Cochran,  attorney  for  the  circuits,  and 
George  Wise,  Assistant  Attorney 
General,  over  introduction  of  severa 
exhibits,  which  Cochran  said  were 
designed  to  prove  that  the  distributors 
had  distributed  films  to  theatre  own- 
ers with  the  best  grossing  possibilities 
After  Wise  demanded  that  the  tabu- 
lations set  forth  additional  information 
concerning  play  dates,  percentage 
deals  and  other  facts,  Judge  Vaught 
suggested  that  Cochran  withdraw 
them  as  being  incomplete. 

Cochran  quizzed  Miller  regarding 
the  competition  in  Lubbock,  Tex.,  be- 
tween Joe  Bryant,  an  independent,  and 
Theatre  Enterprises,  Inc.,  successor 
firm  to  the  Griffith  circuits.  Miller 
said  Bryant  had  not  sought  to  buy  first 
run  product  after  taking  over  the 
Midway  Theatre  in  Lubbock,  but  had 
told  him  he  wanted  old  pictures  which 
he  could  exploit  at  a  greater  profit 
Nevertheless,  Miller  testified,  Bryant 
obtained  two  road  shows,  "Wilson 
and  "Song  of  Bernadette"  which  would 
have  grossed  more  in  the  Linday 
(Griffith)  theatres  at  Lubbock. 


Act  on  K-B,  Warner 
Dispute  by  June  15 

Washington,  May  4. — District 
Court  Judge  Matthew  McGuire  prom 
ised  to  dispose  of  all  motions  by  June 
15  in  the  legal  battle  between  K-B 
and  Warners  over  the  jointly-owned 
MacArthur  Theatre. 

Lawyers  for  K-B,  Warners  and  the 
Kass  Realty  Corp.  wrangled  for  one 
and  one-half  hours  in  District  Court 
today,  with  McGuire  showing  obvious 
irritation  with  them  for  not  having 
gone  through  with  a  tentative  out-of- 
court  agreement  reached  previously. 

Warners  and  K-B  had  agreed  on 
terms  for  Warners  getting  out  of  the 
MacArthur,  subject  to  a  K-B  agree- 
ment with  Kass  on  terms  for  freeing 
Warners  of  all  financial  liability  for 
a  second  theatre  to  be  built  by  Kass 
for  K-B. 

K-B  counsel  advised  Judge  McGuire 
that  there  was  no  reason  he  could  not 
rule  on  K-B's  motion  to  require  War- 
ners to  sell  its  interest  in  the  Mac- 
Arthur  to  K-B  at  terms  stated  in  a 
1945  contract  setting  up  the  joint  ven- 
ture. McGuire  said  he  would  study 
the  briefs  and  rule  on  this  matter  as 
well  as  the  Kass  motions  by  June  15. 
Warners  has  countered  the  K-B  mo- 
tion by  asking  the  court  to  dissolve  the 
joint  venture  and  sell  the  assets  at 
public  sale. 


Show  Films  in  Suit 

Los  Angeles,  May  4. — Hearing  on 
RKO's  injunction  suit  against  the 
showing  of  Screen  Plays'  "Champion" 
started  today  before  Federal  Judge 
Pierson  Hall,  with  the  day  devoted  to 
screening  "Champion"  and  RKO's 
"Set-Up"  for  the  court  at  General 
Service  Studio.  Arguments  in  the  case 
will  start  tomorrow. 


Re 


views 


"It  Happens  Every  Spring" 

(20th  Century-Fox)  Hollyzvood,  May  4 

P\ON'T  try  to  guess  this  one  by  looking  at  it  in  a  projection  room  or 
reading  a  synopsis.  It  plays  like  a  house  afire  when  submitted,  as  in  the 
instance  here  reported,  to  a  mixed  audience  of  all  ages  that's  paid  its  way 
into  the  theatre.  The  thing  is  a  baseball  comedy,  with  Ray  Milland  portray 
ing  a  college  professor  who  pitches  St.  Louis  to  a  world  championship  by 
means  as  delightfully  incredible  and  amusing  as  Belvedere's  achievements 
and  raises  laugh  after  laugh  with  surprise  twists  and  good  old-fashioned 
trick  photography.  Don't  analyze  it — just  play  it  straight  across  the  plate 
and  watch  the  runs  come  in.  (Bill  Paul — "Letter  to  Three  Wives" — Douglas 
too,  who's  even  better  in  this  than  in  that.) 

Milland,  a  penurious  professor  experimenting  with  a  chemical  concoction 
to  make  wood  repellant  to  animal  matter,  finds  himself  accidentally  possessed 
of  a  liquid  which,  applied  to  the  cover  of  a  baseball,  detours  the  pellet 
around  the  most  gifted  batsman's  hickory.  He  can't  reproduce  it,  but  he's 
got  enough  to  carry  him  through  a  big  league  season,  so  he  finagles  himself 
a  berth  on  the  St.  Louis  club  on  a  contract  entitling  him  to  $1,000  for  each 
game  he  wins  and  nothing  for  each  game  he  loses.  So  he  wins  38  straight 
games,  and  then  the  world  series,  concealing  his  identity  the  while  lest  he 
lose  his  college  job  and  sweetheart  for  playing  professional  baseball,  and 
winds  up  in  a  hilariously  happy  ending  with  his  secret  and  his  fortunes 
intact. 

Milland  and  Douglas,  the  latter  doing  a  classic  job  as  the  catcher  who 
doubles  as  Milland's  baseball  guardian,  have  the  proceedings  largely  to  them- 
selves, with  Jean  Peters,  Ted  de  Corsia,  Ed  Begley,  Ray  Collins  and  other 
competents  going  along. 

William  Perlberg  produced  and  Lloyd  Bacon  directed  from  a  script  by 
Valentine  Davies,  the  three  of  them  blending  their  talents  with  rare  effective 
ness  to  make  an  essentially  slight  story  an  immensely  amusing  picture. 

Running  time,  87  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
not  set.  William  R.  Weaver 


"The  Younger  Brothers" 

(Warner)         _    _  Hollyzvood,  May  4 

U^XCITING  incidents  in  the  explosive  career  of  the  Younger  brothers, 
contemporaries  and  part-time  collaborators  of  the  James  boys,  are  photo- 
graphed here  in  Technicolor  and  with  considerable  emphasis  on  gunplay, 
making  up  a  lively  addition  to  the  currently  popular  list  of  Old  West 
attractions.  A  bit  light  on  names,  but  clearly  rooted  in  historical  research, 
the  film  figures  to  give  best  satisfaction  to  audiences  well  versed  in  the  lore 
of  the  period,  1876.  The  Youngers  are  portrayed  by  Wayne  Morris,  James 
Brown,  Bruce  Bennett  and  Robert  Hutton,  and  Janis  Paige,  Alan  Hale, 
Fred  Clark,  Monte  Blue  and  Tom  Tyler  are  other  principals. 

Saul  Elkins,  who's  _  produced  quite  a  string  of  black-and-white  melodramas 
for  the  studio,  was  given  his  first  opportunity  in  the  color  medium  here,  and 
assigned  the  veteran  Edwin  L.  Marin  as  director.  The  screenplay  by  Edna 
Anhalt  is  from  a  story  by  Morton  Grant  based  on  historical  research  under- 
taken to  ascertain  what  really  went  on  back  there  in  the  era  when  news- 
papers never  let  mere  matters  of  fact  spoil  a  good  story  about  the  Youngers 
and  the  Jameses. 

The  picture  picks  up  the  Youngers  near  the  end  of  their  parole,  when  they 
are  awaiting  expiration  date  to  return  to  their  native  Missouri  and  a  life  of 
farming.  Miss  Paige,  as  Kate  Shepherd,  a  bandit  leader  in  her  own  right  but 
desirous  of  having  the  Youngers  join  up  with  her,  first  offers  them  a  part- 
nership deal  and  then,  embittered,  attempts  to  force  them  to  break  their 
parole.  Similarly  intentioned  is  Clark,  a  vengeful  former  detective  still  able 
to  raise  a  posse,  and  the  efforts  of  both  come  to  focus  in  a  bank  robbery 
for  which  they  attempt  to  get  the  Youngers  blamed.  But  the  Youngers 
thwart  this  scheme,  obtain  and  return  the  money,  and  return  finally  to  Mis- 
souri and  legal  freedom.  Plenty  of  complications,  riding,  shooting  and  killing, 
accompany  all  this. 

Running  time,  82  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
not  set.  W.R.W. 


Puente  Suit  to  Trial 

Los  Angeles,  May  4. — The  suit  of 
Steve  and  Emma  Chorak,  owners  of 
the  Puente  Theatre,  against  the  Ed- 

ards  theatre  circuit  and  virtually  all 
major  distributors  went  to  trial  today 
before  Federal  Judge  Benjamin  Har- 
rison, without  jury.  The  suit  charges 
a  conspiracy  to  deny  plaintiffs  first- 
run  pictures  on  the  same  basis  as  com- 
petitors in  the  same  area,  and  asks 
$241,500,  representing  treble  damages 
suffered,  and  $131,000  for  their  invest- 
ment in  the   theatre.  1 


Everett  House  Burns 

Charlotte,  May  4. — Everett  Enter- 
prises here,  which  operates  the  Ca- 
tawba Theatre  at  Newton,  reports 
that  theatre  swept  by  fire  during  a 
11  o'clock  matinee.  Twenty-five  chil- 
dren were  led  out  safely,  and  five  em- 
ployes also  escaped  injury. 


Albany  Variety  Golf  Date 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  May  4.— The  Al- 
bany Variety  Club  will  hold  its  an- 
nual golf  tournament  and  dinner  at 
the  Shaker  Ridge  Club  on  June  13th, 
Arthur  Newman,  chairman  of  the 
committee  in  charge,  announces. 


Renamed  to  FCC  Post 

Washington,  May  4. — President 
Truman  today  renominated  Edward 
M.  Webster  for  another  seven-year 
term  as  a  member  of  the  Federal  Com- 
munications Commission.  Senate  ap- 
proval is  required. 


Balto.  Theatre  Robbed 

Baltimore,  May  4.  —  A  masked 
bandit  held  up  the  Harlem  Theatre  here 
and  escaped  with  $2,500.  William  Zell, 
owner  of  the  house,  said  he  and  a 
woman  ticket  taker  were  bound  to- 
gether by  the  armed  robber. 


Variety  Award 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


and  said,  "In  many  lands  uncounted 
multitudes  of  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren will  bless  Herbert  Hoover's 
name  and  be  grateful  to  the  provi- 
dence which  sustained  his  labors." 

The  award  was  accepted  by  Dr.  Van 
Arsal  Lee  of  Stanford  University,  a 
close  personal  friend  of  Hoover. 

Earlier  in  the  day,  delegates  chose 
New  Orleans  as  the  1950  convention 
city,  with  Atlantic  City  as  an  alter- 
nate. Houston  put  in  a  strong  ad- 
vance bid  for  the  1951  convention. 

Steve  Broidy,  Monogram-Allied 
Artists  president,  spoke  to  the  dele- 
gates on  the  handling  being  given  to 
"Bad  Boy"  in  various  tent  centers  and 
pointed  out  that  its  yield  to  VCI  had 
been    substantial    where  appropriate 


San  Francisco,  May  4. — A  pro- 
posal by  Paul  Short,  producer  of 
"Bad  Boy"  and  "Variety  Girl,"  to 
produce  another  film,  tentatively 
titled  "Showman,"  will  be  introduced 
to  the  delegates  tomorrow  by  R.  J. 
O'Donnell,  it  was  learned  here  to- 
night. The  proposed  film,  based  on 
a  story  by  Short  to  appear  in 
Collier's,  would  trace  the  career  of 
a  young  man  who  entered  exhibi- 
tion following  World  War  I  and 
would  incorporate  a  full  history  of 
Variety  Clubs. 


efforts  had  been  put  behind  it.  R.  J. 
O'Donnell,  international  chief  barker, 
spoke  glowingly  of  the  results  ob- 
tained with  the  picture  in  Texas  and 
encouraged  its  vigorous  exploitation 
in  spots  not  yet  covered. 

O'Donnell  paid  tribute  to  Martin 
Quigley,  Charles  E.  Lewis,  of  Show- 
men's Trade  Review,  and  Arthur 
Ungar,  editor  of  the  Hollywood  edi- 
tion of  Daily  Variety,  for  their  stead- 
fast .support  of  VCI  interests  and 
proposed  to  all  chief  barkers  that 
trade  press  representatives  be  made 
associate  members  without  fee. 

Lewis,  who  is  convention  director, 
presented  to  the  delegates  a  proposal 
made  by  Walter  Brooks,  Roundtable 
editor  of  the  Motion  Picture  Herald, 
that  a  petition  be  made  for  the  mint- 
age of  VCI  commemorative  half-dol- 
lars to  be  used  for  fund-raising  pur- 
poses. It  was  referred  to  a  committee. 

Delegates  yesterday  heard  William 
McCraw  report  that  premieres  for 
Allied  Artists'  "Bad  Boy"  have  re- 
turned $115,000,  to  be  used  for  Vari- 
ety Clubs'  charitable  enterprises,  with 
more  premieres  scheduled  to  be  held. 
Approved  was  the  rehabilitation  and 
operation  of  the  Will  Rogers  Memo- 
rial Hospital,  Saranac,  N.  Y. 

McCraw  today  disclosed  that  VCI 
fund-raising  participation  in  motion 
picture  productions  had  netted  more 
than  $400,000  to  date. 

Delegates  from  19  tents  using  talent 
for  benefits  agreed  to  enter  into  the 
International's  blanket  agreement  with 
the  American  Guild  of  Variety  Art- 
'sts,  which  calls  for  contributions  to 
AGVA's  insurance  fund  which  cov- 
ers 34,000  members.  The  agreement 
will  go  into  effect  August  1.  A  pro- 
posal to  increase  dues  for  the  Inter- 
national tent  from  $2  to  $3  annually 
was  passed  unanimously. 


Groucho  Marx  to  CBS 

The  Groucho  Marx  quiz  show, 
"You  Bet  Your  Life,"  now  on  Ameri- 
can Broadcasting,  will  join  CBS  next 
fall.  Elgin-American  will  continue 
sponsorship. 


Thursday,  May  5,  1949 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


5 


IKrim  Resigns 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

til  three  pictures  now  on  the  schedule 
.  and  ready  to  go  have  been  completed, 
unless  a  successor  is  named  before 
that  time. 

Krim,  who  has  been  president  of 
E-L  since  shortly  after  the  company 
was  founded  in  1946,  released  the  fol- 
lowing text  of  his  telegram  of  resig- 
nation to  Purcell : 

'Irreconcilable  Differences' 
"After  much  deliberation  I  have  de- 
cided to  resign  as  president  of  Eagle 
Lion  and  I  am  herewith  tendering  my 
resignation  effective  as  soon  as  a  suc- 
cessor is  designated.  I  have  made  this 
decision  because  of  the  irreconcilable 
differences  which  have  arisen  between 
management  and  ownership. 

"I  feel  that  with  revenues  at  their 
present  high  point  and  with  substan- 
tial backlog,  and  the  studio  about  to 
reopen  with  three  pictures  set  to  go, 
a  sound  groundwork  has  been  laid  for 
the  future  of  Eagle  Lion.  I  wish  the 
company  every  success." 

Krim's  reference  to  the  "irrecon- 
cilable differences  between  manage- 
ment and  ownership"  was  interpreted 
in  the  trade  as  meaning  the  insistence 
of  Robert  R.  Young,  railroad  mag- 
nate and  principal  owner  of  the  com- 
pany, on  dividing  authority  between 
E-L  management  and  his  direct  rep- 
resentatives in  the  company.  Accord- 
ing to  some  sources  this  has  resulted 
in  policy  and  administrative,  decisions 
which  have  been  completely  at  odds 
with  the  views  of  management. 
See  Product  Shortage 
The  E-L  studios  were  closed  last 
November  and  the  company  is  now 
almost  certain  to  feel  a  product  short- 
age in  the  late  summer.  It  has  filled 
in  its  release  schedule  with  J.  Arthur 
Rank's  British  pictures  and  David 
Selznick's  reissues  recently. 

Reportedly  siding  with  management, 
against  Young,  is  Sergei  Semenenko, 
vice-president  and  motion  picture  ad- 
viser of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Boston,  which  has  advanced  an  esti- 
mated $7,500,000  to  E-L,  largely 
through  its  parent,  Pathe  Industries, 
in  recent  years.  Semenenko  has  been 
endeavoring  to  interest  outstanding  in- 
dustry people  in  acquiring  ownership 
of  E-L.  He  is  here  at  present  and  re- 
portedly has  conferred  with  a  group 
said  to  be  headed  by  Sam  Katz,  for- 
mer M-G-M  studio  vice-president  and 
former  head  of  Paramount  Theatres, 
on  bidding  for  E-L.  Conferences  with 
other  interested  principals  are  said  to 
be  in  the  offing,  both  here  and  in  New 
York. 

'President's  Week'  On 

Krim's  resignation  came  at  the  out- 
set of  Eagle  Lion's  current  sales 
drive  in  his  honor.  The  drive  is  known 
as  "President's  Week"  and  is  con- 
tinuing through  Saturday.  William  J. 
Heineman,  E-L  vice-president  and 
sales  manager,  estimated  in  New  York 
yesterday  that  the  company's  business 
for  the  week,  based  on  early  returns, 
will  be  .  approximately  50  per  cent 
higher  than  any  other  week  in  the 
company's  history. 

E-L  has  made  steady  progress  dur- 
ing its  brief  career  as  a  national  pro- 
ducing-distributing  company,  with  the 
credit  going  to  Krim,  Heineman  and 
Max  Youngstein,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  advertising-publicity.  In  its 
second  year  it  was  well  on  the  way 
to  overcoming  early  losses  and  late 
last  year  was  at  the  breakeven  stage. 

Krim  is  an  attorney  and  partner  in 
the  industry  law  firm  of  Phillips, 
Nizer,  Benjamin  &  Krim.  He  served 
as  treasurer  of  National  Screen  Ser- 
vice before  joining  E-L. 


Reviews 


Theatre  Video  Cost 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


"The  Crooked  Way 

(Benedict  Bogeans — United  Artists) 

TWO  saleable  star  names— John  Payne  and  Sonny  Tufts— are  offered  by 
this  Benedict  Bogeaus  production  of  a  broadly  melodramatic  screenplay  by 
Richard  Landau.  It  is  a  picture  which  lends  a  new  twist  to  the  conventional 
antagonisms  that  keep  underworld  bullets  flying.  Payne,  a  war  hero,  re- 
enters civilian  life  with  his  memory  of  the  past  completely  blank  in  conse- 
quence of  head  wounds  received  in  combat.  He  goes  back  to  his  home  city 
determined  to  pick  up  the  threads  of  the  past  and  thus  establish  his  true 
identity.  In  no  time  the  mild  young  man  discovers  that  before  the  war  he 
was  a  flagitious  racketeer  turned  stool-pigeon,  and  that  Tufts,  now  No.  1  man 
of  the  town's  underworld,  is  out  to  settle  a  score  with  him.  Payne  learns  also, 
to  his  great  surprise,  that  he  was  the  husband  of  pretty  Ellen  Drew,  who  since 
has  become  a  hostess  in  Tufts'  gambling  joint. 

Director  Robert  Florey  has  fired  these  ingredients  with  some  sharp  action, 
but  at  times  the  film  waxes  a  bit  static  in  its  reliance  on  dialogue  to  tell 
much  of  the  story.  There  is  a  bang-up  climax,  however,  which  should  satisfy 
audiences  with  the  thrills  at  which  the  title  hints.  In  a  warehouse  surrounded 
by  a  police  cordon  Payne  and  Tufts  engage  in  a  bloody  gun  duel  and  fist 
fight,  and  the  former  emerges  the  victor,  with  police  aid.  Payne,  too,  wins 
again  the  love  of  his  wife  to  whom  he  was  a  pretty  brutal  husband  before 
his  permanent  amnesia  set  in.  Tufts,  hoarse  and  grim,  does  well  in  a  role 
that  is  a  complete  departure  from  his  usual  assignments.  Rhys  Williams  is 
daring  as  a  police  detective,  and  Percy  Helton  contributes  a  good  character- 
ization as  one  of  Tufts'  sycophants.  John  Doucette,  Charles  Evans,  Greta 
Granstedt  and  others  round  out  the  cast.  The  script  was  based  on  a  radio 
play  by  Robert  Monroe. 
.  Running  time,  89  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  April  release. 

Charles  L.  Franke 


"Special  Agent" 

(Pine-Thomas — Paramount) 

PRODUCED  by  William  H.  Pine  and  William  C.  Thomas,  "Special 
Agent"  delves  into  a  field  of  detective  work  which  has  remained  virtually 
untapped  by  motion  pictures :  railroad  policing.  This  film  emerges,  however, 
as  an  undistinguished  cops-and-robbers  affair  patterned  closely  after  the  gen- 
eral run  of  the  genre.  Light  on  names,  "Special  Agent"  will  require  vigorous 
selling  efforts  by  exhibitors  if  it  is  to  give  a  better-than-average  account  of 
itself  on  single  bills. 

William  Eythe  plays  a  young  railroad  agent  who  is  plagued  by  boredom 
in  a  post  where  nothing  seems  to  happen  to  test  his  merit.  Suddenly,  however, 
a  train  hold-up  in  his  sector  gives  him  a  chance  to  pit  his  wits  against  two 
robber  brothers  who  take  to  banditry  to  secure  funds  which  would  enable 
them  to  recoup  family  losses  and  prestige.  Thomas,  directing  from  a  screen 
play  by  Lewis  R.  Foster  and  Whitman  Chambers,  has  given  much  more 
attention  to  keeping  things  moving  than  to  generating  suspense.  Eythe  is 
relentless  in  his  pursuit  of  the  Devereaux  brothers,  played  by  Paul  Valentine 
and  George  Reeves,  and  ultimately  corners  them  in  a  cave  hide-out  exhausted 
and  bitter.  Frank  Puglia  contributes  a  compelling  performance  as  the  broth 
ers'  despairing  grandfather,  while  Laura  Elliot  is  decorative  as  Eythe's 
sweetheart.  Rounding  out  the  cast  are  Carole  Mathews,  Tom  Powers,  Ray 
mond  Bond  and  Walter  Baldwin. 

Running  time,  71  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
July  22.  C.  L.  F 


elusive  of  the  cost  of  external  relay 
quipment,  pickup  cameras,  or  the  ex- 
pense of  installation. 

Sullivan,  who  commented  yesterday 
on  the  costs,  engineering  and  other 
problems  which  TOA  is  weighing  pre- 
paratory to  deciding  whether  to  enter 
the  theatre  television  field  as  an  or- 
ganization, said  TOA  will  recommend 
also  to  SMPE  theatre  video  specialists 
today  at  a  scheduled  meeting  that  the 
latter  organization  embark  on  a  co- 
operative study  with  RCA  involving 
the  equipping  of  theatres  in  a  test  city 
ith  large-screen  television.  If  such 
an  experiment  proved  successful  it 
could  influence  TOA  to  enter  the 
field,  other  factors  such  as  cost  being 
acceptable,  Sullivan  indicated. 

The  TOA  theatre  television  commit- 
tee, headed  by  Mitchell  Wolfson,  met 
here  yesterday  preparatory  to  con- 
ferring today  with  representatives  of 
SMPE,  the  two  organizations  having 
recently  established  an  agreement  to 
work  together  on  theatre  television 
problems.  In  addition  to  Wolfson 
and  Sullivan,  the  meeting  was  attend- 
ed by  Dave  Wallerstein,  S.  H.  Fabian, 
Robert  W.  Coyne,  Walter  Reade,  Jr., 
Stanley  Prenosil,  Leo  Brecher,  John 
Phillips,  Oscar  Doob,  Nate  Halpern 
and  Marcus  Cohen. 


U.  A.  Theatres 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


F-WC  and  is  expected  to  emerge,  with 
these  in  addition  to  a  few  others  de- 
pendent on  which  of  several  alterna- 
tive plans  is  adopted  by  the  board. 
The  actual  split  is  not  expected  before 
several  more  months. 

UATC  board  will  meet  in  New 
York  at  about  the  same  time  with  the 
agenda  said  to  be  comprised  of  only 
routine  administrative  matters. 


GPE's  3-Month  Sales 
Put  at  $6,273,952 

General  Precision  Equipment  and 
subsidiaries  consolidated  net  sales 
amounted  to  $6,273,952  for  the  three 
months  ended  March  31.  This  com- 
pares with  $5,575,884  for  the  corre- 
sponding three  months  of  1948.  Net 
income  for  the  first  quarter  of  1949 
amounted  to  $124,779,  compared  with 
consolidated  net  income  of  $109,505 
for  the  similar  period  of  the  previous 
year. 

Directors  have  declared  a  dividend 
of  25  cents  per  share  on  the  common 
stock  outstanding,  payable  June  15  to 
stockholders  of  record  May  25. 


U.  K.  Takes 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


sentative  here,  is  not  planning  to  call 
a  meeting  of  American  company  man 
agers  in  London,  the  general  opinion 
of  the  trade  here  is  that  the  Wash 
ington  meetings  were  inconclusive  and 
resulted  in  nothing  to  justify  early 
action  by  Wilson. 

This  impression  is  confirmed  by 
hints  from  ,B  of  T  higher-ups  who 
infer  that  nothing  has  transpired  yet 
which  concerns  them.  They  also  em 
phasize  that  any  change  in  the  quota 
law  prior  to  1950  demands  legislation 
which  they  regard  as  most  unlikely 

A  meeting  of  the  British  Film  Pro 
ducers  Association  is   scheduled  for 
next  Wednesday  at  which  time  any 
thing  emanating  from  the  Washington 
meeting  would  come  up  for  action. 


Paramount  Sets  Four 
More  for  Production 

Hollywood,  May  4. — Four  features 
will  be  put  into  production  by  Para 
mount  between  May  23  and  June  16 
They  are :  "I  Married  a  Dead  Man, 
"Where  Men  Are  Men,"  "Let' 
Dance"  and  "Postal  Inspector." 


Theatre  Lobby  TV 
Approved  by  NBC 

Doubts  which  have  troubled  exhibi- 
tors as  to  the  legal  propriety  of  pre- 
senting television  receptions  in  theatre 
lobbies  have  been  dissipated  by  NBC 
in  a  letter  to  Theatre  Owners  of 
America. 

Accepting  lobby  television  on  so- 
called  "home  sets"  as  contributing  to 
the  expansion  of  the  existing  television 
audience,  NBC  has  given  the  practice 
tacit  approval  by  describing  it  as 
'more  akin  to  normal  home  television 
reception  than  to  theatre  television." 
The  network  assured  TOA  that  no 
steps  to  prevent  this  type  of  use" 
have  been  taken  by  NBC.  Denny 
pointed  out  that  theatres  do  not 
charge  for  lobby  video  receptions. 

Following  the  meeting  here  yester- 
day of  the  TOA  television  committee, 
TOA  executive  director  Gael  Sullivan 
and  committee  chairman  Mitchell 
Wolfson  said  NBC's  expressions  of 
opinion  are  the  first  to  come  from  any 
network  on  the  subject. 

Yesterday's  meeting,  Sullivan  re- 
ported, gave  the  video  committee  a 
grasp  of  the  extent  of  the  problems 
that  challenge  large-screen  theatre 
television.  When  the  committee 
meets  today  with  theatre  video  special- 
ists of  the  Society  of  Motion  Picture 
Engineers,  they  will  be  told  that  TOA 
regards  present  theatre  video  equip- 
ment as  "adequate,"  but  views  as  a 
"big  gamble"  the  factors  of  cost  and 
continuity  of  programs. 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
MOTION  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


COMPAN 

NEW  YORK 


MEMBER   FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


THE 


-WORD 


OF  THE  INDUSTRY! 

IT  HAPPENS  EVERY  SPRING/*  THE  BEAUTIFUL  BLONDE  FROM 
BASHFUL  BEND  •  MR.  BELVEDERE  GOES  TO  COLLEGE  •  MOTHER  IS  A 
FRESHMAN  •  HOUSE  OF  STRANGERS  •  Will  James'  SAND  •  CANADIAN 

ICANE  •  YOU'RE  MY  EVERYTHING 
DEN  STREET  •  A  LETTER  TO  THREE 
IN  SHIPS  •  YELLOW  SKY  •  THE  FAN 
E  •  ROAD  HOUSE  *  APARTMENT 
ME  •  GENTLEMAN'S  AGREEMENT 


PACIFIC  •  SLATTERY'S  M! 
THE  SNAKE  PIT  •  THE  F 


WIVES  •  DOWN  TO  THf{ 
WHEN  MY  BABY  SMILI 


FOR  PEGGY  •  STREGPfft 


)) 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  89 


NEW  YORK,   U.S.A.,   FRIDAY,   MAY  6,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


$2,034,000  to 
Welfare  from 
Variety  Clubs 

Expect  an  Increase  of 
$500,000  in  1949-50 

San  Francisco,  May  5. — During 
1948-49  Variety  Clubs  International 
will  spend  $2,034,655  in  welfare  ac- 
tivities through  the  32  tents  in  the 
United  States,  Canada,  and  Mexico. 
Nathan  D.  Golden,  Washington,  D. 
C,  chairman  of  the  Heart  Commit- 
tee, reported  at  the  13th  annual  con- 
vention, being  held  here  this  week. 
This  is  an  increase  of  $14,520  over 
the  pledges  made  last  year  at  the 
convention  in  Miami.  It  is  expected 
that  pledges  for  1949-50  will  go  over 
$2,250,000. 

Through  their  generosity  and  civic 
activities,  the  8,563  members  of  Vari- 
ety, International,  whose  interna- 
tional chief  barker  is  Robert  J. 
O'Donnell  of  Dallas,  aided  more  than 
220,000  people,  90  per  cent  of  whom 
are  children. 

Variety    Clubs'    welfare  activities 

(Continued  on  page  4) 

Granada  Theatres 
To  Scan  U.  S.  Video 


I London,  May  5. — Despite  the  Ex- 
hibitor Association's  recent  pessimistic 
i  report  on  the  practicability  of  theatre 
television  here,  Cecil  Bernstein,  man- 

I aging  director  of  Granada  Theatres, 
Ltd.,  is  en  route  to  New  York  on  the 
[  Queen  Mary  to  examine  the  latest 
American  television  developments  and 
"to  continue  negotiations  already 
started  by  Granada  Theatres." 

Granada  has  applied  for  a  television 
1  station  license  to  transmit  programs  to 
"    its  London  theatres.    The  J.  Arthur 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Harry  Gold  Leaves 
Hughes  Productions 

Harry  Gold,  in  charge  of  sales  for 
Howard  Hughes  Productions,  has  left 
the  company.  His  post  and  the  firm's 
New  York  office  have  been  dispensed 
with.  Gold  had  been  inactive  with  the 
Hughes  unit  since  its  office  here  was 
closed  about  seven  weeks  ago.  How- 
.  ever,  there  were  contractual  commit- 
|   ments  until  this  week,  it  is  understood. 

Originally,    Gold    had  supervision 
i   over  "Vendetta,"  "The  Outlaw"  and 
"Mad    Wednesday,"    which  Hughes 
had  slated  for  release  through  United 
Artists.    However,  when  Hughes  sub- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


TOA  May  Ask  Gov't 
For  Video  Channel 


Theatre  Owners  of  America  yester- 
day took  its  theatre  television  prob- 
lems to  the  Society  of  Motion  Picture 
Engineers  at  a  meeting  between  mem- 
bers of  the  former's  television  com- 
mittee and  SMPE  video  specialists. 
Along  with  inquiries  relating  to 
costs,  techniques,  and  program  con- 
tinuity, SMPE  was  asked  if  a  sound 
and  reasonable  brief  can  be  presented 
to  the  government  for  the  establish- 
ment of  an  exclusive  television  chan- 
nel for  large-screen  use  by  TOA. 

It  was  indicated  following  the  meet- 
ing that  SMPE  would  cooperate  to 
the  best  of  its  ability  toward  "finding 
the  answers"  for  TOA.  The  Society 
is  expected  to  announce  today  exactly 
how  far  it  will  be  able  to  help  the 
TOA.  The  exhibitor  organization  has 
completed  a  number  of  studies  of  its 
own  to  determine  the  nature  of  the 
problems  which  have  delayed  wide- 
spread use  of  large-screen  television 
in  theatres. 


Para.  Video  Status 
Under  Decree  Asked 


Washington,  May  5. — Paramount 
today  told  the  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission  that  the  reorgani- 
zation approved  by  its  stockholders 
did  away  with  any  possibility  that  its 
subsidiaries  should  be  denied  television 
stations  because  of  anti-trust  law  vio- 
lations. 

Outlining  the  reorganization,  a  brief 
filed  by  Duke  Patrick  of  Hogan  and 
Hartson    declared    that    when  "this 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Retirement  Rumors 
Spiked  by  Zukor; 
Not  Quitting  Post 


Adolph  Zukor  will  continue  on  the 
job  until  his  health  gives  out  and 
from  all  appearances  that's  not  likely 
to  be  for  a  long  time.  The  Paramount 
board  chairman,  in  good  spirits  and 
apparently  in  good  health,  yesterday 
put  the  quietus  on  rumors  that  he  in- 
tends to  resign,  reporting  there  is  "no 
basis  for  them"  and  branding  the  re- 
ports as  "unfair  and  completely  with- 
out any  authorization  at  all." 

Zukor's  post  with  the  new  Para- 
mount Pictures  Co.,  upon  its  forma- 
tion with  the  reorganization  of  the 
corporation,  is  uncertain,  he  said, 
pointing  out  that  election  of  officers 
will  be  the  duty  of  the  new  board  of 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


FCC's  'Freeze'  on 
Video  Is  Extended 


Columbus,  O.,  May  5. — Federal 
Communications  Commission  Chair- 
man Wayne  Coy  admitted  here  today 
that  he  had  been  too  optimistic  about 
how  soon  the  FCC  could  lift  the  tele- 
vision "freeze,"  and  said  that  "per- 
haps" it  could  be  done  now  in  another 
three  or  four  months. 

When  the  freeze  was  ordered  last 
September,  Coy  said  it  would  be  lifted 
in  six  to  nine  months.  Recently,  he 
pushed  the  date  back  to  July  1,  and 
now,  apparently,  it  will  be  August  or 
September  at  the  earliest  before  the 
freeze  is  lifted. 

Coy  also  backed  down  slightly  on 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


U.  S.  May  Defer  Taxes 
On  Frozen  Earnings 


Industry  C  ommended 
For  Its  Aid  Abroad 

Washington,  May  5.— "The 
American  motion  picture  in- 
dustry, by  its  attempt  to  mir- 
ror the  daily  living  problems 
of  the  American  people,  has 
acted  as  a  super  salesman  for 
Americanism  at  home  and 
abroad,"  stated  Rep.  Isadore 
Dollinger  (R.,  N.  Y.)  today  on 
the  floor  of  Congress  in  cit- 
ing Darryl  F.  Zanuck,  20th- 
Fox  vice-president,  and  his 
production  of  "Pinky"  and 
other  20th-Fox  films. 


Washington,  May  5.— The  U.  S. 
Treasury  is  understood  to  be  consid- 
ering the  deferment  of  Federal  income 
taxes  _  on  frozen  foreign  earnings  of 
American  motion  picture  and  other 
firms  until  the  income  is  eventually  re- 
leased for  remittance  to  this  country. 
Film  companies  are  probably  affected 
the  most  by  tax  payments  on  frozen 
funds  and  their  representatives  have 
repeatedly  complained  of  what  they 
describe  as  the  unfairness  of  the 
Treasury's  insistency  that  they  pay  in- 
come taxes  here  on  such  funds. 

Under  present  rules — upheld  in  Fed- 
eral courts — the  Treasury  is  entitled, 
in  most  instances,  to  demand  some  in- 
come taxes  on  this  frozen  foreign  pa- 
per money,  even  though  the  taxpayer 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Distributors 
Seek  a  Music 
Fee  Formula 


Ascap  Decision  Prompts 
Copyright  Men  to  Action 

The  producer-distributors'  copy- 
right specialists  have  launched  here 
an  intensive  inquiry  into  possible 
new  methods  of  paying  for  music 
performing  rights  in  light  of  Federal 
Judge  Vincent  L.  Leibell's  recent  de- 
cision outlawing  collection  from  thea- 
tres of  a  performance  fee  for  Ascap 
music  in  films. 

Although  the  copyright  men,  in 
company  with  distribution  attorneys, 
already  have  held  a  number  of  meet- 
ings in  their  attempt  to  arrive  at  a 
new  compensation  formula,  they  have 
yet  to  come  up  with  a  suggestion  that 
can  be  translated  into  an  agreement. 
A  representative  of  one  of  the  compa- 
nies said  yesterday  that  the  meetings 
are  still  in  the  "conversation  stage." 

Next  conference  will  be  held  within 
two  weeks.  Meanwhile,  those  connect- 
ed with  the  meetings  are  looking  into 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Griffith  Case  Differs 
From  Para.:  Vaught 

Oklahoma  City,  May  5.— -Griffith 
anti-trust  case  differs  from  the  Para- 
mount case  because  distributors  are 
not  parties  to  it,  U.S.  District  Judge 
Edgar  S.  Vaught  said  here  today. 

Vaught,  trying  the  Griffith  mandate 
case,  agreed  with  defense  attorney 
C  B.  Cochran,  who  pointed  out  that 
the  Court's  eventual  "order  here  is  not 
going  to  tie  the  distributor." 

"Whatever  we  do,"  said  the  judge, 
"is  going  to  have  to  be  directed  inso- 
far as  it  can  be  done,  to  prevent  Grif- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Jack  Warner  Names 
Committee  for  UJW 

Hollywood,  May  5. — Formation  of 
a  special  gifts  committee  to  aid  the 
motion  picture  industry  local  division 
in  attaining  its  quota  for  the  United 
Jewish  Welfare  Fund  campaign  was 
announced  today  by  Jack  L.  Warner, 
campaign  president,  and  Henry  Gins- 
berg, division  chairman. 

The  committee  will  be  composed  of 
Samuel  J.  Briskin,  Harry  Cohn,  Wil- 
liam Goetz,  William  Gordon,  Abe 
Lastfogel,  Louis  B.  Mayer,  Dore 
Schary,  Joseph  H.  Schenck,  David  O. 
Selznick,  Leo  Spitz  and  Harry  M. 
Warner. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  May  6,  1949 


Ia.-Neb.  Allied  Votes 
Discipline  for  Stars 

Des  Moixes,  May  5. — Members  of 
the  Iowa-Xebraska  Allied  Indepen- 
dent Theatre  Owners  today  voted  in 
favor  of  the  "Finneran  plan."  which 
calls  for  disciplinary  action  against 
"erring"'  stars.  The  resolution,  pro- 
posed by  the  directors  and  adopted 
unanimously,  was  an  outgrowth  of 
complaints  made  to  members  by  pa- 
trons concerning  entanglements  of  In- 
grid  Bergman  and  Rita  Hayworth. 

The  convention,  attended  by  some 
200  exhibitors,  elected  22  members  to 
the  board  of  directors,  which  in  turn 
elected  the  following  officers : 

Leo  F.  Wolcott,  Eldora,  la.,  board 
chairman;  A.  C.  Myrick.  Lake  Park, 
la.,  president;  J.  P.  Lannan,  West 
Point,  Xeb.,  vice-president ;  Elmer 
Huhnke,  Omaha,  treasurer  for  Ne- 
braska ;  T.  J.  Evans,  Clinton,  la., 
treasurer  for  Iowa ;  Charles  Xiles, 
Anamosa,  la.,  national  director.  All 
except  Huhnke  were  re-elected  ;  Huhn- 
ke's  job  is  new. 

Wolcott.  in  closing  the  convention, 
urged  theatre  owners  to  put  television 
lounges  in  their  theatres  if  it  threat- 
ens as  a  competitor.  He  said  this 
would  help  wear  off  the  novelty  of 
television.  The  next  convention  will 
be  held  in  Omaha  during  May,  1950. 


Personal  Mention 


Cite  Charities  Com.; 
Brewer  New  Head 

Hollywood,  Mav  5. — For  raising 
SI 0.000.000  for  charity  funds  since 
1942  a  certificate  of  appreciation  ad- 
dressed to  the  Permanent  Charities 
Committee  of  the  Motion  Picture  In- 
dustry and  the  thousands  of  industry- 
workers  who  have  supported  it  was 
presented  to  the  committee's  retiring 
president.  George  Marshall,  by  Paul 
K.  Yost,  president  of  the  Community 
Welfare  Federation  of  Los  Angeles 
here  today. 

Roy  M.  Brewer,  IATSE  interna- 
tional vice-president,  was  unanimously 
elected  president  of  the  Permanent 
Committee,  with  Edward  Arnold,  ex- 
ecutive vice-president  and  treasurer, 
and  Regis  Toomey,  secretary",  both  re- 
elected. 


Miss  O'Brien  at  Rivoli 

As  part  of  the  industry's  "Oppor- 
tunity Treasury  Bond  Drive,"  May  15 
through  June  30,  Margaret  O'Brien 
will  be  at  the  Rivoli  Theatre  here  to- 
day at  noon  selling  bonds.  The  thea- 
tre will  hold  a  bond  premiere  of  U-I's 
"One  W  oman's  Story"  on  May  17, 
according  to  Montague  Salmon,  man- 
aging director  of  the  house.  Admission 
will  be  by  purchase  of  a  bond  only. 


To  Film  Pilgrimage 

Hollywood.  May 5— Ralph  Ravens- 
croft,  former  Paramount  publicist,  is 
forming  a  corporation  with  S.  A. 
Schwartz  and  J.  Ernest  Bass  to  make 
a  feature  film  of  the  -annual  summer 
Hollywood  Bowl  Pilgrimage  Play. 

Joseph  Kennedy,  59 

Halifax,  N.  S.,  May  5.— Joseph 
Kennedy,  59.  former  actor  and  a  mem- 
ber of  a  film  company  here  in  the 
early  days  of  the  industry,  died  today. 


HAL  WALLIS,  of  Wallis-Hazen 
Productions,  left  here  yesterday 
for  Hollywood. 

• 

Helen  Hl-ber,  cashier  at  Para- 
mount's  Buffalo  exchange,  who  will 
become  a  member  of  the  company's 
25-Year  Club  next  Friday,  will  leave 
Buffalo  on  May  21  for  a  vacation  at 
Pasadena,  Cal. 

• 

Howard  Higley,  manager  of  War- 
ners' Allen  Theatre  at  Cleveland,  has 
become  the  father  of  his  first  child. 
Linda  Jean,  born  at  the  Lakeside 
Hospital. 

• 

Miltox  Harris,  for  many  years 
publicity  director  for  Loew's  theatres 
at  Cleveland,  has  been  appointed 
manager  of  the  new  Roundup  Theatre,' 
Denver. 

• 

William  Hutt,  formerly  with  Na- 
tional Theatre  Supply,  Atlanta,  has 
been  appointed  Southeastern  sales 
manager  for  Southeastern  Theatre 
Supply  and  Equipment. 

• 

Harold  Hexdee.  RKO  Radio  re- 
search director,  will  speak  today  be- 
fore the  state  convention  of  the  Indi- 
ana Endorsers  of  Photoplays,  at  Fort 
Wayne. 

• 

F.  J.  A.  McCarthy,  Universal-In- 
ternational Southern  and  Canadian 
sales  manager,  will  leave  here  over  the 
weekend  for  Charlotte. 

• 

B.  E.  Addy  and  Mrs.  Addy,  of  At- 
lanta, have  assumed  operation  of  the 
Shell  Theatre  at  Shellman,  Ga. 
• 

Joel  Levy,  Loew's  out-of-town 
booker,  will  leave  here  today  for  a 
Miami  vacation. 

• 

L.  J.  Kaufman,  Warner  Theatres 
executive,  left  here  yesterday  for 
Pittsburgh  and  Cleveland. 

• 

Jimmy  Duraxte  has  returned  to  the 
Coast  from  Xew  York. 


XT  DWARD  I.  CHEYFITZ,  assist- 
ant  to  Eric  Johnston,  president 
of  the  motion  Picture  Association  of 
America,  will  address  the  Catholic 
Committee  of  the  South  on  May  11 
at  Lexington,  Ky. 

m 

Marie  Glrolami,  daughter  of  Lons 
Girolami,  Movietone  Xews  sound  en- 
gineer, will  be  married  to  Giuseppe 
de  Stefano,  Metropolitan  Opera  ten- 
or, on  May  23  at  St.  Patrick's  Cathe- 
dral here. 

• 

George  H.  Beeston,  president  of 
General  Theatres  Investment  Co., 
Ltd.,  Toronto,  has  been  elected  a  di- 
rector of  the  United  Amusement 
Corp.,  Ltd.,  Montreal,  succeeding  the 
late  D.  Allen  Murray. 

• 

Sam  Bonansinga  of  IATSE  Local 
No.  323,  Springfield,  III,  has  been 
elected  to  a  fifth  consecutive  term  as 
president  of  the  Springfield  Federation 
of  Labor. 

• 

Scott  R.  Dunlap,  studio  assistant 
to  Steve  Broidy,  Monogram  president, 
has  returned  to  Hollywood  from  New 
Orleans. 

• 

Philip  A.  Waxman,  Broadway 
stage  producer,  left  here  yesterday  for 
London  to  confer  in  England  on  a  film 
deal. 

• 

Michael  Kaplan,  head  of  Sight- 
master  Corp.,  has  been  elected  presi- 
dent of  the  Television  Manufacturers 
Association. 

• 

Jack  Mullen,  secretary  of  IATSE 
Local  No.  516,  Chester,  Pa.,  has  been 
elected    president    of    the  Delaware 
County  Central  Labor  Union. 
• 

Carter  T.  Barron,  Loew's  Eastern 
division  manager,  has  been  elected  a 
director  of  the  Washington  Board  of 
Trade. 

• 

Herman  Ripps,  M-G-M  assistant 
Eastern  sales  manager,  is  in  Boston 
from  New  York. 


Overseas  Program 
Aids  U.  S.  Position 

Washington,  May  5. — Secretary  of 
State  Dean  Acheson  said  here  todav 
that  the  State  Department's  overseas 
information  program,  which  features 
American  motion  pictures  as  one  me- 
dium, is  "beginning  to  pay  significant 
dividends  in  our  foreign  relations," 
and  that  the  world  situation  made  it 
imperative  that  the  objectives  of  U.  S. 
foreign  policy  be  clearly  and  widelv 
understood  abroad. 

Acheson  made  the  statement  in  re- 
questing the  Senate  Appropriation^ 
Committee  to  restore  $2,00,000  cut  by 
the  House  from  the  1949-50  budget  of 
the  Department's  information  and  edu- 
cational activities.  The  Department 
had  asked  $36,000,000,  but  the  House 
voted  onlv  $34,000,000. 


Stars  To  Troupe  for 
U.  S.  Bond  Drive 

Hollywood,  May  5. — Three  troupes 
of  Hollywood  stars  will  spark  the 
opening  of  the  U.  S.  Treasury's 
"Opportunity  Savings  Bond  Drive," 
Dore  Schary,  Hollywood  bond  com- 
mittee chairman,  has  announced.  One 
group  will  participate  in  a  pre-drive 
meeting  at  Washington  on  May  13, 
with  individuals  fanning  out  for  ap- 
pearances in  New  York.  Boston  and 
Philadelphia.  Another  group  will  be 
on  hand  for  the  opening  on  May  15 
at  Kansas  City,  then  covering  other 
Midwest  and  Southern  cities. 

Participating  will  be  George  Jessel, 
Larry  Parks.  Betty  Garrett.  Lisbeth 
Scott,  Jean  Hersholt.  Dennis  Morgan. 
Alexis  Smith,  Craig  Stevens  and  Dan 
Daile3r. 


K.  C.  Repeals  Curfew 

Kaxsas  City,  May  5.— The  City 
Council  here  has  repealed  the  curfew 
law,  saying  it  was  neither  needed  nor 
enforced. 


Commonwealth  Sets 
Three  New  Drive-Ins 

Kansas  City,  May  5.  —  Common- 
wealth Theatres  will  open  three  new 
drive-ins  within  the  next  few  weeks, 
it  was  disclosed  here  as  J.  A.  Braun- 
agle,  director  of  drive-in  operations 
for  the  circuit,  announced  the  appoint- 
ment of  managers  for  two  of  the  open- 
air  theatres. 

New  drive-in  at  Sedalia,  Mo., 
opened  there  last  week  and  will  be 
managed  by  Edward  Kirk.  Robert 
V\  alters  will  run  the  one  at  Colum- 
bia, Mo.,  due  to  open  May  20.  The 
third  is  scheduled  to  open  earlv  in 
June  at  Lawrence,  Kan. 


Set  "I A"  District  Meet 

Chattanooga,  Mav  5.  —  Twenty- 
first  convention  of  IATSE  locals  of 
the  seventh  district  will  be  held  at  the 
Hotel  Patten,  here  on  June  20-21,  it 
is  announced  by  international  trustee 
R.  E.  Morris,  who  is  also  district  sec- 
retarv. 


Postpone  Realart  Meet 

Realart  board  meetings,  scheduled  to 
start  here  yesterday,  have  been  post- 
poned to  an  undetermined  day  next 
week. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — 

Rockefeller  Center 
BING  CROSBY 
■  Rhonda    FLEMING     -     Win.    BENDIX  • 
Sir  Cedrlc  HARDWICKE 

"A  CONNECTICUT  YANKEE 

In    King  Arthur's  Court" 

Color   by  Technicolor 
A   Paramount  Picture 
i  SPECTACULAR   STAGE  PRESENTATION 


GLENN^FORD 

U/tDiRWiR 
NIMH 

.mNINA  FOCH 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER,  Wetf%S^ay 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Releaaa 


CLIFTON  WEBB   -  SHIRLEY  TEMPLE 

"MR.  BELVEDERE  ^5  COLLEGE" 

A  20th  Century-Fox  Picture 

ON   VARIETY   STAGE  — VIVIAN  BLAINE 
LEO  DE  LYON  -  MCCARTHY  &  FARRELL 
On  Ice  Stage — The  ROOKIES  -  Joan  HYLDOFT 
7th  Ave.  S. 
50th  St  ^= 


ROXY 


pnX  (  ,,  Eait°r;  Martin  Quigley.  Jr..  Associate  Editor.    Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 

;„U  v-  C?ter-'^ewJork  20'  N-  Y-    Telephone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 

r,,c  fcr  £•"  re,S!dePt;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 

TT,W  t?  i  Productl°n.  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
urDen  t  arley,  ^Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 


Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatrel  ^nd  Theatre   Sale?    elrh  ^mS?^  ^anaSer.  peter  Burnup.  Editor:  cable  address.  "Quigpubco,  London 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.    Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept    23    1938    at  th.  nn«f  „<sP     ♦  \id  13v  tlmes  a  Jear  as  a  action  of  Motion  Picture  Herald:  International 
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Friday,  May  6,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Reviews 


"The  Forbidden  Street" 

(20th  Century^Fox) 

PRODUCER  William. Perlberg's  celluloid  version  of  the  Margery  Sharp 
novel,  "Britannia  Mews,"  portrays  in  somewhat  grotesque  terms  the  slum 
life  of  late  19th  century  London.  It  is  a  film  wherein  "atmosphere"  domi- 
nates, with  such  drama  elements  as  narrative,  action,  conflict  and  pace  sub- 
ordinated to  mood  and  setting.  The  mood  is  somber,  for  the  most  part,  and 
the  major  setting  is  the  cobblestoned,  unkempt  quarter  of  the  city,  where 
horses  are  stabled  and  impoverished  folk  live  in  intimate  squalor.  The  story 
is  about  a  young  woman  of  family  and  breeding  who  is  attracted  to  this  mews 
by  a  vague  fascination,  and  eventually  goes  there  to  live  with  a  worthless, 
drunkard  artist  whom  she  marries  against  her  parents'  wishes.  Her  efforts 
to  stimulate  her  husband  to  work  and  ambition  serve  to  change  to  scorn 
what  little  love  he  had  for  her.  He  dies  in  a  fall  following  an  argument 
with  her,  and  the  girl  continues  to  live  in  the  mews  in  the  blackmailing  grip 
of  a  weird  old  hag,  played  in  robust  caricature  by  Dame  Sybil  Thorndike. 

The  principal  roles  are  filled  with  reasonable  conviction  by  Dana  Andrew-s 
and  Maureen  O'Hara,  whose  marquee  draw  should  mark  this  interestingly- 
titled  picture  for  satisfactory  returns  in  nearly  all  situations,  with  acceptance 
likely  to  be  best  in  metropolitan  areas.  Jean  Negulesco,  directing  from  a 
script  by  Ring  Lardner,  Jr.,  has  made  the  most  of  the  picture's  few  touches 
of  mild  humor.  The  film  develops  a  lightened  tone  toward  the  end  when 
Miss  O'Hara  acquires  a  boarder  who  closely  resembles  her  late  husband, 
although  unlike  the  former  he  wears  no  beard.  In  fact,  Andrews  plays  both 
roles.  Prevented  by  circumstances  beyond  their  control  from  marrying,  they 
occupy  separate  quarters  in  the  same  house  in  the  mews,_  but  are  able  to 
marry  ultimately.  Meanwhile,  by  their  joint  efforts  they  bring  themselves  to 
fortune  and  distinction.  The  sizeable  cast  also  includes  Fay  Compton,  A.  W. 
Matthews,  Diane  Hart,  Ann  Butchart,  Wilfred  Hyde  White,  Anthony  Tan- 
cred  and  others. 

Running  time,  91  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  June  release. 

Charles  L.  Franke 


"The  Big  Cat" 

(Moss — Eagle-Lion) 

A HUNT  for  a  cougar  that  has  been  preying  on  livestock  provides  "The 
Big  Cat"  with  its  central  appeal.  Many  dramatic  elements  make  it  a  rea- 
sonably interesting  film  in  a  formula  groove.  It  has  the  benefit  of  Technicolor 
and  a  cast  headed  by  Lon  McCallister,  Peggy  Ann  Garner  and  Preston 
Foster.  Rural  communities  should  react  especially  to  the  the  picture. 

The  screenplay,  by  Morton  Grant  and  Dorothy  Yost,  is  set  in  the  mountain 
area  of  the  West  in  the  depression  year  of  1932.  When  young  McCallister 
arrives  in  the  drought-ridden  community  following  his  mother's  death,,  he 
finds  a  fierce  feud  between  his  mother's  brother,  Forrest  Tucker,  and  her 
former  sweetheart,  Foster.  Between  this  feud  and  the  search  for  the  deadly 
mountain  lion,  McCallister  is  almost  too  busy  to  note  the  affectionate  glances 
of  Miss  Garner.  Because  of  McCallister' s  neglect  with  a  rifle,  Foster  is 
clawed  to  death  by  the  lion.  There  follows  McCallister' s  vengeance  on  the 
animal  and  the  resultant  happy  ending.  It  was  produced  by  William  Moss 
and  directed  by  Phil  Karlson.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Skip  Homeier  and  Sara 
Haden.  The  story  was  by  Morton  Grant. 

Running  time,  75  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  April  release. 

Mandel  Herbstman 


"Rimfire" 

(Lippert — Screen  Guild) 

THE  double  task  of  recovering  a  stolen  shipment  of  United  States  gold 
and  getting  to  the  bottom  of  a  series  of  mysterious  murders  falls  to  James 
Millican  in  "Rimfire."  The  production  has  greater  plot  development  than  the 
usual  Western,  and  as  such  stands  up  rather  well.  Others  in  the  cast  include 
Mary  Beth  Hughes,  Reed  Hadley,  Henry  Hull  and  Fuzzy  Knight. 

The  customary  amount  of  fisticuffs  and  shooting  fill  out  the  picture.  Upon 
his  arrival  in  a  little  Western  community,  where  the  mortality  rate  is  scan- 
dalously high,  Millican  is  made  a  deputy.  There  follow  his  attempts  to 
ferret  out  the  evil  mastermind,  which  after  several  frustrations,  lead  to  the 
sheriff  himself.  With  the  town  thus  cleansed  of  its  villainy,  Millican  proceeds 
to  take  Miss  Hughes  as  his  bride. 

As  editor  of  the  local  paper,  Hull  snoops  about  in  old  journalistic  fashion, 
while  Knight,  as  Millican's  aide,  provides  some  patternized  laughs.  A  Lippert 
production,  it  was  produced  by  Ron  Ormond  and  directed  by  B.  Reeves 
Eason.  The  original  screenplay  was  by  Arthur  St.  Clair  and  Frank  Wisbar. 
Running  time,  64  minutes.  General  audience  classification. 

M.B. 


Peru  and  Sweden 
Revise  Censorship 


Washington,   May  5. — Peru  and 
Sweden  are  overhauling  their  censor- 
ship set-ups,  according  to  a  Commerce 
Department    report    by    film  chief 
Nathan  D.  Golden. 
The  Swedish  Minister  of  Education 
'  has  appointed  a  special  committee  to 
investigate  Swedish  censorship  and  the 
question  of  producing   Swedish  pic- 
tures.   Among  the  subjects  the  com- 
mittee will  study  is  the  possibility  of 
establishing  a  special  reviewing  coun- 
1  til  of  parent  and  teacher  groups,  to 
work  with  the  Censorship  Board. 

In   Peru,    all   previous  censorship 
measures  have  been  abrogated  and  a 
new  structure  established.     The  new 
decree  prohibits  showing  of  'immoral" 
films,  pictures  which  may  cause  social 
disturbances,  pictures  which  are  con- 
trary to  patriotic  sentiments,  and  those 
j  which   may    "injure    the   dignity  of 
other  nations." 
The  new  Peru  decree  also  specifies 
-  that  minors  will  not  be  allowed  to 
!  attend  films  which  are  "harmful  _  to 
I  their  spiritual  formation."  The  exhibi- 
|  tion  of  trailers  or  synopses  of  films 
'  which  have  not  yet  been  cleared  by 
1  the  censors  is  also  banned. 

RKO  Plans  Video 
Ads  in  Four  Cities 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  May  5. — Television 
stations  in  four  cities  will  be  used  to 
promote  the  premiere  of  RKO's  "The 
Great  Joe  Young,"  Terry  Turner, 
RKO  exploitation  director,  told  exhibi- 
tors attending  a  luncheon  following  a 
■  preview  here  today  of  the  picture, 
which  will  be  released  July  13. 

Schenectady,  Buffalo,  Boston  and 
New  Haven  are  the  sites  of  the  stations 
which  will  be  used  to  present  trailers 
of  the  picture,  Turner  said.  G.  Emer- 
son Markham,  manager  of  the  four 
General  Electric  video  stations,  also 
spoke  at  the  luncheon  and  observed 
that  no  one  in  the  area  has  yet  used 
TV  to  stimulate  theatre  attendance. 

Foreign  Heads  C  onfer 
Here  on  So.  America 

Conditions  in  South  America, 
Ecuador  particularly,  was  the  princi- 
pal subject  discussed  at  a  meeting  here 
yesterday  of  the  foreign  managers  at 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America.  The  managers  are  expected 
to  meet  again  soon  to  discuss  the  earn- 
ings restriction  situation  in  South 
Africa. 

Yesterday's  meeting  was  presided 
over  by  John  McCarthy,  managing  di- 
rector of  MPAA's  international  divi- 
sion. 


Six  for  'Adults  Only' 

Chicago,  May  5. — Six  films  were 
placed  in  the  "adult  only"  classifica- 
tion during  April  by  the  Chicago 
police  censor  board.  They  are :  "Ed- 
ward, My  Son,"  M-G-M  ;  "Too  Late 
for  Tears"  and  "The  Crooked  Way," 
United  Artists ;  "Vampire,"  Italian- 
Continental,  "Bells  of  the  Old  City" 
and  "Incorrigible,"  Swedish. 


Lux  Imports  in  16mm. 

All  imports  of  Lux  Films  will  be 
ultimately  reduced  to  16mm.,  with 
English  titles,  it  was  announced  by 
Bernard  Jacon,  production  vice-presi- 
dent, with  the  Italian  pictures, 
"Eternal  City"  and  "Professor,  My 
Son,"  the  first  to  be  completed. 


Denver  Leading  as 
Depinet  Drive  Ends 

RKO  Radio's  Denver  exchange  con- 
tinues to  hold  first  place  at  the  end  of 
the  19th  week  of  the  1949  Ned  Depi- 
net Drive,  as  of  April  28.  Charlotte 
is  second,  with  Sioux  Falls  and  Atlan- 
ta in  that  order.  Walter  Branson's 
Western  division  leads  with  Canada 
first  among  the  districts,  the  latter 
headed  by  L.  M.  Devaney.  The  drive 
covered  20  weeks,  ending  yesterday. 


Mankiewicz  Wins 
Directors  Award 

Hollywood,  May  5. — Joseph  Man- 
kiewicz was  named  winner  of  the 
Screen  Directors  Guild's  quarterly 
award  for  his  direction  of  "Letter  to 
Three  Wives." 

Previous  quarterly  winners  were 
Fred  Zinneman,  Howard  Hawks  and 
Anatole  Litvak.  One  of  the  four  will 
be  chosen  by  ballot  to  receive  the 
Guild's  first  annual  award  on  May  22. 


Griffith  Case 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

fith  from  exercising  its  circuit  buying 
power  to  the  detriment  of  its  indi- 
vidual competitors.  That  is  the  issue 
before  this  Court — what  we're  going 
to  do  as  to  Griffith,  not  as  to  the  dis- 
tributors, and  we  are  going  to  do  the 
best  we  can." 

Vaught  disagreed  with  government 
attorney  George  Wise,  who  said  dis- 
tributors should  use  a  double  stand- 
ard in  dealing  with  independents  and 
circuits  such  as  the  Griffith  chain. 
Wise  complained  that  distributors  do 
not  give  independents  a  chance  to  buy, 
except  product  which  Griffith  does  not 
want.  On  the  other  hand,  he  said, 
distributors  have  in  some  cases  stopped 
doing  business  with  independent  cus- 
tomers when  Griffith  moved  in  to 
compete. 

"Under  your  theory,  they  would 
have  a  right  to  do  that,  would  they 
not,  if  they  could  get  a  better  price?" 
Vaught  asked. 

"I  think  you  have  to  apply  a  differ- 
ent measure  to  a  monopoly  situation 
than  you  do  to  an  independent,"  said 
Wise. 

"They  could  hardly  be  expected  to 
hold  a  primary  in  every  town  to  de- 
termine which  one  was  the  best  pur- 
chaser," Vaught  replied. 


Gold  Leaves  Hughes 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

sequently  acquired  control  of  RKO  he 
switched  the  three  films  to  that  com- 
pany in  a  deal  with  UA  which  is  now 
near  consummation. 

Negotiations  of  the  UA  transaction 
were  begun  last  September  and  since 
that  time  Hughes  Productions  has  had 
no  product  for  release.  Company's 
other  properties  include  "Hell's  An- 
gels" and  "The  Front  Page." 

Alec  Moss,  who  had  been  advertis- 
ing-publicity director  of  Hughes  Pro- 
ductions, is  now  with  Motion  Picture 
Sales  Corp.,  where  he  has  charge  of 
sales,  bookings  and  promotion  of 
"Sins  of  Our  Fathers,"  Canadian- 
made -hygiene  production. 

Gold  could  not  be  reached  for  com- 
ment on  his  plans. 


Asks  FCC  to  Reconsider 

Washington,  May  5. — United  De- 
troit Theatres  Corp.  has  told  the 
Federal  Communications  Commission 
that  its  status  as  an  applicant  for  a 
Detroit  television  station  had  been 
changed  completely  as  a  result  of  the 
Paramount  consent  decree  and  reor- 
ganization, and  that  the  Commission 
should  reconsider  its  decision  throwing 
out  United's  application. 


Plan  Area  Improvements 

Kansas  City,  May  5. — Representa- 
tives of  the  RKO  Missouri  Theatre, 
local  house  now  being  remodeled,  met 
with  property  owners  and  merchants 
yesterday  to  discuss  plans  for  improve- 
ment of  the  area  in  preparation  for 
the  opening  scheduled  for  July.  Pav- 
ing and  lighting  improvements  were 
announced,  with  other  nearby  business 
concerns  planning  modernization. 


Harry  Gaffney  Expands 

Kansas  City,  May  5. — Harry 
Gaffney,  formerly  with  Warner 
Brothers,  lately  branch  manager  for 
Monogram,  who  bought  an  interest  in 
Screen  Guild  of  Kansas  City  last  fall, 
has  now  acquired  the  entire  owner- 
ship from  Julian  King  Enterprises. 
King  Enterprises  also  operate  in  Des 
Moines  and  Omaha. 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Friday,  May  6,  194$ 


Variety  Clubs 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


are  varied  and  unique,  ranging  from 
the  adoption  of  young  children  to 
the  operation  of  boys'  camps,  main 
tenance  of  hospitals,  boys'  clubs  and 
the  showing  of  films  to  shut-ins  at 
institutions. 

The  "Mother  Tent",  in  Pittsburgh 
where  Variety  Clubs  were  founded 
in  1927,  continues  its  support  of  the 
Roselia  Foundling  Home  and  Camp 
O'Connell.  Cincinnati,  too,  supports 
a  Variety  foundling  home.  Spastic 
children  are  the  main  interest  of  the 
showmen  of  St.  Louis.  The  Detroit 
Tent,  as  well  as  many  others,  makes 
thf  fight-on-cancer  their  chief  hu 
manitarian  effort.  A  cerebral  palsy 
clinic  is  Buffalo's  "heart"  interest, 
while  Albany  maintains  a  Variety 
Club  Boys'  Camp  for  underprivileged 
children. 

Coast  to  Coast 

The  Boston  Tent  which  raised 
more  than_  $300,000  through  _  its 
"Jimmy"  drive  to  create  the  Variety 
Clubs  of  New  England  Children's 
Cancer  Research  Foundation,  and  on 
the  other  side  of  the  continent  the 
Los  Angeles  Club  erected  and  opened 
a  $200,000  Variety  Boys'  Club  so 
that  youngsters  may  enjoy  proper 
environment  and  guidance. 

Toronto  is  building  "Variety  Vil- 
lage" at  an  equipment  cost  of  $400,- 
000.  This  village  will  be  a  vocational 
training  school  for  crippled  children. 
Mexico  City  has  had  a  successful 
year  in  its  contributions  to  anti-tuber- 
culosis campaigns,  its  maintenance  of 
orphanage  charities  and  child  hospi- 
tal relief. 

Indianapolis  sponsors  a  Boy  Scout 
Troop  while  in  Washington,  the  club 
is  undertaking  to  build  a  wing  at 
Children's  Hospital.  Miami  has 
peldged  itself  to  operate  a  92-bed 
children's  hospital. 

Texas  Boys'  Ranch 

At  the  University  of  Minnesota, 
there  is  now  under  construction  an 
80-bed  hospital,  to  be  known  as  the 
"Variety  Club  of  the  Northwest 
Heart  Hospital."  A  new  type  of 
camp  is  being  built  by  the  Philadel 
phia  Tent,  the  first  privately-operated 
camp  for  handicapped  children  and 
infantile  paralysis  victims.  The  chief 
"Heart"  interest  of  the  Dallas  Club 
is  the  operation  of  the  Variety  Club 
Boys'  Ranch  at  Coppers  Cove,  that 
is  being  built,  which  when  completed, 
will  represent  an  investment  of  $600,- 
000. 

These  same  humanitarian  efforts  in 
behalf  of  underprivileged  are  to  be 
found  in  the  Variety  Clubs  of  San 
Francisco,  Des  Moines,  Atlanta, 
Houston,  Omaha,  New  York,  Day- 
ton, Baltimore,  Buffalo,  Memphis, 
Columbus,  Oklahoma  City,  Chicago, 
Cleveland,  Grand  Rapids,  Milwaukee, 
Charlotte,  Toledo  and  New  Haven. 


Reviews 


Stampede 

(Allied  Artists)  Hollywood,  May  5. 

\  STURDY  story  of  the  Old  West  filmed  in  Sepia,  "Stampede"  has  as 
1  *■  its  principals  an  exploitable  quartette  made  up  of  Rod  Cameron,  Gale 
Storm,  Johnny  Mack  Brown  and  Don  Castle.  Some  majestic  background 
scenery  further  enhances  the  production.  The  root  of  the  story  is  the  historic 
struggle  between  cattlemen  and  squatters,  and  from  this  root  has  been  de- 
veloped a  tale  of  strong  wills  clashing,  fists  and  bullets  flying,  climaxed  by 
a  stampede  sequence  of  extraordinary  magnitude  and  realism.  Produced  by 
John  C.  Champion  and  Blake  Edwards,  under  personal  supervision  of  Scott 
R.  Dunlap,  and  directed  with  skillful  timing  and  precision  by  Lesley  Selander, 
the  picture  is  richly  stocked  with  ingredients  that  have  become  sure-fire 
box  office. 

Cameron  is  cast  as  the  unyielding  elder  son  of  a  pioneer  rancher  whose 
dying  instruction  was  to  retain  possession  of  his  range  land  at  any  cost 
against  all  contenders,  a  policy  in  which  he  persists  in  defiance  of  laws 
which  have  opened  his  holdings  to  farmers  from  Illinois  and  Indiana  arriving 
by  wagon  train  as  the  picture  opens.  Brown  is  a  powerful  figure  as  the 
sheriff,  torn  between  his  friendship  for  Cameron  and  his  legal  obligations  of 
office,  and  Castle,  as  Cameron's  younger  brother,  gives  a  blithe  note  to  the 
story  until  he  is  shot  down  from  ambush  by  forces  intent  upon  ruining 
Cameron  by  stampeding  his  herds  and  dynamiting  a  dam  depriving  the 
settlers  of  water.  After  that  point  the  story  turns  grim,  with  Cameron  and 
his  enemies  engaging  in  violent  conflict  of  every  description,  ending  with 
Cameron's  decision  to  see  things  the  lawful  way,  which  includes  the  way 
of  Miss  Storm,  a  settler's  daughter  who  has  pitted  her  strength  and  wits 
against  him  and  fallen  in  love  with  him  the  while.  John  Miljan,  Jonathan 
Hale  and  John  Eldredge  are  capably  present  in  supporting  roles.  The  script 
is  by  Champion  and  Hale,  based  on  a  book  by  Edward  Beverly  Mann. 

Running  time,  78  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
not  set. 


Seek  Music  Fee 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


possibilities  individually,  and  there  is 
hope  that  more  suggestions  will  be 
contributed  at  the  next  meeting. 

The  hunt  for  a  generally  acceptable 
formula  is  somewhat  urgent,  since  the 
companies  are  reluctant  to  leave  them- 
selves open  to  charges  by  composers 
that  the  rights  to  music  in  films  have 
not  been  paid  for.  Any  payment  for- 
mula agreed  upon  by  1  producers-dis- 
tributors will  be  added  to  film  rentals 
collected  from  exhibitors. 


May  Defer  Taxes 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Variety  Pledges  Support  of 
Showmen  to  U.  S.  Bond  Drive 

San  Francisco,  May  S. — Variety 
International  chief  barker  Robert 
O'Donnell  of  Dallas  outrightly 
pledged  the  complete  support  of 
America's  showmen  to  U.  S.  Secre- 
tary of  the  Treasury  John  W.  Snyder 
in  the  forthcoming  "Opportunity 
Bond  Drive"  at  the  Humanitarian  din- 
ner last  night  at  the  Palace  Hotel. 
Pledge  was  made  in  response  to  Sny- 
der's address  presenting  the  Humani- 
tarian Award  to  Herbert  Hoover,  in 
the  course  of  which  Snyder  read  a  let- 
ter of  commendation  from  President 
Truman. 

Presentation  by  Snyder  was  fol- 
lowed by  speeches  by  John  H.  Harris, 


"Tucson" 

(20th  Century-Fox)  Hollywood,  May  5. 

A STANDARD  comedy  drama,  the  film  derives  its  title  from  the  home 
city  of  the  University  of  Arizona  which  serves  as  a  setting  for  some 
campus  capers.  Although  the  film  is  by  no  means  distinguished,  it  is  rendered 
palatable  mostly  by  the  presence  of  a  supporting  pair  of  humorous  youngsters 
and  the  scenes  of  baby  Deanna  Wayne. 

In  lieu  of  plot  and  pace,  the  film  resorts  to  a  number  of  forced  situations 
and  other  contrivances,  the  most  annoying  of  which  is  a  prolonged  serio- 
comic feud  between  two  students'  fathers.  Jimmy  Lydon,  a  young  man  of 
proven  talent  in  other  pictures,  is  a  student  who  would  rather  race  his  ranch 
horse  than  study.  His  regeneration  is  somewhat  ingeniously  and  uncon- 
vincmgly  accomplished  by  his  buckling  down  to  work  in  atonement  for  care- 
'essly  blinding  a  fellow  student  during  a  chemistry  experiment. 

Romantic  complications,  not  much  more  convincing,  are  also  thrown  into 
the  story,  with  some  slight  question  raised  as  to  whether  Lydon  may  lose 
Penny  Edwards  to  his  arch  rival  in  the  intercollegiate  rodeo.  Several  stock 
shots  of  bucking  steers  give  a  lift  to  a  rodeo  sequence,  which  does  not  quite 
reach  the  cheering  stage  even  in  its  featured  horse  race  between  the  Bryants 
and  the  Reeves.  Sol  M.  Wurtzel  produced  and  William  Claxton  directed 
from  an  original  screenplay  by  Arnold  Belgard. 

Running  time,  64  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
April  28.  ' 


may  not  be  able  to  convert  it  into 
the  dollars  he  needs  to  pay  the  U.  S. 
tax  collector. 

Treasury  experts  are  now  said  to 
have  worked  out  a  new  regulation  to 
give  these  taxpayers  a  better  break. 
Top  officials  have  the  proposal  under 
study  now.  If  they  approve,  it  would 
be  legal  to  defer  reporting  earnings 
in  foreign  currencies  as  taxable  in- 
come so  long  as  a  foreign  govern- 
ment's rules  make  it  illegal  to  convert 
them  into  U.  S.  dollars.  Taxes  would 
of  course,  have  to  be  paid  eventually 
whenever  the  earnings  could  be  turned 
into  dollars. 


Para.  Video  Status 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


William  McCraw,  Edward  Arnold 
and  Roy  Rogers,  with  the  program 
opened  by  an  unseen  "Voice  of  Varie- 
ty," dramatic  presentation  composed 
and  narrated  by  Lou  Ashe,  barker  of 
local  Tent  No.  32,  and  which  will  be 
distributed  in  recording  form  to  all 
members. 

Today's  business  session  was  devot- 
ed to  reading  "heart"  reports  by  in- 
dividual tents.  The  meeting  adjourned 
early  to  permit  delegates  to  attend  a 
rodeo  at  the  Rowell  Ranch.  The  local 
tent  held  open  house  this  evening. 
Due  to  time  pressure,  presentation  of 
proposal  for  the  production  of  an- 
other Variety-sponsored  feature  pic- 
ture by  Paul  Short,  producer  of  "Bad 
Boy,"  originally  scheduled  for  today, 
was  postponed  for  consideration  to- 
morrow or  at  the  mid-winter  meeting. 


Zukor  Not  Quitting 

 (Contimied  from  page  1 ) 


Granada  Theatres 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Rank  Organization  also  has  applied 
for  a  television  license  and  six  of  its 
London  theatres  are  preparing  for  TV 
reception.  Associated  British  Picture 
Corp.  is  understood  to  be  making  sim- 
ilar arrangements  for  several  of  its 
key  London  theatres. 


directors.  In  any  event,  "I'll  be  here 
(at  his  office)  as  long  as  I  am  capable 
of  it,"  he  said. 

Quality  of  production  will  determine 
the  future  of  the  new  picture  company, 
Zukor  said,  adding  that  the  company's 
completed  films,  those  in  work  and 
the  others  being  prepared,  all  measure 
up  to  high  calibre  levels.  He  was  es- 
pecially enthusiastic  about  Cecil  B 
DeMille's  latest,  "Sampson  and  De- 
lilah, which,  he  said,  is  "a  perfect 
production,  and  efficiently  made  with 
every  production  dollar  spent  repre- 
sented on  the  screen  in  entertainment 
value." 

It  is  understood  that  negative  costs 
for  the  new  DeMille  picture  amounted 
to  about  $2,500,000  which,  for  DeMille 
is  said  not  to  be  a  big  budget 


program  is  completed,  the  nature  of 
Paramount's  business  and  its  organ- 
ization will  be  completely  changed 
and  the  disability,  if  any,  which  may 
have  existed  because  of  anti-trust  pro- 
ceedings, must  of  necessity  fall." 

The  FCC  has  adopted  a  policy  of 
granting  only  temporary  renewals  to 
the  television  licenses  of  Paramount 
subsidiaries,  pending  a  decision  on 
FCC  policy  towards  firms  convicted 
of  violating  the  anti-trust  laws.  Para- 
mount, soon  after  the  Consent  Decree, 
urged  the  Commission  to  grant  per- 
manent renewal  of  these  licenses  on 
the  ground  that  if  there  ever  had  been 
any  question  about  its  eligibility,  the 
Consent  Decree  removed  that  ques- 
tion. Today's  brief  was  in  further 
support  of  the  request  for  permanent 
renewal  of  the  licenses. 


FCC's  Video  'Freeze' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Drive  -  In  for  Cape  Cod 

Boston,  May  5.— Construction  of 
the  first  drive-in  on  Cape  Cod  will 
start  this  month  at  East  Dennis, 
Mass.,  with  Louis  Segrini,  Mansfield! 
Mass.,  contractor,  to  build  and  operate 
the  1,000-car  theatre. 


earlier  statements  that  the  FCC 
would  definitely  go  into  the  ultra-high 
frequencies  for  additional  television 
channels.  Today  he  stressed  the  prob- 
lems of  expanding  into  that  field  and 
said  merely  that  the  FCC  "hoped"  to 
get  additional  channels  there. 

Speaking  at  Ohio  State  University, 
the  FCC  chairman  made  two  other 
key  remarks : 

First,  that  he  believed  that  the  West 
Coast  would  be  linked  with  the  East 
by  television  within  two  years  by  a 
combination  of  microwave  and  coaxial 
cable  relays;  second,  that  he  thought 
one  way  of  getting  around  the  high 
cost  of  television  station  construction, 
and  incidentally  getting  television  into 
smaller  communities,  would  be  for  the 
little  towns  to  set  up  secondary,  satel- 
lite stations,  hooked  into  stations  in 
larger  towns. 


h 


Show  Interest  in  Reviews 

Chicago,  May  5.— Motion  picture 
reviews  in  the  Chicago  Tribune  caused 
3,895  comments  or  inquiries  by  read- 
ers during  1948,  a  company  survey  of 
reader  response  disclosed. 


r — ~~~ 

FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

Accurate 

IN 

T|  All  ^/ 

Concise 

FILM 

and 

NEWS 

Impartial ; 

VOL.  65.  NO.  90 

INc-VV   YUKK,    U.     A.,    MUJN1JA I,    MA  I   y,  ly^y 

Para.  Profit 
For  '48  Was 
24,357,102 


Stockholders'  Dividends 
Exceeded  $13,000,000 

Net  earnings  of  Paramount  Pic- 
tures for  the  year  ended  Jan.  1,  1949 
totalled  $24,357,102  after  all  charges 
including  estimated  provision  for 
taxes  on  income,  according  to  the  an- 
nual report  of  the  company  to  be  is- 
sued today  by  Barney  Balaban,  presi- 
dent. These  earnings  include  approxi- 
mately $2,360,000  net  capital  gains,  af- 
ter provision  for  taxes  thereon,  and 
$1,788,000  representing  Paramount's 
direct  and  indirect  net  interest  as  a 
stockholder  in  the  combined  undis- 
tributed earnings  of  partly  owned-non- 
consolidated  companies. 

Earnings  for  1947,  restated  on  the 
same  basis,  were  $31,440,477,  including 
a  $3,429,000  share  of  undistributed 
earnings  of  partly  owned  non-consoli- 
dated companies. 

There  are  not  included  in  the  con- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


$500,000  E-L  Sales 
From  'Krirn  Week' 


"President's  Week"  in  Eagle-Lion's 
current  Jack  Schlaifer  testimonial 
sales  drive,  during  which  the  com- 
pany's sales  force  paid  tribute  to  E-L 
president  Arthur  B.  Krim,  broke 
every  sales  record  in  the  history  of 
Eagle-Lion  with  revenue  more  than 
64  per  cent  higher  than  any  previous 
week  since  the  formation  of  the  com- 
pany, it  was  announced  here  Friday 
by  William  J.  Heineman,  sales  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  distribution. 


Wehrenberg  Dead  at 
68;  Rites  Tomorrow 


St.  Louis,  May  8. — Services  will  be 
held  at  Ziegenheim  Mortuary  here  on 
Tuesday  for  Fred  E.  Wehrenberg,  68, 
veteran  exhibitor  and  long-time  presi- 
dent of  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  America,  who  died  of  pneu- 
monia in  St.  Anthony's  Hospital  on 
Friday  night.  Interment  will  be  in 
Sunset  Burial  Park. 

Wehrenberg  operated  13  theatres 
here  and  was  honorary  chairman  of 
Theatre  Owners  of  America.  His 
widow,  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Paul  Krue- 
ger,  and  a  grandson,  Donald  Krueger, 
survive. 


Para.  Meeting 
Starts  Today 


Paramount's  divisional  sales  meet- 
ings for  1949  will  start  today  in  New 
York's  Hotel  Pierre,  to  continue  for 
the  next  two  days.  The  second  meet- 
ing, which  will  take  place  in  Pitts- 
burgh on  May  12,  will  run  through 
May  14. 

Home  office  executives  who  will  at- 
tend all  meetings  include  board  chair- 
man Adolph  Zukor,  general  sales  man- 
ager A.  W.  Schwalberg,  assistant 
sales  manager  E.  K.  (Ted)  O'Shea, 
short  subjects  sales  manager  Oscar 
Morgan,  advertising  manager  Stanley 
Shuford,  and  Fred  Leroy  and  Richard 
Morgan.  Each  division  manager  will 
preside  at  his  own  area  meeting,  with 
Hugh  Owen  and  Harry  Goldstein  ap- 
pearing at  their  sessions  this  week. 
The  New  York  meeting  will  also  be 
attended  by  president  Barney  Bala- 
ban, Y.  Frank  Freeman,  Paul  Rai- 
bourn,  Austin  Keough,  Fred  Mohr- 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Hays  Nears  Ruling 
On  French  Money 


With  Gerald  M.  Mayer,  European 
manager  of  the  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of  America,  here  from  Paris 
to  testify  this  week  before  arbitrator 
Will  H.  Hays,  the  hearings  being 
held  in  New  York  by  the  latter  to 
determine  an  equitable  division  among 
the   major   distributors   of  unfrozen 

(.Continued  on  page  7) 


Cautions  Exhibitors 
On  New  Clauses 

Boston,  May  8. — Independ- 
ent Exhibitors,  Inc.,  cautions 
theatre  owners  when  signing 
new  contracts  with  any  com- 
pany to  be  on  the  lookout  for 
new  clauses  and  changes  in 
other  clauses  which  may  have 
a  direct  bearing  on  a  deal. 

As  an  example  it  cites  20th 
Century-Fox's  clause  pertain- 
ing to  clearance,  adding:  "Un- 
less you  eliminate  this  clause, 
you  are  agreeing  in  writing  to 
accept  any  clearance  set  up 
by  Fox  when  you  sign  the 
contract." 


Nomikos  Files  2nd 
Anti -Trust  Action 


Chicago,  May  8. — Van  A.  Nomikos, 
local  exhibitor,  has  filed  a  second  anti- 
trust suit  in  Judge  Phillip  Sullivan's 
U.  S.  District  Court  on  behalf  of  the 
Olympic  Theatre  at  Cicero,  charging 
four  distributors  with  granting  clear- 
ance priorities  of  14  days  to  the  B. 
and  K.  Marbro  and  Paradise.  The 
Olympic  now  plays  first-run  product 
from  20th-Fox,  RKO  Radio  and 
M-G-M. 

Defendants  are  Paramount,  War- 
ners, Columbia,  United  Artists  and  B. 
and  K.  Nomikos  last  week  filed  a 
similar  suit  for  the  Empress  Theatre 
on  the  southside  of  Chicago. 

Plaintiff's  attorney  is  Seymour 
Simon. 


Life  Magazine  to  Quiz 
Industry  Men  Here  Today 


Johnston  Due  Here 
On  Staff  Revisions 

Eric  Johnston,  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  president, 
and  Joyce  O'Hara,  executive 
assistant,  will  be  here  to- 
morrow from  Washington  to 
complete  the  far-reaching  re- 
organization of  the  MPAA's 
operation  and  personnel  be- 
gun several  weeks  ago. 

Previously  reported  revi- 
sion of  the  foreign,  exhibi- 
tor relations,  community  rela- 
tions and  other  activities  are 
in  prospect,  accompanied  by 
naming  of  new  department 
heads  and  changes  in  their 
personnel. 


Final  Eastern  session  in  Life  maga- 
zine's round-table  discussions  of  mo- 
tion pictures  will  be  held  here  today 
after  which  the  panel  will  move  to  the 
West  Coast  for  a  three-day  session  at 
the  Arrowhead  Springs  Hotel,  Lake 
Arrowhead,  Cal.,  from  Friday  through 
Sunday. 

Participating  in  the  New  York  dis- 
cussion today  will  be  Joseph  I.  Breen, 
vice-president  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  and  Production  Code  Ad- 
ministrator;  Francis  Harmon,  MPAA 
vice-president ;  Y.  Frank  Freeman, 
Paramount  vice-president ;  J.  Robert 
Rubin,  Loew's  vice-president  and  gen- 
eral counsel,  and  Kenneth  Clark, 
MPAA  public  relations  head.  Joseph 
Hazen,  president  of  Hal  Wallis  Pro- 
ductions, was  among  those  interviewed 
earlier. 

Previous  discussions  were  held  in 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Telecasters, 
Ascap  Split 
On  Pact  Terms 


Negotiations  Collapse; 
Boycott  Is  Threatened 

Negotiations  on  terms  of  music 
licensing  contracts  between  Ascap 
and  the  television  industry  collapsed 
at  the  weekend,  threatening  a  repi- 
tition  of  the  break  with  the  broad- 
caster in  1939  when  Ascap  music  was 
not  used  by  radio  stations  for  about 
nine  months. 

Fred  E.  Ahlert,  Ascap  president, 
disclosed  that  the  organization  has 
proposed  to  put  the  issues  before  a 
board  of  three  arbitrators,  one  repre- 
senting each  side,  and  the  third  to  be 
appointed  by  U.  S.  Attorney  General 
Tom  Clark. 

A  spokesman  for  Robert  P.  Myers, 
National  Broadcasting  counsel,  who  is 
acting  as  chairman  of  the  television 
music  committee  of  the  National  As- 
sociation of  Broadcasters,  disclosed 
that  the  video  interests  are  opposed  to 

(.Continued  on  page  7) 


RCA  to  Provide  TY 
Theatre  Equipment 


Radio  Corporation  of  America  is 
ready  to  lease  large  screen  theatre 
television,  it  was  understood  here  at 
the  weekend.  RCA  would  install  and 
service  the  equipment  on  a  rental  basis 
and  would  provide  exclusive  theatre 
type  of  programs  through  its  affiliate, 
NBC,  it  was  said. 

RCA  is  reported  to  be  negotiating 
the  sale  of  $60,000,000  of  new  deben- 
tures to  finance  this  and  other  tele- 
vision developments. 


Kelly  to  UK  Today; 
UA  Board  to  Meet 


Arthur  W.  Kelly,  executive  vice- 
president  of  United  Artists,  will  leave 
here  today  for  London  in  a  new 
attempt  to  gain  additional  bookings 
from  the  Odeon  Circuit  in  which  UA 
has  substantial  stock  interests  but 
which  is  controlled  by  J.  Arthur 
Rank. 

Kelly's  trip  will  be  taken  up  by  the 
UA  board  at  a  meeting  at  the  home- 
office  this  morning.  The  agenda  also 
includes  administrative  affairs. 

Company  has  been  considering  sale 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  May  9,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

JOSEPH  SEIDELMAN,  Univer- 
•J  sal  vice-president  and  foreign  dis- 
tribution head,  is  scheduled  to  leave 
here  Wednesday  for  Sweden. 

• 

William  H.  Pine  of  Pine  and 
Thomas  Productions,  left  here  yester- 
day by  plane  for  Atlanta,  where  he 
will  join  Dan  Duryea  in  a  personal 
appearance  tour. 

• 

Lee  Koken,  head  of  RKO  Thea- 
tres' concession  department,  left  here 
over  the  weekend  for  Boston,  Provi- 
dence and  Lowell,  Mass. 

• 

William  B.  Zoellner,  head  of 
M-G-M's  short  subject  and  reprint 
sales,  is  due  back  in  New  York  today 
from  Oklahoma  city. 

• 

Edward  Lachman,  president  of 
Carbons,  Inc.,  will  leave  New  York 
tomorrow  for  Philadelphia,  Detroit 
and  Chicago. 

• 

Harold  Wilson,  president  of  the 
British  Board  of  Trade,  will  leave 
London  tomorrow  by  plane  for  Can- 
ada. 

• 

William  Moffat,  managing  direc- 
tor of  Associated  British  Pathe,  has 
returned  to  London  from  New  York. 
• 

Ned  E.  Depinet,  RKO  president, 
left  New  York  for  Hollywood  over 
the  weekend. 

• 

William  Barnett  of  Massce-Bar- 
nett  Co.,  will  leave  here  Thursday  for 
Europe. 

• 

Ted  Gamble  is  due  here  today  from 
Portland,  Ore.,  and  Louisville,  Ky. 

Samuel  Goldwyn  will  leave  here 
for  the  Coast  on  Friday. 


Officers  Elected  by 
Variety;  Up  Pledge 


San  Francisco,  May  8. — R.  J. 
O'Donnell  was  re-elected  international 
chief  barker  for  his  seventh  term  at 
the  closing  session  Friday  of  Vari- 
ety Clubs  International  annual  con- 
vention. Delegates  also  voted  to  in- 
crease their  pledge  to  the  Heart  com- 
mittee to  a  total  of  $2,800,000: 

Annual  Charity  Award  went  to 
the  Southern  California  tent,  whose 
chief  project  was  its  Boys'  Club. 

Other  officers  elected  include :  Marc 
Wolf,  Indianapolis,  first  assistant 
barker;  Jack  Beresin,  Philadelphia, 
second  assistant  barker ;  Murray 
Weiss,  Boston,  property  master ;  and 
George  Eby,  Pittsburgh,  dough  guy. 

William  McCraw  was  re-appointed 
executive  director,  Nathan  Golden, 
Heart  committee  chairman,  Carter 
Barron,  executive  aide  to  O'Donnell, 
C.  J.  Latta,  European  representative, 
and  Charles  Lewis  was  named  to  a 
new  post,  international  press  officer. 


Portal,  UK  Probe 
Head,  Dies  Suddenly 


Fire  Safety  Record 
100%  at  Exchanges 


The  400  film  exchanges  and  ship- 
ping depots  of  member  companies  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  completed  their  third  succes- 
sive year  without  any  loss  from  fire, 
according  to  an  annual  report  to  Eric 
Johnston,  MPAA  president.  These 
exchanges  ship,  repair  and  service  to 
the  nation's  theatres  more  than  21,000 
miles  of  film  daily. 

In  his  report  for  1948,  John  B.  Mc- 
Cul lough,  director  of  the  Association's 
conservation  department,  stated :  "It 
is  doubtful  that  any  industry  of  com- 
parative business  volume  can  match 
this  record." 

Pointing  out  that  over  the  last  23 
years  there  were  only  16  film  fires  in 
member-operated  exchanges  in  the 
U.  S.,  an  annual  average  fire  loss  of 
only  $211,  McCullough  declared  it  is 
"evidence  of  the  value  of  compliance 
with  the  self-regulatory  conservation 
program  instituted  by  the  member 
companies  26  years  ago." 


London,  May  8. — Lord  Portal  of 
Laverstoke,  chairman  of  the  British 
government's  inquiry  into  motion  pic- 
ture production  and  distribution,  died 
suddenly  on  Friday  at  the  age  of  64. 
It  is  not  anticipated  that  his  unex- 
pected death  will  delay  completion  of 
the  inquiry,  all  evidence  having  been 
gathered  and  the  committee  having 
already  started  writing  its  conclusions. 
There  has  been  speculation  here  for 
some  time  over  whether  the  committee 
will  recommend  industry  divorcement. 

Lord  Portal  was  reputed  to  be  a  mil- 
lionaire with  extensive  interests  in 
paper-making  and  other  industries. 
He  was  formerly  associated  in  the  film 
business  with  the  late  C.  M.  Woolf 
and  subsequently  with  J.  Arthur  Rank, 
.establishing  General  Film  Distributors. 


See  Griffith  Hearing 
Ended  in  Fortnight 

Oklahoma  City,  May  8.— 
Both  government  and  defense 
attorneys  expressed  hope  that 
the  Griffith  anti-trust  hearing 
may  be  ended  within  a  week 
or  two.  The  defense  has  eight 
or  10  more  witnesses,  accord- 
ing to  C.  B.  Cochran,  Griffith 
attorney,  while  the  govern- 
ment has  not  yet  determined 
whether  or  not  to  present  re- 
buttal testimony. 

Fred  M.  Jack,  United  Art- 
ists division  sales  manager 
from  Dallas,  testified  Friday 
that  Griffith  contracts  for 
product  on  an  individual, 
rather  than  circuit,  basis. 


SMPE  Will  Try  to 
Hasten  Theatre  TV 


HenryElman,Pionee 
Chicago  Distributor 


Henry  Elman,  57,  pioneer  film  dis- 
tributor and  chief  barker  of  the  Vari- 
ety Club  of  Illinois,  died  Thursday 
at  Wesley  Memorial  Hospital  after  a 
short  illness.  He  operated  the  Capitol 
Film  Co.  and  Henry  Elman  Enter- 
prises which  distributed  Real  Art,  As- 
tor,  Madison,  English  and  Devonshire 
product.  He  was  formerly  associated 
with  Monogram,  PRC,  Columbia  and 
Tiffany. 

Surviving  is  the  widow,  Pearl. 
Services  will  be  held  tomorrow. 


With  another  conference  set  for 
June  28,  theatre  television  committees 
of  Theatre  Owners  of  America  and 
the  Society  of  Motion  Picture  Engi- 
neers cleared  the  way  at  last  week's 
parley  for  a  thorough  examination 
meanwhile  by  SMPE  of  possibilities 
for  speeding  up  theatre  video  installa- 
tions. Equipment,  standards  and  costs 
factors  will  be  studied  by  the  SMPE 
at  TOA's  invitation,  the  former  indi- 
cated in  a  statement  issued  on  Friday. 

SMPE  reported  also  that  it  will 
assist  in  future  hearings  before  the 
Federal  Communications  Commission 
on  the  assignment  of  exclusive  tele- 
vision channels  for  theatre  use.  The 
theatre  men  stated  at  the  meeting  that 
equipment  was  available  to  them  now 
only  on  an  outright  purchase  basis, 
but  that  initial  costs  are  too  high  and 
to  few  programs  are  now  available. 
To  date,  SMPE  reported,  neither  or- 
ganization has  learned  of  any  plans 
for  large  scale  production  of  equip- 
ment, suitable  programs,  or  the  rental 
of  necessary  theatre  equipment. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


Services  for  R.  Catley,  61 

Oakland,  Calif.,  May  8. — Funeral 
services  will  be  held  tomorrow  for 
Robert  E.  Catley,  61,  Fox  Oakland 
Theatre  manager,  who  died  Friday. 
Catley,  a  native  of  Australia,  had 
been  a  stage  manager  for  Fanchon 
and  Marco  before  joining  Fox  West 
Coast  25  years  ago.  The  widow  sur- 
vives. 


WB  Cancels  Bid  for 
Chicago  Television 

Washington,  May  8. — Warner 
Brothers  has  withdrawn  its  bid  for  a 
Chicago  television  station  but  has  told 
the  Federal  Communications  Commis- 
sion that  it  plans  to  go  ahead  in  its 
attempt  to  get  one  in  Los  Angeles. 
The  film  firm,  on  Friday,  asked  the 
FCC  to  dismiss  without  prejudice  its 
application  for  a  Chicago  video  outlet 
because  the  Commission  has  already 
delayed  a  year  in  acting  on  the  appli- 
cation. 


Delay' Champion' Decision 

Los  Angeles,  May  8. —  Federal 
Judge  Pierson  M.  Hall  ended  day  long 
arguments  by  both  sides  in  RKO's  suit 
for  an  injunction  to  restrain  United 
Artists  from  releasing  "Champion"  by 
ordering  both  RKO  and  Screen  Plays, 
producers  of  "Champion,"  to  edit  sepa- 
rate prints  of  the  production,  with 
the  fight  scenes  at  issue  deleted,  for 
his  review.  Both  are  to  return  to 
court    next  Wednesday. 


rPHE  lifting _  of  the  Berlin  blockade 
■*■  is  a  highlight  in  all  current  news- 
reels.  Other  items  include  Israel's  first 
anniversary,  the  arrival  and  departure 
of  notables,  and  sport  items.  Com- 
plete contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  37— Russia 
agrees  to  end  Berlin  blockade;  Big  Four 
meeting;  Barge  canal  dispute;  Israel's  anni- 
versary. Arrival  of  Madame  Pandit.  U.S 
Army's  Col.  Demarest.  Leo  Durocher  in- 
cident.   Horse  show.  Motorcycling. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  271— Army 
bids  farewell  to  Gen.  Clay,  as  Soviet  yields 
on  blockade.  Queen  Juliana  has  40th  birth- 
day. Elizabeth  and  Philip  honored  in  Wales. 
Art  inspires  new  fashions.  Salute  to  Israel 
Durocher  case. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  74— Entire 
tootage  of  this  reel  is  devoted  to  the  Berlin 
blockade. 

TELENEWS    DIGEST,    No.  18-B— 

Peace"  breaks  out.  Washington:  labor 
pains.  Manila:  Quezon  funeral.  Sweden 
builds  airpower.  Israel's  first  anniversary. 
Portugal  inaugurates  President  Carmona. 
Queen  Juliana's  40th  birthday.  Durocher  is 
back. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWS,  No.  245— Big 
J? our  agree  to  lift  Berlin  blockade.  Israel's 
anniversary.  Tokyo  fire.  Marine  review. 
Queen  Juliana.  Physical  education  drill. 
Durocher  returns.  Diving. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  76— 
Departing:  the  Deweys,  Dr.  Weizmann, 
Jane  Wyman.  Madame  Pandit  arrives. 
Big  hour  meeting  in  New  York.  General 
Clay  farewell  in  Berlin.  Stars  sell  bonds: 
Israel  anniversary.  Japanese  fire.  Yacht- 
ing.    Durocher  incident.    Fancy  diving 


3  Warners,  Brandt 
Report  Stock  Deals 


Washington,  May  8.— Trading  in 
film  company  stocks  by  officers  and 
directors  was  light  during  the  period 
from  March  11  to  April  10,  according 
to  a  report  released  today  by  the 
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission. 

Harry  M.  Warner  made  three  sepa- 
rate^ gifts  totaling  5,100  shares  of  his 
firm's  common  stock,  and  at  the  end 
of  the  period  held  268,950  shares  in 
his  own  name  and  16,000  more  in 
trust  accounts.  Jack  L.  Warner  made 
five  gifts  totaling  5,000  shares,  but 
purchased  another  5,000  shares,  leav- 
ing his  net  holdings  unchanged  at 
426,500  shares,  plus  21,500  in  trust 
accounts.  Albert  Warner  bought  400 
common  shares,  to  bring  his  holdings 
to  444,900  shares,  plus  21,000  in  trust. 

Harry  Brandt  bought  1,300  shares 
of  Translux  Corp.  common,  to  bring 
to  92, 1 65  the  number  of  snares  held 
in  his  own  name.  In  addition,  Broad 
York,  Inc.,  owns  1,000  shares,  Harday, 
Inc.,  1,400  shares,  Brandt  Foundation, 
800  shares,  and  Mrs.  Harry  Brandt, 
14,700  shares. 


Theatre  Heads  Here 
To  Aid  Bond  Drive 

Metropolitan  New  York  theatre  ex- 
ecutives have  accepted  membership  on 
a  special  Broadway  savings  Bond 
Committee  to  coordinate  local  motion 
picture  industry  cooperation  with  the 
Treasury's  bond  drive  which  will  run 
from  May  15  through  June  30,  it  was 
announced  on  Friday  by  Maurice  A. 
Bergman,  Universal-International  ex- 
ecutive and  chairman  of  the  indus- 
try's participation  in  the  drive. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher,  Sher 


-  hoiid-o,.  :         V       r>„,pa,.    In,,  ,270  Si::,,  Avenue    RoXfel.e^  C\nt^ 

James  P.  Cuningham,  News"  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager!  GuT  KKn^PiiSS  Manager  ^HoHvw  V-!ce-Preside?t-  and  Treasurer;.Leo  J,.Brady._Secretary ; 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau.  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising,  Urben  Farley,  ^  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial 


Martin  Quigley ,_  President ;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr. 

Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,"  William' R.  Weaver 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  "  Sq.,~ London "wi  '  Hop"e  Burnuo  ^n^'ll^rfc,^  Editorial  Representative  Washington 

Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,   each SSblishe" 113  tim^'y^Jl  ^mTiAM^t^ 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.    Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23.  1938,  at  the  post  office  at New  York   N   Y    under  the  act  of  M^r  r  h  3    ^7Q     ^wl^V,  Z<t 
year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign:  single  copies.  10c.  '  N'  Y-  under  the  act  of  March  3-  1879-    Subscription  rates  pei 


Monday,  May  9,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Industry  in  Holland 
Is  on  the  Decline 


By  PHILIP  DE  SCHAAP 

Amsterdam,  May  2  (By  Air- 
mail). — A  sharp  decline  has  set  in  in 
the  motion  picture  industry  in  this 
country.  The  decline  is  general  with 
both  distributors  and  exhibitors  be- 
coming victims  of  the  government 
order  which  obliges  municipalities  to 
levy  35  per  cent  admission  taxes ;  in 
the  past  they  have  amounted  to  only 
20  per  cent.  Business  was  good  dur- 
ing 1945-1947,  but  most  exhibitors  used 
that  money  for  the  restoration  of 
their  theatres.  Distributors  used  their 
earnings  for  investments  in  new  pic- 
tures. 

Another  complicating  factor  is  the 
quality  of  pictures.  Only  now  and 
then  does  a  picture  really  prove  to  be 
a  big  hit.  Too  many  pictures  are  im- 
ported to  this  small  country  with  its 
461  theatres.  During  1948,  Hollywood 
sent  in  290,  England  64,  France  39, 
Italy  18,  Sweden  and  Spain  four,  Rus- 
sia and  Switzerland  three,  Denmark 
and  Czechoslovakia  five,  and  Mexico, 
Canada  and  Argentina  one  each. 

Distributors  are  having  a  hard  time 
selling  pictures.  Trade  shows  are 
obligatory  and  block  booking  is  not 
allowed.  Maximum  film  rental  is  32^ 
per  cent  and  distributors  are  forced  to 
sell  product  to  many  theatres  to  even 
pay  expenses.  The  lot  of  the  inde- 
pendents is  even  harder.  German  and 
Austrian  pictures  are  expected  to  do 
big  business  here  eventually. 


Reviews 


"Susanna  Pass' 

(Republic) 

R1 


of 


Crescent  Applies  for 
Two  Drive-in  Permits 

Nashville,  May  8.— Already  grant- 
ed permission  to  construct  theatres 
•in  the  Green  Hills  subdivision  near 
Nashville  and  at  Madisonville,  Ky., 
Crescent  Amusement  has  applied  to 
the  U.  S.  District  Court  for  permis- 
sion to  construct  drive-ins  near  Dyers- 
burg  and  Columbia. 

An  application  for  the  construction 
of  a  drive-in  near  Hopkinsville,_  Ky.. 
previously  denied  without  prejudice  to 
a  possible  renewal,  has  been  reviewed. 
The  Hopkinsville  denial  is  the  only 
one  that  the  court  has  made  to  date. 


EPUBLIC'S  latest  in  its  Roy  Rogers  series  has  Trucolor,  plenty 
-  outdoor  action,  and  an  interesting  plot,  enlivened  by  Rogers,  Trigger 
and  the  usual  accompaniment  of  the  Purple  Sage  Riders,  aided  in  song  by 
Fov  Willing. 

The  background  is  California  but  this  time  the  cowboys  are  forest  rangers 
who  spot  two  escaped  convicts  starting  a  fire  in  the  woodlands  and  ride  to 
the  scene.  However,  the  two  make  their  getaway  through  the  underbrush. 
One  of  the  convicts,  a  nephew  of  the  town's  newspaper  publisher,  plans  to 
get  even  with  his  uncle  who  framed  him.  The  publisher's  brother,  owner  of 
a  fish  hatchery,  is  murdered.  Rogers  discovers  that  the  man  was  killed  be- 
cause his  brother  wanted  to  gain  possession  of  the  lake  where  there  were 
valuable  oil  deposits.  Dale  Evans,  the  hatchery  owner's  assistant 
the  hatchery.  The  convicts  and  the  unscrupulous  newspaper  owner 
tured  and  are  brought  to  justice. 

Musical  numbers  include  the  title  song,  "Susanna  Pass,"  "Brush  Those 
Tears  from  Your  Eyes,"  "A  Good,  Good  Mornin'"  and  "Two-Gun  Rita, 
which  is  presented  by  Estelita  Rodriguez. 

Edward  J.  White  was  the  associate  producer  and  William  Witney  directed. 
Sloan  Nibley  and  John  K.  Butler  wrote  the  screenplay.  Others  in  the  cast 
are  Martin  Garralaga,  Robert  Emmett  Keane,  Lucien  Littlefield,  Douglas 
Fowley,  David  Sharpe  and  Robert  Bice. 

Running  time,  67  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  29& 


German  Film  Needs 
Outlined  in  Report 


inherits 
are  cap- 


A  loosening  of  credit  regulations 
and  increased  exports  of  German 
films  are  necessary  before  the  Ger- 
man film  industry  can  really  get  going 
again,  according  to  a  report  reaching 
here  from  the  Office  of  the  U.  S. 
Military  Government  for  Bavaria. 

The  report  declares  that  financial 
difficulties  are  still  hampering  the  in- 
dustry, with  only  one  film  presently 
being  shot  at  the  Bavaria  Filmkunst 
Studios.  The  immediate  reason,  ac- 
cording to  the  report,  is  the  restric- 
tion on  long-term  credit  from  German 
banks.  Producers  who  have  released 
some  films  can  finance  new  ones 
partly  from  the  proceeds  of  the  first 
films,  but  new  production  groups  are 
running  into  stone  walls  in  their  at- 
tempts to  raise  money. 

As  the  second  reason  for  the  in- 
dustry's difficulties,  the  report  points 
out  that  film  showings  in  the  three 
Western  zones  of  Germany  allow  only 
the  slightest  profit  margin  for  a  new 
film,  so  that  a  wider  market  abroad 
is  necessary. 


Profits    Rise  for 
2  Canadian  Firms 

Ottawa,  May  8. — Two  theatre 
companies  here  report  increased  earn- 
ings for  1948.  Confederation  Amuse- 
ments earnings  were  up  23  per  cent, 
and  Consolidated  Theatres  reported  a 
10  per  cent  gain.  Confederation  lists 
net  profits  of  $112,651,  compared  to 
1947's  $91,263,  and  Consolidated  re- 
ports $145,414  for  1948,  against  $131,- 
666  for  1947. 

Consolidated  modernized  its  Prin- 
cess Theatre  during  the  year,  with 
costs  .to  be  written  off  over  a  five-year 
period,  while  Confederation  redeemed 
maturing  bonds  to  the  extent 
$20,000. 


of 


Two  Join  Warner  Studio 

Hollywood,  May  8. — Steve  Brooks 
and  Mervin  Houser  have  reported  to 
Warner  Brothers'  publicity  department 
for  new  posts.  Brooks  will  head  the 
publicity  art  department,  and  Houser 
is  assigned  to  forthcoming  releases 
but  will  sit  in  meanwhile  for  Bill  Rice, 
assistant  to  Alex  Evelove,  studio  pub- 
licity director,  Rice  being  currently  on 
vacation. 


"Arson,  Inc." 

(Screen  Guild  Productions) 

Hollywood,  May  8 

DIFFICULT  though  it  may  be  to  envision  arson,  pyromaniacs  and  insur- 
ance swindlers  as  adding  up  to  a  pleasing  picture,  Lippert  Productions 
has  turned  the  trick  with  this  inexpensive  venture.  Despite  the  inevitably 
violent  nature  of  much  of  its  proceedings,  "Arson,  Inc."  is  so  intelligently 
handled  that  it  overrides  its  title. 

Credit  for  the  relatively  good  taste  in  treatment  should  probably  be  shared 
by  producer  Williams  Stephens,  director  William  Berke  and  screenwriters 
Arthur  Caesar  and  Maurice  Tombragel.  An  unobtrusively  handled  flashback, 
story-telling  technique  permits  the  use  of  a  fire  chief  as  narrator,  thus  pro- 
viding a  seemingly  authentic  atmosphere  as  background  for  the  action. 

Robert  Lower v  is  the  young  fireman  assigned  to  the  undercover  job  of 
breaking  up  an  arson  ring  by  pretending  to  join  with  the  leader,  Douglas 
Fowley,  and  chief  arsonist  Edward  Brophy.  Lowery  finally  succeeds  in  trap- 
ping Brophy  while  Fowley,  along  with  secretary  and  girl  friend  Marcia  Mae 
Jones,  go  to  a  fiery  grave  when  their  speeding  car  crashes  off  a  mountain 
cliff  and  is  engulfed  in  flames.  This  retributive  inferno  is  an  indication  of 
how  "Arson,  Inc."  neatly  effects  its  moral  balance  and  escapes  any  real 
degree  of  sordidness. 

Performances  by  the  principals,  including  straight  feminine  lead  Anne 
Gwynne,  are  universally  good,  but  it  is  comic  character  actor  Brophy  who 
comes  into  his  own  with  this  film.  His  portrayal  of  the  firebug,  who  sets 
off  fires  for  love  or  money,  proves  his  ability  goes  beyond  diaphramatic 
laughter. 

Running  time,  65  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  28. 

"The  Mutineers" 

(Columbia) 

HALL  and  Adele  Jergens  share  the  lead  in  a  pirate  story  which, 
although  devoid  of  the  usual  swashbuckling  to-do,  manages  to  whip  up 
sufficient  action  and  general  interest  in  the  course  of  its  economically-budgeted 
67  minutes  of  footage. 

Even  more  entertaining  than  the  knock-down-and-drag-out  brawls  between 
the  loyal  crew  and  the  hijackers,  shooting  and  all,  is  the  battle  of  wits  be- 
tween first  mate  Jon  Hall  and  cut-throat  leader  Georges  Reeves.  Hall's 
ingeniouslv  nautical  device  of  rigging  up  sails  from  every  scrap  of  canvas 
aboard  the  steamship,  after  Reeves'  gang  has  taken  over  the  engine  room, 
is  especially  enjoyable. 

While  the  plot,  which  doesn't  identify  the  destination  of  the  smugglers' 
weapons  cache,  is  slightly  familiar,  "The  Mutineers"  steers  a  wide 
berth  of  one  film  cliche.  There's  really  no  romance  to  speak  of,  unless  a 
mildly  recurrent  triangle  between  gang  chief  Reeves,  traveling  companion 
Adele  Jergens  and  a  lieutenant  of  the  mob  may  be  so  construed.  And  Miss 
Jergens'  unsubtle  overtures  towards  hero  Hall  also  come  to  naught,  as  she's 
led  away  by  the  Lisbon  police,  with  the  rest  of  the  gang— without  even  a 
farewell  kiss. 

Several  of  the  scenes  in  the  crew's  quarters  achieve  a  quality_  far  beyond 
the  general  standards  of  the  film,  thanks  to  some_  effective  dialogue  and 
natural  bits  by  a  number  of  unidentified  players,  including  a  baritone  of 
excellent  voice.  Producer  of  "The  Mutineers"  was  Sam  Katzman.  Jean 
Yarbrough  directed. 

Running  time,  67  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  27. 


eIA'  Make-Up  Artists 
Local  Formed  in  N.  Y. 

A  new  IATSE  local,  No.  789,  has 
been  established  in  New  York  for 
motion  picture  and  stage  make-up 
artists  and  hair  stylists,  it  is  reported 
by  the  union. 

Pending  election  of  permanent  of- 
ficers, Fred  Ryle  will  serve  as  tem- 
porary chairman,  and  Rudolph  Liszt, 
temporary  recording  secretary.  The 
local  was  organized  by  Sal  J.  Scoppa 
of  Local  No.  52  Studio  Mechanics 
here  under  special  assignment  by  "IA" 
international  president  Richard  F, 
Walsh. 


New  Film 
Formed  in  Quebec 

Ottawa,  May  8. — A  new  motion 
picture  company,  Les  Productions 
Renaissance,  has  been  formed  in  Que- 
bec, with  the  charter  allowing  the 
company  to  produce,  sell,  operate,  buy 
and  distribute  films,  operas  and  plays. 

Incorporators  are  Dr.  Paul  Gilbert, 
Rene  Chaloult  and  Samuel  L.  Gagne, 
business  manager. 


JON 


RMA  To  Honor  Pioneers 

Washington,  May  8. — Pioneers 
of  the  radio  industry  will  be  honored 
at  the  "Silver  Anniversary"  conven- 
tion of  the  Radio  Manufacturers  As- 
sociation, to  be  held  in  Chicago  on 
May  16-19,  the  association  announced 
here.  Senator  Homer  E.  Capehart, 
(Rep.,  Ind.)  who  is  a  pioneer  radio 
manufacturer,  will  be  a  guest  speaker. 


'Obstructed  View'  Bill 

Detroit,  May  8. — A  bill  requir- 
ing tickets  for  seats  situated  behind 
any  obstruction  to  be  so  identified  by 
large  type  has  been  introduced  in 
the  state  legislature  by  Rep.  Stanley 
Novak. 


Asks  Ban  on  'Addicts' 

Nashville,  May  8. — The  local 
board  of  censors  has  been  asked  by 
Mayor  Thomas  L.  Cummins  to  ban  all 
films  whose  casts  include  persons  con- 
victed of  narcotic  charges. 


I 


PARAMOUNT'S  FIFTH  GREAT  COLOR  SHOW  IN 
THE  GOLD  RUSH  OF  '49  IS  COMING 
YOUR  WAY  FOR  DECORATION  DAY!  k 


The  Thrill-Story  of  The  First  Texas  Rangers... and  of  the  Fiery  "Blonde  Bobcat"  who  cast  her  lot  with  Three  Outlaw  Buddies  under  the  Rangers 

Streets  of  fare 

color  b/Technicofor 

Produced  by  ROBERT  FELLOWS  -  Directed  by  LESLIE  FENTON 

Screenplay  by  Charles  Marquis  Warren  •  Based  on  a  Story  by  Louis  Stevens  and  Elizabeth  Hill 

See  and  Play:  "Eyes  on  Hollywood"— the  free  short  that  sells  your  pictures  and  your  industry, 


"You  Can't  Kill  A  Texas  Ranger  and  Get  Away  With  It!"— one  of  the  many  spectacular  action  scenes. 


"We've  Been  Pals  for  Years,  But  Now  I've  Got  to  Bring  You  In-Dead  or  Alive!".. the  Roaring  Climax  of  Paramount's  Successor  to  "Whispering  Smith. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  May  9,  1949 


Prohibit  Pay  Cuts 
For  Mexican  Players 


Mexico  City,  May  8. — The  pay  of 
film  players  must  not  be  cut,  accord- 
ing to  a  mandate  of  Serra  Rojas,  pres- 
ident of  the  industry's  own  bank,  the 
Banco  Nacional  Cinematografico, 
which  controls  many  producers 
through  financing.  There  had  been 
fear  of  cuts  among  players  because 
of  the  economies  which  the  bank 
had  advised  the  industry  to  under- 
take. 

Rojas,  in  his  orders  to  keep  play- 
ers' pay  at  least  at  present  levels,  said 
that  cutting  their  wages  would  not 
be  economy  because  fair  pay  makes 
for  discipline  and  good  work. 


Reviews 


New  Finances  Will 
Aid  Radox  Growth 

Philadelphia,  May  8. — Financing 
arrangements  for  expansion  of  the  use 
of  "Radox,"  a  radio  and  television 
audience  measuring  device,  have  been 
announced  by  Albert  E.  Sindlinger, 
president  of  a  company  bearing  his 
name,  who  said  that  a  group  of  Chi- 
cago businessmen  will  back  operations 
on  a  national  scale. 

For  the  present,  use  of  the  device 
will  be  concentrated  here,  where  200 
sample  homes  have  installed  the  in- 
strument which  records  all  dial 
activity  on  radio  or  television  re- 
ceivers. At  present  11  per  cent  of 
sample  homes  have  video  installations. 
Next  city  to  be  covered  is  New  York, 
Sindlinger  said. 


Sky  Dragon' 

(Monogram) 

A    BLOW-BY-BLOW  account 


Charlie  Chan  series 
but  it  really  isn't — 


of  this  latest  in  the 
would  suggest  that  the  plot  is  somewhat  confusing 
anymore  so  than  most  pictures  trying  to  keep  the  audience  guessing  wrong 
until  the  final  scene.  Roland  Winters  does  a  smooth  job  as  Chan;  Keye  Luke 
stands  out  in  the  familiar  role  of  Lee  Chan  and  Manton  Moreland  gets  the 
most  out  of  several  comedy  situations  as  the  Chan  chauffeur. 

Story  centers  around  a  murder  and  $250,000  robbery  aboard  a  commercial 
airplane  with  passengers  and  crew  figuring  as  suspects.  Romantic  interest 
is  light  but  well  handled  by  Noel  Neill,  a  stewardess,  and  Milburn  Stone, 
the  pilot  and  chief  suspect  until  Chan  ferrets  out  the  real  villain.  As  the 
latter,  Paul  Maxey,  a  insurance  company  detective,  ingeniously  seems  justi- 
fied in  his  several  opportune  shootings  until  his  motives  are  exposed. 

Oliver  Drake  and  Clint  Johnson  warrant  a  bow  for  their  tightly  knit 
screenplay,  which  was  effectively  brought  to  the  screen  by  producer  James 
S.  Burkett  and  director  Lesley  Selander.  The  stock  device  of  Chan  re- 
enacting  the  crime,  by  way  of  revealing  the  real  killer,  is  especially  well 
executed  in  "Sky  Dragon." 

Running  time,  64  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  27. 


FCC  Authorizes  NBC 
Video  Experiments 

Washington,  May  8. — The  Fed 
eral  Communications  Commission  has 
authorized  National  Broadcasting  to 
go  ahead  with  experimentations  for 
sending  television  over  ultra-high  fre- 
quencies into  special  receivers  in  a 
select  group  of  homes.  This  will  be 
the  first  actual  home  reception  of 
television  broadcast  over  the  very 
high  frequencies.  Until  now,  it  has 
been  on  a  laboratory  experimental 
basis. 

The  Commission  gave  NBC  per- 
mission to  build  a  special  satellite  sta- 
tion in  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  to  carry 
out  the  experiment.  This  station  will 
take  programs  off  WBNT  in  New 
York  and  "pipe"  them  over  an  ultra- 
high channel  into  the  special  receivers 
in  the  selected  homes  in  the  Bridge- 
port area.  The  Commission  said 
NBC  must  notify  it  if  RCA  starts 
selling  such  receivers  widely  around 
Bridgeport. 


"Daughter  of  the  WesF 

(Film  Classics) 

A STORY  of  life  on  an  Indian  reservation,  "Daughter  of  the  West"  has 
some  standard  elements  of  melodrama  and  is  enhanced  by  Cinecolor. 
Philip  Reed  is  an  educated  Indian  leader  who  strives  to  make  his  people 
self-sufficient  by  irrigating  their  lands  and  developing  natural  resources. 
Martha  Vickers  is  an  orphaned  school  teacher  who  goes  to  the  reservation 
to_  instruct  the  Indian  children.  The  girl  was  brought  up  at  the  local 
Mission,  both  her  parents  being  Indians.  All  the  principal  actors  give  com- 
petent performances. 

The  happiness  and  security  of  the  Indians  are  endangered  by  an  unjust 
Indian  agent,  played  by  Donald  Woods.  Reed  discovers  that  the  agent  is 
planning  to  gain,  unlawfully,  title  to  some  of  the  Indian  lands,  which  contain 
deposits  of  copper.  The  agent  tries  to  have  Reed  banished  from  the  reserva- 
tion by  making  it  appear  that  he  murdered  an  Indian.  However,  Reed  proves 
his _  innocence,  and  the  agent  and  his  accomplice  are  sentenced  to  death  for 
their  crimes  of  murder  and  theft  by  an  Army  court.  Reed  is  appointed 
Indian  agent  and  he  marries  the  school  teacher.  Martin  Mooney  produced 
and  Harold  Daniels  directed.  Robert  E.  Callahan  was  associate  producer. 
Running  time,  77  minutes.  General  audience  classification. 


See  US  Independents 
An  Aid  to  Mexico 


Mexico  City,  May  8—  Announce- 
ment by  Seymour  Nebenzal  that  he  and 
other  American  independent  producers 
will  make  at  least  five  pictures  in 
English  here  during  the  coming  year 
has  been  greeted  with  mixed  reac- 
tions. Part  of  the  trade  sees  the 
move  as  an  intrusion,  with  others  in- 
clined to  view  it  as  a  help  to  all 
Mexican  production. 

The  industry's  own  bank,  the  Banco 
Nacional  Cinematografico  S.  A., 
favors  the  _  plan  and  has  announced 
that  it  is  willing  to  finance  the  Amer- 
ican production  in  part.  Jorge 
Negrete,  actor  and  head  of  the  players 
section  of  the  Picture  Production 
Workers  Union,  says  that  the  players 
like  the  plan,  and  see  it  as  a  good 
chance  for  employment.  The  Amer- 
icans will  use  the  Churubusco  studios 
here. 


Sets  'Circus  Days'  Areas 

Screencraft  Pictures  announces  its 
production,  "Circus  Days,"  will  be 
handled  by  the  following  franchise- 
holders  :  Bert  Kulick,  Greater  New 
York  and  Northern  New  Jersey;  Max 
Rosenberg,  Buffalo  and  Albany ;  Ed. 
Klein,  New  England;  Dave  Moliver, 
Philadelphia ;  Bob  Pinson,  Charlotte, 
Atlanta  and  Memphis ;  Max  Shulgold, 
Pittsburgh  ;  Bernie  Rubin,  Cleveland  ; 
Harry  Price,  San  Francisco,  Oregon 
and  Washington;  Equity  Film  Ex- 
changes, Washington,  D.  C. ;  and  Jack 
Zide,  Detroit. 


"Courtin'  Trouble" 

(Monogram) 

JIMMY  WAKELY  heads  the  cast  of  this  Western  which  has  cattlemen 
«J  feuding  with  businessmen.  The  customary  amount  of  hard  riding  and 
fighting  transpires  before  Wakely  solves  the  differences  and  brings  the 
culprits  to  book. 

Wakely  captures  a  man  who  is  accused  of  shooting  and  robbing  a  cattle- 
man. The  leader  of  the  gang  hires  a  young  lawyer,  played  by  Virginia 
Belmont,  to  defend  the  gunman.  When  the  witness  is  found  murdered,  the 
killer  is  freed.  The  girl  overhears  the  schemes  of  a  saloon  owner  and  his 
henchmen  and  is  captured  by  the  gang.  Wakely  and  Cannonball  Taylor 
go  to  her  rescue  and  the  murderers  are  killed  or  apprehended  in  a  fierce 
gun  fight.  Cannonball  Taylor  is  responsible  for  the  comedy  and  Wakely 
sings  a  couple  of  Western  ballads.  The  film  was  produced  by  Ford  Beebe 
and  was  directed  by  Louis  Gray.    Ronald  Davidson  wrote  the  screenplay.  •  ■ 

Running  time,  56  minutes.    General  audience  classification. 


Germans  to  Assume 
Censorship  Duties 

The_U.  S.  Military  Government  for 
Bavaria,  in  a  report  which  arrived 
here  this  week,  predicted  that  the 
German  film  industry  will  sometime 
this  month  assume  responsibility  for 
film  censorship  in  the  three  Western 
Zones  of  Germany— French,  British, 
and  American. 

German  film  producers,  distributors 
and  exhibitors  of  all  three  Western 
zones  met  in  Bad  Reichenhall  and 
agreed  on  the  structure  of  a  censor- 
ship committee  and  a  moral  code 
stating  the  aims  of  an  industry  self- 
censorship  plan.  A  working  commit- 
tee of  the  three  groups  was  formed 
and  has  been  at  work  ever  since,  and 
now  seems  close  to  being  ready  to 
take  over,  according  to  the  AMG 
report. 


"Search  for  Danger" 

(Film  Classics) 

PRODUCED  and  directed  by  Jack  Bernhard,  this  latest  of  "The  Falcon's" 
A  unending  cinematic  adventures  has  John  Calvert  in  the  role  of  the  suave 
hero,  who  locates  a  missing  person  and  discovers  two  corpses,  all  within  24 
hours.  This  is  a  fast-moving  story  of  murders  and  the  eventual  capture  of  the 
criminals. 

The  Falcon,  of  course,  is  suspected  by  the  police  and  is  also  hunted  by 
members  of  the  underworld.  He  is  hired  by  night  club  owners  to  locate  a 
partner  who  had  disappeared,  and  is  successful  in  finding  the  man  However 
the  man  is  found  murdered  and  $100,000  is  missing.  The  other  victim  is  a 
man  who  was  engaged  to  watch  the  Falcon.  There  is  mystery  and  exciting- 
situations  throughout.  Supporting  cast  includes  Myrna  Dell  as  the  girl  friend 
of  the  missing  night  club  partner  and  Douglas  Fowler  as  the  police  inspector. 
The  screenplay  was  by  Don  Martin,  from  a  story  by  Jerome  Epstein. 

Running  time,  63  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  -  date 
not  set. 


Press  Junket  Sees 
'The  Lady  Gambles9 

Hollywood,  May  8.— A  total  of  44 
Hollywood  newspaper  and  trade  press 
representatives  boarded  a  chartered 
Western  Airlines  DC-4  this  morning 
to  attend  a  special  press  preview  of 
U-I's  "The  Lady  Gambles"  this  after- 
noon in  Las  Vegas. 

Las  Vegas  resort  interests  are  back- 
ing "The  Lady  Gambles"  in  the  same 
manner  that  the  liquor  industry 
backed  "The  Lost  Weekend,"  accord- 
ing to  the  distributor.  Special  invita- 
tions were  mailed  to  the  press  by  man- 
agements of  the  Flamingo  and  Last 
Frontier  Hotels  in  the  Nevada  resort 
city. 


Form  Promotion  Firm 

Cleveland,  May  8. — Harry  Urban- 
sky  and  Stanley  Barach  have  formed 
More  Sales  Distributors  here,  an 
affiliate  of  Theatrical  Enterprises, 
which  specializes  in  promotions  for 
theatres. 


TV  Soon  for  Charlotte 

Charlotte,  May  8.— A  television 
station,  operated  by  Jefferson  Broad- 
casting Co.,  is  scheduled  to  go  into 
operation  here  during  June,  according 
to  Charles  Crutchfiekl,  company  vice- 
president. 


Rob  Portland  Theatre 

Portland,  Ore.,  May  8. — The 
Liberty,  an  all-night  house  operated 
by  the  Evergreen  circuit,  was  robbed 
of  $2,000.  As  assistant  manager  was 
forced  to  open  the  safe  by  the  robbers. 


Madison  Gets  Ivy  Film 

Boston,  May  8.— Distribution  rights 
to  "A  Touch  of  the  Times,"  a  film 
made  by  a  group  of  Harvard  students 
who  have  formed  Ivy  Films,  have 
been  acquired  by  Madison  Pictures  of 
New  York,  it  was  announced  here  by 
Lew  Breyer,  Madison  New  England 
representative. 


Monday,  May  9,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Para.  Profit  for  '48 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

solidated  results  for  1948  the  earnings 
of  subsidiaries  operating  outside  of  the 
United  States  and  Canada  except  to 
the  extent  that  income  was  received 
therefrom.  Film  revenues  from  such 
subsidiaries  are  included  only  to  the 
extent  of  the  remittable  portion  there- 
of or,  with  respect  to  certain  countries, 
only  to  the  extent  that  dollars  were  re- 
ceived in  New  York. 

The  amount  earned  per  common 
share  for  1948  was  $3.63  on  6,715,039 
shares  outstanding,  which  compares 
with  $4.43  per  share  for  1947  on  7,- 
092,839  shares  outstanding  on  January 
3,  1948. 

Operating      revenues      for  1948 
amounted  to  $173,528,284,  as  against 
$186,301,570  for  the  previous  year. 
Dividends    paid    during  the 
year  amounted  to  $13,788,978, 
compared   with   $14,347,778  in 
1947,  or  $2.00  per  share  for  each 
year. 

The  consolidated  balance  sheet 
shows  current  assets  of  $81,628,553  and 
current  liabilities  of  $13,664,405,  leav- 
ing a  net  working  capital  of  $67,964,- 
148.  The  current  assets  included  cash 
and  government  securities  of  $32,372,- 
460,  all  located  in  the  United  States 
and  Canada,  and  an  inventory  of 
$42,483,137. 

Working  Capital  Decrease 

Balaban  states  in  the  report :  "Dur- 
ing 1948  we  spent  approximately  $8,- 
600,000  for  net  additions  to  fixed  as- 
sets and  investments  of  the  company 
and  subsidiaries,  $3,500,000  for  reduc 
tion  of  the  company's  bank  debt,  $8, 
269,000  for  acquisition  of  shares  of  the 
company's  common  stock  and  $13,788, 
000  for  payment  of  dividends  to  stock- 
holders, with  the  result  that  the  net 
working  capital  decreased  $10,420,000 
during  the  year. 

"Between  Nov.  11,  1946,  and  April 
26,    1949,   we   reduced   our  common 
stock  outstanding  in  the  hands  of  the 
public  to  6,588,139  shares  by  the  pur- 
chase of  916,133  shares  at  an  aggre 
gate  cost  of  $22,392,000  disregarding 
dividends  which  would  have  been  paid 
if  the  shares  had  been  outstanding  on 
the  several  dividend  payment  dates. 
Thus,    we    reduced   our  outstanding 
capital  stock  by  12.21  per  cent  and  we 
paid  approximately  $37,000,000  in  divi 
dends,  or  a  total  cash  outlay  of  ap 
proximately  $59,000,000  in  less  than 
two  and  one-half  years. 

Sees  Hope  in  TV 

"There  is  a  great  deal  of  speculation 
about  television  as  a  threat  to  our  fu 
ture  prosperity,"  Balaban  continued 
"Television  may  turn  out  to  be  our 
companion  rather  than  our  antagonist 
Just  as  radio  developed  our  greatest 
personalities  such  as  Bing  Crosby  and 
Bob  Hope,  I  believe  that  television 
will  be  an  unparalleled  medium  for 
the  development  of  talent  for  motion 
pictures.  It  will  also  be  an  unprece- 
dented advertising  facility  for  the 
showing  of  short  sections  of  movies  in 
homes  to  stimulate  the  interest  of 
those  who  are  not  now  patrons  of  the 
movies. 

"As  a  motion  picture  company  we 
have  pioneered  in  the  development  of 
television.  We  have  developed  here 
in  Paramount  a  system  of  large  screen 
television  which  enables  us  to  photo- 
graph the  image  from  a  television  re- 
ceiver and  project  it  on  a  large  screen 
within  40  seconds  of  the  occurrence 
of  the  event  which  is  portrayed. 

"Motion  picture  attendance  has 
fallen  off  in  the  past  on  the  evenings 
of  broadcasts  of  some  major  event, 


Life  Magazine  Quiz 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Para.  Meeting  Today 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


New  York  with  film  critics  and 
writers,  including  Robert  E.  Sher- 
wood, and  with  educators,  anthro- 
pologists and  others ;  one  was  held  in 
Chicago  with  exhibitors,  and  another 
in  Bryan,  O.,  with  film  patrons.  The 
Coast  session  will  be  attended  by  stu- 
dio executives  and  producers  whose 
names  Life  declined  to  reveal,  "not 
because  they  are  secret  but  because 
all  invitations  have  not  been  accepted 
yet."  Life  spokesmen  said  those  con- 
ducting the  discussions  with  Eric 
Hodgins,  moderator  and  former  pub- 
lisher of  Fortune,  will  "stand  off" 
from  the  Hollywood  meeting,  leaving 
the  discussion  of  the  industry  to  the 
industry  people  present. 

Exhibitors  Met  in  Chicago 
The  Chicago  session  with  exhibi- 
tors, held  at  the  Ambassador  East 
Hotel,  was  attended  by  James  Coston 
and  Alex  Halperin  of  Warner  Broth- 
ers Theatres  there;  Arthur  Schoen- 
stadt,  Trueman  Rembusch  of  Allied 
Theatre  Owners  of  Indiana;  Elmer 
Balaban  of  the  H.  and  E.  Balaban 
circuit;  Weldon  Allen  of  the  Grove 
Theatre,  Galesburg,  111.,  subject  of  a 
recent  Fortune  article,  and  Ed  Zorn, 
president  of  United  Theatre  Owners 
of  Illinois,  Pontiac. 

In  addition  to  providing  material 
for  an  article  on  motion  pictures  to 
appear  in  Life  this  summer,  the  maga- 
zine's spokesmen  describe  the  sessions 
as  a  means  of  briefing  reporters  and 
editors  on  motion  picture  views  and 
operations.  The  magazine  has  clamped 
the  lid  of  secrecy  on  the  discussions, 
even  pledging  those  participating  to 
refrain  from  divulging  information,  on 
the  grounds  that  the  story  is  for  its 
own  use. 

See  No  Antagonism 

Life  spokesmen  have  expressed  sur- 
prise that  some  industry  quarters  re- 
gard the  sessions  with  suspicion  and 
others  view  them  as  unfriendly  to  mo- 
tion pictures  and  the  industry.  Some 
industry  people  who  have  participated 
here  say  there  was  no  indication  of 
antagonism  and  some  of  the  film  crit- 
ics reported  that  their  own  discussions 
developed  many  expressions  favorable 
to  motion  pictures. 

On  the  other  hand,  exhibitors  at  the 
Chicago  session  reported  that  leading 
questions,  such  as  "Why  are  better 
films  made  in  Europe?"  were  asked. 
In  the  main,  though,  that  session  ap- 
peared to  seek  exhibitor  opinions  of 
films  and  theatre  business,  public  re- 
action to  films  and  how  films  could 
be  improved.  The  theatre  owners  felt 
that  exhibitors  should  be  consulted  on 
production,  criticized  Hollywood  ex- 
travagance, executive  salaries  and 
some  trade  practices,  particularly 
designated  play-dates. 


hardt,  Louis  Phillips,  Ben  Washer, 
Bill  Danziger,  Monroe  Goodman, 
Marty  Friedman,  Joe  Walsh,  George 
Schur,  Jack  Roper,  Lou  Wechsler, 
Pat  Scollard  and  Knox  Haddow. 
Gordon  Lightstone  is  expected  to  come 
from  Canada  for  the  New  York  meet- 
ing. Harry  Goldstein  will  also 
attend. 

In  addition  the  following  will  at- 
tend : 

From  Boston:  A.  M.  Kane,  John  Moore, 
John  Brown,  H.  O.  Lewis,  John  Gubbins, 
Edward  Bradley,  James  Harris,  Wendell 
Clement  and  Arnold  Van  Leer.  From  New 
Haven:  Henry  Germaine,  John  Kane  and 
Richard  F.  Carroll.  From  Albany:  Edward 
Maloney,  James  Moore,  Feter  Holman  and 
Edward  J.  Wall.  Buffalo:  Maurice  Simon, 
John  Good,  John  McMahon  and  Edgar  A. 
Fitter,  Jr.  New  York:  Henry  Randel,  My- 
ron Sattler,  Edward  Bell,  Philip  Isaacs, 
Jack  Perley  and  Nathan  Stern.  Atlanta: 
Clyde  Goodson,  Edward  Fitzgerald,  Frank 
Folger,  William  Word,  Paul  Morgan,  John 
Flood  and  Leonard  Allen.  Jacksonville: 
William  Holliday,  Fred  Mathis  and  Robert 
Stevens.  Charlotte:  Albert  Duren,  Edward 
Chumley,  Paul  Cockrill,  Edmund  DeBerry, 
Lawrence  Terrell  and  Everett  Olsen.  New 
Orleans:  William  G.  Bradley,  Edgar  Shinn, 
Harold  Wyckoff  and  Foster  Hotard. 

The  Pittsburgh  divisional  sales 
meeting  will  be  attended  by  the  fol- 
lowing : 

From  Philadelphia:  Ulrik  F.  Smith,  John 
Bergin,  Herman  Rubin,  Clement  Reck, 
John  Kane,  Francis  Rodgers,  Ralph  Gar- 
man  and  William  F.  Brooker.  Washington: 
Albert  Benson,  Herbert  Thompson,  George 
Kelly,  Russell  Ricker,  John  Bryan,  Robert 
Cunningham,  Jack  Howe  and  J.  Maxwell 
Joice.  Pittsburgh:  David  Kimelman,  Wil- 
liam Brooks,  Robert  Caskey,  Charles  Mer- 
gen,  Harry  P'assarell  and  Leo  Wayne. 
Cleveland:  Saul  Frifield,  Thomas  Irwin, 
John  Gardner,  Aaron  Wayne,  George  Bress- 
ler,  Howard  Roth  and  Jack  Levine.  Cin- 
cinnati: James  J.  Grady,  Vincent  Kramer, 
Fred  Myers,  William  Meier,  James  Doyle. 
Virgil  Miller  and  John  Rodman.  Detroit: 
Hilland  E.  Stuckey,  John  Himmelain,  Rob- 
ert Lamb,  Jack  Thompson,  Jack  Young,  T. 
L.  Henrick  and  John  Gentile. 


Telecasters,  Ascap 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


any  arbitration  of  a  plan  which  would 
entail  payment  for  "special  licenses" 
in  addition  to  general  licenses. 

Ascap  offered  use  of  its  music,  Ahl- 
ert  said,  at  the  rate  of  three  per  cent 
of  revenue  which  the  telecasters  de- 
rived from  advertisers,  less  15  per  cent 
to  compensate  telecasters  for  advertis- 
ing agency  discounts.  Additionally, 
Ascap  asked  added  fees  for  "special 
uses"  of  its  music. 

Ahlert  said  that  the  telecasters  of- 
fered rates  which  would  be  58  per  cent 
under  the  amounts  paid  by  radio  on 
a  network  basis  and  40  per  cent  under 
what  local  radio  stations  pay. 

Negotiations  began  early  this  year 
with  the  stipulation  that  any  pact 
would  be  retroactive  to  Jan.  1. 
Ascap's  contracts  with  the  video  in- 
dustry have  been  on  a  gratis  basis. 


Kelly  to  UK  Today 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Hays  Nears  Ruling 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


of  its  Odeon  stock  for  some  time  but 
that  it  will  do  this  is  unlikely  at  this 
time  unless  a  formula  can  be  devised 
for  converting  British  pounds  into 
dollars,  or  otherwise  putting  blocked 
money  to  use. 

UA  figures  its  stock  in  Odeon  to  be 
worth  about  $3,000,000.  Its  shares  are 
non-voting. 


which  kept  people  at  home  to  listen. 
With  our  large  screen  television,  peo- 
ple need  not  stay  at  home  because  they 
will  know  that  they  can  see  the  regu- 
lar program  and  the  special  event  at 
their  motion  picture  theatre.  • 


French  remittances  are  viewed  as  en- 
tering their  final  stage. 

Hays,  former  president  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Producers  and  Distribu- 
tors Association,  and  special  adviser 
to  the  MP  A  A,  was  named  last  Octo- 
ber by  MPAA  president  Eric  A. 
Johnston  to  arbitrate  the  companies' 
dispute  over  the  sharing  of  $1,572,138, 
which  is  part  of  the  sum  France  has 
agreed  to  pay  the  American  industry 
under  the  U.S.-French  film  pact. 

At  the  suggestion  of  Johnston  the 
presidents  of  the  major  companies, 
having  accepted  responsibility  for  re- 
solving the  dispute  amicably,  agreed 
to  be  governed  by  the  advice  of  Hays. 
Involved  are  Paramount,  United  Art- 
ists, 20th  Century-Fox,  Warners, 
Loew's,  Columbia,  Universal  and 
RKO  Radio. 

The  issue  between  the  eight  arises 
from  (1)  an  alleged  agreement  in 
New  York  on  their  part  to  use  gross 
billings  in  France  during  the  period 
ending  June  30,  1947,  as  the  basis  for 
the  division  of  dollar  remittance,  and 
(2)  the  insistence  of  the  French  gov- 
ernment that  payments  be  made  to 
the  companies  in  proportion  to  cash 
on  hand  as  of  June  30,  1947. 


Settles  Columbia  Suit 

Hollywood,  May  8. — F.  Hugh  Her- 
bert, screen  writer  and  playwright 
who  sued  Columbia  for  $1,000,0Q0, 
alleging  interference  with  the  sale  of 
screen  sequel  rights  for  his  play,  "Kiss 
and  Tell,"  has  announced  an  out-of- 
court  settlement.  Herbert  will  produce 
the  sequel,  "A  Kiss  for  Corliss,"  by 
his  own  company,  Berthugh,  Inc.,  at 
the  General  Service  Studios. 


I  wouldn't  trade 
jobs  with  anybody! 


lllk 


My  job  is  making  people  happy. 
I  greet  them  with  a  smile,  get 
acquainted  with  them,  see  that 
they're  comfortable.  When  meal- 
time comes  around,  I  bring  them 
the  most  delicious  food  served  on 
any  airline. 

Being  a  Mainliner  stewardess  is 
fun  because  the  nicest  people  just 
naturally  seem  to  choose  United. 
Perhaps  it's  the  little  extra  things 
we  do  to  help  them  enjoy  their 
trips.  Perhaps  it's  because  United 
takes  them  where  they  want  to 
go  and  gets  them  there  on  time. 
Anyhow,  I  like  -them,  and  I'm 
sorry  to  say  good-by. 

I'm  proud  of  my  smart  uniform, 
not  just  because  it's  becoming, 
but  because  it's  a  symbol.  It 
means  I'm  a  member  of  the  team 
that  serves  the  public  over  the 
Main  Line  Airway. 

P.  S.  I'm  looking  forward  to  wel- 
coming you  aboard  some  day 
soon !    M.  M. 


©  1949  United  Air  Lines 


as  DORIS. ..the  girl  who  trusted 
her  love— and  nothing  else! 


burning 
hatred  was  a  deadly  weapon! 


with  FORREST  TUCKER  •  SKIP  HOMEIER  .  Produced  by  WILLIAM  MOSS  •  Directed  by  PHIL  KARLSON 
Screenplay  by  Morton  Grant  and  Dorothy  Yost  •  Story  by  Morton  Grant  •  Presented  by  WILLIAM  MOSS  PICTURES,  INC.  •  Released  by  EAGLE  LION  FILMS 

EAGLE  LION'S  Great  Outdoor  Action  Hit... in  Technicolor! 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


L 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  91 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  MAY  10,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


$8,000,000  in 
UKHeldUnder 
Monetary  Pact 

3  Millions  Remittable 
To  U.  S.  Firms  in  June 


American  film  companies  will 
have  blocked  earnings  estimated  at 
$8,000,000  in  England  upon  the 
conclusion  of  the  first  year  of  op- 
eration of  the  Anglo-U.  S.  monetary 
agreement  on  June  14,  according  to 
film  company  executives  here,  who  are 
in  close  touch  with  foreign  markets. 

Of  this  amount,  the  companies  col- 
lectively will  be  permitted  to  remit 
next  month  the  dollar  equivalent  of 
the  earnings  of  British  pictures  here 
in  the  past  year,  figured  to  amount  to 
about  $3,000,000.  Contributing  the 
lion's  share  of  the  British  profit  here 
are  "Hamlet,"  which  already  has  sur- 
passed $1,000,000  in  distribution  gross, 
and  "The  Red  Shoes,"  which  is  not 
far  behind. 

Although    the    trade    and  money 

{Continued  on  page  6) 

Ascap  Out  of 
Video's  Plans 

Telecasters'  licensing  of  music  per- 
formance rights  directly  from  the  mu- 
sic publishers  is  in  prospect  as  a  result 
of  the  weekend  collapse  of  negotiations 
between  Ascap  and  the  National  As- 
sociation of  Broadcasters. 

Convinced  that  chances  for  an  agree- 
ment with  Ascap  before  June  1  are 
remote,  if  not  impossible,  the  video 
networks  and  individual  stations  al- 
ready are  mapping  plans  for  future 
operations  which  exclude  Ascap  en- 
tirely. Either  they  will  use  no  music 
from  the  Ascap  repertoire  at  all,  or, 
wherever  feasible,  they  will  clear  the 

{Continued  on  page  6) 

Services  Today  f  or 
Fred  Wehrenberg 

St.  Louis,  May  9. — Scores  from  ex- 
hibition and  other  branches  of  the  in- 
dustry will  attend  funeral  services 
here  tomorrow  for  Fred  E.  Wehren- 
berg, 68,  a  dean  of  exhibitor  associa- 
tion leaders,  who  died  in  St.  Anthony's 
Hospital  Friday  night  following  a 
short  illness.  Theatres  of  the  Wehren- 
berg circuit  here  closed  tonight. 

Among  those  who  will  attend  serv- 
(Continued  on  page  2) 


Johnston  Reports  to 
MPEA  Board  Today 

A  meeting  of  the  executive 
committee  of  Motion  Picture 
Export  Association  will  be 
held  here  today  with  Eric 
Johnston  presiding.  Details 
of  the  tentative  agreement 
reached  at  the  recent  Wash- 
ington meeting  of  the  Anglo- 
U.S.  Film  Council  are  sched- 
uled to  be  reported  to  the  di- 
rectors and  other  foreign 
market  development  will  be 
discussed. 


Trade  Relations  Hit 
At  Life's  Seminar 


Chicago,  May  9. — Exhibitors  who 
participated  in  the  Life  magazine  mo- 
tion picture  symposium  held  at  the 
Ambassador  East  Hotel  here  reported 
today  that  considerable  displeasure 
over  exhibitor-distributor  relations 
was  voiced  at  the  session. 

Goodwill  between  the  two  branches 
of  the  industry  often  is  found  lacking, 
the  session  was  told,  and  this  was  at- 
tributed to  distributor  indifference  to 
exhibitor  problems  and  needs.  Clear- 
ance problems  and  effects  of  Federal 
court  decisions  in  industry  cases  also 
were  subjects  of  inquiry  at  the  round- 
table  meeting. 

The  exhibitors  were  asked  about 
their  attitudes  toward  stars  who  re- 
ceive unfavorable  publicity,  with  re- 
sponses divided  as  to  whether  they  felt 
such  personalities  should  be  boycotted 
by  producers   and/or  exhibitors. 


Hearings  Start  on 
Admission  Taxes 
For  Municipalities 


Washington,  May  9. — Congress 
was  told  today  that  if  the  Federal 
Government  left  the  admission  tax  to 
the  states,  some  states  would  be 
helped  a  lot  while  others  would  re- 
ceive relatively  little  help. 

The  statement  came  from  Colorado 
Governor  Knouss,  one  of  the  opening 
witnesses  at  a  joint  House-Senate 
committee  hearing  on  the  need  for  a 
national  commission  on  inter-govern- 
mental relations.  All  of  the  witnesses 
urged  approval  of  legislation  for  such 
a  commission,  citing  overlapping  and 
duplicating  taxes  as  the  field  where 
such  a  commission  could  do  the  most 
good. 

Knouss  told  the  committee  that 
thickly-populated  states  with  large  the- 
atre attendances  would  be  helped  con- 
siderably if  the  Federal  Government 
got  out  of  the  admission  tax  field, 
whereas  less  populous  states  as  his 
own  might  not  be  helped  much  at  all. 

Strong  support  for  turning  the  ad- 

{Continucd  on  page  6) 


Final  Eastern  session  of  Life's  mo- 

{Continucd  on  page  6) 


Maas'MPEA  Contract 
Renewed  for  2  Years 

Washington,  May  9. — Irving 
Maas,  vice-president  and  general  man- 
ager of  the  Motion  Picture  Export 
Association,  has  contracted  for  an- 
other two-year  tenure  in  those  posts, 
it  is  reported  here  by  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America.  Maas, 
whose  previous  contract  with  MPEA 
expires  this  month,  recently  returned 
to  the  U.  S.  from^  an  extensive  tour 
of  Continental  Europe. 


20th  Sets  Deals  With  18 
For  Philadelphia  Runs 


Twentieth  Century-Fox  has  com- 
pleted competitive  negotiations  with 
18  Philadelphia  theatres  in  as  many 
zones  for  first-run  neighborhood  avail- 
ability, after  downtown  first-run,  un- 
der the  new  selling  plan  which  the 
company  is  launching  in  that  city,  A. 
W.  Smith,  Jr.,  vice-president  and  gen- 
eral sales  manager,  announced  here 
yesterday. 

The  deals  were  made  for  "Mr.  Bel- 
vedere Goes  to  College,"  which  is  now 
set  for  May  26  in  each  zone.  Under 
the  new  plan  of  flexible  availability, 
the  18  theatres  are  being  granted  an 
opportunity  to  play  the  company's 
product  on  a  21-day  availability  after 
first-run  downtown.  Previously  only 
eight  or  nine  houses  had  the  neighbor- 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Ireland  Cuts  Rural 
And  Newsreel  Taxes 

Dublin,  May  9.— In  his  bud- 
get speech,  Minister  for  Fi- 
nance P.  McGilligan  announ- 
ced the  removal  of  all  import 
duties  on  newsreels  and  also 
the  complete  exemption  from 
the  entertainment  tax  for  all 
film  shows  in  rural  areas 
where  the  population  is  un- 
der 500. 

The  measure  wil  take  ef- 
fect on  June  1  and  will  cost 
the  government  about  $100,- 
000  a  year. 


UA,  National 
Partnership 
Ending  Oct.  1 

40  Houses  to  Schenck; 
He  Pays  Over  $300,000 

United  Artists  Theatre  Circuit 
and  National  Theatres  have  agreed 
to  dissolve  their  jointly-owned  Cali- 
fornia circuit,  United  West  Coast 
Theatres,  on  Oct.  1,  with  the  UA  com- 
pany, headed  by  Joseph  M.  Schenck, 
emerging  with  40  houses  and  paying 
National  in  excess  of  $300,000  under 
terms  of  the  deal,  Schenck  revealed 
here  yesterday. 

The  40  which  UA  Theatres  will 
take  over  comprise  those  houses  which 
it  originally  had  placed  into  the  pool 
in  addition  to  four  others  which  Na- 
tional originally  had  owned,  these  be- 
ing one  each  in  Palo  Alto,  San  Jose, 
Fresno  and  Richmond,  all  California. 

Schenck  disclosed  that  UA  is  now 
organizing  a  new  company  to  operate 
the  houses,  which  presently  are  being 

{Continued  on  page  6) 

3  More  Fox 
Divisions 


Three  additional  sales  divisions,  in 
the  East,  Mideast  and  Midwest,  have 
been  created  by  20th  Century-Fox,  "as 
the  first  steps  towards  reciprocal  bet- 
terment of  buying  and  selling  condi- 
tions with  its  customers."  These 
changes  are  preliminary  to  a  state- 
ment of  sales  policy  which  will  be 
made  today  by  Spyros  P.  Skouras, 
president. 

The  company's  distribution  opera- 
tions will  now  consist  of  eight  divisions 
rather  than  five.  They  are :  New  Eng- 
land, Ed  Callahan,  division  manager, 
Boston,    New    Haven,  headquarters, 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


British  Theatres 
Face  Wage  Crisis 

London,  May  9. — Executive  council 
of  the  National  Association  of  The- 
atrical and  Kine  Employes,  represent- 
ing 125,000  British  theatre  workers, 
today  rejected  an  offer  of  nominal 
wage  increases  by  the  Cinematograph 
Exhibitors  Association  and,  declaring 
the  film  industry's  negotiating  machin- 
ery obsolete,  decided  to  report  the 
wage  dispute  to  the  Labour  Ministry 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  May  10,  1949 


Wehrenberg"  Services 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ices  for  the  former  president  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  are  Ted  R.  Gamble,  Herman 
Levy,  Morris  Loewenstein,  Robert  W. 
Coyne,  S.  H.  Fabian. 

Meanwhile,  countless  expressions  of 
mourning  have  been  received  here 
from  various  sections  of  the  country. 
Representative  of  them  is  a  statement 
by  Arthur  H.  Lockwood,  president  of 
the  Theatre  Owners  of  America,  of 
which  Wehrenberg  was  honorary 
chai  rman.  Said  Lockwood :  "The  mo- 
tion picture  industry  has  lost  a  trusted 
and  valued  leader.  Throughout  his 
career  as  a  showman,  he  worked  un- 
tiringly for  the  progress  and  welfare 
of  all  segments  of  show  business.  His 
labors  for  the  industry  were  vast,  his 
success  outstanding,  his  prestige  and 
influence  well-established." 

The  head  of  the  13-theatre  Wehren- 
berg circuit  opened  a  nickelodeon  here 
in  1906,  and  four  years  later  built  the 
city's  first  motion  picture  house. 
Wehrenberg  was  a  Spanish-American 
War  veteran  and  vice-president  of 
the  Jefferson  Gravois  Bank  here. 
Rites  will  be  held  at  Ziegenheim  Mor- 
tuary, with  interment  in  Sunset  Park. 

Services  for  Salomons 

Funeral  services  will  be  held  to- 
night for  Robert  Y.  Salomons,  Sr.,  57, 
cashier  of  the  Warner  home  office,  at 
St.  Johns  •  Lutheran  Church,  East 
Williston,  Long  Island.  Salomons, 
who  joined  Warners  in  1929,  died 
suddenly  Friday  at  his  home.  He  is 
survived  by  the  widow,  Ruth,  a  son, 
Robert  Y.,  Jr.,  a  daughter,  Joyce 
Smith,  two  sisters,  two  brothers,  and 
four  grandchildren.  The  funeral  will 
be  tomorrow,  with  interment  at  Nas- 
sau Knolls  Memorial  Park. 


Personal  Mention 


Paul  Sanders,  Exhibitor 

Louisville,  May  9.— Paul  H.  San- 
ders, S3,  for  30  years  owner  and  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  Alhambra  and 
Cozy  theatres,  Campbellsville,  Ky., 
died  unexpectedly  at  the  Rosary  Hos- 
pital there  on  April  30,  it  was  learned 
here  today.  Survivors  include  four 
daughters  and  three  brothers.  Sanders 
also  had  a  new  drive-in  theatre  under 
construction. 


OSCAR  F.  NEU,  president  of  Neu- 
made  Products,  is  on  the  Coast 
where  he  attended  the  Variety  Inter- 
national convention.  He  will  stop  off 
at  Chicago  when  returning  to  New 
York  to  complete  plans  for  the  con- 
vention late  this  summer  of  the  The- 
atre Equipment  Supply  Manufacturers 
Association. 

• 

Irving  Schiffrin,  former  Eagle- 
Lion  salesman  at  Boston,  has  been 
transferred  to  the  New  Haven  ex- 
change, with  Morris  Weinstein  be- 
coming booker-salesman  at  the  New 
Haven  exchange. 

• 

Neil  Agnew,  Motion  Picture  Sales 
president,  has  arrived  in  Paris  from 
New  York.  After  a  trip  to  London, 
he  will  go  to  Italy  to  confer  with 
William  Dieterle. 

Cliff  Giessman,  Northcoast  The- 
atres district  manager,  returned  to  his 
San  Francisco  office  yesterday,  fol- 
lowing a  recent  illness. 

• 

Richard  Mullens,  manager  of  the 
Bard  Theatre,  Louisville,  and  Mrs. 
Mullens  are  the  parents  of  their  sec- 
ond child,  Barbara. 

• 

Robert  Clark,  Associated  British 
Pathe  executive  director  of  produc- 
tion, has  left  here  for  Hollywood. 
• 

Ike  and  Harry  Katz  of  Kay  Film 
Exchanges,  Atlanta,  are  in  New  York 
and  are  staying  at  the  Astor. 
• 

William  Johns  has  been  appointed 
manager  of  the  Prudential  circuit's 
Playhouse  at  Ridgefield,  Conn. 
• 

E.  E.  Whitaker,  Georgia  Theatres 
executive,  has  returned  to  Atlanta 
after  a  trip  to  the  Coast. 


JOSEPH    I.    BREEN,  Production 
»J   Code    Administrator,    will  leave 
here  for  the  Coast  tomorrow. 
• 

Leon  J.  Bamberger,  RKO  sales 
promotion  manager,  is  in  Atlanta  from 
New  York  for  the  convention  of  the 
Theatre  Owners  and  Operators  of 
Georgia.  He  also  plans  to  attend  the 
convention  of  the  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  of  Arkansas,  to  be  held  at 
Little  Rock  on  May  18-19. 

• 

Jesse  Lasky,  Jr.,  and  Mrs.  Lasky 
left  New  York  yesterday  by  plane  for 
Venice,  by  Royal  Dutch  Airlines, 
where  he  will  direct  "Thief  of  Venice," 
which  he  also  wrote. 

• 

Larry  Parks  and  his  wife,  Betty 
Garrett;  have  arrived  in  New  York 
from  the  Coast  and  are  scheduled  to  be 
in  Washington  Friday  for  the  pre- 
opening  show  of  the  U.  S.  Treasury 
savings  bond  drive. 

• 

_  Kroger  Babb,  Hallmark  Produc- 
tions president, .  plans  to  leave  Holly- 
wood within,  two  weeks  on  a  plane 
trip  to  Hawaii,  the  Philippines  and 
Australia. 

• 

Adrian  Weiss,  of  Louis  Weiss  and 
Co.,  has  left  Hollywood  on  a  tour  of 
the  nation's  television  stations,  to  end 
with  a  stay  of  several  weeks  in  New 
York. 

• 

Norman  D.  Olsen,  Sr.,  DeVry 
Corp.  export  manager,  has  returned  to 
the  Chicago  home  office  from  a  tour  of 
Latin  America. 

• 

Jim  Prichard,  Monogram  Southern 
district  manager,  left  Hollywood  yes- 
terday for  Dallas. 

Pete  Harrison  is  in  New  York 
from  the  Coast  for  a  week's  visit. 


Says  M-G-M  Sold 
Griffith  By  Townjs 

Oklahoma  City,  May  9.— William 
B.  Zoellner,  formerly  M-G-M  branch 
manager  here  and  now  national  sales 
manager  for  short  subjects  and  re- 
prints, testified  today  at  the  Griffith 
mandate  hearing  that  he  made  it  a 
practice  to  deal  with  Griffith  town  by 
town  at  the  time  when  the  circuit 
allegedly  exercised  illegal  buying 
power. 

Zoellner's  testimony  contradicted 
that  of  two  complaining  witnesses, 
J.  D.  Wineland  and  A.  A.  Molder, 
who  competed  with  Griffith  at  Picher 
and  Sapulpa,  Okla.,  respectively,  dur- 
ing the  period  before  the  anti-trust 
action  was  started  in  1939. 

Zoellner  claimed  that  he  wouldn't 
negotiate  with  Wineland  because  he 
was  not  a  steady  customer. 

In  reply  to  a  question  from  Judge 
Edgar  S.  Vaught,  Zoellner  said  he 
wouldn't  make  a  deal  with  only  a  part 
of  the  Griffith  circuit  towns,  however, 
even  though  he  was  dealing  on  an 
individual  town  basis.  Vaught  asked 
the  question  after  Milton  Kallis,  gov- 
ernment attorney,  had  inquired  why 
M-G-M  hadn't  sold  "Honky  Tonk"  in 
1941  to  Griffith  in  closed  towns  when 
that  film  was  sold  to  independents  in 
all  competitive  cities. 

Zoellner,  here  since  last  Wednesday, 
plans  to  return  to  New  York  to- 
morrow. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


Harold  Beaudine,  55 

Hollywood,  May  9.— Harold  Beau- 
dine,  55,  veteran  film  director  and  the 
brother  of  William  Beaudine,  also  a 
pioneer  director,  died  this  morning 
after  a  long  illness.  A  military  funeral 
will  be  held  tomorrow  afternoon  at 
the  Veterans  Administration  Hospital, 
Sawtelle,  Calif.  In  addition  to  the 
brother,  the  widow  and  mother  survive. 


Map  'Jimmy'  Fund  Drive 

Boston,  May  9.— Martin  J.  Mullin, 
New  England  Theatres  general  man- 
ager, and  Lou  Perini,  Boston  Braves 
president,  who  are  serving  as  co- 
chairmen  of  the  "Jimmy"  fund  drive 
for  the  Boston  Children's  Hospital, 
met  with  the  governors  of  six  New 
England  states  over  the  weekend  to 
map  plans  for  the  drive.  Mullin  and 
William  Koster,  executive  director  of 
the  Boston  Variety  tent,  will  leave 
immediately  on  a  speaking  tour  of 
principal  cities  of  the  territory. 


300  at  Convention  of 
Georgia  Exhibitors 

Atlanta,  May  9.— Georgia  Thea 
tre  Owners  and  operators  convened 
here  today  at  the  Henry  Grady  Hotel 
for  the  second  annual  convention  of 
two  days.  The  day  opened  with  a 
luncheon  address  by  Mayor  William 
Hartsfield  followed  by  Governor  Her- 
man Talmadge.  Addresses  of  the  day 
also  included  those  by  Francis  Hare, 
Mike  Simons  and  R.  B.  Wilby.  The 
day  closed  with  a  cocktail  and  buffet 
dinner  given  by  the  Motion  Picture 
Advertising  Co.  of  New  Orleans.  J. 
H.  Thompson  was  master-of-cere- 
monies.  Approximately  300  are  in 
attendance. 


Any  how,  Rank's  Flour 
Business  Is  Good 

London,  May  9.— Rank's  Ltd.,  hold- 
ing company  for  the  flour  milling  con- 
cerns of  which  J.  Arthur  is  a  director 
and  his  older  brother,  James  Voase 
Rank,  is  chairman,  has  announced  a 
dividend  of  18  per  cent,  instead  of  the 
usual  15  per  cent,  on  the  company's 
ordinary  stock. 

_  Announcement  was  marked  by  a 
rise  in  market  value  of  the  shares. 


Theatre  Burns  in  Texas 

Hamilton,  Tex.,  May  9.— An  ex- 
plosion and  fire  destroyed  the  Texas 
theatre  here  and  injured  seven  per- 
sons, one  seriously.  The  theatre  was 
about  half-filled  and  a  line  of  custom- 
ers was  outside  at  the  ticket  booth. 
Most  of  the  injured  were  cut  by  flying 
glass.  The  fire  burned  for  two  and 
<Lhn'f  hours  and  caused  an  estimated 
$50,000  damage  to  the  theatre  and 
three  other  buildings. 


FC  Host  to  Ida  Lupino 

Film  Classics  was  host  to  Ida  Lu- 
pino at  a  reception  given  here  yester- 
day at  the  Hampshire  House.  Miss 
Lupino's  first  self-produced  picture 
Not  Wanted,"  will  be  released  short- 
er by  FC-  Among  those  present  were 
Montague  Salmon,  Joseph  Bernhard 
Lester  Cowan,  B.  G.  Kranze,  Sol 
Schwartz  and  Harry  Brandt 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — 

Rockefeller  Center 
BING  CROSBY 
■  Rhonda    FLEMING     -     Win.  BENOIX 
Sir  Cedrlc  HARDWICKE 

"A  CONNECTICUT  YANKEE 

In    King  Arthur's  Court" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
A   Paramount  Picture 
i  SPECTACULAR   STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Paramount  preienti 
.YIUIAM  WIUIAM 

HOLDEN  •  BENDIX 

MACDONAID  MONA 

CAREY- FREEMAN 

Streets ' 
of  Laredo 

ci..  b,  TECHNICOLOR 


UA  Board  Meets 

_  Routine  meeting  of  the  United  Art- 
ists board  of  directors  yesterday  pre- 
™ ^executive  vice-president  Arthur 
W  Kelly  s  departure  for  London 
Kelly  aims  to  obtain  better  booking 
deals  with  J.  Arthur  Rank's  Odeon 
1  neatres. 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER,    r  «J%3^ 
All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Dally 
Extra  MatlncM  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


1^^^^^^^^^^^^.^^^^^^¥?^^  Edit--    *****  Saturday 

T  A  Ot£n  N^lZ  v-  2r,\°U§  \a-  Salle  Street'  Editorial  and  AAveka&^^^Xf  A^il^^j  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver 
OtW  oS*W  pTm  f"55  C>u>  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl  Hom  &  M,  'at?e:  Jimmy  Ascher'  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
Motion  Pctr,  Alm^  F  °T  .P,C]Ure  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales  each  published  n  ?»E"'  Peter  BurnUp'.  Editor:  cable  address.  "Qufepubco.  London." 
year  $6  in  the  A^ric^'  ^%  fE"tered  aS  ?ec0nd.  class  matter-  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  th    pcS  ofl£e  at New York  V  ai  a  seCtl°n  ?f  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 

year,  $o  m  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c.  P  a    Wew  York'  N-  Y->  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


/* 

wise. 


Box-office  power  .  •  .  indicates 
I  long  and  prosperous  runs." 

— M.  P.  Daily 

"Distinguished  motion  pic- 
ture. Huston's  genius  flames 

brightly  •  — N.Y.  Herald  Tribune 

"A  rousing  experience  in  the 

theatre  •  — N.Y.  World-Telegram 

"Outstanding . . .  intensely  vivid 

and  exciting."— N.Y.  Journal-American 

"A  masterpiece  and  a  miracle." 

— N.  Y.  Daily  Mirror 

^Outstanding  business  in  every  pre-release  engagement! 

IAST0R,  N.Y/LAFAYETTE,  BUFFALO  'MISSOURI,  ST.  LOUIS  'LOWS  STATE  and  ORPHEUM,  BOSTON 


"Strong  b.  o.  thriller . . .  can't  help 
but  do  business  everywhere." 

— Variety 

"Great  emotional  wallop  ...  It 
could  very  well  be  considered  for 

the  Oscar  of  1949."  — Collier's  Mag. 

"Fascinating  .  .  .  taut  dramatic 
film . . .  Every  part  is  well  acted." 

— N.Y.  Daily  News 

"Desperate  melodramatic  tale 
•  •  •  staggeringly  pictorialized," 

—N.Y.  Times 


Jennifer  JOJVES 


John  GARFIELD 


PedroARMENDARIZ 


JOHN  HUSTON'S 


Gilbert  Roland  •  Ramon  Novarro  •  Wally  Cassell  ■  David  Bond  -screen  piay  by  peter  vera  and  johnhuston 

horn  ROBERT  SYLVESTER'S  novel,  'ROUGH  SKETCH'  -  AN  HORIZON  PRODUCTION  -  Directed  by  JOH  N  H  USTON  •  Produced  by  S.  P.  EAGLE 


A 

COLUMBIA 
PICTURE 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Production  Spurts 
35  Films  in  Work 


Hollywood,  May  9. — The  produc- 
tion index  took  the  biggest  leap  for- 
ward this  week  in  many  months,  with 
nine  new  pictures  started,  for  a  total 
of  35.  Twelve  new  pictures  went  into 
production,  while  three  were  finished. 

Shooting  began  on  "Cow  Town," 
Columbia ;  "Side  Street,"  M-G-M ; 
"Cattle  King,"  Monogram;  "Golden 
Stallion,"  Republic ;  "Trouble  in 
Texas"  and  "Make  Mine  Laughs," 
RKO  Radio;  "12  O'Clock  High"  and 
"I  Was  a  Male  War  Bride,"  20th- 
Fox;  "Mrs.  Mike"  (Bischoff),  and 
"Gun  Crazy"  (King  Brothers),  UA ; 
"Francis,"  U-I ;  "White  Heat," 
Warners. 

Finished 
(formerly 
Columbia  ; 
"Skyliner," 


were    "Prison  Warden" 

'Beyond   These  Walls"), 

"Red  Danube,"  M-G-M; 
Screen  Guild. 


Film  Advertising  to 
Help  U.S.  Bond  Drive 

Major  film  companies  are  expected 
to  include  in  forthcoming  trade  adver- 
tising liberal  promotion  of  the  U.  S. 
Treasury's  "Opportunity  -  Savings 
Bond  Drive"  which  will  run  from 
May  15  through  June  30,  Maurice  A. 
Bergman,  chairman  of  the  industry's 
participation  in  the  drive  has  revealed. 

It  was  announced  simultaneously 
yesterday  by  Charles  Einfeld,  20th 
Century-Fox  advertising  -  publicity 
vice-president,  that  all  20th-Fox  trade 
advertising  and  New  York  Roxy 
Theatre  advertising  will  contain  drive 
promotions. 

Additional  Talent 
Tours  for  Bonds 

Hollywood,  May  9. — Paul  Lukas, 
Wayne  Morris  and  Cesar  Romero 
have  been  added  by  the  Hollywood 
Coordinating  Committee  to  the  list  of 
screen  stars  who  will  help  launch 
the  Treasury's  "Opportunity  Savings 
Bond  Drive,"  May  15-June  30.  Lukas 
and  Morris  will  take  part  in  a  rally 
at  Kansas  City  May  16,  with  Lizbeth 
Scott.  Romero  is  set  for  Chicago  May 
19.  Following  Kansas  City,  Lukas 
will  fly  to  Dallas  for  a  rally  on  May 
18,  while  Morris  will  appear  at  At- 
lanta and  Miss  Scott  at  Detroit  on  the 
same  date. 

The  star  tours,  a  part  of  the  indus- 
try's cooperation  with  the  Treasury, 
were  planned  by  the  industry's  over-all 
committee,  headed  by  Maurice  A. 
Bergman  and  Dore  Schary,  M-G-M 
studio  vice-president. 


Penna.  TV  Stations 
Fight  Censorship 

Philadelphia,  May  9. — Five  Penn- 
sylvania television  stations  asked  Fed- 
eral Judge  William  H.  Kirkpatrick  to 
declare  invalid  the  state  regulation 
passed  last  Jan.  24  which  requires  that 
all  TV  films  bear  the  approval  of  the 
state  Board  of  Censors. 

Witnesses  appearing  in  behalf  of  the 
appeal  were  William  B.  Lodge,  CBS- 
TV  engineering  vice-president,  Emer- 
son York,  New  York  independent 
video  film  producer,  and  Joseph  Mac- 
Donald,  ABC-TV  vice-president.  They 
declared  that  the  present  regulations 
destroy  the  "immediacy"  value  of 
television  ;  interfere  with  the  authority 
of  the  Federal  Communications  Com- 
mission ;  place  an  undue  burden  on 
interstate  commerce ;  and,  if  sustained, 
would  give  the  TV  industry  a  con- 
siderable setback. 


Reviews 


"The  Window" 

(RKO  Radio) 

THE  continuous  excitement  and  suspense  that  arises  out  of  believable 
situations  sets  "The  Window"  apart  from  the  usual  run  of  melodramas. 
Produced  by  the  late  Frederic  Ullman,  Jr.  of  This  Is  America  note,  the 
film,  which  largely  was  shot  on  the  streets  of  a  tenement  section  of  Man- 
hattan, has  settings  of  marked  naturalism. 

With  Bobby  Driscoll  playing  the  focal  role,  the  story  concerns  a  10-year- 
old  boy  who  is  known  in  the  neighborhood  for  some  of  the  fancy  tales  he 
spinned.  One  night,  however,  the  boy  witnessed  a  murder  from  his  fire 
escape  perch,  and  when  he  tried  to  convince  his  elders  of  what  he  had  seen, 
they  would  not  believe  him.  Thus  the  screenplay,  by  Mel  Dinelli,  draws  a 
contemporary  parallel  of  the  Aesopian  tale  of  the  boy  who  cried  "Wolf"  too 
often. 

The  cast  is  a  convincing  one  that  also  includes  Barbara  Hale  and  Arthur 
Kennedy  as  the  boy's  parents ;  and  Paul  Stewart  and  Ruth  Roman  as  a 
homicidal  couple.  Once  the  boy  fails  to  impress  his  parents  or  the  police 
with  the  authenticity  of  his  story,  his  life  becomes  endangered  by  the  guilty 
couple  who  then  become  bent  on  eliminating  the  one  witness  to  their  deed. 
There  follows  the  boy's  lonely,  terror-stricken  flight  from  the  couple's 
clutches.  It  is  these  scenes  which  give  the  picture  a  curious  fascination,  even 
though  an  occasional  melodramatic  device  is  resorted  to  in  order  to  heighten 
tension.  The  ending  is  one  which  will  satisfy  the  mass  audience.  From  the 
top  of  an  abandoned  tenement  house,  where  the  hectic  chase  ends,  the  boy 
jumps  to  the  safety  of  a  police  net  while  Stewart  plunges  to  his  death.  Ted 
Tetzlaff's  direction  is  taut  throughout.  Dore  Schary  was  in  charge  of  pro- 
duction. 

Running  time,  73  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  June  release. 

Mandel  Herbstman 


The  Gay  Amigo" 


(United  Artists)  Hollywood,  May  9 

TN  view  of  liberties  taken  over  the  years  with  his  softly-accented,  indestruc- 
*■  tible  Cisco  Kid,  the  late  O.  Henry  should  experience  only  a  restful  half- 
turn  over  "The  Gay  Amigo,"  latest  in  the  perpetual  series  of  the  good 
badman.  Perhaps  it  was  more  in  deference  to  Mexican-American  relations 
than  to  the  original  author  that  producer  Philip  Krasne,  director  Wallace 
Fox,  screenwriter  Doris  Schroeder  and  associate  producer  Duncan  Renaldo, 
who  plays  Cisco,  decided  to  play  down  certain  uncomfortably  familiar  aspects 
of  these  pictures.  (The  film  is  even  labeled  "An  Inter- American  Production.") 

At  any  rate,  the  result — while  still  hardly  gratifying  from  the  objection 
point  of  stereotyping  racial  characters — combines  a  palatable  degree  of  inter- 
national goodwill  comment  and  some  generally  acceptable  philosophy,  along 
with  the  usual  amount  of  hard  riding,  gunplay  and  a  standout  slugging  match 
between  Cisco  and  Joe  Sawyer  as  the  tough,  slow-thinking  Sgt.  McNulty  of 
the  U.  S.  Cavalry.  (Pains  were  taken  here  to  cast  no  slur  of  defeat  upon 
the  uniform  by  its  removal  before  the  battle.) 

With  the  typically  philosophical  if  moot  comment,  "There's  good  in  most 
of  us  and  bad  in  all  of  us,"  in  answer  to  a  charge  that  Mexican  banditos 
have  been  terrorizing  the  border  town,  Cisco  and  his  trusty,  joking  compadre 
Pancho  proceed  to  prove  to  the  U.  S.  authorities  and  one  and  sundry  that 
the  real  culprits  are  the  American  town's  newspaper  publisher  and  its  black- 
smith with  a  gang  disguised  as  Mexicans.  For  a  dash  of  romance,  there  is 
cantina  girl  Armida,  whom  the  gallant  Cisco  leaves  to  the  Sergeant.  Others 
in  the  cast  are  Leo  Carrillo,  Walter  Baldwin  and  Fred  Kohler,  Jr. 

Running  time,  60  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
May  5. 


Video  Could  Dominate 
In  5  Years,  Says  Coy 

Columbus,  O.,  May  9. — Removal  of 
four  bottlenecks  will  speed  television's 
growth  so  that  within  five  years  it  will 
be  the  dominant  broadcasting  medium, 
said  Wayne  Coy,  chairman  of  the  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission,  be- 
fore a  meeting  of  the  Institute  for 
Education  by  Radio  of  Ohio  Univer- 
sity. 

Coy  listed  these  as  bottlenecks : 
FCC's  freeze  on  new  station  permits, 
limitation  of  present  12  video  chan- 
nels, scarcity  of  new  network  facili- 
ties and  the  huge  cost  of  station  con- 
struction and  operation.  Coy  also 
said  that  AM  broadcasting  within  five 
years,  although  improved  and  extend- 
ed, will  "be  attracting  less  of  the  ad- 
vertisers' dollars  and  less  of  the  listen- 
ers' attention." 


Schwalberg  AT 01  Guest 

A.  W.  Schwalberg,  Paramount  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  distribution,  will 
be  guest  speaker  at  the  annual  con- 
vention of  Associated  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  Indiana,  June  21-23. 


Two  Horizon  Films 
Set  for  Columbia 

Hollywood,  May  9. — The  next  two 
films  to  be  produced  by  Horizon  Pic- 
tures, the  John  Huston-Sam  Spiegel 
company,  will  be  released  by  Columbia. 
The  pictures  will  be  a  screen  adapta- 
tion of  Frank  Harris'  "Reminiscences 
of  a  Cowboy,"  which  Huston  will  di- 
rect next  year  and  "The  Deserters"  or 
"The  Third  Secret,"  for  which  another 
director  will  be  engaged.  Huston  is 
also  committed  to  make  "Quo  Vadis" 
for  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  and  then  a 
documentary  on  the  need  for  world 
unity. 


Ohio  1TO  Fights  Tax 

Columbus,  O.,  May  9.— The  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  of  Ohio  is 
fighting  Senate  bill  No.  354,  intro- 
duced by  Senator  Guthrie,  which 
would  empower  township  trustees  to 
impose  admission  taxes  up  to  five  per 
cent.  The  bill  has  the  backing  of  the 
powerful  Ohio  Municipal  Association, 
composed  of  mayors  and  other  officials 
of  the  state  municipalities. 


This  Scene  I: 
"A  TOP 

"A  REAL  T 

"A  REAL  T 


This  Picture 
"A  NATURA 

"TRIPLE-PO 
"A  SURE-FI 


Starring 

DOROTHY 


DAN 


STERLING 


ft 


HAYDE 

with 

IRENE  HERVEY 
PHILIP  REED 

HAROLD  VERMILYEA  •  ALAN  t 
ART  SMITH 

Directed  by  LEWIS  R.  FOSTER 

Screenplay  by  Lewis  R.  Foster 
and  Whitman  Chambe 


l  moment: 

— Variety 

HILL  CLIMAX.'' 


s  / 


*S1 


— Daily  Variety 
11 


LL  CLIMAX. 

— Film  Bulletin 


V 


7 


11 


ANY  MARKET. 

— M.  P.  Herald 

TED  FOR  BOXOFFICE." 

— M.  P.  HeroW 

I  SUCCESS." 

■Hollywood  Reporter 


■ 


"Establishes  a  new  high 
for  the  William  H.  Pine- 
William  C.  Thomas  produc- 
ing partnership.  "-M.  P.  Herald 

A  PARAMOUNT  GOLD  RUSH  HIT 


See  and  Play:  "Eyes  on  Hollywood" — Paramount's  free 
short  that  sells  your  pictures  and  your  industry. 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  May  10,  1949 


UA,  National 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


operated  by  Fox  West  Coast,  Nation- 
al's wholly-owned  subsidiary,  in  the 
pool.  Schenck  and  Charles  Skouras, 
head  of  FWC,  are  both  in  New  York 
from  California,  and  spent  part  of  yes- 
terday in  talks  with  George  Skouras, 
head  of  Skouras  Theatres  here,  who 
appears  slated  for  a  prominent  pait  in 
Schenck's  theatre  expansion  plans. 

As  previously  reported,  Schenck 
has  submitted  his  resignation  as  20th 
Century-Fox  studio  executive  to  obtain 
legal  sanction  for  acquisition  of  new 
theatres,  but  this  will  not  be  acted 
upon  until  May  17  when  the  board 
meets.  He  said  yesterday  that  his 
contract  with  the  company  has  about 
five  more  years  to  run. 

If  the  board  accepts  his  resignation, 
Schenck  said,  he  will  exercise  his  op- 
tion to  purchase  50  per  cent  of  the 
stock  of  Northern  California  Theatres, 
which  operates  105  houses  through  its 
subsidiaries,  Golden  Gate  Theatres 
and  T.  and  D.,  Jr.,  Enterprises. 
Northern  California  is  headed  by 
Michael  Naify. 


Life's  Seminar 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


tion  picture  roundtable  heard  from 
Francis  Harmon,  Joseph  I.  Breen  and 
Kenneth  Clark  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  at  the  magazine's  offices 
in  the  Time-Life  Building,  Rockefeller 
Center,  here  yesterday.  The  magazine 
group,  under  Eric  Hodgins,  modera- 
tor, moves  on  to  Lake  Arrowhead, 
Cal.,  now  for  a  three-day  session  with 
producers  and  studio  executives  start- 
ing Friday.  Results  will  be  published 
in  a  mid-summer  issue  of  the  maga- 
zine. 

Participants  in  yesterday's  session, 
like  those  in  previous  ones,  said  they 
had  been  pledged  to  silence  by  the 
Life  people,  but  observed  that  there 
appeared  to  be  no  undercurrent  of  un 
friendliness  to  the  industry  in  the  at- 
titudes of  those  conducting  the  ques- 
tioning or  in  the  questions  asked. 

Apprised  of  this,  one  industryite  re- 
marked :  "But  you  can't  tell  how  those 
people  (on  Life)  will  use  the  informa- 
tion." 


20th's  Phila.  Deals 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


^TWA=TWA=TWA~TWA^j^ 


I  ONLY  TWA 


;     offers  300-mph  ^ 
CONSTELLATION 


SERVICE  | 


Coast-to-coast 

j*     and  overseas  | 


hood  first-run  and  on  a  28-day  avail- 
ability. Two  or  three  theatres  are 
situated  in  most  zones  and  all  are 
invited  to  compete  for  the  run  on 
the  basis  of  competitive  negotiations. 

In  terms  of  days,  the  availability 
under  the  flexible  plan  for  these  sub- 
sequent runs  will  be  21  to  35  days,  so 
that  between  the  21st  and  35th  day 
there  will  be  a  period  of  time  when 
these  theatres  will  have  clearance  over 
the  next  cycle  of  houses. 

For  the  theatres  that  will  follow  the 
first  group  of  18,  the  availability  will 
be  35  to  49  days  under  the  same  flex- 
ible plan  as  that  used  for  the  first  sub- 
sequent run.  On  the  50th  day  after 
first-run  the  picture  will  be  offered  to 
all  theatres  in  their  proper  playing 
position. 

Implementing  a  publicity  campaign, 
20th-Fox  is  offering  bond  awards  in 
the  amounts  of  $100,  $50  and  $25  to 
the  managers  of  the  18  theatres  whose 
campaigns  on  behalf  of  the  May  26 
openings  of  "Mr.  Belvedere"  are 
deemed  best. 

Howard  Minsky,  Mideastern  divi- 
sion sales  manager,  and  Sam  Dia- 
mond, Philadelphia  branch  manager, 
handled  the  negotiations  for  20th-Fox. 

Theatres  involved  in  the  early  play- 
date  plan  starting  May  26  are:  Zone 

I,  Broad ;  zone  2,  Benson ;  zone  3, 
Tower ;  zone  4,  Girard ;  zone  6,  Nix- 
on ;  zone  7,  Iris ;  zone  8,  Carman ; 
zone  9,  Logan ;  zone  10,  Jeffries ;  zone 

II,  Roosevelt;  zone  12,  Fernrock; 
zone  13,  Ogontz ;  zone  14,  Bandbox ; 
zone  15,  Mayfair ;  zone  16,  Oxford ; 
zone  17,  Erlen;  zone  18,  Keswick 
Theatre,  Glenside;  Main  line,  Subur- 
ban Theatre,  Ardmore.  Zone  5  thea- 
tres did  not  come  in  on  the  plan. 


3  More  Fox  Divisions 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


British  Theatres 

(Continued  from]  page  1) 


for  reference  to  the  national  arbitra- 
tion tribunal. 

This  implies  that  in  the  event  of  the 
Ministry  failing  to  take  action  within 
21  days,  NATKE  has  the  right  to 
issue  a  strike  call  involving  all  the- 
atres. 

As  an  additional  preliminary  step, 
Tom  O'Brien,  head  of  NATKE, 
warned  the  union's  7,000  studio  mem- 
bers to  be  prepared  to  take  sympa- 
thetic action  if  necessary,  threatening 
a  shutdown  of  the  entire  industry. 

In  a  statement  to  the  press  O'Brien 
declared  that  80  per  cent  of  the 
workers  receive  wages  below  the  sub- 
sistence level.  He  claimed  that  de- 
spite the  CEA  offer  of  increases 
ranging  from  two  and  one-half  to 
seven  and  one-half  per  cent,  average 
wages  would  remain  less  than  $9  per 
week  for  women  and  $17  for  men. 

O'Brien  charged  that  after  six 
months  of  negotiations  the  exhibitors 
made  no  offer  which  removes  even  the 
elementary  injustices  complained  of. 

O'Brien's  action  is  regarded  largely 
as  propaganda  in  a  process  of  jockey- 
ing for  position.  Nevertheless,  the 
CEA,  appreciating  the  potential  grav- 
ity of  the  situation,  called  an  emer- 
gency meeting  of  its  executive  council 
today.  Smaller  theatres  maintain  that 
any  further  increase  in  operating  costs 
would  result  in  putting  them  into  the 
red  and  claim  that  the  last  wage 
agreement  negotiated  with  NATKE 
in  September,  1946,  represented  their 
maximum  concession.  They  point  out 
that  since  then  attendance  has  fallen 
and  without  some  reduction  of  the 
heavy  entertainment  tax  it  would  be 
impo'ssible  to  meet  NATKE's  new  de- 
mands. 


Boston ;  Empire  State,  Martin  Mosko- 
witz,  division  manager,  New  York, 
Albany,  Buffalo,  headquarters,  New 
York ;  Mideast,  Howard  Minsky, 
division  manager,  Philadelphia,  Pitts- 
burgh, Washington,  headquarters, 
Philadelphia.;  Midwest,  Edward 
Aaron,  division  manager,  Kansas  City, 
St.  Louis,  Des  Moines,  Omaha,  Min- 
neapolis, Milwaukee,  headquarters, 
Kansas  City ;  Central,  Raymond  E. 
Moon,  division  manager,  Chicago,  De- 
troit, Cleveland,  Cincinnati,  Indiana- 
polis, headquarters,  Chicago. 

The  following  divisions  are  un- 
affected by  the  change :  Western, 
Herman  Wobber,  division  manager, 
Bryan  D.  Stoner,  assistant  division 
manager,  Los  Angeles,  Portland,  Salt 
Lake  City,  San  Francisco,  Seattle, 
headquarters,  San  Francisco ;  South- 
ern, Harry  Ballance,  division  manager, 
Paul  Wilson,  assistant  division  man- 
ager, Atlanta,  Charlotte,  Dallas,  Okla- 
homa City,  Memphis,  New  Orleans, 
headquarters,  Atlanta;  Canada,  Ar- 
thur Silverstone,  division  manager. 
Calgary,  Montreal,  St.  John,  Van- 
couver, Toronto,  Winnipeg. 

"These  changes  in  the  company's 
operating  setup  have  been  accom- 
plished without  any  elimination  of 
manpower,"  said  20th-Fox. 

Callahan  was  formerly  Boston 
branch  manager ;  Moskowitz  was  ex- 
ecutive assistant  to  Andy  W.  Smith, 
Jr. ;  _  Minsky  was  assistant  Eastern 
division  sales  manager;  Aaron  was 
Eastern  sales  supervisor,  while  Moon 
was  Eastern  division  sales  manager. 

Moon  replaces  J.  H.  Lorentz  as 
Central  divisional  sales  manager. 
Lorentz,  who  is  ill,  has  been  trans- 
ferred at  his  request  to  Milwaukee  as 
branch  manager  succeeding  J.  R. 
Neger.  The  latter  becomes  branch 
manager  in  Kansas  City  succeeding 
George  W.  Fuller,  Jr.,  who  is  tem- 
porarily inactive  because  of  poor 
health. 


Ascap  Out  of  Video 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


rights  through  publishers  who  are 
willing  to  license  their  compositions 
on  an  individual  basis. 

Ascap's  present  gratis  contracts  with 
the  telecasters  had  been  extended  from 
January  1  to  June  1  on  condition  that 
any  agreements  .on  non-gratis  pacts  in 
the  interim  would  be  retroactive  to 
January  1. 

Spokesman  for  both  sides  say'  they 
are  "hopeful"  a  settlement  will  be 
reached  but  admit  the  feeling  is  based 
only  on  the  fact  that  amicable  settle- 
ment would  be  helpful  for  all  con- 
cerned, but  there  are  no  apparent  facts 
which  would  indicate  an  agreement  is 
likely. 

Principal  issue  is  Ascap's  proposal 
to  license  the  regular  use  of  its  music 
in  a  blanket  contract  but  reserving 
for  its  members  the  right  to  license 
special  uses  of  music,  such  as  where 
costumes  and  scenery  are  involved. 
Actually,  Ascap  members  have  not  au- 
thorized the  Society  to  license  these 
special  rights. 

Robert  Myers,  NBC  counsel  and 
chief  negotiator  for  the  video  indus- 
try, said  here  yesterday  that  the  tele- 
casters  must  insist  on  a  contract  which 
would  cover  all  uses  of  music,  and 
that  "special  uses"  is  a  term  not  al- 
ways definable  and  could  lead  to  in- 
numerable disputes. 


UK  Blocked  Money 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


agreement  with  the  British  is  in  effect 
almost  a  full  year,  American  compa- 
nies only  now  are  reaching  the  full 
volume  of  business  in  that  country  as 
a  result  of  the  boycott  of  the  British 
market  early  last  year.  When  ship- 
ment of  films  to  England  was  resumed 
on  June  14,  1948,  American  companies 
found  that  for  the  most  part  the  prin- 
cipal money  outlets — first-runs  and  the 
circuits — were  booked  for  six  months 
in  advance  with  British  product  and 
U.  S.  re-issues. 

Also  accounting  for  the  unusually 
low  earnings  in  England  for  1948-49 
were  the  new  playing  time  quota  of 
45  per  cent  for  British  pictures, 
American  companies'  retaliation  policy 
of  refusing  to  sell  a  U.  S.  picture  to 
play  on  a  double  bill  with  a  British 
film,  and  a  drop-off  in  theatre  busi- 
ness. J.  Arthur  Rank  told  associates 
here  on  his  visit  last  month  that  ex- 
hibition revenue  in  England  is  10  per 
cent  under  the  1948  level. 
_  Under  terms  of  the  agreement  which 
lifted  the  boycott,  which  in  turn  had 
stemmed  from  the  short-lived  British 
75  per  cent  ad  valorem  tax,  American 
companies  are  permitted  to  remit  earn- 
ings of  $17,000,000  annually  in  12 
monthly  installments.  Computation  and 
distribution  of  the  remittable  earnings 
are  made  by  British  government-ap- 
pointed auditors. 

Additionally,  the  equivalent  of  Brit- 
ish earnings  here  will  be  determined 
next  month  and  subsequently  will  be 
allocated  to  the  U.  S.  companies  by 
the  Joint  Control  Committee  which 
supervises  operation  of  the  monetary 
agreement. 

It  was  pointed  out  here  that  the 
figures  on  blocked  money  and  remit- 
tables  do  not  reflect  actual  profits  in 
England,  a  market  which  has  yielded 
in  the  past  up  to  $70,000,000  a  year. 
It  was  explained  that  a  substantial 
amount  of  blocked  money  in  the  past 
year  has  been  used  for  production  and 
allied  purposes,  retirement  of  debt  and 
numerous  other  permitted  uses. 


Hearings  Start 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


New  Westrex  Recorder 

A  16mm.  re-recorder  has  been  an- 
nounced by  Westrex. 


mission  tax  back  to  the  states  and 
municipalities  will  probably  be  voiced 
before  the  committee  tomorrow,  when 
representatives  of  the  U.  S.  Confer- 
ence of  Mayors,  the  American  Mu- 
nicipal Association  and  various  groups 
of  county  officials  testify.  These  groups 
may  meet  tomorrow  afternoon  to 
work  out  a  joint  program. 


Jeffery  Names  Wilson 

Atlanta,  May  9.— C.  O.  Jeffery, 
district  manager  of  Alexander  Film 
Co.  of  Colorado  Springs,  has  appoint- 
ed Jimmy  Wilson  Atlanta  branch 
manager. 


A  JOB  WITH  A  FUTURE! 

Accountant — Office  Manager 
Starting  Salary  $100-3125 

Producers'  New  York  office  requires 
a  man  with  motion  picture  procedure 
and  accounting  background,  for  posi- 
tion as  accountant — office  manager. 
Fine  opportunity  for  the  right  man. 
State  age,  qualifications,  etc. 

Box  427 
MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 
1270  6th  Ave.,  N.  Y.  20 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  92 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  MAY  11,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


20th-FOX  SETS 
NEW  SALES  PLAN 


Favors  Sliding  Scale, 
Reduced  Clearances, 
Gives  Field  Autonomy 

Completing  its  two  months'  study 
Df  market  conditions  with  the  aim 
Df  mutually  benefiting  exhibition 
.and  distribution  revenue,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox yesterday  announced  its  new 
sales  policy. 

The  detailed  program  was  presented 
in  a  statement  by  Spyros  P.  Skouras, 
Dresident.  It  emphasized  the  company's 
desire  to  reduce  clearances,  to  create 
multiple  first  and  second  runs,  to  in- 
;rease  the  use  of  sliding  scale  formulas 
in  selling  to  virtually  all  but  small 
town  and  late  •  subsequent  run  exhibi- 
tors and  to  give  specific  aid  in  improv- 
ing the  merchandising  of  pictures  re- 
gionally and  in  winning  increased  the- 
atre patronage. 

As  a  corollary  of  the  new  policy, 
20th-Fox  has  granted  complete  au- 
tonomy to  its  field  forces  to  negotiate 
and  approve  firm,  binding  deals  with 
exhibitors. 

Skouras  Selling 
Policy  Statement: 

In  recent  years,  all  branches  of  the 
motion  picture  industry — production, 
distribution  and  exhibition — have  been 
caught  between  a  rise  in  costs  and 
some  decline  in  box-office.  Unless 
steps  are  taken  to  resolve  this  pressing 
problem,  film  revenue  will  no  longer 
sustain  the  continued  production  or  ex- 
hibition of  high  quality  motion  pic- 
tures.   I  have  sought  an  answer  to 

{Continued  on  page  4) 

Para.  Stock  Buys 
Near  Million  Shares 


Highlights  of 
20th-Fox  Plan 


TJOLLOWING  are  highlights  of 
r  the  new  20th  Century-Fox  sales 
plan  announced  by  the  company  yes- 
terday : 

Complete  autonomy  being  granted 
to  20th-Fox  men  in  the  field  to  make 
and  close  deals  without  home  office 
approval. 

Favors  reduction  of  clearances, 
creation  of  multiple  first  and  subse- 
quent runs  in  large  cities  and  in- 
crease in  saturation  releases. 

Favors  the  sliding  scale  sales 
methods  wherever  practicable  and 
fair  flat  rentals  where  preferred  in 
small  towns  and  late  subsequent 
runs. 

Pledges  full  awareness  of  and 
consideration  for  problems  peculiar 
to  individual  theatre  situations. 

Plans,  as  business  builders,  in- 
creased regional  picture  premieres 
with  star  appearances,  increased 
help  with  children's  matinees  and 
encouragement  of  better  weekend 
programming. 


ANGLO-U.  S.  AMITY 
PROGRAM  REACHED 


Next  UK-US 
Meeting  Here 

Next  meeting  of  the  Anglo-U.  S. 
Film  Advisory  Council  will  be  held 
here  about  the  middle  of  next  month 
to  work  out  further  details  in  con- 
nection with  the  proposals  for  settle- 
ment of  the  differences  between  the 
two  industries  and  to  exchange  re- 
ports on  acceptance  of  or  objections  to 
the  proposals  by  organizations  and 
companies  concerned  on  both  sides. 

A  final  Council  meeting  on  the  pro- 
posals will  be  held  in  London  in  Aug- 
ust only  in  the  event  the  necessary 
approvals,  including  that  of  the  Brit- 
ish government,  are  obtained. 

The  June  meeting  will  be  attended 
by  Sir  Alexander  Korda  and  Sir 
Henry  French  of  the  British  Film 
Producers  Association.  J.  Arthur 
Rank,  the  other  British  member  of 
the  committee,  will  not  be  present.  If 
the  August  meeting  is  held,  Eric 
Johnston,  Nicholas  M.  Schenck  and 
Barney  Balaban,  the  American  Coun- 
cil members,  will  attend  in  London. 


Paramount  purchased  last  month  on 
the  open  market  another  26,754 
shares  of  its  common  stock,  bringing 
to  920,587  shares  the  total  accumulated 
in  its  treasury  under  the  stock-pur- 
chasing program  instituted  in  Novem- 
ber, 1946,  by  company  president 
Barney  Balaban.  The  company  has 
spent  some  $22,392,000  to  acquire  the 
stock. 

On  the  basis  of  an  approximate  av- 
erage 1949  price  of  $21.50  per  common 
share,  the  total  purchase  price  can  be 
estimated  at  about  $20,000,000. 

Other  recently  monthly  purchases 
follow :  March,  52,000  shares ;  Febru- 
ary, 25,100 ;  January,  27,500 ;  October, 
40,500;  September,  32,500;  August, 
22,200;  July,  31,000. 


17  U-I  Releases  Set 
For  Next  6  Months 


Universal-International  has  set  the 
tentative  release  of  17  pictures  for  the 
coming  six  months,  William  A. 
Scully,  U-I  sales  vice-president  an- 
nounces. The  schedule  includes  three 
J.  Arthur  Rank  productions  for  gen- 
eral release.  Four  of  the  17  are  in 
Technicolor. 

Scheduled  for  May  release  are  "The 
Lady  Gambles,"  starring  Barbara 
Stanwyck,  Robert  Preston  and  Ste- 
phen McNally;  "City  Across  the 
River,"    which    stars    McNally  and 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Arnall  Sees  Danger 
In  UK-US  Accord 

Following  a  special  four-hour  meet- 
ing on  the  MPAA  disclosure  of  pro- 
posed British  relations  with  the  U.  S. 
film  industry,  Ellis  Arnall,  president 
of  the  Society  of  Independent  Motion 
Picture  Producers,  said  here  late  last 
night  that  "the  proposed  agreement 
appears  to  be  a  complete  reversal  of 
policy  and  an  abandonment  of  the 
principle  of  no  taxation  on  the  Amer- 
ican motion  picture-going  public  for 
the  purpose  of  subsidizing  and  sup- 
porting the  British  motion  picture 
producing  industry.  The  proposal  seems 
{Continued  on  page  5) 


Tentative  Agreement 
Requires  Approval  of 
British  Government 

The  tentative  agreement  for  end- 
ing the  differences  existing  between 
the  British  and  American  film  in- 
dustries advanced  at  the  recent 
Washington  meeting  of  the  Anglo- 
U.  S.  Film  Council  provides  for  the 
following : 

1.  Extension  of  the  best  efforts 
of  the  British  Film  Producers  As- 
sociation toward  (a)  the  enactment 
by  the  British  government  of  a  low- 
er film  quota  as  soon  as  possible 
and  (b)  revision  of  the  currency 
remittance  agreement  on  a  basis 
more  favorable  to  American  com- 
panies after  expiration  of  the  pres- 
ent agreement,  June  14,  1950; 

2.  Guaranteed  playing  time  on  the 
three  principal  British  circuits  (J. 
Arthur  Rank's  Gaumont-British 
and  Odeon  circuits  and  Associated 
British  Pictures  Corp.  circuit)  of 
100  American  "A"  features  annually 
for  a  three  or  five-year  period,  allo- 
cated on  the  basis  of  not  more  than 
15  such  features  annually  for  any 
one  American  company. 

The  American  companies  in  return 
would  agree  to : 

1.  Eliminate  the  all-American 
program  booking  requirement  now 
in  effect  for  British  theatres: 

2.  Establish  a  subsidy  for  British 
film  producers  out  of  unremittable 
American  company  earnings  in 
Britain,  the  amount  of  which  would 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


4  File  Percentage 
Actions  in  Illinois 


East  St.  Louis,  111.,  May  10.— 
Warner  Brothers,  Paramount,  RKO 
Radio  and  Loew's  filed  separate  per- 
centage actions  today  in  U.  S.  Dis- 
trict Court,  against  Armin  D.  Maga- 
dan and  Alphonse  B.  Magarian  for 
alleged  fraudulent  returns  on  percent- 
age pictures  exhibited  at  the  De  Luxe 
{Continued  on  page  4) 


5,000  Attend  MGM 
'Friendship  Meets' 

More  than  5,000  exhibitors  and  lead- 
ers in  civic  and  cultural  affairs  at- 
tended M-G-M's  "Friendship  Meet- 
ings" held  in  64  cities  and  towns  out- 
side of  exchange  centers,  according  to 
to  an  attendance  analysis  disclosed  by 
the  company  here  yesterday.  Of  this 
number  1,255  were  actual  contract 
{Continued  on  page  5) 


Mild  Portal  Report 
On  U.  K.  Trade  Seen 


London,  May  10. — Recommenda- 
tions concerning  Britain's  film  indus- 
try resulting  from  the  Portal  com- 
mittee's study  of  all  phases  of  opera- 
tions will  be  published  in  the  near  fu- 
ture and  are  not  expected  to  include 
any  spectacular  emergency  measures. 

The  recommendations  were  com- 
pleted by  Lord  Portal,  chairman  of 
the  government  enquiry,  just  before 
his  sudden  death  last  week.  At  one 
time  it  had  been  generally  believed 
that  divorcement  of  production-dis- 
tribution from  exhibition  would  be 
suggested  by  the  Portal  committee. 
Now,  however,  the  view  is  held  in 
political  circles  that  the  so-called  cri- 
sis in  the  industry  has  passed  its 
{Continued  on  page  5) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  May  11,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

HARRY  BRAND,  20th  Century- 
Fox  studio  publicity  director',  is 
here  from  Hollywood. 

• 

Mrs.  Jack  Warner,  wife  of  the 
Warner  production  vice-president,  will 
arrive  here  today  from  Europe  aboard 
the  America. 

Frank  A.  Ungro,  Westrex  trea- 
surer, has  returned  to  New  York 
from  an  inspection  of  company  offices 
around  the  world. 

• 

Walter  Ellaby,  Alexander  Film 
export  manager,  has  returned  to  New 
York  from  London. 

• 

Robert    Ungerfeld,  Universal-In- 
ternational home  office  representative, 
left  here  yesterday  for  Washington. 
'  • 

Rita  Lipp,  secretary  to  Charles 
D.  Prutzman,  Universal  vice-presi- 
dent, celebrated  a  birthday  yesterday. 
• 

Edward  L.  Kingsley,  Oxford  Films 
vice-president,  returned  to  New  York 
yesterday  from  London  and  Paris. 

Academy  Awards  to 
Continue:  Hersholt 

Assurances  that  the  annual  awards 
of  the  Academy  of  Motion  Picture 
Arts  and  Sciences  will  continue  suc- 
cessfully were  given  here  by  Jean 
Hersholt,  retiring  president.  Hersholt, 
who  is  here  for  a  series  of  radio 
broadcasts,  asserted  that  he  has  no 
plans  to  see  any  of  the  major  com- 
pany presidents  in  regard  to  their 
withdrawal  of  financial  support  to  the 
"Oscar"  presentations,  as  previously 
expected. 

Hersholt  declared  that  the  Academy 
could  derive  money  from  radio  and 
television  sponsorship  as  well  as  pub- 
lic admissions  charged  for  the  presen- 
tation ceremonies.  He  said,  however, 
that  the  majors  should  contribute  their 
support  in  equitable  proportion  to  the 
11  other  branches  of  the  industry 
which  comprise  the  official  body  of  the 
Academy. 

Georgia  Owners  End 
Second  Annual  Meet 

Atlanta,  May  10. — Georgia  The- 
atre Owners  and  Operators  ended  its 
second  annual  convention  here  today 
with  a  banquet  and  floor  show  attend- 
ed by  some  300  exhibitors  and  their 
guests.  During  the  afternoon  the  local 
Variety  Club  entertained  the  ladies  at 
a  cocktail  party. 

Final  business  session  was  closed, 
with  exhibitors  only  hearing  the  day's 
speakers. 


$260,846  for  'Hamlef 

Hollywood,  May  10. — -Universal 
International's  "Hamlet,"  which 
closed  at  the  Four  Star  theatre  here 
tonight,  grossed  $260,846  in  a  28-week 
run  at  advanced  admission  prices,  the 
distributor  announced. 


Scores  Pay  Tribute 
AtWehrenbergRites 

St.  Louis,  May  10. — Fred  Wehren- 
berg,  a  leader  of  exhibitor  associations 
and  a  motion  picture  showman  since 
the  days  of  the  nickelodeon,  was 
buried  here  today  at  Sunset  Burial 
Park  following  brief  services  con- 
ducted by  Rev.  G.  O.  Martensen, 
pastor  of  the  St.  Lucas  Evangelical 
Church,  Sappington,  Mo. 

Among  the  industry  delegation  at- 
tending the  services  for  the  former 
president  of  the  Motion  Picture  Thea- 
tre Owners  of  America  were  Robert 
W.  Coyne  and  Miss  Helen  O'Toole, 
both  from  New  York,  Morris  Lowen- 
stein,  Oklahoma  City,  and  R.  R. 
Biechele,  Kansas  City,  all  represent- 
ing the  executive  board  of  Theatre 
Owners  of  America.  Another  delega- 
tion from  the  Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Owners  of  St.  Louis,  Eastern  Mis- 
souri and  Southern  Illinois  was  head- 
ed by  Tom  Edwards,  Farmington, 
Mo.,  who  succeeded  Wehrenberg  as 
president  of  the  association. 

Among  tributes  received  were  those 
from  Charles,  George  and  Spyros 
Skouras,  who  knew  W ehrenberg  from 
early  motion  picture  days  in  St.  Louis, 
A.  Montague,  Steve  Broidy,  William 
F.  Rodgers,  Rotus  Harvey,  S.  H. 
Fabian,  W.  F.  Ruffin,  M.  A.  Light- 
man,  many-  TOA  and  Allied  organiza- 
tions, and  a  host  of  industry  people, 
both  distribution  and  exhibition,  from 
throughout  the  Midwest. 

Three  More  On  B'way 
Bond  Drive  Group 

Russel  Downing,  Music  Hall  ex- 
ecutive vice-president,  Harry  Kalmine, 
Warner  Theatres  executive,  and 
Harry  Brandt,  head  of  Brandt  The- 
atres, have  joined  the  Broadway  com- 
mittee to  aid  in  the  promotion  of  the 
"Opportunity  Savings  Bond  Drive," 
May  15-June  30,  Maurice  A.  Berg- 
man, industry  chairman  of  the  drive, 
announced  here  yesterday. 

Others  of  the  committee  are :  Mal- 
colm Kingsberg,  RKO  Theatres  pres- 
ident ;  Maurice  Maurer,  managing  di- 
rector of  the  Bijou,  Astor  and  Vic- 
toria theatres ;  Charles  B.  Moss,  di- 
rector of  the  Criterion  Theatre;  Eu- 
gene Picker,  Loew's  Theatre  execu- 
tive ;  Montague  Salmon,  director  of 
the  Rivoli,  and  Robert  Weitman, 
Paramount  Theatre-  Service  vice-pres- 
ident. 


New  Music  Firm, 
Gillette  on  Board 

Don  Carle  Gillette,  former  trade- 
paper  editor  and  more  recently  War- 
ner trade  press  contact,  has  been  made 
a  member  of  Trans-American  Music 
Corp.,  new  holding  company  which 
has  acquired  an  Ascap  membership 
and  is  said  to  be  the  first  music  pub- 
lishing firm  to  make  its  stock  avail- 
able to  the  general  public.  Up  to 
now  music  houses  have  been  either 
privately  owner  or  affiliated  with  film 
companies. 

Organizer  of  the  company  is  Na- 
thaniel R.  Real,  former  music  pub- 
lisher and  now  head  of  N.  R.  Real 
and  Co.,  Wall  Street  securities  firm. 


Mild  Returns 
At  N.  Y.  Runs 

Grosses  are  unimpressive  at  New 
York  first-runs  this  week.  With  the 
notable  exception  of  two  newcomers, 
"The  Barkleys  of  Broadway,"  at 
Loew's  State,  and  "Flamingo  Road," 
at  the  Strand,  most  pictures  reacted 
quite  mildly  at  Broadway  box-offices. 

"Barkleys"  indicated  a  good  $60,000 
for  an  initial  week,  and  "Flamingo," 
together  with  Ted  Lewis's  band  on 
stage,  is  expected  to  chalk  up  a  brisk 
$65,000  for  its  first  stanza. 

At  the  Criterion,  "Africa  Screams" 
bowed  in  weakly  with  $22,000  seen  for 
the  first  week.  Fifth  and  final  week 
of  "A  Connecticut  Yankee  at  King  Ar- 
thur's Court"  is  fairly  good  with  $100,- 
000  at  Radio  City  Music  Hall,  running 
with  a  stage  presentation.  "The  Strat- 
ton  Story"  is  scheduled  to  take  over 
there  tomorrow.  "We  Were  Stran- 
gers" registered  a  sharp  drop-off  in 
business  at  the  Astor,  with  $24,000  in- 
dicated for  its  second  week,  following 
a  good  opening  week  of  nearly  $40,000. 

"Home  of  the  Brave"  replaces 
"Joan  of  Arc"  at  the  Victoria  today 
after  a  26-week  run  for  the  latter. 
Final  stanza  for  "Joan"  brought  an 
estimated  $11,000,  with  the  26-week  to- 
tal said  to  be  $700,000.  "The  Cham- 
pion" is  holding  up  satisfactorily  at 
the  Globe,  where  a  fifth  week  looks 
like  $20,000.  "The  Undercover  Man," 
plus  a  stage  show  headed  by  Duke 
Ellington  at  the  Paramount,  will  be 
replaced  tomorrow  by  "Streets  of  La- 
rado,"  and  a  new  stage  show,  after 
ringing  up  a  pretty  good  $62,000  gross 
in  a  third  week.  Fourth  week  of  "Mr. 
Belvedere  Goes  to  College,"  plus  a 
stage  show  topped  by  Viviane  Blaine, 
is  a  mild  grosser  at  the  Roxy,  with 
only  $60,000  expected.  At  the  Capitol, 
"Adventure  in  Baltimore,"  together 
with  Enric  Madriguera's  orchestra  on 
stage,  is  mediocre  with  $26,000  indi- 
cated for  a  second  and  final  week ; 
"The  Sun  Comes  Up"  will  bow  in  to- 
morrow. Sixth  week  of  "Portrait  of 
Jennie"  is  mild  at  the  Rivoli,  where 
$13,000  is  seen.  The  reissued  "Wizard 
of  Oz"  is  holding  up  rather  well  at 
the  Mayfair,  with  $18,000  expected. 

A  trio  of  British  imports  are  regis- 
tering gratifying  grosses,  as  follows : 
"Quartet,"  Sutton,  sixth  week,  $13,- 
800;  "Hamlet,"  Park  Avenue,  32nd 
week,  $15,000;  "The  Red  Shoes,"  Bi- 
jou, 29th  week,  $14,000. 

NCA  Rental  Plan 
May  Be  Proposed 

Minneapolis,  May  10. — North  Cen- 
tral Allied,  it  is  understood,  will  have 
ready  for  its  May  22-23  Minneapolis 
convention,  a  suggested  plan  whereby 
the  producer-distributor  share  of  the 
box-office  dollar  would  be  more  on 
the  profit  side  if  certain  trade  prac- 
tices were  discontinued  and  other  pol- 
icies inaugurated. 

Meanwhile,  Al  Lichtman  and  Andy 
Smith,  20th-Fox  executives,  are  ex- 
pected to  detail  their  new  sales  for- 
mula aimed  at  a  higher  split  of  the 
box-office  dollar  for  film  rentals  when 
they  outline  present-day  production 
and  distribution  problems,  and  report 
their  findings  at  the  NCA  convention. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


'T'  HE  crisis  in  Shanghai  and  the 
-*-  Hollywood  race  track  fire  are 
among  current  newsreel  highlights. 
Other  items  include  the  Kentucky 
Derby,  the  "Humanitarian  Award" 
and  the  birth  of  the  Collins  "quads." 
Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  38  —  New 

York:  Collins'  quadruplets.  Secretary  John- 
son speaks  on  the  Berlin  airlift.  Shanghai 
barricades.  Princess  Margaret  vacations  in 
Italy.  Variety  Clubs  honor  Herbert  Hoover. 
Kentucky  derby. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  272 — Shang- 
hai digs  in  as  Reds  near.  Collins'  quadru- 
plets. Rome  welcomes  Princess  Margaret. 
"Humanitarian  Award"  to  Herbert  Hoover. 
Kentucky  Derby  sees  big  upset. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  75— Holly- 
wood Park:  $5,000,000  race  track  fire.  Va- 
riety Clubs  honor  Hoover.  Report  from 
Shanghai.  "Little  Four"  meet  in  New 
York.    Kentucky  Derby. 

TEEENEWS  DIGEST,  No.  19-A— De- 
troit: For  strike.  Mexican  volcanic  expe- 
dition. South  Africa  train  wreck.  Henry 
Wallace  attacks  Atlantic  Pact.  New  York: 
four  of  a  kind.  Last  hours  of  blockade. 
Atom  bombers  in  England.  Brazilian  luxury 
liner  breaks  up.    Summer  fashions. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWS,  No.  246— China 
War.  Secretary  Johnson  speaks  for  na- 
tional defense.  Variety  Club  meets.  Collier 
Award  to  Sam  Rayburn.  Hollywood  Park 
race  track  fire.  Collins'  quadruplets.  Ken- 
tucky Derby. 

WARNER   PATHE  NEWS,   No.  77— 

Foreign  news:  Shanghai,  Mt.  Vesuvius, 
Princess  Margaret.  The  quadruplets.  Vari- 
ety Club  meets  in  San  Francisco.  Race 
track  fire.  Derby. 


Says  Some  Drive-ins 
Can  Skip  Royalties 


Drive-ins  franchised  by  Park-in 
Theatres,  Inc.  (Hollingshead) ,  a  New 
Jersey  corporation,  and  which  operate 
in  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island, 
Maine  and  New  Hampshire,  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  Circuit  Court  of 
Boston,  "may  fairly  safely  decide  to 
withhold  royalty  payments  at  least  un- 
til an  adverse  decision,  if  any,  on 
appeal"  of  the  E.  M.  Loew  Drive-in — 
Park-in  Theatres  case.  This  is  the 
opinion  of  Herman  M.  Levy,  general 
counsel  of  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America,  expressed  in  a  bulletin  re- 
leased yesterday  from  TOA  head- 
quarters here. 

As  to  drive-in  operators  in  other 
states,  said  Levy,  "it  would  be  best 
for  them  to  consult  their  attorneys  be- 
fore a  conclusion  is  »reached  as  to 
whether  the  payment  of  royalties 
should  be  discontinued." 

The  Boston  Circuit  court  recently 
held  the  Park-in  patent  invalid. 

Paramount  Host  At 
Cocktail  Party  Here 

Second  day  of  a  three-day  Para- 
mount divisional  sales  meeting  came 
to  a  close  last  night  with  a  cocktail 
party  at  the  Hotel  Pierre  here  with 
about  165  persons  attending.  Among 
those  present  from  the  home  office 
were :  Austin  C.  Keough,  A.  W. 
Schwalberg,  Ben  Washer,  Ted  O'Shea, 
Hugh  Owen,  Stanley  Shuford  and 
Morton  Nathanson. 

Visitors  from  Hollywood  were: 
Producer  William  Wyler,  Bill  Eythe, 
Arlene  Whelan  (Mrs.  Owen),  Arlene 
Francis,  Miriam  Hopkins  and  others. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher,  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver. 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


They  point 
o  M-G-M 
or  the 
oppers 
of  the 
;eason! 


TALK  ABOUT  STRAW  VOTES!  M-G-M  is  not  only  proud  of  its  Features  but  we  happily  point  to 
our  leadership  in  Shorts,  which  consistently  lead  in  industry  polls.  For  the  6th  year  in  a  row  Pete 
Smith  Specialties  took  first  place  in  M.  P.  Herald's  FAME  poll,  selected  among  54  series  of  live-action 
shorts.  Pete  Smith  Shorts  are  Tops  in  Showmen's  Trade  Review  Annual,  too,  5th  Consecutive  Year! 

BELOW:  Actual  ad  showing  how  theatres  advertise  M-G-M  shorts 


PETE  SMITH,  CHAMP! 
6th  YEAR  WINNER  IN 
"FAME"  ANNUAL! 


EXTRA  ADDED  ATTRACTIONS  FROM  M-G-M: 

Pete  Smith's 

(TECHNICOLOR) 

FISHING  FOR 
FUN" 


THE  ACADEMY  AWARD" 
WINNING  CARTOON!!! 

Tom  'n' Jerry 

•THf  LITTLE 
ORPHAN" 

COLOR  BY  TECHNICOLOR 


I 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  May  11,  1949 


17  U-I  Releases 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

"Arctic  Manhunt,"  featuring  Mikel 
Conrad  and  Carol  Thurston.  June 
will  see  the  release  of  Rank's  "One 
Woman's  Story,"  starring  Ann  Todd 
and  Claude  Rains,  which  opens  at  the 
Rivoli,  New  York,  May  17;  "Illegal 
Entry,"  starring  Howard  Duff,  Marta 
Toren  and  George  Brent,  and  "Take 
One  False  Step,"  starring  William 
Powell  and  Shelley  Winters. 

For  July  are  "Calamity  Jane  and 
Sam  Bass,"  in  Technicolor,  starring 
Yvonne  De  Carlo  and  Howard  Duff ; 
Rank's  "Woman  Hater,"  starring 
Stewart  Granger  and  Edwige  Feuil- 
lere ;  and  the  Howard  Duff,  Shelley 
Winters,  Dan  Duryea  starrer  tenta- 
tively titled  "Johnny  Evans."  August 
releases  are  "Blue  Lagoon,"  Rank 
production  in  Technicolor,  starring 
Jean  Simmons ;  "Sword  in  the  Des- 
ert," starring  Dana  Andrews,  Marta 
Toren  and  Stephen  McNally  and 
"Abbott  and  Costello  Meet  the  Killer, 
Boris  Karloff." 

For  September  are  "Yes  Sir,  That's 
My  Baby,"  in  Technicolor,  starring 
Donald  O'Connor,  Charles  Coburn 
and  Gloria  DeHaven  and  the  Neptune 
Production,  "Come  Be  My  Darling," 
starring  Robert  Montgomery  and  Ann 
Blyth.  October  releases  are  "West- 
ern Story,"  in  Technicolor,  starring 
Yvonne  De  Carlo,  Charles  Coburn, 
Scott  Brady  and  John  Russell,  and 
"Abandoned,"  starring  Gale  "Storm 
and  Dennis  O'Keefe. 


4  Percentage  Actions 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

and  Gaty  theatres  in  East  St.  Louis. 

The  complaints  were  signed  by 
Israel  Treiman  of  the  St.  Louis  law 
firm  of  Lashly,  Lashly,  Miller  and 
Clifford,  and  Robert  M.  Crain  of 
Crain  and  Hall  of  Centralia,  111.,  as 
attorneys  for  the  plaintiffs.  Sargoy 
and  Stein  of  New  York  are  defense 
counsel. 

Witness  Says  Griffith 
A  Superior  Customer 

Oklahoma  City,  May  10. — Ralph 
B.  Williams,  RKO  branch  manager 
here,  testified  in  the  Griffith  mandate 
hearing  today  that  his  company  con.- 
siders  the  type  of  house  and  possible 
revenue  as  prime  factors  in  deciding 
who  should  get  RKO  product.  The 
Griffith  circuit  is  superior  in  both 
respects,  he  said,  and  therefore  RKO 
does  business  with  it. 

George  Wise,  government  attor- 
ney, drew  from  Williams  a  statement 
that  RKO  does  not  offer  to  sell  in- 
dependents in  towns  where  Griffith 
is  a  steady  customer,  but  Williams 
denied  that  Griffith  deals  are  made 
a  circuit  basis.  Bargaining  is  on  a 
house-by-house  basis,  he  said. 


Sues  Screen  Plays,  UA 

Screen  Plays,  Inc.,  and  United  Art- 
ists were  named  defendants  in  an  in- 
fringement action  filed  yesterday  in 
U.  S.  District  Court  here  by  news- 
paper columnist  North  Callahan  who 
claims  exclusive  rights  to  the  title 
"So  This  Is  New  York."  Plaintiff 
seeks  an  accounting  of  profits  made 
by  the  picture  of  that  title. 


Suspend  Judy  Garland 

Hollywood,  May  10. — M-G-M 
shut  down  production  on  "Annie  Get 
Your  Gun"  this  afternoon  and  an- 
nounced the  suspension  of  Judy  Gar- 
land following  the  star's  refusal  to 
return  to  the  set  after  lunch. 


this  problem  based  upon  three  princi- 
ples, which  always  have  been  upper- 
most in  my  mind : 

That  the  stability  of  this  industry 
and  its  esteem  and  influence  through- 
out the  world  must  be  constantly 
fought  for  and  advanced ; 

That  the  prosperity  of  this  industry 
requires  a  prosperity  in  all  three  of 
its  major  branches:  production,  dis- 
tribution and  exhibition ; 

That  progress  is  safeguarded  only 
by  the  encouragement  of  the  produc- 
tion and  exhibition  of  quality  films. 

This  challenge  confronting  our  in- 
dustry today  had  to  be  met  by  alert, 
intelligent,  straightforward  action. 
Therefore,  it  was  only  natural  that  I 
should  turn  for  assistance  to  my  old 
friend,  Al  Lichtman,  for  whom  I  have 
always  had  the  greatest  respect  as  a 
genuinely  constructive  thinker  in  our 
industry.  His  career,  as  head  of  dis- 
tribution for  a  number  of  major  com- 
panies, always  has  impressed  me  as 
having  been  most  creative,  with  a  view 
to  the  long  range  betterment  and 
greater  prosperity  of  all  branches  of 
our  business. 

I  turned  to  him  for  this  task.  I  felt 
that  he  was'  the  one  man  whose  recom- 
mendations would  be  aimed  solely  at 
having  the  exhibitor  and  our  company 
obtain  the  best  possible  returns  from 
our  pictures  in  all  types  of  theatres. 

Together  with  Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr., 
general  sales  manager,  Mr.  Lichtman 
initiated  a  survey  which  involved  an 
analysis  of  the  sales  operation  of  all 
our  exchanges,  meetings  with  exhibi- 
tors, as  well  as  a  careful  study  of  all 
of  our  contracts  with  every  theatre. 
These  gentlemen  examined  the  meth- 
ods of  exhibition  and  exploitation  of 
our  films  in  all  types  of  communities 
throughout  the  country. 

Charles  Einfeld,  who  heads  our  ad- 
vertising, publicity  and  exploitation, 
also  participated  in  the  survey  and 
was  most  valuable  because  of  his  wide 
knowledge  of  general  industry  affairs. 

Now  the  survey  has  been  completed, 
the  facts  analyzed  and  a  number  of 
conclusions  have  been  reached.  These 
conclusions  have  been  thoroughly  dis- 
cussed with  every  member  of  our  sales 
organization  and  with  a  number  of 
outstanding,  representative  exhibitors, 
both  large  and  small. 

It  is  these  conclusions  which  form 
the  basis  of  the  20th  Century-Fox 
sales  policy.  They  indicate  that  ex- 
isting conditions  do  not  call  for  revo- 
lutionary plans.  But  they  have  re- 
vealed to  us  that  it  is  now  possible  and 
desirable  to  institute  certain  improve- 
ments in  distribution  methods  which 
will  prove  beneficial  to  those  playing 
our  product.  It  is  this  policy  that  I 
now  present : 


SALES  OPERATION 

Our  policy  provides  that  each  divi- 
sion head,  branch  manager  and  sales- 
man will  conduct  his  business  in  his 
town  territory  as  if  -he  were  the  own- 
er of  that  business.    Specifically : 

Under  this  procedure,  our  represen- 
tative is  developing  a  sound,  coopera- 
tive and  firm  business  relationship 
with  each  account  through  fair  dealing 
and  honest  representation  of  product 
so  as  to  avoid  unnecessary  bickering 
on  the  terms  of  each  picture.  As  a 
result  of  his  full  responsibility  to  the 
situation,  the  20th  Century-Fox  repre- 
sentative will  offer  the  exhibitor  still 
higher  forms  of  service,  such  as  ex- 
ploitation ideas,  special  promotional 
angles  and  material  and  the  latest 
merchandising  concepts.  This  will 
represent  additional  direct  assistance 
in  attracting  the  greatest  potential  au- 
dience to  the  theatre. 

Upon  receipt  of  a  print,  the  division 
head,  branch  manager  and  salesman 
will  screen  it,  discuss  its  value  and  the 
conclusion  they  arrive  at  will  deter- 
mine the  general  policy  under  which 
that  picture  will  be  distributed  in  that 
territory. 

Under  the  present  conditions  of 
buying  and  selling,  our  sales  represen- 
tatives must  be  able  to  make  quick, 
binding  decisions  because  the  exhibi- 
tor needs  to  know  as  far  as  in  advance 
as  possible  the  pictures  he  will  play, 
since,  his  backlog  of  product  is  so 
limited.  Therefore,  we  have  given  our 
salesmen  the  widest  latitude  so  that 
they  will  not  have  to  refer  their  deals 
to  the  home  office  for  approval.  Where 
we  have  given  responsibility,  we  have 
also  given  authority. 


incentive  method.  There  is  incentive 
to  promote  the  picture.  There  is  in- 
centive to  book  it  at  the  best  playing 
time.  Under  the  sliding  scale  every 
picture  finds  its  proper  level,  which 
encourages  the  exhibitor  to  run  it  as 
long  as  profitable.  It  is  this  incentive 
which  in  turn  provides  the  incentive 
to  the  producer  to  continue  in  his  ef- 
forts to  make  ever  finer,  stronger, 
box-office  films. 

2.  Flat  Rentals.  Many  exhibitors 
throughout  the  nation,  particularly 
those  in  small  towns  and  late  subse- 
quent runs,  prefer  to  buy  their  pic- 
tures flat  rental.  That  is  how  we  shall 
sell  them.  We  have  devised  a  system 
of  designating  flat  rentals  for  the  small 
exhibitor,  who  is  least  able  to  carry 
the  big  load  imposed  by  these  times. 
This  method  will  function  for  him  just 
as  fairly  as  if  the  sliding  scale  were 
in  operation  in  this  theatre. 


We  have  resolved  to  initiate  the  fol- 
lowing  steps  to  modernize  some  of  our 
distribution  techniques ;  this  will  aid 
the  exhibitor  in  his  efforts  to  win 
back  and  retain  the  large  audience 
which  is  not  presenting  attending  the 
motion  picture  theatres. 

Clearance  and  Multiple  Runs. 
This  a  time  of  fast  communications. 
It  has  become  increasingly  necessary 
that  pictures  be  brought  to  the  public 
while  interest  is  at  its  very  height. 
A  major  point  in  bur  policy  is  to  re- 
duce clearances,  where  necessary.  This 
will  shorten  the  dead  time  and  enable 
the  public  to  see  our  pictures  most 
conveniently  when  and  where  they 
want  to  see  them,  at  the  time  they 
most  want  to  see  them  as  a  result  of 
the  impact  of  advertising,  promotion, 
reviews  and  word  of  mouth.  We  shall 
also  attempt  to  create  multiple  first 
and  subsequent  runs  in  large  cities, 
where  it  can  be  arranged  for  the  mu- 
tual benefit  of  all  interests  involved. 
Clearances  and  multiple  runs  must  re- 
main elastic.  The  form  will  vary  with 
each  locality  and  will  require  careful 
examination  by  us,  together  with  our 
exhibitor  clients.  However,  regard- 
less of  form,  we  are  convinced  that 
this  offers  one  of  the  most  positive, 
and  really  simplest  ways  of  increasing 
the  income  of  the  exhibitor  and  dis- 
tributor. 

Saturation  Releases.  In  line  with 
the  necessity  for  attracting  the  great- 
est number  of  people  to  the  theatre, 
we  have  found  through  experimenta- 
tion that  the  regional,  day-and-;date 
distribution  of  motion  pictures  is  most 
productive  for  certain  types  of  films 
which  lend  themselves  to  this  purpose. 
By  permitting  a  concentration  of  our 
mutual  efforts  in  advertising  and  ex- 
ploitation in  a  given  territory,  this 
method  yields  the  greatest  returns 
from  our  combined  merchandising. 

Premieres.   We  advocate  premieres 
whenever  the  occasion  justifies  them  | 
to  stimulate  public  interest  in  motion 
pictures.    We  find  the  time  and  effort  1 
expended  on  premieres  help  the  ex-  J 
hibitor  of  the  particular  area  where  ] 
these  events  are  staged.    The  custom- 
ary presence  of  stars  at  the  event  is 
not  only  a  stimulant  to  the  revenue 
of  the  immediate  picture,  but  is  also  1 
the  most  positive  means  of  industry  I 
public    relations.     The    bringing  of 
Hollywood  personalities  into  the  com- 
munities of  America  establishes  tre-  || 
mendous,  lasting  good  will  for  the  ex-  J 
hibitor  in  his  own  locality. 

Children's  Matinees.    We  should 
do  our  utmost  to  help  the  theatres 
create  children's  matinees  with  suit-  I 
able  programs   designed  to  increase  | 
our  permanent  motion  picture  audi-  SI 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


METHODS  OF  SALE 

This  company's  approach  to  sales 
is  based  upon  two  precepts : — (a) 
There  can  be  no  arbitrary  method  of 
doing  business.  We  seek  to  do  busi- 
ness in  the  way  the  customer  prefers, 
consistent  with  a  fair  and  square  deal, 
(b)  Since  pictures  are  not  sold  on  a 
basis  of  cost  but  on  their  ability  to 
earn,  each  film  investment  represents 
a  major  risk  to  the  producer.  There- 
fore, every  opportunity  must  be  given 
a  good  picture  to  earn  its  full  potential 
for  both  the  exhibitor  and  the  dis- 
tributor. 

Our  survey  reveals  that  where  it  is 
practicable  and  desirable  to  do  busi- 
ness on  a  percentage  basis,  the  one 
method  of  sale  that  stands  out  beyond 
all  others  as  the  fairest,  most  efficient, 
most  progressive  and  most  mutually 
beneficial  is  the  sliding  scale,  which 
was  originally  conceived  and  intro- 
duced by  Al  Lichtman. 

/.  The  sliding  scale.  This    is  the 


20  th- Fox  Heads  Set  New  Policy 


Spyros  P.  Skouras, 
President 


Al  Lichtman,  Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  Charles  Elinfeld, 
Vice-President  Vice-President  Vice-President 


New  20th-Fox  Sales  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


MODERNIZED  DISTRIBUTION 
TECHNIQUES 


Wednesday,  May  11,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


More  20th-Fox 

(Continued  from  page  4) 


Review 


ence.    They  are  our  customers  of  to- 
morrow. 

Quality  Pictures  for  Preferred 
Playing  Time  in  Small  Theatres. 

In  small  towns  throughout  the  coun- 
try, many  theatres  do  the  major  por- 
tion of  their  business  on  weekends, 
since  their  patrons  are  usually  farmers 
or  workers,  who  have  little  leisure 
time  in  the  middle  of  the  week.  In 
many  situations,  the  exhibitors  have  a 
practice  of  booking  their  best  pictures 
in  the  middle  of  the  week  when  the 
fewest  number  of  people  are  able  to 
come  to  see  them.  Our  records  indi- 
cate that  this  unnecessarily  restricts 
the  size  of  the  week's  gross  and  the 
profits  of  the  theatre  and  the  dis- 
tributor. 

We  want  to  give  such  exhibitors 
every  incentive  to  play  the  best  pic- 
ture on  the  weekend  regardless  of 
whether  it  is  percentage  or  flat 
rental. 

We  are  confident  that  if  he  once 
tries  this,  he  will  win  many  new  and 
satisfied  patrons  and  will  increase  his 
general  attendance. 

This  is  the  20th  Century-Fox  sales 
policy  which  we  believe  will  benefit 
the  exhibitor  and  distributor  alike. 
Every  section,  every  word  means  pre- 
cisely what  it  says  and  every  member 
of  our  organization  is  pledged  to  its 
principles. 

This  great  industry  of  ours  was 
brought  from  '  humble  beginnings 
through  the  great  faith  and  devotion 
of  those  pioneers  who  could  see  in  a 
then  infant  medium  the  power  to  en- 
tertain and  influence  the  thinking  of 
the  entire  world.  Because  of  their 
faith,  their  enthusiasm,  their  visionary 
showmanship,  motion  pictures  have 
fulfilled  and  even  exceeded  their 
bravest  hope.  I  am  confident  that  the 
motion  picture  will  continue  to  be  the 
greatest  medium  of  entertainment.  So 
let  us  close  our  ranks,  and  in  unity 
and  harmony  march  forward. 

Spyros  P.  Skouras, 
President 

20th  Century-Fox  Film  Corp. 


'Devil  In  the  Flesh" 


(A.F.E.  Corp.)  ,  ,  „     ...  ,  , 

THERE  will  be  many  to  whom  "Devil  in  the  Flesh  will  be  a  source  ot 
1  sincere  regret  and  irritation,  for  the  picture  squanders  its  artistry  on  a 
dark  and  tasteless  theme  of  illicit  love  during  the  first  World  War  lhis 
French  import,  produced  by  Paul  Graetz  and  directed  by  Claude  Autant 
Lara  probably  will  be  hailed  by  some  big-city  critics  who  praise  anything 
that  'is  foreign  and  "daring,"  but  it  is  likely  to  produce  nothing  but  gloom 
and  a  measure  of  disgust  in  the  average  American  who  is  not  used  to— and 
who  possibly  does  not  care— seeing  the  intimate  details  of  a  married  woman  s 
love  affair  acted  out  on  the  screen,  regardless  of  how  well  this  is  done. 

There  can  be  no  denying  that  both  Gerard  Philipe  and  Micheline  Presle 
turn  in  very  fine  performances,  but  those  who  hail  films  of  this  kind  as 
giving  the  public  a  "new"  kind  of  realism  may  well  be  doing  the  industry 
considerable  disservice.  "Devil  in  the  Flesh"  had  considerable  censorship 
difficulties  here  and  roused  a  storm  of  protest  even  in  France  and  other 
countries  It  tells  of  a  highschool  boy's  love  affair  with  an  older  woman 
whose  husband  is  at  the  front.  She  becomes  pregnant  and  dies  just  as  the 
latter  returns  home.  The  boy  goes  free  and  is  made  the  subject  of  pity 
rather  than  resentment  as  armistice  and  funeral  bells,  ringing  in  unison, 
bring  the  film  to  a  cynical  end.  . 

Running  time,   112  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date, 

May  9. 


Arnall  Sees  Danger 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Anglo-U.  S.  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Phila.  Waiting  Time 
Cut  in  Half:  20th  Fox 

Philadelphia,  May  10.— Officials 
of  20th  Century-Fox  announced  today 
that  first-run  pictures  will  soon  be 
released  to  lower-priced  houses  in 
about  half  of  the  time  formerly  wait- 
ed. Howard  Minsky,  Eastern  division 
manager,  says  a  new  release  plan 
would  get  films  to  neighborhood 
houses  three  weeks  after  the  premiere 
showing  in  the  central  city  theatres, 
ending  a  traditional  five  or  six  weeks 
lapse  between  first  and  second  show 
ings. 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
MOTION  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


Bank™ 
Compan 


STRUST 


NEW  YORK. 


MEMBER   FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


be  scaled  upward  according  to  the 
earnings  of  British  pictures  in  the 
American  market,  the  base  year  be- 
ing the  one  ending  June  30,  1949. 

These  are  the  highlights  given  to 
a  meeting  of  the  executive  committee 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Export  Asso- 
ciation here  yesterday  at  which  Eric 
Johnston  presided.  The  American  pro- 
posals are  being  advanced  through 
that  agency  because  of  legal  consid- 
erations. 

While  the  proposals  were  received 
enthusiastically  by  a  majority  of  those 
attending  yesterday's  meeting  it  was 
apparent  soon  after  that  several  com- 
panies and  some  independent  produc- 
ers will  have  serious  reservations 
about  some  of  the  proposals  which 
might  bar  their  participation  unless 
revisions  or  more  specific  definitions 
are  offered. 

The  tentative  agreement  also  pro- 
vides that  the  British  producers  may 
have  an  option  of  taking  a  minimum 
cash  guaranty  in  lieu  of  actual  earn- 
ings of  British  films  here,  but  pre- 
sumably must  make  the  choice  in  ad- 
vance. 

It  is  also  proposed  that  the  Brit- 
ish and  American  industries  join  in 
a  mutual  advertising-promotion  cam- 
paign for  motion  pictures  generally  to 
increase  patronage  in  Britain  and 
elsewhere  around  the  world.  The  two 
industries  would  cooperate  in  attempt- 
ing to  solve  mutual  problems  in  other 
world  markets. 

The  American  "A"  features  cov- 
ered by  the  booking  proposal  for  the 
three  major  British  circuits  would  be 
determined  by  accepted  American 
standards  for  "A"  pictures  and,  in 
the  event  of  a  disagreement  over 
classification,  an  as  yet  undefined  sys- 
tem of  arbitration  would  be  provided. 

The  British  circuits  also  would 
agree  not  to  discriminate  against  the 
American  "A"  features  in  holiday  and 
weekend  bookings. 

American  acceptance  of  the  propo- 
sals will  have  to  be  determined  by 
individual  company  decision.  British 
acceptance  requires  not  only  approval 
of  the  BFPA,  which  will  meet  for 
that  purpose  today,  but  also  requires 
the  approval  of  the  British  govern- 
ment on  all  matters  involving  the  film 
quota,  the  remittance  agreement  with 
the  American  industry  and  conversion 
of  sterling  to  dollars. 

Rank  met  briefly  with  Harold  Wil- 


Lomproinise  of  U.K. 
Wage  Dispute  Seen 


London,  May  10.— A  compromise 
formula  for  settlement  of  the  national 
theatre  employes  wage  increase  con- 
troversy was  reached  at  an  emergency 
meeting  of  the  Cinematograph  Exhib- 
itors Association  last  night  with  offi- 
cers of  the  National  Association  of 
Theatrical  and  Kine  Employes. 

The  compromise  is  slated  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  CEA  general  council 
tomorrow  and,  meanwhile,  NATKE 
is  endeavoring  to  suspend  action  on 
its  application  for  national  arbitration 
of  the  dispute  under  government  aus 
pices. 

Because  of  the  gravity  of  the  situa- 
tion which  threatened  not  only  a  shut- 
down of  theatres  but  of  studios,  too, 
through  sympathetic  strike  action, 
CEA  officers  made  concessions  in  ar- 
riving at  the  compromise  which  ex- 
ceeded their  advance  instructions. 
This,  doubtless,  will  provoke  bitter 
protests  from  smaller  exhibitors  who 
contend  that  anything  more  than  token 
increases  would  put  them  in  the  red 
at  this  time. 


to  violate  this  fundamental  principle 
whiGh  was  insisted  upon  by  the  Ameri- 
can representatives  participating  in  the 
Anglo-American  film  agreement  of , 
March  11,  1948,  in  London,  which  was 
negotiated  by  Harold  Wilson,  presi- 
dent of  the  British  Board  of  Trade, 
James  A.  Mulvey,  representing  the 
SIMPP,  and  Eric  A.  Johnston,  presi- 
dent of  the  MPAA. 

"The  secrecy  with  which  the  Anglo- 
American  Film  Advisory  Committee 
undertook  its  negotiations  and  on 
which  it  based  its  actions  cast  strong 
suspicion  upon  its  righteousness,  its 
fairness,  and  its  legality." 

Without  specifically  going  into  de- 
tails of  the  proposed  accord,  Ar- 
nall expressed  concern  with  what  he 
called  the  "long  term  disadvantages 
and  danger  of  such  an  arrangement." 
He  also  questioned  the  legality  of 
such  a  joint  procedure  by  the  Ameri- 
can motion  picture  companies. 

Pointing  out  that  he  was  speaking 
only  for  himself,  Arnall  said  that  was 
his  intention  "to  intensively  investi- 
gate" the  ramifications  of  the  accord 
which,  he  said,  "evidently  was  entered 
into  by  three  American  individuals 
who,  while  acting  in  an  advisory  ca- 
pacity, now  apparently  voluntarily 
purport  to  have  represented  the  en- 
tire American  film  industry." 

The  SIMPP  meeting  ended  about 
10  p.  m.  last  night  and  was  attended 
by  representatives  of  the  majority  of 
American  independent  producers. 
Gradwell  Sears,  United  Artists  presi- 
dent, was  among  those  present. 


Portal  Report 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


climax  following  the  drastic  cuts  in 
expenditures  effected  in  the  Rank  Or- 
ganization and  similar  cuts  now  pro- 
ceeding in  Harold  C.  Drayton's  Brit- 
ish Lion  Co.  Far  milder  conclusions 
are  expected  from  the  committee,  in 
consequence,  although  it  is  believed 
that  considerable  reductions  will  be 
advocated  in  distribution  charges. 


M-G-M  Meetings 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


signers  representing  approximately 
4,700  theatres. 

In  addition  to  the  64  non-exchange 
centers,  32  branch  screenings  were 
held  at  which  time  "The  Stratton 
Story"  and  "The  Secret  Garden"  were 
shown.  In  the  aggregate,  96  screen- 
ings and  meetings  were  held  over  a 
period  of  two  weeks,  "and  what  start- 
ed out  as  an  idea  to  bring  product 
closer  to  the  customer  for  evaluation" 
developed  into  a  public  and  exhibitor 
relations  job."   


Kramer  at  NYU  Today 

Stanley  Kramer,  head  of  Screen 
Plays,  will  give  an  address  at  NYU's 
film  department  today.  


son,  president  of  the  British  Board 
of  Trade,  last  Friday  and  outlined  the 
proposals  to  him  without  definite  re- 
sult. Wilson  is  scheduled  to  arrive 
in  Ottawa  today  from  London  by 
plane  for  an  extended  Canadian  visit, 
so  no  official  British  government 
commitment  is  looked  for  in  the  near 
future.  Meanwhile,  no  effective  date 
has  been  set  for  the  agreement,  should 
it  be  approved  all  around,  but  legal 
and  physical  requirements  would  pre- 
vent it  from  being  put  into  effect  be- 
fore January,  1950,  at  the  earliest. 


AVAILABLE  NOW 

NEW  PRINTS — NEW  PAPER 


162  Minutes  of  Action-Packed 
Box-Office  Appeal 

CONTACT  YOUR  LOCAL 

DEVONSHIRE  MAN 
Right  Now  or  Write  Now 
DEVONSHIRE    FILM  CO. 

185  Devonshire  Street 
Boston,  Mass. 


Tom  Stark  piayedby  John  Derek 

All  TheKiivgs  Iter 

from  the  great  Pulitzer  Prize  novel  by  Robert  Perm  Warren 

A  ROBERT  RQSSEN  Production  .  A  Columbia  Picture 


*/■>.->  ••  -  -  ■■■« 

;(f  irst) 

Accurate 

VI1    <  II'-/ 

IN 

TTfc  ATT 

Concise 

FILM 

11 A 1  LY 

and 

NEWS 

■ 

impartial 

'L.  

VOL.  65.  NO.  93 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  MAY  12,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Wilson,  Press 
Cool  Toward 
Anglo-US  Plan 

French  Report  on  Talks 
Greeted  With  Skepticism 

By  PETER  BURNUP 

London,  May  11. — Sir  Henry 
French  held  a  press  conference  here 
today  to  report  on  the  tentative 
agreement  reached  by  the  Anglo- 
U.S.  Film  Council  at  its  recent  Wash- 
ington meeting,  but  observers  were 
completely  unimpressed. 

A  typical  comment  was,  "Someone's 
trying  to  pull  (J.  Arthur)  Rank's  and 
(Sir  Alexander)  Korda's  chestnuts 
out  of  the  fire." 

Others  commented  on  the  chilly  re- 
ply sent  by  Harold  Wilson,  president 
of  the  British  Board  of  Trade,  to 
French  in  response  to  the  latter's  let- 
ter which  spoke  glowingly  of  a  "tri- 
umph" achieved  at  the  Washington 
talks.  Wilson's  letter  was  very  guard- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


8  Named  in  Trust 
Suit  by  NJ  Owner 

Charging  illegal  combination  in  re- 
straint of  trade,  Hillside  Amusement 
Corp.,  operators  of  the  Mayfair  The- 
atre, Hillside,  N.  J.,  filed  in  U.  S. 
District  Court  here  yesterday  against 
the  eight  majors  a  $300,000  triple- 
damage  anti-trust  action. 

Plaintiff  alleges  the  Mayfair  was 
forced  into  a  double-bill  policy  in  con- 
sequence of  the  combination  charged, 
and  contends  that  losses  in  excess  of 
$100,000  were  suffered  by  the  theatre 
because  of  competition  of  defendant- 
owned  theatres. 


Georgia  Exhibitors 
Reelect  Thompson 

Atlanta,  May  11.  —  All  of- 
ficers of  the  Georgia  Theatre 
Owners  and  Operators  were 
reelected  at  the  closing  ses- 
sion of  the  annual  convention 
here  yesterday,  as  follows: 

J.  H.  Thompson,  president; 
W.  M.  Snelson,  chairman; 
O.  C.  Lam,  Nat  Williams  and 
J.  S.  Tanksley,  vice-presi- 
dents; John  Thompson,  secre- 
tary; E.  D.  Martin,  treas- 
urer; William  H.  Karrh, 
director. 


E-L  Deal  for  Small 
To  Head  Production 
Enterjs  Final  Stage 

Hollywood,  May  11. — Propects  ap- 
pear good  for  consummation  within 
the  next  few  days  of  negotiations  by 
which  Edward  Small  would  take 
charge  of  Eagle-Lion  production  here 
as  a  ranking  officer  of  that  company. 

Negotiations  with  Small  are  being 
conducted  by  Serge  Semenenko,  vice- 
president  of  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Boston,  which  has  been  financing 
Eagle-Lion  through  its  parent  com- 
pany, Pathe  Industries.  Robert  Ben- 
jamin, counsel  for  Pathe,  and  Arthur 
Krim,  former  president  of  Eagle-Lion, 
are  participating  in  the  discussions. 

Krim  tendered  his  resignation  10 
days  ago  but  agreed  to  remain  with 
E-L  until  a  successor  is  named. 

Should  the  negotiations  with  Small 
be  concluded  successfully  it  is  under- 
stood that  he  will  be  given  a  block  of 
stock  in  the  company,  thus  placing  his 
participation  on  an  ownership  basis. 
{Continued  on  pane  4) 


'Economy'  Policy 
Blasted  by  Kramer 

"The  independent  producer  today  is 
in  the  best  position  to  break  the  rigid 
Hollywood  'pattern'  and  win  back  the 
maturer  audiences  who  have  given  up 
moviegoing,"  Stanley  Kramer,  pro- 
ducer and  head  of  Screen  Plays,  Inc., 
declared  here  yesterday  in  an  address 
before  New  York  University's  De- 
partment of  Motion  Pictures. 

Kramer,  whose  latest  produc- 
tion,   "Home    of    the  Brave," 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


20th  -  Fox  Heads  to 
Meet  Chicago  Owners 

Chicago,  May  11.  —  Execu- 
tives of  20th  Century-Fox 
from  the  home  office  will  at- 
tend an  exhibitor  luncheon- 
meeting  here  on  May  23,  in- 
stigated by  Illinois  Allied 
head  Jack  Kirsch,  in  an  effort 
to  iron  out  local  industry 
problems. 

It  will  be  patterned  after 
other  meetings  held  by  20th- 
Fox  recently  in  Boston,  New 
Haven,  Philadelphia  and  New 
York.  Kirsch  flew  to  New 
York  today  for  final  details 
on  the  meeting  and  on  other 
matters. 


Reactions  Delayed 
Here  on  20th  Plan 


Twentieth  Century-Fox's  new  sales 
policy,  as  enunciated  by  company 
president  Spyros  P.  Skouras  on  Tues- 
day, was  studied  with  interest  yester- 
day by  New  York  area  exhibitors. 
Those  who  ventured  to  comment  on  it, 
however,  did  so  with  reservation,  it 
being  felt  that  actual  experience  in 
booking  under  the  provisions  of  the 
new  policy  would  serve  better  to  equip 
individual  exhibitors  and  exhibitor  as- 
sociations to  "pass  judgment." 

Immediate  effect  of  the  policy  state- 
ment appeared  to  be  a  reversal  of  the 
attitude  of  many  local  exhibitors  who 
displayed  hostility  toward  what  they 
had  supposed  would  be  hard  and  fast 
selling  methods  when  20th-Fox  sev- 
eral weeks  ago  chose  to  experiment 
with  new  procedures  in  the  New  York 
Metropolitan  area.  The  company  dis- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


World  Market  Control 
Is  Threatened:  Arnall 


UA  Gets  18  Shorts, 
Another  Feature 

United  Artists'  product  program 
was  increased  yesterday  by  18  short 
subjects  and  another  feature,  UA 
president  Gradwell  L.  Sears  disclosed. 

The  company  has  acquired  distribu- 
tion rights  to  a  series  of  18  shorts 
entitled  "Songs  of  America,"  which 
will  be  released  within  the  next  year. 
Produced  by  W.  E.  Wilder,  the  series 
will  feature  dramatic  and  musical 
presentations  of  Negro  spirituals. 

Also,  UA  will  distribute  Shirley 
Temple's  "A  Kiss  for  Corliss,"  to  be 
produced  by  Colin  Miller  and  Marcus 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


SIMPP  president  Ellis  Arnall  came 
out  swinging  anew  last  night  at  the 
proposed  Anglo-American  film  agree- 
ment, stating  that  he  sees  in  the  ac- 
cord a  threat  of  control  of  the  world 
market  by  a  "small  group  of  selfish 
men  who  have  usurped  the  rights  of 
the  majority." 

Asked  what  definite  action  the 
Society  has  in  mind,  Arnall  said  that 
he  and  his  associates  are  now  studying 
the  proposal  to  determine  "how  many 
'jokers'  are  in  it."  In  a  prepared 
statement,  he  said  in  part : 

"The  proposed  Anglo-American 
Film  Council  agreement  requires  all 
American  motion  picture  producers  to 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Reaction  Here 
To  Anglo-U  .S. 
Plan  Is  Mixed 


Meeting  to  Vote  on 
It  Experiences  Delay 

The  trade  yesterday  greeted  the 
Anglo-U.  S.  Film  Advisory  Coun- 
cil's program  for  healing  the  rift 
between  the  two  industries  with 
mixed  reactions. 

Comments  from  officials  of  the  larg- 
est companies  either  were  enthusiastic 
or  only  mildly  critical.  Executives 
of  smaller  companies  and  independent 
producers  and  their  representatives  are 
unmistakably  opposed  to  the  program. 

It  was  learned  that  Motion  Picture 
Association  efforts  to  schedule  a  meet- 
ing here  for  tomorrow  to  get  a  vote 
of  approval  for  the  program  were  un- 
successful, ostensibly  because  a  num- 
ber of  those  invited  pleaded  other  en- 
gagements but  actually,  at  least  in 
some  cases,  because  executives  wish  to 
give  it  more  study  before  committing 
their  companies.  Suggestions  for  hold- 
ing a  meeting  early  next  week  were 
not  accepted  either  and  as  of  last  night 
no  definite  date  had  been  agreed  upon. 

Eric  Johnston,  MPAA  president, 
announced   yesterday   that   the  next 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Shuford  Resigns  Ad 
Post  at  Paramount 


Stanley  Shuford  yesterday  resigned 
as  advertising  manager  of  Paramount 
in  a  disagreement  over  operational 
procedure.  It  is  understood  his  posi- 
tion was  that  a  unified  department 
head  embracing  advertising,  publicity 
and  exploitation  was  required.  He 
had  sought  that  post. 

Shuford  joined  Paramount  six  years 
ago.  Prior  posts  included  seven  years 
in  the  advertising  department  of  War- 
ners. In  1939,  he  became  a  vice-presi- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


$600,000  to  'Joan' 
In  6  Months  in  N.  Y. 

Walter  Wanger's  "Joan  of 
Arc"  completed  a  six  months' 
run  at  the  Victoria  Theatre 
on  Broadway  last  night  with 
a  total  gross  of  $600,000,  ad- 
mission taxes  excluded.  The 
film  was  first  to  play  the  1,- 
060-seat  house  since  it  was 
re-built. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  May  12,  1949 


Urges  Exhibitors  to 
Seek  U.S.  Tax  Repeal 

Detroit,  May  11.  —  Sam 
Carver,  vice-president  of  In- 
dependent Theatre  Owners  of 
Michigan  and  president  of 
Detroit  Consolidated  Thea- 
tres, has  urged  exhibitors  to 
write  their  Congressmen  to 
have  the  20  per  cent  Federal 
admission  tax  lifted. 

In  a  bulletin  to  exhibitors 
Carver  states,  "The  govern- 
ment has  eased  up  on  many 
things  to  help  the  public,  why 
not  do  the  same  to  give  the 
working  man  and  his  family  a 
chance  to  go  to  the  movies 
without  being  heavily  taxed." 


Frank  Shea  Is  Named 
MOT  Sales  Executive 

Frank  Shea  has  been  promoted 
from  Alarch  of  Time  office  manager 
here  to  national  director  of  commer- 
cial and  television  sales  under  MOT 
associate  producer  Arthur  B.  Tour- 
tellot.  Shea's  elevation  is  described  as 
being  in  line  with  company  plans  for 
expansion  in  the  commercial  film  and 
video  fields. 

The  new  MOT  sales  executive 
joined  the  organization  eight  years 
ago  following  a  long  career  in  the 
brokerage  business  in  Wall  Street, 
and  during  most  of  the  time  he  has 
been  with  MOT,  Shea  has  supervised 
office  operations  and  managed  certain 
facets  of  the  organization's  public 
relations. 


Embleton  Is  Named 
Monogram  Manager 

Indianapolis,  May  11. — W.  K. 
Embleton,  former  salesman  at  the 
Monogram  exchange  here,  has  been 
appointed  branch  manager,  succeeding 
Carl  Harthill.  Norman  Linz,  Film 
Classics  salesman,  has  transferred  to 
Monogram  to  fill  Embleton's  place. 


Seek  Police  Protection 

Philadelphia,  May  11.  —  The 
Philadelphia  Theater  Association  has 
appointed  a  committee  to  confer  with 
assistant  superintendent  Guy  Parsons 
about  getting  back  police  protection 
for  theatre  managers  who  take  box- 
office  receipts  to  the  bank.  On  the 
committee  are  Dick  Brown,  Sidney 
Samuelson  and  Lewen  Pizer. 


Exhibitor  Ross  Killed 

Charlotte,  May  11. — Novie  Olin 
Ross,  operator  of  a  motion  picture 
theatre  at  Matthews,  N.  C,  was  killed 
and  Virginia  Ervin  of  Stony  Point 
was  critically  injured  yesterday  near 
Charlotte,  when  Ross'  car  hit  a  tele- 
phone pole.  Miss  Ervin  was  ticket- 
taker  at  Ross'  theater. 


Jack  Jennings,  Salesman 

Boston,  May  11. — Jack  Jennings, 
salesman  here  for  Republic  Pictures 
and  connected  with  the  film  business 
for  some  30  years,  died  here  today. 
Funeral  will  be  conducted  from  the 
Russell  Funeral  Home  at  Quincy, 
Mass.,  on  Friday. 


Personal  Mention 


JOSEPH    BERXHARD,  president 
of  Film  Classics,  left  here  for  Hol- 
lywood by  plane  yesterday. 

• 

Robert  Clark,  executive  director  of 
production  for  Associated  British  Pic- 
tures, has  arrived  in  Hollywood  from 
New  York  and  London  for  further 
conferences  with  Steve  Broidy,  Mono- 
gram-Allied Artists  president. 

• 

Norman  W.  Elson,  vice-president 
of  Trans-Lux  Theatres,  left  here  yes- 
terday for  a  week's  vacation  at  Cape 
Cod. 

• 

Paul  and  Jack  Broder,  Realart's 
president  and  vice-president,  respec- 
tively, have  arrived  here  from  Detroit 
for  board  meetings. 

• 

M.  L.  Simons,  assistant  to  H.  M. 
Richey,  M-G-M  exhibitor  relations 
head,  will  return  here  tomorrow  from 
Atlanta  and  Charlotte. 

• 

Bernard  Brooks,  chief  buyer  for 
Fabian  Theatres,  has  returned  to  New 
York  from  Albany. 

• 

J.  J.  Felder,  vice-president  of 
Favorite  Films  Corp.,  left  here  yester- 
day for  the  Coast. 

Norman  Ayers,  Warner  Brothers 
Southern  division  sales  manager,  left 
here  last  night  for  Chicago. 

Stanley  Kramer,  producer,  will 
leave  here  today  for  Boston. 


EDWARD  M.  FAY,  Providence 
theatre  operator,  has  been  pre- 
sented with  an  honorary  key  from 
Sock  and  Buskin,  Brown  University 
dramatic  society. 

• 

Winslow  Allen,  manager  of  E.  M. 
Loew's  Strand  Theatre,  Boston,  has 
been  named  manager  of  the  Strand 
and  Liberty  theatres,  Webster,  Mass., 
succeeding  the  late  Edward  W. 
O'Donnell. 

• 

Carol  Brandt,  head  of  M-G-M's 
Eastern  story  activities,  is  due  back 
here  Monday  from  a  six-week  visit 
to  England. 

• 

John  Joseph,  assistant  to  Howard 
Dietz,  M-G-M  advertising-publicity 
vice-president,  is  due  here  from  the 
Coast  on  Monday. 

• 

Boris  Morros  and  Robert  Flaher- 
ty, producers,  and  Mrs.  Flaherty, 
will  sail  here  today  for  Europe  on  the 
S.  S.  Queen  Elizabeth. 

• 

David  O.  Selznick,  who  is  here 
from  Hollywood,  plans  to  visit  En- 
gland in  the  near  future  before  re- 
turning to  the  Coast. 

• 

H:  S.  Chase  has  been  appointed 
assistant  manager   of  the  Warners' 
Capitol  Theatre,  Willimantic,  Conn. 
• 

Robert  Gentner,  assistant  manager 
of  Loew's  Poli  Place  Theatre,  Hart- 
ford, has  recovered  from  illness. 


Legion  Rates  Six; 
Five  Classified  A-l 

Six  additional  films  have  been  re- 
viewed by  the  National  Legion  of  De- 
cency, with  five  getting  an  A-l  classi- 
fication and  one  an  A-II. 

In  the  former  category  are  Colum- 
bia's "Make  Believe  Ballroom" ;  20th 
Century-Fox's  "Sand" ;  Paramount's 
"Special  Agent"  ;  Republic's  "Susanna 
Pass"  ;  RKO  Radio's  "The  Window"  ; 
Monogram's  "Massacre  River"  re- 
ceived an  A-II  rating. 


Assistant  Manager  Held 

Boston,  May  11. — Robert  Johnson, 
former  assistant  manager  of  the  Ply- 
mouth Theatre  at  Worcester,  is  said 
to  have  admitted  to  police  taking 
$1,750  of  the  theatre's  receipts  and 
ending  up  in  Florida  with  $1.08,  was 
held  in  Worcester  District  court  in 
$3,000  bail.  The  case  was  continued  to 
May  20.  Johnson  pleaded  guilty  to 
two  counts  of  larceny  and  not  guilty 
to  abducting  a  waitress  who  accom- 
panied him  to  Florida. 


Huston  Receives  Award 

One  World  Award  presentation 
dinner  and  ceremonies  were  held  in 
the  Hotel  Plaza  here  last  night,  and 
was  climaxed  by  the  presentation  of 
the  One  World  Flight  Award  to  John 
Huston,  whose  "We  Were  Strangers," 
Columbia,  is  currently  at  the  Astor 
Theatre.  Huston  was  given  the 
award  for  motion  pictures.  Others  on 
the  dais  were  Howard  Dietz,  S.  P. 
Eagle,  Irving  Lesser  and  Seymour  Poe. 


Paramount  Books  2 
Into  B.&K.  Loop  Runs 

Chicago,  May  11. — Paramount's 
"El  Paso"  will  open  at  Balaban  and 
Katz's  Roosevelt  Theatre  in  the  Loop 
starting  May  18,  and  "Connecticut 
Yankee  in  King  Arthur's  Court" 
starts  at  the  Chicago  on  May  27.  Last 
Paramount  production  to  play  the 
Loop  was  "Whispering  Smith,"  at  the 
Chicago,  opening  last  March  18.  The 
gaps  in  Paramount  pictures  at  the 
Loop  theatres  of  its  circuit  affiliate  is 
due  to  the  company's  releasing  only 
20  films  for  the  season. 


Ends  Apollo  Career 

Chicago,  May  11.— The  Balaban 
and  Katz  Apollo  Theatre,  at  Clark 
and  Randolph  Streets,  downtown, 
closed  last  night  for  the  final  time. 
The  house,  operated  since  1934  by 
B.  and  K,  was  erected  in  1856  as  a 
legitimate  theatre.  It  will  be  razed  to 
make  way  for  a  bus  terminal.  Final 
bill  was  "Since  You  Went  Away," 
Eagle-Lion. 


$1,440,695  Pathe  Loss 

A  net  loss  of  $1,440,695  for  1948  is 
reported  by  Pathe  Industries,  parent 
company  of  Eagle-Lion.  The  report 
states  that  $1,762,410  was  written  off 
as  "excessive  cost  of  production  of 
Eagle-Lion  features,"  and  that  $417,- 
549  was  the  deferred  advertising  ex- 
pense relating  to  those  written-off 
features,  with  adjustments  applicable 
to  prior  years. 


Fifty  at  Paramount 
Pittsburgh  Meeting 

Pittsburgh,  May  11. — Second  of 
Paramount's  five  divisional  sales  meet- 
ings will  convene  in  the  William  Penn 
Hotel  here  tomorrow  with  Harry  H. 
Goldstein,  Mid-Eastern  division  man- 
ager presiding.  It  will  continue 
through  Saturday;  50  will  attend. 

The  sessions  here  will  be  attended 
by  Paramount  home  office  executives 
Adolph  Zukor,  chairman  of  the 
board;  A.  W.  Schwalberg,  general 
sales  manager;  E.  K.  (Ted J  O'Shea, 
assistant  sales  manager;  Oscar  Mor- 
gan, sales  manager  of  short  subjects 
and  Paramount  News;  Stanley  Shu- 
ford,  advertising  manager,  and  Fred 
Leroy  and  Richard  Morgan. 

Also  attending  the  sessions  will  be 
the  following :  From  Philadelphia : 
Ulrik  F.  Smith,  John  Bergin,  Herman 
Rubin,  Clement  Rech,  John  Kane, 
Francis  Rodgers,  Ralph  Garman  and 
William  F.  Brooker.  From  Washing- 
ton :  Albert  Benson,  Herbert  Thomp- 
son, George  Kelly,  Russell  Ricker, 
John  Bryan,  Robert  Cunningham, 
Jack  Howe  and  J.  Maxwell  Joice. 
Pittsburgh :  David  Kimelman,  Wil- 
liam Brooks,  Robert  Caskey,  Charles 
Mergen,  Harry  Passarell  and  Leo 
Wayne.  Cleveland :  Saul  Frifield, 
Thomas  Irwin,  John  Gardner,  Aaron 
Wayne,  George  Bressler,  Howard 
Roth  and  Jack  Levine.  Cincinnati : 
James  J.  Grady,  Vincent  Kramer, 
Fred  Myers.  William  Meier,  James 
Doyle,  Virgil  Miller  and  John  Rod- 
man. Detroit:  Hilland  E.  Stuckey, 
John  Himmelein,  Robert  Lamb,  Jack 
Thompson,  Jack  Young,  T.  L.  Hen- 
rick  and  John  Gentile. 

Schwalberg  has  scheduled  meetings 
in  Chicago,  May  16-18;  Dallas,  May 
19-21,  and  Los  Angeles,  May  23-25. 


Herrell  Transferred, 
Foley  Is  Promoted 

Bob  Herrell  has  been  transferred 
from  the  Realart  Des  Moines  ex- 
change to  Kansas  City  as  branch 
manager.  Dorothy  Worneke,  former 
booker  for  Universal  in  Kansas  City, 
has  been  appointed  head  booker  bv 
Herrell. 

Joe  Foley,  formerly  with  20th- 
century  Fox  and  Eagle-Lion,  has 
been  appointed  manager  in  Des 
Moines,  replacing  Herrell.  Helene 
Jacobs,  former  secretary  in  the  Uni- 
versal exchange  in  Des  Moines,  has 
been  appointed  by  Foley  as  head 
booker  in  Des  Moines. 


Mandel  Named  Head 
Of  Chicago  Variety 

Chicago,  May  11. — Irving  Mandel, 
local  Monogram  head,  has  been 
named  chief  barker  of  the.  local  Vari- 
ety Club,  Tent  No.  26,  due  to  recent 
death  of  Henri  Elman,  former  chief 
barker.  With  Mandel  having  been 
assistant  chief  barker,  the  appoint- 
ment is  automatic. 

A  meeting  has  been  scheduled  for 
Tuesday  by  Jack  Kirsch,  Allied  Illi- 
nois head,  for  Variety  Club  directors 
and  members,  to  establish  a  Henri 
Elman  memorial  at  the  Jackson  Park 
Larabida  Sanitarium,  chief  charity  of 
Yarietv  here. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY  Martin  Quigky,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher,  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley.  Jr..  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company  Inc  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address :  "Quigpubco, 
New  York  Martin  Quigley  President;  Red  Kann  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P  Cunmgham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  ^  Fecke  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R  Weaver. 
f^AP"0^?0.-16"?^1,  22,S>?Uw  h3--  ialle  £tT£rtT  Ed,ltorial  and  ^dPfl,smI'  U?be"  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
°Ate?1*,Nati0^5!  PJeSS  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  .London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3  1879  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c.  1  v 


ALBANY 

Warner  Screening  Room 

79  N.  Pearl  St.  •  12:30  P.M. 

ATLANTA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

197  Walton  St.  N.W.  •  2:30  P.M. 

BOSTON 

RKO  Screening  Room 

122  Arlington  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 

BUFFALO 

Paramount  Screening  Room 

464  Franklin  St.  •  2:00  P.M.  1 

CHARLOTTE 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

308  S.  Church  St.  •  10:00  A.M. 

CHICAGO 

Warner  Screening  Room 

1307  So.  Wabash  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M. 

CINCINNATI 

RKO  Palace  Th.  Screening  Room 

Palace  Th.  Bldg.  E.  6th  •  8:00  P.M. 

CLEVELAND 

Warner  Screening  Room 

2300  Payne  Ave.  •  8:00  P.M. 

DALLAS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
1803  Wood  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
DENVER 

Paramount  Screening  Room 
2100  Stout  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
DES  MOINES 
Paramount  Screening  Room 
1225  High  St.  •  8:00  P.M. 
DETROIT 

Film  Exchange  Building 

2310  Cass  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

INDIANAPOLIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

326  No.  Illinois  St.  •  1:00  P.M. 

KANSAS  CITY 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1720  Wyandotte  St.  •  1:30  P.M. 

LOS  ANGELES 

Warner  Screening  Room 

2025  S.  Vermont  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

MEMPHIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
151  Vance  Ave.  •  10:00  A.M. 
MILWAUKEE 

Warner  Theatre  Screening  Room 

212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

MINNEAPOLIS 

Warner  Screening  Room 

1000  Currie  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

NEW  HAVEN 

Warner  Theatre  Projection  Room 

70  College  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

NEW  ORLEANS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

200  S.  Liberty  St.  •  8:00  P.M. 

NEW  YORK 

Home  Office 

321  W.  44th  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 
OKLAHOMA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
10  North  lee  St.  •  1:30  P.M. 
OMAHA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screeninq  Room 

1502  Davenport  St.  •  10:00  A.M. 

PHILADELPHIA 

Warner  Screening  Room 

230  No.  13th  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 

PITTSBURGH 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1715  Blvd.  of  Allies  •  1:30  P.M. 

PORTLAND 

Jewel  Box  Screening  Room 

1947  N.W.  Kearney  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

SALT  LAKE 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
216  East  1st  South  •  2:00  P.M. 
SAN  FRANCISCO 
Republic  Pict.  Screening  Room 
221  Golden  Gate  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M. 
SEATTLE 

Jewel  Box  Screening  Room 

2318  Second  Ave.  •  10:30  A.M. 

ST.  LOUIS 

S'renco  Screening  Room 

3143  Olive  St.  •  1:00  P.M. 

WASHINGTON 

Warner  Theatre  Building 

13th  &  E  Sts.  N.W.  •  10:30  A.M. 


ill  be  (Trade  screened  mayT6]  by  Warner  Bros. 

COLORADO  TERRIT0RY76tLMcCREA- VIRGINIA  MAYO      R^ri^N7srER '*""•" "™ 


4 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Thursday,  May  12,  1949 


Reviews 


"The  Lady  Gambles" 

(Universal-International) 

ANEW  and  vigorous  motion  picture  theme  is  tapped  in  "The  Lady 
Gambles,"  a  story  of  the  corrupting  effects  of  impulsive  gambling 
on  an  individual.  Barbara  Stanwyck,  fresh  from  her  melodramatic  success  in 
"Sorry,  Wrong  Number,"  portrays  here  the  psychically  disturbed  lady  who 
cannot  control  her  desire  to  toss  dice  or  play  cards.  The  picture  is  hard- 
hitting and  effective  entertainment.  By  no  means  does  it  attempt  to  glamorize 
the  gambling  addiction,  but  the  nature  of  its  theme  makes  it  adult  fare. 
Others  who  round  out  the  cast  are  Robert  Preston,  as  her  husband,  and 
Stephen  McNally,  a  gambling  casino  owner. 

While  in  Las  Vegas  with  her  newspaperman  husband  Miss  Stanwyck  gets 
her  first  taste  of  gambling.  In  time  she  becomes  impossibly  addicted  to  it. 
Gradually,  her  marriage  breaks  up  and  she  descends  swiftly  and  steadily. 
The  film  unfolds  through  the  flashback  technique  from  a  hospital  where  Miss 
Stanwyck  winds  up  after  receiving  a  severe  beating  from  some  of  her  sleazy 
gambling  companions.  It  is  here  that  Preston  comes  back  to  help  her.  The 
psychiatric  nature  of  Miss  Stanwyck's  disturbance  is  explained  to  her  by  a 
doctor  and  thus  the  way  is  paved  for  her  to  climb  back  to  health  with  the 
aid  of  her  husband. 

Others  in  the  film  are  Edith  Barrett,  as  a  sister  who  exerts  an  unhealthy 
influence  upon  Miss  Stanwyck;  and  John  Hoyt,  the  doctor.  Michael  Kraike 
produced  and  director  Michael  Gordon  handled  the  explosive  material  com- 
petently. Roy  Huggins  did  the  screenplay  which  was  adapted  by  Halsted 
Welles  from  a  story  by  Lewis  Meltzer  and  Oscar  Saul. 

Running  time,  99  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  May  release. 

Mandel  Herbstman 


"The  Judge  Steps  Out" 

(RKO  Radio) 

THE  title  of  this  Michel  Kraike  production  is  somewhat  misleading  in  its 
suggestion  of  gaiety.  Actually  a  mild  comedy-drama  with  wistful  over- 
tones, "The  Judge  Steps  Out"  comes  as  a  pleasant  respite  from  the  blood- 
and-thunder  and  muscular  dramas  that  have  been  enlivening  the  screen  lately. 
Co-starred  are  Alexander  Knox,  who  shared  in  the  writing  of  the  script, 
and  Ann  Sothern  whose  role  is  a  distinct  departure  from  her  "Maisie" 
characterizations. 

The  screenplay,  co-authored  by  director  Boris  Ingster,  deals  wtih  a  Massa- 
chusetts probate  court  judge  who  takes  a  quite  accidental  vacation  from  the 
cares  of  the  bench  and  his  social-climbing  wife  and  daughter.  On  the  advice 
of  a  friendly  physician,  the  jurist  (Knox)  takes  to  the  highway  and  ulti- 
mately finds  a  life  of  longed-for  tranquility  as  a  short-order  cook  in  a  Cali- 
fornia roadside  restaurant  owned  by  Miss  Sothern  who  is  intent  on  adopting 
beguiling  little  Sharyn  Moffett,  an  orphan.  Knox  and  Miss  Sothern,  both 
having  spent  lonely  lives,  find  themselves  drawn  into  a  bond  of  love.  Intent 
on  getting  a  divorce,  Knox  returns  to  Boston  only  to  find  his  wife  and  now 
married  daughter  transformed  into  surprisingly  warm  and  human  people. 
The  final  scenes  wherein  the  judge  is  forced  to  choose  between  his  former 
and  his  new-found  life  should  dampen  the  eyes  of  women  in  the_  audience. 
With  Miss  Sothern  helping  him  to  decide  he  returns  to  his  welcoming  family 
and  a  new  career  as  a  Supreme  Court  justice. 

"The  Judge  Steps  Out"  rates  good  playing  time,  beginning  with  top  first- 
runs.  But  it  may  require  some  solid  selling  to  put  it  across,  for  it  seems  to 
lack  those  outward  qualities  that  usually  carry  a  picture  over  the  market's 
initial  hurdles.  A  supporting  cast  which  complements  well  the  appealing 
performances  of  the  principals  includes  George  Tobias,  Florence  Bates,  Frieda 
Inescort,  Myrna  Dell,  Ian  Wolfe,'  H.  B.  Warner,  and  others. 

Running  time,  91  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  June  re- 
lease. Charles  L.  Franke 


E-L,  Small  Deal 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

Semenenko  is  in  daily  communication 
with  Robert  R.  Young,  principal 
Pathe  stockholder,  on  the  progress  of 
the  negotiations  and  a  deal  could  be 
consummated  without  Young  coming 
to  Hollywood  from  New  York,  where 
he  arrived  today  from  White  Sulphur 
Springs,  W.  Va. 

In  addition,  William  MacMillan, 
who  arrived  late  last  night,  is  sitting 
in  on  the  discussions  as  a  personal 
representative  of  Young. 

Indications  are  that  Small  would 
not  be  named  president  of  E-L  but 
that  a  new  top  executive  for  the  com- 
pany would  be  named  who  would  run 
the  distribution  end  from  New  York 
headquarters.  It  is  reliably  learned 
that  closing  of  the  deal  with  Small 
would  be  followed  by  immediate  re- 
opening of  the  E-L  studio,  closed 
since  last  November,  with  new  financ- 
ing assured  for  production  purposes. 

Negotiations  are  expected  to  be 
completed  or  abandoned  within  a  few 
days. 


Eagle-Lion  Will  Let  Out 
11  Under  'Stagger'  Plan 

Pending  settlement  of  questions, 
financial  and  otherwise,  relative  to  the 
company's  future,  Eagle-Lion  has  de- 
cided to  dispense  with  11  home  office 
publicity  and  clerical  employes  under 
a  "stagger  system." 

The  plan  calls  for  the  dropping 
weekly  of  one  or  two  of  the  11,  al- 
though if  definite  arrangements  for 
the  company's  future  are  made  before 
all  have  left  some  may  be  retained. 
The  11  have  received  notices  indicat- 
ing dates  on  which  the  termination  of 
their  employment  is  to  be  effective. 

Griffith  Manager  Says 
His  Houses  Better 

Oklahoma  City,  May  11. — C.  E. 
McSwain,  manager  of  three  Griffith 
houses  at  Plainview,  Tex.,  told  Fed- 
eral Judge  Edgar  S.  Vaught  today 
why  the  circuit  is  a  preferred  custom- 
er of  major  distributors,  attempting  to 
show  through  his  testimony  that  each 
of  his  houses  produces  more  money 
than  the  competing  State,  operated  by 
Price  Holland. 

Other  witnesses  appearing  for  the 
defense  today  were  C.  A.  Gibbs,  Co- 
lumbia exchange  manager  here ;  Dud- 
ley Tucker,  Jr.,  and  James  Allen 
Smith,  both  Columbia  salesmen. 

Canada  Would  Have 
Own  Film  Council 

Hollywood,  May  11. — Motion  Pic- 
ture Industry  Council  chairman  Cecil 
B.  DeMille  reports  that  the  Canadian 
film  industry  has  petitioned  him  for 
information  and  guidance  in  forming 
its  own  council  with  a  similar  format 
and  objectives.  The  Canadian  industry 
group  centering  in  Toronto  heads  the 
movement. 


Set  Palace  Stage  Show 

The  New  York  RKO  Palace's  first 
vaudeville  show  with  a  feature  has 
been  set  and  will  start  on  Thursday, 
May  19.  There  will  be  eight  acts : 
the  feature  will  be  20th  Century-Fox's 
"Canadian  Pacific,"  in  Cinecolor, 
starring  Randolph  Scott.  The  acts 
will  include  Mage  and  Kerr,  The 
Chords,  The  Marvellos,  Cook  and 
Brown,  Norman  Evans,  Jerry  Wayne, 
Lorraine  Rognan,  and  Dolinoff  and 
the   Ray  Sisters. 


Para.  Considering 
Frisco  Stage  Shows 

San  Francisco,  May  11—  Edward 
L.  Hyman,  vice-president  of  Para- 
mount Theatres  Service  Corp.;  Si 
Siegle,  controller,  and  Selig  Seligman, 
have  been  here  conferring  with  thea- 
tre executives  and  distributing  com- 
panies on  the  future  entertainment 
policy  of  local  Paramount  houses, 
which  are  headed  by  Jerry  Zigmond. 
The  possibility  of  a  resumption  of 
stage  shows  is  being  considered  and 
was  discussed  at  length. 

Intermountain  Theatres  at  Salt 
Lake  City  is  scheduled  to  be  the  next 
stop  on  their  inspection-conference 
tour. 


Loew's  Books  Reissues 

"Captain  Caution"  and  "Captain 
Fury"  are  booked  to  play_  Loew's 
New  York  metropolitan  circuit.  These 
reissues,  handled  by  Favorite  Films, 
played  neighborhood  houses  through- 
out the  country  about  two  years  ago. 


'Greater  Economy' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


will  open  at  the  New  York  Vic- 
toria Theatre  today,  blasted  the 
industry's  recent  "greater  econ- 
omy and  better  pictures  policy." 

The  big  studios'  current  nervous- 
ness, he  said,  is  based  on  "the  Lost 
Tribe  of  motion  picture  customers 
who,  dispensing  with  the  popcorn  pal- 
ladia habit,  have  disappeared  from  the 
scene,  leaving  panic  in  their  wake. 
Where  they  have  gone,  what  they  do, 
at  whose  wicket  they  deposit  their 
shekels — these  questions  pose  a  sub- 
stantial problem  for  the  production 
pharoahs  responsible  for  the  hegira." 

After  breaking  down  "hypothetical 
reasons"  which  Hollywood  executives 
give  each  other  for  lost  box-office  re- 
turns, such  as  television,  lack  of  for- 
eign markets,  high  salaries  ("mean- 
ing the  other  guy's"),  censorship, 
Kramer  told  his  listeners,  "they  blame 
everyone  and  everything  but  them- 
selves." 


20th-Fox  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

continued  credits  and  adjustments 
here,  but  resumed  those  practices  after 
a  short  period. 

Official  comment  on  the  policy  could 
not  be  made  by  two  local  theatre  asso- 
ciations due  to  the  absence^  from  the 
city  of  Theatre  Owners  of  America 
president  Arthur  H.  Lockwood  and 
executive  director  Gael  Sullivan  and 
Allied  Theatre  Owners  of  New  Jersey 
president  Edward  Lachman.  New 
York  Independent  Theatre  Owners 
Association  leaders  held  a  closed 
meeting  to  discuss  the  policy  state- 
ment. The  three  organizations  recently 
individually  criticized  20th-Fox's  an- 
nounced intention  of  revising  film 
rentals  upward. 

The  company's  statement  of  policy 
contained  no  reference  specifically  to 
increased  rentals.  Some  representa- 
tives of  exhibition  interests  here  said 
yesterday  that  they  believed  increased 
rentals  would  remain  the  goal  of  the 
company,  but  they  also  expressed 
satisfaction  that  the  company's  state- 
ment "appears  to  leave  the  door  ajar" 
for  negotiating  rental  terms. 

The  company  issued  its  policy 
statement  following  a  two-month 
study  of  market  conditions  by  20th- 
Fox  vice-presidents  Al  Lichtman, 
Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  and  Charles 
Einfeld.  Marked  by  a  number  of  meet- 
ings with  exhibitors  in  various  sec- 
tions of  the  country,  the  trio's  study 
had  for  its  aim  the  benefitting  mu- 
tually of  exhibition  and  distribution 
revenue. 


ITOA  Forum  Today 
On  20th's  Policy 

An  "open  forum"  discussion  of  20th 
Century-Fox's  newly  established  sales 
policy  will  be  held  here  today  under 
the  sponsorship .  of  the  New  York 
Independent  Theatre  Owners  Associa- 
tion at  the  organization's  regular 
monthly  luncheon-meeting  in  the  Ho- 
tel Astor,  it  was  announced  late  yes- 
terday by  Harry  Brandt,  ITOA  pres- 
ident. Brandt  said  20th-Fox  executives 
Spyros  P.  Skouras,  Al  Lichtman, 
Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  Charles  Einfeld, 
Martin  Moskowitz  and  Sam  Shain 
have  accepted  invitations  to  attend  the 
luncheon-meeting. 


Shuford  Resigns 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

dent  of  the  Biow  Company  and  later 
joined  Lord  and  Thomas,  advertising 
agencies.  In  1941,  he  joined  the  RKO 
Radio  advertising  department,  resign- 
ing a  year  later. 

His  future  plans  will  be  determined 
shortly. 

It  is  reported  that  Max  Youngstein, 
vice-president  of  Eagle  Lion  in  charge 
of  advertising-publicity,  will  be  ap- 
pointed director  of  Paramount  adver- 
tising-publicity in  the  near  future. 
Paramount  officials  would  neither  con- 
firm nor  deny  the  report  yesterday. 


Babb  Cuts  Rentals 
On   'Lawton  Story9 

Hollywood,  May  11.— A  voluntary 
reduction  of  10  per  cent  in  film  rentals 
for  "The  Lawton  Story"  and  a  refund 
to  exhibitors  who  have  played  the  film 
on  50-50  rental  terms  have  been  an- 
nounced here  by  Kroger  Babb,  presi- 
dent of  Hallmark  Productions. 

At  the  same  time  Babb  disclosed  a 
25  per  cent  increase  for  Hallmark 
agents  in  the  field.  . 


Thursday,  May  12,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Anglo-US  Plan 

(Confirmed  from  page  1) 

meeting  of  the  Anglo-U.  S.  Council 
will  be  held  here  on  June  2  and  3. 
Johnston  made  the  following  statement 
concerning  the  first  Council  meeting, 
held  in  Washington  on  April  21 
and  22 : 

"The  Washington  meeting  has  had 
a  salutary  effect  in  bringing  about  a 
better  understanding  and  appreciation 
of  our  mutual  problems  and  in  remov- 
ing many  of  the  misunderstandings 
which  have  accumulated  over  the  past 
two  years,"  said  Mr.  Johnston. 

"We  have  decided  as  a  continuing 
policy  to  talk  out  our  differences 
around  the  table  instead  of  fighting 
them  out  in  the  headlines  and  to  use 
the  Council  machinery  for  this  pur- 
pose. 

Marks  Milestone 


contended  that  it  is  the  first  and  best 
promise  of  relief  for  the  American 
companies  from  the  quota  and  remit- 
tance regulations  imposed  by  Britain 
and  is  a  continuing  formula  for  better 
relations  between  the  British  and 
American  industries  for  the  future. 
Some  of  its  champions  also  admitted 
frankly  that  they  liked  it  because  the 
provision  for  dating  100  American 
"A"  features  annually  on  the  three 
major  British  circuits  promised  them 
a  better  break  than  they  have  been 
getting. 

Critics  of  the  program  said  that  the 
phases  promising  Anglo-American  co- 
operation in  the  film  markets  of  the 
world  smacked  of  cartelization. 
Others  opposed  the  subsidy  of  British 
production  by  the  American  industry 
which  proposes  to  guarantee  payments 
to  British  film  producers  out  of  un- 
remittable  sterling  in  England. 

The  basis  for  computing  the  amount 
to  be  paid  is  the  earnings  of  British 
films  in  America  during  the  year  end- 
ing June  1,  1949,  plus  one  of  two 
alternatives :  either  20  per  cent  more 
than  British  gross  film  earnings  in 
the  United  States,  or  33^  per  cent 
more  than  British  net  remittables  for 
the  same  period. 

Critics  See  Retreat 

That-  provision,  together  with  the 
acceptance  of  the  principle  of  even 
milder  quota  and  remittance  regula- 
tions in  Britain,  make  the  program  a 
retreat  from  American  principles  of 
free  enterprise  and  open  markets  that 
Johnston  and  the  American  industry 
have  been  preaching  for  years  to 
Britain  and  to  the  U.  S.  State  Depart- 
ment in  opposing  the  British  restric- 
tions, critics  asserted. 

Many  individuals  sided  with  Ellis 
Arnall,  president  of  the  Society  of 
Independent  Motion  Picture  Produc- 
ers, who  contends  the  program  carries 
with  it  long  term  disadvantages  and 
dangers. 

The  subsidy  contemplated  for  Brit- 
ish producers,  critics  said,  could 
amount'  to  $3,600,000  to  $4,000,000  the 
first  year,  and  more  or  less  than  that, 
depending  on  British  film  earnings 
here  in  later  years. 


Wilson,  Press  Cool 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ed  in  content,  with  no  indication  that 
the  government  looked  with  favor  on 
the  agreement. 

French  was  clearly  on  the  defensive 
throughout  the  press  conference  and 
endeavored  to  maintain  that  the  atten- 
dance of  the  three  British  representa- 
tives, himself,  Rank  and  .Korda,  was  a 
demonstration  of  British  goodwill,  out 
of  which  good  inevitably  develops.  He 
appeared  chagrined  at  the  skeptical 
reaction  of  the  press. 

French  did  not  disclose  that  he  and 
Rank  had  entertained  W.  R.  Fuller, 
head  of  Cinematograph  Exhibitors 
Association,  at  dinner  last  night  where 
Fuller  was  told  of  the  plan  to  give 
American  films  greater  playing  time 
on  the  Rank  circuits  without  Rank 
achieving  equivalent  reimbursements 
in  American  screenings. 

That  the  American  companies  would 
compensate  Rank  out  of  unremittable 
sterling  earning  .  demonstrates,  in  the 
view  of  some  informed  exhibitors,  the 
cynical  nature  of  the  proposed  agree- 
ment. • 

In  reply  to  a  question,  French  ad- 
mitted that  the  American  unit  booking 
plan  hits  the  Rank  circuits  hard  and 
agreed  that  it  might  be  abandoned  if 
and  when  the  new  agreement  is  signed. 
He  also  admitted  that  there  is  no 


definite  plan  whereby  American 
screenings  of  British  films  would  be 
stimulated. 

British  exhibitors  in  general  have 
not  been  informed  on  details  of  the 
agreement,  nor  are  they  particularly 
concerned.  Their  only  preoccupation 
is  to  reduce  the  quota  and  Fuller  has 
taken  steps  to  demonstrate  that  the 
Washington  meeting  has  no  effect 
upon  the  present  quota.  The  quota, 
say  exhibitors,  is  doomed  to  failure 
through  inevitable  defaults  in  the  vol- 
ume of  British  production.  Indepen- 
dent producers  and  exhibitors  com- 
menting on  the  Washington  plan  are 
agreed  upon  this.  They  see  the  Wash- 
ington talks  as  designed  to  aid  Rank 
and  Korda  in  their  present  financial 
difficulties. 

Officials  of  the  BOT  were  caustic 
in  their  comments  on  French's  claim 
for  a  victory  at  the  Washington  con- 
ference. Their  position  is  that  the 
BOT  is  entirely  unconcerned  and  un- 
disturbed by  the  proposed  agreement. 


UA  Gets  18  Shorts 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Loew,  2nd.  Richard  Wallace  will  di- 
rect. "Kiss  and  Tell"  will  go  before 
the  cameras  this  summer  in  Holly- 
wood. 

Meanwhile,  in  Hollywood,  yester- 
day, Samuel  Bischoff  announced  the 
formation  of  Samuel  Bischoff  Pro- 
ductions, which,  as  previously  report- 
ed, is  committed  to  produce  25  fea- 
tures in  five  years  at  five  per  year 
for  United  Artists  distribution.  Mau- 
rice Revnes,  formerly  with  M-G-M, 
will  be  Bischoff's  assistant  and  story 
department  head.  Other  departmental 
posts  will  be  headed  by  individuals 
presently  associated  with  the  producer. 


Arnall  Sees  Threat 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

give  up  their  freedom  of  action  and 
their  competitive  business  opportuni- 
ties. As  such  agreements  following 
the  same  pattern  are  effectuated  with 
other  countries,  the  world  market  for 
American  motion  pictures  will  be  un- 
der the  complete  domination  of  a 
small  group  of  selfish  men  who  have 
usurped  the  rights  of  the  majority. 

"The  Society  of  Independent  Motion 
Picture  Producers  has  always  stood 
firmly  for  the  principle  that  there  must 
be  no  discriminatory  taxation  of 
American  pictures  to  build  up"  the 
British  industry.  When  the  Society 
participated  in  the  negotiation  which 
resulted  in  the  1948  Anglo-American 
film  agreement,  it  was  able  to  force 
recognition  of  this  basic  principle. 

"Now,  however,  that  a  few  repre- 
sentatives of  the  major  companies 
have  arrogated  to  themselves  the  au- 
thority to  deal  in  secret  for  the  entire 
industry,  they  have  bartered  away 
this  fundamental  principle  for  imme- 
diate dollars  for  their  companies  with 
no  consideration  of  the  effect  upon 
American  motion  pictures  as  a  whole. 

"The  secrecy  and  hush-hush  attitude 
which  surrounded  the  meetings  of  the 
so-called  Anglo-American  Film  Coun- 
cil are  now  understandable.  It  was  an 
attempt  to  substitute  private  carteliza- 
tion for  what  should  be  government 
action." 


Stage  Shows  for  Shubert 

Cincinnati,  May  11. — The  2,150-seat 
RKO  Shubert,  which  has  been  playing 
straight  films  for  several  years,  will 
switch  to  stage  shows  and  pictures  on 
June  20.  It  is  understood  that  the 
new  policy  will  continue  indefinitely. 


"If  nothing  more  had  been  accomp- 
lished, that  in  itself  would  have 
marked  a  major  and  significant  mile- 
stone on  the  road  to  better  and  more 
harmonious  relationships  between  the 
British  and  American  industries. 

"In  Washington  we  discussed  a  wide 
range  of  preblems  of  common  interest, 
including  the  British  film  quota,  the 
earnings  of  British  motion  pictures  in 
the  United  States,  and  the  playing 
time  of  American  feature  pictures  in 
the  three  large  British  theatre  circuits. 

"We  also  considered  a  number  of 
cooperative  projects  to  promote  the 
common  good  of  both  industries. 
Among  these  were  a  joint  advertising 
program  to  stimulate  motion  picture 
attendance  in  the  United  Kingdom  and 
throughout  the  world ;  participation  in 
film  festivals  with  the  objective  of  hav- 
ing one  annual  film  festival  as  world- 
wide in  scale  as  the  Olympic  games  ; 
and  exchange  of  technical  skills  and 
technical  information  for  the  improve- 
ment of  production  techniques  in  both 
countries. 

"At  the  June  meeting  we  shall  con- 
sider the  problems  in  more  detail  to 
try  to  work  out  agreements  that  will 
be  mutually  beneficial  to  all  in  both 
industries." 

Subject  to  Approval 

Any  agreements  reached  by  the 
Council,  Johnston  emphasized,  are 
subject  to  approval  by  members  of 
the  British  Film  Producers  Associa- 
tion and  the  Motion  Picture  Export 
Association  before  becoming  effective. 

It  was  pointed  out  elsewhere  that 
in  addition  to  the  approvals  cited  as 
necessary  by  Johnston,  that  of  the 
British  government  is  also  required 
on  the  matters  affecting  changes  in 
the  British  film  quota  and  remittance 
laws,  included  in  the  agreement. 

The  British  members  of  the  Council 
stated  specifically  that  they  could 
make  no  commitment  on  those  matters 
until  they  had  discussed  them  with 
their  government. 

Those  who  applauded  the  program 


IMPORTANT  NOTICE 

to  the  Motion  Picture  Trade 

TRANS-CONTINENTAL,  FILMS,  Inc. 

formerly  at  243  West  56th  St.,  annoOnce  the 
removal  of  their  offices  to 

723  SEVENTH  AVENUE 
Suite  703 

NEW  YORK  19,  N.  Y. 
Tel.  PLaza  7-6844 

and  further  announce  that 

TRANS-CONTINENTAL  FILMS,  INC. 

J.  A.  Oordero,  President,  established  in  1942 
and  incorporated  in  1945,  has  absolutely  no 
connection  with 

"Transcontinental  Productions," 

a  new  firm  with  which  we  have  been  errone- 
ously confused. 

J.  A.  Cordero,  Pres. 

TRANS-CONTINENTAL  FILMS,  Inc. 
723  SEVENTH  AVE,        .        PLaza  7-6844 


IF  THEY  DON'T  LIKE  THE  SOUND 
THEY  DON'T  LIKE  THE  SHOW 


better  get  the  best : 

"VOICE  of  the  THEATRE" 
SPEAKER  SYSTEMS 


161  Sixth  Avenue,  New  York  13.  N.  Y.  •  1161  N.  Vine  St.,  Hollywood  38.  Calif. 


4m 


4V 


™  ™f  SO  M  S(()f,s 


''Give    your    support  to 

fro-  rr,,  .      /  .  tu^ 

the   United    States   Sav  •  '^^jvtSh^*  M  %  M  /    S/      ~      \  — 

ings    Bond    Drive    May  ~  "*^/w%  .      #   /#.  ^/ 

16-June  30.  Be  a  modern  Lmitrt)      *—  \     JH  • 


f 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  94 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  FRIDAY,   MAY  13,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Withdrawal  of 
Ascap  Appeals 
In  N.  Y,  Looms 

U.  S.  Pact  Might  Allow 
Dealing  With  Producers 

Appeals  pending  in  the  restraint- 
of-trade  action  against  the  Ameri- 
can Society  of  Composers,  Authors 
and  Publishers  in  the  New  York 
Circuit  Court  of  Appeals  may  be 
withdrawn  upon  consummation  of  new 
consent  decree  discussions  between  the 
Society  and  the  government,  which 
have  been  in  progress  for  several 
weeks. 

Ascap's  apparent  aim  is  the  adop- 
tion of  a  revised  version  of  its  1940 
decree  with  the  Department  of  Justice 
under  which  it  could  collect  public 
performance  fees  for  members'  music 
from  film  producers  in  a  manner 
which  would  not  contravene  the  ad- 
verse Federal  Court  opinions  in  both 
New  York  and  Minneapolis.  Producers 
in  turn  would  add  the  charges  to  film 
rentals. 

Ascap  believes  it  could  act  merely  as 
a  collection  agency  for  its  members, 
with  their  compositions  licensed  to  the 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


State,  Municipal 
Governments  Have 
Joint  Tax  Program 

Washington,  May  12.  ■ —  Represen- 
tatives of  leading  associations  of  state 
and  city  officials  have  worked  out  a 
joint  tax  program  to  present  to  the 
U.  S.  Treasury,  with  a  key  plank  call- 
ing for  the  Federal  government  to 
withdraw  from  the  admission  tax  field 
in  favor  of  states  and  municipalities. 

The  program  was  worked  out  at  a 
meeting  here  of  representatives  of  the 
American  Municipal  Association,  the 
U.  S.  Conference  of  Mayors,  Council 
of  State  Governments,  National  As- 
sociation of  County  Officials  and  the 
National  Federation  of  Tax  Adminis- 
trators. It  will  be  forwarded  to 
Treasury  Secretary  Snyder  probably 
next  week  and  will  be  the  talking 
point  when  representatives  of  these  or- 
ganizations meet  again  with  Treas- 
ury officials  late  this  month  or  next. 

The    groups    met    with  Treasury 
spokesmen  at  the  end  of  April,  but 
(Continued  on  page  10) 


Paramount  Quarter 
Net  is  $5,675,000 


Paramount  estimates  its  earnings 
for  the  first  quarter  ended  April  2, 
1949  at  $5,675,000,  after  all  charges, 
including  estimated  provision  for 
taxes  on  income.  This  amount  in- 
cludes $1,429,000  representing  Para- 
mount's  net  interest  as  a  stockholder 
in  the  combined  undistributed  earn- 
ings for  the  quarter  of  partially- 
owned  non-consolidated  subsidiaries. 
Earnings  for  the  quarter  ended  April 
3,  1948  were  $7,760,000,  including 
$1,846,000  of  undistributed  earnings 
of  partially-owned    subsidiaries,  and 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


'Life'  Can't  Find 
Answer  to  'Crisis' 


Life  magazine  in  this  week's  issue 
will  publish  the  first  results  of  its 
study  of  the  motion  picture,  according 
to  Motion  Picture  Herald.  The  three 
page  story,  signed  by  Eric  Hodgins, 
who  is  conducting  the  "round  table," 
is  headed  "What's  With  the  Movies," 
and  ventures  no  further  than  that.  It 
reports  that  the  Life  editors  have  held 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


U.  S.  Rank  Board 
Elects  Peyser 

Seymour  Peyser,  New  York  law- 
yer, has  been  elected  to  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  J.  Arthur  Rank  Or- 
ganization, U.  S.,  and  has  been  made 
secretary  of  the  corporation.  Peyser 
is  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Phil- 
lips, Nizer,  Benjamin  and  Krim,  mo- 
tion picture  industry  law  firm. 

The  board  of  directors  of  the  Rank 
Organization  has  reelected  the  follow- 
ing officers :  J.  Arthur  Rank,  chair- 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


Seek  Vote  Today  on 
Anglo-U.  S.  Program 

A  special  meeting  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Export  Asso- 
ciation has  been  arranged  for 
noon  today  at  the  Harvard 
Club  here  to  seek  approval 
of  the  proposed  program  ad- 
vanced by  the  Anglo-U. S. 
Film  Advisory  Council. 

Details  of  the  program 
were  given  to  MPEA  mem- 
bers on  Tuesday  and  their 
reactions  will  be  canvassed 
at  today's  meeting.  Indica- 
tions are  that  some  top-rank- 
ing executives  will  be  absent 
inasmuch  as  the  meeting  was 
scheduled  despite  their  notifi- 
cation that  they  would  be  un- 
able to  attend. 


Sears  to  London  on 
Sale  of  Odeon  Stock 


ITOA  Voices 
Confidence 
In  20th  Plan 


Gradwell  L.  Sears,  president  of 
United  Artists,  will  leave  here  on 
Sunday  for  London  where  he  will  con- 
sult with  Arthur  W.  Kelly,  executive 
vice-president,  on  sale  of  the  com- 
pany's stock  interests  in  the  Odeon 
circuit,  which  is  controlled  by  J.  Ar- 
thur Rank. 

Possible  deals  were  taken  up  by  the 
UA  board  yesterday  at  a  special 
meeting  here.  Following  consultations 
with  Kelly,  Sears  will  report  back  to 
the  directors. 

Any  transaction  apparently  would 
be  largely  contingent  on  how  UA 
could  derive  immediate  monetary 
benefits,  that  is,  either  obtaining  per- 
mission to  convert  the  proceeds  of 
the  sale  into  dollars  or  else  put  the 
British  pounds  to  use. 


$10,371,000  1st  Quarter 
Film  Company  Dividends 


Warner  Product  for 
N.  Y  Music  Hall 

A  number  of  Warner 
Brothers  pictures,  beginning 
with  the  Technicolor  produc- 
tion, "Look  for  the  Silver 
Lining,"  are  to  play  Radio 
City  Music  Hall.  "Silver  Lin- 
ing" will  follow  "Edward,  My 
Son."  Other  pictures  will 
probably  include  "Under 
Capricorn,"  "Beyond  the 
Forest,"  "Glass  Menagerie" 
and  others. 


Washington,  May  12. — Publicly- 
reported  cash  dividends  of  motion 
picture  companies  during  the  first 
quarter  of  1949  totaled  $10,371,000, 
compared  with  $13,171,000  during  the 
same  1948  period.  In  1947,  when  film 
dividends  first  hit  an  all-time  high,  the 
first  quarter  figure  was  $12,752,000. 
The  March,  1949,  figure  exceeded  pay- 
ments in  March,  1948. 

Commerce  officials  recalled  that 
each  year  their  preliminary  month-by- 
month  reports  do  not  include  a  Feb- 
ruary dividend  by  Stanley  Co.,  which 
reports  late.  This  figure  is  included 
in  the  final  year-end  revision,  and 
since  it  amounts  to  about  $1,800,000,  it 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


Lichtman,  Smith  Explain 
It  and  Answer  Questions 

A  large  segment  of  the  New 
York  exhibitors  who  a  few  weeks 
ago  sharply  assailed  preliminary 
policy  pronouncements  by  20th 
Century-Fox  sales  executives,  did  an 
about-face  here  yesterday  in  conse- 
quence of  an  open  forum  exhibitor 
luncheon-meeting  at  which  company 
executives  explained  the  new  sales 
policy  enunciated  recently  by  20th-Fox 
president  Spyros  P.  Skouras.  The 
exhibitors  voiced  recognition  of  what 
they  termed  "clear  and  intelligent 
thinking  on  the  part  of  20th-Fox,"  and 
expressed  "a  feeling  of  elation  that 
the  plan  will  work." 

Some  150  persons — mostly  exhibi- 
tors— attended  the  meeting  which  was 
held  at  the  Hotel  Astor  here  under 
the  sponsorship  of  the  New  York  In- 
dependent Theatre  Owners  Associa- 
tion. Acting  as  spokesmen  for  the  or- 
ganization were  ITOA  president 
Harry    Brandt    and   film  committee 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


20-50%  Range  for 
20th  Sliding  Scale 


Twentieth  Century-Fox's  new 
"sliding-scale"  formula  will  have  a 
basic  film  rental  range  of  25  to  50 
per  cent  "in  one  per  cent  steps,"  dis- 
tribution vice-president  Andy  W. 
Smith,  Jr.,  told  yesterday's  open 
forum  exhibitor  meeting  here  spon- 
sored by  the  New  York  Independ- 
ent Theatre  Owners  Association.  For 
"hardship"  cases,  the  minimum  could 
be  set  at  20  per  cent,  20th-Fox  vice- 
president  Al  Lichtman  said  later  in 
reply  to  a  question  from  the  floor. 

Smith  explained  that  the  basic  fig- 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


20th  Policy  Parley 
Slated  by  Kirsch 


Leaders  of  Allied  units  in  various 
parts  of  the  country  will  be  invited  to 
the  Chicago  exhibitor  luncheon-meet- 
ing which  Illinois  Allied  president 
Jack  Kirsch  plans  for  May  23  to 
discuss  with  20th  Century-Fox  ex- 
ecutives that  company's  new  sales 
policy. 

This  was  reported  here  yesterday 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  May  13,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


MAURICE 
versal-International 


A. 


BERGMAN,  Uni- 
Eastern  ad- 
vertising-publicity director,  left  here 
yesterday  for  Kansas  City  for  the 
opening  of  the  U.  S.  Treasury's  "Op- 
portunity Savings  Bond  Drive." 
e 

Sarah  Churchill,  eldest  daughter 
of  Winston  Churchill,  arrived  here 
yesterday  from  London  by  way  of 
Canada  to  aid  in  the  premiere  of  J. 
Arthur  Rank's  "All  Over  the  Town," 
in  which  she  is  co-starred  with  Nor- 
man WOOLAND. 

• 

Paul  Pine,  deputy  chief  of-  the 
European  Command  Motion  Picture 
Service  since  May,  1947,  will  return 
to  the  United  States  from  Nurnberg, 
Germany,  upon  the  completion  of  his 
contract. 

• 

William  B.  Zoellner,  M-G-M 
short  subjects  and  reprint  sales  man- 
ager, has  returned  to  New  York  from 
Oklahoma  City. 

• 

Cliff  Lewis,  Argosy  Pictures  pub- 
licity director,  will  leave  here  today 
for  the  Coast,  with  a  stopover  at  Chi- 
cago. 

• 

Clifton    Webb   and    Richard  de 
Rochemont,    March    of   Time  pro- 
ducer, are  scheduled  to  sail  tomorrow 
for  Europe  aboard  the  .S'.-S".  America. 
• 

Harry  Mersey,  head  of  the  print 
department  at  20th  Century-Fox,  is 
convalescing  at  St.  Peter's  Hospital, 
Brooklyn,  after  a  recent  operation. 
• 

Bill  Brown,  manager  of  Loew's 
Poli-Bijou  at  New  Haven,  and  Mrs. 
Brown  will  celebrate  their  31st  wed- 
ding anniversary  on  Monday. 

• 

Gladys  Horne,  wife  of  David  D. 
Horne,  Film  Classics  foreign  sales 
manager,  is  in  Women's  Hospital 
here  for  an  operation. 

e 

Stanley  Kramer,  producer,  will 
leave  here  today  for  the  Coast  with  a 
one-day  stopover  at  Chicago. 

• 

William  F.  Rodgers,  M-G-M 
sales  vice-president,  is  planning  a  trip 
to  the  Coast  next  month. 

e 

Uda  B.  Ross,  Westrex  Latin  Amer- 
ica manager,  has  left  New  York  for 
a  tour  of  his  territory. 


Rudolph  Berger,  M-G-M  Southern 
sales  manager,  has  left  Washington 
a  tour  of  branches  in  his  territory. 


for 


Youngstein  Post  at 
Para.  Reported  Near 

Announcement  of  Max  Youngstein's 
appointment  to  head  Paramount  ad- 
vertising-publicity is  expected  early 
next  week.  Youngstein,  who  is  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  advertising- 
publicity  for  Eagle-Lion,  reportedly 
will  start  at  Paramount  on  May  31. 
He  is  expected  to  visit  the  depart- 
ment next  week  for  a  preliminary 
survey. 


Insider's  Outlook 


By  RED  KANN 


'TPHE  dove  of  peace  flapped  its 
wings  dutifully  along  about 
three  o'clock  yesterday  afternoon 
signalizing  the  burial  of  the 
hatchet  between  the  ITOA  of 
New  York  and  20th-Fox.  Un 
complimentary  references  of 
record  about  hatchetmen  were 
interred  at  the  same  time  and 
ostensibly  for  all  time  hereafter. 

The  scene  was  the  Hotel  As- 
tor.  The  occasion  was  an  open 
forum,  arranged  by  the  ITOA 
to  discuss  with  20th-Fox's  Al 
Lichtiuan  and  Andy  Smith  their 
company's  new  sales  policy. 
With  cartoon  and  invective  still 
fresh  in  the  historical  back- 
ground of  this  situation,  the  ex- 
plosive possibilities  were  obvi- 
ous. They  never  developed,  and 
the  cause  of  sweet  reasonable- 
ness thereby  was  well  served. 


Lichtiuan  covered  familiar 
ground  and  broke  little  that  was 
new. 

Max  A.  Cohen,  chairman  of 
the  ITOA  film  committee,  asked 
prepared  questions  and  got  sat- 
isfactory replies  chiefly  from 
Smith,  with  an  occasional  clari- 
fying assist  from  Lichtman. 
Cohen  found  "signs  of  clear  and 
intelligent  thinking"  on  20th- 
Fox's  part,  plus  indications  of  a 
desire  to  improve  relationships 
with  exhibitors. 

Harry  Brandt,  ITOA  presi- 
dent, believed  the  new  policy 
will  work  provided — and  here 
he  placed  his  emphasis — all  that 
the  two  distributor  officials  de- 
clared would  be  observed.  He 
was  confident  it  would  since 
"both  are  men  of  high  honor." 

On  the  assumption  that,  since 
no  penetrating  questions  were 
advanced  from  the  rank-and-file, 
Brandt  had  to  assume — and  did 
— that  satisfaction  with  the  plan, 
which  was  made  available  in 
printed  form,  was  general. 

But  Fred  Schwartz,  president 
of  Metropolitan  Motion  Picture 
Theatres  Association,  broke  his 
silence  sufficiently  to  have  it  un- 
derstood he  was  reserving  the 
right   to    reject    the    policy  in 


whole 
ated. 

For 
sumed 


or  in  part  as  he  negoti- 

the  ITOA,  Brandt  as- 
the  same  position. 

■ 


The  forum  was  interesting  be- 
cause it  may  be  accepted  as  the 
pattern  set  for  future  face-to- 
face  discussions  between  20th- 
Fox  executives  and  other  ex- 
hibitor groups. 

The  attitude  reflecting  the  dis- 
tributor's position  was  one  of 
cooperation  with  the  exhibitor. 
Perhaps  a  determined  kind  of 
cooperation  in  the  interest  of  a 
greater  return,  which  is  what 
the  shooting  has  been  all  about, 
but  cooperation  nevertheless. 

Moreover,  as  Smith  made 
clear,  the  new  policy  is  basic. 
Because  it  deals  with  the  broad 
fundamentals  of  the  course  20th- 
Fox  has  set  for  itself,  it  cannot 
answer  all  problems.  Because 
it  cannot  answer  all  problems, 
certain  phases,  currently  un- 
known, may  prove  unworkable. 
If  so,  these  phases  will  be 
changed. 

"We  don't  know,"  Smith 
observed. 


This  is  a  forthright  as  well 
as  a  reasonable  approach.  It 
seems  to  us  that  fair-minded  ex- 
hibitors should  mark  it  well  and 
lend  an  ear  until  events  or  ex- 
perience indicates  otherwise. 

No  one,  least  of  all  20th-Fox 
itself,  can  foretell  in  unchal- 
lengeable accuracy  how  clear- 
ances can  be  shortened  so  that 
dead  time  between  runs  may  be 
reduced.  Or  what  will  show  up 
in  this  territory  or  that  on  the 
plan  of  introducing  multiple  runs 
in  first  and  subsequent  runs. 

These  and  other  major  planks 
in  the  policy  are  clearly  experi- 
mental on  a  national  level.  They 
suggest  benefits  for  some,  per-, 
haps  for  the  majority  of  exhibi- 
tors. They  also  suggest  inequi- 
ties for  others.  But  if  there  is 
to  be  progress  in  distribution, 
someone  has  to  brave  it. 

The  impression  at  this  point  is 
that  20th-Fox  intends  trying. 
You  cannot  be  ruled  off  for  that. 


Johnston  Speech  Dates 

Washington,  May  12. — MPAA 
president  Eric  Johnston  will  discuss 
motion  pictures  in  relation  to  educa- 
tion at  the  Parent-Teachers  Associa- 
tion convention  in  St.  Louis  on  Mon- 
day night.  Wednesday  he  will  talk  in 
Shreveport,'  La.,  and  probably  will  not 
return  to  Washington  until  the  follow- 
ing week. 


Buffalo  Bond  Meeting 

Buffalo,  May  12.— All  branches  of 
the  Buffalo  area  motion  picture  indus- 
try met  yesterday  to  discuss  plans  for 
their  "Opportunity  Savings  Bond 
Drive,"  May  16-June  30.  Jack  B  ren- 
ner,  representing  the  Treasury  Depart- 
ment, and  William  H.  Douglas,  Erie 
County  chairman,  addressed  the 
gathering. 


Governor  Presides  At 
'Spring9  Premiere 

Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  May  12. — Vir- 
tually the  entire  25,000  population  of 
this  college  town  turned  out  tonight 
to  witness  a  premiere  promotion  as 
Governor  C.  Mennen  Williams  of 
Michigan,  city  officials  and  other  nota- 
bles honored  Michigan  University's 
vice-president  emeritus  Shirley  W. 
Smith  at  the  opening  of  20th  Century- 
Fox's  "It  Happens  Every  Spring"  at 
the  Michigan  Theatre. 

Smith,  who  wrote  "The  Sprightly 
Adventures  of  Professor  Simpson," 
shared  honors  with  scenarist  Valen- 
tine Davies  who  adapted  the  Smith 
story  to  turn  it  into  "It  Happens 
Every  Spring." 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


-RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  : 

Rockefeller  Center 
JAMES   STEWART      -      JUNE  ALLYSON 

"THE  STRATT0N  STORY" 

Frank  Morgan-Agnes  Moorehead-Bill  Williams 
A    SAM  WOOD  PRODUCTION 
A   Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Paramount  presents 

JILLIAM  WILLIAM 

H0LDEN  •  BENDIX 

MACDONALD  MONA 

CAREY  FREEMAN 

Streets  _  , 
of  Laredo 

do,  t,  TECHNICOLOR 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

JOU  THEATER, 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twits  Dally 
Extra  Matinee*  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


//• 


NOW! 


W       Continuous  Pcrformoncci  •  Lale  S 


Dana  Andrews       -       Maureen  O'Hara 

"'FORBIDDEN  STREET" 

A   20th  Century-Fox  Picture 
On  Variety  Stage  —  DICK  HAYMES,  Others 
On  Ice  Stage— "RHAPSODY" 
Starring    ARNOLD  SHODA 

7th  Ave.  & 
50th  St.  =^=. 


ROXY 


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Friday,  May  13,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


MPIC  Acts  on  Frozen 
Funds,  Reissues 


Hollywood,  May  12. — Motion  Pic- 
ture Industry  Council  last  night  ap- 
pointed Y.  Frank  Freeman,  Oliver 
Garrett,  Roy  Brewer,  Ronald  Reagan 
and  Art  Arthur  as  a  permanent  sub- 
committee in  charge  of  developing  a 
program  designed  to  aid  all-industry 
efforts  toward  thawing  funds  frozen 
abroad. 

Appointment  of  the  committee  fol- 
lowed an  extensive  report  by  MPIC 
chairman  DeMille  on  Senate  bill  3- 
1093,  known  as  the  "Export  Insurance 
Act,  1949,"  and  on  direct  negotiations 
between  American  and  British  pro- 
ducer groups  seeking  to  end  restric- 
tive trade  practices. 

MPIC  also  considered  a  three- 
pronged  proposal  for  regulating  re- 
issues by  limiting  reissuing  to  out- 
standing productions,  curbing  mislead- 
ing advertising,  and  allocating  a  por- 
tion of  reissue  revenues  to  provide 
benefits  for  aged  and  disabled  industry 
workers.  First  and  third  .phases  of 
this  proposal  were  dismissed  on  the 
ground  that  they  border  on  collective 
bargaining  and  therefore  do  not  fall 
within  the  MPIC  province. 

"Misleading  advertising"  was  re- 
ferred to  the  MPIC  public  relations 
committee  for  study  and  report.  The 
reissue  matter  had  been  brought  up  by 
Brewer,  chairman  of  the  Hollywood 
AFL  Film  Council,  which  recently 
attacked  reissues  as  a  contributing 
cause  to  unemployment  in  Hollywood. 


Reviews 


"Streets  of  San  Francisco" 

(Republic) 

THE  crime-does-not-pay  theme  is  given  another  workout  in  an  unpreten- 
tious but  interesting  story  about  a  synical  boy  who  refuses  to  give  police 
the  details  of  a  murder  and  robbery  which  he  witnessed. 

Heading  the  cast  are  Robert  Armstrong  and  Mae  Clark,  as  the  lieutenant 
of  detectives  and  his  wife,  who  attempt  to  break  down  11 -year-old  Cary 
Gray's  resistance  by  showing  him  some  real  home  life.  Despite  the  boy's 
initial  stubborness  he  is  gradually  rehabilitated,  becomes  one  of  the  family 
and  eventually  helps  to  capture  the  gang  and  a  stolen  fortune. 

Although  the  picture  offers  nothing  above  the  routine  it  has  its  moments 
of  suspense  and  shows  in  some  detail  the  grinding  research  necessary  to 
"crack"  a  case.  Its  big  flaw  is  the  dialogue  which  at  times  overreaches  in 
an  attempt  to  attain  dramatic  effect  resulting  only  in  taxing  credulity.  J. 
Farrell  MacDonald  as  the  old  man  who  befriends  the  wayward  boy,  turns 
in  a  creditable  performance.  The  screenplay  was  written  by  John  K.  Butler 
from  a  story  by  Gordon  Kahn  and  Adele  Buffiington.  Sidney  Picker  was 
associate  producer.  George  Blair  directed.  The  cast  also  includes  Wally 
Cassell,  Richard  Benedict,  John  Harmon,  Charles  Meredith  and  Eve  March. 

Running  time,  60  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  15. 


'Amazon  Quest' 


Reelect  5,  Add  9  to 
Academy  Board 

Hollywood,  May  12. — Results  of 
the  annual  Academy  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Arts  and  Sciences  election,  con- 
ducted by  mail  ballot,  revealed  five  re- 
elections  among  choices  for  14  posts 
on  the  board  of  governors  vacated  un- 
der the  constitutional  by-law  which 
limits  tenure  to  two  years. 

Newly  elected  to  the  board  are 
Walter  Wanger,  Dore  Schary,  Henry 
Blanke,  Fred  Metzler,  George  Mur- 
phy, Ralph  Sternad,  Frank  Capra, 
Johnny  Green  and  Kenneth  Lambert. 
The  board  meets  May  19  to  elect  a 
president  to  succeed  Jean  Hersholt, 
who  has  resigned,  and  other  officers. 


(Agay-Film  Classics) 

THERE  is  plenty  of  good  exploitation  material  in  Film  Classics'  "Amazon 
Quest,"  an  adventure  story  set  largely  in  the  Brazilian  jungle,  containing 
such  sequences  as  a  boa  constrictor  winding  itself  around  a  man's  neck,  a 
school  of  vicious  fish,  and  two  men  rowing  desperately  through  a  sea  of 
crocodiles.  Most  of  the  jungle  footage  has  a  documentary-like  authenticity, 
and  as  such  makes  good  film  fare.  However,  the  dramatic  narrative  that 
was  built  around  the  jungle  scenes  runs  pretty  much  in  conventional  style. 
An  Agay  production,  it  features  Tom  Neal,  Carola  Matthews  and  Carole 
Donne. 

Irwin  Gielgud  wrote  the  original  story,  about  a  man,  who,  in  order  to 
recover  his  rightful  share  of  a  Dutch  rubber  company,  travels  to  the 
Amazon  country  to  clear  his  father's  name.  On  his  arrival,  he  learns  about 
his  father's  death  years  before  while  trying  to  escape  with  rubber  seeds. 
At  the  same  time,  the  hero,  played  by  Neal,  meets  and  falls  in  love  with 
Miss  Matthews.  In  time,  Neal  proves  his  father's  rightful  interest  in  the 
rubber  company,  and  in  the  happy  ending,  takes  Aliss  Matthews  as  his 
bride.  In  between  there  are  varied  scenes  of  flight  and  chase  by  such 
diverse  adversaries  as  bandits,  jungle  beasts  and  Indians.  S.  K.  Seeley's 
direction  keeps  things  constantly  on  the  move.  Max  Alexander  produced, 
from  the  screenplay  by  Al  Martin.    Arene  Agay  was  associate  producer. 

Running  time,  75  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  May 
release.  Mandel  Herbstman 


Industry  Extends  Its 
Aid  to  Bond  Drive 

The  industry  will  present  30  Cov- 
ered Wagons  to  aid  the  sale  of 
U.  S.  Treasury  "Opportunity  Savings 
Bonds"  in  the  nationwide  drive  which 
runs  from  Sunday  through  June  30, 
it  was  announced  by  Secretary  of 
the  Tfeasury  John  W.  Snyder  and 
Maurice  A.  Bergman,  Universal-In- 
ternational executive  and  chairman  of 
the  industry's  participation  in  the 
drive. 


Five   More    Stars  to 
Aid  US  Bond  Drive 

Hollywood,  May  12. — Five  more 
stars  have  been  set  by  the  Hollywood 
Coordinating  Committee  to  complete 
the  list  of  more  than  a  dozen  who 
will  launch  the  U.  S.  Treasury's  "Op 
portunity  Savings  Bond  Drive"  start 
ing  Sunday  and  running  through 
June  30. 

Red  Skelton  is  scheduled  for  a  bond 
rally  at  Kansas  City  on  May  16,  Peter 
Lawford  at  Cleveland  May  18,  Dane 
Clark,  New  Orleans  May  17,  Gene 
Autry,  Indianapolis  May  19  and  Eddie 
Bracken,  San  Francisco  May  21. 


Goldwyn,  Others  in 
Talks  on  Alliance 


Samuel  Goldwyn  Productions  has 
begun  discussions  with  other  inde- 
pendent producers  with  the  view  in 
mind  of  effecting  a  working  arrange- 
ment whereby  Goldwyn  would  provide 
studio  credits,  handle  financial  ar- 
rangements and  supervise  selling  for 
independents. 

Goldwyn's  object  primarily  is  to  en- 
courage outstanding  independent  pro- 
ductions and  at  the  same  time  reduce 
his  overhead  expenses  at  his  own 
studio  where,  according  to  the  pres- 
ent plan,  independents  would  turn  out 
three  or  four  films  annually. 

Distribution  would  be  through  RKO 
Radio  with  whom  Goldwyn  is  now- 
negotiating  a  new  releasing  pact  to 
supplant  the  one  which,  with  an  op- 
tion period  figured  in,  will  expire  on 
August  1.  The  independents  would 
be  covered  under  the  expected  new 
deal. 


Embassy  Changes  Policy 

The  Embassy  Newsreel  Theatre  in 
the  Airlines  Terminal  here  will 
change  to  a  feature  policy  on  May  25, 
with  the  New  York  premiere  of  the 
latest  J.  Arthur  Rank  release,  "All 
Over  The  Town."  It  stars  Norman 
Wooland  and  Sarah  Churchill  and  is 
a  Prestige  Picture  released  by  Uni 
versal-International.  Under  this  new 
policy  the  theatre  will  be  known  as 
the  "Embassy  Cinema." 


(As  You  Like  If  Set 
For  Roadshows  byUA 

Sir  Laurence  Olivier's  first  Shake- 
sperean  film,  "As  You  Like  It,"  with 
Olivier  and  Elisabeth  Bergner,  will  be 
given  special  roadshow,  two-a-day, 
reserved-seat  engagements  all  over  the 
country,  it  was  announced  by  Grad- 
well  L.  Sears,  president  of  United 
Artists.  UA  has  acquired  rights  to 
the  film. 

Premiere  of  the  two-a-day  policy 
will  take  place  in  Boston  at  the  Bea- 
con Hill  Theatre  on  June  30.  Paul 
Czinner  produced  and  directed. 


Mid  -  Year  Variety 
Meet   in  New  York 

Mid-year  meeting  of  Varie- 
ty Clubs  International  has 
been  set  for  New  York  City, 
October  23-27.  Earlier  reports 
from  San  Francisco,  concern- 
ing a  mid-year  meeting  to  be 
held  in  Mexico  City,  referred 
to  action  of  the  recent  con- 
vention in  designating  the 
Mexico  capital  as  the  location 
for  the  mid-year  meeting  to 
be  held  in  the  fall  of  1950. 

At  the  same  time  the  club's 
decision  to  hold  the  annual 
convention  next  spring  in 
New  Orleans  remains  tenta- 
tive, pending  clearance  of 
dates  sought  for  the  event. 


Telecasts  Cause  NY 
Cuts  in  Newsreels 


Some  Metropolitan  New  York  cir- 
cuits, among  them  Walter  Reade  The- 
atres and  RKO,  have  dropped  news- 
reels  in  secondary,  double-bill  situa- 
tions as  an  experiment,  holding  that 
telecasts  have  reduced  the  news  value 
of  the  reels. 

Walter  Reade,  Jr.,  emphasized  yes- 
terday that  no  "A"  houses  have  been 
affected  by  the  cuts  and  said  that  a 
questionnaire  circulated  among  mana- 
gers of  theatres  where  newsreels  have 
been  dropped  failed  to  reveal  a  com- 
plaint by  a  single  patron.  Reade  said 
that  out-dated  newsreels  serve  only 
as  a  free  boost  for  television. 

Sol  Schwartz,  RKO  theatre  execu- 
tive, was  inclined  yesterday  to  mini- 
mize the  action  and  also  stressed  that 
it  was  put  into  effect  in  smaller 
houses  only,  but  he,  too,  saw  video 
as  a  prime  factor  for  the  declining 
interest  in  newsreels. 


FCC  Dismisses  WB's 
Coast  Video  Bid 

Washington,  May  12. — The  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission  to- 
day, at  the  request  of  Warner  Broth- 
ers, has  dismissed  without  prejudice 
WB's  application  for  a  Los  Angeles 
experimental  television  station,  where 
work  was  planned  on  ultra-high  fre- 
quency transmission.  The  Commission 
may  act  tomorrow  on  Warner's  re- 
quest to  withdraw  its  application  for 
a  Chicago  television  station. 


'Photoplay'  Honors  MGM 

In  tribute  to  Metro-Goldwyn-May- 
er's  25th  anniversary  of  motion  pic 
ture  production,  Photoplay  magazine 
has  devoted  its  June  issue,  now  on 
newsstands,  to  the  history  of  M-G-M 
with  nearly  two  dozen  features  and 
I  pictures  made  by  the  studio  since  1924. 


Conclude  Hearing  on 
Pa.  Censor  Ruling 

Philadelphia,  May  12. — Testimony 
has  been  concluded  in  U.  S.  District 
Court  in  the  suit  of  five  Pennsylvania 
television  stations,  to  declare  invalid 
a  ruling  by  the  Board  of  Censors  re- 
quiring censor  approval  of  all  motion 
pictures  televised  in  this  state  prior  to 
telecasts.  Mrs.  Edna  R.  Carroll,  chair- 
man of  the  Board,  promised  to  ex- 
pedite action  whenever  the  Board  is 
asked  to  approve  films  for  television 
programs  and  said  there  has  never 
been  a  complaint  from  the  film  in- 
dustry about  undue  delay. 


'Gambles'  Press-Preview 

Universal-International  will  hold  a 
press  preview  of  "The  Lady  Gambles" 
at  Toots  Shor's  here  on  Monday 
afternoon.  Following  the  preview, 
U-I  will  be  host  at  a  reception.  The 
picture  will  have  its  New  York  pre- 
miere at  the  Criterion  Theatre  on 
Friday,  May  20. 


Screen  'Lonesome  Pine' 

A  screening  of  Adolph  Zukor's 
"Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine"  will  be 
held  at  Toots  Shor's  Tuesday  morn- 
ing followed  by  luncheon  for  about 
40  exhibitors  and  celebrities  who  will 
be  Paramount's  guests.  Zukor  and 
Henry  Fonda,  star  of  the  film,  which 
was  the  industry's  first  Technicolor 
production,  will  attend. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  May  13,  1949 


Griffith  Partner  Says 
Gov't  Witnesses  Err 


Oklahoma  City,  May  12. — A 
Griffith  partner,  Harry  Lowenstein, 
Ardmore,  Okla.,  testified  today  that 
he  was  present  in  a  Wichita  Falls  ho- 
tel room  in  1938  when  B.  J.  McKenna 
and  Volney  Hamm,  complaining  wit- 
nesses in  the  anti-trust  hearing  against 
the  circuit,  conferred.  McKenna  at 
the  time  was  a  Griffith  executive,  and 
Hamm  has  testified  that  McKenna 
warned  him  not  to  try  to  break  into 
the  theatre  business  in  Borge,  Tex 
where  Griffith  then  operated. 

Lowenstein  said  he  was  present 
throughout  the  discussion,  and  did 
not  hear  McKenna  make  the  remarks 
Hamm  attributed  to  him. 

Chester  McSwain,  Griffith  partner 
at  Plainview,  Tex.,  Lynn  Stocker, 
Dallas  district  manager  for  Griffith, 
Louis  Higdon,  the  circuit's  Roswell 
district  manager,  and  C.  B.  Akers, 
former  circuit  executive  here,  testi- 
fied earlier  today.  Akers  was  on  the 
stand  most  of  the  day  describing  the 
houses  operated  by  the  circuit  in  21 
competitive  towns. 

The  defense  seeks  to  prove  that  bet- 
ter theatres  and  profit  potentials  gave 
the  defendants  a  buying  advantage, 
rather  than  monopoly  buying  power. 


Argue  Appeals  of 
$100,000  Verdict 

Arguments  on  appeals  of  a  $100,000 
verdict  against  Paramount  and  the 
Warner  circuit  were  heard  in  the 
Circuit  Court  of  Appeals  here  yes- 
terday with  the  defendants  contend- 
ing that  the  plaintiff's  Palace  The- 
atre at  Olean,  N.  Y.,  could  not  have 
been  the  victim  of  the  alleged  con- 
spiracy since  all  other  major  compa- 
nies have  been  dismissed  as  defend- 
ants. Defendants'  attorneys  said  that 
Paramount  is  the  only  distributor 
party  to_  the  action  and  the  charge 
of  conspiracy  would  have  to  involve 
more  than  one  company  to  stand  up. 

A  Federal  Court,  Buffalo,  jury 
awarded  the  Bordonaro  Co.,  .operating 
the  Palace,  damages  of  $28,000,  to 
be  trebled  under  anti-trust  laws,  and 
which,  with  attorneys'  fees,  would 
have  amounted  to  close  to  $100,000. 
Warner  operates  the  Haven  and  State 
theatres  in  Olean. 

Arguments  on  the  plaintiff's  appeal 
of  the  RKO  dismissal  also  was  heard 
yesterday.  Frank  Raichle  was  attor- 
ney for  Warner  and  Paramount;  Sid- 
ney Pfieffer  represented  RKO,  and 
William  Anderson  appeared  for  the 
plaintiff. 


Review 


"Roughshod" 

(RKO  Radio) 

A  WESTERN  with  a  decidedly  different  approach,  but  which  nevertheless 
•  *  embodles  all  the  elements  that  make  good  entertainment,  is  presented 
in  Roughshod." 

It  is  well  acted  by  Robert  Sterling,  Gloria  Grahame  and  Claude  Jarman 
Jr.,  and  in  placing  direction  into  the  hands  of  Mark  Robson,  producer  Rich- 
ard K  Berger  assured  himself  of  capable  guidance  for  a  film  along  popular 
box-office  lines. 

The  photography  shows  majestic  mountain  backdrops  especially  in  a  final 
showdown  duel  between  Sterling  and  John  Ireland  who  overdoes  it  a  bit 
as  the  cold-blooded  killer  out  to  get  even  with  rancher  Sterling  It  should 
be  well  received  by  all  kinds  of  audiences  and  should  attract  also  those  who 
expect  a  little  more  from  a  western  than  just  a  whisp  of  a  story  filled  with 
shooting  and  fighting.  This  picture  has  both  of  these,  but  they  are  used 
sparingly  and  effectively.  Geoffrey  Homes  and  Hugo  Butler  wrote  the  better- 
than-average  screenplay. 

When  Ireland  escapes  from  a  penitentiary  with  two  friends,  Sterling  knows 
that  he  will  be  after  him.  The  latter  and  his  brother  set  out  to  brin°-  some 
horses  to  his  ranch.  On  the  way  they  meet  up  with  four  showgirls  headed 
by  G lona,  who  have  been  run  out  of  town.  Their  wagon  has  broken  down 
and  the  two  men  give  them  a  lift. 

Naturally,  there  are  complications.  One  by  one,  the  girls  drop  off— one 
at  her  home,  the  other  with  a  gold-prospector— until  only  Gloria  is  left 
Sterling  and  she  fall  m  love,  but  Sterling  resents  her  background  When 
danger  comes  m  the  person  of  Ireland,  Sterling  sends  her  off  in  the  coach 
He  and  Jarman  take  care  of  Ireland  and  his  gang  and  return  to  town  to 
pick  up  Gloria  and  bring  the  story  to  a  happy  ending. 

Running  time,  88  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  July  release 


Short 
Subject 


"Sweden  Looks  Ahead" 

(March  of  Time—20th-Fox) 

A  unique  position  of  isolation  is 
followed  by  Sweden  today,  for  that 
nation  refuses  to  join  either  the  Soviet 
bloc  or  the  Atlantic  Pact  nations. 
Ihe  current  March  of  Time  subject 
portrays  that  country's  curious  politi- 
cal dilemma  and  in  so  doing  presents 
an  interesting  and  illuminating  film 
Many  highlights  of  Swedish  life  are 
shown,  including  its  renowned  cooper- 
atives, its  glass-making,  and  other 
crafts.  The  subject  will  enhance  any 
showman's  program. 


Story  of  Industry's 
Shorts  to  Exhibitors 


Mitchell,  Evans  Head 
NTFC  Committees 

John  Mitchell,  sales  manager  of 
United  Artists  Television  Films,  and 
Ed  Evans,  director  of  film  relations 
for  the  N.  Y.  Daily  News  television 
station  WPIX,  have  been  named  heads 
of  National  Television  Film  Council 
committees,  Melvin  L.  Gold,  NTFC 
prexy,  has  announced. 

Mitchell  is  the  newly-appointed 
chairman  of  the  distribution  commit- 
tee, recently  headed  by  Myron  Mills, 
television  director  of  Equity  Film  Ex- 
changes, who  has  been  transferred  to 
Washington.  Evans  replaces  Gus 
Ober,  former  film  director  of  TV  sta- 
tion WMAR-TV,  Baltimore,  who  has 
been  transferred  to  WMAR-FM,  the 
Sun  papers'  FM  station. 


Bellfort  Named  RKO 
European  Manager 

Phil  Reisman,  RKO  Radio  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  foreign  opera- 
tions, has  appointed  Joseph  Bellfort 
to  the  post  of  European  Continental 
manager,  replacing  Wladimir  Lissim, 
who  resigned  a  few  weeks  ago. 

Bellfort,  36,  was  assistant  to  Lissim 
for  the  past  two  years.  He  has  been 
with  RKO  for  19  years,  having  started 
as  office  boy  in  the  home  office  foreign 
department  in  1930. 


S chine  Asks  Dismissal 
Of  Auburn  Trust  Suit 

Answering  anti-trust  charges  filed 
by  the  Auburn  Capitol  Theatre  Corp. 
of  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  defendant  Schine 
Theatres,  et  al.,  moved  in  U.  S.  Dis- 
trict Court  here  yesterday  for  dis- 
missal of  the  $2,500,000  action  on  sev- 
eral grounds,  including  the  contention 
that  it  is  barred  by  the  three-  and  six- 
year  statutes  of  limitations.  The  eight 
majors  were  among  the  defendants 
named. 

Other  grounds  for  dismissal  cited 
were  that  the  complaint  failed  to  state 
a  claim  against  the  defendants,  and 
that  all  defendants  do  not  reside  in 
the  New  York  district  where  the  case 
has  been  ordered  for  trial. 


Reade  in  Partnership 
For  Two  Drive-ins 

Walter  Reade  Theatres,  together 
with  W.  W.  Smith,  Camden  drive-in 
theatre  builder  and  operator,  and  Mel- 
vin Fox  of  Philadelphia,  operator  of 
five  theatres  in  Philadelphia  and  own- 
er of  several  in  New  Jersey,  yesterday 
announced  their  association  in  an 
850-car  drive-in  already  underway  on 
Brunswick  Turnpike  north  of  Trenton. 
First  in  the  Trenton  area,  it  will  be 
operated  by  Reade,  and  is  scheduled 
for  completion  by  July  IS. 

Options  have  been  obtained  for.  con- 
struction of  a  second  drive-in  south- 
east of  Trenton. 


Fire  Destroys  Theatre 

Waynesboro,  Miss.,  May  12. — 
Fire  which  started  yesterday  in  the 
projection  room  of  the  Princess  The- 
atre, owned  by  J.  O.  Bunch,  destroyed 
the  theatre  and  the  Central  Hotel 
above.  Sam  Gardner,  operator,  was 
painfully  burned  in  attempting  to  ex- 
tinguish the  blaze. 


Ohio  Theatre  Fire 

Columbus,  O.,  May  12.— The  Ohio 
Theatre^  at  Spencerville  was  hit  by  a 
fire  which  started  in  the  projection 
booth.  Eight  persons  in  the  building 
escaped  without  injury.  Mackin  Bow- 
man is  the  manager. 


Farewell   Luncheon  Given 
Lissim;  Sails  for  England 

A  farewell  lunch  was  given  to 
Wladimir  Lissim,  who  recently  re- 
tired as  European  general  manager 
for  RKO  Radio,  at  Toots  Shors  here 
yesterday,  prior  to  his  leaving  for 
London  on  the  5\>S\  Queen  Elisabeth. 

Among  those  attending  were  Ned 
E.  Depinet,  RKO  president;  R.  K. 
Hawkinson,  assistant  to  foreign  vice- 
president  Phil  Reisman,  foreign  dis- 
tribution chief  who  is  in  Paris  and 
representatives  of  RKO  affiliated  pro- 
ducers Roy  Disney,  William  Levy 
and  Al  Crown ;  and  Irving  Lesser  and 
Seymour  Poe  of  the  Sol  Lesser  or- 
ganization and  Producers  Representa- 
tives, Inc.  Others  from  RKO  were 
William  Clark,  treasurer;  Garrett 
Van  Wagner,  comptroller.  Walter 
Derham,  assistant  treasurer ;  Bev  Lion, 
European  division  manager,  and  Ned 
Clarke,  Bob  Maroney,  Harry  Ehr- 
reich,  Jack  Kennedy,  Mel  Danheiser 
and  Don  Prince. 


An  eight-page  prospectus  on  "The 
Movies  and  You,"  the  series  of  12 
short  subjects  about  the  industry,  is 
being  sent  to  exhibitors  by  the 
MPAA's  Industry  Film  Project  Com- 
mittee. 

The  cover  explains  the  purpose  of 
"The  Movies  and  You"  series  as  fol- 
lows:  The  industry  has  united  to 
produce  this  series  of  .  .  .  films  that 
will  help  place  our  industry  in  a  fa- 
vorable light  in  the  public  mind  and 
combat  the  unjustified  criticism  that 
has  been  levelled  against  us. 

"This  is  the  film  phase  of  a  public 
relations  program  planned  to  give  the 
theatre-going  public  a  first-hand 
knowledge  of  our  business  in  the  best 
possible  way — on  the  screen.  It  is 
something  you— Mr.  Exhibitor— have 
long  asked  for." 

Stanley  Shuford  and  the  Paramount 
ad  department  did  the  layout  and 
make-up  of  the  book.  Story  material 
came  largely  from  the  MPAA's  Hol- 
lywood, Washington  and  New  York 
offices.  Grant  Leenhouts  is  coordinator- 
producer  of  the  series. 


Mrs.Rita  McGoldrick, 
A  F ounder  of  Legion 

Mrs.  Rita  C.  McGoldrick,  59,  a 
founder  of  the  Legion  of  Decency  and 
long  active  m  the  cause  of  clean  mo- 
tion pictures,  died  yesterday  at  St. 
Peter's  Hospital,  Brooklyn.  Chairman 
of  the  motion  picture  bureau  of  the 
International  Federation  of  Catholic 
Alumnae,  Mrs.  McGoldrick  had  writ- 
ten many  newspaper  articles  to  combat 
films  she  considered  objectionable. 

She  is  survived  by  her  husband,  Dr. 
Thomas  A.  McGoldrick,  three  sons 
and  two  daughters. 


Services  Tomorrow 
For  Mersereau,  78 

Piermont,  N.  Y.,  May  12.— Funeral 
services  will  be  held  here  on  Satur- 
day for  Charles  M.  Mersereau,  78,  at 
Stevenson's  Funeral  Parlor.  Merse- 
reau, who  was  formerly  with  Asso- 
ciated Publications  and  Jay  Emanuel 
Publications,  died  at  his  home  here 
yesterday. 

He  was  the  father  of  Don  M.  Mer- 
sereau, associate  publisher  and  general 
manager  of  The  Film  Daily. .  Other 
survivors  are  the  widow,  Mrs.  Evelyn 
B.  Mersereau,  and  another  son,  Jack 
Mersereau  of  Mexico  City. 


Iron  Curtain! 

Mystery  continues  to  shroud 
the  Eric  Johnston-Moscow 
deal  on  films.  Repeated  in- 
quiry to  all  concerned  on  this 
side  of  the  iron  Curtain  pro- 
duces no  information. 

An  alleged  list  of  the  films 
to  be  sent  to  the  Soviets,  re- 
cently published,  lacks  con- 
firmation by  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  and  Export 
Association.  They  say  they 
just  don't  know. 


The  Armat  Vitascope  which  projected  the 
first  theater  movie,  April  23,  1896. 


With  this,  the  "unseen  showman" 
got  his  epoch-making  start . . . 


THE  projectionist  has  come  a 
long,  long  way  .  .  .  since  the 
1890's  when  he  put  on  his  show 
with  equipment  such  as  this. 

And  today,  as  then,  much  of  a 
motion  picture's  success  depends 
upon  the  unseen  showman  in 
his  booth. 

To  his  sure  sense  of  split- 
second  timing  ...  to  his  alert 
control  of  sound  ...  to  his  deft 


handling  of  elaborate  equipment 
. .  .  the  film  illusion  owes  much 
of  its  dramatic,  realistic  presen- 
tation on  the  screen. 

Helping  the  projectionist  to 
keep  the  mechanics  of  the  me- 
dium from  intruding  is  the  top 
quality  of  Eastman  motion  pic- 
ture films  (both  sight  and  sound) 
. .  .  members  of  a  famous  family 
started  more  than  fifty  years  ago. 


EASTMAN   KODAK  COMPANY 

ROCHESTER  4,  N.  Y. 

J.  E.  BRULATOUR,  INC.,  DISTRIBUTORS 
FORT  LEE    •   CHICAGO    •  HOLLYWOOD 


10 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  May  13,  1949 


ITOA,  20th  Plan 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

chairman  Max  A.  Cohen.  Brandt 
presided. 

Twentieth-Fox  vice-president  Al 
Lichtman  and  distribution  vice-presi- 
dent Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  explained 
the  policy  and  answered  questions 
which  had  been  drafted  beforehand  at 
a  closed  meeting  of  the  ITOA  film 
committee.  Lichtman  told  the  gather 
ing  that  he  "would  have  loved  to  pre- 
sent to  the  industry  a  new  fandangled 
idea"  as  a  result  of  the  recent  study 
of  market  conditions  he  conducted  for 
the  company.  It  was  not  possible, 
however,  for  him  to  "shock  the  trade" 
in  that  manner,  he  said,  adding  that 
he  found  no  need  for  "revolutionary 
ideas,"  but  discovered  rather  that  "im- 
proved methods"  are  called  for. 

Blames  Salesmen 

Largest  share  of  blame  for  whatever 
poor  relationships  exist  between  dis- 
tribution and  exhibition  belongs  to  film 
salesmen,  Lichtman  declared.  He 
said  he  found  on  his  recent  nation- 
wide tour  that  there  is  "a  lack  of  con- 
fidence between  salesmen  and  exhibi- 
tors." He  then  called  for  the  placing 
of  dealings  between  the  two  "on  the 
highest  plane  of  business  statesman- 
ship." 

The  thought  behind  20th-Fox's  new 
sales  policy,  Lichtman  said,  "is  that 
public  patronage  today  is  too  low  to 
be  expected  to  support  exhibition,  dis- 
tribution and  production,  and  we  all 
have  to  do  something  about  it  to- 
gether." The  problem,  he  said,  cannot 
be  approached  by  "cutting  one  an- 
other's throats." 

Smith  assumed  the  major  burden  of 
answering  the  questions  drafted  by  the 
ITOA  film  committee  and  read  to  him 
by  Cohen.  The  answers  brought  an 
explanation  of  how  the  company's  new 
sliding-scale  plan  will  work,  and  the 
following  additional  details:  (1)  the 
entire  policy  is  now  in  effect  and  will 
continue  in  effect  as  long  as  it  proves 
profitable  for  all  concerned;  (2)  if  a 
theatre  proves  that  it  cannot  operate 
profitably  on  sliding-scale  it  will  be 
offered  flat  rental  terms  ;  (3)  there  is 
no  set  flat  rental  formula ;  individual 
theatres  will  have  to  negotiate  with 
the  company,  but  any  such  deal  will 
offer  the  same  benefits  which  would 
be  available  under  sliding  scale,  pro 
portionate  to  the  gross  the  theatre  is 
able  to  reach ;  (4)  home  office  approv- 
al of  contracts  is  eliminated  under  the 
"local  autonomy"  given  by  the  com- 
pany to  its  field  sales  forces ;  (5)  there 
is  no  arbitrary  rule  on  cutting  of 
clearances,  which  will  vary  in  differ- 
ent cities ;  the  New  York  situation  will 
be  studied  with  a  view  to  establishing, 
with  exhibitor  cooperation,  improved 
clearance  conditions  here. 

Schwartz  Qualifies  Silence 

Toward  the  end  of  the  meeting, 
when  a  call  by  Brandt  for  questions 
from  the  floor  went  virtually  unan- 
swered, Fred  J.  Schwartz,  vice-presi- 
dent of  Century  Circuit,  arose  to  em- 
phasize that  silence  on  his  part  did  not 
signify  unqualified  acceptance  by  him 
of  all  that  had  been  said.  Brandt 
echoed  Schwartz's  sentiment,  and  in- 
dicated later  that  he  believed  the  plan 
will  work  if  carried  out  on  the  basis 
of  what  was  expressed  by  the  20th- 
Fox  executives.  Lichtman  voiced  the 
company's  thanks  at  the  conclusion  of 
the  meeting  for  the  Association's  "hos- 
pitality" and  "courteous  treatment." 

Pointing  up  his  faith  in  the  . sliding- 
scale  system,  which  he  introduced  to 
the  industry  a  number  of  years  ago 
in  behalf  of  Loew's,  Lichtman  said 


Memphis  Looks  For 
Earlier  Second  Runs 

Memphis,  May  12.— Exhibi- 
tors and  distributors  are  ne- 
gotiating here  for  earlier  re- 
leases of  pictures  for  second 
runs  in  neighborhood  and 
drive-in  houses.  Paramount 
has  offered  second  run  re- 
leases in  30  days  instead  of 
the  present  39  days  under 
certain  conditions  but  so  far 
has  found  no  takers. 

The  conditions  would  re- 
quire the  neighborhood  house 
to  run  the  picture  seven  days 
with  a  $740  Guarantee,  with 
the  distributor  receiving  35 
per  cent  of  the  take  up  to 
$3,500  and  a  50-50  split  over 
$3,500. 


ures  for  any  individual  theatre  will 
be  arrived  at  through  negotiation.  A 
theatre's  expense  figures,  if  available 
and  if  properly  certified,  will  play  a 
necessary  part  in  the  negotiations,  he 
that  the  year  before  the  system  was  I  added. 


adopted  by  National  Theatres,  a  20th- 
Fox  subsidiary,  that  circuit  earned 
only  $200,000  from  M-G-M  pictures, 
whereas  during  the  year  sliding-scale 
was  first  tried  National  paid  addition- 
al rentals  totaling  $70,000  to  Loew's 
and  increased  its  own  "take"  to 
$1,200,000. 

Lichtman  told  the  meeting  that  he 
agreed  to  formulate  a  new  sales  policy 
for  20th-Fox  at  the  request  of  Skou 
ras,  and  that  his  contract  with  the 
company  is  only  for  one  year. 

Occupying  the  meeting  dais  in  ad- 
dition to  Lichtman,  Smith,  Brandt, 
Cohen  and  Schwartz,  were :  Emanuel 
Frisch,  Harry  Goldberg,  Julius  Joel- 
son,  Jack  Kirsch,  William  Gehring, 
Martin  Moskowitz,  Charles  Einfeld, 
Joshua  Goldberg,  Morton  Sunshine, 
Seymour  Florin,  Sam  Shain,  William 
Brandt  and  Milton  Weisman.  Seated 
elsewhere,  but  introduced  by  Brandt, 
were  Si  H.  Fabian  and  Oscar  Doob. 


'Life'  -  Crisis' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


20th  Policy,  Kirsch 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


by  Kirsch,  who  was  on  the  dais  at  the 
"open  forum"  luncheon-meeting  which 
the  New  York  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  Association  devoted  to  a  dis- 
cussion of  the  policy  with  20th-Fox 
vice-presidents  Al  Lichtman  and  Andy 
W.  Smith,  Jr. 

Indicating  that  he  will  be  in  New 
York  until  tomorrow  when  he  will  fly 
back  to  Chicago,  Kirsch  said  he  ex- 
pects to  complete  a  number  of  ar- 
rangements for  the  May  23  meeting 
before  his  return. 


four  panel  meetings — with  critics, 
scholars,  exhibitors  and  consumers — 
and  gives  a  digest  of  the  comment  at 
each,  adding  that  it  is  to  be  the  agen- 
da for  a  "round-table"  to  be  held  at 
Lake  Arrowhead,  Cal.,  this  weekend. 

The  digest  begins  with  the  premise 
that  "Everybody  loves  the  movies," 
but  Hodgins  immediately  adds,  for 
Life,  "But  what  is  everybody  going 
to  do  about  them?"  According  to 
Hodgins,  "Joe,"  the  man  in  the  street, 
is  demanding  that  something  be  done. 
He  finds  a  crisis  in  the  industry — a 
"crisis  of  motives,  direction,  reasons- 
for-being." 

Having  posed  the  question  and 
premised  the  crisis,  Life  proposes  to 
find  the  _  answers  at  its  round-table. 
The  critics,  scholars,  exhibitors  and 
consumers  quoted  in  the  first  article 
go  alpng,  for  the  most  part,  with  the 
premises  but  they  have  no  answers. 

The  critics— James  Agee,  Howard 
Barnes,  Iris  Barry,  John  Mason 
Brown,  Eileen  Creelman,  Bosley 
Crowther  and  Herb  Golden — find  that 
"Hollywood  misjudges  its  mass  audi- 
ence." They  also  are  "hard  against 
censorship" — especially  what  they 
call  the  "restrictions  of  the  .  .  . 
Code"  and  the  "pre-production  pres- 
sure of  the  .  .  .  Legion  of  Decency." 
They've  said  that  before. 

The  scholars,  including  Richard  de 
Rochemont,  Joseph  H.  Hazen  and 
Robert  E.  Sherwood,  thought  films 
should  have  "some  mass  and  class 
grading."  They  objected  to  "innocuous 
product"  resulting  from  "allowing 
everyone  to  vote." 

The  exhibitors — Weldon  Allen,  El- 
mer Balaban,  James  Coston,  Alex 
Halperin,  Sam  Meyers,  Trueman 
Rembusch,  Arthur  Schoenstadt  and 
Edward  G.  Zorn — are  given  short 
shrift  as  "being  sore  at  Hollywood" 
and  as  being  preoccupied  with  the 
commercial  aspects  of  the  problem. 

The  consumers,  represented  by  resi- 
dents of  Bryan,  Ohio  (pop.  5,800),  are 
confused,  says  Life. 


Ascap  Appeals 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


producers  on  an  individual  basis  and 
at  terms  specified  by  the  members,  it 
is  said.  Collections  from  theatres  are 
barred  by  the  court  rulings,  which  also 
called  for  a  revision  of  Ascap's  rela- 
tionship with  its  members. 

The  present  plan  envisions  the  As- 
cap members  licensing  their  music 
works  to  the  film  producers  through 
Ascap,  which  from  all  appearances 
would  serve  as  a  clearing  house  more 
or  less. 

The  New  York  case  has  been  re- 
peatedly postponed  with  the  latest  be- 
ing a  two-month  extension,  to  mid- 
July,  of  the  date  for  filing  records  of 
the  Federal  Court  proceedings  with 
the  Appeals  Court.  If  the  appeals  are 
not  dropped  a  hearing .  could  not  be 
scheduled  until  the  fall  at  the  earliest. 

Abandonment  of  the  appeals  would 
of  course  require  an  agreement  with 
the  plaintiffs,  who  are  still  seeking 
damages  of  close  to  $1,000,000.  Drop- 
ping the  appeals  here  presumably 
would  mean  a  like  procedure  in 
Minneapolis. 

Meanwhile,  some  music  publishing 
companies  and  film  producers  are  en- 
tering deals  on  use  of  music  with  pay- 
ments to  be  made  if  and  when  the 
public-performance  licensing  reverts  to 
the  publishers. 


Film  Dividends 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Paramount  Profit 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Abram  Myers  Noncommittal  on 
Possibilities  of  20th's  Plan 

Washington,  May  12. — Allied 
general  counsel  Abram  F.  Myers  said 
today  that  20th  Century-Fox's  new 
sales  policy  was  "too  broad  and  gen- 
eral" for  him  to  be  able  to  comment. 

Myers  said  he  had  read  the  state- 
ment in  the  trade  papers,  and  could 
not  "begin  to  understand"  what  the 
new  policy  is.  "Fox  will  either  have 
to  issue  a  more  specific  clarifying 
statement,"  he  said,  "or  we'll  just 
have  to  wait  and  see  how  it  works 
out  in  practice.  As  it  is,  no  one 
could  praise  it  or  criticize  it,  because 
we  just  don't  know  what  it  means." 


20th  Sliding  Scale 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


approximately  $650,000  of  capital 
gains. 

Foreign  film  revenues  show  a  de- 
crease in  the  first  quarter  of  1949 
as  compared  with  the  first  quarter  of 
1948.  During  the  first  six  months  of 
1948,  100  per  cent  of  film  revenues 
from  English  subsidiaries  were  re- 
mittable  to  New  York.  In  1949  only 
a  portion  of  such  revenues  are  re- 
mittable  under  the  terms  of  the  in- 
dustry agreement,  with  the  English 
which  was  effective  June  14,  1948,  the 
balance  being  frozen  in  England.  In- 
creased restrictions  on  remittances 
have  also  reduced  revenues  from  other 
foreign  countries,  the  company  states. 

The  $5,675,000  earnings  for  the 
quarter  represents  86  cents  per  share 
on  6,609,739  shares  outstanding  on 
April  2,  which  compares  with  $1.11 
per  share  for  the  quarter  ended  April 
3,  1948  on  6,987,039  shares  then  out- 
standing. 


would  raise  the  first  1949  quarter 
figure  considerably. 

For  instance,  the  preliminary  figure 
for  February,  1948,  issued  without 
the  Stanley  dividend,  was  $226,000, 
much  the  same  as  the  $224,000  re- 
ported for  February,  1949.  The  final 
figure  for  February,  1948,  was 
$2,025,000. 

The  Department  says  that  usually, 
publicly-reported  cash  dividends  ac- 
count for  60  to  65  per  cent  of  all 
dividends  paid  by  business  firms. 

Month-by-month  comparisons  for 
the  first  quarter  follow :  January, 
$2,639,000  in  1949,  against  $3,772,000 
in  1948;  February,  $224,000,  against 
$2,025,000;  March,  $7,508,000,  against 
$7,374,000. 

Commerce  officials  said  that  the 
drop  in  January  was  due  largely  to  a 
cut  in  Warner  Brothers'  dividend 
rate,  while  the  February  drop  was 
due  to  Stanley  not  reporting  a 
dividend. 

In  March,  a  Commerce  spokesman 
pointed  out,  Paramount  and  Universal 
dropped  their  dividend  rates,  but  sev- 
eral other  companies  were  up  small 
amounts,  including  Walt  Disney 
Productions. 


U.  S.  Rank  Board 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Joint  Tax  Program 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


each  organization  advocated  a  differ- 
ent program.  They  then  decided  it 
would  be  more  effective  if  they' 
worked  out  a  common  program,  and 
this  has  now  been  done.  All  of  the 
groups  have  been  on  record  individu- 
ally as  favoring  turning  the  admission 
tax  field  back  to  state  and  local  levels. 


man ;  John  Davis,  vice-chairman ; 
Robert  S.  Benjamin,  president;  J.  B. 
L.  (Jock)  Lawrence,  executive  vice- 
president;  Robert  H.  Weait,  treasur- 
er ;  Leslie  B.  Roberts,  assistant  secre- 
tary and  controller. 

The  board  of  directors  now  consists 
of:  Rank,  Davis,  Benjamin,  Lawr- 
ence, Peyser  and  John  Woolf  of 
London. 


3rd  Columbus  TV  Outlet 

Columbus,  O.,  May  12. — This  city's 
third  television  outlet,  WTVN,  to  be 
operated  by  Picture  Waves,  Inc.,  with 
its  transmitter  located  atop  the  45- 
story  Lincoln-LeVeque  Building,  will 
be  on  the  air  by  Labor  Day,  according 
to  Edward  Lamb,  the  owner. 


Announcing 


THE  ANNUAL  CONVENTION-EXPOSITION 

of 

INDEPENDENT  EXHIBITORS,  INC. 

at 

COPLEY-PLAZA  HOTEL,  BOSTON 


on 


Wednesday  and  Thursday,  May  25  and  26 


PLAN  NOW  TO  ATTEND,  AND  BRING 
YOUR  FRIENDS  AND  THE  FAMILY 

*  WELL  PLANNED  BUSINESS  MEETINGS. 
*  A  FINE  PROGRAM  FOR  THE  LADIES. 
*  A  GALA  NITE  CLUB  PARTY. 
*  A  BANG-UP  BANQUET. 


Registration— $1 5.00  Send  Requests  No 

to 

INDEPENDENT  EXHIBITORS,  INC 

36  MELROSE  STREET 
Boston,  Mass. 


mm 


A  picture 
that  dares 
to  take 
a  stand 


-AND  STANDS 


ALONE! 


mm  m 

mi  iPS 


UNITED  ARTISTS 

announces  with  pride 

CFhe  Premiere  Engagement 

of 

a  new  Stanley  Kramer  production. 

Screen  Plays  Corp. 
presents 


VICTORIA  THEATRE 

(New  York's  home  of  distinguished  motion  pictures) 

followed  immediately  by  engagements 
in  Boston,  Chicago,  San  Francisco 
and  Los  Angeles. 


SCREEN  PLAYS  CORP.  presents 

mm  nr  Tur  ddauc 


IIUiriL  Ul    I  III.  UllftlL  with  DOUGLAS  DICK  •  FRANK  LOVEJOY  •  JAMES  EDWARDS  •  STEVE  BRODIE  •  JEFF  COREY  •  LLOYD  BRIDGES  j 
PRODUCED  BY  STANLEY  KRAMER  •  Based  on  an  original  play  by  ARTHUR  LAURENTS  •  Screenplay  by  CARL  FOREMAN 

Directed  by  MARK  ROBSON  •  Musical  Score  by  DIMITRI  TIOMKIN 


FIRST  ' 

MOTION  PICTURE 

■  ■flHHHn  v  fink  ■ 

Accurate 

IN 

~«r^  iff  -w  7- 

FILM 
NEWS 

 :  

DAILY 

and 
Impartial 

VOL'.  Of.    IN  vJ.  "3 

NEW  YORK    TJ  S  A      MONDAY    MAY  16  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Grosses  Rise 
At  lst-Runs 
In  Key  Cities 


1,222  Weekly  Average 
Is  Set  in  the  Field 

Business  at  first-runs  in  key  cities 
has  bounced  back  from  the  year's 
low   registered    in    March,  while 
April  grosses  compared  favorably 
with  those  of  the  same  month  last 
year,  according  to  reports  on  some  175 
key  situations  received  from  Motion 
Picture  Daily  field  correspondents. 
Average   weekly  income  for 
April    rose    to    $14,222  from 
March's  $13,633.  Weekly  average 
per  theatre  for  April  last  year 
was  $14,545. 

Although  the  production  did  not  get 
into  national  release  until  the  third 
week  of  April,  "A  Connecticut  Yankee 
in  King  Arthur's  Court"  registered 
immediately  at  box  offices  to  an  extent 
that  enabled  the  picture  to  emerge  in 
top  grossing  position  for  the  month. 
"Take  Me  Out  to  the  Ball  Game"  and 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


MPEA  Picking  New 
Films  for  Soviet 


American  companies  are  supplying 
16mm.  black-and-white  prints  of  most 
of  the  25  films  which  Soviet  officials 
in  Moscow  have  requested  for  screen- 
ings from  the  first  list  of  100  features 
from  which  they  were  permitted  to 
choose  under  the  deal  made  by  Eric 
Johnston,  Motion  Picture  Association 
president,  a  year  ago. 

A  second  list  of  100  features  from 
which  the  Soviet  also  may  select  20  or 
25  for  screenings  is  now  in  prepara- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


M.  P.  Daily  Cited 
For  Aid  to  Israel 

Motion  Picture  Daily  was 
cited  "for  objective  news  cov- 
erage which  aided  the  cause 
of  Israel"  at  Madison  Square 
Garden  Saturday  evening 
where  a  rally  sponsored  by  the 
Israel  Anniversary  Commit- 
tee in  observance  of  the  first 
anniversary  of  the  formation 
of  the  new  state  was  held. 
Vice-President  Alben  W. 
Barkley  was  the  chief  speaker. 

Red  Kann  accepted  the  cita- 
tion for  the  publication. 


Youngstein  Named 
To  Paramount  Post 


Barney  Balaban, 
mount,  on  Friday 
pointment  of  Max 
rector   of  national 


Max  E.  Youngstein 

resigned  last  week. 
Ben  Washer  will 

(Continued 


president  of  Para- 
announced  the  ap- 
Youngstein  as  di- 
advertising,  pub- 
licity and  ex- 
p  1  o  i  t  a  t  i  o  n. 
Youngstein, 
who  has  been 
vice  -  president 
in  charge  of  ad- 
vertising -  pub- 
licity for  Eagle- 
Lion  for  the 
past  two  and 
Dne-half  years, 
will  assume  his 
new  post  at 
Paramount  on 
Monday,  May 
23.  He  suc- 
ceeds Stanley 
Shuf  ord,    w  h  o 

remain  as  Eastern 

on  page  4) 


Trust  Suit  Charges 
Rent  Discrimination 


Described  as  probably  the  first  anti- 
trust suit  to  be  filed  by  an  exhibitor 
based  solely  on  charges  of  discrimina- 
tion in  film  rentals,  the  $300,000  action 
which  Hillside  Amusement  Co.,  Hill- 
side, N.  J.,  filed  in  U.  S.  District 
Court  here  embodies  the  claim  that 
major  distributors  combined  with  each 
other  and  with  exhibitor  affiliates  to 
discriminate  against  the  plaintiff  in 
the  rentals  charged  for  the  same  pic- 
tures on  the  same  run.  This  was  stat- 
ed at  the  weekend  by  the  plaintiff's 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Drive,  Banquet  to 
Honor  Blank  at  70 

Des  Moines,  May  15.— Tri- 
States'  53  theatres  in  Iowa, 
Nebraska  and  Illinois  are 
staging  a  circuitwide  show- 
manship contest,  to  run  to 
July  9  in  honor  of  circuit 
president  A.  H.  Blank,  who 
will  reach  70  in  July,  and 
plans  are  under  way  to  climax 
the  drive  with  an  all-indus- 
try tribute  banquet  at  Des 
Moines  on  July  27,  attended 
by  industry  executives  and 
Hollywood  personnel. 

Blank  started  in  show  busi- 
ness more  than  50  years  ago 
and  now  operates  more  than 
100  theatres. 


E-L  Sale  Talks  Still 
On;  Report  Price  Set 

Hollywood,  May  15. — "Two  or 
three"  deals  which  would  transfer 
ownership  of  Eagle-Lion  to  Edward 
Small  were  reported  under  discussion 
over  the  weekend,  with  Small  and 
Serge  Semenenko,  Boston  banker  rep- 
resenting Pathe  Industries,  the  parent 
company,  continuing  their  talks  on 
Friday  and  Saturday. 

A  price  of  $7,000,000  has  been 
placed  on  E-L,  it  was  reported,  but 
with  the  major  portion  of  that  sum  to 
be  liquidated  through  future  revenues 
and  a  relative  small  amount  of  cash 
changing  hands  in  the  event  a  deal  is 
consummated. 

The  weekend  conference  was  large- 
ly confined  to  a  survey  of  the  com- 
pany's assets  and  potentialities  with  a 
final  result  expected  early  in  the 
week. 


Minneapolis  Clearance 
Becoming  More  Muddled 


Minneapolis,  May  15. — The  al- 
ready muddled  clearance  situation 
here  may  develop  seriously  if  plans 
being  mulled  by  Engler  brothers  to 
demand  day-and-date  first-run  with 
Minneapolis  for  their  suburban  Hop- 
kins materializes.  The  Hopkins,  a 
deluxe  stand,  is  located  about  five 
miles  west  of  the  city  limits. 

It  is  known  that  some  sales  heads 
favor  the  move,  and  believe  other 
outlying  theatres,  including  Minnesota 
Amusement's  neighborhood  Uptown, 
should  move  into  the  first-run  slot 
with  the  Loop.  This  group  feels  that 
all  deluxe  stands  in  or  near  the  city 
should  move  up  to  the  earliest  pos- 
sible   availability,    leaving  late-run 


slots  for  minor  stands.  One  of  the 
main  arguments  of  the  group,  aside 
from  a  faster  playoff  of  "A"  pictures, 
is  that  the  large  neighborhood  stands 
by  playing  so  closely  ahead  of  the 
minors,  take  the  edge  off  the  smaller 
operations.  Aim  of  the  group  is  ap- 
parently to  bring  all  deluxers  inside 
the  42-day  clearance  and  leave  the 
later  slots  for  the  stands  housing  800 
or  less. 

Meantime,  every  type  of  run  in  both 
Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul,  as  well  as 
the  neighboring  areas,  is  awaiting 
some  results  from  the  new  plan  of 
20th-Fox  for  multiple  runs  and/or 
saturation  releases,  as  revealed  to  the 
trade  in  New  York  last  week. 


Some  Doubtful 
About  UK  Plan 
At  MPEA  Meet 


Measure  Not  Acted  Upon; 
Report  Critical  Reaction 

Motion  Picture  Export  Associa- 
tion at  its  second  meeting  here  on 
Friday  on  the  proposed  agreement 
with  the  British  film  industry  took 
on  the  appearance,  in  part,  at  least, 
of  uncertainty  with  several  of  those 
present  putting  queries  to  the  chief 
proponents  of  the  plan  in  a  manner 
suggesting  adverse  feelings  toward  it. 

Eric  A.  Johnston,  MPEA  president, 
expressed  the  belief  that  the  tentative 
accord  reached  by  the  Anglo-U.  S. 
Film  Council  could  be  workable  and 
advantageous  to  the  American  compa- 
nies, it  was  reported  following  the 
meeting.  However,  when  it  became 
clearly  apparent  that  unanimous  ac- 
ceptance was  not  in  prospect  at  the 
time,  the  meeting  was  adjourned,  with 
no  new  meeting  as  yet  scheduled. 

Johnston  was  to  have  left  at  the 
weekend   on   a   speaking   tour  from 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


British  Answer  on 
Quota  Is  Delayed 

Washington,  May  15. — British 
Embassy  officials  here  admitted  that 
they  had  received  instructions  from 
the  Board  of  Trade  in  London  on 
what  answer  to  give  the  State  De- 
partment on  its  British  film  quota  pro- 
test, but  declared  that  the  instructions 
were  "vague"  and  that  the  Embassy 
had  cabled  back  to  London  for  further 
instructions  before  calling  the  De- 
partment. 

One  official  admitted  he  thought  he 
knew  what  the  instructions  "amount- 
ed to,"  saying  that  nothing  could  be 
done  on  the  quota  at  this  time,  but 
added  that  this  was  exactly  the  point 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Sears  Seeks  Rank's 
Booking  Plan  Stand 

A  practical  interpretation  of  the 
playing  time  status  under  the  proposed 
Anglo-U.  S.  film  agreement  of  the 
pictures  of  independent  producers  re- 
leasing through  United  Artists  will 
be  sought  of  J.  Arthur  Rank  by  Grad- 
well  L.  Sears,  U.  A.  president,  in 
London  this  week. 

Sears  left  here  for  London  by  plane 
yesterday.  The  proposed  agreement 
would  guarantee  playing  time  on  the 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  May  16,  1949 


Personal  Mention 


Para.  Cutting  Shorts 
List  From  72  to  50 


Paramount  has  scheduled  18  fewer 
short  subjects  for  1949-50  than  it  is 
distributing  in  1948-49,  it  was  dis- 
closed here  at  the  weekend  by  Oscar 
Morgan,  general  sales  manager  for 
short  subjects  and  Paramount  News. 
Scheduled  for  the  new  season  are  52 
subjects,  compared  to  70  this  season. 
There  will  in  addition,  of  course,  be 
the  usual  104  issues  of  Paramount 
News. 

The  subjects  will  consist  of  eight 
"Popeye"  cartoons,  12  "Screen  Song" 
cartoons,  10  "Noveltoon"  cartoons,  all 
in  color;  six  Paramount  "Champions," 
six  Paramount  "Pacemakers,"  and  10 
Grantland  Rice  "Sportlights." 

Three  series,  "Popular  Science," 
"Unusual  Occupations"  and  "Speaking 
of  Animals,"  have  been  dropped. 

All  short  subject  and  newsreel  pro- 
duction will  be  under  the  supervision 
of  Russell  Holman,  Eastern  produc- 
tion manager,  with  Bernard  Goodwin 
as  business  manager,  and  A.  J.  Rich- 
ard as  editor  of  Paramount  News. 
The  cartoons  will  be  produced  at 
Famous  Studios,  New  York,  under  the 
management  of  Sam  Buchwald. 

100  Greater  N.  Y. 
Dates  for  'Joan' 

RKO  Radio  Pictures  has  set  a 
day-and-date  opening  of  Sierra  Pic- 
tures' "Joan  of  Arc"  for  Tuesday, 
"May  24,  in  the  Greater  New  York 
area  embracing  close  to  100  theatres, 
it  was  announced  by  Len  S.  Gruen- 
berg,  RKO  Metropolitan  district 
manager.  It  will  follow  the  Brook- 
lyn premiere  of  this  Walter  Wanger 
production  at  the  Albee  Theatre  to- 
morrow. 

Included  in  the  bookings  are  the 
RKO  Metropolitan  circuit  in  New 
York  and  Brooklyn,  and  the  deluxe 
houses  of  the  Skouras,  Warner,  Cen- 
tury, Julius  Joelson,  Loew's,  Rugoff 
and  Becker  and  Randforce  circuits. 

Von  Nomikos  Files 
Third  Chicago  Suit 

Chicago,  May  15. — Van  A.  Nomi- 
kos, Chicago  exhibitor,  has  filed  his 
third  anti-trust  suit  in  the  U.  S.  Dis- 
trict Court  here,  claiming  treble  dam- 
ages of  $720,000  for  losses  suffered 
by  the  Ambassador  Theatre,  now  the 
Rockne,  when  it  was  under  his  opera- 
tion from  1937  to  1940.  Saul  Meltzer, 
current  operator  of  the  house,  last 
year  filed  a  suit  which  was  settled. 

Defendants  in  the  suit  are :  Warner, 
Paramount,  Loew's,  20th  Century- 
Fox,  Columbia,  RKO,  Universal- 
International,  United  Artists  and  Bal- 
aban  and  Katz.  Seymour  Simon  is 
the  plaintiff's  attorney. 


Withdraws  'Guinea  Pig' 

"The  Guinea  Pig,"  British  picture 
produced  by  Pilgrim  Pictures,  was 
withdrawn  Friday  from  the  Little 
Carnegie  here  after  a  two-week  run. 
Filippo  Del  Giudice,  head  of  Pilgrim, 
said  that  "non-stereotyped"  films  must 
have  extended  runs  to  insure  proper 
exhibition  and  that  a  fall  showing  will 
be  more  practicable. 


AW.  SCHWALBERG,  E.  K. 
•  (Ted)  O'Shea,  Fred  Lerqy  and 
Oscar  Morgan,  Paramount  sales  ex- 
ecutives, are  due  in  Chicago  from 
New  York  for  a  three-day  divisional 
sales  meeting,  beginning  today. 
• 

James  R.  Grainger,  Republic  dis- 
tribution vice-president,  will  leave  here 
by  plane  today  for  Los  Angeles  for 
a  series  of  conferences.  He  will  be 
joined  by  Edward  L.  Walton,  assist- 
ant general  sales  manager,  who  is 
going  from  St.  Louis. 

• 

Robert  A.  McNeil,  San  Francisco 
exhibitor,  will  arrive  here  Monday  on 
the  SS.  Uruguay  from  a  South  Amer- 
ican cruise. 

• 

William  Wyler,  Paramount  pro- 
ducer-director, will  leave  here  today 
for  the  Coast. 

Samuel  Goldwyn  and  Mrs.  Gold- 
wyn  left  here  Friday  by  plane  for  the 
Coast. 

Pete  Harrison  left  here  for  the 
Coast  by  plane  on  Friday. 


35 -Day  Clearance  for 
Drive-Ins  Is  Demand 

Distribution  sales  managers  here 
have  received  from  the  Greater  Cin- 
cinnati Independent  Exhibitor  Organi- 
zation declarations  of  opposition  to 
the  granting  of  any  runs  to  drive-in 
theatres  earlier  than  35  days  after  the 
first  suburban  run.  The  organization 
supplemented  its  opposition  stand  with 
a  request  for  hearings  on  any  applica- 
tions from  drive-ins  for  earlier  runs. 

The  organization  argued  in  its  tele- 
grams to  the  sales  managers  that  "film 
revenues  from  year-round  operations 
of  theatres  justify  the  subordination 
of  runs  of  drive-in  theatres.  Late 
suburban  runs,"  it  added,  "will  be  seri- 
ously affected  and  your  overall  rev- 
enues will  suffer  if  any  run  is  granted 
to  drive-in  theatres  earlier  than  35 
days  after  the  first  suburban." 

Bateman  Is  Leaving 
Screen  Guild  Post 

Hollywood,  May  15. — Francis  A. 
Bateman  is  leaving  Screen  Guild  Pro- 
ductions as  general  sales  manager 
on  June  1,  for  what  was  described  by 
SG  president  Robert  Lippert  as  an 
"extended  leave  of  absence."  Bate- 
man's  three-year  contract  will  expire 
on  that  date. 

It  was  said  that  there  is  a  possibility 
Bateman  will  rejoin  the  company  at 
some  later  date.  Meanwhile,  Lippert 
will  supervise  sales. 


U-I  Handles  Bond  Short 

Six  hundred  prints  of  "The  Spirit 
of  '49,"  a  short  starring  Jack  Benny 
and  made  by  the  industry  as  part  of 
the  U.  S.  Treasury's  "Opportunity 
Savings  Bond  Drive,"  will  be  avail- 
able at  Universal- International  ex- 
changes for  free  distribution  during 
the  week  of  May  23,  William  A. 
Scully,  U-I  sales  vice-president,  an- 
nounces. 


GAEL  SULLIVAN,  executive  di- 
rector of  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America,  and  Leon  Bamberger  of 
RKO  Radio  will  leave  New  York  to- 
day for  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  to  attend 
the  Theatre  Owners  of  Arkansas  con- 
vention. 

• 

William  Z.  Porter,  Monogram 
home  office  contract  department  head, 
will  leave  Hollywood  today  for  a  two- 
months'  visit  to  exchanges  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  Kansas  City  and  Denver. 
• 

Sir  Sidney  Clift,  British  circuit 
owner,  and  his  son-in-law,  John 
Parsons,  are  scheduled  to  arrive  here 
on  May  26  from  London. 

• 

John  G.  McCarthy,  managing  di- 
rector for  MPAA's  international  di- 
vision, has  returned  to  New  York 
from  Washington. 

• 

Sam  Rosen,  general  manager  of  the 
Fabian  Circuit,  has  returned  here  from 
a  vacation  at  White  Sulphur  Springs. 
• 

Terry  Turner,  RKO  exploitation 
head,  and  Harry  Reiner  will  be  in 
Buffalo  Wednesday  from  New  York. 

Griffith  Takes  Stand 
In  Own  Defense 

Oklahoma  City,  May  13. — H.  J. 
Griffith  testified  Friday  that  reorgani- 
zation of  his  circuit  properties  during 
the  past  four  or  five  years  was  not 
for  the  purpose  of  evading  govern- 
ment anti-trust  penalties.  He  was  on 
the  stand  most  of  the  day  in  the  man- 
date hearing  before  Judge  Edgar  S. 
Vaught,  going  into  detail  concerning 
stock  transfers,  theatre  sales  and  re- 
organizations undertaken  since  the 
death  of  R.  E.  Griffith  in  1943  and  the 
serious  illness  of  L.  C.  Griffith  in  1947. 

The  three  Griffiths  were  named  as 
personal  defendants  in  the  monopoly 
case  brought  in  1938  which  resulted  in 
a  Supreme  Court  conviction  last  year 
and  the  current  hearing  to  determine 
what  penalty  will  be  assessed. 

H.  J.  Griffith  said  that  the  four  cir- 
cuits named  in  the  original  case  no 
longer  are  operating  as  they  were, 
but  Theatre  Enterprises,  of  which  he 
owns  62  per  cent  of  the  stock,  controls 
many  of  the  theatres  formerly  held  by 
the  defendant  circuits. 

Ray  Higdon,  Theatre  Enterprises 
film  buyer  at  Dallas,  testified  that  the 
circuits  dealt  with  distributors  on  a 
town-by-town  basis  and  did  not  at  any 
time  over-buy  as  a  means  of  keeping 
competitors  from  obtaining  product. 

Phila.  'I A'  Demands 
9  Months'  Back  Pay 

The  Pennsylvania  Labor  Relations 
Board  has  certified  IATSE  Local  No. 
B-100  as  collective  bargaining  agent 
for  cashiers,  doormen,  ushers,  clean- 
ers, porters  and  matrons  in  Philadel- 
phia film  theatres,  "IA"  headquarters 
reported  here  at  the  weekend.  Action 
follows  a  recent  election  in  which  the 
workers  chose  the  "IA"  local  by  a 
more  than  two-to-one  vote  over  Dis- 
trict No.  50  of  the  Mine  Workers. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


/SRAEL  becoming  the  59th  member 
of  the  UN  and  executions  in  Shang- 
hai are  current  newsreel  headlines. 
Other  items  include:  various  people 
in  the  news,  sports  and  human  inter- 
est stories.  Complete  contents  follozv: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  39— Israel 
becomes  the  59th  member  of  the  UN.  Berlin 
hails  end  of  Red  blockade.  Shanghai  wit- 
nesses public  execution  of  Chinese  Reds. 
Bond  Savings  Wagon.  Dr.  Bunche  hon- 
ored. U.S.  Marines  in  Quantico.  Canadian 
Golden  Gloves.    Girls  in  baseball  training. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAT,  No.  273— Death 
in  Shanghai.  Berlin  hails  end  of  Red 
blockade.  Helicopters  for  Marines.  Israel 
wins  seat  in  UN.  UN  honors  Dr.  Bunche. 
Water  skiers. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  76— Execu- 
tions  in  the  streets  of  Shanghai.  Hague 
machine  smashed  in  Jersey  City.  Israel 
wins  UN  membership.  Marines  test  in- 
vasion with  helicopters.  Four  F-80  jet 
planes  fly  as  one. 

TELENEWS  DIGEST,  No.  19-B — Ger- 
many :  Gen.  Taylor  warns  of  dangerous 
trend  in  "New  Germany."  Japan:  an  em- 
peror on  display.  Washington:  China  aid 
problem.  New  Jersey:  television  school. 
New  York:  Broadway  visits  the  Army. 
Flag  of  Israel  raised  over  UN.  Ford  strike. 
Greece:  King  Paul  in  Easter  celebration. 
Girl  bull  fighter. 

UNIVERSAL,  NEWS,  No.  267— Israel 
admitted  to  UN.  Shanghai  Communists, 
executed.  Memphis  Cotton  Festival.  Allies 
score  victory  as  Reds  lift  blockade. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  78— 
Israel:  Independence  Day;  UN  vote;  flag 
raising.  People:  Eisenhower  returns;  Mahat- 
ma  Ghandi's  son  here;  Dr.  Bunche  honored; 
Secretary  Snyder's  daughter  on  bond  drive; 
model  art  students;  plane  maneuvers.  Great 
American  quiz:  Grover  Cleveland. 


Rites  at  Weekend  for 
Mrs.  Rita  McGoldrick 

Funeral  mass  was  sung  Saturday 
at  Queen  of  All  Saints  Church, 
Brooklyn,  for  Mrs.  Rita  C.  McGold- 
rick, 59,  a  founder  of  the  National  Le- 
gion of  Decency,  who  died  on 
Thursday  at  St.  Peter's  Hospital 
there.  Interment  followed  at  Holy 
Cross  Cemetery,  Brooklyn. 

Long  active  in  behalf  of  clean  mo- 
tion pictures,  books  and  radio  pro- 
grams, Mrs.  McGoldrick  was  chair- 
man of  the  motion  picture  bureau  of 
the  International  Federation  of  Catho- 
lic Alumnae.  In  1933,  the  Gold  Cross 
of  the  Order  of  Pro  Ecclesia  et  Pon- 
tifice  was  awarded  to  her  by  Pope 
Pius  11th,  in  recognition  of  her  work. 
The  Cross  is  the  highest  Papal  honor 
bestowable  on  women,  and  entitled  her 
to  be  known  as  a  Papal  Lady. 

Survivors  include  her  husband,  Dr. 
Thomas  A.  McGoldrick ;  three  sons, 
and  two  daughters. 


Correction 

Citing  at  last  week's  open  forum 
meeting  of  New  York  exhibitors  and 
20th-Fox  executives  the  extent  to 
which  sliding-scale  rental  selling  can 
work  to  the  decided  advantage  of  both 
distributors  and  exhibitors,  company 
vice-president  Al  Lichtman  said  that 
when  he  introduced  the  system  to  the 
industry  a  number  of  years  ago  in  be- 
half of  Loew's,  one  circuit,  National 
Theatres,  increased  its  rental  pay- 
ments to  the  distributor  to  $700,000. 
during  the  first  year  of  the  circuit's 
use  of  the  system.  Due  to  a  typo- 
graphical error,  Motton  Picture 
Daily  on  Friday  erroneously  report- 
ed that  figure  as  $70,000. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher,  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


IN  THE  BOOKINGS 


with  top  playing  time  on  all  the  top  cir- 
cuits coming  up  immediately  —  Loew's, 
Fox,  Warner's,  Paramount,  RKO  — 

in  LOS  ANGELES  •  MILWAUKEE  •  NEW  ORLEANS 
HARRISBURG  •  READING  •  RICHMOND  •  BOSTON 
CLEVELAND  •  DETROIT  •  CINCINNATI  •  ROCHESTER 
SYRACUSE  •  TOLEDO  •  KANSAS  CITY  •  ST.  LOUIS 
NORFOLK  •  PITTSBURGH  •  BRIDGEPORT- JOHNSTOWN 
SPRINGFIELD*  ATLANTA  -  PROVIDENCE  -  WILMINGTON 
COLUMBUS  •  DAYTON  •  EVANSVILLE  •  HARTFORD 
WASHINGTON,  D.C.  •  LOUISVILLE  •  INDIANAPOLIS 
MIAMI  •  NASHVILLE  •  AKRON  •  BUFFALO  •  CHICAGO 


0 


IN  THE  TRADES 


"A  terrific  lift  to  the  finale.  Spectacle  val- 
ues rarely  achieved!" 

—  HOLLYWOOD  REPORTER 

"Top  quality!  Stirring,  should  please  every 
type  of  audience.  One  of  the  finest 
photographically!"  _  DAILY  variety 

"Suspense,  drama,  action.  Well-knit  with 
vigor  and  imagination.  A  film  spectacle!" 

—  MP  HERALD 

"Exciting  and  unusual.  A  chance  for  some 
good  old  time  exploitation  and  ballyhoo. 
Welcomed  at  the  boxoffice!" 

—  INDEPENDENT 

"Color,  intrigue  and  adventure,  suspense 
and  an  abundance  of  drama  and  action!" 

—  MP  DAILY 

"Love,  adventure,  fighting  and  hard- 
riding  to  please  the  most  ardent  of  action 
fans.  Something  to  arouse  intense  excite- 
ment and  cheers!" 

—  SHOWMEN'S  TRADE  REVIEW 

"Spectacular  chases  and  desert  battles. 
Realism  of  action  and  magnificent  pho- 
tography. Will  insure  boxoffice  draw!" 

—  BOXOFFICE 

"Much  in  spectacle,  excitement  values. 
Strong  thrill  note!"  —film  daily 


actum  7&#CtA/ 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  May  16,  1949 


MPEA  -  Soviets 

 (Continued  from  page  1) 


tion  by  the  Motion  Picture  Export 
Association.  The  latter  endeavors  to 
choose  films  which  cannot  be  used  for 
propagandists  purposes  in  the  Soviet. 
After  it  has  fine-combed  its  list,  the 
pictures  proposed  for  showing  in  Mos 
cow  are  further  studied  by  their  re- 
spective producer-distributors  for  ma- 
terial or  circumstances  which  might  be 
used  for  purposes  other  than  those 
intended,  in  the  main,  as  straight  thea- 
tre entertainment. 

Ship  16mm.  Prints 

Under  Johnston's  deal  the  Soviets 
are  to  pay  $50,000  for  outright  pur- 
chase of  each  feature  ultimately  chos- 
en. Despatch  of  the  16mm.  prints  for 
Moscow  screenings,  presumably  by 
Sovkino,  the  Russian  film  monopoly, 
does  not  mean  that  the  Soviets  have 
agreed  to  purchose  those  films.  It 
signifies  only  that  the  Soviet  film  of- 
ficials are  sufficiently  interested  to 
wish  to  see  the  specified  films  screened. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  most  foreign  de- 
partment officials  here  would  be  agree- 
ably surprised  if  the  Russians  actually 
chose  and  paid  for  any  of  the  pictures 
after  seeing  them.  That  is  why  16mm. 
prints  are  being  shipped.  They  are 
regarded  as  adequate  for  screening 
purposes  for  the  Soviet  officials  but 
not  suitable  for  standard  theatre  show- 
ings. In  the  case  of  Technicolor  fea- 
tures sought  for  screenings  in  Mos- 
cow, some  prints  are  not  available  in 
16mm.  and  some  companies,  accord- 
ingly, are  omitting  them  from  the 
Moscow  shipments.  Some  think  that 
Soviet  film  technicians  will  be  treated 
to  the  screneings  and  "no  sale"  ■  rung 
up  later. 

Films  Listed 

Prints  of  the  following  reportedly 
are  on  their  way  to  Moscow :  "To  the 
Ends  of  the  Earth,"  Columbia;  "Las- 
sie Come  Home,"  "Thrill  of  a  Ro- 
mance," "Madame  Curie,"  M-G-M ; 
"Going  My  Way,"  "The  Paleface," 
Paramount ;  "Bring  Em  Back  Alive," 
"The  Farmer's  Daughter,"  RKO  Ra- 
dio; "Anna  and  the  King  of  Siam," 
"Black  Swan,"  "State  Fair,"  "13  Rue 
Madeleine,"  "Western  Union,"  20th 
Century- Fox ;  "Ali  Baba  and  the  40 
Thieves,"  "Can't  Help  Singing,"  "The 
Egg  and  I,"  "Hers  to  Hold,"  Univer- 
sal ;  "Adventures  of  Mark  Twain," 
"Cloak  and  Dagger,"  "Rhapsody  in 
Blue,"  "Treasure  of  Sierra  Madre," 
Warners ;  "I've  Always  Loved  You," 
"Specter  of  the  Rose,"  Republic ; 
"The  Dude  Goes  West,"  Allied 
Artists. 

Official  spokesmen  of  MPEA  and 
MPAA  said  they  could  not  find  out 
whether  the  reported  titles  above  com- 
prise a  correct  list.  Officials  of  the 
companies  concerned  who  could  be 
reached  said  they  are. 


Grosses  Rise  at  lst-Runs 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


"Little  Women"  tied  for  second  place, 
while  "Knock  on  Any  Door"  and  "The 
Set-Up"  tied  for  third  spot.  Runners- 
up  included  the  March  leader,  "Com- 
mand Decision,"  and  "El  Paso,"  both 
registering  about  equally. 

Coming  through  with  better-than- 
average  grosses  from  time  to  time  last 
month  were :  "Mr.  Belvedere  Goes  to 
College,"  "Canadian  Pacific,"  "Joan 
of  Arc,"  "The  Red  Shoes,"  "South  of 
St.  Louis,"  "Ma  and  Pa  Kettle," 
"Henry  the  Rainmaker,"  "The  Under- 
cover Man,"  "The  Stratton  Story," 
"Cover  Up,"  "My  Own  True  Love," 


"Wake  of  the  Red  Witch,"  "Life  of 
Riley,"  "Shockproof,"  "My  Dream  Is 
Yours." 

Also,  "The  Walking  Hills,"  "Three 
Godfathers,"  "The  Sun  Comes  Up," 
"Paisan,"  "The  Clay  Pigeon,"  "Kiss 
in  the  Dark,"  "Unknown  Island," 
"Whispering  Smith,"  "Who  Done 
It?,"  "Caught,"  "Red  Canyon,"  "John 
ny  Belinda,"  "Treasure  of  Sierra  Ma 
dre,"  "Family  Honeymoon"  and 
"Rope." 

Composite  key-city  box-office  re- 
ports for  1949  to  date,  compared  with 
corresponding  weeks  of  1948,  follow: 


1949  Average 

Week                     No.  of     Total  Per 
Ending                 Theatres  Gross  Theatre 

Jan.      1-2   164  $2,855,800  $17,413 

Jan.      6-7   161  3,195,000  19,018 

Jan.    14-15   161  2,609,900  16,211 

Jan.    21-22   162  2,497,500  15,417 

Jan.    28-29   179  2,624,100  14,660 

Feb.      4-5   176  2,491,000  14,153 

Feb.   11-12   181  2,788,600  15,407 

Feb.  18-19   170  2,435,900  14,329 

Feb.  25-26   173  2,532,800  14,640 

Mar.     4-5   179  2,545,800  14,222 

Mar.  11-12    183  2,447,6C0  13,375 

Mar.  18-19   175  2,441,800  13,953 

Mar.   25-26    180  2,378,100  13,212 

Apr.      1-2   181  2,426,000  13,403 

Apr.      8-9   179  2,427,700  13,563 

Apr.   15-16   179  2,328,100  13,006 

Apr.  22-23   172  2,860,900  16,633 

Apr.  29-30   177  2,422,100  13,684 


1948  Average 

Week                   No.  of     Total  Per 
Ending                 Theatres  Gross  Theatre 

Jan.      2-3   179  $3,406,600  $19,031 

Jan.     9-10   168  3,112,700  18,528 

Jan.    16-17   168  2,473,300  14,722 

Jan.  23-24   166  2,419,000  14,572 

Jan.    30-31   166  .2,341,900  14,108 

Feb.      6-7   167  2,537,800  15,196 

Feb.   13-14   166  2,381,500  15,546 

Feb.  20-21   164  2,316,500  15,125 

Feb.  27-28   167  2,734,100  16,372 

Mar.     5-6   165  2,372,700  14,380 

Mar.  12-13   165  2,441,800  14,799 

Mar.  19-20   175  2,626,800  15,010 

Mar.  26-27   162  2,356,800  14,548 

Apr.     2-3   171  2,953,500  17,272 

Apr.    9-10   169  2,740,000  16,213 

Apr.  16-17   175  2,493,600  14,249 

Apr.  23-24   167  2,284,000  13,677 

Apr.   30-May   1....  159  2,232,300  14,04* 


Youngstein  Named 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


SPG  Mediation  Fails; 
Picketing  Stepped  Up 

Executive  board  of  Screen  Pub- 
licists Guild  (CIO)  will  meet  here 
this  evening  to  determine  whether  or 
not  the  Guild's  representatives  should 
meet  again  with  the  film  companies 
before  Federal  Mediator  L.  A.  Stone 
to  discuss  the  current  controversy 
over  new  contracts.  Stone  held  a 
meeting  last  Thursday,  and  the  com- 
panies are  reported  agreeable  to  meet 
again  on  May  23.  Thursday's  media- 
tion meeting  was  said  to  be  "totally 
unproductive." 

Meanwhile,  Len  Goldsmith,  SPG 
business  agent,  reported  that  the  union 
will  intensify  its  picketing  activities  in 
front  of  Loew's  theatres  here. 


publicity  manager  and  Norman  Siegel 
as  studio  publicity  director. 

Youngstein,  an  attorney,  entered  the 
industry  in  1941,  when  he  joined  the 
Hal  Home  Organization  as  general 
counsel  and  business  manager.  When 
Home  joined  20th  Century-Fox,  early 
in  1942,  as  director  of  advertising- 
publicity,  Youngstein  was  named  as- 
sistant director  of  the  department. 
After  a  year  in  that  capacity  Young- 
stein transferred  his  activities  to  20th 
Century-Fox's  Hollywood  studio, 
where  he  headed  a  special  service  de- 
partment. 

During  1944  and  1945  Youngstein 
was  publicity  director  and  film  con- 
sultant to  the  motion  picture  and  spe- 
cial events  section  of  the  War  Finance 
Division,  United  States  Treasury.  In 
October,  1946,  Youngstein  was  named 
director  of  advertising-publicity  of  the 
then  new  Eagle-Lion.  He  was  elected 
a  vice-president  February  8,  1948. 

Currently  chairman  of  the  advertis- 
ing and  publicity  committee  of  the  in- 
dustry's participation  in  the  1949 
Treasury  savings  bond  drive,  Young- 
stein has  been  active  in  the  industry's 
volunteer  activities.  He  served  as 
chairman  of  the  theatre  committee  of 
the  1949  Greater  New  York  March  of 
Dimes  drive,  is  a  member  of  the  As- 
sociated Motion  Picture  Advertisers, 
was  elected  president  of  the  group  for 
1948,  and  was  re-elected  for  1949,  the 
first  to  be  re-elected  to  this  post. 

Youngstein's  resignation  from 
E-L  becomes  effective  on  May  20. 

Connolly  Manager  of 
20th  Boston  Branch 

James  V.  Connolly,  sales  manager 
of  the  20th  Century-Fox  office  in 
Boston,  has  been  elevated  to  branch 
manager  of  the  exchange,  it  was  an- 
nounced here  over  the  weekend  by  A. 
W.  Smith,  Jr.,  vice-president  and  gen- 
eral sales  manager.  Connolly  suc- 
ceeds Ed  Callahan,  who  was  pro- 
moted to  New  England  division  man- 
ager last  week. 

John  Feloney,  Boston  salesman,  has 
been  appointed  sales  manager. 


Rent  Discrimination 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


attorney,  Arthur  L.  Abrams  of  New- 
ark and  New  York. 

Abrams  said  that  the  complaint, 
filed  last  Wednesday,  charges  the 
plaintiff  was  forced  to  buy  nearly  all 
of  the  pictures  distributed  by  all  of 
the  defendants  and  could  not  bargain 
effectively  with  any  of  them.  "The  de- 
fendants, taking  advantage  of  the 
plaintiff's  inability  to  bargain  and  in- 
ability to  license  films  elsewhere, 
charged  the  plaintiff  more  for  the  same 
pictures  than  they  charged  comparable 
theatres  operated  by  companies  affili- 
ated with  the  defendants,"  Abrams' 
statement  said. 

_  Plaintiff  claims  that  the  discrimina- 
tion is  in  violation  of  the  Sherman, 
Clayton  and  Robinson-Patman  acts. 

British  Answer 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


MPEA  Meeting 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


which  he  will  not  return  before  next 
week,  when  another  meeting  will  be 
held. 

Following  the  Friday  session  the 
MPEA  office  here  issued  a  statement 
reporting  that  Johnston  had  appointed 
a  sub-committee,  headed  by  Arthur  M. 
Loew,  head  of  Loew's  International, 
to  "study  details  involved  and  to  re- 
port to  a  subsequent  meeting  of  the 
MPEA."  Curiously,  some  of  those 
present  on  Friday  said  that  while  nam- 
ing such  a  committee  had  been  pro- 
posed they  were  unaware  that  it  had 
been  acted  upon. 

Some  of  the  critical  questioning 
centered  around  what  was  termed  "the 
film  industry's  own  Marshall  plan," 
this  in  reference  to  that  part  of  the 
tentative  agreement  which  would  pro- 
vide for  a  U.  S.  subsidization  of  Brit- 
ish production  to  an  extent  paralleling 
the  amount  of  earnings  of  British 
films  in  the  U.  S.,  with  a  bonus  pro- 
vision. 


May  Be  Revised 


on  which  he  was  not  sure  and  which 
he  had  asked  further  instructions  on. 

Thus  official  said  that  if  the  "clari- 
fying" cablegram  comes  in  tomorrow 
or  Tuesday,  he  would  call  on  the  De- 
partment later  in  the  week  and  deliver 
the  answer. 


Sears  Seeks  Ranks 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


three  major  British  circuits,  two  of 
them  being  Rank's,  for  100  American 
"A"  features  annually,  with  a  maxi- 
mum of  15  features  to  any  one  com- 
pany. Sears  reportedly  is  concerned 
over  the  manner  in  which  such  an 
agreement  would  be  applied  to  pic- 
tures of  U.  A.  producers  and  over  the 
effects  of  the  application  of  other  pro- 
posals in  the  agreement  upon  U.  A. 


Chaplin  Attacked  Again 

Washington,  May  15.— In  a  state- 
ment to  a  Senate  Judiciary  Committee 
holding  hearings  on  internal  security, 
Senator  Cain  (Rep.,  Wash.),  again 
attacked  Charles  Chaplin  and  demand- 
ed the  actor's  immediate  deportation. 
Cain  repeated  charges  he  made  on  the 
Senate  floor  several  weeks  ago. 


Some  representatives  of  the  MPEA 
member  companies  emphasized  on  Fri- 
day that  the  initial  disagreements  on 
certain  portions  of  the  overall  pro- 
posed plan  are  not  to  be  construed  as 
meaning  that  the  project  will  be  aban- 
doned in  its  entirety,  although  they 
seemed  to  think  that  some  revisions 
would  result  in  approval  by  a  greater 
maj  ority. 

The  proposed  British  concession  on 
playing  a  minimum  of  100  "A"  Ameri- 
can films  in  the  three  principal  cir- 
cuits in  England  also  was  greeted  with 
some  skepticism  on  Friday.  The 
question  of  how  an  "A"  production 
would  be  determined  was  asked,  it  was 
said  following  the  meeting. 

Certain  participants  were  said  also 
to  have  taken  an  overall  view  of  the 
proposition  put  to  them  on  Friday  and 
then  wondered  if  it  all  had  legal  sanc- 
tion, whether  possibly  it  smacked  of 
cartelization. 

Both  Barney  Balaban,  Paramount 
president,  and  Nicholas  M.  Schenck, 
president  of  Loew's,  who,  with  Johns- 
ton, constitute  the  U.  S.  side  of  the 
Films  Council,  were  present  on  Fri- 
day. Others  there  were  Spyros  P. 
Skouras,  Ned  E.  Depinet,  Gradwell  L. 
Sears,  Norton  V.  Ritchey,  Sam 
Schneider,  Joseph  Hazen,  Emanuel 
and  Murray  Silverstone,  Wolfe  Cohen, 
George  Weltner,  Al  Daff,  Theodore 
Black,  Francis  Harmon,  Joyce 
O'Hara  and  John  McCarthy. 

"Little  Three"  Listed 

Columbia,  United  Artists  and  Uni- 
versal, it  appears,  are  especially  doubt- 
ful about  the  proposed  U.  S.-U.  K. 
program.  Universal,  which  has  a  con- 
tract with  J.  Arthur  Rank,  will  stand 
on  that  rather  than  the  proposed  plan. 

The  MPEA  meeting  on  Friday  was 
followed  by  a  gathering  of  some  mem- 
bers of  the  Society  of  Independent 
Motion  Picture  Producers  at  the  of- 
fices here  of  Ellis  G.  Arnall,  president, 
who  is  expected  to  announce  a  plan  of 
opposition  early  this  week.  If  the 
SIMPP's  objections  are  taken  to 
either  the  U.  S.  State  Department  or 
the  Attorney  General,  on  the  charge 
that  the  MPEA  tentative  plan  violates 
international  law  and  amounts  to  a 
conspiracy  domestically,  it  would 
come  as  no  surprise. 


NTFC  To  Meet  May  26 

National  Television  Film  Council 
has  scheduled  a  meeting  for  May  26 
at  the  Brass  Rail  here,  according  to 
Melvin  Gold,  president. 


during  the  FOUR  WEEKS 

ending  May  7th,  your 


PRIZE  BABY 


1029.224  accessory  items  and 
233848  trailers— or  a  total  of 

1263,072  units 

which  means  an 


Our  SERVICE  Being  On  A  RENTAL 
BASIS,  it  is  apparent  that  practically  the 
same  number  of  Items  (less  posting-paper, 
heralds,  etc.)  is  being  RETURNED  by  Exhibitors,  each  week.  These  Items  must  be 
sorted,  recorded  and  returned  to  Shelves  and  Vaults  in  NSS  Offices. 


m^LiU  a  CHECKING-IN,  HANDLING  and 
SHIPPING  of  ^0^iL 

Jfim  EVERY 


^week! 


^tati  SERVICE! 


mmmi.\C7iem  service 

y_J  pmzcmby  of  mc/iiDusmy 


Kansas epr 

* 

Not  even  o  p  ke 


if77 

1  i  f  /  1  1 

^1  f/ 1  1 

Capitol  Theatre 

NEW  YORK 

Set  the  pace  for  Broadway 
during  World  Premiere 
extended  run! 

★ 

Boston  Theatre 

I  BOSTON 

Held  over  after  terrific  first  week 
-applauded  by  audience  and 
critics  alike  as  top  entertainme 

★  . 

Oriental  Theatre 

CHICAGO 

Held  over  after  chalking  up 
one  of  year's  biggest  grosses! 


4 


4 


7 


Five  Theatre  Combination 

LOS  ANGELES 

Terrific  opening  to  set  new  high 
for  the  year! 

*  J 
Harris  Theatre 

PITTSBURGH 

Stand-up  business  for  one  o  big- 
gest grosses  on  any  U-l  picture. 

MIAMI  | 

Played  Miami,  Lincoln  Miracle,  J 
day-and-date,  "out  of  season- 
to  topwin-season^grossT 


The  re  Criterion  . 

ILLEGAL  ENTiY>^- 

x-^n  Premiere/  j» 
,nvitat.°n  Pre  _ 

■  iM.TY  JANE  ana  SA»B*SS 

'CALAMI^  J*jV  Dallas, 
World  P'em  350-city 

JU"e  8  Ta'  op^ngs! 
territorial  op 


II 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 

MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

{^curate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 

L  — - ' 

NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  TUESDAY,  MAY  17,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Anglo-US  Plan 
To  Receive 
Legal  Scrutiny 

Will  See  Counsel  Before 
Plan  is  'Put  in  Writing' 

Washington,  May  16.  —  The 
Motion  Picture  Export  Association 
has  never  taken  a  major  step  with- 
out detailed  advice  of  competent 
legal  counsel,  and  this  policy  will  hold 
true  of  any  final  Anglo-American  film 
agreement,  an  MPEA  official  de- 
clared here  today. 

The  official  refused  to  comment  di- 
rectly on  the  charge  of  SIMPP  pres- 
ident Ellis  Arnall  that  the  terms 
agreed  on  at  the  recent  Anglo-Ameri- 
can film  council  meeting  violated  the 
Webb-Pomerene  Act.  He  did  say, 
however,  that  he  believed  that  MPEA 
had  never  violated  the  law,  "and  never 
would. 

This  MPEA  spokesman  admitted 
that  MPEA  and  the  film  company 
lawyers  had  not  been  consulted  about 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Paramount  -  Malco 
Split  Under  Study 

Memphis,  May  16. — Theatres  joint- 
ly owned  by  Paramount  and  Malco 
Theatres,  Inc.,  in  Memphis  and  else- 
where in  this  territory,  have  been  in- 
spected by  representatives  of  both 
concerns  preparatory  to  a  dissolution 
under  requirements  of  the  dissolution 
decree. 

No  decision  has  been  announced 
and  the  settlement  of  the  theatres' 
ownership  is  still  in  the  negotiation 
stage.  There  is  a  possibility  that  the 
entire  three  years  allowed  by  the 
court  may  be  consumed  to  bring 
about  a  final  agreement,  Malco 
spokesmen  say.  On  the  other  hand, 
they  added,  there  might  be  an  an- 
nouncement at  any  time. 

Some  time  ago  M.  A.  Lightman, 
Sr.,  head  of  Malco,  announced  that 
M.  A.  Lightman,  Jr.,  had  shown  many 
of  the  theatres  to  Robert  M.  Weit- 
man,  Hal  Pereira  and  Sid  Markley, 
of  the  Paramount  home  office.  They 
visited  theatres  in  Jonesboro,  Cam- 
den, Ft.  Smith,  Hot  Springs  and  Fay- 
etteville,  all  in  Arkansas. 


Mild  Business  for 
Most  NY  lst-Runs 


New  York's  first-run  returns  are 
running  ahead  of  last  week's  but  there 
is  still  plenty  of  room  for  improve- 
ment. Accounting  for  the  increase  in 
the  overall  average  is  the  appearance 
of  five  new  shows  in  place  of  hold- 
overs. Event  of  the  week  on  Broad 
way  will  be  the  reopening  of  the  Pal 
ace  with  20th  Century-Fox's  "Cana 
dian  Pacific,"  and  eight  acts  of  vaude 
ville. 

"Home  of  the  Brave,"  Stanley 
Kramer-United  Artists,  is  doing  very 
healthy  business  at  the  1,060-seat  Vic 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Hearing  Friday  on 
Tighter  Trust  Laws 

Washington,  May  16. — A  House 
Judiciary  subcommittee  will  hold  hear- 
ings Friday  on  a  bill  to  tighten  the 
anti-trust  laws  by  prohibiting  one 
firm  from  acquiring"  the  physical  as- 
sets of  another  when  the  result  is  to 
lessen  competition  substantially. 

The  law  now  bars  only  the  acquisi- 
tion of  the  company's  stock. 

Speedy  approval  by  the  subcommit- 
tee and  then  the  full  committee  is 
expected.  President  Truman  and  the 
Justice  Department  support  the  mea- 
sure, which  was  reported  by  the  House 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Semenenko  Flies  East 
With  E-L  Deals 

Hollywood,  May  16.— Fol- 
lowing weekend  conferences 
in  Palm  Springs  and  further 
meetings  today  between  Serge 
Semenenko  and  Edward  Small 
on  the  latter's  acquisition  of 
outright  ownership  or  con- 
trolling interest  in  Eagle- 
Lion,  Small  issued  a  state- 
ment this  afternoon,  saying, 
"Semenenko  leaves  for  New 
York  tomorrow,  taking  with 
him  several  constructive  plans 
worked  out  during  discus- 
sions here.  He  will  now  ar- 
rive at  a  conclusion  in  dis- 
cussions with  the  banking 
syndicate  he  heads  and  with 
Pathe  Industries,  Inc." 


SIMPP  Goes 
To  the  D.  of  J. 
On  U.  K.  Plan 


Files  Formal  Complaint; 
Threatens  More  Protests 


New  Jersey  TO  A  to 
Meet,  Elect  May  25 

The  New  Jersey  chapter  of  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  will 
hold  its  annual  meeting  and  election 
in  the  Ritz  Ballroom  in  Passaic  on 
Wednesday,  May  25,  to  which  all  ex- 
hibitors in  the  state  are  invited,  it 
was  reported  here  yesterday  by  Mau- 
rice J.  Miller,  president  of  the  chap- 
ter. 

Gael  Sullivan,  executive  director  of 
the  TOA,  will  be  the  principal  speaker 
at  the  meeting.  In  addition  to  the 
election  of  officers,  there  will  be  an 
extended  discussion  of  theatre  televi- 
sion, led  by  Walter  Reade,  Jr.,  who 
is  co-chairman  of  the  national  tele- 
vision committee  of  the  TOA.  Reade 
will  report  on  recent  joint  meetings 
of  the  theatre  television  committees 
of  the  TOA  and  the  Society  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Engineers. 

National  and  state  legislation  affect 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Higher  Costs  Shrink 
Disney  Prod.  Profits 


Hollywood,  May  16. — Roy  O.  Dis- 
ney, president  of  Walt  Disney  Pro- 
ductions, today  reported  to  sharehold- 
ers that  operations  in  the  26  weeks 
ended  April  2,  resulted  in  a  net  loss 
of  $29,245.  For  the  27  weeks  ended 
April  3,  1948,  the  company  had  a  net 
profit  of  $68,128,  equal  after  providing 
for  preferred  dividend  payments,  to 
eight  cents  a  share  on  652,840  com- 
mon shares  outstanding. 

"The  loss  in  the  first  half  of  1949 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


80%  of  Films  Rated  Tops 
By  Public,  Johnston  Says 


New  Ascap  Meetings 
On  Television  Pact 

American  Society  of  Composers, 
Authors  and  Publishers  and  top  ex- 
ecutives of  the  radio-television  net- 
works are  to  begin  new  meetings  here 
today  in  another  effort  to  reach  an 
agreement  on  terms  of  licensing  Ascap 
music  for  television  use.  Fred  Ahlert, 
Ascap  president,  invited  the  radio 
leaders  to  the  conferences  following 
collapse  of  negotiations  with  a  video 
committee  of  the  National  Association 
of  Broadcasters. 


Society  of  Independent  Motion 
Picture  Producers  has  filed  a 
"formal  complaint"  with  the  U.  S. 
Attorney  General  protesting  the 
'activities  and  proposed  activities"  of 
the  Anglo-American  Films  Council 
and  the  Motion  Picture  Export  As- 
sociation. 

Statement  by  Ellis  G.  Arnall, 
SIMPP  president,  issued  here  yester- 
day, was  devoid  of  details  but  pre- 
sumably the  complaint  alleges  con- 
spiracy by  the  majors  to  the  detriment 
of  independent  producers,  referring,  of 
course,  to  the  proposals  for  a  tentative 
U.  S. -British  film  agreement. 

Besides  the  Department  of  Justice, 
the  SIMPP,  according  to  Arnall,  also 
is  considering  complaints  to  be  filed 
with  the  Federal  Trade  Commission, 
the  U.  S.  State  Department  and  Con- 
ressional  committees. 


British  Hit  Old 
Grable,  Wilde  Films 

London,  May  16. — The  Kinemato- 
graph  Renters  Society,  for  distribu- 
tion, and  the  Cinematograph  Exhib- 
itors Association,  for  exhibition,  have 
authorized  a  joint  statement  con- 
demning two  pictures  recently  trade 
shown  here  which  consist  of  early 
film  efforts  of  Betty  Grable  and  Cor- 
nel Wilde  on  the  grounds  that  they 
are  injurious  to  the  present-day  stars 
and  misleading  to  tiV  public  which 
might  expect  to  see  them  in  recently 
made  films. 

British     Foundation  Distributors 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


St.  Louis,  May  16. — In  a  sharp  at- 
tack on  film  censorship  and  "snobbish" 
criticism  of  motion  pictures,  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  presi- 
dent Eric  A.  Johnston  told  the  annual 
convention  of  the  National  Congress 
of  Parents  and  Teachers  here  this  eve- 
ning that  the  public  rates  75  to  80 
per  cent  of  Hollywood's  product  "good 
to  excellent,"  with  only  20  to  25  per 
cent  rated  "fair  to  poor."  Terming 
this  "a  handsome  batting  average," 
Johnston  said  "it's  around  that  statis- 
tical fact  that  much  of  the  invalid 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Strike  Threat  Up 
Again  in  Britain 

London,  May  16. — The  entire  Brit- 
ish film  industry  is  again  confronted 
with  the  possibility  of  a_  complete 
shutdown  as  a  result  of  rejection  by 
elements  within  the  National  Asso- 
ciation of  Theatrical  and  Kine  Em- 
ployes of  the  wage  increase  propo- 
sals tentatively  agreed  upon  with  the 
Cinematograph  Exhibitors  Associa- 
tion last  week. 

The  issue  has  been  referred  back 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  May  17,  1941 


Personal 
Mention 


T_J  ARRY  M.  KALMINE,  Warner 
Theatres    president,   and  Rudy 
Weiss,  head  of  the  real  estate  depart 
ment,  have  left  here  for  Cleveland  an> 
plan  to  return  at  the  end  of  the  week. 
• 

H.  M.  Richey,  M-G-M  exhibito 
relations  head,  will  leave  here  today 
by  plane  for  South  Bend,  Ind.,  where 
he  will  address  the  Rotary  Club 
After  addressing  the  Illinois  State 
Federation  of  Women's  Clubs  at  Chi 
cago  on  Thursday,  he  will  attend  the 
North  Central  Allied  convention  at 
Minneapolis  next  week. 

• 

E.  R.  Holtz,  Detroit  exhibitor,  and 
Mrs.  Holtz  arrived  in  New  York 
yesterday  for  a  visit  of  several  days 
He  will  attend  the  20th  Century-Fox 
stockholders'  meeting  here  today. 
• 

Si  H.  Fabian,  head  of  Fabian  The- 
atres, was  in  Cincinnati  yesterday 
from  New  York  and  is  scheduled  to 
be  in  St.  Louis  today  and  Los  Angeles 
tomorrow. 

• 

Helen  Rosen,  daughter  of  Sam 
Rosen,  general  manager  of  the  Fabian 
circuit,  has  been  elected  president  of 
the  senior  class  at  Wells  College. 
• 

Joseph  Friedman,  Columbia  Inter 
national  vice-president,   arrived  here 
yesterday   from   Europe   aboard  the 
S.-S".  Caronia. 

• 

John  Joseph,  assistant  to  Howard 
Dietz,  M-G-M  advertising-publicity 
vice-president,  is  due  here  today  from 
the  Coast. 

• 

Edward  Lachman,  Allied  Theatre 
Owners  of  New  Jersey  president,  is 
due  back  here  today  from  Chicago. 
• 

Jules  Lapidus,  Warner  Eastern 
and  Canadian  division  sales  manager, 
left  here  last  night  for  Pittsburgh. 


Youngstein  in  Post 
Vacant  Since  1948 

In  reporting  the  appointment  of 
Max  Youngstein  as  national  director 
of  Paramount's  advertising,  publicity 
and  exploitation  yesterday  Motion 
Picture  Daily  erroneously  stated 
that  he  succeeds  Stanley  Shuford.  The 
latter,  who  resigned  from  Paramount 
last  week,  had  been  Eastern  adver- 
tising manager  for  Paramount.  The 
company  has  had  no  national  direc- 
tor of  advertising,  publicity  and  ex- 
ploitation since  the  resignation  of  Cur- 
tis Mitchell  from  that  post  about  18 
months  ago. 


Presents  Award  to  Czech 

Washington,  May  16.— Academy 
Award  voted  to  12-year-old  Ivan 
Jandl  for  the  best  juvenile  perform- 
ance in  M-G-M's  "The  Search"  was 
presented  to  Czechoslovakia's  Ambas- 
sador Vladimir  Outrata  by  Eric  John- 
ston, president  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America.  Outrata  will 
forward  the  award  to  Jandl,  now  in 
Prague. 


Sevenfrom20th-Fox 
For  Summer  Release 


Seven  key  pictures  will  be  released 
by  20th  Century-Fox  during  the  sum- 
mer, it  was  disclosed  here  yesterday 
by  distribution  vice-president  A.  W. 
Smith,  Jr. 

In  June  the  company  will  release : 
"The  Beautiful  Blonde  from  Bashful 
Bend,"  starring  Betty  Grable,  in 
Technicolor,  which  will  have  its  pre- 
miere at  the  Roxy  Theatre  here  on 
May  27;  "It  Happens  Every  Spring," 
starring  Ray  Milland,  Jean  Peters  and 
Paul  Douglas,  which  will  have  its 
world  premiere  in  St.  Louis  on  May 
26,  and  "The  Forbidden  Street,"  star- 
ring Dana  Andrews  and  Maureen 
O'Hara,  currently  playing  a  pre- 
release engagement  at  the  Roxy,  New 
York. 

In  July,  the  company  has  scheduled : 
Will  James'  "Sand,"  starring  Mark 
Stevens  and  Coleen  Gray,  in  Techni- 
color, which  will  have  a  saturation 
premiere  in  the  West  backed  by  a 
territorial  campaign,  and  "House  of 
Strangers,"  starring  Edward  G.  Rob- 
inson, Susan  Hayward  and  Richard 
Conte. 

Films  scheduled  for  August  are : 
"Slattery's  Hurricane"  starring  Rich- 
ard Widmark,  Linda  Darnell  and 
Veronica  Lake,  and  "You're  My 
Everything,"  starring  Dan  Dailey 
and  Anne  Baxter,  in  Technicolor. 


Flick  Takes  Over  As 
Chief  N.  Y.  Censor 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  May  16.— Dr. 
Hugh  M.  Flick  today  assumed 
the  directorship  of  the  mo- 
tion picture  division  (chief 
censor)  of  the  New  York 
State  Education  Department, 
replacing  Dr.  Ward  C.  Bower, 
who  had  been  acting  director 
for  the  past  three  years. 

Dr.  Flick  will  spend  one  day 
a  week  at  offices  here  and  the 
remainder  of  his  time  in  New 
York. 


Snyder,  4  Governors 
At  K.C.  Bond  Drive 

Kansas  City,  May  16. — John  W. 
Snyder,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  and 
Governors  Earl  Warren  of  California, 
Forrest  Smith  of  Missouri,  Frank 
Carlson  of  Kansas  and  Paul  A.  Dever 
of  Massachusetts  were  here  today  for 
the  opening  of  the  Opportunity  Sav- 
ings Bond  Drive.  Covered  wagons 
which  arrived  by  airplane  took  part  in 
a  parade  at  Independence,  Mo.,  this 
afternoon. 

Secretary  Snyder,  the  Governors, 
Red  Skelton,  Paul  Lukas  and  Lizabeth 
Scott  were  in  the  parade  and  will  take 
part  in  the  local  bond  drive  climax  at 
Municipal  Auditorium  tonight,  part  of 
which  will  be  broadcast.  Film  stars 
and  visiting  officials  were  guests  at  a 
dinner  for  bond  drive  leaders. 


UJA  Committee  To 
Meet  on  Thursday 

The  advisory  committee  of  the 
amusements  division  of  the  United 
Jewish  Appeal  will  meet  at  luncheon 
on  Thursday  in  the  office  of  Fred  J. 
Schwartz,  of  Century  Circuit  here. 
Schwartz  is  chairman  of  the  division 
for  the  1949  campaign,  succeeding  Si 
Fabian. 

The  meeting  date  was  changed  from 
Tuesday  to  Thursday  in  order  to  as 
sure  greater  attendance,  Schwartz  ex 
plained.  Considerable  work  is  being- 
done  for  the  1949  campaign  by  the 
committees  recently  set  up,  and  the 
top  advisory  committee  meets  from 
time  to  time  to  coordinate  efforts. 


Moss  Heads  MP  Sales 
Road  Show  Unit 

Motion  Picture  Sales  Corp.,  headed 
by  Neil  Agnew  and  Charles  Casanave, 
has  established  a  new  road  show  de- 
partment at  its  new  home  office  at  730 
Fifth  Avenue  here,  and  Alec  Moss 
has  been  placed  in  charge  of  it. 

Moss  was  previously  in  charge  of 
publicity,  exploitation  and  advertising 
for  Howard  Hughes  Productions. 
Prior  to  that,  he  was  exploitation 
director  of  Paramount  Pictures  for 
IS  years. 


M emphis  Censors  Ban 
' City  Across  the  River 

Memphis,  May  16.— "City  Across 
the  River,"  Universal-International, 
has  been  banned  by  the  city-county 
Board  of  Censors  because  of  its  crime 
theme. 

"It's  another  one  of  those  juvenile 
delinquency  things  like  the  'Dead  End 
Kids'  which  we  banned  here  previous- 
ly," said  Lloyd  T.  Binford,  chairman 
of  the  censors.  "The  picture  opens 
with  a  beautiful  talk  on  juvenile  delin- 
quency, but  it  promptly  goes  off  into 
an  exhibition  of  it,"  said  Binford.  The 
film  was  to  have  opened  at  Loew's 
Palace  tomorrow. 


Houser  Succeeds  Rice 

Hollywood,  May  16.— Bill  Rice  has 
resigned  from  the  Warner  studio  pub- 
licity department  after  11  years,  the 
last  four  as  assistant  to  Alex  Eve- 
love.  Mervyn  Houser,  who  joined 
the  department  a  fortnight  ago,  will 
succeed  Rice  in  that  post. 


Reception  for  'Lady' 

Universal  -  International  held  a 
press  screening  and  reception  for  "The 
Lady  Gambles"  at  Toots  Shor's  here 
yesterday.  Stephen  McNally,  who 
stars  in  the  film  with  Barbara  Stan- 
wyck and  Robert  Preston,  was  pres- 
ent. Following  the  preview  John 
Scarne,  authority  on  gambling  and 
author  of  "Scarne  on  Cards,"  enter- 
tained. Others  present  were  Henry 
A.  Linet,  Philip  Gerard,  Jerry  Sager, 
Charles  Simonelli  and  Andy  Sharick. 

Jacoby  Heads  Council 

Starting  its  fourth  year  of  activity, 
the  New  York  Film  Council  has 
elected  Irving  Jacoby  as  chairman  for 
1949-50,  and  Albert  J.  Rosenberg,  vice- 
chairman.  Reelected  for  second  terms 
as  secretary  and  treasurer  respectively 
were  Sophie  C.  Hohne  and  Theodosia 
Stratemeyer.  Executive  board  mem- 
bers are :  Willard  Van  Dyke,  Thomas 
J.  Brandon,  Julien  Bryan,  Cecile  Starr, 
John  Flory,  Emily  Jones,  Florence 
Anderson,  Robert  Snyder  and  Mrs. 
Mildred  Mathews. 


Deals  for  3  Wilcol 
Films  Pending  Herl 

Back  in  New  York  following  a  twJ 
week  visit  on  the  Coast,  British  prtj 
ducer  Herbert  Wilcox  reported  yeJ 
terday  that  he  expects  to  conclucf 
here  before  he  departs  for  EnglaiJ 
aboard  the  5".  S.  Queen  Mary  on  Fr| 
day,  U.  S.  distribution  deals  for  hj 
"Courtneys  of  Curzon  Street.' 
"Spring  in  Park  Lane"  and  "Maytin- 
in  Mayfair."  The  pictures  wer 
screened  extensively  for  Coast  execu 
tives  during  the  past  two  weeks,  an 
aroused  considerable  interest,  Wilco: 
said. 

While  on  the  Coast,  Wilcox  con' 
eluded  a  deal  with  Warner  Brother 
for  that  company's  employment  c 
British  actor  Michael  Wilding  to  sta 
opposite  Jane  Wyman  in  a  forthcom 
ing  Alfred  Hitchcock  picture.  Wildinj 
co-starred  with  Anna  Neagle  (Mrs 
Wilcox)  in  "Spring  in  Park  Lane, 
which  was  cited  recently,  following  : 
British  audience  poll,  as  the  best  pic 
ture  to  be  show(n  in  England  last  year 
Miss  Neagle  and  Wilding  also  tool 
top  honors  in  the  poll  in  consequent 
of  their  performances  in  the  film. 


Schine  Talks  on  Again 

Washington,  May  16.— Consen: 
decree  talks  between  Schine  circuit 
attorneys  and  the  Justice  Departmen* 
resumed  in  Washington  today  after  2 
long  lay-off,  with  both  parties  report- 
ing "progress"  but  refusing  to  discuss 
details. 


NEW  YORK 


THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  

Rockefeller  Center 
.JAMES  STEWART      -      JUNE  ALLYSON 

"THE  STRATTON  STORY" 

'Frank  Morgan-Agnes  Moorehead-Bill  Williams 
A    SAM  WOOD  PRODUCTION 
A   Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


°oromounr  presents 
JLUAM  WILLIAM 

HOLDEN  •  BENDIX 

MACDONAID  MONA 

CAREY  FREEMAN 

Streets  _  „ 
of  Laredo 

c.l»  b,  TECHNICOLOR 


VETBHLORRp^ 


W*1"  ORGAN 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER.  ^fZLay 
All  Seats  Reserved,  Mall  Orders 

Twice  Dally 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


,  NOW!  luefotat 

^''"--n.aj.  W       Conlinuoui  Per  lour,  antes  •  Lai*  £ 


~4 

Show*  Nightly 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher,  Sherwin   Kane    Editor-  Martin  OnioW    Tr     a,™„    ttj-.  ,     t>  ,  r  ,    .   ,  .,  .  „  ,  „ 


IT'S 


■ 


600 


From  UU/jrJLbU  LbUU  UU'jiXM  wJLbUu,  who  gave  yoo  those, 
giants  of  the  screen.  STAGECOACH  and  CANYON  PASSAGE  "! 


ROBERT  PRE 


Pedro  ARMENDARfZ  •  Ctiill  Wills  •  Lloyd  Gough  •  Edward  Begley 

Produced  by  WALTER  W ANGER  •  Directed  by  STUART  HEISLER 
Associate  Producer  EDWARD  LASKER  •  Screenplay  by  FRANK  NUGENT  and  CURTIS  KENYON 
Suggested  by  a  Story  by  RICHARD  WORMSER  •  An  EAGLE  LION  FILMS  Release 


BUY  U.  S. 
AVINGS  10NDS 


r  u  -  juNt  10 


t.  f  I 


HO,  n°rle€>»s,  In  I  An9eles^fl°5h,n9  Pace 
^^^^  °ndhu°£?slf 


Another  Great 

EAGLE  LION 

Hit! 


ef    your    share    of  "That   Terrific   TULSA"   business  i 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  May  17,  194S 


Allied  Hits  Para.'s 
Memphis  Sales  Plan 

Memphis,  May  16.— Allied  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  of  the  Mid- 
South,  Inc.,  has  characterized  Para- 
mount's  new  availability  "offer"  to 
Memphis  exhibitors  as  "vicious,"  and 
something  "that  amounts  to  bidding." 
The  statement  was  issued  by  Bob 
Bowers,  manager. 

Paramount  has  offered  pictures  to 
deluxe  and  drive-in  neighborhoods  30 
days  after  first-runs  on  condition  that 
the  pictures  be  kept  seven  days  and 
that  $750  be  guaranteed.  Further, 
Paramount  asks  35  per  cent  up  to 
$3,500  and  a_  50-50  split  over  $3,500. 
Two  Memphis  theatres  have  accepted 
this  new  offer  as  an  experiment. 

Other  distributors  have  denied  they 
planned  to  follow  Paramount's  plan 
and  said  they  are  sticking  to  39  and 
46-day  releases  after  first-runs. 


NY  lst-Run  Business 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Mid-South  Convention  June  28-29 

Memphis,  May  16. — A  convention 
of  Independent  Allied  Theatre  Owners 
of  the  Mid-South  was  called  today  by 
Bob  Bowers,  manager,  for  June  28-29, 
at  Hotel  Chisca  in  Memphis.  Perma- 
nent officers  will  be  elected. 


Seek  to  Tie  New  Firm 
Into  Griffith  Case 

Oklahoma  City,  May  16.' — De- 
fense neared  the  end  of  its  presenta- 
tion in  the  Griffith  anti-trust  case  to- 
day with  testimony  of  R.~A.  Higdon, 
Dallas,  Tex.,  buyer  for  Theatre  En- 
terprises, Inc.  under  cross-examination 
by  George  Wise,  government  attorney, 
who  is  seeking  to  tie  the  Texas  firm 
to  the  Griffith  defendants.  U.S.  Dis- 
trict Judge  Edgar  S.  Vaught  has  not 
ruled  whether  Theatre  Enterprises 
shall  be  a  party  in  the  case. 


toria,  where  $32,000  is  the  apparent 
first  week's  gross.  This  is  still  short 
of  the  revenue  anticipated,  however. 

Here  are  the  four  other  newcomers 
with  the  estimated  gross  of  each  for 
the  first  week:  "The  Stratton  Story," 
stage  show,  Music  Hall,  fairly  good 
at  $120,000 ;  "Forbidden  Street,"  Dick 
Hayines  and  ice  revue  on  stage,  Roxy, 
fair  at  $82,000;  "Streets  of  Laredo/ 
Peter  Lorre  and  Victor  Lombardo's 
orchestra  on  stage,  Paramount,  ade 
quate  at  $64,000;  "The  Sun  Comes 
Up,"_  Glen  Gray's  orchestra  and 
Gracie  Barrie  on  stage,  Capitol,  very 
low  at  $24,000. 

"Flamingo  Road,"  with  Ted  Lewis' 
orchestra  on  stage,  is  headed  for  a 
good  second  week's  gross  of  $40,000  at 
the  Strand.  Rousing  second  week's 
business  of  $42,000  is  figured  for 
"Barkleys  of  Broadway"  at  the  State 
"We  Were  Strangers"  is  fair  enough 
at  the  Astor  with  $19,000  in  view  for 
a  third  week.  Sixth  week  of  "Cham 
pion"  probably  will  gross  about  $20, 
000  at  the  Globe,  and  that  is  fairly 
healthy. 

Mayfair  looks  like  a  $14,000  gross 
for  the  fifth  week  of  "Wizard  of  Oz," 
which  is  moderate  business.  "Hamlet" 
is  still  pulling  strong  with  about  $15, 
000  likely  for  the  33rd  week  at  the 
Park.  "Africa  Screams"  probably  will 
give  the  Criterion  about  $14,000  in  a 
mild  second  week  and  will  be  followed 
on  Friday  by  "Lady  Gambles."  "The 
Red  Shoes,"  continuing  at  a  good  clip, 
should  give  the  Bijou  about  $12,000  in 
a  30th  week.  "One  Woman's  Story" 
will  open  at  the  Rivoli  today,  replac 
ing  "Portrait  of  Jennie,"  which  took 
in  about  $10,000  in  a  seventh  and  final 
week. 


7c  of  Films 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


in  the  French  Field 
ONLY 

VOG  FILM  CO. 

does  it  again  and  again 
and  again! 

"JENNY  LAM0UR" 

(Carryover  hit) 

"DEDEE" 

(Current  sensation) 

"MAN0N" 

(Coming  up) 

~k  "DEDEE" — An  ungloved  portrayal 
of  life  on  the  waterfront,  is  in  its 
7th  week  at  the  Ambassador  on 
Broadway,  Starring 

SIMONE,  SIGNORET, 
she  is  called  by  the  N.  Y.  TIMES 
the  woman   "who   looks   what  she's 
made  out  to  be." 

*  "MANON"  — Realistic  drama  of 
youth  on  the  loose  in  postwar  Paris. 
Starring  a  surefire  exploitation  fea- 
ture—CECILE  AUBRY,  given,  a 
2<Kh  Century-Fox  con/tract  on  the 
strength  of  her  performance  in 
"MANON".  ... 

And  topical!  Story  is  set  on  a  ship 
running  D.P.'s  thru  the  British 
blockade  of  Palestine. 
Directed  by  H.-G.  Clouzot,  who 
made  "Jenny  Lamour"  what  she  is 
today ! 

VOC  FILM  CO. 

229  W.  42  St.  -  N.  Y.  C.  (18) 


New  Jersey  TOA 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ing  motion  picture  theatres  and  other 
matters  of  interest  to  exhibitors  also 
are  on  the  agenda. 

The  business  meeting  will  be  fol- 
lowed by  an  all-industry  beefsteak  din- 
ner honoring  Sullivan  and  Ed  Lach- 
raan,  national  exhibitor  co-chairman 
for  the  industry  in  the  Treasury's 
"Savings  Bond  Opportunity  Drive." 


Tighter  Trust  Laws 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Judiciary  Committee  in  the  80th 
Congress. 

Meanwhile,  the  way  has  been 
cleared  for  the  House  Committee  to 
go  ahead  with  its  long-term,  compre- 
hensive study  of  the  need  for  tighten- 
ing the  anti-trust  laws.  The  investiga- 
tion has  been  held  up  for  lack  of 
funds,  and  last  week  the  House  voted 
the  Judiciary  group  $30,000. 


Settle  Middletqwn  Suit 

Hartford,  May  16. — Settlement  out 
of  court  of  the  case  of  Middletown 
Enterprises,  Inc.,  against  the  Capitol 
Theatre  Realty  Corp.,  both  of  Mid- 
dletown, has  been  announced.  Case 
involved  decision  of  what  things  in  the 
theatre  building,  in  Middletown,  were 
fixtures  and  what  were  parts  of  the 
structure. 


criticism  rides  a  noisy  merry-go- 
round." 

The  MPAA  chief  said  a  type  of  in- 
valid criticism  is  "voiced  by  those  who 
want  pictures  made  only  in  their  own 
image."  That,  he  added,  "is  a  broad 
way  of  saying  they  want  pictures  cued 
to  a  definitely  narrow  taste  or  pictures 
which  in  their  opinion  are  suitable  for 
other  people  to  see.  .  .  .  The  extremist 
among  the  conformists  is  for  censor- 
ship of  motion  pictures. ...  I  believe  in 
Parent-Teacher  and  other  community 
groups  rating  pictures  after  production 
as  to  audience  suitability." 

Hailing  the  strides  made  by  motion 
pictures  in  behalf  of  education,  Johns- 
ton cited  these  statistics :  "In  1936, 
there  were  485  sound  projectors  in 
American  schools.  This  year  an  esti- 
mated 50,000  are  in  use.  The  number 
of  films  acceptable  for  teaching  pur- 
poses has  climbed  from  a  scanty  hand- 
ful to  more  than  1,000,000  prints  of 
nearly  7,000  different  titles." 


Higher  Costs 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


reflects  factors  previously  brought  to 
the  attention  of  stockholders,  princi- 
pally to  higher  rates  of  amortization 
of  feature  production  costs  necessi- 
tated by  shrinking  film  revenues,  both 
domestic  and  foreign,"  according  to  a 
company  statement. 

Disney  said  that  the  company  is 
preparing  to  produce  Robert  Louis 
Stevenson's  "Treasure  Island,"  in 
England  this  summer,  acting  jointly 
with  its  distributor,  RKO  Radio. 
About  90  per  cent  of  the  production 
cost  will  be  paid  with  sterling. 

"The  production  and  its  subsequent 
world-wide  distribution  by  RKO 
Radio  should  enable  Disney  Produc- 
tions to  convert  to  dollars  all  of  its 
presently  blocked  British  money,  plus 
substantially  all  that  which  may  ac- 
crue in  the  United  Kingdom  during 
the  next  year,"  it  was  said.  "If  this 
result  is  obtained,  it  will  improve  the 
income  account  for  the  current  year 
and  for  1950." 

In  the  first  half  of  the  current  year, 
total  gross  income  was  $2,746,251  com- 
pared with  $2,543,286  for  the  corre- 
sponding period  a  year  ago. 

D  uring  the  first  six  months  Disney 
Productions  applied  $381,560  to  debt 
reduction  and  to  the  payment  of  all 
remaining  dividend  arrearages  on  pre- 
ferred stock,  which  dividends  amount 
to  $83,610.  Notes  payable  decreased 
$173,574,  the  long-term  serial  loan 
was  reduced  by  $105,026  and  $19,350 
principal  amount  of  debentures  were 
purchased  for  retirement. 


Mrs.  Elizabeth  Duggan 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Duggan,  75,  mother 
of  Pat  Duggan,  vice-president  of  Sam- 
uel Goldwyn  Productions,  died  yes- 
terday in  her  son's  Beverly  Hills 
home.  Mrs;  Duggan,  widely  known 
in  show  business,  is  also  survived  by 
three  daughters. 


Jack  Davis's  Daughter 

London,  May  16.— Iris  Davis,  24, 
daughter  of  Jack  Davis,  formerly  of 
the  Little  Carnegie  Theatre  in  New 
York,  died  here  Saturday  after  a 
radioactive  chemical  from  the  atomic 
ovens  in  Tennessee  failed  to  halt  a 
growing  tumor.  Miss  Davis  was 
stricken  last  autumn  while  on  a  tour 
of  Europe.  Her  father,  who  came  here 
from  New  York  when  his  daughter 
was  stricken,  had  appealed  to  the  U.S. 
Atomic  Energy  Commission  for  the 
chemical  to  save  her  life  and  it  was 
flown  from  Oak  Ridge,  Tenn.,  to 
London. 


Robert  J.  Harmon,  78 

Columbus,  O.,  May  16. — Robert  J. 
Harmon,  78,  former  owner  of  the  Ex- 
hibit and  Knickerbocker  theatres  here, 
died  at  his  home  late  last  week. 


Anglo  -  U.  S.  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  recent  meeting,  which  was  partici-B 
pated  in  only  by  the  six  council  mem-B 
bers.   However,  he  said,  there  was  no| 
final  agreement   reduced   to  writing 
there,  but  only  discussion  of  various 
"suggestions."   "Before  the  agreement 
is  reduced  to  writing"   he  declared, 
"you  can  be  sure  that  plenty  of  law- 
yers will  be  consulted  and  that  the 
final  agreement  will  not  violate  the 
Webb-Pomerene  Act   or   any  other 
law." 


British  Hit  Old  Films 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


handling  the  films  here,  states  that 
one,  "Hollywood  Bound,"  featuring 
Miss  Grable,  was  compiled  from  10 
to  12-year-old  RKO  short  subjects 
purchased  by  Jack  Reiger  in  New 
York  for  the  purpose  of  providing  a 
modest  second-feature,  which  would 
be  sold  as  such.  It  further  asserts 
that  "Stairway  for  a  Star,"  in  which 
Wilde  appears,  was  a  partly  finished 
subject  which  Reiger  took  over  and 
completed  as  a  second  feature.  There 
was  no  intention  of  putting  the  pic- 
tures out  as  new,  first-class  attrac- 
tions, it  was  stated. 

The  CEA  and  KRS,  however,  still 
agree  that  bookings  of  the  pictures 
should  be  discouraged. 

U.  K.  Strike  Threat 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


to  the  exhibitors  and  efforts  are  being 
made  to  convene  an  emergency  meet- 
ing tomorrow  of  the  NATKE  and 
CEA  negotiators.  This  may  be.  diffi- 
cult, however,  in  view  of  the  ab- 
sence of  W.  R.  Fuller,  CEA  general 
secretary,  who  is  vacationing  on  the 
Continent. 

Smaller  exhibitors  declare  they  al- 
ready have  gone  the  limit  on  wage 
concessions  for  theatre  employes, 
whereas  extremists  in  the  NATKE 
camp  are  in  truculent  mood.  Studio 
unions  have  been  asked  by  the 
NATKE  to  stand  by  for  sympathetic 
action  should  no  agreement  be 
reached. 


TWA=7WA~TWA=TWA 


ONLY  TWA  3 


III     offers  300-mph 
|  CONSTELLATION 
1  SERVICE 


Coast-to-coast 
and  overseas 

For  reservations,  call  your  TWA  office 
or  your  travel  agent. 


VOL.  65.  NO.  97 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,   MAY  18,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


is " 


UA  to  Accept 
Bids  for  All 
Chicago  Runs 

Applies  to  Downtown 
And  Subsequent  Houses 

Chicago,  May  17. — United  Art- 
ists will  sell  all  of  its  forthcoming 
product  under  the  bidding  system 
for  downtown  and  subsequent-run 
situations.  Company  had  previously  ex- 
perimented with  selling  under  bidding 
and  negotiations.  Initiating  the  plan 
for  the  Loop  will  be  "The  Crooked 
Way,"  while  outlying  houses  will  be 
able  to  bid  for  "Impact,"  "Jigsaw"  and 
"Africa  Screams,"  previously  booked 
into  the  Loop  under  the  old  system. 

Reason  for  the  company's  resump- 
tion of  bidding  is  believed  to  be  due 
to  the  strong  product  backlog,  includ- 
ing "Champion"  and  "Home  of  the 
Brave,"  booked  into  the  Essaness 
Woods. 


CiteProductionCode 
At  IFCA  Luncheon 


Importance  of  the  industry's  volun- 
tary Production  Code  and  its  admin- 
istration was  stressed  by  the  Rev. 
Patrick  J.  Masterson,  executive  secre- 
tary of  the  National  Legion  of  De- 
cency, at  the  annual  luncheon  of  the 
International  Federation  of  Catholic 
Alumnae  at  the  Pierre  Hotel  here 
yesterday.  Mrs.  James  F.  Looram, 
chairman  of  the  motion  picture  de- 
partment of  the  IFCA  presided.  Other 
speakers  were  Father  Francis  X.  Tal- 
bot, president  of  Loyola  College,  and 
Arthur  De  Bra,  director  of  the  com- 
munity service  department  of  the  Mo- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Tighter  Censorship 
Expected  in  Ontario 

Toronto,  May  17.  —  In  be- 
coming the  Premier  of  On- 
tario through  party  election, 
Leslie  M.  Frost  announces 
that  he  has  retained  the  port- 
folio of  Provincial  Treasurer 
which  means  he  continues  to 
keep  jurisdiction  over  the 
censorship  and  theatre  in- 
spection branches  of  the  gov- 
ernment. He  plans  a  reorgani- 
zation of  film  censorship  un- 
der the  continued  direction  of 
O.  J.  Silverthorne,  including 
an  increase  in  personnel. 


Future  Prospects  Bright, 
Zukor  Tells  Exhibitors 


The  industry's  future  looks  good, 
Adolph  Zukor,  Paramount  board 
chairman,  declared  here  yesterday  at 
the  launching  of  the  re-release  of 
"The  Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine"  at 
a  screening  and  luncheon  at  Toots 
Shor's.  The  luncheon  was  in  honor 
of  Zukor,  who  presented  this  first 
Technicolor  production  in  1936.  Some 
60  exhibitors  attended  as  well  as 
Paramount  executives  and  press 
representatives. 

Hugh  Owen ,  Paramount  Eastern 
and  Southern  division  sales  manager, 
presided. 

Zukor  stressed  the  unity  of  purpose 
that  now  exists  between  the  produc- 
tion, distribution  and  exhibition  ends 
of  the  industry.  He  declared  that  he 
has  "just  as  much  faith  today  in  the 
industry  as  30  years  back."  Zukor 
asserted  that  "television  competition 
will  make  us  do  a  better  job,"  and 
he  urged  exhibitors  "to  encourage 
people  who  make  pictures  to  make 
the  best  possible." 

Exhibitors  invited  were :  Harry 
Royster,  Adam  Adams,  Ben  Greifer, 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


State  Solon s  Hit 
Film  Dollar  Freeze 


Washington,  May  17. — The  Cali- 
fornia state  legislature  today  called  on 
Congress  to  urge  the  U.  S.  State  De- 
partment to  work  for  the  release  of 
American  film  company  assets  frozen 
abroad. 

In  a  resolution  forwarded  to  mem- 
bers of  the  Senate  and  the  House,  the 
state  legislators  pointed  out  that  film 
companies  have  been  making  pictures 
abroad  to  use  the  frozen  assets,  con- 
tributing to  unemployment  in  the  do- 
mestic film  industry. 


AFL  Drive  to  Oust 
SPG  at  RKO  Radio 

AFL's  Sign  Pictorial  and  Display 
Union  here  (Local  No.  230  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  Painters,  Decorators 
and  Paperhangers)  has  expanded  its 
campaign  to  capture  territory  held  by 
CIO's  Screen  Publicists  Guild. 
Thwarted  in  an  attempt  to  win  juris- 
diction over  the  artists'  segment  of  the 
RKO  Radio  publicity  shop  here,  the 
AFL  union  has  applied  to  the  Nation- 
al Labor  Relations  Board  here  for  a 
full  shop  election.  Spokesmen  for  Lo- 
cal No.  230  claim  that  a  majority  of 
RKO  Radio's  publicists  and  artists 
seek  to  sever  connections  with  the 
SPG  which  stands  at  an  impasse  with 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Quigley  Urges  Fair 
US  Employment  Law 

Washington,  May  17.  —  Martin 
Quigley,  as  co-chairman  of  the  Na- 
tional Council  for.  a  Permanent  Fair 
Employment  Practice  Commission,  to- 
day testified  before  a  sub-committee 
of  the  House  Labor  and  Education 
Committee  which  is  conducting  hear- 
ings on  the  anti-discrimination  bill 
now  before  Congress. 

Quigley  urged  favorable  action  by 
the  sub-committee,  declaring  that, 
"The  simplest,  most  basic  require- 
ment for  the  maintenance  of  human 
rights  and  social  justice  is  the  right 
to  equality  of  opportunity  in  earning 
a  livelihood,  without  regard  to  race, 
color,  religion  or  national  origin." 


See  New  Medium 
For  Cutting  US  Tax 

Washington,  May  17. — Rep.  Wil- 
bur Mills,  key  Democratic  member  of 
the  House  Ways  and  Means  Commit- 
tee today  came  up  with  a  new  pro- 
posal on  corporate  income  taxes  which 
may  also  open  the  way  for  an  admis- 
sion tax  reduction  this  year. 

Mills  introduced  a  bill  to  push  cor- 
porate income  tax  payments,  normal- 
ly paid  over  the  12  months  of  1950, 
into  the  first  six  months.  This  plan 
is  designed  to  raise  tax  collections  in 
fiscal  1950,  without  increasing  tax 
rates,  as  a  means  of  avoiding  an  other- 
wise almost  certain  deficit.  The  bill 
has  been  discussed  by  top  Ways  and 
Means  Committee  members,  Treasury 
officials  and  key  Senators. 

If   the   Administration   decides  to 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Fontaine,  Delcambre 
Back  to  SRO  Posts 

J.  E.  Fontaine  and  Alfred  Delcam- 
bre have  rejoined  Selznick  Releasing 
Organization  in  executive  sales  capac- 
ities after  having  been  with  Motion 
Picture  Sales  Corp.  for  a  short  time, 
it  was  announced  here  yesterday  by 
Sidney  G.  Deneau,  SRO  sales  vice- 
president.  Delcambre,  who  will  have 
headquarters  in  Dallas,  replaced  Her- 
man Beiersdorf  who  has  resigned. 
Fontaine  will  have  headquarters  in 
Washington. 

Deneau  said  that  further  additions 
would  be  made  to  the  sales  force  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  the  company  is 
planning  to  release  several  other  pic- 
tures this  summer  and  fall. 


Skouras,  20th 
Board  Elected; 
Profit  Is  Up 

Stockholders  Informed  of 
Divestiture  Development 

Board  of  directors  yesterday  re- 
elected Spyros  P.  Skouras  presi- 
dent of  20th  Century-Fox,  and  all 
other  officers,  following  the  elec- 
tion of  13  directors,  by  stockholders, 
at  the  corporation's  annual  meeting  at 
the  home  office. 

Twentieth-Fox  and  all  subsidiaries, 
including  National  Theatres  and  Roxy 
Theatre,  Inc.,  yesterday  reported  con- 
solidated net  earnings  of  $3,017,736  af- 
ter all  charges,  for  the  first  quarter 
ended  March  26.  After  deducting 
dividends  on  prior  preferred  and  con- 
vertible preferred  stocks,  the  consoli- 
dated net  earnings  amounted  to  $1.04 
per  share  on  2,769,115  shares  of  com- 
mon stock  outstanding. 

Consolidated  net  earnings  after  all 
charges  reported  by  the  corporation 
for  the  first  quarter  of  1948  were  $2,- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


MPAA  Group  Will 
Study  Television 


A  continuing  study  of  television, 
particularly  in  its  relationship  to  mo- 
tion pictures,  was  approved  unani- 
mously by  members  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America's  tele- 
vision committee  at  a  meeting  held 
here  yesterday  in  the  home  office  of 
Columbia  Pictures. 

Columbia  vice-president  Jack  Cohn, 
chairman  of  the  committee,  told  mem- 
bers that  Eric  Johnston,  president  of 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Legislatures  in  26 
States  Adjourned 

Washington,  May  17. — Only 
18  state  legislatures  are  left 
in  session,  26  having  ad- 
journed so  far  this  year,  ac- 
cording to  Jack  Bryson, 
legislative  representative  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America. 

Five  legislatures  adjourned 
recently,  all  without  taking 
any  action  harmful  to  the 
film  industry.  The  states 
were  Minnesota,  North  Caro- 
lina, Pennsylvania,  Maine  and 
Rhode  Island. 


I 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  May  18,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

MAURICE  A.  BERGMAN,  Uni- 
versal-International Eastern  di- 
rector of  advertising-publicity,  and  in- 
dustry chairman  of  the  "Opportunity 
Savings  Bond  Drive,"  returned  here 
yesterday  from  Kansas  City  where 
the  drive  opened  Monday. 

• 

M.  L.  Simons,  assistant  to  H.  M. 
Richey,  M-G-M  exhibitor  relations 
head,  is  in  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  where  he 
will  address  the  local  Chamber  of 
Commerce  and  attend  the  Arkansas 
Independent  Theatre  Owners  conven- 
tion. 

Edward  L.  Hyman,  Paramount 
Theatre  Service  Corp.  vice-president, 
has  returned  to  New  York  from  a 
trip  to  Phoenix,  Los  Angeles,  San 
Francisco  and  Salt  Lake  City. 
• 

Norman  C.  Glassman,  owner  of 
the  Rialto  Theatre,  Lowell,  Mass.,  is 
in  New  York  and  is  staying  at  the 
Hotel  Taft. 

• 

Steve  Broidy,  Monogram  and  Al- 
lied Artists  president,  has  left  Holly- 
wood on  a  tour  of  Southern  and 
Southeastern  exchanges. 

• 

James  L.  Shute,  March  of  Time 
assistant  producer^  has  left  here  for 
Italy  for  a  month's  stay. 

• 

Sam  Galanty,  Columbia  Mid-East 
division  manager,  left  here  yesterday 
for  Cleveland. 

• 

Russell  Holman,  Paramount  East- 
ern production  manager,  left  here  yes- 
terday for  the  Coast. 


Griffith  Counsel  To 
Take  Stand  Today 

Oklahoma  City,  May  17. — Henry 
Griffing,  general  counsel  for  the  Okla- 
homa City  Griffith  companies,  will 
be  called  to  testify  tomorrow  in  the 
mandate  hearing  before  Federal  Judge 
Edgar  S.  Vaught.  He  is  expected  to 
review  the  activities  of  the  companies 
during  the  two  years  since  L.  C.  Grif- 
fith became  seriously  ill.  Charles  B. 
Cochran,  defense  attorney,  said  Grif- 
fing probably  will  be  the  last  defense 
witness. 

Carleton  Updyke,  .former  auditor 
for  the  R.  E.  Griffith  estate  and  R.  E. 
Griffith  Theatres,  Inc.,  testified  today 
concerning  sales  and  consolidations 
made  necessary  by  the  circuit  part- 
ner's death  in  1943.  Other  witnesses 
were  Cliff  White,  Oklahoma  City 
Griffith  buyer,  and  R.  I.  Payne,  Dal- 
las, vice-president  of  Theatre  Enter- 
prises, Inc. 


'Tulsa'  to  the  Capitol 

"Tulsa,"  the  Walter  Wanger-Eagle- 
Lion  Technicolor  production,  has  been 
booked  into  the  New  York  Capitol 
Theatre,  to  follow  the  current  "Sun 
Comes  Up."  The  stage  show  accom- 
panying "Tulsa"  will  be  headed  by 
Eddie  Howard  and  his  orchestra,  with 
Marilyn  Maxwell,  vocalist. 


Drutman  in  FC  Post 

Irving  Drutman,  who  has  just  com- 
pleted a  special  publicity  assignment 
on  United  Artists'  "Home  of  the 
Brave,"  has  joined  Film  Classics  to 
work  in  a  similar  capacity  on  Louis 
de  Rochemont's  "Lost  Boundaries," 
Syd  Gross,  FC  advertising-publicity 
director,  has  announced. 


3  Directors  Reelected 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  stockhold- 
ers of  Technicolor,  Inc.,  Albert  W. 
Hawkes,  James  H.  Hayes,  Harrison 
K.  McCann  and  Kay  Harrison  were 
reelected  directors  for  three  years. 
Eversley  Childs,  Jr.,  was  elected  a 
director  for  two  years. 


Sidney  to  Direct  'Key' 

Hollywood,  May  17.— George  Sid- 
ney will  direct  M-G-M's  "Key  to  the 
City,"  co-starring  Clark  Gable  and 
Loretta  Young,  which  will  start  pro- 
duction in  July. 


E-L  Will  Distribute 
Five  Films  in  June 

Five  productions  will  be  released 
by  Eagle-Lion  during  June,  it  was 
announced  by  William  J.  Heineman, 
distribution  vice-president. 

The  five  are:  Walter  Wanger's 
"Reign  of  Terror,"  starring  Robert 
Cummings,  Richard  Basehart,  Rich- 
ard Hart  and  Arlene  Dahl;  "Ali- 
mony," starring  John  Beal,  Hillary 
Brooke,  Martha  Vickers  and  Douglass 
Dumbrille,  and  three  J.  Arthur  Rank 
productions:  "Don't  Take  It  to 
Heart,"  starring  Richard  Greene,  Al- 
fred Drayton  and  Patricia  Medina; 
"A  Canterbury  Tale,"  starring  Eric 
Portman,  Sheila  Sim,  Kim  Hunter 
and  Dennis  Price,  and  "Sleeping  Car 
to  Trieste,"  starring  Jean  Kent,  Al- 
bert Lieven,  Derrick  De  Marney  and 
Paul  Dupius. 


Mexican  Production 
Hits  Record  at  108 

Mexico  City,  May  17.— Pro- 
ducers see  a  record-high 
production  this  year  of  108 
features,  the  most  made  in 
Mexico  in  any  year  since  the 
industry  really  started  in  1931 
with  the  production  of  the 
first  spoken  film.  The  esti- 
mate is  based  upon  .the  cer- 
tainty that  50  pictures  will  be 
made  up  to  June  30  and  plans 
are  set  to  make  58  in  the  fol- 
lowing six  months. 


Boston  Rally  Opens 
Bond  Drive  Today 

Boston,  May  17. — The  Treasury's 
"Opportunity  Savings  Bond  Drive" 
will  be  initiated  here  tomorrow  with 
a  rally  on  Boston  Common.  Dan 
Dailey  and  Sophie  Tucker  will  head 
a  long  list  of  screen,  stage  and  radio 
talent. 

Governor  Dever  and  Mayor  Curley 
will  participate  in  the  program,  to- 
gether with  many  Federal  and  civic 
notables,  including  co-chairmen  of  the 
motion  picture  savings  bond  commit- 
tee, Sam  Pinanski  and  Daniel  J. 
Murphy. 


Variety  Luncheon  for 
'Jimmy  Cancer  Drive' 

New  Haven,  May  17.— More  than 
75  are  expected  to  attend  a  trade 
luncheon  at  the  Hotel  Taft,  New 
Haven,  tomorrow,  in  conjunction  with 
the  Variety  Club  of  New  England's 
campaign  for  the  "Jimmy  1949  Can- 
cer Drive." 

Among  those  slated  to  attend  are 
Albert  M.  Pickus  of  Stratford,  re- 
gional vice-president  of  the  Theatre 
Owners  of  America  and  chairman  of 
the  state  campaign;  Walter  B.  Lloyd, 
manager  of  the  Allyn  Theatre,  Hart- 
ford, and  James  Darby,  manager  of 
the_  Paramount,  New  Haven,  co- 
chairmen  for  Connecticut. 


Greece  Unfreezes 
$350,000  to  U.  S. 

Washington,  May  17. — The  Cur- 
rency Committee  of  the  Greek  gov- 
ernment has  approved  $350,000  for 
payment  of  U.  S.  film  rentals,  royal- 
ties and  other  items  during  1948-49, 
a  reduction  of  $150,000  below  1947- 
48,  according  to  a  U.  S.  Commerce 
Department  report. 

The  report,  prepared  by  film  chief 
Nathan  D.  Golden,  says  that  inasmuch 
as  about  $250,000  was  used  during  the 
July-through-December  1948  period, 
only  about  $100,000  is  left  for  the 
current  six  months. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


rj1  HE  ending  of  the  Berlin  block- 
■*■  ade  and  the  Holland  Tunnel  blast 
are  current  newsreel  highlights. 
Among  other  items  are  Capot  winning 
the  Preakness,  and  "I  Am  An  Ameri- 
can Day"  celebrations.  Complete  con- 
tents follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  40— Holland 
Tunnel  blast.  Berlin  blockade  lifted.  Presi- 
dent Truman  honors  women  of  achieve- 
ment New  York:  "I  Am  an  American 
Day.  '  Vice-President  Barkley  salutes  Israel. 
Aviation.    Golf.    The  Preakness. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  374— Block- 
ade ends  in  Berlin.  Chemical  blast  rocks 
Holland  Tunnel.  "Grandma"  Moses  wins 
Achievement  Award.  "I  Am  an  American 
Day."   The  Preakness. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS.  No.  77— Preak- 
ness. Berlin  freed  from  blockade.  "I  Am 
an  American  Day." 

TEIjENEWS    DIGEST,    No.  %(*-&— 

Blockade  ends  in  Germany.  Eisler  caught. 
Washington:  arms  for  pact  nations.  Phila- 
delphia Symphony  Orchestra  starts  tour. 
England:  naval  conference.  Egyptian  girls 
do  calisthenics.    Capot  takes  the  Preakness. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWS,  No.  24»— Berlin 
blockade  lifted.  Holland  Tunnel  blast.  Capot 
wins  the  Preakness. 

WARNER  PAT  HE  NEWS,  No.  79— 
Holland  Tunnel  blast.  Berlin  blockade, 
people  m  the  news.  Dewey  on  vacation 
Women  s  press  awards.  Japanese  Emperor 
Swiss  guards  in  the  Vatican.  Seals  on  re- 
mote Pacific  Island.  French  fashions.  Capot 
wins  the  Preakness. 


Louisville  Premiere 
For  Goldwyn  Film 

Samuel  Goldwyn's  "Roseanna  Mc- 
Coy," starring  Joan  Evans  and  Far- 
ley Granger,  will  have  its  world  pre- 
miere in  Louisville,  in  August.  Pic- 
ture deals  with  the  lives  of  Kentucky 
mountain  people. 

The  premiere  has  been  heralded  by 
extensive  picture-story  treatment  in 
the  Sunday  magazine  section  of  the 
Louisville  Courier- Journal.  The  fea- 
ture highlights-  an  interview  with 
Goldwyn's  New  York  representative, 
Lynn  Farnol,  on  premiere  plans. 


Gold  Sets  Quarterly 
Television  Forums 

Quarterly  forums,  with  an  all-day 
round  of  activities,  have  been  placed 
on  the  agenda  of  the  National  Tele- 
vision Film  Council,  by  NTFC  presi- 
dent Melvin  L.  Gold.  Burt  Balaban, 
NTFC  vice-president  and  film  direc- 
tor for  Paramount  Television,  will 
head  committees  and  arrangements  for 
the  quarterly  sessions. 

Daytime  meetings  will  be  climaxed 
by  regular  membership  meetings  in 
the  evening.  First  forum  is  scheduled 
for  June  30. 


Ascap  Video  Talks 
To  Continue  Today 

Ascap  will  continue  its  attempts  to 
reach  an  accord  with  the  television 
industry  on  a  contract  for  music  licens- 
ing at  a  second  meeting  here  today 
with  radio-video  network  executives. 
Fred  Ahlert,  president,  and  other  rep- 
resentatives of  the  Society  began  dis- 
cussions with  video  officials  and,  sepa- 
rately, with  advertising  agency  execu- 
tives earlier  this  week. 

Extensive  negotiations  with  a  spe- 
cial committee  of  the  National  Asso- 
ciation of  Broadcasters  failed  to  pro- 
duce any  agreement  and  were  discon- 
tinued last  week.  The  teleCasters' 
present  pact  with  Ascap  expires  on 
June  1. 


Denies  Puente  Dismissal 

Los  Angeles,  May  17.— Federal 
Judge  Ben  Harrison  denied  a  defense 
motion  today  to  dismiss  the  suit 
brought  by  Steve  and  Emma  Charek, 
owners  of  the  Puente  Theatre,  Puente, 
Calif.,  against  major  distributors  ask- 
ing $241,500  damages  on  the  charge 
that  the  defendants  conspired  to  with- 
hold service  in  unwarranted  protec- 
tion of  theatres  in  Pasadena  and  adja- 
cent towns. 


Para.  Video  Network 
Starts  on  Coast 

Los  Angeles,  May  17.— Television 
station  KTLA  last  night  become  the 
originating  station  for  the  West 
Coast's  first  television  network  hook- 
up, when  San  Diegans  watched  the 
inaugural  program  of  San  Diego's 
first  television  station,  KFMB-TV, 
viewing  a  KTLA  Los  Angeles  video 
show. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  Para- 
mount's  West  Coast  television  net- 
work. 


U-I  Files  Counter  Suit 

Los  Angeles,  May  17. — Universal- 
International  filed  a  cross-complaint 
suit  against  Marston  Pictures,  pro- 
ducers of  "Casbah"  who  have  sued 
U-I  for  $250,000  on  the  grounds  of 
alleged  improper  distribution  of  the 
film.  U-I's  suit  asks  for  repayment  of  I 
$320,439  allegedly  improperly  dis-  ff 
bursed  by  Marston  and  asks  for  a  de 
cree  of  foreclosure  against  the  com 
pany. 


Sur^day^nd  b^Sev^b^  Publisher,  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr..  Associate  Editor.    Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 

New  York."    Martin  Omglev   PresinW^^  -1°  fiy$  ^.ven"e:  Rockefeller   Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.    Telephone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address:  "Quigpubco 

James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Etoor  Herherf  V  T.rd  A^l^''  ^artln  V^^-JS-  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau;  120  South  La  sSle  ^"trllt  Fdi^l  ^"h  F/na?.e-:  GutSt  F^56 '  Pr°Aucti™ .  Manager ;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club  Washington   D  C   T  R  ,  £    ^ d^e['lsmg'  UTrbe"  Farley    Advertising  Representative :  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 

Other  Quigley  Publications :  Motion  pffi'  ^d  Better  The.tret  ^SS^*9  <?1°n  W 1 \H°Pm -^""ft  Manager.  Peter  Burnup,_  Editor:  cable  address.  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame     Entered  as  iJ^l    I  \    A  T^ole  Al'es'   eact a?ubh?hld  13,rtime\Ta  7,ear        a  ,section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 

year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign-  single  copies  10c  P       '         '       the  P°St  *   NeW  Y°rk'  N'  Y"  Under  the  act  of  March  3'  1879-    Subscription  rates  per 


M-G-M's  HANDY  GUIDE  for  SHOWMEN! 


'FRIENDS  GALORE  when  you  play 
M-G-M's  Technicolor  "LITTLE  WOMEN" 
beloved  by  all!  June  Allyson,  Peter  Lawford, 

i  Margaret  O'Brien,  Elizabeth  Taylor,  Janet 
Leigh.  Big  promotion!  Big  business! 


RINGS  THE  BELLI 

M-G-M's  "MADAME  BOVARY"  is  the  talk 
of  the  Coast!  Audiences  say:  "Daring,  gor- 
geous, romantic,  thrilling."  Jennifer  Jones, 
James  Mason,  Van  Heflin,  Louis  Jourdan. 


A  TREASURE! 

I  M-G-M's  "GREAT  SINNER."  Big  Picture! 
I  Big  Cast!  Gregory  Peck,  Ava  Gardner,  Melvyn 

Douglas,  Walter  Huston,  Ethel  Barrymore, 

Frank  Morgan. 


BRAVO!  BRAVO!"  They're  cheering 
M-G-M's  "THE  STRATTON  STORY."  World 
iPremiere  Cleveland,  sets  new  attendance 
record!  Nationwide  praise!  James  Stewart! 
| June  Allyson.  Wonderful  trailer  too! 


YOUR  WISH  COMES  TRUE! 

M-G-M's  "BARKLEYS  OF  BROADWAY" 
another  Technicolor  musical  in  "Easter 
Parade"  class,  re-unites  Fred  Astaire  and 
Ginger  Rogers  with  tremendous  publicity. 
Plus  Oscar  Levant.  Great  at  State,  N.  Y. 


FULL  HOUSE  when  you  book  M-G-M's 
"ANY  NUMBER  CAN  PLAY"  which  Coast 
preview  audiences  say  is  "Best  Gable  picture 
in  years."  Co-stars  Alexis  Smith.  Plus  Wendell 
Corey,  Audrey  Totter. 


C'MON  IN!  THE  PICTURE'S  FINE! 

M-G-M's  "NEPTUNE'S  DAUGHTER," 
Queen  of  Technicolor  Musicals.  Esther 
Williams,  Red  Skelton,  Ricardo  Montalban, 
Betty  Garrett,  Keenan  Wynn,  Xavier  Cugat. 


MONEY  IN  THE  BANK! 

M-G-M's  "TAKE  ME  OUT  TO  THE  BALL 
GAME"  spreads  Technicolor  happiness  from 
Coast  to  Coast  with  gayety,  singing,  romanc- 
ing by  Frank  Sinatra,  Esther  Williams,  Gene 
Kelly,  Betty  Garrett,  Jules  Munshin. 


REMEMBER  THE  PROPHECY! 

M-G-M's  "EDWARD,  MY  SON,"  the  No.  1 
Broadway  dramatic  stage  hit  is  even  greater 
on  the  screen.  Spencer  Tracy,  Deborah  Kerr. 
"Gleaming  gem,"  says  Boxoffice. 


BOX-OFFICE  MUSIC! 

M-G-M's  "IN  THE  GOOD  OLD  SUMMER 
TIME"  is  compared  to  "Meet  Me  in  St.  Louis" 
at  previews,  it's  that  good!  Judy  Garland,  Van 
Johnson.  Technicolor!  Songs! 


AND  LOTS  MORE! 


And  for  that  helping  hand  at  the  Boxoffice- 
You've  got  to  hand  it  to  M-G-M's 

9* 


M-G-M  hands  out  more  advertising 
for  you  than  any  other  company  in 
newspapers,  magazines,  radio! 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  May  18,  1949 


Skouras,  20th-Fox 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


926,842,  which  after  deducting  pre- 
ferred dividends  amounted  to  $1.00  per 
share  on  2,769,024  shares  of  common 
then  outstanding.  Earnings  for  the 
fourth  quarter  of  1948  were  $3,389,651. 

Members  of  the  board  who  were  re- 
elected by  stockholders  to  serve  until 
1950  included:  L.  Sherman  Adams, 
Robert  L.  Clarkson,  Wilfred  J.  Eadie, 
Daniel  O.  Hastings,  Donald  A.  Hen- 
derson, Robert  Lehman,  William  C. 
Michel,  William  P.  Philips,  Seton 
Porter,  Murray  Silverstone,  Skouras 
and  Darryl  F.  Zanuck.  Robert  E. 
Hannegan,  former  U.  S.  Postmaster- 
General,  was  elected  a  director,  re- 
placing the  late  John  E.  Dillon. 

Officers  Reelected 

Reelected  with  Skouras  "were  the 
following :  Michel,  executive  vice- 
president  ;  Zanuck,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  production;  Silverstone, 
vice-president ;  Joseph  H.  Moskow- 
itz,  vice-president;  Al  Lichtman, 
vice-president;  Andrew  W.  Smith,  Jr., 
vice-president  in  charge  of  domestic 
distribution ;  S.  Charles  Einfeld,  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  advertising, 
publicity  and  exploitation ;  Henderson, 
treasurer  and  secretary ;  Eadie,  comp- 
troller and  assistant  treasurer ;  Fran- 
cis T.  Kelly,  assistant  treasurer ;  Fred 
L.  Metzler,  assistant  treasurer ;  C.  El- 
wood  McCarthey,  assistant  comp- 
troller ;  J.  Harold  Lang,  assistant 
secretary ;  Norman  B.  Steinberg,  as- 
sistant secretary ;  George  F.  Wasson, 
Jr.,  assistant  secretary,  and  William 
Werner,  assistant  secretary. 

Company's  film  rentals  and 
theatre  receipts  rose  for  the 
13  weeks  ended  March  26  to 
$43,490,969  from  the  1948  cor- 
responding period's  $40,316,174. 
Subsidiary  National  Theatres' 
profit  for  1948  was  reported  at 
$8,600,000,  compared  with  $10,- 
200,000  for  the  previous  year. 
National's  profit  for  the  first 
quarter  of  this  year  was  report- 
ed at  $2,100,000,  compared  with 
$2,300,000  for  the  same  period 
of  1948. 

The  stockholders'  meeting,  described 
by  recalcitrant  minority  stockholder 
Gilbert  Fuller  as  one  of  the  best  ever 
held  in  the  industry,  was  marked  by 
lengthy  questioning  by  stockholders  of 
Skouras  and  company  attorney  Otto 
Koegel,  with  the  latter  serving  as 
meeting  chairman. 

Queried  on  Divestiture 

One  question  concerned  the  com- 
pany's progress  in  connection  with  di- 
vestiture and  acquisition  of  theatre 
properties  under  the  provisions  of  re- 
cent rulings  in  the  industry  anti-trust 
suit,  Koegel  reported  that  dissolution 
negotiations  are  progressing  between 
20th-Fox  and  theatre  partner  Golden 
State  (M.  J.  Naify).    Meanwhile,  he 


Review 


"Neptune's  Daughter" 

(M-G-M) 

A  DROIT  showmanship,  the  kind  that  draws  dollars,  has  gone  into  the 
■tA  making  of  "Neptune's  Daughter."  It  is  about  as  popular  an  attraction 
for  hot-weather  months  as  any  exhibitor  reasonably  might  expect  to  find 
coming  his  way.  O.K.  for  fall  and  winter  dates,  too. 

The  allegorical  daughter  is  Esther  Williams,  who  graduates  into  the  swim 
suit  business  with  Keenan  Wynn  as  partner,  and  gets  romantically  involved 
with  polo-playing  Ricardo  Montalban.  This  straight  romance  has  a  parallel 
in  a  comedy  romance  between  Betty  Garrett,  who  plays  Miss  Williams' 
sister,  and  Red  Skelton,  masseur  mistaken  for  Montalban.  The  complications 
are  obvious,  entirely  routine,  and  unravel  for  the  expected  finish. 

This  story  base,  quickly  told  and  probably  as  quickly  assembled  by  scenarist 
Dorothy  Kingsley,  actually  is  the  excuse  for  comedy  byplay  between  Miss 
Garrett  and  Skelton,  the  attraction's  two  brightest  performances,  and  parades 
— in  Technicolor — of  symmetrical  show  girls  in  swimming  togs  plus  a  spec- 
tacular water  ballet  as  well  as  song  and  dance  numbers  and  assorted  what-not. 

The  combined  result  is  a  pleasant  and  frothy  musical  which,  like  all  musi- 
cals, goes  from  high  spot  to  low  spot  in  uncertain  progression  toward  a 
happy  closing. 

Miss  Williams  does  reasonably  well  with  the  dramatics,  such  as  she  is  called 
upon  to  deliver.  She  is  at  her  best,  of  course,  when  poised  on  the  diving 
board  and  in  graceful  motion  in  the  pool.  Montalban  cuts  a  nice,  romantic 
dash  which  ought  to  register  neatly  with  the  distaff  side.  Wynn  bobs  in  and 
out  of  the  picture  aimlessly  and  never  gets  a  chance. 

"Neptune's  Daughter,"  produced  by  Jack  Cummings  and  directed  by  Ed- 
ward Buzzell,  with  an  unflinching  eye  on  corn,  nevertheless  is  one  for  the 
money.    Could  be  big  money,  too. 

Running  time,  93  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  June  release 
date,  June,  1949.  Red  Kann 


Zukor  Optimistic 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Tom  Adams,  Eugene  Picker,  Sol 
Schwartz,  Sam  Blaskey,  Frank  Mar- 
shal, Sam  Goodman,  Fred  Schwartz, 
Harold  Rinzler,  Manny  Frisch,  Jack 
Harris,  Joseph  Seider,  Walter  Hig- 
gins,  Si  Fabian,  Sam  Rosen,  Bernie 
Brooks,  Harold  Blumenthal,  Harry 
Brandt,  Joe  Ingber,  Leo  Brecher, 
Norman  Arenwald,  Irving  Dollinger, 
Max  Cohen,  Lou  Fischler,  Nat  Har- 
ris, I.  Zatkin,  Leo  Rosenblatt,  Sam 
Einhorn,  Jules  Liggett,  C.  E.  Smith, 
Wilbur  Snaper,  David  Snape'r,  Mur- 
ray Miller,  Irving  Renner,  Don  Jacox, 
William  White,  Paul  Behrke,  Arthur 
Wyckoff,  Norman  Elson,  "Doc" 
Brown,  George  Skouras,  John  Mur- 
phy and  Ted  Drassner.  . 

Representing  Paramount,  in  addi- 
tion to  Owen  and  Zukor,  were  Paul 
Raibourn,  Robert  Weitman,  Hal 
Pereira,  Max  Fellerman,  Ben  Washer 
and  Mort  Nathanson.  Others  invited 
were  Henry  Fonda,  Arlene  Francis, 
Mary  McCarty,  Arleen  Whelan,  Sir 
Cedric  Hardwicke,  Virginia  Field  and 
Carol  Stone. 


DU-ART... 

A  GOOD  NAME  TO  REMEMBER  FOR 
LABORATORY  WORK  •  16  mm,  35  mm 


DEVELOPING  BY 
JET  TURBULATION 

FOR    HIGH  QUALITY 
UNIFORM  NEGATIVES 
U  MM.  35  MM. 


DU-ART  FILM  LABORATORIES,  Inc. 

245  WEST  55th  ST.  .  co_  5.5S84 


said,  the  company  has  made  an  ar- 
rangement with  United  Artists  Thea- 
tres for  the  acquisition  of  the  latter's 
two-third  interest  in  Los  Angeles' 
Chinese  Theatre  for  $700,000,  which 
would  make  20th-Fox  full  owner  of 
the  house  through  Fox  West  Coast. 
To  balance  this,  20th-Fox's  interest 
in  four  other  mutually-owned  theatres 
on  the  Coast  will  be  sold  to  UA  The- 
atres for  $387,000.  Koegel  told  the 
stockholders  also  that  the  United 
West  Coast  pool  had  been  dissolved 
in  conformity  with  court  rulings. 

Report  on  Blocked  Funds 

Reporting  on  the  company's  usage 
of  currencies  blocked  overseas,  Skou- 
ras said  $1,000,000  in  Italian  lira  was 
used  by  the  company  to  make  the 
recently-completed  "Prince  of  Foxes" 
in  that  country ;  $1,950,000  in  pounds, 
francs  and  marks  went  into  the  pro- 
duction of  "I  Was  a  Male  War 
Bride,"  in  Europe;  $2,000,000  in 
pounds  will  be  used  to  produce  "Black 
Rose"  in  England  and  South  Africa, 
and  the  company  will  continue  to  pro- 
duce in  blocked  currency  countries  un- 
til "better  means"  can  be  found  to 
make  possible  the  release  of  frozen 
funds.  Also,  Skouras  said,  the  com- 
pany spent  166,000  pounds  sterling 
(blocked)  to  increase  theatre  holdings 
abroad. 

Skouras  said  he  is  "optimistic"  that 
U.  S.  companies  will  benefit  from  the 
results  of  the  recent  Anglo-U.  S.  Film 
Council  talks. 

Average  cost  of  the  24  pictures 
which  20th-Fox  will  make  this  year 
will  be  $1,783,000,  Skouras  said,  com- 
paring this  with  $1,870,000  average  for 
the  21  made  last  year,  and  $2,300,000 
average  for  the  18  released  in  1947. 
Citing  those  figures  to.  inform  the 
stockholders  of  the  extent  to  which 
the  company  has  gone  to  effect  pro- 
duction economies,  Skouras  added  that 
in  1948  20th-Fox's  over-all  economies 
totalled  $5,500,000.  No  sacrifice  was 
made  in  quality  to  effect  these  econo- 
mies, Skouras  said. 

Stating  that  20th-Fox  is  placing 
much  of  its  hope  for  the  future  in 
theatre  television  progress,  Skouras 
said  he  expects  that  in  about  18 
months  the  company  will  be  prepared 
to  install  large-screen  video  in  25  of 


the  company's  Fox  West  Coast  the- 
atres. He  said  a  special  video  channel 
has  been  applied  for  in  this  connection, 
and  word  is  being  awaited  from  the 
Federal  Communications  Commission. 

Although  some  minority  stockhold- 
ers present  challenged  the  payment  of 
pensions  to  company  officers  upon  re- 
tirement, others  took  the  floor  to  ex- 
press support  of  the  pension  plan  and 
high  salaries  on  the  ground  that  good 
management  necessarily  comes  at  a 
high  price. 

Following  the  meeting,  the  stock- 
holders remained  in  the  20th-Fox 
home  office  screening  room  at  Skouras' 
invitation  to  view  a  large-screen  tele- 
vision demonstration  which  featured 
an  outline  by  Skouras  of  the  com- 
pany's theatre  video  plans,  and  enter- 
tainment by  Ed  Thorgussen,  actor 
Richard  Conte  and  singer  Joan 
Edwards. 

_  The  company  reported  following  the 
directors'  meeting  that  no  action  was 
taken  by  the  board  on  studio  executive 
Joseph  M.  Schenck's  recent  resigna- 
tion application  which  has  been 
rejected  by  Skouras. 


Fifty  at  Para.  Sales 
Luncheon  at  Chicago 

Chicago,  May  17— Fifty  exhibitors 
joined  Paramount  representatives  at 
the  Central  division  sales  meeting  for 
luncheon  at  the  Drake  Hotel  here  to- 
day where  brief  talks  were  given  by 
John  Balaban  of  Balaban  and  Katz, 
Jimmy  Soston  of  Warner  Bros.,  and 
Jack  Kirsch  of  Allied,  who  paid  their 
respects  to  Paramount  sales  manager 
A.  W.  Schwalberg. 

The  meeting  was  also  addressed  to- 
day by  William  Wyler,  producer  and 
director  of  "The  Heiress." 


20th  Board  Declares  Quarterly 
Dividends  on  3  Types  of  Stock 

Board  of  directors  of  20th  Century- 
Fox  yesterday  declared  a  quarterly 
dividend  of  $1.12^  per  share  (or  the 
equivalent  in  sterling  at  the  rate  of 
exchange  on  date  of  payment  to  hold- 
ers of  record  residing  in  the  United 
Kingdom)  on  outstanding  prior  pre- 
ferred stock,  payable  June  15,  to 
stockholders  of  record  on  June  1. 

A  quarterly  dividend  of  37yZ  cents 
per  share  on  outstanding  convertible 
preferred  stock  of  the  company  has 
been  declared  payable  June  24,  to 
stockholders  of  record  June  1. 

A  quarterly  dividend  of  50  cents 
per  share  on  outstanding  common 
stock  has  been  declared  payable  on 
June  24  to  stockholders  of  record  on 
June  1. 


Title  Town  Premiere 

Lambertville,   N.   J.,   May  17.  

World  premiere  of  the  Paramount 
short,  "The  Lambertville  Story,"  star- 
ring Paul  Whiteman,  was  held  here 
today. 


Crowe  to  Speak  at 
Americanism  Meet 

Hollywood,  May  17. — Guthrie  F. 
Crowe,  department  commander  of  the 
American  Legion  in  Kentucky  and  a 
former  president  of  the  Kentucky 
Theatre  Owners  Association,  will  be 
the  principal  speaker  at  the  annual 
Americanism  meeting  of  the  Allied 
Post  302  Friday  night  at  the  Hotel 
Ambassador.  Six  hundred  persons, 
representing  all  phases  of  the  amuse- 
ment industry,  are  expected  to  attend, 
with  Charles  P.  Skouras,  an  honorary 
Colonel,  presenting  awards  and  cita- 
tions. 


Schrieber  Back  in  N.  Y. 

Sidney  Schrieber,  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America  counsel,  has 
returned  to  New  York  after  a  three- 
week  tour  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Buenos 
Aires,  Santiago  and  Lima  where  he 
consulted  with  attorneys  on  MPAA 
affairs. 


BANKING  FOR  THE 
MOTION  PICTURE 
INDUSTRY 


MEMBER    FEDERAL   DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


Wednesday,  May  18,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Drive  Against  SPG 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

distributors  in  new  contract  negotia- 
tions. 

SPG  reported  yesterday  that  NLRB 
New  York  regional  director  Charles 
T.  Douds  rejected  an  application  by 
Local  No.  230  to  represent  a  group 
of  RKO  Radio  artists  who  several 
weeks  ago  resigned  from  the  Guild. 
These  artists,  SPG  claims,  are  part 
of  an  industry-wide  bargaining  unit 
which  is  represented  by  the  Guild. 
Douds,  SPG  said,  ruled  against  fur- 
ther proceedings  in  connection  with 
Local  230's  bid  for  the  artists  on  the 
ground  that  the  artists'  unit  "is  in- 
appropriate for  the  purposes  of  col- 
lective bargaining." 

Meanwhile,  SPG,  and  its  sister 
union,  Screen  Office  and  Professional 
Employes  Guild,  which  have  stepped 
up  picketing  of  Loew's  theatres  here 
in  protest  against  the  breakdown  in 
industrywide  contract  negotiations, 
have  adopted  a  no-picketing  rule  for 
Loew's  theatres  showing  Eagle-Lion 
pictures  this  week.  E-L  is  the  only 
company  now  signed  with  the  unions. 


Ask  Decision  Be  Upheld 

Washington,  May  17. — Telefilm, 
Inc.,  today  asked  the  U.  S.  Supreme 
Court  to  uphold  a  Los  Angeles  Su- 
perior Court  decision  awarding  the 
company  $300,000  damages  in  an  un- 
fair competition  suit  against  Harry 
M.  Warner,  Nathan  Levinson,  and 
six  other  defendants.  Warner  and  the 
other  defendants  had  asked  the  Los 
Angeles  court  for  a  new  trial  after 
a  jury  in  December,  1947,  had  award- 
ed Telefilm  $250,000  compensatory 
and  $50,000  exemplary  damages. 


'I A'  Pact  Talks  Fail; 
Walsh's  Entry  Asked 

A  breakdown  in  new  contract 
negotiations  at  Paramount  News  and 
DeLuxe  Laboratories,  has  brought  a 
request  by  IATSE  Motion  Picture 
Home  Office  Employes  Local  No. 
H-63  that  "IA"  international  presi- 
dent Richard  F.  Walsh  intervene  to 
bring  about  agreements.  It  is  under- 
stood that  H-63  has  refused  to  yield 
in  its  demands  for  substantial  salary 
increases.  However,  before  taking 
"drastic"  action  against  the  companies, 
the  local's  executives  have  decided  to 
seek  agreements  with  Walsh's  assist- 
ance. Walsh  is  expected  to  appoint 
a  top  "I A"  international  officer  to 
represent  him  in  future  talks  involv- 
ing Paramount  News  and  DeLuxe. 

Meanwhile,  H-63  has  filed  a  peti- 
tion with  the  National  Labor  Rela- 
tions Board  here  to  be  certified  as  the 
bargaining  representative  of  the  200 
Carl  Fischer  Music  Co.  employes  in 
the  city,  it  is  reported  by  Russell 
Moss,  executive  vice-president. 


Screen  Quiz  Reel 

A  press  and  exhibitor  screening  of 
the  new  quiz  reel,  "Who?  When?  and 
Where?,"  presented  by  Santa  Claus 
Quiz  Shows,  Inc.,  was  held  here  yes- 
terday at  the  RCA  Johnny  Victor 
Theatre.  The  film  is  part  of  a  series 
of  quiz  shows  offering  prizes  to  thea- 
tre-going winners.  The  idea  is  to  pre- 
sent the  reels  each  week.  The  series 
will  offer  community  and  state  prizes. 
State  winners  then  will  compete  for 
national  prizes,  which  will  be  worth 
more  than  $100,000  to  a  single  film- 
goer,  according  to  Ray  Jackson,  head 
of  the  firm. 


Cite  Production  Code 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

tion  Picture  Association  of  America. 

Father  Masterson  cited  "the  fine  co- 
operation" extended  to  the  Legion  by 
the  industry.  Other  speakers  paid  trib- 
ute to  the  late  Mrs.  Rita  L.  McGold- 
rick,  founder  and  first  chairman  of 
film  department  of  IFCA. 

Others  on  the  dais  were :  Nate 
Spingold,  Albert  Howson,  William 
Kelly,  and  Father  Thomas  Little. 

Agenda  Is  Set  for 
NCA  Convention 

Minneapolis,  May  17. — Following 
an  open  discussion  with  20th-Fox 
sales  executives  Al  Lichtman  and 
Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  on  the  com- 
pany's new  sales  policy,  there  will 
be  talks  by  several  other  industry 
leaders  and  Mayor  Hoyer  of  Minne- 
apolis, at  the  North  Central  Allied 
convention  in  Minneapolis,  May  23- 
24. 

Buying  problems,  with  emphasis  on 
percentages  and  forced  buying,  are 
also  high  on  the  agenda  of  trade  prac- 
tices tagged  for  debate.  Non-mem- 
bers are  invited  to  participate. 


Mrs.  Gertrude  Birnbaum 

Mrs.  Gertrude  Pleshette  Birnbaum, 
59,  mother  of  Gene  Pleshette,  mana- 
ger of  the  Brooklyn  Paramount  The- 
atre, died  Sunday  at  her  home  in  the 
Bronx.  Other  survivors  are  the 
widower,  Jacob,  two  other  sons,  Ar- 
nold and  Manuel  Pleshette,  and  two 
grandchildren,  Michael  and  Susan. 
Services  will  be  conducted  today  at 
the  Park  West  Memorial  Chapel, 
with  Rabbi  Elias  Solomon  officiating. 


MPAA  Group 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  MPAA,  had  chosen  them  so  that 
the  committee  Would  be  representative 
of  engineers,  film  executives  and 
economists.  Committeemen  who  also 
attended  yesterday's  meeting  included: 
Theodore  Black,  Lewis  Blumberg, 
Robert  Chambers,  Edward  T.  Chey- 
fitz,  Oscar  Doob,  Paul  Raibourn,  John 
Whitaker  and  Frank  Cahill. 

After  a  discussion  of  Federal  Com- 
munications Commission  channels  for 
theatre  television  the  committee  au- 
thorized the  secretary,  Edward  T. 
Cheyfitz,  to  engage  a  paid  assistant 
who  would  devote  his  entire  time 
to  the  committee's  television  activi- 
ties. 

The  committee  viewed  a  film  on  the  . 
subject  of  "Phonevision"  and  listened 
to  John  R.  Holland,  assistant  to  the 
president  of  Zenith  radio,  discuss  his 
company's  plans  for  utilizing  telephone 
wires  in  connection  with  television. 


See  New  Medium 

( Continued  from  page  1 ) 

give  the  Mills  Bill  a  green  light,  ex- 
cise reductions  will  almost  certainly 
be  tacked  on. 

The  change  of  the  corporate  income 
tax  payments  is  itself  of  interest  to 
film  firms.  Companies  now  can  pay 
corporate  income  taxes  for  one  year 
in  four  quarterly  installments  during 
the  next  year.  But  under  the  Mills 
Bill,  corporations  working  on  a  cal- 
endar year  basis  will  pay  all  of  their 
1949  taxes  in  two  equal  installments 
before  July  1,  1950.  Corporations  pay- 
ing taxes  on  a  fiscal  year  will  have  to 
pay  their  total  taxes  within  six  months. 


ALL  NEW/ 

A  COLUMBIA  SERIAL 


WORLD'S  GREATEST  ADVENTURE  TEAM . . , 

and 


mm 

1  V 

/A 

Like  SUPERMAN... 

mUMirtiTV  SERIAL  SCOOP... 
MIGHir  w    por  ANY  ti 


THEATRE! 


Because  .  .  .  Like  SUPERMAN,  BATMAN  commands  a 
tremendous  and  loyal  pre-sold  audience  . . .  the  same 
kind  that  filled  all  those  SUPERMAN  serial  seats! 

And  because  .  .  .  Like  SUPERMAN  .  .  .  BATMAN  is  backed 
by  another  high-powered  ticket-selling  campaign 
aimed  to  reach  this  amazing  nation-wide  audience! 

Copyright  1949  National  Comics  Publications 


How  the  Navy  uses 
Western  Electric 
recording  equipment 


Western  Electric  "300"  recording  system  in 
use  aboard  Navy  Electronics  Laboratory  ves- 
sel at  sea.  (Official  photograph  U.  S.  Navy) 


U.  S.  Navy  scientists  use  Western 
Electric  sound  film  recording  equip- 
ment to  make  on-the-spot  records  of 
the  operation  of  sonar,  radar,  fire  con- 
trol and  other  naval  electronic  equip- 
ment. These  sound  motion  pictures 
provide  a  permanent  record  for  labora- 
tory study  whenever  and  wherever 
needed. 

Of  particular  value  for  use  at  sea — - 
and  beneath  the  sea  in  submarines — 


is  the  "300"  recording  system  shown 
above.  Compact  and  portable,  with 
the  dependability  needed  for  extended 
cruises,  this  equipment  effectively  re- 
cords the  low  frequency  sound  reflec- 
tions and  the  high  frequency  transients 
encountered  in  sonar  and  radar  studies. 

It  is  this  dependability  and  fine  sound 
quality  which  have  made  Western 
Electric  recording  equipment  the  fa- 
vorite throughout  the  world. 


Electrical  Research  Products  Division 

Of 

Western  Electric  Company 

INCORPORATED  *  / 

120  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK  5,  N.Y. 

Hollywood  office  —  6601  Romaine  St. 


r~ .... 

!  FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

1  Accurate 

IN 

Tl  All 

Concise 

FILM 

and 

NEWS 

i 

JLf/VI JL I 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.  NO.  98 

NEW  YORK,   U.S.A.,   THURSDAY,   MAY  19,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

TOA  Asks  for 
Video  Trailers 
For  New  Films 


Company  Heads  Urged  to 
Start  Experimentations 

Gael  Sullivan,  executive  director 
of  the  Theatre  Owners  of  America, 
has  sent  a  recommendation  to  pro- 
duction-distribution company  presi- 
idents  for  the  experimental  use  of 
television  trailers  to  promote  feature 
pictures. 

"The  television  committee  of  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  has  been 
working  to  determine  how  television 
might  best  be  used  by  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry,"  and  "as  a  result  of  its 
studies  we  feel  that  at  this  time  tele- 
vision might  serve  us  best  through  its 
advertising  potential,"  said  Sullivan  in 
a  letter  to  company  heads. 

TOA  officials  have  been  urging 
television  trailers  for  the  promotion  of 
new  product  for  some  time ;  Sullivan's 
recommendation  direct  to  company 
presidents  is  the  first  formal  action  to 
be  taken. 

"We  have  advocated  strongly  the 

(.Continued  on  page  7) 

New  British  Wage 
Scales  Agreed  Upon 

London,  May  18. — Agreement  on 
another  wage  scale  for  British  thea- 
tre employes  was  reached  at_  a  pro- 
longed meeting  here  last  night  by 
negotiators  for  Cinematograph  Ex- 
hibitors Association  and  the  National 
Association  of  Theatrical  and  Kine 
Employes.   The   first  agreement  ar- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Fabian  Honored  at 
Coast  UJWF  Dinner 

Hollywood,  May  18.  —  Reu- 
ven  Dafni,  Israel  Consul  to 
seven  Western  states,  was 
the  principal  speaker  tonight 
at  a  testimonial  dinner  to  Si 
Fabian  of  New  York,  nation- 
al chairman  of  the  United 
Jewish  Welfare  Fund,  given 
by  the  Los  Angeles  Motion 
Picture  Industry  Division  and 
the  Theatres  and  Exchanges 
Division  of  the  JWF,  of  which 
Jack  L.  Warner  is  president 
and  Henry  Ginsberg  is  the 
local  industry  campaign  chair- 
man. 


Name  MPEA  Committee 
On  Anglo-US  Proposals 


Special  committee  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Export  Association  assigned  to 
determine  the  workability  and  further 
clarification  of  the  proposals  advanced 
by  the  Anglo-American  Films  Coun- 
cil has  been  appointed  here  to  work 
with  Arthur  Loew,  head  of  Loew's  In- 
ternational, who  had  been  named  by 
MPEA  president  Eric  A.  Johnston 
earlier  to  serve  as  chairman. 

The  group  consists  of  Emanuel  Sil- 
verstone,  vice-president  of  20th  Cen- 
tury-Pox International ;  Norton  V. 
Ritchey,  president  of  Monogram  In- 
ternational ;  Abe  Schneider,  Columbia 
vice-president  and  treasurer,  and  John 
G.  McCarthy,  managing  director  of 
the  international  division  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America. 

Appointment  of  Loew  by  Johnston 
was  made  at  an  MPEA  meeting  here 
last  Friday,  when  some  company 
presidents  and  foreign  department 
heads  made  it  clear  that  their  ac- 
ceptance of  the  proposals,  including 
the  subsidization  of  British  produc- 
tion, was  not  in  immediate  prospect. 


Arnall  Presses  D.  C. 
Attack  on  MPEA 


Washington,  May  18. — SIMPP 
president  Ellis  Arnall  followed  up  his 
written  protests  on  the  Anglo-Ameri- 
can Film  Council  proposals  with  per- 
sonal calls  here  today.  The  proposals 
are  being  considered  by  the  Motion 
Picture  Export  Association. 

Arnall  could  not  be  reached  and 
SIMPP's  Washington  law  firm  of 
Barnes  and  Hill  did  not  know  exactly 
whom  he  had  seen.  But  it  was  estab- 
lished that  he  had  talked  with  State 
Department  film  chief  Merrill  Gay 
and  other  State  Department  officials, 
and  it  was  reported — but  could  not  be 
confirmed — that  he  had  talked  to  offi- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


All  BVay  Theatres 
To  Show  Bond  Film 


Every  motion  picture  theatre  on 
Broadway  will  participate  in  the  U.  S. 
Treasury's  "Opportunity  Savings 
Bond  Drive"  next  Tuesday,  by  show- 
ing the  special  Jack  Benny  short,  "The 
Spirit  of  '49,"  which  was  produced  by 
the  motion  picture  industry  committee 
participating  in  the  bond  drive,  it  was 
announced  here  yesterday  by  Maurice 
A.  Bergman,  Universal-International 
executive  and  chairman  of  the  indus- 
try committee. 

The  short  stars  Benny  and  his  part- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Ascap,  Telecasters 
Nearing  Agreement 
On  Terms  for  Music 


American  Society  of  Composers, 
Authors  and  Publishers  and  top-eche- 
lon representatives  of  the  television  in- 
dustry yesterday  appeared  to  have 
reached  a  tentative  agreement  on 
terms  for  keeping  Ascap  music  on  vi- 
deo beyond  June  1,  when  current 
contracts  expire. 

While  no  conclusions  were  reached, 
all  indications  were  that  at  another 
meeting,  probably  today,  both  sides 
will  narrow  down  the  last  remaining 
issues  to  the  point  where  specific  ap- 
proval of  licensing  provisions  could  be 
made. 

In  the  absence  of  official  comment 
there  were  reports  that  Ascap  and 
the  television  executives  were  agree- 

(Conlinued  on  page  7) 


Video  Seen  Bringing 
Newsreel  Changes 


One  of  the  changes  that  television 
will  bring  upon  theatrical  newsreels 
will  be  the  presentation  of  fewer 
stories  but  with  more  extensive  back- 
ground and  documentation,  according 
to  John  Tobin,  general  manager  of 
The  Telenews  Digest,  newsreel.  In 
an  interview  here,  Tobin  pointed  out 
that  television  can  get  films  on  the 
screen  faster  than  they  can  be  gotten 
into  the  theatre.  As  a  result,  he  said, 
the  trend  in  theatrical  newsreels  will 
be  toward  longer  reports  and  greater 
comprehensiveness. 

Last  month,  Telenews  switched 
from  one  to  two  theatrical  newsreel 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


3  Urge  Tighter 
Anti- trust  Laws 


Washington,  May  18. — Herbert 
A.  Bergson,  head  of  the  Justice  De- 
partment's anti-trust  division ;  Wil- 
liam T.  Kelley,  general  counsel  of  the 
Federal  Trade  Commission,  and  Dr. 
John  Clark  of  the  President's  Coun- 
cil of  Economic  Advisers,  lined  up 
solidly  today  behind  a  bill  to  tighten 
the  Federal  anti-trust  laws. 

The  bill,  sponsored  by  Rep.  Celler 
(D.,  N.Y.),  would  amend  the  Clayton 
Act  to  bar  one  firm  from  acquiring 
the  physical  assets  of  another  where 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Decision  Seen 
OnE-LDeal 
By  Weekend 

Small  Purchase  Plans  Are 
Weighed  by  Young  Here 

What  is  likely  to  be  the  final 
round  of  conferences  aiming  at  the 
transfer  of  Eagle-Lion's  control  to 
Edward  Small  got  underway  here 
yesterday,  when  Robert  R.  Young, 
principal  stockholder  of  Pathe  Indus- 
tries, and  William  C.  MacMillan, 
E-L  operations  vice-president,  dis-. 
cussed  at  length  the  results  of  last 
weekend's  conferences  on  the* Coast 
with  Small  and  Serge  Semenenko, 
Boston  banker  representing  Pathe, 
E-L  parent  company.  MacMillan  act- 
ed as  Young's  personal  representative 
in  the  Coast  talks. 

A  definite  decision  as  to 
whether  E-L  control  will  be 
sold  to  Small  is  expected  to  be 
made  by  the  weekend,  it  was  in- 
dicated here  yesterday. 

Semenenko,  who  flew  back  to  New 
York  with  MacMillan  on  Tuesday, 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


SPG  Asks  Counter 
Proposals,  or  Else 

The  Screen  Publicists  Guild,  in  tele- 
grams to  company  presidents  yester- 
day, asserted  that  "if  the  producers 
fail  to  make  a  counter-proposal,  in- 
volving genuine  and  substantial  con- 
cessions," it  would  call  an  emergency 
membership  meeting  to  "carry  out  the 
mandate  of  the  joint  SOPEG-SPG 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


TOA  Gross  Bulletin 
Delayed  to  June  1 

First  of  the  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  America's  gross  per- 
formance bulletins  has  been 
"unavoidably  delayed,"  and  is 
expected  now  to  be  distri- 
buted to  members  about  June 
1. 

Originally  scheduled  to  be 
distributed  about  May  1,  the 
bulletin  will  be  issued  weekly, 
and  will  list  in  percentages 
the  box-office  performances 
of  current  features  in  various 
sections  of  the  country,  as  re- 
ported by  400  TOA  members 
in  the  field. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  May  19,  194' 


David  Bines  Named 
Palace  Stage  Head 


David  Bines,  who  has  been  staging 
shows  for  the  RKO  circuit,  out  of 
town,  for  14  years,  will  be  the  stage 
director  for  the  vaudeville  shows 
which  will  open  a  new  split  policy, 
with  feature  pictures,  at  the  RKO 
Palace  Theatre  here  today. 

A  veteran  showman,  who  served 
many  years  also  with  Paramount- 
Publix  staging  shows,  Bines  super 
vised  the  installation  of  a  new  lighting 
system,  stage  equipment  and  scenery 
at  the  Palace,  which  has  not  had  a 
regular  policy  of  vaudeville  since  1935. 

The  price  scale  will  be  about  the 
same  as  that  charged  for  the  straight 
picture  policy.  On  Monday  through 
Friday,  the  scale  will  be  55  cents  un- 
til noon,  65  cents  to  5  P.M.  and  95 
cents  from  5  P.M.  to  closing.  Satur- 
day's scale  will  be  55  cents  to  noon 
65  cents  to  1  P.M.,  80  cents  between 
1  and  2  P.M.,  95  cents  from  2  to  5 
P.M.  and  $1.20  from  5  to  closing.  On 
Sundays  the  price  will  be  95  cents 
to  noon  and  $1.20  from  noon  to  clos 
ing.  Children's  admissions  will  be  50 
cents  at  all  times. 


Personal  Mention 


Al  Lewin  Returns 
To  Post  at  M-G-M 

Hollywood,  May  18. — Al  Lewin 
has  returned  to  his  executive  post  at 
M-G-M  folowing  completion  of  ar- 
rangements for  release  by  M-G-M 
of  his  forthcoming  independent  pro- 
duction, "Pandora  and  the  Flying 
Dutchman."  Before  beginning  the 
film,  Lewin  accepted  an  assignment 
from  Dore  Schary  to  act  as  his  repre- 
sentative in  Italy  on  the  filming  of 
"Quo  Vadis,"  which  Arthur  Horn- 
blow  will  produce  and  John  Huston 
will  direct.  The  three  will  sail  from 
New  York  for  Italy  on  June  10.  Film- 
ing is  scheduled  to  start  on  July  4. 


Lett  Heads  Sales  for 
Western  Adventure 

Scott  Lett  has  been  appointed  gen- 
eral sales  manager  of  Western  Ad- 
venture Productions,  it  is  announced 
by  Francis  White,  president.  White 
also  announced  that  the  company's 
home  office  will  be  shifted  from  San 
Francisco  to  Charlotte,  N.  C,  pending 
a  move  to  New  York. 

Lett  has  served  in  distribution  with 
Paramount,  Fox,  Warner  and  Screen 
Guild  over  the  past  25  years. 


Whiteman  Lunch  Monday 

Buffalo,  May  18. — Murray  White- 
man,  who  headed  arrangements  for 
the  charity  premiere  of  Allied  Artists' 
"Bad  Boy"  recently,  will  be  honored 
by  the  local  Variety  tent  at  a  lunch- 
eon to  be  held  Monday  at  the  club's 
headquarters. 


500  To  Aid  Fund 

Boston,  May  18.  —  Five  hundred 
theatres  in  New  England  have  pledged 
their  support  to  the  Variety  Club's 
"Jimmy  1949  Cancer  Fund,"  Martin  J. 
Mullin  and  Lou  Perini  announced. 
The  "kick-off"  luncheon  here  will  be 
held  at  the  Copley  Plaza  Hotel  on 
June  7. 


TED  R.  GAMBLE,  head  of  Gam- 
ble Enterprises,  left  here  last  night 
for  his  Portland,  Ore.,  home.  He 
plans  to  return  to  New  York  in  about 
10  days  and  will  spend  most  of  the 
summer  here. 

• 

Stanley  Sinski,  assistant  manager 
of  the  Glackin  and  LeWitt  Circuit's 
Arch  Street  Theatre,  New  Britain, 
Conn.,  has  been  appointed  manager  of 
the  Strand  Theatre  at  Plainville, 
Conn. 

• 

Charles  Thall,  California  Thea- 
tres Association  executive  manager  in 
San  Francisco,  has  been  appointed 
Northern  California  theatre  chairman 
of  the  U.  S.  Treasury  bond  drive. 
• 

A.  A.  Schubart,  RKO  Radio  ex- 
change operations  manager,  is  visiting 
exchanges  in  Washington  and  Pitts- 
burgh. 

• 

Fred  B.  Hotchkiss,  Westrex  re- 
gional manager  for  Western  Europe, 
has  left  here  for  a  tour  of  his  terri- 
tory. 

a 

William  Brooker,  Paramount  pub- 
licist at  Philadelphia,  is  chairman  of 
the  Salvation  Army  fund  drive  in  that 
city. 

Sam   Stecker,   Associated  Circuit 
executive,   and   Mrs.    Stecker  have 
left  Cleveland  for  a  tour  of  Europe. 
• 

Henry  Friedman  has  sold  the 
Lawndale  Theatre,  Philadelphia,  to 
the  A.  M.  Ellis  circuit. 

• 

Richard  Regan,  former  Film  Clas- 
sics booker  at  Atlanta,  has  joined  the 
Kay  exchange  there. 

• 

Robert  Wilmot  has  joined  Pathe- 
scope  as  a  director. 


WILLIAM  A.  SCULLY,  Univer- 
sal-International sales  vice-pres- 
ident, will  leave  here  over  the  weekend 
for  the  Coast. 

• 

Rodolfo  Landa  is  the  new  secre 
tary-general  of  the  players  section  of 
Mexico's  Picture  Production  Workers 
Union,  with,  Jorge  Negrete,  actor, 
continuing  as  secretary-general  of  the 
union's  labor  section. 

• 

Donald  J.  G.  Johnson,  formerly 
Panama  manager  for  Westrex,  has 
returned  here  for  an  assignment  in 
the  company's  radio  department,  with 
Miles  Storm  II  taking  over  at  the 
Panama  office. 

• 

Jack  MacDougall,  former  adver- 
tising-publicity man  for  Fox  West 
Coast  at  Oakland,  has  been  appointed 
manager  of  the  Oakland  Fox  Theatre, 
succeeding  the  late  R.  E.  Catley. 
• 

George  Margolin,  president  of 
Continental  Motion  Pictures,  and 
Mrs.  Margolin,  will  sail  from  here 
Wednesday  on  the  Mauretania 
for  Europe. 

• 

Robert  M.  Gillham,  Selznick  Re- 
leasing Organization  Eastern  adver- 
tising-publicity director,  is  in  Chicago 
from  New  York  and  is  due  back  here 
tomorrow. 

• 

Charles  W.  Trampe,  Monogram 
and  Allied  Artists  franchise  holder  in 
Milwaukee,  has  returned  there  after 
a  visit  to  Hollywood. 

• 

Michael  Wilding,  British  actor 
now  on  a  visit  here,  has  received  the 
British  National  Film  award  as  the 
best  actor  of  1948. 

• 

Carroll  Puciato,  Realart  general 
manager,  is  in  Washington  from  New 
York. 


British  Try  Some 
Television  'Firsts' 


London,  May  18.— Guy's  Hospn 
tal,  one  of  five  teaching  institution:, 
in  London,  has  installed  television 
in  its  operating  theatre  and  broadcas; 
the  performing  of  an  appendectomy 
to  students  in  adjoining  rooms.  In- 
structional commentary  was  given  bjj 
the  surgeon  during  the  transmission 
over  a  closed  circuit  telecast  unavail- 
able to  viewters  on  .'the  BBC-TV 
wave-length. 

Also,  in  the  House  of  Commons 
a  government  spokesman  disclosed 
that  the  telecast  of  weather  forecasts 
and  meteorological  charts  may  be  tele- 
vised to  farmers  and  others  on  ar 
hour-to-hour  basis. 

Meanwhile,  the  average  television 
set  owners  wish  BBC  would  get  on 
with  its  main  job  of  improving  the 
entertainment  content  of  its  day-to- 
day television  programs. 


Legion  Gives  Five 
Class  'B'  Rating 

Five  pictures  have  been  rated  Class 
B  by  the  Legion  of  Decency,  including 
"Beautiful  Blonde  from  Bashful 
Bend,"  20th  Century-Fox ;  "Calamity 
Jane  and  Sam  Bass,"  Universal-Inter- 
national ;  "The  Great  Gatsby"  and 
"Manhandled,"  Paramount,  and  a 
Spanish  film,  "Don  Quixote  de  la 
Mancha,"  an  Azteca  production. 

Placed  in  Class  A,  Section  II,  were 
Monogram's  "My  Brother  Jonathan" 
and  Mayer-Burstyn's  "The  Quiet 
One."  "Trail's  End,"  Monogram  was 
rated  Class  A. 


Johnston  Talks  Peace 

Shreveport,  La.,  May  18. — MPAA 
president  Eric  Johnston  tonight  urged 
the  U.  S.  to  seize  and  maintain  the 
initiative  in  the  "war  of  words"  by 
telling  the  peoples  of  the  world  "of 
our  peaceful  purposes  with  the  truths 
born  out  of  facts,"  at  a  dinner  for 
Centenary  College  of  Louisiana,  given 
by  the  local  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
Johnston  leaves  here  for  Denver  and 
Spokane,  returning  to  Washington  by 
May  24. 


Skouras  Dinner  to 
Introduce  Roy  all 

Spyros  and  George  Skouras  were 
hosts  at  a  dinner  at  the  21  Club  here 
Tuesday  night  to  introduce  Kenneth 
C  Royall,  former  Secretary  of  the 
Army,  to  general  counsel  of  the  ma- 
jor companies  and  other  industry 
legal  lights.  Royall  is  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Dwight,  Royall,  Harris, 
Koegel  and  Caskey,  counsel  for  20th 
Century-Fox. 

In  addition  to  general  counsels  of 
major  companies,  guests  included, 
Robert  Patterson,  former  Secretary 
of  War,  now  special  counsel  for 
ASCAP;  Judge  Samuel  I.  Rosenman 
and  John  L.  Sullivan,  former  Secre- 
tary of  the  Navy. 


Goldberg  Honors  Four 

Detroit,  May  18.— Irving  Goldberg 
of  Community  Theaters,  has  presented 
four  men  who  have  been  with  Com- 
munity for  a  total  of  50  years,  with 
gold  watches.  They  are :  Fred  Smith, 
city  manager  at  Mt.  Clemens;  Frank 
Krueger,  manager  of  the  Punch  and 
Judy,  Stanley  Glowski,  manager  of 
the  Grande,  and  D.  J.  Wilson,  super- 
visor of  Community  Theaters. 


Wilcox  and  Har grave 
Reelected  EK  Heads 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  May  18.— East- 
man Kodak  officers  re-elected  at  a 
board  meeting  yesterday  are  Perley 
S.  Wilcox,  chairman;  Thomas  Ji 
Hargrave,  president;  Albert  K.  Chap- 
man, vice-president  and  general  man- 
ager; Dr.  C.  E.  Kenneth  Mees, 
Charles  K.  Flint,  Adolph  Stuber,  My- 
ron J.  Hayes,  Ivar  N.  Hultman, 
Edward  S.  Farrow,  James  E.  Mc- 
Ghee,  Edward  P.  Curtis  and  Donald 
McMaster,  vice-presidents;  I.  L. 
Houley,  assistant  vice-president;  Mil- 
ton K.  Robinson,  secretary;  Marion 
B.  Folsom,  treasurer;  Cornelius  J. 
Van  Niel,  general  comptroller;  Wil- 
liam F.  Shepard  and  Harmar  Brere- 
ton,  assistant  secretaries ;  Archbold 
H.  Robinson,  David  H.  Fulton  and 
J.  Donald  Fewster  assistant  trea- 
surers ;  Thomas  J.  McCarrick  and  J. 
Leslie  Harper,  assistant  comptrollers. 

EK's    first    quarter    net    earnings  I 
were   $11,728,892,   off   9.1   per   cent  | 
from  the  $12,903,244  net  in  the  first  fl 
quarter  of  1948.    Sales  were  $95,517,-  I 
504  for  the  quarter,  up  3.8  per  cent  J  i 
from  $92,01 1,298  in  the  1948  quarter.  ! 


Tenn.  Seeks  End  of 
Federal  Ticket  Tax 


Washington,  May  18.— Congress 
has  received  a  resolution  from  the 
Tennessee  state  legislature  calling  for 
repeal  of  the  20  per  cent  wartime  ad- 
mission tax  so  that  states  and  munici- 
palities can  levy  a  tax. 

The  resolution  claims  that  the  tax 
is  among  those  best  adapted  for  local 
use  and  that  the  legislature  has  al- 
ready passed  a  bill  permitting  munici- 
palities to  tax  admissions  to  the  exi- 
tent  to  which  the  Federal  tax  is  elimi- 
nated or  reduced. 


Rosenow  Buys  Exchange 

Buffalo,  May  18.— William  Rose- 
now, one  of  the  partners  in  the  Sky- 
way Drive-in  Theatre  at  Athol 
Springs,  has  purchased  the  Pam-O- 
Film  Exchange  here.  It  will  be  known: 
as  the  Screen  Guild  Exchange.  Elean-' 
ore  Paradeis,  former  manager  at! 
Pam-O-Film,  will  continue  to  be  asso- 
ciated with  the  new  company. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY, 


as  Roark 

PATRICIA 

NEAL 


as  Dominioue 


-Si 


with  RAYMOND  MASSEY  •  KENT  SMITH  *  P'°iu«d  by 

ROBERT  DOUGLAS  •  HENRY  HULL  ■  RAY  COLLINS  KING  V1DQR  HENRY  BLANKE 


NEWSPAPERS,  TRADE  PRESI 

says  irs  Tkwific  -  and  11 


BOSTON 

"One  of  the  screen's  most  heart- 
stopping  thrillers  .  .  .  Superb 
acting  by  whole  cast/" 

—Evening  American 

"Tops  in  shocking  excitement 
and  hair-raising  suspense." 

—Traveler 

"Ranks  among  the  screen's  top- 
notch  suspense  stories." 

—Herald 

"Keeps  the  audience  on  tenter- 
hooks."— Daily  Record 

"A  hair-raising  melodrama  of 
the  super-suspense  kind." 
—Christian  Science  Monitor 

"An  intriguing  and  unusual 
story."— Post 

"If  you  want  to  be  scared  half  to 
death,  if  you  enjoy  screaming 
with  suspense  and  excitement, 
see  'The  Window'." 

—Daily  Globe 

SAN  FRANCISCO 

"Could  easily  be  the  next  Acad- 
emy Award  winner.  It  crackles 
with  suspense,  brilliant  direc- 


RKO  presents 


The 


it 


tion  and  super-char^ 
drama."— Examiner 

"A  compact  thriller.  Bo 
Driscoll  turns  in  an  amai 
performance  backed  up  b) 
unusually  fine  cast."— New. 

"An  artfully  done  melodr. 
that  generates  an  almost 
bearable  amount  of  suspen; 

— Chron 

WASHINGTON 

"Fine,  tingling  melodrama  .  .Jit 
corking  good  picture."—? 

"A  tingling  thriller." 

—Times-Her^ 

"Recommended  without  qua! 
cation.  You'd  better  see  it." 

—Eve.  Sm. 

"Occasionally  there  arrives 
film  of  sufficient  merit  to  j 
tify  the  highest  praise,  "jj 
Window'  is  such  a  picture." 

—Daily  Ne^ 

MAGAZINES 

"A  first-class  thriller  ...Am 
terpiece  of  built-up  tensioi 

-Lo 


dore  sea 

BARBARA  HALE  •  BOBBY  DRISCOLL  •  ART 


Produced  by  FREDERIC  UUM/  t|l 


I  AG AZINES -EVERYBODY 

oing  7emfic  business! 


■f] 


le  of  the  best  suspense  films 
come  out  of  Hollywood  in 
qs."— Liberty 

shocker  ...  73  minutes  of 
b'fut,  mounting  terror." 
i  —Coronet 
I  perspiring  essay  in  sus- 
tise."— Seventeen 

%  tie  of  the  few  genuine  hair- 
sers  of  all  time." 

—Family  Circle 
mulating  .  .  .  has  feeling  of 
:th  in  newsreel  terms." 

—Good  Housekeeping 

taut,  almost  unbearably  sus- 
fffaseful  story." 
(iturday  Review  of  Literature 

jADE  PRESS 

ipping  thriller  .  .  .  sure  to 
^e  audiences  talking  long 
er  they've  left  the  theatre." 

—M.  P.  Herald 
^tusual  and  highly  original 
iller  should  prove  audience 
2iser"—Boxoffice 

mnghly  recommended  ...  a 
cce  of  suspense  excitement 
iom  equaled."— Variet y 


"Brilliantly  calculated,  gripping 
melodrama  .  .  .  Rates  much 
attention."— Film  Daily 

"Continuous  excitement  and 
suspense  .  .  .  Apart  from  the 
usual  run  of  melodramas." 

—M.  P.  Daily 

"Has  as  much  suspense  as  has 
been  seen  in  some  time  . . .  Will 
grip  audiences  aplenty." 

—The  Exhibitor 

"Tense,  exciting  tale  fraught 
with  almost  unbearable  sus- 
pense." 

—Showmen's  Trade  Review 

"A  big-time  hit  .  .  .  73  minutes 
of  thrill-packed  excitement." 
—Hollywood  Reporter 

"A  socko  show  .  . .  suspense  en- 
tertainment that  is  seldom 
equaled."— Daily  Variety 

"Unique  thriller  . . .  sure  to  cap- 
ture wide-eyed  attention." 

— Film  Bulletin 

"A  sensational  picture  .  .  .  box- 
office  will  be  very  good." 

— Exhibitor ating,  in 
Independent  Film  Journal 


R  K  O 
RADIO 


e  of  Production 

NEDY  •  PAUL  STEWART 

ypy  TED  TETZLAFF         Screen  Play  by  Mel  Dmelli 


RUTH  ROMAN 


>Back  the  Motion  Picture  Industry's  U.  S.  SAVINGS  BONDS  DRIVE,  May  l6-June  3Q  ( 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  May  19,  194!* 


Hearing  Next  Week 
On  K-B  Controversy 


Washington,  May  18— Further 
argument  in  the  controversy  between 
K-B  Amusement  Co.  and  Warner 
Brothers  over  the  jointly-owned  and 
operated  MacArthur  Theatre  has  been 
set  for  next  week — probably  on 
Wednesday — in  District  Court  here. 

Judge  McGuire  some  weeks  ago 
heard  arguments  on  whether  K-B  or 
Warner  was  obliged  to  have  a  second 
theatre  built  by  Kass  Realty  Corp., 
and  under  what  terms.  Now  he  has 
asked  both  parties  to  argue  next  week 
on  the  terms  for  Warner  getting  out 
of  the  joint  venture. 

K-B  wants  to  buy  Warner's  stock 
at  book  value,  while  Warner  wants  the 
venture  dissolved  and  its  assets  sold 
at  public  auction.  Judge  McGuire 
has  promised  to  dispose  of  both  ques- 
tions before  June  15. 


Griffith  Buying  Now 
Legal,  Says  Counsel 

Oklahoma  City,  May  18. — Griffith 
buying  practices  have  been  set  up  to 
conform  to  court  decisions  and  anti 
trust  laws  since  he  became  legal  ad 
viser  to  the  circuits  10  years  ago, 
Henry  Griffing  told  Federal  Judge 
Edgar  S.  Vaught  today. 

Griffing  said  licensing  practices 
were  revised  when  the  Supreme  Court 
found  the  circuits  guilty  of  monopoly 
practices  two  years  ago.  Principal 
point  of  guilt,  he  said,  was  the  practice 
of  negotiating  with  distributors  for 
both  competitive  and  non-competitive 
towns  simultaneously. 


Reviews 


'Colorado  Territory' 


Kans.-Mo.  Exhibitors 
Plan  Annual  Meeting 

Kansas  City,  May  18. — Allied  In 
pendent  Theatre  Owners  of  Kansas- 
Missouri  will  hold  its  annual  conven- 
tion here  on  June  7-8  at  the  Muehle- 
bach  Hotel.  William  Ainsworth, 
president  of  National  Allied,  and  Tru- 
man Rembusch,  its  treasurer,  will  be 
among  the  guests. 

Meanwhile,  the  board  of  directors 
of  the  Kansas-Missouri  Theatre  Asso- 
ciation has  made  preliminary  plans 
for  that  organization's  convention, 
with  an  October  date  expected  to  be 
set.  . 


Ohio  Committee 
Okays  3  Per  Cent  Tax 

Columbus,  O.,  May  18.— The  Ohio 
House  of  Representatives'  taxation 
committee  has  voted  12-0  to  recom- 
mend passage  of  House  Bill  No.  526 
which  restores  to  the  state  the  three 
per  cent  admission  tax,  and  return 
monies  collected  to  the  source.  The 
bill  has  the  support  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  of  Ohio 
which  campaigned  for  its  approval  by 
the  committee.  Vote  on  the  bill  in 
the  House  is  expected  soon. 


Two  in  Probe  Posts 

Ottawa,  May  18. — Chairman  Vin- 
cent Massey  announces  the  appoint- 
ment of  Archibald  A.  Day  of  the  De- 
partment of  External  Affairs,  as  sec- 
retary and  Rene  Garneau,  formerly 
with  wartime  Information  Board,  as 
assistant  secretary,  of  the  Royal  Com- 
mission which  will  probe  national  de- 
velopments of  the  arts,  including  the 
National  Film  Board,  Canadian  Broad- 
casting Corporation  and  other  govern- 
ment activities. 


(Warner  Brothers) 

A  KEEN  sense  of  box-office  values  was  demonstrated  by  producer  An- 
thony  Veiller  in  the  making  of  "Colorado  Territory,"  a  well-knit 
account  of  the  stormy  events  leading  up  to  the  violent  end  of  a  colorful 
Robin  Hood  of  the  old  West.  Script  writers  John  Twist  and  Edmund  H. 
North  fired  their  story  with  just  about  every  one  of  those  reliable  elements 
which,  when  properly  blended,  spell  out  a  Western  that  is  rich  in  satisfaction. 
In  this  instance,  director  Raoul  Walsh  has  seen  to  proper  "blending." 

Separating  the  individual  ingredients  in  "Colorado  Territory,"  we  come 
up  with  the  following:  a  tight-lipped,  fearless,  straight-shooting  hero  (Joel 
McCrea)  against  whom  conditions  and  events  conspire;  a  spirited  half-breed 
miss,  beautiful  and  with  flaming  emotions  (Virginia  Mayo)  ;  a  daring  train 
hold-up;  villains  and  conspirators  splendidly  measured  for  the  hero's  bullets 
and  the  hangman's  rope;  fast,  robust  action,  and  last  but  not  least,  a  Western 
locale  whose  monumental  cliffs  and  desert  expanses  should  change  the  mind 
of  the  most  avid  city  dweller. 

No  need  to  give  a  detailed  recitation  of  the  plot.  It  is  a  variation  of  one 
of  the  basic  narrative  themes  from  which  all  Westerns  spring.  This  one  is 
neatly  _  fashioned.  McCrea's  performance  is  one  of  his  best,  and,  with  the 
exception  of  Miss  Mayo,  whose  role  demanded  more  restraint  than  was  her 
wont  to  demonstrate,  the  others  in  the  cast  fit  nicely  into  the  proceedings. 
Supporting  performers  include  Dorothy  Malone,  Henry  Hull,  John  Archer, 
James  Mitchell,  Morris  Ankrum  and  others.  Sid  Hickox's  photography  is 
excellent. 

Running  time,  94  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
June  11-  Charles  L.  Franke 


Naify  Is  Adding 
5  New  Theatres 


"Reign  of  Terror" 

(W  anger — Eagle-Lion  ) 
PRANCE  in  the  year  1794,  when  a  reign  of  terror  swept  its  borders,  has 
l_been  used  for  this  Walter  Wanger  production  as  the  background  of  a 
rousing  cloak-and-dagger  film.  The  picture  may  not  be  the  final  word  for 
historical  accuracy,  but  as  entertainment  it  is  compounded  of  action  and 
intrigue  and  flavored  with  romance.  The  cast  is  headed  by  Robert  Cummings, 
Arlene  Dahl,  Richard  Hart  and  Richard  Basehart. 

The  story  centers  on  the  efforts  of  Charles  D'Aubigny,  played  by  Cum- 
mings, to  frustrate  a  scheme  of  Robespierre  (Basehart)  to  become  dictator 
of  France.  The  plot  hinges  on  a  small  black  book  of  Robespierre's,  containing 
a  list  of  the  names  of  people  to  be  executed  when  he  ascends  to  power  By 
obtaining  this  book,  and  releasing  its  contents,  Robespierre  can  be  smashed 
politically,  and  that  is  just  what  Cummings  sets  out  to  do.  In  the  course  of 
his  efforts  he  is  thrown  into  danger  dozens  of  times.  There  are  many  wild 
chases,  shootings  and  fights.  Aiding  Cummings  in  his  mission  is  pretty  Miss 
Dahl  who  also  happens  to  be  the  head  of  an  anti-Robespierre  underground 
movement. 

Anthony  Mann's  direction  keeps  the  action  moving  fluidly  from  beginning 
to  the  very,  end  in  which  the  guillotine  comes  down  on  Robespierre's  tyran- 
nical head.  The  film  was  produced  by  William  Cameron  Menzies  from  a 
screenplay  and  story  by  Philip  Yordan  and  Aeneas  MacKenzie.  '  Edward 
Lasker  was  associate  producer. 

Running  time,  89  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
not  set  Mandel  Herbstman 

a 


Frontier  Investigator' 


{Republic) 

A  NOTHER  in  the  Western  series  featuring  Allan  (Rocky)  Lane  "Fron- 
r\  tier  Investigator  is  set  in  the  usual  pattern  with  a  generous' amount 
of  gunplay  and  galloping. 

The  hero,  out  to  find  the  murderer  of  his  brother,  runs  into  a  battle 
between  two  stage  lines  for  a  mail  contract.  After  a  few  killing  on  both 
sides  Lane  suspects  that  there  is  a  third  party  creating  animosity  between  the 
two  lines,  this  third  party  being  the  murderer  of  his  brother.  Lane  goes 
after  the  suspect  and  after  gathering  enough  evidence,  and  being  himself 
suspected  of  murder  he  winds  up  the  whole  affair  by  shooting  the  villain 
and  clearing  himself.  Lane,  Eddy  Waller,  Roy  Barcroft  and  Gail  Davis 
play  their  parts  in  the  accustomed  manner.  Gordon  Kay  was  associate 
producer  and  Fred  C.  Brannon  directed. 
Running  time,  60  minutes.  General  audience  classification  For  May  release 


New  Conn.  Tax  Threatens 

Hartford,  May  18. — A  Connecticut 
egislative  committee  has  reported 
favorably  on  Senate  Bill  No.  724, 
which  would  require  non-resident  op- 
erators of  summer  theatres  to  pay  an 
amusement  tax.  The  bill  was  sent  to 
the  House  and  Senate  for  action. 


Sees  6-Million  Video  Sets 

Chicago,  May  18.— By  1951,  there 
will  be  6,000,000  television  receivers  in 
operation  in  the  U.  S.,  Max  F.  Bal- 
com,  president  of  the  Radio  Manu- 
facturers Association,  predicted  here 
today  at  the  RMA  convention. 


Solomon  Shlyen,  76 

Kansas  City,  May  18.— Funeral 
services  were  held  here  yesterday  for 
Solomon  N.  Shlyen,  76,  early  Kansas 
Uty  exhibitor  and  in  recent  years 
with  Associated  Publications  here  He 
is  survived  by  two  sons,  Ben  and 
Jesse,  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Lionel  K. 
Welson,  a  brother  and  a  sister 


Declare  Loew's  Dividend 

Directors  of  Loew's  have  declared  a 
regular  quarterly  dividend  of  Z7l/2 
cents  per  share  on  the  company's  com- 
mon stock,  payable  on  June  30  to 
stockholders  of  record  on  June  9. 


San  Francisco,  May  18.  —  The 
opening  of  four  theatres  in  Northerr 
California  and  the  construction  oi 
another  was  announced  by  Edwarc 
Topham,  construction  manager  oi 
United  California  Theatres. 

The  theatres,  all  owned  by  UCTj 
headed  by  M.  A.  Naify,  are:  Tower 
Willows,  970-seater,  costing  $100,000! 
to  open  May  26,  Mario  Menconi  tc 
manage ;  Rio,.  Santa  Cruz,  950-seater, 
with  shopping  center,  to  open  June  2 
under  the  managership  of  M.  L. 
Smith,  also  costing  $100,000;  Mill- 
brae,  at  Millbrae,  1,100-seater,  costing 
$250,000,  to  open  June  12,  Jimmie 
Edwards  to  manage;  Monterey  drive-,, 
in  at  Monterey,  built  at  a  cost  of 
$100,000,  for  a  June  3  opening,  under 
supervision  of  Mark  Keller. 

Construction  has  started  at  Santa 
Clara  on  a  636-car  Santa  Clara 
drive-in. 


1st  'Frisco  Drive-in 
Costs  $250,000 

San  Francisco,  May  18. — Owned 
by  the  Robert  L.  Lippert  circuit,  San 
Francisco's  first  drive-in,  completed 
at  a  cost  of  $250,000,  will  open  on 
Wednesday,  according  to  Robert  L. 
Lippert,  Jr.,  manager.  The  theatre, 
called  El  Rancho,  spreads  over  10  acres 
on  the  brink  of  San  Francisco,  will  ac- 
commodate 1,000  automobiles,  and  has 
a  screen  which  is  said  to  be  the  largest 
in  the  world. 

Lippert  also  announced  openings  of 
new  drive-ins  in  Fresno,  to  be  managed 
by  Eddie  Stoaks ;  in  Modesto,  to  be 
managed  by  Louis  Vaughan,  and  in 
Medford,  Ore.,  scheduled  for  a  June  5 
opening. 


Another  for  Odeon 

Ottawa,  May  18.— The  new  Odeon 
Theatre  here  will  be  opened  on  Fri- 
day and  all  proceeds  of  the  opening 
night  will  go  to  the  Canada  Founda- 
tions, a  non-profit  charitable  organi- 
zation. The  Governor-General,  Vis- 
count Alexander  and  members  of  the 
diplomatic  corps  will  attend  the  pre- 
miere. Arrangements  have  been  made 
with  the  provincial  government  to 
make  this  showing  tax-free  so  that 
all  proceeds  may  go  to  the  founda- 
tion. 


Raises  $58,000  for  UJA 

Toronto,  May  18.— A  trade  dinner 
at  the  Columbia  film  exchange  result- 
ed in  the  raising  of  $58,385  among  51 
contributors  for  the  United  Jewish 
Appeal  in  aid  of  Jewry  in  Israel, 
Europe  and  Canada.  Members  of  the 
film  committee  for  the  campaign  in- 
clude L.  I.  Bearg,  Garfield  Cass,  Jule 
Allen,  H.  M.  Masters,  Garson  Solo- 
way,  N.  A.  Taylor,  Ben  Freedman 
and  Harry  S.  Mandell. 


Paul  Landres  To  Direct 

Hollywood,  May  18.  —  Paul 
Landres,  film  editor  for  18  years,  has 
been  assigned  by  producer  Robert 
L.  Lippert  to  direct  "Grand  Canyon," 
which  went  into  production  last  week 
at  the  Nassour  Studio. 


United  Circuit  Dividend 

Ottawa,  May  18.— United  Amuse- 
ment Corp.,  Ltd.,  has  declared  a  divi- 
dend of  50  cents  per  share  on  out- 
standing capital  stock,  payable  May  31 
to  shareholders  of  record  on  May  14. 


Thursday,  May  19,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Reviews 

"Roll,  Thunder,  Roll" 

(  Eagle-Lion) 

THE  Red  Ryder  series  continues  with  this  one — done  in  Cinecolor — to 
measure  up  to  average.  The  action  is  here  in  good  measure  with  gun 
fights  and  fisticuffs  aplenty. 

The  story  concerns  various  ranches  being  raided,  cattle  stolen  and  houses 
burned.  Evidence  points  to  El  Conejo,  a  Robin  Hood-like  character,  played 
by  I.  Stanford.  Jolley,  who  actually  is  being  framed  by  the  gang  responsible 
for  the  raids.  Red  Ryder,  played  by  Jim  Bannon,  is  supported  by  Buckskin 
and  Little  Beaver,  portrayed  by  Emmett  Lynn  and  Don  Kay  (Little  Brown 
Jug)  Reynolds,  respectively.  Finally,  the  leader  of  the  gang  and  his  hench- 
men go  to  jail  and  Red  Ryder  is  ready  for  new  adventures. 

Jerry  Thomas  produced  and  Lewis  D.  Collins  directed.  Paul  Franklin 
wrote  the  original  screenplay  which  was  based  on  the  "Red  Ryder"  comic 
strip  characters.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Marin  Sais,  Nancy  Gates,  Glenn 
Strange,  Lee  Morgan  and  Lane  Bradford. 
Running  time,  58  minutes.  General  classification.  Release  date,  April  27. 


"Dedee" 

(Vog  Film  Co.) 

WITH  considerable  adroitness,  French  film  makers  here  tell  the  story  of 
a  war-tossed  cabaret  hostess  of  the  Antwerp  waterfront.  The  picture 
is  bold  in  content  and  has  the  kind  of  visual  realism  that  is  the  hallmark  of 
many  French  films. 

"Dedee"  is  the  girl  of  the  title,  and  her  life  is  one  that  is  crowded  with 
sordidness  and  exploited  by  unscrupulous  men.  Hope  finally  lights  up  for  her 
when  she  meets  an  Italian  sailor  and  they  fall  in  love.  Since  she  proposes 
to  leave  her  lover,  with  whom  she  lives  in  a  little  room  above  the  water- 
front place  where  she  works,  he  shoots  the  girl's  new  admirer.  In  turn,  the 
killer  dies  under  the  wheels  of  a  car.  There  are  many  scenes  in  this  highly 
dramatic  and  often  squalid  picture  which  should  never  have  been  permitted 
to  reach  the  screen.  Some  of  them— as  might  the  whole  theme— will  un- 
doubtedly arouse  considerable  protest  and  condemnation  in  their  frankness 
and  are  wholly  unnecessary  to  a  proper  telling  of  the  story. 

Magnificently  acted  by  Bernard  Blier  and  Simone  Signoret  as  well  as 
Marcel  Pagliero,  this  Sacha  Gordine  production  is  a  work  of  art,  but  hardly 
one  designed  to  capture  the  understanding  or  appreciation  of  an  American 
audience  which  will,  be  unable  to  grasp  the  moral  degeneration  of  post-war 
Europe  on  the  waterfront  of  one  of  its  great  ports. 

Running  time,  90  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  May  release. 


|>  Video  Trailers 

(Continued  from  Page  1) 

use  of  television  trailers,,  not  merely 
the  regular  theatre  trailer  reduced  to 
16mm,  but  a  trailer  prepared  especially 
for  television  use,"  Sulivan  said, 
pointing  out  that  the  board  of  directors 
.  of  TOA  has  concurred  unanimously 
in  the  television  committee's  conclu- 
sions. 

[  [  "We  realize  that  it  is  not  probable 
.  that  anyone  in  the  motion  picture  in- 
i  j  dustry  will  perfect  now  the  kind  of 
I  l  trailers  which  will  eventually  be  used 
.  on  television  to  attract  patrons.  How- 
ever, we  urge  that  experimentation 
[  j  begin. 

I  II  '  Theatre  Men  Ready 

'M1     "Producers  should  do  this  at  the 
V  national  level,  and  theatres  should  ad- 
!!'  vertise  at  local  levels. 
lj"     "We  believe  that  theatre  men  of  the 
:i   country  are  ready  to  use  television 
!  trailers  when  they  are  available. 
';  1     "There  should  be  several  trailers 
"< <  made  for  every  picture,  some  of  30 
seconds  duration,  some  oi  V/i  minutes 
duration,  and  perhaps  on  outstanding 
features — of    2y2    minutes  duration. 
Whether  this  is  the  final  answer  can 
only  be  determined  by  use.   This  much 
,  we  know,  one  trailer  cannot  be  used 
j  too  long,  as  it  becomes  boresome.  Also 
spot    television    trailers,     like  the 
,  'saturation'  plan  which  local  movies 
(theatres)  use  in  radio  can  be  very 
\  effective. 

"We  especially  urge  that  a  start  be 
"•  made  to  provide  our  industry  with  the 
,j  needed  emphasis  in  this  advertising 
j:  medium  to  increase  box-office  receipts 
'  for  our  entire  industry,"  Sullivan 
l(  concluded. 


j  SPG  Asks  Counter  . 

;  (Continued  from  page  1) 

membership  meeting  of  May  3  to  take 
a  strike  vote."    Meanwhile,  Federal 
Mediator  L.  A.  Stone  has  requested 
(|  another  session  next  Monday  with  the 
j  companies  and  SPG  to  further  discuss 
J  the  controversy. 

_  At  a  press  interview  at  SPG  head- 
j  quarters  here  yesterday,  Len  Gold- 
.  smith,  business  agent,  estimated  that 
I  picketing  at  some  11  of  Loew's  thea- 
J  tres  here  during  the  past  two  weeks 
3I  has  cost  the  company  $80,000  in  lost 
(l.  admissions. 

,     A  Loew's  official,  reached  for  com- 
.!  ment,  denied  the  accuracy  of  the  fig- 
ure but  had  no  printable  comment  to 
make. 

Picket  Palace  Today 

,     Goldsmith  said  there  would  be  mass 
picketing  at  RKO's  Palace  today  at 
I  noon  when  the  house  inaugurates  its 
i  new  vaudeville  policy.    Goldsmith  also 
i  disclosed  that  SPG  has  received  of- 
3  fers    of   help    from    several  outside 
.  unions.     He  further  announced  that 
j  the   union   would    file    unfair  labor 
charges  with  the  NLRB  against  the 
,  companies  "for  firings  and  attempts 
to  intimidate"  SPG  members. 

In  the  telegram  to  company  presi- 
dents, SPG  declared  that  a  general 
membership  meeting  has  unanimously 
I  adopted  a  resolution  stating  "we  re- 
i  ject  unconditionally  industry  proposals 
j  ■  that  we  accept  a  lowering  of  working 
'  standards,  eliminate  job  security,  fore- 
i  go  wage  increases  and  eliminate  arbi- 
tration of  grievances,  thereby  bringing 
chaos  to  our  industry  by  forcing  us  to 
i  i  take  strike  action  on  every  unsettled 
''  grievance."   The  resolution  stated  fur- 
'  ther  that  "we  will  not  and  can  not 
'  tolerate  any  more  stallings  on  the  part 
•  .  of  the  producers.    Meanwhile,  we  will 
expand  and  extend  our  picketing  of 
1  Loew's  theatres.  .  .  ." 


Arnall  Attack 

(Continued  from  Page  1) 

cials  in  the  Justice  Department's  anti- 
trust division. 

Arnall's  protest,  it  is  understood,  al- 
leges that  the  agreement  violates  the 
Webb-Pomerene  Act,  with  particular 
emphasis  on  the  illegality  of  the  sec- 
tion guaranteeing  American  film 
showings  on  British  circuits.  Anti- 
trust officials  said  that  Arnall's  writ- 
ten protest  to  Attorney  General  Tom 
Clark  had  not  yet  been  forwarded  to 
them. 


To  Show  Bond  Film 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ner,  Rochester,  in  a  film  "cavalcade" 
of  the  Benny  family's  adventures  dur- 
ing the  past  100  years.  The  film  was 
produced  at  the  M-G-M  Coast  studios, 
under  supervision  of  Dore  Schary, 
vice-president  in  charge  of  production, 
with  Richard  Goldstone  producing  and 
Armand  Deutsch  coordinating  produc- 
tion.   Allen  Rivkin  wrote  the  script. 

All  costs  of  production  and  actors' 
performances  were  contributed  by  the 
industry  without  cost  to  the  Treasury. 
Negative  stock  was  contributed  by 
Eastman  Kodak,  processing  of  600 
prints  was  handled  without  cost  by 
Pathe  Laboratories,  and  distribution 
of  prints  all  over  the  country  by 
Universal-International. 


Lizbeth  Scott  Opens 
Detroit  Bond  Drive 

Detroit,  May  18. — The  Treasury 
opened  its  "Opportunity  Savings  Bond 
Drive"  here  today  with  a  goal  of  $48,- 
500,000  for  Michigan.  Actress  Lizbeth 
Scott  made  a  series  of  personal  ap- 
pearances, accompanied  by  a  covered 
wagon  which  will  tour  28  cities. 


British  Wage 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

rived  at  a  week  ago  by  the  negotiators 
subsequently  was  rejected  by  the 
NATKE. 

Details  of  the  new  agreement  were 
not  disclosed  pending  final  action  by 
the  NATKE  this  weekend.  Should 
the  union  recommend  acceptance 
thereafter,  the  CEA  general  council 
in  turn  will  consider  the  new  scales 
but  ratification  by  it  under  such  cir- 
cumstances is  a  foregone  conclusion. 

The  new  agreement  again  averts  a 
threatened  tie-up  of  the  entire  British 
industry  as  studio  unions  had  been 
asked  to  take  sympathetic  action  in 
the  event  theatre  employes  struck. 

Tighter  Trust  Laws 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  result  would  be  to  lessen  compe- 
tition substantially  or  tend  to  create 
monopoly.  At  present,  only  stock  ac- 
quisition is  barred. 

The  government  officials  testified  at 
hearings  of  a  House  Judiciary  sub- 
committee. The  hearings,  originally 
scheduled  for  Friday,  were  advanced 
to  today.  The  sub-committee  and  the 
full  committee  are  expected  to  ap- 
prove the  bill  speedily.  Similar  bills 
were  reported  in  the  78th  and  80th 
Congresses,  but  were  blocked  by  the 
House  Rules  Committee. 


Five  Rated  'Adulf 

Toronto,  May  18. — Five  features 
have  been  given  an  "adult"  rating 
bv  the  Ontario  Board  of  Censors. 
They  are :  "Good  Time  Girl,"  "Bride 
of  Vengeance,"  "Too  Late  for  Tears," 
"Once  Upon  a  Dream"  and  "Knock 
on  Any  Door." 


E-L  Deal 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

brought  with  him  what  Small  dt  - 
scribed  in  a  Coast  statement  as  "sev- 
eral constructive  plans,"  under  any 
one  of  which  control  of  E-L  would 
go  to  the  independent  producer. 
Others  who  participated  in  the  Coast 
talks  were  Pathe  Industries  counsel 
Robert  Benjamin,  who  also  has  re- 
turned here,  and  Arthur  Krim,  former 
president  of  Eagle-Lion. 

Young,  MacMillan,  Semenenko  and 
Benjamin  will  confer  here  on  the  plans 
today  and  tomorrow,  and  perhaps 
Saturday,  it  was  said. 


Ascap,  Telecasters 

(Continued  from  page  1 ) 

able  in  principle  to  an  arrangement 
which  would  allow  continued  television 
use  of  the  Society's  music  for  a  lim- 
ited time  to  determine  its  workability. 

This  new  turn  of  events  seemed  ex- 
tremely remote  10  days  ago  when,  af- 
ter months  of  negotiations,  Ascap  and 
a  special  committee  of  the  National 
Association  of  Broadcasters  finally 
called  a  halt  to  meetings  which  ap- 
peared fruitless. 

New  meetings  began  here  on  Mon- 
day with  Fred  Ahlert,  president,  and 
other  Ascap  representatives,  and  a 
group  of  five  radio-video  executives, 
comprising  :  Mark  Woods,  president  of 
American  Broadcasting;  Mortimer 
Loewi,  director  of  the  DuMont  net- 
work ;  Theodore  Striebert,  Mutual 
Broadcasting  board  chairman  ;  Charles 
R.  Denny,  National  Broadcasting  ex- 
ecutive vice-president,  and  Joseph 
Ream,  Columbia  Broadcasting  execu- 
tive vice-president. 

Participating  at  another  session  this 
week  were  video  account  executives 
of  various  advertising  agencies. 

Following  the  meeting  with  the  tele- 
casters  yesterday  a  special  meeting  of 
the  Ascap  board  was  held  and  report- 
edly approved  the  new  terms. 


Newsreel  Changes 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

releases  a  week.  Consequently,  Tobin 
said,  there  has  been  a  considerable  in- 
crease of  the  reel's  circulation  in  thea- 
tres throughout  the  country.  Virtually 
every  newsreel  house  in  the  U.  S.  now 
uses  Telenews,  Tobin  reported. 

Telenews,  which  now  gets  out  eight 
editions  a  week,  "turns  out  more  news 
per  week  than  any  other  newsreel  in 
the  world,"  Tobin  asserted.  Besides 
the  two  weekly  800-foot  theatrical 
reels,  it  gets  out  for  television  five 
daily  reels,  plus  one  weekly  roundup. 
The  newsreels  are  used  by  the  entire 
CBS  network,  plus  two-thirds  of  the 
cities  having  independent  stations.  On 
occasion,  Telenews  also  gets  out  short 
subjects  on  special  events. 

In  its  coverage,  Telenews  attempts 
to  get  special  stories  so  that  generally 
there  is  no  duplication  with  the  other 
newsreels,  Tobin  declared. 

Canada  Film  Exports 
Show  Drop  in  Value 

Ottawa,  May  18. — The  Canadian 
Government's  External  Trade  Branch 
reports  a  sharp  drop  in  value  of  ex- 
ports of  films,  declining  to  $166,000 
in  March,  compared  with  $301,000  in 
March  a  year  ago.  Exports  in  the  first 
three  months  ended  in  March  dropped 
to  $587,000,  against  $929,000  last  year 
in  the  same  period. 

The  report  points  out  that  exports 
in  the  last  complete  pre-war  year  of 
1938  was  $960,000. 


It's  The  Best  Reading 
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BIG-MONEY  PICTURI 

■m^mi  ■■■  i  mm 

IT  HAPPENS  EVERY  SPRll 
THE  BEAUTIFUL  BLONDE  FRj 
BASHFUL  BEND  •  MR.  BELVED1 
GOES  TO  COLLEGE  •  THE  FORBIDf  J 
STREET  •  THE  FAN  •  CANADll 
PACIFIC  •  MOTHER  IS  A  FRESH  J 
A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIV 
DOWN  TO  THE  SEA  IN  SH 
THE  SNAKE  PIT  •  YELLOW  S 


CENTURY-FOX 


Back  the  Motion  Picture  Industry's  U.  S.  SAVINGS  BONDS  DRIVE,  May  l6-June  3Q  < 


-  - — 1 

(FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

( Accurate 

IN 

ATT  "^7" 

Concise 

FILM 

JJAX .Li 

and 

KIPXA/C 
NLWO 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.  NO.  99 

NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  FRIDAY,  MAY  20.  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

RKO's  Profit 
For  '48  Was 
Half-Million 

Net  for  First  Quarter  of 
1949  Was  $1,037,480 

Radio-Keith-Orpheum  yesterday 
reported  consolidated  net  earnings 
of  $504,044  for  1948,  after  all  taxes 
and  charges,  including  a  write-off 
of  $3,357,371  for  losses  on  investments 
in  productions,  stories  and  continui- 
ties. 

At  the  same  time  the  com- 
pany reported  a  $1,037,480  net 
profit  for  the  first  quarter  of 
1949,  after  taxes  and  all  other 
charges,  equivalent  to  approxi- 
mately 27  cents  per  share  on 
common  stock  outstanding,  as 
compared  with  a  net  for  the 
first  quarter  of  1948  of  $1,345,- 
327,  after  taxes  and  all  other 
charges,  equivalent  to  approxi- 
mately 34  cents  per  share  on 
common  stock  outstanding. 

The  1948  net  was  equivalent  to  ap- 
proximately 13  cents  per  share  on  the 
3,899,914  shares  of  common  stock  out- 
standing at  the  end  of  the  year  and 
compares  with  a  net  of  $5,085,848  for 
{Continued  on  page  6) 


Sees  '49  a  Big 
Industry  Year 


Present  indications  are  that  1949 
will  be  the  biggest  domestic  year 
financially  in  the  history  of  the  indus- 
try, Motion  Picture  Herald  will  say 
today,  citing  the  following  from  an 
analysis  of  government  business  find- 
ings, industry  reports,  and  executives' 
forecasts  on  the  future. 

Theatre  attendance  is  on  the  in- 
crease and  box-office  revenue  for  the 
first  two  months  of  the  year  was  high- 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Fabiian,  Bernhard 
May  Purchase  FC 

Hollywood,  May  19. — Acquisition 
of  Film  Classics  by  Si  Fabian  and 
Joseph  Bernhard,  under  terms  entail- 
ing complete  separation  of  FC  from 
Cinecolor,  appeared  imminent  today 
when  Fabian  planed  to  New  York 
bearing  proposals  he  will  consider 
with  Bernhard,  who  left  here  yester- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Eliminate  Cartels, 
Monopolies :  Arnall 

Philadelphia,  May  19.  — 
Elimination  of  monopolies, 
cartels  and  "the  theory  of 
special  privilege"  are  requis- 
ites for  "an  economy  of 
abundance,"  Ellis  Arnall  pres- 
ident of  the  Society  of  Inde- 
pendent Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers, told  an  Allied  Jewish 
Appeal  luncheon-meeting  at 
the  Warwick  Hotel  here  to- 
day. Arnall  was  the  featured 
speaker  at  the  luncheon  which 
was  attended  by  150  civic  and 
business  leaders.  He  will  be 
back  at  his  New  York  office 
tomorrow. 


Continue  Study  of 
Small  Bid  for  E-L 


Conferences  continued  here  yester- 
day among  principals  who  will  make 
the  decision  as  to  whether  control  of 
Eagle-Lion  will  be  sold  to  indepen- 
dent producer  Edward  Small,  and 
under  what  terms  and  conditions. 
Conferees  included  Robert  R.  Young, 
principal  stockholder  of  Pathe  Indus- 
tries, E-L  parent  company ;  Serge 
Semenenko,  Boston  banker  financing 
Pathe-E-L,  and  William  C.  MacMil- 
lan,  E-L  operations  vice-president.  It 
is  understood  that  C.  W.  Sharpe, 
Pathe  Industries  treasurer,  also  par- 
ticipated in  yesterday's  talks. 

Several  plans  under  discussion,  any 
one  of  which  transfer  of  E-L  control 
to  Small  might  be  accomplished,  were 
drafted  at  last  weekend's  conferences 
on  the  Coast  between  small  and 
Semenenko,  MacMillan  and  others 
representing  Pathe. 


Berger  Wants 
Conciliation 


Minneapolis,  May  19. — North 
Central  Allied  president  Ben  Berger 
may  "approve  in  principle"  the  so- 
called  Al  Lichtman-Andy  Smith  20th- 
Fox  sales  plan  if  the  two  company 
executives  accept  Berger's  plans  _  to 
extend  the  Smith-Berger  conciliation 
idea  on  a  national  scale,  and  give 
"proper"  consideration  to  suggested 
selling  changes  and  other  trade  prac- 
tices, it  is  understood  here. 

Berger  would  not  discuss  the  mat- 
ter but  in  his  annual  report  he  will 
tie  in  film  rentals  with  conciliation, 
making  the  two  inseparable.  He  will 
take  the  position  in  his  report  that  if 
conciliation  is  not  set  up  on  a  national 
scale,  the  industry  will  continue  a 
"dog-eat-dog"  policy.  This  is  taken 
here  to  mean  that  if  Berger  is  not 
supported  in  his  conciliation  idea,  any 
change  in  sales  policy  will  be  re- 
jected. 

It  is  reported  Berger  will  suggest 
to  Lichtman  and  Smith  that  "any  new 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Elect  Kirby  Head 
Of  Arkansas  ITO 


Little  Rock,  Ark.,  May  19. — Sam 
B.  Kirby,  Little  Rock,  was  elected 
president  at  the  30th  annual  conven- 
tion of  the  Independent  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  Arkansas,  a  TOA  affiliate,  suc- 
ceeding E.  W.  Savage,  Booneville, 
who  became  chairman  of  the  board. 

At  the  meeting,  held  in  the  Hotel 
Marion,  Max  Connet,  president  of 
the  Mississippi  Theatre  Owners, 
highly  commended  the  policy  statement 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Palace  Vaudeville 
Glittering  Comeback 


i  n 


By  MANDEL  HERBSTMAN 

With  fanfare  and  reams  of  publicity 
vaudeville  was  reborn  at  the  RKO 
Palace  Theatre  on  Broadway  yester- 
day. The  occasion  was  surrounded 
with  tradition  and  sentiment  and 
greeted  with  rare  enthusiasm.  The 
last  vaudeville  show  presented  at  the 
famous  playhouse  was  in  1935. 

As  maestro  Don  Albert  raised  his 
baton  for  the  first  show  at  12  :30  yes- 
terday, the  1,700-seat  house  was  filled 
to  standing  room  only,  while  outside 
throngs  tried  in  vain  to  get  in.  Eight 
full  acts  were  presented.  At  their 
completion,  the  house  unwrapped  an 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Screen  Plays  Heads 
Split;  Kramer  Stays 

Hollywood,  May  19. — Simultaneous 
announcements  by  both  parties  dis- 
closed here  today  the  termination  of 
the  partnership  of  Stanley  Kramer 
and  Robert  Stillman  as  president  and 
vice-president -treasurer,  respectively, 
of  Screen  Plays,  Inc. 

Stillman,  who  partially  financed 
"Champion"  and  wholly  financed 
"Home  of  the  Brave,"  is  in  negotia- 
tion with  Maxwell  Shane,  among 
others,  concerning  future  undertak- 
ings. Stillman  was  associate  producer 
and  assistant  director  of  both  pictures. 


Ascap's  Video 
Pact  Extended 
15  More  Days 

Paves  the  Way  for  Full 
Accord  on  New  Terms 


American  Society  of  Composers, 
Authors  and  Publishers  «and  the 
television  networks  took  another 
step  toward  settlement  of  their  dif- 
ferences on  a  music  licensing  contract 
at  a  meeting  here  yesterday.  While 
considerable  progress  was  reported 
since  the  new  video  negotiators  took 
over  last  Monday,  there  seemed  to  be 
some  doubt  of  a  full  agreement  by 
June  1,  when  present  gratis  pacts  ex- 
pire and  consequently  the  deadline  has 
been  extended  to  June  15. 

Current  meetings  will  be  continued, 
with  both  sides  optimistic  that  an  ac- 
cord will  be  reached. 

Representing  Ascap  at  the  confer- 
ences are  Fred  E.  Ahlert,  president; 
Oscar  Hammerstein  II,  board  mem- 
ber ;  Herman  Finkelstein,  resident 
counsel,  and  Richard  Murray,  public 
relations  chief.  Sitting  in  for  the  tele- 
casters  are  Charles  R.  Denny,  execu- 
tive vice-president  of  National  Broad- 
casting ;  Joseph  H.  Ream,  executive 
vice-president  of  Columbia  Broadcast- 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


5,000,000 
Trust  Action 


A  $5,076,000  triple-damage  anti- 
trust action  naming  as  defendants  the 
eight  major  distributors  was  filed  in 
U.  S.  District  Court  here  yesterday 
by  Harry  W.  Doniger  as  trustee-in- 
dissolution  of  Empire  Amusement 
Corp.  of  Newark,  and  by  Empire 
Amusement  itself. 

Empire  went  into  dissolution  in 
1935  after  only  nine  days  of  opera- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Transcribed  TV  to 
Loop  on  June  16 

Chicago,  May  19. — The  Chicago 
Theatre  will  present  its  first  "live" 
television  show  by  way  of  the  Para- 
mount tele-transcription  system,  first 
adopted  at  the  Paramount,  New  York, 
on  June  16,  1948,  it  was  announced 
here  today  by  John  Balaban,  B.  and 
K.  head  and  station  WBKB  director. 

A  specially-prepared  star  show  on 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  May  20,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

RICHARD  F.  WALSH,  IATSE 
president,  was  in  Cleveland  yes- 
terday from  New  York  to  attend  an 
AFL  executive  council  meeting. 
• 

George  Sidney,  M-G-M  director, 
has  agreed  to  write  a  paper  on  direc 
torial  techniques  for  amateur  movie- 
makers to  be  presented  at  the  1949 
convention  of  the  Photographic  So- 
ciety of  America,  to  be  held  in  St. 
Louis,  October  19-22. 

• 

Lester  Cowan  was  host  at  a  cock 
tail  party  at  Hampshire  House  here 
yesterday  for  Harpo  Marx,  who  will 
leave  for  England  today  on  the  S.i'. 
Queen  Mary  for  the  London  premiere 
of  "Love  Happy." 

• 

Robert  D.  Hadley,  Eagle-Lion  art 
director,  has  been  elected  president  of 
the  Bergen  County  (N.  J.)  Players,  a 
repertory  stock  company. 

• 

Morey     Goldstein,  Monogram 
Allied    Artists    sales    manager,  and 
Nicky  Goldhammer,  Western  sales 
manager,  will  leave  here  Sunday  for 
Chicago. 

• 

Mike  Simons,  assistant  to  H.  M. 
Richey,  _  M-G-M  exhibitor  relations 
head,  will  return  here  today  from 
Little  Rock,  Ark. 

• 

Edward  Weisfeld  of  Associated 
Theatres,  Detroit,  is  leaving  that  city 
next  week  for  a  visit  with  his  son, 
Donald,  in  Milwaukee. 

• 

Charles  Simonelli,  Universal- 
International  Eastern  exploitation 
manager,  left  New  York  yesterday  for 
Chicago. 

• 

Taylor  Mills  of  the  MPAA  staff, 
became  a  father  yesterday  to  a  nine- 
pound  boy,  at  a  hospital  in  Rockefeller 
Center,  Long  Island. 

• 

David  Beznor,  counsel  for  the 
Colosseum  of  Motion  Picture  Sales- 
men, is  in  New  York  from  Milwau- 
kee. 

• 

Arthur  G.  Doyle,  Far  Eastern 
supervisor  for  20th  Century-Fox,  will 
leave  here  today  for  a  stay  in  Buffalo. 


Lloyd  Film  to  the  Globe 

Harold  Lloyd's  "Movie  Crazy,"  a  re- 
release,  has  been  booked  into  Brandt's 
Globe  Theatre  here  for  an  extended 
engagement  immediately  following  the 
current  run  of  "Champion."  A  heavy 
advertising  and  promotion  budget  has 
been  appropriated  by  Motion  Picture 
Sales  Corp.,  the  new  Neil  Agnew- 
Charles   Casanave  organization. 

Hutton  Replaces  Garland 

Hollywood,  May  19. — M-G-M  ob- 
tained clearance  from  Paramount  to- 
day for  Betty  Hutton  to  replace  Judy 
Garland  in  the  title  role  of  "Annie 
Get  Your  Gun,"  which  shut  down 
production  last  week  when  the  latter 
refused  to  return  to  the  set  after 
lunch. 


Insider's  Outlook 


By  RED  KANN 


TWENTIETH-FOX's  three- 
month  financial  statement  is 
viewed  generally  as  a  strong 
one.  Net  earnings  rose  from 
$2,926,842  in  the  same  period 
last  year  to  $3,017,736,  or  an  in- 
crease of  $90,894.  On  its  own, 
that's  encouraging  news. 

Perhaps  more  arresting  is  that 
which  the  figures  on  income  re- 
veal. Film  rentals  and  theatre 
receipts,  always  combined  in  the 
company's  statement,  rose  from 
$40,316,174  in  the  first  quarter 
of  '48  to  $43,490,969.  A  hefty 
gain  of  $3,174,795. 


To  some  who  attended  the 
ITOA  forum  at  which  peace  be- 
tween the  New  York  exhibitor 
association  and  20th-Fox  broke 
out,  one  of  the  interesting  devel- 
opments was  the  care  with  which 
Al  Lichtman  explained  he  held  a 
one-year  contract  only  with  the 
company. 

That  isn't  how  the  deal  was 
described  when  it  was  recorded 
with  the  SEC.  The  terms  on 
record  call  for  a  five-year  ticket 
at  $60,000  the  first  year  and 
$35,000  each  year  thereafter. 
His  active  duties  are  to  improve 
methods  of  distribution.  Once 
done,  he  will  serve  in  an  ad- 
visory capacity  on  distribution. 

It  is  understood  Lichtman  cal- 
culates the  active  phase  will  con- 
sume about  a  year.  Thereafter, 
he  will  be  available  on  the  ad- 
visory, or  quieter  side. 


American  revenue  may  be 
frozen  in  important  overseas 
markets,  but  it  is  not  frozen  to 
a  point  where  it  has  to  remain 
idle.  An  obvious  procedure  is 
production  in  those  countries, 
using  blocked  money  to  make 
pictures  which  finally  will  show 
up  in  domestic  distribution  and 
pay  off  in  hard  American  dol- 
lars. It's  a  form  of  economic 
relief  which  throws  a  brighter 
light  on  the  problem  facing  all 
companies  under  existing  inter- 
national film  restrictions. 

The  most  expansive  of  steps  in 
this  direction  belongs  to  20th- 
Fox,  which  has  coming  up 
Tyrone  Power  in  "The  Prince  of 
Foxes,"  made  with  Italian  lira 
in  Rome;  Cary  Grant  and  Ann 
Sheridan  in  "I  Was  a  Male  War 
Bride,"  produced  with  English 
pounds,  French  francs  and  Ger- 
man marks  on  the  Continent; 
and  "The  Black  Rose,"  now 
under  way  in  England  and 
North  Africa  with  the  aid  of 
British  currency. 


The  K.R.S.,  which  represents 
British  distribution,  and  the 
C.E.A.,  which  represents  British 
exhibition,  are  aroused  officially 
over  appearance  in  Britain  of 
two  early  films  starring  Betty 
Grable  and  Cornel  Wilde.  The 
Grable  is  a  compilation  of  RKO 
shorts  about  ten  years  old;  the 
Wilde,  a  feature  which  he  never 
completed.  The  position  is  the 
stars  will  not  benefit  nor  will 
the  public  which  might  be  misled 
into  believing  the  attractions 
were  freshly-made;  that,  con- 
sequently, bookings  should  be 
discouraged. 

There  is  merit  in  this  and  the 
probability  is  Grable  and  Wilde, 
and  their  current  producers,  are 
being  well  served. 

Why  don't  the  British  go  fur- 
ther in  the  interest  of  their  own 
films  here  ?  The  old  James 
Masons  that  have  been  dusted 
off  and  turned  loose  on  unsus- 
pecting audiences  don't  help  the 
star,  British  pictures,  American 
box-offices  or  the  public's 
temper. 

■  ■ 

Debate  on  the  very  tentative 
agreement  designed  to  relieve 
the  Anglo-American  situation 
continues  and  probably  will  run 
on  without  abatement.  It's  a 
fruity  topic  for  discussion, 
analysis  and  theory. 

The  two  salient  points  are  the 
proposal  that  100  American- 
made  "A"  attractions  be  guaran- 
teed playing  time  by  the  three 
principal  British  circuits  and  the 
quid  pro  quo  clause  under  which 
the  American  companies  would 
guarantee  to  underwrite  British 
production  based  on  her  earn- 
ings here,  plus. 

The  first,  to  be  excessively 
brief  about  it,  is  knotty  because 
no  one  knows  how  the  100  pic- 
tures would  be  split  up  among 
the  American  distributors  and 
what,  exactly,  constitutes  an 
"A."  The  second,  viewed  wide- 
ly as  nothing  less  than  a  subsidy, 
in  many  quarters  is  regarded  as 
reaching  beyond  Britain  and 
suggesting  a  pattern  for  interna- 
tional application  wherever  for- 
eign pressure  may  be  turned  on. 

Those  familiar  with  the  Eric 
Johnston-James  Mulvey  negoti- 
ations which  resulted  in  elimi- 
nation of  the  Britain's  75  per 
cent  ad  valorem  tax  are 
wondering  what  happened  to  the 
determination  made  then  and 
never  changed  during  those 
meetings,  not  to  guarantee 
Britain  a  return  on  her  films  in 
this  market. 


Lipton  Defers  Visit 
To  U-I  Home  Office 

Hollywood,  May  19. — David  Lip- 
ton,  Universal-International  advertis- 
ing publicity  director,  who  was  to 
have  left  here  for  New  York  this  week 
for  staff  conferences  preliminary  to 
transferring  his  headquarters  from  the 
studio  to  the  home  office,  has  post- 
poned the  visit  indefinitely. 

W.  A.  Scully,  Universal  vice-presi- 
dent and  general  sales  manager,  will 
arrive  here  from  New  York  on  Mon- 
day to  look  at  new  product  and  dis- 
cuss campaigns.  Lipton  will  remain 
here  to  participate  in  the  meetings. 


Kreisler  To  Resume 
European  Film  Study 

_  Bernard  Kreisler,  former  distribu- 
tion and  production  executive,  is 
scheduled  to  leave  here  for  Europe 
next  Friday  for  a  follow-up  study  of 
European  motion  picture  conditions 
for  the  Harvard  Graduate  School  of 
Business.  Kreisler,  who  will  spend 
four  months  on  the  survey,  made  a 
similar  European  study  last  year. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


-  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  

Rockefeller  Center 
JAMES  STEWART      -      JUNE  ALLYSON 

"THE  STRATT0N  STORY" 

Frank  Morgan-Agnes  Moorehead- Bill  Williams 
A    SAM  WOOD  PRODUCTION 
A   Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Paramount  prcunH 

HOLDEN  •  BENDIX 
CAREY- FREEMAN  / 

C.I.,  b,  TECHNICOLOR 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER. 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Lata  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Releaa* 


lows  l/tetatui 


rwoy  &  AtxY.  St. 


Dana  Andrews 


Maureen  O'Hara 


"FORBIDDEN  STREET" 

A  20th  Century-Fox  Picture 
On  Variety  Stage— DICK  HAYMES,  Others 
On  Ice  Stage— "RHAPSODY" 
Starring    ARNOLD  SHODA 

=ROXYthAve& 


50th  St 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher,  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.    Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 


?  AtorA  C ^cap  . Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington! 
ii  l  Aten,i  Nat'°"al  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor:  cable  address  "Quigpubco  London  " 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3  1879  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Friday,  May  20,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Reports  of  Decline 
Over-Rated:  Richey 


Chicago,  May  19. — Henderson  M. 
Richey,  director  of  exhibitor  relations 
for  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,  set  out 
today  to  dispel  some  misconceptions 
of  the  film  industry  in  the  public  mind, 
in  an  address  before  the  Federation  of 
Women's  Clubs  at  a  meeting  here. 

For  one  thing,  he  said,  "all  the  hue 
and  cry"  about  the  motion  picture 
business  being  on  the  downgrade,  are 
"greatly  exaggerated."  Good  pictures 
still  are  breaking  even  war-time 
records,  the  industry  is  gradually 
ridding  itself  of  war  inflated  inven- 
tories, theatre  owners  are  still  mak- 
ing very  good  profits,  and  attendance 
levels  are  off  only  about  seven  per 
cent  from  the  peak  year,  he  added. 

Richey  answered  any  public  ex- 
pectation of  seeing  new  pictures  on 
television  by  pointing  out  that  "it 
would  be  a  very  short-sighted  pro- 
ducer who,  after  spending  up  to 
$3,000,000  on  a  production  and  de- 
pending on  established  theatres  to  re- 
turn that  revenue  and  a  profit,  would 
sell  it  for  the  limited  amount  which 
the  average  advertiser  could  afford  to 
pay  for  the  rights  to  his  production  on 
television,  at  least  until  its  theatri- 
cal possibilities  have  been  exhausted." 


Wilcox  Sails  Today; 
Film  Deals  In  Work 

British  producer  Herbert  Wilcox 
and  actress  Anna  Neagle  (Mrs.  Wil- 
cox) will  leave  New  York  today  for 
England  aboard  the  i".,^.  Queen  Mary 
after  nearly  a  month's  visit  in  the 
U.  S.,  including  two  weeks  in  Holly- 
wood. 

Wilcox  said  here  yesterday  that 
negotiations  with  distributors  are  still 
in  progress  looking  to  distribution  in 
this  country  of  the  producer's  "Court- 
ney's of  Curzon  Street,"  "Spring  in 
Park  Lane"  and  "Maytime  in  May- 
fair."  New  York  attorney  William 
Feitelson  will  represent  Wilcox  in  con- 
tinuing negotiations  following  the  lat- 
ter's  departure,  the  producer  said. 


Review 


'Lust  for  Gold 


yy 


(  Columbia) 

PROSPECT  of  sudden  riches  transforms  men  into  crazed  killers  in  this 
robust  outdoor  adventure  yarn  which  presents  Ida  Lupino  and  Glenn  Ford 
as  a  pair  of  very  unscrupulous,  unsympathetic  residents  of  the  Old  West, 
both  with  a  thirst  for  hidden  gold. 

The  picture  is  a  good  Western,  erring  somewhat  in  a  rather  heavy-handed 
attempt  to  give  its  characters  some  depth,  but  on  the  basis  of  engaging  story 
developments  and  attractive  names,  its  market  groove  seems  to  extend  well 
beyond  the  usual  Western  outlets. 

"Lust  for  Gold"  is  reminiscent  of  "Sierra  Madre"  in  theme  but  lacking 
in  the  masterful  touches  which  made  the  latter  production  memorable  enter- 
tainment. Here  again  is  the  fabulous  gold  mine  which  brings  the  savage 
instincts  of  its  seekers  to  the  fore. 

Story  is  present-day  at  the  beginning  and  end  but  for  the  most  part  takes 
place  back  in  the  1870's  in  Arizona  where  Ford  takes  possession  of  the 
bonanza,  after  killing  three  men,  and  thereafter  fights  off  others  bent  on 
sharing  his  wealth.  Among  the  latter  is  Miss  Lupino  who  wins  his  affections 
in  a  heartless  scheme  and  subsequently  kills  her  husband,  Gig  Young,  in  a 
desperate  attempt  to  hold  Ford  after  he  discovers  her  motives.  Ironically, 
both  are  killed  in  an  earthquake  in  the  mine  in  the  heart  of  a  huge  mountain. 

The  picture  opens  as  William  Prince,  Ford's  grandson,  takes  on  the  search 
for  the  gold  mine  which  is  located  near  Phoenix.  The  story  of  Ford  and 
Miss  Lupino  thereupon  is  told  with  the  grandson  offering  off-screen  narra- 
tion in  parts.  Following  this  it  reverts  to  the  present  where  mysterious  mur- 
ders still  are  occurring.  The  film's  highpoint  is  the  climax,  one  likely  to 
give  even  the  blase  onlooker  the  horrors.  This  has  the  grandson  and  a 
lunatic  killer  in  a  battle  atop  the  mountain,  staged  with  maximum  effect. 

S.  Sylvan  Simon  produced  and  directed  from  a  screenplay  by  Ted  Sherde- 
man  and  Richard  English.  Earl  McEvoy  was  associate  producer.  Barry 
Storm's  book,  "Thunder  Gods  Gold,"  was  the  original  source.  The  cast  also 
includes  Edgar  Buchanan,  Will  Geer,  Paul  Ford,  Jay  Silverheels,  Eddy 
Waller  and  Will  Wright. 
Running  time,  90  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  June  release. 

Gene  Arneel 


Crosby,  Bergman  Top 
Magazine  Star  Poll 

Bing  Crosby  and  Ingrid  Bergman 
head  the  list  of  stars  chosen  in  the 
annual  readers'  poll  conducted  by  the 
W  Oman's  Home  Companion,  the 
magazine  reported  here  yesterday. 
Gregory  Peck,  who  placed  second  on 
the  male  list,  is  the  only  one  of  eight 
top  favorites  who  has  been  on  the 
screen  less  than  10  years. 

Miss  Bergman  took  top  place 
among  actresses  for  the  third  straight 
year,  Irene  Dunne  was  second,  fol- 
lowed by  Bette  Davis  and  Greer  Gar- 
son.  Cary  Grant  and  Clark  Gable 
took  third  and  fourth  places  among 
the  men. 


Stall  'Champion9  Suit 
Pending  Settlement 

Hollywood,  May  19. — RKO's  suit 
against  Screen  Plays  asking  $500,000 
damages  and  an  injunction  against  the 
exhibition  of  "Champion"  on  the  con- 
tention that  certain  sequences  in  the 
film  duplicates  sequences  in  "Set  Up" 
was  put  over  until  June  7  today  by 
Federal  Judge  Pierson  Hall,  after 
RKO  attorney  Guy  Knupp  stipulated 
to  withdraw  the  plea  for  an  injunction. 

Knupp  and  SP  counsel  Harold 
Fendler  told  the  jurist,  who  yesterday 
viewed  the  sequences  in  dispute  and 
gave  the  contenders  until  this  noon  to 
reach  an  amicable  settlement,  that 
they  believe  an  agreement  on  the  dif- 
ferences can  be  reached  out  of  court. 


Feature  Production 
Slated  by  RKO  Pathe 

For  the  first  time  in  many  years, 
RKO  Pathe,  producers  of  short  sub- 
jects, will  soon  make  a  feature  here. 
It  was  said  that  the  as  yet  untitled 
picture  will  be  a  crime  story,  and  that 
Phil  Reisman,  Jr.,  will  write  the  script, 
and  Jay  Bonafield  will  produce.  RKO 
Radio,  which  releases  monthly  the 
"This  Is  America"  shorts  produced  at 
Pathe  here,  will  release  the  forthcom- 
ing feature,  it  is  understood. 

A  series  of  features  may  ensue  at 
RKO  Pathe  here,  it  was  said. 


$348,000  Bonds  Sold 
At  Rivoli  Premiere 

First  of  more  than  100  "Bond 
Premieres"  to  be  held  during  the 
Treasury's  current  "Opportunity  Sav- 
ings Bond  Drive,"  accounted  for  the 
sale  of  more  than  $348,000  in  E-Bonds 
by  the  Rivoli  Theatre,  New  York, 
at  the  premiere  this  week  of  Universal- 
International's  "One  Woman's  Story," 
according  to  Maurice  A.  Bergman, 
chairman  of  the  motion  picture  indus- 
try drive  committee.  Bergman  declared 
that  the  job  done  by  Montague  Sal- 
mon, managing  director  of  the  Rivoli 
and  his  associates,  is  evidence  of  what 
can  be  done  with  bond  premieres  in 
theatres  throughout  the  country. 


Settle  Para,  Theatre 
Boothmen  Dispute 

The  five-week  dispute  between  the 
New  York  and  Brooklyn  Paramount 
Theatres  and  IATSE  projectionists 
local  .No.  306  over  the  discharge  of 
Brooklyn  Paramount  boothmen  has 
been  settled  to  the  satisfaction  of  both 
parties,  Herman  Gelber,  president  of 
306,  reported  yesterday.  The  contro- 
versy was  marked  by  continuous  pick- 
eting of  the  New  York  Paramount 
Theatre  as  well  as  the  Brooklyn  house. 
The  New  York  picketing  ended 
Wednesday,  and  that  in  Brooklyn  is 
expected  to  terminate  officially  today. 

Settlement  terms  were  promulgated 
by  "IA"  international  president  Rich- 
ard F.  Walsh,  who  was  asked  by  the 
local  to  mediate  the  dispute.  It  is 
understood  that  they  involve  transfer 
to  another  theatre  of  at  least  one  of 
the  discharged  employes  around  whom 
the  dispute  revolved. 


Columbia  to  Meet  in 
Chicago  on  Monday 

Columbia  district  managers,  home 
office  sales  executives  and  department 
heads  will  meet  at  the  Drake  Hotel, 
Chicago,  on  Monday  for  a  three-day 
conference  to  review  business  condi- 
tions, discuss  sales  and  liquidation 
problems  and  formulate  and  discuss 
distribution  plans  for  forthcoming  Co- 
lumbia product.  A.  Montague,  gen- 
eral sales  manager,  will  preside. 

Representatives  from  the  field  who 
will  be  present  include  Nat  Cohn,  New 
York  district  manager ;  S.  A.  Galanty, 
Mideast  district  manager ;  Jerome 
Safron,  Wsstern ;  Carl  Shalit,  Cen- 
tral ;  B.  C.  Marcus,  Midwest ;  R.  J. 
Ingram,  Southeast;  J.  B.  Underwood, 
Southwest;  I.  H.  Rogovin,  New 
England,  and  Harry  Weiner,  district 
manager  for  Southern  New  Jersey 
and  Eastern  Pennsylvania. 

In  addition  to  Montague,  home  of- 
fice executives  and  department  heads 
who  will  be  in  attendance  include 
Rube  Jackter,  Lou  Astor,  Louis  Wein- 
berg, Irving  Wormser,  Maurice  Grad, 
George  Josephs,  Joe  Freiberg,  H.  C. 
Kaufman,  Seth  Raisler,  Vincent  Bo- 
relli,  Irving  Sherman  and  Sydney 
Singerman. 


Set  MPEA  Far  East 
Operation  Deadline 

Board  of  directors  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Export  Association  yesterday 
voted  to  extend  MPEA  operations  in 
Indonesia  only  to  January  1  but  de- 
ferred consideration  of  how  member 
companies  will  operate  beyond  that 
date. 

Board  also  voted  to  continue 
MPEA  in  Japan  and  Korea  another 
30  days,  to  June  30,  with  any  addi- 
tional extension  for  those  two  coun- 
tries being  contingent  upon  how 
blocked  money  may  be  remitted. 

Irving  Maas,  MPEA  vice-president 
and  general  manager,  addressed  the 
board  on  conditions  in  Germany. 


Academy  Elections 
Held  Last  Night 

Hollywood,  May  19. — New  board 
of  governors  of  the  Academy  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Arts  and  Sciences  was 
in  session  tonight  to  elect  officers,  in- 
cluding the  presidency,  recently  va- 
cated by  Jean  Hersholt  after  four 
years  in  office.  Many  here  believe  the 
board  will  undertake  to  draft  him  for 
a  fifth  term. 


See  Customs  Ban  on 
French  Film  Cleared 

The  American  Civil  Liberties  Union, 
which  has  intervened  with  the  United 
States  Custom  Bureau  in  the  confisca- 
tion of  a  print  of  the  French  film 
"White  Legs,"  expressed  hope  here 
yesterday  that  the  matter  would  be 
cleared  up  shortly. 

It  is  expected,  according  to  an 
ACIU  spokesman,  that  the  film  will 
be  admitted  to  the  U.  S.  after  some 
deletions  are  made.  Vog  Film  Co.  has 
distribution  rights  to  the  film  here, 
for  which  Customs  denied  an  entry 
permit. 


$112,000  to  Coast  UJA 

Hollywood,  May  19. — Pledges  ag 
gregating  in  excess  of  $112,000  were 
made  last  night  at  the  United  Jewish 
Welfare  Fund  dinner  here  honorin 
Si  Fabian,  national  chairman  of  the 
United  Jewish  Appeal. 


20th-Fox  Premiere  at 
St.  Louis,  Pittsburgh 

Launching  of  "It  Happens  Every 
Spring,"  20th  Century-Fox,  will  take 
place  at  St.  Louis  on  May  26  and  at 
Pittsburgh  the  next  day,  with  the  pic- 
ture's stars,  Linda  Darnell,  Paul 
Douglas  and  Jean  Peters,  making  per- 
sonal appearances  at  both  places. 

The  Hollywood  contingent  will  ar- 
rive at  St.  Louis  two  days  in  advance 
of  the  premiere  at  the  St.  Louis  Thea- 
tre, with  a  full  schedule  of  broadcasts 
and  personal  appearances  for  the  three 
days.  Representatives  of  the  press 
from  Chicago,  Milwaukee,  Kansas 
City,  Des  Moines,  Omaha,  Dallas  and 
Houston  have  been  invited  to  attend. 
The  stars  will  fly  to  Pittsburgh  for 
the  opening  there  at  the  J.  P.  Harris 
and  Senator  theatres. 


Valentine,  '48  Award 
Winner,  Dies  at  45 

Hollywood,  May  19. — Funeral  ar- 
rangements are  pending  for  Joseph 
A.  Valentine,  45,  winner  of  this  year's 
Academy  Award  for  color  photogra- 
phy in  "Joan  of  Arc,"  who  died  in  his 
sleep  yesterday  at  his  home  in  Cheviot 
Hills.  Valentine  started  his  career  at 
15  in  Paragon  Studios,  Fort  Lee.  The 
widow,  and  an  infant  son  survive. 


I 


CENTURY-FOX 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  BLONDE  FROM  BASHFUL  BEND 
IT  HAPPENS  EVERY  SPRING  •  MR.  BELVEDERE 
GOES  TO  COLLEGE  •  THE  FORBIDDEN  STREET 
THE  FAN  *  CANADIAN  PACIFIC  •  MOTHER  IS  A 
FRESHMAN  •  A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES  •  THE 
SNAKE  PIT  •  DOWN  TO  THE  SEA  IN  SHIPS 
YELLOW  SKY  •  WHEN  MY  BABY  SMILES  AT  ME 


Back  the  Motion  Picture  Industry's  U.  S.  SAVINGS  BONDS  DRIVE,  May  l6  -  JuneJJO 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  May  20,  1949 


Palace  Vaudeville 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

unbilled  surprise  by  bringing  on  Mil 
ton  Berle  who  introduced  celebrities, 
including  Pat  Rooney,  and  then 
sounded  a  roll  call  of  famous  old  vau- 
devillians  present  who  were  Palace 
headliners  in  the  halcyon  days. 

When  the  doors  opened  at  10  A.M 
there  were  already  more  people  wait- 
ing in  line  than  the  theatre  could  ac- 
commodate. As  befits  the  enterprising 
Borough  of  Brooklyn,  it  had  one  of 
its  younger  sons  first  in  line.  He  was 
Steve  Parker,  17,  who  took  up  his 
wait  at  two  A.M. 

The  theatre  was  completely  reno- 
vated for  the  occasion  at  a  reported 
cost  of  $60,000.  Under  the  new  pol- 
icy it  will  have  four  stage  shows  daily 
plus  a  film  feature.  On  the  screen  yes- 
terday was  20th  Century-Fox's  out- 
door action  thriller,  "Canadian  Pa- 
cific." 

Needs  $17,000  Weekly 

The  Palace  needs  a  gross  of  $17,000 
for  the  week  to  break  even.  The 
shows  cost  approximately  $4,000  plus 
another  $3,000  for  back  stage  hands 
and  orchestra.  Rental  on  the  house  is 
close  to  $6,000  per  week  with  film 
rental  and  promotion  adding  up  to  the 
break  point  of  $17,000.  Box-office  is 
scaled  at  55  cents  to  $1.20. 

When  the  curtain  went  up  and  the 
electrically-operated  signs  at  the  side 
of  the  stage  announced  the  first  act, 
the  audience  broke  into  thunderous 
hand-clapping.  The  eight  acts  were 
received  with  applause,  applause  and 
more  applause. 

Mage  and  Karr,  a  ballroom  tap 
dancing  team  was  the  opening  act. 
They  were  followed  by  The  Chords, 
two  men  giving  their  impressions  of 
various  band  leaders.  Next  in  order 
of  appearance  were  Norman  Evans, 
an  English  comedy  star;  The  Mar- 
vellos,  two  men  and  a  girl  in  a  musi- 
cal act  interspersed  with  magic;  Cook 
and  Brown,  two  men  in  a  knockabout 
comedy  and  dance  routine;  Jerry 
Wayne,  the  crooner;  Lorraine  Rog- 
nan,  a  comedienne ;  Dolinoff  and  the 
Raya  Sisters,  three  girls  and  a  man 
in  an  unusual  doll-dance  routine. 

Berle  Cites  Schwartz 

When  Berle  came  on,  he  let  loose  a 
volley  of  gags,  introduced  his  72-year- 
old  mother,  and  invoked  the  spirit  of 
such  greats  as  Sarah  Bernhardt  and 
W.  C.  Fields.  Berle  also  cited  Sol 
Schwartz,  vice-president  and  general 
manager  of  RKO  Theatres,  for  his 
"vision"  in  bringing  back  vaudeville. 

Outside  the  theatre,  Screen  Pub- 
licists Guild  representatives  picketed 
with  some  difficulty  because  of  the 
denseness  of  the  milling  crowds.  SPG 
is  protesting  the  breakdown  of  con- 
tract negotiations  with  the  distributors. 

Asked  if  RKO  would  extend  the 
vaudeville  policy  to  other  houses, 
Schwartz  replied  that  "the  public,  by 
its  reception,  will  determine  that."  It 
is  understood  that  various  craft  unions 
granted  concessions  to  permit  RKO 
to  restore  vaudeville  to  the  theatre. 
Schwartz  praised  their  cooperation. 

The  promotional  campaign  that 
surrounded  the  inauguration  was  tre- 
mendous. On  radio,  television  and  in 
the  newspapers,  the  event  was  widely 
hailed  and  publicized.  Harry  Mandel, 
national  director  of  advertising,  ex- 
ploitation and  publicity  of  RKO 
Theatres;  and  John  Cassidy,  general 
press  representative  for  metropolitan 
houses,  geared  the  promotion. 

It  was  a  gala  occasion.  The  audi- 
ence was  wowed.  Everybody  was  hap- 
py over  the  prodigal's  return. 


Arkansas  ITO 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

issued  by  20th-Fox  president  Spyros 
P.  Skouras,  and  also  praised  Andy  W. 
Smith,  Jr.,  the  company's  sales  vice 
president,  recounting  Smith's  cham 
pioning  of  better  public  relations  in 
the  industry.  He  particularly  cited 
Smith's  efforts  in  behalf  of  con- 
ciliation. 

Connett's  statement  followed  an  ad- 
dress by  Sam  Shain,  director  of  ex- 
hibitor and  public  relations  for  20th- 
Fox,  who  told  the  assemblage  that  his 
company  always  intends  to  transact 
business  with  the  exhibitor  in  the 
manner  in  which  the  exhibitor  pre- 
fers and  in  the  tradition  of  20th 
Century-Fox,  which  has  always  stood 
for  fair  and  square  dealing.  Shain 
read  the  Skouras  statement  of  policy. 
Gael  Sullivan,  TOA  executive  direc- 
tor, also  addressed  the  meeting,  on  a 
four-point  problem  program  of  the 
industry,  namely:  television,  16mm. 
film  trailers  and  a  declining  box- 
office.  He  urged  exhibitors  to  devote 
themselves  to  public  service  and  take 
greater  personal  and  active  interest 
in  their  community  affairs. 

Other  officers  elected  in  addition  to 
Kirby  were  O.  G.  Abernathy,  Moril- 
ton,  vice-president,  and  Jack  Bomar, 
Little  Rock,  secretary-treasurer.  The 
board,  headed  by  Savage,  consists  of 
Sidney  Wharton,  Henry  Haven,  Terry 
Axley,  W.  C.  Sumpter,  W.  D.  Mitch- 
ell, L.  G.  Renfro,  Jr.,  and  Herod 
Jimerson. 

Leon  J.  Bamberger,  RKO  Radio, 
urged  exhibitors  to  intensify  their  ex- 
ploitation of  lesser  pictures  as  well  as 
bigger  ones. 

Another  feature  of  the  convention 
was  the  presentation  by  Paramount 
of  sample  films  televised  at  the  Para- 
mount Theatre,  New  York,  to  indi- 
cate how  its  process  is  used. 

Dais  guests  at  a  buffet  included 
Herman  Levy,  general  counsel  of  the 
TOA  ;  Sullivan  ;  Ben  Cammack,  RKO 
Radio;  Bamberger;  Connett;  William 
Ruffin,  Sr.;  William  Ruffin,  Jr 
president  of  the  Tri-States  exhibitor 
organization;  Mike  Simons,  MGM; 
Kirby,  Savage,  Mundo  and  Shain. 


Transcribed  TV 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  Chicago  stage  will  tee  off  the 
event,  which  will  also  mark  the 
eighth  anniversary  of  WBKB. 

Balaban  said  that  the  regularity  of 
"live"  shows  at  the  Chicago  will  de- 
pend on  the  nature  of  important 
sports  and  other  events  appearing  in 
Chicago  and  elsewhere.  He  revealed 
that  B.  and  K.  is  negotiating  for  tele- 
vising the  Wolcott-Charles  heavy- 
weight bout  in  June.  He  predicted 
that  television  would  eventually  find 
its  way  into  the  circuit's  key  outlying 
houses,  the  Uptown,  Tivoli  and  Mar- 
bro,  but  not  employing  equipment  of 
such  elaborate  installation  as  tele- 
transcription. 


RKO's  Net  Profit 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Ascap's  Video  Pact 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ing ;  Mark  Woods,  president  of  Amer- 
ican Broadcasting;  Mortimer  Loewi, 
director  of  the  DuMont  television  net- 
work, and  Theodore  C.  Streibert, 
president  of  station  WOR  here. 

The  Ascap  licensing  contract,  when 
agreed  upon,  will  be  retroactive  to 
Jan.  1. 


Conciliation 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Trust  Action 

 (Continued  from  page  1) 


sales  policy  must  contain  an  'incentive' 
for  the  exhibitor  to  work  for  himself 
and  not  entirely  for  the  distributor," 
if  it  is  to  be  acceptable.  He  has  with- 
held comment  on  the  sales  policy  an- 
nounced last  week  by  20th-Fox  presi- 
dent Spyros  P.  Skouras,  believing  it 
will  be  more  fruitful  to  thresh  the 
policy  out  at  the  open  forum  of  next 
week's  NCA  convention,  when  Licht- 
man  and  Smith  explain  the  plan  and 
answer  questions  from  the  floor. 


May  Purchase  FC 

 (Continued  from,  page  1) 


tion  of  the  Empire  Theatre,  Newark, 
a  last-run  house,  the  complaint  states! 
Plaintiffs  charge  that  Empire  was 
forced  to  dissolve  because  the  theatre 
could  not  get  product  from  the  defend- 
ant companies  which,  it  is  further  al- 
leged, discriminated  against  the  house 
and  operated  a  fixed  system  of  run 
and  clearances. 

Empire  states  in  its  complaint  that 
it  leased  the  theatre  for  a  five-year 
period  with  an  option  to  re-lease  for 
another  five  years.  Damages  asked 
are  based,  it  is  stated,  on  estimations 
of  what  the  theatre  would  have  earned 
had  not  dissolution  taken  place.  Fil- 
ing counsel  was  the  New  York  legal 
firm  of  Rogge,  Fabricant,  Gordon  and 
Goldman. 


Vaudeville  for  St.  James 

Vaudeville  has  returned  to  another 
one-time  citadel,  Walter  Reade's  St. 
James  at  Asbury  Park,  N.  J.,  which 
has_  inaugurated  a  six-act,  four-a-day 
variety  show  in  conjunction  with  its 
film  program.  Reade  theatres  in  Long 
Branch  and  Perth  Amboy  in  New 
Jersey  and  in  Kingston  and  Saratoga 
Springs  in  New  York  have  been  using 
vaudeville  successfully,  it  was  re- 
ported. 


day.  The  deal  had  been  worked  out  by 
attorneys  during  the  past  fortnight 
which  would  _  provide  for  Fabian  and 
Bernhard  taking  over  complete  owner- 
ship and  operation  of  Film  Classics 
subject  to  its  indebtedness  to  Cine- 
color,  said  to  be  approximately  $2,- 
000,000,  representing  sums  advanced 
by  the  latter  to  FC  for  operational 
purposes  and  as  guarantor  for  bank 
loans. 

Bernhard  recently  resigned  the 
presidency  of  Cinecolor  but  still  has 
a  large  stock  interest.  Fabian  is  be- 

Zu  t0  be  rePresenting  the  group 
which  at  one  time  gave  evidence  of  a 
desire  to  acquire  United  Artists.  Com- 
pletion of  the  present  deal  would  re- 
quire the  approval  of  Cinecolor  stock- 
holders, whose  next  meeting  has  not 
been  scheduled. 


1947,  after  taxes  and  all  other  charges 
(including  profit  of  $4,528,655  on  the 
sale  of  capital  assets,  and  losses  on  in- 
vestments in  productions  and  in  for- 
eign subsidiaries  aggregating  $4,692,- 
435),  equivalent  to  approximately 
$1.30  per  share  on  3,899,914  shares  of 
common  outstanding. 

In  its  anual  report,  with  respect  to 
the  $3,357,370  write-off  for  losses  on 
investments  in  productions,  stories  and 
continuities,  the  company's  statement 
to  stockholders  said  that  "the  RKO 
Radio  board  authorized  the  write-off 
by  a  direct  charge  to  profit  and  loss 
as  of  December  31,  1948,  of  the  costs 
of  certain  stories  and  continuities  ag- 
gregating $1,045,693  not  contemplated 
for  use  in  production,"  the  statement 
continued.  "Ordinarily,  items  of  this 
nature  are  charged  to  studio  overhead 
(and  thus  allocated  to  the  cost  of  pic- 
tures produced  during  the  year)  but, 
subsequent  to  a  change  in  studio  man- 
agement" (purchase  of  the  company 
by  Howard  Hughes),  "and  as  incident 
thereto,  the  write-off  was  effected  by 
a  direct  charge  to  profit  and  loss. 
Nearly  all  of  the  above  amount  would 
have  been  included  in  inventories  of 
productions  at  December  31,  1948,  had 
the  usual  accounting  procedure  of  the 
company  been  followed,"  it  was  said. 

The  company  in  1948  had  a  gross 
rncorne  of  $109,995,921,  of  which 
$105,768,019  came  from  theatre  admis- 
sions and  film  rentals  and  sales,  and 
$4,227,901  was  received  from  rents  and 
other  income.  From  this,  some  $29,- 
128,066  was  charged  to  amortization 
of  film  costs  and  expenses,  $28,228,687 
to  royalties  and  participations,  and 
$47,015,528  to  operating  and  general 
expenses.  Earned  surplus  as  of  last 
December  31  totaled  $21,682,181. 

The  company's  statement  disclosed 
current  assets  of  $63,946,377,  against 
current  liabilities  of  $10,803,921,  a 
ratio  of  more  than  six-to-one.  On  De- 
cember 31,  RKO  had  $17,458,658  in 
cash,  $12,144,754  in  U.  S.  Government 
securities,  and  production  inventories 
of  $25,762,686.  Capital  assets  were 
listed  at  $37,295,816,  and  total  assets 
at  $108,273,768. 


Industry  Year 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


er  than  any  year  in  the  past  decade, 
including  the  abnormally  prosperous 
years  of  1946  and  1947. 

Motion  picture  stocks  are  currently 
at  their  highest  level  of  the  year, 
jumping  as  much  as  five  points  in 
some  cases  from  their  lows  in  January 
and  February. 

First  quarter  film  revenues  from 
rentals  are  equal  to  those  of  the  com- 
parable period  in  the  record-breaking 
year  of  1946. 

Film  production  is  up  more  than 
35  per  cent  over  the  January  level. 


BOOKERS  ANNUAL  DINNER  DANCE  &  SHOW 

The  MOTION  PICTURE  BOOKERS  OF  N.  Y. 
will  hold  their  10th  annual  DINNER  DANCE  & 
SHOW  on  Sunday  evening-,  May  22,  at  the  Hotel 
Commodore. 

An  all-star  stage  show  will  be  presented  headed 
by  JACK  CARTER,  who  will  act  as  M.  C. 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,   U.S.A.,   MONDAY,   MAY  23,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


|;  'in 

FILM 
NEWS 

■  [ 

d  I!  VOL.  65.  NO.  100 

lit  r 

Quit  Combines 
To  Get  Wider 
IFilm  Variety 

j] Independents  Also  Seek 

"Shorter  Clearances 

i  \   

j :  Minneapolis,  May  22. — A  de- 
j  |  sire  of  many  independent  theatre 
j  |  owners  for  earlier  runs  and  a  wider 
»  j  variety  of  product  is  held  by  ob- 
,,  J  servers  here  to  be  the  cause  of  the 
s  i  sudden  breaking  away  of  smaller  in- 
i  i  dependents  from  some  film  buying  and 

■  •  booking  combines  in  this  territory. 

1  I  Several  independents  are  pulling  out 
i  1  preparatory  to  demanding  shortened 
.  ;  clearance  from  distributors.  Others 
i  i  have  cancelled  or  intend  to  cancel 
'  '  their  affiliations  with  combines  due  to 
I  I  the  latter's  refusal  to  buy  the  product 
I  I  of  a  distributor  for  all  houses  in  the 
i  !  combine  because  of  their  inability  to 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


i  Charles  Brackett  Is 
IHead  of  the  Academy 


Hollywood,  May  22. — The  board 
of  directors  of  the  Academy  of  Motion 
Picture  Arts  and  Sciences  has  elected 
Charles  Brackett  president,  George 
Murphy  first  vice-president,  Dore 
Schary  second  vice-president,  Em- 
mett  Lavery  secretary,  Johnny  Green 
assistant  secretary,  Fred  Metzler  trea- 
surer and  Carleton  Hunt  assistant 
treasurer. 

Retiring  president  Jean  Hersholt's 
annual  report,  distributed  to  board 
members  but  not  discussed  at  the 
meeting,  included  a  recommendation 
that  the  Academy  accept  commercial 
sponsorship  for  the  broadcast  of  its 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Directorial  Award 
Goes  to  Mankiewicz 


Hollywood,  May  22. — Screen  Di- 
rectors Guild  tonight  presented  its  first 
annual  award  for  directorial  achieve- 
ment to  Joseph  L.  Mankiewicz,  for 
"Letter  to  Three  Wives,"  at  a  dinner 
at  the  Hollywood  Roosevelt  Hotel. 
The  award,  which  is  in  the  form  of  a 
silver  medallion,  was  voted  by  the 
membership  from  four  nominees  who 
had  won  quarterly  awards  during  the 
year.  Other  contenders  were  Howard 
Hawks,  Fred  Zinneman  and  Anatole 
Litvak. 

Honor  guests  were  Louis  B.  Mayer, 
Darryl  F.  Zanuck  and  George  Bagnall. 


Film  Salesmen  Plan 
Aug.  Pay  Hike  Bid 


A  bid  for  a  general  wage  increase 
will  be  made  by  the  country's  1,000- 
odd  film  salesmen  in  August  when 
their  union,  the  Colosseum  of  Motion 
Picture  Salesmen  of  America,  will 
move  to  open  industry-wide  contract 
negotiations.  Present  contract  with 
the  distributors,  the  union's  first,  will 
expire  in  October. 

This  was  reported  here  at  the  week- 
end by  David  Beznor,  Colosseum  at- 
torney, who  said  it  was  still  too  early 
to  indicate  how  much  of  an  increase 
will  be  sought.  Beznor,  who  makes  his 
headquarters  in  Milwaukee,  returned 
there  at  the  weekend  after  a  two-day 
visit"  here. 


Bond  Drive  Subject 
Good  Screen  Fare 


"The  Spirit  of  '49,"  the  one-reel 
subject  starring  Jack  Benny,  with 
Rochester,  which  is  being  distributed 
by  Universal-International  as  part  of 
the  industry's  cooperation  with  the 
U.  S.  Treasury's  current  savings  bond 
drive,  is  solid  entertainment  well 
worth  its  12  minutes  running  time  on 
anybody's  screen. 

Borrowing  from  Benny's  radio  pro- 
gram his  popular  characterization  of 
himself  as  a  man  of  miserly  habits, 
the  subject  begins  with  a  visit  to 
Benny's  well-protected  vault  where  he 
displays  a  golden  railroad  spike  to 
Rochester  and  relates  its  story.  Benny 
depicts  his  ancestor  who  closed  up  a 
dry  goods  emporium  in  Waukegan, 
111.,  to  join  the  California  gold  rush 
of  1849.  His  overland  journey  West- 
ward is  made  impressive  with  the  aid 
of  scenes  from  "The  Covered  Wagon," 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Minneapolis,  May  22. — North  Cen- 
tral Allied's  annual  convention  will 
open  here  tomorrow  at  the  Hotel 
Nicollet,  and  during  the  course  of  its 
two-day  schedule  delegates  and  na- 
tional Allied  guests  will  hear  NCA 
president  Ben  Berger  charge  that 
"exorbitant"  film  costs  are  caused 
mainly  by  "the  millions  being  drained 
off  box-office  income  to  meet  the  un- 
lawful acts  of  distributors,"  it  is  un- 
derstood. 

Berger  will  tie  up  his  attack  on  film 
rentals  and  the  cost  of  attorney  fees 
with  a  plea  for  continuance  of  the 
Smith-Berger  conciliations  plan,  and 
its  extension  on  a  national  basis.  He 


Heavier  Fines  for 
Trust  Violators 

Washington,  May  22.  — 
House  Small  Business  Com- 
mittee Chairman  Patman  said 
he  would  introduce  in  the 
near  future  a  bill  to  raise 
fines  for  violating  the  anti- 
trust laws  from  $5,000  to  $50," 
000  and  to  give  the  govern- 
ment power  to  sue  violators 
for  treble  damages.  At  pres- 
ent, only  private  citizens  can 
sue  for  treble  damages. 

The  bill  when  introduced 
will  go  to  the  House  Judici- 
ary Committee,  which  is  plan- 
ning an  over-all  study  of  the 
anti-trust  laws.  Justice  De- 
partment officials  have  in- 
dorsed both  higher  fines  and 
government  treble  damage 
powers. 


20th  Completes  12 
For  Rest  of  '49 

Twelve  20th  Century-Fox  produc- 
tions have  been  completed  and  are 
awaiting  release  through  the  end  of 
this  year,  the  home  office  reported  at 
the  weekend.  Pictures  are  :  "The  Beau- 
tiful Blonde  from  Bashful  Bend,"  "It 
Happens  Every  Spring,"  "Sand," 
"House  of  Strangers,"  "Slattery's 
Hurricane,"  "You're  My  Everything," 
"Come  to  the  Stable,"  "Father  Was  a 
Fullback,"  "Collision,"  "Everybody 
Does  It,"  "Oh,  You  Beautiful  Doll" 
and  "Prince  of  Foxes." 

Pictures  which  will  be  in  production 
next  month,  the  company  reports,  are : 
"The  Black  Rose,"  "Twelve  O'Clock 
High,"  "Wabash  Avenue,"  "Arrow," 
"Front  and  Center,"  "Oh,  Doctor" 
and  "Turned  Up  Toes." 


will  also  urge  independent  exhibitors 
to  police  the  Supreme  Court  decision 
in  the  Paramount  case  and  to  report 
violations  of  the  decree  to  local  ex- 
hibitor associations. 

Stanley  Kane,  NCA  executive  coun- 
sel, will  stress  the  achievement  of  the 
legislative  members  of  the  group  in 
defeating  every  proposed  anti-film 
measure  introduced  in  this  spring's 
sessions  of  the  legislatures  in  Minne- 
sota and  North  and  South  Dakota.  He 
is  also  expected  to  report  an  improve- 
ment in  the  unit's  financial  condition, 
announce  the  addition  of  new  mem- 
bers and  the  return  of  others  who  pre- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


D.  of  J.  Takes 
Arnall  Protest 
Under  Study 


Protest  of  U.  S.  -  U.  K. 
Proposals  to  Bergson 

Washington,  May  22. — The  De- 
partment of  Justice  is  studying  the 
complaint  of  the  Society  of  Inde- 
pendent Motion  Picture  Producers 
against  the  reported  terms  for  the 
proposed  Anglo-American  film  agree- 
ment, it  was  admitted  here  on  Friday 
by  Herbert  Bergson,  Assistant  Attor- 
ney General. 

Bergson  said  the  protest,  which  was 
filed  by  SIMPP  president  Ellis  G. 
Arnall,  has  arrived  on  his  desk  and 
is  now  being  studied  by  anti-trust 
division  lawyers.  Bergson,  who  left 
for  the  Coast  at  the  weekend,  said  the 
protest  is  without  significance  in  any 
pending  motion  picture  case. 


Levey  Abroad  for 
Foreign  Film  Deals 


Jules  Levey  will  fly  to  Germany  to- 
day to  finalize  extended  negotiations 
for  distribution  of  two  groups  of  his 
completed  pictures,  to  contract  for 
American  distribution  of  French, 
Italian  and  British  product,  to  screen 
three  foreign  pictures  in  which  he  has 
a  substantial  investment,  and  to  ar- 
range for  further  investments  in  for- 
eign production. 

The  distribution  deal  for  his  com- 
pleted product  covers  Germany,  Aus- 
tria and  France.  The  first  group  in- 
volves his  United  Artists  subjects, 
"Abilene  Town,"  "New  Orleans," 
"The  Hairy  Ape"  and  "Jacare."  The 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


5th  and  Final  Para. 
Sales  Meeting  Today 


Los  Angeles,  May  22. — Fifth  and 
final  of  the  series  of  Paramount  sales 
meeting  which  started  May  9,  will 
convene  here  tomorrow  and  will  con- 
tinue through  Wednesday.  George  A. 
Smith,  manager  of  the  West  Coast 
division,  will  preside. 

Home  office  executives  who  attended 
the  previous  four  meetings  will  be 
present,  including  A.  W.  Schwalberg, 
general  sales  manager;  E.  K.  (Ted) 
O'Shea,  assistant  general  sales  man- 
ager ;  Oscar  Morgan,  sales  manager 
of  short  subjects  and  Paramount  News, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Berger  Claims  Litigation 
Costs  Boost  Film  Rentals 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  May  23,  1949' 


Personal 
Mention 

JAMES  A.  FITZPATRICK, 
M-G-M    short   subject  producer, 
will  arrive  here  today  from  the  Coast. 
• 

Major  Barney  Oldfield,  former 
Warner  publicist,  film  reviewer  and 
Quigley  Publications  correspondent, 
has  been  assigned  to  Headquarters, 
U.  S.  Army,  Pacific,  at  Honolulu, 
upon  completion  of  his  present  assign 
ment  as  a  student  at  the  Command 
and  General  Staff  College,  Fort  Leav- 
enworth, Kan. 

• 

William  Wentz,  manager  of  Tri- 
States'  Oil  City  Theatre,  at  Falls 
City,  Neb.,  has  had  an  emergency 
appendectomy. 

• 

Julian  Berman,  M-G-M  manager 
in  Cuba,  and  Mrs.  Berman  are  the 
parents  of  a  child,  John  David,  born 
last  week. 

• 

H.  M.  Bessey,  Altec  executive  vice- 
president,  has  returned  to  New  York 
from  a  trip  through  the  South  and 
Mid-west. 

• 

Leon  J.  Bamberger,  RKO  Radio 
sales  promotion  manager,  returned  to 
New  York  over  the  weekend  from 
Little  Rock,  Ark. 

• 

J.  D.  Trop,  independent  producer, 
has  left  here  on  a  three-week  location 
trip  to  South  Carolina  and  Louisiana. 
• 

Verne  Caldwell  and  Card  Walker, 
Walt  Disney  studio  executives,  will 
arrive  here  today  from  the  Coast. 
• 

Robert  Lenox,  20th  Century-Fox 
booker  at  Detroit,  was  married  to 
Barbara  Blake. 


S.  Dembow  to  Handle 
New  Sirk  Production 

Sam  Dembow,  president  of  Pro- 
ducers Service  Corp.,  has  been  ap- 
pointed representative  for  the  Doug- 
las Sirk  production,  "Two  Hearts  in 
Three-Quarter  Time,"  it  was  an- 
nounced by  United  Artists,  which  will 
distribute  the  film. 

Sirk  is  now  in  Vienna  supervising 
preliminary  work  on  the  film,  which 
will  be  the  first  major  American  pro- 
duction to  be  made  in  Austria. 


20th  Heads  in  Chicago 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  president 
Spyros  P.  Skouras  and  vice-presidents 
Al  Lichtman,  A.  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  and 
Charles  Einfeld  are  in  Chicago  today 
from  New  York  to  attend  an  Allied 
States  meeting.  Lichtman  and  Smith 
will  continue  on  to  Minneapolis  for 
the  North  Central  Allied  meeting  to- 
morrow. Skouras  and  Einfeld  will  re- 
turn _  to  New  York  following  today's 
meeting. 


Tradewise . . . 


Para.  Hosts  Waiters 

Paramount  will  be  host  today  to  a 
group  of  waiters  from  Lindy's  Restau- 
rant here  at  a  private  screening  of 
"Sorrowful  Jones,"  starring  Bob  Hope, 
which  will  open  at  the  New  York 
Paramount  Theatre  early  in  June. 


By  SHERWIN  KANE 


A  NUMBER  of  industry  ex- 
ecutives  who  have  given 
careful  study  to  the  suggestions 
advanced  by  the  Anglo-Ameri- 
can Film  Council  are  still  won- 
dering whether  the  plan,  solely 
from  a  practical  approach,  offers 
the  American  industry  anything 
at  all. 

The  suggestions  that  the  Brit- 
ish Film  Producers  Association 
work  for  a  lower  quota,  in- 
creased dollar  remittances  to  the 
U.  S.  and  liberalized  unremit- 
table  sterling  uses  in  Britain 
cannot  be  assayed  practically, 
some  executives  contend.  They 
are  suggestions  that  the  BFPA 
take  a  particular  stand  with  re- 
spect to  those  subjects.  There 
is  nothing  to  assure  that  any- 
thing beneficial  to  the  American 
industry  will  result  therefrom. 
The  decision  rests  with  the 
British  government. 

It  is  being  pointed  out  in 
some  quarters,  too,  that  should 
the  American  industry  become 
party  to  an  agreement  embody- 
ing those  suggestions  it  would,  in 
effect,  constitute  a  recognition 
of  the  quota  which  could  under- 
mine the  current  opposition  of 
the  American  government  there- 
to and  which  might  force  it  to 
retreat  from  the  position  it  has 
taken. 


For  practical  purposes,  the 
suggestion  that  the  three  major 
British  circuits  show  a  mini- 
mum of  100  American  "A"  fea- 
tures annually  is  meaningless, 
some  executives  claim. 

The  three  circuits  can  accom- 
modate 156  "A"  features  an- 
nually. 

Under  Britain's  40  per  cent 
quota,  effective  next  October  1, 
the  three  circuits  could  play  94 
American  "A"  features.  Thus, 
ostensibly,  agreement  on  the 
Anglo-American  Council's  sug- 
gestion would  be  a  concession 
amounting  to  six  American  "A" 
features  per  year. 

However,  it  is  being  pointed 
out  that  British  producers  will 
not  and  can  not  furnish  56  "A" 
pictures  annually,  not  to  men- 
tion the  62  "A"  features  for 
which  the  quota  would  reserve 
playing  time.  It  is  claimed, 
therefore,  that  the  100-picture 
guaranty  offers  the  American 
industry  nothing. 

On  that  subject,  too,  British 
industry  attorneys  express  the 
opinion  that  an  agreement  by 
the  three  circuits  in  question 
to  play  any  specific  number  of 


American  pictures  would 
illegal  under  British  law. 


be 


Apart  from  the  practical  con- 
siderations, it  is,  of  course,  con- 
ceded that  the  value  of  the  sug- 
gestions may  reside  in  the  extent 
to  which  they  succeed  in  placat- 
ing leaders  of  the  British  in- 
dustry and  in  restoring  amicable 
business  relationships  between 
the  two  industries.  Presumably, 
that  is  the  spirit  in  which  the 
suggestions  were  offered  and  the 
latter  aim  surely  should  be  a 
fundamental  one  for  both  sides 
of  the  Anglo-American  Film 
Council. 

The  question  then  arises  are 
the  suggestions  as  drafted  the 
only  ones  or  the  best  ones  likely 
to  achieve  that  result? 

To  answer  that,  attention  is 
turned  to  what  the  American  in- 
dustry would  be  expected  to 
give. 

• 

Elimination  of  the  unit  play- 
ing program  in  Britain  has  little 
opposition  from  the  standpoint 
of  the  contribution  it  would 
make  to  improved  relations  be- 
tween the  two  industries.  It  is 
a  well  known  fact  that  it  has 
rankled  the  British  leaders  no 
end  and  that  there  is  little  hope 
of  sweetening  their  opinions  of 
us  while  it  remains  in  effect. 

The  guaranty  of  an  American 
subsidy  payable  to  British  pro- 
ducers annually  on  an  ascending 
scale  is  not  objected  to  by  most 
on  the  basis  of  cost.  The  $4,- 
000,000  and  upward  likely  to  be 
involved  annually  would  impose 
no  burden  on  the  American  in- 
dustry. 

However,  quite  a  few  re- 
sponsible American  executives 
are  opposed  to  the  idea  of  a  sub- 
sidy on  principle,  as  a  precedent 
and  because  of  doubts  as  to  its 
propriety  in  the  conduct  of  their 
business. 

As  a  precedent,  some  are  con- 
vinced that  it  is  an  extremely 
dangerous  procedure,  one  that 
would  invite  demands  for  similar 
concessions  from  virtually 
every  other  market  around  the 
world  and  which,  if  denied  to 
them,  would  be  followed  by  new 
penalties  imposed  upon  Ameri- 
can films  abroad.  As  for  a  busi- 
ness procedure,  the  question  has 
been  raised  whether  American 
stockholders  would  view  favor- 
ably the  application  of  their 
companies'  funds  to  the  financ- 
ing of  competitors. 

There  are  those  who  believe 
that  amity  can  be  purchased  on 
more  acceptable  terms. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


GEN.  CLAY'S  return  and  the  ar 
rival  here  of  President  Dutra  of 
Brazil  are  current  newsreel  highlights. 
Other  items  include  the  Treasury 
Bond  Drive,  sports,  and  fashions. 
Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  41— Gen. 
Clay  comes  home  from  Berlin.  President1 
Truman  opens  Bond  Drive.  Another  Roose- 
velt enters  politics.  Pope  Pius  proclaims 
new  Saint.  President  Dutra  of  Brazil  ar- 
rives in  U.  S.  Premiere  of  "It  Happens 
Every  Spring"  at  Ann  Arbor.  Insulated 
building.     Skim-boat    racing.      Crew  race. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  275— Gen. 
Clay  gets  hero's  welcome.  Spotlight  on  an- 
other FDR.  Pope  proclaims  new  Saint.  Hit 
bond  trail  for  Uncle  Sam.  Great  day  for 
Monty  Stratton  in  Greenville,  Tex.  Skim- 
boating,  newest  sport.  Golden  Gloves.  U.S. 
honors  president  of  Brazil. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  78 — Stars 
help  launch  Bond  Drive.  Washington  greets 
Brazil's  chief  executive.  FDR,  Jr.,  elected 
to  Congress.    U.  S.  saluted  Gen.  Clay. 

TEliENEWS  DIGEST,  20-B— Shanghai 
under  siege.  Nation  honors  Gen.  Clay. 
President  Dutra  visits  Washington.  FDR, 
Jr.,  elected  to  Congress.  Tornado  in  Texas. 
Floods  in  Italy.  Publicity-seeker  atop  80- 
foot  obelisk.  Nylon-velvet  bathing  suit. 
Skim-boats. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWS,  No.  249— U.  S. 
acclaims  Gen.  Clay.  Brazil's  president  wel- 
comed. Golden  Gloves.  President  Truman 
asks  for  bond  drive  support. 

WARNER  PAT  HE  NEWS,  No.  80 — 
People  in  the  news:  President  Dutra  of 
Brazil;  FDR,  Jr.;  John  J.  McCloy;  Gen. 
Clay  in  Washington  and  N.  Y.  Chinook 
Pass  plowing.  Sheep  cross  Grand  Coulee 
Dam.  Bond  Drive.  Swiss  acrobat.  Golden 
Gloves.  Skim-boating.  Great  Americans: 
Capt.  Lawrence. 


Jewish  Appeal  Fund 
Moves  at  Good  Clip 

Contributions  in  the  1949  drive  of 
the  amusement  division  of  the  United 
Jewish  Appeal  are  progressing  at  a 
higher  level  than  prevailed  during  last 
year's  drive,  it  was  reported  here  at 
the  weekend  by  the  advisory  commit- 
tee at  a  meeting  held  in  the  office  of 
Fred  Schwartz,  amusement  division 
chairman. 


RKO-SP  Suit  Settled 

Hollywood,  May  22. — RKO  has 
withdrawn  its  suit  against  Screen 
Plays  which  charged  that  scenes  in 
the  latter's  "Champion"  duplicated  se- 
quences in  RKO's  "Set-Up,"  with 
SP  agreeing  to  make  stipulated  alter- 
ations in  its  film  within  a  specified 
time. 


Cut  8  Minutes  of  'Pit' 

London,  May  22. — "Snake  Pit," 
20th  Century-Fox  film  that  has  been 
center  of  controversy  here,  opened 
at  the  weekend  with  about  eight  min- 
utes cut  in  order  to  secure  a  license 
for  adults  only. 


'Tulsa'  Opens  New  House 

Manila,  May  22.  —  Eagle-Lion's 
"Tulsa"  had  its  foreign  premiere  at 
the  weekend  at  the  opening  of  the  new 
Roxy  Theatre  here,  to  be  operated  by 
Alfred  A.  Boulle. 


Bans  30  Russian  Films 

Thirty  Russian  films,  including 
newsreels  and  documentaries,  and  the 
Italian  "Open  City"  have  been  banned 
from  Buenos  Aires  theatres,  according 
to  press  reports  on  reaching  here. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher,  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address-  "Ouigpubco 
New  York.  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer-  Leo  J  Brady  Secretary- 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building  William  R  Weaver' 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative  Washington' 
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Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  TTprnld-  Internal-;™ 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N. 
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Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  May  23,  1949 


i 

I 


New  England  Group 
Sets  Meeting  Agenda 

Boston,  May  22. — -Independent  Ex 
hibitors,  Inc.,  comprised  of  theatremen 
in  New  England,  has  set  the  agenda 
for  its  convention  at  the  Copley  Plaza 
here  on  May  25-26  with  business  ses- 
sions to  include  a  forum  on  means  of 
increasing  business,  and  a  discussion 
of  municipal,  state  and  Federal  taxes 
by  David  Palfreyman,  exhibition  rep 
resentative  of  the  Motion  Picture  As 
sociation  of  America. 

A  two-hour  seminar  on  "Ways  and 
Means  to  Get  More  People  to  Attend 
Motion  Picture  Theatres"  will  be 
presented  by  the  M-G-M  exhibitor 
relations  department,  to  be  conducted 
by  M.  L.  Simons,  assistant  to  Hender 
son  M.  Richey,  department  head. 

Participating  in  a  panel  discussion 
of  product  and  trade  practices  will  be 
Leonard  Goldberg,  A.  K.  Howard, 
Irving  Dollinger,  Nathan  Yamins  and 
Julian  Rifkin.  Business  outlook  for 
the  future  will  be  reported  on  by  Ar 
thur  Babson  of  Babson  Reports. 

The  convention  will  close  with  a 
banquet  at  the  Copley  on  Thursday. 


Para.  Sales  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


and  Joseph  A.  Walsh,  Fred  Leroy  and 
Richard  Morgan. 

Barney  Balaban,  president  of  Para- 
mount; Adolph  Zukor,  board  chair- 
man; Russell  Holman,  Eastern  pro- 
duction manager,  and  Max  Young- 
stein,  who  has  just  assumed  his  duties 
as  director  of  national  advertising, 
publicity  and  exploitation,  also  will 
attend. 

Others  at  the  three-day  session  include 
the  following :  From  Los  Angeles,  A.  R. 
Taylor,  Earl  Stein,  Henry  Davis,  Robert 
Clark,  Kenneth  Derby,  Roland  Smith,  Eu- 
gene Beuerman  and  Robert  Blair;  San 
Francisco,  H.  Neal  East,  Ward  Penning- 
ton, Jack  Stevenson,  James  French,  King 
Trimble,  Milton  Anderson  and  Edward 
Canty.  Seattle,  Henry  Haustein,  John  Kent, 
Lawrence  Pulis,  R.  M.  Hayden  and  David 
Dunkle;  Portland,  Wayne  Thiriot,  Francis 
Doty,  Glenn  Brogger  and  Luman  Hummell, 
Jr. ;  Denver,  Cornell  J.  Duer,  Paul  A1I- 
meyer,  Jack  Felix,  John  Vos,  Tillie  M. 
Chalk,  James  Ricketts  and  Robert  Quinn; 
Salt  Lake  City,  F.  H.  Smith,  Conrad  Rose, 
James  Swonson,  Bertrand  Turgeon,  Warren 
Foster  and  Carl  Lind. 


Youngstein  Honored  at 
E-L  Farewell  Luncheon 

Max  E.  Youngstein,  former  adver- 
tising-publicity vice-president  of  Eagle- 
Lion,  who  today  begins  in  his  new  post 
of  Paramount's  director  of  advertising, 
publicity  and  exploitation,  was  honor 
guest  at  a  farewell  luncheon  on  Friday 
at  the  Picadilly  Hotel  here  given  by 
E-L  home  office  employes.  Exhibitors 
and  representatives  of  various  distribu- 
tion companies  were  also  among  the 
300  present.  Youngstein  was  given  a 
gold  watch. 

Among  those  present  from  E-L  were : 
William  Heineman,  Jack  Schlaifer,  Milton 
Cohen,  Hal  Danson,  Leon  Brandt,  Leo 
Brody,  Sam  Seidelman,  Lige  Brian,  Bob 
Hadley  and  Jack  Alicoate.  Also  on  hand 
were  Mrs.  Youngstein ;  Rank  Organization 
president  Jock  Lawrence ;  James  King  of 
Pathe  Industries ;  Seymour  Poe,  represent- 
ing Walter  Wanger ;  Harry  Kosner,  repre- 
senting Edward  Small,  and  Maurice  Maurer, 
vice-president  of  City  Entertainment  Corp. 

Refile  South  Bend  Suit 

Chicago,  May  22. — An  overcrowded 
court  calendar  at  South  Bend,  Ind., 
has  caused  the  re-filing  here  of  the 
South  Bend  Drive-in  Theatre  Co. 
anti-trust  suit  against  eight  major 
distributors.  Federal  Judge  Joseph 
Barnes  gave  the  plaintiff's  attorney, 
Seymour  Simon,  30  days  in  which  to 
choose  between  the  two  courts. 


Review 


"One  Woman's  Story' 


(Rank — Universal-International) 

A SUPERB  emotional  performance  by  Ann  Todd,  and  production  quality 
that  ranks  with  some  of  Hollywood's  best  are  the  distinguishing  fea- 
tures of  "One  Woman's  Story,"  produced  in  Britain  by  Ronald  Neame  under 
the  aegis  of  J.  Arthur  Rank's  Cineguild  Productions. 

Directed  by  David  Lean,  who  previously  was  teamed  with  Neame  in  the 
making  of  "Brief  Encounter,"  this  latest  of  Universal-International's  Rank 
imports  recites,  as  did  the  former  picture,  the  story  of  a  married  woman 
whose  heart  belongs  to  another  man  even  though  she  feels  a  deep  kindness 
and  respect  for  her  spouse.  But  the  resemblance  between  the  two  films  stops 
at  that  generalized  comparison.  Where  "Brief  Encounter  probed  into  charac- 
ter and  emotional  forces,  "One  Woman's  Story"  merely  emotes.  However, 
no  disparagement  of  the  latter  is  intended  in  noting  this;  it  stands  among 
the  better  British  pictures  that  have  reached  these  shores.  For  marquee  pur- 
poses there  are  also  the  names  of  Claude  Rains  and  Trevor  Howard,  and, 
although  none  of  the  three  lead  names  is  exactly  heavyweight  by  American 
commercial  standards,  each  counts  for  no  small  attraction.  The  film  has 
some  good  exploitation  possibilities  which,  if  adroitly  utilized,  can  be  made 
to  pay  off. 

Based  on  a  novel  by  H.  G.  Wells,  Eric  Ambler's  screenplay  creates  circum- 
stances that  bring  into  contact  at  various  intervals  during  a  decade-and-a-half 
young  biology  professor  Howard  and  Miss  Todd,  wife  of  oldish  international 
banker  Rains.  The  picture  opens  in  the  Swiss  Alps  where  the  two  lovers 
meet  by  chance  on  vacation  after  a  separation  of  many  years  Rains  has  not 
yet  arrived  at  the  resort.  Miss  Todd  reviews  with  the  aid  of  flashbacks  the 
history  of  this  emotional  triangle  which  offered  her  the  alternatives  of  young 
vibrant  love  and  the  security  and  luxury  of  her  marriage.  She  chose  the  latter 
when  crucial  moments  arrived.  Finally,  the  chance  and  harmless  vacation 
meeting  infuriates  the  heretofore  understanding  Rains  into  filing  for  divorce 
Near-tragedy  marks  the  finale.  Direction,  acting  and  photography  are  all  first 
rate  and  tower  above  what  turns  out  to  be  a  none-too-intriguing  story 

Running  time,  86  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  June  release. 

Charles  L.  Franke 


WB  Will  Operate  1st 
House  in  Harrison 

Newark,  May  22.— K  and  R  Co.,  a 
group  of  Newark  businessmen,  headed 
by  David  Cronheim,  Lester  Finger, 
and  Julius  Vinik,  have  started  work 
on  a  new  theatre,  to  have  a  capacity 
of  1,100  seats,  in  Harrison,  to  be 
leased  to  Warner  Brothers  for  a  long 
period  of  years. 

Greater  Harrison,  with  a  population 
of  30,000,  has  never  had  any  place  of 
amusement,  and  is  said  to  be  the  only 
city  of  its  size  in  the  United  States 
without  a  theatre. 

Cronheim  handled  the  transaction, 
including  a  20-year   mortgage  from 
Equitable  Life  Insurance.  Architects 
are  Drew  and  John  Eberson ;  comple 
tion  is  expected  in  the  fall. 


Bond  Drive  Subject 

 (Continued  from  page  1) 


To  Report  Video  Film 
'Inadequacies'  in  U.S. 

Norman  Livingston,  director  of 
commercial  program  operations  for 
station  WOR  and  WOR-TV  here  is 
scheduled  to  sharply  criticize  television 
film  producers  and  distributors,  at  the 
May  26  meeting  here  of  the  National 
Television  Film  Council,  where  he 
will  be  guest  speaker,  Mel  Gold,  head 
of  the  NTFC  reported  at  the  weekend. 

Livingston,  who  recently  returned 
here  from  Hollywood  and  a  tour  of 
TV  stations  throughout  the  country,  is 
reportedly  prepared  to  denounce  at  the 
meeting  what  he  describes  as  "the 
inadequacies  of  Hollywood's  thinking, 
and  the  thinking  and  production  efforts 
of  some  producers  of  TV  films." 


Wehrenberg  Bequests 

St.  Louis,  May  22. — Under  the  will 
of  the  late  Fred  Wehrenberg,  St.  Louis 
circuit  operator,  four  veteran  em- 
ployes will  receive  $50,000.  Chief  re- 
cipents  are  Lester  R.  Kropp,  assistant 
to  Wehrenberg,  who  will  get  $25,000, 
and  Miss  Catherine  Eilermann,  Mrs. 
Helen  Foster  and  Gustave  Krause, 
each  of  whom  will  receive  $7,500. 


Union  Pacific,"  "The  Thundering 
Herd"  and  "San  Francisco."  Striking 
it  rich,  he  later  lends  the  golden  spike 
for  the  ceremony  marking  the  com- 
pletion of  the  first  trans-continental 
railroad. 

The  present-day  Benny,  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  a  bank  teller  who  beguiles 
him  with  the  information  that  three 
will  get  you  four,  decides  to  put  his 
hoarded  wealth  to  work  by  purchasing 
U.  S.  savings  bonds.  There  is  no  out- 
right sales  pitch  made,  merely  an  ex- 
planation of  the  various  methods  of 
buying  bonds,  the  bond-a-month  plan 
the  payroll  plan,  school  children's  sav- 
ings plan  and  the  over-the-counter 
purchases  at  banks  and  post  offices. 

There  is  nothing  in  the  subject 
which  could  be  considered  an  imposi- 
tion on  theatre  audiences.  On  the  con- 
trary, it  is  entertaining  and  informa- 
tive. Nothing  more.  Every  theatre  in 
the  country  should  show  this  subject 
1  here  will  be  600  prints  at  Universal 
exchanges  beginning  today. 

Dore  Schary  supervised  the  subject, 
which  was  produced  by  Richard  Gold- 
stone  with  Armand  Deutsch  as  co- 
ordinator. Allen  Rivkin  wrote  the 
screenplay.  g  j£ 


ANA  Book  Examines 
TV  Status,  Trends 

Data  ranging  from  the  growth  of 
television  stations  and  networks  to  the 
sales  impact  of  video  is  presented  in  a 
book,  Television's  Status  and  Trends," 
written  by  Dr.  Alfred  N.  Goldsmith, 
radio  and  television  consultant,  and 
published  by  the  Association  of  Na- 
tional Advertisers. 

Based  on  a  talk  made  by  Dr.  Gold- 
smith at  the  ANA  spring  meeting,  the 
book  analyzes  time  costs,  varying  types 
of  TV  stations,  the  present  size  and 
character  of  the  video  audience  and 
projects  expected  developments  during 
the  next  five  years. 


Quit  Combines 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


reach  an  agreement  on  terms  for  some 
houses,  thus  bringing  product  hard- 
ships to  competitive  theatres  not  in- 
volved in  the  disagreement. 

Also  many  exhibitors  feel  that  it  is 
particularly  necessary  at  this  time  to 
go  out  after  theatre  patronage  and  be- 
lieve they  should  select  the  product 
which  they  think  will  get  maximum 
grosses. 


Berber  Claims 

 (Continued  from  page  1) 


viously  left  the  fold.  Unaffiliated  mem- 
bers have  been  invited  to  participate 
in  the  business  sessions,  but  they  will 
not  have  a  vote  on  motions,  resolutions 
or  elections,  Kane  said. 

NCA's  board  of  directors  will  meet 
tomorrow  morning  and  the  first  busi- 
ness session  will  start  after  lunch, 
with  Berger  presiding.  Minneapolis 
Mayor  Hoyer  will  welcome  the  dele- 
gates. G.  Ralph  Branton  of  Tri-States 
Theatres  will  discuss  theatre  opera- 
tions and  Sam  Shain,  exhibitor  rela- 
tions liaison  of  20th  Century-Fox, 
will  address  the  convention,  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  William  L.  Ainsworth,  pres- 
ident of  national  Allied,  Berger's  an- 
nual report  and  comments  on  the  re- 
port by  Kane.  Due  next  is  an  open 
forum  on  film  buying  with  emphasis 
on  forced  selling  and  compulsory  per- 
centages. 

There  will  be  no  morning  session 
on  Tuesday  and  after  a  convention 
luncheon,  20th  Century-Fox  vice- 
presidents  Al  Lichtman  and  Andy  W. 
Smith  will  discuss  their  company's 
new  sales  policy.  In  the  concluding 
hours  there  will  be  a  discussion  of 
exhibitors'  rights  under  the  Supreme 
Court  decision  in  the  Paramount  case, 
a  report  by  Kane  on  the  status  of 
Ascap,  a  discussion  led  by  Ted  Bel- 
nick  of  the  Allied  Caravan  and  a  dis- 
cussion of  the  place  of  drive-ins  in 
relation  to  regular  theatres,  particu- 
larly their  position  in  competing  for 
runs.  Last  on  the  agenda  are  reports 
of  committees  and  the  election  of 
officers. 


Levey  Abroad 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


second  group  covers  five  of  his  May- 
fair  productions,  released  by  Univer- 
sal, which  are  being  handled  by  Uni- 
versal^ foreign  department. 

Levey  will  also  visit  Paris,  London 
and  Rome.  His  itinerary  abroad  will 
include  Holland,  Belgium,  Switzer- 
land, Austria,  Norway,  Sweden,  Den- 
mark and  an  extended  survey  of  the 
film  situation  in  the  Republic  of  Israel. 


Heads  Academy 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


annual  awards  ceremonies,  establish  a 
permanent  format  for  same,  acquire 
larger  Academy  headquarters  designed 
to  house  a  motion  picture  museum, 
and  substantially  expand  the  member- 
ship. The  board  will  consider  recom- 
mendations at  a  later  date. 


CHOICE  OFFICE  FLOOR 

Opposite  Film  Building 
Approximately  90  x  25 
Apply 

PRICE  THEATRE  PREMIUMS 
352  West  44th  St.,  New  York 


vert 
in; 
day 
ttp] 


FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  101 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  TUESDAY,  MAY  24,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Momand  Again 
Appeals  to 
U.S.High  Court 

i  

Says  Boston  Ruling  Will 
Upset  Other  Trust  Suits 

Washington,  May  23. — A.  B. 
iMomand  today  again  asked  the 
"fj.  S.  Supreme  Court  to  reconsider 
its  May  2  action  refusing  to  review 
a  Boston  Circuit  Court  of  Appeals  de- 
cision which  threw  out  his  11-year-old 
!anti-trust  suit  against  eight  major  film 
companies. 

A  petition  filed  by  the  Washington 
law  firm  of  Claggett  and  Schilz  said 
that  the  Supreme  Court  in  the  Para- 
mount case  had  established  an  illegal 
conspiracy  among  the  film  companies 
which  should  have  been  prima  facie 
evidence  in  Momand's  favor.  In  ruling 
that  Momand  had  to  prove  specific  in- 
tent to  injure  him,  the  petition  said, 
the  Boston  court  had  ruled  contrary 
to  other  Circuit  Court  decisions  and 
had  supplied  the  film  companies  with 
a  new  "escape  hatch"  to  defend  anti- 
trust suits. 

The  decision  will  affect  such  cases 
as  the  fifth  and  Walnut,  Windsor  ver- 
( Continued  on  page  3) 


Ia.-Nebraska  AITO 
Asks  Clearance  Cuts 


Eldora,  la.,  May  23. — Resolutions 
requesting  reductions  in  clearances  in 
the  Des  Moines  and  Omaha  areas,  and 
for  an  end  to  the  licensing  of  new 
product  to  drive-ins  have  been  passed 
■by  the  membership  of  Allied  Indepen- 
dent Theatres  of  Iowa  and  Nebraska 
and  have  been  forwarded  to  distribu- 
tors for  action,  according  to  Leo  F. 
Wolcott,  chairman  of  the  board. 

One  resolution  charges  that  clear- 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Brandt  In  Charge  of 
IE-L's  Ads,  Publicity 


Leon  Brandt  has  taken  over  the 
duties  of  Eagle-Lion's  director  of  ad- 
vertising-publicity-exploitation, replac- 
ing Max  E.  Youngstein,  who  last  Fri- 
day left  as  E-L  advertising-publicity- 
exploitation  vice-president  to  direct 
those  operations  for  Paramount. 

As  exploitation  manager,  Brandt  a 
few  weeks  ago  took  over  the  duties  of 
publicity  director  Jerry  Pickman  when 
the  latter  left  E-L  for  a  public  rela- 
tions post  at  Paramount. 


Query  20th-Fox  On 
TV  at  Chicago  Meet 


Chicago,  May  23. — Issues  involving 
the  potential  threat  of  television  to 
theatres  and  clarification  of  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox's sliding  scale  system,  domi- 
nated the  discussions  at  the  open  for- 
um meeting  conducted  by  20th-Fox 
officials  for  members  of  Allied  The- 
atres of  Illinois  and  prominent  circuit 
exhibitors  today  at  the  Palmer  House. 

Questions  on  the  company's  new 
sales  plan  were  answered  by  president 
Spyros  Skouras  and  vice-presidents 
Al  Lichtman  and  Andy  W.  Smith, 
Jr.  Perturbation  over  possible  inroads 
of  TV  on  theatre  business  was  evi- 
dent in  the  discussion  from  the  floor. 

Ben  Banowitz,  Alliance  Thea- 
tres head,  asserted  that  thea- 
tres should  be  given  full  pro- 
tection on  all  films,  regardless 
of  age,  over  the  sale  to  tele- 
vision    staions.     "If  'Sitting 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Shea  Aims  to  Upset 
WB  Plan  for  Split 


Summons  and  complaint  were 
served  on  Warners  by  Shea  Enter- 
prises here  yesterday  aiming  to  block 
Warners'  plan  for  dissolution  of  what 
Shea  terms  their  "joint  venture"  in 
the  operation  of  three  theatres  in 
Youngstown,  0. 

Involved  are  the  Warner  Theatre, 
which  Warners  originally  operated ; 
the  Park,  originally  a  Shea  house, 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


NO  QUOTA  CHANGE', 
BRITISH  TELL  U.  S. 


Palace  Vaudeville 
In  $32,000  Revival 

Vaudeville,  with  "Canadian 
Pacific"  on  the  screen,  is  very 
much  alive  at  the  Palace 
where  the  first  week's  gross 
will  probably  be  close  to  $32,- 
000.  This  represents  a  fancy 
profit  since  the  house,  which 
is  charging  from  55  cents  to 
$1.20,  has  a  break-point  of 
only  $17,000.  During  straight 
film  programming,  either 
first-run  or  double  re-issues, 
the  Palace  grossed  from  $15,- 
000  to  $25,000  per  week  gen- 
erally, with  top  admissions 
varied  at  from  $1  to  $1.40. 


New  York's  lst-Runs 
Are  Still  Sluggish 

Sunday's  rain  was  some  help  but  not 
enough  to  lift  the  current  week's 
grosses  at  New  York  first-runs  above 
sub-par  levels.  Theatremen  are  at- 
tributing the  continued  slump  to  a 
"general  condition,"  pointing  out  that 
business  is  almost  uniformly  off  de- 
spite the  fact  that  several  of  the  cur- 
rent attractions  won  enthusiastic  audi- 
ence reception  initially.   Abundance  of 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


MPAA  Is  Considering 
New  Quota  Protest 


E-L  Sale  Talks  to 
Resume  Tomorrow 

Recessed  since  last  week- 
end, the  conference  here 
among  Pathe  Industries  and 
First  National  Bank  of  Bos- 
ton executives  regarding  in- 
dependent producer  Edward 
Small's  proposals  for  his  pur- 
chase of  control  of  Eagle- 
Lion  will  resume  tomorrow. 
Several  additional  days  of 
discussion  are  expected  be- 
fore a  final  decision  is  made 
by  Robert  R.  Young,  principal 
stockholder  of  Pathe  Indus- 
tries, E-L  parent  company. 


Washington,  May  23. — The  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America 
might  make  further  representations  to 
the  State  Department  on  the  British 
quota,  it  is  understood.  A  decision 
will  be  made  sometime  after  MPAA 
president  Eric  Johnston  returns  here 
— he  is  due  back  Wednesday  from  a 
field  trip. 

MPAA  officials  understand  that  one 
portion  of  the  British  answer  to  U.S. 
quota  protests  declares  that  British 
producers  can  meet  the  quota  and  that 
the  quota  does  not  violate  the  general 
accord  on  tariffs  negotiated  at  Geneva. 
The  MPAA  answer  would  presuma- 
bly be  a  reassertion  that  the  quota 
does  violate  the  Geneva  Pact  and 
other  Anglo-American  agreements, 
and  that  the  quota  should  have  been 
negotiated  rather  than  fixed  arbitrari- 
ly by  the  British  government. 


Suggests  Withholding 
Complaints  Pending 
Council  Negotiations 

Washington,  May  23. — The 
British  government  has  delivered 
its  answer  to  the  State  Department 
on  U.  S.  protests  against  the  Brit- 
ish film  quota — and  it's  a  very  flat 
"no  change." 

The  British  reply,  delivered 
orally  by  a  member  of  the  Em- 
bassy staff  here  to  Department 
officials  Winthrop  Brown  and 
Merrill  C.  Gay,  will  undoubted- 
ly touch  off  further  MPAA  pro- 
tests and  further  criticism  on 
Capitol  Hill. 

Several  Congressmen  have 
asked  the  State  Department  for 
a  memo  summarizing  the  Brit- 
ish stand. 

The  British  answer  said  it  would  be 
"most  difficult'"  to  modify  the  new  40 
per  cent  quota.  It  pointed  out  that 
it  was  fixed  by  law  until  October  1, 
1950,  and  declared  that  it  was  reason- 
able in  terms  of  British  production, 
not  in  contravention  of  any  legal  com- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


BFPA  to  Meet  on 
Anglo-U.  S.  Session 

London,  May  23. — A  special  meet- 
ing of  the  British  Film  Producers 
Association  has  been  called  for  Thurs- 
day to  give  further  consideration  to 
the  plan  advanced  by  the  Anglo-U.  S. 
Films  Council.  At  the  same  time,  Sir 
Henry  French  and  Sir  Alexander 
Korda,  British  members  of  the  Coun- 
cil, will  be  briefed  on  their  course  of 
action  at  the  June  2  and  3  meetings 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


'Unfriendly  10'  Sue 
For  $52,000,000 


Hollywood,  May  23/ — The  "Un- 
friendly ten"  who  refused  to  testify  at 
Washington  investigation  of  Holly- 
wood today  filed  suit  against  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica and  member  companies  asking 
treble  damages  aggregating  $52,000,- 
000  and  charging  violation  of  the 
Sherman  Act  in  preventing  the  plain- 
tiffs from  pursuing  their  professions. 

The  complaint  cites  the  recent  pur- 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  May  24,  1949  j 


Personal 
Mention 

ROBERT  PURCELL,  Pathe  In- 
dustries executive,  will  return  to 
New  York  from  Cleveland  on  Thurs- 
day. 

• 

Edward  B.  Hatrick,  News  of  the 
Day  vice-president,  has  announced 
the  engagement  of  his  daughter, 
Gloria  Hatrick  McLean,  to  James 
Stewart,  the  actor,  with  the  wedding 
planned  for  August. 

• 

Jack  Matlack,  executive  assistant 
to  Mrs.  J.  J.  Parker,  president  of 
J.  J.  Parker  Theatres,  Portland,  Ore., 
was  married  to  Eloise  Herder  on 
Saturday.  The  couple  will  vacation  at 
Carmel  and  Hollywood. 

• 

Rossano  Brazzi,  Italian  actor,  and 
Mrs.  Brazzi  left  here  yesterday  by 
plane  for  the  Island  of  Stromboli  to 
appear  in  William  Dieterle's  pro- 
duction, "Stromboli." 

• 

Arthur  H.  Lockwood,  Theatre 
Owners  of  America  president,  will  re- 
turn to  Boston  tomorrow  from  Bald 
Mountain  Lake,  Me.,  where  he  has 
been  relaxing  for  a  few  days. 

• 

Abraham  M.  Ellis,  Philadelphia 
circuit  owner,  was  honored  by  Temple 
University  there  last  night  during  the 
dedication  of  a  Chair  in  Hebrew  Cul 
ture  and  Education. 

• 

Al  Tamarin,  United  Artists  pub 
licity  chief  here,  will  leave  New  York 
for  Washington  today. 


Para.  Market  Plans 
To  Coast  Conferees 


Charles  G.  Booth,  51, 
Won  '46  Award 

Hollywood,  May  23. — Charles  G 
Booth,  51,  winner  of  the  1946  Acad- 
emy Award  for  the  best  original 
screen  play,  "The  House  on  92nd 
Street,"  died  yesterday  after  a  two 
months  illness. 

Booth,  author  also  of  "The  General 
Died  at  Dawn"  and  "Johnny  Angel," 
was  born  in  Manchester,  England,  and 
had  been  a  successful  writer  of  fiction 
for  30  years.  The  widow,  Lillian 
Lind  Booth,  and  a  son,  Charles  Rock 
well  Booth,  survive. 


Joseph  Fronder,  72 

Funeral  services  will  be  conducted 
tomorrow  morning  at  St.  Michael's 
Church  at  Palisades  Park,  N.  J.,  for 
Joseph  Fronder,  72,  pioneer  in  motion 
picture  poster  art  work,  who  died  on 
Saturday.  Fronder  started  in  1918 
with  Famous  Players-Lasky  and  for 
several  years  has  been  in  the  art  de- 
partment at  National  Screen's  home 
office  here. 


Julius  Levine,  66 

Funeral  services  for  Julius  Levine, 
66,  manager  of  Principal  Film  Ex- 
change, Inc.,  here,  will  be  held  at 
one  P.M.  today  at  the  Gutterman 
Funeral  Chapel  in  Brooklyn.  Levine 
died  yesterday.  He  is  survived  by 
the  widow  Kate,  and  three  sons. 


Hollywood,  May  23.— Paramount's 
West  Coast  divisional  sales  meeting 
opened  here  today  at  the  Ambassador 
Hotel  with  top  New  York  executives 
outlining  details  of  distribution  and 
promotion  plans  for  the  ensuing  year. 
George  A.  Smith,  manager  of  the 
Coast  division,  is  presiding  at  the 
three-day  session. 

Exhibitors  who  joined  with  Para 
mount  executives  in  opening  the  meet- 
ing, included  Charles  Skouras,  presi- 
dent of  Fox  West  Coast;  Bert  Pi- 
rosh,  Cullen  Espy  and  Edward 
Zabel,  Fox  West  Coast  film  buyers ; 
Harry  Vinnicof,  Southern  California 
Amusement  Co. ;  Ted  Jones,  Western 
Amusement  Co. ;  Hugh  Bruen  of 
Whittier,  Cal.,  and  Paul  Williams,  as- 
sociated with  the  Southern  California 
Theatre  Owners  Association.  They 
were  guests  today  at  a  luncheon  in 
the  Ambassador  Hotel  and  will  be 
entertained  tomorrow  also. 


'Hopalong'  Zukor  Recipient 
Of  Lone  Star  State  Honors 

Dallas,  May  23. — Adolph  Zukor, 
chairman  of  the  board  of  Paramount, 
and  actor  William  Demarest  were 
honored  at  a  luncheon  here  at  the 
Baker  Hotel  in  conjunction  with  the 
company's  regional  sales  meeting. 

Zukor,  who  flew  here  from  New 
York  to  attend  the  sessions,  was  made 
an  honorary  Texas  citizen  bv  Gov. 
Beauford  Jester.  W.  O.  Reed,  Speaker 
if  the  State  Assembly,  presented 
Zukor  with  a  scroll  on  behalf  of  the 
Governor.  Paramount's  Dallas  con 
tingent  presented  Zukor  with  a  pair 
of  gold  spurs,  and  nicknamed  him 
"Hopalong  Zukor." 


New  York  Grosses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Blanket  Showings  of 
'Joan,'  Popkin's  Two 

Walter  Wanger's  "Joan  of  Arc" 
will  open  today  at  41  houses  in  the 
New  York  area  with  admissions  ad- 
vanced to  76  cents  up  to  six  P.M. 
and  $1.20  for  evenings.  Bookings  are 
in  34  RKO  theatres,  six  Skouras  and 
one  Loew  house. 

In  another  blanket  engagement, 
Harry  Popkin's  "Impact"  and  "My 
Dear  Secretary,"  both  United  Artists, 
will  play  on  a  twin  bill  simultaneous- 
ly in  over  100  theatres  in  the  New 
York  area  May  29-31.  Included  is  the 
entire  RKO  circuit  here,  plus  Skouras, 
Randforce,  Century,  Brandt  and  Joel- 
son  houses. 


Dinner  for  Broidy 

Hollywood,  May  23.— Independent 
Motion  Picture  Producers  Associa- 
tion will  honor  Allied  Artists-Mono- 
arrarn  president  Steve  Broidy's  25th 
anniversary  in  show  business  at  a  din- 
ner, at  Lucey's  restaurant,  on  June  2. 


Hearing  to  Reopen 

Oklahoma  City,  May  23.— Griffith 
mandate  hearing,  now  recessed,  will 
reopen  briefly  June  20  for  presenta- 
tion of  depositions  and  additional  de- 
fense testimony,  attorneys  said  here 
today. 


warm  weather  is  believed  to  be  the 
chief  adverse  factor. 

"The  Lady  Gambles"  is  fairly  bright 
at  the  Criterion,  with  the  opening 
week's  business  figured  at  $25,000. 
"Big  Jack"  is  adequate  at  the  Gotham 
with  $13,000  in  prospect  for  the  first 
week.  "A  Woman's  Story"  might 
reach  $15,000  in  a  slow  "opening  week 
at  the  Rivoli.  - 

"Home  of  the  Brave"  is  disappoint 
ing  at  the  Victoria,  with  a  second 
week's  gross  of  about  $17,500  in  view, 
after  taking  close  to  $30,000  in  a  big 
opening  week.    Also  under  expecta- 
tions, although  it  will  stay,  is  "The 
Stratton  Story"  with  a  stage  show  at 
the  Music  Hall.    The  Hall  did  $78, 
000  Thursday  through  Sunday,  indi 
eating  a  second  week's  take  of  about 
$118,000;  "Edward,  My  Son"  is  next, 
with  May  2  as  the  probable  starting 
date.  Capitol  is  doing  its  slowest  busi 
ness  in  months  with  only  $19,000  ap 
parent  for  the  second  and  final  week 
of  "The  Sun  Comes  Up,"  with  Glen 
Gray's  orchestra  and  Grade  Barrie 
among  others  on  stage. 

Doing  good  business  is  "Barkleys  of 
Broadway"  at  the  State,  where  the 
third  week's  take  could  reach  $35,000. 
"Champion"  is  falling  off,  but  still  is 
fair  at  the  Globe,  where  the  seventh 
week's  income  is  about  $15,000. 

"Flamingo  Road"  is  fair  at  the 
Strand  where,  with  Ted  Lewis'  or 
chestra  and  a  revue  on  stage,  the  sec 
ond  week's  gross  is  likely  to  be  about 
$33,000.  "Forbidden  Street,"  with 
Dick  Haymes  and  an  ice  show  on 
stage,  probably  will  give  the  Roxy  a 
very  modest  $65,000  in  its  second  and 
final  week,  and  will  be  replaced  on 
Friday  by  "Beautiful  Blonde  from 
Bashful  Bend."  "Hamlet"  at  the  Park 
should  draw  about  $13,000  in  a  good 
35th  week.  "We  Were  Strangers" 
could  do  about  $15,000  in  a  fourth 
week  at  the  Astor,  leaving  room  for 
improvement. 

"Quartet"  is  holding  up  very  well  at 
the  Sutton,  where  $10,000  is  apparent 
for  the  eighth  week.  At  the  Bijou, 
"The  Red  Shoes"  still  is  healthy  with 
$10,500  indicated  for  the  30th  week. 

Marshall  Reelected 
President  of  SDG 

Hollywood,  May  23. — Screen  Di- 
rectors Guild,  at  a  business  meeting 
following  last  night's  awards  dinner, 
reelected  George  Marshall  president, 
Joseph  Mankiewicz  vice-president, 
Lesley  Selander  treasurer,  and  shifted 
Al  Rogell  from  secretary  to  second 
vice-president,  electing  Vernon  Keays 
secretary. 

The  treasurer's  report  disclosed  that 
the  SDG's  radio  program,  which  has 
been  a  sustainer,  will  be  sponsored  by 
Pabst  beginning  July  1. 

TO  A  in  Meeting  Snarl 

Crowded  hotel  conditions  in  Los 
Angeles  and  a  flood  of  reservations 
for  Theatre  Owners  of  America's 
Sept.  12-15  convention  at  the  Hotel 
Ambassador  there  have  combined  to 
work  a  hardship  on  TOA  headquar- 
ters here,  the  organization  reports. 
Hence,  the  convention  committee  has 
urged  members  to  make  reservations 
as  soon  as  possible. 


TV  Benefits  Shorts, 
Says  FitzPatrick 

Being  ideally  suited  for  television 
presentation,  the  film  short  subject 
stands  to  benefit  greatly  from  video 
useage,  James  A.  FitzPatrick,  shorts- 
producer,  declared  here  yesterday  fol- 
lowing a  screening  of  his  "Mighty 
Manhattan,"  Technicolor  subject  to  be 
released  by  M-G-M.  The  company 
held  the  special  screening  and  a  re-i 
ception  for  FitzPatrick  at  the  Waldorf 
Astoria  Hotel. 

FitzPatrick,  who  will  leave  here: 
June  12  on  a  whaling  cruise  to  gather 
footage  for  his  next  subject,  said  he 
has  a  series  of  12  shorts  planned.  He 
will  release  his  old  shorts  for  televi- 
sion "when  the  time  is  appropriate," 
he  said.  Present  at  yesterday's  recep- 
tion were:  Nicholas  Schenck  and 
Mrs.  Schenck,  Herb  Crooker,  Fred 
Lynch,  Max  Weinberg,  Richard  Har- 
per, Jack  Bowen  and  others. 


Video  a  Worry:  C  hey  fit z 

Washington,  May  23.— Television 
should  worry  the  film  industry,  but 
the  outlook  is  not  entirely  black,  ac- 
cording to  Edward  Cheyfitz,  assistant 
to  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  president  Eric  Johnston  and 
secretary  of  MPAA's  television  com- 
mittee, at  a  panel  discussion  before 
the  local  chapter  of  the  American 
Association  of  University  Women  on 
television's  effects  on  various  other 
media. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


-  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  - 

Rockefeller  Center 
IJAIHES  STEWART      -      JUNE  ALLYSON 

'THE  STRATTON  STORY" 

Frank  Morgan-Agnes  Moorehead-BMI  Williams  j 
A    SAM  WOOD  PRODUCTION 
A   Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Poromount  preterits  ./  ^^^09UUUMM^^ 

DOROTHY  LAM0UR  I  ^SK^s 

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STERLING  HAYDEN 

Directed  by  Lewis  R.  Foster 


.°sc„Esnu 


WOOD 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 


BIJOU  THEATER. 


45/A  Street 
West  of  Broadway 
All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
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Editor;  Chicago  Bureau    120  South  La Salle  Stree %K?Z\I\  f,ana5.ei>  Gus  H.Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R  Weaver 

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(  Tuesday,  May  24,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Test  of  Para.  Plan 
Starts  on  May  29 


11  Memphis,  May  23. — Distributors 
1  and  exhibitors  have  temporarily  halted 
i  negotiations  on  earlier  release  dates  to 
'  permit  deluxe  second-run  theatres  and 
drive-ins  to  experiment  with  the  earli- 
'  er  showing  in  three  Memphis  theatres 
'  of  "Connecticut  Yankee  in  King  Ar- 
1  thur's  Court"  simultaneously. 

The  Ritz,  usually  a  first-run  house, 
i  operated  by  David  Flexer;  the  Idle- 
iwild,  owned  by  Edward  O.  Cullins, 
'and  the  Rosemary,  owned  by  Augus- 
tine Cianciola,  will  show  the  "Yankee" 
i  for  seven  days,  May  29-June  4. 

All  three  booked  the  picture  under 
Paramount's  new  offer  to  release  pic- 
tures for  second-runs  in  30  days  in- 
)  stead  of  the  usual  39  if  theatres  would 
run  the  film  seven  days,  guarantee  a 
$750  rental  against  a  35  per  cent  cut 
for  the  first  $3,500,  and  a  50-50  split 
over  $3,500. 


Momand  Appeals 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


tisus  Loew's,  Emerson  Long  versus 
1  Schine,  Auburn  Theatres  versus 
I  Schine,  and  Meiselman  versus  Para- 
•  mount,  according  to  the  petition. 
)  In  all  of  these  cases,  the  Momand 
(brief  held,  the  film  companies  will  use 
i  the  same  defense  of  "No  specific  in- 
ltent"  and  thus  defeat  the  intent  of  the 
anti-trust  laws. 

Defendants  in  the  Momand  suit, 
,  commenced  in  June  1937,  are:  Uni- 
versal, Loew's  M-G-M,  20th  Century- 
iFox,  United  Artists,  RKO,  Columbia 
land  Vitagraph. 


Ask  Clearance  Cut 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ances  in  Des  Moines  and  Omaha  ex- 
change territories  "are  out  of  line  with 
clearances  in  other  similar  territories" 
and  "are  often  dated  from  preceding 
runs  other  than  the  first-run,  and  sub- 
sequent-runs are  therefore  held  back 
for  unreasonable  lengths  of  time  be- 
yond their  proper  and  rightful  playing 
time  by  this  arbitrary  arrangement." 

The  second  resolution  asks  distribu- 
tors "to  consider  the  consequences"  of 
licensing  pictures  to  any  drive-in  ahead 
of  the  established  indoor  theatre. 


'Unfriendly  10'  Sue 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


chase  by  20th  Century-Fox  for  Albert 
Maltz's  novel,  "The  Journey  of  Simon 
McKeever,"  which  was  followed  by  a 
company  announcement  that  the  story 
would  not  be  filmed.  This  represents 
evidence,  the  plaintiffs  charge,  that 
the  decision  of  the  majors  in  1947  not 
to  employ  the  "ten"  is  a  "conspiracy 
in  perpetuity." 

Amounts  sought  for  individuals 
range  frorn  $3,000,000  to  $8,000,000. 
An  injunction  against  a  continued 
ban  on  employment  is  asked  by  Rob- 
ert Kenny,  attorney  for  the  plaintiffs. 
Federal  Judge  Pierson  Hall  has  in- 
dicated that  he  will  set  a  date  for 
hearings  within  two  weeks. 


CHOICE  OFFICE  FLOOR 

Opposite  Film  Building 
Approximately  90  x  25 
Apply 

PRICE  THEATRE  PREMIUMS 
352  West  44th  St.,  New  York 


Iowa-Nebraska  Allied 
Favor  20th-Fox  Plan 

Anamosa,  la.,  May  23. — Re- 
action of  Allied  of  Iowa  and 
Nebraska  to  the  new  20th 
Century-Fox  sales  policy  is 
favorable,  as  reflected  in  a 
Caravan  bulletin  sent  to  all 
members  by  Charles  Niles. 
"When  a  film  company  indi- 
cates they  will  sell  the  mem- 
bership at  fair  and  equitable 
prices,  the  time  has  come  to 
sit  down  and  talk  to  their 
sales  manager,"  he  writes. 


Quiz  20th-Fox 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Pretty'  appeared  on  TV,"  he 
declared,  "probably  50  per  cent 
our  business  would  be  dissi- 
pated." 

In  reply  to  a  question  by  Illinois 
Allied  head  Jack  Kirsch  on  20th- 
Fox's  stipulation  of  the  right  to  license 
films  to  TV  or  radio  stations,  Smith 
answered  that  the  company  would 
eliminate  the  section.  He  stated  that 
it  was  retained  because  of  the  com- 
pany's deal  with  television  interests 
for  newsreels. 

Skouras  predicted  that  the  future  of 
television  may  well  prove  to  be  the 
"zenith  of  grosses  in  theatres,"  and 
should  not  be  shied  away  from.  He 
repeated  that  the  company  was  con- 
templating the  installation  of  television 
equipment  in  25  West  Coast  houses, 
providing  the  FCC  issues  the  rights. 
Films  sold  to  theatres  would  not  be 
made  available  for  television  showing, 
Skouras  said,  but  stated  the  company 
was  producing  special  TV  films. 

The  exhibitors  appeared  to  be 
generally  in  accordance  with 
the  sliding  scale  system,  but  it 
was  attacked  by  some.  Arthur 
Schoenstadt,  head  of  the 
Schoenstadt  circuit,  took  issue 
with  the  allocation  and  license 
fees  imposed  under  the  system, 
and  posed  the  question:  "Who 
shall  decide  the  division  of 
profits  and  losses,  and  who 
shall  decide  the  equity  of  that 
division?" 

Jack  Rose,  head  of  the  Manta-Rose 
circuit,  wanted  to  know  on  what  basis 
the  sliding  scale  goes  up  or  down,  and 
what  control  there  is  over  the  number 
of  films  on  sliding  scale.  Al  Lichtman 
replied  that  "the  true  sliding  scale  is 
based  on  honest  expense  figures." 


Allied  Board  To  Sift 
20th-Fox  Sales  Plan 

Minneapolis,  May  23. — Allied 
States  will  "sift  out"  the  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox sales  proposition  at  a  quar- 
terly meeting  of  the  board  in  Dallas 
this  weekend,  William  T.  Ainsworth, 
president,  announced  at  the  opening 
session  today  of  the  North  Central 
Allied  here  which  is  being  attended  by 
more  than  150  independent  theatre 
owners  from  Minnesota,  the  Dakotas 
and  Western  Wisconsin.  He  said  the 
Board  will  consider  reports  from 
meetings  held  throughout  the  country 
on  the  plan. 

Benjamin  N.  Berger,  NCA  presi- 
dent, in  his  annual  report  predicted 
that  while  "divorcement  is  a  fact" 
there  will  be  "real  competition  in  the 
very  near  future  in  all  three  branches 
of  the  industry." 


'No  Quota  Change' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


mitment  with  the  U.  S.,  and  is  neces- 
sary to  conserve  dollars. 

State  Department  officials  were 
frankly  stumped  as  to  their  next  move. 
They  said  they  were  "considering"  the 
British  reply. 

The  British  also  suggested  that 
there  be  a  "closed  season"  on  official 
U.  S.  protests  until  the  current  round 
of  negotiations  in  the  Anglo-American 
Films  Council  is  concluded. 

The  British  answer,  delivered  orally 
by  an  Embassy  official  to  State  trade 
chief  Winthrop  Brown  and  film  chief 
Merrill  C.  Gay,  stressed  the  fact  that 
the  Anglo-American  Films  Council 
had  worked  out  general  principles  of 
an  agreement  and  would  attempt  to 
reduce  them  to  final  terms  at  a  meet- 
ing next  month,  and  suggested  that 
both  the  British  and  American  gov- 
ernments remain  quiet  on  the  subject 
until  the  negotiations  are  completed. 

On  the  quota,  the  British  said  that 
it  was  fixed  by  law  until  October  1, 
1950,  and  that  it  would  be  very  diffi- 
cult to  persuade  Parliament  to  change 
this  "under  obvious  pressure  from  the 
U.  S."  The  British  also  stressed  the 
fact  that  many  British  oppose  spend- 
ing too  many  of  Britain's  limited  dol- 
lars on  films,  and  that  they  regard 
the  quota  as  a  device  to  prevent  a  per- 
manent dollar  drain  by  keeping  U.  S. 
film  firms  from  building  up  too  huge 
blocked  dollar  balances  to  be  paid 
later. 

A  British  Embassy  official,  while  re- 
fusing to  comment  on  the  report  of  the 
British  reply,  said  that  he  had  advised 
his  government  in  London  that  he 
"hoped  things  would  be  quiet  for  a  bit, 
but  that  they  should  not  be  too  sure." 

The  British  film  quota  is  expected 
to  be  aired  on  the  Senate  floor  later 
this  week  when  the  Senate  takes  up 
extension  of  the  Reciprocal  Trade 
Agreement  Act.  Senator  Knowland, 
California  Republican,  has  an  amend- 
ment pending  to  hit  back  tariff-wise  at 
any  country  discriminating  against 
American  films  or  other  products. 


Shea,  Warner  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


and  the  Paramount,  which  the  two 
companies  share  on  a  50-50  basis.  Un- 
der terms  of  a  1933  agreement,  which 
is  to  expire  in  '1956,  the  three  houses 
are  operated  jointly  with  Shea  and 
Warners  equally  dividing  profits.  The 
"joint  venture"  has  been  a  very  profit- 
able one  in  recent  years,  it  is  under- 
stood. 

Plaintiff  Shea  states  that  the  War- 
ner plan  to  take  over  operation  of  the 
Warner,  to  give  the  Park  back  to 
Shea  and  to  sell  its  interest  in  the 
Paramount,  is  inequitable  for,  under 
it,  Warners  fails  to  acknowledge  that 
the  joint  operation  substantially  en- 
hanced the  status  of  the  Warner  at  the 
expense  of  the  Park.  Shea  contends 
that  prior  to  the  agreement  the  War- 
ner Theatre  was  a  losing  proposition, 
that  the  Park  was  a  successful  opera- 
tion. Shea  further  states  that  the 
agreement  provided  that  the  Park  be 
relegated  to  an  inferior  status,  conse- 
quently its  value  in  a  separate 
operation,  outside  the  pool,  has  de- 
teriorated in  large  measure. 

Shea  asks  that  the  assets  of  all  three 
houses  be  divided  equally  rather  than 
having  each  party  recoup  from  the 
pool  its  own  theatre  and  that  the  joint 
operation  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  a 
receiver  until  such  division  is  effected. 

The  complaint  will  be  filed  in  New 
York  Supreme  Court  following  out- 
of-court  preliminaries. 


BFPA  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


with  the  American  members  in  New 
York. 

ft  is  anticipated  that  while  the  Brit- 
ish members  of  the  Council  will  re- 
ceive the  majority  backing  of  the 
BFPA,  Thursday's  meeting  will  give 
them  no  roving  commission  to  take 
with  them  to  New  York.  Their  brief 
will  be  drawn  in  close  detail  and  they 
will  be  expected  to  adhere  to  it. 

The  Board  of  Trade  still  has  had 
no  comment  to  make  on  the  Council's 
suggestions  except  to  point  out  that 
the  legislative  position  forbids  any 
change  in  the  quota  before  April,  1950. 

Meanwhile,  independent  producers, 
led  by  Maurice  Ostrer,  Victor  Han- 
bury  and  Edward  Dryhurst,  will  hold 
a  special  meeting  on  the  Council's 
plan  and  will  give  their  views  of  it  to 
Harold  Wilson,  Board  of  Trade  presi- 
dent, on  his  return  from  Canada. 


Cites  Mono.  Pact  as 
Anglo-U.  S.  Mollifier 

_  London,  May  23. — "Joint  produc- 
tion and  distribution  projects  such  as 
we  have  entered  into  with  Monogram 
are  probably  the  ultimate  solution  to 
the  Anglo-American  film  differences," 
declared  William  Moffat,  Associated 
British-Pathe  chief,  on  his  return  here 
from  New  York. 

He  claimed  that  Associated  British 
films  are  already  earning  dollars  in 
the  U.  S.  and  that  the  discussions  he 
had  with  both  Monogram  and  Warner 
executives  will  ensure  them  of  even 
wider  distribution. 


Sears,  Reisman  to 
London;  Kelly,  Rome 

London,  May  23.  —  Gradwell  L. 
Sears,  United  Artists  president,  will 
return  here  tomorrow  from  a  visit  of 
several  days  in  Ireland  for  meetings 
with  John  Davis  of  the  J.  Arthur 
Rank  Organization.  Arthur  W.  Kelly, 
UA  executive  vice-president,  has  re- 
turned here  from  Paris  and  will  leave 
for  Rome  next  Friday. 

Phil  Reisman,  RKO  Radio's  foreign 
chief,  is  also  due  here  tomorrow. 


TWA=TWA~TWA=TWA 


I  ONLY  TWA  I 


III     offers  300-mph  HI 

1  CONSTELLATION  | 
SERVICE 


Coast-to-coast 
|      and  overseas  | 

|||      For  reservations,  call  your  TWA  office 
cr  your  travel  agent. 


The  Armat  Vitascope  which  projected  the 
first  theater  movie,  April  23,  1896. 


With  this,  the  "unseen  showman" 
got  his  epoch-making  start . . . 


THE  projectionist  has  come  a 
long,  long  way  .  .  .  since  the 
1890's  when  he  put  on  his  show 
with  equipment  such  as  this. 

And  today,  as  then,  much  of  a 
motion  picture's  success  depends 
upon  the  unseen  showman  in 
his  booth. 

To  his  sure  sense  of  split- 
second  timing  ...  to  his  alert 
control  of  sound  ...  to  his  deft 


handling  of  elaborate  equipment 
. .  .  the  film  illusion  owes  much 
of  its  dramatic,  realistic  presen- 
tation on  the  screen. 

Helping  the  projectionist  to 
keep  the  mechanics  of  the  me- 
dium from  intruding  is  the  top 
quality  of  Eastman  motion  pic- 
ture films  (both  sight  and  sound)  . 
. . .  members  of  a  famous  family 
started  more  than  fifty  years  ago. 


EASTMAN   KODAK  COMPANY 

ROCHESTER  4,  N.  Y. 

J.  E.  BRULATOUR,  INC.,  DISTRIBUTORS 
FORT  LEE    •   CHICAGO    •  HOLLYWOOD 


I^FibCTi)1 
Itf  IRbl 

MOTION  PICTURE 

*  ACCUlUiu 

IN 

11  All  A/ 

Concise 

FILM 

ana 

NEWS 

1/A1 L I 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.  NO.  102 

NEW  YORK,   U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,   MAY  25,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Color  Video 
In  Theatres 
1st:  20th-Fox 

Company  Says  It  Will 
Outstrip  Home  Color 

Washington,  May  24.  —  Twen- 
tieth Century-Fox  today  urged 
"serious  experimentation"  on  the 
tttse  of  color  in  theatre  television 
projection. 

In  a  34-page  progress  report 
to  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission  on  the  company's 
theatre  television  experiment- 
ing, 20th-Fox  said  that  it  is  pos- 
sible that  color  television  will 
be  made  available  to  the  gen- 
eral public  in  the  theatre  be- 
fore it  is  feasible  for  home 
reception. 

This  is  due,  it  declared,  because  of 

(Continued  on  page  4) 

So.  African  Earnings 
Fight  Is  Redoubled 

American  distributors'  representa- 
tives in  South  Africa  and  officials  of 
that  country's  Schlesinger  Circuit 
have  established  a  "united  front''  in 
a  campaign  to  avert  the  restrictions 
which  the  Capetown  government  has 
proposed  to  place  on  the  earnings  of 
imported  films.  This  was  reported 
here  yesterday  in  industry  foreign 
management  circles. 

The  South  African  film  quota  year 
will  begin  again  on  July  1,  and  the 
organized  "lobby"  in  behalf  of  the 
American  industry  has  until  then  to 
make  its  oppositional  stand  accom- 
plish its  desired  end.  Under  the  re- 
striction which  threatens,  50  per  cent 
of  all  film  earnings  (based  on  1947 
earnings)  would  be  withheld  by  the 
South  African  government. 


Autonomous  Ticket 
Tax  Plan  to  Snyder 

Washington,  May  24.  —  A 
group  of  state  and  municipal 
associations  have  submitted 
to  the  Treasury  Department 
a  joint  tax  program,  including 
Federal  withdrawal  from  the 
admission  tax  field  in  favor  of 
taxation  by  state  and  local 
governments,  and  have  asked 
Treasury  Secretary  Snyder  to 
help  them  get  Congressional 
approval  of  the  program. 


Balaban  Optimistic 
Over  New  Setup 

Hollywood,  May  24. — Barney  Bala- 
ban, president  of  Paramount,  expressed 
the  utmost  confidence  in  the  future  of 
the  company  under  its  new  status  com- 
mencing January  1  when  the  new 
production-distribution  company  will 
start  operations  separated  from  the 
theatre  circuit. 

Addressing  a  meeting  yesterday  at 
the  Ambassador  Hotel  of  company  ex- 
ecutives and  many  exhibitors,  as  a 
function  of  "Paramount's  Gold  Rush 
of  '49"  West  Coast  regional  sales 
drive,  Balaban  declared : 

"This  is  a  very  important  meeting, 
the  last  of  a  series  of  meetings  fol- 
lowing the  vote  of  stockholders  to 
segregate  our  business.  This  could  not 
have  been  effected  without  assurance 
to  our  stockholders  that  excellent 
management  has  been  provided  for. 
Paramount  will  embark  on  its  new 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Argentine  Moves  to 
Exclude  Old  Films 


Washington,  May  24. — The  Ar- 
gentine government  has  taken  steps  to 
exclude  outdated  films  and  films  of 
dubious  moral  value,  the  U.  S.  Com- 
merce Department  said  here  today. 

A  report  by  acting  Commerce  film 
chief  George  R.  Donnelly  cited  an 
Argentine  decree  requiring  distributors 
of  foreign  films  to  submit  a  summary 
of  the  plot,  date  of  release  of  the  pic- 
ture in  the  country  of  origin,  and  the 
date  of  the  picture's  arrival  in  port. 

Donnelly  also  cited  announcements 
from  Buenos  Aires  disclosing  that  the 
government  soon  will  require  national 
films  to  be  shown  three  weeks  out  of 
every  five,  instead  of  two. 


Industry  Leaders 
Tell  Press  What's 
Right  with  Films 


Within  seven  to  10  years,  television 
will  be  shown  in  every  theatre  in  the 
land  and  parlor  television  will  take  its 
place  alongside  home  movies,  industry 
leaders  predicted  at  a  round-table  con- 
ducted by  Parade  and  which  will  be 
reported  in  next  Sunday's  issue  of  the 
magazine. 

Participating  in  the  unusual  inter- 
view were :  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  20th 
Century-Fox  president ;  Barney  Bala- 
ban, Paramount  president ;  Ned 
Depinet,  RKO-Radio  president ;  Eric 
Johnston,  Motion  Picture  Association 
of  America  president ;  Joseph  I.  Breen 
and  Francis  Harmon,  MPAA  vice- 
presidents. 

Questions  put  to  the  roundtable  and 
the  answers  they  elicited  will  be  pre- 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Hint  Congress  Probe 
Of  Films  and  Radio 


Washington,  May  24. — House  Ju- 
diciary Chairman  Celler,  New  York 
Democrat,  today  appointed  a  special 
seven-man  sub-committee  to  study  the 
need  for  tightening  the  anti-trust  laws; 
and  said  he  may  go  into  film  and  radio 
problems. 

Celler  is  a  long-time  critic  of  Ascap 
and  major  film  companies. 

The  sub-committee  may  build  up  a 
case  against  the  Webb-Pomerene  Act 
and  other  acts  which  "soften  compe- 
tition" by  creating  exemptions  from 
the  anti-trust  laws,  Celler  said. 

The  group  will  work  closely  with 
officials  of  the  anti-trust  division,  Fed- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


'The  Red  Menace '  Bids  for 
Wide  Public  Attention 


By  SHERWIN  KANE 


Keyed  to  the  widespread  public  con- 
cern throughout  the  United  States 
over  Communism,  Republic's  new 
production,  "The  Red  Menace,"  now 
ready  for  release,  makes  a  strong  bid 
to  center  exceptional  interest  upon 
itself. 

The  picture  was  screened  at  the  Re- 
public home  office  and  at  the  West 
Coast  studio  yesterday  for  trade  press 
reviewers.  It  is  a  potently  titled,  fast- 
moving  87  minutes  of  screen  action 
and  exposition  which  tells  more  about 
what  Communism  is  and  purports  to 
be,  particularly  in  these  United  States, 
than  any  picture  heretofore  made 
available  to  American  theatres. 


All  exhibitors  should  be  aware  of 
it  for  it  could  well  prove  to  be  one 
of  those  rarest  of  all  present-day  cine- 
matic events — a  sleeper.  The  public  in- 
terest is  ready  and  waiting  for  it, 
which  is  not  exactly  an  unrecognized 
fact  in  Hollywood  today,  judging  by 
the  pictures  on  the  subject  of  Commu- 
nism either  in  production  or  contem- 
plated. It  deals  with  Communism  in  a 
punchy,  educational  way,  while  drama- 
tizing the  methods  employed  to  win 
followers,  to  hold  them  or  to  wreak 
vengeance  upon  those  who  once  having 
accepted  it  would  repudiate  it. 

Interestingly,  much  of  the  informa- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Arnall  Protest 
Of  UK  Plan 
To  State  Dep't 

He  and  Rubin  Call  on 
Capital  Officials  Today 

Formal  protest  against  film  trade 
barriers  abroad  and  against  recom- 
mendations of  the  Anglo-American 
Films  Council  for  a  film  agreement 
with  England  will  be  filed  with  the 
U.  S.  State  Department  today  by  El- 
lis G.  Arnall,  president  of  the  Society 
of  Independent  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers. 

Arnall  and  Robert  J.  Rubin, 
SIMPP  counsel,  both  will  be  in 
Washington  today  and  in  addition  to 
presenting  the  formal  complaint  they 
intend  to  press  the  matter  further  in 
calls  upon  the  House  Small  Business 
Committee  and  other  members  of 
Congress,  in  individual  conversations 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Lichtman  Wins  NCA 
Okay  for  20th-Fox 

Minneapolis,  May  24. — More  than 
200  enthusiastic  exhibitors  attending 
the  North  Central  Allied  meeting  to- 
day gave  hearty  approval  to  an  an- 
nouncement by  Al  Lichtman,  20th 
Century-Fox  vice-president,  that  every 
type  of  theatre  operation  can  buy  20th- 
Fox  product  on  a  flat,  percentage  or 
sliding  scale  basis.  His  announcement 
that  local  autonomy  has  been  given  the 
branch  manager  to  approve  contracts 
caught  militant  exhibitors  by  surprise 
and  diminished  complaints  to  only  half- 
a-dozen  in  discussions  of  the  Lichtman 
plan  from  the  floor. 

Lichtman  said  he  was  crusading  for 
a  betterment  of  industry  relations, 
which  he  believed  would  eventually 
result  in  improved  box-office  grosses. 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


National  Allied  After 
1,000  New  Members 

Minneapolis,  May  24.  —  An 
expanded  membership  roster 
of  1,000  additional  independ- 
ent theatre  owners  is  contem- 
plated by  national  Allied  as  a 
tribute  to  Abram  F.  Myers, 
board  chairman  and  general 
counsel,  delegates  to  the  an- 
nual North  Central  Allied 
convention  were  told  here  by 
William  Ainsworth,  the  na- 
tional president. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  May  25,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


JOHN  P.  BYRNE,  M-G-M  Eastern 
sales  manager,  is  in  New  Haven 
from  New  York. 

• 

Robert  Bram,  Universal-Interna- 
tional office  manager  at  Cleveland,  and 
Babette  Blum  plan  to  be  married 
soon,  while  Don  McMahon,  booker, 
and  Rita  Wahl  have  set  June  18  for 
their  nuptials. 

• 

William  F.  Rodgers,  M-G-M  sales 
vice-president,  will  attend  the  gradu- 
ation of  his  two  sons,  William  Far- 
rell  and  Thomas  Edward,  from 
Georgetown  University  on  June  13. 
• 

MacGregor  Scott,  overseas  sales 
manager  for  Associated  British  Pathe, 
has  returned  to  London  from  New 
York. 

• 

Gael  Sullivan,  Theatre  Owners 
of  America's  executive  director,  will 
return  here  today  from  Washington. 


$4  -  Million  Blocked 
In  Japanese  Money 

Washington,  May  24.— As  of  May 
7,  the  Motion  Picture  Export  Asso- 
ciation had  in  Japan  blocked  yen 
equivalent  to  $4,350,955,  according  to 
testimony  given  the  House  Appropri- 
ations Committee  by  MPAA  legis- 
lative representative  Jack  Bryson. 

Bryson  pointed  out  that  the  MPEA 
had  operated  in  Japan  for  four  years 
at  an  out-of-pocket  cost  of  over  $400,- 
000,  and  asked  $2,180,000  to  reimburse 
the  MPEA  for  losses  through  depre- 
ciation of  the  blocked  yen.  Bryson 
stressed  that  the  funds  asked  did  not 
include  any  profit,  but  only  expenses 
plus  a  porportionate  share  of  produc- 
tion costs. 


Saints  and  Sinners 
Punish  R.  R.  Young 

Robert  R.  Young,  railroad  magnate 
and  head  of  Pathe  Industries,  parent 
company  of  Eagle-Lion,  was  the  "Fall 
Guy"  for  the  Circus  Saints  and  Sin- 
ners at  the  Waldorf-Astoria  here  yes- 
terday, taking  a  merciless  ribbing 
from  Tex  O'Rourke  and  others  on  his 
financial  and  railroad  activities. 

Among  the  industryites  who  wit- 
nessed the  punishment  were :  Will  H. 
Hays,  George  Skouras,  William  C. 
MacMillan,  Rutgers  Neilson,  Sol 
Schwartz,  Leon  Bamberger,  Chet 
Bahn,  James  Jerauld,  Red  Kann, 
Sherwin  Kane  and  Harry  Blair. 


Metzger,  55,  PC  A  Aide 

Hollywood,  May  24.  ■ —  Charles  M. 
Metzger,  55,  for  the  past  14  years  a 
member  of  the  Production  Code  Ad- 
ministration Staff,  who  died  last 
night  following  a  stroke  suffered  a 
year  ago,  will  be  buried  Saturday  at 
Indianapolis.  Metzger  was  formerly 
counsel  and  director  of  the  Allied 
Theatre  Owners  of  Indiana,  and  a 
director  of  Allied  States  Association 
of  Indiana.  His  mother  and  three 
daughters  survive. 


Bernhard  Denies 
Deal  for  Classics 

Joseph  Bernhard,  president  of  Film 
Classics,  yesterday  denied  that  he  is 
presently  engaged  in  any  negotiations 
with  Si  Fabian,  president  of  Fabian 
Theatres,  for  the  purchase  of  the  for- 
mer, and  also  denied  that  he  is  in  on 
any  deal  with  Walter  Wanger  and 
the  Nassours  for  the  same  purpose,  as 
reported  on  the  Coast.  Meanwhile, 
a  spokesman  in  the  Fabian  office  here 
said  yesterday  that  there  had  been 
"some  talk"  about  a  deal,  but  he  did 
not  indicate  whether  a  deal  is  still  on. 

Future  ownership  of  the  company 
is  expected  to  be  determined  when 
directors  of  Cinecolor,  parent  of  Film 
Classics,  meet  on  June  14  to  deter- 
mine whether  the  two  companies  will 
be  separated. 


Saturday  Is  "Autry 
Day"  in  Trenton 

Trenton  will  have  a  "Gene  Autry 
Day"  on  Saturday  by  proclamation  of 
Mayor  Donald  J.  Connolly,  and  in 
conjunction  with  the  event,  Autry' s 
latest  Columbia  film,  "Riders  of  the 
Whistling  Pine,"  will  appear  at  the 
RKO  Capitol  in  that  city.  Bands, 
parades,  floats  and  all  the  trimmings 
will  go  with  the  affair.  The  trade 
and  Metropolitan  press  will  attend  as 
Columbia's  guests. 

All  eight  RKO  theatres  in  the  city 
have  been  running  trailers  announcing 
the  event.  Henry  Scholl,  manager,  and 
Ward  and  Farrar,  publicists,  aided  in 
the  promotion. 

"Autry  Day"  in  Trenton,  according 
to  Columbia  spokesmen,  is  going  to 
serve  as  a  blueprint  for  Columbia 
Autry  exploitation  in  the  future. 


New  England  Owners 
Meet  Starts  Today 

Boston,  May  24. — The  21st  annual 
convention  of  the  Independent  Ex- 
hibitors of  New  England  will  open  at 
the  Copley-Plaza  Hotel  here  tomorrow 
morning,  to  run  through  Thursday, 
climaxing  with  the  annual  banquet  on 
that  evening  to  which  the  following 
have  been  invited  to  the  dais  : 

Mayor  Curley,  Abram  F.  Myers, 
Edward  Lachman,  David  Palfreyman, 
Charles  Einfeld,  George  Dembow,  Ar- 
thur Lockwood,  Sam  Pinanski,  John 
J.  Dervin,  Walter  Mitchell,  Lesley 
Bendslev,  Hugh  Owen,  Jeff  Whelan, 
Massachusetts  state  treasurer  John  J. 
Hurley,  M.  D.  Limming,  Maurice 
Wolf,  E.  A.  Callahan,  Art  Moger  and 
Dr.  J.  B.  Fishman. 


$24,000  for  'Brave' 

"Home  of  the  Brave,"  United  Art- 
ists, is  expected  to  end  its  second 
week  at  the  Victoria  Theatre  here 
with  a  gross  of  $24,000,  which  is  sub- 
stantial business  particularly  in  view 
of  the  unusually  low  grosses  at  the 
majority  of  other  first-runs.  The  film 
drew  close  to  $30,000  in  its  opening 
week. 


ExtendPatio  Stage  Shows 

Stage  shows  at  Century's  Patio, 
Brooklyn,  will  be  extended  to  a  full 
week's  run,  starting  today,  with  eve- 
ning shows  on  weekdays  and  all-day 
shows  on  Saturdays  and  Sundays. 


Leaders  Tell  Press 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


sented  to  Parade's  15,000,000  readers 
in  26  cities  under  the  affirmative 
heading  'What's  Right  with  the 
Movies?"  as  the  first  group  interview 
of  industry  men  of  their  rank  on  recent 
industry  criticisms  and  questions,  the 
article  is  regarded  as  countering  much 
that  the  industry  feels  will  appear  in 
the  Life  magazine  series  on  motion 
picture  affairs. 

Parade  reports  that  as  the  round- 
table  progressed,  "it  became  clear  that 
the  makers  of  American  motion  pic- 
tures are  on  the  whole  pleased  with 
their  product,  their  industry,  and  with 
what  it  has  meant  to  their  fellow- 
countrymen  and  to  people  in  every 
foreign  land." 

The  oft-repeated  question  of  what 
television  "will  do  to  movies"  was 
answered  by  Skouras. 

Skouras  Sees  TV  a  Boon 

"In  my  opinion,"  Skouras  is  quoted 
as  saying,  "television  will  be  a  boon  to 
the  motion  picture  industry.  It  will 
never  reach  great  success  in  the  public 
entertainment  field  except  as  a  part  of 
the  motion  picture.  .  .  .  The  present 
entertainment  which  the  public  re- 
ceives on  television  today  is  not  being 
accepted." 

Video  will  succeed,  Skouras  main- 
tained, "only  when  it  has  the  right 
facilities."  He  concludes :  "We  feel 
that  the  large  screen  will  develop 
within  a  short  time.  We  feel  that 
through  the  local  theatre,  television 
will  succeed  because  the  public  will  de- 
mand it  as  a  higher  type  of  entertain- 
ment." 

The  query  as  to  why  the  adult  film- 
going  population  is  not  larger,  and 
what  the  industry  intends  to  do  about 
it,  was  received  by  Balaban  with  the 
observation  that  it  was  "not  a  new 
question."  He  has  heard  the  question, 
he  said,  "for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century. 

Challenging  the  claim  that  attend- 
ance is  falling  off,  Balaban  pointed  out 
that  Paramount's  business  in  the  first 
14  weeks  of  1949  was  about  equal  to 
that  of  1946,  "the  top  year  so  far." 

Added  Skouras  :  "In  every  theatre  in 
the  country,  from  Monday  through 
Friday,  95  per  cent  of  the  audience  is 
adult." 

Elders  Have  Less  Time 

When  the  same  topic  arose  again 
later.  Depinet  made  this  observation : 
"When  you  were  young  you  had  time 
to  see  pictures.  As  you  grew  older  and 
had  to  go  out  and  earn  a  living,  you 
had  less  time.  I  think  it  is  no  more 
than  natural  that  as  people  grow  older 
they  have  less  time  to  go  to  the  movies 
than  youngsters  do." 

Regarding  the  relative  importance  of 
the  "star  system,"  Depinet  said  he  did 
not  think  "our  industry  can  get  away 
from  the  star  system — I  don't  think  the 
public  will  permit  us  to." 

Breen  was  asked:  "Does  the  Pro- 
duction Code  of  the  MPAA  lead  to 
forfeiture  of  the  rights  of  free  expres- 
sion? Is  the  industry  censoring  itself 
out  of  business  ?" 

"No,"  Breen  replied. 

"Some  people,"  he  said,  "have  the 
idea  that  there  is  a  mysterious  some- 
thing or  somebody  in  Hollywood 
which  seeks  to  deny  to  the  motion  pic- 
ture screen  the  right  of  discussion  of 
problems  which  are  valid.  Let  me  say 
right  here  that  I  know  of  no  such 


Newsreel 
Parade 


'J1  HE  Big  Four  in  Paris  and  the 
-*-  rioting  \n  Berlin  are  current 
newsreel  highlights.  Tornadoes,  sports 
and  fashions  are  other  items.  Com- 
plete contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  42 — Paris: 
Big  Four  meeting.  Berlin  rioting.  Torna- 
does strike  Central  and  Western  U.  S. 
Mechanical  crib  and  phonograph.  New  jet 
fighter  tested.  Giant  flying  boat.  Tulip 
time  in  Holland,  Michigan.  Kids  boxing. 
"Mr.  America  of  1949"  crowned.  Holland's 
woman  track  champion  in  Los  Angeles  re- 
lays. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  276 — Big 

Four  in  Paris.  Debs  make  their  bow  to 
royalty.  Flying  boat  sets  aviation  record. 
Miracle  nurse  rocks  baby  to  sleep.  "Mr. 
America,  1949."  Kids  boxing.  World's 
greatest  woman  athlete. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS.  No.  79— Big 
Four  open  talks  on  Germany.  Nation 
mourns  Forrestal.  Eyes  on  Laredo,  Texas, 
for  premiere  of  "Streets  of  Laredo."  Crown 
new  "Mr.  America."  One-woman  track 
team.   Jack  Dempsey  referees  mat  bout. 

TEL.ENEWS  DIGEST,  21-A— Washing- 
ton: Forrestal  tragedy.  Middle  West  torna- 
does. Berlin  riots.  Shanghai  exodus.  Sec- 
retary of  State  Acheson  leaves  for  Paris. 
Monaco's  Prince  Louis  11  buried.  Mr 
Lewis  Douglas  brings  gift  to  London's 
Queen  Mary  Hospital.  King  and  Queen 
of  England  attend  wedding  of  private  sec- 
retary's daughter.  Fashions. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWS.  No.  250— Torna- 
does.   President  Dutra  in  New  York.  Ha- 
waiian Mars  Navy  plane.    Mechanical  night 
"™se-  a  Tulip  time  in  Holland,  Michigan. 
Mr.  America."    Los  Angeles  relays 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  81- 
Big   Four.    Berlin   riot.    Mechanical  night 
?TUIi?e'  j,Alr  news-    Bermuda  hats.  Boxing. 
Holland  s  woman  athlete,  Fanny  Koen. 


group.  I  know  of  no  such  movement. 
I  know  of  no  such  authority. 

"If  you  will  read  the  Code,"  he  added, 
"you  will  find  that  it  permits  the 
widest  possible  freedom  of  expression. 
Nothing  in  the  Code  denies  or  curtails 
freedom  of  expression  on  any  matter." 

Asked  what  the  industry  is  doing  to 
foster  the  broadest  showing  of  the  best 
foreign  films,  Depinet  pointed  out  that 
in  the  U.  S.  "there  is  no  quota,  there 
is  no  restriction,  and  their  (foreign 
producers')  money  is  free  to  go  back 
to  their  own  country.  I  wish  we  were 
treated  as  well  as  they  are." 

"If  it  were  not  for  the  American 
motion  picture,"  Skouras  added,  "the 
majority  of  the  theatres  of  the  world 
would  be  closed." 

As  the  round-table  discussion  con- 
cluded, Skuoras  made  this  parting 
observation:  "There  is  only  one  thing 
wrong  with  the  motion  picture  indus- 
try: We  do  not  appreciate  its  real 
greatness  and  its  importance  to  the 
people  of  America." 

The  idea  of  the  round-table  inter- 
view was  conceived  by  Tom  Waller  of 
the  MPAA's  New  York  information 
department. 


Christophers  Award 
To  Wanger* s  'Joan9 

Sierra  Pictures'  "Joan  of  Arc"  will 
be  given  the  first  award  ever  made  for 
a  motion  picture  by  The  Christophers, 
a  group  founded  four  years  ago  to 
promote  Christian  principles  in  public 
life.  The  citation,  a  parchment  scroll, 
will  be  received  by  Walter  Wanger, 
producer  of  the  RKO  Radio  picture, 
from  Father  James  Keller,  founder 
and  director  of  The  Christophers,  at 
a  luncheon  in  New  York  today. 


^^hS^^^^Vr^r^^a^^  n^T  Ed,itori|]  and  Advertising.  Urben  Farley,   Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 

%£%S&Pg2£  Mana^r.  Peter  Burnup:  Editor :. cable  address.  ^Quigpubco,  Lonj£» 


Motion  Picture  Almanac 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas 


ons:  Motion  Picture  Herald ;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a 'year  as  a  section  of 
'  T.e,',  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of 
and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c.  '  V 


Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
March  3.  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


more 

terrific 

than  the 
Atlantic 
and  the 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  May  25,  1949 


'Red  Menace' 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

tive  material  corresponds  both  broad- 
ly and  in  detail  with  testimony  of 
Party  activities  given  by  government 
witnesses  in  the  current  New  York 
Federal  Court  trial  of  American 
Communist  leaders  charged  with 
teaching  the  overthrow  of  the  govern- 
ment by  force  and  violence.  Other 
phases  of  "The  Red  Menace"  are 
reminiscent  of  evidence  given  in  Com- 
munist spy  trials  and  of  incidents  re- 
ported in  the  press  from  time  to  time 
of  those  who  have  succeeded  in  escap- 
ing from  Communist  influences. 

The  story  itself,  however,  written 
by  Albert  DeMond,  who  collaborated 
on  the  screenplay  with  Gerald  Ger- 
aghty,  makes  no  pretense  of  going  to 
such  sources  of  record.  It  is  the  story 
of  an  ex-G.L,  played  by  Robert  Rock- 
well, who  becomes  a  good  prospect 
for  the  Party's  recruiting  agents  when 
he  believes  he  has  been  defrauded  of 
his  savings  invested  in  a  housing  proj- 
ect which  failed  to  materialize. 

Locale  Is  Los  Angeles 

The  persuasion  routine  begins  at  a 
bar,  with  girl  companions  used  by  the 
Party,  moves  to  the  greater  privacy 
of  the  apartment  provided  for  one  of 
the  girls,  and  from  there  to  the  secret 
classes  and  meeting  rooms  of  the 
Party.  The  scene  is  Los  Angeles. 

Illustrated  are  the  teachings,  dis- 
cipline and  vengeance  employed  to  in- 
fluence members  to  accept  the  dictates 
of  the  Party  hierarchy  and  to  punish 
the  rebellious.  A  Jewish  poet,  played 
by  Shepard  Menken,  persecuted  by  the 
Party  for  his  intellectual  honesty,  is 
driven  to  suicide.  The  Irish  girl  with 
whom  he  was  in  love,  played  by  Bar- 
bra  Fuller,  renounces  the  Party  there- 
after. An  Italian  worker,  critical  of 
its  teachings,  is  brutally  beaten  to 
death  while  the  Communist  press 
blames  "Fascists"  for  killing  him  be- 
cause he  was  a  Communist.  A  Negro 
writer  for  the  Party  paper,  fed  up 
with  his  deceitful  tasks,  returns  to  his 
family. 

Fear  Party's  Vengeance 

As  Rockwell  progresses  through 
Party  training  he  falls  in  love  with 
one  of  the  teachers,  played  by  Hanne 
Axman.  Their  misgivings  over  the 
Party  methods  employed  develop 
gradually  but  spurred  by  their  love 
and  desire  to  live  normal  lives  they 
decide  to  break  with  the  Party.  Fear- 
ing its  vengeance  they  set  out  to  lose 
themselves  in  a  remote  town.  They 
tell  their  story  to  a  sheriff  at  the  end 
of  their  journey  and  are  reassured  by 
his  reminder  that  as  good  citizens 
they  are  entitled  to  the  protection  of 
the  law  and  the  government. 

"The  Red  Menace"  is  lacking  in 
production  polish  and  has  some  of  the 
trappings  of  prosaic  writing,  but  R. 
G.    Springsteen's    direction  imparts 


MEMBER   FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


continuous  interest  and  movement,  as 
well  as  suspense,  to  the  screenplay. 
In  addition  to  those  mentioned,  the 
cast  includes  Betty  Lou  Gerson,  as  a 
psychopathic  Party  leader;  Lester 
Luther  and  William  J.  Lally  as  Party 
functionaries ;  Leo  Cleary  as  a  priest 
and  Duke  Williams  as  the  Communist 
writer.  Lloyd  G.  Davies,  Los  Angeles 
city  council  member,  provides  a  nar- 
ration. 


Yates  Says  'Red  Menace'  Will  Play 
'Every  City,  Town  and  Village' 

Hollywood,  May  24. — Following  a 
preview  of  "Red  Menace"  at  the  studio 
today,  Republic  president  Herbert  J. 
Yates  told  the  press,  "I  decided  to  make 
this  picture  primarily  to  make  Ameri- 
cans vitally  aware  of  what  Communism 
is  and  how  it  is  working  right  here  in 
this  country.  Our  industry  has  been 
accused  being  Communistic  and  it  is 
proper  we  controvert  that  accusation 
with  every  means  at  our  disposal. 

"This  picture  puts  Communist  strat- 
egy and  methods  squarely  before  the 
public  with  the  screen's  matchless  im- 
pact. I  believe  it  will  be  great  box 
office  success  on  an  entertainment  basis 
alone,  but  we  are  determined  it  will 
play  every  city,  town  and  village  in 
the  country  at  any  cost." 

In  evidence  of  his  determination  in 
this  connection,  Yates  said  Republic 
will  spend  $50,000  on  a  promotion 
campaign  for  picture's  June  8  opening 
at  Hollywood  and  Los  Angeles  Para- 
mounts,  and  added,  "Our  information 
is  that  top  campaigns  here  cost  not 
more  than  $15,000.  We  are  spending 
$50,000  to  make  sure  our  picture  gets 
a  thorough  testing  here  before  we  open 
it  elsewhere.  We'll  use  similar  cam- 
paigns throughout  the  country  later. 


Balaban  Optimistic 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

status  with  adequate  resources  and  top 
manpower. 

"Knowing  the  excellent  position 
Paramount  would  enjoy,  I  elected  to 
remain  with  production-distribution  in 
facing  the  new  situation  starting  in 
1950." 

At  today's  meeting  Ginsberg  pre- 
dicted a  rise  in  production  in  the  near 
future  and  said  that  he  and  Balaban 
would  sit  down  and  map  future  pro- 
ductions, with  purchase  of  new  story 
material  in  the  immediate  offing. 

Ginsberg,  mentioning  that  he  started 
in  the  industry  as  a  salesman,  stressed 
that  production  realized  that  greater 
domestic  grosses  must  be  obtained  and 
said  that  the  studio  would  build  "show- 
manship" into  films  in  order  to  achieve 
greater  playing  time.  He  called  for 
teamwork  between  production  and  dis- 
tribution and  praised  A.  W.  Schwal- 
berg,  sales  vice-president,  for  bringing 
a  spirit  of  enthusiaism  to  the  organiza- 
tion. 

Among  others  who  addressed  the 
meeting  were  Adolph  Zukor,  board 
chairman,  A.  W.  Schwalberg,  sales 
vice-president ;  Charles  P.  Skouras, 
president  of  National  Theatres  ;  Hugh 
Bruen,  of  the  Pacific  Coast  Conference 
of  Independent  Theatre  owners ;  J. 
Myer  Schine,  president  of  Schine 
Theatres,  and  George  A.  Smith,  Para- 
mount West  Coast  division  manager. 
Other  company  executives  speaking 
today  were :  Y.  Frank  Freeman,  E.  K. 
(Ted)  O'Shea,  Oscar  A.  Morgan  and 
Max  Youngstein. 

Neal  East,  San  Francisco  branch 
manager,  was  named  divisional  cap- 
tain for  the  sales  drive  to  be  initiated 
under  the  slogan,  "The  West  is  the 
Best."  Edward  Canty,  San  Francisco 
booker,  and  John  Kent,  Seattle  sales- 
man, were  named  to  the  company's 
"100  Per  Cent  Club"  by  Smith. 


Color  Video 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

the  comparatively  few  units  involved 
in  any  change-over  and  the  magni- 
tude of  the  required  investment. 

The  film  company  told  the  FCC 
that  it  believed  that  theatre  television 
had  now  advanced  to  the  point  where 
it  could  be  taken  from  the  laboratory 
and  introduced  to  the  American  public 
"as  a  new  medium  of  entertainment." 
Further  experimentation  is  of  course 
necessary,  but  that  can  be  done  in  the 
open,  20th-Fox  said. 

"Considering  the  many  improve- 
ments that  have  been  made  during  the 
past  year  it  appears  that  the  genera- 
tion of  a  theatre  television  picture 
of  suitable  quality  is  not  only  pos- 
sible but  practical,"  20th-Fox  said. 

The  report  was  prepared  by  20th's 
research  director  Earl  I.  Sponable 
and  was  personally  submitted  by  at- 
torney Vincent  Welch  in  conferences 
with  individual  FCC  commissioners. 

The  company  pointed  out  that  it  had 
placed  equal  emphasis  in  its  experi- 
ments on  both  direct  projection  and 
film  storage  methods  of  theatre  tele- 
vision. "The  direct  projection  method 
of  large-screen  theatre  television,"  the 
report  declared,  "has  now  reached  a 
stage  of  development  which  warrants 
the  design  of  commercial  equipment 
for  theatre  installation  and  operation. 

"It  is  believed  that  a  multiple  point- 
to-point  intra-city  distribution  sys- 
tem of  theatre  television  could  be  es- 
tablished for  such  an  operation  with 
a  minimum  of  two  channels  and  that 
separate  channels  would  not  be  re- 
quired for  each  point-to-point  link. 

"Although  the  film  storage  method 
has  a  number  of  advantages  over  the 
direct  projection  method  and  must  be 
included  in  any  complete  system,  there 
exists  in  that  system  certain  funda- 
mental difficulties  in  tone  reproduc- 
tion which  are  yet  to  be  resolved. 
Furthermore,  there  continue  to  be  se- 
rious problems  of  conversion,"  the 
report  said. 

After  outlining  experiments  and  re- 
search in  the  field,  the  20th-Fox  re- 
port listed  these  major  changes  as 
having  taken  place:  The  direct  pro- 
jection unit  has  been  radically  reduced 
m  size  and  weight ;  the  optical  system 
has_  been  separated  and  as  a  result  the 
design  of  a  practical  piece  of  equip- 
ment for  either  large  or  small  theatres 
is  now  feasible;  considerable  improve- 
ment in  screen  lighting  is  claimed,  and 
also  an  improvement  in  the  film  stor- 
age process  of  theatre  television. 


Congress  Probe 

 {Continued  from  page  1 ) 

eral  Trade  Commission  and  other 
government  agencies. 

Celler  stated  that  he  expects  an- 
other sub-committee  to  report  out  this 
week— and  the  full  Judiciary  Commit- 
tee next  week— a  bill  to  tighten  the 
Clayton  Act  by  prohibiting  one  firm 
from  acquiring  the  physical  assets  of 
another  where  the  result  would  be  to 
lessen  competition  substantially. 


Justice  Department  Leaves 
Paramount  TV  Bid  to  FCC 

Washington,  May  24. — The  De- 
partment of  Justice,  which  had  asked 
to  be  heard  before  any  final  decision 
on  the  question  of  whether  Paramount 
and  other  film  companies  found  guilty 
of  violating  the  anti-trust  laws  should 
be  allowed  into  the  television  field, 
has  notified  the  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission  that  it  has  lost  in- 
terest in  Paramount  since  the  consent 
decree  was  signed. 


Arnall  Protest 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

with  officials  of  the  State  Department 
and  with  members  of  the  Department 
of  Justice,  possibly  including  Attor- 
ney General  Tom  Clark. 

Immediately  upon  disclosure  of  the 
suggestions  of  the  Films  Council  for 
a  trade  agreement  earlier  this  month, 
Arnall  filed  a  complaint  with  the  Jus- 
tice Department. 


Protests  on  British  Quota  Action 
Reach  Capital;  More  Expected 

Washington,  May  24. — Protests 
from  the  film  industry  over  the  Brit- 
ish government's  refusal  to  consider 
modification  of  the  British  quota  have 
been  received  by  California  Senator 
Downey  today,  with  a  telephone  call 
from  Joseph  Schenck,  20th  Century- 
Fox  executive,  and  a  wire  from  Rob- 
ert H.  Garton,  film  technicians  union 
representative. 

The  California  Congressional  dele- 
gation expect  the  protests  to  increase 
tomorrow  as  the  news  of  the  British 
reply  circulates.  Several  Congressmen 
called  on  Jack  Bryson,  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America  legislative 
representative,  for  information  on 
what  steps  the  MPAA  proposes  to 
take. 


AFL  Film  Council  Wires  Protest 

Hollywood,  May  24.  —  The  AFL 
Film  Council  here  telegraphed  the  en- 
tire California  representation  in  Con- 
gress, saying,  "urgently  request  your 
cooperation  in  asking  State  Depart- 
ment to  reject  British  note  re  film 
quota  and  demand  immediate  negotia- 
tions for  elimination  of  quota." 


Lichtman  Wins  NCA 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

He  declared  that  flat  rentals  are  the 
practical  way  to  sell  small  situations, 
with  the  exchange  and  exhibitors  ne- 
gotiating playing  time  to  include  the 
days  the  pictures  contracted  for  can 
do  the  most  business.  He  warned, 
however,  that  the  plan  was  not  con- 
ceived to  decrease  20th-Fox  revenues, 
but  rather  to  increase  the  income  for 
both  company  and  exhibitor. 

Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  praised  by  Ben 
Berger,  NCA  president,  for  his  efforts 
to  "be  fair,"  replied  to  an  inquiry  that 
the  20th-Fox  manager  would  naturally 
negotiate  for  the  best  playing  time  for 
his  company's  top  pictures  and  "hoped" 
the  exhibitors  would  be  fair  in  their 
negotiations.  Berger  approved  most  of 
the  20th-Fox  policy  statement  "in  prin- 
ciple," but  bitterly  attacked  the  "must" 
percentage  for  small  situations  as  "an 
obnoxious  policy  that  has  destroyed 
our  business  and  forced  us  to  sell  pea- 
nuts and  popcorn  to  make  a  living." 

Smith  praised  Berger  for  conceiving 
the  Smith-Berger  plan  and  said  that 
conciliation  with  20th-Fox  would  be 
continued  for  the  present  at  the  local 
level,  adding  that  he  would  like  to  see 
it  placed  on  a  national  level  and  ac- 
cepted by  all  distributors  and  inde- 
pendent exhibitors. 

Berger  and  the  entire  NCA  board 
were  re-elected. 


CHOICE  OFFICE  FLOOR 

Opposite  Film  Building 
Approximately  90  x  2  5 
Apply 

PRICE  THEATRE  PREMIUMS 
352  West  44th  St..  New  York 


and  make  box  office 


'National"  H.  I.  Arc— 
"Brightest  spot 
in  the  world ! 


The  term  "National" 
is  a  registered  trade -mark  of 

NATIONAL  CARBON  COMPANY,  INC. 

Unit  of 

Union  Carbide  and  Carbon  Corporation 

30  East  42nd  Street,  New  York  17,  N.Y. 

Division  Sales  Offices: 
Atlanta,  Chicago,  Dallas,  Kansas  City, 
New  York,  Pittsburgh,  San  Francisco 


YOU  CAN  ALWAYS  DEPEND  ON  THE  COMPANY 
THAT  DELIVERS  WHAT  IT  PROMISES!!!! 

Will  James' 

SAND  •  IT  HAPPENS  EVERY  SPRING  •  THE  BEAUTIFUL 
BLONDE  FROM  BASHFUL  BEND  •  MR.  BELVEDERE 
GOES  TO  COLLEGE  •  THE  FORBIDDEN  STREET  •  THE 
FAN  •  CANADIAN  PACIFIC  •  MOTHER  IS  A  FRESHMAN 
A  LETTER  TO  THREE  WIVES  •  DOWN  TO  THE 
SEA  IN  SHIPS  •  THE  SNAKE  PIT  •  YELLOW  SKY 


CENTURY-FOX 

>Back  the  Motion  Picture  Industry's  U.  S.  SAVINGS  BONDS  DRIVE,  May  l6-June  3Q  < 


MOTION  PICTURE 

FIRST 

l  Accurate 

'     1     '     :  ' '  y 

IN 

11  ATT 

Concise 

FILM 

and 

NEWS 

Impartial 

& — .  -< 

VOL.  65.  NO.  103 

NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  THURSDAY,   MAY  26,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Hollywood  Up 
In  Arms  Over 
British  Quota 

Nine  Organizations  Ask 
Congressional  Probe 

Hollywood,  May  25. — One  of 
the  most  concerted  production  pro- 
tests ever  made  was  voiced  here 
today  when  nine  producer,  talent 
guild  and  labor  union  groups  charged, 
through  the  Motion  Picture  Industry 
Council,  that  "undisclosed  motives  be- 
hind these  persistent  breaches  of  faith 
tend  to  bolster  the  suspicion  that 
present  British  government  policy 
primarily  is  aimed  at  stifling  the 
American  film  industry  in  the  world 
market." 

The  nine  organizations,  rep- 
resenting many  thousands  in 
Hollywood  production,  peti- 
tioned for  a  Congressional  in- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Warner  Int'l  Sales 
Meet  June  9-11 


UK  Quota  Protests 
Pour  in  on  Capital 

Washington,  May  25. — Protests 
against  the  British  refusal  to  consider 
modifying  its  new  40  per  cent  film 
quota  continued  to  pour  in  on  Capitol 
Hill,  and  there  was  indication  some 
action  might  result. 

Joyce  O'Hara,  executive  assistant 
to  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  president  Eric  A.  Johnston, 
and  MPAA  legislative  representative 
Jack  Bryson  spent  several  hours  talk- 
ing to  Sen.  Downey  and  other  mem- 
bers of  Congress. 

Practically  every  California  Con- 
gressman had  eight  or  ten  wires  from 
Hollywood  labor  and  industry  groups, 

( Continued   on    !'""■     5  ' 


Warner  Brothers  will  hold  a  three- 
day  international  sales  convention  at 
the  Waldorf-Astoria  Hotel  here  on 
June  9-11,  reports  Ben  Kalmenson, 
distribution  vice-president.  This  is  the 
company's  first  such  sales  meeting  in 
three  years ;  representatives  from  all 
over  the  world  will  be  present. 

Major  discussions  will  be  on  the 
company's  production  plans,  with 
properties  and  stars  to  be  outlined. 

Also  on  the  agenda  will  be  mer- 
chandising plans  for  releases  for  the 
remainder  of  this  season,  these  in- 
cluding :  "The  Fountainhead,"  "The 
Girl  from  Jones  Beach,"  "Look  for 
the  Silver  Lining,"  and  "The  Lady 
Takes  a  Sailor." 

The  three  Warner  brothers,  Harry 

(.Continued  on  page  5) 


Quarter  Taxes  Up 
Despite  March  Drop 

Washington,  May  25. — Box-office 
business  slumped  in  March,  both  com- 
pared with  February,  1949,  and  with 
March,  1948,  but  business  for  the  first 
quarter  as  a  whole  was  still  above 
1948,  according  to  tax  collection  fig- 
ures released  here  today  by  the  Bureau 
of  Internal  Revenue.  March  was  the 
first  1949  month  in  which  business  was 
below  1948,  on  the  basis  of  the  tax 
figures. 

General  admission  tax  collections  in 
April,  reflecting  March  box-office  busi- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Fox  Plan,  Bidding, 
Errant  Stars,  Top 
Busy  Allied  Agenda 

Washington,  May  2J5. — Discussions 
of  20th  Century-Fox  selling  policies, 
whether  film  companies  are  using 
competitive  bidding  as  a  means  of  get- 
ting higher  rentals  and  the  advisabil- 
ity of  renewing  activity  for  the  Fin- 
neran  plan  "in  view  of  the  Hayworth 
and  Bergman  scandals"  head  a  lengthy 
and  comprehensive  agenda  for  Allied 
States  Association's  spring  board 
meeting,  which  will  be  held  in  Dallas 
next  Monday  and  Tuesday. 

On  competitive  bidding,  the  board 
will  specifically  consider  whether  "bids 
should  be  opened  in  the  presence  of  or 
made  available  to  the  bidders." 

The  tentative  agenda  was  released 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Percentage  Actions 
Filed  in  Cleveland 


Cleveland,  May  25. — Columbia, 
Universal,  RKO  Radio,  Loew's,  20th 
Century-Fox  and  Paramount  each 
filed  a  separate  percentage  action  to- 
day in  U.  S.  District  Court  here 
against  Mrs.  Nazera  Zegiob,  operat- 
ing the  Dreamland,  Elvira  and  Pearl 
Theatres  in  Lorain,  and  the  Liberty 
in  Vermillion. 

Each  complaint  alleges  that  the  de- 
fendant submitted  false  returns  of  ad- 
mission receipts  on  percentage  pic- 
tures.  Thomas   M.   Harman,  of  the 

(.Continued  on  page  5) 


20th-Fox  Availability 
Plan  to  Start  Today 


SIMPP  Hits  UK  Plan 
While  It's  Down 


Washington,  May  25.— SIMPP 
president  Ellis  Arnall  and  general 
counsel  Robert  J.  Rubin  continued 
their  fight  on  the  Anglo-American 
Film  Council  proposals  here  today, 
with  conferences  with  Justice  and 
State  Department  officials  and  several 
members  of  Congress. 

After  a  day  of  calls,  they  returned 
to  New  York.  James  Barnes,  Wash- 
ington counsel  for  SIMPP,  said  he 
did  not  know  exactly  whom  they  saw. 

Arnall,  in  a  press  release,  said  he 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


W.B.'s  Chicago  Video 
Plans  Are  Dropped 

Washington,  May  25.— War- 
ner Brothers  will  stick  by  its 
original  plan  to  withdraw  its 
application  for  a  Chicago 
television  station,  attorney 
Marcus  Cohn  said  here  today. 
He  indicated  that  the  Federal 
Communications  Commission 
would  probably  dismiss  the 
application  on  Friday. 

Warner  asked  the  FCC 
some  weeks  ago  to  dismiss 
the  application  but  later 
asked  that  action  on  its  re- 
quest be  deferred,  indicating 
Warner  might  change  its 
mind. 


Philadelphia,  May  25. — The  18 
local  theatres  which  will  open  tomor- 
row with  first  neighborhood  runs 
under  the  new  20th  Century-Fox  plan 
for  earlier  availabilities  are  giving  the 
set-up  full  promotional  backing.  "Mr. 
Belvedere  Goes  to  College"  will  open 
at  all  18  houses. 

Five  of  the  18  will  increase  admis- 
sion prices  for  the  run  of  "Belvedere." 
Of  the  quintet,  three — the  Fernrock, 
Ogontz  and  Oxford — are  Warner 
houses;  the  others  are  the  independent 
Jeffries  and  Mayfair.  Prices  will  vary 
from  26  to  45  cents  for  matinees  and 
45  to  70  cents  evenings.  Exhibitors  in 
the  area  will  watch  closely  for  audi- 
ence reaction  to  the  temporary  in- 
crease in  admissions  for  a  non- 
advanced  admission  price  picture. 

Howard  Minsky  20th-Fox  Mid- 
Eastern  division  manager,  was  "opti- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Britain  Will 
Ask  Council 
Meeting  Delay 

Major  Provisions  of 
Program  Seen  Killed 

British  members  of  the  Anglo- 
American  Films  Council  will  ask 
for  a  postponement  of  the  meeting 
now  scheduled  to  be  held  here  next 
Wednesday  and  Thursday,  it  was  re- 
liably reported  yesterday. 

The  scheduled  meeting  was  designed 
to  develop  the  details  of  the  under- 
standings reached  by  the  Council  at 
its  Washington  meeting,  April  21-22, 
assuming  that,  in  the  meantime,  the 
general  aims  received  the  ratification 
of  the  organized  American  and  British 
film  industries. 

The  British  Film  Producers  Asso- 
ciation is  scheduled  to  meet  in  London 
today  to  give  further  consideration  to 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


E-L  Purchase  Talks 
May  Reopen  Today 

Serge  Semenenko  of  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Boston  is  due  back  in 
New  York  today,  following  confer- 
ences with  other  bank  officials,  to  re- 
sume talks  with  Robert  R.  Young, 
Pathe  Industries'  principal  stockhold- 
er, and  Pathe  executives  regarding 
the  plans  offered  by  independent  pro- 
ducer Edward  Small  for  the  latter's 
acquisition  of  control  of  Eagle-Lion, 
Pathe  subsidiary.  The  conferences 
here,  recessed  since  last  weekend, 
were  expected  to  resume  yesterday, 
but  indications  last  night  were  that 
the  talks  will  be  reopened  today. 

Pathe  Industries  executive  Robert 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Melamed  Is  Named 
Treasurer  of  E-L 


William  C.  MacMillen  Jr.,  Eagle- 
Lion's  vice-president  in  charge  of  op- 
erations, has  appointed  David  J.  Mel- 
amed to  the  position  of  treasurer,  ef- 
fective immediately.  Melamed  replaces 
A.  E.  Bollengier,  who  has  returned  to 
his  former  post  at  Eagle-Lion  studios 
in  Hollywood. 

Melamed,  who  has  been  assistant 
treasurer  of  E-L's  parent  company, 
Pathe  Industries  since  1946,  joined 
Pathe  in  1941.  He  entered  the  indus- 
try in  1933  as  an  accountant  with  Col- 
umbia's foreign  department. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  May  26,  1949  I 


Warner-K-B  Ruling 
Due  By  June  15 

Washington,  May  25. — Attorneys 
for  the  K-B  Amusement  Co.  and 
Warner  Brothers  argued  in  District 
Court  here  today  whether  or  not  K-B 
has  the  first  right  to  buy  out  Warner 
from  the  jointly-owned  Mac  Arthur 
Theatre  when  Warner  is  getting  out 
under  a  court  order  in  the  Paramount 
case. 

The  occasion  was  arguments  before 
Judge  Matthew  McGuire  on  a  suit  by 
K-B,  originally  to  force  Warner  out 
of  the  MacArthur,  and  now  to  get  the 
Warner  interest  at  the  low  terms  pre- 
scribed in  a  1945  contract.  Judge  Mc- 
Guire promised  to  hand  down  a  de- 
cision by  June  15. 

Warner  argued  that  the  contract 
gave  K-B  the  first  right  to  buy  the 
Warner  interest  only  if  Warner  was 
getting  out  voluntarily.  The  consent 
judgment  under  which  it  now  is  get- 
ting out  is  an  involuntary  disposal, 
Warner  attorney  Philip  Amram  ar- 
gued, and  K-B  has  no  "first  crack" 
at  the  Warner  interest.  Amram  said 
that  under  the  judgment  Warner 
could  either  sell  or  dissolve,  and  had 
decided  to  ask  the  court  to  dissolve 
the  joint  venture  and  sell  the  assets 
at  public  auction. 

K-B  attorney  Monroe  Oppenheim 
said  that  a  50  per  cent  stockholder 
could  not  dissolve  a  corporation,  and 
that  since  Warner  must  sell,  it  should 
be  required  to  sell  at  the  terms  fixed 
in  the  contract.  He  said  they  were 
drawn  up  with  a  possible  court  order 
in  the  Paramount  case  in  mind. 

Final  decision  in  the  case  could 
have  wide  effect  on  many  other  situa- 
tions under  the  Paramount  decree. 


Para.  Heads  Return 
To  N.  Y.  on  Tuesday 

Barney  Balaban,  Paramount  presi- 
dent, and  other  executives  of  the  com- 
pany will  return  to  the  home  office  on 
Tuesday  from  the  Coast,  where  they 
attended  a  fifth  and  final  regional 
sales  meeting.  Board  chairman 
Adolph  Zukor  was  due  back  in  New 
York  by  plane  last  night. 

Others  returning  Tuesday  are  A. 
W.  Schwalberg,  general  sales  man- 
ager; E.  K.  (Ted)  O'Shea,  assistant 
general  sales  manager;- Max  Young- 
stein,  advertising-publicity  director ; 
Oscar  Morgan,  short  subjects  sales 
chief ;  Russell  Holman,  Eastern  pro- 
duction manager,  and  Richard  Mor- 
gan, attorney. 


Press  at  Autry  Party 

Columbia  Pictures  held  a  cocktail 
party  yesterday  for  Gene  Autry  at 
the  Pine  Room  of  the  Hotel  Warwick, 
with  representatives  of  the  press  and 
radio  in  attendance.  Representing  Co- 
lumbia were  Ray  Murray,  Hortense 
.Schorr,  Arthur  Schmidt  and  Henry 
Strauss. 


Randel  to  Aid  UJA  Drive 

Henry  Randel,  New  York-New  Jer- 
sey district  manager  for  Paramount, 
has  been  appointed  chairman  of  the 
film  exchange  section  of  the  amuse- 
ment division's  United  Jewish  Appeal 
drive  for  1949. 


Personal  Mention 


tpDWARD  LACHMAN,  president 
*—*  of  Allied  Theatre  Owners  of  New 
Jersey,  and  Wilbur  Snaper,  vice- 
president,  will  fly  from  New  York  to 
Boston  today  to  attend  the  meeting  of 
the  Independent  Exhibitors  of  New 
England.  On  Saturday,  Lachman  and 
Mrs.  Lachman  will  leave  New  York 
for  Dallas  to  attend  the  board  meeting 
of  Allied  States  and  the  convention 
of  Texas  Allied. 

• 

Thomas  Hodge,  director  of  the 
films  and  publications  division  of  Brit- 
ish Information  Services,  left  here 
yesterday  for  England,  where  he  will 
spend  the  summer. 

• 

Steve  Broidy,  Allied  Artists  and 
Monogram  president,  returned  to  Hol- 
lywood  yesterday   from    a    tour  of 
Southern  and  Southeastern  exchanges. 
• 

Carroll  Puciato,  Realart  general 
manager,  has  left  New  York  for  a 
tour  of  Western  exchanges. 

• 

Sir  Sidney  Clift,  British  exhibitor, 
will  arrive  here  today  from  London 
aboard  the  S.S.  Queen  Elizabeth. 
• 

Max  Weinberg,  M-G-M  Eastern 
short  subjects  representative,  will  re- 
turn here  today  from  Boston. 


JULES    K.    CHAPMAN,  Film 
"   Classics    assistant    general  sales 
manager,  left  here  yesterday  on  a  tour 
of  the  company's  Midwest  exchanges. 
• 

George  H.  MacKenna,  manager  of 
the  Lafayette  Theatre,  Buffalo,  has 
been  elected  treasurer  of  the  Western 
New  York  chapter  of  the  Sister  Eliza- 
beth Kenny  Foundation. 

• 

Bradford  F.  Swan,  motion  picture 
critic  for  the  Providence  Journal- 
Bulletin,  celebrated  his  seventh  an- 
niversary at  his  post  by  reviewing  his 
2,000th  film  this  week. 

• 

William  Wyler  has  been  selected 
to  receive  an  award  from  the  British 
Film  Academy,  with  the  presentation 
to  be  made  tomorrow  in  London, 
e 

J.  Don  Alexander,  president  of 
Alexander  Film  Co.,  Colorado 
Springs,  is  visiting  in  New  York. 

A.  J.  O'Keefr,  Universal-Interna- 
tional assistant  general  sales  mana- 
ger, is  in  Minneapolis. 

• 

Joseph  Pasternack,  M-G-M  pro- 
ducer, is  due  back  from  Paris  next 
week. 


Board  Favors  FC 
Transfer  to  Bernhard 

Hollywood,  May  25. — Special  meet- 
ing of  Cinecolor  Corporation  stock- 
holders will  be  held  June  14  for  the 
purpose  of  voting  on  a  proposal  to 
transfer  Film  Classics  to  Joseph  Bern- 
hard  and  associates,  according  to  a 
letter  to  the  stockholders.  Approval 
of  the  proposal  is  recommended  by 
the  Cinecolor  board,  with  the  explana- 
tion that  the  Film'  Classics  operation 
has  failed  to  live  up  to  expectations. 


$18,000  to  Palsy  Fund 

First  event  held  by  the  women's 
group  of  the  National  Foundation  for 
Cerebral  Palsy,  Inc.,  in  the  campaign 
to  raise  the  initial  $100,000  by  the 
group  under  the  chairmanship  of  Mrs. 
Leonard  Goldenson,  wife  of  the  Para- 
mount vice-president,  was  the  recent 
dinner  and  auction  at  the  Larchmont 
Shore  Club.  Attended  by  500,  $18,000 
was  raised  at  the  event  under  the  im- 
mediate chairmanship  of  Mrs.  Fred 
Mohrhardt,  wife  of  Paramount's  treas- 


Jennifer  Jones  Cited 

U.  S.  Junior  Chamber  of  Commerce 
magazine  Future  has  presented  its 
first  "Career  Accomplishment  Award," 
a  bronze  plaque,  to  Jennifer  Jones,  a 
Selznick  star.  The  Selznick  Releasing 
Organization  also  reports  that  Miss 
Jones  has  won  the  favorite-actress 
polls  conducted  in  Paris  by  Cine 
Monde,  among  theatre  owners  and  the 
public,  and  Film  Francois,  conducted 
among  exhibitors. 


Mich.  Ticket  Tax  Fails 

Lansing,  Mich.,  May  25. — With  the 
state  legislature  adjourned,  attempts 
to  pass  a  10  per  cent  admission  tax 
failed. 


Schine  Decree  Talks 
On  'Minor'  Details 

Washington,  May  25. — Schine  at- 
torneys and  Justice  Department  offi- 
cials have  been  working  this  week  on 
"minor  details"  of  a  proposed  Consent 
Decree,  a  Justice  spokesman  said. 

Justice  officials  have  been  getting 
consistently  more  pessimistic  of  late 
about  finally  working  out  a  decree. 
Any  discussion  of  major  points  in  the 
Decree  is  off  until  late  next  week,  af- 
ter Assistant  Attorney  General  Berg- 
son  returns  from  the  West  Coast.  The 
case  is  scheduled  to  come  up  in  Buf- 
falo District  Court  again  on  June  18. 


Ainsworth,  Berger  to 
Speak  at  Memphis 

Memphis,  May  25. —  William  L. 
Ainsworth,  Fond  Du  Lac,  Wis.,  presi- 
dent of  National  Allied,  and  Benjamin 
Berger,  Minneapolis,  president  of 
North  Central  Allied;  have  accepted 
invitations  to  speak  in  Memphis  be- 
fore the  convention  of  Allied  Indepen- 
dent Theatre  Owners  of  the  Mid- 
South,  June  28-29,  at  the  Hotel  Chis- 
ca,  Bob  Powers,  Memphis  chapter 
manager,  said. 


AFL  Carpenters  Sue 

Hollywood,  May  25. — An  attorney 
representing  the  AFL  Carpenters 
Union  which  struck  Hollywood  stu- 
dios in  September,  1946,  filed  suits  in 
Federal  court  today  for  nine  individ- 
ual members,  asking  $100  weekly  back 
pay  on  the  assertion  that  they  have 
been  locked  out.  Today's  filings  con- 
form with  the  ruling  made  some  time 
ago  that  individuals  must  file  sepa- 
rately, instead  of  collectively,  and  is 
expected  to  be  followed  by  2,000  simi- 
lar cases. 


8,000  Deals  to  Date 
For  Industry  Short 

Contracts  have  already 
been  signed  for  more  than 
8,000  theaters  to  show  "Let's 
Go  to  the  Movies,"  first  short 
in  "The  Movies  and  You" 
series  about  the  film  indus- 
try, Harry  Michalson,  short 
subject  sales  manager  of 
RKO  Radio,  reported  here 
yesterday  to  the  Industry 
Film  Project  Committee. 

Others  in  the  series  will  be 
released  at  the  rate  of  one 
every  two  months. 


New  England  Meet 
Opens;  Simons  Talks 

Boston,  May  25. — Registration  was 
heavy  at  the  Independent  Exhibitors 
of  New  England  convention  at  the 
Copley  Plaza  today.  Highlight  of  the 
meeting  today  was  an  address  by  Mike 
Simons,  assistant  to  H.  M.  Richey, 
M-G-M  exhibitor  relations  executive, 
who  said  that  "the  theatre  is  a  vital 
part  of  every  community.  Exhibitors 
must  keep  up  with  the  times.  Holly- 
wood has  become  an  important  factor 
all  over  the  world.  If  exhibitors  pros- 
per the  producers  prosper,  if  the  ex- 
hibitors fail,  the  producers  fail.  This 
applies  to  the  big  as  well  as  the  small 
exhibitor,"  he  added. 


Mannheimer,  Sr.,  F-C 
Official,  Dies  at  63 

Albert  Mannheimer,  Sr.,  63,  head  of 
exchange  business  operations  of  Film 
Classics,  died  suddenly  of  a  heart  at- 
tack yesterday  while  at  his  desk  at 
the  home  office  here.  His  son,  Albert, 
Jr.,  screenwriter,  flew  in  immediately 
from  the  Coast.  Funeral  arrange- 
ments are  being  completed  at  River- 
side Memorial  Chapel. 


Deride-Gael  Deegan 

Old  Greenwich,  Conn.,  May  25. — 
Funeral  services  were  held  here  this 
morning  at  St.  Clement's  Church  for 
Deirdre-Gael  Deegan,  three-and-a- 
half-year-old  daughter  of  Thomas  J. 
Deegan,  Jr.,  who  passed  away  Sunday, 
a  victim  of  leukemia.  Burial  was  at 
St.  Mary's  Cemetery.  Deegan  is  di4 
rector  of  public  relations  for  Robert 
R.  Young,  head  of  Pathe  Industries. 


Thomas  Services  Friday 

Hollywood,  May  25.  —  Funeral 
services  for  Harry  Thomas,  74,  father 
of  producer  William  C.  Thomas,  who 
died  yesterday  following  an  operation, 
will  be  held  Friday  morning  at  Forest 
Lawn.   The  widow  also  survives. 


W anger  Receives  Award 

Walter  Wanger,  producer  of  "Joan 
of  Arc,"  who  arrived  in  New  York 
yesterday  from  the  Coast,  received  at 
a  luncheon  here  The  Christophers' 
first  motion  picture  award,  in  behalf 
of  "Joan."  Wanger  is  scheduled  to 
proceed  to  Rome  from  here  on  a  sur- 
vey of  production  facilities  preliminary 
to  his  projected  fall  production  there 
starring  Greta  Garbo. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher,  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley.  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cunmgham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup  Editor:  cable  address  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c. 


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Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  May  26,  1949 


Reade  Theatres  Plan 
To  Open  27  Drive-ins 

Walter  Reade  Theatres 
plans  27  drive-in  theatres  in 
the  East.  Many  of  them  will 
operate  as  community  recrea- 
tion centers,  with  picnic 
grounds,  amusements  for 
children,  pony  rides,  dance 
floors,  shuffleboard  courts  and 
horseshoe  pits  in  many  cases, 
in  addition  to  various  re- 
freshment stands. 

First  of  the  27  to  be  opened 
was  the  Walter  Reade  Drive- 
in,  at  Woodbridge,  N.  J.  The 
second,  the  9W  Drive-in,  at 
Kingston,  N.  Yr  will  be  open- 
ed tomorrow  night  with  cere- 
monies. 


MPEA  Ironing  Out 
Jap  Trade  Problems 


Exhibitors  of  American  pictures  in 
Japan  are  getting  a  practical  lesson 
in  democratic  procedures,  the  Motion 
Picture  Export  Association  reported 
here  yesterday.  For  the  first  time  in 
the  Jap  film  business,  exhibitors  in  all 
provinces  are  meeting  with  distribu- 
tors, airing  their  grievances  and  sug- 
gesting improvements  in  service  and 
operations,  it  was  said.  Charles  Mayer, 
MPEA  managing  director  of  Japan, 
inaugurated  the  series  of  open  forums. 
The  object  of  the  meetings,  which  are 
being  held  regionally,  is  to  enable 
MPEA  to  patch  up  weak  spots  in  dis- 
tribution for  the  800  theatres  which 
now  exhibit  the  product  of  MPEA's 
10  member  companies. 

Complaints,  "though  in  most  re- 
spects isolated,"  were  said  to  range 
all  the  way  from  occasional  delays  in 
the  routing  of  prints  and  dissatisfac- 
tion with  the  dates  of  program 
changes,  to  the  tardy  delivery  of  pub- 
licity material.  Suggestions  were 
made  for  cooperative  printing  of  thea- 
tre programs  and  for  continuation  of 
lecture  courses  on  theatre  manage- 
ment and  showmanship  techniques 
which  MPEA  introduced  to  the  Japa- 
nese trade  a  year  ago. 


20th  Demonstrates 
Its  Theatre  Video 

A  demonstration  of  large-screen 
television  as  developed  by  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox and  RCA  was  held  here  yes- 
terday in  20th-Fox's  Little  Theatre 
for  200  members  of  the  New  York 
Society  of  Security  Analysts,  to  point 
up  the  practicability  of  theatre  video. 

Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president  of 
20th-Fox,  presided,  with  William  Mi- 
chel, executive  vice-president ;  Al 
Lichtman,  A.  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  and 
Charles  Einfeld,  vice-presidents ;  Don- 
ald Henderson,  treasurer,  and  other 
company  executives  participating. 


Review 


"The  Beautiful  Blonde  from  Bashful  Bend 

(20th  Century-Fox)  Hollywood,  May  25 

T  T'S  pretty  hard  to  discount  the  box-office  power  of  a  star  like  Betty  Grable, 
*■  voted  placement  among  the  "Top  Ten"  in  the  past  seven  Motion  Picture 
Herald-Fame  "Money-Making  Star"  polls,  but  the  vehicle  which  Preston 
Sturges  wrote,  produced  and  directed  for  her  use  this  time  warrants  a  warn- 
ing to  showmen.  In  an  all-out  exercise  of  his  singularly  vigorous  whimsy, 
the  man  who  hit  with  "Great  McGinty"  and  "Miracle  of  Morgan's  Creek" 
has  cooked  up  a  burlesque  on  Western  melodrama  which  runs  to  excesses 
in  so  many  directions  as  to  raise  grave  doubt  about  what  he  was  trying  to 
do.  After  a  fast  and  funny  15  minutes  not  too  offensively  flecked  with  hot 
situations  and  double-edged  dialogue,  the  picture  skids  into  a  blend  of  slap 
stick  and  running  gags  that  gets  down  ultimately  to  a  Chic  Sale  bit  eliciting 
the  kind  of  howl  from  which  no  family  audience  can  rebound  save  in  the 
wrong  direction.  Prior  to  this  the  heroine  shot  the  local  judge  twice  in  the 
posterior,  this  being  the  master  point  on  which  the  story  depends,  and  so 
there  is  nothing  left  to  do  but  have  her  shoot  him  again  in  the  same  place 
for  the  finale. 

The  Sturges  scrip  is  about  a  blonde  orphan  whose  grandfather  taught  her 
in  infancy  (about  1870  or  so,  and  out  West)  to  fire  a  pistol  with  utter 
accuracy.  She  grows  up  to  become  a  dance  hall  girl  with  a  trigger-quick 
temper  and  a  yen  for  a  gambler  (Cesar  Romero)  who  reciprocates  her  yen 
and  also  many  others,  a  state  of  affairs  which  sends  her  gunning  for  him 
and  shooting  the  judge  by  mistake.  From  that  start  the  thing_  fans  out  to 
involve  a  prodigiously  large  number  of  caricatured  characters — hillbilly  types, 
ruffians,  halfwits,  sheriffs,  nondescripts  and  miscellany — who  engage  in  pro 
longed  mass  gunfights  entailing  constant  shooting  but  no  fatalities  save  audi 
ence  interest.  Among  the  players  taking  part  in  these  dubious  proceedings  are 
Rudy  Vallee,  Olga  San  Juan,  Sterling  Holloway,  Hugh  Herbert,  El  Brendel, 
Porter  Hall,  Pati  Embers,  Margaret  Hamilton,  Danny  Jackson,  Emory  Par 
nell,  Alan  Bridge,  Chris-Pin  Martin  and  many  more. 

All  of  the  Sturges  working  materials  have  been  poured  into  the  job  with- 
out stint,  including  money,  Technicolor  and  camera  tricks.  The  dialogue 
contains  slick  switches  and  coined  words,  and  he  keeps  the  heroine  undressing 
a  good  deal  of  the  time  but  kills  her  only  two  song  numbers  for  her  fans 
by  subordinating  them  to  comedy  business.  As  matters  wind  up,  the  success 
of  the  picture  depends  much  less  on  whether  you  like  Miss  Grable  than  on 
whether  you're  a  Sturges  addict,  and  it  appeared  that  a  very  large  proportion 
of  the  preview  audience  which  saw  the  picture  at  the  Alex  theatre  in  Glen- 
dale  were  not. 

Running  time,  77  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
not  set.  William  R.  Weaver 


Colosseum  Reelects 

Minneapolis,  May  25. — The  entire 
slate  of  officers  of  the  Minneapolis 
Colosseum  was  reelected  at  the  film 
salesmen's  annual  meeting  at  the 
Nicollet  Hotel.  Returned  to  office 
were :  Paul  Weiss,  president ;  Don 
Halloran,  vice-president;  George  Fos- 
dick,  secretary-treasurer ;  Clyde  Cut- 
ter, sergeant-at-arms. 

Pens  were  presented  to  the  officers 
by  the  members,  and  to  Morrie  Stein- 
man  and  Pat  Halloran. 


CIO  'Collarites'  Step 
Up  Loew's  Picketing 

Picketing  of  Loew's  theatres  by  the 
Screen  Publicists  Guild  and  the  Screen 
Office  and  Professional  Employes 
Guild,  which  has  been  in  effect  since 
May  3  and  is  aimed  at  all  major  com- 
panies who  have  not  signed  contracts 
with  the  CIO  unions,  was  stepped  up 
last  night  on  the  eve  of  the  resump 
tion  of  negotiations. 

Termed  by  a  union  spokesman  as  a 
demonstration  of  strength  in  the  event 
of  a  strike,  the  picketing  extended  to 
Loew's  houses  in  Manhattan,  Bronx 
and  Brooklyn,  with  a  concentration  in 
front  of  the  State  on  Broadway.  The 
joint  strategy  committee  has  been  au- 
thorized to  hold  a  strike  ballot  if 
present  negotiations  fail  to  obtain 
contracts. 


Smakwitz  Is  Named 
Variety  Liaison 

Albany,  N-  Y-,  May  25. — Charles 
A.  Smakwitz,  Warner  Theatres'  Al- 
bany zone  manager,  has  been  named 
international  representative  of  the 
Variety  Club  by  R.  J.  O'Donnell,  in- 
ternational chief  barker,  who  appoint- 
ed him  liaison  between  the  internation- 
al office  and  the  tents  at  Boston,  New 
Haven,  Buffalo  and  Albany. 


Roach  in  New  TV  Plans 

Hollywood,  May  25.  —  Hal  Roach 
Studios,  which  plans  to  make  enter- 
tainment films  for  television,  is  also 
preparing  to  produce  spot  commercials 
for  video.  Sales  and  planning  in  this 
field  will  be  handled  by  the  company's 
New  York  office. 


Malik  Gets  Republic 
Product  for  4  Years 

Baheej  Malik,  general  manager  of 
the  Dollar  Film  Co.  of  Cairo,  has  ac 
quired  distribution  of  the  Republic 
program  for  the  Middle  East.  The 
deal  covers  four  years  ending  with  the 
1949-50  program  and  embraces  these 
territories :  Egypt,  Sudan,  Eritrea, 
Abyssinia,  Cyprus,  Syria,  Lebanon, 
Transjordania,  Iraq  and  Iran.  Dollar 
Film  will  operate  out  of  exchanges  in 
Cairo,  Beirut  and  Baghdad. 

Malik  is  in  the  final  stages  of  a 
second  deal  covering  the  same  terri- 
tory with  SRO  on  a  basis  which  is 
reported  to  represent  a  new  approach 
in  negotiations  between  an  American 
distributor  and  a  foreign  buyer. 

Malik,  who  has  been  in  New  York 
from  Cairo  for  several  weeks,  will 
leave  for  Hollywood  over  the  week- 
end, but  will  return  here  for  another 
stay. 


Availability  Plan 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 


mistic"  about  the  success  of  the  new 
set  up.  He  pointed  out  that  while  the- 
atres previously  enjoying  key  runs 
had  clearance  reduced  seven  days  after 
first  -run  downtown,  many  of  the  new 
key  runs  have  had  clearances  slashed 
21  days.  It  is  also  possible  for  theatres 
which  had  been  operating  at  42-64 
days  under  former  clearance,  to  nego- 
tiate for  a  key-run  at  a  21-day  avail- 
ability. 

Minsky  stressed  that  each  zone 
operated  as  a  separate  situation.  He 
also  emphasized  that  all  problems 
evolving  from  the  plan  would  be 
tackled  as  they  turned  up  by  discus- 
sions with  the  theatremen. 

All  advertising,  publicity  and  ex- 
ploitation plans  for  the  new  policy 
were  prepared  at  a  special  meeting  at 
the  20th-Fox  exchange,  under  the  di- 
rection of  Harry  Freeman,  local  20th- 
Fox  publicist. 

Large  cooperative  ads  will  appear 
tomorrow  in  the  Philadelphia  Inquirer, 
Bulletin  and  Daily  News  and  the  the- 
atres' own  campaigns  include  flash 
lobby  and  front  displays,  trailer  clips 
telling  of  the  earlier  runs,  distribution 
of  heralds  in  merchant  tie-ins,  lobby 
displays  with  indorsements  by  the  the- 
atre managers,  extra  posters,  special 
children's  matinees,  store  window  dis- 
plays, neighborhood  newspaper  pro- 
motions and  other  media. 

Added  incentive  will  be  awards  by 
Fox  of  a  $100,  $50  and  a  $25  U.  S. 
bond  to  the  theatre  managers  con- 
ducting the  most  outstanding  campaign 
for  the  opening. 


Quarter  Taxes  Up 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ness,   totaled  $26,307,280— about  $4,- 

839.000  or  more  than  15  per  cent  be- 
low the  $31,146,236  collected  in  April, 
1948.  The  April  collections  were  even 
more  sharply  below  the  $34,716,074 
collected  in  March,  reflecting  February 
business.  In  1948,  business  went  up 
from  February  to  March. 

The  over-all  first  quarter  showing 
was  not  too  bad,  however,  since  col- 
lections in  both  February  and  March, 
reflecting  January  and  February  busi- 
ness, exceeded  those  of  the  comparable 
1948  months— by  about  $1,500,000  in 
February  and  about  $4,250,000  in 
March.  Collections  for  the  February- 
through-April  period,  reflecting  first 
quarter  business,  totaled  $87,930,738 
this  year,  compared  with  $87,018,546  in 
1948. 

Collections  for  the  first  four  months 
of  1949,  reflecting  December,  1948, 
through  March,  1949,  business,  totaled 
$113,697,536,  a  shade  below  the  $115,- 

707.001  collected  in  the  first  four 
months  of  1948. 


Stars  at  'Spring^  Premier 

St.  Louis,  May  25. — Linda  Darnell, 
Paul  Douglas  and  Jean  Peters,  here 
for  tomorrow's  premiere  of  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox's "It  Happens  Every 
Spring,"  opened  the  city's  "Poppy 
Drive,"  attended  a  Cardinals'  ballgame 
and  were  hosts  at  a  press  cocktail 
party. 


'Quo  Vadis'  Delayed 

Hollywood,  May  25. — Because  of 
the  illness  of  Gregory  Peck,  M-G-M 
has_  postponed  filming  of  "Quo  Vadis" 
until  next  spring.  It  was  to  have  been 
started  in  Rome  about  July  1,  with 
Arthur  Hornblow  producing  and  John 
Huston  directing. 


Penn  Sues  Majors 
For  More  Damages 

Philadelphia,  May  25.  —  Harry 
Norman  Ball,  trustee  for  the  Penn 
Theatre,  Ambridge,  Pa.,  has  filed  sup- 
plementary damage  proceedings  in  his 
anti-trust  suit  against  Paramount, 
Loew's,  RKO,  20th  Century-Fox  and 
Penn  Ware  Corp.,  in  U.  S.  District 
Court  here. 

The  original  suit  heard  in  Pitts- 
burgh Federal  District  Court  last 
July,  resulted  in  a  judgment  against 
the  defendants.  In  the  supplementary 
complaint  Ball  charges  the  Penn  has 
continued  to  suffer  losses  because  of 
the  defendant  distributors'  conspiracy 
and  asks  unspecified  damages. 


Thursday,  May  26,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Council  Delay 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  Council's  program  and  a  formal 
request  for  a  postponement  of  next 
week's  meeting  is  expected  to  be  made 
by  the  BFPA  immediately  thereafter, 
it  was  understood  yesterday  in  top  in- 
dustry circles  here  and  in  London. 

Meanwhile,  no  call  has  been  issued 
here  for  a  meeting  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Export  Association  to  hear  the 
report  and  recommendations  of  its 
subcommittee  appointed  to  study  the 
Council's  program.  Ratification  by 
the  MPEA  is  required  before  next 
Wednesday  to  permit  the  American 
members  of  the  Council  to  proceed 
further  with  the  negotiations. 
See  Program's  Collapse 

Postponement  of  next  week's  Anglo- 
U.  S.  Council  meeting  is  generally 
interpreted  here  as  signalling  the  col- 
lapse of  the  program  developed  by 
the  Council  in  Washington  as  a  means 
of  improving  relationships  between  the 
British  and  American  industries.  The 
program  met  with  unexpected  criti- 
cism and  opposition  on  both  sides  of 
the  Atlantic,  and  indications  are  that 
both  its  British  and  American  propo- 
nents are  not  averse  now  to  dropping 
either  the  entire  program  or  its  major 
phases  which  drew  the  greatest  fire. 

That  could  leave  an  emasculated, 
face-saving  program  limited  to  the 
suggestions  of  cooperation  on  mutual 
problems  in  the  future,  promotional 
and  institutional  campaigns  for  films 
in  Britain  and  other  world  markets, 
exchange  of  technical  skills  and  tech- 
nical information  between  the  British 
and  American  industries,  and  promo- 
tion of  a  single  world  film  festival. 
Quota  Action  Dooms  Plan 

All  of  the  trade  suggestions  pertain- 
ing to  playing  time  for  American  films 
in  Britain,  subsidies  for  British  pro- 
ducers, elimination  of  the  American 
unit  playing  program  in  Britain,  re- 
duction of  the  British  quota,  liberaliza- 
tion of  the  remittance  agreement  and 
of  the  permitted  uses  for  blocked 
sterling  of  American  companies  in 
Britain  presumably  would  be  knocked 
out. 

Trade  authorities  here  say  that  the 
British  government's  reply  to  the 
State  Department  refusing  to  consider 
a  lowering  of  the  quota  in  itself  deals 
those  provisions  a  death-blow,  since 
they  all  are  based  upon  playing  time 
for  American  films  in  Britain  and 
could  not  be  realized  without  a  change 
in  the  quota. 


SIMMP  Hits 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

had  notified  House  Small  Business 
Committee  chairman  Patman  and 
Senator  Claude  Pepper,  who  was  once 
chairman  of  a  special  Senate  Com- 
mittee studying  problems  of  Ameri- 
can small  business  abroad,  of  his  ob- 
jections to  the  proposals  as  violating 
the  Webb-Pomerene  Act. 

The  press  release  reiterated  Arnall's 
position  that  the  Act  was  never  in- 
tended to  permit  American  film  pro- 
ducers to  "join  forces  with  their  po- 
tential competitors  abroad  and  thus 
cartelize  world  trade  in  their  respec- 
tive industries,"  and  that  MPEA  ap- 
proval of  the  Films  Council  propsals 
would  violate  the  anti-trust  laws.  It 
also  reaffirmed  SIMPP's  opposition  to 
any  plan  to  "subsidize  foreign  produc- 
tion at  the  expense  of  American  mo- 
tion picture  producers." 

Patman  is  out  of  town,  as  is  anti- 
trust chief  Herbert  Bergson.  Attorney 
General  Tom  Clark's  office  said  Ar- 
nall  had  not  seen  Clark. 


Hollywood  on  Quota 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

vestigation  to  uncover  motives 
behind  Britain's  rejection  of 
U.  S.  appeals  to  end  its  quota 
discrimination  against  Ameri- 
can pictures. 

The  MPIC  statement  was  addressed 
to  the  State  Department  in  Washing- 
ton and  to  all  California  Congressmen 
and  Senators  and  urges  "prompt  ac- 
tion to  give  effect  to  the  warning  by 
Representative  Cecil  R.  King,  speak- 
ing in  the  House  on  April  13  that  he 
would  ask  the  Ways  and  Means  com- 
mittee to  make  such  an  investigation." 

The  statement  said,  "It  has  been 
amply  demonstrated  that  dollar  short- 
ages have  little  or  no  bearing  what- 
ever on  the  high  British  quota." 

The  statement  was  signed  by  Cecil 
B.  DeMille,  MPIC  chairman,  with  the 
following  organizations  represented : 
Motion  Picture  Producers  Associa- 
tion, Hollywood  AFL  Film  Council, 
Screen  Actors  Guild,  Screen  Writers 
Guild,  Screen  Directors  Guild,  Inde- 
pendent Office  Workers  and  the  So- 
ciety of  Motion  Picture  Art  Directors. 


UK  Quota  Protests 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

including  protests  from  Roy  Brewer 
on  behalf  of  the  AFL  Film  Council 
and  from  Cecil  B.  DeMille  on  behalf 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Industry  Coun- 
cil. Several  demanded  Congressional 
investigations. 

Some  discussion  on  the  film  quota 
will  undoubtedly  come  on  the  Senate 
floor  next  week  when  the  Reciprocal 
Trade  Agreements  Act  is  debated. 

Sen.  Knowland  has  an  amendment 
pending  to  strike  back  tariff-wise  at 
Britain  and  other  countries  discrimi- 
nating against  American  films  and 
other  products.  On  the  other  side  of 
the  Capitol,  it  was  learned  that  Rep. 
King  has  been  sounding  out  top  mem- 
bers of  the  House  Ways  and  Means 
Committee  on  the  possibility  of  that 
group  investigating  the  situation  after 
it  finishes  debate  on  Social  Security. 


Warner  Int'l  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

M.,  Jack  L.  and  Major  Albert,  are 
expected  to  attend  the  convention,  in 
addition  to  the  following  home  office 
executives :  Samuel  Schneider,  Mort 
Blumenstock,  Harry  Kalmine,  Nor- 
man Moray,  Wolfe  Cohen,  Roy 
Haines,  Jules  Lapidus,  Norman  Ayers, 
I.  F.  Dolid,  Ed  Hinchy,  Clayton  Bond, 
Bernard  R.  Goodman,  Harry  Gold- 
berg, Howard  Levinson,  Harold  S. 
Bareford,  R.  A.  McGuire  and  Charles 
Baily. 

District  managers  attending  will  be: 
George  W.  Horan,  Clarence  Eiseman,  Rob- 
ert Smeltzer,  Charles  Rich,  Harry  A.  Seed. 
Hall  Walsh,  John  F.  Kirby,  Doak  Roberts, 
Henry  H.  Herbel  and  Haskell  M.  Masters 

Branch  managers  in  attendance  will  be: 
R.  S.  Smith,  Al  Daytz,  E.  A.  Catlin,  Carl 
Coe,  Ben  Abner,  William  G.  Mansell,  Fred 
W.  Beiersdorf,  J.  S.  Abrose,  J.  M.  Wech- 
sler,  C.  W.  McKean,  F.  D.  Moore,  A.  J. 
Shumow,  W.  D.  Woods,  Nat  Marcus,  Art 
Anderson,  R.  M.  Dunbar,  R.  C.  Borg,  F.  J. 
Hannon,  Lester  Bona,  W.  C.  Williamson, 
Jr.,  R.  J.  Iannuzzi,  Luke  Conner,  Vernon 
Adams,  Ed  Williamson,  G.  Livingston, 
E.  A.  Bell,  Fred  Greenberg,  Al  Oxtoby, 
Wm.  F.  Gordon,  A.  Shmitkin,  Vete  Stew- 
art, Maurice  Saifer,  Grattan  Kielv.  Mickey 
Komar,  I.  Coval,  Earl  H.  Dal?l»ish  and 
Frank  Davis. 

Members  of  the  home  office  advertising 
and  publicity  department  attending  the  ses- 
sions will  be  Gil  Golden,  Larrv  Golob, 
Charles  Steinberg,  Bill  Bromberg,  Sid 
Rechetnik  and  Leonard  Spinrad. 

Zone  managers  to  attend  will  be:  James 
Coston,  Frank  J.  Damis,  Ben  Wallerstein. 
I.  J.  Hoffman,  Charles  Smakwitz,  Geor<?e 
A.  Crouch,  T.  Schlanger,  M.  A.  Silver  and 
Nat  Wolf, 


Allied  Agenda 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

today  by  Allied  general  counsel 
Abram  F.  Myers.  Other  points  include 
a  survey  of  what  should  be  done 
about  television,  discussion  of  whether 
the  time  is  ripe  to  propose  to  dis- 
tributors revision  of  certain  of  the 
standard  clauses  in  exhibitor  contract 
forms,  possibilities  of  improving 
screen  trailers  "to  reflect  more  accu- 
rately the  type  of  picture  being  adver- 
tised," whether  distributors  are  living 
up  to  the  commitments  made  to  a 
special  Allied  committee  on  forced 
percentage  playing  and  the  need  for 
any  further  action  in  this  field.  Also, 
any  improvement  in  the  print  shortage 
situation,  and  "what  is  being  done  or 
can  be  done  to  secure  lower  insurance 
rates  for  theatres  and  what  will  be 
the  effect  of  the  switch  to  non-inflam- 
mable film." 

Myers  will  report  on  the  prospects 
of  getting  an  admission  tax  reduction 
at  this  session  of  Congress,  and  pos- 
sibly make  recommendations  on  this 
point. 

Membership  committee  chairman 
Niles  will  report  on  the  progress  of 
the  drive  to  get  1,000  new  Allied 
members.  S.  E.  Samuelson  will  de- 
liver a  caravan  committee  report  and 
Edward  A.  Lachman  will  discuss 
negotiations  with  the  Army  on  com- 
petition from  post  theatres.  Reports 
will  be  delivered  on  the  status  of  the 
Brandt  and  Berger  cases  and  other 
matters  relating  to  AS  CAP,  and  on 
work  to  date  for  the  1949  convention 
at  Minneapolis.  The  bond  drive  and 
industry  shorts  also  will  be  discussed. 

The  board  meeting  will  be  in  the 
Hotel  Adolphus  in  Dallas.  On  Sun- 
day afternoon,  there  will  be  a  general 


Caravan  meeting.  On  Wednesday, 
June  1,  Allied  Theatre  Owners  of 
Texas  will  hold  its  convention,  which 
Allied  board  members  and  officers  will 
attend.  The  entire  program  will  be 
climaxed  Wednesday  night  with  a  tes- 
timonial banquet  in  honor  of  H.  A. 
Cole,  Texas  Allied  president. 

Myers  said  the  board  would  discuss 
what  the  new  20th-Fox  selling  policies 
actually  mean  and  whether  any  action 
should  be  taken  by  Allied  on  them. 
He  has  notified  all  Allied  members  to 
bring  to  Dallas  whatever  observations 
they  have  on  changes  in  20th-Fox's 
selling  policy,  and  said  he  was  espe- 
cially hopeful  that  some  indication  of 
whether  the  company  was  following 
the  original  Lichtman  plan  or  the  new 
Skouras  policy  would  come  from  ex- 
hibitors in  Minneapolis  and  Chicago. 

Myers  will  leave  Washington  to- 
morrow for  Boston  for  the  convention 
of  the  Independent  Exhibitors  of  New 
England,  and  will  go  to  Dallas  from 
there. 


E-L  Purchase 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Purcell,  who  has  been  participating 
in  the  conferences  here,  will  return  to 
New  York  today  from  Cleveland. 
Other  participants  have  been  Robert 
Benjamin,  Pathe's  counsel,  and  Wil- 
liam C.  MacMillan,  E-L's  operations 
vice-president. 


Percentage  Actions 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Cleveland  law  firm  of  Jones,  Day, 
Cockley  and  Reavis,  signed  the  com- 
plaints as  attorneys  for  the  plaintiffs. 
Sargoy  and  Stein  of  New  York  are 
of  counsel. 


ANSWER 
TO  YOUR 
TECHNICAL 
PROBLEMS . . . 


The  Altec 
Service  Man  and 
the  organization 
behind  him 


161  Sixth  Avenue, 
New  York  13,  N.  Y. 


PROTECTING  THE  THEATRE— FIRST  PLACE  IN  ENTERTAINMENT 


THERE  ARE  NO  BAD 

TIMES  FOR  GOOD  PICTURES! 


BEST  PICTURE  OF  THE  YEAR 

—NATIONAL  BOARD  OF  REVIEW 

MOVIE  OF  THE  WEEK 

—LIFE  MAGAZINE 


AND  WINNER  OF  ALL  OTHER 
HIGHEST  AWARDS  EVERYWHERE 


l^oberto  l^oSAeiiini  6 


THE  LIVES  AND  LOVES  OF  THE  Cl's  IN  ITALY 


BOOKED  SOLIDLY  EVERYWHERE 
ALL  MAJOR  CIRCUIT  THEATRES 
ALL   INDEPENDENT  THEATRES 

MAYER-BURSTYN  INC. 

113  West  42nd  Street 
Mew  York  18,  N.  Y. 


f- —  ™-  

FIRST 

MOTION  PICTURE 

\  Accurate 

IN 

~T\  ATT  "\T 

Concise 

FILM 

JLJA1  LY 

and 

INLVVO 

Impartial 

VOL.  65.  NO.  104 

NEW  YORK,   U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,   MAY  27,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

British  Would 
Meet  Again 
Next  August 

Strong  Opposition  to 
Proposals    Seen  Factor 

London,  May  26, — As  expected, 
the  British  Film  Producers  Asso- 
ciation, following  its  emergency 
meeting  here  today,  announced  that 
it  had  decided  unanimously  that  it  is 
necessary  to  postpone  until  next 
August  the  meeting  of  the  Anglo- 
American  Film  Advisory  Council 
which  had  been  scheduled  for  next 
Wednesday  and  Thursday  in  New 
York. 

The  announcement  added 
that  BFPA  felt  the  next  meet- 
ing should  be  held  in  London, 
instead  of  New  York,  and  that 
Sir  Philip  Warter,  chairmen  of 
Associated  British  Pictures 
Corp.,  should  be  added  to  the 
British  membership  of  the  Film 
Council,  which  includes  J.  Ar- 
thur Rank,  Sir  Alexander  Korda 
and  Sir  Henry  French. 
It  was  noted  that  the  Council's  pro- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Harmon  Shuffling 
MPAA  Departments 

Reorganization  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture  Association's  exhibitor  relations 
and  community  service  departments  is 
i  in  prospect  in  consequence  of  Eric 
Johnston's  appointment  of  Francis 
ji  Harmon,  MPAA  vice-president,  to 
head  the  two  departments. 

Arthur   DeBra,   in   charge   of  the 
community    service    department,  will 
continue  in  that  capacity  under  Har- 
mon. Present  plans  are  to  eliminate 
{Continued  on  page  4) 


Palace  Gross  for  1st 
Week  Was  $29,000 

The  RKO  Palace  here 
grossed  $29,000  in  its  first 
full  week  of  vaudeville  re- 
vival, ended  Wednesday  night, 
Sol  Schwartz,  in  charge  of 
theatre  operations,  said  yes- 
day.  The  gross,  while  near  ca- 
pacity for  the  house,  was  un- 
der estimates  made  earlier  in 
the  week  when  $32,000  was 
foreseen.  House  overhead  is 
running  slightly  in  excess  of 
$17,000  weekly. 


'Would  Like  to  See  the 
Quota  Lifted9:  Clift 


Re-opening  of  1948 
Trade  Treaty  with 
British,  SIMPP  Aim 


Still  pressing  for  improvement  in 
trade  relations  with  England  and 
against  the  activities  of  the  Anglo- 
American  Films  Council,  Ellis  G.  Ar- 
nall,  president  of  the  Society  of  Inde- 
pendent Motion  Picture  Producers, 
and  Robert  J.  Rubin,  counsel,  will  re- 
turn to  Washington  next  week  for  a 
continuation  of  conferences  with  State 
Department  and  Department  of  Jus- 
tice officials. 

Arnall  has  an  invitation  to  discuss 
"procedures"  with  Herbert  Bergson, 
head  of  Justice's  anti-trust  division, 
and  his  first  assistant,  Herbert  Bork- 
land,  relative  to  Amah's  charge  that 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Lipton  Due  to  Name 
U-I  Staffers  Here 


David  Lipton,  Universal-Interna- 
tional advertising-publicity  director,  is 
scheduled  to  arrive  in  New  York 
from  the  Coast  on  June  6  to  reorgan- 
ize the  home  office  department  in  con- 
sequence of  the  advancement  of  Mau- 
rice Bergman,  Eastern  director  of  the 
department,  to  a  special  public  and 
exhibitor  relations  post  for  the  com- 
pany. 

Bergman  has  been  devoting  some 
time  to  the  new  post  recently  and  is 
scheduled   to   make   the  switch-over 
formally  when  his  duties  as  head  of 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Lippert  Claims  Big 
Recording  Savings 


San  Francisco,  May  26. — Robert 
L.  Lippert  claimed  today  that  his  new 
tape-recording  sound  synchronization 
system  will  save  thousands  of  dollars 
in  the  production  costs  of  his  United 
Artists  release,  "Treasure  of  Monte 
Cristo,"  which  he  is  currently  shoot- 
ing here. 

Lippert ;  Murray  Lerner,  director  ; 
Leonard  Picker,  producer ;  Glenn 
Langan,  Steve  Brodie,  Bobby  Jordan, 
Adele  Jergans  and  Michael  Whelan 
arrived  here  the  first  of  the  week  to 
begin  shooting.  They  will  return  to 
Hollywood  next  Wednesday  and  will 
be  able  to  begin  editing  the  film  im- 
mediately, Lippert  said. 


"I  would  like  to  see  the  quota  lifted 
so  I  can  be  a  showman  again  and  play 
the  pictures  which  the  public  likes." 
Thus  did  Sir  Sydney  Clift,  head  of 
Clifton  Cinema  Circuit  of  England, 
express  himself  on  his  arrival  here 
from  London  yesterday  on  the  SS 
Queen  Elizabeth. 

Clift  was  formerly  national  presi- 
dent of  the  Cinematograph  Exhibitors' 
Association. 

Clift,  who  is  here  to  "see  product" 
and  do  some  "fact  finding,"  declared 
that  he  does  not  think  England  can 
meet  the  quota  satisfactorily.  He 
pointed  out  that  "if  quality  is  sacri- 
ficed for  quantity,  it  will  kill  the  pub- 
lic desire  for  pictures." 

Clift  declined  any  comment  on  the 
Anglo-American  Film  Council  meet- 
ings. Expressing  concern,  however,  he 
said  laconically  that  he  wanted  to 
"see  that  the  independents  are  not 
squashed  out."  On  Clift's  agenda  for 
next  week  is  a  talk  with  Eric  Johnston. 


FCC  Hopes  to  End 
TV  Freeze  in  '49 


Washington,  May  26.  —  The  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission 
today,  in  a  long-awaited  announce- 
ment, said  that  it  hopes  to  be  able 
late  this  year  to  lift  the  television 
freeze  and  at  the  same  time  provide 
several  dozen  more  television  chan- 
nels in  the  ultra-high  frequencies  and 
open  the  way  for  color  television. 

The  present  VHF  channel  system 
would  be  revised  and  the  revised  VHF 
channels  and  the  new  UHF  channels 
integrated  into  a  nationwide  plan  cov- 
ering commercial  operation  in  both 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Exhibitor  Good  Will 
Role  Vital:  Dembow 


Boston,  May  26. — Addresses  by  an 
industry  executive,  a  candy  sales  spe- 
cialist and  a  business  economist  were 
featured  at  the  final  business  session  of 
the  Independent  Exhibitors,  of  New 
England  convention  at  the  Copley 
Plaza    Hotel  here. 

The  convention  closed  with  a  ban- 
quet this  evening,  where  Charles  Ein- 
feld,  20th  Century-Fox  vice-president, 
spoke  of  the  role  of  public  relations 
in  theatre  showmanship. 

George  Dembow,  vice-president  and 
geenral  sales  manager  of  National 
Screen,  told  the  convention  that  "ex- 
hibitor responsibility  lies  beyond  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


SolonsDemand 
State  Dept. 
Quota  Action 

Two  Senators,  Rep.  King 
Ask  for  Written  Protest 


Washington,  May  26.  —  Two 
Senators  and  a  member  of  the 
House  said  today  that  the  State 
Department  should  make  a  formal 
written  protest  to  the  British  govern- 
ment on  its  film  quota  reply,  and 
should  demand  that  the  British  meet 
immediately  with  our  government  to 
negotiate  reduction  or  elimination  of 
the  quota. 

The  Senators  were  Republican 
Senator  Knowland  and  Democratic 
Senator  Downey,  both  of  California. 
The  Representative  was  California 
Democratic  Rep.  Cecil  King.  King 
has  already  written  acting  Secretary 
of  State  Webb  to  this  effect,  while 
Downey  and  Knowland  will  make 
public  tomorrow  a  joint  letter  to 
Webb  along  these  lines. 

Meanwhile,  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America  made  plans  to 
carry  new  protests  to  the  State  De- 
partment. Joyce  O'Hara,  executive 
assistant  to  MPAA  president  Eric 
Johnston,  will  confer  tomorrow  with 
international  trade  policy  chief  Win- 
throp  Brown  and  film  chief  Merrill 
Gay.  Sometime  later — probably  next 
week — Johnston  will  call  on  Webb. 

King,  in  a  statement  today,  charac- 
terized the  British  reply  as  a  "shabby 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Johnston  Agrees  to 
Council  Meet  Delay 

Washington,  May  26. — American 
members  of  the  Anglo-American  Films 
Council  have  agreed  to  the  request  of 
the  British  members  for  a  postpone- 
ment of  the  next  council  meeting, 
MPAA  president  Eric  Johnston  an- 
nounced. 

Johnston  said  he  wished  to  consult 
with  his  American  associates  on  the 
Council — Barney  Balaban  and  Nicho- 
las Schenck — about  the  time  and  place 
for  the  next  meeting.  Sir  Henry 
French,  in  a  cable  requesting  the  post- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


No  Paper  Monday 

Motion  Picture  Daily  will 
not  be  published  on  Monday, 
Memorial  Day,  a  legal  holi- 
day. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Personal 
Mention 


SPYROS  P.  SKOURAS  left  here 
yesterday  by  plane  for  the  Coast. 
• 

William  Dasheff,  vice-president 
of  Buchanan  and  Co.,  motion  picture 
advertising  agency  here,  and  Mrs. 
Dasheff,  will  leave  here  today  aboard 
the  Flying  Dutchman  for  England 
and  the  Continent  on  a  six-week 
combination  honejrmoon,  vacation  and 
business  trip. 

• 

Harold  Mirisch,  Allied  Artists 
and  Monogram  vice-president,  and 
Walter  Mirisch,  Monogram  pro- 
ducer, have  returned  to  their  desks  at 
Hollywood. 

• 

David   Miller,  Universal-Interna- 
tional district  manager,  and  Eugene 
Vogel,  Albany  branch  manager,  visit- 
ed Gloversville,  N.  Y.,  this  week. 
• 

W.  Stewart  McDonald,  Warner 
Theatres  vice-president,  will  return  to 
New  York  from  London  over  the 
weekend. 

•  • 

H.  M.  Richey,  M-G-M  exhibitor 
relations  head,  will  return  to  New 
York  today  from  Milwaukee. 

• 

Eleanore  Bernstein  of  M-G-M's 
publicity  department  will  be  married 
Sunday  to  Leonard  Kaiser. 

• 

M.  A.  Schlesinger  left  New  York 
by  plane  yesterday  for  South  Africa. 


Nixon  to  K.  C.  Orpheum 

Kansas  City,  May  26. — James  H. 
Nixon,  associated  for  five  years  with 
A.  and  N.  Presentations,  will  manage 
the  Orpheum  Theatre  which  Fox 
Midwest  will  take  over  this  summer 
when  RKO  opens  the  modernized 
Missouri.  Fox  Midwest  will  use  the 
Orpheum  primarily  for  road  film  and 
stage  shows. 


Myers  and  Rembusch 
At  Rocky  ML  Meet 

Denver,  May  26. — Trueman  Rem- 
busch and  Abram  Myers  of  Allied 
will  be  in  Denver  for  the  second  an- 
nual convention  of  Allied  Rocky 
Mountain  Independent  Theatres,  June 
8-9,  at  the  Brown  Palace  Hotel,  with 
the  former  confining  his  talk  to  thea- 
tre and  other  forms  of  television, 
while  Myers  will  discuss  Supreme 
Court  matters,  especially  divorce- 
ment. John  Wolfberg,  local  Allied 
president,  will  conduct  the  meetings 
which  will  be  open,  and  to  which  all 
independent  theatre  owners  are  in- 
vited. 


Frank  Shea  Is  Named 
de  Rochemont  Aide 

Frank  Shea,  who  has  been  with  The 
March  of  Time  for  eight  years  in 
office  management,  and  who  was  re- 
cently promoted  to  direct  MOT  sales 
in  the  commercial  and  television  fields, 
will  be  attached  to  the  office  of  Rich- 
ard de  Rochemont,  MOT  producer, 
and  will  also  work  with  20th  Century- 
Fox,  March  of  Time  distributors,  in 
the  sale  of  the  MOT  theatrical  series. 
He  will  be  assisted  by  Fred  Brooks. 


62  Midwest  Houses 
Set  for  "Spring" 

St.  Louis,  May  26. — Following  to- 
night's premiere  of  20th  Century- 
Fox's  "It  Happens  Every  Spring"  at 
the  St.  Louis,  62  theatres  in  three 
states  of  the  Midwest  area  will  open 
the  picture  during  the  coming  week 
in  line  with  20th-Fox's  policy  of  sat- 
uration premieres. 

Tonight's  premiere,  highlighted  by 
personal  appearances  of  Linda  Dar- 
nell, Paul  Douglas  and  Jean  Peters, 
climaxed  an  intensive  three-day  city- 
wide  promotion. 


Loew's  Sued  on  Songs 

Chicago,  May  26. — Loew's  and  six 
music  companies  are  the  targets  of 
a  suit  filed  here  by  Henry  P.  Moore, 
owner  of  Mars  Music  Publications, 
which  charged  unauthorized  use  of  two 
songs,  "Just  Reminiscing"  and  "Joe- 
See-Fus — Joe."  Attorney  William  H. 
Huff  said  a  similar  suit  will  be  filed 
against  Louis  B.  Mayer. 


Files  Plagiarism  Suit 

Kansas  City,  May  26. — Charging 
plagiarism  in  connection  with  the  film, 
"The  Harvey  Girls,"  Clifford  Funk- 
houser,  Parsons,  Kan.,  has  filed  suit 
against  Loew's  M-G-M  and  others, 
alleging  material  in  a  play  written  by 
him  was  used  in  the  screen  play. 


E-L  Talks  Next  Week 

Conferences  here  revolving  around 
Edward  Small's  proposals  for  his 
purchase  of  the  controlling  interest  in 
Eagle-Lion  are  expected  to  continue 
next  week,  an  E-L  spokesman  indi- 
cated here  yesterday. 


Kreisler  to  Europe 

_  Bernard  J.  Kreisler,  former  produc- 
tion and  distribution  executive,  will 
sail  from  here  on  the  Queen 
Elisabeth  today  on  a  four  months' 
follow-up  study  of  European  film  in- 
dustries for  the  Harvard  Graduate 
School  of  Business.  His  initial  trip 
was  made  a  year  ago.  He  will  visit 
16  European  countries,  including  sev- 
eral behind  the  Iron  Curtain,  among 
them  Czechoslovakia,  Eastern  Ger- 
many, Austria,  Hungary  and  Poland. 


Saranac  Hospital  to 
Variety  on  June  9 


Arrangements  have  been  completed 
for  the  ceremonial  takeover  of  the 
Will  Rogers  Hospital  at  Saranac 
Lake,  N.  Y.,  on  Thursday,  June  9,  by 
Variety  Clubs  International.  All  of 
the  day's  activities  will  be  covered  by 
the  newsreels,  the  press  and  wire  ser 
vices,  according  to  Robert  J.  O'Don 
nell,  International  chief  barker. 

The  party  will  leave  New  York  in 
private  sleepers  on  Wednesday,  June 
8,  arriving  at  Saranac  Lake  early 
Thursday,  and  the  entire  day  will  be 
spent  at  the  hospital.  The  return  trip 
will  be  by  the  same  private  cars  on 
the  night  of  June  9,  arriving  back  at 
Grand  Central  Station  early  next 
morning. 

Walsh  Named  to  Saranac  Post 

Richard  Walsh,  president  of  the 
IATSE,  has  been  elected  a  vice-presi 
dent  of  the  Variety  Clubs-Will  Rogers 
Hospital. 


Legion  Reviews  9; 
Classes  Four  as  "B" 

Nine  additional  films  have  been  re 
viewed  by  the  National  Legion  of  De- 
cency with  four  of  them  getting  a  "B" 
rating.  In  that  category  are  United 
Artists'  "Black  Magic";  Warner 
Brothers'  "Colorado  Territory" 
M-G-M's  "Neptune's  Daughter,"  and 
Universal  -  International's  "One  Wo- 
man's Story." 

In  Class  A-l  are  20th  Century-Fox's 
"It  Happens  Every  Spring"  and  Re- 
public's "Law  of  the  Golden  West.' 
In  Class  A-ll  are  Lux  Film's  "Gua- 
glio";  RKO  Radio's  "The  Judge  Steps 
Out"  and  Columbia's  "The  Secret  of 
St.  Ives." 


Coast  'I A9,  Majors  Sign 

Hollywood,  May  26.  —  IATSE 
Cine-Technicians  Local  No.  789, 
which  recently  won  an  NLRB  elec- 
tion conferring  jurisdiction  over  stu- 
dio machinists,  has  signed  a  five-year 
contract  with  the  major  studios.  Pact 
continues  the  present  wage  scale  and 
provides  for  reopening  of  negotiations 
in  August  and  in  August,  1951. 

St.  Louis  Fox  to  Close 

St.  Louis,  May  26. —  The  5,000- 
seat  Fox,  largest  house  in  St.  Louis, 
will  close  for  the  summer,  apparently 
because  of  a  lack  of  product.  Edward 
B.  Artfiur,  general  manager  for 
Fanchon  and  Marco,  operators,  said 
last  month  that  some  houses  might  be 
closed,  but  in  his  absence  no  formal 
statement  has  been  issued. 


Occupational  Manual 
Written  by  Tell 

"Opportunities  in  Motion  Pictures, 
by  Pincus  W.  Tell,  has  been  published 
by  Vocational  Guidance  Manuals, 
Inc.  The  68-page  book  is  divided  into 
two_  parts,  covering  production  and 
exhibition. 

Tell  is  at  present  publicity  director 
of  the  New  York  Rivoli  Theatre. 


Cite  Paramount  Short 

National  Father's  Day  Committee 
announced  at  its  annual  luncheon  at 
the  Waldorf-Astoria  Hotel  here  yes- 
terdav  that  Paramount's  "The  Lam- 
bertville  Story"  was  selected  as  "The 
Father  Short  of  the  Year."  The  film 
features  Paul  Whiteman  who  relates 
how  the  town  of  Lambertville,  N.  J., 
successfully  coped  with  misbehaving 
voungsters.  At  the  luncheon  yesterday, 
trade  paper  reporters  and  editors  were 
the  guests  of  Paramount's  Ben  Washer 
and  Monroe  Goodman. 


Loop  Record  for  "Brave99 

Chicago,  May  26.— Opening  day's 
gross  of  close  to  $8,000,  an  all-time 
high  for  the  house,  was  registered  at 
the  Woods  Theatre  with  "Home  of 
the  Brave"  yesterday,  the  management 
reports.  This  was  said  to  be  about 
$1,000  over  the  previous  record. 


Drive-In  Sues  Over 
30  Days  Clearance 

Chicago,  May  26. — The  Starview 
Outdoor  Theatre,  an  Elgin,  111.,  drive- 
in,  today  filed  an  anti-trust  suit  in 
Federal  District  Court  here  naming 
all  major  distributors  except  United 
Artists,  Great  States  circuit  and  Bala- 
ban  and  Katz  as  defendants  and  ask- 
ing equitable  clearance  relief. 

The  complaint,  filed  by  Seymour 
Simon,  attorney  for  Starview,  charges 
that  30  days  clearance  over  it  is  grant- 
ed to  Great  States'  Crocker,  Grove 
and  Rialto  in  Elgin.  The  case  is  the 
third  by  a  drive-in  to  come  into  local 
Federal  courts  this  year. 


New  Mexico  TO  A  to 
Meet  on  June  28-29 

Theatre  Owners  of  America  execu- 
tive director  Gael  Sullivan  and  gen- 
eral counsel  Herman  Levy  are  sched- 
uled to  address  the  convention  of  the 
New  Mexico  Theatres  Association, 
TO  A  affiliate,  which  will  be  held  on 
June  28-29  at  a  yet  to  be  designated 
New  Mexico  city. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


-  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL- 

Rockefeller  Center 
JAMES  STEWART      -      JUNE  ALLYSON 

"THE  STRATT0N  STORY" 

Frank  Morgan-Agnes  Moorehead-Bill  Williams  | 
A    SAM  WOOD  PRODUCTION 
A    Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


DOROTHY  LAM0UR 

DAN  DURYEA 
STERLING  HAYDEN 

Directed  by  Lewis  R.  Foster 


BLACKBU 


IJWMS 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER,  r 

All  Seals  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  1 1 :30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


BETTY  GRABLE 
"The  BEAUTIFUL  BLONDE 
From  BASHFUL  BEND" 

A  20th  Century-Fox  Picture  in  Technicolor 
ON  ICE  STAGE— Excerpts  from  "Mile.  Modiste" 
starring  ARNOLD  SHODA  .  JEAN  ARLEN 

ON  WONDER  STAGE — BERRY  BROS. 

VIOLA   LAYNE    .  GASTON  PALMER 

Rr\    V   V  7th  Ave.  & 
W  A    1     50th  st.  ■ 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY, 


Mlrt.'P.  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher,  Sherwin   Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley.  Jr..  Associate  Editor.    Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 

.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco. 
ivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 

-   .  -     .  .  j.  luuutuun  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 

iifh^  b  '  £  ™   I-  ~T  %e\  Ed,,tona'  and  Advertising,  TJrben  Farley,   Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 

OfW  rww  PMwlffV  ™ -V ton' C-  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup.  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor:  cable  address.  "Quigpubco,  London." 
M^p;,T,ty  aw  £  0  Sr"  .PlCiUre  Hera'd=  ,Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
vefr  *fi  ir fflSf  Am^wT  FfTio  Ent?red  *s  f  cond  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3.  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


Editor 


"xThe  Lady  Gambles'  is  a 
feminine  Host  Weekend/ 
Miss  Stanwyck  has  re- 
sponded with  magnificent 

Skill."  —  N.  Y.  World-Telegram 

*lt  isvThe  Lost  Weekend' 
of  clicking  dice  and  whir- 
ring roulette  wheels." 

—  Los  Angeles  Times 

"Another  of  Barbara 
Stanwyck's  achieve- 
ments."     -  Walter  Winchell 

"Barbara  Stanwyck's  per- 
formance... is  being  com- 
pared to  Ray  Milland's 
in  'The  Lost  Weekend.'" 

—  Dorothy  Kilgallen 

"Barbara  Stanwyck  gives 
a  remarkable  perform- 
ance."      —  N.  Y.  Daily  News 


World  Premiered  at  Criterion  Theatre,  New 
York,  and  5 -theatre  combination,  Los  Angeles, 
"The  Lady  Gambles"  is  running  way  ahead  of 
top-grossing  hits  like  "Criss  Cross/'  "City  Across 
the  River,"  "Tap  Roots/'  "Rogues  Regiment"! 


And  now  showmen  are  setting  their  sights 

on  two  more  U-l  "SHOWMANSHIP  SPECIALS"! 

"ILLEGAL  ENTRY. .  ."Washington  Invitation  Premiere,  June  8,  with  personal  appearance 
by  Marta  Toren  •  "CALAMITY  JANE  and  SAM  BASS..."  Hollywood  Cavalcade  heads 
for  World  Premiere,  June  8,  in  Dallas,  with  350-City  territorial  openings. 

Back  the  Motion  Picture  Industry's  U.  S.  SAVINGS  BONDS  DRIVE,  May  l6-June  30 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  May  27,  194S 


Harmon  Shuffling 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


field  heads  of  the  department.  Duke 
Hickey  has  been  field  representative 
for  the  East;  Irvin  E.  Deere,  Central, 
and  Alice  Field,  West  Coast.  The  lat- 
ter announced  her  resignation  yester- 
day, effective  July  1. 

David  Palfreyman,  who  has  been 
head  of  the  MPAA  exhibitor  rela- 
tions department,  is  opposed  to  the 
change  and  is  expected  to  resign,  al- 
though he  has  been  asked  to  continue. 
A  departmental  head  will  be  named  by 
Harmon  in  the  event  Palfreyman  re- 
signs or  is  given  a  new  assignment  by 
Johnston. 


Lipt 


on  Due  Here 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


industry  participation  in  the  current 
U.  S.  Treasury  Savings  Bond  Drive 
are  completed  around  June  15. 

Lipton  also  has  yet  to  name  a  per- 
manent successor  here  to  Al  Horwits, 
whose  post  as  Eastern  publicity  man- 
ager for  U-I  has  been  filled  tempo- 
rarily by  Phil  Gerard  since  Horwits 
was  transferred  to  the  Coast  some 
months  ago  as  head  of  U-I  publicity 
at  the  studio. 

Meanwhile,  plans  for  permanent 
establishment  of  Upton's  headquarters 
at  the  home  office  have  been  deferred 
indefinitely  in  consequence  of  studio 
conferences  between  Nat  J.  Blumberg, 
president,  and  William  A.  Scully,  vice- 
president  and  general  sales  manager. 
Scully  is  expected  back  from  the 
Coast  next  week. 


SIMPP,  British  Aim 

  {Continued  from  page  1) 


Exhibitors'  Role  Vital 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


box-office."  Maintaining  that  the  the- 
atre must  be  the  center  of  community 
life,  Dembow  'urged  exhibitors  to  do 
"their  utmost  to  cement  good  will 
with  patrons." 

Walter  A.  Lapham,  merchandising 
manager  of  the  New  England  Confec- 
tionery Co.,  addressed  the  convention 
on  the  extent  to  which  theatre  candy 
sales  can  be  increased,  and  urged  ex- 
hibitors to  "take  advantage  of  the  tre- 
mendous opportunity  candy  offers  in 
merchandising  possibilities." 

The  general  economic  situation  and 
prospects  were  examined  for  the  meet- 
ing by  Arthur  C.  Babson  of  Babson's 
Reports. 


the  Films  Council  participated  in  a 
conspiracy  in  violation  of  law  when 
it  met  to  map  recommendations  for  a 
new  trade  formula  within  the  frame- 
work of  the  U.  S.-British  film  agree- 
ment of  March  11,  1948. 

On  the  second  front,  Arnall  and 
Rubin  are  seeking  a  means  of  opening 
that  agreement  and  for  that  purpose 
again  will  see  the  State  Department's 
Winthrop  Brown,  head  of  the  com- 
mercial policy  division,  and  Merrill 
Gay,  head  of  the  motion  picture  divi- 
sion. The  British  refusal  to  consider 
a  reduction  in  the  present  quota  will 
be  protested  by  Arnall. 

Arnall  took  up  the  overall  matter 
with  Borkland,  Brown  and  Gay  on 
Wednesday  when  the  formal  State  De- 
partment complaint  of  the  SIMPP 
was  presented.  He  said  here  yester- 
day that  he  is  convinced  that  the 
Films  Council  activities  to  date  con- 
stitute a  "clear  cut  violation  of  law" 
but  he  declined  to  elaborate  on  the 
"procedures"  to  be  taken  up  next  week 
in  the  capital. 

Arnall  disclosed  that  Rep.  Emanuel 
Celler,  chairman  of  the  House  Judici- 
ary Committee,  has  been  apprised  of 
SIMPP's  "cause  of  complaints"  this 
because  the  Celler  group  is  now  con 
sidering  procedures  to  strengthen  tht 
anti-trust  laws. 


British  Would  Meet 

{Continued  from  page  !) 


Arnall  to  Address 
C.  of  C.  in  Colorado 

Ellis   G.  Arnall,  president  of  the 
Society  of  Independent  Motion  Pic 
ture  Producers,  is  scheduled  to  deliver 
the  keynote  address  at  the  meeting  of 
the  U.   S.  Junior  of  Commerce  in 
Colorado  Springs,  Col.,  on  June  9.  An 
invitation   was   extended   by  Robert 
Graham,  vice-president  of  the  organi 
zation,  and  general  counsel  for  the 
Pacific    Coast    Independent  Theatr 
Owners.    Now  in  New  York,  Arnall 
will  leave  for  Atlanta  today  to  spend 
the  weekend  at  home,  after  which  he 
will  go  to  Washington  and  then  to 
the  Coast. 


Film  Ad  Cuts  Are  Hit 
By  New  Jersey  TO  A 

Passaic,  N.  J.,  May  26.— The  an- 
nual convention  of  the  New  Jersey 
chapter  of  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  yesterday  decried  the  action 
of  those  producers  and  distributors 
who  have  curtailed  advertising.  Com- 
panies' cessation  of  such  promotional 
efforts,  the  organization  held,  "will  be 
injurious  to  the  successful  sale  at  the 
box-office  of  good  productions." 

The  convention  re-elected  Maury 
Miller  president  of  the  New  Jersey 
TOA.  The  1949-50  leadership  also  in- 
cludes Harold  Eskin,  vice-president; 
Frank  Fowler,  secretary;  Adam 
Adams,  treasurer,  and  Walter  Reade, 
Jr.,  national  delegate. 

Following  the  business  session, 
Gael  Sullivan  and  Edward  Lachman, 
national  exhibitor  co-chairmen  of  the 
industry's  division  of  the  bond  drive, 
were  honored  by  the  New  Jersey  or- 
ganization at  a  testimonial  dinner  in 
the  Ritz  Restaurant  here.  Harold 
Blumenthal  was  general  chairman  of 
the  convention. 


Johnston  Agrees 

 {Continued  from  page  1) 


ponement,  suggested  that  the  next 
meeting  be  held  early  in  August  in 
London.  American  members  are  ex- 
pected to  hold  out  for  an  American 
location  for  the  second  meeting,  with 
the  third  meeting  in  London  as  origi- 
nally scheduled. 

American  delegates,  Johnston  de- 
clared, will  be  happy  to  discuss  at  the 
next  meeting  a  British  suggestion  to 
increase  the  Council's  membership 
from  six  to  eight  members.  The  Brit- 
ish suggestion  was  made  to  get  Sir 
Philip  Warter  of  A.B.P.C.  on  the 
Council. 

MPAA  officials  had  no  comment  on 
whether  the  British  proposal  would 
be  used  to  add  a  representative  of  the 
Society  of  Independent  Motion  Pic- 
ture Producers  to  the  American 
membership  of  the  Council,  in  turn. 
A  basic  phase  of  the  spirited  opposi- 
tion^ by  SIMPP  to  the  Council's  ac- 
tivities has  been  the  contention  that  it 
did  not  and  could  not  speak  or  act  for 
independent  producers  who  are  not 
represented  on  the  Council. 


MPEA  Fills  Polish  Post 

Jean  Birkhahn,  Motion  Picture  Ex- 
port Association  representative  in  Bul- 
garia, has  been  transferred  to  Poland 
as  supervisor  of  the  MPEA-Film 
Polski  contract,  succeeding  John 
Swanink,  who  held  the  post  on  a  tem- 
porary basis. 


gram,  devised  in  Washington  last 
month,  sought  to  commit  the  three 
°  Bnush  circuits,  of  which 
ABPC  is  one,  to  guaranteed  playing 
time  for  American  pictures  although 
that  company  was  not  represented  on 
the  Council,  nor  did  the  British  Coun- 
cil members  have  any  authorization  to 
act  for  it. 

The  reason  given  for  the  postpone- 
ment of  next  week's  meeting  in  a  cable 
sent  to  Eric  Johnston,  Motion  Picture 
Association  president  and  member  of 
the  Council  with  Barney  Balaban  and 
Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  was  that  it  is 
made  partly  necessary  by  the  absence 
of  Harold  Wilson,  president  of  the 
Board  of  Trade,  from  London.  Wil- 
son, currently  visiting  in  Canada,  was 
consulted  on  the  Council's  proposals 
prior  to  his  departure.  His  reaction 
at  the  time  was  negative,  or,  at  best, 
noncommittal. 

Actually,  the  BFPA's  ranks  are  as 
divided  on  the  Washington  proposals 
as  are  those  of  organized  American 
producer-distributors.  Several  mem- 
bers, vigorously  critical,  contended 
that  Rank,  French  and  Korda  had  no 
authority  to  act  for  or  to  purport  to 
represent  all  British  producers. 

Union  Joins  Protest 

Elsewhere    today,    Tom  O'Brien, 
lead  of  the  powerful  National  Associ 
ation  of  Theatrical   and  Kine  Em 
ployes,  joined  the  protestors  asserting 
that  the  only  persons  efficiently  repre 
sented   at    the   Washington  meeting 
were  the  stockholders  in  Rank's  and 
similar  companies.    His  obvious  infer 
ence  was  that  the  Washington  propos 
als    appear    to    have    been  directed 
toward  the  assistance  of  Rank  and 
Korda  only. 

Vigorously  condemning  the  implica 
tion  that  big  combines  represent  the 
entire  British  industry,  O'Brien 
threatened  to  raise  the  matter  in  the 
House  of  Commons,  of  which  he  is  a 
member,  if  an  attempt  is  made  to 
commit  trade  unions,  independent  pro- 
ducers or  exhibtors  to  the  Washing- 
ton program  without  prior  consulta- 
tion with  them. 

Board  of  Trade  officials  remained 
noncommital  but  smiled  satirically  at 
any  suggestion  that  Wilson  had  given 
the  big  producers  even  the  slightest 
mandate  to  negotiate  on  behalf  of  the 
government. 

Generally,  the  trade  here  considers 
all  major  or  controversial  phases  of 
the  Washington  program  as  perma- 
nently killed  irrespective  of  whether 
or  not  the  Council  meets  in  August. 


Solons  Demand 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


'IA'  'Collarities'  Aid 
Greater  N,  Y.  Fund 

A  drive  in  behalf  of  the  Greater 
New  York  Fund  opened  yesterday 
at  the  home  offices  of  Warners,  Uni- 
versal, Paramount  International,  Unit- 
ed Artists,  Republic,  DeLuxe  Labora- 
tories, Pathe  Laboratories,  Consolidat- 
ed Film  Laboratories  and  several  mu- 
sic companies,  under  the  auspices  of 
the  IATSE  Motion  Picture  Home  Of- 
fice Employes  Local  No.  H-63,  whose 
"white  collarite"  members  have  been 
asked  to  contribute. 

Russell  Moss,  H-63  executive  vice- 
president,  said  that  it  has  been  sug- 
gested that  each  member  of  the  local 
donate  at  least  an  hour's  pay. 


performance,"  and  said  that  the  Brit- 
ish government  was  trying  to  evade 
the  quota  issue  by  "hiding  supinely' 
behind  the  Joint  Anglo-American 
Film  Council. 

"The  quota  is  not  an  indus- 
try matter,"  King  said.  "It  is 
a  government  matter.  It  was 
proposed  by  the  British  gov- 
ernment and  jammed  through 
Parliament  under  the  whip  of 
the  British  government,  which 
cannot  now  duck  its  respon- 
sibility." 

The  California  Congressman,  a 
member  of  the  Ways  and  Means  Com- 
mittee and  an  advocate  of  an  investi- 
gation of  the  film  quota  by  that  com- 
mittee, said  that  the  British  had  af- 
firmed that  the  quota  did  not  violate 
the_  general  agreement  on  trade  and 
tariffs.  King  said  that  it  did,  and  that 
"the  State  Department  will  be  derelict 
in  its  duty  if  it  permits  the  British  to 
get  away  with  this  unilateral  inter- 
pretation of  the  agreement." 

The  Downey-Knowland  letter,  it 
was  learned,  takes  a  similar  tack.  It 
expresses  "severe  disappointment"  at 
the  British  stand,  and  says  that  the 
refusal  to  do  anything  is  "rough 
treatment."  The  suggestion  that  fur- 
ther action  be  held  off  until  the 
Anglo-American  Council  finishes  its 
deliberations  is  attacked  on  the  ground 
that  the  British  government  set  the 
quota  and  the  British  government 
must  reduce  or  end  it. 

Finally,  the  letter  reminds  the  State 
Department  and  the  British  that  the 
Reciprocal  Trade  Agreements  Act  is 
pending  before  the  Senate. 


FCC  Hopes 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


bands.  The  FCC  announcement  is  ex- 
pected to  serve  as  a  very  strong  green 
light  for  the  entire  television  industry. 

The  Commission,  with  only  Com- 
missioner Frieda  B.  Hennock  dissent- 
ing on  the  grounds  that  it  is  "prema- 
ture," said  it  would  issue  a  proposed 
rule  on  the  whole  matter  within  six 
weeks.  The  proposed  rule  will  not 
only  cover  the  contemplated  use  of 
channels  in  the  UHF  band  but  will 
also  contain  a  revised  allocation  for 
the  present  VHF  band.  Alternatives 
can  be  submitted  by  the  industry  for 
a  30-day  period,  and  then  there  will 
be  a  hearing  and  oral  argument.  All 
possible  speed  will  be  used,  the  Com- 
mission said,  "but  it  does  not  appear 
that  final  decision  can  be  made  before 
late  fall."  Some  observers  believe  it 
may  be  considerably  longer.  The 
Commission  said  it  proposed  to  use 
approximately  one-half  of  the  lower 
portion  of  the  UHF  band  for  regular 
television  operation  on  six  megacycle 
channels.  This  band  is  now  used  for 
experimentation.  The  upper  portion 
of  the  band  will  be  kept  open  for  tele- 
vision research,  including,  presumably, 
theatre  television. 


William  Strohbach,  57 

Hollywood,  May  26.  —  William 
Strohbach,  associated  with  motion  pic- 
ture production  since  1911,  died  Tues- 
day after  a  long  illness. 


Equity  to  Elect  at 
June  3  Meeting 

Election  of  Actor's  Equity  will  be 
held  here  on  June  3  at  a  membership 
meeting  at  the  Hotel  Astor. 

The  regular  ticket  follows :  presi- 
dent, Clarence  Derwent ;  vice-presi- 
dents, John  Kennedy,  Cornelia  Otis 
Skinner,  Ralph  Bellamy  and  Augustin 
Duncan  ;  treasurer,  Paul  Dullzell ;  rec- 
ording secretary,  Basil  Rathbone. 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  65.  NO.  105 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,   TUESDAY,   MAY  31,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Quota  Attack 
To  Be  Pressed 
Before  Senate 


California  Senators  Tie 
It  to  Trade  Act  Debate 

1  Washington,  May  30. — Senators 
Sheridan  Downey  and  William  F. 
5  Knowland,  both  of  California,  have 
il  served  notice  that  they  intend  to 
"go  into  the  British  film  quota  thor- 
]  oughly"  when  extension  of  the  Re- 
ciprocal Trade  Agreement  Act  goes 
l before  the  Senate. 

5    The  Act  may  come  up  this  week  if 
!  Finance  Committee  Chairman  George 
is  out  of  the  hospital.    If  he  is  not,  it 
,may  be  put  off  for  some  time. 
\    Knowland,   a   Republican,   has  an 
J  amendment   pending   to   strike  back 
tariff-wise  at  any  country  discriminat- 
ing against  American  films  and  other 
products.     Downey,  a  Democrat,  said 
he  is  not  so  sure  that  this  amendment 
is  the  best  way  of  dealing  with  the 
sitution  and  is  himself  looking  about 
.  for  a  solution. 

i  Downey  and  Knowland  made  the 
statement  about  going  into  the  quota 
on  the  Senate  floor  in  a  letter  to  Sec- 
retary of  State  Dean  Acheson.  They 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Tax  Reduction 
Not  Expected 
Before  1951 


Back  from  Washington  following 
conferences  with  government  offi- 
cials, Theatre  Owners  of  America 
executive  director  Gael  Sullivan  re- 
ports that  the  Administration  appar- 
ently will  not  be  ready  until  January, 
1951,  to  examine  the  possibility  •  of 
lifting  the  wartime  emergency  theatre 
admission  tax.  Ten  per  cent  of  the 
present  20  per  cent  Federal  admission 
tax  was  applied  as  an  emergency  levy 
during  World  War  II.  The  "emer- 
gency" period  ended  when  President 
Truman  abandoned  his  special  war- 
time powers. 

In  making  his  observation,  Sullivan 
hastened  to  point  out,  however,  that 
there  are  "too  many  imponderables" 
still  to  be  considered  in  attempting  to 
analyze  excise  tax  cut  prospects. 
There  are,  he  said,  too  many  contin- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


2nd  5th-Walnut 
Suit  Is  Filed 


Counters  UK 
Contentions 


Washington,  May  30. — Postpone- 
ment of  the  next  Anglo-American 
Film  Council  meeting  at  the  request 
of  the  British  members  does  away 
with  a  major  point  in  the  British  gov- 
ernment's stand  on  State  Department 
film  quota  protests,  MPAA  told  the 
Department  Friday. 

Joyce  O'Hara,  executive  assistant  to 
MPAA  president  Eric  Johnston,  con- 
tinued the  industry's  fight  against  the 
quota  with  calls  on  State's  trade  policy 
chief  Winthrop  Brown  and  film  chief 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


John  ston  and  Wilson 
To  Meet,  Might  Talk 


Washington,  May  30.  —  Eric 
Johnston,  president  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America,  and  Brit- 
ish Board  of  Trade  president  Harold 
Wilson  may  discuss  Anglo-American 
film  problems  briefly  in  Toronto  to- 
morrow. Johnston  is  scheduled  to  at- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Without  waiting  for  a  decision  to  be 
handed  down  by  the  U.  S.  Circuit 
Court  of  Appeals  here  on  the  appeal 
of  the  adverse  ruling  in  its;  $2,100,000 
triple-damage  anti-trust  action  against 
seven  distributors,  Fifth  and  Walnut 
Amusement  Co.  of  Louisville  on  Fri- 
day filed  in  U.  S.  District  Court  here 
against  the  same  defendants  a  second 
similar   suit,   with  $1,500,000  triple 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


'Youth  Week'  May 
Inspire  U.S.  Program 

Theatre  Owners  of  Ameri- 
ca's "Youth  Week"  program, 
tentatively  scheduled  for  late 
next  October,  may  serve  as 
the  springboard  for  a  general 
government-sponsored  anti- 
juvenile  delinquency  program 
in  1950,  TOA  executive  direc- 
tor Gael  Sullivan  disclosed 
here  upon  his  return  from 
Washington  where  he  confer- 
red with  U.  S.  Attorney-Gen- 
eral Tom  C.  Clark  on  "youth 
week"  plans.  Sullivan  said 
Clark  is  pondering  the  pos- 
sibility of  a  Federal  Security 
Administration  drive  against 
youth  crimes,  patterned 
somewhat  along  the  lines  of 
TOA's  "youth  week"  drive. 


AFM  Will  Meet  On 
Coast  Next  Week 


American  Federation  of  Musicians 
president  James  C.  Petrillo  and  his 
staff  will  leave  here  this  week  for  Los 
Angeles,  where  the  organization's  an 
nual  convention  will  be  held  June  6-10 
at  the  Civic  Auditorium. 

An  AFM  spokesman  at  the  weekend 
indicated  it  is  unlikely  that  the  con- 
vention will  take  up  the  subject  of  the 
AFM's  contracts  with  Hollywood  pro- 
ducers, since  the  present  pacts  will  ex- 
pire in  August  thus  leaving  plenty  of 
time  meanwhile  for  the  union  to  draft 
demands. 

AFM's  present  contract  with  the 
eight  majors  provides  for  employment 
at  the  studios  of  339  musicians,  while 
the  pact  with  the  independent  produc- 
ers stipulates  that  the  latter  shall  pro- 
vide 30,000  man  hours  of  work  yearly. 


MPA  Mapping 
Broad  Public 
Relations  Plan 


Need  Active  Cooperation 
Of  Exhibitors  Locally 

An  ambitious  program  of  indus- 
try and  public  relations,  national  in 
scope  and  local  in  organization,  is 
reliably  reported  to  be  in  the  plan- 
ning stages  by  the  Motion  Picture 
Association. 

The  program  is  tied  in  with  the 
current  reorganization  of  the  MPAA's 
community  service  and  exhibitor  rela- 
tions departments  under  Francis  Har- 
mon, vice-president  in  charge  of  the 
New  York  office  of  the  association. 

It  contemplates  the  cooperation  and 
active  participation  of  all  national  and 
regional  exhibitor  organizations  and  of 
numerous  civic  groups  currently 
working  with  the  MPAA's  community 
relations  department  around  the  coun- 
try. Harmon  has  been  named  by  Eric 
Johnston  to  head  up  the  two  coordi- 
nated departments  and  will  be  in 
charge  of  the  eleborate  industry  and 
public  relations  program. 

The  public  relations  phase  of  the 
plan  resembles  last  year's  public  re- 

(Continned  on  page  6) 


Cohns,  Warners,  Yates, 
Prutzman  in  Stock  Deals 


Reelect  Paul  Broder 
Realart  President 

Realart's  board  of  directors  has  re- 
elected Paul  Broder  president,  and  has 
named  Norman  Eisenstein  to  succeed 
Joseph  Harris  as  board  chairman.  All 
board  members  were  reelected,  includ- 
ing Broder,  Eisenstein,  Harris,  Jack 
Broder,  Budd  Rogers  and  Alex 
Alexander. 

Eisenstein  was  also  elected  secretary 
and  assistant  treasurer,  and  Alexander 
was  elected  assistant  secretary.  The 
following  officers  were  reelected:  Jack 
Broder,  vice-president  and  treasurer, 
and  Rogers,  executive  vice-president. 


Washington,  May  30. — Columbia 
president  Harry  Cohn  received  9,795 
snares  of  Columbia  common  stock  in 
March  "in  satisfaction  of  indebted- 
ness," according  to  a  report  filed  by 
the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commis- 
sion on  transactions  in  film  stocks  by 
company  officers  and  directors.  The 
report  covers  the  April  11  to  May  10 
period,  although  in  some  cases  the 
transactions  are  from  earlier  months. 

At  the  end  of  the  period  Cohn  held 
151,122  shares  of  common  and  400 
shares  of  preferred.  Jack  Cohn  in 
April  bought  400  shares  of  Columbia 
common  in  his  own  name  for  a  total 
of  48,968,  and  100  for  his  trust  ac- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Mono.  Creates 
2  New  Posts 


Harold  Wirthwein  and  L.  E.  Gold- 
hammer  have  been  named  Allied  Art- 
ists-Monogram Western  and  Eastern 
sales  managers,  respectively,  it  was 
announced  here  at  the  weekend  by 
Morey  Goldstein,  general  sales  man- 
ager. 

This  is  the  first  time  that  Allied 
Artists-Monogram  has  had  an  Eastern 
and  Western  sales  manager  in  the 
field.  The  positions  were  set  up  to 
enable  the  company  to  establish  and 
maintain  a  closer  contact  with  exhibi- 

(Continucd  on  page  6) 


Selznick  Forms  New 
Canadian  Outlet 


Selznick  Releasing  Organization  has 
formed  a  new  Canadian  sales  organi- 
zation, Selznick  Alliance,  Ltd.,  in  as- 
sociation with  J.  L.  Smith  and  Ray 
Lewis  of  Alliance  Films,  Ltd.,  the  lat- 
ter two  of  Canada,  it  was  disclosed 
here  at  the  weekend  by  Sidney  G. 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  May  31,  1949 


Newsreel 
Parade 


rTl  HE  Big  Four  Paris  meeting:  is  a 
-*-  highlight  in  all  current  reels. 
Other  items  include  sports,  fashions 
and  a  George  Bernard  Shaw  inter- 
view. Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE    NEWS,     No.     43— The 

Big  Four  discuss  German  problems  at 
Paris  meeting.  Nation  pays  tribute  to  For- 
restal.  Airborne  maneuvres  at  Fort  Bragg. 
Greek  Queen  visits  war  orphan  camp.  Ca- 
nadian log  drive.  Preacher  from  South 
Seas  arrives.  Oysters  grow  on  trees  in 
Puerto  Rico.     Navy  boxing.    Water  skiing. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  277— Shang- 
hai abandoned  to  invading  Reds.  West 
stands  firm  in  Big  Four  parley.  Report 
from  India.  Oysters  grow  on  trees.  Gift 
of  mercv  to  hospital.  Paratroopers  keep 
ready.  Boxing. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  80--Big 
Four  discuss  key  issues.  Lest  we  forget 
(program  on  Memorial  Day  and  the  fifth 
anniversary  of  D-Day). 

TELENEWS  DIGEST,  21-B— Forrestal 
buried.  Airborne  division  maneuvres  at 
Fort  Bragg.  Big  Four  meet  opens.  Eco- 
nomic plight  shown  in  Budapest.  Unveil- 
ing of  memorial  to  concentration  camp  vic- 
tims in  Austria.  Berlin  railroad  strike 
ended.  London  Communists  protest  Eisler 
arrest.  John  Sullivan  officially  retires  as 
Secretary  of  Navy;  Francis  Matthews 
sworn  in.  Beautiful  leg  contest.  George 
Bernard  Shaw  explains  films  to  Danny  Kay. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWS,  No.  251— World 
affairs.  Big  Four  meet.  Communists  cap- 
ture Shanghai.  Greek  queen.  Secretary  of 
Navy  Matthews  sworn  in.  Oyster  trees  in 
Puerto  Rico.  Book  reading  apparatus. 
Sports:  Joe  DiMaggio.  Motorcycle  hill 
climb. 

WARNER  PATHE   NEWS,  No.  82— 

Big  Four  meet.    Airborne  maneuvres.  For- 
.  restal  funeral.    Queens  at  work.  Summer 
fashion.      Joe    DiMaggio.      Navy  boxing. 
Great   Americans:     Theodore  Roosevelt. 


Personal  Mention 


Goldberg  Heads  N.  Y. 
ITOAUJA  Committee 

At  the  weekend  meeting  of  the  New 
York  _  Independent  Theatre  Owners 
Association,  the  following  were  named 
by  organization  president  Harry 
Brandt  to  serve  as  an  ITOA  United 
Jewish  Appeal  committee:  J.  Joshua 
Goldberg  (chairman),  John  C.  Bolte, 
Jr.,  Maurice  Brown,  Ben  Knobel,  Sam 
Koenig,  Murray  Le  Boss,  Abe  Leff, 
Martin  Levine,  Hyman  Rachmil,  Irv- 
ign  Renner,  Leon  Rosenblatt,  Julius 
Sanders,  Abe  Shenk  and  Henry 
Siegel. 


IfDWARD  J.  MANNIX,  M-G-M 
studio  executive,  will  leave  here 
for  Rome  this  week. 

• 

Marjorie  Anne  White,  daughter 
of  Gordon  White  of  the  MPAA's 
Advertising  Advisory  Council,  was 
married  Saturday  to  Arthur  John 
Lohwater  at  the  James  Memorial 
Chapel,  Union  Theological  Seminary, 
New  York. 

• 

W.  R.  (Bill)  Frank,  Twin.  Cities 
circuit  operator  and  producer  of  "The 
Great  Dan  Patch,"  will  leave  Minne- 
apolis today  on  a  tour  of  exchange 
centers. 

• 

Charles  Simonelli,  Universal-In- 
ternational Eastern  exploitation  man- 
ager, left  New  York  for  Dallas  over 
the  weekend. 

• 

_  A.  J.  O'Keefe,  Universal-Interna- 
tional assistant  general  sales  manager, 
returned  here  last  night  from  Minne- 
apolis. 

• 

Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.,  arrived 
here  from-  the  Coast  over  the  weekend 
and  is  due  to  sail  for  Europe  on  Sat- 
urday. 

■  • 

Phil  Gersdorf,  RKO  Radio  studio 
publicist  on  loan  to  Walt  Disney,  will 
sail  from  here  tomorrow  for  England. 
• 

Jack  Ellis  of  Crest  Films  is  due 
back  m  New  York  today  after  five 
weeks  in  the  field. 

• 

Lester  Cowan,  independent  pro- 
ducer, left  here  for  London  by  plane 
over  the  weekend. 


EARNEST  EMERLING,  Loew's 
*-*  Theatres  advertising-publicity  di- 
rector, has  arrived  in  Paris  from  New 
York  for  a  vacation  in  that  city  and 
in  Zurich,  Frankfort,  Milano  and 
Rome.  He  will  return  here  June  20 
• 

Pincus  Sober  of  M-G-M's  legal 
department  will  leave  here  Thursday 
for  the  United  Kingdom  and  Ireland, 
accompanying  the  AAU  track  team  on 
a  tour.  He  is  president  of  the  Metro- 
politan AAU  and  chairman  of  its 
national  track  and  field  committee. 
• 

Laurence  Audrain,  publicity-ad- 
vertising director  of  the  J.  Arthur 
Rank-Prestige  unit  of  Universal  since 
its  formation  in  1946,  has  resigned  to 
become  managing  director  of  the 
newly-formed  British  Book  Centre 
here. 

• 

Emma   C.   Carbone,   secretary  to 
Harry  Mandel,  RKO  Theatres  ad- 
vertising-publicity director,  has  become 
engaged  to  Thomas  J.  Donovan. 
• 

David  T.  Walsh  has  been  named 
manager  of  the  Boro  Drive-In,  which 
will  open  next  week  on  Route  No.  1, 
near  Cumberland,  R.  I. 

• 

Arthur  Pincus,  Loew's  Interna- 
tional publicist,  is  due  back  here  on 
June  10  from  a  tour  of  Latin  Amer- 
ica. 

• 

John  J.  Karol,  CBS  sales  manager, 
has  been  elected  president  of  the  Radio 
Executive  Club. 

• 

Dr.  Carter  Storr  has  been  elected 
president  of  the  Ottawa  Film  Council. 


Fox  Says  New  Plan 
Improves  Business 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  claimed  at 
the  weekend  that  its  new  plan  in  Phil- 
adelphia reducing  clearances  for  de 
luxe  subsequent-runs  has  set  new  box- 
office  records  at  all  of  the  18  theatres 
which  adopted  the  plan  last  Thursday 
with  the  simultaneous  booking  of  "Mr. 
Belvedere  Goes  to  College." 

Despite  adverse  weather,  but  aided 
by  a  citywide  promotional  campaign, 
the  opening  day's  gross  drew  between 
25  and  50  per  cent  more  business  than 
usual  at  some  theatres,  the  company 
said  in  a  statement  released  by  the 
home  office. 

Under  the  new  plan  of  flexible 
availability,  the  18  theatres  were 
granted  an  opportunity  to  play  the 
company's  product  on  a  21-day  avail- 
ability after  first-run  downtown. 

Theatres  involved  in  the  new  plan 
are:  the  Broadway,  Benson,  Tower, 
Girard,  Nixon,  Iris,  Carman,  Logan, 
Jeff  ries,  Roosevelt,  Fernrock,  Ogontz, 
Bandbox,  Mayfair,  Oxford,  Erlen,  the 
Keswick  in  Glenside,  and  the  Subur- 
ban in  Ardmore. 


Disney  Paris  Office 
Headed  by  Cutting 

Walt  Disney  Productions  has  set  up 
Paris  headquarters  for  a  foreign  pro- 
duction department  with  John  W.  Cut- 
ting in  charge,  it  was  announced  here 
by  Roy  O.  Disney,  president.  The 
office  will  facilitate  the  making  of  dif- 
ferent language  versions  of  Disney's 
new  product,  including  "Cinderella" 
and  "Alice  in  Wonderland."  The  two 
will  be  translated  into  at  least  10  ver- 
sions, it  was  said. 


Roisman  Leaves  MOT 

Resignation  of  Morrie  Roisman, 
senior  editor  of  March  of  Time,  here 
for  six  years,  was  announced  by  Rich- 
ard de  Rochemont,  MOT  producer.  It 
was  stated  that  although  he  is  inter- 
ested in  starting  a  television  film  pro- 
duction organization  of  his  own,  he  is 
also  considering  joining  a  television 
unit  of  a  New  York  advertising 
agency. 


C.  L.  Glett  Named 
Don  Lee  TV  Aide 

Hollywood,  May  30.— Charles  L. 
Glett,  managing  director  of  Motion 
Picture  Center  studios,  has  been  ap- 
pointed vice-president  in  charge  of 
television  for  the  Don  Lee  Television 
System,  by  Willet  H.  Brown,  presi- 
dent of  the  Mutual-Don  Lee  network. 

Glett,  who  was  once  vice-president 
in  charge  of  production  for  David  O. 
Selznick  and  more  recently  was  asso- 
ciated with  the  Screen  Plays  produc- 
tions, "Champion"  and  "Home  of  the 
Brave,"  is  expected  to  assume  the 
newly  created  post  at  once. 

SPG  Pact  Talks  to 
Continue  Tomorrow 

Representatives  of  distributors  and 
the  Screen  Publicists  Guild  will  hold 
another  negotiation  session  here  to- 
morrow, Len  Goldsmith,  SPG  busi- 
ness agent,  reported  following  the  re- 
opening of  talks  in  the  dispute  over  a 
new  contract.  Following  the  Tuesday 
meeting  the  SPG  council  will  convene 
to  act  on  the  results  of  negotiations 
to  date. 


Poster  Exchanges 
Reelect  M.  Pantzer 

Detroit,  May  30.— Mitchell  Pantzer, 
head  of  the  Philadelphia  Poster  Ex- 
change, was  reelected  head  of  the  In- 
dependent Poster  Exchanges  of 
America  at  its  meeting  in  Detroit. 
Others  elected  were:  J.  Schraeder, 
Charlotte,  vice-president ;  Donald 
Swartz,  Minneapolis,  secretary-treas- 
urer ;  David  Mitchell,  Dallas ;  and  di- 
rectors William  Pennington,  Kansas 
City;  M.  Sweigman,  Canada;  M.  J. 
Lipp,  Chicago ;  J.  Riff,  Boston ;  W. 
Cobb,  Atlanta. 


Eastern  SDG  Drive 

A  membership  drive  has  been  start- 
ed by  the_  Eastern  Screen  Directors 
Guild,  it  is  announced  by  president 
Jack  Glenn,  with  Gene  Martel  as 
chairman  of  the  campaign  committee. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


-  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL- 

Rockefeller  Center 
|JAMES  STEWART      -      JUNE  ALLYSON 

'THE  STRATT0N  STORY" 

Frank  Morgan-Agnes  Moorehead-Bill  Williams 
A   SAM  WOOD  PRODUCTION 
A   Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


2  More  Bond  Premieres 

Bond  premieres  in  the  U.  S.  Treas- 
ury's current  "Opportunity  Savings 
Bond  Drive"  have  been  set  for  the 
Keith's  Theatre  in  Baltimore,  June 
9,  and  the  Arkansas  Theatre  in  Little 
Rock,  Ark.,  June  16,  Maurice  A. 
Bergman,  motion  picture  industry 
chairman  announces. 


Poromounl  prewnls 

"Manhandled 

W   9  starring  / 

DOROTHY  LAM0UR 

DAN  DURYEA 
STERLING  HAYDEN 

Directed  by  Lewis  R.  Foste 


Extra  Holiday  Shows 

Majority  of  New  York  first-runs 
opened  earlier  yesterday  to  allow  for 
one  extra  performance.  Holiday  prices 
were  charged,  of  course. 


2  Albany  Drive-Ins  Open 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  May  30.  —  The 
Menands,  new  drive-in  on  the  Albany- 
Troy  road,  and  the  Indian  Ladder,  an- 
other drive-in  at  New  Scotland,  have 
opened,  making  a  total  of  10  outdoor 
houses,  within  10  miles  of  Albany. 
The  first  is  operated  by  Sandy  Miller, 
Carl  Roupp  and  William  Thompson; 
Don  Hallenbeck  owns  the  second. 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER,  ^tZLay 

Alt  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


Sysld  SlSJfej^  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.    Published  daily  except  Saturdays 

James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager-  Gus  H  Fausel  PVnd,,^'  M,~'  L  Su'T,an'  V!ce-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street  Editorial  Wl  aS;L  nv  r  '  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-V  ne  Building,  William  R  Weaver 
L  A.  Otten  National  Press  Club,  Washington!  D  C  London  Bureau,  ^  Golden  I'q  Lond^w'  Heoe^nr'nifn  ^Presentat^fe •  J™™V  Ascher,  Editorial  Reprfsentative  Washington; 
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Tuesday,  May  31,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Film  Ad  Space  Free 
In  Chicago  Paper 

Chicago,  May  30.— First  of 
a  series  of  free  advertise- 
ments devoted  to  motion  pic- 
tures and  urging  theatre  at- 
tendance started  today  in  the 
Herald  American,  a  Hearst 
publication.  An  1,120-line  ad 
carried  copy  reading  in  part: 
"You  are  the  hero  at  the 
movies.  The  movies  are  good 
entertainment.  Good  for  you 
and  good  for  the  whole  fam- 
ily." 

The  ad  cited  as  forthcom- 
ing films,  "Reign  of  Terror," 
"Beautiful  Blonde  from  Bash- 
ful Bend"  and  "Colorado  Ter- 
ritory." Idea  was  instigated, 
it  is  understood,  by  Bill 
Hollander,  B.  and  K.  ad  chief. 


Forrestal  Is  Named 
Aniline  Vice-Pres. 

BiNGHAMPTON,  N.  Y.,  May  30. — 
James  Forrestal  has  been  elected  vice- 
president  of  General  Aniline  and  Film 
Corp.  in  charge  of  both  the  Ansco 
Film  and  Ozalid  divisions.  He  suc- 
ceeds E.  A.  Williford  whose  resigna- 
tion recently  was  accepted. 

Forrestal  joined  Ansco  in  1933. 


Two  More  Drive-ins 
For  the  Midwest 

Chicago,  May  30.— The  Manta- 
Rose  circuit  has  opened  the  Hammond 
41  outdoor  theatre.  This  is  the  third 
drive-in  for  the  circuit,  and  accommo- 
dates 1,000  cars. 

Another  outdoor,  the  Keno,  in  Ke- 
nosha, Wise,  also  has  opened,  oper- 
ated by  Connie  Pappas  and  also  ac- 
commodates 1,000  cars. 


Two  More  Ochs  Drive-ins 

Toronto,  May  30. — The  Ochs  in- 
terests of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  are  com- 
pleting two  more  drive-ins  in  Ontario, 
at  Belleville  and  at  Kingston.  They 
'are  scheduled  to  open  Wednesday.  The 
same  group  has  auto  theatres  at 
Toronto,  Peterboro,  Oshawa  and 
Ottawa. 


Loewenthal  To  Make  3 

Mexico  City,  May  30.  —  Rodolfo 
Loewenthal,  producer,  and  the  Churu- 
busco  Studios  here  have  combined  to 
make  three  pictures  this  year.  The 
first,  now  in  production,  stars  Carlos 
Lopez  Montezuma,  winner  of  the  1948 
prize  as  the  best  Mexican  dramatic 
actor. 


Ideal  Elects  Officers 

Ideal  Pictures,  national  distributor 
of  16mm  films  and  a  subsidiary  of  Es- 
quire, Inc.,  has  elected  officers  as  fol- 
lows :  David  A.  Smart,  board  chair- 
man ;  A.  L.  Blinder,  president ;  Ells- 
worth C.  Dent  and  Paul  Foght,  vice- 
presidents  ;  Lester  Petchaft,  treasurer ; 
Don  Moller,  secretary. 


Cities  Fail  to  Levy  Tax 

Nashville,  May  30. — No  move  has 
yet  been  made  by  Tennessee  cities  to 
levy  the  two  per  cent  amusement  tax 
made  available  to  local  authorities 
when  the  state  legislature  reduced  the 
tax  from  four  per  cent  to  two.  Re- 
ceipts under  the  tax  would  range  from 
$30,000  to  $75,000  annually  in  major 
cities. 


Reviews 


"Johnny  Allegro" 

(  Columbia) 

'  T  0H^.NY  ALLEGRO"  is  a  polished  melodrama,  full  of  familiar  in- 

«J  gredients,  but  always  touched  with  excitement.  George  Raft,  Nina  Foch 
and  George  Macready  provide  the  triangle  around  which  the  melodramatic 
and  frequently  violent  events  rotate.  The  film  warrants  good  playing  time 
in  those  situations  which  are  receptive  to  hard-boiled  adventures  of  this  kind. 

Raft,  in  the  title  role,  portrays  an  old-time  underworld  character  who  has 
registered  a  good  service  record  in  the  war  and  now  operates  a  swank 
florist  shop.  As  it  develops,  Federal  authorities  are  following  a  mysterious 
lady  who  is  the  suspected  key  to  a  huge  counterfeit  ring.  Since  this  lady, 
Miss  Foch,  has  already  gotten  to  know  Raft,  the  authorities  decide  to  enlist 
his  aid  to  get  at  the  center  of  the  ring.  Raft  is  allowed  to  help  Miss  Foch 
in  a  getaway,  and  there  follows  a  flight  by  air  and  sea  until  an  island  hideout 
is  reached  in  the  Caribbean  Sea.  It  is  here  that  Macready,  Miss  Foch's 
husband  and  master  of  the  island,  is  introduced.  A  man  of  cultured  tastes 
and  sadistic  impulses,  he  loves  to  toy  menacingly  with  a  bow  and  arrow. 
Eventually,  it  is  learhed  that  Macready  is  in  cahoots  with  a  foreign  power 
to  flood  this  country  with  worthless  money.  But  it  is  inevitable  that  he 
discovers  Raft's  true  identity,  and  when  this  finally  happens*  the  film  reaches 
its  climax  in  a  primitive  game  of  hunter  and  hunted. 

The  screenplay,  by  Karen  DeWolf  and  Guy  Endore,  pads  out  the  action 
with  a  series  of  melodramatic  events,  ending  in  Macready's  death.  The  finale 
has  a  Coast  Guard  rescue  of  Raft  and  Miss  Foch  from  the  island  and  the 
pair  setting  out  to  face  the  future  together.  Irving  Starr  produced,  from  the 
story  by  James  Edward  Grant ;  Ted  Tetzlaff  directed. 

Running  time,  81  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  June  release. 

Mandel  Herbstman 

"Mighty  Joe  Young" 

(Arko  Productions — RKO  Radio) 

1  T  looks  as  though  RKO  Radio  has  the  exploitation  picture  of  the  year  in 
1  "Mighty  Joe  Young,"  a  John  Ford-Merian  C.  Cooper  presentation  about 
a  gigantic,  50-foot-tall  African  gorilla's  adventures  as  a  Hollywood  nightclub 
entertainer. 

A  gargantuan  frolic  in  the  realm  of  serio-comic  impossibility,  this  Arko 
Production  received  from  director  Ernest  B.  Schoedsack  a  most  appropriate 
tongue-in-cheek  treatment.  Witness  these  sample  incidents :  the  anthropoid 
hero  of  the  title  having  a  good  time  for  himself  dunking  Primo  Camera  like 
a  doughnut  into  a  pool  on  the  super-colossal  nightclub's  stage;  the  gorilla 
wrecking  the  joint  like  a  nightclub  has  never  before  been  wrecked  by  a 
gorilla  on  a  binge;  "Mighty  Joe"  winning  with  ease  a  tug-of-war  with  10 
of  the  country's  famous  strong  men;  a  nocturnal  highway  chase  between  the 
police  and  a  big  truck  which  is  used  in  an  attempt  to  get  the  gorilla  back 
to  Africa  safely  after  the  animal's  nightclub  rampage ;  "Mighty  Joe"  vindi- 
cating himself  by  performing  spectacular  rescue  work  in  an  equally  spectacu- 
lar orphanage  fire. 

Of  course,  it  is  all  done  with  a  trick  camera  and  processed  shots,  as  was 
the  case  in  making  "King  Kong."  In  this  one,  technical  creator  Willis' O'Brien 
gives  a  good  account  of  his  capabilities  in  making  the  huge  mechanical  beast 
perform  like  a  living  creature.  The  story,  briefly,  has  famous  nightclub  owner 
Robert  Armstrong  persuade  pretty  African  farm  girl  Terry  Moore  to  let 
him  feature  her  and  her  pet,  "Mighty  Joe,"  in  his  new  club.  Although  appre- 
hensive, she  agrees,  and  the  consequences  are  as  outlined  above.  In  the  end 
Miss  Terry,  cowboy  Ben  Johnson  with  whom  she  falls  in  love,  and  "Mighty 
Joe,"  who_  can  toss  lions  around  as  though  they  were  kittens,  return  to 
Africa  to  live  happily  ever  after.  The  cast  is  rounded  out  by  Frank  McHugh, 
Douglas  Fowley,  Denis  Green,  Paul  Guilfoyle,  Nestor  Paiva,  Regis  Toomey, 
Lora  Lee  Michel  and  James  Flavin.  The  picture  has  plenty  of  laughs,  plenty 
of  thrills,  and,  viewing  it  as  an  exploitation  "natural,"  it  should  do  plenty 
of  business. 

Running  time,  94  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  August 
release.  Charles  L.  Franke 


Minneapolis  Owners 
Seek  Clearance  Cut 

Minneapolis,  May  30.— A  group  of 
independents  in  this  area  contemplate 
making  demands  for  clearance  running 
from  seven  to  14  and  21  days,  while 
the  Engler  brothers,  at  Hopkins, 
seven  miles  west  of  the  Loop,  are  con- 
sidering asking  for  first-run  day-and- 
date  with  the  Loop. 


FCC  Cancels  WB-TV  Bid 

Washington,  May  30. — Acting  on 
the  request  of  Warner  Brothers,  the 
Federal  Communications  Commission 
Friday  dismissed  "without  prejudice" 
the  film  company's  application  for  a 
Chicago  television  station.  Warners 
said  lengthy  delays  in  getting  action 
on  its  application  led  to  the  decision 
to  withdraw. 


Wakely  Unit  To  Tour 

Hollywood,  May  30.  —  Jimmy 
Wakely,  Monogram  Western  star,  has 
assembled  a  complete  unit  of  Western 
acts  which  he  will  head  on  a  cross- 
country tour  starting  June  25  at  the 
Municipal  Auditorium,  Kansas  City. 
Unit  includes  Wakely's  Saddle  Pals, 
instrumentalists ;  his  horse,  Sonny; 
Smokey  and  Henry,  Western  comedy 
team;  Dick  Thomas,  songster,  and 
Patsy  Montana  and  Her  Cowgirls. 


Claim  Loew's  Infringed 

Loew's  has  been  named  defendant  in 
an  infringement  action  filed  in  U.  S. 
District  Court  here  by  George  B. 
Dowell  and  Helen  Lowenthal  who 
charge  the  company  used  a  common- 
law  copyrighted  play  of  theirs  in  the 
making  of  "Three  Wise  Fools."  Ac- 
counting of  profits  is  sought. 


Two-City  Premiere 
For  20th's  'Spring' 


Pittsburgh,  May  30. — Twentieth 
Century-Fox's  "It  Happens  Every 
Spring"  opened  here  Friday  at  the  J. 
P.  Harris  Theatre  with  the  film's 
stars,  Linda  Darnell,  Paul  Douglas  and 
Jean  Peters,  flying  in  from  St.  Louis, 
where  they  had  participated  in  a  three- 
day  buildup  of  the  premiere  there. 
The  picture  will  open  this  week  in  62 
theatres  in  Illinois,  Kentucky  and 
Missouri. 

The  St.  Louis  send-off  was  a  civic 
affair,  with  the  Hollywood  contingent 
launching  the  city's  Poppy  drive. 
They  were  guests  of  the  Cardinals  at 
Sportsmen's  Park,  and  were  hosts  at 
a  cocktail  party  attended  by  civic 
notables  and  representatives  of  the 
press  from  cities  as  widely  separated 
as  Houston  in  the  South  and  the  At- 
lantic Coast. 


'Joan'  Ahead  25%  in 
High-Scale  RKO  Run 

Multiple  booking  of  Walter  Wang- 
er's  "Joan  of  Arc"  in  the  RKO 
Metropolitan  New  York  circuit  of  34 
theatres  at  advanced  scales  resulted  in 
an  overall  increase  of  25  per  cent 
above  normal  business  for  the  five- 
day  run  ended  Saturday  night. 

Admissions  were  under  average  but 
more  than  compensating  for  this  were 
the  uniform  roadshow  prices,  76  cents 
to  six  P.M.  and  $1.20  for  evenings, 
which  represent  an  increase  of  about 
60  per  cent  over  regular  scales.  Last 
increased  admission-film  to  play  the 
circuit  was  "Best  Years  of  Our 
Lives,"  about  two  years  ago. 

It  is  said  here  that  "Joan"  revenue 
at  the  RKO  theatres  was  about  25 
per  cent  under  the  "Best  Years"  mark 
but  that  the  marked  change  in  gen- 
eral economic  conditions  makes  the 
comparison  more  favorable  than  the 
figures  alone  would  indicate. 


Fred  Stanley,  58, 
Hollywood  Writer 

Hollywood,  May  30. — Fred  Stanley, 
58,  publicist,  journalist  and  screen 
writer,  died  last  Thursday  at  the  Bur- 
bank  Hospital,  following  a  heart  at- 
tack. He  came  to  Hollywood  to  join 
First  National  as  a  publicist  and 
scenarist  in  1923  after  a  career  on 
Boston  and  New  England  newspapers, 
later  joining  Columbia  as  director  of 
publicity  and  advertising,  and  was 
New  York  Times  Hollywood  corre- 
spondent from  1943  to  1946. 

Stanley  was  on  a  leave  of  absence 
from  the  M-G-M  publicity  depart- 
ment, due  to  bad  health,  when  he  was 
stricken.  The  widow,  a  son,  daughter 
and  sister  survive. 


Jack  Goodman  Rites 
In  Winchester  Today 

Boston,  May  30. — Funeral  services 
for  Jack  Goodwin,  district  manager 
for  New  England  Theatres  arid  for- 
merly associated  with  Comerford  The- 
atres in  Pennsylvania,  will  be  held 
at  Kelly  and  Hawes  Funeral  Home, 
Winchester,  Mass.,  tomorrow.  He 
died  of  a  heart  attack  on  Friday. 


Famous  Players  Dividend 

Ottawa,  May  30.  —  Famous  Play- 
ers Corp.,  Ltd.,  declared  a  dividend  of 
25  cents  per  share  on  common  stock 
payable  June  25  to  shareholders  of 
record  on  June  10. 


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Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  May  31,  194S 


Quota  Attack 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

called  on  Acheson  to  formally  protest 
the  British  film  quota  to  the  British 
government  and  to  insist  that  the  Brit- 
ish negotiate  with  our  government  or 
reduce  or  eliminate  the  quota.  The 
letter  said  that  Article  Four  of  the 
General  Agreement  on  Tariffs  and 
Trade  specifically  provides  for  such 
negotiations. 
_  The  Downey-Knowland  letter  is 
similar  to  one  sent  to  Acheson  last 
week  by  Rep.  King,  California  Demo- 
crat and  head  of  a  committee  appoint- 
ed by  California  House  members  to 
get  action  on  the  film  quota. 

The  California  Senators  in  their  let- 
er  said  that  the  British  attitude  has 
"seriously  damaged  the  cause  of  re- 
ciprocal trade,"  and  that  the  British 
stand  "is  singular  evidence  of  a  spirit 
of  non-cooperation."  The  letter 
termed  the  quota  "highly  restrictive" 
and  "directed  against  American  mo- 
tion pictures." 

It  said  the  British  reply  to  the  State 
Department  was  "most  unsatisfactory 
and  clearly  reveals  the  British  inten- 
tion not  to  abide  by  the  spirit  and  pur- 
pose of  solemn  obligations  under  in- 
ternational agreements." 

As  did  King,  Downey  and  Know- 
land  attacked  the  British  government 
for  trying  to  "evade"  the  quota  issue 
by  suggesting  that  government  action 
be  held  up  pending  the  outcome  of  the 
meetings  of  the  Anglo-American  Film 
Council.  "Private  industry  can  do 
nothing  about  the  quota,"  they  wrote. 
"This  is  a  governmental  matter.  Only 
the  British  government  can  provide 
relief  from  its  onerous  provisions.  The 
British  government  is  responsible,  and 
no  evasive  words  can  shift  that 
responsibility." 


Ontario  Censors 
Put  UK  Films  First 


Counters  UK 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Merrill  C.  Gay.  O'Hara  informed 
the  State  Department  officials  of  the 
postponement  of  the  Council  meeting. 

Brown,  Gay  and  O'Hara  discussed 
various  possibilities  of  action  for  the 
Department,  following  the  British  re- 
ply. The  Department  is  still  studying 
the  answer. 

Meanwhile,  the  State  Department 
forwarded  to  Johnston  official  notice 
of  the  British  answer.  A  letter  from 
Acting  Secretary  Webb  outlined  the 
terms  of  the  British  position.  The 
letter  was  virtually  identical  with  one 
sent  Rep.  Cecil  King,  California 
Democrat,  and  released  by  him  last 
Thursday. 


Johnston  and  Wilson 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


tend  a  dinner  in  Toronto  tonight  in 
Wilson's  honor,  and  is  staying  over  to- 
morrow to  address  the  Canadian  Club. 

Asked  if  there  would  be  any  attempt 
to  set  up  a  formal  meeting  on  film 
problems,  an  MPAA  official  said  he 
did  not  know  about  any  formal  meet- 
ing "but  they'll  see  each  other  at  the 
dinner  at  least,  and  I  assume  they'll 
say  more  than  'hello'." 

Johnston  will  return  to  New  York 
on  Wednesday  and  will  return  to 
Washington  from  there. 


Johnston  to  Northwest 

Washington,  May  30. — MPAA 
president  Eric  Johnston  plans  to  be 
in  the  Pacific  Northwest  late  in  June 
and  may  swing  down  to  Hollywood, 
MPAA  officials  said. 

He  will  speak  at  the  Kiwanis  con- 
vention at  Chicago  on  June  23. 


_  Toronto,  May  30— British  and  for 
eign  films  are  praised  and  Holly 
wood's  product  covertly  censured  in 
the  annual  report  of  Ontario's  Motion 
Picture  Censorship  and  Theatre  In- 
spection branch. 

The  report  said  British-made  films 
were  "mature  in  outlook,  socially  sig- 
nificant and  highly  entertaining. 
Technically  they  are  on  a  high  plane, 
with  detail  work  and  color  outstand- 
ing.'^ 

British  producers  displayed  a  "sense 
of  responsibility  in  producing  at  con- 
siderable cost  a  great  number  of  short 
subjects  to  meet  demands  for  chil- 
dren's entertainment,"  the  report  stat- 
ed. Increased  popularity  of  the  foreign 
film  was  due  to  elements  of  appeal  not 
usually  found  in  Hollywood  products. 
"European  dramas  are  unusually 
realistic,"  it  was  said. 

The  board  of  censors  reviewed  606 
motion  pictures  from  the  United 
States,  Great  Britain  and  Continental 
Europe.  About  25  per  cent  required 
cutting  before  being  exhibited.  One 
subject  was  rejected  entirely. 


2  New  Posts 

(Continued  from  Page  1) 


tors  throughout  the  country  and  at  the 
same  time  facilitate  branch  operations 
in  the  way  of  sales  and  liquidation. 

Wirthwein  will  have  headquarters 
in  Los  Angeles.  He  spent  20  years 
with  Paramount.  His  last  position 
was  Mid-Western  division  manager, 
with  headquarters  in  Kansas  City.  He 
will  have  supervision  over  Los  An- 
geles, San  Francisco,  Seattle,  St. 
Louis,  Des  Moines,  Omaha,  Denver, 
Salt  Lake  City,  Milwaukee,  Kansas 
City  and  Portland. 

Goldhammer,  who  was  formerly 
Western  sales  manager,  will  have 
headquarters  in  New  York,  with 
supervision  over  Albany,  Boston,  Buf- 
falo, Cincinnati,  Cleveland,  Detroit, 
Chicago,  Indianapolis,  Minneapolis, 
New  Haven,  New  York,  Philadelphia, 
Pittsburgh  and  Washington. 


Monogram  Net  Loss 
Up  for  2nd  Quarter 

Hollywood,  May  30. — Operations 
of  Monogram  and  its  subsidiaries  for 
the  29  weeks  ending  June  2  resulted 
in  a  loss  of  $511,663  before  federal  in- 
come taxes.  This  compares  with  a 
loss  of  $295,646  for  the  same  period 
of  the  previous  year. 

The  consolidated  net  loss  after  cred- 
it for  refund  of  Federal  income  taxes 
amounted  to  $463,090,  which  compares 
to  $97,899  in  the  preceding  year.  Gross 
income,  after  eliminating  inter-com- 
pany transactions,  was  reported  at 
$7,724,788,  as  compared  with  $6,590,- 
540  for  the  previous  year. 


Tax  Cut  Prospects 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


gencies  that  can  influence  the  Admin- 
istration's attitude  toward  tax  cutting. 

For  example,  Sullivan  said,  if  the 
current  Foreign  Ministers'  meeting  in 
Paris  were  to  bring  about  improved 
relations  between  the  East  and  the 
West,  America's  defense  budget  of 
$30,000,000,000  might  be  considered 
eligible  for  trimming  to  the  point 
where  excise  cuts  would  be  in  order 
perhaps  before  1951. 

The  present  session  of  Congress, 
like  the  previous  one,  has  seen  the 
introduction  of  a  large  number  of  bills 
providing  for  elimination  of  the 
emergency  admission  tax.  However, 
it  is  commonly  accepted,  Sullivan  said, 
that  such  measures  will  not  meet  with 
favorable  Congressional  action  while 
the  Administration  withholds  approval 
of  excise  tax  cuts. 


Stock  Deals 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


New  Selznick  Firm 

(Continued  from  page  1 ) 


Deneau,  SRO  distribution  vice-presi- 
dent. 

From  offices  in  the  principal  Cana- 
dian exchange  cities,  Selznick  Alliance 
will  handle  the  release  of  all  films  for 
which  SRO  holds  Canadian  distribu- 
tion rights,  as  well  as  the  product  of 
Alliance  Films,  which  in  the  past  has 
handled  key  foreign  films  and  reissues. 

Joseph  Marks,  Canadian  sales  man- 
ager for  SRO,  will  be  the  general 
manager  of  the  new  company,  which 
will  have  headquarters  in  Toronto. 


counts  for  a  total  of  19,057.  Joseph 
A.  McConville  bought  236  shares  for 
a  total  of  400,  while  A.  Schneider 
bought  300  shares  for  a  total  of  10,028. 
Henry  Crown  reported  he  owned  1,000 
common  shares  and  5001  preferred 
when  he  became  a  Columbia  director 
on  April  4. 

The  three  Warners  brothers  con 
tinued  making  large  gifts  of  their  com 
pany's  stock.  Harry  M.  Warner  gave 
away  shares,  dropping  his  to- 
tal to  265,750  shares ;  his  trust  account 
holds  16,000  more.  Jack  L.  Warner 
sjave  away  5,000  shares,  dropping  his 
holdings  to  421,500;  trust  accounts 
hold  another  21,500  shares.  Albert 
Warner  gave  away  3,300  shares  and 
bought  200,  dropping  his  personal 
holdings  to  441,800;  there  are  21,000 
in  his  trust. 

Charles  D.  Prutzman  gave  away 
warrants  for  1,000  shares  of  Universal 
common ;  at  the  end  of  the  period,  he 
had  6,100  shares  and  warrants  for 
20,250. 

Herbert _J.  Yates  bought  1,000  shares 
of  Republic  preferred,  and  Arthur  J. 
Miller,  100  shares,  their  total  pre- 
ferred holdings.  Yates  owns  79,331 
common   shares,    Miller    100  shares. 

Harry  Brandt  bought  1,400  shares 
of  Translux  common  and  the  Brandt 
Foundation  bought  2,000  shares.  At 
the  end  of  the  period  Brandt  held  93,- 
615  shares,  his  wife,  14,700;  Broad- 
vork.  Inc.,  1,000:  Harday,  Inc.,  1,400, 
and  the  Brandt  Foundation,  2,800. 


MPAA  Mapping 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


2nd  5th-Walnut  Suit 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


damages  sought.  Filing  attorney  was 
Monroe  E.  Stein  of  New  York. 

The  new  action  was  described  as 
bringing  up  to  date  the  first  suit's 
charges,  including  one  of  conspiracy 
to  deprive  the  plaintiff's  National 
Theatre,  Louisville,  of  first-run  prod- 
uct. The  initial  action,  instituted  in 
1946,  carried  allegations  covering  a 
period  ending  with  that  year,  while 
the  new  litigation  covers  the  period 
between  1946  and  the  present. 

Last  March  14,  presiding  U.  S.  Cir- 
cuit Court  Judge  Augustus  N.  Hand 
and  associate  judges  Harrie  B.  Chase 
and  Charles  E.  Clark  reserved  deci- 
sion on  the  plaintiff's  appeal  of  Fed- 
eral Judge  Vincent  L.  Leibell's  deci- 
sion in  favor  of  the  defendants.  The 
Circuit  Court's  ruling  is  expected  to 
influence  the  future  conduct  of  other 
private  anti-trust  actions  in  the  in- 
dustry, as  it  may  determine  whether  a 
final  decree  in  the  industry's  anti-trust 
suit  can  be  used  in  private  actions. 


lations  campaign  conducted  by  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America,  although 
it  would  be  on  a  far  more  ambitious 
level.  It  would,  however,  employ  the 
TOA  idea  of  supplying  constructive 
information,  news  and  feature  copy  for 
local  "planting"  by  exhibitor  organiza- 
tions, individual  theatre  operators  and 
other  agencies  friendly  to  the  indus- 
try. 

In  addition,  speeches  or  material  for 
public  addresses  would  be  supplied  to 
the  same  agencies;  aid  would  be  pro- 
vided local  exhibitors  in  forming  film 
committees  consisting  of  representa- 
tives of  influential  civic  organizations 
in  their  communities  and  full  material 
for  answering  critics  of  the  industrv 
would  be  furnished. 

Organization  of  the  industry  public 
relations  network  might  be  patterned 
after  the  War  Activities  Committee, 
which  Harmon  directed  during  the 
war  years. 

See  Closer  Liaison 

The  trade  relations  phase  of  the 
program  would  call  for  closer  liaison 
between  the  several  branches  of  the 
industry  and  among  the  members  of 
each  branch.  Johnston  and  Harmon 
presumably  will  be  available  for  ex- 
hibitor meetings  around  the  country 
to  discuss  industry  problems  and  to 
answer  exhibitor  questions.  A  trade 
practice  plan  for  exhibition  also  is 
understood  to  be  a  possibility  within 
the  framework  of  the  program. 

Official  details  of  the  plan,  however, 
are_  not  available  yet  as  the  entire 
project  is  only  now  in  its  formative 
stage.  An  MPAA  announcement  re- 
leased for  publication  today  said  only 
that  "It  is  expected  that  in  the  fu- 
ture the  community  relations  of  the 
industry  will  be  exhibitor-centered  to 
a  far  greater  degree  than  in  the  past." 
Field  Posts  Dropped 

The  announcement  confirmed  that  in 
line  with  the  reorganization  of  the 
MPAA's  community  service  and  ex- 
hibitor relations  departments,  Irvin 
Deere,  Duke  Hickey  and  Alice  Field 
were  being  dropped  for  economy  rea- 
sons, their  field  posts  in  the  Midwest, 
Eastern  and  West  Coast  areas  being 
eliminated  and  their  functions  being 
shifted  to  New  York  under  Harmon 
Mrs.  Field  headed  the  MPAA  pre- 
viewing service  in  Hollywood  which, 
with  the  corresponding  service  oper- 
ated in  New  York,  represented  12 
national  organizations  cooperating 
with  the  MPAA.  Those  not  already 
functioning  in  New  York  have  agreed 
to  appoint  preview  committees  from 
the  New  York  area '  for  designated 
terms  of  service.  Preview  reports 
previously  published  both  in  Holly- 
wood and  New  York  will  emanate  ex- 
clusively from  here  after  July  1.  Mrs. 
Field  had  been  with  the  MPAA's 
Hollywood  office  for  20  years. 

Deere  has  been  working  out  of  Chi- 
cago for  15  years  and  Hickey  has 
had  a  roving  assignment  with  MPAA 
since  1942.  -Both  were  associated  with 
the  community  relations  department. 

Mills  to  Louisville 

Buffalo,  May  30.— Lloyd  Mills, 
manager  of  the  Midtown  Theatre 
here,  has  left  for  Louisville,  where  he 
will  open  a  district  office  for  Coastal 
Theatres,  operators  of 'the  Midtown. 


Keating  Promoted 

Albany,  N.  Y,  May  30.— Richard 
Keating  has  been  promoted  to  head 
booker  at  the  Paramount  office  here, 
succeeding  Peter  Holman,  who  re-- 
signed. 


IN 
FILM 

MP\a/C 
INC  WO 

■ 

MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

(Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 

r 

VOL.  65.  NO.  106 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  JUNE  1,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

90,097  Film 
Houses  in  the 
World:  U.  S. 


Increase  of  11,12  3, 
Or  14%  in  Two  Years 

Washington,  May  31.  —  There 
were  an  estimated  90,097  motion 
picture  theatres  operating  in  116 
countries  throughout  the  world  on 
Jan.  1,  1949,  an  increase  of  11,123, 
or  14.1  per  cent,  over  the  1947  esti- 
mated total  of  78,974  theatres,  the 
U.  S.  Commerce  Department  re- 
ported here  today. 

Approximately  72  per  cent  of 
all  features  shown  in  these  90,- 
097  theatres  were  U.  S.  pro- 
ductions. 

The  report,  made  by  film  chief  Na- 
than D.  Golden,  said  that  part  of  this 
increase,  especially  in  Europe  and  the 
Far  East,  represented  reopening  of 
theatres  closed  by  the  war,  but  that 

(Continued  on  page  4) 

NewUA,OdeonDeals 
In  View;  Sears  Back 

Gradwell  L.  Sears,  president  of 
United  Artists,  has  returned  to  New 
York  from  London,  where  he  and  Ar- 
thur W.  Kelly,  executive  vice-presi- 
dent, undertook  to  gain  additional 
bookings  in  the  J.  Arthur_  Rank-con- 
trolled Odeon  circuit  in  which  UA  has 
substantial,  but  non-voting  stock  in- 
terests. That  they  met  with  some  suc- 
cess was  indicated,  but  Sears  was  not 
available  for  comment.  Kelly  is  now 
on  the  Continent. 

Denied  at  the  home  office  here  were 
reports  from  London  that  the  UA 
chiefs  had  entered  into  discussions 
with  the  Rank  interests  on  the  sale  of 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


E-L  Sale  Talks  Are 
'Very  Much  Alive9 

Notwithstanding  the  absence  of  de- 
velopments since  negotiations  for  Ed- 
ward Small's  purchase  of  Eagle-Lion 
were  transferred  here  from  the  Coast 
nearly  three  weeks  ago,  one  of  the 
principals  in  the  discussions  yesterday 
described  the  negotiations  as  "very 
much  alive." 

Most  of  the  business  in  connection 
with  the  negotiations  is  being  carried 
on  by  telephone  among  officials  of 
Pathe  Industries  here  and  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Boston  executives  who 
will  decide  whether  control  of  E-L, 
Pathe  subsidiary,  will  go  to  Small. 


First  Runs  StiU  Off; 
,000  for  'Tulsa' 


New  York  first-run  business  con- 
tinues sluggish  for  the  most  part.  The 
long  weekend  was  credited  with  only 
a  minor  assist.  Theatremen  in  the 
Broadway  area  are  said  to  be  giving 
some  thought  to  new  cuts  in  admission 
scales  as  a  possible  answer  to  box- 
office  doldrums  but  definite  decision  on 
this  has  yet  to  be  reported.  Only 
change  so  far  is  the  re-scaling  at  the 
Park  where  beginning  today  more 
lower-priced  seats  will  be  added  but 
with  roadshow  prices  to  be  continued. 

"Tulsa"  is  going  fairly  well  at  the 
Capitol  where  the  first  week,  with 
Eddy  Howard  and  Marilyn  Maxwell 
on  stage,  probably  will  result  in  a 
gross  of  $60,000.  "Beautiful  Blonde 
from  Bashful  Bend"  with  Al  Bernie 
topping  the  stage  show  at  the  Roxy 
should  provide  a  moderately  healthy 
first  week's  take  of  $78,000.  "The 
Younger  Brothers"  with  Bobby 
Byrne's  orchestra  on  stage  should 
give  the  Strand  about  $37,000. 

Second  week  of  vaudeville  at  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


MGM  Cuts  Clearance 
In  Three  Ohio  Towns 


Cleveland,  May  31 — M-G-M  has 
reduced  clearances  in  at  least  three 
known  situations  in  this  area,  namely 
at  Lorain,  East  Liverpool  and  San- 
dusky. In  Lorain,  clearance  to  the 
Lorain  and  Dreamland  theatres  has 
been  reduced  from  54  days  to  35.  In 
East  Liverpool,  the  clearance  of  the 
Ceramic  Theatre  over  subsequent-run 
houses,  is  reduced  from  60  days  to  42, 
while  in  Sandusky  Warners'  first-run 
clearance  of  60  days  over  subsequent- 
runs  has  been  reduced  to  28  days. 


Two  Exhibitor  Meets 
In  Tenn.  This  Month 

Memphis,  May  31.— Two  ex- 
hibitor associations  will  hold 
conventions  in  Tennessee 
during  June.  The  Tennessee 
Theatre  Owners  Association 
will  meet  at  the  Hotel  Patten, 
Chattanooga,  on  June  10,  and 
the  Allied  Independent  The- 
atre Owners  of  the  Mid- 
South  will  convene  at  the 
Hotel  Chisca  here  on  June 
28-29. 

Theatre  Owners  of  America 
executive  director  Gael  Sulli- 
van will  be  the  principal 
speaker  at  the  Chattanooga 
meeting.  Trade  practices, 
16mm.  competition  and  taxa- 
tion problems  will  be  dis- 
cussed at  both  conventions. 


20th's  Philadelphia 
Plan  Grosses  Mount 


Twentieth  Century-Fox's  earlier 
runs  plan  in  Philadelphia  has  made  it 
possible  for  "Mr.  Belvedere  Goes  to 
college"  to  out-gross  "The  Snake  Pit" 
and  "Sitting  Pretty"  by  more  than 
20  per  cent  in  that  city,  the  company 
reported  here  yesterday  following  the 
first  five  days'  application  of  the  Phil- 
adelphia plan. 

Compared  with  the  other  two  pic- 
tures, both  being  previous  high  gross- 
ers,  "Belvedere"  grossed  from  $1,000 
to  $5,000  more  over  the  five-day  peri- 
od in  a  majority  of  the  Philadelphia 
theatres,  the  company  said. 

"The  new  distribution  plan  has  done 
everything  we  expected  of  it,"  A.  W. 
Smith,  Jr.,  20th-Fox  distribution  vice- 
president,  declared  here  yesterday. 


Precedent  Is  Threatened 
In  FTC  'Blimp '  Decision 


Wilson  Wants  More 
UK  Films  in  Canada 


Toronto,  May  31. — Harold  Wilson, 
president  of  the  British  Board  of 
Trade,  concluded  his  Canadian  tour 
last  night  with  an  address  before  the 
Canadian  Board  of  Trade  in  which  he 
called  for  increased  outlets  in  the  do- 
minion for  British  films.  This  was  his 
only  reference  to  the  industry.  He 
said  his  Canadian  visit  was  only  for 
"fact  finding." 

Eric  A.  Johnston,  president  of  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Washington,  May  31. — A  Federal 
Trade  Commission  trial  examiner  has 
recommended  to  the  full  Commission 
a  proposed  order  that  United  Artists 
cease  and  desist  from  distributing  or 
advertising  "Colonel  Blimp"  in  any 
abridged  version  without  clearly  dis- 
closing that  the  film  is  a  cut  version. 

If  the  order  is  upheld  by  the  full 
Commission,  it  can  have  wide  effect 
on  film  advertising,  for  while  directed 
to  the  one  film,  the  order  would  serve 
as  a  precedent  for  all  films. 

Examiner  Abner  E.  Lipscomb  ruled 
that  UA's  methods  of  advertising  a 
cut  version  of  "Blimp"  led  many  peo- 
ple to  believe  that  it  was  the  full,  un- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Trend  Toward 
Earlier  Runs 
For  Drive-ins 


May  Move  Up  to  First 
Chicago  Availability 

Distribution  executives  and  attor- 
neys are  taking  a  dim  view  of  com- 
plaints of  exhibitor  organizations — 
Iowa-Nebraska  Allied  was  the  most 
recent— against  early  runs  for  com- 
petitive drive-in  houses. 

While  not  committ'ing  themselves 
to  any  blanket  policy,  film  company 
spokesmen  here  maintain  they  are 
called  upon  under  court  order  to  sell 
in  non-discriminatory  manner  and  if 
the  drive-in  represents  a  bigger  money 
outlet  than  the  competitive  conven- 
tional house,  the  drive-in  is  issued  the 
earlier  license. 

In  some  instances  the  open  houses 
actually  have  successfully  bid  against 
regular  theatres,  but  this  is  only  in 
smaller  towns  so  far.    In  Ocean  City, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Allied  Board  Wary 
Of  20th-Fox  Plan 


Dallas,  May  31.— The  Allied 
States  Association  national  board 
recommended  a  "wait  and  see  policy" 
in  regard  to  the  recent  20th  Century- 
Fox  proposed  increase  in  film  rentals 
at  a  meeting  here  today  held  in  con- 
junction with  a  Texas  ATO  conven- 
tion. The  board  also  reaffirmed  pre- 
vious stands  on  competitive  bidding 
and  behavior  of  film  stars. 

In  a  resolution  the  board  urged  re- 
gional ATO  organizations  to  follow 
the  20th-Fox  plan  closely  in  order  to 
take  any  action  deemed  necessary, 
again  voiced  opposition  to  competitive 
bidding  and  added  a  recommendation 
that  in  instances  where  pictures  are 
sold  by  bids  those  bids  should  be  open 
for  inspection.  The  Finnernan  Plan, 
proposed  by  independents  some  months 
ago,  was  reaffirmed  by  the  board  with 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


William  Hebert  Quits 
Goldwyn  Studio  Post 

Hollywood,  May  31.  —  William 
Hebert,  advertising-publicity  director 
for  Samuel  Goldwyn  studio,  has  re- 
signed his  post,  effective  this  week, 
with  both  Goldwyn  and  Hebert  term- 
ing the  separation  as  "amicable." 
Charles  Spangler,  Hebert's  assistant, 
has  been  appointed  acting  director ; 
Hebert  will  vacation  in  Honolulu  be- 
i  fore  announcing  his  plans. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  June  1,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


MARVIN  H.  SCHENCK,  Loew's 
vice-president,  left  New  York 
yesterday  for  Hollywood,  where  he 
will  make  his  headquarters  at  the 
Culver  City  studios. 

• 

Barney  Balaban,  A.  W.  Schwal- 
berg,  Ted  O'Shea,  Oscar  Morgan, 
Max  Youngstein,  Fred  Leroy,  Jo- 
seph Walsh  and  Richard  Morgan 
were  among  Paramount  executives 
who  returned  from  Paramount  studio 
conferences  in  Hollywood  yesterday. 
• 

Albert  Mannheimer,  Jr.,  returned 
to  the  Coast  Sunday  after  coming  to 
New  York  to  attend  services  for  his 
father,  the  late  Albert  Mannheimer, 
who  was  director  of  exchange  opera- 
tions for  Film  Classics. 

• 

L.  E.  Goldhammer,  Allied  Artists- 
Monogram  Eastern  sales  manager, 
will  leave  New  York  today  for  Phila- 
delphia. 

• 

Sidney  Garfield,  Warner  publicist, 
and  Mrs.  Garfield  became  the  par- 
ents of  their  second  child,  a  girl,  born 
Sunday  at  Jewish  Hospital,  Brooklyn. 
• 

Paul  Schumach  of  Metropolitan 
Photo  Service  and  Adele  Becker  of 
Cinema  Circuit  and  Jewish  Theatrical 
Guild  were  married  here  on  Saturday. 
• 

H.  M.  Richey,  M-G-M  exhibitor 
relations  head,  left  New  York  yester- 
day for  Dallas  where  he  will  attend 
the  meeting  of  Texas  Allied. 

Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president  of 
20th  Century-Fox,  is  due  here  from 
the  Coast  tomorrow.  He  will  leave  for 
Europe  in  about  a  week. 

• 

Frank  Young,  United  Artists  office 
manager  at  Chicago,  has  resigned  after 
serving  27  years  with  the  company. 

Robert  Goodfried,  Eagle-Lion  pub- 
licist, is  in  San  Francisco  from  Holly- 
wood. 


N.  Y.  Variety  Club 
To  Open  on  Friday 

A  ribbon-cutting  ceremony 
on  Friday  at  five  will  open 
the  Variety  Club  of  New 
York,  in  the  Astor  Hotel,  with 
Max  Cohen,  local  circuit  op- 
erator, and  first  president  of 
the  new  branch  of  Variety 
International,  presiding. 
Large-scale  induction  cere- 
monies will  not  be  held  until 
October. 


Alexander  Reh,  WB's 
Mastbaum  Manager 

Philadelphia,  May  31. — Alexan- 
der Reh,  manager  of  Warners'  Mast- 
baum Theatre  here,  died  at  his  home 
in  Upper  Darby,  yesterday.  Reh,  who 
was  born  in  New  York  City,  came  to 
Philadelphia  with  his  family  as  a  boy. 
He  joined  the  Stanley  Company  in 
1918,  then  became  associated  with 
Warner  Brothers  when  they  absorbed 
Stanley. 

Reh  leaves  a  widow,  Mabel,  two 
sons,  a  mother  and  two  brothers. 
Funeral  services  will  be  held  Thurs- 
day at  Oliver  H.  Bair's,  Philadelphia. 
Burial  will  be  in  Arlington  Cemetery, 
Drexel  Hill. 


Mitchell  Pantzer 
Files  NSS  Suit 

Hollywood,  May  31. — Mitchell 
Pantzer,  operating  the  Independent 
Poster  Exchange,  Philadelphia,  has 
started  suit  alleging  libel,  in  the  Fed- 
eral District  court  in  New  York  City 
against  Herman  Robbins,  president  of 
National  Screen  Service  Corp.,  asking 
$500,000  damages. 

Pantzer,  who  is  also  president  of 
the  Independent  Poster  Exchanges  of 
America,  stated :  "In  my  capacity  as 
president  of  the  Independent  Poster 
Exchanges  of  America,  I  had  written 
National  Screen,  objecting  to  exces- 
sive increases  and  charges  demanded 
of  the  independent  poster  men,  for 
standard  accessory  advertising  mate- 
rial, which  National  holds  under  ex- 
clusive production  and  distribution 
rights  for  most  of  the  film  producing 
companies. 

"In  reply,"  said  Pantzer,  "Robbins 
wrote  a  letter  to  members  of  the  In- 
dependent Poster  Exchanges  of  Amer- 
ica. In  this  letter,  Robbins  villifies 
and  libels  me  with  statements  that 
have-  absolutely  no  foundation  of 
truth." 


National  Screen  Service  officials 
here  declined  to  comment  yesterday 
on  the  Pantzer  suit. 


Legion  Gives  French 
Film  a  'C  Rating 

National  Legion  of  Decency  has 
given  the  French  film,  "Devil  in  the 
Flesh"  (A.F.E.  Corp.),  a  Class  C 
rating. 

Other  rated  this  week  by  the  Le- 
gion are:  "All  Over  Town,"  J.  Ar- 
thur Rank-UI,  and  "Frontier  Investi- 
gator," Republic,  both  placed  in  Class 
A,  Section  I ;  "Any  Number  Can 
Play,"  M-G-M,  and  "Roughshod," 
RKO,  both  in  Class  A,  Section  II; 
"The  Big  Cat,"  Eagle-Lion,  and  "Lust 
for  Gold,"  Columbia,  both  in 
Class  B. 


di  Lorenzo  Dead  at  26 

Hartford,  May  31. — Joseph  di  Lo- 
renzo, .26,  formerly  Connecticut  dis- 
trict manager  for  Daly  Theatres 
Corp.,  of  Hartford,  has  been  found 
dead  in  his  hotel  room  here. 


MPS  Gets  'PagliaccV 

Neil  Agnew,  Motion  Picture  Sales 
Corp.  president,  now  in  Europe,  has 
concluded  a  deal  for  Western  Hemi- 
sphere release  of  "Pagliacci,"  Tech- 
nicolor film  made  in  Italy  with  the  La 
Scala  cast  and  orchestra,  it  was  an- 
nounced here  by  Charles  L.  Casanave, 
vice-president. 


Roth  Leaves  Classics 

Chicago,  May  31. — Max  Roth  has 
resigned  as  district  manager  of  Film 
Classics  for  the  Midwest  after  a  year 
1  in  the  post. 


Jurisdictional  Tilt 
Goes  to  Washington 

An  application  by  the  Sign  Pictorial 
and  Display  Union,  Local  230,  Broth 
erhood  of  Painters,  Decorators  and 
Paperhangers  of  America,  AFL,  for 
an  election  among  employes  at  the 
RKO  Radio  home  office  now  in  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  Screen  Publicists 
Guild,  has  been  rejected  by  Charles 
T.  Douds,  New  York  regional  direc- 
tor of  the  National  Labor  Relations 
Board,  it  was  announced  here  yester- 
day by  the  SPG. 

Following  the  SPG  announcement, 
however,  a  spokesman  for  a  group  of 
RKO  Radio  employes  who  have  re- 
signed from  SPG  reported  that 
Douds'  decision  was  "temporary,"  and 
that  the  regional  director  has  asked 
the  NLRB  in  Washington  for  a  "di- 
rect ruling"  on  Local  230's  applica- 
tion. 

Queried  on  the  matter,  the  NLRB 
here  reported  that  Douds  dismissed 
the  petition  as  "inappropriate,"  but 
that  an  appeal  of  the  decision  filed  by 
Local  230  is  currently  being  consid- 
ered by  the  NLRB  in  Washington. 


Series  of  Percentage 
Suits  Filed  in  South 

Charleston,  S.  C,  May  31 — Per- 
centage suits  were  filed  here  against 
Herbert  B.  Ram  and  Sam  Bogoslaw- 
sky,  also  known  as  Sam  Bogo,  as  de- 
fendants. United  Artists,  Paramount, 
Loew's,  RKO  Radio,  Universal,  20th 
Century-Fox,  Warner  Brothers  and 
Columbia  each  brought  suit,  naming 
in  the  complaints  the  Little  Patricia 
and  Patricia  theatre  in  Aiken,  the 
Carolina  in  Batesburg,  Liberty  in 
Johnston,  Leesville  in  Leesville, 
Hollywood  in  McCormick  and  Gran- 
iteville  in  Graniteville,  all-  in  South 
Carolina ;  also  the  Lakeview  in  Aug- 
usta. 

Donald  Russell,  C.  Erskine  Daniel 
and  T.  Sam  Means,  Jr.,  of  Spartan- 
burg, and  C.  T.  Graydon  of  Colum- 
bia, signed  the  complaints  as  attor- 
neys for  the  plaintiff.  Sargoy  and 
Stein  of  New  York  are  of  counsel- 


Newsreel 
Parade 


rT1  HE  Atomic  Corn-mission  inquiry 
-*-  and  the  wedding  of  Rita  Hayworth 
are  current  newsreel  highlights.  Other 
items  include  Admiral  Kirk  being 
sworn  in;  aviation  news,  Churchill 
praising  the  U.  S.  and  sports.  Com- 
plete contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  44— Atomic 
Energy  Commission  investigated.  Cleve- 
land: AFL  holds  union  industry  show. 
Rita  Hayworth  weds.  Latest  trailer  mod- 
els. Pilots  in  high  temperature  tests. 
Glasgow :   Churchill  pays  '  tribute  to  U.  S. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  278— 
Churchill's  tribute  to  the  U.  S.  "Father 
of  the  Year":  Dr.  Ralph  Bunche.  Wed- 
ding bells  for'  Rita.  Haitian-look  for  new 
summer  hats.  High  tests  for  supersonic 
pilots.  Herring  run.  Ali  Baba's  cave 
found  in  Egypt. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS,  No.  81— West 
Germany  constitution  comes  into  force. 
Newest  coaches  hit  the  road.  President 
Dutra  inspects  TV  A  installations.  Admiral 
Kirk  sworn  in  as  Ambassador  to  Russia. 
Lilienthal  testifies  at  atomic  probe.  You, 
too,  can  own  a  unicycle.  Stork  works  over- 
time in  Munich  zoo. 

TELENEWS     DIGEST,     No.  22-A— 

Atomic  inquiry.  Berlin:  another  blockade. 
Ethiopia:  Liberian  anniversary.  Puerto 
Rico:  College  of  Agriculture  launches  a 
summer  course  in  marine  biology. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWS,  Vol.  252 — Atomic 
inquiry.  President  Dutra  of  Brazil  visits 
Tennessee  Valley.  Admiral  Kirk,  new  am- 
bassador to  Russia.  General  Clay  arrives 
home.  Ali  Baba's  cave  is  found  in  Egypt. 
Horses.    Paris:  roller  skating. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  83— 
Fathers  in  the  news.  Army  project  test  at 
UCLA.  Helicopters  crash  in  England. 
Trailer  show.  Dog  school.  Push-car  race. 
Rodeo. 


Ascap,  Telecasters 
Still  in  Huddles 

Ascap  and  television  industry  rep- 
resentatives are  continuing  their  par- 
leys here  on  terms  of  a  video  music 
licensing  contract  with  both  sides  re- 
porting further  progress  but  yet  to 
reach  an  actual  overall  agreement. 
The  present  gratis  arrangement  will 
expire  on  June  15  with  another  ex- 
tension considered  likely  just  as  long 
as  "progress"  continues. 


Farrow  Cuts  Duties 
On  Doctors'  Advice 

London,  May  31 — Following  the  ad- 
vice of  his  doctors,  Leslie  W.  Far- 
row has  resigned  from  the  directorates 
of  Odeon  Theatres  and  its  various 
subsidiaries,  but  will  remain  on  the 
board  of  Manorfield  Investments,  Ltd., 
J.  Arthur  Rank's  controlling  com- 
pany. Farrow,  aged  60,  has  been 
Rank's  closest  advisor  for  the  past 
10  years. 

G.  Woodham-Smith,  legal  counsel- 
lor of  the  Rank  interests,  has  been 
elected  to  the  Odeon  board  to  succeed 
Farrow.  The  latter  will  also  reduce 
his  professional  activities. 


Bergman  Reports  50 
Bond  Premieres 

More  than  50  theatres  have  already 
set  bond  premieres  of  Universal- 
International's  "Illegal  Entry"  and 
'Take  One  False  Step,"  during  the 
U.  S.  Treasury's  current  "Opportu- 
nity Savings  Bond  Drive,"  including 
the  Fox  West  Coast  and  Schine  cir- 
j  cuits,  Maurice  A.  Bergman,  industry 
I  chairman  for  the  drive,  announces. 


Silverman  Plans  to 
Set  Film  Financing 

Chicago,  May  31. — Edwin  Silver- 
man, head  of  Essaness  Theatres  here, 
is  forming  an  exhibitor  group  to  pro- 
vide financing  for  independent  pro- 
ducers. 

Silverman  said  today  that  he  and 
his  prospective  associates  in  the  plan 
consider  film  terms  to  be  "out  of  line." 
They  want  to  see  more  films  made 
available  for  theatres. 


Gives  Awards  in  London 

London,  May  31. — Hollywood  Acad- 
emy Awards  made  to  British  film  per- 
sonnel were  presented  here  Sunday  by 
Mrs.  Lewis  W.  Douglas,  wife  of  the 
U.  S.  Ambassador,  with  Sir  Lawrence 
Olivier  speaking  on  behalf  of  the  re- 
cipients. Sir  Michael  Balcom,  chair- 
man of  the  British  Film  Academy, 
'  also  presented  its  1948  awards. 


Editor.    Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 

Fditnr-  rki^ar,  "n„r«i,    l?r>  <zn„n,'  fVo-if.  04.J"  V~  wT  '""i  "j   ™-— »— .»        l  *■  *uuui;liuii  .manager;  nonywooa  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 

T^6tto^t^R^n^Wa^fbS,e  street  Editorial  and  Advertising.  TJrben  Farley  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
Other  Ouillev  pSiSo^ •  &™  W?hlS? ''w;  S-^  L°£ ^  ^l^'  4  Golden  Sq.,  L°nd,°n  WK Hopf  Bu™up,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Motion  Picture  Almanac    I™     Fnt™3 5      a''  Theatres  a"d,  Theatre  Sales-   each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 

^6^fthe  AmTrica^a^Tl2  forffi  sln^lf  10™^'  ^  ^  ^  *         P°St  °ffice  at  NeW  Y°rk'  N'  Y"  U"der  the  act  °f  March  3'  1879"    Subscription  rates  per 


M-G-M  ADVERTISES  REGULARLY 
IN  ALL  THESE  TOP  MAGAZINES! 


Not  just  once  in  a  while  but 
regularly  M-G-M  advertises  its 
pictures  for  your  benefit.  When 
you  sign  an  M-G-M  contract  you 
can  consider  M-G-M's  regular 
advertising  as  part  of  your  cam- 
paign! And  not  only  in  these 
magazines  with  readership  of 
148,600,803,  but  also  regularly 
contracted  radio  spots  in  46 
cities.  Plus  regularly  established 
teaser  campaigns  in  newspapers 
in  50  cities. 

★ 


WE  ADVERTISED  THESE 
PICTURES  FOR  YOU: 

(You  get  the  benefit  of  M-G-M 
campaigns  FREE) 

"TAKE  ME  OUT  TO  THE  BALL  GAME" 

(Technicolor) 

"LITTLE  WOMEN" 

(Technicolor) 

"COMMAND  DECISION" 
"BARKLEYS  OF  BROADWAY" 

(Technicolor) 

"EDWARD,  MY  SON" 
"THE  STRATTON  STORY" 

Coming  campaigns  will  be  chosen  from  these: 
"Madame  Bovary"  •  "Forsyte  Saga" 

"Any  Number  Can  Play"-"In  the  Good 
Old  Summertime"  and  many  more 


I 


Back  The  Motion  Picture  Industry's 
K)~  S.  Savings  Bond  Drive,  May  16 — June  30 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  June  1,  1949 


Argentine  Grosses 
At  All-TIme  Peak 


Theatre  business  in  Argentina  con- 
tinues to  spiral  upward  following  a 
wartime  boom,  with  the  result  that 
grosses  at  present  in  that  country  are 
25  per  cent  greater  than  they  were  at 
the  wartime  peak.  This  was  reported 
here  yesterday  by  Argentine  producer- 
director  Hugo  Fregonese  and  secre- 
tary_  of  the  Argentinian  Academy  of 
Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sciences 
Charles  De  Cruz,  both  of  whom  are 
beginning  extended  U.  S.  visits.  The 
Argentinians  estimated  that  their 
country's  theatre  business  this  year  is 
10  per  cent  better  than  last  year. 

"Johnny  Belinda,"  they  said,  has 
broken  all  box-office  records  in  Ar- 
gentina. Other  pictures  whose  box- 
office  performances  were  cited  are : 
"Arch  of  Triumph,"  "Sitting  Pretty," 
"Street  With  No  Name,"  "Naked 
City,"  "The  Search,"  and  "Open  City." 

Fregonese,  who  will  endeavor  to 
close  a  U.  S.  distribution  deal  for  his 
recently-completed  "Hardly  a  Crimi- 
nal" before  he  returns  to  Buenos 
Aires  three  months  hence,  will  seek 
to  persuade  American  producers  that 
Argentina  offers  many  advantages  for 
those  making  pictures  abroad. 


Wilson  Wants  More 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Motion  Picture  Association  of  Ameri- 
ca, also  is  here,  but  apparently  the 
two  did  not  meet.  Wilson  left  here 
for  London  today  by  plane. 


Johnston  Wants  'Private  Action' 

In  an  address  before  the  Canadian 
Club  today,  Johnston  spoke  against 
what  he  termed  "big"  government, 
holding  it  results  in  "little"  people, 
"little"  business  organizations.  He 
said :  "We  are  wondering  today  if  we 
can't  come  up  with  solutions  to  our 
social  and  economic  problems  by 
group  action.  We  are  wondering  if 
we  can't  get  the  security  our  people 
are  clamoring  for  through  private  ac- 
tion— by  a  concert  of  minds  and  action 
among-  management  and  labor." 


TWA=7WA~TWA=TWi 


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CONSTELLATION  I 


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Coast-to-coast 
and  overseas 


ill 


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For  reservations,  call  your  TWA  office 


New  York  1st  Runs 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Palace  looks  like  a  duplicate  of  the 
first  with  $29,000,  a  very  handsome 
figure,  again  apparent ;  eight  new  acts 
and  "Slightly  French"  comprise  the 
show.  "Jigsaw"  is  doing  fair  business 
at  the  Mayfair  which  has  about  $14,- 
000  in  view  for  the  first  week. 

The  large  number  of  New  York 
visitors  at  the  weekend  helped  to 
boost  returns  at  the  Music  Hall  where 
"The  Stratton  Story"  with  a  stage 
show  is  headed  for  a  nice  third  and 
final  week's  gross  of  $127,000;  "Ed- 
ward My  Son"  will  open  at  the  Hall 
tomorrow. 

"Sorrowful  Jones"  will  open  at  the 
Paramount  on  Sunday,  the  first  Sun- 
day opening  at  the  house  in  its  his- 
tory, to  succeed  "Manhandled"  which, 
with  Janet  Blair  and  Jan  Murray  on 
stage,  completed  its  first  week  with 
about  $56,000,  which  is  fair  income. 

"Home  of  the  Brave"  is  holding  to 
a  robust  pace  at  the  Victoria  where  a 
big  $23,000  is  in  prospect  for  a  third 
week.  "We  Were  Strangers"  is  los- 
ing ground  at  the  Astor  with  about 
$12,000,  rather  slow,  indicated  for  the 
fifth  week.  "Lady  Gambles"  is  doing 
well  enough  at  the  Criterion  which 
looks  for  $20,000  in  a  second  week. 

"Champion"  continues  to  be  one  of 
the  better  holdovers  with  $16,000  like- 
ly in  a  good  eighth  week  at  the  Globe. 
"Johnny  Allegro"  is  at  the  Rivoli, 
having  moved  in  on  Sunday  to  replace 
"One  Woman's  Story."  House  did 
about  $10,500  for  the  last  five  days 
of  "Story,"  including  business  on  Sun- 
day when  a  "preview"  of  "Allegro" 
also  was  on  the  bill. 


'Blimp'  Decision 

(Continued  from' page  1) 


cut  version  and  recommended  an  order 
that  the  word  "abridged"  or  some  sim- 
ilar word  appear  very  close  to  the 
title  of  the  film  in  any  advertising  of 
a  cut  version.  He  also  recommended 
that  UA  be  required  to  stop  using 
quotes  from  film  reviews  of  the  uncut 
film  in  advertising  the  cut  version. 

UA  has  filed  exceptions  to  almost 
the  entire  triai  examiner's  ruling  and 
proposed  order.  The  FTC  attorneys 
have  filed  their  final  briefs  with  the 
full  Commission,  and  when  the  UA 
brief  comes  in  from  Attorney  Edward 
Raftery,  the  Commission  will  set  a 
date  for  final  argument  in  the  case. 

Raftery  is  said  to  be  not  so  much 
interested  in  "Blimp"  itself,  it  having 
been  played  out  for  some  time,  but  is 
said  to  be  concerned  primarily  with 
the  precedental  aspects  of  the  FTC 
ruling. 


UA,  Odeon  Deals 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


UA's  Odeon  shares.  It  was  said  that 
UA  would  be  amenable  to  a  deal  only 
if  British  pounds  from  a  sale  could  be 
converted  into  dollars.  Rank  report- 
edly would  be  willing  to  buy  out  UA 
at  about  800,000  pounds  ($3,200,000), 
but  has  not  made  any  firm  offer. 


Allied  Board  Wary 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  group  emphasizing  that  such  star 
behavior  as  the  Ingrid  Bergman  and 
Rita  Hayworth  public  romances  dam- 
ages all  phases  of  the  industry. 

Texas  ATO  members  will  meet  in 
a  business  session  tomorrow.  Colonel 
H.  A.  Cole,  for  a  quarter  of  a  century 
head  of  the  Texas  organization,  will 
be  honored  at  a  banquet  Wednesday. 


90,097  Film  Houses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


a  large  portion  were  new  theatres 
built  during  the  past  two  years. 

Seating  capacity  as  of  Jan.  1,  1949 
was  48,750,147,  compared  with  42,- 
667,411  two  years  earlier. 

Golden  said  that  U.  S.  films  to- 
day are  facing  their  greatest  and 
most  intensive  competition  from  Eu- 
ropean and  Latin  American  films, 
made  often  with  government  assist- 
ance, and  that  therefore  "precise  in- 
formation as  to  the  potentialities  of 
the  individual  markets"  was  more 
than  ever  .necessary.  The  report 
praised  the  contribution  of  American 
films  abroad  as  "silent  salesmen"  for 
other  American  products.  It  quoted 
a  message  by  American  Vice-Consul 
Blackman,  in  Trinidad,  that  "during 
their  period  of  currency  restrictions 
when  American  merchandise  is  very 
scarce,  the  American  film  industry 
renders  a  real  service  to  American 
industry  as  a  whole  by  keeping 
American  products  and  new  develop- 
ments before  the  public."  Says 
Golden :  "Trade  still  follows  the 
film." 

Middle  East  Gains  Most 

The  huge  growth  in  theatres,  Gold- 
en declares,  shows  "the  desires  of 
people  the  world  over  for  their  most 
economical  entertainment — the  mo- 
tion picture."  He  praises  Holly- 
wood for  continuing — despite  quotas 
and  other  restrictions — "the  flow  of 
U.  S.  films  to  the  four  corners  of 
the  world,  enabling  the  peoples  of 
those  countries  to  see  how  a  true 
democracy  lives  and  plays." 

U.  S.  figures  in  the  Golden  survey 
are  based  on  the  MPAA  figures. 
Other  figures  come  from  Embassy 
and  trade  sources  overseas. 

Biggest  increase  during  the  two- 
year-period  came  in  the  Middle  East, 
where  theatres  increased  from  1,876 
to  2,676 — or  42.6  "^r  cent.  The  only 
drop  reported  was  a  2.2  per  cent 
decline  in  the  U.  S. — from  18,765  to 
18,351.  (The  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of  America  total  shows  dis- 
tributors' film  rental  accounts.  A 
Quigley  Publications'  market  study 
of  one  year  ago  reported  16,880  reg- 
ularly operated  theatres  open  more 
than  three  days  a  week  and  more  than 
three  months  a  year) . 

Europe  Jumps  20% 

The  Far  East  reported  a  30.4  per 
cent  increase,  from  2,701  theatres  to 
3,523  theatres.  The  Atlantic  Islands 
were  up  36.0  per  cent — from  122  to 
166.  Europe  showed  a  19.9  per  cent 
jump — from  43,652  theatres  to  52,344. 
South  America  had  a  slim  6.9  per 
cent  increase — from  4,672  to  4,994 — 
and  Mexico  and  Central  America  in- 
creased from  1,653  to  1,952  or  18.0 
per  cent. 

The  Caribbean  area's  theatre  in- 
creased 8.8  per  cent  from  659  to  717. 
The  South  Pacific's  went  from  2,080 
to  2,268,  a  9.0  per  cent  jump,  and 
Africa's  theatres  went  from  1,171  to 
1,281,  an  increase  of  9.4  per  cent. 
Canada's  theatres  increased  13.5  per 
cent— from  1,493  to  1,695. 

U.  S.  films  naturally  chalked  up 
the  best  record  in'  the  U.  S.  and 
Puerto  Rico,  where  they  accounted 
for  95  per  cent  of  the  screen  time  as 
of  Jan.  1,  1949.  In  the  Caribbean 
area,  they  accounted  for  82  per  cent, 
in  the  Atlantic  Islands  for  81  per 
cent  and  in  Mexico  and  Central 
America,  Canada,  and  the  South  Pa- 
cific for  75  per  cent.  In  South 
America,  U.  S.  films  got  64  per 
cent  of  all  screen  time  and  in  Africa, 
62  per  cent. 


Runs  for  Drive-ins 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Cal.,  for  one,  the  Mid- Way  Drive-in 
won  out  in  bidding  against  the  Margo 
Theatre  for  an  RKO  first  run.  Pre- 
viously the  Margo  had  been  playing 
seven  days  after  downtown  San  Diego. 
Although  this  is  a  single  situation, 
there  is  a  general  trend  toward  ear- 
lier availabilities  for  drive-ins  in 
many  sections,  it  is  said  here. 

Drive-ins  in  many  sections  being  a 
seasonal  operation,  distributors  in  all 
cases  are  not  too  anxious  to  sell  away 
from  standard  houses  despite  immedi- 
ate revenue  gains,  for  the  obvious 
reason  that  they  are  dealing  with 
the  standard  runs  all  year  around. 
Product  splits  have  been  one  means 
of  settling  differences  in  large  meas- 
ure but  not  entirely.  Negotiation  of 
run  and  competitive  bidding  are  re- 
sorted to  by  some  distributors  when 
"problems"  are  encountered. 

No  Hard-and-Fast  Rules 

Any  hard-and-fast  rule  governing 
film  company  selling  to  drive-ins 
could  hardly  be  adopted,  it  is  said. 
Each  _  situation  must  be  examined  on 
a  strictly  individual  basis  with  con- 
sideration given  to  rental  yield,  the 
existence  of  substantial  competition 
and,  of  course,  policy  of  the  theatre. 
Distributors  for  example  were  averse 
to  selling  on  percentage  to  one  drive- 
in  which  recently  set  admissions  at 
one  dollar  per  car  regardless  of  the 
number  of  occupants. 

Auto-ramp  houses  have  become  a 
definite  part  of  exhibition  in  the  past 
two  years  particularly  and  still  are 
mushrooming  throughout  the  coun- 
try, according  to  some  distributor 
records  which  list  close  to  2,000  of 
them.  That  they  are  making  inroads 
on  the  grosses  of  the  conventional 
houses  would  seem  to  be  evidenced 
by  the  number  of  theatre  organiza- 
tions which  have  adopted  resolutions 
aiming  to  relegate  them  to  last  run. 
Some  in  the  industry  incline  to  the 
belief  that  the  drive-in  draws  an  al- 
most entirely  new  patronage. 

Some  Yield  Top  Money 

Importance  of  the  open-air  stands 
as  top  money  yielders  is  underlined 
by  success  of  the  three  top  ones  in 
and  near  Chicago,  particularly  Jack 
Barger's  Twin  Drive-in  in  Oaklawn, 
a  suburb,  where  $30,000  is  not  an 
unusual  week's  gross,  it  is  said.  The 
Twin  is  now  playing  first-run  after 
the  Loop  and  may  move  up  to  full 
Chicago  first-run  'this  summer,  it  is 
believed  in  some  quarters  here.  This 
would  hardly  involve  a  top  film  which 
normally  plays  the  Loop  first  and 
the  Twin  second,  however,  but  rath- 
er an  attraction  not  likely  to  get  the 
two  runs.  The  consideration  here 
would  be  whether  the  Twin  alone  on 
first-run  could  mean  a  better  deal 
for  the  distributor  than  a  Loop  house 
on  first-run. 


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RECORD  SE1 


RED  "  THF 

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SCREEN  PLAYS  CORP.  presents 


'"with  DOUGLAS  DICK  •  FRANK  LOVEJOY  •  JAMES  EDWARDS  •  STEVE  BRODIE  •  JEFF  C0REY  •  LLOYD  BRIDGES 
PRODUCED  BY  STANLEY  KRAMER  •  Based  on  an  original  play  by  ARTHUR  LAURENTS  •  Screenplay  by  CARL  FOREMAN 

Associate  Producer  ROBERT  STILLMAN  •  Directed  by  MARK  ROBSON  •  Musical  Score  by  DIMITRI  TiOMKIN 


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MOTION  PICTURE 

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NEWS 

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Impartial 

VOL.  65.  NO.  107 

NEW  YORK,   U.S.A.,   THURSDAY,   JUNE  2,  1949 

TEN  CENTS 

Films  in  Pact 
Pending  With 
12  Countries 


Reciprocal  Agreement  to 
Include  Equipment  Also 

Washington,  June  1.  —  U.  S. 
Commerce  Department  film  chief 
Nathan  D.  Golden  will  leave  here 
shortly  for  Annecy,  France,  to  serve 
as  a  consultant  and  adviser  to  a  U.  S. 
committee  negotiating  new  reciprocal 
trade  agreements  with  12  foreign  coun- 
tries. Concessions  for  films  and  film 
equipment  will  be  involved  in  all  12 
treaties. 

Participating  countries  include  Co- 
lumbia, Denmark,  Dominican  Repub- 
lic, El  Salvador,  Finland,  Greece, 
Haiti,  Italy,  Nicaragua,  Peru,  Sweden 
and  Uruguay. 

After  the  conference,  Golden  will 
visit  motion  picture  centers  in  all  ma- 
jor Western  European  countries.  He 
expects  to  be  gone  about  six  weeks, 
accompanied  by  Mrs.  Golden.  In  his 
absence,  George  R.  Donnelly  will  be 
acting  chief  of  the  Commerce  Depart- 
ment's film  section. 


$2-Million  New  York 
Trust  Suit  Names  4 


Grainger  Presides 
At  Sales  Meet  Today 

James  R.  Grainger,  Republic  sales 
vice-president,  will  preside  at  a  two- 
day  sales  meeting  at  the  company's 
home  office  today  and  tomorrow.  Her- 
bert J.  Yates,  Republic  president,  will 
address  the  meeting,  which  will  be 
attended  by  home  office  executives  and 
branch  managers,  including  Edward 
L.  Walton,  assistant  sales  manager ; 
division  manager  Walter  L.  Titus, 
Jr. ;  John  Curtin,  assistant  to  Grain- 
ger ;  John  Alexander,  manager  of  the 
contract  department,  and  William  M. 
Saal,  executive  assistant  to  Yates. 
Branch  managers  present  are  Wil- 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


„ 


Independents  Honor 
Steve  Broidy  Tonight 

Hollywood,  June  1. — Steve  Broidy, 
president  of  Allied  Artists-Monogram, 
will  be  honored  at  a  testimonial  dinner 
here  tomorrow  night  at  Lucey's,  in  ob- 
servance of  his  25th  anniversary  in  the 
industry.  The  dinner  will  be  given 
by  the  Independent  Motion  Picture 
Producers  Association,  of  which  I.  E. 
Chadwick  is  president. 

Arrangements  for  the  invitational 
affair  were  made  by  a  committee  com- 
posed of  Sam  Katzman,  Harry  H. 
Thomas  and  Robert  L.  Lippert. 


RKO,  20th  Century-Fox,  Warners 
and  Universal  were  named  defendants 
in  a  $2  250,000  triple-damage  anti- 
trust action  filed  yesterday  in  U.  S. 
District  Court  here  by  Beathecorp, 
Inc.,  and  Salana,  Inc.,  former  and 
present  operators,  respectively,  of  the 
Beacon  Theatre  here. 

Beathecorp  asks  triple  damages 
totaling  $900,000  and  charges  violation 
of  the  anti-trust  laws  between  1944 
and  1946,  the  period  during  which  it 
operated  the  Beacon.  Salana  asks 
triple  damages  totaling  $1,350,000,  and 
makes  the  same  allegation  for  the 
period  of  1946  to  the  present. 

Plaintiffs  claim  the  defendants  re- 
fused to  contract  for  first-run  pictures 
at  the  Beacon  during  the  respective 
periods  of  operation,  and  maintain  the 
house  is  superior  to  nearby  RKO  the- 
atres. It  is  charged  that  the  defendants 
entered  into  franchise,  cross-licensing, 
clearance  and  other  agreements  in  vio- 
lation of  the  anti-trust  laws. 


Senate  Quota  Debate 
Is  Off  for  a  Month 

Washington,  June  1. — Sen- 
ate Debate  on  extending  the 
Reciprocal  Trade  Agreements 
Act,  which  is  expected  to  in- 
clude extended  discussion  of 
the  British  film  quota,  is  off 
for  a  month  due  to  the 
continued  illness  of  Sena- 
tor George,  chairman  of  the 
Finance  Committee  which 
handles  the  bill. 

Senate  leaders  have  now 
scheduled  debate  on  the  Taft- 
Hartley  repeal  and  possibly 
the  North  Atlantic  pact  ahead 
of  reciprocal  trade. 


Variety  to  Enlarge 
Will  Roger  s  Hospital 

Variety  Clubs  International,  form- 
ally taking  over  the  financial  support 
and  direction  of  the  Will  Rogers 
Memorial  Hospital  at  Saranac  Lake 
as  its  first  international  Heart  project 
on  June  9,  will  enlarge  and  re-equip 
the  sanitarium. 

Variety  in  its  first  year  plans  to 
expend  $200,000  on  the  sanitarium, 
and  will  erect  a  new  staff  building. 
{Continued  on  page  6) 


SRO,  E-L  to  Release 
Two  Concurrently 

David  O.  Selznick's  "Portrait  of 
Jennie"  will  be  concurrently  released 
by  the  Selznick  Releasing  Organiza- 
tion and  Eagle-Lion  under  terms  of  a 
deal  consummated  here  yesterday  by 
Sidney  G.  Deneau,  sales  vice-president 
of  SRO,  and  William  J.  Heineman, 
sales  vice-president  of  Eagle-Lion. 
SRO  said  that  this  is  believed  to  be 
the  first  time  that  national  distribu- 
tion of  any  feature  has  been  concur- 
rently handled  by  two  separate  com- 
panies. 

Eagle-Lion  will  also  share  in  con- 
current distribution  of  "The  Fallen 
Idol"  when  that  film  is  released  about 
September  15. 

All  circuit  and  first-run  sales  will 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Johnston  OfficiatesAt 
Quigley  Awards  Ceremony 


Substantial  Rise  in 
Studio  Employment 

Hollywood,  June  I  —  Studio 
employment  increased  sub- 
stantially in  April,  according 
to  the  monthly  report  of  the 
California  Labor  Statistics 
Bureau  which  showed  an  in- 
dex figure  of  73.1  per  cent  on 
a  scale  which  regards  the 
1940  average  as  100.  The 
March  figure  was  67.8,  and 
April  a  year  ago  was  79.5. 

Weekly  earnings  were  down, 
however,  from  March's  $97.50 
to  $94.74  with  the  average 
work  week  down  from  40.4  to 
39.3  hours. 


At  an  informal  ceremony  held  yes 
terday  in  the  executive  quarters  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Ameri- 
ca office  here,  MPAA  president  Eric 
A.  Johnston  presented  to  Mrs.  Alice 
N.  Gorham  of  Detroit  and  Willis 
Shaffer  of  Atchison,  Kans.,  the  Quig- 
ley Showmanship  Awards  for  1948. 

To  Mrs.  Gorham  went  the  top  prize, 
the  Silver  Grand  Award,  for  her  cam- 
paigns in  Detroit  as  advertising- 
publicity  manager  for  United  Detroit 
Theatres.  Shaffer  received  the 
Bronze  Grand  Award  for  his  cam- 
paigns as  manager  of  the  Atchison 
theatres  of  the  Fox  Midwest  circuit. 
Mrs.  Gorham  was  the  first  woman  to 
receive  the  top  Quigley  Award  since 
the  prizes  for  showmanship  were  initi 
ated  in  1934. 

Guillermo  Echazu,  winner-  of  the 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


MPAA  Sets  A 
$17-Million 
Loan  to  Italy 

Pending  Pact  to  Assure 
An  Unrestricted  Market 

The  Motion  Picture  Association 
of  -America  expects  to  consummate 
soon  with  the  Italian  government  a 
loan  agreement  which  will  obviate 
all  threats  of  restrictions  against  U._  S. 
films  while  serving  to  provide  Italian 
production  with  much-needed  financ- 
ing. 

An  MPAA  official  revealed 
here  yesterday  that  the  loan, 
which  is  expected  to  total  ap- 
proximately $17,500,00  over  a 
10-year  period,  will  be  made  by 
U.  S.  distributors  in  the  form 
of  2,500,000  blocked  lira  (between 
$3,000  and  $4,000)  for  each  of 
the  approximately  500  American 
pictures  which  will  be  dubbed 
in  Italian  for  that  market  an- 
nually. 

Gerald  M.  Mayer,  MPAA  Conti- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


200  Pay  Honor  to 
Texas  Allied's  Cole 


Dallas,  June  1. — An  attendance  of 
over  200,  including  nearly  all  national 
Allied  States  directors,  was  on  hand 
today  at  the  first  general  session  of 
the  convention  of  Allied  Theatre 
Owners  of  Texas  to  honor  H.  A.  Cole, 
president  of  the  Texas  unit  for  the 
past  20  years. 

Television  will  not  affect  'rural  areas 
for  many  years  to  come  and  has  not 
yet  seriously  affected  urban  theatres, 
the  convention  was  told  by  several 
speakers,  including  Trueman  Rem- 
busch  and  Sydney  Samuelson.  John 
Wolfburg  said  that  drive-ins  are  de- 
{Continued  on  page  6) 


U.K.  Union  Favors 
New  Wage  Scales 

London,  June  1. — National  Associ- 
ation of  Theatrical  and  Kine  Em- 
ployes has  recommended  acceptance  of 
the  exhibitors'  new  wage  scale  offer, 
although  terming  it  entirely  inade- 
quate. Tom  O'Brien,  NATKE  secre- 
tary, was  instructed  to  continue  nego- 
tiations with  the  Exhibitors  Associa- 
tion on  the  question  of  the  grading  of 
theatres  by  which  wage  scales  are 
regulated. 

The    Exhibitors    Association  will 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  June  2,  1949 


Clearance  Suit  Up 
In  U.S.  Court  Today 

Philadelphia,  June  1. — What  is 
believed  to  be  the  first  case  involving 
clearance-and-run  between  towns  to 
be  heard  in  a  Federal  Court  since  the 
U.  S.  Supreme  Court  decision  in  the 
Paramount  case  last  year,  will  come 
up  in  U.  S.  District  court  here  to- 
morrow when  the  anti-trust  suit 
against  seven  major  distributors,  is 
heard  before  U.  S.  Judge  William  H. 
Kirkpatrick. 

Plaintiffs  are  Jack  H.  Greenberg 
and  Ann  Greenberg  on  behalf  of  the 
New  Harbor  Theatre  in  Stone  Har- 
bor, N.  J.,  due  to  open  around  June  21. 

Charging  conspiracy  and  discrimi- 
nation among  the  defendant  distribu- 
tors to  prevent  him  from  playing  pic- 
tures in  the  New  Harbor  on  territorial 
release  and  alleging  that  the  defendants 
withhold  product  from  his  theatre  un- 
til 14  days  after  Wildwood,  Green- 
berg is  asking  first-run  teritorial 
standing  for  the  New  Harbor  on  the 
basis  that  there  is  no  substantial  com- 
petition between  theatres  in  the  two 
communities.  Stone  Harbor  is  14  miles 
from  Wildwood  by  open  roads,  seven 
miles  by  toll  bridge. 

Hunts  Theatres,  operating  in  Wild- 
wood  and  Cape  May,  have  filed  a 
petition  to  be  a  part  defendant  in  the 
suit. 


Personal  Mention 


Kans.  Mayor  Here  for 
Dual  'Jones'  Premiere 

Paramount  will  stage  a  dual  world 
premiere  of  Damon  Runyon's  "Sor- 
rowful Jones,"  starring  Bob  Hope  and 
Lucille  Ball,  in  Runyon's  birthplace, 
Manhattan,  Kansas,  at  the  Sosna  The- 
atre, and  in  Runyon's  adopted  home 
town,  Manhattan,  New  York,  at  the 
Paramount  Theatre,  on  Sunday. 

Charles  Rust,  mayor  of  Manhattan, 
Kansas,  is  combining  his  first  trip 
East  of  Detroit  and  his  first  flight  to 
come  to  New  York  to  be  received  to- 
day by  Borough  President  Hugo  E. 
Rogers  as  a  Paramount  promotion  for 
the  production. 


Dunlap  to  England 
On  Joint  Filming 

London,  June  1. —  Scott  Dunlap, 
Monogram  production  executive,  is 
due  here  in  July  to  advise  on  Ameri- 
can market  requirements  in  the  pro- 
duction of  the  first  of  four  films  which 
it  will  make  jointly  during  the  next 
two  years  with  Associated  British- 
Pathe  at  Elstree  Studios  under  the 
deal  which  the  two  completed  recently 
in  New  York. 

First  on  the  schedule  is  "Red 
Wagon,"  a  re-make  of  Eleanor 
Smith's  novel,  originally  filmed  by 
British  International  Pictures  15 
years  ago.  Production  is  scheduled 
to  start  by  Sept.  30  at  the  latest. 
At  least  one  American  star  will  be 
in  each  of  the  four  films  to  be  made, 
it  was  said. 


'Entry'  a  Bond  Film 

Universal  -  International's  "Illegal 
Entry"  has  been  designated  a  bond 
premiere  picture,  with  its  first  bond 
drive  showing  scheduled  for  June  9  at 
at  the  Ritz  Theatre,  Los  Angeles,  it 
was  announced  here  by  Maurice  A. 
Bergman,  industry  drive  chairman. 


ARTHUR  LOCKWOOD,  presi- 
dent of  Theatre  Owners  of  Amer- 
ica, is  due  here  from  Boston  early 
next  week. 

• 

Ed  Schnitzer,  United  Artists  East- 
ern and  Canadian  sales  manager,  and 
Sam  Lefkowitz,  Northeastern  dis- 
trict manager,  will  leave  Boston  to- 
day for  New  York. 

• 

Danny  Kaye,  now  in  England,  is 
the  first  American  to  receive  that 
country's  National  Film  Award.  It 
was  presented  to  him  Tuesday  in  Lon- 
don. 

• 

A.  J.  O'Keefe,  Universal-Interna- 
tional assistant  general  sales  manager, 
is  in  Boston  today  and  will  return  to 
New  York  tomorrow. 

• 

William  L.  Bell,  Westrex  Euro- 
pean recording  manager,  has  returned 
to  Paris  after  a  visit  of  several  weeks 
in  the  U.  S. 

• 

William  Broidy,  Monogram  asso- 
ciate producer,  has  left  Hollywood  on 
a  tour  to  Chicago,  Cleveland,  Phila- 
delphia, Boston  and  New  York. 
• 

Max  Cohen,  New  York  circuit 
operator  and  president  of  the  Variety 
Club  of  New  York,  has  returned  here 
from  Saratoga  Springs. 

• 

Jack  L.  Gertz,  Cleveland  distribu- 
tor of  theatre  premiums,  is  visiting  in 
New  York  and  is  staying  at  the  Hotel 
New  Yorker. 

• 

Leo  Cohen,  foreign  film  distribu- 
tor, has  left  here  by  plane  for  Europe. 


NATE    BLUMBERG,  Universal- 
International  president,  will  ar- 
rive here  from  the  Coast  tomorrow. 
• 

Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.,  acting  as 
vice-president  of  the  United  Nations 
Association  and  chairman  of  the 
CARE  committee,  visited  President 
Truman  in  Washington  yesterday. 
• 

Jack  Cummings,  M-G-M  producer, 
will  arrive  here  today  from  Europe 
and  will  proceed  to  the  Coast  on 
Saturday. 

• 

Paul  Renaud,  owner  of  the  Doug- 
las Playhouse,  Yonkers,  N.  Y.,  has 
announced  the  birth  of  his  second 
granddaughter. 

• 

E.  J.  Mannix,  M-G-M  studio  ex- 
ecutive scheduled  to  arrive  here  today 
from  the  Coast  en  route  to  Italy,  has 
postponed  his  trip  for  a  week. 
• 

S.  H.  Fabian,  President  of  Fabian 
Theatres,  has  returned  to  New  York 
from  Saratoga  Springs. 

• 

S.  F.  Seadler,  M-G-M  advertising 
manager,  is  due  back  here  next  Mon- 
day from  Europe. 

• 

Eric  A.  Johnston,  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America  president,  left 
here  last  night  for  Washington. 
• 

Al    Daff,  Universal-International 
foreign    distribution    manager,  will 
leave  here  on  June  10  for  Europe. 
• 

Ben  Henry,  Universal-Internation- 
al manager  in  England,  will  leave 
here  Saturday  for  London. 


Short 
Subject 


"Love  That  Beauty" 

(This  Is  America — RKO  Radio) 

The  art  of  trimming  excess  pound- 
age from  milady's  figure  is  a  big 
business  in  the  U.  S.  The  latest 
issue  of  This  Is  America  turns  to  this 
"pursuit  of  glamour"  by  the  ladies 
and  shows  how  it  has  become  an  im- 
portant industry  in  this  commercial 
world.  Some  of  the  best  sequences  of 
the  film  show  how  the  women  go 
through  what  looks  like  ancient 
tortures  in  order  to  look  a  little  more 
like  the  beguiling  model  in  the  maga- 
zine advertisement.  The  subject  for 
the  most  part  focusses  on  one  house- 
wife's efforts  to  follow  in  the  rules  of 
Gpddess  Diana.  Running  time,  18 
minutes. 


U.A.  Maps  $150,000 
Campaign  for  'Magic' 

An  advertising  budget  exceeding 
$150,000  has  been  mapped  by  United 
Artists  for  Edward  Small's  "Black 
Magic." 

The  distributor  aims  to  open  the 
film  in  some  400  situations  throughout 
the  country  on  August  19  at  which 
time  the  publicity  penetration  is  ex- 
pected to  be  at  its  high  point. 

"Magic"  is  believed  to  be  one  of 
Small's  most  ambitious  to  date  with 
negative  costs  said  to  have  exceeded 
$1,500,000.  The  film  was  made  mostly 
in  Italy  with  Orson  Welles  and  Nancy 
Guild. 


Slate  'Sword'  Ad  Unit 

Hollywood,  June  1.— A  special  ad- 
vertising-publicity unit  will  be  created 
by  Universal-International  for  the 
promotion  of  "Sword  in  the  Desert," 
Robert  Buckner  production  concern- 
ing pre-war  underground  fighting  in 
Palestine,  W.  A.  Scully,  U-I  distribu- 
tion vice-president,  has  declared  here. 
The  picture  is  slated  for  a  New  York 
world  premiere. 


SPG,  Sopeg  Get  Support 

Pledges  of  support  from  various  or- 
ganizations have  been  received  by  the 
Screen  Publicists  and  Screen  Office 
and  Professional  Employees  guilds, 
CIO,  in  their  current  contract  nego- 
tiations with  distributors,  according 
to  an  SPG  statement  issued  here. 


Theatre  Employment 
Of  Minors  Explained 

Having  been  queried  extensively  re- 
cently by  theatres  regarding  the  em- 
ployment of  minors,  the  New  York 
State  Department  of  Labor  here  has 
released  the  following  high-lights  of 
the  State  Labor  Law  for  the  informa- 
tion of  theatre  managers  and  circuit 
executives : 

Employment  of  a  minor  under  14 
years  of  age  in  or  in  connection  with 
a  theatre  is  prohibited.  Minors  be- 
tween 14  and  16  must  possess  working 
papers.  Those  in  the  latter  age 
bracket  may  not  be  employed  more 
than  6  days,  or  44  hours  a  week,  more 
than  eight  hours  a  day,  and  may  not 
be  employed  between  six  P.M.  and 
eight  A.M.  School-going  minors  be- 
tween 14  and  16  and  between  16  and 
17  are  covered  by  special  provisions  in 
the  law  relative  to  the  number  of 
hours  they  may  work  daily  and 
weekly. 


Cinecolor  Reports 
$319233  Profit 

Hollywood,  June  1.— An  interim 
report  to  Cinecolor  stockholders, 
issued  here  today  and  covering  the 
24-week  period  ending  March  19, 
showed  a  profit  of  $319,233  before 
provision  for  Federal  income  taxes. 
The  report  stated  that  Film  Classics, 
wholly  owned  subsidiary,  lost  $88,854 
in  the  same  period. 


Birmingham  Ban  on 
'Snake  Pit'  Asked 

London,  June  1. — Birmingham 
Mental  Hospital  authorities  have 
asked  200  local  licensing  justices  to 
ban  "The  Snake  Pit"  in  that  city's 
200  theatres.  They  contend  that  some 
depicted  scenes  are  unknown  in  Brit- 
ish mental  hospitals  and  that  the  pic- 
ture, if  shown,  would  discourage  vol- 
untary treatment  by  patients  and 
would  unnecessarily  upset  relatives  of 
patients. 

At  the  Odeon  Theatre  here  20th- 
Fox  has  provided  a  prologue  to  the 
film,  spoken  from  the  stage,  assuring 
the  audience  that  the  conditions  shown 
relate  to  America  only.  The  company 
plans  to  have  the  prologue  recorded 
and  added  to  the  picture. 


Halpern  President 
Of  Video  Society 

David  Hale  Halpern,  vice-president 
of  Owen  and  Chappell,  advertising 
agency,  has  been  elected  president  of 
the  American  Television  Society.  He 
succeeds  Charles  J.  Durban. 

Other  officers  elected  were :  Donald 
E.  Hyndman,  vice-president ;  Reynold 
R.  Kraft,  secretary,  and  Archibald  U. 
Braunfeld,  treasurer.  The  new  board 
consists  of  Charles  J.  Durban,  George 
Shupert,  Ralph  Austrian,  Maurice 
Strieby,  Edgar  P.  James,  Halsey  V. 
Barrett,  and  Jerry  A.  Danzig. 


Four  Drive  -  ins  for 
Western  Theatres 

Ottawa,  June  1.  —  Four  drive-in 
theatres,  the  first  in  Alberta,  are 
planned  for  that  part  of  Canada  this 
year  by  Western  Drive-in  Theatres, 
Ltd.,  with  two  to  be  opened  soon, 
one  in  Calgary  and  one  in  Edmonton. 
A  third  will  be  ready  in  Lethbridge  by 
fall  and  the  site  for  a  fourth  has  been 
selected  in  Edmonton. 


Offers  $100,000  for  Star 

Hollywood,  June  1. — Robert  L. 
Lippert  Prod,  has  offered  a  $100,000 
salary  to  the  actor  chosen  for  the 
lead  in  its  "The  Baron  of  Arizona," 
a  story  of  James  Reavis,  who  con- 
trived to  build  an  empire  in  the  Phoe- 
nix, Ariz.,  area. 


Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald, 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.    Entered  as  second  class  matter 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


T,   .  .  ,  „,,  -  ,HoPeBurnup  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London.'1 

Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,   each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
bept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.    Subscription  rates  per 


GARY  COOPER 

THIS  IS  HIS  ROLE  OF  ROLES! 


takes 


_    LOOK  AHEAD  TO  THE  THRILL  OF  THE 

fOUNTAINHEAD 


30-STARRING    _  •      ^_   w  m  w 

ATR1CIA  NEAL 


with 


RAYMOND  MAS SET 
KEN!  SMITH 
ROBERT  DOUGLAS 
HENRY  HULL 
RAY  COLLINS 


ALBANY 

Womer  Screening  Room 

79  N.  Peorl  St.  •  12:30  P.M. 

ATLANTA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

197  Wolton  St.  N.W.  •  2:30  P.M. 

BOSTON 

RKO  Screening  Room 

122  Arlington  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 

BUFFALO 

Poromount  Screening  Room 
464  Franklin  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
CHARLOTTE 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

308  S.  Church  St.  •  10:00  A.M. 

CHICAGO 

Worner  Screening  Room 

1307  So.  Wabash  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M. 

CINCINNATI 

RKO  Palace  Th.  Screening  Room 
Palace  Th.  Bldg.  E.  6th  •  8:00  P.M. 
CLEVELAND 

Warner  Screening  Room  i 
2300  Payne  Ave.  •  8:30  P.M. 
DALLAS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
1803  Wood  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
DENVER 

Paramount  Screening  Room 
2100  Stout  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
DES  MOINES 
Paramount  Screening  Room 
1225  High  St.  •  8:00  P.M. 
DETROIT 

Film  Exchange  Building 

2310  Cass  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

INDIANAPOLIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

326  No.  Illinois  St.  •  1:00  P.M. 

KANSAS  CITY 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1720  Wyandotte  St.  •  1:30  P.M. 

LOS  ANGELES 

Warner  Screening  Room 

2025  S.  Vermont  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

MEMPHIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
151  Vance  Ave.  •  10:00  A.M. 
MILWAUKEE 

Warner  Theatre  Screening  Room 

212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

MINNEAPOLIS 

Worner  Screening  Room 

1000  Currie  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

NEW  HAVEN 

Warner  Theatre  Projection  Room 

70  College  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

NEW  ORLEANS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

200  S.  Liberty  St.  •  8:00  P.M. 

NEW  YORK 

Home  Office 

321  W.  44th  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 
OKLAHOMA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
10  North  Lee  St.  •  1:30  P.M. 
OMAHA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1502  Davenport  St.  •  10:00  A.M. 

PHILADELPHIA 

Worner  Screening  Room 

230  No.  13th  St.  •  2:30  P.M. 

PITTSBURGH 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

1715  Blvd.  of  Allies  •  1:30  P.M. 

PORTLAND 

Jewel  Box  Screening  Room 

1947  N.W.  Kearney  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

SALT  LAKE 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
216  East  1st  South  •  2:00  P.M. 
SAN  FRANCISCO 
Republic  Pict.  Screening  Room 
221  Golden  Gate  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M. 
SEATTLE 

Jewel  Box  Screening  Room 

2318  Second  Ave.  •  10:30  A.M. 

ST.  LOUIS 

S'renco  Screening  Room 

3143  Olive  St.  •  1:00  P.M.. 

WASHINGTON 

Wamer  Theatre  Building 

13th  I  I  Sts.  H.W.  •  10:30  Ail 


DIRECTED  BY 


HENRY  BLANKE 


Screen  Play  by  I 


PRODUCED  BY 
•  From  her  Novel  "The  Fountainhead"  •  Music  by  Max  Steiner 


BACK  THE  BOND  DRIVE  NOW! 


WARNER  BROS. 
ARE  GEARED  TO 

AS  NEVER  BEFORE! 


The  2a  Sales  Policy  in  Action ...  BIG  MID-WEST,  MID-EAST,  SOU 

CENTURY-FOX 


I  want  the  Big  One 
down  early  tomorrow. .. 
when  we  open 
It  Happens  Every  Spring! 

Remember  what  happened 
when  we  played 

Mr.  Belvedere  Goes  To  College . . . 
A  Letter  To  Three  Wives  . . . 
Yellow  Sky. .  .The  Snake  Pit . . . 
The  Beautiful  Blonde  From  Bashful  Bend  . . . 
Canadian  Pacific  . . . 
Down  To  The  Sea  In  Ships  . 
Mother  Is  A  Freshman 
Like  I  been  tellin'  you 
There's  NO  Business 

Like  2^  Business! 


BACK  THE  U.S. 
SAVINGS  BONDS  DRIVE 

MAT  14 -JUNE  30 


SATURATION  PREMIERES  Iff  HAPPENS  MKfSmHG*  ST.  LOUIS!  PITTSBURGH!  ATLANTA! 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  June  2,  1949 


Will  Rogers  Hospital 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


The  take-over  program  at  Saranac 
will  attract  one  of  the  largest  gather- 
ings of  film  industry  executives  and 
leaders  in  the  East  in  recent  years,  ac- 
cording to  Variety.  The  party  will 
leave  from  New  York  on  June  8,  and 
will  return  June  10. 

Among  those  expected  to  attend  are :  Rob- 
eft  J.  O'Donnell,  Walter  Vincent,  Harold 
Rodner,  John  H.  Harris,  Chick  Lewis, 
Ted  Gamble,  A.  Montague,  Richard  F. 
Walsh,  Max  A.  Cohen,  Si  H.  Fabian, 
George  Eby,  Marc  Wolf,  Jack  Beresin, 
Carter  Barron,  Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  Ned 

E.  Depinet,  Barney  Balaban,  Albert  War- 
ner, Sam  Schneider,  Jack  Cohn,  Spyros  P. 
Skouras,  Gradwell  L.  Sears,  Nate  J. 
Blumberg,  Steve  Broidy,  Robert  Savini, 
Arthur  Krim,  Bernard  Kranze,  Herbert  J. 
Yates,  Robert  Lippert,  Joseph  Vogel, 
George  Skouras,  Sol  Schwartz,  Harry 
Brandt. 

Also:  Leo  Brecher,  Tom  Connors, 
George  Dembow,  Gus  Eyssell,  Martin 
Quigley,  Emil  Friedlander,  William  Ger- 
man, Leonard  Goldenson,  Walter  Green, 
Ben  Kalmenson,  Harry  Kalmine,  Robert 
Mochrie,  Sam  Rinzler,  Herman  Robbins, 
William  F.  Rodgers,  Samuel  Rosen,  Abe 
Schneider,  Fred  Schwartz,  William  A. 
Scully,  Charles  P.  Skouras,  Morton  Thal- 
himer,  Murray  Weiss,  William  White,  Rob- 
ert Weitman,  Jack  Alicoate,  Ben  Schlyen, 
Red  Kann,  Abel  Green,  Jay  Emanuel,  Ar- 
thur Ungar,  William  Wilkerson,  Tom  Ken- 
nedy, Mo  Wax,  Morton  Sunshine,  Peter 
Harrison,  Dan  Michaelove,  Will  H.  Hays, 
Edmund  Grainger,  Leon  Netter,  Arthur 
Lockwood,  William  Ainsworth  and  Abram 

F.  Myers. 

At  the  program's  close,  the  visitors 
will  go  to  Lake  Placid  as  guests  of 
Fred  Schwartz,  vice-president  of  Cen- 
tury Circuit,  New  York,  at  a  cocktail 
party  and  buffet  supper  at  his  lodge. 

Under  Variety's  operation,  the 
Rogers  Memorial  Hospital  facilities 
will  be  available  to  those  in  the  film 
industry  (outside  of  production)  and 
allied  fields.  Production's  needs  are 
met  by  the  Motion  Picture  Relief 
Fund  in  Hollywood. 


Grainger  Presides 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


liam  P.  Murphy,  New  York ;  Norman 
Silverman,  Philadelphia ;  Jake  Flax, 
Washington ;  Arthur  Newman,  Al- 
bany; Leon  A.  Herman,  Buffalo; 
Frank  Dervin,  Boston ;  Jerome  Lewis, 
New  Haven ;  I.  T.  Sweeney,  Pitts- 
burgh. 

Following  the  New  York  meeting, 
Grainger  will  leave  for  Chicago, 
where  a  two-day  sales  meeting  will 
be  held  on  Monday  and  Tuesday  at 
the  Blackstone  Hotel.  He  will  be 
accompanied  by  Walton,  Titus  and 
Curtin. 

Titus  will  leave  Chicago  by  planfi 
for  Atlanta,  "where  he  will  preside-  at 
a  two-day  meeting  on  Tuesday  and 
Wednesday  at  the  Atlanta  Hotel. 


Texas  Allied's  Cole 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


veloping  new  picture-going  customers. 

Abram  F.  Myers,  Allied  States  gen- 
eral counsel,  spoke  in  a  most  optimis- 
tic vein  about  the  future  of  the  indus- 
try under  the  "new  freedom."  Other 
speakers  were  Fred  Harrington,  Nath- 
an Hamins,  Ben  Berger  and  H.  M. 
Richey,  M-G-M  exhibitor  relations 
head,  who  saw  the'  concern  of  the  in- 
dustry not  so  much  the  division  of  the 
amusement  dollar  from  within,  but  in 
attempts  of  outside  competitors  to 
divide  it  from  without. 

Following  the  session  a  testimonial 
dinner  to  Cole  was  held  in  the 
Adolphus  Hotel. 

All  convention  delegates  wore  yel- 
low ties  emblazoned  with  a  likeness 
of  Cole.  He  was  host  to  the  delegates 
at  a  barbecue  supper  at  his  home  here 
Monday  night. 


/ ohnston  Presents  QP  Showmanship  A  wards 


Quigley  Publications  Photo 

JCpRIC  JOHNSTON,  president  of  the  Motion  Picture  Association 
■t-/  of  America,  presenting  the  top  Quigley  Showmanship  Awards 
at  the  MP  A  A  offices  here  yesterday  to  Mrs.  Alice  N.  Gorham  of 
Detroit  and  to  Willis  Shaffer  of  Atchison,  Kansas.  Above,  left  to 
right,  are  Mrs.  Shaffer,  Shaffer,  Mrs.  Gorham,  Johnston  and  Martin 
Quigley,  Jr. 


Quigley  Awards  Ceremony 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Special  Overseas  Award  for  his  cam- 
paigns in  Santiago,  Chile,  where  he  is 
manager  of  the  Metro  Theatre,  re- 
ceived a  scroll  from  Arthur  Pincus, 
assistant  advertising-publicity  man- 
ager of  Loew's  International,  who  is 
on  a  South  American  tour. 

Johnston  took  the  occasion  of  the 
awards,  which  are  conducted  annually 
by  the  Managers'  Round  Table  of 
Motion  Picture  Herald,  to  cite  the 
vital  role  of  showmanship  in  motion 
picture  industry  achievement. 

"Yes,"  he  told  the  winners  who  were 
present,  "it's  the  showmanship —  the 
special  kind  of  showmanship  that  has 
stirred  and  stimulated  our  industry  in- 
to greatness.  It's  the  showmanship 
that  created  and  developed  a  marvel- 
ous new  art  form  and  spread  the 
impact  of  it  arourid  the  world." 

Johnston  added :  "That's  the  kind  of 
showmanship  that's  an  old  but  still 
exciting  story  to  Martin  Quigley.  It's 
symbolized  this  year  in  the  Quigley 
Awards  to  Alice  N.  Gorham,  Willis 
Shaffer  and  Guillermo  Echazu.  It's 
a  /symbol,  too,  of  what  the  movies 
mean  to  the  millions." 
'*  Following  the  award  presentations 
to  Mrs.  Gorham  and  Shaffer,  Johns- 


ton volunteered  to  give  them  an  award 
in  his  own  behalf — autographed  copies 
of  his  latest  book,  "We're  All  in  It." 

Representing  his  father  at  yester- 
day's ceremonies  was  Martin  Quigley, 
Jr.,  who  pointed  out  during  conversa- 
tions about  the  nature  of  the  awards 
that  the  Quigley  organization  "is  just 
a  clearing  house"  for  the  showmanship 
campaign.  Actually,  he  remarked,  the 
advertising-publicity  leaders  in  dis- 
tribution and  exhibition  who  serve  as 
judges  of  the  entries  are  the  persons 
who  make  the  awards  possible. 

Johnston,  who  took  obvious  pleasure 
in  participating  in  the  ceremonies, 
brought  forth  a  round  of  laughter 
when,  as  the  time  for  making  the  pre- 
sentation to  Mrs.  Gorham  approached, 
he  quipped:  "Well,  I'm  perfectly  will- 
ing to  carry  coal  to  Newcastle  by 
giving  silver  to  Gorham." 

Cameramen  from  the  Associated 
Press,  International  News  Photos  and 
Quigley  Publications  photographed  the 
presentations.  Also  on  hand  at  the 
presentation  ceremonies  were  Walter 
Brooks,  director  of  Manager's  Ro%md 
Table;  Tom  Waller  of  the  MPAA 
information  office  here,  and  Mrs. 
Shaffer. 


NilesHits  Companies' 
Saturation  Selling 

Anamosa,  la.,  June  1. — "No  mat- 
ter what  you  call  a  rose,  it  stinks  the 
same,"  writes  Charles  Niles,  Iowa- 
Nebraska  Allied  executive,  regarding 
mass  releasing  deals  and  saturation 
selling,  in  an  Allied  Caravan  bulletin 
sent  to  members  of  Allied  of  Iowa- 
Nebraksa. 

"You  can't  blame  the  film  compa- 
nies if  they  can  get  the  little  exhibi- 
tors to  pay  40  per  cent  and  even  50 
per  cent  (in  film  rentals),  but  every 
time  you  do  this  you  are  kicking  the 
companies  selling  you  a  fair  flat-rental 
right  in  the  teeth." 


Para.  Subject  Booked 

Paramount's  short  subject,  "Eyes  on 
Hollywood,"  a  one-reel  nine-minute 
subject  which  gives  a  brief  glimpse  of 
forthcoming  Paramount  product 
through  the  eyes  of  five-year-old  Mary 
Jane  Saunders,  has  been  booked  gratis 
by  Paramount  in  over  80  per  cent  of 
all  possible  situations,  the  company 
reports. 


Beauty  to  Travel 

Winner  of  20th  Century-Fox's 
"Most  Beautiful  Blonde"  contest  will 
be  selected  on  the  stage  of  the  Roxy 
here  tonight.  Contest  is  in  conjunction 
with  "Beautiful  Blonde  from  Bashful 
Bend."  Prizes  include  a  trip  to  Ha- 
vana. 


Rob  Theatre  of  $5,000 

Chicago,  June  1.— Six  bandits  held 
up  the  Outdoor  Theatre  on  Irving 
Park  Road  yesterday  and  escaped 
with  a  500-pound  safe  containing 
$5,000.  They  tied  up  watchman  Al 
Hahn. 


Set  Trust  Suit  Hearing 

Charlotte,  June  1.  —  Final  argu- 
ment in  H.  B.  Meiselman's  anti-trust 
suit  against  major  distributors  and  the 
Charlotte  Amusement  Co.  is  now  set 
for  June  16  in  Asheville. 


MPAA  Italian  Loan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


nental  European  manager,  is  in  Rome 
at  present  to  participate  in  the  sign- 
ing of  the  agreement.  The  loan, 
viewed  by  the  MPAA  here  as  a  com- 
promise arrangement,  was  conceived 
by  association  leaders  several  months 
ago  when  Italy's  production  industry 
was  exerting  extreme  pressure  on  the 
Italian  government  and  legislature  to 
take  measures  to  halt  the  "flooding"  of 
the  Italian  market  with  U.  S.  films. 

Under  terms  of  the  agreement  U.  S. 
film  companies  will  make  loan  pay- 
ments to  the  Italian  government's 
bank  which,  functioning  much  along 
the  same  lines  as  the  Film  Finance 
Bank  in  England,  will  provide  indi- 
vidual Italian  producers  with  funds. 
Advocates  of  the  loan,  both  American 
and  Italian,  had  expected  the  arrange- 
ment to  be  operative  long  before  now ; 
however,  the  MPAA  official  explained. 
Italian  lawmakers  persisted  in  offering 
"crippling"  amendments  which,  while 
they  have  not  been  adopted,  served  to 
stimulate  delaying  discussions. 

Loans  Interest-Free 

The  loans  will  be  interest-free,  it  is 
understood,  but  retention  of  the  Ital- 
ian market,  described  by  the  MPAA 
as  "highly  lucrative,"  is  expected  to  be 
adequate  compensation  for  the  U.  S. 
distributors.  Repayment  will  be  made 
to  the  American  companies  along  with 
regular  remittances.  Details  in  this 
connection  are  expected  to  be  an- 
nounced when  the  agreement  has  been 
signed. 

Among  the  advantages  which  the 
agreement  will  have  for  ^he  American 
industry,  the  „\1  PA. A  -spokesman  said, 
will  be  its  assurarfce  -  that  only  con- 
sistently high  grad^e1'  American  films 
will  be  shown  in  '  -Italy  henceforth, 
thus  increasing  the  prestige  of  the 
U.  S.  industry  in  that  country.  Mak- 
ers of  inferior  quality  pictures,  he  ex- 
plained, are  likely  to  find  it  financially 
unprofitable  to  turn  over  to  the  Ital- 
ian government  $3,000  or  $4,000  per 
picture  shipped  to  Italy  since  the  earn- 
ing power  of  poorer  quality  pictures 
is  relatively  low. 

The  MPAA  official  pointed  out  that 
responsibility  for  much  of  the  so- 
called  "flooding"  of  the  Italian  market 
with  U.  S.  pictures  lay  with  Italian 
distributors,  who  bought  up  large 
numbers  of  old  and  inferior  American 
films  for  release  in  Italy.  Italian  pro- 
ducers urged  restrictive  measures 
since  Italian-made  films  cannot  com- 
pete successfully  in  that  country 
against  even  inferior  Hollywood 
pictures.  .  -J 


SRO,  E-L  to  Release 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


be  handled  by  SRO  with  E-L  partici- 
pation confined  to  all  other  situations. 

In  the  past  several  monthst  Eagle- 
Lion  has  exclusively  distributed  major 
Selznick  product,  including  "Duel  in 
the  Sun,"  "Mr.  Blandings  Builds  His 
Dream  House,"  "The  Paradine  Case," 
"Since  You  Went  Awav,"  "Spell- 
bound," "Intermezzo,"  "Prisoner  of 
Zenda,"  "I'll  Be  Seeing  You,"  "Gar- 
den of  Allah,"  "Rebecca,"  "Tom  Saw- 
yer" and  "Bill  of  Divorcement." 


U.  K.  Union  Favors 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


take  final  action  on  the  new  scales  at 
its  summer  conference  at  Gleneagles, 
Scotland,  during  the  week  of  June  27. 
An  acceptable  compromise  is  expected 
as  both  sides  fear  the  consequences  of 
a  nationwide  theatre  strike. 


• 


f  f  CI  OCT)  1 

r  1Kb  \)j 

MOTION  PICTURE 

\ /accurate 

1  M 

Concise 

MM  ■    ■         a,  A 

FILM 

I  f  Z\  1  I  i 

and 

[  NEWS 

iiiipui  UUI 

N  .—J 

VOL.  65.  NO.  108 


NEW  YORK,   U.  S.  A.,   FRIDAY,   JUNE  3,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Distributors 
Step  Up  TV 
Trailer  Plans 


Initial  Replies  to  TOA 
Appeal  Report  Progress 

Distribution  is  decidedly  receptive 
to  Theatre  Owners  of  America's 
bid  for  expanded  use  of  television 
trailers  to  promote  feature  pictures, 
and  appears  to  be  anxious  to  experi- 
ment in  that  sphere  of  promotion,  ac- 
cording to  the  first  replies  received  by 
TOA  executive  director  Gael  Sullivan 
to  the  letters  of  advocacy  he  sent  re- 
cently to  company  presidents. 

RKO  Radio,  for  one,  expects  soon 
to  have  trailers  "adequate  for  serious 
testing  of  their  effectiveness  in  any 
market  where  the  television  station  is 
prepared  to  do  a  top  quality  scanning 
job,"  vice-president  John  M.  Whitaker, 
replying  in  behalf  of  RKO  president 
Ned  E.  Depinet,  told  Sullivan. 

Herbert  J.  Yates,  Republic  presi- 
dent,  informed  the   TOA  executive 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Mass.  Theatres  Fear 
15-City  Bus  Strike 

Boston,  June  2.— Some  2,000  East- 
ern Massachusetts  railway  bus  drivers 
went  out  on  strike  this  morning,  leav- 
ing 500,000  daily  commuters  stranded. 
Exhibitors  in  the  following  cities  fear 
a  shut-down  if  the  strike  continues : 
Melrose,  Wakefield,  Lowell,  Law- 
rence, Haverhill,  Newburyport,  Lynn, 
Salem  and  Peabody,  to  the  north  of 
Boston,  and  Quincy,  Brockton,  Taun- 
ton, Fall  River  and  Dedham,  to  the 
south. 

Exhibitors  in  Boston  are  expected 
to  feel  the  effects  of  the  strike  on 
weekend  business. 


RKO  to  Extend 
Vaudeville  Policy 

"Encouraged  by  the  support  given 
to  the  return  of  vaudeville  to  the 
Palace,  New  York,  by  the  public,  the 
press,  radio  and  television,"  Sol  A. 
Schwartz,  vice-president  and  general 
manager  of  RKO  Theatres,  announced 
here  yesterday  that  plans  are  now  be- 
ing formulated  to  introduce  a  similar 
policy  of  films  and  vaudeville  in  a 
number  of  cities  throughout  the  coun- 
try during  the  summer  and  early  fall. 

"It  is  our  intention",  Schwartz  said, 
"to' present  eight  acts  of  Palace  vaude- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Columbia  Profit  on 
Upswing;  $452,000 
Earned  in  39  Weeks 


Columbia  Pictures  reports  a  new 
profit  of  $452,000  for  the  39  weeks 
ended  March  26,  1949,  equal  to  34 
cents  per  share  of  common  stock, 
against  a  profit  of  $855,000,  or  96  cents 
per  share,  for  the  corresponding  peri- 
od in  1948. 

However,  showing  a  continued  im- 
provement this  year,  Columbia  earned 
$304,000  for  the  13  weeks  ended 
March  26,  1949,  compared  with  a 
profit  of  $171,000  for  the  13  weeks 
ended  Dec.  25,  1948,  and  a  loss  of 
$23,000  for  the  13-week  period  ended 
Sept.  25,  1948. 

The  profit  of  $304,000  for  the  13 
weeks  ended  March  26,  1949,  is  sub- 
stantially above  the  similar  1948  peri- 
od, when  $130,000  was  earned. 


Services  on  Sunday 
For  David  Balaban 


Chicago,  June  2. — Funeral  services 
will  be  held  here  Sunday  morning  at 
the  chapel  at  5206  Broadway  for  Da- 
vid Balaban,  51,  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Balaban  and  Katz  circuit,  who 
died  on  Wednesday  in  Highland  Park 
Hospital  following  a  heart  attack.  In- 
terment will  be  in  Waldheim  Ceme- 
tery. 

Balaban  in  recent  years  has  been 
supervising  director  of  B.  and  K.  out- 
lying theatres  on  the  north  side.  He, 
with  his  brothers  Barney,  president  of 
Paramount ;  John,  secretary-treasurer 
of  B.  and  K.  Corp.,  and  A.  J.,  manag- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Kanturek  Will  Take 
U.  S.  Films  to  Russia 

Louis  Kanturek,  Motion 
Picture  Export  Association 
supervisor  of  Eastern  Europe, 
will  accompany  to  Moscow 
the  prints  of  the  100  Holly- 
wood features  which  the 
Kremlin  has  asked  to  view  in 
accordance  with  the  agree- 
ment negotiated  several 
months  ago  by  MPEA  presi- 
dent Eric  A.  Johnston  with 
the  Soviet  Ministry.  Visa  ap- 
plications have  been  submit- 
ted for  approval. 

MPEA  states  that  because 
the  films  are  intended  exclu- 
sively for  official  preview 
purposes,  the  prints  now  be- 
ing assembled  here  for  ship- 
ment will  be  supplied  in 
16mm.  versions  only. 


Phila.  Plan  Brings 
More  Playing  Time 

Results  of  the  new  20th  Century- 
Fox  distribution  plan  in  Philadelphia, 
giving  earlier  runs  to  de  luxe  neigh- 
borhood houses,  are  giving  the  com- 
pany's "Mr.  Belvedere  Goes  to  Col- 
lege" extra  playing  time  in  several  of 
the  28  theatres  which  booked  "Mr. 
Belvedere"  to  test  the  new  plan,  the 
company's  home  office  reported  here 
yesterday. 

Among  them,  the  Suburban,  Ard- 
more  and  Keswick  in  Glenside  are 
holding  the  picture  for  an  additional 
three  days  over  the  original  seven-day 
booking,  while  the  Jeffries  is  running 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


UK  Quota  No  'Technical 
Violation,  Acheson  Says 


Schine  Decision  Seen 
Coming  Next  Week 

Washington,  June  2.  — 
Schine  attorneys  and  Justice 
Department  officials  held  fur- 
ther consent  decree  talks  to- 
day, with  indications  that  the 
crucial  period  in  the  talks  is 
coming  up  next  week. 

"We'll  know  shortly  whe- 
ther we're  going  to  get  a  de- 
cree or  if  the  whole  thing  is 
going  to  fall  through,"  a  Jus- 
tice official  said,  adding  that 
the  case  has  been  "dragged 
out  too  long." 


Hollywood,  June  2. — Answering 
Hollywood  protests  of  British  quota 
restrictions,  U.  S.  Secretary  of  State 
Dean  Acheson  has  stated  that  "in  a 
technical  sense"  the  British  govern- 
ment cannot  be  charged  directly  with 
violation  of  the  general  agreement  on 
tariffs  and  trade. 

Acheson,  however,  was  not  unsym- 
pathetic to  the  Hollywood  complaints. 
He  characterized  the  British  quota  as 
"unduly  protective  in  nature  and  not 
wholly  justified  as  a  dollar-conserving 
measure." 

Acheson's  observations  were  made 
in  an  exchange  of  correspondence 
with  Cecil  B.  DeMille,  chairman  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Industry  Council, 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Wilson  Claims 
Canada  Wants 
More  UK  Films 


Gave  Johnston  No  Hope 
For  Quota  Reduction 

London,  June  2. — Harold  Wil- 
son, president  of  the  British  Board 
of  Trade,  just  returned  from  a  visit 
to  Canada,  pointedly  claimed  at  a 
meeting  with  the  press  here  today 
that  he  had  found  a  general  desire 
among  Canadian  exhibitors  to  show 
British  films,  even  in  key  situations 
where,  currently,  there  are  no  British- 
controlled  theatres. 

Wilson  related  that  he  had  had  con- 
versations with  Famous  Players- 
Canadian  and  Odeon  Theatres  execu- 
tives on  the  subject,  and  has  under 
consideration  points  raised  by  both. 
He  did  not  explain  what  the  "points" 
were. 

Concerning  his  Toronto  meet- 
ing with  Eric  Johnston,  Motion 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Johnston,  Arnall  to 
Discuss  Film  Topics 

Washington,  June  2. — Eric  John- 
ston, president  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America,  and  Ellis 
Arnall,  president  of  the  Society  of 
Independent  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers, will  meet  here  tomorrow-  after- 
noon for  a  private,  top-level  discussion 
of  the  British  film  situation  and  other 
film  problems. 

The  MPAA  announced  today  that 
Arnall  had  accepted  Johnston's  invi- 
tation to  meet  and  talk  things  over. 
No  details  were  available  on  what  the 
two  top  officials  would  talk  about,  but 
one   MPAA   spokesman  pointed  out 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


SPG  Withdraws  Its 
'Compromise  Offer' 


"The  'white  collar'  dispute  in  the 
industry  moved  closer  to  a  breaking 
point  today  following  a  meeting  of 
the  (Eastern)  Screen  Publishers 
Guild's  representative  council,  in  which 
that  body  by  unanimous  vote,  instruct- 
ed the  Guild  negotiating  committee  to 
withdraw  a  compromise  wage  offer 
and  reaffirm  the  union's  demand  for 
an  unqualified  union  shop,  job  security 
and  impartial  arbitration  or  the  elimi-' 
nation  of  the  'no-strike,  no  picketing' 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  June  3,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


HM.  RICHEY,  M-G-M  exhibitor 
.  relations  head,  will  return  to 
.  New  York  today  from  Dallas. 
• 

Terry  Turner,  RKO  exploitation 
manager,  is  in  Boston  today  from 
New  York  and  will  continue  on  to 
Buffalo,  Chicago,  Cincinnati,  and 
Philadelphia,  with  his  return  to  New 
York  scheduled  for  June  13. 

• 

Carroll  Puciato,  Realart's  general 
manager  in  charge  of  exchange  opera- 
tions, has  returned  here  from  a  tour 
to  Denver,  Salt  Lake  City,  Los  An- 
geles, San  Francisco  and  Chicago. 
• 

Nate  J.  Blumberg,  Universal-Inter- 
national president,  accompanied  by 
Mrs.  Blumberg,  is  due  in  New  York 
from  Hollywood  over  the  weekend, 
instead  of  today  as  expected. 

• 

William  F.  Rodgers,  M-G-M  sales 
vice-president,  will  leave  here  on  June 
17  for  the  Coast  to  attend  studio  con- 
ferences. 

W.  Stewart  McDonald,  Warner 
Theatres  vice-president,  left  here  last 
night  for  Oklahoma  City  where  he 
will  spend  several  weeks. 

• 

Jerry  Wald,  Warner  producer,  and 
Mel  Shavelson  and  Jack  Rose, 
screen  writers,  have  left  New  York 
to  return  to  Hollywood. 

• 

-  David  A.  Lipton,  Universal-Inter- 
national advertising-publicity  director, 
will  arrive  in  New  York  on  Monday 
from  the  Coast. 

William  A.  Scully,  Universal- 
International  sales  vice-president,  will 
arrive  in  New  York  on  Monday  from 
Hollywood. 

Sam  Galanty,  Columbia  Mid-East 
district  manager,  is  in  Pittsburgh 
from  Washington. 

• 

Irene  Dunne  will  receive  an  hon- 
orary degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  from 
Mt.  St.  Mary's  College,  Hollywood, 
on  Sunday. 

• 

Ben  Rose,  Eagle-Lion  representa- 
tive in  the  United  Kingdom,  has  re- 
turned to  London  from  New  York. 
• 

Tom  Loy,  IATSE  publicist  here, 
has  returned  to  his  desk  following  a 
week's  vacation. 


Century  Operations 
Post  to  L.  R.  Schwartz 

Leslie  R.  Schwartz  yesterday  was 
named  supervisor  of  the  theatre  opera- 
tions department  of  Century  circuit  by 
Fred  J.  Schwartz,  vice-president  of 
the  company  which  operates  36  thea- 
tres in  Brooklyn  and  Long-  Island.  He 
succeeds  Joseph  R.  Springer,  who  re- 
signed to  take  over  the  operation  of 
six  Century  theatres. 

Schwartz  will  also  continue  to  han- 
dle theatre  merchandise. 


Insider's  Outlook 


By  RED  KANN 


"TpHE  RED  SHOES"  en- 
ters  its  28th  week  at  the 
Bijou,  New  York,  today  and 
continues  indefinitely.  Tickets 
are  being-  sold  10  weeks  in  ad- 
vance. No  other  engagement  in 
the  United  States  compares  with 
New  York,  although  the  film  has 
been  doing  extremely  well  in 
many  cities  to  the  west  of  the 
Hudson. 

Chiefly,  however,  it  is  signifi- 
cant to  report  that  J.  Arthur 
Rank  is  the  authority  for  the 
comment  this  attraction  is  faring 
better  here  than  in  England.  If 
there  is  a  conclusion — and  one 
is  clearly  indicated — it  is  that 
British  films  suffer  neither  from 
prejudice,  boycott  nor  indiffer- 
ence in  the  American  market 
when  they  reveal  on  the  screen 
the  kind  of  content  which  Amer- 
ican audiences  are  willing  to 
buy. 

There  are  those  in  England 
submitting  to  nationalism,  poli- 
tics and  self-aggrandizement 
who  will  not  acknowledge  this 
fundamental  truth.  It  is  con- 
trary to  their  belief  or  to  their 
interest  to  do  so,  but  the  inevi- 
tability of  the  conclusion  in  no 
wise  is  countermanded  by  such  a 
viewpoint. 

It  has  been  set  down  in  this 
space  many  times  that  the 
American  exhibitor  and  the 
American  public  will  not  be  con- 
scious parties  to  geographic  or 
political  barriers  where  motion 
picture  entertainment  enters. 
The  determining  equation  is  the 
ability  of  the  product  offered  to 
deliver  satisfaction. 

This  cannot  be  repeated  too 
often. 


The  conveniences  of  these 
times  are  so  thoroughly  accepted 
as  part  of  the  scenery  that  few 
bother  to  give  them  thought. 
Efficiency  in  transportation,  in 
communications  and  in  the  other 
services  simply  is  taken  for 
granted.  It's  that  way  in  the 
picture  business,  too. 

There  is  the  case  of  National 
Screen  Service  which  is  telling- 
part  of  its  story  of  service  in 
advertising  copy.  It's  quite  a 
story,  based  on  authenticated  and 
carefully  checked  records  rang- 
ing over  a  period  of  nine  weeks, 
and  it  shows : 

That  1,263,072  units  [acces- 
sory items  and  trailers]  were 
shipped  in  the  four  weeks  ending 
May  7,  or  an  average  of  315,768 
a  week.  Since  the  bulk  of  this 
material  is  rented  to  exhibitors, 
it  had  to  be  returned,  checked, 


sorted  and  put  back  on  the 
shelves.  On  this  basis,  the  totals 
soared  to  631,536  units  a  week 
during  the  period  covered.  In- 
cidentally, these  four  weeks  were 
average. 

"Many  exhibitors  have  told  us 
that  they  did  not  previously  visu- 
alize the  gigantic  extent  of  the 
detail  work  performed  in  our 
exchanges  week  in  and  week 
out,"  observes  Herman  Robbins, 
NSS  president.  "The  volume  of 
items  handled  is  an  index  not 
only  to  the  extraordinary  activ- 
ity in  our  shipping  rooms,  but 
also  to  the  many  preparatory 
and  recording  steps  necessary  to 
support  the  orderly  flow  of  this 
profusion  of  advertising  mate- 
rial." 

NSS  is  proud  and  excited  over 
this  demonstration  of  nation- 
wide service — a  'round-the- 
clock,  throughout-the-year  serv- 
ice, by  the  way — -and  with  every 
justification. 

■  ■ 

Mrs.  Willis  Shaffer,  wife  of 
the  Atchison,  Kansas,  showman 
who  is  winner  of  the  Bronze 
Grand  Award  in  the  Quigley 
Showmanship  Awards  for  1948, 
wonders  how  much  of  an  impres- 
sion the  placque  will  make  on 
their  seven-year  old  Stephen. 

The  kids  at  grade  school  have 
been  swapping  information  about 
their  fathers  and  what  they  do. 
Stephen  has  been  telling  the 
others,  "My  father  does  nothing. 
He's  with  the  theatres." 

■  ■ 

Hollywood,  where  cycles 
flourish  like  the  night-bloom- 
ing honeysuckle,  appears  to  be 
heading  toward  gambling  and 
gambling  joints  as  a  source  of 
story  material. 

Grassroots  America  won't  ap- 
preciate the  trend. 

■  B 

Sir  Sydney  Gift  of  the  Clifton 
Cinema  Circuit  arrived  from 
London  a  few  days  ago.  He 
also  arrived  at  the  heart  of  the 
Anglo-American  situation  with 
these  words : 

"/  would  like  to  see  the  quota 
lifted  so  I  can  be  a  showman 
again  and  play  the  pictures  which 
the  public  likes." 

■  ■ 

Recommended  Reading:  The 
questions  submitted  by  Motion 
Picture  Herald  to  20th  Century- 
Fox  for  purposes  of  throwing 
further  light  into  that  company's 
recently  announced  sales  policy. 

A  feature  of  the  Herald  out 
today. 


Walt  Disney  Signs 
Margaret  O'Brien 

Walt  Disney  yesterday  signed 
Margaret  O'Brien  to  record  the  voice 
for  the  central  character  in  "Alice  in 
Wonderland,"  all-cartoon  musical 
which  Disney  plans  to  release  late  next 
year  or  in  1951,  it  is  disclosed  here. 
The  child  star  has  obtained  her  release 
from  an  M-G-M  contract  which  had 
another  six  months  to  run. 


'Heart  Award'  to 
Cifre  in  Boston 

Boston,  June  2.— The  Variety  Club 
of  New  England,  Tent  No.  23,  will 
present  its  1949  "Heart  Award"  to 
Joseph  S.  Cifre,  theatre  equipment 
distributor  and  past  chief  barker,  at  a 
reception  and  luncheon  in  his  honor 
at  the  Copley  Plaza  Hotel  next  Tues- 
day. 

The  award  is  given  annually  to  the 
member  of  the  tent  who  has  demon- 
strated the  greatest  interest  in  the 
charitable  and  humanitarian  causes  to 
which  the  organization  is  dedicated. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


—  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — 

Rockefeller  Center 
SPENCER  TRACY    -    DEBORAH  KERR 


EDWARD,  MY  SON" 


Ian  Hunter  -  Leueen  MacGrath  -  James  Donald 
Mervyn  Johns  -  Harriette  Johns 

A  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION  1 


Paramount  present*  ^^H^^ 


DOROTHY  IAM0UR 

DAN  DURYEA 
STERLING  HAYDEN 

Directed  by  Lewis  R.  Foster 


*Ma8SSl2»* 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 
BIJOU  THEATER.    w  ^Br^dway 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Daily 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  11:30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


BETTY  GRABLE 
"The  BEAUTIFUL  BLONDE 
From  BASHFUL  BEND" 

A  20th  Century-Fox  Picture  in  Technicolor 
ON  ICE  STAGE — Excerpts  from  "M  lie.  Modiste" 
starring  ARNOLD  SHODA  .  JEAN  ARLEN 

ON  WONDER  STAGE— BERRY  BROS. 

VIOLA  LAYNE    .  GASTON  PALMER 

R  O  X  Y  7th  Ave  & 


50th  St. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher,  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca- Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


I    Friday,  June  3,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Review 


"Any  Number  Can  Play" 

(Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)  Hollywood,  June  2 

THE  gambler  role  given  to  Clark  Gable  here  is  a  good  deal  more  to  his 
measure  than  most  of  those  which  he  has  had  in  recent  years,  and  this 
should  please  his  immense  following;  the  talent  alongside  makes  good  mar- 
quee news.  Included  are  Alexis  Smith,  Barry  Sullivan,  Frank  Morgan,  Mary 
Astor,  Edgar  Buchanan,  Lewis  Stone,  Wendell  Corey,  Marjorie  Rambeau, 
Leon  Ames  and  Darryl  Hickman.  Production  is  by  Arthur  Freed  and  direc- 
tion is  by  Mervyn  LeRoy.  All  this  name  power  appears  more  than  enough 
to  carry  a  story  that  needs  some  carrying  into  the  high  gross  category. 

The  story,  scripted  by  Richard  Brooks,  from  a  novel  by  Edward  Harris 
Heth,  sums  up  in  the  incidents  of  one  evening  the  career  of  a  rugged,  but 
honest,  gambler  who  has  come  up  the  hard  way  in  20  years  from  adventurous 
obscurity  to  proprietorship  of  a  luxurious  gambling  house  in  an  area  where 
gambling  is  legal.  The  picture  opens  with  his  doctor  warning  him_  that  he 
has  a  heart  condition  grave  enough  to  warrant  his  leaving  his  business  for 
a  while,  and  he  decides  to  do  so.  He  changes  his  mind  when  his  son,  who 
has  been  carefully  reared  to  college  age,  refuses  to  go  along  because,  as  he 
finally  reveals  flatly,  he  is  ashamed  of  his  father's  occupation.  A  dishonest 
brother-in-law  whom  the  gambler  has  housed  and  employed,  a  rich  woman 
who  has  been  in  love  with  the  gambler  for  years,  another  rich  woman  who 
admires  him  for  his  stalwart  character,  an  oldtime  gambler  down  on  his 
luck,  an  immensely  wealthy  friend  who  has  determined  to  break  the  bank, 
and  two  sharpies  who  try  to  stick  up  the  house  in  the  final  sequences  figure 
in  events  of  the  evening  which  are  collectively  responsible  for  a  change  in 
the  son's  attitude  and  for  the  happy  ending  in  which  the  gambler  gives  the 
institution  to  his  faithful  employes. 

Gable's  performance  is  the  most  typically  Gable  of  his  post-war  career, 
ani  most  of  the  other  characters  are  individually  strong  under  the  seasoned 
LeRoy  direction.  A  script  that  undertakes  to  follow  too  many  characters 
anc:  leaves  several  story  lines  dangling  like  unfinished  business  costs  the  pic- 
ture a  good  deal  in  unity,  tension  and  impact  although  considerable  suspense 
is  attained  in  the  key  sequences  depicting  the  gambler's  defense  of  his  hold- 
ings against  a  millionaire  who  has  hit  a  terrific  run  of  passes  at  the  crap 
table.  Something  of  point  is  sacrificed  also  by  the  failure  to  make  it  clear 
whether  the  gambler  quits  the  business  for  his  family's  sake  or  because  his 
heart  has  gone  bad  on  him.  ....  , 

Most  of  the  action  takes  place  in  the  gambling  house,  which  is  operated 
on  a  policy  of  impeccable  honesty,  and  the  picture  in  the  whole,  as  well  as 
specifically  in  one  stretch  of  dialogue,  makes  quite  a  case  for  legalized 
gambling  although  registering  firmly  enough  also  that  the  majority  of  gam- 
blers do  not  fare  very  well  in  the  long  run  and  are  not  happy  people. 

Runnino-  time  113  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
not  set    &        '  William  R.  Weaver 


AFM  Convention  to 
Attack  Federal  Tax 


San  Francisco,  June  2. — One  of 
the  major  acts  of  the  American  Fed- 
!  eratisn  of  Musicians  when  it  meets  in 
convention  here  next  week  will  be  to 
urge  removal  of  the  20  per  cent  Fed- 
eral tax  on  amusements,  James  C. 
Petrillo,  AFM  president,  declared  last 
night  upon  his  arrival  by  plane  from 
New  York. 

"It  will  be  a  great  help  for  every- 
one in  the  amusement  industry  if  the 
20  per  cent  tax  is  done  away  with," 
Petrillo  asserted,  adding  that  "act- 
ually, if  the  tax  is  reduced  to  five  per 
cent  everyone,  including  the  govern- 
'  ment,  would  get  more  than  they  do 
now." 

Petrillo  will  preside  at  the  conven- 
tion which  will  open  Monday  at  the 
Palace  Hotel  here.  Some  1,100  dele- 
gates from  all  over  the  country  are 
expected  to  attend. 

The  AFM  chief  dispelled  rumors 
that  he  intended  to  retire  from  the 
union's  leadership.  "As  long  as  my 
health  permits  and  the  delegates  want 
to  elect  me  I'll  be  glad  to  serve,"  he 
said.  "Somebody  wants  to  get  rid  of 
me,"  he  added  as  an  afterthought,  "but 
it's  not  the  musicians." 

Plaque  for  Broidy 
On  25th  Anniversary 

Hollywood,  June  2.  — A  silver 
plaque  commemorating  his  25  years  in 
the  industry  was  presented  to  Steve 
Broidy,  president  of  Monogram  and 
Allied  Artists,  by  the  Independent  Mo- 
tion Picture  Producers  Association  at 
a  dinner  held  here  tonight  at  Lucey's 
Restaurant. 

Leading  representatives  from  pro- 
duction, exhibition,  trade  associations 
and  organized  film  labor  were  present. 
IMMPA  president  I.  E.  Chadwick 
presented  Broidy  with  a  set  of  gold 
cuff  links. 

HousewarmingToday 
For  N.  Y.'s  Variety 

New  York's  new  Variety  Club  will 
hold  a  h'ousewarming  today  at  five 
P.  M.  for  its  clubrooms  located  in  the 
Hotel  Astor.  Max  Wolff,  chairman  of 
the  house  committee,  has  arranged  for 
a  celebration  of  the  event,  to  which 
the  press  is  invited. 


Discuss  Israeli  Coin 

John  McCarthy,  head  of  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America's  in- 
ternational department,  left  here  last 
night  for  Washington  where  he  will 
confer  today  with  officials  of  the 
Israeli  government  on  remittances  of 
American  companies'  film  earnings  in 
that  country. 


MEMBER   FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION 


Kramer,  Cantor  and 
Wyler  Are  Honored 

Hollywood,  June  2.— Southland 
Jewish  Organization  awards  to  film- 
land went  to  Stanley  Kramer,  Eddie 
Cantor,  William  Wyler  and  Kirk 
Douglas,  at  its  sixth  annual  donor's 
dinner-dance  at  the  Earl  Carroll  The- 
atre here.  , 

Kramer  received  the  producer  s 
award  for  "Home  of  the  Brave,''  Can- 
tor was  honored  for  his  work  in  be- 
half of  the  State  of  Israel,  Wyler  for 
his  educational  work  through  motion 
pictures,  Douglas  for  his  portrayal  of 
a  school  teacher  in  "A  Letter  to  Three 
Wives." 

The  award  to  Kramer  was  the  sec- 
ond conferred  on  the  head  of  Screen 
Plays  Corp.  this  week.  Previously  Dr. 
William  Lindsay  Young  presented  a 
citation  for  "outstanding  pioneering 
service"  in  using  motion  pictures  to 
better  human  relations. 


Set  2-City  Premiere 
For  UA's  'Dan  Patch9 

Twin  world  premieres  of  "The 
Great  Dan  Patch,"  film  based  on  "the 
wonder  horse"  of  harness  racing,  have 
been  set  for  July  20  at  Minneapolis 
and  Indianapolis,  cities  where  the 
horse  reached  the  peak  of  its  career 
almost  half  a  century  ago. 

W.  R.  Frank,  Minneapolis  exhibitor 
who  produced  the  picture  for  United 
Artists  release,  is  at  present  on  a  na- 
tion-wide promotional  tour  of  ex- 
change centers.  He  is  showing  a  10- 
minute  film,  made  in  190S,  that  de- 
picts Dan  Patch  and  other  great  har- 
ness racers  of  the  time  in  action. 


Widmark  Here  for 
Theatre  Appearances 

Arrival  of  20th  Century-Fox  star 
Richard  Widmark  in  New  York  to- 
day will  put  in  motion  plans  for  two 
theatre  promotions  next  week,  during 
which  the  star  will  make  personal  ap- 
pearances implementing  the  company's 
policy  of  bringing  Hollywood  person- 
alities into  communities  in  the  field. 

Widmark  will  appear  at  the  launch- 
ing of  Loew's  Poli  Theatres'  "Sum- 
mer Show  Season"  in  Worcester, 
Mass.,  on  June  9,  and  will  be  on  hand 
for  the  re-dedication  of  Century  Cir- 
cuit's Park  Theatre  in  New  Hyde 
Park,  L.  I.,  on  June  10. 


Llo yd  to  Promote  His  Film 

After  having  been  tied  up  with 
Shriner  activities  since  his  arrival  here 
last  Sunday,  Harold  Lloyd-  will,  start- 
ing today,  concentrate  on  the  promo- 
tion of  his  "Movie  Crazy"  until  he 
returns  to  the  Coast  on  June  11.  The 
picture  will  open  at  the  Broadway 
Globe  following  the  run  of  the  current 
attraction,  "The  Champion."  Motion 
Picture  Sales  Corp.  will  distribute 
"Movie  Crazy,"  along  with  several 
other  Lloyd  re-releases. 


Greet  'Brave'  Star 

James  Edwards,  star  of  "Home  of 
the  Brave,"  currently  at  the  New 
York  Victoria  Theatre,  will  be  wel- 
comed to  this  city  by  Borough  Pres- 
ident Hugo  Rogers  at  a  reception  to- 
day at  the  Hotel  Theresa.  Later  Ed- 
wards will  be  an  honor  guest  at  a 
luncheon  at  Sardi's. 


Circuit  Ad  Heads  to 
TalkPara.Campaign 


Representing  a  cross  section  of  cir- 
cuits in  the  United  States  and  Canada, 
11  theatre  advertising-publicity  direc- 
tors will  participate  in  a  two-day  con- 
ference on  the  promotional  angles  of 
Paramount's  forthcoming  production, 
William  Wyler's  "The  Heiress,"  Max 
E.  Youngstein,  Paramount  advertis- 
ing-publicity director,  announced  here 
yesterday. 

Youngstein  said  the  conference,  to 
be  held  next  Tuesday  and  Wednesday 
here,  is  aimed  at  developing,  with  the 
assistance  of  exhibitor  representatives, 
maximum  sales  appeal  for  the  picture. 
The  Paramount  policy  of  advertising 
consultant  meetings  long  in  advance 
of  a  picture's  release,  Youngstein  said, 
is  to  "make  available  to  every  Para- 
mount account  the  most  effective  tools 
necessary  to  insure  top  merchandising 
of  the  company's  product." 

A.  W.  Schwalberg,  distribution  vice- 
president,  described  the  meetings  as 
"a  most  progressive  step  toward  de- 
veloping maximum  merchandising 
plans  by  this  type  of  cooperation  be- 
tween exhibitors  and  distributors." 

Participating  in  the  discussions  will 
be  the  following  theatre  ad-publicity 
heads  : 

Alice  N.  Gorham,  United  Detroit  Thea- 
tres, Detroit;  Frank  Starz,  Interstate  Cir- 
cuit, Dallas;  Margaret  Goodrich,  Greater 
Indianapolis  Amusement  Co.,  Indianapolis; 
William  Hollander,  Balaban  and  Katz, 
Chicago;  Everett  C.  Callow,  Warner  The- 
atres, Philadelphia;  Harry  Browning,  New 
England  Theatres,  Boston;  Seymour  Mor- 
ris, Schine  Circuit,  Gloversville,  N.  Y. ; 
James  Nairn,  of  Famous  Players  Canadian 
Corp.,  Toronto;  Harry  Mandel,  RKO 
Theatres;  Dan  Terrell,  Loew's,  and  Harry 
Goldberg,  Warner  Theatres. 

Top  Paramount  executives  also  will  par- 
ticipate in  the  meeting,  including  president 
Barney  Balaban,  board  chairman  Adolph 
Zukor,  assistant  general  sales  manager 
E.  K.  O'Shea,  vice-president  Paul  Rai- 
bourn  and  Schwalberg  and  Youngstein, 
who  will  preside. 

Settle  Phila.  Suit 
Until  Final  Hearing 

Phila.,  June  2. — Agreement  was 
reached  today  in  U.  S.  District  Court 
here  in  Jack  H.  Greenberg's  motion 
for  a  preliminary  injunction  in  his 
anti-trust  suit  against  seven  majors 
on  behalf  of  his  new  Harbor  Theatre, 
Stone  Harbor,  N.  J.,  pending  final 
hearing.  Federal  Judge  William  H. 
Kirkpatrick  continued  the  final  hearing 
until  late  summer. 

It  is  understood  that  in  return  for  a 
reduction  in  the  clearance  enjoyed  by 
Wildwood  Theatre  over  the  Harbor, 
Greenberg  is  waiving  certain  rights 
pending  the  final  hearing.  The  agree- 
ment was  reached  over  objection  of 
Hunts  Theatres,  Inc.,  operator  of  the- 
atres in  Wildwood  and  Cape  May. 
Greenberg  declared  he  intends  to  open 
on  June  24  under  the  agreement,  but 
indicated  that  he  will  press  the  suit 
to  gain  territorial  release. 

HollywoodEquipment 
Is  Best:  Pasternak 

There  is  no  place  in  the  world  like 
Hollywood  for  the  production  of  mo- 
tion pictures,  Joe  Pasternak,  M-G-M 
producer,  said  here  yesterday  on  his 
arrival  on  the  S.S.  Queen  Mary.  Pas- 
ternak was  abroad  for  18  days,  visit- 
ing Rome  and  Paris  and  looking  over 
locations  for  two  new  pictures. 

He  emphasized  that  Hollywood's 
techniques  and  equipment  are  unsur- 
passable. Pasternak  will  leave  for 
Hollywood  Sunday  to  start  work  on  a 
new  film,  "Nancy  Goes  to  Rio." 


o(  the  Hmettam  Press' 

their  radios,  watch  on  their  _  ^  ^  lmmigration,  and  a 
U.  S.  Department  of  Justice,  »  itaries  attend  the 

Host  of  top  ^^;^  JK  about  America's 
premiere  showing  of  a  hne  m 

"I-Men"!  ■  Guard  Band  and  accompanied 

Heralded  by  the  National  Guard  t>^  ^  ^  ^ 

bytheC.G.ColorGua^^^ 
picture,  will  appear  in  person 

honor  by  the  Swedish  ^  a         day  for 

H  will  be  a  great  day  for  Wash'  $  y  „ 

.U  exhibitors  who  have  dated  1LLEG 

BALTIMORE, 

COUn"y'TbLEU  I  a  U s  BonfprLie,"  picture.  Ever 
designated  by  U-I  as  «         ,ands,  personal  appearane 

where  there  will  be  kleig  ^  the  industr 

and  the  type  of  promotion  that  has  made 

showmanship  leader! 


to*  than  350  <i««  » 

iall„s,sM^.««»stt"',,;wl 

i.orial  premiere  in  film  his 
„  the  most  comprehensive  terrtto  » Op  Texas 

f  jthe  World  Premiere  of 

SAM  BASS"  s state-wide promotion 

The  first  big  gun  of  tins   em  ^  ptemiere  at 

the  Maiestic  Theatre  i 

for  the  whole  conntry.  d  Cavalcade  w,U 

Then,  on  successive  days  th  ^  ^  with  each 

U-l  to  set  up  CALAi         J  rs 
one  of  the  top-grossing  p~ -     y  ^  ^  ^he- 
Saturation  radio  and  new  P P  la  parades,  c*y- 
ity,  gala  town  and  county  celebrati ,  ^  ^ 
32  merchandising  tie-ups  ad-  ^  ^  picture 

hoo  wiU  mark  a  full  «ek £  ^yp^ 
selling  that  gave  thtsmdustrytts 


THE  INDUSTRY'S 

SHOWMANSHIP 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  June  3,  1949 


TV  Trailer  Plans 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


that  "we  have  been  giving  careful 
thought  for  months  as  to  how  we  can 
use  television  to  increase  motion  pic 
ture  audiences  and  not  decrease  them.' 
He  added  that  Republic  will  use  video 
trailers  in  connection  with  the  world 
premiere  of  "The  Red  Menace"  at  the 
Los  Angeles  and  Hollywood  Para 
mount  theatres  on  June  9. 

Replying  in  behalf  of  Universal 
International  president  Nate  J.  Blum 
berg,  Maurice  Bergman,  U-I  execu- 
tive, wrote  that  U-I  looked  with  favor 
on  the  TOA  proposal,  and,  reminding 
that  the  company  already  has  made 
use  of  video  trailers  to  a  limited  ex- 
tent^ he  indicated  that  plans  are  being 
considered  for  further  development  of 
that  promotional  technique. 

The  RKO  Radio  reply  pointed  out 
that  that  company's  actual  use  of  the 
media  "has  been  very  limited  because 
its  effective  coverage  has  been  limited 
to  so  few  markets."  However,  the 
company  'is  "very  much  interested  in 
the  possibilities  of  television  as  a 
media  for  the  advertising  and  pro- 
motion of  motion  pictures,"  Whitaker 
stated. 

"We  are  now  trying  to  develop 
trailers  which  we  think  will  be  capa- 
ble of  doing  an  effective  selling  job,' 
Whitaker  .  revealed.  Apparently  hav- 
ing in  mind  possible  American  Feder- 
ation of  Musicians  objections,  the 
RKO  Radio  vice-president  said : 
"Naturally  the  trailers  will  not  be  as 
effective  without  music  as  they  would 
be  with  a  music  track  and  the  pictorial 
material  using  clips  from  the  film  will 
not  be  as  interesting  as  specially-made 
trailers  would  be.  However,  if  the 
media  is  as  effective  as  we  think  it 
should  be  the  added  expense  of  special 
production  will  be  justified  and  by 
that  time  the  music  question  may  be 
resolved." 

SaCivan  declared  yesterday  that  at 
every  one  of  the  many  meetings  of 
TOA  regional  affiliates  he  has  attend- 
ed lately  exhibitors  expressed  a  "keen 
and  lively"  interest  in  television  trailer 
promotion. 
_  Yates  pointed  indirectly  to  the  pos- 
sibility of  TOA's  becoming  a  clearing 
house  for  video  trailer  information. 

It  would  be  a  splendid  idea,"  Yates 
wrote,  "if  you  would  send  us  the 
details  of  your  experience,  results 
obtained  and  suggested  trailer  require- 
ments by  those  using  television  trail- 
ers for  exploitation  purposes.  We  will 
let  you  know  what  results  we  have 
with  'The  Red  Menace'  as  soon  as 
possible." 


Radio  Editorializing 
Rules  Set  By  FCC 

Washington,  June  2.— The  Federal 
Communications  Commission  ruled  to- 
day that  radio  broadcasters  can  edi- 
torialize so  long  as  the  editorializing 
is  clearly  identified  as  such  and  so  long 
as  it  is  part  of  the  "more  general  pre- 
sentation of  views  or  comments  on  the 
various  issues." 

The  Commission's  decision  was  a 
major,  though  not  complete,  relaxation 
of  its  January,  1941,  Mayflower  deci- 
sion, which  said  the  "broadcaster  can- 
not be  an  advocate."  It  will  be  bind- 
ing in  television  as  well  as  on  radio 
broadcasting. 


Alicoate  Leaves  E-L 

Jack  Alicoate,  who  has  been  with 
the  Eagle-Lion  home  office  advertis- 
ing-publicity department  since  forma- 
tion of  the  company  two  years  ago, 
has  resigned,  effective  today.  His 
future  plans  will  be  announced  later. 


Review 


"All  Over  the  Town" 

(Rank — Prestige — Universal-International) 

'"POUCHINGLY  simple  and  sincere,  this  British  production  should  prove 
quite  acceptable  to  American  audiences.  It  is  a  quiet,  competently-made 
film  about  a  small-town  newspaper  reporter  who  launches  a  crusade  against 
important  advertisers  only  to  encounter  unforeseen  consequences  that  serve 
to  restore  his  lost  faith  in  the  common  people. 

Exploitation-wise,  the  picture  has  the  advantage  of  starring  Sarah 
Churchill,  daughter  of  the  former  British  Prime  Minister,  who  turns  out  to 
be  a  fine  actress  and  a  woman  of  pleasing  looks.  Her  performance  blends 
in  very  well  with  that  of  Norman  Wooland,  her  leading  man,  who  in  his 
manner  and  bearing  could  pass  for  an  American  and  who  should  further 
contribute  to  the  film's  favorable  acceptance  here.  Other  parts  are  portrayed 
with  excellence,  in  a  fine  script  by  Derek  Twist  and  Michael  Gordon  who 
gave  the  picture  a  wry  sense  of  humor  along  with  some  drama  and  a 
romantic  touch.    Twist  also  directed  this  Ian  Dalrymple  Wessex  Production. 

The  story  depends  mostly  on  the  individual  actors  in  their  clever  and 
mild  •  satire  on  British  small-town  characters.  Wooland  returns  to  his 
pre-war  job  at  the  Tormouth  Clarion,  the  town's  only  newspaper,  but  is 
kept  from  picking  up  as  of  old  by  his  war-replacement,  Miss  Churchill, 
with  whom  he  proceeds  to  fall  in  love.  He  proposes  and  she  accepts  under 
the  condition  that  they  move  to  London  and  start  anew,  and  to  her  more 
exciting,  life. 

Then  Wooland  is  offered  a  partnership  in  the  paper  and  decides  to  stay. 
He  starts  by  panning  a  locally-produced  operetta  and  intrigue  closes  his 
plant  when  he  tries  to  expose  the  selfish  plan  of  a  town  councillor  for 
rebuilding  the  sea-shore  part  of  the  community.  Helped  by  Sarah,  he  puts 
out  the  paper  anyhow,  in  time  to  convince  the  people  that  he  is  right. 

Running  time,  87  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  August 
release. 


SPG  Withdraws 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


contract  clause,"  SPG  declared  here 
yesterday  in  a  statement. 

"The  action  came  after  an  SPG  sub 
committee  had  met  with  the  distribu- 
tors in  a  negotiating  session,  only  to 
come  up  against  a  deadlock  on  job 
security,  union  security  and  other  pro- 
visions which  the  union  is  asking  for 
in  its  new  contract  with  the  movie 
outfits,"  the  Guild  said. 

"At  present  both  SPG  and  SOPEG 
are  maintaining  picket  lines  in  front 
of  Loew's  theatres  here  five  nights  a 
week,  including  week-ends.  The  action 
of  the  representative  council  bears 
heavily  upon  a  motion  passed  at  a  joint 
membership  meeting  of  the  SPG  and 
SOPEG  which  authorized  the  joint 
strike-strategy  committee  to  call  a 
strike  vote,"  according  to  the  SPG 
statement. 


Philadelphia  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


it  for  three  extra  days,  with  a  pos- 
sibility of  going  a  full  second  week. 
The  Bandbox,  which  normally  holds 
a  film  for  two  weeks,  will  go  into  a 
third  and  may  keep  it  for  a  fourth. 
From  the  Mayfair,  the  film  will  go 
into  a  moveover  first-run  at  the 
Devon. 

Reports  from  Philadelphia  also 
show  that  the  new  plan  brought  in 
between  25  and  30  per  cent  more  busi- 
ness than  under  the  former  28-day 
availability,  with  some  theatres  show- 
ing a  gross  of  40  per  cent  over  their 
previous  figures,  the  company  said. 


David  Balaban 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ing  director  of  the  New  York  Roxy 
Theatre,  were  founders  of  the  circuit, 
which  is  now  owned  by  Paramount. 
Two  younger  brothers,  Harry  and 
Elmer,  own  the  H.  and  E.  Balaban 
Circuit  in  Chicago.  Also  surviving 
are  the  widow,  Katherine;  two  daugh- 
ters, Mrs.  Lee  Wolfman  and  Gail,  and 
a  son,  Max. 


Johnston,  Arnall 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Wilson  Claims 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Picture  Association  of  America 
president,  Wilson  was  asked 
whether  he  had  given  Johnston 
any  encouragement  over  the 
possibility  of  a  reduction  of 
Britain's  film  quota. 

"No,"  Wilson  replied  with 
emphasis.  "That  wasn't  what  I 
went  to  Canada  for." 

Asked  whether  he  gave  Johnston 
any  indication  or  encouragement  for 
continuation  of  the  Anglo-American 
Films  Council  talks,  Wilson  replied 
that  that  is  a  matter  for  Johnston  and 
the  British  Film  Producers  Associa- 
tion. 

Wilson  said  there  was  no  attempt 
to  negotiate  anything  during  his  brief 
talk  with  Johnston  because,  in  Wil- 
son's view,  "there  is  nothing  to  nego- 
tiate." 

"We  had  only  a  general  and  inde- 
terminate discussion  of  films,  plus  an 
exchange  of  pleasantries,"  he  said. 

The  Board  of  Trade  president  said 
he  regarded  motion  pictures  as  the 
smallest  item  in  the  overall  picture  of 
his  Canadian  mission,  which  he  said 
was  designed  primarily  to  boost  ex- 
ports of  British  goods  generally  to 
Canada. 


that  "it  would  be  hard  for  them  to 
avoid  the  British  problem." 

There  has  been  some  speculation 
that  MPAA  might  invite  Arnall  to 
participate  in  the  next  Anglo-Ameri- 
can Film  Council  meeting.  The  two 
presidents  might  also  discuss  posibili- 
ties  for  joint  action  to  arouse  Con- 
gressional sentiment  for  modification 
of  the  film  quota. 

The  SIMPP  president  said  John- 
ston had  invited  him,  he  was  happy 
to  accept  and  "hoped  that  something 
worthwhile  for  the  industry  would 
come  of  it." 

Arnall  and  SIMPP  general  coun- 
sel Robert  J.  Rubin  were  here  today, 
renewing  their  complaints  at  the  Jus- 
tice Department  on  the  Anglo-Ameri- 
can Film  Council  agreement.  Arnall 
will  visit  State  Department  officials 
tomorrow  to  protest  the  quota,  the 
agreement,  and  to  stress  the  need  for 
government  action  to  aid  the  industry 
abroad. 

Arnall  saw  Commerce  Department 
him  chief  Nathan  Golden  this  after- 
noon on  foreign  problems.  Tomorrow 
m  addition  to  the  State  officials,  he 
expects  to  see  some  Congressmen  and 
Senators,  and  possibly  Attorney  Gen- 

SIMPP0^9,1*-    T°d?y    the  two 
u-  r  f-r  °fficials  met  with  anti-trust 
chief  Herbert  Bergson  and  his  assis- 
tant, Herbert  Borkland 


37Y2c  Disney  Dividend 

Hollywood,  June  2.— Board  of  di- 
rectors of  Walt  Disney  Productions 
fvXs  3  re^ular  quarterly  dividend 
ot  6/  A  cents  per  share  on  six  per  cent 
cumulative  convertible  preferred  stock 
payable  July  1  to  stockholders  of  rec- 
ord on  June  18. 


A.  Sualdo,  WB  Veteran 

Angelo  Sualdo,  48,  assistant  man- 
ager for  Warner  Brothers  in  Buenos 
Aires  died  there  suddenly  on  Tuesday 
according  to  a  cable  received  here  at 
the  company's  home  office.  He  had 
been  with  Warners  for  16  years.  The 
widow  survives. 


Famous  Players  Head  Confirms 
Wilson  Talks  in  Toronto 

Toronto,  June  2.— J.  J.  Fitzgib- 
bons,  president  of  Famous  Players 
Canadian  Corp.,  confirmed  reports 
that  he  talked  with  Harold  Wilson, 
head  of  the  British  Board  of  Trade, 
during  his  visit  here,  but  gave  no  fur- 
ther information. 

Wilson  is  said  to  have  suggested 
that  Famous  Players  book  a  block  of 
British  features  where  there  is  no 
Odeon  competition,  but  it  is  under- 
stood that  the  deal  is  not  being  con- 
sidered because  profits  from  British 
playdates  would  only  serve  to  bolster 
the  J.  Arthur  Rank  group,  which  in- 
cludes theatres  competing  with  the 
£  ltzgibbons  circuit. 


E 


X 


Acheson  on  Quota 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


excerpts  of  which  were  made  public 
by  DeMille  today. 

DeMille  said  in  his  reply,  "Our 
feeling  here  is  that,  in  the  light  of 
previous  understandings,  there  still  is 
good  ground  for  questioning  any  con- 
tention by  the  British  government  that 
no  commitment  has  been  made  in  the 
general  trade  agreement  which  would 
pertain  to  the  British  quota  and  re- 
lated problems." 

Nine  producer,  talent  guild  and  la- 
tl?r  ™™n  £rouPs  Iast  week,  through 
the  MPIC  charged  that  "undisclosed 
motives  behind  these  persistent  breach- 
es of  faith  tend  to  bolster  the  suspicion 
that  the  present  British  government 
policy  primarily  is  aimed  at  stifling 
the  American  film  industry  in  the 
world  market."  The  charges  were 
made  in  the  form  of  a  statement 
which  was  sent  to  the  State  Depart- 
ment and  to  all  California  congress- 
men. 


nit 
ft 
a 
re 
re 


ral 
idt 
m 
ft, 


RKO  to  Extend 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ville,  plus  a  feature  picture,  in  RKO 
%  ^eatres.  In  Greater  New  York 
and  Westchester,  it  is  expected  that 
there  will  be  at  least  one  theatre  in 
each  borough  presenting  these  shows." 
Popular  prices  will  prevail. 


It 


FIRST 


FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


„  ,VOL.  65.  NO.  109 


NEW  YORK,   U.S.A.,   MONDAY,   JUNE  6,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


MPA  Launches 
New  Theatre 
RelationsWork 


Johnston,  Harmon  Meet 
With  TOA  Tomorrow 


Washington,  June  5. — The  Mo- 
ion  Picture  Association  will  tee  off 
ts  new  exhibitor  relations  program 
vith  a  meeting  here  Tuesday  of 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  repre- 
entatives  with  Eric  Johnston,  MPAA 
(resident ;  Francis  Harmon,  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  the  new  indus- 
ry  and  community  relations  program, 
ind  other  MPAA  officials. 
-  Plans  for  the  new  program  were 
eported  in  Motion  Picture  Daily 
ist  Tuesday. 

Gael  Sullivan,  TOA  executive  di- 
ector;  Ted  Gamble,  chairman  of  the 
oard,  and  Robert  Coyne,  former 
rOA  executive  director  and  now  as- 
ociated  with  Gamble  Enterprises,  will 
epresent  the  national  exhibitor  organ- 
jation  at  the  meeting.  The  session 
/ill  mark  Harmon's  debut  in  his  new 
ole  as  director  of  exhibitor  and  com- 
lunity  relations  for  MPAA. 

General  industry  problems  will  be 
iscussed  at  the  session  under  the  gen- 
ral  theme  of  "What's  wrong  with  the 
idustry  and  what  can  be  done  to  im- 
rove  it?"  an  MPAA  spokesman  in- 
dicated. The  new  MPAA  program  of 
xhibitor-community  relations  is  ex- 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


nd  Blumenstock  Is 
lew  Para.  Ad  Chief 


Max  E.  Youngstein,  Paramount  di- 
ector  of  advertising,  publicity  and 
<ploitation,  has  appointed  Sid  Blum- 
istock  advertising  manager,  filling 
he  vacancy 
reated  by  the 
esignation  o  f 
itanley  S  h  u  - 
o  r  d.  Blumen- 
tock,  affiliated 
'ith  the  20th 
Century  -Fox 

d  v  e  r  t  i  s  - 

n  g  -  publicity 

epartment 
ince  1938,  will 
ssume  his  new 
uties  on  Mon- 
ay,  June  20. 

In  announc- 
lg  the  appoint- 
lent,  Young- 

:ein  stated :  "This  appointment  is  an- 
ther step  forward  in  the  Paramount 
olicy  to  develop  a  closer  working  re- 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Sid  Blumenstock 


New  Video  Group 
Starts  on  Wednesday 

New  television  committee  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  America 
will  get  underway  with  its  activities 
as  an  advisory  group  on  the  adapta- 
bility of  video,  particularly  its  use  in 
theatres,  with  a  meeting  here  on 
Wednesday. 

Two  meetings  have  been  held  al- 
ready but  these  for  the  most  part  con- 
cerned preliminary  matters,  including 
plans  for  phonevision. 

A  full-time  assistant  whose  duties 
will  be  to  keep  in  constant  touch  with 
the  new  medium  will  be  appointed  at 
the  Wednesday  session.  Jack  Cohn, 
vice-president  of  Columbia,  is  chair- 
man of  the  MPAA  committee  and 
members  include  Leopold  Friedman, 
Loew's  ;  Paul  Raibourn,  Paramount ; 
Sam  Schneider,  Warners ;  Lewis 
Blumberg,  Universal ;  Earl  Sponable, 
20th  Century-Fox ;  Ed  Morey,  Allied 
Artists  and  Theodore  Black,  Republic. 


Argentina  Lacks 
Dollars  for  Films 

One  of  the  major  industry  prob- 
lems in  Argentina  is  "the  lack  of 
dollars  to  buy  raw  stock  and  equip- 
ment from  the  U.  S."  Carlos  Connio 
Santini,  president  of  the  Laboratories 
Alex  S.  A.  in  Buenos  Aires  said  prior 
to  his  departure  following  a  three- 
week  visit  here. 

Santini  declared  that  his  laboratory, 
which  is  the  largest  in  South  Amer- 
ica, processes  50,000,000  feet  of  35 
and  16mm.  film  a  year.  It  processes 
local  as  well  as  foreign  films  from 
Europe  and  other  American  countries. 


MPAA  JOINS  WITH 
SIMPP  ON  BRITAIN 


3  More  Percentage 
Suits  Are  Filed 


Springfield,  111.,  June  5. — Sherrill 
E.  Pirtle,  Warren  Pirtle  and  Forrest 
Pirtle,  individually,  and  the  D/B/A 
Pirtle  Circuit  of  Theatres  were  named 
defendants  in  three  separate  _  per- 
centage actions  filed  in  U.  S.  District 
Court  by  RKO,  Loew's  and  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox. Theatres  named  in  the  com- 
plaints are  the  Princess  and  Gem  in 
Beardstown,  the  Rialto  in  Bushnell, 
Orpheum  in  Jerseyville,  McLean  and 
Capitol  in  McLeansboro,  Carlton  in 
Carrollton,  and  the  Bijou  in  Abing- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Envision  Prolonged 
E-L  Sale  Parleys 

As  negotiations  relative  to  the  pos- 
sible transfer  of  Eagle-Lion's  control 
from  Robert  R.  Young  to  Edward 
Small  enter  their  fourth  week,  indica- 
tions are  that  it  may  be  quite  some 
time  before  a  transfer  formula  is  ar- 
rived at.  Meanwhile,  it  is  held  possible 
that  financial  institutions  other  than 
and  in  addition  to  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Boston  will  be  consulted  with 
a  view  toward  securing  financial  back- 
ing for  the  company  if  it  is  taken  over 
by   Small.    Principal  conferees  here 

{Continued  on  page  7) 


Majors  Again  Challenge 
Momand  Case  Decision 


46 Shorts fromMGM; 
Had  48  Last  Year 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  has 
set  a  program  of  46  short 
subjects  for  next  year,  includ- 
ing four;  two-reel  specials, 
and  the  following  one-reel- 
ers:  16  Technicolor  cartoons 
(including  the  "Tom  and  Jer- 
ry" series)  ;  four  "Gold  Medal 
Reprint  Cartoons,"  in  Techni- 
color; 10  "Pete  Smith  Special- 
ties"; and  12  "Fitzpatrick 
Traveltalks,"  in  Technicolor. 
In  addition,  there  will  be  the 
customary  104  issues  of  News 
of  the  Day. 

The  company  released  48 
shorts  in  the  past  season. 


Washington,  June  5. — The  deci- 
sion of  the  Boston  Court  of  Appeals 
in  the  Momand  case  "is  in  no  sense  a 
holding  that  a  specific  intent  to  injure 
is  necessary  as  a  prerequisite  to  any 
recovery  in  an  anti-trust  action,"  the 
U.  S.  Supreme  Court  was  told  by 
eight  major  film  companies. 

The  companies  have  filed  in  opposi- 
tion to  a  petition  of  A.  B.  Momand 
that  the  high  court  should  reconsider 
its  earlier  refusal  to  review  the  Bos- 
ton court's  decision  against  Momand. 
The  lower  court  threw  out  Momand's 
11-year-old  anti-trust  case  against 
Universal,  Loew's,  M-G-M,  20th  Cent- 
ury-Fox, Vitagraph,  RKO,  United 
Artists  and  Columbia. 

One  of  the  principal  points  made 
by  Momand  in  asking  for  a  rehear- 
ing was  the  importance,  of  the  lower 
court's  decision  in  general  administra- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Johnston  -  Arnall  Meet 
Agrees  U.S.  Should  Act; 
Film  Council  End  Seen 


Washington,  June  5. — Society 
of  Independent  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers and  the  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociation of  America  have  agreed 
to  "work  closely  together  in  all  areas 
and  in  all  situations  where  American 
motion  pictures  are  treated  unfairly 
or  are  discriminated  against  by  for- 
eign governments." 

The  two  organizations  also  believe 
that  "it  is  the  responsibility  of  the 
State  Department  to  intercede  in  all 
cases  where  foreign  governments  im- 
pose unjust  quotas,  restrictions  or 
other  burdens." 

Specifically,  they  have  agreed 
to  jointly  urge  the  State  De- 
partment to  send  "a  new  and 
vigorous  protest  to  the  British 
government  on  the  British  film 
quota." 

These  major  agreements  were  the 
result  of  a  two-hour  conference  here 
Friday  afternoon  at  MPAA  head- 
quarters between  MPAA  president 
Eric  Johnston  and  his  top  staff,  and 
SIMPP  president  Ellis  Arnall  and 
general  counsel  Robert  J.  Rubin. 

The  agreement  to  stress  govern- 
ment responsibility  was  widely  taken 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Bergman  Named  to 
New  Universal  Post 


Official  announcement  of  the  pro- 
motion of  Maurice  Bergman,  Eastern 
advertising-publicity  director  of  Uni- 
versal-International for  the  past  seven 
years,  to  a  new 
executive  post 
in  charge  of  the 
company's  pub- 
lic   and  trade 
relations  was 
made  by  Nate 
J.  Blumberg, 
U  -  I  president, 
on  Friday. 

A  1  though 
Bergman  has 
devoted  some 
time  to  his  new 
duties  in  recent 
weeks,  the  com- 
pany announce- 
ment  said  that 
he  will  assume  the  new  post  officially 
on  July  5,  fulfilling  assignments  made 
expressly  by  Blumberg  and  William 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Maurice  Berg-man 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  June  6,  1949 


Actor  Edwards  Cites 
'Home'  as  Milestone 

Hollywood  has  lagged  behind  pub- 
lic receptivity  insofar  as  films  with 
courageous  themes  are  concerned,  and 
proof  of  that  lies  in  the  way  the  pub- 
lic and  the  press  have  received  the 
picture,  "Home  of  the  Brave,"  it  was 
declared  here  at  the  weekend  by 
James  Edwards,  who  plays  the  Negro 
soldier  in  the  film.  The  occasion  of 
Edwards'  remarks  was  a  testimonial 
luncheon  for  him  at  Sardi's  Restaur- 
ant here  on  Friday  following  an  of- 
ficial City  Hall  reception  by  Manhat- 
tan Borough  President  Hugo  Rogers 
and  other  civic  leaders. 

Now  that  Hollywood  has  taken  the 
step  it  has  with  the  production  of 
"Home,"  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  it  will 
continue  to  make  pictures  of  that 
calibre,  Edwards  declared. 


Aim  at  400  Dates  for 
'Joe*  in  New  England 

Boston,  June  5. — RKO  Radio  has 
already  lined  up  125  dates  against  a 
probable  total  of  400  for  the  New 
England  area  premiere  of  "Mighty 
Joe  Young,"  on  July  13.  Gus  Schaef- 
er,  Northeastern  district  manager,  re- 
ports that  over  100  theatres  have  ac- 
tually signed  and  Boston  manager 
Ross  C.  Cropper  expects  a  total  of 
250  in  addition  to  Max  Westebbe's 
Albany  branch,  the  Buffalo  office 
headed  by  John  Chinell  and  Barney 
Pitkin's  New  Haven  exchange. 

A  campaign  is  now  in  preparation 
under  the  supervision  of  Terry  Turn- 
er, national  director  of  exploitation. 


Green  in  New  M-G-M 
Studio  Music  Post 

Hollywood,  June  5. — Johnny  Green, 
winner  of  the  1948  Academy  Award 
for  his  scoring  of  "Easter  Parade," 
will  join  M-G-M  on  August  1  as  gen- 
eral director  of  the  studio's  music 
department,  from  which  post  Richard 
Powers  resigned  last  week.  It  is  under- 
stood that  Green  will  have  supervisory 
authority  extending  into  the  firm's 
record  and  music  publishing  activities, 
as  well  as  in  production. 


Atlanta  Censors  Ban 
Theatre  'Sex  Shows9 

Atlanta,  June  5.  —  Commercial 
showings  of  sex  hygiene  films  in  At- 
lanta theatres  has  been  banned  by  the 
local  censor  board.  Chairman  Milton 
Farris,  in  announcing  the  decision, 
said  that  such  commercial  showings 
"are  rarely  educational  in  nature," 
adding :  "The  usual  pattern  is  to  cloak 
an  indecent  performance  with  a  feeble 
last-minute  effort  at  sex  hygiene." 


Premiere  Draws  Notables 

Early  acceptances  of  invitations  to 
the  world  premiere  of  "Illegal  Entry," 
Universal-International  film  which 
deals  with  activities  of  the  Immigra- 
tion Service  border  patrol,  list  foreign 
diplomats,  U.  S.  government  officials, 
members  of  the  White  House  staff 
and  28  U.  S.  Senators  among  those 
planning-  to  be  present  at  Washing- 
ton's RKO  Keith  Theatre  on  Wed- 
nesday evening. 


Personal  Mention 


CPYROS  P.  SKOURAS,  20th  Cen- 
^  tury-Fox  president,  will  leave  here 
Wednesday  for  England  and  a  tour  of 
European  branches. 

• 

Stanton  Griffis,  U.  S.  Ambassador 
to  Egypt  and  chairman  of  Para- 
mount's  executive  committee ;  Ben 
Henry,  Universal-International  gen- 
eral manager,  and  Mrs.  Henry  ;  Sam 
Eckman,  M-G-M  managing  director 
in  England,  and  Mrs.  Eckman;  Paul 
Muni  and  Noel  Coward  were  pas- 
sengers aboard  the  iT.-S".  Queen  Mary 
when  it  sailed  from  New  York  Satur- 
day for  England. 

• 

Frank  A.  Van  Husan,  Western 
Theatre  Supply  operator  and  former 
chief  barker  of  Omaha's  Variety  Club, 
has  undergone  an  operation  in  that 
city. 

o 

Frank  Jenkins  has  resigned  as 
manager  of  Fox  West  Coast's  Grand 
Lake  Theatre,  Oakland,  Calif.,  to  be- 
come a  field  exploitation  man  with 
Columbia. 

• 

Herman  G.  Weinberg,  Lopert  ad- 
vertising-publicity director,  has  been 
appointed  American  correspondent  for 
Filmkunst,  published  in  Vienna. 
• 

Jack  Lorentz  is  now  in  charge  of 
the  20th  Century-Fox  branch  at  Mil- 
waukee, replacing  J.  Nager  who 
transferred  to  Kansas  City. 

• 

Al  O.  Bondy,  distributor  of  General 
Electric  films,  has  returned  to  New 
York  from  a  Southern  tour. 

• 

_  Fred  Meyers,  Universal-Interna- 
tional Eastern  sales  manager,  is  in 
Buffalo  from  New  York. 

• 

Paul  Broder,  Realart  president,  is 
in  New  York  from  Detroit. 

A.  A.  Ward,  Altec  vice-president, 
is  in  New  York  from  the  Coast. 


DHIL  REISMAN,  RKO  Radio 
A  vice-president  and  foreign  distribu- 
tion chief,  has  returned  to  New  York 
following  a  visit  to  European  branches. 
• 

Hugh  Owen,  Paramount  Eastern 
division  manager,  Myron  Sattler, 
New  York  branch  manager,  and  Clyde 
Goodson,  Atlanta  branch  manager,  left 
here  yesterday  for  Boston  where  they 
will  attend  a  three-day  meeting  be- 
ginning today. 

• 

Robert  Blair,  Paramount  exploita- 
tion representative  for  Denver  and 
Salt  Lake  City,  has  also  been  placed 
in  charge  of  the  Portland  and  Seattle 


Harriet  Lee  Lasker,  secretary  to 
William  Brumberg,  Warner  home 
office  publicist,  was  married  to  How- 
ard Berg  Lewine  on  Friday  at  the 
Hotel  Pierre  here. 

• 

Roy  Rogers  and  Dale  Evans  were 
hosts  at  a  cocktail  party  Friday  at  the 
Pine  Room  of  the  Hotel  Warwick 
here. 

• 

Irving  Wormser,  Columbia  circuit 
contact,  and  Jack  Bullwinkle,  Al- 
bany manager,  will  be  in  Buffalo  to- 
day. • 

• 

Mark  Goldman,  former  Eagle-Lion 
branch  manager  in  St.  Louis,  is  at  St. 
John's  Hospital  there,  reportedly  seri- 
ously ill. 

• 

Joseph  Pasternak,  M-G-M  pro- 
ducer, left  here  yesterday  for  the 
Coast. 

• 

Carey  Wilson,  M-G-M  producer, 
will  arrive  here  tomorrow  from  Holly- 
wood for  a  week's  stay. 

• 

Milton  G.  Thomas,  Altec  South- 
ern division  manager,  is  in  New  York 
from  Cincinnati. 


Newsreel 
Parade 


A.  P.  Giannini,  Bank 
Founder,  Dead  at  79 

San  Mateo,  Cal.,  June  5. — A.  P. 
Giannini,  founder  of  the  Bank  of 
America,  one  of  the  world's  largest 
financing  factors  in  film  production, 
died  at  his  home  here  on  Friday  of  a 
heart  ailment.  He  was  79.  While  Gian- 
nini had  not  been  active  in  recent 
years  in  the  institution,  the  Bank  of 
America  continued  to  invest  in  motion 
pictures,  with  Bernard  Giannini  in 
charge  of  film  loans. 

Survivors  include  a  son,  L.  M.  Gian- 
nini, who  is  now  president  of  the 
bank. 


N.J.  Allied  Meets  June  13 

Allied  Theatre  Owners  of  New  Jer- 
sey will  hold  a  membership  meeting 
here  on  June  13,  with  organization 
president  Edward  Lachman  presiding, 
it  was  reported  yesterday  by  Albert 
Gebhart,  business  manager. 


Vaudeville  at  Oriental 

Chicago,  June  5. — An  eight-act 
vaudeville  show  is  being  tried  at  the 
Essaness  Oriental  here  this  week 
starting  today,  with  films. 


Myers  Busy  in  Capital 

Washington,  June  5.— Allied  States 
general  counsel  Abram  F.  Myers  said 
that  pressure  of  business  will  keep 
him  from  attending  this  week's  con- 
vention in  Denver  of  the  Allied  Rocky 
Mountain  Independent  Theatres. 
Myers  was  originally  slated  to  go. 
Allied  President  William  Ainsworth 
and  other  top  Allied  officials  will  at- 
tend. 


W anger  Film  Premiere 

Walter  Wanger's  "Reign  of  Terror" 
will  be  given  a  premiere  on  June  16 
at  _  the  Joy  Theatre,  New  Orleans, 
William  J.  Heineman,  Eagle-Lion 
distribution  vice-president,  announces. 
Day-and-date.  showings  in  the  New 
Orleans  area  will  begin  on  the  fol- 
lowing day,  with  national  release  set 
for  August. 


UJA  Meet  Wednesday 

A  luncheon  meeting  of  the  advisory 
board  of  the  United  Jewish  Appeal 
amusement  division  will  be  held  here 
on  Wednesday  in  the  office  of  Fred  J. 
Schwartz,  Century  circuit  vice-presi- 
dent and  head  of  the  UJA  committee. 


rT,HE  Rita  Hayzvorth  wedding  and 
-*-  commencement  exercises  at  Co- 
lumbia are  current  newsreel  high- 
lights. Other  items  include  the  Alger 
Hiss  trial  and  Eisler  being  freed  in 
England.  Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  45— Gen. 
Eisenhower  awards  college  degrees.  Eng- 
land frees  Eisler.  Alger  Hiss  on  trial. 
Jap  emperor  visits  Nagasaki.  Naval  Acad- 
emy color-girl  parade.  Wedding  of  Rita 
Hayworth.  Racing. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  279 — Alger 
Hiss  trial.  Princess  Rita  becomes  a  bride. 
Gen.  Eisenhower's  first  commencement.  Jap 
Emperor  at  A-bomb  city.  Queen  Mary's 
82nd  birthday.  Romance  starts  at  Annap- 
olis.    Motor  classic. 

PARAJMOUT  NEWS,  No.  82— Snead 
wins  golf  title.  Eisler  freed.  Gen.  Clay 
bids  Americans  farewell.  British  royalty 
see  the  trooping  of  the  colors.  Rita  and 
Ali  take  vows. 

TEEENEWS     DIGEST,     No.  22-B 

Sound  and  fury  in  Washington.  Eisler 
freed.  Franco  asks  for  U.  S.  friendship. 
British  delegates  at  American  aircraft  show. 
Alger  Hiss  trial  begins.  Governor  Dewey 
in  Berlin.  Pope  Pius  proclaims  1950  a 
Holy  Year.  Memorial  Day  rites  at  the 
Anzio  cemetery.  Motorcycle  race.  Rita, 
Ali  wedding. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWS,  Vol.  253— Ro- 
mance: Rita,  Ali  wed.  Navy  and  Columbia 
hold  commencement  exercises.  Democratic 
mule  Hollywood  bound.  Racing. 

WARNER  PATHE  NEWS,  No.  84— 
Overseas  news:  King  George;  Emperor  of 
Japan;  British  awards  to  film  stars.  Every- 
body -uses  Venetian  blinds.  Americans  in 
the  news:  Gen.  Clay;  Hiss  trial.  War 
correspondents  leave  for  overseas.  Golf. 
Auto  racing. 


Coast  Production 
Is  Off  Slightly 

_  Hollywood,  June  5. — Production 
dipped  to  31  from  the  previous  week's 
34.  Six  productions  started,  and  nine 
finished. 

Started  were :  "Good  Humor  Man," 
Columbia;  "Borderline,"  Bren-Seiter; 
"House  by  the  River"  and  "Postoffice 
Investigator,"  Republic;  "Treasure  of 
Monte  Cristo,"  Screen  Guild;  "Bag- 
dad," Universal-International.  Fin- 
ished were :  "Bandits  of  El  Dorado" 
and  "Chinatown  at  Midnight,"  Colum- 
bia;  "Death  in  the  Doll's  House," 
M-G-M  ;  "Mark  of  the  Whip,"  Mono- 
gram ;  "Captain  China,"  Paramount ; 
"Golden  Stallion,"  Republic ;  "I  Mar- 
ried a  Communist,"  RKO-Radio ; 
"Grand  Canyon,"  Screen  Guild ; 
"Pinky,"  20th  Century-Fox. 


Warners  to  Reopen 
Teddington  Studio  . 

London,  June  5. — Warners  have  an- 
nounced that  their  Teddington  Studio, 
closed  since  last  Nov.  5,  will  be  re- 
opened on  July  15  with  production  of 
"Your  Witness,"  starring  Robert 
Montgomery,  who  also  will  direct. 
Producer  will  be  David  Rose,  former 
managing  director  here,  for  Para- 
mount. Warners  will  distribute  the 
picture. 


Shoot  'Bystander'  Bere 

Rex  Carlton,  president  of  Laurel 
Films,  will  begin  production  of  "Guilty 
Bystander"  in  New  York  in  about  a 
week.  The  producer's  previous  film 
was  "  'C'-Man,"  current  released  by 
Film  Classics. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher,  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


boctf  are  really  MoT/* 


"A  new 
high  for 
Abbott  and 
Costello.  Money 
for  all.  One 
continuous 
howl!" 
Daily  Variety 


"A 
natural. 
Audiences 
assured  a 
happy  79 
minutes  of 
good,  clean 
fun!" 
MP  Herald 


VtORLP  FAMOUS  UoH  TAMER  / 


■i  ^ 

ft 

CtYPE  BCATTY   FRANK  BUCK 


FAMOUS  ANIMAL  HUNTER/ 


9  & 


WORLD  FAMOUS  HEAWWEI6HT  SBNSATiONS! 

l  i  r 


id  HILLARY  BROOKE -JOE  BESSER  •  SHEMP  HOWARD  -  Directed  by  CHARLES  BARTON  •  Produced  by  EDWARD  NASSOUR 

HUNTINGTON  HARTFORD  Production*  Original  Story  and  Screenplay  by  Earl  Baldwin. 


HOT 

thru 

UA! 


'A  four-be 

Potent,  exciting  entertainmeni 

THE  BEST  PICTURE  OF  THE  WEEK  | 

inside  story  of  Communism  in  America  and  of  how  it  poij 
easy  prey  for  Communistic  promises  that  were  never  int 
can  understand  its  warning  of  danger,  and  so  dramatica 
with  its  gangster  methods  could  happen  here.  Churches 
get  it  should  show  it . . .  and  every  good  American  -  an 


THE 


A     R  E  P  U  B  I 


OPENING  JUNE  9th 

THE  PARAMOUNTS 

LOS  ANGELES  and  HOLLYWOOD 

! 


picture 


ivevy  theatre  should  show 

. . .  says  Jimmie  Fidler 


it!" 


! 


IE  RED  MENACE  :  a  four-bell  picture.  This  is  the  alarming 

citizens  who  think  they  have  grievances  against  our  country  and  are 
i  be  kept.  "THE  RED  MENACE"  is  produced  so  simply  that  a  child 
ait's  potent,  exciting  entertainment.  It  proves  how  easily  Communism 
c  organizations  should  exploit  this  film  . . .  every  theatre  that  can 
mean  you -must  not  fail  to  see  and  heed  "THE  RED  MENACE." 

from  Jimmie  Fidler's  Coast-to-Coast  Radio  Broadcast,  Sunday,  May  29. 


P  I  C  T  U 

AND  DAY  and  DATE 

FOX  WEST  COAST  THEATRES 

iOA  THEATRE,  s..  d«,.  IMPERIAL  THEATRE,  >«t  w  WEST  COAST  THEATRE,  s..t. 
KERN  THEATRE,  vmm  STATE  THEATRE,  tm»  LIDO  THEATRE,  u 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  June  6,  194) 


Short 
Subject 


"Mighty  Manhattan" 

{Fitspatrick—M-G-M) 

James  A.  Fitzpatrick,  who  has  been 
roaming  the  world  with  his  cameras 
for  more  than  20  years  has  turned  to 
the  teeming  borough  of  Manhattan  for 
a  20-minute  film.    The  subject,  done 
in   Technicolor,   does   justice   to  the 
sprawling    island.      Highlights  are 
shown  from  the  Statue  of  Liberty  to 
swank     night      clubs,  skyscrapers 
churches    and   the    glittering  lights 
The  subject  will  appeal  to  all.    It  will 
be  released  nationally  as  a  special 
Running  time,  20  minutes. 


Austrian  Industry 
Is  Near  Collapse 

The_  Austrian  film  industry  is  in 
the  midst  of  a  severe  crisis,  which 
may  be  in  the  nature  of  a  "final  reck- 
oning" for  the  industry,  according  to 
a  report  of  the  U.  S.  High  Commis 
sioner  of  Civil  Affairs  for  Austria. 

The  report  says  that  the  crisis  is 
strictly  a  financial  one.  Production 
has  ceased  and  little  or  no  future  film 
ing  is  planned,  the  Commission  de 
clared,  almost  entirely  because  neither 
the  government  or  private  lenders 
will  put  up  money. 


Weiss  Sells  NBC 
24  Westerns  for  TV 

Hollywood,  June  5.  —  National 
Broadcasting  television  stations  in 
Cleveland,  Chicago  and  Los  Angeles 
will  show  eight  Johnny  Mack  Brown 
and  16  Bob  Steele  Westerns  under 
terms  of  a  deal  negotiated  by  Adrian 
Weiss  of  the  Louis  Weiss  Co.,  dis- 
tributor of  films  for  video. 

The    NBC    stations    and  WPIX, 
New  York,  are  currently  telecasting 
serials  obtained  from  the  Weiss  com 
pany. 


Theatre  Acoustics  Forum 

Two  European  acoustics  authorities 
will  speak  at  a  forum  on  theatre 
acoustics  sponsored  by  the  Atlantic 
Coast  sections  of  the  SMPE  and  the 
Acoustical  Society  of  America,  to  be 
held  tomorrow  at  the  Engineering 
Societies  Building  here.  They  are 
James  Moir  of  Bristol,  England,  and 
Uno  Ingaard  of  Gothenburg,  Sweden. 


'Gilbey'  Set  for  Embassy 

j.  Arthur  Rank's  "Her  Man  Gil- 
bey," a  Prestige  Picture  being  releas- 
ed by  Universal-International,  will 
have  its  New  York  premiere  at  the 
Embassy  Cinema,  following  the  cur- 
rent "All  Over  the  Town." 


Ellis,  Pascal  in  Deal 

Independent  distributor  Jack  Ellis 
has  acquired  reissue  rights  to  "Major 
Barbara"  in  a  deal  with  producer  Ga- 
briel Pascal.  Rex  Harrison,  Deborah 
Kerr,  Robert  Morley  and  Wendy 
Hiller  are  in  the  top  roles. 


James  Rear  don  Promoted 

Hartford,  June  5.  —  James  M. 
Reardon,  in  the  motion  picture  divi- 
sion of  the  Connecticut  State  Police 
since  January,  1946,  has  been  pro- 
moted to  theatre  inspector  in  the  divi- 
sion, according  to  State  Police  Com- 
missioner Edward  J.  Hickey. 


Reviews 


'Take  One  False  Step' 


{ Universal-International) 
"TAKE  0ne  False  SteP"  is  a  top  grade  melodrama,  artfully  contrived, 
A  briskly  paced,  and  permeated  with  a  pleasant  trace  of  comic  flavor. 
It  presents  William  Powell  in  the  lead  as  a  college  professor  who  suddenly 
turns  sleuth  in  order  to  clear  himself  of  suspicion  of  murder.  Offering  fine 
supporting  roles  are  Shelley  Winters,  Marsha  Hunt,  James  Gleason,  Dorothy 
Hart  and  Felix  Bressart.  The  picture  shapes  up  as  sound  .  box-office  mer- 
chandise. 

The  one  false  step  taken  by  Powell,  a  former  Army  colonel  and  now 
a  married  respectable  citizen  is  his  going  into  a  bar  where  he  meets  Miss 
Winters.  Scheming,  and  with  pronounced  personality  disturbances,  she  was 
a  former  sweetheart  of  Powell's.  Before  long,  Powell  is  lured  into  a  ren- 
dezvous with  Miss  Winters,  after  which  she  mysteriously  disappears,  casting 
suspicion  upon  Powell.  With  the  police  hot  on  Powell's  trail,  he  travels  up 
and  down  the  state  of  California  trying  to  find  Miss  Winters  and  unravel 
the  enigma  To  intensify  matters,  Powell  has  been  bitten  by  a  dog  which 
supposedly  had  rabies.  Powell's  plight  becomes  a  dramatic  race  against  time 
in  which  he  has  to  elude  police  and  clash  with  gangsters  to  get  to  the 
bottom  of  the  disappearance. 

Miss  Hunt  is  appealing  as  Powell's  friend  who  helps  him  in  his  thorny 
dilemma.  As  the  detectives  on  the  case,  Gleason  and  Sheldon  Leonard  give 
enjoyable  though  orthodox  characterizations,  while  Miss  Hart  adds  a  satis- 
factory vignette  as  Powell's  wife.  Powell  finally  works  his  way  into  the  clear 
atter  successfully  exposing  an  underworld  syndicate.  The  whole  affair  leaves 
him  with  an  unlikely  story  to  relate  to  his  wife,  but  Professor  Powell  in 
the  hnale,  dedicates  the  new  university  he  worked  so  hard  to  launch  and  all 
ends  merrily.  The  flippant  view  of  marriage  shown  in  Miss  Winter's  role 
puts  the  film  m  an  adult  classification.  Under  Chester  Erskine's  direction 
there  is  some  clever  and  imaginative  use  of  the  camera.  A  Chester  Erskine 
production  the  screenplay  was  provided  by  Irwin  Shaw  and  Erskine,  based 
upon    Nightcall,    a  novel  by  Irwin  and  Chester  Erskine 

Running  time,  94  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  June  release. 

Mandel  Herbstman 

"Broken  Journey" 

{Rank—Eagle-Lion) 

A  FORCED  airplane  landing  atop  a  glacier  slope  in  the  Alps  and  the 
*  desperate  efforts  of  passengers  and  crew  to  survive  their  temporary 
isolation  provide  a  fairly  different  story  line  in  "Broken  Journey."  The 
J.  Arthur  Rank  offering  has  its  moments  of  interest  and  excitement  but  too 
frequently  stock  devices  are  used  in  the  staging  where  touches  of  imagination 
and  resourcefulness  might  have  served  to  distinguish  the  production.  Con- 
sequently, it  is  just  another  average  British  picture 

Phyhs  Calvert,  Margot  Grahame,  James  Donald,  Francis  L.  Sullivan  and 
Raymond  Huntley  are  the  principal  players  in  Robert  Westerby's  original 
screenplay  which  focuses  on  as  diverse  an  airborne  group  as  one  is  likely 
to  encounter  anywhere.  The  13  persons  aboard  the  plane  include  a  frustrated 
publicist,  an  iron-lung  patient,  a  temperamental  screen  star  and  a  self- 
centered  opera  star.  It  is  the  man  in  the  iron  lung  who  is  the  hero,  sacrificing 
his  own  Me  by  giving  up  his  breathing-apparatus  batteries  so  that  the  plane's 
dead  radio  can  be  used  to  summon  help  for  the  others.  What  romance  there 
is  involves  Miss  Calvert,  as  the  hostess,  and  Donald,  the  co-pilot.  Other 
players  are  David  Tomlinson,  Derek  Bond,  Guy  Rolfe,  Sonia  Holm,  Grey 
Blake,  Andrew  Crawford  and  Charles  Victor.  Kenneth  Annakin  directed 
the  bydney  Box  production  for  Gainsborough. 

Running  time,  89  minutes.  General  audience  classification.     Gene  Arneel 

fi 


41st  Drive-In  Opens 
In  Minneapolis  Area 

Minneapolis,  June  5.— The 
41st  drive-in  operating  or  set 
for  opening  during  the  cur- 
rent season  in  the  Minne- 
apolis zone  is  announced  for 
Madison,  S.  D.,  by  Gilbert  E. 
Sessler,  former  Paramount 
salesman,  who  is  also  build- 
ing an  outdoor  stand  at 
Sheldon,  Iowa. 

Minnesota  Entertainment 
Enterprises  has  opened  its 
fourth  Twin  Cities  drive-in, 
and  Friedman  Brothers  cir- 
cuit is  rushing  the  new  Al- 
bert Lea  outdoor  to  comple- 
tion for  a  June  17-24  opening. 


Momand  Decision 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


tion  of  the  anti-trust  laws.  The  de- 
fendants' brief,  filed  by  Jacob  J.  Kap- 
lan, said  the  Momand  petition  merely 
re-phrased  questions  raised  in  the 
original  petition  for  review,  and  that 
m  any  event,  it  "seizes' upon  a  dictum 
in  the  opinion  of  the  Court  of  Ap- 
peals, wrests  it  from  its  context,  and 
seeks  to  make  it  say  something  which 
the  court  did  not  say." 


Against  the  Wind" 


Percentage  Suits 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


don,  all  in  Illinois,  and  the  Valencia 
in  Macon  and  Lindina  in  Edina,  both 
in  Missouri.  Recovery  is  sought  in 
each  case  for  damages  resulting  from 
alleged  false  returns  on  percentage 
pictures. 

Robert  A.  Stuart  and  Brown,  Hay 
and  Stephens  of  Springfield,  Israel 
Treiman  and  Lashly  and  Lashly,  Mil- 
ler and  Clifford  of  St^Xouis  are  the 
attorneys  for  each  of  the  distributors. 


I 


(Rank — Eagle-Lion) 
A  STORY  of  British  underground  workers  that  is  skillfully  different 
7  a  um  general  run  of  wartime  spy  melodramas  is  presented  in 
J.  Arthur  Ranks  "Against  the  Wind."  The  picture  offers  an  almost  docu- 
mentary-like outline  of  a  London  training  center  for  sabotage  agents,  but  at 
the  same  time  the  story  is  presented  in  human  terms.  Simone  Signoret  who 
was  introduced  to  filmgoers  here  as  the  title  girl  in  the  French  importation 
Dedee,  heads  the  cast  along  with  Robert  Beatty  and  Jack  Warner  The 
him  is  one  that  shapes  up  as  enjoyable  adult  fare  for  the  discriminating 

The  plot  brings  together  an  assortment  of  personalities  who  are  working 
to  sabotage  the  enemy.  The  effect  of  their  dangerous  activities  upon  their 
personal  lives  forms  the  basis  of  the  story.  The  highlight  is  reached  in  a 
harrowing  but  successful  attempt  to  rescue  one  of  their  group  from  the 
Nazi  enemy. 

Charles  Crichton's  direction  keeps  events  moving  at  a  relentless  pace  A 
romantic  angle  between  Miss  Signoret  and  Gordon  Jackson  is  woven  into 
the  story.  Beatty  as  a  priest  dedicated  to  working  against  the  enemy  gives 
a  touching  performance.  Miss  Signoret  is  appealing  and  gives  depth  to  her 
central  role.  The  title  is  derived  from  a  line  by  Byron.  A  Michael  Balcon 
production,  it  was  based  on  a  T.  E.  B.  Clarke  screenplay.  Sidney  Cole  was 
associate  producer. 

Running  time,  88  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  June  release. 

M.  H. 


Catch  Speaker  Thieves 

Hartford,  June  5.— The  nightly 
showing  of  a  trailer  offering  a  reward 
of  $25  for  information  leading  to  the 
arrest  and  conviction  of  persons  steal- 
ing speakers  at  the  Hartford  Drive-In 
Theatre  led  to  the  apprehension  and 
conviction  of  four  boys,  who  admitted 
the  thefts,  according  to  George  E. 
Landers,  Hartford  division  manager 
of  E.  M.  Loew  Theatres. 


To  Build  Maine  Drive-In 

Boston,  June  5. — Construction  of  a 
rive-in  theatre  at  Lewiston,  Me.,  by 
Lockwood   and    Gordon  Enterprises 
was  announced  here  by  Arthur  Lock- 
wood. 


Stage  Shows  at  the  Fox 

Detroit,  June  5.— The  Fox  Theatre 
will  inaugurate  a  stage  show  policy 
this  month,  David  M.  Idzal,  managing 
director,  announces,  to  continue  at 
least  through  the  summer. 


Protest  Polish  Film  Ban 

Baltimore,  June  5.— Action  of  the 
Maryland  Board  of  Censors  in  pro- 
hibiting the  showing  of  the  Polish 
film,  "On  Polish  Land,"  was  attacked 
by  the  Maryland  Civil  Rights  Con- 
gress. The  film  was  banned  on  the 
grounds  that  it  constituted  Communist 
propaganda,  said  the  board. 


Dismiss  Stockholder  Suits 

Federal  Judge  Samuel  H.  Rifkind 
on  Friday  dismissed  in  U.  S.  District 
Court  here  the  20th-Fox  —  National 
Theatres  stockholder  suits  in  con- 
sequence of  the  recent  settlement  of 
identical  actions  in  New  York  Su- 
preme Court. 


Rivoli  Gets  New  Marquee 

Erection  of  a  new  marquee  for  New 
York's  Rivoli  Theatre,  costing  $40,- 
000  and  to  be  complete  in  about  four 
weeks,  has  been  announced  by  Mon- 
tague Salmon,  managing  director. 


Monday,  June  6,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Reviews 


"The  Doolins  of  Oklahoma" 

(Columbia) 

LATEST  in  the  screen's  recitations  of  the  exploits  of  famous  bandit  bands 
of  the  old  West,  "The  Doolins  of  Oklahoma"  is  an  entertaining-  Western 
of  standard  calibre.  But  its  running  time  seems  rather  excessive  for  a  film 
of  its  type,  and  it  appears  that  if  some  of  the  occasional  stretches  of  con- 
versation had  been  snipped,  a  tighter,  swifter-moving  outdoor  saga  would 
have  resulted.  Bulk  of  the  action  in  this  Randolph  Scott  starrer  is  confined 
to  the  Doolin  gang's  fleet  operations  on  horseback. 

In  its  quieter  moments,  the  film  is  given  to  moralizing,  and  does  so  in  a 
patently  confused  vein.  U.  S.  Marshal  George  Macready,  relentless  in  his 
pursuit  of  Big  Bill  Doolin  (Scott),  emerges  as  far  less  of  a  sympathetic 
character  than  his  quarry.  And  the  peace  officer's  preachments  sound  rather 
hpllow  when  they  are  directed  against  so  nice  a  fellow  as  Doolin,  who,  the 
picture  would  have  us  believe,  was  no  more  than  a  victim  of  adverse  circum- 
stances and  certainly  not  an  inherently  hardened  outlaw. 

■Kenneth  Garnet's  script  provides  also  a  fairly  strong  romantic  angle  which 
opens  the  way  for  a  saddening  finale.  Doolin,  forced  to  abandon  his  pretty 
wife  (Virginia  Huston)  by  the  tightening  net  of  the  law,  eventually  returns 
to  her  with  the  intention  of  escaping  into  uncharted  territory  to  begin  a  new 
life  as  a  farmer.  She  departs  for  their  planned  destination,  but  Macready 
and  his  men  succeed  at  that  moment  in  cornering  the  outlaw  who  absorbs 
a  fusillade  of  death-dealing  bullets.  Also  in  the  cast  are  Louise  Allbritton, 
John  Ireland,  Charles  Kemper,  Noah  Beery,  Jr.,  Dona  Drake,  Robert  H. 
Barrat  and  several  others.  Harry  Joe  Brown  produced  and  Gordon  Douglas 
directed. 

Running  time,  90  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  July  release. 

Charles  L.  Franke 


"Law  of  the  Golden  West" 

(Republic) 

PRODUCED  by  Melville  Tucker,  as  associate,  directed  by  Philip  Ford 
and  written  by  Norman  S.  Hall,  this  Western  about  pre-Civil  War  days 
has  dashing  Monte  Hale  in  the  role  of  Buffalo  Bill  Cody.  Providing 
romantic  support  is  Gail  Davis.  The  fast-moving  script  features  stagecoach 
holdups  and  the  looting  and  burning  of  ranches  and  towns. 

After  his  father  is  killed  in  a  stagecoach  attack,  Hale  determines  to  track 
down  the  murderers.  His  only  clue  is  a  hotel  room  key  which  he  finds  at 
the  scene  of  the  holdup.  In  order  to  make  certain  of  the  identity  of  the 
leader,  Hale  joins  the  forces  of  the  bandits  who  plunder  and  terrorize  the 
area.  He  discovers  the  ringleader  is  a  respected  citizen  of  the  town,  played 
by  John  Holland.  However,  Hale  organizes  a  militia  which  finally  subdues 
the  outlaws.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Paul  Hurst,  Roy  Barcroft,  Scott 
Elliott  and  Lane  Bradford. 

Running  time,  60  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
May  9. 


MPAA  SIMPP 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

in  industry  circles  as  a  major  victory 
for  Arnall,  who  has  been  stressing 
this  point  ever  since  he  took  over  as 
SIMPP  president  MPAA  officials, 
however,  were  quick  to  declare  that 
Johnston,  too,  has  always  urged  State 
Department  action  in  the  case  of  un- 
just quotas,  and  in  June,  1948,  called 
on  the  Department  to  act  against  the 
British  45  per  cent  quota. 

Predict  Council's  Demise 

The  agreement  was  also  taken  to 
mean   that   the   last   nail   had  been 
driven  into  the  coffin  of  the  Anglo- 
American     Film     council.  MPAA 
spokesmen  said  that  there  were  still 
.  Jarge   areas    of    "mutual  production 
"  "problems"  left  to  the  Council,  with- 
;  out  any  discussion  of  quotas  or  cur- 
rency   restrictions,     but  predictions 
were  made  that  the  Council  will  nev- 
-  -er  meet  again. 

( i   Johnston  had  invited  Arnall  to  meet 
p  ijto  discuss  a  possible  joint  approach, 
I;  Ibut  industry  observers  had  not  ex- 
k  upected  events  to  run  as  smoothly  as 
!  apparently  they  did.  Both  MPAA  and 
i  nSIMPP  officials  agreed  that  the  en- 
p  fltire  meeting  was  most   cordial  and 
j  straightforward.  Other  meetings  will 
j  i-be  held  from  time  to  time,  when  there 
are   other   "mutual   problems  where 
there  may  be  areas   of  cooperation 
benefiting  the  industry  as  a  whole." 

Quota  Reply  'Unacceptable' 

The  joint  statement  issued  at  the 
j  ;jend  of  Friday's  meeting  declared,  with 
ll  [respect  to  the  British  quota,  that  the 
„  ,British  government's  rejection  of  the 
n  ,State  Department's  recent  oral  pro- 
I  ,,test  is  "completely  unacceptable." 
'  '    "Because  the  quota  is  so  clearly 
i  ^unreasonable  and  excessive  and  runs 
j  idirectly  counter  to  the  spirit  and  pur- 
\.  jposes  of  the  trade  agreements  between 
,  jBritain  and  the  U.  S.,  we  feel  that 
s  ;the  State  Department  should  imme- 
'  diately  and   vigorously   take  up  the 
matter  again  with  the  British  govern- 
ment to  relieve  this  intolerable  situa- 
I  .tion,"  the  statement  said.  "The  Brit- 
j  |jish  quota  is  a  matter  that  far  tran- 
B  3scends  the  interest  alone  of  the  Amer- 
ican   motion    picture    industry.  It 
n'threatens  the  American  national  pol- 
icy of  fostering  and  promoting  freer 
jand  expanded  international  trade  and 
should  be  of  serious  concern  to  our 
^government." 

MPAA  officials  participating,  in 
addition  to  Johnston,  were  Francis 
Harmon,  Joyce  O'Hara,  John  Mc- 
jCarthy,  Jack  Bryson,  Kenneth  Clark, 
Sidney  Schreiber,  Fred  Duvall,  and 
5Edward  Cheyfitz. 

i         Arnall  Will  Still  'Fight' 

1  Arnall  declared  that  SIMPP  "likes 
to  cooperate  in  all  things  that  can  im- 
prove the  industry  as  a  whole,  but 
'we'll  continue  to  fight  like  hell  when 
something  happens  that  we  think 
doesn't  help  the  entire  industry." 
jHowever,  he  added,  "There's  no 
doubt  we  can  accomplish  more  work- 
ting  together  than  fighting  each  other." 
1  Before  the  meeting,  Arnall  spent 
tthe  morning  at  the  State  Department, 
-discussing  the  foreign  situation  with 
itrade  policy  officials,  and  on  Capitol 
-Hill  where  "I  worked  the  film  situa- 
tion into  conversations  with  a  few  of 
ny  old  friends,"  he  said.  He  did  not 
^return  to  the  Justice  Department. 

He  left  Friday  for  New  York  and 
'i!s  scheduled  to  leave  there  for  the 
■  Coast  tonight,  with  a  stopover  at 
'Colorado  Springs  to  address  the 
•Junior  Chamber  of  Commerce  national 
:onvention. 


MPAA  Launches 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

pected  to  be  outlined  at  the  session 
which  probably  will  be  a  pattern  for 
others  to  be  held  later  with  exhibitor 
groups  here  and  around  the  country. 

Johnston  and  Harmon  plan  to  dis- 
cuss broad  industry  problems,  both 
domestic  and  foreign,  with  exhibitor 
groups  to  furnish  them  with  material 
for  a  better  understanding  of  pro- 
ducer-distributor and  industry-wide 
policies.  Also  contemplated  is  an  en- 
listment of  exhibitor  cooperation  on 
the  local  level  in  industry  public  and 
community  relations  activities  similar 
to  the  campaign  conducted  last  year 
by  TOA.  Reportedly,  Harmon  has^  m 
mind  a  national  industry  organization 
not  unlike  the  War  Activities  Com- 
mittee which  he  administered  during 
the  war  years.  An  executive  assistant 
to  Harmon  is  expected  to  be  named 
soon  to  aid  in  the  organization  and 
field  work.  Mentioned  in  this  connec- 
tion has  been  the  name  of  Claude  Lee, 
former  exhibitor  relations  executive 
for  Paramount. 


Johnston  on  the  Air 

Eric  A.  Johnston,  president  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica, will  appear  on  the  "America's 
Town  Meeting  of  the  Air"  radio  pro- 
gram emanating  from  Madison  Square 
Garden  here  on  June  14.  The  subject 
will  be  "How  Can  the  Free  Peoples 
of  the  World  Best  Share  Peace  and 
Weil-Being?" 


MPAA,MPEA  Boards 
Will  Meet  Thursday 

Washington,  June  5. — The  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  and 
Motion  Picture  Export  Association 
boards  of  directors  are  scheduled  to 
meet  in  New  York  on  Thursday.  Of- 
ficials said  the  regular  quarterly  board 
meeting  of  the  MPAA  will  be  held 
Thursday  morning.  The  MPEA  board 
will  meet  Thursday  afternoon,  under 
*the  present  schedule,  and  possibly  will 
go  over  through  Friday. 

Last  Friday  top  executives  of 
MPAA's  New  York  and  Washington 
offices  met  here  on  general  MPAA 
problems,  including  possible  new  staff 
assignments.  Here  from  New  York 
were  MPAA  executives  Francis  Har- 
mon, John  McCarthy,  Fred  Duvall 
and  Sidney  Schreiber. 


Eastern  Nets  $106,972 

Ottawa,  June  5. — Eastern  Thea- 
tres' net  profit  for  the  52  weeks  ended 
Jan.  1,  1949,  was  up  narrowly,  at 
$106,972,  compared  with  $101,292  in 
1947.  A  substantial  reduction  in  in- 
come tax  provisions  more  than  offset 
a  $22,000  drop  in  earnings. 


Plan  Regional  Newsreels 

Louisville,  June  5. — Jesse  Hope- 
well, projectionist,  and  Phil  Harnden, 
local  newsreel  cameraman,  have 
formed  Kentucky  Eagle  studios  to 
film  and  market  local  newsreels  for 
Kentucky  theatres. 


Bergman  Named 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

A.  Scully,  U-I  vice-president  and 
general  sales  manager. 

"Universal  is  eager  to  move  ahead 
with  its  public  relations  program  and 
to  consolidate  a  number  of  activities 
under  one  executive  head,"  Blum- 
berg's  announcement  of  Bergman's 
promotion  said. 

It  is  understood  that  the  post  of 
Eastern  advertising-publicity  director 
will  be  abolished  by  U-I.  David  Lip- 
ton,  director  of  advertising-publicity 
for  the  company,  is  scheduled  to  ar- 
rive here  from  the  Coast  today  and 
during  his  stay  is  expected  to  make 
any  revisions  in  the  home  office  de- 
partment which  may  be  necessary. 

Bergman  currently  is  directing  in- 
dustry participation  in  the  U.  S. 
Treasury's  savings  bond  drive,  which 
will  be  concluded  at  the  end  of  this 
month.  He  joined  the  industry  in 
1928  as  a  member  of  Publix  Theatres' 
advertising  staff,  later  joining  the 
Lord  and  Thomas  advertising  agency. 
He  is  a  former  advertising-publicity 
director  of  Columbia  Pictures,  was 
with  the  20th  Century-Fox  home  of- 
fice advertising-publicity  department, 
is  a  former  president  of  Associated 
Motion  Picture  Advertisers,  and  was 
chairman  of  the  oublic  relations  divi- 
sion of  the  industry's  War  Activities 
Committee  in  1945. 


New  Para.  Ad  Chief 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

lationship  between  distribution  and  ex- 
hibition." 

Starting  in  production  with  Famous 
Players-Lasky's  Astoria,  L.  I.,  studio, 
and  later  with  the  First  National  stu- 
dio in  Burbank,  Cal.,  Blumenstock  has 
managed  theatres,  conducted  his  own 
theatre  accessory  business  and  for 
four  years  prior  to  joining  20th,  he 
was  advertising-publicity  director  of 
Warner  Brothers  South  New  Jersey 
theatres.  His  affiliation  with  20th  be- 
gan in  1938  as  pressbook  editor,  fol- 
lowing which  he  handled  trade  adver- 
tisements, co-operative  campaigns, 
sales  promotions  and  other  promotion- 
al duties.  Since  1944  he  has  been 
supervising  the  20th  Century-Fox  field 
exploitation  staff  and  also  has  been  re- 
sponsible for  the  development  of  local 
advertising  and  publicity  campaigns. 


Goldberg  is  Acting  Para. 
Trade  Press  Contact  Here 

Freddie  Goldberg,  who  has  been  in 
Paramount's  exploitation  department, 
is  now  acting  trade  press  contact  at 
the.  home  office. 


E-L  Sale  Parleys 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

have  been  Young,  majority  stockholder 
of  Pathe  Industries,  E-L  parent  com- 
pany;  Robert  Benjamin,  Pathe  Indus- 
tries counsel ;  Serge  Semenenko  of  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Boston ;  Rob- 
ert Purcell,  Pathe  executive,  and  Wil- 
liam C.  MacMillan,  E-L  operations 
vice-president. 

They  are  examining  several  plans 
under  any  one  of  which,  it  is  said, 
control  of  the  company  could  be  trans- 
ferred to  independent  producer  Small. 


Estate  Aids  Aged 

Columbus,  O.,  June  5. — Robert  J. 
Harmon,  deceased  theatreman,  left  the 
bulk  of  his  estate  to  Bishop  Michael 
J.  Ready  of  the  Catholic  Columbus 
diocese  for  the  establishment  of  a 
home  for  the  aged. 


because... BATMAN,  the  TOP  comics-magazine 
personality  next  to  Superman,  has  a  tre- 
mendous following  built  during  10  years  of 
continuous  and  sensational  circulation! 

and  because  .  .  .  National  "Superman"  Comics, 
publishers  of  BATMAN,  are  high-geared  again 
to  cooperate  on  a  vast  ticket-selling  campaign 
made-to-order  for  this  amazing  pre-sold 
NATION-WIDE  audience! 


alhiiLuM 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  65.  NO.  110 


NEW  YORK,   U.S.A.,   TUESDAY,   JUNE  7,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Ascap  Submits 
New  Decree 
Terms  to  U.  S. 


Would  Collect  Its  Music 
Fees  from  Producers 

In  furtherance  of  its  aim  to  se- 
cure a  firm  basis  for  dealing  direct- 
ly with  film  producers,  the  Ameri- 
can Society  of  Composers,  Authors 
and  Publishers  has  submitted  to  the 
Department  of  Justice  its  proposals 
for  new  consent  decree  provisions, 
superseding  the  agreement  the  two 
parties  entered  into  in  1940,  and  de- 
clared as  conforming  with  the  New 
York  and  Minneapolis  Federal  Court 
decisions  which  enjoin  Ascap  from 
collecting  music  license  fees  from 
theatres. 

The  Ascap  proposals  reportedly 
would  allow  the  Society  to  collect 
[  public  performance  rights  fees  from 
producers  in  behalf  of  its  members 
under  a  plan  which  would  involve  no 
bargaining  on  the  part  of  Ascap.  The 
Society  appears  to  have  in  mind  some 
sort  of  formula  which  would  stand- 
ardize the  rates  for  music  used  in 
films.  That  accomplished,  the  Society 
thereafter  would  merely  collect  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  fixed-rate  formula. 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Circuit  Ad  Heads  at 
Para.  Meeting  Today 

The  11  circuit  advertising-publicity 
directors  serving  as  "guest  consult- 
ants" in  the  two-day  conference  on 
Paramount's  forthcoming  William 
Wyler's  "The  Heiress"  will  be  wel- 
comed at  a  luncheon  at  the  Astor  Ho- 
tel here  today  by  Barney  Balaban, 
president. 

Max  E.  Youngstein,  Paramount's 
director  of  national  advertising,  pub- 
licity and  exploitation,  and  other 
Paramount  executives,  in  addition  to 
Balaban,  who  will  attend  the  luncheon 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Sillipbant  in  New 
Exhibitors'  Aid  Post 


In  line  with  20th  Century-Fox's  an- 
nounced plan  of  increased  point-of-sale 
merchandising  and  exhibitor  aid,  Stir- 
ling Silliphant  has  been  placed  in 
charge  of  special  events  and  promo- 
tions for  the  company. 

Silliphant,  who  will  work  with  Rod- 
ney Bush,  exploitation  manager,  will 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Yates  Personally  to 
Sell  'The  Red  Menace 9 


Herbert  J.  Yates,  president  of  Re- 
public Pictures,  disclosed  here  yester- 
day that  "Republic  has  appropriated  a 
minimum  of  $500,000  to  help  stamp 
out  'Commun- 
ism in  the 
United  States'." 
This  is  the  ini- 
tial amount  ear- 
marked to  be 
spent  through- 
out the  nation 
to  exploit  and 
advertise  Re- 
public's expose 
of  Communism 
infiltration  into 
America,  "The 
Red  Menace." 

In  addition, 
Yates  a  n  - 
nounced  that  he 
is  personally  going  to  visit  32  major 
cities  in  order  to  insure  that  the  maxi- 
mum amount  of  effort  is  exerted  to 
get  people  to  see  this  picture. 

"I  have  never  sold  pictures  before. 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Herbert  J.  Yates 


Protests  Lichtman's 
Views  on  Salesmen 


Milwaukee,  June  6. — In  a  letter 
addressed  to  Al  Lichtman,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox vice-president,  David  Bez- 
nor,  attorney  for  the  Colosseum  of 
Motion  Picture  Salesmen  of  America, 
has  protested  reports  that  the  20th- 
Fox  executive  at  the  May  12  lunch- 
eon-meeting of  the  New  York  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  Association 
had  ascribed  to  film  salesmen  the 
largest  share  of  blame  for  whatever 
poor  relationships  exist  between  dis- 
tribution and  exhibition. 

Beznor  wrote :  "You  have  shocked 
a  most  important  single  group  in  your 
organization — the  men  who  day  in  and 
day  out  are  on  the  road  doing  their 
level  best  to  sell  the  products  your 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Missouri  and  Kansas 
Allied  Meet  Today 

Kansas  City,  June  6. — Hotel  reser- 
vations by  members  of  the  Allied 
Independent  Theatre  Owners  of  Mis- 
souri-Kansas, which  opens  a  two-day 
session  here  tomorrow  indicate  an  ex- 
cellent attendance  and  broad  coverage 
of  the  regions  represented  by  the 
organization. 

An  all-industry  luncheon  will  be  the 
first  real  get-together.  Guest  speak- 
er will  be  Trueman  Rembusch,  treas- 
urer of  national  Allied  and  president 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Johnston  to 
Fight  Quota 


Washington,  June  6. — Eric  John- 
ston, president  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America,  is  expected  to 
carry  the  new  joint  MPAA-SIMPP 
protest  on  the  British  quota  to  the 
State  Department  this  week,  MPAA 
sources  said  here  today. 

It  was  understood  that  an  attempt 
is  being  made  to  line  up  an  appoint- 
ment with  Acting  Secretary  of  State 
James  Webb. 

In  any  event,  MPAA  officials  said, 
whenever  the  joint  protest  does  go  to 
the  State  Department,  Johnston  will 
deliver  it. 


Rank  Benefits  from 
U.  K.  Film  Financing 

London,  June  6. — The  J.  Arthur 
Rank  Organization  here  is  being  bene- 
fited indirectly,  but  importantly,  by 
the  government's  Film  Finance  Cor- 
poration's aid  to  independent  pro- 
ducers. 

"Spider  and  Fly,"  a  Mayflower  Pic- 
tures Corp.  production,  is  in  work  at 
Rank's  Pinewood  studio.  Mayflower, 
headed  by  Maxwell  Setton  and  Au- 
brey Baring,  was  one  of  the  first  to 
receive  an  advance  from  Film  Finance. 
In  addition  to  using  the  Rank  studio, 
Mayflower  has  a  distribution  guaranty 
from  Rank's  General  Film  Distribu- 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Kings-berg,  6  Others 
To  Aid  N.  Y.  Fund 


Malcolm  Kingsberg,  president  of 
RKO  Theatres,  will  head  solicitations 
in  the  motion  picture  industry  during 
the  12th  annual  campaign  of  the 
Greater  New  York  Fund,  according  to 
Nelson  Bond,  vice-president  and  di- 
rector of  advertising  of  the  McGraw 
Hill  Publishing  Co.  and  chairman  of 
the  fund's  publishing,  entertainment 
and  professions  section. 

Assisting  Kingsberg  as  chairmen  of 
sub-divisions  are :  equipment  and  sup- 
plies, Harry  Moskowitz,  chief  of  con- 
struction for  Loew's ;  motion  picture 
theatres,  Leo  Brecher,  president, 
Unity  Theatres  Corp.,  and  J.  Joshua 
Goldberg,  secretary,  Independent  The- 
atre Owners  Association,  co-chair- 
men ;  production,  Kingsberg. 


MPAA  Meet 
With  Myers, 
Others  Near 


MPAA  Trade  Relations 
Program  Begins  Today 

Washington,  June  6. — Getting 
underway  with  the  program  of 
stepped-up  exhibitor  and  public  re- 
lations, Eric  A.  Johnston,  president 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America,  is  expected  to  call  an  early 
meeting  with  leaders  of  several  ex- 
hibitor groups  to  discuss  current  in- 
dustry problems,  an  MPAA  official  in- 
dicated here  today. 

Abram  Myers,  Allied  States  coun- 
sel, and  other  Allied  officials,  Theatre 
Owners  of  America  president  Arthur 
Lockwood  and  leaders  of  the  Pacific 
Coast  Conference  of  Independent  The- 
atre Owners  are  certain  to  be  includ- 
ed, the  MPAA  spokesman  said. 

The  first  meeting  under  the  new 
MPAA  program  will  take  place  here 
today  when  a  group  of  TOA  officials 
will  sit  in  with  Johnston  and  Francis 
Harmon,  MPAA  vice-president,  who 
is  in  charge  of  this  activity  for  the  or- 
ganization. The  TOA  group  will  in- 
clude Ted  Gamble,  board  chairman ; 
Gael  Sullivan,  executive  director,  and 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Greenblatt  Becomes 
S.  G.'s  Sales  Manager 

Hollywood,  June  6.  ■ —  Arthur 
Greenblatt,  Eastern  sales  manager  of 
Screen  Guild  Productions,  has  been 
made  general  sales  manager  of  the 
company  by  Robert  L.  Lippert,  presi- 
dent. 

Lippert  also  announced  that  Al 
Grubstick,  manager  of  the  San  Fran- 
cisco exchange,  has  been  promoted  to 
assistant  sales  manager  in  charge  of 
San  Francisco  home  office  operations. 

Greenblatt,  who  succeeds  F.  A. 
Bateman,  has  been  in  the  industry 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


'4-AV  TV  Formula 
Approved  by  Equity 

Membership  of  Actors'  Equity  As- 
sociation has  endorsed  its  council's 
approval  of  the  television  agreement 
which  has  been  reached  by  the  nego- 
tiating committees  of  the  "Four  A's," 
Alfred  Harding,  AEA  official,  report- 
ed here  yesterday. 

The  agreement  approved  calls  for 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  June  7,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 


T>  OBERT  J.  O'Donnell,  Interstate 
Theatre  executive  and  head  of 
Variety  Clubs  International,  is  in  New 
York  from  Dallas. 

• 

Robert  B.  Pell,  assistant  to  Alfred 
Crown,  Samuel  Goldwyn  Productions 
vice-president,  and  Ruth  Bernstein, 
Near  East  Films  office  manager,  were 
married  here  Sunday  and  left  yester- 
day for  a  two-week  honeymoon  in 
Bermuda. 

• 

Charles  D.  Prutzman,  Universal 
vice-president  and  general  counsel, 
returned  to  New  York  yesterday  from 
State  College,  Pa.,  where  his  daugh- 
ter, Betsy,  was  graduated  from  Penn 
State. 

e 

Charles  Lazarus,  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Herald's  editorial  staff,  and 
Mrs.  Lazarus  are  the  parents  of  a 
daughter,  Susan  Esther,  born  Sat- 
urday at  Beth  Israel  Hospital,  New 
York. 

• 

Phil  Berg,  a  partner  with  Bert 
Allenberg  for  the  past  IS  years  in 
the  Coast  talent  agency  which  bears 
their  name,  has  announced  his  with- 
drawal from  the  business  on  the  ad- 
vice of  his  physician. 

• 

William  Brown,  manager  of 
Loew's  Poli  Bijou  Theatre,  New 
Haven,  and  Mrs.  Brown  have  an- 
nounced the  engagement  of  their 
daughter,  Audrey,  to  Morris  D. 
Arovas  of  that  city. 

• 

M a jor-General  Edward  Peck 
Curtts,  Eastman  Kodak  vice-presi- 
dent, will  receive  an  honorary  degree 
at  the  University  of  Rochester's  99th 
annual  commencement  on  June  20. 
• 

Sam  Eckman,  M-G-M  managing 
director  in  England,  and  Mrs.  Eck- 
man delayed  their  departure  from 
New  York  and  will  now  leave  here 
for  London  on  June  IS. 

e 

Carey  Wilson,  M-G-M  producer, 
will  arrive  here  from  the  Coast  to- 
morrow, after  delaying  his  expected 
departure  one  day. 

• 

Rutgers  Neilson,  RKO  Radio 
publicity  manager,  has  been  reelected 
to  the  board  of  governors  of  Circus 
Saints  and  Sinners. 

• 

Jacques  Kopfstein,  Astor  Pictures 
executive  vice-president,  accompanied 
by  Mrs.  Kopfstein,  has  returned  from 
tour  of  Europe. 

• 

Andrew  Crappman,  head  of  Fox 
West  Coast  merchandising  department 
at  Los  Angeles,  is  recuperating  from 
an  emergency  appendectomy. 

• 

Hugh  Owen,  Paramount  Eastern 
and  Southern  sales  manager,  will  re- 
turn here  from  Boston  tomorrow. 
• 

G.  L.  Carrington,  Altec  president, 
is  in  New  York  from  Hollywood. 


Bus  Strike  Hits  Many 
Theatres  in  Mass. 


Boston,  June  6.- — A  check  made  in 
Fall  River,  Taunton,  Brockton,  Quincy, 
Dedham  and  Norwood  to  the  South  of 
Boston  and  Melrose,  Wakefield,  Read 
ing,  Lowell,  Lawrence,  Haverhill  and 
Newburyport  to  the  North,  reveals 
that  theatre  business  was  hard  hit  by 
the  strike  of  bus  drivers  of  the  Eastern 
Massachusetts  Street  Railway.  Main 
streets  were  deserted.  Many  theatres 
depend  upon  the  carriage  trade  for 
their  business  and  patrons  coming  by 
bus,  but  over  the  weekend  they  stayed 
home. 

Mayors  of  the  cities  affected  are 
clamoring  for  state  intervention  be- 
cause business  is  practically  at  a  stand- 
still. Business  losses  are  expected  to 
run  into  the  millions.  Mercantile  es- 
tablishments are  prepared  to  close,  and 
stores  selling  perishables  are  giving 
their  goods  below  cost  so  that  they 
will  not  rot. 


Rathvon  To  Finance 
Lemay,  Templeton 

Hollywood,  June  6. — N.  Peter 
Rathvon's  new  independent  film 
financing  company  is  said  to  be  ar- 
ranging to  back  Alan  Lemay  and 
George  Templeton  in  the  production 
of  "Thunder  in  the  Dust,"  a  Western 
film  based  on  a  story  by  Lemay,  who 
will  direct  it.  John  Barrymore,  Jr., 
son  of  the  late  actor  and  Dolores  Cos- 
tello,  has  been  signed  to  make  his 
screen  debut  in  the  picture.  Young 
Barrymore's  contract  with  the  produc- 
ers, recently  submitted  for  court  ap- 
proval because  he  is  a  minor,  is  under- 
stood to  provide  for  an  initial  salary 
of  $150  a  week  with  options  which 
will  increase  it  ultimately  to  $500  a 
week  and  give  him  minimum  per-pic- 
ture  guarantees  of  $30,000. 


Paarmann  Is  Named 
DeVry  Sales  Head 

Chicago,  June  6. — DeVry  Corp.  has 
appointed  M.  W.  Paarmann  sales 
manager  for  the  35mm.  theatre  equip- 
ment division.  A  veteran  of  over  20 
years  with  DeVry,  Paarmann  recently 
held  the  post  of  sales  and  service  man- 
ager for  DeVry's  16mm.  division. 

He  succeeds  Ira  L.  Fleming,  who 
is  associated  with  Midwest  Theatre 
Supply  Co.,  Chicago,  handling  the  dis- 
tribution of  DeVry  theatre  projection 
equipment  in  Illinois. 


WhitakerJoinsMPAA 
Committee  on  Video 

John  M.  Whitaker,  vice-president 
of  RKO,  will  represent  that  company 
on  the  new  television  committee  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America.  RKO  had  been  the  only 
MPAA  member  company  which  had 
not  designated  its  representative  on 
the  video  committee.  Continuing  its 
study,  the  committee  will  meet  at  the 
Paramount  Theatre  here  tomorrow  to 
observe  the  Paramount  large-screen 
video  pick-up  process. 

Members  of  the  television  group  of 
the  Theatre  Owners  of  America  also 
will  be  present  at  the  demonstration, 
the  MPAA  and  TOA  policy  being  to 
cooperate  with  each  other  in  studying 
theatre  television. 


Condon  To  Promote 
DeMille's  'Delilah' 

Richard  Condon  has  been  assigned 
by  Max  E.  Youngstein,  director  of 
advertising,  publicity  and  exploitation 
for  Paramount  Pictures,  as  overall 
coordinator  of  a  national  advance  pub- 
licity campaign  for  the  forthcoming 
release  of  C.  B.  DeMille's  "Samson 
and  Delilah." 

Condon  was  director  of  publicity 
and  exploitation  for  Walt  Disney  Pro- 
ductions for  the  five  years  ending  in 
1941.  He  was  then  publicity  director 
at  20th  Century-Fox. 

After  forming  his  own  company, 
Condon  developed  long  range  cam- 
paigns under  a  retainer  from  Colum- 
bia Pictures,  and  at  various  times  he 
represented  Pathe  News,  Motion  Pic- 
ture Producers  Association,  United 
Artists,  and  independent  producers. 


Lloyd  Curtailing  His 
Film  Plans  for  Year 


MPAA,  MPEA  Meets 
Are  Postponed 

Thursday's  scheduled  meetings  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Export  Associa- 
tion and  the  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America  have  '  been  post- 
poned. Company  presidents  and 
foreign  department  managers  will  at- 
tend the  MPEA  meeting  on  Monday 
afternoon,  while  a  full  MPAA  board 
meeting  will  be  held  Tuesday  morning. 

Variety  Open  House 

New  York  Variety  Club  will  be 
host  to  members  at  an  open  house  in 
its  new  headquarters  at  the  Hotel 
Astor  here  on  Friday  afternoon. 


Reelect  Dick  Gordon 
Extras  Guild  Head 

Hollywood,  June  6. — Richard  H. 
(Dick)  Gordon  has  been  reelected 
president  of  the  AFL  Screen  Extras 
Guild  and  the  entire  administration 
slate  also  won  over  independent  can- 
didates in  the  Guild's  annual  election, 
the  Guild  reports. 

In  the  presidency  race,  Gordon  re- 
ceived 1,259  votes;  Chalky  Williams, 
345;  Harry  (Doc)  Evans,  318;  Jim 
Reeves,  104.  In  a  contest  for  the 
office  of  treasurer,  Jeffrey  Sayre  was 
reelected  over  Mike  Lally.  Other 
officers  reelected  are  Franklyn  Far- 
num,  Bess  Flowers,  second  vice-presi- 
dent; Larry  Steers,  third  vice-presi- 
dent; Beulah  Parkington,  recording 
secretary. 


Harold  Lloyd,  whose  "Movie 
Crazy"  is  being  reissued  by  Motion 
Picture  Sales  -Corp.,  said  here  yester- 
day that  his  film  plans  for  next  year 
will  be  curtailed  as  a  result  of  the  fact 
that  he  is  to  be  installed  as  Imperial 
Potentate  of  the  Shriners  at  its  annual 
convention  in  Chicago  next  month. 

Lloyd  pointed  out  that  "Movie 
Crazy,"  which  was  made  in  1932  at 
a  cost  of  $750,000,  could  not  be  made 
today  under  $2,00,000.  He  said  he  has 
in  mind  an  idea  for  another  film  which 
he  expects  to  launch  after  his  year 
with  the  Shriners.  He  asserted  that 
it  probably  would  be  made  in  connec- 
tion with  M.  P.  Sales  Corp.  Lloyd 
pointed  out  that  there  are  seven  pic- 
tures which  M.  P.  Sales  Corp.  very 
likely  would  reissue.  They  are,  be- 
sides "Movie  Crazy,"  which  will  be 
the  Globe  Theatre's  next  attraction 
here,  "The  Freshman,"  "Safety  Last," 
"Grandma's  Boy,"  "Speedy,"  "Wel- 
come Danger'  and  "Cat's  Paw."  Lloyd 
disclosed  that  his  most  recent  film, 
"Mad  Wednesday,"  made  for  RKO, 
probably  will  be  released  at  the  end 
of  the  year. 

Charles  L.  Casanave,  executive  vice- 
president  of  M.  P.  Sales  Corp.,  re- 
vealed that  "Movie  Crazy"  recently 
had  10  theatre  "sneak  previews,"  and 
some  20  private  screenings. 


Japan  Award  to  Wyler 

William  Wyler  has  received  a  Ja- 
panese award  as  producer-director  of 
"The  Best  Years  of  Our  Lives,"  se- 
lected by  the  American  Motion  Pic- 
ture Culture  Association  of  Japan  as 
the  best  American  picture  released 
there  in  1948.  Seiichiro  Yasui,  gov- 
ernor of  Tokyo,  sent  the  award  to 
Wyler. 


Correction 

In  a  news  story  in  the  issue  dated 
May  27  Motion  Picture  Daily  re- 
ferred to  Robert  L.  Lippert's  forth- 
coming production,  "Treasure  of 
Monte  Cristo,"  as  a  "United  Artists 
release."  That  was  an  error.  The 
picture  will  be  distributed  by  Lippert's 
Screen  Guild  Productions  franchise 
holders. 


SDG  To  Show  UN  Films 

First  American  showings  of  a 
group  of  United  Nations-sponsored 
films  will  be  held  at  the  Museum  of 
Modern  Art  here  on  June  23  at  the 
first  public  forum  of  the  (Eastern) 
Screen  Directors  Guild,  it  is  an- 
nounced by  Jack  Glenn,  president. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


i  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL  — 

|  Rockefeller  Center 

1   SPENCER  TRACY    -    DEBORAH  KERR 

i    'EDWARD,  MY  SON" 

Ian  Hunter  -  Leueen  MacGrath  -  James  Donald! 
Mervyn  Johns  -  Harriette  Johns 

A  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Picture 
SPECTACULAR  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


prose ntl  _         ^  r 

MARY  JANE  SAUNDERS 


J.  Arthur  Rank  presents 

"THE  RED  SHOES" 

Color  by  Technicolor 

BIJOU  THEATER, 

All  Seats  Reserved,  Mail  Orders 

Twice  Dally 
Extra  Matinees  Saturday  and  Sunday 
Late  Show  Saturday  Evening  1 1 :30 
An  EAGLE  LION  FILM  Release 


New  York."    Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Qu  Kley   Tr    ViceffiffnJS  I  4  n!         Telephone  Circle  7-3100.    Cable  address:  Qmgpubco, 


Tuesday,  June  7,  1949 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Reviews 

"Calamity  Jane  and  Sam  Bass" 

(Universal-International) 

A FULL-SCALE  production  treatment,  including  Technicolor  and  all  of 
the  trappings,  has  been  accorded  Universal-International's  "Calamity 
Jane  and  Sam  Bass."  The  picture  features  Howard  Duff  as  a  horse-loving 
cowhand  who  gets  on  the  wrong  side  of  law  and  order  when  he  tries  to 
exact  his  own  justice  for  the  villainous  poisoning  of  his  mare.  Sharing  the 
billing  with  Duff  as  the  other  name  of  the  title  is  Yvonne  de  Carlo,  a  hoyden- 
ish  adventuress  who  casts  her  lot  with  him  only  to  find  herself  not  altogether 
wanted.  Dorothy  Hart  provides  the  third  corner  to  the  triangle  as  the  re- 
fined and  elegant  young  lady  who  wants  to  make  Duff  a  dutiful  wife. 
Designed  for  popular  appeal,  the  picture  is  rounded  out  with  the  standard 
quota  of  gunplay  and  chases.  The  picture  will  have  a  Dallas  premiere  to- 
morrow as  part  of  some  300  openings. 

'When  Duff  arrives  in  town  he  is  a  good  sort  of  person,  greatly  interested 
in  horse  racing.  He  borrows  enough  money  to  buy  a  mare  and  then  starts 
conditioning  the  animal  for  the  race.  The  fleet-footed  mare  meets  amazing 
success,  but  in  a  crucial  race  she  drops  dead  as  a  result  of  poisoning  by 
some  gambler  outlaws.  Motivated  by  a  moral  sense  of  justice,  Duff  tries  to 
retrieve  the  money  he  lost  on  the  race,  is  forced  to  kill  in  self-defense,  and 
in  time  he  himself  becomes  a  hunted  outlaw.  Slowly  Duff  and  his  little 
group,  including  Miss  De  Carlo,  are  hunted  down  by  the  sheriff  and  his 
posse. 

The  formula-made  screenplay,  by  Maurice  Geraghty  and  Melvin  Levy,  ends 
with  a  different  twist  as  the  hero-outlaw  is  finally  brought  down  by  the 
relentless  sheriff.  Leonard  Goldenson  produced  and  George  Sherman,  directed 
from  a  screenplay  based  on  his  own  story. 

Running  time,  85  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  June  release. 

Mandel  Herbstman 


"Movie  Crazy" 

{Harold  Lloyd — Motion  Picture  Sales  Corp.) 

HAROLD  LLOYD'S  "Movie  Crazy"  is  one  of  those  comedies  whose 
entertainment  value  is  timeless.   Happily,  it  has  been  scheduled  for 
reissue  this  month  after  17  years  in  the  vaults. 

It  is  a  story  of  goggle-eyed  Harold's  attempts  to  become  a  big  romantic 
Hollywood  star.  His  every  effort  results  in  trouble  until  finally  when  he 
believes  he  is  protecting  Constance  Cummings  from  the  hands  of  the 
villain  and  engages  in  a  rough  and  tumble  fight  a  producer  sees  the  possi- 
bilities of  developing  a  new  comedy  star.  Since  it  is  comedy  which  depends 
upon  situations  and  slapstick  rather  than  dialogue,  it  is  of  the  type  which 
lives  on  indefinitely.  As  an  exhibitors'  picture  it  has  numerous  exploitation 
possibilities.  First  it  will  attract  children  who  know  of  Harold  Lloyd  only 
by  name  and  reputation  and  secondly  it  will  draw  their  parents  who  will 
enjoy  not  only  the  picture  but  the  nostalgia  therein.  At  a  screening  for  high 
school  editors  in  New  York  Lloyd's  screen  antics  kept  the  projection  room 
in  an  almost  constant  state  of  laughter. 

Lloyd  produced  and  Clyde  Bruckman  directed,  from  a  screenplay  by  Vin- 
cent Lawrence.  When  the  picture  was  first  released  by  Paramount,  Motion 
Picture  Daily's  review  in  the  issue  of  August  11,  1932,  said:  ".  .  .  one  of 
the  best  constructed  and  best  timed  comedies  that  has  hit  the  screen  in  some 
time." 

Running  time,  85  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  June  release. 


Greenblatt  Promoted 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

since  1922,  at  which  time  he  started  as 
a  salesman  for  Educational  Pictures. 
In  1923,  he  was  appointed  New  York 
branch  manager  and  was  the  young- 
est branch  manager  in  the  industry. 

After  twelve  years,  he  left  Educa- 
tional and  opened  his  own  exchange, 
which  he  operated  for  two  years.  He 
then  joined  Gaumont-British  as  a 
salesman  and,  in  two  years,  became 
branch  manager,  then  circuit  sales 
manager  and,  subsequently,  general 
sales  manager.  When  Gaumont-Brit- 
ish ceased  to  operate  in  this  country, 
he  joined  Monogram  as  New  York 
branch  manager.  Later,  he  went  with 
PRC  as  general  sales  manager  and, 
;after  one  year,  was  elected  vice-presi- 
dent in  charge  of  distribution.  At  the 
end  of  four  years,  he  rejoined  Mono- 
gram as  Eastern  district  manager  and 
was  later  promoted  to  Eastern  divi- 
sion manager.  He  was  with  Mono- 
gram for  four  years  before  joining 
Screen  Guild  as  Eastern  sales  mana- 
ger in  1947. 


'4-AV  TV  Formula 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  setting  up  of  machinery  under 
which  television  talent  will  be  organ- 
ized and  administered  by  the  Four 
A's,  an  organization  representing  vari- 
ous talent  unions.  Equity's  action, 
Harding  said,  is  contingent  upon 
whether  Screen  Actors  Guild  and 
Screen  Extras  Guild  enter  into  the 
agreement,  and  upon  the  working  out 
of  a  "working  agreement"  between 
television  authorities  and  the  guilds 
in  case  SAG  and  SEG  do  not  wish 
to  participate  in  the  Four  A's  joint 
action. 

Harding  said  the  membership  voted 
that  if  any  other  talent  group  or 
groups  should  not  endorse  the  agree- 
ment by  the  time  of  the  Four  A's 
meeting,  scheduled  for  June  17,  the 
Equity  delegates  to  that  meeting  are 
instructed  to  petition  the  Four  A's 
for  a  general  meeting  of  the  mem- 
berships of  all  Four  A  organizations 
to  determine_  what  position  to  take 
in  the  television  matter. 

Ballots  were  being  counted  yester- 
day following  the  weekend  election 
of  Equity  officers,  and  results  will  be 
announced  shortly,  Harding  said. 
Some  1,000  ballots  were  cast. 


Rank  Benefits 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

tors,  has  a  service  contract  with  J. 
Arthur  Rank  Productions,  Ltd.,  and 
space  in  one  of  Rank's  London  branch 
offices. 

Nat  Bronsten's  Plantagenet  Films, 
currently  making  "Give  Us  This  Day" 
at  Rank's  Denham  studio,  with  Ed- 
ward Dmytryk  directing,  also  received 
end-money  from  Film  Finance.  The 


MITCHELL  MAY,  Jr. 

CO.,  INC. 

INSURANCE 
• 

Specializing 

in  requirements  of  the 

Motion  Picture  Industry 

75  Maiden  Lane,  New  York 
510  W.  6th  St.,  Loi  Angelei 


picture  has  a  GFD  distribution  guar- 
anty, implying  playing  time  on  Rank's 
Gaumont-British  or  Odeon  circuits. 

Another  independent  production, 
Edward  Dryhursts's  "The  Romantic 
Age,"  featuring  a  number  of  Rank's 
top  artists,  is  scheduled  to  start  eight 
weeks'  shooting  at  Denham  on  June 
13  with  a  GFD  distribution  guaranty. 
So  far  as  can  be  learned,  however, 
Dryhurst  has  received  no  advance 
from  the  Finance  Corp. 

Rank  himself  plans  to  make  only 
20  features  in  the  next  12  months  at 
Denham  and  Pinewood,  to  be  financed 
out  of  the  box-office  takes  of  previous 
pictures. 


Legion  Reviews  9; 
Classes  Two  'B' 

Nine  additional  films  have  been  re- 
viewed by  the  National  Legion  of 
Decency,  with  two  receiving  a  "B" 
rating.  In  that  category  are  Universal- 
International's  "Daybreak"  and  War- 
ner Brothers'  "The  Fountainhead." 

In  Class  A-I  are  Republic's  "Red 
Menace"  and  Columbia's  "Home  in 
San  Antone."  In  Class  A-II  are : 
"Hellfire"  and  "Streets  of  San  Fran- 
cisco," both  Republic ;  Columbia's 
"Johnny  Allegro";  Universal-Interna- 
tional's "Take  One  False  Step,"  and 
RKO  Radio's  "Mighty  Joe  Young." 


Protests  Lichtman's 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

production  departments  turn  out  and 
whatever  goodwill  your  company  is 
able  to  generate  among  the  trade 
upon  whom  they  call." 

The  Colosseum  attorney  told  Licht- 
man  that  the  salesman  "is  not  a  pri- 
vate contractor."  He  added :  "In  his 
presentation  to  his  exhibitor,  properly 
instructed,  he  is  like  the  sound  track 
of  a  picture  produced  by  management. 
No  matter  how  anxious  he  may  be  to 
write  a  contract,  he  must  stay  within 
the  limits  of  his  authority,  which  are 
carefully  circumscribed  by  established 
sales  policy." 

In  its  new  "Statement  of  Policy," 
issued  May  11,  the  company  an- 
nounced that  "Our  policy  provides 
that  each  division  head,  branch  man- 
ager and  salesman  will  conduct  his 
business  in  his  own  territory  as  if  he 
were  the  owner  of  that  business." 
Twentieth-Fox  distribution  vice-presi- 
dent Andy  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  told  the 
ITOA  meeting  that  this  meant  that 
home  office  approval  of  contracts  is 
eliminated. 


Efforts  yesterday  to  reach  20th-Fox 
vice-president  Al  Lichtman  for  com- 
ment on  the  letter  sent  by  Colosseum 
attorney  David  Beznor  were  unsuc- 
cessful. 


Para.  Meeting  Today 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

are:  Adolph  Zukor,  A.  W.  Schwal- 
berg,  E.  K.  O'Shea,  Hugh  Owen,  Rus- 
sell Holman,  Paul  Raibourn,  Leonard 
Goldenson,  Edward  L.  Hyman,  Robert 
Weitman,  J.  J.  Fitzgibbons,  Jerry 
Pickinan,  Ben  Washer,  William  E. 
Danziger,  and  Rudy  Montgelas,  Wil- 
liam Boley  and  George  Richardson  of 
Buchanan  and  Co.,  which  handles 
Paramount  advertising. 

In  addition,  attending  the  luncheon 
will  be  the  following  Paramount  field 
representatives :  Leonard  Allen,  Win 
Barron,  William  F.  Brooker,  James 
Castle,  E.  G.  Fitzgibbon,  George  Y. 
Henger,  J.  M.  Joke,  James  Levine, 
Everett  Olsen,  Arnold  Van  Leer  and 
Edward  J.  Wall.  Following  the  lun- 
cheon, "The  Heiress"  will  be  screened 
for  the  guest  consultants  and  field 
representatives  in  the  Paramount 
home  office  projection  room.  A  re- 
ception to  the  out-of-town  guests,  to 
which  trade  paper  publishers  and  edi- 
tors Have  been  invited,  will  be  held 
this  afternoon  in  the  Essex  House. 

Tomorrow  an  advertising  discussion 
on  "The  Heiress"  will  take  place  in 
the  board  room  of  Buchanan  and  Co. 
in  the  Paramount  Building.  Follow- 
ing this,  Buchanan  will  be  host  at  a 
luncheon  at  Gallagher's.  The  afternoon 
will  be  devoted  to  talks  concerning 
publicity,  advertising,  exploitation  and 
general  promotion  of  the  picture. 
Youngstein  will  preside  at  both  ses- 
sions. 


Silliphant  Is  Named 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

concentrate  on  special  exhibitor  ser- 
vice, world  premiere  activities,  and  re- 
gional saturation  campaigns.  He  will 
also  continue  his  present  handling  of 
motion  picture  tie-ups  with  advertising 
agencies.  Silliphant  left  here  yester- 
day for  Denver  to  confer  with  Fox 
Inter-Mountain  Theatre  officials  about 
the  world  premiere  of  "Will  James' 
Sand"  which  is  to  be  launched  in  that 
city  on  June  28. 


Allied  To  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

of  Allied  of  Indiana.  An  all-industry 
session  will  start  at  two  P.M.,  when 
greetings  will  be  extended  by  William 
L.  Ainsworth,  national  Allied  presi- 
dent, and  by  representatives  of  dis- 
tributors of  the  area. 

At  an  open  forum  subjects  dis- 
cussed will  include  public  relations, 
legislation,  taxes  and  licenses,  tele- 
vision and  16mm.  film  competition,  ad- 
vertising and  showmanship,  advertis- 
ing accessories  and  advertising 
trailers. 

Exhibitors  will  hold  a  closed  session 
at  3 :00  P.M.  on  Tuesday  when  sub- 
jects of  vital  interest  wil  be  discussed. 

There  will  be  a  Fashion  Show  for 
the  feminine  guests  at  Chasnoff's,  one 
of  the  city's  leading  fashion  stores 
at  3  :30  P.M.,  and  a  cocktail  party  at 
5 :30. 

Wednesday  there  will  be  special 
group  meetings  at  10  and  11  A.M., 
and  in  the  afternoon  a  closed  session 
will  take  up  concessions,  drive-in  the- 
atres, gasoline  power  units,  buying- 
booking  through  Allied,  discounts  on 
supplies  and  equipment,  finance  and 
membership  reports,  report  of  commit- 
tees, election  of  new  directors.  The 
board's  organization  meeting  will  be 
held  at  4  :30  for  the  election  of  officers. 

An  all-industry  banquet  will  be  held 
Wednesday  evening  in  the  Muehle- 
bach. 


Make  sure  of  Bl 


ACADEMY  AWARD  and 
HIT  PARADE  'THtUtC 

—  including  "Tico,  Tico"  and  "Brazil" 


SHOWMEN'S  DREAM  SHOW 

for  the  vacation  season  —  a  combination  of 
Walt  Disney's  'Dumbo1  and  'Saludos  Amigos' 
...  the  perfect  boxoffice  program  that  gives 
you  106  minutes  of  Disney  Delight  .  .  . 
NEW  PRINTS!  NEW  ADVERTISING! 

NEW  AUDIENCES! 


>Back  the  Motion  Picture  Industry's  U.  S.  SAVINGS  BONDS  DRIVE,  May  16- June  3Q  ( 


Re-Released  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc.  .  .  .  These  motion  pictures  available  individually  or  as  a  combination. 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  June  7,  1949 


RKO  RADIO  PICTURES,  Inc. 

TRADE  SHOWINGS 


THE 
BIG  STEAL 


ALBANY 

Fox  Screening  Room 
1052  Broadway 

Mon. 

6/13 

8:00  P.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

ATLANTA 

RKO  Screening  Room 
195  Luckie  St.,  N.W.» 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

BOSTON 

RKO  Screening  Room 
1  22-28  Arlington  St. 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

BUFFALO 

Mo.  Pict.  Oper.  Scr.  Room 
498  Pearl  Street* 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

CHARLOTTE 

Fox  Screening  Room 
308  S.  Church  St.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:00  P.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

3:30  P.M. 

CHICAGO 

RKO  Screening  Room 
1  300  S.  Wabash  Ave.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

CINCINNATI 

RKO  Screening  Room 
12  E.  6th  St.* 

Tues. 

6/14 

8:00  P.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

9:30  P.M. 

CLEVELAND 

Fox  Screening  Room 
2219  Payne. Ave. 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

DALLAS 

Paramount  Screening  Room 
412  S.  Harwood  St.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

DENVER 

Paramount  Screening  Room 
2100  Stout  St. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:00  P.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

3:30  P.M. 

DES  MOINES 

Parorriount  Scrsening  Room 
1  1  25  High  St.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

DETROIT 

Blumenthal  Screenin  Room 
2310  Cass  Ave.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

INDIANAPOLIS 

Universal  Screening  Room 
517  N.  Illinois  St. 

Mon. 

6/13 

1:00  P.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

3:00  P.M. 

KANSAS  CITY 

Paramount  Screening  Room 
1  800  Wyandotte  St.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2.30  P.M. 

LOS  ANGELES 

RKO  Screening  Room 
1  980  S.  Vermont  Ave.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

MEMPHIS 

Fox  Screening  Room 
1  5 1  Vance  Ave. * 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

MILWAUKEE 

Warner  Screening  Room 
21  2  W.  Wisconsin  Ave.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

MINNEAPOLIS 

Fox  Screening  Room 
1015  Currie  Ave. 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2-30  P.M. 

NEW  HAVEN 

Fox  Screening  Room 
40  Whiting  St  « 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:00  P.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

3:30  P.M. 

NEW  ORLEANS 

Fox  Screening  Room 
200  S.  Liberty  St.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

10  30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

NEW  YORK 

Normondie  Theatre 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

53rd  &  Park  Ave.* 

RKO  Screening  Room 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

630  Ninth  Ave. 

OKLAHOMA  CITY  Fox  Screening  Room 
10  North  Lee  St. * 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

OMAHA 

Fox  Screening  Room 
1  502  Davenport  St.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

1:00  P.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

PHILADELPHIA 

RKO  Screening  Room 
250  N.  1  3th  St.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

PITTSBURGH 

RKO  Screening  Room 

1  809-1  3  Blvd.  of  Allies* 

Mon. 

6/13 

1:00  P.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

3:00  P.M. 

PORTLAND 

Star  Screening  Room 
925  N.W.  19th  Ave.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

ST.  LOUIS 

RKO  Screening  Room 
3143  Olive  St.* 

Tues. 

6/14 

11:30  A.M. 

Tues. 

6/14 

2:30  P.M. 

SALT  LAKE  CITY 

Fox  Screening  Room 
216  E.  1st  South  St.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

1.00  P.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

3:00  P.M. 

SAN  FRANCISCO 

RKO  Screening  Room 
251  Hyde  St.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

10  30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

SEATTLE 

Jewel  Box  Screening  Room 
2318  Second  Ave.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

SIOUX  FALLS 

Hollywood  Theatre 
212  N.  Phillips  Ave.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:00  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

9:00  P.M. 

WASHINGTON 

Fox  Screening  Room 
932  New  Jersey  Ave.* 

Mon. 

6/13 

10:30  A.M. 

Mon. 

6/13 

2:30  P.M. 

♦ALSO  SCREENING  WALT  DISNEY'S  "SEAL  ISLAND" 

STAGECOACH 
KID 


Ascap  Submits 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


How  Ascap  could  take  part  in  any 
initial  standard  rate-fixing  in  a  man- 
ner devoid  of  bargaining  was  not 
made  clear. 

Synchronization  rights  which  the 
producer  would  continue  to  license 
separately  are  cleared  through  the 
Music  Publishers  Protective  Associa- 
tion. 

Drafting  of  the  Ascap  proposals 
followed  a  new  round  of  discussions 
in  Washington  recently  between  Jus- 
tice attorneys  and  Ascap  executives 
and  counsel.  Another  meeting  is 
scheduled  for  tomorrow,  also  in  Wash- 
ington. 

To  what  extent  the  Justice  Depart- 
ment will  be  receptive  to  the  Ascap 
plan  was  not  disclosed  although  it 
was  ascertained  that  independent  pro- 
ducers may  come  up  with  some  objec- 
tions to  it.  Counsel  for  the  Society  of 
Independent  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers has  told  Justice  that  its  group 
would  oppose  any  plan  which  would 
give  Ascap  control  over  most  of  the 
important  musical  compositions  and 
thus  place  independents  in  an  unfair 
bargaining  position.  SIMPP  has  not 
mapped  any  counter  proposals  but 
might  look  favorably  upon  an  ar- 
rangement under  which  Ascap  would 
serve  only  as  a  collecting  agency  with 
no  bargaining  power. 

Continuing  indications  are  that  the 
exhibitor  plaintiffs  in  the  New  York 
case,  where  appeals  are  now  pending, 
would  consent  to  withdrawal  of  the 
action  if  a  decree  with  the  govern- 
ment would  achieve  the  same  results, 
i.e.,  permanently  enjoin  Ascap  from 
theatre  collections.  In  the  Minneapo- 
lis suit,  the  exhibitor  group  in  that 
city  was  the  defendant,  the  action 
having  been  instituted  by  Ascap  for 
non-payment  of  public  performance 
rights  to  its  music. 


Ascap  Submits  New  Draft 

Washington,  June  6. — Ascap  of- 
ficials submitted  to  the  Department  of 
Justice  today  another  draft  of  pro- 
posed revisions  in  their  consent  de- 
cree. 


MPAA,  Myers 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Robert  W.  Coyne,  of  the  executive 
committee. 

The  MPAA  plan  for  improved  in- 
dustry relations  calls  for  closer  liaison 
between  the  various  branches  of  the 
film  business  and  among  the  members 
of  each  branch.  Both  Johnston  and 
Harmon  are  expected  to  be  available 
for  exhibitor  meetings  in  the  field  to 
take  up  trade  problems. 


Procedure  Sustained 
On  FCC  Arguments 

Washington,  June  6.— The  U.  S. 
Supreme  Court  ruled  today  that  the 
Federal  Communications  Commission 
can  decide  whether  and  when  to  grant 
oral  argument  in  connection  with  a 
case  before  it. 

By  a  8-to-0  vote,  the  court  reversed 
a  decision  of  the  Circuit  Court  of 
Appeals  which  said  that  the  FCC 
was  wrong  in  refusing  to  grant  oral 
argument  to  station  WJR,  Detroit,  in 
a  case  in  which  WJR  was  involved. 
The  FCC  had  appealed,  saying  the 
lower  court  decision  created  grave  ad- 
ministrative problems,  and  the  high 
court  today  said  the  FCC  decision 
not  to  grant  oral  argument  was  clearly 
within  the  agency's  discretionary 
powers. 


Yates  to  Sell 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


I  leave  that  to  my  sales  flepartment," 
Yates  said.  "But  this  is  one  picture 
I  am  going  to  personally  help!  dis- 
tribute throughout  the  length  and 
breadth  of  this  land.  Despite  threats 
from  any  quarter,  I  am  going  to  show 
it,  if  I  have  to  go  out  and  hire  halls 
to  do  so." 

Yates  for  the  first  time  in  his  indus- 
try career  is  personally  being  credited 
as  producer  of  a  picture,  being  listed 
as  executive  producer  of  "The  Red 
Menace." 

Already  through  a  series  of  show- 
ings to  various  members  of  veterans, 
women's,  political,  press  and  labor 
groups,  "The  Red  Menace"  has  helped 
to  bring  individuals  and  organizations 
together  as  a  unified  front  in  the  cur- 
rent fight  against  Communism,  said  a 
company  statement. 

The  Senate  Fact-Finding  Commit- 
tee on  Un-American  Activities  in 
California  has  issued  a  special  com- 
mendation to  Republic  and  Yates  stat- 
ing in  part  that  "in  recognition  of 
the  great  contribution  that  has  been 
made  by  Republic  Studios  in  the  fight 
against  those  forces  who  seek  to  de- 
prive the  American  people  of  the 
freedoms  we  all  cherish  so  dearly, 
the  Senate  committee  does  commend 
Republic  Studios  and  those  persons 
who  have  so  courageously  assisted  in 
this  production." 

Yates  intends  to  give  the  picture  the 
most  intensive  and  far-reaching  cam- 
paign in  picture  history,  it  was  said. 
In  order  to  accomplish  this,  he  an- 
nounced that  he  will  add  to  his  public 
relation  group  over  SO  men  to  carry 
the  exploitation  campaign  throughout 
the  country. 


Republic's  "Red  Menace"  to 
Open  Here  at  Mayfair,  July  2 

"The  Red  Menace"  will  open  at 
Brandt's  Mayfair  Theatre  in  New 
York  on  July  2,  following  its  world 
premiere  at  the  Paramount  Down- 
town and  Hollywood  in  Los  Angeles 
on  Thursday.  The  New  York  open- 
ing will  be  backed  by  the  biggest 
campaign  in  the  history  of  the  com- 
pany, it  was  announced  by  James  R. 
Grainger,  executive  vice-president. 


^^TWA=TWA=TWA=TWA^^ 

S  1 


ONLY  TWA 

offers  300-mph 

CONSTELLATION 
SERVICE 

Coast-to-coast 
and  overseas 

For  reservations,  call  your  TWA  office 
or  your  travel  agent. 


( (FIRST) 

MOTION  PICTURE 

avjl          At  A         A  ^      JL   JL  ^>  JL  ^/  1\JU 

/  /^~~'~-  ^  '  1 "   \  ^ 

^  Accurate  j 

IN 

T%  ATT 

Concise 

FILM 

ll/i  1  1  Y 

and 

NEWS 

J  a  M  e—^  k  J I  JL/  1 

1                JL*  1 

Impartial 

i  VOL.  65.  NO.  Ill 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  JUNE  8,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


1949  Rentals 
Are  Ahead  of 
1941:  Balaban 


Circuit  Ad  Directors 
Meet  With  Para.  Chiefs 


Significant  evidence  that  the  in- 
dustry is  enjoying;  at  present  great- 
er prosperity  than  is  generally 
recognized  lies  in  the  fact  that  film 
rentals  this  year  are  ahead  of  those 
of  1941,  Paramount  president  Barney 
Balaban  declared  here  yesterday  at  a 
company-sponsored  luncheon-meeting 
attended  by  advertising-publicity  di- 
rectors of  11  circuits  and  Paramount 
field  promotion  representatives. 

Balaban  said  he  chose  to  measure 
the  economic  situation  in  terms  of  film 
rentals  because  theatre  attendance  is 
thereby  most  accurately  determined. 
Thus,  according  to  the  Paramount 
president's  analysis,  attendance  at  the- 
atres has  been  greater  this  year  than 
it  was  during  the  peak  year  prior  to 
the  war. 

The  luncheon-meeting,  held  at  the 
Hotel  Astor,  was  one  facet  of  a  two- 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


S  chine  Decree  Seen 
Ready  Next  Week 

An  agreement  with  the  Department 
of  Justice  on  a  consent  decree  ending 
the  government's  10  years  of  anti- 
trust litigation  against  the  Schine  cir- 
cuit can  be  reached  by  the  end  of  next 
week,  barring  unforeseen  obstacles,  a 
spokesman  for  Schine  said  here  yes- 
terday. 

The  spokesman  said  that  what  de- 
fendants regard  as  only  minor  prob- 
lems still  remain  to  be  settled.  Recent 
progress  on  the  decree  has  been 
slowed  because  of  the  frequent  ab- 
sence from  Washington  of  anti-trust 
department  officials  on  other  business, 
with  the  Schine  meetings  having  been 
delayed  in  consequence. 


i  Rembusch  Is  Head 
Of  Allied  Caravan 


Washington,  June  7. — Trueman  T. 
;  Rembusch  has  been  appointed  chair- 
man  of   Allied   States  Association's 

! Caravan  Committee,  to  succeed  Sidney 
Samuelson. 
General  counsel  Abram  Myers  said 
i  the  change  was  made  at  Samuelson's 
.  suggestion.    Samuelson  will  stay  as  a 
member  of  the  committee. 


Warner  Nets 
$5,624,000 


Warner  Brothers  and  subsidiary 
companies  report  for  the  six  months 
ended  February  26,  a  net  profit  of 
$5,624,000  after  provision  of  $3,700,000 
for  Federal  income  taxes,  compared 
with  $7,311,000  for  the  corresponding 
period  last  year  after  provision  of 
$5,200,000  for  Federal  taxes. 

The  net  for  the  six  months  is  equi- 
valent to  77  cents  per  share  on  7,295,- 
000  shares  of  common  stock  outstand- 
ing. The  net  for  the  corresponding 
period  last  year  was  equivalent  to 
$1.00  per  share. 

Film  rentals,  theatre  admissions, 
sales,  etc.,  after  eliminating  inter- 
company transactions,  for  the  six 
months  ending  February  26,  amounted 
to  $68,520,000. 

Prior  to  August  31,  1948,  the  close 
of  the  last  fiscal  year,  film  rentals  and 
costs  and  expenses  of  the  principal 
subsidiary  companies  operating  in  for- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


WB  Theatre  Heads 
At  Sales  Convention 


Harry  M.  Kalmine,  president  and 
general  manager  of  Warner  Brothers 
Theatres,  will  preside  at  a  zone  man- 
agers' meeting  here  today  at  the  com- 
pany's home  office.  Those  attending — 
all  of  which  will  attend  the  Warner 
distribution  department's  international 
sales  convention,  opening  tomorrow  at 
the  Waldorf-Astoria  Hotel  here,  in- 
clude : 

Zone  managers :  James  Coston,  Chi- 
cago ;  Nat  Wolf,  Cleveland ;  I.  J. 
Hoffman,  New  Haven ;  Frank  Damis, 
Newark ;  Charles  A.  Smakwitz,  Al- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


MPAA,  TOA  Hold 
'Exploratory'  Meet 

Washington,  June  7.  —  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of 
America  president  Eric  John- 
ston met  today  with  Theatre 
Owners  of  America  repre- 
sentatives in  the  first  of  a 
series  of  conferences  between 
MPAA  and  exhibitor  organi- 
zations on  industry  problems. 
The  preliminary  session  be- 
tween Johnston,  MPAA  vice- 
president  Francis  Harmon 
and  executive  assistant  Joyce 
O'Hara,  and  TOA  executives 
Gael  Sullivan,  Ted  Gamble 
and  Robert  Coyne,  was  de- 
scribed as  "exploratory." 


Palfreyman  Leaves 
Trade  Relations  Post 


Washington,  June  7. — David  Pal- 
freyman, head  of  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociation of  America  trade  relations 
division,  is  leaving  the  association,  and 
the  trade  relations  and  community 
service  divisions  have  been  combined 
under  MPAA  vice-president  Francis 
Harmon,  MPAA  president  Eric 
Johnston  announced  today. 

Palfreyman  said  he  hadn't  quit  nor 
had  he  been  fired — "I'm  just  leaving." 

Johnston  declared  he  had  no  present 
plans  for  a  successor  to  Palfreyman, 
to  work  under  Harmon.  Commenting 
on  the  change,  the  MPAA  president 
said :  "Dave  Palfreyman's  integrity 
and  devotion  to  the  best  interests  of 
the  motion  picture  industry  are  well 
known  to  everyone  in  the  business. 
His  35  years  of  service  in  the  industry 
have  brought  him  into  intimate  con- 
tact with  exhibitors  and  their  prob- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Capital  Meeting  Tomorrow 
On  Copyright  Convention 


State  Dept.  Wants 
Its  Films  in  Europe 

Washington,  June  7. — The  State 
Department,  in  a  report  to  Congress, 
said  it  was  negotiating  to  get  United 
States  Information  Service  films  into 
European  theatres. 

"The  values  of  commercial  distribu- 
tion of  US  IS  films  through  arrange- 
ments with  American  film  companies 
are  fully  appreciated,"  the  Department 
said.  "The  subject  is  complicated  by 
quotas,  taxes,  and  blocked  currencies. 
In  certain  areas — South  America,  Far 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Washington,  June  7. — Represen- 
tatives of  the  film  industry  and  other 
fields  involved  in  copyrights  will  meet 
at  the  Library  of  Congress  here  on 
Thursday  to  study  the  advisability  of 
a  worldwide  copyright  convention  to 
which  the  United  States  could  be  a 
party  and  which  would  function  within 
the  framework  of  the  United  Nations 
Educational,  Scientific  and  Cultural 
Organization. 

The  Thursday  session  will  be  a  pre- 
liminary to  a  meeting  of  the  Unesco 
copyright  .division  at  its  Paris  head- 
quarters on  July  4-10,  where  decision 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


New  Drive  for 
U.  K.  Playing 
TimeHereSeen 


Portal  Group's  Report 
Expected  to  Include  It 

London,  June  7. — Likelihood  that 
the  so-called  Portal  Committee  will 
renew  urgings  for  increased  play- 
ing time  on  American  screens  for 
British  pictures  is  conceded  in  in- 
formed quarters  here.  The  report, 
based  on  a  study  of  all  phases  of  the 
British  industry  conducted  by  the  gov- 
ernment-appointed committee,  is  ex- 
pected to  be  released  soon. 

It  is  also  anticipated  that  the  com- 
mittee will  recommend  against  na- 
tionalization of  the  British  film  indus- 
try ;  that  it  will  ask  for  a'  ceiling  on 
distribution  costs,  probably  15  per 
cent,  and  that  it  will  urge  means 
whereby  a  producer  will  have  a  quick- 
er draw  on  box-office  receipts  and, 
consequently,  a  speedier  amortization 
of  his  production  costs. 

The  committee,  is  understood  to  be 
divided  on  the  question  of  divorcement 
of  production-distribution  from  exhibi- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Bill  May  Influence 
SIMPP-MPEA  Fight 

Washington,  June  7. — A  bill 
which  could  have  some  bearing  on  the 
Society  of  Independent  Motion  Pic- 
ture Producers  fight  against  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Export  Association,  over 
the  UK-US  film  agreement,  was  in- 
troduced in  the  House  today  by 
Representative  Multer,  New  York 
Democrat.  The  bill  is  designed  to 
tighten  the  Webb-Pomerene  Act. 

It  has  been  referred  to  the  House 
Judiiciary  Committee,  and  while  no 
action  is  likely  this  year,  it  may  be 
considered  as  part  of  that  committee's 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Goldwyn  Bow  Out  of 
MPAA  Unchanged 

The  recent  rapprochement  between 
Eric  Johnston,  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociation of  America  president,  and 
Ellis  Arnall,  Society  of  Independent 
Motion  Picture  Producers'  president, 
is  not  expected  to  have  any  effect  on 
Samuel  Goldwyn's  resignation  from 
the  Johnston  organizations,  informed 
sources  said  here  yesterday. 

Goldwyn,  a  mainstay  of  the  SIMPP, 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  June  8,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

NATHAN  D.  GOLDEN,  U.  S. 
Department  of  Commerce  film 
chief,  is  in  New  York  from  Washing- 
ton to  make  final  arrangements  for  a 
trip  to  France. 

• 

Lee  Koken,  RKO  Theatres  con- 
cession head,  is  vacationing  on  the 
Coast  and  will  visit  theatres  in  Los 
Angeles,  San  Francisco,  Denver,  Kan- 
sas City  and  Marshalltown,  Iowa,  en 
route  back  to  New  York,  where  he  is 
expected  on  July  5. 

• 

David  A.  Lipton,  Universal-Inter- 
national advertising-publicity  director, 
and  Maurice  A.  Bergman,  executive 
in  charge  of  public  and  trade  relations, 
will  leave  here  today  for  Washington. 
• 

David  Miller,  who  has  just  been 
signed  by  Samuel  Goldwyn  as  a  di- 
rector, is  en  route  to  New  York  from 
the  Coast. 

F.  J.  A.  McCarthy,  Universal- 
International  Southern  and  Canadian 
sales  manager,  will  leave  New  York 
today  for  Toronto. 

• 

Herbert  Wilcox,  British  producer, 
is  due  here  today  from  London  by 
plane. 


Skouras  Flies  Today, 
To  Visit  9  Countries 

Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president  of 
20th  Century-Fox,  will  leave  here  by 
air  today  to  make  an  eight-week  sur- 
vey of  conditions  in  England  and  in 
eight  other  countries.  Mrs.  Skouras 
will  accompany  him. 

Skouras'  itinerary  includes  Paris, 
London,  Rome,  Athens  and  Messina, 
Sicily,  where  Mrs.  Skouras  will  visit 
her  mother.  He  also  plans  to  visit 
Israel,  Egypt,  Spain,  Germany  and 
Switzerland.  He  will  meet  with 
representatives  of  the  company's  in- 
ternational organization,  as  well  as 
industry  leaders  of  the  various  coun- 
tries. He  will  return  to  New  York 
early  in  August.  Skouras  is  scheduled 
to  address  the  American  Club  in 
Paris  on  his  arrival  there  tomorrow. 


Korda  Names  Lissim 
European  Manager 

Paris,  June  7. — Sir  Alexander 
Korda  has  appointed  Wladimir  Lissim 
European  general  manager  of  his  Lon- 
don Films  with  headquarters  in  Paris. 
Lissim  recently  resigned  last  month  as 
European  general  manager  of  RKO. 
He  had  been  with  that  company  some 
16  years. 

London  Films  has  been  without  a 
European  general  manager. 


Sharin  to  Europe 

Eugen  Sharin,  president  of  Ambas- 
sador Films,  will  leave  here  today 
for  London,  Rome  and  Vienna  by 
air.  The  trip  is  in  connection  with 
continuing  production  on  Ambassa- 
dor's Vienna  Philharmonic  Orchestra 
and  "Opera  Without  Makeup"  series, 
some  of  which  are  already  being  tele- 
vised over  the  CBS  network. 


NY  lst-Run  Revenue 
Continues  Sluggish 

The  "off"  period  for  New  York's 
first-runs  has  yet  to  run  its  course, 
business  for  the  current  week  continu 
ing  sluggish  with  only  a  few  excep 
tions.  Lure  of  local  beaches  is  grow- 
ing, this  having  been  especially  appar- 
ent over  last  weekend.  Some  improve- 
ment is  in  prospect  for  the  end  of  the 
week  when  a  convention  of  the  Inter 
national  Rotary  Clubs  is  expected  to 
bring  several  thousands  to  town. 

"Edward,  My  Son,"  with  a  stage 
presentation,  is  drawing  a  good  por 
tion  of  available  business  to  the  Music 
Hall  where  the  first  week's  gross 
might  reach  $127,000.  "Sorrowful 
Jones,"  with  Louis  Prima's  orchestra 
on  stage,  is  doing  exceptionally  good 
business  at- the  Paramount  with  $37, 
000  indicated  for  the  opening  last 
Sunday  through  yesterday.  "Johnny 
Allegro"  is  a  mild  newcomer  at  the 
Rivoli  where  only  $12,500  is  apparent. 

Palace  Shows  Drop 

The  Palace  vaudeville  show,  with 
"The  Judge  Steps  Out"  on  the  screen, 
appears  to  be  headed  for  $21,000  this 
week,  representing  a  substantial  drop 
from  the  preceding  two  weeks.  An 
impressive  holdover  is  "Home  of  the 
Brave"  which  may  give  the  Victoria 
close  to  $18,000  in  a  big  fourth  week. 
Also  continuing  strong  is  "Barkleys 
of  Broadway"  at  the  State  where 
$22,000  is  likely  for  a  fifth  week.  "The 
Lady  Gambles"  held  up  fairly  well  at 
the  Criterion  with  $15,000  possible  for 
a  third  and  final  week;  it  will  be  re- 
placed on  Friday  with  "Illegal  Entry." 

At  the  Capitol,  "Tulsa,"  which  is 
running  with  Eddy  Howard  and 
Marilyn  Maxwell  on  stage,  might  not 
gross  beyond  $25,000  in  a  dull  second 
and  final  week;  it  will  be  succeeded 
by  "Neptune's  Daughter"  tomorrow. 
"Beautiful  Blonde  from  Bashful  Bend," 
with  Al  Bernie  heading  a  stage  show 
at  the  Roxy  might  wind  up  a  second 
week  with  close  to  $40,000,  which  is 
minor  income  for  that  house;  it  will 
be  followed  by  "It  Happens  Every 
Spring,"  on  Friday. 

'Champion'  Holds  Up 

"The  Younger  Brothers"  with  Bob- 
by Byrnes  on  stage  is  expected  to  give 
the  Strand  an  estimated  $26,000  in  a 
disappointing  second  week.  "Cham- 
pion" is  holding  up  well  at  the  Globe 
where  $12,000  is  in  view  for  a  ninth 
week.  About  $9,000  is  anticipated  at 
the  Mayfair  with  "Jigsaw"  in  a  fair 
second  week.  Still  doing  good  busi- 
ness is  "Hamlet"  at  the  Park  where 
$10,000  is  estimated  for  the  36th  week. 
"We  Were  Strangers"  is  figured  for 
about  $8,000  in  a  sixth  week  at  the 
Astor ;  this  is  meager  business. 


Brentwood  Club  to 
Honor  Jack  Warner 

Hollywood,  June  7. — Jack  L.  War- 
ner will  be  honored  by  the  Brentwood 
Country  Club  at  its  second  annual 
dinner  at  the  Hotel  Biltmore  on  June 
26,  to  be  held  for  the  benefit  of  the 
United  Jewish  Welfare  Fund.  Warner 
will  receive  the  Brentwood  Award  in 
recognition  of  his  efforts  as  Los  An- 
geles president  of  the  UJWF  cam- 
paign. 


Connecticut  Is  34th 
Legislature  to  Quit 

Washington,  June  7  —  With 
Connecticut  slated  to  adjourn 
tomorrow,  only  11  state  leg- 
islatures will  be  left  in  ses- 
sion, MPA  legislative  repre- 
sentative Jack  Bryson  re- 
ports. Bryson  declared  that 
the  industry  has  fared  com- 
paratively well  in  the  33  state 
legislatures  that  have  ad- 
journed so  far. 


125  Register  at 
K.  C.  Allied  Meet 


Newsreel 
Parade 


Kansas  City,  June  7— With  125 
persons  registered,  the  convention  of 
the  Allied  Independent  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  Kansas  and  Missouri  opened 
here  today  with  national  Allied  presi- 
dent William  L.  Ainsworth  extending 
greeting  to  members  and  guests  at  a 
luncheon. 

At  the  all-industry  meeting  follow- 
ing, current  problems  including  pub- 
lic relations,  television,  16mm.  compe- 
tition and  advertising  were  discussed. 
Trueman  Rembusch,  national  Allied 
treasurer,  was  the  main  speaker. 

Exhibitors  held  a  closed  session, 
where  booking,  unfair  trade  practices, 
competitive  bidding,  various  consent 
decrees  and-  pending  government  suits 
were  reported  on  and  discussed.  Fur- 
ther closed  meetings  will  be  held  to- 
morrow, concluding  with  the  election 
of  the  board  of  directors,  which  will 
in  turn  elect  officers. 


Cifre  Is  Honored  by 
Variety  at  Boston 

Boston,  June  7. — Some  250  attend- 
ed a  luncheon  given  here  today  by  the 
Variety  Club  of  New  England  honor- 
ing Joseph  Cifre,  theatre  equipment 
dealer,  and  recipient  of  Variety's 
"Great  Heart  Award,"  at  the  Copley- 
Plaza  Hotel.  Hy  Fine  was  master  of 
ceremonies.  Principal  speakers  were 
Dr.  Sidney  Farbe-r,  chief  pathologist 
of  Boston  Children's  Hospital,  Martin 
J.  Mullin,  Arthur  Lockwood,  Bill 
Sullivan,  Lou  Gordon  and  J.  Wells 
Farley.    Mrs.  Cifre  was  also  present. 


(GENERAL  MARSHALL  receiv- 
ing  honors  in  Washington  and  a 
Moscow  May  Day  parade  are  current 
newsreel  highlights.  Other  items  in- 
clude the  Press  Photographers' 
"Queen"  sports,  and  the  Annapolis 
graduation.  Complete  contents  follow: 

MOVIETONE  NEWS,  No.  46— Marshall 
is  honored  by  16  nations.  Annapolis  gradu- 
ation. Moscow  May  Day  parade.  Tokyo 
stock  exchanges  reopened.  Photographers' 
beauty  queen.  Celebrity  golf.  English 
Derby.     Sweepstakes  winner. 

NEWS  OF  THE  DAY,  No.  280>— Six- 
teen nations  pay  tribute  to  Marshall.  Stalin 
reviews  Soviet  might.  Photoflash  queen. 
Annapolis  graduation.    Celebrity  golf.  Derby. 

PARAMOUNT  NEWS.  No.  83— Bing 
Crosby  and  Bob  Hope  tee  off.  Marshall 
honored  for  aid  to  the  world.  Russia's  show 
of  might. 

TELENEWS  DIGEST,  No.  23-A— Red 

unity  on  display.  New  York:  Inventors' 
Show.  Canada:  lumber  haul.  Switzerland: 
time  is  money.    Washington:  celebrity  golf. 

UNIVERSAL  NEWS,  No.  254— Mar- 
shall honored  by  16  countries.  Press  pho- 
tographers' queen.  Graduation  at  Annap- 
olis. May  Day  in  Moscow.  English  Derby. 
Celebrity  golf. 

WARNER  PAT  HE   NEWS,  No.  85 — 

Marshall  honored  by  President  Truman. 
Canadian  Trade  Fair.  People  in  the  news: 
Margaret  Truman,  Danny  Kaye,  Winston 
Churchill,  Press  Photographers'  queen. 
Displaced  persons.  Celebrity  golf.  English 
Derby. 


Tishman  Heads  Para. 
Ad  Art  Department 

Max  E.  Youngstein,  national  direc- 
tor of  advertising-publicity  for  Para- 
mount, has  named  Joseph  Tisman 
art  director  for  Paramount's  adver- 
tising department.  Tisman  will  work 
with  Sid  Blumenstock,  Paramount's 
new  advertising  manager. 

Tisman  was  advertising  department 
art  director  at  Warner  Brothers  for 
20  years,  leaving  in  1948  to  act  as  art 
consultant  in  Hollywood  for  several 
studios  and  independent  producers. 


Nichols  Quits  RKO  Pathe 

Phillips  Brooks  Nichols,  manager 
of  RKO  Pathe's  commercial  film  and 
television  department  here,  has  re- 
signed, effective  Friday.  The  depart- 
ment was  organized  under  his  direc- 
tion in  January,  1946. 


Vincent  to  Transfer 
Hospital  to  Variety 

Walter  Vincent,  industry  veteran 
and  retiring  president  of  the  Will 
Rogers  Memorial  Fund,  will  make  the 
formal  transfer  of  title  to  the  Saranac 
Lake  Hospital  to  Robert  J.  O'Donnell, 
chief  barker  of  Variety  Clubs  Inter- 
national, at  Saranac  ceremonies  to- 
morrow. 

Participating  will  be  Pat  Casey,  a 
former  president  of  the  hospital  when 
it  was  maintained  by  the  National 
Vaudeville  Artists ;  and  Harold  Rod- 
ner,  ofie  of  the  original  directors  of 
the  Rogers  Memorial  Fund  and  now 
its  retiring  executive  vice-president. 

Taking  title  tomorrow  will  be  the 
Variety  Clubs  International-Will 
Rogers  Memorial  Fund,  Inc.,  estab- 
lished for  that  purpose. 


Sports  Claim  Most 
Newsreel  Footage 

More  than  a  quarter  of  the  content 
of  American  newsreels  during  the  first 
three  months  of  1949  was  devoted  to 
sports,  according  to  an  analysis  made 
public  yesterday  by  Edmund  Reek, 
chairman  of  the  newsreel  committee 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America. 

Out  of  a  total  of  904  clips  released 
in  the  U.  S.  by  the  five  major  news- 
reels  during  that  period,  229,  or  25.3 
per  cent,  covered  sporting  events. 


Equity  Reelects  Derwent 

Clarence  Derwent  has  been  re- 
elected president  of  Actors  Equity. 
Other  officers  elected  are :  John  Ken- 
nedy, Cornelia  Otis  Skinner,  Ralph 
Bellamy  and  Augustin  Duncan,  vice- 
presidents  ;  Paul  Dullzell,  treasurer ; 
Basil  Rathbone,  recording  secretary. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY,  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher,  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Associate  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigiey  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  .Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Red  Kann,  Vice-President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Leo  J.  Brady,  Secretary; 
James  P.  Cuningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building,  William  R.  Weaver, 
Editor;  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  La  Salle  Street,  Editorial  and  Advertising,  Urben  Farley.  Advertising  Representative:  Jimmy  Ascher,  Editorial  Representative,  Washington, 
J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl.  Hope  Burnup,  Manager,  Peter  Burnup,  Editor:  cable  address.  "Quigpubco,  London." 
Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section  of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  Fame.  Entered  as  second  class  matter,  Sept.  23,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per 
year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


M-G-M  STUDIOS 
Culver  City,  California 


UP  AND  COMING! 


"LITTLE  WOMEN"  {Technicolor) 
June  Allyson  .  Peter  Lawford  .  Margaret  O'Brien 
Elizabeth  Taylor  .  Janet  Leigh  .  Rossano  Brazzi  •  Mary  Astor 

"TAKE  ME  OUT  TO  THE  BALL  GAME"  (Technicolor) 
Frank  Sinatra  •  Esther  Williams  .  Gene  Kelly  •  Betty  Garrett 

"THE  BARKLEYS  OF  BROADWAY"  (Technicolor) 
Fred  Astaire  •  Ginger  Rogers  •  Oscar  Levant 

"THE  GREAT  SINNER" 
Gregory  Peck  •  Ava  Gardner  .  Melvyn  Douglas  •  Walter  Huston 
Ethel  Barrymore  .  Frank  Morgan  •  Agnes  Moorehead 

"THE  STRATTON  STORY" 
James  Stewart  •  June  Allyson  •  Frank  Morgan 
Agnes  Moorehead  •  Bill  Williams 

"THE  SECRET  GARDEN" 
Margaret  O'Brien  .  Herbert  Marshall  •  Dean  Stockwell 

"EDWARD,  MY  SON" 
Spencer  Tracy  •  Deborah  Kerr 

"NEPTUNE'S  DAUGHTER  (Technicolor) 
Esther  Williams  •  Red  Skelton  •  Ricardo  Montalban 
Betty  Garrett  •  Keenan  Wynn  •  Xavier  Cugat 

"IN  THE  GOOD  OLD  SUMMERTIME"  (Technicolor) 
Judy  Garland  -  Van  Johnson 
S.  Z.  'Cuddles'  Sakall*  Spring  Byington 

"BORDER  INCIDENT" 

Ricardo  Montalban  •  George  Murphy 

"ANY  NUMBER  CAN  PLAY" 
Clark  Gable  •  Alexis  Smith  .  Wendell  Corey  •  Audrey  Totter 

"MADAME  BOVARY" 
Jennifer  Jones  •  James  Mason  •  Van  Heflin  .  Louis  Jourdan 


"BATTLEGROUND" 
Van  Johnson  •  John  Hodiak  •  Ricardo  Montalban 
George  Murphy  •  Marshall  Thompson 

"THE  FORSYTE  SAGA"  (Technicolor) 
Errol  Flynn  •  Greer  Garson  •  Walter  Pidgeon  .  Robert  Young 
Janet  Leigh 

"CONSPIRATOR" 
Robert  Taylor  •  Elizabeth  Taylor 

"SCENE  OF  THE  CRIME" 
Van  Johnson  •  Arlene  Dahl  .  Gloria  DeHaven  .  Tom  Drake 

"THAT  MIDNIGHT  KISS"  (Technicolor) 
Kathryn  Grayson  .Jose  Iturbi 
Ethel  Barrymore  •  Mario  Lanza*  Keenan  Wynn 

"THE  RED  DANUBE" 
Walter  Pidgeon  •  Peter  Lawford  •  Angela  Lansbury  •Janet  Leigh 
Ethel  Barrymore  •  Louis  Calhern  •  Francis  L.  Sullivan 

"MALAYA" 

Spencer  Tracy  •  James  Stewart  •  Valentina  Cortesa 
Sydney  Greenstreet  •  John  Hodiak  •  Lionel  Barrymore 

"BODIES  AND  SOULS" 
Glenn  Ford  •  Janet  Leigh  •  Charles  Coburn  •  Gloria  DeHaven 

"KEY  TO  THE  CITY" 
Clark  Gable  •  Loretta  Young 

"ANNIE  GET  YOUR  GUN"  (Technicolor) 
All  Star  Cast 

"SIDE  STREET" 

Farley  Granger  •  Cathy  O'Donnell  •  James  Craig  •  Paul  Kelly 

"ON  THE  TOWN"  (Technicolor) 
Frank  Sinatra  •  Gene  Kelly  •  Betty  Garrett  •  Vera-Ellen 
Jules  Munshin  •  Ann  Miller 


The  Biggest  Picture  of  All  Time  Is  In  Preparation:  "QUO  VADIS 


Back  The  Motion  Picture  Industry's  U.  S.  Savines  Bond  Drive.  Mav  16  —  lone  30 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  June  8,  1949 


Paramount  Meeting 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

day  series  of  conferences  being  fo- 
cussed  on  William  Wyler's  "The 
Heiress,"  with  the  circuit  executives 
serving  as  consultants  on  the  nature 
and  extent  of  promotional  effort  which 
should  be  put  behind  the  film.  How- 
ever, Paramount  advertising-publicity 
director  Max  E.  Youngstein,  who 
served  as  chairman  of  the  luncheon 
gathering,  Balaban,  board  chairman 
Adolph  Zukor,  vice-president  Paul 
Raibourn,  and  distribution  vice-presi- 
dent Alfred  Schwalberg,  all  of  whom 
addressed  the  exhibition  guests,  util- 
ized the  meeting  principally  to  exam- 
ine possibilities  for  improving  industry 
conditions  in  general. 

Cites  Advertising  Role 

Zukor,  who  pointed  oiat  that  making 
the  picture  "is  only  half  the  battle," 
cited  the  selling  role  played  by  adver- 
tising and  publicity.  Harking  back  to 
the  time  when  he  headed  the  former 
Famous  Players-Lasky  Corp.,  Zukor 
declared  that  the  importance  of  adver- 
tising and  publicity  has  in  no  way 
diminished  since  those  early  days  when 
they  were  vital  to  a  company's  exist- 
ence. 

The  Paramount  board  chairman 
urged  the  circuit's  advertising-pub- 
licity directors  to  discover  what  the 
theatre  customers  want  in  a  film  and 
then  relay  to  the  producers  the  facts 
discovered.  Also,  he  advised,  the 
"staying  qualities"  of  a  picture  must 
be  studied  by  advertising-publicity 
specialists  in  order  to  establish  the 
value  of  the  picture,  and  once  the 
value  is  established  it  must  be  used 
to  full  advantage  promotion-wise. 

Balaban  fired  a  few  barbs  at  indus- 
try critics  who  constantly  "jump  from 
one  side  of  the  fence  to  the  other" 
in  their  attitude  toward  the  efforts 
of  Hollywood  and  the  industry  in  gen- 
eral. He  deplored  the  fact  that  many 
of  those  criticis  are  believed  by  the 
public.  The  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America's  current  efforts  to- 
ward establishing  better  exhibitor  and 
public  relations  will  succeed,  Balaban 
said  confidently.  But,  he  admonished, 
the  MP  A  A  success  depends  very 
much  on  what  exhibition  accomplishes 
in  public  relations. 

Sees  Prosperous  Future 

With  the  new  "fighting  group"  of 
advertising-publicity  executives  re- 
cently acquired  by  the  company,  Para- 
mount envisions  an  increasingly  pros- 
perous future,  Balaban  said. 

Raibourn  confined  his  remarks  to  a 
plea  for  adoption  by  the  industry  of 
the  type  of  enthusiasm  which  he  said 
pervades  the  infant  television  indus- 
try. In  the  video  industry,  he  said, 
"there's  no  such  thing  as  a  bad  tele- 
vision show."  Its  people  "think  close- 
ly, listen  to  each  other"  and  in  other 
ways  draw  inspiration  from  their 
work.  There  are  important  possibilties 
for  the  motion  'picture  industry  in  such 
an  outlook,  Raibourn  declared. 

Schwalberg,  holding  that  "anybody 
can  be  a  hero"  with  a  top-grade  pic- 
ture, said  he  would  like  to  see  con- 
ferences with  exhibitor  representatives 
such  as  Paramount  is  conducting  be- 
come an  industry  institution  with  a 
view  to  putting  across  all  pictures. 

In  his  address  which  opened  the 
meeting,  Youngstein  pointed  out  that 
distribution  and  exhibition  each  can- 
not prosper  separately.  Both  branches, 
he  declared,  must  establish  closer  links 
of  sympathy  in  order  that  each  may 
enjoy  increased  prosperity.  Both,  he 
said,  are  concerned  with  getting  the 
most  out  of  the  box-office. 

Among  those  present  at  the  lunch- 


eon were  Buchanan  and  Co.  execu- 
tives Rudy  Montgelas,  William  Boley 
and  George  Richardson ;  several  Para- 
mount home  office  executives,  and  the 
following  circuit  advertising-publicity 
directors :  Harry  Browning,  Everett 
C.  Callow,  Harry  Goldberg,  Margaret 
Goodrich,  William  Hollander,  Harry 
Mandel,  Seymour  Morris,  James 
Nairn,  Frank  Starz,  Dan  Terrell  and 
Alice  N.  Gorham.  Miss  Gorham,  ad- 
vertising-publicity director  for  United 
Detroit  Theatres,  was  the  winner  of 
the  top  Quigley  Showmanship  Award 
for  1948.  J.  J.  Fitzgibbons,  head  of 
Famous  Players  Canadian,  also  was 
on  hand,  and  so  was  Sid  Blumenstock 
who  soon  will  become  Paramount  ad- 
vertising manager. 


Reception  for  Para.  Guests 

Paramount  was  host  yesterday 
afternoon  at  a  reception  for  the  11 
theatre  advertising  publicity  heads 
representing  leading  circuits  in  the 
U.  S.  and  Canada,  at  the  Essex  House 
here. 


Warner  Net 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

eign  territories  were  included  in  the 
consolidated  profit  and  loss  but  the 
equity  in  undistributed  earnings  of 
those  companies  was  deducted  in  ar- 
riving at  the  net  profit  of  the  com- 
bined companies.  Thereafter  only  the 
American  companies'  share  of  foreign 
film  rentals  which  was  remittable  in 
dollars  has  been  included  in  the  con- 
solidated income  account. 

Company's  balance  sheet  lists  total 
current  and  working  assets  of  $69,821,- 
623,  with  fixed  assets  totaling  $94,- 
069,495.  Total  current  liabilities  were 
$24,209,059. 


WB  Theatre  Heads 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

bany;  Ted  Schlanger,  Philadelphia; 
M.  A.  Silver,  Pittsburgh ;  George  A. 
Crouch,  Washington ;  Ben  H.  Waller- 
stein,  Hollywood. 

Film  buyers :  Alex  Halperin,  Ted 
Minsky,  Bert  Jacocks,  Max  Hoffman, 
Sam  Blasky,  Max  Friedman ;  John 
Turner,  Harry  Feinstein,  L.  F.  Rib- 
nitzki  and  Leo  Miller. 

Home  office  executives :  M.  Alben, 
Clayton  Bond,  Frank  Cahill,  H. 
Copelan,  Z.  Epstin,  N.  Fellman,  Harry 
Goldberg,  J.  L.  Kaufman,  H.  R. 
Maier,  F.  Marshall,  W.  S.  McDonald, 
Frank  Phelps,  Harold  Rodner,  H. 
Rosenquest,  D.  Triester,  H.  Weiss  and 
B.  Wirth. 


Warner  Foreign  Executives 
Arrive  Here  for  Convention 

Warner  foreign  representatives 
Peter  Colli,  manager  of  the  Caribbean 
division ;  James  O'Gara,  Pacific  divi- 
sion ;  Armando  Trucios,  Argentine, 
and  Stanley  Higginson,  Australia, 
have  arrived  in  New  York  to  confer 
with  Wolfe  Cohen  and  also  to  attend 
sessions  of  the  sales  convention.  Ary 
Lima,  manager  of  the  Atlantic  division 
of  South  America,  is  due  from 
Brazil  today. 


Reception  for  Lloyd 

Harold  Lloyd  was  guest  of  honor 
yesterday  afternoon  at  a  reception 
given  at  Toots  Shor's  by  Motion  Pic- 
ture Sales  Corp.,  which  is  reissuing 
the  comedian's  "Movie  Crazy,"  and 
other  features.  Among  those  attend- 
ing were :  Charles  L.  Casanave,  Joe 
Roberts,  Alec  Moss,  Manny  Reiner, 
Ben  Halperin,  Red  Kann,  Martin 
Quigley,  Jr.,  and  Ed.  Grainger. 


Copyright  Meeting 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

on  studying  possibilities  for  a  global 
convention  will  be  made. 

Slated  to  participate  in  the  meeting 
here,  among  others,  are  Edwin  P.  Kil- 
roe,  of  20th  Century-Fox,  as  head  of 
the  copyright  committee  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America ; 
Robert  J.  Rubin,  counsel  for  the  Soci- 
ety of  Independent  Motion  Picture 
Producers ;  Edward  A.  Sargoy,  of 
Sargoy  and  Stein,  special  counsel  to 
film  distributors  on  copyright  infringe- 
ments, and  Herman  Finkelstein,  coun- 
sel for  the  American  Society  of  Com- 
posers, Authors  and  Publishers. 

Although  the  U.  S.  is  not  a  party  to 
the  Berne  Copyright  Convention,  the 
U.  S.  film  industry  has  gotten  along 
well  in  its  global  operations  so  far  as 
any  copyright  injustices  have  been 
concerned,  according  to  attorneys 
familiar  with  the  subject. 

The  U.  S.  delegation  to  the  Paris 
meeting  will  comprise  John  Schulman, 
representing  the  copyright  bar ;  U.  S. 
Librarian  Luther  Evans,  and  Arthur 
Fisher,  Assistant  U.  S.  Registrar  of 
Copyrights. 


State  Dept.  Wants 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

East,  Australia,  New  Zealand  and 
South  Africa — it  has  been  possible  to 
develop  theatrical  distribution  of  some 
USIS  films.  Negotiations  are  in  prog- 
ress with  regard  to  theatre  use  of 
these  films  in  Europe.  Every  consid- 
eration will  continue  to  be  given  to 
the  use  of  commercial  outlets." 

The  Department  also  said  that: 
It  will  continue  to  spread  American 
newsreels  abroad;  it  hopes  to  expand 
its  overseas  film  program  now  that 
some  of  its  budget  troubles  are  being 
overcome ;  close  working  relations 
with  MPEA  are  helpful  and  should 
be  continued. 


Palfreyman  Leaves 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

lems.  I  wish  him  every  success  in  his 
future  undertakings." 

Palfreyman  said  he  had  no  definite 
plans  for  the  future.  He  admitted  he 
was  considering  going  into  exhibition 
in  Indiana  for  himself,  and  that  there 
had  been  "four  or  five  interesting" 
job  offers. 

A  native  of  Angola,  Ind.,  Palfrey- 
man became  secretary  and  manager  of 
the  Detroit  Film  Board  of  Trade  in 
1924.  In  1929  he  went  to  New  York 
to  establish  the  theatre  service  divi- 
sion of  the  Motion  Picture  Producers 
and  Distributors  of  America,  and 
headed  that  ever  since. 


Franklin  Loses  Motion 

Chicago,  June  7. — Federal  Judge 
Walter  Labuy  of  District  Court  here 
has  overruled  a  motion  ito  dismiss  the 
indictment  against  Irwin  Franklin. 
Midwest  agent  for  Artkino  films  and 
also  a  booking  agent.  Franklin,  a 
native  of  Russia,  was  charged  with 
posing  as  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States  and  with  failing  to  register'  as 
an  alien  during  World  War  II. 
Franklin  had  challenged  constitution- 
ality of  the  act  under  which  he  was 
indicated.  Judge  Labuy  has  set  a  trial 
heading  for  October  17. 


Lerner  to  Produce  Here 

Joseph  Lerner  will  produce  and  di- 
rect the  third  picture  which  Rex 
Carlton's  Laurel  Films  will  produce 
here,  based  on  an  original  screenplay 
by  Searle  Kramer. 


U.K.  Drive 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

tion  and  the  disintegration  of  large 
combines. 

Professor  Arnold  Plant,  member  of 
the  committee  and  its  economist,  in 
the  Monopoly  Report  of  1944  recom- 
mended legislation  curbing  concentra- 
tions of  power.  He  is  still  of  the  same 
mind  but  divergent  views  on  the  com- 
mittee are  expected  to  limit  its  recom- 
mendations in  this  respect  to  the  en- 
couragement of  independent  production 
and  its  statutorily  safeguarded  exhibi- 
tion outlets.  That  is  in  line  with  the 
present  government  attitude  as  re- 
flected by  Sir  Stafford  Cripps,  Chan- 
cellor of  the  Exchequer,  and  Harold 
Wilson,  president  of  the  Board  of 
Trade,  in  supporting  the  Film  Finance 
bank  and  other  measures. 

In  his  1944  Monopoly  Report,  Pro- 
fessor Plant  also  proposed  that  the 
government  should  discuss  with  the 
United  States  government  and  the 
American  industry  means  of  increas- 
ing the  exhibition  of  British  films  in 
the  U.  S.  It  is  regarded  as  very  likely 
that  Plant  will  renew  that  proposal 
in  the  coming  report. 

It  is  generally  accepted  here  that 
Wilson  will  take  no  action  on  Anglo- 
American  motion  picture  developments 
until  the  Portal  committee's  report 
has  been  made.  It  is  also  surmised 
that  the  imminence  of  the  report  had 
something  to  do  with  the  recent  desire 
of  the  British  members  of  the  Anglo- 
U.  S.  Films  Council  for  an  early  meet- 
ing with  the  American  members. 


SIMPP-MPEA  Fight 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

general  anti-trust  investigation,  with 
results  next  year. 

Multer  admitted  he  did  not  have 
the  film  industry  in  mind,  but  that  it 
could  be  affected.  As  does  the  Webb- 
Pomerene  Act,  the  bill  says  anti -trust 
laws  will  not  apply  to  export  associa- 
tions, but  the  Multer  Bill  sticks  on 
provisos  that  the  associations,  to  be 
exempt,  must  not  restrain  the  exports 
of  any  competing,  firm  and  must  not 
"either  in  the  U.  S.  or  elsewhere  enter 
into  any  agreement,  understanding  or 
conspiracy"  which  in  any  manner  pro- 
hibits, restricts  or  impedes  any  for- 
eign buyer  from  purchasing  directly 
from  any  U.  S.  firm  or  any  agent  of 
any  U.  S.  firm. 


Goldwyn-MPAA 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

tendered  his  resignation  from  the 
MPAA  and  the  Association  of  Motion 
Picture  Producers,  Hollywood,  last 
December.  The  resignation  from  the 
latter  becomes  effective  next  Wednes- 
day, that  from  the  MPAA  next 
Dec.  15. 


Hoover  Award  to  Clubs 

San  Francisco,  June  7. — Cash  re- 
ceived by  Herbert  Hoover  as  part  of 
the  Humanitarian  Award  given  to  the 
ex-president  by  Variety  Clubs  Inter- 
national at  its  recent  convention  here 
was  turned  over  to  the  San  Francisco 
Boys'  Club  and  the  Columbia  Park 
Boys'  Club.  A  check  for  $500  was 
presented  to  representatives  of  the 
clubs  by  Abe  Blumenfeld,  VCI  rep- 
resentative, at  Hoover's  request. 


E-L  Trade  Press  Contact 

Leo  Brody,  Eagle-Lion  publicity 
manager,  will  take  over  the  duties  of 
trade  press  contact  here,  Leon  Brandt, 
advertising-publicity  director,  an- 
nounces. 


business 
of  dollars 

arid  sense. 


Were  talking  about  the  banking 
business.  Specifically,  those  individual 
banks  who  have  played  a  major  role 
in  motion  picture  financing  since  the 
early  days  of  our  industry. 

You'll  find  that  when  financing  new 
productions,  bankers  give  strong 
support  to  the  use  of  COLOR... because 
they  know  from  experience  that 
COLOR  insures  their  INVESTMENT. 

Yes,  DOLLARS  make  SENSE  when  you 
invest  them  in  COLOR.  And  your 
dollars  will  buy  more  in  CINECOLOR 
...the  lowest  color  cost  in  the  industry. 


T  H  E     C  thecoma  CORPORATION 


PICTURES  DON'T 

SELL  THEMSELVES! 

No  matter  how  good  a  picture  may  be— the  public  can't  be  sold  unless  it's  told! 
No  matter  how  good  a  sales  pitch  is— unless  it  gets  to  the  right  customer  it's  wasted! 

WHO  ARE  YOUR  CUSTOMERS?  *It  is  fact-not  opinion-that  two  out  of 
three  in  every  average  movie  audience  are  under  thirty-five. 

Of  that  vital  group  a  select  few  are  movie  opinion  leaders  who  directly  and  consistently 
influence  the  ticket  buying  of  the  rest  of  the  audience.  The  pictures  they  read  about  and 
talk  about  are  the  pictures  that  succeed— make  no  mistake! 

And  three  out  of  five  of  those  leaders  consistently  read  fan  magazines ! 

Apathy,  false  economy  and  faulty  thinking  have  caused  some  to  miss  this  natural  market! 

DON'T  BLAME  TELEVISION— the  dent  it  has  made  on  the  nation's  box  office 
is  negligible! 

DON'T  TRY  TO  SUBSTITUTE  REGIONAL  PREMIERES -the  people  in 

Seattle  know  and  care  little  about  what  happened  in  Birmingham  .  .  .  particularly  by 
the  time  your  picture  reaches  their  local  theatre. 

DON'T  SPEND  YOUR  MONEY  IN  THE  SECONDARY  MARKET  reached 

through  national  weeklies  —  until  you  do  your  important  selling  in  the  primary  market— 
by  advertising  to  the  fan  magazine  readership  of  20,000,000  per  issue  (the  biggest 
audience  contributing  to  any  box  office  success). 

DO  YOUR  SELLING  WHERE  IT'S  REALLY  TELLING 
-ADVERTISE  FIRST  IN  THE  FAN  MAGAZINES! 


5fc  From  a  Survey  conducted  by  Columbia 
University' s  Bureau  of  Applied  Social 
Research — contained  in"Bojfo". 


ASSOCIATION  OF 
SCREEN  MAGAZINE 
Publishers 

261  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 


MODERN  SCREEN  -  MOTION  PICTURE  -  MOVIE  STORY  •  MOVIE  LIFE  ■  MOVIE  STARS  PARADE  ■  MOVIELAND 
PHOTOPLAY  •  SCREEN  GUIDE  •  SCREENLAND  -  SCREEN  STORIES  •  SILVER  SCREEN 


JV1L/ 1 1UN  FlLlUivL 

( (f  irst) 

A  Accurate 

IN 

T%  ATT  ^LT 

Concise 

FILM 

1 1  >%  1  1  v 

and 

k  iri»  if* 

NEWS 

Imnnrtial 

III  IMVJI  11 VII 

VOL.  65.  NO.  112 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  JUNE  9,  1949 


TEN  CENTS 


Bigger  Co-op. 
Advertising 
Role  for  Para. 


Young  stein  States  Plan; 
'Heiress'  Meets  Lauded 

Not  only  will  Paramount  not  cur- 
tail its  exhibitor  cooperative  adver- 
tising, it  actually  will  increase  its 
role  in  that  sphere,  providing  the 
exhibitor  meets  the  company  on  a  fair 
and  equitable  basis.  Paramount's  ad- 
vertising-publicity director,  Max  E. 
Youngstein,  made  that  disclosure  here 
yesterday  at  a  press  interview  _  par- 
ticipated in  by  most  of  the  11  circuit 
advertising-publicity  directors  follow- 
ing their  two-day  parley  with  com- 
pany promotion  executives  on  the 
forthcoming  campaigns  for  William 
Wyler's  "The  Heiress."  Youngstein 
gave  considerable  emphasis  to  his 
qualification — "providing  the  exhibi- 
tor meets  us  on  a  fair  and  equitable 
basis." 

Youngstein  called  the  interview  to 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


British  Have  Legal 
Right  to  Raise 
Quota:  State  Dep't. 

Washington,  June  8. — The  State 
Department  today  told  Congressmen 
protesting  the  British  film  quota  stand 
that  it  was  concerned  over  the  quota 
situation  but  "must  recognize  the 
right"  of  the  British  government  to 
fix  the  quota  since  no  specific  com- 
mitment on  the  matter  had  been  made 
under  the  general  agreement  on  trade 
and  tariffs. 

The  Department's  reply  was  made 
in  almost  identical  letters  from  Acting 
Secretary  of  State  Webb  to  Rep. 
Cecil  King  and  Senators  Sheridan 
Downey  and  William  C.  Knowland. 
Downey  and  Knowland  had  sent  a 
joint  letter  to  Webb,  and  King  had 
protested  as  chairman  of  a  special 
committee  of  House  members  from 
California.  All  three  had  demanded  a 
new  formal  U.  S.  protest,  and  that 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Palfreyman  Cited 
By  Allied's  Myers 

Washington,  June  8. — Dave  Pal- 
freyman's  "retirement"  will  be  re- 
gretted by  the  entire  Allied  States  or- 
ganization and  by  independent  exhibi- 
tors throughout  the  country,  Allied 
general  counsel  Abram  Myers  said 
today. 

"While  Palfreyman  faithfully  rep- 
resented distributors,  he  had  the  con- 
fidence of  independent  exhibitor  or- 
ganizations, and  was  always  welcome 
at  their  meetings,"  Myers  stated.  "I 
think  the  distribution  branch  has  lost 
a  valuable  asset." 

Myers  would  not  comment  on  the 
naming  of  Motion  Picture  Association 
of  America  vice-president  Francis 
Harmon  as  the  new  trade  relations 
chief. 


Michigan  Allied  to 
Honor  Ray  Branch 

Detroit,  June  8. — Allied 
Theatres  of  Michigan  will 
sponsor  a  testimonial  ban- 
quet in  honor  of  Ray  Branch 
at  the  Olds  Hotel  in  Lansing, 
Mich.,  on  June  15.  Branch 
was  president  of  the  unit  for 
19  years  before  his  retire- 
ment last  fall. 

Michigan  Allied  also  has 
set  Oct.  3-5  as  the  dates  for 
its  annual  convention  to  be 
held  at  the  Book-Cadillac 
Hotel  here. 


Kalmenson  Opens 
Sales  Meet  Today 


Ben  Kalmenson,  Warner  Brothers 
distribution  vice-president,  will  pre- 
side at  the  company's  three-day  inter- 
national sales  convention,  its  first  such 
meet  in  three  years,  which  gets  under 
way  today  in  the  Waldorf-Astoria 
Hotel  here.  The  company's  top  ex- 
ecutives, district  and  branch  managers, 
theatre  department  representatives  and 
delegates  from  many  of  the  company's 
foreign  offices  are  attending. 

Highlight  of  the  opening  session 
will  be  an  address  by  Jack  L.  War- 
ner, executive  producer,  outlining  de- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Gould  Resigns  As 
U.  A.  Foreign  Chief 

Walter  Gould,  United  Artists  for- 
eign manager,  has  submitted  his  resig- 
nation from  the  company  to  take  ef- 
fect with  the  expiration  of  his  current 
five  -  year  con- 
tract on  July  17. 

Gould,  who 
has  been  with 
United  Artists 
for  the  past  23 
years,  made  his 
decision  to  leave 
the  company  in 
order  to  enter 
business  for 
himself.  He  will 
establish  offices 
here  about  Aug. 
1  as  the  repre- 
sentative  of 
Fritz  Streng- 
holdt,  European 
producer  and  distributor  and  operator 
of  theatres  in  Belgium  and  Holland. 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Unity  Theme 
Of  MPA-TOA 
Capital  Talk 

Johnston  Sees  Time 
Ripe  for  Cooperation 

All  segments  of  the  industry 
should  get  together  to  resolve  in- 
ternal differences,  create  better  un- 
derstanding and  present  an  im- 
proved united  front  on  matters  of  pub- 
lic policy,  Eric  Johnston,  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  president,  suggested 
to  Theatre  Owners  of  America  leaders 
at  an  informal  conference  in  Wash- 
ington Tuesday  night,  it  was  learned 
yesterday. 

The  theme  of  industry  cooperation 
was  the  keynote  of  the  meeting  sound- 
ed by  Johnston  and  the  one  which 
he  presumably  will  reiterate  at  later 
meetings  with  other  exhibitor  organi- 
zation leaders. 

No  formal  program  was  presented 
during  the  discussion,  which  appar- 
ently took  the  form  of.  a  "sounding 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Walter  Gould 


Roth  Buys  Control  of 
Elman  Chicago  Firm 

Chicago,  June  8. — Max  Roth,  form- 
er Film  Classics  district  manager,  has 
bought  the  controlling  interest  in  the 
late  Henri  Elman  Enterprises,  which 
operates  the  Capitol  Film  Exchanges 
here,  it  was  learned  today. 

Mrs.  Pearl  Elman,  the  widow,  is  to 
retain  an  interest  in  the  company,  dis- 
tributors of  Realart,  Astor,  Madison, 
Tiffany  and  Devonshire  films.  Amount 
of  the  sale  was  not  disclosed.  Deal 
was  handled  in  the  Probate  court. 


Video  Study  Groups  Like 
Way  Paramount  Does  It 


Kan.-Mo.  Allied 
Reelects  Officers 


Kansas  City,  June  8— O.  F.  Sulli- 
van was  reelected  president  at  the 
final  session  of  the  two-day  convention 
of  Allied  Independent  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  Kansas  and  Missouri  here  to- 
day. Larry  Larsen  was  reelected  vice- 
president,  but  as  he  is  ill,  Day  Means 
was  elected  to  fill  the  post  until  Lar- 
sen's  recovery. 

V.  R.  Stamm  was  reelected  secre- 
tary-treasurer. New  directors  elected 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Paramount  staged  a  special  demon 
stration    of    its    intermediate  large 
screen  television  process  at  the  Para 
mount  Theatre  here  yesterday  for  a 
group  of  observers  of  the  Motion  Pic 
ture  Association  of  America,  Theatre 
Owners  of  America,  Society  of  Inde 
pendent    Motion    Picture  Producers 
and  the  Metropolitan  Motion  Picture 
Theatres — and  the  executives  appeared 
to  be  uniform  in  their  approval,  ac 
cording  to  the  "lobby  comments."  A 
few  who  had  not  seen  the  system  be 
fore  were  especially  enthusiastic. 

One  inning  of  the  Giant-Cardinals 
baseball  game  at  the  Polo  Grounds 
here  was  picked  up,  following  projec- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Krim  to  Return  to 
Law  Practice  Here 


Following  wind-up  of  his  affairs  at 
Eagle-Lion,  Arthur  Krim  will  give 
his  full  time  to  the  practice  of  law 
with  the  New  York  firm  of  Phillips, 
Nizer,  Benjamin  and  Krim,  of  which 
he  is  a  member,  it  was  disclosed  here 
yesterday  by  Louis  Nizer. 

Krim  tendered  his  resignation  as 
president  of  the  film  company  early 
last  month  but  has  been  staying  on  to 
complete  some  work  on  production. 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Court  Allows  Split 
Of  UA,  Loew's  Pool 


New  York  Federal  court  yesterday 
signed  the  order  jointly  proposed  by 
Loew's  and  the  Department  of  Jus- 
tice for  the  dissolution  of  Loew's  di- 
vided interests  with  United  Artists 
Theatres  Circuit  in  the  operation  of 
two  theatres  in  Pittsburgh,  two  in 
Columbus,  three  in  Baltimore  and  one 
in  Louisville. 

The  actual  dissolution  will  mean 
the  end  of  all  Loew's  partnerships  in 
exhibition,  it  was  declared  in  the  or- 
der. Although  a  numerical  split  of  the 
properties  has  been  indicated,  it  has 
not  been  decided  which  theatres 
Loew's  and  UA  will  take  over, 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  June  9,  1949 


Personal 
Mention 

MICHAEL   POWELL  and  Em 
eric  Pressburger,  British  pro 
ducers,  will  arrive  here  from  London 
on  June  19,  by  air,  and  will  proceed 
immediately  to  the  Coast. 

• 

Charles  H.  Lehman,  president  of 
Telesonic  Theatrephone  Corp.,  re- 
ports that  his  son,  Herbert  Clifton 
Lehman,  has  left  the  Army,  where 
he  was  an  aviation  instructor,  and 
is  now  a  vice-president  of  the  com 
pany,  which  plans  expansion  of  its 
American  and  European  business. 
• 

Irving  C.  Jacocks,  Jr.,  treasurer  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Owners  of  Con 
necticut,  was  given  a  television  set 
by  the  Preferri  Club,  a  Connecticut 
state  legislative  dinner  group,  at  a  re 
cent  dinner  at  Hartford. 

• 

Lige  Brien,  Eagle- Lion  exploitation 
manager,  left  New  York  last  night  for 
New  Orleans,  where  he  will  set  up 
the  world  premiere  of  "Reign  of  Ter- 
ror" at  the  Joy  Theatre. 

• 

Eileen  Kayak,  producer's  repre- 
sentative for  Benedict  Bogeaus  Pro- 
ductions, and  John  Kayak  are  the 
parents  of  a  son  born  Monday  at  the 
Union  Hospital,  Portchester,  N.  Y. 
• 

Thomas  L.  Henrich,  Paramount 
office  manager  at  Detroit,  has  been 
appointed  an  executive  assistant  at 
Paramount's  Southwestern  division  at 
Dallas. 

Harry  W.  _  Bache,  M-G-M  head 
booker  at  Philadelphia,  has  assumed 
the  post  of  office  manager,  succeeding 
Frank  J.  Sculli,  promoted  to  sales. 
• 

Mrs.  Jules  Levy,  wife  of  the  pro- 
ducer, will  sail  from  here  Tuesday  on 
the  S.  S.  Mauretania  to  join,  her  hus- 
band in  Rome. 

• 

Fred    Meyers,  Universal-Interna- 
tional Eastern  sales  manager,  is  in 
Philadelphia  today  from  New  York. 
• 

L,  E.  Goldhammer,  Allied  Artists- 
Monogram    Eastern    sales  manager, 
will  leave  here  today  for  Washington. 
• 

Shirley  Temple  has  been  awarded 
the  University  of  Tampa's  Achieve- 
ment Medal  for  1948-49. 

• 

Ed  Stevens,  president  of  Stevens 
Pictures  at  Atlanta,  has  returned  there 
from  a  trip  to  Florida. 


Charles  Kir  by  Feted 
By  U-I  Foreign  Dept. 

Universal-International  foreign  de- 
partment executive  yesterday  tendered 
a  luncheon  here  to  Charles  A.  Kirby, 
vice-president  and  secretary  for  Uni- 
versal International  Films,  distributors 
of  U-I  pictures,  on  the  occasion  of 
Kirby's  51st  birthday  and  his  28th 
year  with  the  company. 

Among  those